Chapter 14 Rodney Is Discharged

    Rodney reported his return to Mr. Redwood, and in his company went down stairs to the office, with the package under his arm.

    "Well?" said Mr. Goodnow inquiringly.

    "This is the package, sir."

    "And it was found in your room?"

    "Yes, sir, I found it on my bed."

    "Can't you account for it being there?" asked the merchant searchingly.

    "No, sir."

    "You must admit that its presence in your room looks bad for you."

    "I admit it sir; but I had nothing to do with it being there."

    "Have you any theory to account for it?"

    "Only this, that some one must have carried it to my room and placed it where it was found."

    "Did you question your landlady¹ as to whether she had admitted any one during the morning?"

    "Yes, sir. She had not."

    "This is very unfavorable to you."

    "In what way, sir?"

    "It makes it probable that you carried in the parcel yourself."

    "That I deny," said Rodney boldly.

    "I expected you to deny it" said the merchant coldly. "If this cloak were the only one that had been taken I would drop the matter. But this is by no means the case. Mr. Redwood, can you give any idea of the extent to which we have been robbed?"

    "So far as I can estimate we have lost a dozen cloaks and about half a dozen dress patterns."

    "This is a serious loss, Ropes," said Mr. Goodnow. "I should think it would foot up several hundred dollars. If you can throw any light upon the thefts, or give me information by which I can get back the goods even at considerable expense, I will be as considerate with you as I can."

    "Mr. Goodnow," returned Rodney hotly, "I know no more about the matter than you do. I hope you will investigate, and if you can prove that I took any of the missing articles I want no consideration. I shall expect you to have me arrested, and, if convicted, punished."

    "These are brave words, Ropes," said Mr. Goodnow coldly, "but they are only words. The parcel found in your room affords strong ground for suspicion that you are responsible for at least a part of the thefts. Under the circumstances there is only one thing for me to do, and that is to discharge you."

    "Very well, sir."

    "You may go to the cashier and he will pay you to the end of the week, but your connection with the store will end at once."

    "I don't care to be paid to the end of the week, sir. If you will give me an order for payment up to tonight, that will be sufficient."

    "It shall be as you say."

    Mr. Goodnow wrote a few words on a slip of paper and handed it to Rodney.

    "I will leave my address, sir, and if I change it I will notify you. If you should hear anything as to the real robber I will ask you as a favor to communicate with me."

    "Mr. Redwood, you have heard the request of Ropes, I will look to you to comply with it."

    "Very well, sir."

    The merchant turned back to his letters, and Rodney left the office, with what feelings of sorrow and humiliation² may be imagined.

    "I am sorry for this occurrence, Ropes," said Mr. Redwood, with a touch of sympathy in his voice.

    "Do you believe me guilty, Mr. Redwood?"

    "I cannot do otherwise. I hope you are innocent, and, if so, that the really guilty party will be discovered sooner or later."

    "Thank you, sir."

    When they entered the room in which Rodney had been employed Jasper came up, his face alive with curiosity.

    "Well," he said, "how did you come out?"

    "I am discharged," said Rodney bitterly.

    "Well, you couldn't complain of that. Things looked pretty dark for you."

    "If I had committed the theft, I would not complain. Indeed, I would submit to punishment without a murmur³. But it is hard to suffer while innocent."

    "Uncle James," said Jasper, "if Ropes is going will you ask Mr. Goodnow to put me in his place?"

    Even Mr. Redwood was disgusted by this untimely request.

    "It would be more becoming," he said sharply, "if you would wait till Ropes was fairly out of the store before applying for his position."

    "I want to be in time. I don't want any one to get ahead of me."

    James Redwood did not deign⁴ a reply.

    "I am sorry you leave us under such circumstances, Ropes," he said. "The time may come when you will be able to establish your innocence⁵, and in that case Mr. Goodnow will probably take you back again."

    Rodney did not answer, but with his order went to the cashier's desk and received the four dollars due him. Then, with a heavy heart, he left the store where it had been such a satisfaction to him to work.

    On Broadway he met his room mate, Mike Flynn, in the uniform of a telegraph boy.

    "Where are you goin', Rodney?" asked Mike. "You ain't let off so early, are you?"

    "I am let off for good and all, Mike."

    "What's that?"

    "I am discharged."

    "What for?" asked Mike in amazement⁶.

    "I will tell you when you get home tonight."

    Rodney went back to his room, and lay down sad and despondent⁷. Some hours later Mike came in, and was told the story. The warm hearted telegraph boy was very angry.

    "That boss of yours must be a stupid donkey," he said.

    "I don't know. The parcel was found in my room."

    "Anybody'd know to look at you that you wouldn't steal."

    "Some thieves look very innocent. The only way to clear me is to find out who left the bundle at the house."

    "Doesn't Mrs. McCarty know anything about it?"

    "No; I asked her."

    "Some one might have got into the house without her knowing anything about it. The lock is a very common one. There are plenty of keys that will open it."

    "If we could find some one that saw a person with a bundle go up the steps, that would give us a clew."

    "That's so. We'll ask."

    But for several days no one could be found who had seen any such person.

    Meanwhile Rodney was at a loss what to do. He was cut off from applying for another place, for no one would engage him if he were refused a recommendation from his late employer. Yet he must obtain some employment for he could not live on nothing.

    "Do you think, Mike," he asked doubtfully, "that I could make anything selling papers?"

    "Such business isn't for you," answered the telegraph boy.

    "But it is one of the few things open to me. I can become a newsboy without recommendations. Even your business would be closed to me if it were known that I was suspected of theft."

    "Thats so," said Mike, scratching his head in perplexity.

    "Then would you recommend my becoming a newsboy?"

    "I don't know. You couldn't make more'n fifty or sixty cent a day."

    "That will be better than nothing."

    "And I can pay the rent, or most of it, as I'll be doin' better than you."

    "We will wait and see how much I make."

    So Rodney swallowed his pride, and procuring⁸ a supply of afternoon papers set about selling them. He knew that it was an honest business, and there was no disgrace in following it.

    But one day he was subjected to keen mortification⁹. Jasper Redwood and a friend -- it was Philip Carton, his confederate -- were walking along Broadway, and their glances fell on Rodney.

    "I say, Jasper," said the elder of the two, "isn't that the boy who was in the same store with you?"

    Jasper looked, and his eyes lighted up with malicious¹⁰ satisfaction.

    "Oho!" he said. "Well, this is rich!"

    "Give me a paper, boy," he said, pretending not to recognize Rodney at first. "Why, it's Ropes."

    "Yes," answered Rodney, his cheek flushing. "You see what I am reduced to. What paper will you buy?"

    "The Mail and Express."

    "Here it is."

    "Can't you get another place?" asked Jasper curiously¹¹.

    "I might if I could get a recommendation, but probably Mr. Goodnow wouldn't give me one."

    "No, I guess not."

    "So I must take what I can get."

    "Do you make much selling papers?"

    "Very little."

    "You can't make as much as you did in the store?"

    "Not much more than half as much."

    "Do you live in the same place?"

    "Yes, for the present."

    "Oh, by the way, Ropes, I've got your old place," said Jasper in exultation¹².

    "I thought you would get it," answered Rodney, not without a pang¹³.

    "Come into the store some day, Ropes. It will seem like old times."

    "I shall not enter the store till I am able to clear myself of the charge made against me."

    "Then probably you will stay away a long time."

    "I am afraid so."

    "Well, ta, ta! Come along, Philip."

    As Rodney followed with his eye the figure of his complacent¹⁴ successor he felt that his fate was indeed a hard one.

1 landlady   

n.女房东，女地主

参考例句：

• I heard my landlady creeping stealthily up to my door.我听到我的女房东偷偷地来到我的门前。
• The landlady came over to serve me.女店主过来接待我。

2 humiliation   

n.羞辱

参考例句：

• He suffered the humiliation of being forced to ask for his cards.他蒙受了被迫要求辞职的羞辱。
• He will wish to revenge his humiliation in last Season's Final.他会为在上个季度的决赛中所受的耻辱而报复的。

3 murmur   

n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言

参考例句：

• They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。
• There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。

4 deign   

v. 屈尊, 惠允 ( 做某事)

参考例句：

• He doesn't deign to talk to unimportant people like me. 他不肯屈尊和像我这样不重要的人说话。
• I would not deign to comment on such behaviour. 这种行为不屑我置评。

5 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。

6 amazement   

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。

7 despondent   

adj.失望的，沮丧的，泄气的

参考例句：

• He was up for a time and then，without warning,despondent again.他一度兴高采烈，但忽然又情绪低落下来。
• I feel despondent when my work is rejected.作品被拒后我感到很沮丧。

8 procuring   

v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条

参考例句：

• He was accused of procuring women for his business associates. 他被指控为其生意合伙人招妓。 来自辞典例句
• She had particular pleasure, in procuring him the proper invitation. 她特别高兴为他争得这份体面的邀请。 来自辞典例句

9 mortification   

n.耻辱，屈辱

参考例句：

• To my mortification, my manuscript was rejected. 使我感到失面子的是：我的稿件被退了回来。
• The chairman tried to disguise his mortification. 主席试图掩饰自己的窘迫。

10 malicious   

adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的

参考例句：

• You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
• Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。

11 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

12 exultation   

n.狂喜，得意

参考例句：

• It made him catch his breath, it lit his face with exultation. 听了这个名字，他屏住呼吸，乐得脸上放光。
• He could get up no exultation that was really worthy the name. 他一点都激动不起来。

13 pang   

n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷

参考例句：

• She experienced a sharp pang of disappointment.她经历了失望的巨大痛苦。
• She was beginning to know the pang of disappointed love.她开始尝到了失恋的痛苦。

14 complacent   

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。