Chapter 5 The Captain's Departure

 "Jack¹," said the captain, at breakfast, the next morning, "how would you like to go round with me to see my vessel²?"

 

"I'll go," said Jack, promptly³.

 

"Very likely he'll fall over into the water and be drowned," suggested Aunt Rachel, cheerfully.

 

"I'll take care of that, ma'am," said Capt. Bowling⁴. "Won't you come yourself?"

 

"I go to see a vessel!" repeated Rachel.

 

"Yes; why not?"

 

"I am afraid it wouldn't be proper to go with a stranger," said Rachel, with a high sense of propriety⁵.

 

"I'll promise not to run away with you," said the captain, bluntly. "If I should attempt it, Jack, here, would interfere⁶."

 

"No, I wouldn't," said Jack. "It wouldn't be proper for me to interfere with Aunt Rachel's plans."

 

"You seem to speak as if your aunt proposed to run away," said Mr. Harding, jocosely⁷.

 

"You shouldn't speak of such things, nephew; I am shocked," said Rachel.

 

"Then you won't go, ma'am?" asked the captain.

 

"If I thought it was consistent with propriety," said Rachel, hesitating. "What do you think, Martha?"

 

"I think there is no objection," said Mrs. Harding, secretly amazed at Rachel's entertaining the idea.

 

The result was that Miss Rachel put on her things, and accompanied the captain. She was prevailed on to take the captain's arm at length, greatly to Jack's amusement. He was still more amused when a boy picked up her handkerchief which she had accidentally dropped, and, restoring it to the captain, said, "Here's your wife's handkerchief, gov'nor."

 

"Ho! ho!" laughed the captain. "He takes you for my wife, ma'am."

 

"Ho! ho!" echoed Jack, equally amused.

 

Aunt Rachel turned red with confusion. "I am afraid I ought not to have come," she murmured. "I feel ready to drop."

 

"You'd better not drop just yet," said the captain--they were just crossing the street--"wait till it isn't so muddy."

 

On the whole, Aunt Rachel decided⁸ not to drop.

 

The _Argo_ was a medium-sized vessel, and Jack in particular was pleased with his visit. Though not outwardly so demonstrative, Aunt Rachel also seemed to enjoy the expedition. The captain, though blunt, was attentive⁹, and it was something new to her to have such an escort. It was observed that Miss Harding was much less gloomy than usual during the remainder of the day. It might be that the captain's cheerfulness was contagious¹⁰. For a stranger, Aunt Rachel certainly conversed¹¹ with him with a freedom remarkable¹² for her.

 

"I never saw Rachel so cheerful," remarked Mrs. Harding to her husband that evening after they had retired¹³. "She hasn't once spoken of life being a vale of tears to-day."

 

"It's the captain," said her husband. "He has such spirits that it seems to enliven all of us."

 

"I wish we could have him for a permanent boarder."

 

"Yes; the five dollars a week which he pays are a great help, especially now that I am out of work."

 

"What is the prospect¹⁴ of getting work soon?"

 

"I am hoping for it from day to day, but it may be weeks yet."

 

"Jack earned fifty cents to-day by selling papers."

 

"His daily earnings¹⁵ are an important help. With what the captain pays us, it is enough to pay all our living expenses. But there's one thing that troubles me."

 

"The rent?"

 

"Yes, it is due in three weeks, and as yet I haven't a dollar laid by to meet it. It makes me feel anxious."

 

"Don't lose your trust in Providence¹⁶, Timothy. He may yet carry us over this difficulty."

 

"So I hope, but I can't help feeling in what straits we shall be, if some help does not come."

 

Two weeks later, Capt. Bowling sailed for Liverpool.

 

"I hope we shall see you again sometime, captain," said Mrs. Harding.

 

"Whenever I come back to New York, I shall come here if you'll keep me," said the bluff¹⁷ sailor.

 

"Aunt Rachel will miss you, captain," said Jack, slyly.

 

Capt. Bowling turned to the confused spinster.

 

"I hope she will," said he, heartily¹⁸. "Perhaps when I see her again, she'll have a husband."

 

"Oh, Capt. Bowling, how can you say such things?" gasped¹⁹ Rachel, who, as the time for the captain's departure approached, had been subsiding²⁰ into her old melancholy²¹. "There's other things to think of in this vale of tears."

 

"Are there? Well, if they're gloomy, I don't want to think of 'em. Jack, my lad, I wish you were going to sail with me."

 

"So do I," said Jack.

 

"He's my only boy, captain," said Mrs. Harding. "I couldn't part with him."

 

"I don't blame you, ma'am, not a particle; though there's the making of a sailor in Jack."

 

"If he went away, he'd never come back," said Rachel, lugubriously²².

 

"I don't know about that, ma'am. I've been a sailor, man and boy, forty years, and here I am, well and hearty²³ to-day."

 

"The captain is about your age, isn't he, Aunt Rachel?" said Jack, maliciously²⁴.

 

"I'm only thirty-nine," said Rachel, sharply.

 

"Then I must have been under a mistake all my life," said the cooper to himself. "Rachel's forty-seven, if she's a day."

 

This remark he prudently²⁵ kept to himself, or a fit of hysterics would probably have been the result.

 

"I wouldn't have taken you for a day over thirty-five, ma'am," said the captain, gallantly²⁶.

 

Rachel actually smiled, but mildly disclaimed²⁷ the compliment.

 

"If it hadn't been for my trials and troubles," she said, "I might have looked younger; but they are only to be expected. It's the common lot."

 

"Is it?" said the captain. "I can't say I've been troubled much that way. With a stout²⁸ heart and a good conscience we ought to be jolly."

 

"Who of us has a good conscience?" asked Rachel, in a melancholy tone.

 

"I have, Aunt Rachel," answered Jack.

 

"You?" she exclaimed, indignantly. "You, that tied a tin kettle to a dog's tail yesterday, and chased the poor cat till she almost died of fright. I lie awake nights thinking of the bad end you're likely to come to unless you change your ways."

 

Jack shrugged²⁹ his shoulders, but the captain came to his help.

 

"Boys will be boys, ma'am," he said. "I was up to no end of tricks myself when I was a boy."

 

"You weren't so bad as Jack, I know," said Rachel.

 

"Thank you for standing³⁰ up for me, ma'am; but I'm afraid I was. I don't think Jack's so very bad, for my part."

 

"I didn't play the tricks Aunt Rachel mentioned," said Jack. "It was another boy in our block."

 

"You're all alike," said Rachel. "I don't know what you boys are all coming to."

 

Presently the captain announced that he must go. Jack accompanied him as far as the pier³¹, but the rest of the family remained behind. Aunt Rachel became gloomier than ever.

 

"I don't know what you'll do, now you've lost your boarder," she said.

 

"He will be a loss to us, it is true," said Mrs. Harding; but we are fortunate in having had him with us so long."

 

"It's only puttin' off our misery³² a little longer," said Rachel. "We've got to go to the poorhouse, after all."

 

Rachel was in one of her moods, and there was no use in arguing with her, as it would only have intensified³³ her gloom.

 

Meanwhile Jack was bidding good-by to the captain.

 

"I'm sorry you can't go with me, Jack," said the bluff sailor.

 

"So am I; but I can't leave mother."

 

"Right, my lad; I wouldn't take you away from her. But there--take that, and don't forget me."

 

"You are very kind," said Jack, as the captain pressed into his hand a five-dollar gold piece. "May I give it to my mother?"

 

"Certainly, my lad; you can't do better."

 

Jack stood on the wharf³⁴ till the vessel was drawn³⁵ out into the stream by a steam tug³⁶. Then he went home. 

1 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

2 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

3 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。

4 bowling   

n.保龄球运动

参考例句：

• Bowling is a popular sport with young and old.保龄球是老少都爱的运动。
• Which sport do you 1ike most,golf or bowling?你最喜欢什么运动，高尔夫还是保龄球？

5 propriety   

n.正当行为；正当；适当

参考例句：

• We hesitated at the propriety of the method.我们对这种办法是否适用拿不定主意。
• The sensitive matter was handled with great propriety.这件机密的事处理得极为适当。

6 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

7 jocosely   

adv.说玩笑地，诙谐地

参考例句：

8 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。

9 attentive   

adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的

参考例句：

• She was very attentive to her guests.她对客人招待得十分周到。
• The speaker likes to have an attentive audience.演讲者喜欢注意力集中的听众。

10 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

11 conversed   

v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 )

参考例句：

• I conversed with her on a certain problem. 我与她讨论某一问题。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She was cheerful and polite, and conversed with me pleasantly. 她十分高兴，也很客气，而且愉快地同我交谈。 来自辞典例句

12 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

13 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

14 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

15 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

16 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

17 bluff   

v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗

参考例句：

• His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
• John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

18 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。

19 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

20 subsiding   

v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的现在分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上

参考例句：

• The flooded river was subsiding rapidly. 泛滥的河水正在迅速退落。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Gradually the tension was subsiding, gradually the governor was relenting. 风潮渐渐地平息了。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

21 melancholy   

n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
• He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

22 lugubriously   

参考例句：

• His mirth hoarse and ghastly, like a raven's and the sick wolf joined him, howling lugubriously. 他的笑声粗厉可怕，跟乌鸦的怪叫一样，而那条病狼也随着他，一阵阵地惨嗥。 来自互联网

23 hearty   

adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的

参考例句：

• After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
• We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

24 maliciously   

adv.有敌意地

参考例句：

• He was charged with maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm. 他被控蓄意严重伤害他人身体。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His enemies maliciously conspired to ruin him. 他的敌人恶毒地密谋搞垮他。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

25 prudently   

adv. 谨慎地，慎重地

参考例句：

• He prudently pursued his plan. 他谨慎地实行他那计划。
• They had prudently withdrawn as soon as the van had got fairly under way. 他们在蓬车安全上路后立即谨慎地离去了。

26 gallantly   

adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地

参考例句：

• He gallantly offered to carry her cases to the car. 他殷勤地要帮她把箱子拎到车子里去。
• The new fighters behave gallantly under fire. 新战士在炮火下表现得很勇敢。

27 disclaimed   

v.否认( disclaim的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She disclaimed any knowledge of her husband's whereabouts. 她否认知道丈夫的下落。
• He disclaimed any interest in the plan. 他否认对该计划有任何兴趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》

29 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

30 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。

31 pier   

n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱

参考例句：

• The pier of the bridge has been so badly damaged that experts worry it is unable to bear weight.这座桥的桥桩破损厉害，专家担心它已不能负重。
• The ship was making towards the pier.船正驶向码头。

32 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

33 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

34 wharf   

n.码头，停泊处

参考例句：

• We fetch up at the wharf exactly on time.我们准时到达码头。
• We reached the wharf gasping for breath.我们气喘吁吁地抵达了码头。

35 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

36 tug   

v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船

参考例句：

• We need to tug the car round to the front.我们需要把那辆车拉到前面。
• The tug is towing three barges.那只拖船正拖着三只驳船。