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CHAPTER XVIII. IN A TRAP.
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 “Hold on there! Open that door!” he exclaimed, aloud.
 
There was no answer.
 
“I say, let me out!” continued our hero, beginning to kick at the panels.
 
This time there was an answer.
 
“Stop that kicking, boy! I will come back in fifteen minutes and explain all.”
 
“Well,” thought Dodger1, “this is about the strangest thing that ever happened to me. However, I can wait fifteen minutes.”
 
He sat down on a cane2 chair—there were two in the room—and looked about him.
 
He was in an ordinary bedroom, furnished in the usual manner. There was nothing at all singular in its appearance.
 
On a book shelf were a few books, and some old numbers of magazines. There was one window looking into a back yard, but as the room was small it was sufficient to light the apartment.
 
Dodger looked about in a cursory3 manner, not feeling any particular interest in his surroundings, for he had but fifteen minutes to wait, but he thought it rather queer that it should be thought necessary to lock him in.
 
He waited impatiently for the time to pass.
 
Seventeen minutes had passed when he heard the bolt drawn4. Fixing his eyes eagerly on the door he saw it open, and two persons entered.
 
One was the hump-backed negro, carrying on a waiter a plate of buttered bread, and a cup of tea; the other person was—not the old man, but, to Dodger’s great amazement5, a person well-remembered, though he had only seen him once—Curtis Waring.
 
“Set down the waiter on the table, Julius,” said Waring.
 
Dodger looked on in stupefaction. He was getting more and more bewildered.
 
“Now, you can go!” said Curtis, in a tone of authority.
 
The negro bowed, and after he had disposed of the waiter, withdrew.
 
“Do you know me, boy?” asked Curtis, turning now and addressing Dodger.
 
“Yes; you are Mr. Waring.”
 
“You remember where you last saw me?”
 
“Yes, sir. At your uncle’s house on Madison Avenue.”
 
“Quite right.”
 
“How did you come here? Where is the old man whose valise I brought from the Albany boat?”
 
Curtis smiled, and drew from his pocket a gray wig6 and whiskers.
 
“You understand now, don’t you?”
 
“Yes, sir; I understand that I have been got here by a trick.”
 
“Yes,” answered Curtis, coolly. “I have deemed it wise to use a little stratagem7. But you must be hungry. Sit down and eat your supper while I am talking to you.”
 
Dodger was hungry, for it was past his usual supper time, and he saw no reason why he should not accept the invitation.
 
Accordingly, he drew his chair up to the table and began to eat. Curtis seated himself on the other chair.
 
“I have a few questions to ask you, and that is why I arranged this interview. We are quite by ourselves,” he added, significantly.
 
“Very well, sir; go ahead.”
 
“Where is my Cousin Florence? I am right, I take it, in assuming that you know where she is.”
 
“Yes, sir; I know,” answered Dodger, slowly.
 
“Very well, tell me.”
 
“I don’t think she wants you to know.”
 
Curtis frowned.
 
“It is necessary I should know!” he said, emphatically.
 
“I will ask her if I may tell you.”
 
“I can’t wait for that. You must tell me at once.”
 
“I can’t do that.”
 
“You are mistaken; you can do it.”
 
“Then, I won’t!” said Dodger, looking his companion full in the face.
 
Curtis Waring darted8 a wicked look at him, and seemed ready to attack the boy who was audacious enough to thwart9 him, but he restrained himself and said:
 
“Let that pass for the present. I have another question to ask. Where is the document you took from my uncle’s desk on the night of the burglary?”
 
And he emphasized the last word.
 
Dodger looked surprised.
 
“I took no paper,” he said.
 
“Do you deny that you opened the desk?” asked Curtis.
 
“No.”
 
“When I came to examine the contents in the presence of my uncle, it was found that a document—his will—had disappeared, and with it a considerable sum of money.”
 
And he looked sharply at Dodger.
 
“I don’t know anything about it, sir. I took nothing.”
 
“You can hardly make me believe that. Why did you open the desk if you did not propose to take anything?”
 
“I did intend to take something. I was under orders to do so, for I wouldn’t have done it of my own free will; but the moment I got the desk open I heard a cry, and looking around, I saw Miss Florence looking at me.”
 
“And then?”
 
“I was startled, and ran to her side.”
 
“And then you went back and completed the robbery?”
 
“No, I didn’t. She talked to me so that I felt ashamed of it. I never stole before, and I wouldn’t have tried to do it then, if—if some one hadn’t told me to.”
 
“I know whom you mean—Tim Bolton.”
 
“Yes, Tim Bolton, since you know.”
 
“What did he tell you to take?”
 
“The will and the money.”
 
“Eactly. Now we are coming to it. You took them, and gave them to him?”
 
“No, I didn’t. I haven’t seen him since that night.”
 
Curtis Waring regarded the boy thoughtfully. His story was straightforward10, and it agreed with the story told by Tim himself. But, on the other hand, he denied taking the missing articles, and yet they had disappeared.
 
Curtis decided11 that both he and Tim had lied, and that this story had been concocted12 between them.
 
Probably Bolton had the will and the money—the latter he did not care for—and this thought made him uneasy, for he knew that Tim Bolton was an unscrupulous man, and quite capable of injuring him, if he saw the way clear to do so.
 
“My young friend,” he said, “your story is not even plausible13. The articles are missing, and there was no one but yourself and Florence who were in a position to take them. Do you wish me to think that my Cousin Florence robbed the desk?”
 
“No, sir; I don’t. Florence wouldn’t do such a thing,” said Dodger, warmly.
 
“Florence. Is that the way you speak of a young lady?”
 
“She tells me to call her Florence. I used to call her Miss Florence, but she didn’t care for it.”
 
“It seems you two have become very intimate,” said Curtis, with a sneer14.
 
“Florence is a good friend to me. I never had so good a friend before.”
 
“All that is very affecting; however, it isn’t to the point. Do you know,” he continued, in a sterner tone, “that I could have you arrested for entering and breaking open my uncle’s desk with burglarious intent?”
 
“I suppose you could,” said Dodger; “but Florence would testify that I took nothing.”
 
“Am I to understand, then, that you refuse to give me any information as to the will and the money?”
 
“No, sir; I don’t refuse. I would tell you if I knew.”
 
Curtis regarded the boy in some perplexity.
 
He had every appearance of telling the truth.
 
Dodger had one of those honest, truthful15 countenances16 which lend confirmation17 to any words spoken. If the boy told the truth, what could have become of the will—and the money? As to the former, it might be possible that his uncle had destroyed it, but the disappearance18 of the money presented an independent difficulty.
 
“The will is all I care for,” he said, at length. “The thief is welcome to the money, though there was a considerable sum.”
 
“I would find the will for you if I could,” said Dodger, earnestly.
 
“You are positive you didn’t give it to Bolton?”
 
“Positive, sir. I haven’t seen Tim since that night.”
 
“You may be speaking the truth, or you may not. I will talk with you again to-morrow,” and Curtis arose from his chair.
 
“You don’t mean to keep me here?” said Dodger, in alarm.
 
“I shall be obliged to do so.”
 
“I won’t stay!” exclaimed Dodger, in excitement, and he ran to the door, meaning to get out; but Curtis drew a pistol from his pocket and aimed it at the boy.
 
“Understand me, boy,” he said, “I am in earnest, and I am not to be trifled with.”
 
Dodger drew back, and Curtis opened the door and went out, bolting it after him.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 dodger Ku9z0c     
n.躲避者;躲闪者;广告单
参考例句:
  • They are tax dodgers who hide their interest earnings.他们是隐瞒利息收入的逃税者。
  • Make sure she pays her share she's a bit of a dodger.她自己的一份一定要她付清--她可是有点能赖就赖。
2 cane RsNzT     
n.手杖,细长的茎,藤条;v.以杖击,以藤编制的
参考例句:
  • This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
  • English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。
3 cursory Yndzg     
adj.粗略的;草率的;匆促的
参考例句:
  • He signed with only a cursory glance at the report.他只草草看了一眼报告就签了名。
  • The only industry mentioned is agriculture and it is discussed in a cursory sentence.实业方面只谈到农业,而且只是匆匆带了一句。
4 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
5 amazement 7zlzBK     
n.惊奇,惊讶
参考例句:
  • All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
  • He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
6 wig 1gRwR     
n.假发
参考例句:
  • The actress wore a black wig over her blond hair.那个女演员戴一顶黑色假发罩住自己的金黄色头发。
  • He disguised himself with a wig and false beard.他用假发和假胡须来乔装。
7 stratagem ThlyQ     
n.诡计,计谋
参考例句:
  • Knit the brows and a stratagem comes to mind.眉头一皱,计上心来。
  • Trade discounts may be used as a competitive stratagem to secure customer loyalty.商业折扣可以用作维护顾客忠诚度的一种竞争策略。
8 darted d83f9716cd75da6af48046d29f4dd248     
v.投掷,投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 );向前冲,飞奔
参考例句:
  • The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了,瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 thwart wIRzZ     
v.阻挠,妨碍,反对;adj.横(断的)
参考例句:
  • We must thwart his malevolent schemes.我们决不能让他的恶毒阴谋得逞。
  • I don't think that will thwart our purposes.我认为那不会使我们的目的受到挫折。
10 straightforward fFfyA     
adj.正直的,坦率的;易懂的,简单的
参考例句:
  • A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
  • I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。
11 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
12 concocted 35ea2e5fba55c150ec3250ef12828dd2     
v.将(尤指通常不相配合的)成分混合成某物( concoct的过去式和过去分词 );调制;编造;捏造
参考例句:
  • The soup was concocted from up to a dozen different kinds of fish. 这种汤是用多达十几种不同的鱼熬制而成的。
  • Between them they concocted a letter. 他们共同策划写了一封信。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 plausible hBCyy     
adj.似真实的,似乎有理的,似乎可信的
参考例句:
  • His story sounded plausible.他说的那番话似乎是真实的。
  • Her story sounded perfectly plausible.她的说辞听起来言之有理。
14 sneer YFdzu     
v.轻蔑;嘲笑;n.嘲笑,讥讽的言语
参考例句:
  • He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。
  • You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻,但很多人喜欢这种音乐。
15 truthful OmpwN     
adj.真实的,说实话的,诚实的
参考例句:
  • You can count on him for a truthful report of the accident.你放心,他会对事故作出如实的报告的。
  • I don't think you are being entirely truthful.我认为你并没全讲真话。
16 countenances 4ec84f1d7c5a735fec7fdd356379db0d     
n.面容( countenance的名词复数 );表情;镇静;道义支持
参考例句:
  • 'stood apart, with countenances of inflexible gravity, beyond what even the Puritan aspect could attain." 站在一旁,他们脸上那种严肃刚毅的神情,比清教徒们还有过之而无不及。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
  • The light of a laugh never came to brighten their sombre and wicked countenances. 欢乐的光芒从来未照亮过他们那阴郁邪恶的面孔。 来自辞典例句
17 confirmation ZYMya     
n.证实,确认,批准
参考例句:
  • We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
  • We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前,我们需要书面确认。
18 disappearance ouEx5     
n.消失,消散,失踪
参考例句:
  • He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
  • Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。


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