Chapter 15 A Rich Find

    As Jasper and his companion moved away, Carton said, "I'm sorry for that poor duffer, Jasper."

    "Why should you be sorry?" asked Jasper, frowning.

    "Because he has lost a good place and good prospects¹, and all for no fault of his own."

    "You are getting sentimental², Philip," sneered³ Jasper.

    "No, but I am showing a little humanity. He has lost all this through you -- -- "

    "Through us, you mean."

    "Well, through us. We have made him the scapegoat⁴ for our sins."

    "Oh well, he is making a living."

    "A pretty poor one. I don't think you would like to be reduced to selling papers."

    "His case and mine are different."

    "I begin to think also that we have made a mistake in getting him discharged so soon."

    "We can't take anything more."

    "Why not?"

    "Because there will be no one to lay the blame upon. He is out of the store."

    "That is true. I didn't think of that. But I invited him to come around and call. If he should, and something else should be missing it would be laid to him."

    "I don't believe he will call. I am terribly hard up, and our source of income has failed us. Haven't you got a dollar or two to spare?"

    "No," answered Jasper coldly. "I only get seven dollars a week."

    "But you have nearly all that. You only have to hand in two dollars a week to your uncle."

    "Look here, Philip Carton, I hope you don't expect to live off me. I have all I can do to take care of myself."

    Carton looked at Jasper in anger and mortification⁵.

    "I begin to understand how good a friend you are," he said.

    "I am not fool enough to pinch myself to keep you," said Jasper bluntly. "You are a man of twenty five and I am only a boy. You ought to be able to take care of yourself."

    "Just give me a dollar, or lend it Jasper, and I will risk it at play. I may rise from the table with a hundred. If I do I will pay you handsomely for the loan."

    "I couldn't do it, Mr. Carton. I have only two dollars in my pocket, and I have none to spare."

    "Humph! what is that?"

    Philip Carton's eyes were fixed⁶ upon the sidewalk. There was a flimsy piece of paper fluttering about impelled⁷ by the wind. He stooped and picked it up.

    "It is a five dollar bill," he exclaimed in exultation⁸. "My luck has come back."

    Jasper changed his tone at once. Now Philip was the better off of the two.

    "That is luck!" he said. "Shall we go into Delmonico's, and have an ice?"

    "If it is at your expense, yes."

    "That wouldn't be fair. You have more money than I."

    "Yes, and I mean to keep it myself. You have set me the example."

    "Come, Philip, you are not angry at my refusing you a loan?"

    "No; I think you were sensible. I shall follow your example.

    I will bid you good night. I seem to be in luck, and will try my fortune at the gaming table."

    "I will go with you."

    "No; I would prefer to go alone."

    "That fellow is unreasonable," muttered Jasper, as he strode off, discontented. "Did he expect I would divide my salary with him?"

    Philip Carton, after he parted company with Jasper, walked back to where Rodney was still selling papers.

    "Give me a paper," he said.

    "Which will you have?"

    "I am not particular. Give me the first that comes handy. Ah, the Evening Sun will do."

    He took the paper and put a quarter into Rodney's hand.

    As he was walking away Rodney called out, "Stop, here's your change,"

    "Never mind," said Philip with a wave of the hand.

    "Thank you," said Rodney gratefully, for twenty five cents was no trifle to him at this time.

    "That ought to bring me luck," soliloquized Philip Carton as he walked on. "It isn't often I do a good deed. It was all the money I had besides the five dollar bill, and I am sure the news boy will make better use of it than I would."

    "That was the young man that was walking with Jasper," reflected Rodney. "Well, he is certainly a better fellow than he. Thanks to this quarter, I shall have made eighty cents today, and still have half a dozen papers. That is encouraging."

    Several days passed that could not be considered lucky. Rodney's average profits were only about fifty cent a day, and that was barely sufficient to buy his meals. It left him nothing to put towards paying room rent.

    He began to consider whether he would not be compelled to pawn⁹ some article from his wardrobe, for he was well supplied with clothing, when he had a stroke of luck.

    On Fifteenth Street, by the side of Tiffany's great jewelry¹⁰ store, he picked up a square box neatly¹¹ done up in thin paper. Opening it, he was dazzled by the gleam of diamonds.

    The contents were a diamond necklace and pin, which, even to Rodney's inexperienced eyes, seemed to be of great value.

    "Some one must have dropped them in coming from the jewelry store," he reflected. "Who can it be?"

    He had not far to seek. There was a card inside on which was engraved¹²:

    MRS. ELIZA HARVEY,

    with an address on Fifth Avenue.

    Passing through to Fifth Avenue Rodney began to scan the numbers on the nearest houses. He judged that Mrs. Harvey must live considerably¹³ farther up the Avenue, in the direction of Central Park.

    "I will go there at once," Rodney decided¹⁴. "No doubt Mrs. Harvey is very much distressed¹⁵ by her loss. I shall carry her good news."

    The house he found to be between Fortieth and Fiftieth Street. Ascending¹⁶ the steps he rang the bell. The door was opened by a man servant.

    "Does Mrs. Harvey live here?" asked Rodney.

    "What do you want with her, young man?" demanded the servant in a tone of importance.

    "That I will tell her."

    "What's your name?"

    "I can give you my name, but she won't recognize it."

    "Then you don't know her."

    "No."

    "If it's money you want, she don't give to beggars."

    "You are impudent¹⁷" said Rodney hotly. "If you don't give my message you will get into trouble."

    The servant opened his eyes. He seemed somewhat impressed by Rodney's confident tone.

    "Mrs. Harvey doesn't live here," he said.

    "Is she in the house?"

    "Well, yes, she's visiting here."

    "Then why do you waste your time?" said Rodney impatiently. He forgot for the time that he was no longer being educated at an expensive boarding school, and spoke¹⁸ in the tone he would have used before his circumstances had changed.

    "I'll go and ask if she'll see you," said the flunky unwillingly¹⁹.

    Five minutes later a pleasant looking woman of middle age descended²⁰ the staircase.

    "Are you the boy that wished to see me?" she asked.

    "Yes, if you are Mrs. Harvey."

    "I am. But come in! Thomas, why didn't you invite this young gentleman into the parlor²¹?"

    Thomas opened his eyes wide. So the boy whom he had treated so cavalierly was a young gentleman.

    He privately²² put down Mrs. Harvey in his own mind as eccentric.

    "Excuse me, ma'am," he said. "I didn't know as he was parlor company."

    "Well, he is," said Mrs. Harvey with a cordial smile that won Rodney's heart.

    "Follow me!" said the lady.

    Rodney followed her into a handsome apartment and at a signal seated himself on a sofa.

    "Now," she said, "I am ready to listen to your message."

    "Have you lost anything?" asked Rodney abruptly²³.

    "Oh, have you found it?" exclaimed Mrs. Harvey, clasping her hands.

    "That depends on what you have lost," answered Rodney, who felt that it was necessary to be cautious.

    "Certainly, you are quite right. I have lost a box containing jewelry bought this morning at Tiffany's."

    "What were the articles?"

    "A diamond necklace and pin. They are intended as a present for my daughter who is to be married. Tell me quick have you found them?"

    "Is this the box?" asked Rodney.

    "Oh yes, yes! How delightful²⁴ to recover it. I thought I should never see it again. Where did you find it?"

    "On Fifteenth Street beside Tiffany's store."

    "And you brought it directly to me?"

    "Yes, madam."

    "Have you any idea of the value of the articles?"

    "Perhaps they may be worth five hundred dollars."

    "They are worth over a thousand. Are you poor?"

    "Yes, madam. I am trying to make a living by selling papers, but find it hard work."

    "But you don't look like a newsboy."

    "Till a short time since I thought myself moderately rich."

    "That is strange. Tell me your story."

1 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

2 sentimental   

adj.多愁善感的，感伤的

参考例句：

• She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。
• We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。

3 sneered   

讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
• It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。

4 scapegoat   

n.替罪的羔羊，替人顶罪者；v.使…成为替罪羊

参考例句：

• He has been made a scapegoat for the company's failures.他成了公司倒闭的替罪羊。
• They ask me to join the party so that I'll be their scapegoat when trouble comes.他们想叫我入伙，出了乱子，好让我替他们垫背。

5 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。

6 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

7 impelled   

v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He felt impelled to investigate further. 他觉得有必要作进一步调查。
• I feel impelled to express grave doubts about the project. 我觉得不得不对这项计划深表怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 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。

9 pawn   

n.典当，抵押，小人物，走卒；v.典当，抵押

参考例句：

• He is contemplating pawning his watch.他正在考虑抵押他的手表。
• It looks as though he is being used as a political pawn by the President.看起来他似乎被总统当作了政治卒子。

10 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

11 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

12 engraved   

v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中）

参考例句：

• The silver cup was engraved with his name. 银杯上刻有他的名字。
• It was prettily engraved with flowers on the back. 此件雕刻精美，背面有花饰图案。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

14 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

15 distressed   

痛苦的

参考例句：

• He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
• The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

16 ascending   

adj.上升的，向上的

参考例句：

• Now draw or trace ten dinosaurs in ascending order of size.现在按照体型由小到大的顺序画出或是临摹出10只恐龙。

17 impudent   

adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的

参考例句：

• She's tolerant toward those impudent colleagues.她对那些无礼的同事采取容忍的态度。
• The teacher threatened to kick the impudent pupil out of the room.老师威胁着要把这无礼的小学生撵出教室。

18 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。

19 unwillingly   

adv.不情愿地

参考例句：

• He submitted unwillingly to his mother. 他不情愿地屈服于他母亲。
• Even when I call, he receives unwillingly. 即使我登门拜访，他也是很不情愿地接待我。

20 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

21 parlor   

n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅

参考例句：

• She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
• Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？

22 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

23 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

24 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。