CHAPTER 35. CROSS-EXAMINED.

 Grit¹'s face showed the astonishment² he felt at the unexpected appearance of a man whom he knew to be the prime instigator³ of the attempt to rob the bank at Chester.

 

Colonel Johnson smiled grimly as he saw the effect produced by his presence.

 

"You didn't expect to see me?" he said.

 

"No, sir," answered Grit.

 

"I flatter myself you had done me the honor to call upon me," said Johnson, seating himself at a little distance from our hero.

 

"I came to see Mr. Solomon Weaver⁴, from whom I received a letter," explained Grit. "If this is your house I may have made a mistake in the number."

 

[Pg 252]

 

"Not at all," answered Johnson. "Mr. Weaver is a friend of mine."

 

"Does he live here?"

 

"Oh, yes," said Johnson, smiling.

 

"He wrote me that he wished to send me on a Western trip."

 

"That's all right."

 

"Then the letter was genuine," said Grit, hoping that things might turn out right after all.

 

Could it be possible, he thought, that Colonel Johnson was the friend who had recommended him? It did not seem at all probable, but in his bewilderment he did not know what to think.

 

"Can I see Mr. Weaver?" asked Grit, desirous of putting an end to his uncertainty⁵.

 

"Presently," answered Colonel Johnson. "He is busy just at present, but he deputed me to speak with you."

 

This was all very surprising, but would probably soon be explained.

 

"I shall be glad to answer any questions," said Grit.

 

"I suppose you can present good recommendations, as the position is a responsible one," said Johnson, with a half smile.

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"Whom, for instance?"

 

[Pg 253]

 

"Mr. Graves, president of the Chester Bank," said Grit.

 

Knowing what he did of Colonel Johnson's attempt upon the bank, it was perhaps a rather odd choice to make, but the young boatman thought it might help him to discover whether Johnson knew anything of his recent employment by the bank.

 

"I have heard of Mr. Graves," said Johnson. "Has he ever employed you?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"In what capacity?" demanded Johnson searchingly.

 

"He sent me to this city with a package."

 

"What did the package contain?"

 

"I think it contained bonds."

 

"Haven't they a regular bank messenger?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"What's his name?"

 

"Ephraim Carver."

 

"Why was he not employed? Why should you be sent in his place?"

 

"I think you had better ask Mr. Graves," said Grit independently.

 

"Why? Don't you know?"

 

"Even if I did I should consider that I had no right to tell."

 

"You are a very conscientious⁶ and honorable young man," said Johnson sneeringly⁸.

 

[Pg 254]

 

"Thank you, sir," returned Grit, choosing not to show that he understood the sneer⁷.

 

"Where is your stepfather?" inquired Johnson, changing the subject abruptly⁹.

 

"In Portland."

 

"How do you know?"

 

"I met him in the street while on my way through the city."

 

"Did you speak with him?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"What did he say?" asked Johnson suspiciously.

 

"He wished to borrow twenty-five cents," answered Grit, with a smile.

 

"Did you lend it to him?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Very dutiful, on my word!"

 

"I have no feeling of that sort for Mr. Brandon," said Grit frankly¹⁰. "I thought it the easiest way to get rid of him."

 

Johnson changed the subject again.

 

"Is Ephraim Carver likely to lose his situation as bank messenger?" he asked.

 

"I think you had better ask Mr. Graves," said Grit, on his guard.

 

Johnson frowned, for he did not like Grit's independence.

 

"It is reported that you are intriguing¹¹ for his position," he continued.

 

[Pg 255]

 

"That is not true."

 

"Do you think there is any likelihood of your being appointed in his place?"

 

"No, sir; I never dreamed of it."

 

"Yet there is a possibility of it. Don't suppose that I am particularly interested in this Carver. So far as I am concerned, I should not object to your succeeding him."

 

"What does all this mean?" thought Grit.

 

"If you should do so, I might have a proposal to make to you that would be to your advantage."

 

Knowing what he did, Grit very well understood what was meant. Johnson, no doubt, wished to hire him to betray the confidence reposed¹² in him by the bank, and deliver up any valuable package entrusted¹³ to him for a money consideration. Like any right-minded and honorable boy, Grit felt that the very hint of such a thing was an insult to him, and his face flushed with indignation. For the moment he forgot his prudence¹⁴.

 

"I don't think there is the least chance of my getting such a position," he said; "but even if I did, it would not do you any good to make me a proposal."

 

"How do you know what sort of a proposal I should make?" demanded Johnson keenly.

 

[Pg 256]

 

"I don't know," answered Grit, emphasizing the last word.

 

"It appears to me, young man, that you are a little ahead of time," said Johnson. "You shouldn't crow too soon."

 

"I think I will bid you good evening," said Grit, rising.

 

"Why so soon? You haven't seen Mr. Weaver."

 

"On the whole, I don't think I should wish to engage with him."

 

Our hero felt that if Mr. Weaver were a friend of the man before him, it would be safest to have nothing to do with him. On the principle that a man is known by the company he keeps, the friend of Colonel Johnson could hardly be a desirable person to serve.

 

"You seem to be in a hurry, especially as you have not seen my friend Weaver."

 

"You will be kind enough to explain to him that I have changed my plans," said Grit.

 

"Resume your seat for five minutes," said Johnson, "and I will call Weaver. You had better see him for yourself."

 

"Very well, sir."

 

He reflected that merely seeing Mr. Weaver would not commit him to anything.

 

Colonel Johnson rose to his feet, and placed[Pg 257] his foot firmly on a particular spot in the floor.

 

To Grit's dismay, the floor seemed to sink beneath him, and chair and all were lowered a dozen feet into a subterranean¹⁵ cavity, too quickly for him to help himself.

 

He realized that the chair so conveniently placed in the center of the apartment rested on a trap-door.

1 grit   

n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关

参考例句：

• The soldiers showed that they had plenty of grit. 士兵们表现得很有勇气。
• I've got some grit in my shoe.我的鞋子里弄进了一些砂子。

2 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

3 instigator   

n.煽动者

参考例句：

• It is not a and differs from instigator in nature. 在刑法理论中，通常将教唆犯作为共犯的一种类型加以探究。 来自互联网
• If we are really the instigator, we are awaiting punishment. 如果我们真的是煽动者，那我们愿意接受惩罚。 来自互联网

4 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

5 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

6 conscientious   

adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的

参考例句：

• He is a conscientious man and knows his job.他很认真负责，也很懂行。
• He is very conscientious in the performance of his duties.他非常认真地履行职责。

7 sneer   

v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语

参考例句：

• He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。
• You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻，但很多人喜欢这种音乐。

8 sneeringly   

嘲笑地，轻蔑地

参考例句：

• Guan and Zhang had nothing more to say, But they walked away sneeringly. 关羽、张飞无话，冷笑着走了。

9 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

10 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。

11 intriguing   

adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心

参考例句：

• These discoveries raise intriguing questions. 这些发现带来了非常有趣的问题。
• It all sounds very intriguing. 这些听起来都很有趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 reposed   

v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr. Cruncher reposed under a patchwork counterpane, like a Harlequin at home. 克朗彻先生盖了一床白衲衣图案的花哨被子，像是呆在家里的丑角。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• An old man reposed on a bench in the park. 一位老人躺在公园的长凳上。 来自辞典例句

13 entrusted   

v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He entrusted the task to his nephew. 他把这任务托付给了他的侄儿。
• She was entrusted with the direction of the project. 她受委托负责这项计划。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 prudence   

n.谨慎，精明，节俭

参考例句：

• A lack of prudence may lead to financial problems.不够谨慎可能会导致财政上出现问题。
• The happy impute all their success to prudence or merit.幸运者都把他们的成功归因于谨慎或功德。

15 subterranean   

adj.地下的，地表下的

参考例句：

• London has 9 miles of such subterranean passages.伦敦像这样的地下通道有9英里长。
• We wandered through subterranean passages.我们漫游地下通道。