There is nothing more surprising in regard to sublunary matters than the way in which unexpected events arise out of what may be called unintentional causes.
When David Boone and his friend Gorman planned the insurance and destruction of the toy shop and its contents, they no more expected that the very first steps towards that end would result in the conversion1 of a poor into a flourishing business, than they expected that the expression of a wish would convert Poorthing Lane into Beverly Square; yet so it was.
Poor David was rendered so desperate by his straits, and so anxious to escape from the crime into which his friend sought to plunge2 him, that he meditated3 suicide; but, lacking the courage to accomplish this, he relieved his feelings by carrying out the details of his business and the preliminary steps of his plan, with the wild and reckless energy of a maniac4. The more he thought of the meshes5 which Gorman had cast around him, the more did he regard escape impossible. He therefore sought relief in action. He not only talked to his neighbours (as per agreement) about his rapidly increasing business, but he made purchases on a scale more extensive than he had ever before contemplated6, even in his dreams. Being convinced that ruin, sooner or later, was his doom7, he indulged in the most extravagant8 excesses, with much of the feeling which prompts some seamen9, when the ship is sinking, to break into the spirit room and spend the short remnant of life in jollity. He experienced a sort of savage10 delight in ordering right and left from wholesale11 dealers12 in town and country, and even went so far as to write to Germany for toys, using the name of a well-known London house which had hitherto (and justly) believed him to be an honest man. The result of this was that Poorthing Lane was besieged13 for some time by railway vans, and waggons14 so huge that apparently15 an inch more added to their bulk would have rendered their passage impossible. Great deal boxes were constantly being unpacked16 in front of Mr Boone’s door, much to the annoyance17 of Miss Tippet, who could not imagine how it happened that her sedate18 and slow-going landlord had got such a sudden increase of business. Little did she think, poor lady, that this was the fuel with which it was intended to roast her alive!
Some of the smaller accounts for goods thus purchased Boone paid at once with the money furnished to him by Gorman, and thus got credit for being a capitalist. Others he deferred19 payment of until a more convenient season.
His friend Gorman, who would not have bent20 the joint21 of his little finger to have saved him from destruction, was so anxious to get up a good appearance, for the sake of getting the insurance effected advantageously, that he did his best to carry out his part of the plan, and, being a man of energy who in the paths of virtue22 might have risen to a high position among men, he succeeded beyond his expectation. Crowds of purchasers were sent by him to the shop of “the celebrated23 toy-man.” Some were mere24 decoy-ducks, who came and went (for a consideration) pretty frequently, and only “priced” the goods. Others were genuine purchasers, and between the two they created so much traffic in the toy-shop, that the multitude—so difficult to move by mere suasion, but so prone25 to follow blindly in the wake of a senseless rush, when once the rush takes place—began to move in the direction of the toyshop, and shortly before Christmas the demand for toys was so great, that Boone had to engage two assistants to carry on the business, and even the lane itself began to feel the benefit of the sudden increase of traffic.
All this was patent to the eyes of David Boone, but he was so overwhelmed with a sense of the guilt26 he was about to incur27, and the deception28 he was even then practising, that he regarded the whole affair as a hollow bubble, which would soon burst and leave nothing behind. Even the rapid increase of the credit-balance in his bank-book did not affect his opinion, for he was not much of a financier, and, knowing that his transactions were founded on deception, he looked on the balance as being deceptive29 also.
Not so thought Gorman. That wily individual perceived, to his amazement30, that things were taking a turn which had never been contemplated, so he silently looked on and wondered, and chuckled31 and resolved to abide32 his time.
As prosperity flowed in upon him, David Boone became more insane—for his condition of mind was little, if at all, short of temporary insanity—and his proceedings34 became more eccentric than ever. Among other things, he became suddenly smitten35 with a desire to advertise, and immediately in the columns of the tapers36 appeared advertisements to the effect that “The Celebrated Toy Emporium” was to be found in Poorthing Lane. Finding that this increased his business considerably37, he hit upon a plan of advertising38 which has been practised rather extensively of late years in London. He sent out an army of boys with pots of whitewash39 and brushes, with directions to print in rough but large legible letters the words, “Who’s Boone?” on all the blank walls of the metropolis40, and in the papers he answered the question by having printed under the same title, “Why, the manager of the Toy Emporium, to be sure, in Poorthing Lane.” He also advertised specially41 that he had in stock, “an assortment42 of 500 golden-haired dolls from Germany, full-dressed, half-dressed, and naked.”
This last was irresistible43. Thousands of young hearts beat high at the mere thought of such numbers—“with golden hair too!” and dozens of mammas, and papas too, visited Poorthing Lane in consequence.
In course of time David Boone’s eyes began to open to the fact that he was rapidly making a fortune.
It was after the bustle44 of the Christmas season was over that he made this discovery. One of his new assistants, a young man named Lyall, was the means of opening his employer’s eyes to the truth. Lyall was a clever accountant, and had been much surprised from the first that Boone kept no regular system of books. At the end of the year he suggested that it would be well to take stock and find out the state of the business. Boone agreed. Lyall went to work, and in a short time the result of his labours showed, that after all debts were paid, there would remain a satisfactory credit-balance at the bank.
On the evening of the day on which this marvellous fact was impressed on Boone’s mind, Gorman called, and found his friend rubbing his hands, and smiling benignantly in the back room.
“You seem jolly,” said Gorman, sitting down, as usual, by the fire, and pulling out, as usual, the short pipe. “Business gittin’ on well?”
“It is,” said Boone, standing45 with his back to the fire, and swaying himself gently to and fro; “things don’t look so bad. I can pay you the arrears46 of rent now.”
“Oh, can you?” said Gorman. “Ah!”
“Yes, and I’m in a position to pay you fifty pounds of the debt I owe you besides,” said Boone.
“And a bill at three months for the balance?” inquired Gorman.
No, he could not venture to do that exactly, but he hoped to pay a further instalment before the end of three months.
“Humph! How much may the profits be?”
Boone could not say precisely47, not having had all his accounts squared, but he believed they were considerable.
“I’ll be bound they are,” said Gorman with a growl48; “you won’t want to set things alight now, I daresay.”
“Well, I think it’ll be as well to wait a bit, and let us make hay while this sunshine goes on.”
“Let you make hay, you mean?”
“Oh, as to that, the most of it will go to your stack for some time to come, Gorman.”
“H’m! and what about the insurance?”
“Well, you know,” observed Boone, “it’s of no use paying the premium49 for nothing. As we don’t mean to set the place alight, you know.”
“Ay, but the life insurance, I mean,” said Gorman.
Boone laughed, and observed that he thought it best not to die just at that particular time, whereupon Gorman laughed, too, and said he was about right, and that it would be as well to delay both events in the meantime; after saying which, he took his leave in better humour than usual, for Gorman was what men of his own stamp termed a “deep file.” He saw into futurity—so he thought—a considerable way farther than most men, and in the future of his own imagination he saw such a pleasant picture that his amiable50 spirit was quite cheered by it. He saw David Boone making money so fast, that his goods might be insured at a much larger amount; he saw him getting into fresh difficulties, of course, because such a business, on such a foundation, could not go on prosperously except under the most able management, and, even though it did prosper33 in spite of improbabilities, he foresaw that there was an amiable gentleman, much like himself, who would induce Boone to traffic beyond his means, and when money was wanted, the same kind gentleman (he saw that quite clearly) would come forward generously with a loan, for which he would only ask Boone to make over to him in security his two policies of insurance—fire and life; after which—well, we need not go on revealing the future as it appeared to Gorman’s mental vision; suffice it to say, that he saw upon the whole a prospect51 which gave him great satisfaction.
There were one or two things which he did not see, however, and which might have modified his feelings considerably if he had seen them. Of these we shall say nothing at present.
As for David Boone; his heart rejoiced, for he, too, had visions of the future which charmed him. He saw his debt to Gorman paid, and himself set free from the power of that amiable friend. He saw a toyshop change its locality and its aspect. He saw it transplanted into Regent Street, with plate-glass windows, in which were displayed objects of marvellous ingenuity52 and transcendent beauty. One window especially exhibiting, not a crowd, but, a very nation of wax-dolls with blue eyes and golden hair! He saw, moreover, a very little old woman, lying in a bed, in an elegant and comfortable apartment, with a Bible beside her, and a contented53 smile on her face. This old lady resembled his own mother so strongly, that all other prospects54 of the future faded from his view, and in the fulness of his heart and his success, he resolved then and there to go home and present her with a gift on the strength of the prosperity at that time attained55 to.
David was sorely perplexed56 as to what this gift ought to be. He thought of a new silk gown at first; but the remembrance of the fact that his mother was bedridden banished57 this idea. Owing to the same fact, new boots and gloves were inadmissible; but caps were not—happy thought! He started off at once, and returned home with a cap so gay, voluminous, and imposing58, that the old lady, unused though she was to mirth, laughed with amusement, while she cried with joy, at this (not the first) evidence of her son’s affection.
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1
conversion
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| n.转化，转换，转变 | |
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2
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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3
meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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4
maniac
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| n.精神癫狂的人；疯子 | |
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5
meshes
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| 网孔( mesh的名词复数 )； 网状物； 陷阱； 困境 | |
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6
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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7
doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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8
extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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9
seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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10
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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11
wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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12
dealers
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| n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者 | |
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13
besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
waggons
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| 四轮的运货马车( waggon的名词复数 )； 铁路货车； 小手推车 | |
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15
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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16
unpacked
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| v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的过去式和过去分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等） | |
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17
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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18
sedate
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| adj.沉着的，镇静的，安静的 | |
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19
deferred
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| adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从 | |
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20
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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21
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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22
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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23
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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24
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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25
prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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26
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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27
incur
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| vt.招致，蒙受，遭遇 | |
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28
deception
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| n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计 | |
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29
deceptive
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| adj.骗人的，造成假象的，靠不住的 | |
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30
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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31
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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33
prosper
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| v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣 | |
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34
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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35
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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36
tapers
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| （长形物体的）逐渐变窄( taper的名词复数 )； 微弱的光； 极细的蜡烛 | |
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37
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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38
advertising
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| n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的 | |
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39
whitewash
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| v.粉刷，掩饰；n.石灰水，粉刷，掩饰 | |
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40
metropolis
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| n.首府；大城市 | |
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41
specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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42
assortment
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| n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集 | |
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43
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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44
bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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45
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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46
arrears
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| n.到期未付之债，拖欠的款项；待做的工作 | |
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47
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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48
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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49
premium
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| n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的 | |
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50
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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51
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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52
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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53
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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54
prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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55
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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56
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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57
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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