No! He decided4 that what he wanted was to bring Hector into disgrace. The method did not immediately occur to him, but after a while he saw his way clear.
His uncle’s bedchamber was on the second floor, and Jim’s directly over it on the third story. Some of the other boys, including Hector, had rooms also on the third floor.
Jim was going upstairs one day when, through the door of his uncle’s chamber5, which chanced to be open, he saw a wallet lying on the bureau. On the impulse of the moment, he walked in on tiptoes, secured the wallet, and slipped it hurriedly into his pocket. Then he made all haste upstairs, and bolted himself into his own room. Two other boys slept there, but both were downstairs in the playground.
Jim took the wallet from his pocket and eagerly scanned the contents. There were eight five-dollar bills and ten dollars in small bills, besides a few papers, which may be accurately6 described as of no value to anyone but the owner.
The boy’s face assumed a covetous7 look. He, as well as his uncle, was fond of money—a taste which, unfortunately, as he regarded it, he was unable to gratify. His family was poor, and he was received at half price by Socrates Smith on the score of relationship, but his allowance of pocket money was less than that of many of the small boys. He made up the deficiency, in part, by compelling them to contribute to his pleasures. If any boy purchased candy, or any other delicacy8, Jim, if he learned the fact, required him to give him a portion, just as the feudal9 lords exacted tribute from their serfs and dependents. Still, this was not wholly satisfactory, and Jim longed, instead, for a supply of money to spend as he chose.
So the thought came to him, as he scanned the contents of the wallet: “Why shouldn’t I take out one or two of these bills before disposing of it? No one will lay it to me.”
The temptation proved too strong for Jim’s power of resistance. He selected a five-dollar bill and five dollars in small bills, and reluctantly replaced the rest of the money in the wallet.
“So far, so good!” he thought. “That’s a good idea.”
Then, unlocking the door, he passed along the entry till he came to the room occupied by Hector. As he or one of the two boys who roomed with him might be in the room, he looked first through the keyhole.
“The coast is clear!” he said to himself, in a tone of satisfaction.
Still, he opened the door cautiously, and stepped with catlike tread into the room. Then he looked about the room. Hanging on nails were several garments belonging to the inmates10 of the room. Jim selected a pair of pants which he knew belonged to Hector, and hurrying forward, thrust the wallet into one of the side pockets. Then, with a look of satisfaction, he left the room, shutting the door carefully behind him.
“There,” he said to himself, with exultation11. “That’ll fix him! Perhaps he’ll wish he hadn’t put on quite so many airs.”
He was rather annoyed, as he walked along the corridor, back to his own room, to encounter Wilkins. He had artfully chosen a time when he thought all the boys would be out, and he heartily12 wished that some untoward13 chance had not brought Wilkins in.
“Where are you going, Jim?” asked Wilkins.
“I went to Bates’ room, thinking he might be in, but he wasn’t.”
“Do you want him? I left him out on the playground.”
“Oh, it’s no matter! It’ll keep!” said Jim, indifferently.
“I got out of that pretty well!” he reflected complacently14.
Perhaps Jim Smith would not have felt quite so complacent15, if he had known that at the time he entered Hector’s room it was occupied, though he could not see the occupant. It so chanced that Ben Platt, one of Hector’s roommates, was in the closet, concealed16 from the view of anyone entering the room, yet so placed that he could see through the partially17 open door what wras passing in the room.
When he saw Jim Smith enter he was surprised, for he knew that that young man was not on visiting terms with the boy who had discomfited18 and humiliated19 him.
“What on earth can Jim want?” he asked himself.
He did not have long to wait for an answer though not a real one; but actions, as men have often heard, speak louder than words.
When he saw Jim steal up to Hector’s pants, and producing a wallet, hastily thrust it into one of the pockets, he could hardly believe the testimony20 of his eyes.
“Well!” he ejaculated, inwardly, “I would not have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. I knew Jim was a bully21 and a tyrant22, but I didn’t think he was as contemptible23 as all that.”
The wallet he recognized at once, for he had more than once seen Socrates take it out of his pocket.
“It’s old Sock’s wallet!” he said to himself. “It’s clear that Jim has taken it, and means to have it found in Roscoe’s possession. That’s as mean a trick as I ever heard of.”
Just then Wilkins entered the room. Wilkins and Ben Platt were Hector’s two roommates.
“Hello, Wilkins! I’m glad you’ve come just as you have.”
“What for, Platt? Do you want to borrow some money?”
“No; there is more money in this room now than there has been for a long time.”
“What do you mean? The governor hasn’t sent you a remittance24, has he?”
“No.”
“Expound your meaning, then, most learned and mysterious chum.”
“I will. Within five minutes Jim Smith has been here and left a wallet of money.”
“Jim been here? I met him in the corridor.”
“I warrant he didn’t say he had been here.”
“No; he said he had been to Bates’ room, but didn’t find him there.”
“That’s all gammon! Wilkins, what will you say when I tell you that old Sock’s wallet is in this very room!”
“I won’t believe it!”
“Look here, then!”
Wilkins started in surprise and dismay.
“How did Roscoe come by that?” he asked; “surely he didn’t take it?”
“Of course he didn’t. You might know Roscoe better. Didn’t you hear me say just now that Jim brought it here?”
“And put it in Roscoe’s pocket?”
“Yes.”
“In your presence?”
“Yes; only he didn’t know that I was present,” said Platt.
“Where were you?”
“In the closet. The door was partly open, and I saw everything.”
“What does it all mean?”
“Can’t you see? It’s Jim’s way of coming up with Roscoe. You know he threatened that he’d fix him.”
“All I can say is, that it’s a very mean way,” said Wilkins in disgust.
He was not a model boy—far from it, indeed!—but he had a sentiment of honor that made him dislike and denounce a conspiracy26 like this.
“It’s a dirty trick,” he said, warmly.
“I agree with you on that point.” “What shall we do about it?”
“Lay low, and wait till the whole thing comes out. When Sock discovers his loss, Jim will be on hand to tell him where his wallet is. Then we can up and tell all we know.”
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收听单词发音
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1
crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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6
accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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7
covetous
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| adj.贪婪的，贪心的 | |
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delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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feudal
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| adj.封建的，封地的，领地的 | |
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inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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untoward
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| adj.不利的，不幸的，困难重重的 | |
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complacently
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| adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地 | |
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15
complacent
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| adj.自满的；自鸣得意的 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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18
discomfited
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| v.使为难( discomfit的过去式和过去分词)；使狼狈；使挫折；挫败 | |
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humiliated
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| 感到羞愧的 | |
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testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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tyrant
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| n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人 | |
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contemptible
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| adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的 | |
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remittance
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| n.汇款，寄款，汇兑 | |
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25
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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26
conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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27
smacking
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| 活泼的，发出响声的，精力充沛的 | |
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