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首页 » 儿童英文小说 » Andy Gordon The Fortunes of A Young Janitor » CHAPTER XX. PERKINS, THE DETECTIVE.
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CHAPTER XX. PERKINS, THE DETECTIVE.
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 After parting with his troublesome traveling companion, Andy lost no time in continuing on his way to the Cranston Bank, where he had the satisfaction of depositing the four hundred and fifty dollars which had been intrusted to him.
“I am glad to get rid of the money,” said Andy, breathing a deep sigh of relief as he received back the bank-book.
“People are not usually glad to get rid of money,” said the receiving teller1.
“There is too much responsibility about it,” said Andy. “Twice I have had a narrow escape from robbery.”
“Were you the boy that proved more than a match for a burglar, Saturday night?” asked the teller, with interest.
“Have you heard of it, then?” asked Andy, in surprise.
“Oh, yes! Such news travels fast. We have every reason for informing ourselves of the movements of lawbreakers and burglars. You are a plucky2 boy.”
“Thank you!” said Andy, modestly. “I don’t know about that.”{123}
“Not many boys would have stood a midnight siege as well as you did.”
“I was in more danger this morning,” said Andy, quietly.
“How?” asked the teller and the other employees of the bank, who had heard Andy’s statement, and came up to hear what he had to say.
“I was stopped by a highwayman this morning, on my way from Hamilton.”
“You don’t say so! Was it the same one?”
“No; it was a younger man. I suppose you haven’t heard of that?” he added, smiling.
“No; we shall get our information from the chief actor in the adventure. How was it?”
Andy told his story, and the narration3 increased the high opinion which the bank officials already had begun to entertain of his courage and shrewdness.
“That was a capital idea—having a decoy wallet with you,” said Mr. Smith, the receiving teller.
“It was not my idea, though,” said Andy, modestly. “It was Mr. Bean who recommended it.”
“The fellow must have been disappointed when he saw what he had captured,” suggested the paying teller.{124}
“I suppose he was,” responded Andy, with a laugh, “but I didn’t wait to find out. I gave the horse the whip, and left the place as fast as he could carry me.”
“Are you not afraid the man may lie in wait for you on your way home?”
“I thought of that, but I have left the money here. It wouldn’t do him any good to take the bank-book.”
“That is true, but he may wish to be revenged upon you.”
“That is so, but there is no help for it. There is no other road to take, and I must chance it.”
Andy took the matter lightly, but it occurred to the bank officials that he stood in danger of being seriously injured.
“You ought not to go back alone,” said the paying teller.
“Where shall I find company.”
Just then a man entered the bank, and presented a check.
“The very man!” said the receiving teller. “He will go with you.”
Andy looked at the newcomer, and was led to doubt whether such a man would be of much service to him. He was a short, slender man, of thirty-five, very quiet in his manner, with hair inclined to be red.{125}
Andy knew many of the citizens of Cranston, but never remembered meeting with this man.
“Mr. Perkins,” said the paying teller, “you heard of the attempted burglary at Hamilton on Saturday night?”
“Yes; that is partly what I came to this neighborhood about,” answered Mr. Perkins, quietly.
“You see that boy?”
“Yes.”
“It is the boy who defended the house and foiled the burglar.”
Mr. Perkins dropped his air of quiet. His eyes and features betrayed a strong feeling of interest as he turned to Andy.
“My young friend,” he said, “you are the very person I most wished to see. Will you answer me a few questions?”
“Yes, sir, with pleasure.”
“What was the appearance of the man who attempted to enter the house where the money was kept?”
Andy gave, as nearly as he could, a description of Hogan and his peculiarities4.
Perkins listened attentively5, nodding from time to time with a satisfied expression.
“I know the man,” he said. “I didn’t think he was in this part of the country, but I{126} am glad to hear that he is so near. I think I can put a spoke6 in his wheel.”
“Who is it?” asked the paying teller.
“A man with more than one name. He is best known as Mike Hogan, though I am not sure whether this is his real name or not.”
“I wonder if the other man is one of his friends?” said Andy, musingly7.
“The other man?” repeated Mr. Perkins, inquiringly.
“Yes, the man that tried to rob me this morning.”
“This is something new to me,” returned the detective. “Was an attempt made upon you this morning?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell me about it.”
Of course, Andy gave for the second time an account of his morning’s adventure.
The detective listened with the closest attention.
“Unquestionably the two men are in league together,” he said.
“Have you any idea who the younger man is?” asked the teller.
“No; it may be any one of half a dozen. The description will fit quite a number of my acquaintances. My theory is that Hogan was near at hand when the attack was made, and{127} that he instigated8 it. I presume that it was from him that the younger man learned that you were likely to come this way with the money in your possession.”
“I didn’t think of that,” said Andy.
“Of course not. You know nothing of the ways of these gentry9. The less you are compelled to know of them, the better for you. When are you going back?”
“I am ready now.”
“We thought the boy might be stopped again,” said Mr. Smith.
“It is altogether likely,” said Mr. Perkins, quietly.
“And we recommended him not to go alone, as of course he would be no match for a man.”
“He has proved himself a match in two instances,” said Perkins, with a glance of approval at our hero. “Still, he might not always be so lucky. However, he won’t be abliged to go back alone, as I will ask a seat in his carriage.”
“I shall be very glad to have you come, sir,” said Andy, politely.
“Can you wait fifteen minutes?”
“Oh, yes, sir!”
“I am staying at the hotel. I need to go there for a short time.”
“All right, sir.”{128}
“Stay here, and I will join you very shortly.”
The hotel was just across the street. Andy whiled away the time in the house, but he did not have to wait long.
A lady, neatly10 attired11 in an alpaca dress, entered from the street, and coming up to our hero, said:
“Are you ready?”
Andy stared at her in surprise.
She raised a green veil, and with some difficulty he recognized the features of Perkins, the detective.
“They won’t be afraid of a woman,” said Perkins, with a meaning smile. “Come along!”

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 teller yggzeP     
n.银行出纳员;(选举)计票员
参考例句:
  • The bank started her as a teller.银行起用她当出纳员。
  • The teller tried to remain aloof and calm.出纳员力图保持冷漠和镇静。
2 plucky RBOyw     
adj.勇敢的
参考例句:
  • The plucky schoolgirl amazed doctors by hanging on to life for nearly two months.这名勇敢的女生坚持不放弃生命近两个月的精神令医生感到震惊。
  • This story featured a plucky heroine.这个故事描述了一个勇敢的女英雄。
3 narration tFvxS     
n.讲述,叙述;故事;记叙体
参考例句:
  • The richness of his novel comes from his narration of it.他小说的丰富多采得益于他的叙述。
  • Narration should become a basic approach to preschool education.叙事应是幼儿教育的基本途径。
4 peculiarities 84444218acb57e9321fbad3dc6b368be     
n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪
参考例句:
  • the cultural peculiarities of the English 英国人的文化特点
  • He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another. 他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。
5 attentively AyQzjz     
adv.聚精会神地;周到地;谛;凝神
参考例句:
  • She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时,她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着,把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 spoke XryyC     
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:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
7 musingly ddec53b7ea68b079ee6cb62ac6c95bf9     
adv.沉思地,冥想地
参考例句:
8 instigated 55d9a8c3f57ae756aae88f0b32777cd4     
v.使(某事物)开始或发生,鼓动( instigate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The government has instigated a programme of economic reform. 政府已实施了经济改革方案。
  • He instigated the revolt. 他策动了这次叛乱。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
9 gentry Ygqxe     
n.绅士阶级,上层阶级
参考例句:
  • Landed income was the true measure of the gentry.来自土地的收入是衡量是否士绅阶层的真正标准。
  • Better be the head of the yeomanry than the tail of the gentry.宁做自由民之首,不居贵族之末。
10 neatly ynZzBp     
adv.整洁地,干净地,灵巧地,熟练地
参考例句:
  • Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
  • The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。
11 attired 1ba349e3c80620d3c58c9cc6c01a7305     
adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服,使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The bride was attired in white. 新娘穿一身洁白的礼服。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • It is appropriate that everyone be suitably attired. 人人穿戴得体是恰当的。 来自《简明英汉词典》


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