CHAPTER XVIII — MR. DUNCAN'S SECRET

 About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled look. Open before him were letters. One was post-marked London, and ran as follows:

 

"MY DEAR SIR: I have decided¹ to shorten my visit, and shall leave Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York. You will see, therefore, that I shall arrive nearly as soon as the letter I am now writing. I have decided to withdraw the box of securities I deposited in your bank, and shall place it in a safe-deposit vault² in New York. You may expect to see me shortly.

 

"Yours in haste,

 

"JOHN ARMSTRONG."

 

Drops of perspiration³ gathered on the brow of Prince Duncan as he read this letter. What would Mr. Armstrong say when he learned that the box had mysteriously disappeared? That he would be thoroughly⁴ indignant, and make it very unpleasant for the president of Groveton Bank, was certain. He would ask, among other things, why Mr. Duncan had not informed him of the loss by cable, and no satisfactory explanation could be given. He would ask, furthermore, why detectives had not been employed to ferret out the mystery, and here again no satisfactory explanation could be given. Prince Duncan knew very well that he had a reason, but it was not one that could be disclosed.

 

He next read the second letter, and his trouble was not diminished. It was from a Wall Street broker⁵, informing him that the Erie shares bought for him on a margin⁶ had gone down two points, and it would be necessary for him to deposit additional margin, or be sold out.

 

"Why did I ever invest in Erie?" thought Duncan ruefully. "I was confidently assured that it would go up—that it must go up—and here it is falling, and Heaven knows how much lower it will go."

 

At this point the door opened, and Randolph entered. He had a special favor to ask. He had already given his father several hints that he would like a gold watch, being quite dissatisfied with his silver watch now that Luke Larkin possessed⁷ one superior to his. He had chosen a very unfavorable moment for his request, as he soon found out.

 

"Father," he said, "I have a favor to ask."

 

"What is it?" asked Prince Duncan, with a frown.

 

"I wish you would buy me a gold watch."

 

"Oh, you do!" sneered⁸ his father. "I was under the impression that you had two watches already."

 

"So I have, but one is a Waterbury, and the other a cheap silver one."

 

"Well, they keep time, don't they?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Then what more do you want?"

 

"Luke Larkin has a silver watch better than mine—a stem-winder."

 

"Suppose he has?"

 

"I don't want a working boy like him to outshine me."

 

"Where did he get his watch?"

 

"I don't know; he won't tell. Will you buy me a gold one, father? Then I can look down upon him again."

 

"No, I can't. Money is very scarce with me just now."

 

"Then I don't want to wear a watch at all," said Randolph pettishly⁹.

 

"Suit yourself," said his father coldly. "Now you may leave the room. I am busy."

 

Randolph left the room. He would have slammed the door behind him, but he knew his father's temper, and he did not dare to do so.

 

"What am I to do?" Prince Duncan asked himself anxiously. "I must send money to the brokers¹⁰, or they will sell me out, and I shall meet with a heavy loss."

 

After a little thought he wrote a letter enclosing a check, but dated it two days ahead.

 

"They will think it a mistake," he thought, "and it will give me time to turn around. Now for money to meet the check when it arrives."

 

Prince Duncan went up-stairs, and, locking the door of his chamber¹¹, opened a large trunk in one corner of the room. From under a pile of clothing he took out a tin box, and with hands that trembled with excitement he extracted therefrom a dozen government bonds. One was for ten thousand dollars, one for five, and the remainder were for one thousand dollars each.

 

"If they were only sold, and the money deposited in the bank to my credit," he thought. "I am almost sorry I started in this thing. The risk is very great, but—but I must have money."

 

At this moment some one tried the door.

 

Prince Duncan turned pale, and the bonds nearly fell from his hands.

 

"Who's there?" he asked.

 

"It is I, papa," answered Randolph.

 

"Then you may go down-stairs again," answered his father angrily. "I don't want to be disturbed."

 

"Won't you open the door a minute? I just want to ask a question."

 

"No, I won't. Clear out!" exclaimed the bank president angrily.

 

"What a frightful¹² temper father has!" thought the discomfited¹³ Randolph.

 

There was nothing for it but to go down-stairs, and he did so in a very discontented frame of mind.

 

"It seems to me that something is going contrary," said Duncan to himself. "It is clear that it won't do to keep these bonds here any longer. I must take them to New York to-morrow—and raise money on them."

 

On second thought, to-morrow he decided only to take the five-thousand-dollar bond, and five of the one thousand, fearing that too large a sale at one time might excite suspicion.

 

Carefully selecting the bonds referred to, he put them away in a capacious pocket, and, locking the trunk, went down-stairs again.

 

"There is still time to take the eleven-o'clock train," he said, consulting his watch. "I must do it."

 

Seeking his wife, he informed her that he would take the next train for New York.

 

"Isn't this rather sudden?" she asked, in surprise.

 

"A little, perhaps, but I have a small matter of business to attend to. Besides, I think the trip will do me good. I am not feeling quite as well as usual."

 

"I believe I will go, too," said Mrs. Duncan unexpectedly. "I want to make some purchases at Stewart's."

 

This suggestion was very far from agreeable to her husband.

 

"Really—I am"—he said, "I must disappoint you. My time will be wholly taken up by matters of business, and I can't go with you."

 

"You don't need to. I can take care of myself, and we can meet at the depot¹⁴ at four o'clock."

 

"Besides, I can't supply you with any money for shopping."

 

"I have enough. I might have liked a little more, but I can make it do."

 

"Perhaps it will look better if we go in company," thought Prince Duncan. "She needn't be in my way, for we can part at the station."

 

"Very well, Jane," he said quietly. "If you won't expect me to dance attendance upon you, I withdraw my objections."

 

The eleven-o'clock train for New York had among its passengers Mr. and Mrs. Duncan.

 

There was another passenger whom neither of them noticed—a small, insignificant-looking man—who occasionally directed a quick glance at the portly bank president.

1 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。

2 vault   

n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室

参考例句：

• The vault of this cathedral is very high.这座天主教堂的拱顶非常高。
• The old patrician was buried in the family vault.这位老贵族埋在家族的墓地里。

3 perspiration   

n.汗水；出汗

参考例句：

• It is so hot that my clothes are wet with perspiration.天太热了，我的衣服被汗水湿透了。
• The perspiration was running down my back.汗从我背上淌下来。

4 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

5 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

6 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

7 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。

8 sneered   

讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
• It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。

9 pettishly   

参考例句：

• \"Oh, no,'she said, almost pettishly, \"I just don't feel very good.\" “哦，不是，\"她说，几乎想发火了，\"我只是觉得不大好受。” 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Then he tossed the marble away pettishly, and stood cogitating. 于是他一气之下扔掉那个弹子，站在那儿沉思。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

10 brokers   

n.（股票、外币等）经纪人( broker的名词复数 )；中间人；代理商；（订合同的）中人v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的第三人称单数 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• The firm in question was Alsbery & Co., whiskey brokers. 那家公司叫阿尔斯伯里公司，经销威士忌。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• From time to time a telephone would ring in the brokers' offices. 那两排经纪人房间里不时响着叮令的电话。 来自子夜部分

11 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。

12 frightful   

adj.可怕的；讨厌的

参考例句：

• How frightful to have a husband who snores!有一个发鼾声的丈夫多讨厌啊！
• We're having frightful weather these days.这几天天气坏极了。

13 discomfited   

v.使为难( discomfit的过去式和过去分词)；使狼狈；使挫折；挫败

参考例句：

• He was discomfited by the unexpected questions. 意料不到的问题使得他十分尴尬。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He will be particularly discomfited by the minister's dismissal of his plan. 部长对他计划的不理会将使他特别尴尬。 来自辞典例句

14 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。