CHAPTER XXIX — MR. COLEMAN IS FOILED IN HIS ATTEMPT

 Luke looked from Coleman to the clerk in some surprise. He saw from their looks that they were discussing some matter which concerned him.

 

"You left some money in my charge yesterday, Mr. Larkin," said the clerk.

 

"Yes."

 

"Your friend here claims it. Am I to give it to him?"

 

Luke's eyes lighted up indignantly.

 

"What does this mean, Mr. Coleman?" he demanded, sternly.

 

"It means," answered Coleman, throwing off the mask, "that the money is mine, and that you have no right to it."

 

If Luke had not witnessed Coleman's search of his pockets during the night, he would have been very much astonished at this brazen¹ statement. As it was, he had already come to the conclusion that his railroad acquaintance was a sharper.

 

"I will trouble you to prove your claim to it," said Luke, not at all disturbed by Coleman's impudent² assertion.

 

"I gave it to you yesterday to place in the safe. I did not expect you would put it in in your own name," continued Coleman, with brazen hardihood.

 

"When did you hand it to me?" asked Luke, calmly.

 

"When we first went up into the room."

 

This change in his original charge Coleman made in consequence of learning the time of the deposit.

 

"This is an utter falsehood!" exclaimed Luke, indignantly.

 

"Take care, young fellow!" blustered³ Coleman. "Your reputation for honesty isn't of the best. I don't like to expose you, but a boy who has served a three months' term in the penitentiary⁴ had better be careful how he acts."

 

Luke's breath was quite taken away by this unexpected attack. The clerk began to eye him with suspicion, so confident was Coleman's tone.

 

"Mr. Lawrence," said Luke, for he had learned the clerk's name, "will you allow me a word in private?"

 

"I object to this," said Coleman, in a blustering⁵ tone. "Whatever you have to say you can say before me."

 

"Yes," answered the clerk, who did not like Coleman's bullying⁶ tone, "I will hear what you have to say."

 

He led the way into an adjoining room, and assumed an air of attention.

 

"This man is a stranger to me," Luke commenced. "I saw him yesterday afternoon for the first time in my life."

 

"But he says he is your guardian⁷."

 

"He is no more my guardian than you are. Indeed, I would much sooner select you."

 

"How did you get acquainted?"

 

"He introduced himself to me as a traveler for H. B. Claflin, of New York. I did not doubt his statement at the time, but now I do, especially after what happened in the night."

 

"What was that?" asked the clerk, pricking⁸ up his ears.

 

Luke went on to describe Coleman's search of his pockets.

 

"Did you say anything?"

 

"No. I wished to see what he was after. As I had left nearly all my money with you, I was not afraid of being robbed."

 

"I presume your story is correct. In fact, I detected him in a misstatement as to the time of giving you the money. But I don't want to get into trouble."

 

"Ask him how much money I deposited with you," suggested Luke. "He has no idea, and will have to guess."

 

"I have asked him the question once, but will do so again."

 

The clerk returned to the office with Luke. Coleman eyed them uneasily, as if he suspected them of having been engaged in a conspiracy⁹ against him.

 

"Well," he said, "are you going to give me my money?"

 

"State the amount," said the clerk, in a businesslike manner.

 

"I have already told you that I can't state exactly. I handed the money to Luke without counting it."

 

"You must have some idea, at any rate," said the clerk.

 

"Of course I have. There was somewhere around seventy-five dollars."

 

This he said with a confidence which he did not feel, for it was, of course, a mere¹⁰ guess.

 

"You are quite out in your estimate, Mr. Coleman. It is evident to me that you have made a false claim. You will oblige me by settling your bill and leaving the hotel."

 

"Do you think I will submit to such treatment?" demanded Coleman, furiously.

 

"I think you'll have to," returned the clerk, quietly. "You can go in to breakfast, if you like, but you must afterward¹¹ leave the hotel. John," this to a bellboy, "go up to number forty-seven and bring down this gentleman's luggage."

 

"You and the boy are in a conspiracy against me!" exclaimed Coleman, angrily. "I have a great mind to have you both arrested!"

 

"I advise you not to attempt it. You may get into trouble."

 

Coleman apparently¹² did think better of it. Half an hour later he left the hotel, and Luke found himself alone. He decided¹³ that he must be more circumspect¹⁴ hereafter.

1 brazen   

adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的

参考例句：

• The brazen woman laughed loudly at the judge who sentenced her.那无耻的女子冲着给她判刑的法官高声大笑。
• Some people prefer to brazen a thing out rather than admit defeat.有的人不愿承认失败，而是宁肯厚着脸皮干下去。

2 impudent   

adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的

参考例句：

• She's tolerant toward those impudent colleagues.她对那些无礼的同事采取容忍的态度。
• The teacher threatened to kick the impudent pupil out of the room.老师威胁着要把这无礼的小学生撵出教室。

3 blustered   

v.外强中干的威吓( bluster的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮；（风）呼啸；狂吹

参考例句：

• He blustered his way through the crowd. 他吆喝着挤出人群。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The wind blustered around the house. 狂风呼啸着吹过房屋周围。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 penitentiary   

n.感化院；监狱

参考例句：

• He worked as a warden at the state penitentiary.他在这所州监狱任看守长。
• While he was in the penitentiary her father died and the family broke up.他坐牢的时候，她的父亲死了，家庭就拆散了。

5 blustering   

adj.狂风大作的，狂暴的v.外强中干的威吓( bluster的现在分词 )；咆哮；（风）呼啸；狂吹

参考例句：

• It was five and a half o'clock now, and a raw, blustering morning. 这时才五点半，正是寒气逼人，狂风咆哮的早晨。 来自辞典例句
• So sink the shadows of night, blustering, rainy, and all paths grow dark. 夜色深沉，风狂雨骤；到处途暗路黑。 来自辞典例句

6 bullying   

v.恐吓，威逼( bully的现在分词 )；豪；跋扈

参考例句：

• Many cases of bullying go unreported . 很多恐吓案件都没有人告发。
• All cases of bullying will be severely dealt with. 所有以大欺小的情况都将受到严肃处理。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

8 pricking   

刺，刺痕，刺痛感

参考例句：

• She felt a pricking on her scalp. 她感到头皮上被扎了一下。
• Intercostal neuralgia causes paroxysmal burning pain or pricking pain. 肋间神经痛呈阵发性的灼痛或刺痛。

9 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

10 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

11 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

12 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

13 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。

14 circumspect   

adj.慎重的，谨慎的

参考例句：

• She is very circumspect when dealing with strangers.她与陌生人打交道时十分谨慎。
• He was very circumspect in his financial affairs.他对于自己的财务十分细心。