章节正文
"Touch that knob!"
Jonas did so.
"Will that ring the bell?" he asked curiously.
"Yes, it is an electric bell."
"By gosh!" ejaculated Jonas.
"Don't use such language, Philip!" said Mrs.
Brent hastily. "Your father will be shocked. You
see, Mr. Granville, Philip has associated with country
boys, and in spite of my care, he has adopted
some of their language."
Mr. Granville himself was rather disturbed by
this countrified utterance, and it occurred to him
that his new-found son needed considerable polishing.
"Ah, I quite understand that, Mrs. Brent," he
said courteously. "He is young yet, and there will
be plenty of time for him to get rid of any objectionable
habits and phrases."
Here the servant appeared.
"Tell the clerk to assign this lady and the boy
rooms on this floor if any are vacant. Mrs. Brent,
Philip may have a room next to you for the present.
When I am better I will have him with me. John,
is dinner on the table?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then, after taking possession of your rooms, you
and Philip had better go to dinner. I will send for
him later."
"Thank you, sir."
As Mrs. Brent was ushered into her handsome
apartment her face was radiant with joy and exultation.
"All has gone well!" she said. "The most
difficult part is over."
CHAPTER XIX.
A NARROW ESCAPE FROM DETECTION.
The conspiracy into which Mrs. Brent
had entered was a daring one, and required
great coolness and audacity. But the inducements
were great, and for her son's sake she decided to
carry it through. Of course it was necessary that
she should not be identified with any one who could
disclose to Mr. Granville the deceit that was being
practiced upon him. Circumstances lessened the
risk of detection, since Mr. Granville was confined
to his room in the hotel, and for a week she and
Jonas went about the city alone.
One day she had a scare.
She was occupying a seat in a Chestnut Street car,
while Jonas stood in front with the driver, when a
gentleman whom she had not observed, sitting at
the other end of the car, espied her.
"Why, Mrs. Brent, how came you here?" he asked,
in surprise, crossing over and taking a seat beside
her.
Her color went and came as, in a subdued tone, she
answered.
"I am in Philadelphia on a little visit, Mr. Pearson."
"Are you not rather out of your latitude?" asked
the gentleman.
"Yes, perhaps so."
"How is Mr. Brent?"
"Did you not hear that he was dead?"
"No, indeed! I sympathize with you in your sad
loss."
"Yes," sighed the widow. "It is a great loss to
us."
"I suppose Jonas is a large boy now," said the
other. "I haven't seen him for two or three years."
"Yes, he has grown," said the widow briefly. She
hoped that Mr. Pearson would not discover that
Jonas was with her, as she feared that the boy might
betray them unconsciously.
"Is he with you?"
"Yes."
"Do you stay long in Philadelphia?"
"No, I think not," answered Mrs. Brent.
"I go back to New York this afternoon, or I
would ask permission to call on you."
Mrs. Brent breathed more freely. A call at the
hotel was by all means to be avoided.
"Of course I should have been glad to see you,
she answered, feeling quite safe in saying so. "Are
you going far?"
"I get out at Thirteenth Street."
"Thank Heaven!" said Mrs. Brent to herself.
"Then he won't discover where we are."
The Continental Hotel is situated at the corner of
Chestnut and Ninth Streets, and Mrs. Brent feared
that Jonas would stop the car at that point. As it
was, the boy did not observe that his mother had
met an acquaintance, so intent was he on watching
the street sights.
When they reached Ninth Street mother and son
got out and entered the hotel.
"I guess I'll stay down stairs awhile," said Jonas.
"No, Philip, I have something to say to you.
Come up with me."
"I want to go into the billiard-room," said Jonas,
grumbling.
"It is very important," said Mrs. Brent emphatically.
Now the curiosity of Jonas was excited, and he
followed his mother into the elevator, for their
rooms were on the third floor.
"Well, mother, what is it?" asked Jonas, when
the door of his mother's room was closed behind
them.
"I met a gentleman who knew me in the horse-
car," said Mrs. Brent abruptly.
"Did you? Who was it?"
"Mr. Pearson."
"He used to give me candy. Why didn't you call
me?"
"It is important that we should not be
recognized," said his mother. "While we stay here we
must be exceedinglyprudent. Suppose he had
called upon us at the hotel and fallen in with Mr.
Granville. He might have told him that you are
my son, and that your name is Jonas, not Philip."
"Then the fat would be in the fire!" said
Jonas.
"Exactly so; I am glad you see the danger. Now
I want you to stay here, or in your own room, for
the next two or three hours."
"It'll be awfully tiresome," grumbled Jonas.
"It is necessary," said his mother firmly. "Mr.
Pearson leaves for New York by an afternoon train.
It is now only two o'clock. He left the car at
Thirteenth Street, and might easily call at this hotel. It
is a general rendezvous for visitors to the city. If
he should meet you down stairs, he would probably
know you, and his curiosity would be aroused. He
asked me where I was staying, but I didn't appear
to hear the question."
"That's pretty hard on me, ma."
"I am out of all patience with you," said Mrs.
Brent. "Am I not working for your interest, and
you are doing all you can to thwart my plans. If
you don't care anything about inheriting a large fortune,
let it go! We can go back to Gresham and
give it all up."
"I'll do as you say, ma," said Jonas, subdued.
The very next day Mr. Granville sent for Mrs.
Brent. She lost no time in waiting upon him.
"Mrs. Brent," he said, "I have decided to leave
Philadelphia to-morrow."
"Are you quite able, sir?" she asked, with a good
assumption of sympathy.
"My doctor tells me I may venture. We shall
travel in Pullman cars, you know. I shall secure a
whole compartment, and avail myself of every comfort
and luxury which money can command."
"Ah, sir! money is a good friend in such a case."
"True, Mrs. Brent. I have seen the time when I
was poorly supplied with it. Now I am happily at
ease. Can you and Philip be ready?"
"Yes, Mr. Granville," answered Mrs. Brent
promptly. "We are ready to-day, for that matter.
We shall both be glad to get started."
"I am glad to hear it. I think Philip will like his
Western home. I bought a fine country estate of a
Chicago merchant, whose failure compelled him to
part with it. Philip shall have his own horse and
his own servants."
"He will be delighted," said Mrs. Brent warmly.
"He has been used to none of these things, for Mr.
Brent and I, much as we loved him, had not the
means to provide him with such luxuries."
"Yes, Mrs. Brent, I understand that fully. You
were far from rich. Yet you cared for my boy as if
he were your own."
"I loved him as much as if he had been my own
son, Mr. Granville."
"I am sure you did. I thank Providence that I
am able to repay to some extent the great debt I
have incurred. I cannot repay it wholly, but I will
take care that you, too, shall enjoy ease and luxury.
You shall have one of the best rooms in my house,
and a special servant to wait upon you."
"Thank you, Mr. Granville," said Mrs. Brent, her
heart filled with proud anticipations of the state in
which she should hereafter live. "I do not care
where you put me, so long as you do not separate
me from Philip."
"She certainly loves my son!" said Mr. Granville
to himself. "Yet her ordinary manner is cold and
constrained, and she does not seem like a woman
whose affections would easily be taken captive. Yet
Philip seems to have found the way to her heart.
It must be because she has had so much care of him.
We are apt to love those whom we benefit."
But though Mr. Granville credited Mrs. Brent
with an affection for Philip, he was uneasily conscious
that the boy's return had not brought him
the satisfaction and happiness he had fondly anticipated.
To begin with, Philip did not look at all as he had
supposed his son would look. He did not look like
the Granvilles at all. Indeed, he had an unusually
countrified aspect, and his conversation was mingled
with rustic phrases which shocked his father's taste.
"I suppose it comes of the way in which he has
been brought up and the country boys he has associated
with," thought Mr. Granville. "Fortunately
Jonas did so.
"Will that ring the bell?" he asked curiously.
"Yes, it is an electric bell."
"By gosh!" ejaculated Jonas.
"Don't use such language, Philip!" said Mrs.
Brent hastily. "Your father will be shocked. You
see, Mr. Granville, Philip has associated with country
boys, and in spite of my care, he has adopted
some of their language."
Mr. Granville himself was rather disturbed by
this countrified utterance, and it occurred to him
that his new-found son needed considerable polishing.
"Ah, I quite understand that, Mrs. Brent," he
said courteously. "He is young yet, and there will
be plenty of time for him to get rid of any objectionable
habits and phrases."
Here the servant appeared.
"Tell the clerk to assign this lady and the boy
rooms on this floor if any are vacant. Mrs. Brent,
Philip may have a room next to you for the present.
When I am better I will have him with me. John,
is dinner on the table?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then, after taking possession of your rooms, you
and Philip had better go to dinner. I will send for
him later."
"Thank you, sir."
As Mrs. Brent was ushered into her handsome
apartment her face was radiant with joy and exultation.
"All has gone well!" she said. "The most
difficult part is over."
CHAPTER XIX.
A NARROW ESCAPE FROM DETECTION.
The conspiracy into which Mrs. Brent
had entered was a daring one, and required
great coolness and audacity. But the inducements
were great, and for her son's sake she decided to
carry it through. Of course it was necessary that
she should not be identified with any one who could
disclose to Mr. Granville the deceit that was being
practiced upon him. Circumstances lessened the
risk of detection, since Mr. Granville was confined
to his room in the hotel, and for a week she and
Jonas went about the city alone.
One day she had a scare.
She was occupying a seat in a Chestnut Street car,
while Jonas stood in front with the driver, when a
gentleman whom she had not observed, sitting at
the other end of the car, espied her.
"Why, Mrs. Brent, how came you here?" he asked,
in surprise, crossing over and taking a seat beside
her.
Her color went and came as, in a subdued tone, she
answered.
"I am in Philadelphia on a little visit, Mr. Pearson."
"Are you not rather out of your latitude?" asked
the gentleman.
"Yes, perhaps so."
"How is Mr. Brent?"
"Did you not hear that he was dead?"
"No, indeed! I sympathize with you in your sad
loss."
"Yes," sighed the widow. "It is a great loss to
us."
"I suppose Jonas is a large boy now," said the
other. "I haven't seen him for two or three years."
"Yes, he has grown," said the widow briefly. She
hoped that Mr. Pearson would not discover that
Jonas was with her, as she feared that the boy might
betray them unconsciously.
"Is he with you?"
"Yes."
"Do you stay long in Philadelphia?"
"No, I think not," answered Mrs. Brent.
"I go back to New York this afternoon, or I
would ask permission to call on you."
Mrs. Brent breathed more freely. A call at the
hotel was by all means to be avoided.
"Of course I should have been glad to see you,
she answered, feeling quite safe in saying so. "Are
you going far?"
"I get out at Thirteenth Street."
"Thank Heaven!" said Mrs. Brent to herself.
"Then he won't discover where we are."
The Continental Hotel is situated at the corner of
Chestnut and Ninth Streets, and Mrs. Brent feared
that Jonas would stop the car at that point. As it
was, the boy did not observe that his mother had
met an acquaintance, so intent was he on watching
the street sights.
When they reached Ninth Street mother and son
got out and entered the hotel.
"I guess I'll stay down stairs awhile," said Jonas.
"No, Philip, I have something to say to you.
Come up with me."
"I want to go into the billiard-room," said Jonas,
grumbling.
"It is very important," said Mrs. Brent emphatically.
Now the curiosity of Jonas was excited, and he
followed his mother into the elevator, for their
rooms were on the third floor.
"Well, mother, what is it?" asked Jonas, when
the door of his mother's room was closed behind
them.
"I met a gentleman who knew me in the horse-
car," said Mrs. Brent abruptly.
"Did you? Who was it?"
"Mr. Pearson."
"He used to give me candy. Why didn't you call
me?"
"It is important that we should not be
recognized," said his mother. "While we stay here we
must be exceedinglyprudent. Suppose he had
called upon us at the hotel and fallen in with Mr.
Granville. He might have told him that you are
my son, and that your name is Jonas, not Philip."
"Then the fat would be in the fire!" said
Jonas.
"Exactly so; I am glad you see the danger. Now
I want you to stay here, or in your own room, for
the next two or three hours."
"It'll be awfully tiresome," grumbled Jonas.
"It is necessary," said his mother firmly. "Mr.
Pearson leaves for New York by an afternoon train.
It is now only two o'clock. He left the car at
Thirteenth Street, and might easily call at this hotel. It
is a general rendezvous for visitors to the city. If
he should meet you down stairs, he would probably
know you, and his curiosity would be aroused. He
asked me where I was staying, but I didn't appear
to hear the question."
"That's pretty hard on me, ma."
"I am out of all patience with you," said Mrs.
Brent. "Am I not working for your interest, and
you are doing all you can to thwart my plans. If
you don't care anything about inheriting a large fortune,
let it go! We can go back to Gresham and
give it all up."
"I'll do as you say, ma," said Jonas, subdued.
The very next day Mr. Granville sent for Mrs.
Brent. She lost no time in waiting upon him.
"Mrs. Brent," he said, "I have decided to leave
Philadelphia to-morrow."
"Are you quite able, sir?" she asked, with a good
assumption of sympathy.
"My doctor tells me I may venture. We shall
travel in Pullman cars, you know. I shall secure a
whole compartment, and avail myself of every comfort
and luxury which money can command."
"Ah, sir! money is a good friend in such a case."
"True, Mrs. Brent. I have seen the time when I
was poorly supplied with it. Now I am happily at
ease. Can you and Philip be ready?"
"Yes, Mr. Granville," answered Mrs. Brent
promptly. "We are ready to-day, for that matter.
We shall both be glad to get started."
"I am glad to hear it. I think Philip will like his
Western home. I bought a fine country estate of a
Chicago merchant, whose failure compelled him to
part with it. Philip shall have his own horse and
his own servants."
"He will be delighted," said Mrs. Brent warmly.
"He has been used to none of these things, for Mr.
Brent and I, much as we loved him, had not the
means to provide him with such luxuries."
"Yes, Mrs. Brent, I understand that fully. You
were far from rich. Yet you cared for my boy as if
he were your own."
"I loved him as much as if he had been my own
son, Mr. Granville."
"I am sure you did. I thank Providence that I
am able to repay to some extent the great debt I
have incurred. I cannot repay it wholly, but I will
take care that you, too, shall enjoy ease and luxury.
You shall have one of the best rooms in my house,
and a special servant to wait upon you."
"Thank you, Mr. Granville," said Mrs. Brent, her
heart filled with proud anticipations of the state in
which she should hereafter live. "I do not care
where you put me, so long as you do not separate
me from Philip."
"She certainly loves my son!" said Mr. Granville
to himself. "Yet her ordinary manner is cold and
constrained, and she does not seem like a woman
whose affections would easily be taken captive. Yet
Philip seems to have found the way to her heart.
It must be because she has had so much care of him.
We are apt to love those whom we benefit."
But though Mr. Granville credited Mrs. Brent
with an affection for Philip, he was uneasily conscious
that the boy's return had not brought him
the satisfaction and happiness he had fondly anticipated.
To begin with, Philip did not look at all as he had
supposed his son would look. He did not look like
the Granvilles at all. Indeed, he had an unusually
countrified aspect, and his conversation was mingled
with rustic phrases which shocked his father's taste.
"I suppose it comes of the way in which he has
been brought up and the country boys he has associated
with," thought Mr. Granville. "Fortunately
- hastily [´heistili]
ad.急速地；草率地 (初中英语单词) - considerable [kən´sidərəbəl] a.重要的；值得重视 (初中英语单词)
- assign [ə´sain] vt.分配；指派；指定 (初中英语单词)
- vacant [´veikənt] a.空虚的，无表情的 (初中英语单词)
- briefly [´bri:fli] ad.简短地；简略地 (初中英语单词)
- permission [pə´miʃən] n.允许；同意；许可 (初中英语单词)
- freely [´fri:li] ad.自由地；慷慨地 (初中英语单词)
- situated [´sitʃueitid] a.位于；处于....境地 (初中英语单词)
- acquaintance [ə´kweintəns] n.相识；熟人，相识的人 (初中英语单词)
- intent [in´tent] a.专心致志的 n.意图 (初中英语单词)
- curiosity [,kjuəri´ɔsiti] n.好奇；奇事；珍品 (初中英语单词)
- firmly [´fə:mli] ad.坚固地，稳定地 (初中英语单词)
- patience [´peiʃəns] n.忍耐(力)；耐心；坚韧 (初中英语单词)
- working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)
- waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)
- venture [´ventʃə] n.投机 v.冒险；敢于 (初中英语单词)
- luxury [´lʌkʃəri] n.奢侈(品)；享受 (初中英语单词)
- estate [i´steit] n.财产；庄园；等级 (初中英语单词)
- failure [´feiljə] n.失败；衰竭；破产 (初中英语单词)
- extent [ik´stent] n.长度；程度；范围 (初中英语单词)
- wholly [´həul-li] ad.完全，十足；统统 (初中英语单词)
- captive [´kæptiv] n.俘虏；捕获物 (初中英语单词)
- affection [ə´fekʃən] n.友爱；慈爱 (初中英语单词)
- satisfaction [,sætis´fækʃən] n.满意；满足 (初中英语单词)
- aspect [´æspekt] n.面貌；神色；方向 (初中英语单词)
- radiant [´reidiənt] a.发光的 n.光源(体) (高中英语单词)
- conspiracy [kən´spirəsi] n.密谋；协同作用 (高中英语单词)
- decided [di´saidid] a.明显的；决定的 (高中英语单词)
- chestnut [´tʃesnʌt] n.栗子；栗树；栗色(马) (高中英语单词)
- saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
- continental [,kɔnti´nentl] a.大陆的，大陆性的 (高中英语单词)
- elevator [´eliveitə] n.电梯；升降机 (高中英语单词)
- exceedingly [ik´si:diŋli] ad.非常地，极度地 (高中英语单词)
- prudent [´pru:dənt] a.谨慎的；精明的 (高中英语单词)
- awfully [´ɔ:fuli] ad.令人畏惧地 (高中英语单词)
- hereafter [hiər´ɑ:ftə] ad.&n.将来；来世 (高中英语单词)
- rustic [´rʌstik] a.田野的；质朴的 (高中英语单词)
- utterance [´ʌtərəns] n.发音；言辞；所说的话 (英语四级单词)
- daring [´deəriŋ] a.&n.勇敢(的) (英语四级单词)
- audacity [ɔ:´dæsiti] n.大胆；卤莽；无礼 (英语四级单词)
- deceit [di´si:t] n.欺骗 (英语四级单词)
- thwart [θwɔ:t] vt.阻挠 a.横(断的) (英语四级单词)
- compartment [kəm´pɑ:tmənt] n.间隔；隔室 (英语四级单词)
- poorly [´puəli] a.不舒服的 ad.贫穷地 (英语四级单词)
- providence [´prɔvidəns] n.天意，天命，上帝 (英语四级单词)
- fondly [´fɔndli] ad.喜爱地；愚蠢地 (英语四级单词)
- courteously [´kə:tjəsli] ad.有礼貌地；殷勤地 (英语六级单词)
- taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)
- coolness [´ku:lnis] n.凉，凉爽；冷静 (英语六级单词)
- uneasily [ʌn´i:zili] ad.不安地；局促地 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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