Chapter XVI — Ben's Loss

 It has already been mentioned that there was a train to Milltown at half-past ten in the morning. Of course Ben was too late for this. He ascertained¹, however, that there was another train at five o'clock, and this he resolved to take.

 

"Where are we going, Ben?" asked Emma, as they stepped out of the station.

 

"Don't you feel hungry, Emma?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Then we will go and have some dinner, first of all."

 

This proposal was satisfactory to the little girl, who took Ben's hand and walked up toward Washington Street with him.

 

On School Street they found an eating-house which did not appear too high in price, and Ben led Emma in.

 

They seated themselves at a table, and ordered dinner. Just opposite sat a pleasant-looking man, of middle age. He was fond of children, and his attention was drawn² to little Emma.

 

"Is that your sister?" he inquired of Ben.

 

"No, sir," answered Ben.

 

"No relation?"

 

"No, sir; she is from New York. She is going to board with my aunt."

 

"Does your aunt live in Boston?"

 

"No, sir; in Milltown."

 

"Has the young lady come into the city on a shopping excursion?" inquired the new acquaintance, smiling.

 

"No, sir; she is just on her way from New York. I went to fetch her."

 

"You are a young guardian³."

 

"Rather, sir; but there was no one else to go for her."

 

"How old are you?"

 

"Fifteen."

 

"Are you attending school?"

 

"No, sir; I should be glad to do so; but my aunt is not in good circumstances, and I have to work. I have been employed in the mills, but they discharged some of their hands lately, and I was among them."

 

"How would you like to come to Boston to work?"

 

"Very much."

 

"I may some time have a vacancy⁴ for you. I am a wholesale⁵ stationer on State Street. Give me your address, and if I have any opening I will write to you."

 

"Thank you, sir," said Ben; "I should like very much to work here."

 

Ben took the stranger's card, from which he learned that his name was Otis Johnson, and that he dealt in stationery⁶, blank books, diaries, and a similar line of goods.

 

"This may lead to something," thought Ben. "I should enjoy living in Boston. There is a good deal more going on here than in Milltown."

 

It was about quarter of two when Ben and Emma rose from the table.

 

"What are we going to do now?" asked Emma.

 

Ben considered.

 

"The train doesn't start till five," he said. "We won't go to the station yet, for we should get tired of waiting. We will walk about, and look into the shop windows, unless you are tired."

 

"I am not tired. I should like it," said Emma.

 

Presently they came to the old State House. Ben's attentions was attracted by a Charleston car. He knew that Bunker Hill Monument was in Charleston, and it struck him that it would be a good opportunity to go and see it.

 

"Does this car go to Bunker Hill Monument?" he inquired.

 

"Yes," said the conductor. "It goes within two minutes' walk of it."

 

"How long does it take to go there?"

 

"Twenty minutes."

 

Ben reflected that the train did not start till five o'clock, and that there would be plenty of time for the excursion. He did not know when he would have another chance, and resolved to avail himself of this.

 

He helped Emma to board the car, and got on himself.

 

"I like to ride in electric cars, Ben," said Emma.

 

"So do I, Emma. Do you know what we are going to see?"

 

"What is it?"

 

"A great stone monument, five times as high as a house."

 

"What is a monument?"

 

Ben explained to her.

 

"Does anybody live in it?" asked the little girl.

 

"No, I don't think it would be a very pleasant place to live in."

 

"What did they build it for, then?"

 

Ben explained that a great battle had been fought on the hill where the monument stood.

 

"Do they fight any battles there now, Ben?" asked Emma, in some apprehension⁷.

 

"Why? Are you afraid of getting killed?"

 

"Yes."

 

"There is no danger. It is over a hundred years since there was any fighting there."

 

Just then the car stopped, and a new passenger got on and sat down just opposite Ben and his young charge. Ben did not take special notice of her, and was surprised to hear a familiar voice.

 

"I declare, if it ain't the little gal⁸,"

 

Looking up, he recognized the old lady, his fellow passenger.

 

"How do you do, ma'am?" he said.

 

"Putty well. Where be you goin'?"

 

"Over to Bunker Hill."

 

"I'm goin' to Charleston, myself. My son is away with his wife, and I'm goin' over to stay with my niece till he comes back. How do you do, little gal?"

 

"Pretty well," said Emma.

 

"You don't know me, do you?"

 

It was an unfortunate question.

 

"Yes, I do. You're the lady that takes snuff," said Emma.

 

Some of the passengers tittered, and the old lady turned red in the face.

 

"Well, I never did!" she exclaimed, in mortification⁹. "You're a bad-behaved little gal."

 

"She didn't mean to offend you, ma'am," said Ben. "She's very young."

 

"She's old enough to behave. Children didn't use to sass their elders like they do now. If one of my children was to behave so, I'd shut 'em up in a dark closet for twenty-four hours, with only dry bread to eat."

 

The old lady shook her head vigorously, and glared at Emma over the top of her spectacles. It was just as well, perhaps, that Emma was absorbed in looking out of the window, and did not listen to what the old lady was saying. Being a high-spirited and free-spoken young woman, she would have been likely to reply, and that would have made matters worse.

 

The ride was not a long one, for but a narrow bridge separates Boston proper from the historic town of Charleston.

 

"You get out here," said the conductor. "Go up that street to the monument."

 

Ben could see the great stone pillar standing¹⁰ up against the sky in plain sight, and he ascended¹¹ the hilly street toward it.

 

"That is the monument, Emma," he said.

 

"It looks like a big chimney," said Emma; "only chimneys are made of brick."

 

"It would take a big house to need such a chimney as that," said Ben.

 

They reached the top of the hill, and stood beside the monument, which looked immensely tall, now that they were close to it.

 

"This is where Warren fell," said Ben, repeating to himself a piece of information which he had heard.

 

"Did he fall?" inquired Emma.

 

"Oh, no; he was killed in the battle here."

 

"Are you going to ascend¹² the monument?" asked a gentleman who had come up the hill another way.

 

"I didn't know you could," said Ben.

 

"There is a spiral staircase inside. Most visitors ascend it. There is a splendid view from the top."

 

"I should think there would be."

 

"Will you go? I think of going, and would like your company."

 

"No, I guess not," said Ben. "It would be too much for Emma. She is only a little girl, and could not stand the fatigue¹³."

 

"I wouldn't dare to go up so high, Ben," said Emma timidly.

 

Here a well-dressed lady, who had heard the discussion said: "If you would like to go up, young man, I will take care of the little girl till you come down. Will you stay with me, my dear?"

 

She smiled pleasantly, and Emma's confidence was won.

 

"Yes, Ben, I will stay with her," she said; "only don't be gone too long."

 

Ben hesitated. He wanted to go up, and was not sure when he would have another opportunity. He could see no reason to doubt that Emma would be entirely¹⁴ safe under the care of the stranger.

 

"I don't like to give you so much trouble," said Ben.

 

"It will be no trouble," said the lady politely. "I am fond of children."

 

It was twenty-five minutes before Ben descended¹⁵. He looked for Emma, and his heart gave a great bound of dismay.

 

Neither Emma nor the lady was to be seen.

1 ascertained   

v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The previously unidentified objects have now been definitely ascertained as being satellites. 原来所说的不明飞行物现在已证实是卫星。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I ascertained that she was dead. 我断定她已经死了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

3 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

4 vacancy   

n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺

参考例句：

• Her going on maternity leave will create a temporary vacancy.她休产假时将会有一个临时空缺。
• The vacancy of her expression made me doubt if she was listening.她茫然的神情让我怀疑她是否在听。

5 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

6 stationery   

n.文具；(配套的)信笺信封

参考例句：

• She works in the stationery department of a big store.她在一家大商店的文具部工作。
• There was something very comfortable in having plenty of stationery.文具一多，心里自会觉得踏实。

7 apprehension   

n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑

参考例句：

• There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑，于是她越来越担心。
• She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。

8 gal   

n.姑娘，少女

参考例句：

• We decided to go with the gal from Merrill.我们决定和那个从梅里尔来的女孩合作。
• What's the name of the gal? 这个妞叫什么？

9 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。

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 ascended   

v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He has ascended into heaven. 他已经升入了天堂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The climbers slowly ascended the mountain. 爬山运动员慢慢地登上了这座山。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 ascend   

vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上

参考例句：

• We watched the airplane ascend higher and higher.我们看着飞机逐渐升高。
• We ascend in the order of time and of development.我们按时间和发展顺序向上溯。

13 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

14 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

15 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。