CHAPTER XIX. DAN AS A GOOD SAMARITAN.

 "What made your husband treat you so badly?" asked Dan.

 

"Rum!" answered the woman. "Rum has been sinking him lower and lower, and it's easy to see the end."

 

"What will be the end?"

 

"The prison—perhaps the gallows¹."

 

"You are taking too dark a view of your husband," said Dan, soothingly². "He won't go as far as that."

 

The woman shook her head.

 

"I know him only too well," she said. "This very evening he has been planning a burglary."

 

Dan started, and a sudden suspicion entered his mind.

 

"Did you hear him doing it?" he asked.

 

"Yes."

 

"Do you know where it is?" he asked, eagerly.

 

"Yes; it is a store on Pearl street."

 

Dan felt that he was on the track of a discovery.[Pg 151] He was likely to be repaid at last for the hours he had spent in detective service.

 

"Who put him up to it?" he asked, fixing his eyes intently on the woman.

 

"I don't know his name; he is a well-dressed man. I think he is in the store."

 

"Was it a man who came to your rooms this evening?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Is this the way he looked?" Here Dan gave a rapid description of Talbot.

 

"That is the man. Do you know him?"

 

"Yes, I know him. He is the book-keeper of the firm."

 

"He is a bad man. He is to pay a thousand dollars for the job. Bill is to have half of it."

 

"Bill, I suppose, is your husband?"

 

"Yes."

 

Dan looked thoughtful. Here was a most important discovery. He must consider what to do.

 

By this time they had reached a small public-house, of humble³ exterior⁴, but likely to afford his companion better accommodations than she had at home.

 

"Come in," said Dan.

 

The woman followed him, with the child in her arms. A stout⁵ German, who appeared to be the proprietor⁶ of the establishment, was sitting in an[Pg 152] arm-chair, smoking a pipe. He scanned the party phlegmatically⁷.

 

"What you wants?" he asked.

 

"Can you give this lady a room?" asked Dan.

 

"Is she your vife?" asked the German, with a broad grin.

 

"No; she is an acquaintance of mine. Her husband has driven her out of his house in a fit of drunkenness. Can she sleep here?"

 

"Has she got any money?" asked the Dutchman, shrewdly.

 

"I will pay for her lodging⁸."

 

"That's all right. She shall stay here."

 

"What will you charge?"

 

"Fifty cents a night for the lodging."

 

"Here it is."

 

"Will the lady go up now?" asked the landlord, upon whom the silver half-dollar produced a visible impression.

 

"Yes," said the woman; "my poor baby is tired."

 

"You had better stay here two nights," said Dan. "Don't let your husband know where you are just yet. Here is money to pay for another night's lodging, and enough to buy food besides."

 

"God bless you, boy!" she said, gratefully. "But for you I should have had to stay out all night."

 

"Oh, no; some one would have taken you in."

 

[Pg 153]

 

"You don't know this neighborhood; the policeman would have found me, and taken me to the station-house. For myself I care little; but my poor babe, who is worse than fatherless——" and she burst into tears.

 

"Keep up your courage, madam. Brighter days may be in store," said Dan, cheerfully.

 

"I will come and see you day after to-morrow," said Dan. "Good-night."

 

Our hero must not be awarded too great credit for his generosity⁹. He knew that Mr. Rogers would willingly defray all expenses connected with the discovery, and that the money he had advanced to his unfortunate companion would be repaid. Had it been otherwise, however, his generous heart would have prompted him to relieve the woman's suffering.

1 gallows   

n.绞刑架，绞台

参考例句：

• The murderer was sent to the gallows for his crimes.谋杀犯由于罪大恶极被处以绞刑。
• Now I was to expiate all my offences at the gallows.现在我将在绞刑架上赎我一切的罪过。

2 soothingly   

adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地

参考例句：

• The mother talked soothingly to her child. 母亲对自己的孩子安慰地说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He continued to talk quietly and soothingly to the girl until her frightened grip on his arm was relaxed. 他继续柔声安慰那姑娘，她那因恐惧而紧抓住他的手终于放松了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

4 exterior   

adj.外部的，外在的；表面的

参考例句：

• The seed has a hard exterior covering.这种子外壳很硬。
• We are painting the exterior wall of the house.我们正在给房子的外墙涂漆。

6 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。

7 phlegmatically   

参考例句：

• He accepted the decision phlegmatically. 他平静地接受了决定。 来自互联网

8 lodging   

n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍

参考例句：

• The bill is inclusive of the food and lodging. 账单包括吃、住费用。
• Where can you find lodging for the night? 你今晚在哪里借宿?

9 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。