Chapter 37 Ben's Visit To Pentonville

 On the eighteenth of December Ben arrived in Pentonville. It was his first visit since he went up to New York for good. He reached home without observation, and found his mother overjoyed to see him.

 

"It has seemed a long, long time that you have been away, Ben," she said.

 

"Yes, mother; but I did a good thing in going to New York."

 

"You are looking well, Ben, and you have grown."

 

"Yes, mother; and best of all, I have prospered¹. Squire² Davenport can't have the house!"

 

"You don't mean to say, Ben, that you have the money to pay it off?" asked his mother, with eager hope.

 

"Yes, mother; and, better still, the money is my own."

 

"This can't be true, Ben!" she said incredulously.

 

"Yes, but it is, though! You are to ask me no questions until after the twentieth. Then I will tell you all."

 

"I am afraid I shall have to send you to the store, for I am out of groceries."

 

A list was given, and Ben started for the store.

 

Mr. Kirk looked up in surprise as he entered.

 

"You're the Barclay boy, ain't you?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"I thought you were in New York."

 

"I was, but I have just got home."

 

"Couldn't make it, go, hey?"

 

Ben smiled, but did not answer.

 

"I may give you something to do," said Kirk, in a patronizing tone³. "You've been employed in this store, I believe."

 

"Yes, I was here some months."

 

"I'll give you two dollars a week."

 

"Thank you," said Ben meekly⁴, "but I shall have to take a little time to decide--say the rest of the week."

 

"I suppose you want to help your mother move?"

 

"She couldn't move alone."

 

"Very well; you can begin next Monday."

 

When Ben was going home, he met his old enemy, Tom Davenport. Tom's eyes lighted up when he saw Ben, and he crossed the street to speak to him. It may be mentioned that, though Ben had a new and stylish⁵ suit of clothes, he came home in the old suit he had worn away, and his appearance, therefore, by no means betokened⁶ prosperity.

 

"So you're back again!" said Tom abruptly⁷.

 

"Yes."

 

"I always said you'd come back."

 

"Are you going to look for something to do?" Tom asked.

 

"Mr. Kirk has offered me a place in the store."

 

"How much pay?"

 

"Two dollars a week."

 

"You'd better take it."

 

"I hardly think I can work at that figure," said Ben, mildly.

 

"Kirk won't pay you any more."

 

"I'll think of it. By the way, Tom, call around and see me some time."

 

"I hardly think I shall have time," said Tom haughtily⁸. "He talks as if I were his equal!" he said to himself.

 

"Well, good afternoon. Remember me to your father."

 

Tom stared at Ben in surprise. Really the store boy was getting very presumptuous⁹ he thought.

1 prospered   

成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
• Mr. Black prospered from his wise investments. 布莱克先生由于巧妙的投资赚了不少钱。

2 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。

3 tone   

n.语气，音调，气度，色调；vt.（up）增强

参考例句：

• There was a tone of mockery in his voice.他说话的语气含有嘲笑的意味。
• Holmes used an informal,chatty tone in his essays.霍姆斯在文章中语气轻松随便。

4 meekly   

adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地

参考例句：

• He stood aside meekly when the new policy was proposed. 当有人提出新政策时，他唯唯诺诺地站 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He meekly accepted the rebuke. 他顺从地接受了批评。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 stylish   

adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的

参考例句：

• He's a stylish dresser.他是个穿着很有格调的人。
• What stylish women are wearing in Paris will be worn by women all over the world.巴黎女性时装往往会引导世界时装潮流。

6 betokened   

v.预示，表示( betoken的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Nothing betokened that the man know anything of what had occurred. 显然那个人还不知道已经发生了什么事。 来自互联网
• He addressed a few angry words to her that betokened hostility. 他对她说了几句预示敌意的愤怒的话。 来自互联网

7 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。

8 haughtily   

adv. 傲慢地, 高傲地

参考例句：

• She carries herself haughtily. 她举止傲慢。
• Haughtily, he stalked out onto the second floor where I was standing. 他傲然跨出电梯，走到二楼，我刚好站在那儿。

9 presumptuous   

adj.胆大妄为的，放肆的，冒昧的，冒失的

参考例句：

• It would be presumptuous for anybody to offer such a view.任何人提出这种观点都是太放肆了。
• It was presumptuous of him to take charge.他自拿主张，太放肆了。