"It's a lie!" he exclaimed, speaking rather what he wished than what he believed.
"You are mistaken," said Gilbert, in the same calm tone. "The paper you have just torn up was in my own handwriting."
"I made a copy of it from the original this morning," said our hero.
"Why did you not bring the original, if there is one?"
"Because I was afraid you might be tempted3 to destroy it. It seems I was right," added Gilbert, with a glance at the torn pieces of paper which littered the carpet at his feet.
James Grey was terribly provoked. He had "shown his hand," so to speak, and gained nothing by it. If his nephew's story was true, the dreaded4 paper was still in existence, and likely to be guarded more carefully than ever. Gilbert's calmness was a strong indication of the correctness of his story. Were the real paper destroyed, he could not help showing agitation6.
"Do you mean to say that you have another paper than this?" he demanded.
"I do," said our hero.
"You must show me that, or I shall not believe you have it."
"I am not quite a fool, Uncle James," said Gilbert. "I know as well as you how valuable that paper is, and I am not going to risk it."
"You seem to be a remarkably7 prudent8 young man," said Mr. Grey, with a sneer—"quite an old head upon young shoulders."
"I ought to be," said Gilbert. "I was educated to the streets of New York. There I had to knock about for myself and earn my own living, at an age when most boys are carefully looked after by their parents. I learned to look out for my own interests there. I am indebted to you for that kind of training. You must not complain now if I use it against you."
Mr. Grey sat a moment in deep and troubled thought. This nephew of his turned out to be a decidedly formidable opponent. How could he cope with him?
"Have you told any one in this city about these false claims of yours?" he asked, after awhile.
"I have not spoken to any one about false claims," said Gilbert, coldly.
"Call them what you will. Have you spoken of having any claims to my brother's property to any one here?"
"I have."
"To whom?"
"To Mr. Ferguson."
James Grey frowned. Mr. Ferguson was one of the last men to whom he would have wished the communication known.
"He must have laughed at your ridiculous story."
"I have."
"Did he know you were to call upon me this afternoon?"
"I told him before I came."
Things were evidently getting more serious than Mr. Grey had supposed. Not only was Gilbert a young man who meant business, but he was backed by a merchant of standing11, whose former connection with the Grey family made his co-operation and favor of no slight importance. James Grey saw that he must temporize12. Had he followed out his inclination13, he would have sprung upon his obdurate14 nephew and pounded him to a jelly. But unfortunately he was in a civilized15 city, where laws are supposed to afford some protection from personal assault, and this course, therefore, was not to be thought of. Since violence, then, was not practicable, he must have recourse to stratagem16, and, to put Gilbert temporarily off his guard, he must play a part.
"Well, young man," he said, at length, "I am not prepared at present to pronounce a definite opinion upon your claim. Of course, if really convinced that you were my nephew, I would acknowledge you to be such."
"I have some doubts as to that," thought Gilbert.
"But it does not seem to me very probable that such is the case. Of course, I objected to being duped by an impostor. You cannot blame me for that."
"No."
"At first, your claim appeared to me preposterous17, and I pronounced it to be so. Upon reflection, though I strongly doubt its genuineness, I am willing to take time to consider it."
"That is fair," said Gilbert.
"I shall consult with a lawyer on the subject, and institute some inquiries18 of my own. Then, besides, my time will be partly occupied with other business, on which I have come hither. You may come again, say in a week, and I shall perhaps be able to give you a definite answer."
"Very well," said Gilbert. "Good-morning."
"Good-morning," responded his uncle, following him to the door. "I'd like to kick you down stairs, you young villain," he added, sotto voce.
James Grey shut the door of his chamber19, and sat down to think. It was certainly an emergency that called for serious thought. Gilbert's claim would strip him of four-fifths of his fortune, and reduce him from a rich man to a comparatively poor one.
"I am not safe as long as that paper exists," he concluded. "It must be stolen from the boy, in some way." But how? He felt that he wanted an unscrupulous tool through whose agency he might get possession of old Jacob's confession20. That destroyed, he could snap his fingers at Gilbert, and live undisturbed in the possession of the fortune he wrongfully withheld21 from him.
Sometimes the devil sends to evil men precisely22 what they most want, and so it turned out in this particular instance.
That evening Mr. Grey was walking thoughtfully in the street, reflecting upon his difficult situation, when his sharp ears caught the sound of his nephew's name, pronounced by two boys, or young men, in front of him. Not to keep the reader in suspense23, they were Maurice Walton and a friend of his, named Isaac Baker24.
"I tell you, Baker," said Maurice, warmly, "it's the greatest piece of injustice25 my being paid only half the salary of that sneak26, Gilbert Grey."
"I suppose he's a favorite with Ferguson, isn't he?"
"That's just it. I'm as good a clerk as he is, any day, yet he gets twenty dollars a week, while I only get ten. It's enough to make a fellow swear."
"Did you ever speak to Ferguson about it?"
"Yes, but that was all the good it did. He seems to think there's nobody like Grey."
"How did Grey get in with him?"
"I believe he's a nephew of the man Ferguson used to work for. Besides he's got a way of getting round people. He's a humbug27 and a hypocrite."
Maurice spoke9 with bitterness, and evidently felt strongly on the subject. He had another grievance28, which he did not choose to speak of, of which our readers have already had a glimpse. His cousin, Bessie Benton, persisted in the bad taste of preferring Gilbert to him. Of course they were too young for anything serious; but, in the social gatherings29 to which all three were invited, Bessie was, of course, the recipient30 of attentions from both, and she had, on more than one occasion, shown unmistakably her preference for Gilbert Grey. Only two evenings previous, she had danced with Gilbert, but, when Maurice applied31, had told him her card was full. It was not an intentional32 slight, and, had he come up earlier, he would have been successful in securing her. But he chose to regard it as a slight, and this naturally embittered33 him still more, partly against his cousin, but most of all against Gilbert, who, both in business and with the fair sex, seemed to have eclipsed him.
"I suppose, under the circumstances, you don't like Grey much?" said his companion.
"Like him!" returned Maurice, with bitter emphasis. "I should think not. He's a mean grasping fellow, and I hate him. He's got the inside track now, but my turn may come some time."
James Grey listened to this conversation with increasing interest. It seemed to open a way for him to success.
"Come," thought he, "here is just the fellow I want. He hates my dangerous nephew, and can easily be molded to my purposes. I will follow him, and, as soon as I can speak to him alone, I will see if I cannot win him to my side."
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1
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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imposture
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| n.冒名顶替，欺骗 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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5
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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7
remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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8
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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9
spoke
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| 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 | |
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10
gullible
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| adj.易受骗的；轻信的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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12
temporize
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| v.顺应时势；拖延 | |
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13
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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14
obdurate
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| adj.固执的，顽固的 | |
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15
civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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16
stratagem
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| n.诡计，计谋 | |
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17
preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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18
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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19
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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21
withheld
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| withhold过去式及过去分词 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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24
baker
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| n.面包师 | |
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injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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26
sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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27
humbug
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| n.花招，谎话，欺骗 | |
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28
grievance
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| n.怨愤，气恼，委屈 | |
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29
gatherings
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| 聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集 | |
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30
recipient
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| a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器 | |
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31
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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32
intentional
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| adj.故意的，有意（识）的 | |
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33
embittered
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| v.使怨恨，激怒( embitter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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