On the day after he had heard of Mr. Briggs’ return from Europe, Gilbert made a hurried call during his dinner-hour.
“How are you to-day, Mr. Talbot?” he asked.
329“I am better,” said the sick man. “I hope I shall soon be well enough to go to work again.”
“I think you will,” said Gilbert, cheerfully. “I must try to see what I can find for you to do, among my business friends.”
“Thank you; do you know many business men?”
“No,” answered Gilbert. “I wonder,” he said, half to himself, “whether my guardian5 couldn’t give you work.”
“Your guardian!” repeated Mr. Talbot, in surprise.
“Yes,” said Gilbert, smiling; “but you mustn’t think because I have a guardian that I have any property.”
“Who is your guardian?”
“Mr. Richard Briggs, a New York merchant. He only got home from Europe yesterday.”
“Richard Briggs!” exclaimed the sick man in evident excitement.
“Yes; do you know anything of him?”
“His name is very familiar to me. Tell me, are 330you the son of James Greyson, formerly6 a merchant in the West Indies?”
It was Gilbert’s turn to be excited.
“My father died in the West Indies,” he answered; “but I know very little of him. Did you know him, Mr. Talbot?”
“I ought to know him. I was his book-keeper up to the time of his death.”
“Is it possible?” ejaculated Gilbert. “How glad I am to meet you! I know nothing of my father except what Mr. Briggs has told me.”
“One thing I do not understand,” continued the sick man. “You say you have no property; but this cannot be. Your father left seventy-five thousand dollars.”
“Seventy-five thousand dollars! Are you sure, Mr. Talbot?”
“No one can be surer. I knew all about your father’s business and the extent of his property.”
“Was this money entrusted7 to my guardian?” asked Gilbert, quickly.
“It was. Your father and Richard Briggs were 331schoolmates, so I have heard him say; and he felt sufficient confidence in him to confide8 you to his care.”
It is not a pleasant moment when for the first time we are led to suspect those in whom we have confided9; and important and welcome as the intelligence otherwise was, Gilbert felt sober at the treachery of Mr. Briggs. The latter, as we have seen, had been kinder to him than his wife or son, and Gilbert had felt grateful. Even now he could not rid himself of a certain feeling of kindness to his guardian, false as he had been to his trust.
“I am sorry to hear this,” he said, gravely.
“Sorry to hear that your father left you a fortune?”
“I don’t mean that. I am sorry that my guardian has been wicked enough to attempt to cheat me out of it.”
“What sort of a man is Mr. Briggs?”
“At first I was not prepossessed in his favor; but he improved on acquaintance. When his wife and son spoke10 against me, he always took my part. When 332I was charged with dishonesty, he refused to believe it.”
“I think it quite possible that he is a naturally kind-hearted man,” said the sick man; “but human nature is sometimes inconsistent. I think it may have been in a moment of embarrassment11 that he appropriated your fortune. If he has since prospered12, it may be possible for you to recover it.”
“Are you sure it was as much as seventy-five thousand dollars, Mr. Talbot?” asked Gilbert, dazzled as he well might be by the magnitude of the sum.
“I am sure of it.”
“Can you prove it, so that Mr. Briggs will be compelled to give it up to me?”
“Fortunately I can. I have in my trunk a document, in your father’s own handwriting, giving a schedule of his property, in which he expressly says that he makes it over in trust to Richard Briggs, for your use. Indeed, it must now amount to more than seventy-five thousand dollars; for only a small part of the income has been expended13 for you. Probably 333a few hundreds of dollars a year are all that have been spent for you.”
“I don’t see how Mr. Briggs could make such false representations,” said Gilbert, thoughtfully.
“‘Money is the root of all evil,’ my young friend. It is an old proverb, and unfortunately a true one.”
“I have noticed one thing,” continued our hero. “When I thanked Mr. Briggs for paying my board, as I supposed, out of his own pocket, he always seemed uncomfortable and embarrassed.”
“That shows he is not wholly without shame.”
“It is about time for me to be going back to the office, Mr. Talbot; but before I go I want to ask your advice on one point. How soon shall I speak to Mr. Briggs on this subject?”
“Whenever you have an opportunity.”
“Of course, I must refer to you as my informant.”
“By all means,” said the sick man, promptly14. “It will be a great satisfaction to me if, through my means, you succeed in obtaining your rights.”
For the rest of the day and through the evening Gilbert’s mind was occupied with the important intelligence 334he had learned. He did not make a confidant of any one, feeling that it was not yet time.
Mr. Ingalls, his room-mate, saw that he was thinking busily about something, but did not make any inquiries15. He knew that Gilbert would let him know when he got ready. Alphonso Jones was not so forbearing.
“By Jove! Greyson, I believe you are in love,” he said, abruptly16.
“What makes you think so, Mr. Jones?”
“You’ve been sitting with your eyes fixed17 on the carpet for five minutes without speaking a word.”
“Your opinion about love is worth something, Mr. Jones,” said Gilbert, smiling. “You know how it is yourself. Didn’t I see you walking with a fair widow last evening?”
“Who do you mean?” asked Alphonso, smiling.
“Mrs. Kinney, of course.”
“I only happened to meet her going to a concert with Mr. Pond,” exclaimed Alphonso. “He was called away a moment, and left her in my care.”
“He was very imprudent,” said Mr. Ingalls. 335“You know, Jones, you’re a regular lady-killer. I really hope you won’t try any of your fascinations18 on the widow.”
Mr. Jones simpered, and was evidently pleased. It was his private opinion that he was unusually fascinating, and this public acknowledgment of it was gratifying.
“You will have your joke, Mr. Ingalls,” he said. “I have a high respect for Mrs. Kinney; but, really, there is nothing in it, I do assure you.”
“Time will show,” said Mr. Ingalls, nodding his head in an oracular way. “But don’t be precipitate19, Mr. Jones. Remember the Countess de Montmorency, who may yet be your bride.”
“I have no hopes in that quarter,” said Alphonso, who had ascertained20 that the count had been reduced by family misfortunes to accept a position in a barbers shop. “Good-evening, gents.”
When Alphonso had retired21, Gilbert said, “I have something on my mind, Mr. Ingalls, though not what Mr. Jones supposed. I hope soon to let you know what it is.”
336“Whenever you are ready, Gilbert. I am not curious; but shall be interested in anything that concerns you. It isn’t anything unpleasant, I hope.”
“It may be greatly to my advantage.”
“If that is the case, I can wait cheerfully.”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
bouquet
|
|
| n.花束，酒香 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
lodgings
|
|
| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
steadily
|
|
| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
earnings
|
|
| n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
guardian
|
|
| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
formerly
|
|
| adv.从前，以前 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
entrusted
|
|
| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
confide
|
|
| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
confided
|
|
| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
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： |
|
|
|
|
11
embarrassment
|
|
| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
prospered
|
|
| 成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
expended
|
|
| v.花费( expend的过去式和过去分词 )；使用（钱等）做某事；用光；耗尽 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
promptly
|
|
| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
inquiries
|
|
| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
abruptly
|
|
| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
fascinations
|
|
| n.魅力( fascination的名词复数 )；有魅力的东西；迷恋；陶醉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
precipitate
|
|
| adj.突如其来的；vt.使突然发生；n.沉淀物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
ascertained
|
|
| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
retired
|
|
| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |