CHAPTER XXV. MAURICE BETRAYS HIMSELF.

 "In this way," answered Mr. Ferguson. "Your uncle did not register his name at the Burnet House till after his encounter with you in the street. Probably his reason for changing his hotel was to prevent your examining the register of the one at which he was previously¹ staying, and so ascertaining³ his real residence. The same motive⁴ would lead him to give the wrong address in the new hotel."

 

"Yes, sir; that seems likely, but how is that going to help me?"

 

"You must try to ascertain² where he formerly⁵ stopped. Go to the principal hotels, and examine their registers for a fortnight back. Probably that will cover all the time in which your uncle is likely to have arrived."

 

"Yes, I see," said Gilbert, brightening up. "It is a good plan, and I think it will succeed."

 

"I hope so, for your sake."

 

Gilbert lost no time in following out his employer's suggestion. First, he went to the Gibson House; but he examined the books to no purpose. He looked back as far as twenty days, but could not find the name of James Grey.

 

"He can't have stopped at this hotel," he said to himself.

 

Next he went to the Spencer House. It occurred to him that possibly his uncle's name might be recognized, so he asked the clerk:

 

"Has a gentleman named James Grey stopped with you lately?"

 

"Grey? I believe so," said the clerk, after a moment's reflection. "He left us about a week since."

 

"Yes, it is the same," said Gilbert, eagerly. "Was he here long?"

 

"Only two or three days."

 

This, of course, made the examination easy. In point of fact, ten days back Gilbert found recorded on the books:

 

James Grey, Clayton, Illinois.

 

"Clayton, Illinois," repeated Gilbert; "that's a place I never heard of. I wonder where it is? It can't be much of a place. Can you tell me in what part of Illinois Clayton is?" he inquired of the clerk.

 

"Never heard of it," said that official, indifferently.

 

"Clayton, Illinois?" said a gentleman who had just come up to leave his key. "I can tell you where it is."

 

"Where, sir?"

 

"It is a small town on the Mississippi river, north of Alton—I should think about thirty or forty miles. I never was there, but I've passed it while ascending⁶ the river on a steamboat."

 

"Thank you, sir," said our hero.

 

As may be supposed, he was not a little elated at his discovery. In spite of James Grey's prudent⁷ precautions, his nephew felt that he had not been shrewd enough. St. Louis had not answered the purpose. The insignificant⁸ place where he had supposed himself safe from pursuit, was now known, and Gilbert determined⁹ that there should be no cessation of hostilities¹⁰. He was resolved to follow up the attack, and force his uncle to do him justice.

 

Meanwhile Maurice Walton could not but observe that something was going on. He noticed Gilbert's absence from the store, and his frequent interviews with Mr. Ferguson, and rightly inferred that they had something to do with James Grey.

 

"I wonder if he has found out the loss of the paper?" he thought. "He must have discovered it, and that's why he is in such a flutter. If it's spoilt his chances, so much the better. I owe him a grudge¹¹, and, if I've put a spoke¹² in his wheel, I shall be glad."

 

One incident, having its effect upon the narrative¹³, has not yet been recorded.

 

When James Grey left the hotel, carpet-bag in hand, he chanced to meet Maurice, just before he took a hack¹⁴ to the depot¹⁵. An idea flashed upon him that Maurice might be useful to him as a spy upon his nephew, and might be engaged to watch and give him timely notice of his movements. He therefore paused, and Maurice perceived that he wished to speak with him.

 

"Good-day, sir," he said.

 

"Good-day. I am glad to meet you, for I have something to say to you. That paper you brought me was not the right one."

 

"Not the right one?" repeated Maurice, in alarm, for he thought Mr. Grey was about to demand back the hundred dollars, which he would have been very sorry to surrender.

 

"No; the rascal¹⁶ had been cunning enough to put the original in Mr. Ferguson's safe, and leave only a copy in his trunk. The paper you brought me was the copy."

 

"Does Gilbert say so?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Perhaps he lies."

 

"So I thought; but the date on the paper confirms his story."

 

"It wasn't my fault. I think I earned the money."

 

"You can keep it. I have no intention of asking it back; but I shall want to employ you further."

 

"To get the paper from the safe?"

 

"Can you do it?"

 

"I am afraid not. If I were caught doing it, I should be dismissed, and perhaps arrested."

 

"If you succeed, I will give you another hundred dollars."

 

"I should like the money."

 

"Watch for a good chance. You may be able to do it unobserved."

 

"Are you going to leave the city?"

 

"Yes, I leave at once."

 

"Suppose I get the paper—what shall I do with it?"

 

"Send it by mail to my address."

 

"Where is that, sir?"

 

"Can I rely upon you not to communicate it to Gilbert Grey? It would do him a great deal of good."

 

"Then I certainly won't tell him," said Maurice, decidedly.

 

Knowing the state of feeling between Maurice and his nephew, Mr. Grey felt satisfied with this assurance.

 

"I don't want you even to put it on paper," he continued. "Gilbert might get hold of it. You can remember it without."

 

"Very well, sir."

 

"It is Clayton, Illinois, to the north of Alton, on the river. Now, can you remember Clayton?"

 

"I will think of Henry Clay."

 

"That will be a good reminder¹⁷. As to the State, you are not very likely to forget that. Now, if you find the paper, inclose it in an envelope, and mail it to James Grey, Clayton, Illinois. As soon as I receive it, I will send you, or bring you, a hundred dollars."

 

"Very well, sir; I will try, but I am not sure whether I shall succeed. It's harder than the other job."

 

"Are you suspected of that?"

 

"I don't think so."

 

"That is not all. I shall want to learn about the fellow's movements. He may be planning some conspiracy¹⁸, of which it is important that I should be apprised¹⁹. Now, you are in the same office, and likely to know what is going on."

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"I want you to watch carefully, and, whenever you learn anything worthy²⁰ my knowing, write me immediately, to the address I have given you. See if you remember it."

 

"Clayton, Illinois."

 

"For every letter containing information of value, I will send you ten dollars. I shall not write direct from Clayton, lest the letter be seen, but I will manage to have my letters posted from St. Louis. That is where Gilbert supposes I am living."

 

"Perhaps you had better direct to my boarding-place, and not to the store."

 

"A good suggestion. Give me your address."

 

James Grey took it down in his memorandum²¹ book.

 

"I believe that is all," he said. "Remain faithful to my interests," he added, "and I will take care you do not regret it."

 

"I shall not regret it, if it interferes²² with Gilbert Grey."

 

"If you are his enemy, you cannot harm him more than by devoting yourself to my service."

 

"I will do it."

 

James Grey now hurried away, and Maurice went back to the store. He thought himself unsuspected of the theft of the paper, but he did not long remain so, and it was through his own imprudence that it happened.

 

The black mustache which he had used as a disguise he thrust carelessly in his vest pocket. One day in the store, in drawing out his watch-key, the mustache came too, and dropped on the floor.

 

Maurice stooped hastily to pick it up, but not till Gilbert had seen it. The latter at once remembered the servant's description of the young man who called for his opera-glass.

 

"How long have you had that mustache, Maurice?" he asked, pointedly²³.

 

"I bought it yesterday," muttered Maurice, in confusion.

 

"I thought you might have had it longer," said Gilbert, quietly.

 

Maurice did not answer.

 

"Now I know who stole the paper," thought our hero. "I must be on my guard against him."

 

He said nothing further; but Maurice knew that he was suspected, and it only incensed²⁴ him the more against his fellow-clerk.

1 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

2 ascertain   

vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清

参考例句：

• It's difficult to ascertain the coal deposits.煤储量很难探明。
• We must ascertain the responsibility in light of different situtations.我们必须根据不同情况判定责任。

3 ascertaining   

v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I was ascertaining whether the cellar stretched out in front or behind. 我当时是要弄清楚地下室是朝前还是朝后延伸的。 来自辞典例句
• The design and ascertaining of permanent-magnet-biased magnetic bearing parameter are detailed introduced. 并对永磁偏置磁悬浮轴承参数的设计和确定进行了详细介绍。 来自互联网

4 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

5 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

6 ascending   

adj.上升的，向上的

参考例句：

• Now draw or trace ten dinosaurs in ascending order of size.现在按照体型由小到大的顺序画出或是临摹出10只恐龙。

7 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

8 insignificant   

adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的

参考例句：

• In winter the effect was found to be insignificant.在冬季，这种作用是不明显的。
• This problem was insignificant compared to others she faced.这一问题与她面临的其他问题比较起来算不得什么。

9 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。

10 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

11 grudge   

n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做

参考例句：

• I grudge paying so much for such inferior goods.我不愿花这么多钱买次品。
• I do not grudge him his success.我不嫉妒他的成功。

12 spoke   

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

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

13 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

14 hack   

n.劈，砍，出租马车；v.劈，砍，干咳

参考例句：

• He made a hack at the log.他朝圆木上砍了一下。
• Early settlers had to hack out a clearing in the forest where they could grow crops.早期移民不得不在森林里劈出空地种庄稼。

15 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。

16 rascal   

n.流氓；不诚实的人

参考例句：

• If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。
• The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。

17 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

18 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。

19 apprised   

v.告知，通知( apprise的过去式和过去分词 )；评价

参考例句：

• We were fully apprised of the situation. 我们完全获悉当时的情况。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I have apprised him of your arrival. 我已经告诉他你要来。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

20 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

21 memorandum   

n.备忘录，便笺

参考例句：

• The memorandum was dated 23 August,2008.备忘录上注明的日期是2008年8月23日。
• The Secretary notes down the date of the meeting in her memorandum book.秘书把会议日期都写在记事本上。

22 interferes   

vi. 妨碍，冲突，干涉

参考例句：

• The noise interferes with my work. 这噪音妨碍我的工作。
• That interferes with my plan. 那干扰了我的计划。

23 pointedly   

adv.尖地，明显地

参考例句：

• She yawned and looked pointedly at her watch. 她打了个哈欠，又刻意地看了看手表。
• The demand for an apology was pointedly refused. 让对方道歉的要求遭到了断然拒绝。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 incensed   

盛怒的

参考例句：

• The decision incensed the workforce. 这个决定激怒了劳工大众。
• They were incensed at the decision. 他们被这个决定激怒了。