CHAPTER XXIX. JASPER IN A NEW CHARACTER.

 It was a relief to be out of his prison, but it must be admitted that Jasper's situation was not particularly desirable or agreeable. It was midnight, and he was seated astride the roof of the house which had served as his prison. There seemed to be no chance to reach the street, except to slide down the roof, and that would be certain death.

 

Jasper looked about him in great perplexity.

 

As his deliverer had told him, the next house was a story higher than the one on whose roof he was seated, and, still more important, there was a side-window looking out in that direction. When Jasper saw this, hope sprang up in his heart.

 

"If that window is not fastened I can get in," he thought.

 

He edged his way along to the window, and found that to reach it he would have to slide down a little way and catch hold of the blind to prevent sliding too far.

 

"There's some risk about it," thought Jasper. "Shall I try it?"

 

I don't know whether Jasper was justified¹ in taking the risk he did, for there was great danger of sliding over into the street. I don't think I should have ventured to do it; but our hero was fearless and courageous², and he resolved that, as this was the only method of escape, he would avail himself of it. As a precaution against slipping, however, he took off his shoes, and catching³ the strings⁴ in his teeth commenced the perilous⁵ descent. He succeeded in grasping the blind and staying his progress.

 

"Now, if the window should be fastened, what should I do?" he thought.

 

But it was not. He succeeded in raising it, and with a feeling of intense relief made his way into the chamber⁶.

 

Then for the first time there flashed upon him the thought that he had placed himself in a very suspicious predicament. He had entered a house at midnight through the window. Why might he not be taken for a burglar? This was the way a burglar was likely to enter, and if he should be caught here his explanation would be considered very unsatisfactory.

 

Jasper, brave as he was, was startled by this thought, while simultaneously⁷ the difficulty of escape was forced upon him. He looked about him in mental disturbance⁸.

 

It was a small attic⁹ chamber. There was a bed in the room, a wash-stand, a couple of chairs, and a clothes-press. This, being open, revealed a few clothes belonging, apparently¹⁰, to a man.

 

"Why isn't he here?" thought Jasper, "and what shall I do if he comes?"

 

Though his story was true, he nevertheless felt that it was improbable, and before he could tell it he thought it likely that an alarm would be given, resulting in his being consigned¹¹ to the care of the police.

 

An idea came to him.

 

He opened the bed, drew out one of the sheets and arrayed himself in it, after carefully folding back the quilt.

 

"Now," he said to himself, "if it is necessary, I will see what sort of a ghost I can make."

 

Hardly had he done this than he heard steps ascending¹² the stairs. Jasper had little doubt that it was the occupant of the chamber which he had so unceremoniously entered.

 

"I'll get into the wardrobe if I can," he thought.

 

He managed to squeeze himself into the wardrobe, and waited with anxiety for the arrival of the new-comer.

 

Through a crevice¹³ he saw the entrance of a stout¹⁴, good-natured-looking young man, whistling a popular song. He was probably a clerk or young mechanic, who, after a hard day's work, had been to some cheap place of amusement. Wholly unconscious of Jasper's presence, the young man undressed himself, still continuing to whistle, and got into bed. It was so light outside that he had not lighted the gas.

 

"I wonder how long it'll take for him to get to sleep?" thought Jasper. "I'm getting tired of being cooped up here."

 

Unfortunately for him the young man seemed to be in no hurry. He whistled to himself, and occasionally sung in a low tone. At length Jasper decided¹⁵ to make a desperate move. Observing that the young man was lying with his face turned from the wardrobe, he seized his opportunity, stepped softly out, and gained the middle of the floor before he was seen.

 

The effect upon the young man was startling. The whistle died away, and with blanched¹⁶ cheeks and staring eyes he sat bolt upright in bed.

 

"Oh, Lord!" he exclaimed, tremulously. "What are you?"

 

Not a word escaped from the white figure, but it solemnly waved its hand.

 

"Are you a ghost?" asked the young man.

 

Jasper made a guttural noise and waved his arm again.

 

"Oh, Lord preserve me!" ejaculated the young man, shaking with terror. "Go away, do, good ghost! I haven't done anything!"

 

As he spoke¹⁷ he covered up his head with the bedclothes, and Jasper could see by the convulsive movements that he was in a state of the greatest agitation¹⁸. Our hero felt inclined to laugh, but forebore. He considered whether it would be safe, disguised as he was, to make his way down stairs and out at the front door. But another course suddenly suggested itself. The young man looked good-natured. Why shouldn't he reveal himself to him, and throw himself upon him for protection? Besides, he was sorry to frighten him so much.

 

Acting¹⁹ upon his new resolution, he threw off the sheet and said in his natural voice:

 

"Don't be frightened. I am not a ghost."

 

The young man in bed took courage to uncover his head.

 

"Ain't you a spirit?" he said, doubtfully.

 

"No more than you," said Jasper, laughing.

 

"What made you frighten me so? Who are you?"

 

"I am a friend of yours."

 

"I don't think I ever saw you before. How did you get in?"

 

"Through the window."

 

"You ain't a burglar, are you?" asked the young man, with fresh apprehension²⁰.

 

"Of course not," said Jasper, laughing. "Do I look like a burglar?"

 

"No; but I don't see what made you come in."

 

"The fact is, I want you to help me," said Jasper. "Just light the gas, and I'll tell you all about it."

 

He spoke so frankly²¹ and straightforwardly²² that the young man was reassured²³. He got out of bed and lighted the gas.

 

"There! do I look like a burglar?" asked Jasper.

 

"No, you don't; but I don't see how you got in."

 

"Then I'll tell you. I've just escaped from the next house."

 

"Escaped?"

 

"Yes. I was locked up in a dark room for four days, and the only way I could get out was through the roof. Of course I couldn't slide off into the street and break my neck, so I got in here through the window."

 

"You don't say!" ejaculated the young man. "What did they shut you up for? Was it your father?"

 

"No. It's a long story. I knew something they were afraid I would tell."

 

"What are you going to do?"

 

"I am going to ask you to let me out into the street."

 

"What! so late as this? You would have to stay out all night."

 

"That would be better than to be locked up as I have been for the last four days."

 

"Suppose you wait till morning. This bed is big enough for both of us."

 

"Thank you. I should like that, and shall be much obliged to you."

 

"You are sure you are not a burglar?" said the young man, with a brief return of his former suspicion.

 

"Neither burglar nor ghost," said Jasper.

 

"What made you put on the sheet?"

 

"I was afraid you would take me for a burglar, so I meant to frighten you and escape, concluding that you would be afraid to pursue me."

 

"That's so. I really thought you were a spirit."

 

"If you think so now, just feel my muscle," said Jasper, smiling.

 

"I don't think so now."

 

"If I am to sleep with you, here is your sheet. We can make better use of it than in masquerading as ghosts."

 

Jasper undressed himself and got into bed. He learned that his companion's name was Adam Diedrich, and that he kept a small cigar store near-by.

1 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

2 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

3 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

4 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

5 perilous   

adj.危险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
• We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。

6 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。

7 simultaneously   

adv.同时发生地，同时进行地

参考例句：

• The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
• The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。

8 disturbance   

n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调

参考例句：

• He is suffering an emotional disturbance.他的情绪受到了困扰。
• You can work in here without any disturbance.在这儿你可不受任何干扰地工作。

9 attic   

n.顶楼，屋顶室

参考例句：

• Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
• What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理？

10 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

11 consigned   

v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃

参考例句：

• I consigned her letter to the waste basket. 我把她的信丢进了废纸篓。
• The father consigned the child to his sister's care. 那位父亲把孩子托付给他妹妹照看。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

12 ascending   

adj.上升的，向上的

参考例句：

• Now draw or trace ten dinosaurs in ascending order of size.现在按照体型由小到大的顺序画出或是临摹出10只恐龙。

13 crevice   

n.(岩石、墙等)裂缝；缺口

参考例句：

• I saw a plant growing out of a crevice in the wall.我看到墙缝里长出一棵草来。
• He edged the tool into the crevice.他把刀具插进裂缝里。

15 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。

16 blanched   

v.使变白( blanch的过去式 )；使（植物）不见阳光而变白；酸洗（金属）使有光泽；用沸水烫（杏仁等）以便去皮

参考例句：

• The girl blanched with fear when she saw the bear coming. 那女孩见熊（向她）走来，吓得脸都白了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Their faces blanched in terror. 他们的脸因恐惧而吓得发白。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 spoke   

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。

18 agitation   

n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动

参考例句：

• Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
• These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。

19 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

20 apprehension   

n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑

参考例句：

• There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑，于是她越来越担心。
• She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。

21 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

22 straightforwardly   

adv.正直地

参考例句：

• He hated her straightforwardly, making no effort to conceal it. 他十分坦率地恨她，从不设法加以掩饰。 来自辞典例句
• Mardi, which followed hard on its heels, was another matter. Mardi begins straightforwardly. 紧跟着出版的《玛地》，却是另一回事。《玛地》开始时平铺直叙。 来自辞典例句

23 reassured   

adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》