Chapter 25 Jefferson Pettingrew's Home

    News spreads fast in a country village. Scarcely an hour had passed when it was generally known that Jefferson Pettigrew had come home from Montana with a few hundred dollars in money, bringing with him a rich boy who could buy out all Burton. At least that is the way the report ran.

    When the two new arrivals had finished supper and come out on the hotel veranda¹ there were a dozen of Jefferson Pettigrew's friends ready to welcome him.

    "How are you, Jefferson, old boy?" said one and another.

    "Pretty well, thank you. It seems good to be home."

    "I hear you've brought back some money."

    "Yes, a few hundred dollars."

    "That's better than nothing. I reckon you'll stay home now."

    "I can't afford it, boys."

    "Are ye goin' back to Montany?"

    "Yes. I know the country, and I can make a middlin' good livin' there."

    "I say, is that boy thats with you as rich as they say?"

    "I don't know what they say."

    "They say he's worth a million."

    "Oh no, not so much as that. He's pretty well fixed²."

    "Hasn't he got a father livin'?"

    "No, it's his father that left the money."

    "How did you happen to get in with him?"

    "Oh, we met promiscuous³. He took a sort of fancy to me, and that's the way of it."

    "Do you expect to keep him with you?"

    "He talks of goin' back to Montana with me. I'll be sort of guardian⁴ to him."

    "You're in luck, Jeff."

    "Yes, I'm in luck to have pleasant company. Maybe we'll join together and buy a mine."

    "Would you mind introducin' him?"

    "Not at all," and thus Rodney became acquainted with quite a number of the Burton young men. He was amused to see with what deference⁵ they treated him, but preserved a sober face and treated all cordially, so that he made a favorable impression on those he met.

    Among those who made it in their way to call on the two travelers was Lemuel Sheldon, the rich man of the village.

    "How do you do, Jefferson?" he said condescendingly.

    "Very well, sir."

    "You have been quite a traveler."

    "Yes, sir; I have been to the far West."

    "And met with some success, I am told."

    "Yes, sir; I raised money enough to get home."

    "I hear you brought home a few hundred dollars."

    "Yes, sir."

    "Oh, well," said the squire⁶ patronizingly, "that's good beginning."

    "It must seem very little to a rich man like you, squire."

    "Oh, no!" said the squire patronizingly. "You are a young man. I shouldn't wonder if by the time you get as old as I am you might be worth five thousand dollars."

    "I hope so," answered Mr. Pettigrew demurely⁷.

    "By the way, you have brought a young man with you, I am told."

    "Yes."

    "I should like to make his acquaintance. He is rich, is he not?"

    "I wish I was as rich."

    "You don't say so! About how much do you estimate he is worth?"

    "I don't think it amounts to quite as much as a quarter of a million. Still, you know it is not always easy to tell how much a person is worth."

    "He is certainly a very fortunate young man," said the squire, impressed. "What is his name?"

    "Rodney Ropes."

    "The name sounds aristocratic. I shall be glad to know him."

    "Rodney," said Mr. Pettigrew. "I want to introduce you to Squire Sheldon, our richest and most prominent citizen."

    "I am glad to meet you, Squire Sheldon," said Rodney, offering his hand.

    "I quite reciprocate⁸ the feeling, Mr. Ropes, but Mr. Pettigrew should not call me a rich man. I am worth something, to be sure."

    "I should say you were, squire," said Jefferson. "Rodney, he is as rich as you are."

    "Oh no," returned the squire, modestly, "not as rich as that. Indeed, I hardly know how much I am worth. As Mr. Pettigrew very justly observed it is not easy to gauge⁹ a man's possessions. But there is one difference between us. You, Mr. Ropes, I take it, are not over eighteen."

    "Only sixteen, sir."

    "And yet you are wealthy. I am rising fifty. When you come to my age you will be worth much more."

    "Perhaps I may have lost all I now possess," said Rodney. "Within a year I have lost fifty thousand dollars."

    "You don't say so."

    "Yes; it was through a man who had charge of my property. I think now I shall manage my money matters myself."

    "Doubtless you are right. That was certainly a heavy loss. I shouldn't like to lose so much. I suppose, however, you had something left?"

    "Oh yes," answered Rodney in an indifferent tone.

    "He must be rich to make so little account of fifty thousand dollars," thought the squire.

    "How long do you propose to stay in town, Mr. Pettigrew?" he asked.

    "I can't tell, sir, but I don't think I can spare more than three or four days."

    "May I hope that you and Mr. Ropes will take supper with me tomorrow evening?"

    "Say the next day and we'll come. Tomorrow I must go to my uncle's."

    "Oh very well!"

    Squire Sheldon privately¹⁰ resolved to pump Rodney as to the investment of his property. He was curious to learn first how much the boy was worth, for if there was anything that the squire worshiped it was wealth. He was glad to find that Mr. Pettigrew had only brought home five hundred dollars, as it was not enough to lift the mortgage on his uncle's farm.

    After they were left alone Jefferson Pettigrew turned to Rodney and said, "Do you mind my leaving you a short time and calling at my uncle's?"

    "Not at all, Mr. Pettigrew. I can pass my time very well."

    Jefferson Pettigrew directed his steps to an old fashioned farmhouse¹¹ about half a mile from the village. In the rear the roof sloped down so that the eaves were only five feet from the ground. The house was large though the rooms were few in number.

    In the sitting room sat an old man and his wife, who was nearly as old. It was not a picture of cheerful old age, for each looked sad. The sadness of old age is pathetic for there is an absence of hope, and courage, such as younger people are apt to feel even when they are weighed down by trouble.

    Cyrus Hooper was seventy one, his wife two years younger. During the greater part of their lives they had been well to do, if not prosperous, but now their money was gone, and there was a mortgage on the old home which they could not pay.

    "I don't know whats goin' to become of us, Nancy," said Cyrus Hooper. "We'll have to leave the old home, and when the farm's been sold there won't be much left over and above the mortgage which Louis Sheldon holds."

    "Don't you think the squire will give you a little more time, Cyrus?"

    "No; I saw him yesterday, and he's sot on buyin' in the farm for himself. He reckons it won't fetch more'n eighteen hundred dollars."

    "Thats only six hundred over the mortgage."

    "It isn't that Nancy. There's about a hundred dollars due in interest. We won't get more'n five hundred dollars."

    "Surely, Cyrus, the farm is worth three thousand dollars."

    "So it is, Nancy, but that won't do us any good, as long as no one wants it more'n the squire."

    "I wish Jefferson were at home."

    "What good would it do? I surmise¹² he hasn't made any money. He never did have much enterprise, that boy."

    "He was allus a good boy, Cyrus."

    "That's so, Nancy, but he didn't seem cut out for makin' money. Still it would do me good to see him. Maybe we might have a home together, and manage to live."

    Just then a neighbor entered.

    "Have you heard the news?" she asked.

    "No; what is it?"

    "Your nephew Jefferson Pettigrew has got back."

    "You don't mean so. There, Jefferson, that's one comfort."

    "And they say he has brought home five hundred dollars."

    "That's more'n I thought he'd bring. Where is he?"

    "Over at the tavern¹³. He's brought a young man with him, leastways a boy, that's got a lot of money."

    "The boy?"

    "Yes; he's from New York, and is a friend of Jefferson's."

    "Well, I'm glad he's back. Why didn't he come here?"

    "It's likely he would if the boy wasn't with him."

    "Perhaps he heard of my misfortune."

    "I hope it'll all come right, Mr. Hooper. My, if there ain't Jefferson comin' to see you now. I see him through the winder. I guess I'll be goin'. You'll want to see him alone."

1 veranda   

n.走廊；阳台

参考例句：

• She sat in the shade on the veranda.她坐在阳台上的遮荫处。
• They were strolling up and down the veranda.他们在走廊上来回徜徉。

2 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。

3 promiscuous   

adj.杂乱的，随便的

参考例句：

• They were taking a promiscuous stroll when it began to rain.他们正在那漫无目的地散步，突然下起雨来。
• Alec know that she was promiscuous and superficial.亚历克知道她是乱七八糟和浅薄的。

4 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。

5 deference   

n.尊重，顺从；敬意

参考例句：

• Do you treat your parents and teachers with deference?你对父母师长尊敬吗？
• The major defect of their work was deference to authority.他们的主要缺陷是趋从权威。

6 squire   

n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅

参考例句：

• I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。
• The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

7 demurely   

adv.装成端庄地，认真地

参考例句：

• "On the forehead, like a good brother,'she answered demurely. "吻前额，像个好哥哥那样，"她故作正经地回答说。 来自飘（部分）
• Punctuation is the way one bats one's eyes, lowers one's voice or blushes demurely. 标点就像人眨眨眼睛，低声细语，或伍犯作态。 来自名作英译部分

8 reciprocate   

v.往复运动；互换；回报，酬答

参考例句：

• Although she did not reciprocate his feelings, she did not discourage him.尽管她没有回应他的感情，她也没有使他丧失信心。
• Some day I will reciprocate your kindness to me.总有一天我会报答你对我的恩德。

9 gauge   

v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器

参考例句：

• Can you gauge what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gauge one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

10 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。

11 farmhouse   

n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房）

参考例句：

• We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
• We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。

12 surmise   

v./n.猜想，推测

参考例句：

• It turned out that my surmise was correct.结果表明我的推测没有错。
• I surmise that he will take the job.我推测他会接受这份工作。

13 tavern   

n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店

参考例句：

• There is a tavern at the corner of the street.街道的拐角处有一家酒馆。
• Philip always went to the tavern,with a sense of pleasure.菲利浦总是心情愉快地来到这家酒菜馆。