Chapter 4 Zebulon Mack

 At twelve that day the landlord, Zebulon Mack, presented himself promptly¹ at the door of Mrs. Fenton's room.

 

He was a small, thin, wrinkled man, whose suit would have been refused as a gift by the average tramp, yet he had an income of four thousand dollars a year from rents. He was now sixty years of age. At twenty-one he was working for eight dollars a week, and saving three-fifths of that. By slow degrees he had made himself rich, but in so doing he had denied himself all but the barest necessaries. What he expected to do with his money, as he was a bachelor with no near relatives, was a mystery, and he had probably formed no definite ideas himself. But it was his great enjoyment² to see his hoards³ annually⁵ increasing, and he had no mercy for needy⁶ or unfortunate tenants⁷ who found themselves unable to pay their rent promptly.

 

Mrs. Fenton opened the door with a troubled look.

 

"I've come for that other three dollars, ma'am," said Zebulon Mack, standing⁸ on the threshold.

 

"I'm very sorry, sir----" began the widow.

 

"What! haven't you got the money?" snarled⁹ Mack, screwing up his features into a frown that made him look even more unprepossessing.

 

"My son Fred will be paid on Saturday night, and then----"

 

"Saturday night won't do. Didn't you promise it to-day?"

 

"Yes; and Fred tried to get an advance, but could not."

 

"Where is he working?"

 

"On the Erie road."

 

"Most likely he spends all his money for beer and cigarettes. I know him. He looks like it."

 

"You are very much mistaken, sir," said Mrs. Fenton, indignantly.

 

"Oh, you think so, of course," sneered¹⁰ the landlord. "Mothers don't know much about their boys, nor fathers either. I am glad I haven't a son."

 

"I wouldn't be your son for a million dollars," said little Albert, who resented the allusion¹¹ to his big brother.

 

"Hey?" snarled Mack, opening his mouth and showing his tobacco-stained tusks¹². "What business has a whipper-snapper like you to put in your oar⁴?"

 

"I ain't a whipper-snapper!" retorted Albert, who did not know the meaning of the word, but concluded that it was not complimentary¹³.

 

"Well, ma'am, what are you going to do? I can't stay here all day."

 

"Fred thought he would have the money by to-night. He asked if you would call round after he got home."

 

"When is that?"

 

"He generally gets home at seven o'clock."

 

"Then I'll be here at seven, but if you haven't the money, then out you go! Do you hear?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"Then mind you remember it. With so many swindling tenants a landlord has a hard time."

 

He shambled off, and Mrs. Fenton breathed a sigh of temporary relief. All the afternoon she felt troubled and anxious, and her anxiety increased as the hours wore away.

 

"If Fred should be late as he sometimes is," she said to Bertie about six o'clock, "I am afraid Mr. Mack will carry out his threat and turn us out on the street."

 

"I won't let him," said Albert manfully.

 

"We can't help it," said Mrs. Fenton. "Do you think you could find your way to the depot¹⁴ to meet Fred and hurry him home?"

 

"Oh, yes," answered the little boy. "I went there with Fred last week."

 

"You are sure you won't get lost?"

 

"What do you take me for, mother? I'd be ashamed to get lost anywhere round the city."

 

"Then go, and tell Fred to hurry up. Mr. Mack is so strict and severe that I am sure he won't wait a minute."

 

At seven o'clock precisely¹⁵ Mr. Mack returned and, looking at his watch, said, "Time's up, ma'am."

 

"Wait just a few minutes!" pleaded Mrs. Fenton. "I expect Fred home every minute."

 

"My time's valuable, ma'am. It is not likely the boy will have the money any way.

 

"Won't you wait, then?

 

"Do you take me for a fool, ma'am? Here, Finnegan."

 

He had brought with him a man in his employ who for starvation wages helped him move out tenants, and made himself useful in a general way.

 

"Here I am, Mr. Mack," said Finnegan.

 

"Just give me a hand with this bureau. We'll take that first."

 

"Oh, sir," pleaded Mrs. Fenton, "how can you be so merciless? In a few minutes Fred will be here."

 

"I'm not a fool, ma'am. I told you I'd move you at seven o'clock, and I'm a man of my word."

 

"Wait a minute and I'll see if I can borrow the money of Mrs. Sheehan."

 

"You ought to have thought of that before. I'll give you two minutes."

 

Mrs. Fenton sped down lo the rooms of Mrs. Sheehan on the next lower floor.

 

"Can you lend me three dollars, Mrs. Sheehan?" asked Mrs. Fenton, breathless. "Mr. Mack threatens to turn us out on the sidewalk."

 

"I wish I could, Mrs. Fenton," said Mrs. Sheehan heartily¹⁶, "but I bought my John a suit yesterday, and it's taken all my money except seventy-five cents. I'd be glad to oblige you, indeed I would."

 

"I've no doubt of it," sighed the widow, for it was her last hope.

 

"Well, have you got the money?" asked Zebulon Mack, as she reappeared.

 

"No, sir."

 

"Just what I thought. Go ahead, Finnegan."

 

They took up the bureau and slowly moved to the door, and down the staircase with it.

 

"It's a shame!" said Mrs. Sheehan, standing at her door.

 

"You'd better look out, ma'am! It may be your turn next," said the landlord with a scowl¹⁷. "If it is I won't wait for you a minute."

 

"It's a hard man, you are, Mr. Mack."

 

"I need to be," said Zebulon Mack grimly. "If I wasn't it's precious little rent I'd get in."

 

The outlook for the Fentons was dark indeed.

1 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

2 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

3 hoards   

n.（钱财、食物或其他珍贵物品的）储藏，积存( hoard的名词复数 )v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She hoards her money - she never spends it. 她积蓄钱，但从来不花钱。 来自辞典例句
• A squirrel hoards nuts for the winter. 松鼠为过冬贮藏坚果。 来自辞典例句

4 oar   

n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行

参考例句：

• The sailors oar slowly across the river.水手们慢慢地划过河去。
• The blade of the oar was bitten off by a shark.浆叶被一条鲨鱼咬掉了。

5 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

6 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

7 tenants   

n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者

参考例句：

• A number of tenants have been evicted for not paying the rent. 许多房客因不付房租被赶了出来。
• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。

8 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

9 snarled   

v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说

参考例句：

• The dog snarled at us. 狗朝我们低声吼叫。
• As I advanced towards the dog, It'snarled and struck at me. 我朝那条狗走去时，它狂吠着向我扑来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 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。

11 allusion   

n.暗示，间接提示

参考例句：

• He made an allusion to a secret plan in his speech.在讲话中他暗示有一项秘密计划。
• She made no allusion to the incident.她没有提及那个事件。

12 tusks   

n.（象等动物的）长牙( tusk的名词复数 )；獠牙；尖形物；尖头

参考例句：

• The elephants are poached for their tusks. 为获取象牙而偷猎大象。
• Elephant tusks, monkey tails and salt were used in some parts of Africa. 非洲的一些地区则使用象牙、猴尾和盐。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

13 complimentary   

adj.赠送的，免费的，赞美的，恭维的

参考例句：

• She made some highly complimentary remarks about their school.她对他们的学校给予高度的评价。
• The supermarket operates a complimentary shuttle service.这家超市提供免费购物班车。

14 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

15 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

16 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

17 scowl   

vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容

参考例句：

• I wonder why he is wearing an angry scowl.我不知道他为何面带怒容。
• The boss manifested his disgust with a scowl.老板面带怒色，清楚表示出他的厌恶之感。