CHAPTER 37. DANIEL CALLS AT THE PARKER HOUSE.

 It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker¹, detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, known as "Parker's."

 

"I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, as he drew out his watch. "It is time he was here. Have I done rightly in leaving him in the clutches of a company of unprincipled men? Yet I[Pg 267] don't know what else I could do. If I had accompanied him to the door, my appearance would have awakened² suspicion. If through his means I can get authentic³ information as to the interior of this house, which I strongly suspect to be the headquarters of the gang, I shall have done a good thing. Yet perhaps I did wrong in not giving the boy a word of warning."

 

Mr. Baker took the cigar from his mouth and strolled into the opposite room, where several of the hotel guests were either reading the morning papers or writing letters. He glanced quickly about him, but saw no one that resembled Grit⁴.

 

"Not here yet?" he said to himself, "perhaps he can't find the hotel. But he looks too smart to have any difficulty about that. Ha! whom have we here?"

 

This question was elicited⁵ by a singular figure upon the sidewalk. It was a tall, overgrown boy, whose well-worn suit appeared to have been first put on when he was several years younger, and several inches shorter. The boy was standing⁶ still, with mouth and eyes wide open, staring in a bewildered way at the entrance of the hotel, as if he had some business therein, but did not know how to go about it.

 

[Pg 268]

 

"That's an odd-looking boy," he thought. "Looks like one of Dickens' characters."

 

Finally the boy, in an uncertain, puzzled way, ascended⁷ the steps into the main vestibule, and again began to stare helplessly in different directions.

 

One of the employees of the hotel went up to him.

 

"What do you want?" he demanded, rather roughly.

 

"Be you Mr. Baker?" asked the boy.

 

"No; I am not Mr. Baker."

 

"Where is Mr. Baker?"

 

"I don't know anything about Mr. Baker," answered the attendant impatiently.

 

"The boy told me I would find him here," said Daniel, for of course my reader recognizes him.

 

"Then the boy was playing a trick on you, most likely."

 

By this time Mr. Baker thought it advisable to make himself known.

 

"I am Mr. Benjamin Baker," he said, advancing. "Do you want to see me?"

 

Daniel looked very much relieved.

 

"I've got a note for you," he said.

 

"Give it to me."

 

Daniel did so, and was about to go out.

 

[Pg 269]

 

"Wait a minute, my young friend, there may be an answer," said the detective.

 

Mr. Baker read rapidly the following note:

 

"I am in trouble. I think the letter I received was only meant to entrap⁸ me. I have not seen Mr. Weaver⁹, but I have had an interview with Colonel Johnson, who planned the robbery of the bank at Chester. He seems to know that I had something to do with defeating his plans, and has sounded me as to whether I will help him in case I act again as bank messenger. On my refusing, he touched a spring, and let me down through a trap-door in the floor of the rear room to a cellar beneath, where I am kept in darkness. The boy who gives you this brings me my meals. He doesn't seem very bright, but I have agreed to pay him well if he will hand you this, and I hope he will succeed. I don't know what Colonel Johnson proposes to do with me, but I hope you will be able to help me.

 

Grit."

 

Benjamin Baker nodded to himself while he was reading this note.

 

"This confirms my suspicions," he said to himself. "If I am lucky I shall succeed in trapping the trappers. Hark you, my boy, when are you going back?"

 

[Pg 270]

 

"As soon as I have been to the market."

 

"Very well; what did the boy agree to give you for bringing this note?"

 

"Five dollars," answered Daniel, his dull face lighting¹⁰ up, for he knew the power of money.

 

"Would you like five dollars more?"

 

"Wouldn't I?" was the eager response.

 

"Then don't say a word to anybody about bringing this note."

 

"No, I won't. He'd strap¹¹ me if I did."

 

"Shall you see the boy?"

 

"Yes, at twelve o'clock, when I carry his dinner."

 

"When you see him, tell him you've seen me, and it's all right. Do you understand?"

 

Daniel nodded.

 

"I may call up there some time this morning. If I do I want you to open the door and let me in."

 

Daniel nodded again.

 

"That will do. You can go."

 

Mr. Baker left the hotel with a preoccupied¹² air.

 

1 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

2 awakened   

v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到

参考例句：

• She awakened to the sound of birds singing. 她醒来听到鸟的叫声。
• The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation. 公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。

4 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。

5 elicited   

引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Threats to reinstate the tax elicited jeer from the Opposition. 恢复此项征税的威胁引起了反对党的嘲笑。
• The comedian's joke elicited applause and laughter from the audience. 那位滑稽演员的笑话博得观众的掌声和笑声。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 ascended   

v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He has ascended into heaven. 他已经升入了天堂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The climbers slowly ascended the mountain. 爬山运动员慢慢地登上了这座山。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 entrap   

v.以网或陷阱捕捉，使陷入圈套

参考例句：

• The police have been given extra powers to entrap drug traffickers.警方已经被进一步授权诱捕毒贩。
• He overturned the conviction,saying the defendant was entrapped.他声称被告是被诱骗的，从而推翻了有罪的判决。

9 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。

10 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

11 strap   

n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎

参考例句：

• She held onto a strap to steady herself.她抓住拉手吊带以便站稳。
• The nurse will strap up your wound.护士会绑扎你的伤口。

12 preoccupied   

adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式)

参考例句：

• He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice anything wrong. 他只顾想着心事，没注意到有什么不对。
• The question of going to the Mount Tai preoccupied his mind. 去游泰山的问题盘踞在他心头。 来自《简明英汉词典》