CHAPTER XXXVII. JANE GILMAN.

 The visitor took a seat in the rocking-chair offered her by Mrs. Avery.

 

"Do you remember me?" she asked, throwing back her veil so as to give an unobstructed view of her full, florid face.

 

"Are you the girl who brought the boy Jed to me fourteen years ago?"

 

"The same. I don't find you in your old place."

 

"No; we—my husband and I—left the poor farm about a year since. Have you been there?"

 

"Yes, I saw the new woman, and a spiteful piece she is, I'll be bound."

 

Mrs. Avery smiled.

 

"I don't admire Mrs. Fogson," she said, "but I suppose that is natural."

 

"She tells me the boy is no longer in the poorhouse."

 

[Pg 329]

 

"No."

 

"Can you tell me why he left?"

 

"He was ill-treated by Mr. and Mrs. Fogson."

 

"That woman tells me he was very troublesome."

 

"We never found him so, and up to a year ago he was under our charge."

 

"I surmised¹ as much. Then he has grown up a good boy?"

 

"Excellent. I feel great affection for Jed."

 

"That is gratifying to my feelings, seeing I am his aunt."

 

Mrs. Avery regarded her visitor with surprise.

 

"Do you claim Jed as your nephew?" she asked.

 

"Certainly. He is the son of my only brother."

 

But for her interview with the detective Mrs. Avery would have believed this story. As it was, she did not choose to dispute it. She only sought to draw out her visitor so as to understand better her object in calling.

 

"Are you willing to explain why it was[Pg 330] that you were led to place your nephew under my care?"

 

"Certainly. There is no secret about that now. My brother, who was a blacksmith, failed, and was unable to support the boy."

 

"What was your brother's name?"

 

"Jedediah Gilman. That is why I desired to have the boy called Jed Gilman, after his father. My name is Jane Gilman."

 

"Then you are not married?"

 

"No," said Miss Gilman. "Not but I might have been married half a dozen times if I had wanted to. But the men are a shiftless lot, in my opinion."

 

"Not all of them. I never charged my husband with being shiftless."

 

"Oh, well, there are exceptions. But I liked my freedom, so I am Jane Gilman still. I may change my mind yet, and get married. There's a many after me, and I am only thirty-two."

 

Mrs. Avery was too polite to question her statement, but privately² decided³ that the other was ten years older.

 

"Are you an American?" she asked.

 

[Pg 331]

 

"No, I'm English, and I'm proud to own it."

 

"Was Jed born in England?"

 

Jane Gilman hesitated, but finally answered in the affirmative.

 

"In what English town or village was he born?"

 

"Oh, lor, you wouldn't know any better if I should tell you. My brother came over here with Jed when he was a baby, to better his fortunes. He went out to Iowa, leaving the baby with me. But I found I couldn't get a place with a baby on my hands, and so I took it to the Scranton poorhouse."

 

"And where have you been since?"

 

"I went to Philadelphia and got a position there. Since then I've been in a many places."

 

"I wonder you didn't write to me for some news of the baby."

 

"I got news of him from time to time, though I don't mean to tell you how," answered Jane Gilman with a cunning smile. "But I've been away for the last three years, and so I didn't know that Jed had gone off."

 

[Pg 332]

 

"You must be disappointed not to find him."

 

"So I am. It seems so long since I've seen the dear child," and Jane drew out a handkerchief of ample size and pressed it to her tearless eyes. "Is he a nice-looking boy?"

 

"He has a fine, frank, open face, but you'll excuse my saying that he doesn't resemble you in the least."

 

"No," answered Jane, not the least bit disconcerted. "He didn't look like the Gilmans, but like his ma's family."

 

"What was his mother's maiden⁴ name?"

 

"Fenwick," responded Jane Gilman, having no suspicion that Mrs. Avery had heard the name before.

 

Mrs. Avery started.

 

"I've heard that name before," she said.

 

"Have you?" asked Jane, momentarily uneasy, but quickly recovering her self-possession she reflected that the Averys could not possibly know anything of Jed's real history. "I suppose there's a many Fenwicks in the world and some of 'em in America. My[Pg 333] brother's wife was a good-looking woman, and the boy takes after her."

 

"She died young, I suppose?"

 

"Only three months after he was born."

 

"Is your brother still living?"

 

"No; he was killed in a railroad accident out in Iowa six months since. He was a brakeman on the railroad. He left me a tidy sum of money, and said that I was to look up Jed."

 

"This accounts for your visit, then?"

 

"Yes; I want to take my nephew with me and see to his education, as my brother wished me to."

 

"Did Mrs. Fogson give you any idea where he was?"

 

"She said he had run away, but she had information that he was at Bar Harbor, wherever that is, in the service of some rich gentleman."

 

"We have heard the same thing. What do you propose to do?"

 

"I'll have to go there, I suppose. But there is one thing I want to ask you about."

 

"What is that?"

 

[Pg 334]

 

"When I left the baby with you there was a gold locket suspended from his neck. Did you find it?"

 

"Yes, I found it."

 

"I'll thank you if you'll give it to me. I meant to take it at the time, but I went away in a hurry, as you know, and I thought it would be safe in your hands."

 

"I can't let you have it to-day, Miss Gilman."

 

"And why not?" demanded Jane suspiciously.

 

"I deposited it with a party I had confidence in, for safe keeping," replied Mrs. Avery.

 

"Then I'll be glad to have you get it as soon as you can. I want it," rejoined Jane Gilman sharply.

 

"How am I to feel sure you are entitled to it?" asked Mrs. Avery.

 

"If I am not, who is, I'd like to know? I'm the one that left the boy with you at the poorhouse."

 

"I presume this is true."

 

"Of course it's true. I'll tell you what,[Pg 335] Mrs. Avery, I'm not much pleased with your trying to keep the locket. Are you sure you haven't sold or pawned⁵ it?"

 

"Yes, I am sure of that. But perhaps I shall not have to make you wait long for it. The gentleman in whose hands I placed it is in this house at this very minute."

 

Jane Gilman looked very much surprised.

 

"Where is he?" she asked.

 

Detective Peake answered for himself. He stepped into the room from the small bedroom and held up the locket.

 

"Is this the one?" he asked.

 

"Yes," answered the woman eagerly. "Give it to me."

 

Mr. Peake quietly put it back into his pocket.

 

"Not till I have asked you a few questions," he answered.

 

"What right have you to ask me questions?" asked Jane defiantly⁶.

 

"I will assume that I have the right," the detective answered. "Whose miniatures are those in the locket?"

 

"They are my brother and his wife."

 

[Pg 336]

 

"Your brother doesn't seem to look like you, Miss Gilman."

 

"Perhaps you know better than I who it is," said Jane sullenly⁷.

 

"Well, perhaps so."

 

"And who do you say they are?"

 

"Sir Charles and Laura Fenwick of Fenwick Hall, England."

 

Jane Gilman started to her feet in astonishment⁸.

 

"Who told you?" she asked hoarsely⁹.

 

"It is not necessary for me to tell you. It is enough that I am commissioned by the boy's mother to find him and restore him to her. There may be trouble in store for you, Miss Jane Gilman," he added significantly.

 

Jane Gilman fanned herself vigorously and seemed very ill at ease.

 

"However," continued the detective, "you can save yourself and secure a handsome reward by giving me all the help you can, and making full confession¹⁰ of your stealing the child, and telling who instigated¹¹ you to do it."

 

The woman hesitated, but her hesitation¹² was brief.

 

"Will you promise this?" she asked.

 

"Yes. I am the confidential¹³ agent of Lady Fenwick, who is now in America."

 

"Then I'll do it. Guy Fenwick hasn't treated me right, and I don't mind if I do go back on him. It was he that hired me to make off with little Robert, though I didn't let him know what I did with him."

 

"And what was your present object?"

 

"To take the boy away and make Sir Guy pay a good round sum for my keeping the secret."

1 surmised   

v.臆测，推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 )；揣测；猜想

参考例句：

• From the looks on their faces, I surmised that they had had an argument. 看他们的脸色，我猜想他们之间发生了争执。
• From his letter I surmised that he was unhappy. 我从他的信中推测他并不快乐。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

3 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。

4 maiden   

n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的

参考例句：

• The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
• The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

5 pawned   

v.典当，抵押( pawn的过去式和过去分词 )；以（某事物）担保

参考例句：

• He pawned his gold watch to pay the rent. 他抵当了金表用以交租。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has redeemed her pawned jewellery. 她赎回了当掉的珠宝。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 defiantly   

adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地

参考例句：

• Braving snow and frost, the plum trees blossomed defiantly. 红梅傲雪凌霜开。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 sullenly   

不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地

参考例句：

• 'so what?" Tom said sullenly. “那又怎么样呢？”汤姆绷着脸说。
• Emptiness after the paper, I sIt'sullenly in front of the stove. 报看完，想不出能找点什么事做，只好一人坐在火炉旁生气。

8 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。

9 hoarsely   

adv.嘶哑地

参考例句：

• "Excuse me," he said hoarsely. “对不起。”他用嘶哑的嗓子说。
• Jerry hoarsely professed himself at Miss Pross's service. 杰瑞嘶声嘶气地表示愿为普洛丝小姐效劳。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

10 confession   

n.自白，供认，承认

参考例句：

• Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
• The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

11 instigated   

v.使（某事物）开始或发生，鼓动( instigate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The government has instigated a programme of economic reform. 政府已实施了经济改革方案。
• He instigated the revolt. 他策动了这次叛乱。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

13 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。