Rufus and Rose
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CHAPTER XIII. MARTIN MAKES A BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT.

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 Martin was agreeably surprised at the attention paid him by his new friend. There are some who have no difficulty in making friends at first sight, but this had not often happened to him. In fact, there was very little that was attractive or prepossessing about him, and though he could not be expected to be fully1 aware of that, he had given up expecting much on the score of friendship. Yet here was a stranger, who, to Martin's undiscriminating eyes, appeared quite the gentleman, who had given him a cigar, paid his dinner-bill, and treated him with a degree of attention to which he was unaccustomed. Martin felt that he was in luck, and if there was anything to be made out of his new friend he was determined2 to make it.
 
They turned down a side street, perhaps because the stranger's course led that way, perhaps because he was not proud of his new acquaintance.
 
"So you've had poor luck," he remarked, by way of starting the conversation.
 
"Yes," grumbled3 Martin, "you may say that. Things have all been ag'inst me. It's a pretty hard rub for a poor man to get a livin' here."
 
"Just so," said the other. "What's your business?"
 
"I'm a carpenter."
 
"And you can't find work?"
 
"No," said Martin. "Besides," he added, after a pause, "my health aint very good. Hard work don't agree with me."
 
He might have said that hard drinking did not agree with him, and this would have been rather nearer the truth. But he was afraid his new friend would offer to find him employment as a carpenter, and for this he was not very anxious. There had been a time when he was content to work early and late, for good wages, but he had of late years led such a shiftless and vagabond life, that honest industry had no more attraction for him, and he preferred to get his living by hook or crook4, in fact in any way he could, rather than take the most direct path to a good living by working hard for it.
 
"What is your name?"
 
"James Martin. What's yours?"
 
"Mine," said the stranger, pausing, and fixing his eyes thoughtfully upon Martin; "well, you may call me Smith."

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1 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地
参考例句：
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
2 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的；有决心的
参考例句：
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
3 grumbled ed735a7f7af37489d7db1a9ef3b64f91     
抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声
参考例句：
  • He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
  • The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。
4 crook NnuyV     
v.使弯曲；n.小偷，骗子，贼；弯曲(处)
参考例句：
  • He demanded an apology from me for calling him a crook.我骂他骗子，他要我向他认错。
  • She was cradling a small parcel in the crook of her elbow.她用手臂挎着一个小包裹。
5 uncommon AlPwO     
adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的
参考例句：
  • Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
  • Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。
6 confidential MOKzA     
adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的
参考例句：
  • He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
  • We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。
7 downwards MsDxU     
adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地）
参考例句：
  • He lay face downwards on his bed.他脸向下伏在床上。
  • As the river flows downwards,it widens.这条河愈到下游愈宽。
8 ebb ebb     
vi.衰退，减退；n.处于低潮，处于衰退状态
参考例句：
  • The flood and ebb tides alternates with each other.涨潮和落潮交替更迭。
  • They swam till the tide began to ebb.他们一直游到开始退潮。
9 westward XIvyz     
n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西
参考例句：
  • We live on the westward slope of the hill.我们住在这座山的西山坡。
  • Explore westward or wherever.向西或到什么别的地方去勘探。
10 wholesale Ig9wL     
n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售
参考例句：
  • The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
  • Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。
11 considerably 0YWyQ     
adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上
参考例句：
  • The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
  • The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。
12 spoke XryyC     
n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说
参考例句：
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
13 hoarse 5dqzA     
adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的
参考例句：
  • He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题。
  • He was too excited and roared himself hoarse.他过于激动，嗓子都喊哑了。
14 standing 2hCzgo     
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。
15 brass DWbzI     
n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器
参考例句：
  • Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
  • Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
16 countenance iztxc     
n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同
参考例句：
  • At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
  • I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。
17 alacrity MfFyL     
n.敏捷，轻快，乐意
参考例句：
  • Although the man was very old,he still moved with alacrity.他虽然很老，动作仍很敏捷。
  • He accepted my invitation with alacrity.他欣然接受我的邀请。

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