"What will the old lady think of you?" said Harry1.
"She will have a very bad opinion till she puts on her specs and read the bill. That will explain all. I shouldn't be surprised to see her at my entertainment."
"I wonder if she'll recognize me," said Harry.
"No doubt; as soon as she learns with whom she rode, she'll be very curious to come and see me perform."
"How old were you when you began to be a ventriloquist?"
"I was eighteen. I accidentally made the discovery, and devoted2 considerable time to perfecting myself in it before acquainting anyone with it. That idea came later. You see when I was twenty-one, with a little property which I inherited from my uncle, I went into business for myself; but I was young and inexperienced in management, and the consequence was, that in about two years I failed. I found it difficult to get employment as a clerk, business being very dull at the time. While uncertain what to do, one of my friends, to whom I had communicated my power, induced me to give me a public entertainment, combining with it a few tricks of magic, which I had been able to pick up from books. I succeeded so well my vocation3 in life became Professor Henderson."
"It must be great fun to be a ventriloquist."
"So I regarded it at first. It may not be a very high vocation but I make the people laugh and so I regard myself as a public benefactor4. Indeed, I once did an essential service to a young man by means of my ventriloquism."
"I should like very much to hear the story."
"I will tell you. One day, a young man, a stranger, came to me and introduced himself under the name of Paul Dabney. He said that I might, if I would, do him a great service. His father had died the year previous, leaving a farm and other property to the value of fifteen thousand dollars. Of course, being as only son, he expected that this would be left to himself, or, at least, the greater part of it. Conceive his surprise, therefore, when the will came to be read, to find that the entire property was left to his Uncle Jonas, his father brother, who, for three years past, had been a member of the family. Jonas had never prospered5 in life, and his brother, out of pity, had offered him an asylum6 on his farm. He had formerly7 been a bookkeeper and was an accomplished8 penman.
"The will was so extraordinary--since Paul and his father had always been on perfectly9 good terms--that the young man was thunderstruck. His uncle expressed hypocritical surprise at the nature of the will.
"'I don't believe my father made that will,' exclaimed Paul, angrily.
"'What do you mean by that?' demanded the uncle.
"His anger made Paul think that he had hit upon the truth, particularly as his uncle was an adroit10 penman.
"He carefully examined the will; but the writing so closely resembled his father's that he could see no difference. The witnesses were his Uncle Jonas and a hired man, who, shortly after witnessing the signature, had been discharged and had disappeared from the neighborhood. All this excited Paul's suspicions.
"His uncle offered him a home on the farm; but positively11 refused to give him any portion of the property.
"'I sympathize with you,' I said at the conclusion of Paul's story; 'but how can I help you?'
"'I will tell you, sir,' he replied. 'You must know that my Uncle Jonas is very superstitious12. I mean, through your help, to play upon his fears and thus induce him to give up the property to me.'
"With this he unfolded his plan and I agreed to help him. His uncle lived ten miles distant. I procured13 a laborer's disguise and the morning after--Paul having previously14 gone back--I entered the yard of the farmhouse15. The old man was standing16 outside, smoking a pipe.
"'Can you give me work?' I asked.
"'What kind of work?' inquired Jonas.
"'Farm work,' I answered.
"'How much do you want?'
"'Eight dollars a month.'
"'I'll give you six,' he said.
"'That's too little.'
"'It's the most I'll give you.'
"'Then I'll take,' I replied, and was at once engaged.
"Delighted to get me so cheap, the sordid17 old man asked me no troublesome questions. I knew enough of farm work to get along pretty well and not betray myself.
"That night I concealed18 myself in the old man's apartment without arousing his suspicions, Paul helping19 me. After he had been in bed about twenty minutes, I thought it time to begin. Accordingly I uttered a hollow groan20.
"'Eh! What's that?' cried the old man, rising in bed.
"'I am the spirit of your dead brother,' I answered, throwing my voice near the bed.
"'What do you want?' he asked, his teeth chattering21.
"'You have cheated Paul out of his property.'
"'Forgive me!' he cried, terror-stricken.
"'Then give him back the property.'
"'Yes, the whole.'
"'Are--are you really my brother?'
"'I will give you this proof. Unless you do as I order you, in three days you will be with me.'
"'What, dead?' he said, shuddering23.
"'Yes,' I answered in sepulchral24 a tone as possible.
"'Are--are you sure of it?'
"'If you doubt it, disobey me.'
"'I'll do it, but--don't come again.'
"'Be sure you do it then.'
"I ceased to speak, being tired, and escaped as soon as I could. But the battle was not yet over. The next day gave Jonas courage. Afternoon came and he had done nothing. He was with me in the field when I threw a hollow voice, which seemed to be close to his ear. I said, 'Obey, or in three days you die.'
"He turned pale as a sheet and asked me if I heard anything. I expressed surprise and this confirmed him in his belief of the ghostly visitation. He went to the house, sent for a lawyer and transferred the entire property to his nephew. The latter made him a present of a thousand dollars and so the affair ended happily. Paul paid me handsomely for my share in the trick and the next day I made an excuse for leaving the farm."
"Did the old man ever discover your agency in the affair, Professor Henderson?"
"Never. He is dead now and my friend Paul is happily married, and has a fine family. His oldest boy is named after me. But here we are in Holston."
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收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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3
vocation
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| n.职业，行业 | |
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benefactor
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| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
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prospered
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| 成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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asylum
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| n.避难所，庇护所，避难 | |
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7
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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8
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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9
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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10
adroit
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| adj.熟练的，灵巧的 | |
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11
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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12
superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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14
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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farmhouse
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| n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房） | |
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16
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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17
sordid
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| adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的 | |
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18
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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19
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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21
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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22
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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23
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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sepulchral
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| adj.坟墓的，阴深的 | |
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