CHAPTER XX. A FEMALE FOE.

There was a moment of embarrassing silence after the entrance of Gilbert. Mrs. Briggs, as she afterwards expressed it, was paralyzed with astonishment¹ at the effrontery² of the boy. Randolph waited with curiosity to hear what his parents would say, while Mr. Briggs was silent merely because he was taken by surprise. He was the first to speak, and his tone, though a little embarrassed, was yet not without kindness.

“Good-evening, Gilbert,” he said. “Won’t you sit down and have some dinner?”

Mrs. Briggs looked daggers³ at her husband. How could he dream of extending such an invitation to Gilbert, under the circumstances.

“No, thank you,” said Gilbert, “I have already dined.”

190“Then take a seat. We shall soon be through dinner.”

“This is an unusual time to call,” said Mrs. Briggs frigidly⁴, breaking silence for the first time.

“What difference does it make?” interposed her husband. “Gilbert is not a stranger, to stand on ceremony.”

“So it appears,” returned his wife, in the same unpleasant tone.

“I ought to apologize for calling during your dinner-hour,” said Gilbert, “but I wished particularly to consult you about my affairs.”

Of course this was addressed to Mr. Briggs. Mrs. Briggs was perhaps the last person in the range of his acquaintance whom our hero would have cared to consult.

“Anything new with you?” asked his guardian⁵, in a tone of slight embarrassment⁶.

“Yes,” answered Gilbert, frankly⁷; “I am in trouble.”

Mrs. Briggs glanced meaningly at Randolph, as if to say, “Now it’s coming.”

191“You would perhaps wish to speak to me alone,” said Mr. Briggs.

“Oh, if you have any secrets, Randolph and I can withdraw,” said Mrs. Briggs, with unnecessary offence. She would have been deeply disappointed to be excluded from the conference between Gilbert and her husband. Our hero, however, relieved her of her apprehensions⁸.

“Though I am in trouble,” he said, “I have nothing to be ashamed of, and am perfectly¹⁰ willing to speak before all of you.”

Mr. Briggs here glanced at his wife with a relieved air. Gilbert spoke¹¹ as if confident of his own innocence¹². It produced no such effect on Mrs. Briggs.

“He’s going to brazen¹³ it out,” she said to herself.

“Go on, then,” said Mr. Briggs, kindly¹⁴. “What is your trouble?”

“I have been charged with theft, and dismissed from my situation,” said Gilbert, candidly¹⁵.

“Do you call that nothing to be ashamed of?” demanded Mrs. Briggs, sharply.

192Gilbert met her hostile gaze with unflinching calmness.

“No,” he said, “it is nothing for me to be ashamed of, for the charge is false.”

“What evidence have we of that except your own assertion?” demanded Mrs. Briggs.

“That is enough for me,” said Mr. Briggs.

“It is not enough for me,” said his wife.

“I will give you an account of the affair so far as I understand it,” said Gilbert. “Fortunately, I have a witness who is able to confirm my words.”

Gilbert’s statement need not be repeated, as the facts are already known to us.

“So you expect us to believe the testimony¹⁶ of this boot-black.” said Mrs. Briggs, scornfully,—“a highly respectable witness indeed.”

“I suppose a boot-black may speak the truth, madam,” said Gilbert.

“I dare say he would say whatever he was instructed to say for twenty-five cents, perhaps less.”

“You are determined¹⁸ to believe me guilty, Mrs. Briggs,” said Gilbert, quietly, betraying no anger; 193“I expected it, for I knew you are prejudiced against me.”

“I certainly don’t believe the very extraordinary story you have told us,” retorted the lady. “You charge a book-keeper, of high standing²⁰, with entering into a conspiracy²¹ against you. It is absurd upon its face.”

“How do you know the book-keeper is of high standing?” asked Mr. Briggs.

“Because Mr. Sands would not have any other.”

“Gilbert has the same guaranty of high standing,” said her husband, smiling. “He has been employed by Mr. Sands.”

“That is different. He took him upon your recommendation.”

“Would I be likely to recommend any boy not of high standing?”

“Your levity²² seems to be ill-timed, Mr. Briggs,” said his wife, coldly.

“I thought it my duty to come to you and tell you at once,” said Gilbert.

“Knowing that you could not conceal²³ it from us, 194for we knew it already,” said Mrs. Briggs, who could not forbear another sneer²⁴.

“You knew it already!” exclaimed Gilbert, with unmistakable astonishment “Has Mr. Moore already sent you word of it?”

“No; Randolph happened to call at the office for you just after your discharge. He brought us the news.”

“I am much obliged to Randolph for his call,” said Gilbert; “I am only sorry that it occurred at such an unfortunate time.”

“It was unfortunate for you, no doubt,” said Mrs. Briggs.

“When I return there, I hope you will call again,” said our hero, turning to Randolph.

Mrs. Briggs was exasperated²⁵ by our hero’s coolness.

“Have you the effrontery to fancy you will be taken back after such a crime?” she demanded.

“I have committed no crime, Mrs. Briggs. The charge is false, as I shall prove to Mr. Sands when he returns from Washington. He is a just man, and 195understands that the book-keeper is prejudiced against me.”

“When will Mr. Sands return?” asked Mr. Briggs.

“In a few days. He has gone to the sick-bed of his brother. I shall wait till he returns before taking any steps to clear myself.”

“It is probably your best course. I hope all will come out right.”

“I think it will,” said Gilbert. “Now, let me bid you good-evening.”

“Why not stay the evening?” said Mr. Briggs, in a friendly tone.

“Thank you very much, but I will wait till I am cleared of this charge. I came up to-night because I wanted you to know about it.”

“I will accompany you to the door,” said Mr. Briggs.

When they were in the hall, he said, “Next Wednesday Randolph is to have a birthday party. I shall be glad to see you here.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Gilbert, gratefully. “I 196thank you all the more, because it shows that you believe in my innocence. But all the same, I would rather not accept. I shall still be resting under this false charge, and Mrs. Briggs evidently believes me guilty.”

“Women are apt to be prejudiced,” said Mr. Briggs, apologetically.

“Still the prejudice would make it unpleasant for me to come.”

“Perhaps you are right, Gilbert. At any rate, you are manly²⁶ and independent, and I respect you for it. Come round to my office if anything turns up in which you need my advice.”

“Thank you, sir.”

When Mr. Briggs returned to the dining-room, his wife accosted²⁷ him.

“Well, you had a secret conference with your promising²⁸ protegé,” she said.

“Not secret. I am willing to tell you all that passed between us.”

“Well?”

197“I invited Gilbert to attend Randolph’s party next Wednesday.”

“Good heavens! Mr. Briggs,” exclaimed the lady, angrily, “this is a little too much. Of course the boy snapped at it. He has more effrontery than any boy I ever knew.”

“He declined the invitation,” said Mr. Briggs. “He said that while resting under this charge he was unwilling²⁹ to be present on such an occasion.”

“Then he has more decency³⁰ than I gave him credit for,” said Mrs. Briggs, relieved. “Knowing his guilt¹⁹, he would find it embarrassing.”

“Permit me to differ with you, Mrs. Briggs. One thing more. I have only given Gilbert a verbal invitation. Let me request you to send him a personal invitation with the rest.”

“What necessity is there for that? Has he not declined to come?”

“He must receive a formal invitation, nevertheless,” said her husband, sternly, “or there shall be no party.”

“Your father is so infatuated with that boy,” 198said Mrs. Briggs, after her husband had left the room.

But she sent the invitation. She knew by her husband’s tone that he was fully¹⁷ in earnest. She was still a little afraid that Gilbert would accept, and was only quite freed from apprehension⁹ when she received a note from him regretting that he could not be present.

1 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

2 effrontery   

n.厚颜无耻

参考例句：

• This is a despicable fraud . Just imagine that he has the effrontery to say it.这是一个可耻的骗局. 他竟然有脸说这样的话。
• One could only gasp at the sheer effrontery of the man.那人十足的厚颜无耻让人们吃惊得无话可说。

3 daggers   

匕首，短剑( dagger的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I will speak daggers to her, but use none. 我要用利剑一样的话刺痛她的心，但绝不是真用利剑。
• The world lives at daggers drawn in a cold war. 世界在冷战中剑拨弩张。

4 frigidly   

adv.寒冷地；冷漠地；冷淡地；呆板地

参考例句：

5 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。

6 embarrassment   

n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫

参考例句：

• She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
• Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。

7 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

8 apprehensions   

疑惧

参考例句：

• He stood in a mixture of desire and apprehensions. 他怀着渴望和恐惧交加的心情伫立着。
• But subsequent cases have removed many of these apprehensions. 然而，随后的案例又消除了许多类似的忧虑。

9 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。

10 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

11 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

13 brazen   

adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的

参考例句：

• The brazen woman laughed loudly at the judge who sentenced her.那无耻的女子冲着给她判刑的法官高声大笑。
• Some people prefer to brazen a thing out rather than admit defeat.有的人不愿承认失败，而是宁肯厚着脸皮干下去。

14 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。

15 candidly   

adv.坦率地，直率而诚恳地

参考例句：

• He has stopped taking heroin now,but admits candidly that he will always be a drug addict.他眼下已经不再吸食海洛因了,不过他坦言自己永远都是个瘾君子。
• Candidly,David,I think you're being unreasonable.大卫，说实话我认为你不讲道理。

16 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

17 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

18 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

19 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

20 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。

21 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

22 levity   

n.轻率，轻浮，不稳定，多变

参考例句：

• His remarks injected a note of levity into the proceedings.他的话将一丝轻率带入了议事过程中。
• At the time,Arnold had disapproved of such levity.那时候的阿诺德对这种轻浮行为很看不惯。

23 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

24 sneer   

v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语

参考例句：

• He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。
• You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻，但很多人喜欢这种音乐。

25 exasperated   

adj.恼怒的

参考例句：

• We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。
• Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。

26 manly   

adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地

参考例句：

• The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。
• He set himself manly tasks and expected others to follow his example.他给自己定下了男子汉的任务，并希望别人效之。

27 accosted   

v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭

参考例句：

• She was accosted in the street by a complete stranger. 在街上，一个完全陌生的人贸然走到她跟前搭讪。
• His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him. 他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

29 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

30 decency   

n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重

参考例句：

• His sense of decency and fair play made him refuse the offer.他的正直感和公平竞争意识使他拒绝了这一提议。
• Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。