CHAPTER XXXVI.

 THE MILLER¹’S LETTER.—A NEW POT BOILER² SOLD.

 

Jan was very happy, and the brief dream of the “jook” was over, but his heart clung to his old home.  If love and care, if tenderness in sickness and teaching in health, are parental³ qualities, why should he seek another parent than Master Swift?  And had he not a foster-father to whom he was bound by all those filial ties of up-bringing from infancy⁴, and of a common life, a common trade, and common joys and sorrows in the past, such as could bind⁵ him to no other father?

 

He begged a bit of paper from the painter, and wrote a letter to Master Lake, which would have done more credit to the schoolmaster’s instructions had it been less blotted⁶ with tears.  He besought⁷ his foster-father not to betray him to the Cheap Jack⁸, and he inquired tenderly after the schoolmaster and Rufus.

 

The windmiller was no great scholar, as was shown by his reply:—

 

“My dear Jan,

 

“Your welcome letter to hand, and I do hope, my dear Jan, It finds you well as it leave me at present.  I be mortal bad with a cough, and your friends as searched everywhere, and dragged every place for you, encluding the plains for twenty mile round and down by the watermill.  That Cheap John be no more your vather nor mine, an e’d better not show his dirty vace yearabouts after all he stole.  but your poor mother, she was allus took in by him, but she said with her own mouth, that woman be no more the child’s mother, and never wos a mother, and your mother knowed wots wot, poor zowl!  And I’m glad, my dear Jan, you be doing well in a genteel line, though I did hope you’d take to the mill; but work is slack, and I’m not wot I wos, and I do miss Master Swift.  He had a stroke after you left, and confined to the house, so I will conclude, my dear Jan, and go down and rejoice his heart to hear you be alive.  I’d main like to see you, Jan, my dear, and so for sartin would he and all enquiring⁹ friends; and I am till deth your loving vather, or as good, and I shan’t grudge¹⁰ you if so be you finds a better.

 

“Abel Lake.”

 

“P.S.  I’d main like to see your vace again, Jan, my dear.”

 

Jan sobbed¹¹ so bitterly in reading the postscript¹² that, after vain attempts to console him by chaff¹³, the bow-legged boy wept from sympathy.

 

As to the painter, the whole letter so caught his capricious fancy that he was for ever questioning Jan as to the details of his life in that out-of-the-world district where the purest breath of heaven turned the sails of the windmill, and where the miller took payment for his work “in kind.”

 

“It must be a wonderful spot, Giotto,” said he; “and, if I were richer, just now we’d go down together, and paint sunsets, and see your friends.”  And he walked up and down the studio, revolving¹⁴ his new caprice, whilst Jan tried to think if any thing were likely to bring money into his master’s pocket before long.  Suddenly the artist seized a sketch¹⁵ that was lying near, and, turning it over, began one on the other side, questioning Jan as he drew.  “What do old country wives dress in down yonder?—What did you wear in the mill?—Where does the light come from in a round-house,” etc.

 

Presently he flung it to Jan, and, in answer to the boy’s cry of admiration¹⁶, growled¹⁷, “Ay, ay.  You must do what you can now, for every after-touch of mine will spoil it.  There are hundreds of men, Giotto, whose sketches¹⁸ are good, and their paintings daubs.  But it is only the sketches of great men that sell.  The public likes canvas and linseed oil for its money, where small reputations are concerned.”

 

The sketch was of a peep into the round-house.  Jan, toll¹⁹-dish in hand, with a quaint²⁰ business gravity, was met by a dame²¹ who was just raising her old back after letting down her sack of gleanings, with garrulous²² good-humor in her blinking eyes and withered²³ face.

 

“Chiaroscuro good,” dictated²⁴ the painter; “execution sketchy²⁵; coloring quiet, to be in keeping with the place and subject, but pure.  You know the scene better than I, so work away, Giotto.  Motto—’Will ye pay or toll it, mother?’  Price twenty-five guineas.  Take it to What’s-his-name’s, and if it sells we’ll go to Arcadia, Giotto mio!  The very thought of those breezes is as quinine to my languid faculties²⁶!”

 

Jan worked hard at the new “pot boiler.”  The artist painted the boy’s figure himself, and Jan did most of the rest.  The bow-legged boy stooped in a petticoat as a model for the old woman, murmuring at intervals²⁷, “Oh, my, here is a game!” and, when the painter had left the room, his grave speculations²⁸ as to whether the withered face of the dame were a good likeness²⁹ of his own chubby³⁰ cheeks made Jan laugh till he could hardly hold his palette.  It was done at last, and Jan took it to the picture-dealer’s.

 

The poor boy could hardly keep out of the street where the picture-dealer lived.  One afternoon, as he was hanging about the window, the business gentleman came by and asked kindly³¹ after his welfare.  Jan was half ashamed of the hope with which he told the tale of the pot boiler.

 

“And you did some of it?” said the business gentleman, peering in through his spectacles.

 

“Only the painting, sir, not the design,” said Jan.

 

“And you want very much to go and see your old home?”

 

“I do, sir,” said Jan.

 

The business gentleman put his gold spectacles into their case, and laid his hand on Jan’s shoulder.  “I am not much of a judge of genius,” said he, “but if you have it, and if you live to make a fortune by it, remember, my boy, that there is no luxury which money puts in a man’s power like the luxury of helping³² others.”  With which he stepped briskly into the picture-dealer’s.

 

And half an hour afterwards Jan burst into the painter’s studio, crying, “It’s sold, sir!”

 

“Sold!” shouted the painter, in boyish glee.  “Hooray!  Where’s that rascal³³ Bob?  Oh, I know!  I sent him for the beer.  Giotto, my dear fellow, I have some shooting-boots somewhere, if you can find them, and a tourist’s knapsack, and”—

 

But Jan had started to find the boots, and the bow-legged boy, who had overheard the news as he left the house, rushed up the street, with his head down, crying, “It’s sold! it’s sold!” and, as he ran, he jostled against a man in a white apron³⁴, carrying a pot of green paint to some area railings.

 

“Wot’s sold?” said he, testily³⁵, as he recovered his balance.

 

“You a painter, and don’t know?” said the rosy-cheeked boy.  “Oh, my!  Wot’s sold?  Why, I’m sold, and it’s sold.  That walable picter I wos about to purchase for my mansion³⁶ in Piccadilly.”  And, feigning³⁷ to burst into a torrent³⁸ of tears, he darted³⁹ round the corner and into the public-house.

1 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

2 boiler   

n.锅炉；煮器(壶，锅等)

参考例句：

• That boiler will not hold up under pressure.那种锅炉受不住压力。
• This new boiler generates more heat than the old one.这个新锅炉产生的热量比旧锅炉多。

3 parental   

adj.父母的；父的；母的

参考例句：

• He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
• Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。

4 infancy   

n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期

参考例句：

• He came to England in his infancy.他幼年时期来到英国。
• Their research is only in its infancy.他们的研究处于初级阶段。

5 bind   

vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬

参考例句：

• I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
• He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。

6 blotted   

涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 )； （用吸墨纸）吸干

参考例句：

• She blotted water off the table with a towel. 她用毛巾擦干桌上的水。
• The blizzard blotted out the sky and the land. 暴风雪铺天盖地而来。

7 besought   

v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词)

参考例句：

• The prisoner besought the judge for mercy/to be merciful. 囚犯恳求法官宽恕[乞求宽大]。 来自辞典例句
• They besought him to speak the truth. 他们恳求他说实话. 来自辞典例句

8 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

9 enquiring   

a.爱打听的，显得好奇的

参考例句：

• a child with an enquiring mind 有好奇心的孩子
• Paul darted at her sharp enquiring glances. 她的目光敏锐好奇，保罗飞快地朝她瞥了一眼。

10 grudge   

n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做

参考例句：

• I grudge paying so much for such inferior goods.我不愿花这么多钱买次品。
• I do not grudge him his success.我不嫉妒他的成功。

11 sobbed   

哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说

参考例句：

• She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
• She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。

12 postscript   

n.附言，又及；(正文后的)补充说明

参考例句：

• There was the usual romantic postscript at the end of his letter.他的信末又是一贯的浪漫附言。
• She mentioned in a postscript to her letter that the parcel had arrived.她在信末附笔中说包裹已寄到。

13 chaff   

v.取笑，嘲笑；n.谷壳

参考例句：

• I didn't mind their chaff.我不在乎他们的玩笑。
• Old birds are not caught with chaff.谷糠难诱老雀。

14 revolving   

adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想

参考例句：

• The theatre has a revolving stage. 剧院有一个旋转舞台。
• The company became a revolving-door workplace. 这家公司成了工作的中转站。

15 sketch   

n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述

参考例句：

• My sister often goes into the country to sketch. 我姐姐常到乡间去写生。
• I will send you a slight sketch of the house.我将给你寄去房屋的草图。

16 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

17 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 sketches   

n.草图( sketch的名词复数 )；素描；速写；梗概

参考例句：

• The artist is making sketches for his next painting. 画家正为他的下一幅作品画素描。
• You have to admit that these sketches are true to life. 你得承认这些素描很逼真。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

20 quaint   

adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的

参考例句：

• There were many small lanes in the quaint village.在这古香古色的村庄里，有很多小巷。
• They still keep some quaint old customs.他们仍然保留着一些稀奇古怪的旧风俗。

21 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

22 garrulous   

adj.唠叨的，多话的

参考例句：

• He became positively garrulous after a few glasses of wine.他几杯葡萄酒下肚之后便唠唠叨叨说个没完。
• My garrulous neighbour had given away the secret.我那爱唠叨的邻居已把秘密泄露了。

23 withered   

adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The grass had withered in the warm sun. 这些草在温暖的阳光下枯死了。
• The leaves of this tree have become dry and withered. 这棵树下的叶子干枯了。

24 dictated   

v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布

参考例句：

• He dictated a letter to his secretary. 他向秘书口授信稿。
• No person of a strong character likes to be dictated to. 没有一个个性强的人愿受人使唤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 sketchy   

adj.写生的，写生风格的，概略的

参考例句：

• The material he supplied is too sketchy.他提供的材料过于简略。
• Details of what actually happened are still sketchy.对于已发生事实的详细情况知道的仍然有限。

26 faculties   

n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院

参考例句：

• Although he's ninety, his mental faculties remain unimpaired. 他虽年届九旬，但头脑仍然清晰。
• All your faculties have come into play in your work. 在你的工作中，你的全部才能已起到了作用。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 intervals   

n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息

参考例句：

• The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴，有阵雨。
• Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。

28 speculations   

n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断

参考例句：

• Your speculations were all quite close to the truth. 你的揣测都很接近于事实。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• This possibility gives rise to interesting speculations. 这种可能性引起了有趣的推测。 来自《用法词典》

29 likeness   

n.相像，相似（之处）

参考例句：

• I think the painter has produced a very true likeness.我认为这位画家画得非常逼真。
• She treasured the painted likeness of her son.她珍藏她儿子的画像。

30 chubby   

adj.丰满的，圆胖的

参考例句：

• He is stocky though not chubby.他长得敦实，可并不发胖。
• The short and chubby gentleman over there is our new director.那个既矮又胖的绅士是我们的新主任。

31 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

32 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

33 rascal   

n.流氓；不诚实的人

参考例句：

• If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。
• The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。

34 apron   

n.围裙；工作裙

参考例句：

• We were waited on by a pretty girl in a pink apron.招待我们的是一位穿粉红色围裙的漂亮姑娘。
• She stitched a pocket on the new apron.她在新围裙上缝上一只口袋。

35 testily   

adv. 易怒地, 暴躁地

参考例句：

• He reacted testily to reports that he'd opposed military involvement. 有报道称他反对军队参与，对此他很是恼火。 来自柯林斯例句

36 mansion   

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。

37 feigning   

假装，伪装( feign的现在分词 )； 捏造（借口、理由等）

参考例句：

• He survived the massacre by feigning death. 他装死才在大屠杀中死里逃生。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。

38 torrent   

n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发

参考例句：

• The torrent scoured a channel down the hillside. 急流沿着山坡冲出了一条沟。
• Her pent-up anger was released in a torrent of words.她压抑的愤怒以滔滔不绝的话爆发了出来。

39 darted   

v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》