Chapter 7 Ben's Dinner-Guest

 Ben slowly retraced¹ his steps to where he had left his friend, Tom Cooper.

 

'Well,' said the bootblack, 'did you see Fitch and Ferguson?'

 

'Yes,' answered Ben soberly; 'that is, I saw one of them.'

 

'Did you take the place?'

 

'No; I found he was too anxious for my fifty dollars, though he offered after a while to take me for thirty.'

 

Tom Cooper laughed derisively².

 

'I'll do better nor that,' he said. 'If you'll give me twenty dollars, I'll make you my private secretary, payin' you ten dollars a week.'

 

'How long will you keep me?' asked Ben, smiling.

 

'Six days,' answered Tom. 'Then I'll have to sack you without pay, 'cause you don't understand your business.'

 

'Is that the way they manage?' asked Ben.

 

The bootblack nodded.

 

Ben looked grave. The disappointment was a serious one, and he felt now how much he had relied upon the promises of Fitch & Ferguson. He had formed no other plans, and it seemed likely that he must return to the country to resume his old life. Yet that seemed impracticable. There was no opening there unless he accepted one of the two offers already made him. But he was neither inclined to enter the employ of Deacon Pitkin, nor to become the valet and servant of Sam Sturgis. He was not quite sure whether he would not prefer to become a bootblack, like his new acquaintance.

 

'What are you goin' to do?' asked Tom.

 

'I wish I knew,' said Ben earnestly. 'What can I do?'

 

'You might go into my business,' suggested Tom.

 

Ben shook his head.

 

'I don't think I should like that.'

 

'No more would I if I'd got fifty dollars in my pocket. If I was you I'd go into business.'

 

'What kind of business?'

 

'Well,' said Tom reflectively, 'you might buy out an apple or a peanut-stand, and have lots of money left.'

 

'Is there much money to be made that way?' inquired Ben.

 

'Well, I never knowed anybody get rich in that line. I guess you'd make a livin'.'

 

'That wouldn't satisfy me, Tom. What I want most of all is to go to California.'

 

The bootblack whistled.

 

'That's off ever so far, isn't it?'

 

'Yes, it's a long way.'

 

'How do you go?'

 

'There are three ways,' answered Ben, who had made himself familiar with the subject. 'The first is to go by land-across the plains. Then there is a line of steamers by way of Panama. The longest way is by a sailing-vessel round Cape³ Horn.'

 

'What would you do when you got to California?' asked Tom.

 

'Go to work. I suppose I would go to the mines and dig gold.'

 

'I wish it wasn't so far off. I'd like to go myself. Do you think a feller could work his passage?'

 

'By blacking boots?'

 

'Yes.'

 

'I don't believe he could. Sailors don't care much about having their boots blacked.'

 

'How much does it cost to go?'

 

'I don't know.'

 

'Why don't you go to the office and find out?'

 

'So I will,' said Ben, brightening up at the thought. 'Do you know where it is?'

 

'Yes.'

 

'Will you show me?'

 

'I would if I'd make enough to buy me some dinner. I only had a five-cent breakfast, and I feel kinder holler.'

 

'I feel hungry myself,' said Ben. 'If you'll go with me I'll buy you some dinner to pay you for your trouble.'

 

''Nough said!' remarked Tom briefly⁴, as he shouldered his box. 'I'm your man. Come along! Where shall we go first?'

 

'To an eating-house. We might have to wait at the office.'

 

Tom conducted Ben to a cheap restaurant, not far away, where the two for a moderate sum obtained a plentiful⁵ meal. Had either been fastidious, some exception might have been taken to the style in which the dishes were served, but neither was critical. A dapper young clerk, however, who sat opposite Tom, seemed quite disturbed by the presence of the bootblack. As his eye rested on Tom he sniffed⁶ contemptuously, and frowned. In truth, our friend Tom might be useful, but in his present apparel he was not fitted to grace a drawing-room. He had no coat, his vest was ragged⁷, and his shirt soiled with spots of blacking. There were spots also upon his freckled⁸ face, of which Tom was blissfully unconscious. It didn't trouble him any to have a dirty face. 'Dirt is only matter in the wrong place,' as a philosopher once remarked. Tom was a philosopher in his own way.

 

The young clerk pulled out a scented⁹ handkerchief, and applied¹⁰ it to his nose, looking at Tom meanwhile.

 

'What's the matter of yer?' inquired Tom, suspecting the cause of the dandy's discomfort¹¹. 'Be you sick?'

 

'It's enough to make one sick to sit at the table with you,' answered the clerk.

 

'Why?'

 

'You are absolutely filthy¹². Don't you know any better than to come in where there are gentlemen?'

 

'I don't see any except him,' said Tom, indicating Ben with his glance.

 

'This is really too much. Here, waiter!'

 

A waiter answered the summons.

 

'What is it, sir?'

 

'Just remove my plate to another table, will you?'

 

'Is anything the matter, sir?'

 

'I am not accustomed to associate with bootblacks,' said the clerk loftily.

 

'All right, sir.'

 

'I am really surprised that you admit any of that low class.'

 

'As long as they pay their bills we are willing to receive them.'

 

'I don't believe that boy has got enough to pay for his dinner.'

 

The waiter, at this suggestion, looked at Tom rather suspiciously. After removing the plate of the sensitive customer, he came back to the table where the two boys were seated.

 

'Have you given your order?' he asked.

 

'Yes.'

 

'If you haven't got money enough to pay your check you'll be bounced.'

 

'Don't you trouble yourself, old woolly head,' said Tom coolly. 'My friend pays the bills. He's a banker down in Wall Street, and he's rich enough to buy out your whole place.'

 

'The dinner will be paid for,' said Ben, smiling.

 

'All right, gentlemen,' said the waiter, more respectfully. 'We'll be glad to see you any time.'

 

'Tom,' said Ben, 'I'm afraid you don't always tell the truth.'

 

'Why not?'

 

'You told the waiter I was a Wall Street banker, and rich.'

 

'Oh, what's the odds¹³? You're rich enough to pay for the dinners, and that's all he wants.'

 

'You came near spoiling the appitite of that young man over at the opposite table.'

 

'I'd like to spoil his beauty. He feels too big. I don't like to see a feller put on so many airs. What's the matter of me, I'd like to know?'

 

'Why, you see, Tom, your face isn't very clean. There are spots of blacking on it.'

 

'A feller can't be always washin' his face. I'll wash it to-morrow mornin' at the lodge¹⁴. Does it take away your appetite, too?'

 

'Not a bit,' said Ben, laughing. 'Nothing but a good dinner will take away that.'

 

'You're the kind of feller I like,' said Tom emphatically. 'You don't put on no airs.'

 

'I can't afford to,' said Ben. 'I'm a poor boy myself.'

 

'I wouldn't feel poor if I had fifty dollars,' returned Tom.

 

'I hope you'll have it sometime, and a good deal more.'

 

'So do I. When I'm a rich man, I'll wash my face oftener.'

 

'And put blacking on your boots instead of your face,' added Ben.

 

'It might look better,' Tom admitted.

 

When dinner was over the two boys directed their steps to the California steamship¹⁵ office, on one of the North River piers¹⁶. 

1 retraced   

v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯

参考例句：

• We retraced our steps to where we started. 我们折回我们出发的地方。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We retraced our route in an attempt to get back on the right path. 我们折返，想回到正确的路上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 derisively   

adv. 嘲笑地，嘲弄地

参考例句：

• This answer came derisively from several places at the same instant. 好几个人都不约而同地以讥讽的口吻作出回答。
• The others laughed derisively. 其余的人不以为然地笑了起来。

3 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

4 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。

5 plentiful   

adj.富裕的，丰富的

参考例句：

• Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。
• Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。

6 sniffed   

v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说

参考例句：

• When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣，吸了吸鼻子，擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 ragged   

adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的

参考例句：

• A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
• Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。

8 freckled   

adj.雀斑；斑点；晒斑；（使）生雀斑v.雀斑，斑点( freckle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her face was freckled all over. 她的脸长满雀斑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Her freckled skin glowed with health again. 她长有雀斑的皮肤又泛出了健康的红光。 来自辞典例句

9 scented   

adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词)

参考例句：

• I let my lungs fill with the scented air. 我呼吸着芬芳的空气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The police dog scented about till he found the trail. 警犬嗅来嗅去，终于找到了踪迹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

11 discomfort   

n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便

参考例句：

• One has to bear a little discomfort while travelling.旅行中总要忍受一点不便。
• She turned red with discomfort when the teacher spoke.老师讲话时她不好意思地红着脸。

12 filthy   

adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的

参考例句：

• The whole river has been fouled up with filthy waste from factories.整条河都被工厂的污秽废物污染了。
• You really should throw out that filthy old sofa and get a new one.你真的应该扔掉那张肮脏的旧沙发，然后再去买张新的。

13 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

14 lodge   

v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆

参考例句：

• Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？
• I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。

15 steamship   

n.汽船，轮船

参考例句：

• The return may be made on the same steamship.可乘同一艘汽船当天回来。
• It was so foggy that the steamship almost ran down a small boat leaving the port.雾很大，汽艇差点把一只正在离港的小船撞沉。

16 piers   

n.水上平台( pier的名词复数 )；（常设有娱乐场所的）突堤；柱子；墙墩

参考例句：

• Most road bridges have piers rising out of the vally. 很多公路桥的桥墩是从河谷里建造起来的。 来自辞典例句
• At these piers coasters and landing-craft would be able to discharge at all states of tide. 沿岸航行的海船和登陆艇，不论潮汐如何涨落，都能在这种码头上卸载。 来自辞典例句