It was perhaps ten minutes less than the hour when they heard the door softly opened. In the half light they saw Red Ralph enter. He had removed his shoes, and was walking in his stocking feet.
The earl had hung his coat from a nail just behind the door.
Ralph saw it, and at once began to search the pockets. He only glanced carelessly at the bed, for he felt sure that the potion had done its work, and that both his guests were asleep.
In the side pocket he found the wallet. He uttered an ejaculation of satisfaction, and quickly transferred it to his own pocket.
He could not very well examine it in the [Pg 244]darkness. But he could tell from the feeling that it was well filled, and naturally concluded that the contents represented a large sum of money.
Having got what he wanted, he withdrew as quietly as he came, carefully shutting the door behind him.
When he had gone, Scott broke the silence.
"What will he do when he discovers that the wallet is stuffed with waste paper?"
"Probably he will be angry, and feel that he has been defrauded1."
Scott laughed.
"Do you think he will make us another visit?"
"If he does, and complains of the deception2, it will involve a confession3 that he is a thief. I confess I don't know what to anticipate."
Ten minutes later a slow step was heard ascending4 the staircase.
Scott and the earl listened in excitement. They could not forecast the next act in the drama.
The steps paused before the door, but the door was not opened. In place of this they heard a key turn in the lock outside. It was clear that they were locked in.
"Ralph does not mean that we should escape," said the earl.
[Pg 245]
"What shall we do?"
"I shall go to sleep. I think we are secure from any other visit. Hostilities5 are probably deferred6 till morning. What will be done then I am quite at a loss to understand, but when that time comes we can decide what to do."
When Red Ralph went downstairs after purloining7 the wallet, it was with a feeling of satisfaction at the apparent success of his dishonest scheme.
Below, his wife and his accomplice8 still sat before the fire.
"Well, Ralph?" said the latter, with an eager look of interrogation.
"I have got it," chuckled9 Ralph.
"I don't like such doings," said his wife, wearily. "Heaven will never prosper10 dishonesty."
"Shut up, Sarah," commanded Ralph, harshly. "I can't stand a sniveling woman. What I have done is my business, not yours."
"I wish they had never come. I ought to have sent them away."
"You did just right. You invited them in, and delivered them into my hands."
"Open the wallet!" said the dark man, impatiently.
[Pg 246]
Ralph seated himself in the chair which he had vacated before he went upstairs, and, with a smile, opened the wallet.
But the smile quickly faded from his face, and it grew dark with anger, as the contents were disclosed.
"Confusion!" he muttered. "Look at this!" and he threw the paper into the fire.
"What does it mean?" asked his accomplice, bewildered.
"It means that we have been fooled—tricked! They have filled the wallet with this trash, in order to deceive us."
"But are you sure that they had any money?"
"Sure? Why, I saw it with my own eyes. Didn't you, Sarah? Didn't the man pull out a thick roll of bills when he paid the five dollars he agreed upon?"
"Yes," answered the woman, reluctantly.
"There was no mistake about that. The money was real, fast enough. There must have been two or three hundred dollars."
"Where could he have put it, then?"
"I don't know."
"Why should he play such a trick upon you?"
"He evidently suspected something."
[Pg 247]
"How could he suspect a man with your honest face?"
"Be careful, Conrad! I don't allow any man to insult me," said Ralph, with lowering brow.
"Don't get mad, Ralph; I was only joking. What are you going to do now?"
"I don't know."
"The money must be somewhere in the chamber," said Conrad, suggestively.
"Probably it is, but it is concealed11. I can't get at it without waking them up."
"If they drank the doctored whisky, it would be safe enough."
"I don't know whether they did drink it or not. They pretended to, but if they suspected me, they may have emptied it out of the window."
"Then you won't do anything?" asked Conrad, in evident disappointment.
"I will lock them in. I will see, at any rate, that they don't escape from the room. In the morning I will consider what is best to be done."
The woman breathed a sigh of relief. She was honest at heart, and felt no sympathy with her outlaw12 husband.
It was perhaps by way of consoling themselves[Pg 248] for their disappointment that the two men resumed their drinking, and drank heavily.
"Go and get some more whisky, Sarah," said Ralph, for the pitcher13 was about empty.
The woman did so, but an idea had occurred to her. She was resolved to prevent the robbery of her guests, and to afford them a chance to escape.
She turned the tables upon her husband, and dropped into the whisky some of the same sleeping potion which had been intended for the two travelers.
Red Ralph and his accomplice were too much affected14 already to notice any peculiar15 taste in the whisky. They drank deep, getting more and more drowsy16, until at last Ralph slipped from his chair to the floor, where he lay without sense or motion.
"Good-night, old fellow!" hiccoughed Conrad. "I'm with you," and he was soon lying beside his friend.
Sarah looked at the twain half remorsefully17.
"Ought I to have done it?" she asked herself. "But there was no other way. I have perhaps saved my husband from prison, for the theft would surely have been found out. The man looked strong and resolute18, and would not have[Pg 249] allowed himself to be robbed without seeking to punish the robber."
She left the two men lying upon the floor, and sought her own bed.
"They won't wake till late," she reflected, "and I can let the travelers lie till morning. I won't deprive them of their night's rest."
She went upstairs and saw the key in the lock. "I guess I will leave it there," she said, "till morning."
About five o'clock—her usual time for rising—she dressed and went upstairs. She unlocked the door, and knocked loudly upon it.
"Who is it?" asked Scott, jumping out of bed.
"It is I," answered Sarah.
Scott was agreeably surprised, for he had feared it might be Ralph.
"The door is locked," he said.
"You can open it."
He did so, and saw the nervous, half-frightened look of his hostess.
"You must get up at once," she said, "you and your friend. It is not safe to remain here."
"I had found that out. But won't your husband interfere19 with us?"
"He is sound asleep, and won't wake for hours.[Pg 250] But you had better get up now, and avoid difficulty."
"Wait a minute, till I wake my friend."
But the earl was already awake. He quickly grasped the situation.
"Are you not exposing yourself to danger on our account?" he asked, earnestly, of the woman.
"No, I shall know how to manage, but go now. It is morning, and the sooner you get away the better."
"Can we get into the barn, and take our horse?"
"Yes, there will be no difficulty. Make as little noise as possible coming downstairs. My husband might awake."
"Madam," said the earl, "we are much indebted to you. Take this as an acknowledgment," and he tendered her a ten-dollar bill.
"No," she said, shaking her head. "Should my husband discover that I had money he would suspect that I had let you out. Then I should be in danger."
"Then we can only thank you."
They were already dressed, and followed the woman downstairs. They saw Ralph and his friend lying like logs on the floor, and suspected[Pg 251] why they slept so soundly. Both were snoring loudly.
With a sensation of disgust they left the house, and led the horse out of the barn. He seemed to be much better of his lameness20, so that he was able to travel, though slowly. They reached Niagara in time for breakfast.
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收听单词发音
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1
defrauded
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| v.诈取，骗取( defraud的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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2
deception
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| n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计 | |
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3
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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4
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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5
hostilities
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| n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事 | |
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6
deferred
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| adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从 | |
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7
purloining
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| v.偷窃( purloin的现在分词 ) | |
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8
accomplice
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| n.从犯，帮凶，同谋 | |
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9
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
prosper
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| v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣 | |
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11
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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12
outlaw
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| n.歹徒，亡命之徒；vt.宣布…为不合法 | |
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13
pitcher
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| n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手 | |
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14
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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15
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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16
drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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17
remorsefully
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| adv.极为懊悔地 | |
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18
resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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19
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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20
lameness
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| n. 跛, 瘸, 残废 | |
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