His library, that evening, made Sandy think of a “mass meeting of creditors1 or stockholders who have been tricked.”
The room sheltered a mixed assembly. Jeff was there, and so was the seaplane pilot, Tommy Larsen, and his former “passenger” supposed to be a special agent from London.
Miss Serena, with the yacht stewardess2, uneasy but clinging close to the older woman, made up the representatives of the ladies’ side, while Captain Parks, his chef, mate, engineer and their helpers and crew, with the caretaker and all the new servants, filled one end of the room.
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“Now you know why there was so much excitement as the yacht came in,” Mr. Everdail completed a long speech in which he told the astonished gathering3 about the missing emeralds. “That is, those of you know who didn’t know before,” he added meaningly, and went on quickly. “I decided4 to tell you because somebody on that yacht was ‘in cahoots’ with somebody else, and if any of you know who it is, it will be worth ten thousand dollars to you to point out the right one and help me prove you’re right!”
“That will start something!” mused5 Larry as many exclaimed, and others looked startled at the disclosure of the large reward.
By agreement Mr. Everdail watched the sailors and servants to note the effect of his story. Sandy, without doing it openly, watched Jeff. Larry’s eyes covertly6 observed Tommy Larsen and his associate and Dick noted7 the action and expression of Captain Parks.
“There’s some one who knows something!” Larry decided as he saw the passenger of the cracked-up seaplane bend forward, intent, but without a trace of expression. He had the sort of face that can completely conceal8 its owner’s emotions.
“I’ve discovered that Captain Parks has a hand in this somehow,” Larry determined9, as he saw the mariner’s eyes shift. Larry followed the swift, instantly changed direction of the seaman’s glance.
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“He looked smack10 at the stewardess,” Larry added to himself.
Sandy’s watchfulness11 drew blank.
“Jeff didn’t turn a hair,” Sandy murmured under his breath. “He knew all about it, of course. But—just you wait, Jefferson-boy, till Mr. Everdail ‘springs’ the trap.”
As soon as the sensation created by the large offer was over, everybody looked suspiciously at his or her own neighbor.
No one spoke12.
The millionaire waited a decent interval13 for someone to come forward, and Miss Serena finally broke the spell of silence by saying, quietly:
“You won’t find out anything by that, Atley.”
“Why not?”
“Because—” She spoke in harmony with her name, pronouncing her words serenely14:
“Because—the person who threw the jewels off the Tramp—isn’t here—and wasn’t suspected or seen.”
“As I live and breathe!” The rich man rose, while Dick, Larry and Sandy almost bounced out of their chairs.
“Serena, explain that!” he added.
“It was your wife’s French maid—Mimi!” she said quietly.
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“How do you know?”
“Did you see her?” broke in Sandy, astonished.
“I did not see her,” Miss Serena replied to Sandy while she answered the older man’s question in the same breath. “But I saw a glimpse of dress just afterward15.” Her expression showed confident assurance.
“Why, Miss Serena!” Jeff was stunned16. “I didn’t know you was one of these-here detectives.”
“I’m a woman and I use my eyes,” she responded quietly. “A woman needs only to catch a flash of a dress to identify it. Mimi’s maid’s outfit17 has a distinctive18 cap—and I saw her cap just as she turned into the after cabin—I was on the bridge. I went there immediately but she had gone out through the galley19 door and I could not locate her.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” her cousin demanded.
“There was no need. She had taken only the imitations—the ones you found.”
“But she knew them,” objected Dick. “She wouldn’t throw over the wrong ones and she couldn’t get the right ones.”
“She threw over both sets!”
143
The Sky Patrol gasped20 in unison21. So did all the others.
“But she couldn’t get the real ones!” persisted Dick.
“She did not know she was throwing them over!”
There was another chorus of amazed exclamations22.
“Explain that,” commanded the millionaire sharply.
“She—did—not—know—that the real emeralds—had been—hidden—in the life preserver she used!”
“Who put the real ones there?” Larry spoke abruptly23 in the astonished silence.
He did not need to have her reply. Captain Parks was red and white by turns.
“I hid them to keep them secure!” he stammered24, turning toward his employer. “I had no wish to take them. I felt—sure—nobody knew the combination of the cabin safe—but I couldn’t say that a clever man, some ‘Jimmy Valentine’ fellow, might not get in. So I decided to hide the real emeralds—and what was safer than a life preserver?”
While eyes were fixed25 on him, surprised, accusing, unbelieving, he spoke haltingly to his employer:
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“I hope you’ll take my word for it, sir.”
The millionaire hesitated.
“I believe you!” Larry spoke earnestly, reassuringly26. “It’s a perfectly27 reasonable explanation.”
“But how did you get them into the life preserver?” asked Sandy.
“Took off part of the cover, cut the rubber, put them in, wrapped in oiled silk to make a tight pack, then used some rubber patching cement I keep for torn rubber coats or boot patching, and with a hot electric iron I vulcanized the rubber together and put back the covering.”
“Then there weren’t any stitches to be discovered!” exclaimed Dick.
“None!”
“Then we’re all right!” Larry leaped to his feet. “We can restore the jewels!”
“Certainly we can!” agreed Sandy. “And Mr. Everdail can telegraph his wife to have Mimi arrested——”
“And she will have to tell who was her partner,” added Dick.
145
“Now you had better go and get that life preserver, and we’ll cut it open,” suggested Mr. Everdail. “I guess it’s safe enough hidden in the tail of Jeff’s plane—” He was baiting their trap. “Don’t look so surprised, Jeff—that was what caused your ‘hoodooed’ crate28 to go out of control—but we don’t suspect you of putting it there!”
Sandy, Dick and Larry had left the room by the time he completed his sentence.
Reaching the hangar, with Mr. Everdail’s private key they opened the smaller door, and used a flashlight to locate, reach and climb to the tail of the airplane’s fuselage.
“Now—out comes—why!——”
Dick and Sandy saw Larry’s dazed face.
Instantly they knew the worst!
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收听单词发音
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1
creditors
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| n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 ) | |
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2
stewardess
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| n.空中小姐，女乘务员 | |
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3
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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4
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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6
covertly
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| adv.偷偷摸摸地 | |
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7
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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8
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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9
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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smack
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| vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍 | |
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11
watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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12
spoke
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| 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 | |
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13
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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14
serenely
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| adv.安详地，宁静地，平静地 | |
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15
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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17
outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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distinctive
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| adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的 | |
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19
galley
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| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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21
unison
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| n.步调一致，行动一致 | |
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exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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23
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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24
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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26
reassuringly
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| ad.安心，可靠 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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28
crate
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| vt.(up)把…装入箱中；n.板条箱，装货箱 | |
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