Chapter 5 In Search of a Place

 Ben took the early train to New York on Tuesday morning, and in due time arrived in the city. He carried with him seventy-five dollars out of his small patrimony¹. Fifty were to be deposited with Messrs. Fitch & Ferguson, as required, and the balance was to defray his expenses till he began to receive a salary. Ben didn't expect to need much of it, for at the end of a week he would be paid ten dollars for his services, and until then he meant to be very economical.

 

Ben had only been in New York twice before, but he happened to know his way to Nassau Street, and went there at once, with his carpetbag in his hand.

 

As he entered Nassau Street from Printing-House

 

Square, a bootblack accosted² him.

 

'How are you, country?'

 

'Are you very anxious to know?' asked Ben, stopping short.

 

'Yes.'

 

'I'm well enough and strong enough to give you a licking.'

 

'Good for you, country! Have you come to stay long?'

 

Ben laughed. He concluded not to take offense³, but to answer seriously.

 

'That depends on whether I get the place I am after.'

 

'What is that?' asked the bootblack, in a friendly tone.

 

Now, on the way to the city, Ben had overheard a conversation between two gentlemen, relative to certain swindlers in New York, which, for the first time, had aroused in him a suspicion that possibly there might be something wrong about the firm whose advertisement he had answered. He felt the need of an adviser⁴, and though his choice may be considered rather a strange one, he decided⁵ to consult his new acquaintance, the bootblack. He briefly⁶ told him of the advertisement, and what it offered.

 

The bootblack surveyed him with pitying curiosity.

 

'You don't mean to say you swallow all that?' he said.

 

'Don't you think it's all right?' asked Ben anxiously.

 

'Look here,' said the street boy, 'do you think anybody's going to pay a boy ten dollars a week, when there's hundreds ready to work for three or four? Why, a man in Pearl Street advertised last week for a boy at three dollars, and there was a whole shoal of boys went for it. I was one of 'em.'

 

'Don't you earn more than that by your business?'

 

'Sometimes I do, but it ain't stiddy, and I'd rather have a place.'

 

'Why do they advertise to give ten dollars, then?' asked our hero.

 

'They want to get hold of your fifty dollars,' said the bootblack. 'Them fellers is beats, that's what they are.'

 

'What had I better do?' asked Ben, in perplexity.

 

'Go and see 'em, and have a talk. If they're not after your fifty dollars, you'll know what it means.'

 

'It may be all right, after all,' said Ben, who did not like to give up hope.

 

'I may be General Grant,' retorted the bootblack, 'but if I know myself I ain't.'

 

'Well, I'll go round and talk with them. Where can I meet you afterwards?'

 

'I'll be standin' here, if you ain't gone too long.'

 

'What's your name?'

 

'Tom Cooper.'

 

'I am Ben Stanton. Thank you for your advice.'

 

'You're a good feller if you do come from the country. Just look out for them fellers. Don't let 'em hook you in.'

 

'All right, Tom.'

 

Ben moved on, watching the numbers as he walked slowly along, till he came to the one mentioned in the advertisement. There was a hallway and a staircase, with a directory of persons occupying offices on the floors above. From this Ben ascertained⁷ that Fitch & Ferguson occupied Room 17, on the fourth floor.

 

'I wonder what business they are in,' thought our hero as he mounted the stairs. 'They must have considerable or they wouldn't need so many boys-that is, if they are on the square.'

 

Presently he stood in front of a door bearing the number 17.

 

He knocked for admittance. 

1 patrimony   

n.世袭财产，继承物

参考例句：

• I left my parents' house,relinquished my estate and my patrimony.我离开了父母的家，放弃了我的房产和祖传财产。
• His grandfather left the patrimony to him.他的祖父把祖传的财物留给了他。

2 accosted   

v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭

参考例句：

• She was accosted in the street by a complete stranger. 在街上，一个完全陌生的人贸然走到她跟前搭讪。
• His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him. 他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

4 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

5 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。

6 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

7 ascertained   

v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The previously unidentified objects have now been definitely ascertained as being satellites. 原来所说的不明飞行物现在已证实是卫星。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I ascertained that she was dead. 我断定她已经死了。 来自《简明英汉词典》