CHAPTER VI—THE TRAIN FOR THE NORTH

ONE by one the boys engaged in the masquerade at the Judge’s the night of his death slipped out of Independence from various nearby stations and left for the West. An hour before the time for Billy’s train going North John went to his room for a chat before saying good-bye. Billy had begun to unpack¹ his trunk.

John seized his arm.

“What’s this—what’s the matter?”

“I’m not going!” he snapped.

“Why not?”

“I’ve found out that you may be put on trial for your life.”

“Well, what’s that got to do with your education?”

“You’re just packing me off to get me out of danger.”

“Suppose I am?”

“I’m not going to sneak² out of trouble and leave you to stand for what I’ve done.”

“I’m responsible, my boy.”

“You’re not. You tried to keep me out of it. I got Steve Hoyle to take me in. I knew what I was doing. I was a headstrong fool.”

“Because you’ve been a fool is no reason why you should keep it up. Don’t talk any more nonsense. Hurry—put your clothes back in that trunk—you must catch this train.”

“No!” was the dogged answer.

John put his hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“You must do it for me, Billy. I’m trying to make good my failure. I ought to have been both father and mother to you. I was neither—I didn’t know how—forgive me! I let you slip away. It seems to me now it would have been very easy for me to have taken you by the hand, and with a jolly word or two and a little pains and a little friendly comradeship, I could have kept you out of trouble. I’m heartsick over it, boy. You must let me atone³ in this way. You can do no good by staying. You’ll be in the way when trouble comes. You’ll promise me now, because I ask you—won’t you?”

The boy choked back a sob⁴.

“I’ll go on one condition——”

“Well?”

“If you get in trouble about this thing, that you’ll let me know.”

John grasped his hand:

“I promise you.”

Mrs. Wilson and Susie accompanied them to the station. As the train signalled to pull out Billy shook hands with Susie awkwardly and tried to take leave of her mother in the same way, but Mrs. Wilson broke down, threw her arms around his neck and sobbed⁵:

“Billy, darling, you’re my own sweet boy—I love you—I love you! You’ll write to me every week—won’t you?”

Billy promised, disengaging himself in evident embarrassment⁶ and trying to hide his tears.

Moved by a sudden impulse Susie smiled, drew Billy’s head down and kissed him.

“For the high honour you once paid me. I shall expect great things of you, Billy.”

As the train started, he gripped John’s hand:

“Remember, we stand together. We are Grahams—I’ll hold you to your promise!”

John saw Ackerman join Susie and caught the sudden flash of his keen eye.

He touched his lip in sign of warning to Billy and waved his hand.

“I’ll remember! Good luck!”

1 unpack   

vt.打开包裹（或行李），卸货

参考例句：

• I must unpack before dinner.我得在饭前把行李打开。
• She said she would unpack the items later.她说以后再把箱子里的东西拿出来。

2 sneak   

vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行

参考例句：

• He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
• I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。

3 atone   

v.赎罪，补偿

参考例句：

• He promised to atone for his crime.他承诺要赎自己的罪。
• Blood must atone for blood.血债要用血来还。

4 sob   

n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣

参考例句：

• The child started to sob when he couldn't find his mother.孩子因找不到他妈妈哭了起来。
• The girl didn't answer,but continued to sob with her head on the table.那个女孩不回答，也不抬起头来。她只顾低声哭着。

5 sobbed   

哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说

参考例句：

• She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
• She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。

6 embarrassment   

n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫

参考例句：

• She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
• Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。