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首页 » 儿童英文小说 » Tom, The Bootblack or, The Road to Success » CHAPTER XXVII. JAMES GREY'S RESIDENCE.
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CHAPTER XXVII. JAMES GREY'S RESIDENCE.
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 About a mile from the bank of the Mississippi River, in the small town of Clayton, stood a handsome house. It was on a commanding site, and could be seen by the travelers bound up the river, from the decks of the large river-boats. It stood in lonely grandeur1, with no other houses very near, and those that were within a respectful distance from it were far inferior. The occupant might be judged to be, in his neighborhood, a person of some consideration.
 
This was the mansion2 of James Grey, already introduced to our readers.
 
What motives3 had led him to pitch his tent in such a spot, can only be conjectured4. He came thither5 directly from the city of Cincinnati, having lived in a hotel near by while he hurried the erection of this house. He came thither with his son, (his wife was dead), and had lived there ever since, though, from time to time, he absented himself on a trip to St. Louis, or, in rarer instances, Cincinnati. It is not unlikely that, knowing himself to be guilty of a fraudulent appropriation6 of his nephew's property, he had chosen to withdraw from the busy world, and plant himself in this comparatively obscure place, where he was not likely to be visited by any one cognizant of the manner in which he obtained his money.
 
Indeed, until his visit to New York, three years before, he had not supposed there was any one living so cognizant. He had seen a rumor7 that the vessel8 in which Jacob and his young charge went out to Australia was wrecked9, and he imagined, or rather hoped, and so persuaded himself, that his dangerous nephew and his guilty accomplice10 were dead. But his recognition of the boy who blacked his boots on the steps of the Astor House undeceived him as to this point. Still, it seemed altogether unlikely that the boy would ever become aware of his identity.
 
"If he does," thought James Grey, "he is not likely to find me here on the banks of the Mississippi, fifteen hundred miles away."
 
According to the doctrine11 of probabilities, he was doubtless correct. It was not likely, but then events often bid defiance12 to the probabilities, and such was the case now.
 
At the time we introduce Mr. Grey at home, he was sitting at breakfast in a handsome breakfast-room, from the windows of which the river was visible. He held in his hand a copy of a St. Louis morning paper of the morning previous, and was reading its columns, while sipping13 a cup of coffee at his side.
 
A boy of seventeen entered the room.
 
"You are very late, Jasper," said his father, consulting his watch. "Can't you get to breakfast earlier than ten o'clock, sir?"
 
Jasper was dark and effeminate in appearance, not strong and sturdy, nor had he the look of self-reliance and calm power which characterized our hero, who was his cousin. He was smooth, deceitful, and vain, running to dissipation, as far as he had opportunity.
 
"I was tired, sir," he answered.
 
"What made you tired?"
 
"I didn't get home till late last evening."
 
"Where had you been?"
 
"I was at Alton."
 
"Without my permission," said his father, frowning.
 
"I am seventeen, sir. I am old enough to go off by myself."
 
"By heavens, you are not!" said his father, angrily. "It seems to me, sir, you are getting mighty14 independent."
 
"There is nothing to do here in this hole," said Jasper, disdainfully. "I get tired of moping here."
 
"I manage to content myself here," said Mr. Grey.
 
"I don't see how you do it," said Jasper, shrugging his shoulders.
 
"Well, what did you do at Alton?"
 
"Not much. I just went up there in the morning, and came back at night. I didn't have long to stay."
 
"I missed you at dinner, but thought you were out riding."
 
"I am going out to ride after breakfast. By the way, father, can you give me a little money?"
 
"Money! I gave you twenty-five dollars three days since."
 
"I haven't got a dime15 left."
 
"What did you do with it, you young spendthrift? Gambled on the boat, I dare say."
 
"Well, I had a little game," answered Jasper, coolly.
 
"And lost?"
 
"Yes, I lost."
 
"Of course. You are too green to cope with the sharpers that infest16 those boats. Haven't I forbidden you to play?"
 
"There was nothing else to do."
 
"You appear to pay very slight regard to my commands. In return I shall allow you to know what it is to be penniless for a time."
 
"Won't you give me any money, father?"
 
"No, I won't."
 
Jasper looked dark and sullen17. He was an utterly18 spoiled boy, if one can be called spoiled, who had so few good qualities which admitted of being spoiled. He inherited his father's bad traits, his selfishness and unscrupulousness, in addition to a spirit of deceitfulness and hypocrisy19 from his mother's nature. He was not as censurable20 as he would have been had he not possessed21 these bad tendencies.
 
He finished his breakfast and went out.
 
"That's a model son to have—a son to be proud of," soliloquized his father. "He is already a gambler, a liar22, and cares for me only as I have it in my power to promote his selfish ends. I have let him grow up like an evil weed, and I am afraid he will some day disgrace me."
 
Though himself unscrupulous and bad, Mr. Grey would have been glad to have his son better than himself. In his secret heart he felt the superiority of Gilbert to his cousin. Yet Jasper, with all his faults, was his son, and the wily father schemed to secure to him the property which belonged to his nephew.
 
He was interrupted by the entrance of a colored servant.
 
Pompey had originally been a slave, as he showed by his language at times.
 
"Well, Pompey, have you been to the post-office?"
 
"Yes, sar."
 
"I suppose you found a paper for me, didn't you?"
 
"No, massa, didn't see nothing of no paper," said Pompey; "but I found this letter," and he displayed a letter in a yellow envelope.
 
"Give it to me."
 
Mr. Grey took it in his hand, and saw that it was post-marked "Cincinnati." The handwriting he did not recognize. His curiosity was aroused.
 
"You can go, Pompey," he said, waving his hand.
 
"I'm gone, massa."
 
James Grey tore open the letter hastily, and turned at once to the signature.
 
"Maurice Walton!" he repeated. "Why that's my young spy. It must be about my nephew."
 
He read with eager interest:
 
"Dear Sir:—(so it commenced) You asked me to write you if anything happened. I think you will like to know that your nephew, Gilbert Grey, if he is your nephew, which I doubt, has just left here for St. Louis. I suppose, from what I can learn, that he is in search of you. I don't think he has any idea where you really live. He has not learned from me, for I hate him, and I won't tell him anything he wants to know. I didn't know but you might happen to be in St. Louis, so I write to put you on your guard. I hope you will write to me, so that I may know this letter went straight.
 
"Yours, respectfully,
 
"Maurice Walton."
 
"He wants me to write to him, inclosing ten dollars," thought James Grey. "Well, he shall not be disappointed. His information is worth that. So my young nephew is on the trail is he? He really thinks he is a match for me. Well, well, we shall see. He mustn't push his inquiries23 too far, or he may find me dangerous," and Mr. Grey's face assumed a dark and threatening look. "However, he is not likely to find me in this out-of-the-way place."
 
Mr. Grey went into his library, and penned a short letter to Maurice Walton, commending him for his watchfulness24, and inclosing a ten-dollar greenback.
 
He had scarcely finished the letter when Pompey entered, and said:
 
"Scuse me, massa, but there's a young gemman below that axes to see you."
 
"A young gentleman!" repeated Mr. Grey. "Can it be my nephew?" flashed through his mind with sudden suspicion.
 
"Bring him up, Pompey," he said, aloud.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 grandeur hejz9     
n.伟大,崇高,宏伟,庄严,豪华
参考例句:
  • The grandeur of the Great Wall is unmatched.长城的壮观是独一无二的。
  • These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place.这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。
2 mansion 8BYxn     
n.大厦,大楼;宅第
参考例句:
  • The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
  • The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。
3 motives 6c25d038886898b20441190abe240957     
n.动机,目的( motive的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
  • His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。
4 conjectured c62e90c2992df1143af0d33094f0d580     
推测,猜测,猜想( conjecture的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The old peasant conjectured that it would be an unusually cold winter. 那老汉推测冬天将会异常地寒冷。
  • The general conjectured that the enemy only had about five days' supply of food left. 将军推测敌人只剩下五天的粮食给养。
5 thither cgRz1o     
adv.向那里;adj.在那边的,对岸的
参考例句:
  • He wandered hither and thither looking for a playmate.他逛来逛去找玩伴。
  • He tramped hither and thither.他到处流浪。
6 appropriation ON7ys     
n.拨款,批准支出
参考例句:
  • Our government made an appropriation for the project.我们的政府为那个工程拨出一笔款项。
  • The council could note an annual appropriation for this service.议会可以为这项服务表决给他一笔常年经费。
7 rumor qS0zZ     
n.谣言,谣传,传说
参考例句:
  • The rumor has been traced back to a bad man.那谣言经追查是个坏人造的。
  • The rumor has taken air.谣言流传开了。
8 vessel 4L1zi     
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管
参考例句:
  • The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
  • You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。
9 wrecked ze0zKI     
adj.失事的,遇难的
参考例句:
  • the hulk of a wrecked ship 遇难轮船的残骸
  • the salvage of the wrecked tanker 对失事油轮的打捞
10 accomplice XJsyq     
n.从犯,帮凶,同谋
参考例句:
  • She was her husband's accomplice in murdering a rich old man.她是她丈夫谋杀一个老富翁的帮凶。
  • He is suspected as an accomplice of the murder.他涉嫌为这次凶杀案的同谋。
11 doctrine Pkszt     
n.教义;主义;学说
参考例句:
  • He was impelled to proclaim his doctrine.他不得不宣扬他的教义。
  • The council met to consider changes to doctrine.宗教议会开会考虑更改教义。
12 defiance RmSzx     
n.挑战,挑衅,蔑视,违抗
参考例句:
  • He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
  • He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。
13 sipping e7d80fb5edc3b51045def1311858d0ae     
v.小口喝,呷,抿( sip的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • She sat in the sun, idly sipping a cool drink. 她坐在阳光下懒洋洋地抿着冷饮。
  • She sat there, sipping at her tea. 她坐在那儿抿着茶。
14 mighty YDWxl     
adj.强有力的;巨大的
参考例句:
  • A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
  • The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。
15 dime SuQxv     
n.(指美国、加拿大的钱币)一角
参考例句:
  • A dime is a tenth of a dollar.一角银币是十分之一美元。
  • The liberty torch is on the back of the dime.自由火炬在一角硬币的反面。
16 infest t7pxF     
v.大批出没于;侵扰;寄生于
参考例句:
  • Several animals in sea water can infest wood.海水中有好多动物能侵害木材。
  • A lame cat is better than a swift horse when rats infest the palace.宫殿有鼠患,瘸猫比快马强。
17 sullen kHGzl     
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。
18 utterly ZfpzM1     
adv.完全地,绝对地
参考例句:
  • Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民,把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
  • I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。
19 hypocrisy g4qyt     
n.伪善,虚伪
参考例句:
  • He railed against hypocrisy and greed.他痛斥伪善和贪婪的行为。
  • He accused newspapers of hypocrisy in their treatment of the story.他指责了报纸在报道该新闻时的虚伪。
20 censurable 9b0dc6f7b5371a8de2b664611602d8a5     
adj.可非难的,该责备的
参考例句:
21 possessed xuyyQ     
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的
参考例句:
  • He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
  • He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。
22 liar V1ixD     
n.说谎的人
参考例句:
  • I know you for a thief and a liar!我算认识你了,一个又偷又骗的家伙!
  • She was wrongly labelled a liar.她被错误地扣上说谎者的帽子。
23 inquiries 86a54c7f2b27c02acf9fcb16a31c4b57     
n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 );疑问;探究;打听
参考例句:
  • He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释,等候进一步调查。
  • I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
24 watchfulness 2ecdf1f27c52a55029bd5400ce8c70a4     
警惕,留心; 警觉(性)
参考例句:
  • The escort and the universal watchfulness had completely isolated him. 护送和普遍一致的监视曾经使他完全孤立。
  • A due watchfulness on the movements of the enemy was maintained. 他们对敌人的行动还是相当警惕的。


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