“I can't understand how girls can be such fools,” thought Tom, as that evening, after returning from the concert, he surveyed his rather perturbed4 face in the mirror surmounting5 his bureau. “I wouldn't have believed Julia Godfrey would stoop to notice such a pauper6.”
Then a cheerful thought came to him. Perhaps she was only trying to rouse his jealousy7. He had heard of such things. But, if so, why should she choose such a beggar as Herbert to practice her arts upon?
Certainly, to an unprejudiced observer, such a thought would never have suggested itself. The cool indifference8 with which Julia had treated Tom did not appear to argue any such feeling as would lead to the attempt to rouse his jealousy. But, then, Tom was not an unprejudiced observer, and considered his personal attractions such that any girl might appreciate them.
When he arrived at the counting-room the next morning, he found Herbert already there. Indeed, our hero was very particular to be punctual in his attendance, while Tom was generally at least a quarter of an hour behind time.
“I saw you at the concert last evening, Mason,” said Tom, who wanted to get a chance to say something disagreeable.
“Yes, I was there,” said Herbert. “You sat in the row just behind us.”
“Yes. I suppose you were never at a concert before.”
“Not in New York.”
“Mr. Godfrey was very kind to take you.”
That was what Herbert thought himself. But as Tom expressed it, there was something in his tone which implied a conviction of Herbert's social inferiority, which our hero did not like.
“There are not many employers who would invite a boy in your position to a concert with his family,” said Tom.
“I believe we are both in Mr. Godfrey's employ,” said Herbert.
Herbert might have replied that he was the nephew of a rich man, but he had no disposition13 to boast of his relationship to his cousin's family.
“I don't see that that makes any difference,” said Herbert.
“Don't you? Well, I do.”
“We are both boys in Mr. Godfrey's employ.”
“That's true, but then, he took you out of pity, you know.”
Tom's tone as he said this was very aggravating14, and Herbert's face flushed.
“I don't know anything of the sort,” he retorted.
“No, I suppose you don't consider it in that light,” said Tom, carelessly; “but, of course, it is clear enough to others. Where would you have been, if Mr. Godfrey hadn't given you a place? Blacking boots, probably, among the street ragamuffins.”
“Perhaps I might,” said Herbert, quietly, “if I couldn't have got anything better to do.”
“I don't think it is,” said Herbert, “but it's an honest one.”
“You may have to take it yet.”
“Perhaps so. So may you.”
“Do you mean to insult me?” demanded Tom, haughtily, his face flushing.
“I only said to you the same thing you said to me. If it's an insult on one side, it is on the other.”
“You seem to forget that our circumstances are very different,” said Tom.
“They are just now, so far as money goes. I get a larger salary than you.”
Tom was very much incensed16 at this remark, being aggrieved17 by the fact that Herbert received more than he.
“I didn't mean that,” said he. “Of course, if Mr. Godfrey chooses to give away money in charity, it is none of my business. I don't need any charity.”
“Mr. Godfrey pays me for my services,” said Herbert. “If he pays me too liberally now, I hope to make it up to him afterward18.”
“You seemed to be very intimate with Julia Godfrey last evening,” said Tom, unpleasantly.
“I found her very pleasant.”
“Yes; she is very kind to take notice of you.”
“I suppose the notice you have taken of me this morning is meant in kindness,” said Herbert, thinking his cousin very disagreeable.
“Yes, of course, being in the same counting-room, I think it right to take some notice of you,” said Tom, condescendingly.
“I am very much obliged to you,” said Herbert, sarcastically19.
“But there's one piece of advice I should like to give you,” proceeded Tom.
“What is that?” inquired Herbert, looking his cousin in the face.
“Don't feel too much set up by Julia Godfrey's notice. She only took notice of you out of pity, and to encourage you. If you had been in her own position in society—”
“Like you, for instance!”
“Yes, like me,” said Tom, complacently20, “she would have been more ceremonious. I thought I would just mention it to you, Mason, or you might not understand it.”
It was only natural that Herbert should be provoked by this elaborate humiliation21 suggested by Tom, and his cousin's offensive assumption of superiority. This led him to a retort in kind.
“I suppose that is the reason she took so little notice of you,” he said.
Tom was nettled at this statement of a fact, but he answered in an off-hand manner, “Oh, Julia and I are old friends. I've danced with her frequently at dancing school.”
Herbert happened to remember what Julia had said of his cousin, and was rather amused at this assumption of intimacy22.
“I am much obliged to you for your information,” said Herbert, “though I am rather surprised that you should take so great an interest in my affairs.”
“Oh, you're new in the city, and I know all the ropes,” said Tom. “I thought I might as well give you a friendly hint.”
“I am lucky in having such a friend,” said Herbert, “and will take the advice as it was given.”
Here the bookkeeper entered, and, soon after, Mr. Godfrey made his appearance.
“Very pleasant, sir; thank you,” said Herbert, in a very different tone from the one he had used in addressing Tom.
“I believe I saw you, also, at the concert, Thomas,” said Mr. Godfrey.
“Yes, sir,” said Tom. “I am very fond of music, and attend all the first-class musical entertainments.”
“Indeed?” said Mr. Godfrey, but this was all the reply he made.
“My daughter insists that I shall invite you to the house again soon,” said Mr. Godfrey, again addressing Herbert.
“I am very much obliged to her, and to you, sir,” said Herbert, modestly. “I shall be very glad to come.”
Tom's face darkened, as he heard this. He would have given considerable to receive such an invitation himself, but the prospect24 did not seem very promising25.
“Mr. Godfrey must be infatuated,” he said to himself, impatiently, “to invite such a beggar to his house. Mason ought to have good sense enough to feel that he is out of place in such a house. I wouldn't accept any invitation given out of pity.”
“I wonder why Tom dislikes me so much?” thought Herbert. “He certainly takes pains enough to show his feeling. Would it be different, I wonder, if he knew that I was his cousin?”
Herbert thought of mentioning to Mr. Godfrey that he had recovered three-quarters of the money of which he had been robbed. It would have been well if he had done so, but Mr. Godfrey seemed particularly engaged, and he thought it best not to interrupt him.
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1
belle
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| n.靓女 | |
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2
rivalry
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| n.竞争，竞赛，对抗 | |
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3
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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4
perturbed
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| adj.烦燥不安的v.使（某人）烦恼，不安( perturb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
surmounting
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| 战胜( surmount的现在分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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6
pauper
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| n.贫民，被救济者，穷人 | |
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7
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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8
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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9
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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10
nettled
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| v.拿荨麻打，拿荨麻刺（nettle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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11
haughtily
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| adv. 傲慢地, 高傲地 | |
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12
pompously
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| adv.傲慢地，盛大壮观地；大模大样 | |
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13
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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14
aggravating
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| adj.恼人的，讨厌的 | |
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15
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
incensed
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| 盛怒的 | |
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aggrieved
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| adj.愤愤不平的，受委屈的；悲痛的；（在合法权利方面）受侵害的v.令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式)；令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词) | |
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18
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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sarcastically
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| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
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complacently
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| adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地 | |
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21
humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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23
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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24
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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