CHAPTER XXXII. MRS. OAKLEY'S SUSPICIONS.

 The sudden disappearance¹ of the will struck Mrs. Oakley with dismay. It threatened her with the loss of two-thirds of her estate. But she was not a woman to bear it in silence. She possessed² a fund of energy, and lost no time in seeking to determine the important question, "Who had taken it?"

She descended³ at once to the kitchen, where she found Hannah setting the table for supper.

"Hannah," she said, abruptly⁴, "have you been upstairs to my chamber⁵ this afternoon?"

"No, ma'am," said Hannah.

"Think a moment," said her mistress, sternly; "have you not been up?"

"No, ma'am, I haven't. I told you so once," said Hannah, not altogether pleased with the doubt implied by the second question.

"Has any one called here since I went away?" asked Mrs. Oakley.

[317]

"No, ma'am."

"Then there has been no one in the house excepting yourself?"

"No one except Master Ben."

"Ben!" repeated Mrs. Oakley, in a changed voice. "When did Ben come home?"

"About an hour ago,—maybe an hour and a half," said Hannah.

"He is not here now."

"Isn't he, ma'am? I suppose he went out, but I didn't hear him."

"You are quite sure no one else has been in the house?" inquired her mistress.

"Certain sure, ma'am."

Mrs. Oakley went upstairs slowly. A new idea had forced its way into her mind. It must be that Ben had taken both the money and the will. That he should have taken the first didn't surprise her, for with all her love for her son, she had small confidence in his honesty. No doubt he had got into debt, and so was tempted⁶ to appropriate the bills. But why should he have taken the will? That was something she could not understand. For the money she cared little comparatively. But the loss of the will was ruin, if John or his friends found it, or, if not, she would live in perpetual fear of their discovering it.

[318]

"If I once get hold of it again," she said to herself, "I will take care that all danger from that source shall end and forever. Ben will never divulge⁷ its existence, of course. He will understand that it affects his interests too nearly."

She waited in nervous excitement for Ben's reappearance.

At length his step was heard—never more welcome than now.

Ben entered, feeling rather nervous also.

"Has mother found out?" he thought.

"Good-afternoon, mother," he said, with apparent unconcern. "Is supper most ready? I'm awful hungry."

"I want to speak to you a moment, Benjamin," said his mother. "Will you come upstairs?"

"Now for it," thought Ben.

"Can't you speak here just as well?" he said. "I'm tired."

"I would rather have you come upstairs," said Mrs. Oakley.

"Just as you say," said Ben; "but I don't see why you can't talk just as well down here."

Mrs. Oakley led the way to her own chamber. Ben followed, feeling, it must be confessed, not altogether comfortable. This feeling was not diminished[319] when his mother closed the door carefully. She turned and confronted him.

"You have been to my bureau-drawer, Ben," she said, eying him fixedly⁸.

"I don't know what you mean," said Ben.

"You came home about two hours ago, didn't you?"

"Yes, I came home then," said Ben, knowing that it would be of no use to deny what could be proved by Hannah's testimony⁹.

"You came up to this chamber, found my keys on the table, and opened the upper drawer of my bureau."

"Did you see me do it?" asked Ben, feeling confident that he was accused on suspicion merely.

"No, but—"

"Doesn't Hannah pretend that she saw me?"

"No."

"Lucky for her she doesn't. If she did she'd lie," said Ben, glad to find out so much.

"Do you mean to deny that you came up here?" asked Mrs. Oakley.

"Yes, I do. It seems to me you're mighty¹⁰ quick in suspecting me," continued Ben, with an air of injured innocence¹¹. "But what's all the fuss about? Have you missed anything?"

[320]

"Yes," said his mother, "I have met with a serious loss. But, Benjamin, it is very important that I should clearly understand who did or did not take it. Will you assure me upon your honor that you did not take anything from my bureau?"

"Of course I will," said Ben, who felt that he was in for it, and must stick stoutly¹² to the lie at all hazards. "But you haven't told me what you lost."

Mrs. Oakley turned pale with consternation¹³. She had depended upon Ben's proving the real culprit, in which case she could require restitution¹⁴, at any rate, of the will.

"I lost a sum of money," she said,—"a hundred and twenty dollars."

"Whew!" said Ben. "That was a loss."

"But that was not all. There was besides a—a document of importance, for which I cared more than the money."

"I've no doubt of it," thought Ben.

"What was it?" he said aloud.

"What it was is quite immaterial," said Mrs. Oakley. "It is sufficient to say that it was a document of very great importance. I care little for the money compared with that. If you took it, Ben," she said, with a sudden final appeal, "I will forgive you,[321] and let you keep the money, if you will restore the—the document."

There was a look of entreaty¹⁵ in the proud woman's eyes, as she made this appeal to her son. She waited anxiously for the answer.

But the inducement was not sufficient. The one hundred and twenty dollars were already paid away, and Ben owed one hundred and eighty dollars besides. He knew that Winchester would not remit¹⁶ the debt. There was no chance whatever of that. So Ben determined¹⁷ to keep the r?le of injured innocence which he had assumed in the beginning. His mother would not be able to find him out. It may be thought that this was inconsistent with his plan of raising money out of his mother's fears by withholding¹⁸ the will. But he had arranged that already. He might find the will,—perhaps in Hannah's chamber, perhaps elsewhere, he could decide that hereafter; but he resolved not to own up to the theft. In fact, after denying it stoutly, it would have been difficult to do that.

"Look here, mother," he said, "I am not a thief, and I wish you would not try to make me out one. You're ready enough to suspect me. Why don't you suspect Hannah? She was here all the time."

[322]

"I have already spoken to Hannah," said Mrs. Oakley.

"What did she say?"

"She said she had not been upstairs during my absence."

"And you believed her," said Ben, reproachfully. "Do you believe her before me?"

"Yes, I believed her," said Mrs. Oakley; "and I will tell you why. She might take the money, but she wouldn't be likely to take the paper."

"I don't know about that. She might think it was of importance. She might think you would pay her money to get it back."

Just then it flashed across Mrs. Oakley's mind that Hannah had seen the will in her hand on the day that she undertook to burn it. Why had she not thought of that before? It might be that Hannah was more artful than she gave her credit for, and, suspecting the value of the document, had taken it as well as the money.

"I will question Hannah again," she said. "Come with me, Benjamin."

They went downstairs together, and Hannah was summoned from the kitchen.

"Hannah," said Mrs. Oakley, "listen attentively¹⁹ to me."

[323]

"Certainly, ma'am," said Hannah, wondering what was coming.

"Something was taken from my drawer this afternoon, Hannah,—some money and something else. Do you know anything about it?"

"Sure I don't, ma'am. I told you once before."

"If you took it, and will tell me, and restore everything, I will forgive you, and let you keep ten dollars of the money besides."

"But I didn't take it, ma'am," said poor Hannah, earnestly.

"If you don't," said Mrs. Oakley, sternly, "I will send for the constable²⁰, and have you arrested at once and carried to prison."

Hannah burst into a piteous howl, and declared that she never stole so much as a pin, and called the Virgin²¹ and all the saints to witness that she was innocent.

"Give up the paper you took," said Mrs. Oakley, "and you may keep twenty dollars of the money."

But Hannah again declared that she took nothing.

"Stop a minute," said Ben; "maybe we're all wrong. When I went out of the house I saw a very suspicious-looking man coming this way."

"What was his appearance?"

[324]

"He had black hair and whiskers," said Ben, glibly²², "and was meanly dressed."

"Was he coming towards the house?"

"Yes."

"Did such a person come to the house, Hannah?"

"I didn't see him; but he might have come to the wing door without me knowing it."

"I'll bet ten dollars he was the thief," said Ben.

Mrs. Oakley did not know what to say or think. Both Ben and Hannah stoutly denied the theft, and resisted the most liberal overtures²³ to a confession²⁴. It might be the ill-looking man spoken of.

"What'll you give me if I find the paper, mother?" asked Ben. "I'll get on the track of the scamp, and get it if I can."

"I'll give fifty dollars," said his mother.

"But you offered a hundred a little while ago."

"I'll give you a hundred and twenty then."

"Promise me two hundred cash down, and I'll do my best."

"I'll give you two hundred dollars when you place the paper in my hands."

"All right," said Ben. "If I can find the man, I'll offer him a little something to begin with. It won't be of any use to him, you know."

They sat down to supper. Ben partook heartily,[325] feeling that he had as good as got the two hundred dollars, while Mrs. Oakley was pale and nervous, and had no appetite. How differently she would have felt if she had only known that the lost will was all the while laid snugly²⁵ away in Ben's coat-pocket!

1 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

2 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

3 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

4 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。

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 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

7 divulge   

v.泄漏(秘密等)；宣布，公布

参考例句：

• They refused to divulge where they had hidden the money.他们拒绝说出他们把钱藏在什么地方。
• He swore never to divulge the secret.他立誓决不泄露秘密。

8 fixedly   

adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地

参考例句：

• He stared fixedly at the woman in white. 他一直凝视着那穿白衣裳的女人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The great majority were silent and still, looking fixedly at the ground. 绝大部分的人都不闹不动，呆呆地望着地面。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

9 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

10 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

11 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

12 stoutly   

adv.牢固地，粗壮的

参考例句：

• He stoutly denied his guilt.他断然否认自己有罪。
• Burgess was taxed with this and stoutly denied it.伯杰斯为此受到了责难，但是他自己坚决否认有这回事。

13 consternation   

n.大为吃惊，惊骇

参考例句：

• He was filled with consternation to hear that his friend was so ill.他听说朋友病得那么厉害，感到非常震惊。
• Sam stared at him in consternation.萨姆惊恐不安地注视着他。

14 restitution   

n.赔偿；恢复原状

参考例句：

• It's only fair that those who do the damage should make restitution.损坏东西的人应负责赔偿，这是再公平不过的了。
• The victims are demanding full restitution.受害人要求全额赔偿。

15 entreaty   

n.恳求，哀求

参考例句：

• Mrs. Quilp durst only make a gesture of entreaty.奎尔普太太仅做出一种哀求的姿势。
• Her gaze clung to him in entreaty.她的眼光带着恳求的神色停留在他身上。

16 remit   

v.汇款，汇寄；豁免（债务），免除（处罚等）

参考例句：

• I hope you'll remit me the money in time.我希望你能及时把钱汇寄给我。
• Many immigrants regularly remit money to their families.许多移民定期给他们的家人汇款。

17 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

18 withholding   

扣缴税款

参考例句：

• She was accused of withholding information from the police. 她被指控对警方知情不报。
• The judge suspected the witness was withholding information. 法官怀疑见证人在隐瞒情况。

19 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》

20 constable   

n.(英国)警察，警官

参考例句：

• The constable conducted the suspect to the police station.警官把嫌疑犯带到派出所。
• The constable kept his temper,and would not be provoked.那警察压制着自己的怒气，不肯冒起火来。

21 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

22 glibly   

adv.流利地，流畅地；满口

参考例句：

• He glibly professed his ignorance of the affair. 他口口声声表白不知道这件事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He put ashes on his head, apologized profusely, but then went glibly about his business. 他表示忏悔，满口道歉，但接着又故态复萌了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

23 overtures   

n.主动的表示，提议；（向某人做出的）友好表示、姿态或提议( overture的名词复数 )；（歌剧、芭蕾舞、音乐剧等的）序曲，前奏曲

参考例句：

• Their government is making overtures for peace. 他们的政府正在提出和平建议。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had lately begun to make clumsy yet endearing overtures of friendship. 最近他开始主动表示友好，样子笨拙却又招人喜爱。 来自辞典例句

24 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。

25 snugly   

adv.紧贴地；贴身地；暖和舒适地；安适地

参考例句：

• Jamie was snugly wrapped in a white woolen scarf. 杰米围着一条白色羊毛围巾舒适而暖和。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The farmyard was snugly sheltered with buildings on three sides. 这个农家院三面都有楼房，遮得很严实。 来自《简明英汉词典》