CHAPTER XXXVIII. ABNER TRIMBLE'S PLOT.

 Just off First Street, in Portland, Ore., is a saloon, over which appears the name of the proprietor¹:

 

"Abner Trimble."

 

Two rough-looking fellows, smoking pipes, entered the saloon. Behind the bar stood a stout², red-faced man. This was Trimble, and his appearance indicated that he patronized the liquors he dispensed³ to others.

 

"Glad to see you, Floyd," said Trimble.

 

"That means a glass of whisky, doesn't it?" returned Floyd.

 

"Well, not now. I want you to go up to the house again, to see my wife."

 

"About the old matter?"

 

"Yes; she isn't quite satisfied about the kid's death, and she won't make a will in my favor till she is. She wants to ask you a few questions."

 

Floyd made a wry⁴ face.

 

"She's as bad as a lawyer. I say, Abner, I'm afraid I'll get tripped up."

 

"You must stick to the old story."

 

"What was it?"

 

"Don't you remember you said that the kid hired a boat to row in the harbor along with two other boys, and the boat was upset and all three were drowned?"

 

"Yes, I remember. It's a smart yarn⁵, isn't it?" grinned Floyd.

 

"Yes, but you mustn't let her doubt it. You remember how you came to know about the drowning?"

 

"No, I forget."

 

Abner Trimble frowned.

 

"Look here, Floyd. You'd better remember, or you won't get the money I promised you. You were out in a boat yourself, and saw the whole thing. You jumped into the water, and tried to save the kid, but it was no use. He went to the bottom—and that was the end of him!"

 

"A very pretty story," said Floyd, complacently⁶. "Won't I get somethin' for tryin' to save the kid's life?"

 

"As like as not. I'll suggest it to the old lady myself."

 

"When do you want me to go up to the house?"

 

"Now. The lawyer's coming at four o'clock, and I want you to confirm Mrs. T. in her belief in the boy's death."

 

"It's dry talkin', Abner," said Floyd, significantly.

 

"Take a glass of sarsaparilla, then."

 

"Sarsaparilla!" repeated Floyd, contemptuously. "That's only fit for children."

 

"Lemon soda⁷, then."

 

"What's the matter with whisky?"

 

"Are you a fool? Do you think Mrs. T. will believe your story if you come to her smelling of whisky?"

 

"You're hard on me, Abner. Just one little glass."

 

"You can put that off till afterward⁸. Here, take some lemon soda, or I'll mix you a glass of lemonade."

 

"Well, if I must," said Floyd, in a tone of resignation.

 

"You can have as much whisky as you like afterward."

 

"Then the sooner we get over the job the better. I'm ready now."

 

"Here, Tim, take my place," said Abner Trimble, calling his barkeeper; "I'm going to the house for an hour. Now come along."

 

Abner Trimble lived in a comfortable dwelling⁹ in the nicer portion of the city. It belonged to his wife when he married her, and he had simply taken up his residence in her house. He would have liked to have lived nearer the saloon, and had suggested this to his wife, but she was attached to her home and was unwilling¹⁰ to move.

 

Trimble ushered¹¹ his visitor into the sitting room and went up to see his wife. She was sitting in an armchair in the room adjoining her chamber¹², looking pale and sorrowful.

 

"Well, Mary," said Trimble, "I've brought Floyd along to answer any questions relating to poor Edward's death."

 

"Yes, I shall be glad to see him," answered his wife, in a dull, spiritless tone.

 

"Shall I bring him up?"

 

"If you like."

 

Trimble went to the landing and called out: "You can come up, Floyd."

 

Floyd entered the room, holding his hat awkwardly in his hands. He was not used to society, and did not look forward with much pleasure to the interview which had been forced upon him.

 

"I hope I see you well, ma'am," he said, bobbing his head.

 

"As well as I ever expect to be," answered Mrs. Trimble, sadly. "Your name is——"

 

"Floyd, ma'am. Darius Floyd."

 

"And you knew my poor son?"

 

"Yes, ma'am, I knew him well. Ed and I was regular cronies."

 

Mrs. Trimble looked at the man before her, and was mildly surprised. Certainly Edward must have changed, or he would not keep such company. But, prejudiced against her son as she had been by her husband's misrepresentations, she feared that this was only another proof of Edward's moral decadence¹³.

 

"You have been in New York recently?"

 

"Yes; I was there quite a while."

 

"And you used to see Edward?"

 

"'Most every day, ma'am."

 

"How was he employed?"

 

This was not a question to which Mr. Floyd had prepared an answer. He looked to Mr. Trimble as if for a suggestion, and the latter nodded impatiently, and shaped his mouth to mean "anything."

 

"He was tendin' a pool room, ma'am," said Floyd, with what he thought a lucky inspiration. "He was tendin' a pool room on Sixth Avenue."

 

"He must indeed have changed to accept such employment. I hope he didn't drink?"

 

"Not often, ma'am; just a glass of sarsaparilla or lemon soda. Them are my favorites."

 

Abner Trimble turned aside to conceal¹⁴ a smile. He remembered Mr. Floyd's objecting to the innocent beverages¹⁵ mentioned, and his decided¹⁶ preference for whisky.

 

"I am glad that he was not intemperate¹⁷. You saw the accident?"

 

"Yes, ma'am."

 

"Please tell me once more what you can."

 

"I took a boat down at the Battery to have a row one afternoon, when, after a while, I saw another boat comin' out with three fellers into it. One of them was your son, Edward."

 

"Did you know Edward's companions?"

 

"Never saw them before in my life. They was about as old as he. Well, by and by one of them stood up in the boat. I surmise¹⁸ he had been drinkin'. Then, a minute afterward, I saw the boat upset, and the three was strugglin' in the water.

 

"I didn't take no interest in the others, but I wanted to save Edward, so I jumped into the water and made for him. That is, I thought I did. But it so happened in the confusion that I got hold of the wrong boy, and when I managed to get him on board my boat, I saw my mistake. It was too late to correct it—excuse my emotion, ma'am," and Mr. Floyd drew a red silk handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his eyes; "but when I looked out and couldn't see either of the other young fellers, and realized that they were drowned, I felt awful bad."

 

Mrs. Trimble put her handkerchief to her eyes and moaned. The picture drawn¹⁹ by Mr. Floyd was too much for her.

 

"I wish I could see the young man whose life you saved," she said, after a pause, "Have you his name and address?"

 

"No, ma'am; he didn't even thank me. I didn't get even the price of a glass of—sarsaparilla out of him."

 

Mr. Floyd came near saying whisky, but bethought himself in time.

 

"I have been much interested by your sad story, Mr. Floyd," said the sorrow-stricken mother. "You seem to have a good and sympathetic heart."

 

"Yes, ma'am," replied Floyd; "that is my weakness."

 

"Don't call it a weakness! It does you credit."

 

Mr. Floyd exchanged a sly glance of complacency with Abner Trimble, who was pleased that his agent got off so creditably. He had evidently produced a good impression on Mrs. Trimble.

 

"You see, my dear," he said, gently, "that there can be no doubt about poor Edward's death. I have thought, under the circumstances, that you would feel like making a will, and seeing that I was suitably provided for. As matters stand your property would go to distant cousins, and second cousins at that, while I would be left out in the cold.

 

"I know, of course, that you are younger than myself and likely to outlive me, but still, life is uncertain. I don't care much for money, but I wouldn't like to die destitute²⁰, and so I asked Mr. Coleman, the lawyer, to come round. I think I hear his ring now. Will you see him?"

 

"Yes, if you wish it. I care very little what becomes of the property now my boy is no more."

 

Mr. Trimble went downstairs, and returned with a very respectable-looking man of middle age, whom he introduced as Mr. Coleman.

1 proprietor   

n.所有人；业主；经营者

参考例句：

• The proprietor was an old acquaintance of his.业主是他的一位旧相识。
• The proprietor of the corner grocery was a strange thing in my life.拐角杂货店店主是我生活中的一个怪物。

3 dispensed   

v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药）

参考例句：

• Not a single one of these conditions can be dispensed with. 这些条件缺一不可。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage. 他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 wry   

adj.讽刺的；扭曲的

参考例句：

• He made a wry face and attempted to wash the taste away with coffee.他做了个鬼脸，打算用咖啡把那怪味地冲下去。
• Bethune released Tung's horse and made a wry mouth.白求恩放开了董的马，噘了噘嘴。

5 yarn   

n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事

参考例句：

• I stopped to have a yarn with him.我停下来跟他聊天。
• The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。

6 complacently   

adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地

参考例句：

• He complacently lived out his life as a village school teacher. 他满足于一个乡村教师的生活。
• "That was just something for evening wear," returned his wife complacently. “那套衣服是晚装，"他妻子心安理得地说道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

7 soda   

n.苏打水；汽水

参考例句：

• She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
• I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。

8 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

9 dwelling   

n.住宅，住所，寓所

参考例句：

• Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
• He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。

10 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

11 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

13 decadence   

n.衰落，颓废

参考例句：

• The decadence of morals is bad for a nation.道德的堕落对国家是不利的。
• His article has the power to turn decadence into legend.他的文章具有化破朽为神奇的力量。

14 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

15 beverages   

n.饮料( beverage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 控制酒类销售的法规
• regulations governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 含酒精饮料的销售管理条例

16 decided   

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。

17 intemperate   

adj.无节制的，放纵的

参考例句：

• Many people felt threatened by Arther's forceful,sometimes intemperate style.很多人都觉得阿瑟的强硬的、有时过激的作风咄咄逼人。
• The style was hurried,the tone intemperate.匆促的笔调，放纵的语气。

18 surmise   

v./n.猜想，推测

参考例句：

• It turned out that my surmise was correct.结果表明我的推测没有错。
• I surmise that he will take the job.我推测他会接受这份工作。

19 drawn   

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。

20 destitute   

adj.缺乏的；穷困的

参考例句：

• They were destitute of necessaries of life.他们缺少生活必需品。
• They are destitute of common sense.他们缺乏常识。