Chapter XXXV — John Tremlett

 John Tremlett was a dark-complexioned young man, rather above the middle height. He was by no means handsome; but plain faces are often attractive, and this young man's was not. His eyes were bloodshot, and even Ben's inexperienced glance could detect the marks of dissipation. He was expensively dressed and looked like one who made a business of spending money.

 

"How are you, Brief?" he said carelessly, throwing himself into a chair.

 

"In better condition than you are, I judge from your looks, Mr. Tremlett," responded the lawyer.

 

"I hope so. I feel awfully¹ seedy," said Tremlett.

 

"Your own fault. You shouldn't keep such late hours."

 

"Oh, bother that, Brief! I must have a good time."

 

"You don't look as if you were enjoying your mode of life."

 

"Oh, I shall be all right when I get over my headache. Is this a client of yours?" glancing at Ben.

 

"He's a relation of yours, according to his own account," said Mr. Brief.

 

"Is he?" inquired Tremlett languidly. "Can't say I ever saw him before."

 

"Mr. Baldwin was my great-uncle," said Ben. "That is, he was an uncle of my aunt, Mrs. Jane Bradford."

 

"Indeed! Were you expecting a share of the property?" asked Tremlett suspiciously.

 

"I thought Mr. Baldwin might remember his niece."

 

"He hasn't, though."

 

"So I find by the will."

 

"Sorry for you; but, of course, Mr. Baldwin had a right to dispose of his property as he saw fit."

 

"I don't deny his right."

 

"Then you are not intending to dispute the will," said Tremlett, relieved.

 

"I never dreamed of doing it. I came about a house which my aunt has been occupying rent-free."

 

"What is it, Brief? Do I know about it?"

 

"It's a small house in Milltown, Massachusetts, which belongs to your uncle's estate. I found that Mrs. Bradford has paid no rent for it during the last five years, and accordingly sent her an invitation to pay up arrears²."

 

"Has she done it?"

 

"No, sir," said Ben. "Mr. Baldwin permitted her to occupy the house rent-free."

 

"That is your assertion," said the lawyer.

 

"It is true," returned Ben quickly.

 

"Show it to me in writing, and that will end all dispute."

 

"I hope yet to do it, but thus far we have been unable to find Uncle Matthew's letter."

 

"That's all fair," said Tremlett. If the letter can't be found, the money must be paid.

 

"My aunt is utterly³ unable to pay it. She is poor."

 

"That is no excuse in law, my young friend," said Mr. Brief. "She must borrow the money then."

 

"Where?" asked Ben.

 

"That is not our lookout⁴. As you are in business, perhaps you will advance the necessary sum."

 

"If I were able, and were satisfied of the justice of the claim, I would do so," answered Ben. "But I don't believe that Uncle Matthew intended that my aunt should be distressed⁵ by such a demand. Why should he have let the rent run on for five years if he expected her to pay it?"

 

"Can't say, I'm sure."

 

"How much is due?" asked Tremlett.

 

"Three hundred dollars," said Brief.

 

"Look here, young fellow," said Tremett, "Perhaps you and I can settle it. If you will pay me two hundred dollars cash down I will give you a receipt for the whole."

 

"Mr. Tremlett," said Mr. Brief stiffly, "you appear to forget that I am settling this estate. You have no authority to make such an offer."

 

"Wasn't the property left to me, I should like to know?" demanded Tremlett, blustering⁶.

 

"Yes."

 

"Then why am I not authorized⁷ to make the offer, tell me that?"

 

"According to Mr. Baldwin's will you can only receive the income for the first twelve months."

 

"That's deuced hard on a fellow," said Tremlett.

 

"On the other hand, I think it is a prudent⁸ precaution."

 

"The old man was a tight-fisted old curmudgeon⁹. He only wanted to annoy me."

 

The lawyer shrugged¹⁰ his shoulders, and Ben broke out indignantly, "I wouldn't speak in that way of a man who had left me all his fortune."

 

"Mind your own business, boy," retorted John Tremlett sharply. "Do you think I am going to stand your impudence¹¹?"

 

"I think it is just as well you have waited till after Uncle Matthew's death before speaking of him in that way."

 

"Don't let up on the boy! Make him pay every cent of the debt, Brief!" exclaimed John Tremlett angrily.

 

"Of course we shall follow up the matter, Mr. Tremlett."

 

"Have him arrested if he doesn't pay, Brief."

 

Ben smiled.

 

"You seem to forget, Mr. Tremlett, that I am not your debtor¹². The claim is against my aunt."

 

"Is that so, Brief?"

 

"The boy is right."

 

"I am sorry for it. I should like to hold him responsible."

 

"No doubt, Mr. Tremlett," said Ben; "but we can't always have our wishes granted."

 

"Leave the matter in my hands," said the lawyer. "I will do what is best."

 

"By the way, Brief," said John Tremlett, "I mustn't forget my errand. I want some money."

 

"Some money? I gave you two hundred dollars last week."

 

"Well, it's gone, and I want some more."

 

"Mr. Tremlett," said the lawyer gravely, "are you aware how much money you have spent during the last four weeks?"

 

"No, I have kept no account."

 

"Well I have. You have drawn¹³ eight hundred dollars."

 

"It costs something to see life."

 

"Perhaps so! but I cannot permit you to exceed your income—during the first year, at least. Thus far you have spent twice as much as you were entitled to draw."

 

Ben listened attentively¹⁴. He had no idea of the extent of his uncle's property. If it yielded four hundred dollars a month, as he inferred, it must amount to nearly, if not quite, a hundred thousand dollars. And this young man was not content with that. Our hero could not help wondering at his unreasonableness¹⁵.

 

"I don't see how I can economize," muttered Tremlett.

 

"What was your income before Mr. Baldwin's death, Mr. Tremlett?" inquired Mr. Brief.

 

"I starved on eight hundred dollars a year."

 

"Then it seems to me you aught to live comfortably now on five thousand."

 

"My circumstances are changed."

 

"At this rate you'll run through the property in ten years."

 

"Oh, I'll pull up after awhile," said the heir carelessly. "So just give me a couple of hundreds, old fellow!"

 

"I will hand you a hundred," said Mr. Brief reluctantly. "Hereafter you must keep within your allowance."

 

"You're getting to be as miserly as the old man," said Tremlett. "What's your name, boy?"

 

"My name is Benjamin Bradford."

 

"I suppose we are cousins, or something of that sort. Come out and take a drink."

 

"No, thank you. I never drink."

 

"You don't? What a prig you must be! Good-bye, Brief."

 

The heir left the office, and Mr. Brief turned to Ben.

 

"What do you think of your uncle's heir?" he inquired.

 

"I think he is going to ruin rapidly," answered Ben.

 

"You are right. The grub has become a butterfly, and the sober clerk has developed into a gay spendthrift. He was your uncle's clerk and distant relative. It would make the old man turn in his coffin¹⁶ if he knew how quickly his money is likely to melt away."

 

"Can't you check him?" asked Ben.

 

"For twelve months I can. After that I am powerless. I wish he were more like you."

 

"Thank you," said Ben, surprised at the compliment.

 

"My bark is worse that my bite," said the lawyer. "About this claim against your aunt I will do what I can for you, but try to find the letter you refer to. The sum is a small one."

 

"It is large to us."

 

"Just so; but my client would squander¹⁷ it in a week. Let me hear from you after you have returned and instituted a further search."

 

"Thank you, sir, I will write."

 

Ben left the office, judging Mr. Brief more favorably than at first. With John Tremlett, he was disgusted.

1 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

2 arrears   

n.到期未付之债，拖欠的款项；待做的工作

参考例句：

• The payments on that car loan are in arrears by three months.购车贷款的偿付被拖欠了三个月。
• They are urgent for payment of arrears of wages.他们催讨拖欠的工钱。

3 utterly   

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。

4 lookout   

n.注意，前途，瞭望台

参考例句：

• You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
• It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来，公司的前景可就不妙了。

5 distressed   

痛苦的

参考例句：

• He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
• The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

6 blustering   

adj.狂风大作的，狂暴的v.外强中干的威吓( bluster的现在分词 )；咆哮；（风）呼啸；狂吹

参考例句：

• It was five and a half o'clock now, and a raw, blustering morning. 这时才五点半，正是寒气逼人，狂风咆哮的早晨。 来自辞典例句
• So sink the shadows of night, blustering, rainy, and all paths grow dark. 夜色深沉，风狂雨骤；到处途暗路黑。 来自辞典例句

7 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

8 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

9 curmudgeon   

n. 脾气暴躁之人，守财奴，吝啬鬼

参考例句：

• The old curmudgeon found a new scapegoat and that let me out.那个老守财奴找到一个新的替罪羊，这样我就脱身了。
• The old curmudgeon was talking about the smothering effects of parental duty on creative lives.那些坏脾气的老人们喋喋不休于父母生儿育女之责任的妨碍性效应。

10 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 impudence   

n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼

参考例句：

• His impudence provoked her into slapping his face.他的粗暴让她气愤地给了他一耳光。
• What knocks me is his impudence.他的厚颜无耻使我感到吃惊。

12 debtor   

n.借方，债务人

参考例句：

• He crowded the debtor for payment.他催逼负债人还债。
• The court granted me a lien on my debtor's property.法庭授予我对我债务人财产的留置权。

13 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。

14 attentively   

adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神

参考例句：

• She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 unreasonableness   

无理性； 横逆

参考例句：

• Figure out the unreasonableness and extend the recommendation of improvement. 对发现的不合理性，提供改进建议。
• I'd ignore every one of them now, embrace every quirk or unreasonableness to have him back. 现在，对这些事情，我情愿都视而不见，情愿接受他的每一个借口或由着他不讲道理，只要他能回来。

16 coffin   

n.棺材，灵柩

参考例句：

• When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
• The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。

17 squander   

v.浪费，挥霍

参考例句：

• Don't squander your time in reading those dime novels.不要把你的时间浪费在读那些胡编乱造的廉价小说上。
• Every chance is precious，so don't squander any chance away!每次机会都很宝贵，所以不要将任何一个白白放走。