“Who is this large, pink Wallingford person, and where did you get it?” asked Mr. Phelps, whose more familiar name was Green-Goods Harry2.
Mr. Daw, standing3 for the moment with Mr. Phelps at the famous old cheese-and-crackers end of the Fifth Avenue bar, grinned.
“He’s an educated Hick,” he responded, “and I got him out of the heart of the hay-fever district, right after he’d turned a classy little trick on the easy producers of his childhood home. Sold ’em a bankrupt bucket-shop for eight thousand, which is going some!”
[Pg 62]
Mr. Phelps, natty4 and jaunty5 and curly-haired, though shifty of eye, through long habit of trying to watch front and back doors both at once, looked with a shade more interest across at the imposing6 white vest of young J. Rufus where he stood at the bar with fat and somber7 Badger8 Billy. There was a cocksure touch to the joviality9 of young Wallingford which was particularly aggravating11 to an expert like Mr. Phelps. Young Wallingford was so big, so impressive, so sure of pleasing, so certain the world was his oyster12, that it seemed a shame not to give his pride a tumble—for his own sake, of course.
“Has he got the eight thousand on him, do you think?” asked the green-goods one, his interest rapidly increasing.
“Not so you could notice it,” replied Daw with conviction. “He’s a wise prop13, I tell you. He’s probably lugging14 about five hundred in his kick, just for running expenses, and has a time-lock on the rest.”
“We might tinker with the lock,” concluded Harry, running his fingers through his hair to settle the curls; “it’s worth a try, anyhow.”
“You’ll bounce right off,” declared Mr. Daw. “I tried to put a sweet one over in his home town, and [Pg 63]he jolted15 the game so quick he made its teeth rattle16.”
“Then you owe him one,” persisted Mr. Phelps, whom it pained to see other people have money. “Do you mean to say that any pumpkin17 husker can’t be trimmed?”
“Enjoy yourself,” invited Mr. Daw with a retrospective smile, “but count me out. I’m going to Boston next week, anyhow. I’m going to open a mine investment office there. It’s a nice easy money mining district.”
“For pocket mining,” agreed his friend dryly.
Young Wallingford, in his desire for everybody to be happy, looked around for them at this juncture19, and further conversation was out of the question. The quartet lounged out of the Fifth Avenue bar and across Broadway in that dull way peculiar20 to their kind. At the Hoffman House bar they were joined by a cadaverous gentleman known to the police as Short-Card Larry, whose face was as that of a corpse21, but whose lithe22, slender fingers were reputed to have brains of their own, and the five of them sat down for a dull half-hour. Later they had dull dinner together, strolled dully into four theaters, and, still dull, wound up in the apartments of Daw and J. Rufus.
[Pg 64]
“What do you think of them?” asked Blackie in their first aside moment.
“They give me the pip,” announced J. Rufus frankly23. “Why do they hate themselves so? Why do they sit in the darkest corners and bark at themselves? Can’t they ever drink enough to get oiled happy?”
“Not and do business with strangers on Broadway,” Daw explained. “Phelps has been shy about thin glassware for five years, ever since he let an Indiana come-on outdrink him and steal his own money back; Billy Banting stops after the third glass of anything, on account of his fat; the only time Larry Teller24 ever got pinched was for getting spifflicated and telling a reporter what police protection cost him.”
“If I wasn’t waiting to see one of them bite himself and die of poison I’d cut ’em out,” returned Mr. Wallingford in the utmost disgust. “Any one of them would slung-shot the others for the price of a cigarette. Don’t they ever get interested in anything?”
“Nothing but easy marks,” replied Mr. Daw with a grin. “The way they’re treating you is a compliment. They’re letting you just be one of them.”
[Pg 65]
“One of them! Take it back, Blackie!” protested Wallingford. “Why, they’re a bunch of crooks25!”
In deep dejection young Wallingford, rejoining his guests, ordered three lemonades and a quart of champagne26. There was a trifle more of animation27 among them now, however, since they had been left alone for a few moments. They told three or four very hilarious28 stories, in each of which the nub of the joke hinged on an utter disregard of every human decency29. Then, quite casually30 and after a lull31, Badger Billy smoothed down his smart vest and cleared his throat.
“What do you fellows say to a little game of stud?” he proposed.
“Sure!” agreed Wallingford with alacrity32. “That’s the first live noise I’ve heard to-day,” and he went to the ’phone at once to order up some cards and chips.
With his back turned, the three lemonade drinkers exchanged pleased smiles. It was too easy! Mr. Daw let them smile, and reposed33 calmly upon the couch, entirely34 disinterested35. Professional ethics36 forbade Mr. Daw to interfere37 with the “trimming” of the jovial10 Mr. Wallingford, and the instincts of a gentleman, with which, of course, they were all perfectly38 [Pg 66]provided, prevented him from taking any part in that agreeable operation. To his keen amusement the game was very brief—scarcely more than twenty minutes.
It was Short-Card Larry who, with a yawn, discovered suddenly how late it was and stopped the game. As he rose to go, young Wallingford, chuckling39, was adding a few additional bills to the plethoric40 roll in his pocket.
“What made you chop the game, Larry?” asked Green-Goods Harry in impatient wonder. “We’d ought to strung it along a while. What made you let him have that hundred and fifty so quick?”
“Let him!” retorted Larry savagely41. “He took it! Twice I gave him aces42 back to back on my deal, and he turned them down without a bet. On his own deal he bet his head off on a pair of deuces, with not one of us three able to draw out on him; and right there he cops that hundred and fifty himself. He’s too fresh!”
“Well,” said Badger Billy philosophically43, “he’ll come for more.”
“Not of mine, he won’t,” snorted the dexterous44 one. “I can’t do any business against a man that’s next. I hope he chokes.”
[Pg 67]
“There you go again, letting your temper get the best of you,” protested Mr. Phelps, himself none too pleased. “This fresh lollop has coin, and it ought to be ours.”
“Ought to be? It is ours,” growled45 Larry. “We’ll get it if we have to mace46 him, at noon, on Madison Square.”
In the meantime J. Rufus was chuckling himself to sleep. He rose at eleven, breakfasted at one, and was dressing47 and planning to besiege48 New York upon his own account, when the telephone advised him that Mr. Phelps was down-stairs with a parched49 throat, and on the way up to get a drink!
“Fine business!” exclaimed J. Rufus with a cordiality which had nothing whatever to do with the puzzled expression on his brow. “What’ll you have? I’ll order it while you’re on your way up.”
“Nothing stronger than a Scotch50 highball,” was the reply, whereupon young Wallingford, as soon as the telephone was clear, ordered the materials therefor.
“Fine business,” he repeated to himself musingly51 as he stood with his hand still on the receiver after he had hung it up; “also rough work. This thirst is too sudden.”
[Pg 68]
He was still most thoughtful when Mr. Phelps knocked at the door, and had yet more food for contemplation when the caller began talking with great enthusiasm about his thirst, explaining the height and breadth and thickness thereof, its atomic weight, its color and the excellent style of its finish.
“If I just had that thirst outside of me where I could get at it, I could make an airship of it,” he imaginatively concluded.
“Gas or hot air?” inquired young Mr. Wallingford, entirely unmoved, as he poured the highballs and dosed both quite liberally with the Scotch, whereat Mr. Phelps almost visibly winced52, though gamely planning to drink with every appearance of enjoyment53.
“Where’s Daw?” he asked, after two sips54 which he tried to make seem like gulps55.
“Gone out to a print-shop to locate a couple of gold mines,” announced Wallingford dryly, holding his own opinion as to the folly56 of Mr. Daw’s methods. They were so unsanctioned of law.
“Sorry for that,” said Mr. Phelps, who was nevertheless relieved to hear it, for Mr. Daw was rather in the way. “We’ve got a great game on; a Reuben right from Reubensville, with five thousand of pa’s [Pg 69]money in his jeans. I wanted you fellows to come and look him over.”
“What’s the use?” returned Wallingford. “Come down to the lobby and I’ll show you a whole procession of them.”
“No, but they’re not so liberal as this boy,” protested Phelps laughing. “He just naturally hones and hones and hones to hand us this nice little bundle of kale, and we’re going to accommodate him. You can get in on the split-up if you want to. Daw would have first choice, of course, if he was here, but since he isn’t you might as well come in. Five thousand iron men are hardly worth bending to pick up, I guess.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” objected Wallingford condescendingly. “It would make cigarette money, anyhow, if there are not too many to tear it apart.”
“It takes just four,” Phelps informed him: “look-out, spieler, panel-man and engraver57.”
Wallingford shook his head, refusing even to speculate on the duties of the four named actors in the playlet.
“Four makes it hardly union wages,” he objected.
Green-Goods Harry cast at him a look of quick dislike.
[Pg 70]
“I know, but wait till you see the sample,” he insisted. “The fun’s worth more than the meat. He’s the rawest you ever saw; wants green goods, you know; thinks there really is green-goods, and stands ready to exchange his five thousand of the genuine rhino58 for twenty of the phoney stuff. Of course you know how this little joke is rimmed18 up. We count out the twenty thousand in real money and wrap it up in bales before both of his eyes, then put it in a little satchel59 of which we make Mr. Alfred Alfalfa a present. While we’re giving him the solemn talk about the po-lice Badger Billy switches in another satchel with the same kind of looking bales in it, but made out of tissue-paper with twenties top and bottom; then we all move, and Henry Whiskers don’t dare make a holler because he’s in on a crooked60 play himself; see?”
“I see,” assented61 Wallingford still dryly. “I’ve been reading the papers ever since I was a kid. What puzzles me is how you can find anybody left in the world who isn’t hep.”
“There’s a new sucker born every minute,” returned Mr. Phelps airily, whereat Wallingford, detecting that Mr. Phelps held his intelligence and [Pg 71]education so cheaply as to offer this sage62 remark as original, inwardly fumed63.
“Come on and look him over, anyhow,” insisted Phelps, rising.
Wallingford arose reluctantly.
“What’s the matter with your highball?” he demanded.
“It’s great Scotch!” said Mr. Phelps enthusiastically, and drank about a tablespoonful with great avidity. “Come on; the boys are waiting,” and he surged toward the door.
Wallingford finished his own glass contemplatively and followed with a trace of annoyance64.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
scant
|
|
| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
harry
|
|
| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
natty
|
|
| adj.整洁的，漂亮的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
jaunty
|
|
| adj．愉快的，满足的；adv.心满意足地，洋洋得意地；n.心满意足；洋洋得意 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
imposing
|
|
| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
somber
|
|
| adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
badger
|
|
| v.一再烦扰，一再要求，纠缠 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
joviality
|
|
| n.快活 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
jovial
|
|
| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
aggravating
|
|
| adj.恼人的，讨厌的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
oyster
|
|
| n.牡蛎；沉默寡言的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
prop
|
|
| vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
lugging
|
|
| 超载运转能力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
jolted
|
|
| （使）摇动， （使）震惊( jolt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
rattle
|
|
| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
pumpkin
|
|
| n.南瓜 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
rimmed
|
|
| adj.有边缘的，有框的v.沿…边缘滚动；给…镶边 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
juncture
|
|
| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
corpse
|
|
| n.尸体，死尸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
lithe
|
|
| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
frankly
|
|
| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
teller
|
|
| n.银行出纳员；(选举)计票员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
crooks
|
|
| n.骗子( crook的名词复数 )；罪犯；弯曲部分；（牧羊人或主教用的）弯拐杖v.弯成钩形( crook的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
champagne
|
|
| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
animation
|
|
| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
hilarious
|
|
| adj.充满笑声的，欢闹的；[反]depressed | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
decency
|
|
| n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
casually
|
|
| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
lull
|
|
| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
alacrity
|
|
| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
reposed
|
|
| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
disinterested
|
|
| adj.不关心的，不感兴趣的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
ethics
|
|
| n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
interfere
|
|
| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
chuckling
|
|
| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
plethoric
|
|
| adj.过多的，多血症的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
41
savagely
|
|
| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
aces
|
|
| abbr.adjustable convertible-rate equity security (units) 可调节的股本证券兑换率；aircraft ejection seat 飞机弹射座椅；automatic control evaluation simulator 自动控制评估模拟器n.擅长…的人( ace的名词复数 )；精于…的人；（ 网球 ）（对手接不到发球的）发球得分；爱司球 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
philosophically
|
|
| adv.哲学上；富有哲理性地；贤明地；冷静地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
dexterous
|
|
| adj.灵敏的；灵巧的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
growled
|
|
| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
mace
|
|
| n.狼牙棒，豆蔻干皮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
dressing
|
|
| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
besiege
|
|
| vt.包围，围攻，拥在...周围 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
parched
|
|
| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
scotch
|
|
| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
musingly
|
|
| adv.沉思地，冥想地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
52
winced
|
|
| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
enjoyment
|
|
| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
sips
|
|
| n.小口喝，一小口的量( sip的名词复数 )v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
gulps
|
|
| n.一大口（尤指液体）( gulp的名词复数 )v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的第三人称单数 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
folly
|
|
| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
engraver
|
|
| n.雕刻师，雕工 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
rhino
|
|
| n.犀牛，钱, 现金 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
satchel
|
|
| n.(皮或帆布的)书包 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
crooked
|
|
| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
assented
|
|
| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
sage
|
|
| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
fumed
|
|
| 愤怒( fume的过去式和过去分词 )； 大怒； 发怒； 冒烟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
annoyance
|
|
| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |