CHAPTER 39. AN UNPLEASANT INTERVIEW.

 There was nothing to do but to obey. Judging by his own interpretation¹ of the discovery our hero was not surprised that his captor should be incensed². He retraced³ his steps, and found himself once more in the subterranean⁴ chamber⁵ facing an angry man.

 

"What took you in there?" demanded Colonel Johnson.

 

"Curiosity, I suppose," answered Grit⁶ composedly. He felt that he was in a scrape, but he was not a boy to show fear or confusion.

 

"How did you happen to discover the entrance?"

 

"It was quite accidental. I was pacing the floor to see how wide the room was, when my hand touched the spring."

 

"Why did you want to know the width of the room?" asked Johnson suspiciously.

 

"I didn't care much to know, but the time hung heavily on my hands, and that was one way of filling it up."

 

Colonel Johnson eyed the boy attentively⁷. He was at a loss to know whether Grit really suspected the nature and meaning of his [Pg 275]discovery, or not. If not, he didn't wish to excite suspicion in the boy's mind. He decided⁸ to insinuate⁹ an explanation.

 

"I suppose you were surprised to find the passageway," he remarked.

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"As you have always lived in the country, that is natural. Such arrangements are common enough in the city."

 

"I wonder whether trap doors are common," thought Grit, but he did not give expression to his thought.

 

"The room into which you looked is under the house of my brother-in-law, and the passage affords an easy mode of entrance."

 

"I should think it would be easier going into the street," thought Grit.

 

"Still I am annoyed at your meddlesome¹⁰ curiosity, and shall take measures to prevent your gratifying it again. I had a great mind when I first saw you to shut you up in the passage. I fancy you wouldn't enjoy that."

 

"I certainly shouldn't," said Grit, smiling.

 

"I will have some consideration for you, and put a stop to your wanderings in another way."

 

As he spoke¹¹ he drew from his pocket a thick, stout¹² cord, and directing Grit to hold his hands together, proceeded to tie his wrists.[Pg 276] This our hero naturally regarded as distasteful.

 

"You need not do this," he said. "I will promise not to go into the passage."

 

"Humph! Will you promise not to attempt to escape?"

 

"No, sir, I can't promise that."

 

"Ha! you mean, then, to attempt to escape?"

 

"Of course!" answered Grit. "I should be a fool to stay here if any chance offered of getting away."

 

"You are candid¹³, young man," returned Johnson. "There is no earthly chance of your escaping. Still, I may as well make sure. Put out your feet."

 

"You are not going to tie my feet, too, are you?" asked Grit, in some dismay.

 

"To be sure I am. I can't trust you after what you have done this morning."

 

It was of no use to resist, for Colonel Johnson was a powerful man, and Grit, though strong, only a boy of sixteen.

 

"This doesn't look much like escaping," thought Grit. "I hope he won't search my pockets and discover my knife. If I can get hold of that, I may be able to release myself."

 

Colonel Johnson had just completed tying the last knot when the door, which had been[Pg 277] left unbolted, was seen to open, and the half-witted boy, Daniel, entered hastily.

 

"How now, idiot!" said Johnson harshly. "What brings you here?"

 

"There's a gentleman up-stairs wants to see you, master," said Daniel, with the scared look with which he always regarded his tyrant¹⁴.

 

"A gentleman!" repeated Johnson hastily. "Who let him in?"

 

"I did, sir."

 

"You did!" thundered Johnson. "How often have I told you to let in nobody? Do you want me to choke you?"

 

"I—forgot," faltered¹⁵ the boy. "Besides, he said he wanted to see you particular."

 

"All the more reason why I don't want to see him. What does he look like?"

 

"He's a small man, sir."

 

"Humph! Where did you leave him?"

 

"Room above, sir."

 

"I'll go up and see him. If it's somebody I don't want to see, I'll choke you."

 

"Yes, sir," said Daniel humbly¹⁶.

 

As Johnson went out, Daniel lingered a moment, and, in a hoarse¹⁷ whisper, said to Grit: "It's him."

 

"Who is it?" asked Grit puzzled.

 

"It's the man you sent me to."

 

[Pg 278]

 

"Good! You're a trump¹⁸, Daniel," said Grit joyfully¹⁹.

 

A minute after a confused noise was heard in the room above. Daniel turned pale.

 

"Tell him where I am, Daniel," said Grit, as the boy timidly left the room.

1 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

2 incensed   

盛怒的

参考例句：

• The decision incensed the workforce. 这个决定激怒了劳工大众。
• They were incensed at the decision. 他们被这个决定激怒了。

3 retraced   

v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯

参考例句：

• We retraced our steps to where we started. 我们折回我们出发的地方。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We retraced our route in an attempt to get back on the right path. 我们折返，想回到正确的路上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 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。

6 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。

7 attentively   

adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神

参考例句：

• She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 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。

9 insinuate   

vt.含沙射影地说，暗示

参考例句：

• He tried to insinuate himself into the boss's favor.他设法巧妙地渐渐取得老板的欢心。
• It seems to me you insinuate things about her.我觉得你讲起她来，总有些弦外之音。

10 meddlesome   

adj.爱管闲事的

参考例句：

• By this means the meddlesome woman cast in a bone between the wife and the husband.这爱管闲事的女人就用这种手段挑起他们夫妻这间的不和。
• Get rid of that meddlesome fool!让那个爱管闲事的家伙走开！

11 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。

12   

参考例句：

13 candid   

adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的

参考例句：

• I cannot but hope the candid reader will give some allowance for it.我只有希望公正的读者多少包涵一些。
• He is quite candid with his friends.他对朋友相当坦诚。

14 tyrant   

n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人

参考例句：

• The country was ruled by a despotic tyrant.该国处在一个专制暴君的统治之下。
• The tyrant was deaf to the entreaties of the slaves.暴君听不到奴隶们的哀鸣。

15 faltered   

（嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃

参考例句：

• He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
• "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”

16 humbly   

adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地

参考例句：

• We humbly beg Your Majesty to show mercy. 我们恳请陛下发发慈悲。
• "You must be right, Sir,'said John humbly. “你一定是对的，先生，”约翰恭顺地说道。

17 hoarse   

adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的

参考例句：

• He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题。
• He was too excited and roared himself hoarse.他过于激动，嗓子都喊哑了。

18 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

19 joyfully   

adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。
• During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。