“There is a small admission fee,” said Herbert's companion.
“How much is it?” asked our hero.
“Twenty cents.”
As Herbert thrust his hand into his pocket for the necessary money, his companion said:
“You had better let me pay for both tickets.”
Though he said this, he didn't make any motion to do so.
“No, I will pay for both,” said Herbert.
“But I really cannot permit you to pay for mine.”
And still the speaker made no movement to purchase his ticket.
Herbert settled the matter by laying half a dollar on the desk, and asking for two tickets. He began to see that, in spite of his disclaimer, his guide intended him to do so. On the whole, this didn't please him. He would rather have had his offer frankly2 accepted.
“I didn't mean to have you pay,” said the young man, as they passed through the door admitting them to an inner apartment, from which there was an exit into a small, inclosed yard, through which they were to reach the entrance to a spiral staircase by which the ascent3 was made.
Herbert did not answer, for he understood that his guide was not telling the truth, and he did not like falsehood or deceit.
They entered the monument and commenced the ascent.
“How many steps are there?” asked Herbert.
“About three hundred,” was the reply.
At different points in the ascent they came to landings where they could catch glimpses of the outward world through long, narrow, perpendicular5 slits6 in the sides of the monument.
At last they reached the top.
Herbert's guide looked about him sharply, and seemed disappointed to find a lady and gentleman and child also enjoying the view.
Herbert had never been so high before. Indeed, he had never been in any high building, and he looked about him with a novel sense of enjoyment8.
“What a fine view there is here!” he said.
“True,” assented9 his companion. “Let me point out to you the different towns visible to the naked eye.”
“I wish you would,” said the boy.
So his guide pointed7 out Cambridge, Chelsea, Malden, the Charles and Mystic Rivers, gleaming in the sunshine, the glittering dome10 of the Boston State House and other conspicuous11 objects. Herbert felt that it was worth something to have a companion who could do him this service, and he felt the extra twenty cents he had paid for his companion's ticket was a judicious12 investment.
He noticed with some surprise that his companion seemed annoyed by the presence of the other party already referred to. He scowled13 and shrugged14 his shoulders when he looked at them, and in a low voice, inaudible to those of whom he spoke15, he said to Herbert: “Are they going to stay here all day?”
“What does it matter to me if they do?” returned Herbert, in surprise.
Indeed, to him they seemed very pleasant people, and he was especially attracted by the sweet face of the little girl. He wished he had been fortunate enough to possess such a sister.
At last, however, they finished their sightseeing, and prepared to descend16. Herbert's companion waited till the sound of their descending17 steps died away, and then, turning to Herbert, said in a quick, stern tone: “Now give me the money you have in your pocket.”
“What do you mean?” he said.
“I mean just what I say,” returned the other. “You have one hundred and fifty dollars in your pocket. You need not deny it, for I saw you draw it from the bank and put it away.”
“Are you a thief, then?” demanded Herbert.
“No matter what I am, I must have that money,” said the stranger. “I came over with you exclusively to get it, and I mean business.”
He made a step towards Herbert, but the boy faced him unflinchingly, and answered resolutely21: “I mean business, too. The money is not mine, and I shall not give it up.”
“Take care!” said the other, menacingly, “we are alone here. You are a boy and I am a man.”
He looked to the staircase, but his treacherous23 guide stood between him and it, and he was practically a prisoner at the top of the monument.
“Don't be a fool!” said the stranger. “You may as well give up the money to me first as last.”
“I don't propose to give it up to you at all,” said Herbert. “My employer trusted me with it, and I mean to be true to my trust.”
“You can tell him that it was taken from you—that you could not help yourself. Now hand it over!”
“Never!” exclaimed Herbert, resolutely.
“We'll see about that,” said his companion, seizing the boy and grappling with him.
Herbert was a strong boy for his age, and he accepted the challenge. Though his antagonist24 was a man, he found that the boy was powerful, and not to be mastered as easily as he anticipated.
“Confound you!” he muttered, “I wish I had a knife!”
Though Herbert made a vigorous resistance, his opponent was his superior in strength, and would ultimately have got the better of him. He had thrown Herbert down, and was trying to thrust his hand into his coat pocket, when a step was heard, and a tall man of Western appearance stepped on the scene.
“Hello!” he said, surveying the two combatants in surprise. “What's all this? Let that boy alone, you skunk25, you!”
As he spoke, he seized the man by the collar and jerked him to his feet.
“What does all this mean?” he asked, turning from one to the other.
“This boy has robbed me of one hundred and fifty dollars,” said the man, glibly26. “I fell in with him in the Boston cars, and he relieved me of a roll of bills which I had drawn27 from a bank in Boston.”
“What have you got to say to this?” asked the Western man, turning to Herbert, who was now on his feet.
“Only this,” answered Herbert, “that it is a lie. It was I who drew the money from the Merchants' Bank in Boston. This man saw me cash the check, followed me, and offered to come here with me, when I asked him for directions.”
“Don't call me your friend!” said the Western man, bluntly. “I'm more than half convinced you're a scamp.”
“I don't propose to stay here and be insulted. Let the boy give me my money, and I won't have him arrested.”
“Don't be in too much of a hurry, young man! I want to see about this thing. What bank did you draw the money from?”
“From the Merchants' Bank—the boy has got things reversed. He saw me draw it, inveigled29 himself into my confidence, and picked my pocket.”
“Look here—stop right there! Your story doesn't hang together!” said the tall Westerner, holding up his finger. “You said you met this boy in a horse car.”
“You've given yourself away. Now make yourself scarce! Scoot!”
The rascal32 looked in the face of the tall, resolute20 man from the West, and thought it prudent33 to obey. He started to descend, but a well-planted kick accelerated his progress, and he fell down several steps, bruising34 his knees.
“Thank you, sir!” said Herbert, gratefully. “It was lucky you came up just as you did. The rascal had got his hand on the money.”
“He is a miserable35 scamp!” answered Herbert's new friend. “If there'd been a police-man handy, I'd have given him in charge. I've come clear from Wisconsin to see where Warren fell, but I didn't expect to come across such a critter as that on Bunker Hill.”
Herbert pointed out to his new friend the objects in view, repeating the information he had so recently acquired. Then, feeling that he could spare no more time, he descended36 the stairs and jumped on board a horse car bound for Boston.
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收听单词发音
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1
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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tiresome
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| adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的 | |
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perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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slits
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| n.狭长的口子，裂缝( slit的名词复数 )v.切开，撕开( slit的第三人称单数 )；在…上开狭长口子 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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scowled
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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spoke
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| 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 | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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recoiled
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| v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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quailing
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| 害怕，发抖，畏缩( quail的现在分词 ) | |
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treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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skunk
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| n.臭鼬，黄鼠狼；v.使惨败，使得零分；烂醉如泥 | |
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glibly
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| adv.流利地，流畅地；满口 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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inveigled
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| v.诱骗，引诱( inveigle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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abashed
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| adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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bruising
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| adj.殊死的；十分激烈的v.擦伤(bruise的现在分词形式) | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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