He was a raw-boned young fellow who wore an out-of-date derby, a cheap, made cravat3 which rode his collar, a cheap suit of loud-checked clothes that was entirely4 too tight for him, and the trousers of which, two inches too short, were rounded stiffly out below the knees, like stove-pipes, by top-boots which were wrinkled about the ankles. Moreover, the stranger spoke5 with a nasal drawl never heard off the stage.
Wallingford, with a wink6 from Phelps, was introduced [Pg 73]to Mr. Pickins as Mr. Mombley. Then, leaning down to Mr. Pickins with another prodigious7 wink at Wallingford, Phelps said in a stage-whisper to the top-booted one:
“Mr. Mombley is our engraver8. Used to work in the mint.”
“Well, I’ll swan!” drawled Mr. Pickins. “I’d reckoned to find such a fine gove’ment expert a older man.”
With a sigh Wallingford took up his expected part.
“I’m older than I look,” said he. “Making money keeps a man young.”
“I reckon,” agreed Mr. Pickins, and “haw-hawed” quite broadly. “And did you really make this greenback?” he asked, drawing from his vest pocket a crinkled new ten-dollar-bill which he spread upon the table and examined with very eager interest indeed.
“This is one of that last batch10, Joe,” Short-Card Larry negligently11 informed Wallingford, with a meaning wink. “I just gave it to him as a sample.”
“By jingo, it’s scrumptious work!” said Mr. Pickins admiringly.
“Yes, they’ll take that for a perfectly12 good bill [Pg 74]anywhere,” asserted Wallingford. “Just spend it and see,” and he pushed the button. “Bring us a bottle of the best champagne13 you have in the house,” he directed the waiter, and with satisfaction he noted14 the startled raising of heads all around the table, including the head of Mr. Pickins.
“I don’t like to brag15 on myself,” continued Wallingford, taking on fresh animation16 as he began to see humor in the situation, “but I think I’m the grandest little money-maker in the city, in my special line. I don’t go after small game very often. A ten is the smallest I handle. Peters,” he suddenly commanded Phelps, “show him one of those lovely twenties.”
“I don’t think I have one of the new ones,” said Phelps, moistening his lips, but nevertheless reaching for his wallet. “I think the only twenties I have are those that we put through the aging process.”
Wallingford calmly took the wallet from him and as calmly leafed over the bills it contained.
“No, none of these twenties is from the new batch,” he decided17, entering more and more into the spirit of the game, “but this half-century is one that we’re all proud of. Just examine that, Mr. Pickins,” and closing the wallet he handed it back to Phelps, [Pg 75]passing the fifty-dollar bill to the stranger. “Billy, give me one of those twenties. I’m bound to show Mr. Pickins one of our best output.”
Badger18 Billy, being notorious even among his fellows as a tight-wad, swallowed hard, but he produced a small roll of bills and extracted the newest twenty he could find. During this process it had twice crossed Billy’s mind to revolt; but, after all, Wallingford was evincing an interest in the game that might be worth while.
“That’s it,” approved Wallingford, running it through his fingers and passing it over to Pickins. He got up from his place and took the vacant chair by that gentleman. “I just want you to look at the nifty imitation of engine work in this scroll19 border,” he insisted with vast enthusiasm, while Mr. Pickins cast a despairing glance, half-puzzled and half-bored, at the others of the company, themselves awed9 into silence.
He was still explaining the excellent work in the more intricate portions of the two designs when the waiter appeared with the wine, and Wallingford only interrupted himself long enough nonchalantly to toss the ten-dollar bill on the tray after the glasses were filled. Then, with vast fervor20, he returned [Pg 76]to the counterfeiting21 business, with the specimens22 before him as an inspiring text.
The waiter brought back two dollars in silver.
“Just keep the change,” said Wallingford grandly, and then, as the waiter was about to withdraw, he quickly handed up the fifty and the twenty-dollar bills to him. “Just take this twenty, George,” said he to the waiter, “and run down to the cigar-store on the corner and buy some of those dollar cigars. You might as well get us about three apiece. Then take this fifty and get us a box for The Prince of Pikers to-night. Hustle23 right on, now,” and he gave the waiter a gentle but insistent24 shove on the arm that had all the effect of bustling25 him out of the room. “We’ll show Mr. Pickins a good time,” he exultantly26 declared. “We’ll show him how easy it is to live on soft money like this.”
“Just keep the change,” said Wallingford grandly “Just keep the change,” said Wallingford grandly
Wallingford had held the floor for fifteen solid minutes. Now he paused for some one else to offer a remark, his eager eye glowing with the sense of a duty not only well, but brilliantly, performed, as it roved from one to the other in search of approval. But feeble encouragement was in any other eye. Four men could have throttled27 him, singly and in company. Wallingford was too enthusiastic an [Pg 77]actor. He was taking the part entirely too well, and a vague doubt began to cross the minds of the other gentlemen in the party as to whether he would do or not. It was Short-Card Larry who first recovered his poise28 and broke the dismal29 silence.
“Show him one or two of those new hundreds, Mombley,” he invited Wallingford with almost a snarl30.
Wallingford merely smiled in a superior way.
“You know I never carry any but the genuine,” he said in mild reproach. “It wouldn’t do, you know. Anyhow, are we sure that Mr. Pickins wants to invest?”
Mr. Pickins drew a long breath and once more plunged31 into the character which he had almost doffed32.
“Invest? Well, I reckon!” he nasally drawled. “If I can get twenty thousand dollars as good money as that for five, I’d be a blame fool not to take it. And I got the five thousand, too.”
Things were coming back to a normal basis now, and the others cheered up.
“Look here,” Mr. Pickins went on, and, reaching down, he drew off with much tugging33 one of the high boots, in the top of which had reposed34 a package [Pg 78]of greenbacks: ten crisp, nice-looking five-hundred-dollar bills.
For just a moment Wallingford eyed that money speculatively35, then he picked up one of the bills and slid it through his fingers.
“It’s good money, I suppose,” he observed. “You can hardly tell the good from the bad these days, except by offering to spend it. We might break one of these—say for an automobile36 ride.”
“No, you don’t,” hurriedly interposed Mr. Pickins, losing his nasal drawl for the moment and reaching for the bill, which he put back in the package, snapping a weak rubber band around it. “I reckon I don’t let go of one of these bills till I see something in exchange. I—I ain’t no greenhorn!”
His nasal drawl had come back, and now seemed to be the cue for all the others to affect laughter.
“To be sure he’s not,” said Mr. Phelps, reaching over to slap him on the back in all the jovial37 heartiness38 with which a greenhorn is supposed to be encouraged. “You’re wise, all right, Pickins. We wouldn’t do business with you if you weren’t. You see, we’re putting ourselves in danger of the penitentiary39 and we have to be careful. More than that, wise people come back; and, with a dozen or so like [Pg 79]Mr. Pickins shoving the queer for us, we put out about all we can make. Nobody in the business, Mr. Pickins, gets as high a price for green-goods as we do, and nobody in the business keeps all their customers as we do. That’s because our output is so good.”
This, which was one of the rehearsed speeches, went off very well, and they began to feel comfortable again.
“That’s me, by Jinks!” announced Pickins, slapping his leg. “I’ll be one of your steady customers, all right. When’ll I get this first twenty thousand?”
“Right away,” said Mr. Phelps, rising. “Just wait a moment till I talk it over with the engraver and see if he has the supply ready.”
“The supply’s all right,” declared Wallingford. “These boys will ’tend to the business with you, Mr. Pickins. I’m very glad to have met you. I’ll probably see you to-night at the show. I have to go back and look after a little more engraving40 just now.” And, shaking hands cordially with Mr. Pickins, he rose to go.
“Wait a minute, Mombley,” said Phelps amidst a general scowl41, and he walked outside with Wallingford. “Fine work, old man,” he complimented, [Pg 80]keeping his suavity42 with no little effort. “We can go right in and pick our bunch of posies any minute.”
“Go right ahead!” said Wallingford heartily43. “I’m glad to have helped you out a little.”
Mr. Phelps looked at him in sour speculation44.
“Of course you’re in on it,” he observed with a great air of making a merely perfunctory remark.
“Me?” inquired Wallingford in surprise. “Not on your life. I only played engraver for accommodation. I thought I did a grand little piece of work, too.”
“But we can’t go through without you,” insisted Mr. Phelps desperately45, ignoring the other’s maddening complacency and sticking to the main point. “It takes twenty thousand and we only have five thousand apiece. We’re looking to you for the other five.”
Wallingford looked him squarely in the eyes, with an entire change of manner, and chuckled46.
“There are four reasons, Phelps, why I won’t,” he kindly47 explained. “The first is, I never do anything in partnership48; second, I never pike; third, I won’t take a fall out of any game that has the brown-and-white-striped clothes at the end of it; [Pg 81]fourth, Billy might not get the satchels49 switched right; extra, I won’t fool with any farmer that strikes a match on the sole of his boot!”
The fifth and extra reason was so unexpected and was laid before Mr. Phelps with such meaning emphasis that that gentleman could only drop his jaw50 and gape51 in reply. Wallingford laid both hands on his shoulders and chuckled in his face.
“You’re a fiercely unimaginative bunch,” he said. “Let’s don’t try to do any more business together. Just come up to my room to-night and have a friendly game of stud poker52.”
At last Green-Goods Harry53 found his tongue.
“You go to hell!” said he.
Back in their common sitting-room54, Wallingford found Daw studying some gaudy55 samples of stock certificates. “Blackie, did you tell this gang of yours that they didn’t drink enough to suit me?” Wallingford demanded.
Blackie grinned.
“They wanted to know why you wouldn’t warm up,” he admitted.
“I see the pretty, pretty lights at last,” Wallingford chuckled. “I was sure there was something doing when Curly Harry came up here claiming a [Pg 82]thirst, and went so far as to drink champagne on top of a highball.”
“He’s taking stomach and liver dope right now,” Blackie guessed. “You see, these Broadway boys are handicapped when they run across a man who still has a lining56. They lost theirs years ago.”
“They lost everything years ago. I’m disappointed in them, Blackie. I had supposed that these people of the metropolis57 had Herman the Great looking like a Bowery waiter when it came to smooth work; but they’ve got nothing but thumbs.”
“You do them deep wrong, J. Rufus Wallingford Wix,” admonished58 Blackie. “I’ve trailed with this crowd four or five years. They’re always to be found right here and they always have coin—whether they spend it or not.”
“They get it gold-bricking New Yorkers, then,” declared Wallingford contemptuously. “They couldn’t cold deck anybody on the rural free delivery routes. They wear the lemon sign on their faces, and when one of their kind comes west of the big hills we padlock all our money in our pockets and lock ourselves in jail till they get out of town.”
“What have they been doing to you?” asked Blackie. “You’ve got a regular Matteawan grouch59.”
[Pg 83]
“They had the nerve to try to ring me in for the fall guy on a green-goods play, baited up with a stage farmer from One Hundred and Sixtieth Street,” asserted Wallingford. “Don’t they ever spring a new one here?”
Mr. Blackie Daw only laughed.
“I’m afraid they don’t,” he confessed. “They take the old ones that have got the money for years, and work in new props60 and scenery on them, just like they do in the theaters; and that goes for Broadway.”
“It don’t go for me,” declared Wallingford. “If they come after mine again I’ll get real peevish61 and take their flash rolls away from them.”
“Go to it,” invited Blackie. “They need a trimming.”
“I think I’ll hand it to them,” said Wallingford savagely62, and started to walk out.
“Where are you going?” asked the other.
“I don’t know,” said Wallingford, “but I am going to scare up some excitement in the only way possible for a stranger, and that is go out and hunt for it by myself. No New Yorker knows where to go.”
In the bar Wallingford found a convivial63 gentleman [Pg 84]from Georgia, lonesome like himself, with whom he became firm friends in an hour, and it was after midnight when, their friendship still further fixed64 by plenty of liquid cement, he left the Georgian at one of the broad, bright entrances in charge of a door-man. It being but a few blocks to his own hotel, he walked, carrying with complacent65 satisfaction a burden of assorted66 beverages67 that would have staggered most men.
It was while he was pausing upon his own corner for a moment to consider the past evening in smiling retrospection, that a big-boned policeman tapped him on the shoulder. He was startled for a moment, but a hearty68 voice reassured69 him with:
“Why, hello, Wix, my boy! When did you come to town?”
A smile broke over Wallingford’s face as he shook hands with the bluecoat.
“Hello, Harvey,” he returned. “I never would have looked for you in this make-up. It’s a funny job for the ex-secretary of the Filmore Coal Company.”
“Forget it,” returned Harvey complacently70. “There’s three squares a day in this and pickings. Where are you stopping?”
[Pg 85]
Wallingford told him, and then looked at him speculatively.
“Come up and see me when you go off watch,” he invited. “But don’t ask for me under the name of Wix. It’s Wallingford now, J. Rufus Wallingford.”
“No!” said Harvey. “What did you do at home?”
“Not a thing,” protested Wallingford. “I can go right back to Filmore and play hop-scotch around the county jail if I want to. I just didn’t like the name, that’s all. But I want to talk with you, Harvey. I think I can throw about a hundred or so in your way.”
“Not me,” returned Harvey with a grin. “That’s the price of a murder in this town.”
“Come up, and I’ll coax71 you,” laughed Wallingford.
He walked away quite thoughtfully. Harvey Willis, who had left Filmore on account of his fine sense of honor—he had embezzled72 to pay a poker debt—seemed suddenly to fit an empty and an aching void.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
teller
|
|
| n.银行出纳员；(选举)计票员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
appreciably
|
|
| adv.相当大地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
cravat
|
|
| n.领巾，领结；v.使穿有领结的服装，使结领结 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
spoke
|
|
| 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： |
|
|
|
|
6
wink
|
|
| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
prodigious
|
|
| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
engraver
|
|
| n.雕刻师，雕工 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
awed
|
|
| adj.充满敬畏的，表示敬畏的v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
batch
|
|
| n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
negligently
|
|
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
champagne
|
|
| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
noted
|
|
| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
brag
|
|
| v./n.吹牛，自夸；adj.第一流的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
animation
|
|
| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
badger
|
|
| v.一再烦扰，一再要求，纠缠 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
scroll
|
|
| n.卷轴，纸卷；(石刻上的)漩涡 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
fervor
|
|
| n.热诚；热心；炽热 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
counterfeiting
|
|
| n.伪造v.仿制，造假( counterfeit的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
specimens
|
|
| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
hustle
|
|
| v.推搡；竭力兜售或获取；催促；n.奔忙(碌) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
insistent
|
|
| adj.迫切的，坚持的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
bustling
|
|
| adj.喧闹的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
exultantly
|
|
| adv.狂欢地，欢欣鼓舞地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
throttled
|
|
| v.扼杀( throttle的过去式和过去分词 )；勒死；使窒息；压制 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
poise
|
|
| vt./vi. 平衡，保持平衡；n.泰然自若，自信 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
dismal
|
|
| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
snarl
|
|
| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
plunged
|
|
| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
doffed
|
|
| v.脱去，（尤指）脱帽( doff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
tugging
|
|
| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
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： |
|
|
|
|
35
speculatively
|
|
| adv.思考地，思索地；投机地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
automobile
|
|
| n.汽车，机动车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
jovial
|
|
| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
heartiness
|
|
| 诚实，热心 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
penitentiary
|
|
| n.感化院；监狱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
engraving
|
|
| n.版画；雕刻（作品）；雕刻艺术；镌版术v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的现在分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
scowl
|
|
| vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
suavity
|
|
| n.温和；殷勤 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
heartily
|
|
| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
speculation
|
|
| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
desperately
|
|
| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
chuckled
|
|
| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
partnership
|
|
| n.合作关系，伙伴关系 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
satchels
|
|
| n.书包( satchel的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
jaw
|
|
| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
gape
|
|
| v.张口，打呵欠，目瞪口呆地凝视 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
poker
|
|
| n.扑克；vt.烙制 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
harry
|
|
| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
sitting-room
|
|
| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
gaudy
|
|
| adj.华而不实的；俗丽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
lining
|
|
| n.衬里，衬料 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
metropolis
|
|
| n.首府；大城市 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
admonished
|
|
| v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
grouch
|
|
| n.牢骚，不满；v.抱怨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
props
|
|
| 小道具； 支柱( prop的名词复数 )； 支持者； 道具； （橄榄球中的）支柱前锋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
peevish
|
|
| adj.易怒的，坏脾气的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
savagely
|
|
| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
convivial
|
|
| adj.狂欢的，欢乐的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
complacent
|
|
| adj.自满的；自鸣得意的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
assorted
|
|
| adj.各种各样的，各色俱备的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
beverages
|
|
| n.饮料( beverage的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
hearty
|
|
| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
reassured
|
|
| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
70
complacently
|
|
| adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
71
coax
|
|
| v.哄诱，劝诱，用诱哄得到，诱取 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
72
embezzled
|
|
| v.贪污，盗用（公款）( embezzle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |