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首页 » 经典英文小说 » Adrift in The City or Oliver Conrad's Plucky Fight » CHAPTER VII. ROLAND'S DISCOMFITURE.
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CHAPTER VII. ROLAND'S DISCOMFITURE.
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O N the way to school Oliver overtook Frank Dudley.

"Well, Oliver, how's the weather at home?" asked Frank. "Cloudy, eh?"

"No; it's all clear and serene1."

Frank looked astonished.

"Didn't Mr. Kenyon blow you up, then?" he asked.

"Not a bit of it. He gave me a five-dollar bill without my asking for it."

"What's come over him?" asked Frank in amazement2. "His mind isn't getting affected3, is it?"

Oliver laughed.

"Not that I know of," he said. "I don't wonder you ask. I never saw such a change come over a man since yesterday. Then he wanted Roland to flog me. Now he is like an indulgent parent."

"It's queer, decidedly. I hope, for your sake, it'll hold out."

"So do I. Roland doesn't seem to fancy it, though. He tried hard to revive the quarrel of yesterday, but without success."

"He's an amiable4 cub5, that Roland."

"Do you speak thus of your future brother-in-law?"

"Carrie would sooner be an old maid a dozen times over than give any encouragement to such a fellow."

All of which was pleasant for Oliver to hear.

Mr. Kenyon was not through with his surprises.

Two weeks before, Roland had a new suit of clothes. Oliver's envy had been a little excited, because he needed new clothes more than his step-brother, but he was too proud to give expression to his dissatisfaction or to ask for a similar favor. On the way home from school, in company with Frank Dudley, Oliver met Mr. Kenyon.

"Are you just coming home from school, Oliver?" asked his step-father pleasantly.

"Yes, sir."

"I have told Mr. Crimp, the tailor, to measure you for a new suit of clothes. You may as well call in now and be measured."

"Thank you, sir," said Oliver, in a tone of satisfaction.

What boy ever was indifferent to new clothes?

"Have you selected the cloth, sir?" he asked.

"No; you may make the selection yourself. You need not regard the price. It is best to get a good article."

Mr. Kenyon waved his hand, and smiling pleasantly, walked away.

"Look here, Oliver," said Frank, "I begin to think you have misrepresented Mr. Kenyon to me. Such a man as that tyrannical! Why, he looks as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth."

"I don't know what to make of it myself, Frank. I never saw such a change in a man, If he'll keep on treating me like this I shall really begin to like him. Will you come to the tailor's with me?"

"Willingly. It'll be the next thing to ordering a suit for myself."

The tailor's shop was near by, and the boys entered, with their school-books in their hands.

Oliver, with his friend's approval, selected a piece of expensive cloth, and was measured for a suit. As they left the shop they fell in with Roland, who, cane6 in hand, was walking leisurely7 down the main street, cherishing the complacent8 delusion9 that he was the object of general admiration10.

"Hallo, Frank!" he said, by way of greeting. To Oliver he did not vouchsafe11 a word.

Frank Dudley nodded.

"Are you out for a walk?" he added.

"Yes."

"Have you been into Crimp's?"

"Yes."

"Been ordering new clothes?" enquired12 Roland, with interest, for he was rather a dandy, and was as much interested in clothes as a lady.

"I haven't. Oliver has."

Roland arched his brows in displeasure.

"Have you ordered a suit of clothes?" he enquired.

"I have," answered Oliver coldly.

"Who authorized13 you to do it?"

"It is none of your business," said Oliver, justly provoked at the other's impertinence.

"It is my father's business," said Roland. "I suppose you expect to pay for them."

"The bill won't be sent to you, at any rate. You may be assured of that. Come on, Frank."

The two boys walked off, leaving Roland in front of the tailor's shop.

"I'll go in and see what he's ordered," thought he. "If it's without authority I'll tell my father, and he'll soon put a spoke14 in his wheel."

"Good-evening, Crimp," said he consequentially15.

Considering the tailor quite beneath him he dispensed16 with any title.

"Good-evening," returned the tailor.

"Oliver has ordered a suit here, hasn't he?"

"Yes; he just ordered it."

"Will you show me the cloth he selected?"

"If you wish."

Mr. Crimp displayed the cloth. Roland was enough of a judge to see that it was high priced.

"It's nice cloth. Is it expensive?"

"It's the best I have in stock."

Roland frowned.

"Is it any better than the suit you made me a short time since?"

"It is a little dearer."

"Why didn't you show me this, then? I wanted the best."

"Because it has come in since."

"Look here, Crimp," said Roland, "you'd better wait till you hear from my father before you begin on this suit."

"Why should I?"

"I don't believe he will allow Oliver to have such a high-priced suit."

Mr. Crimp had had orders from Mr. Kenyon that very afternoon to follow Oliver's directions implicitly17, but he did not choose to say this to Roland. The truth was, he was provoked at the liberty the ill-bred boy took in addressing him without a title, and he didn't see fit to enlighten him on this point.

"You must excuse me," he said. "Oliver has ordered the suit, and I shall not take such a liberty with him as to question his order."

"I rather think my father will have something to say about that," said Roland. "I presume you expect him to pay your bill."

"The bill will be paid; I am not afraid of that. Why shouldn't it be?"

"You may have to depend on Oliver to pay it himself."

"Well, he has money enough, or ought to have," said the tailor significantly. "His mother left a large property."

Roland did not like the turn the conversation was taking, and stalked out of the shop.

"Crimp is getting impudent," he said to himself. "If there was another good tailor in the village I would patronize him."

However, Roland had one other resource, and this consoled him.

"I'll tell my father, and we'll see if he don't put a stop to it," he thought. "Oliver will find he can't do just as he likes. I wish Crimp would make the suit, and then father refuse to pay for it. It would teach him a lesson."

Roland selected the supper-table for the revelation of what he supposed to be Oliver's unauthorized conduct.

"I met Oliver coming out of Crimp's this afternoon," he commenced.

Oliver did not appear alarmed at this opening. He continued to eat his toast in silence.

As no one said anything, Roland continued:

"He had just been ordering a new suit of clothes."

"Did you find any cloth to suit you, Oliver?" asked Mr. Kenyon.

"Yes, sir, I found a very nice piece."

"I should think it was nice. It was the dearest in Crimp's stock!" said Roland.

"How do you know?" asked Oliver quickly.

"Crimp told me so."

"Then you went in and enquired," said Oliver, his lip curling.

"Yes, I did."

"I am glad you selected a good article, Oliver," said Mr. Kenyon quietly. "It will wear longer."

Roland stared at his father in open-mouthed amazement. He so fully18 anticipated getting Oliver into hot water that his father quite disconcerted him.

"His suit is going to be better than mine," he grumbled19, in a tone of vexation.

"That is your own fault. Why didn't you select the same cloth?" asked his father.

"It is some new cloth that has just come in."

"You can make it up next time," said Mr. Kenyon; "your suit seems to me to be a very nice one."

This was all the satisfaction Roland got.

The next day he met Mr. Crimp in the street.

"Well, does your father object to Oliver's order?" he asked with a smile.

Roland was too provoked to notice what he regarded as an impertinent question.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 serene PD2zZ     
adj. 安详的,宁静的,平静的
参考例句:
  • He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。
  • He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多,只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。
2 amazement 7zlzBK     
n.惊奇,惊讶
参考例句:
  • All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
  • He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
3 affected TzUzg0     
adj.不自然的,假装的
参考例句:
  • She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
  • His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
4 amiable hxAzZ     
adj.和蔼可亲的,友善的,亲切的
参考例句:
  • She was a very kind and amiable old woman.她是个善良和气的老太太。
  • We have a very amiable companionship.我们之间存在一种友好的关系。
5 cub ny5xt     
n.幼兽,年轻无经验的人
参考例句:
  • The lion cub's mother was hunting for what she needs. 这只幼师的母亲正在捕猎。
  • The cub licked the milk from its mother's breast. 这头幼兽吸吮着它妈妈的奶水。
6 cane RsNzT     
n.手杖,细长的茎,藤条;v.以杖击,以藤编制的
参考例句:
  • This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
  • English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。
7 leisurely 51Txb     
adj.悠闲的;从容的,慢慢的
参考例句:
  • We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着,看遍所有的橱窗。
  • He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐,高兴的开车去工作。
8 complacent JbzyW     
adj.自满的;自鸣得意的
参考例句:
  • We must not become complacent the moment we have some success.我们决不能一见成绩就自满起来。
  • She was complacent about her achievements.她对自己的成绩沾沾自喜。
9 delusion x9uyf     
n.谬见,欺骗,幻觉,迷惑
参考例句:
  • He is under the delusion that he is Napoleon.他患了妄想症,认为自己是拿破仑。
  • I was under the delusion that he intended to marry me.我误认为他要娶我。
10 admiration afpyA     
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。
11 vouchsafe uMZzz     
v.惠予,准许
参考例句:
  • Elinor would not vouchsafe any answer.埃莉诺不想给予任何回答。
  • Vouchsafe me a spirit of faith and knowledge.赐予我信心和一颗有知识的心灵。
12 enquired 4df7506569079ecc60229e390176a0f6     
打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 ); 询问; 问问题; 查问
参考例句:
  • He enquired for the book in a bookstore. 他在书店查询那本书。
  • Fauchery jestingly enquired whether the Minister was coming too. 浮式瑞嘲笑着问部长是否也会来。
13 authorized jyLzgx     
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。
14 spoke XryyC     
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。
15 consequentially d7f5a2fd3978a004f10b0ba1b1c5e86b     
adv.必然地
参考例句:
  • In the construction of hydroelectric power station, eco-environment will be consequentially destroyed to some extent. 在水电站建设中,生态环境必然遭到一定程度的破坏。 来自互联网
  • It was because of these subjective and objective reasons that it consequentially retreated from the history. 正是由于这些主观和客观的原因,注定它必然要退出历史舞台。 来自互联网
16 dispensed 859813db740b2251d6defd6f68ac937a     
v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 );施与;配(药)
参考例句:
  • Not a single one of these conditions can be dispensed with. 这些条件缺一不可。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage. 他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
17 implicitly 7146d52069563dd0fc9ea894b05c6fef     
adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地
参考例句:
  • Many verbs and many words of other kinds are implicitly causal. 许多动词和许多其他类词都蕴涵着因果关系。
  • I can trust Mr. Somerville implicitly, I suppose? 我想,我可以毫无保留地信任萨莫维尔先生吧?
18 fully Gfuzd     
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。
19 grumbled ed735a7f7af37489d7db1a9ef3b64f91     
抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 发牢骚; 咕哝; 发哼声
参考例句:
  • He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
  • The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏,水手们边干活边发着牢骚。


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