CHAPTER XVII. THE SCARRED FACE.

 We are now about to pass over a space of three years, partly because no incidents of importance marked their passage, though they wrought¹ an important change in our hero. We leave him an uneducated boy of fifteen. We meet him again a youth qualified² to appear to advantage in any society. Of course, this change was not wrought without persistent³ effort. Tom was, as we know, an unusually smart boy, with a quick wit, and an aptness to learn. But talent avails little unless cultivated. Our hero, however, kept up his habit of evening study, at first under Mordaunt's instruction. The latter was amazed at the progress of his pupil. He seemed to fly along the path of knowledge, and to master difficulties almost by intuition. At the end of a year he was as good an English scholar as most boys of his age. But this did not satisfy him. He induced Mordaunt to join him in securing the services of a native French teacher, and was speedily able to read the language with ease, and to speak it a little. He also found it for his interest to learn something of German, on account of the number of German customers which Mr. Ferguson had. To these solid acquirements he added a couple of quarters at a fashionable dancing-school, and the result of all was, that he not only became a good scholar, but was able to appear to advantage in the social gatherings⁴ to which Mordaunt and himself were frequently invited.

 

Maurice Walton was no longer able to laugh at his rusticity⁵, but, on the other hand, was forced to admit to himself, with a twinge of jealousy⁶, that the rough, uncultured boy of former days had wholly eclipsed him in every desirable accomplishment⁷, as well as in the solid branches. For Maurice spent his evenings in quite a different way from our hero—at the billiard-saloon or bar-room, or in wandering about the streets without object. The result was that Mr. Ferguson, detecting the difference between the two clerks, and recognizing the superior value of Gilbert, for he has now laid aside his street-name of Tom, promoted him much more rapidly than Maurice. The latter received but ten dollars a week, after three years' service, while our hero had been advanced to twenty. This was naturally felt by Maurice as a bitter grievance⁸, and he sometimes complained of it to Gilbert himself.

 

"Ferguson treats me meanly," he said, just after the last rise of Gilbert.

 

"How is that, Maurice?"

 

"He won't raise my salary. He is only going to give me ten dollars a week, the same as last year. How much is he going to give you?"

 

"Twenty."

 

"Just twice as much!" exclaimed Maurice, angrily. "He has no business to make any difference between us."

 

"I wish he would give you twenty dollars, too," said Gilbert.

 

"Do you?" asked Maurice, suspiciously.

 

"Certainly. I am none the better off for your getting small pay."

 

"If you really feel so, suppose you ask him to give me more."

 

Gilbert hesitated.

 

"I am afraid he would think I was interfering⁹ in his affairs."

 

"Just as I thought. You were not in earnest in what you said. You like to triumph over me because I came here the same time you did, and only get half as much."

 

Maurice spoke¹⁰ in a bitter tone, which might partly be excused by his mortification¹¹ and disappointment.

 

"You are quite mistaken, Maurice," said Gilbert.

 

"I will believe that when you go to Mr. Ferguson and ask him to raise my salary."

 

Gilbert reflected a moment, and then said, suddenly:

 

"I'll do it."

 

"You will?" asked Maurice, surprised.

 

"Yes. He may be angry with me, but I'll risk it. Only if he refuses, you won't blame me?"

 

"No, I won't. You're such a favorite with him that he may do it for you. When will you go?"

 

"Now."

 

Mr. Ferguson was sitting alone in his counting-room when Gilbert entered.

 

"May I speak with you a moment, Mr. Ferguson?" he asked.

 

"Yes, Gilbert. What is it?"

 

"I hope you will excuse me for interfering in what is none of my business, but I promised Maurice I would speak to you."

 

"Oh, it's on Maurice's business, is it?" said the merchant.

 

"Yes, sir. He is very much disturbed because you have raised my salary, and have not raised his. I get twenty dollars a week, and he only ten."

 

"He thinks it unjust, does he?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"Will you ask him to step into the office, and come back here yourself?"

 

The two clerks were speedily in the presence of their employer.

 

"So you think you ought to have a higher salary, Walton?" began Mr. Ferguson.

 

"I don't think Grey earns twice as much as I do, sir."

 

"Perhaps you think he does not earn any more."

 

"I don't see why he does."

 

"Then I will tell you. You have both been with me about the same length of time, you a little longer, I think, but length of service does not always enhance the value of service. Grey has devoted¹² his evenings to study. He has acquired such a knowledge of German in particular that he can wait upon German customers. He has mastered all the details of the business, which you have not done. You are often late, often inattentive, and are no better clerk now than you were a year ago. That is the reason I am willing to give Gilbert higher pay than you. If you wish to fare as well as he has done, pursue the same course."

 

"I don't feel like studying in the evening; I am too tired," said Maurice, sullenly¹³.

 

"Do as you please about that; but there is still another way in which, without any more time, you can make yourself more valuable, and merit increase of pay."

 

"How is that, sir?"

 

"Always be on the alert while you are here in the store. Then, in place of an indifferent salesman, you may become a good one—such as I should be very sorry to lose. At present, I confess I should not feel it to be a great loss if you withdrew to another establishment."

 

Maurice listened sullenly. It chafed¹⁵ his pride to be thus addressed by his employer, in presence of Gilbert.

 

As they went back to their duty, our hero said:

 

"I did the best I could for you, Maurice. You can't blame me."

 

"No, but I blame him. He has no business to be so partial to you. All the difference between us is, that you can jabber¹⁶ Dutch a little. That isn't worth ten dollars a week extra. He's down on me for something or other; I don't know why."

 

"I don't make any comparison between us, Maurice," said Gilbert. "I am perfectly¹⁷ willing you should get as high pay as I do."

 

"You are very kind," said Maurice, sarcastically¹⁸.

 

"Now, don't get mad with a fellow," said Gilbert, good humoredly. "I can't help it."

 

But Maurice was sullen¹⁴ all day, and for some days subsequently. He insisted on regarding Gilbert as a successful rival, and would have injured him if he could.

 

It was about this time that our hero had his thoughts suddenly recalled to the uncle who had defrauded¹⁹ him of his birthright. Walking in Vine street one morning, he suddenly came face to face with the man whose boots he had brushed, more than three years before, on the steps of the Astor House. He knew him at once by the peculiar²⁰ scar upon his right cheek, of which he had taken particular notice when they first met.

1 wrought   

v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的

参考例句：

• Events in Paris wrought a change in British opinion towards France and Germany.巴黎发生的事件改变了英国对法国和德国的看法。
• It's a walking stick with a gold head wrought in the form of a flower.那是一个金质花形包头的拐杖。

2 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

3 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

4 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

5 rusticity   

n.乡村的特点、风格或气息

参考例句：

• He was ashamed of his own rusticity in that distinguished company. 在那伙人当中他因自己粗俗而惭愧。 来自辞典例句
• There is an important difference between rusticity and urbanity. 朴实和文雅之间有很大的差别。 来自互联网

6 jealousy   

n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌

参考例句：

• Some women have a disposition to jealousy.有些女人生性爱妒忌。
• I can't support your jealousy any longer.我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。

7 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

8 grievance   

n.怨愤，气恼，委屈

参考例句：

• He will not easily forget his grievance.他不会轻易忘掉他的委屈。
• He had been nursing a grievance against his boss for months.几个月来他对老板一直心怀不满。

9 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 mortification   

n.耻辱，屈辱

参考例句：

• To my mortification, my manuscript was rejected. 使我感到失面子的是：我的稿件被退了回来。
• The chairman tried to disguise his mortification. 主席试图掩饰自己的窘迫。

12 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

13 sullenly   

不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地

参考例句：

• 'so what?" Tom said sullenly. “那又怎么样呢？”汤姆绷着脸说。
• Emptiness after the paper, I sIt'sullenly in front of the stove. 报看完，想不出能找点什么事做，只好一人坐在火炉旁生气。

14 sullen   

adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的

参考例句：

• He looked up at the sullen sky.他抬头看了一眼阴沉的天空。
• Susan was sullen in the morning because she hadn't slept well.苏珊今天早上郁闷不乐，因为昨晚没睡好。

15 chafed   

v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的过去式 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒

参考例句：

• Her wrists chafed where the rope had been. 她的手腕上绳子勒过的地方都磨红了。
• She chafed her cold hands. 她揉搓冰冷的双手使之暖和。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

16 jabber   

v.快而不清楚地说；n.吱吱喳喳

参考例句：

• Listen to the jabber of those monkeys.听那些猴子在吱吱喳喳地叫。
• He began to protes,to jabber of his right of entry.他开始抗议，唠叨不休地说他有进来的权力。

17 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

18 sarcastically   

adv.挖苦地，讽刺地

参考例句：

• 'What a surprise!' Caroline murmured sarcastically.“太神奇了!”卡罗琳轻声挖苦道。
• Pierce mocked her and bowed sarcastically. 皮尔斯嘲笑她，讽刺地鞠了一躬。

19 defrauded   

v.诈取，骗取( defraud的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He defrauded his employers of thousands of dollars. 他诈取了他的雇主一大笔钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He defrauded them of their money. 他骗走了他们的钱。 来自辞典例句

20 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。