Presently, when she had finished the cigarette, Aggie1 proceededto her own chamber2 and there spent a considerable time in makinga toilette calculated to set off to its full advantage theslender daintiness of her form. When at last she was gowned toher satisfaction, she went into the drawing-room of the apartmentand gave herself over to more cigarettes, in an easy chair,sprawled out in an attitude of comfort never taught in anyfinishing school for young ladies. She at the same time indulgedher tastes in art and literature by reading the jokes andstudying the comic pictures in an evening paper, which the maidbrought in at her request. She had about exhausted3 this form ofamusement when the coming of Joe Garson, who was usually in andout of the apartment a number of times daily, provided a welcomediversion. After a casual greeting between the two, Aggieexplained, in response to his question, that Mary had gone out tokeep an engagement with Dick Gilder4.
There was a little period of silence while the man, with theresolute face and the light gray eyes that shone so clearlyunderneath the thick, waving silver hair, held his head bentdownward as if in intent thought. When, finally, he spoke6, therewas a certain quality in his voice that caused Aggie to regardhim curiously7.
"Mary has been with him a good deal lately," he said, halfquestioningly.
"That's what," was the curt8 agreement.
Garson brought out his next query9 with the brutal10 bluntness ofhis kind; and yet there was a vague suggestion of tenderness inhis tones under the vulgar words.
"Think she's stuck on him?" He had seated himself on a setteeopposite the girl, who did not trouble on his account to assume aposture more decorous, and he surveyed her keenly as he waitedfor a reply.
"Why not?" Aggie retorted. "Bet your life I'd be, if I had achance. He's a swell11 boy. And his father's got the coin, too."At this the man moved impatiently, and his eyes wandered to thewindow. Again, Aggie studied him with a swift glance ofinterrogation. Not being the possessor of an over-nicesensibility as to the feelings of others, she now spoke briskly.
"Joe, if there's anything on your mind, shoot it."Garson hesitated for a moment, then decided12 to unburden himself,for he craved13 precise knowledge in this matter.
"It's Mary," he explained, with some embarrassment14; "her andyoung Gilder.""Well?" came the crisp question.
"Well, somehow," Garson went on, still somewhat confusedly, "Ican't see any good of it, for her.""Why?" Aggie demanded, in surprise.
Garson's manner grew easier, now that the subject was wellbroached.
"Old man Gilder's got a big pull," he vouchsafed15, "and if hecaught on to his boy's going with Mary, he'd be likely to sendthe police after us--strong! Believe me, I ain't looking for anytrip up the river."Aggie shook her head, quite unaffected by the man's suggestion ofpossible peril16 in the situation.
"We ain't done nothin' they can touch us for," she declared, withassurance. "Mary says so."Garson, however, was unconvinced, notwithstanding his deferenceto the judgment17 of his leader.
"Whether we've done anything, or whether we haven't, don'tmatter," he objected. "Once the police set out after you,they'll get you. Russia ain't in it with some of the things Ihave seen pulled off in this town.""Oh, can that 'fraid talk!" Aggie exclaimed, roughly. "I tell youthey can't get us. We've got our fingers crossed."She would have said more, but a noise at the hall doorinterrupted her, and she looked up to see a man in the opening,while behind him appeared the maid, protesting angrily.
"Never mind that announcing thing with me," the newcomer raspedto the expostulating servant, in a voice that suited well histhick-set figure, with the bullet-shaped head and the bull-likeneck. Then he turned to the two in the drawing-room, both ofwhom had now risen to their feet.
"It's all right, Fannie," Aggie said hastily to the flusteredmaid. "You can go."As the servant, after an indignant toss of the head, departedalong the passage, the visitor clumped18 heavily forward andstopped in the center of the room, looking first at one and thenthe other of the two with a smile that was not pleasant. He wasnot at pains to remove the derby hat which he wore rather farback on his head. By this single sign, one might have recognizedCassidy, who had had Mary Turner in his charge on the occasion ofher ill-fated visit to Edward Gilder's office, four years before,though now the man had thickened somewhat, and his ruddy face wasgrown even coarser.
"Hello, Joe!" he cried, familiarly. "Hello, Aggie!"The light-gray eyes of the forger19 had narrowed perceptibly as herecognized the identity of the unceremonious caller, while thelines of his firmly set mouth took on an added fixity.
"Well?" he demanded. His voice was emotionless.
"Just a little friendly call," Cassidy announced, in his stridentvoice. "Where's the lady of the house?""Out." It was Aggie who spoke, very sharply.
"Well, Joe," Cassidy went on, without paying further heed20 to thegirl for a moment, "when she comes back, just tell her it's up toher to make a get-away, and to make it quick."But Aggie was not one to be ignored under any circumstances.
Now, she spoke with some acerbity21 in her voice, which could atwill be wondrous22 soft and low.
"Say!" she retorted viciously, "you can't throw any scare intous. You hadn't got anything on us. See?"Cassidy, in response to this outburst, favored the girl with along stare, and there was hearty23 amusement in his tones as heanswered.
"Nothing on you, eh? Well, well, let's see." He regarded Garsonwith a grin. "You are Joe Garson, forger." As he spoke, thedetective took a note-book from a pocket, found a page, and thenread: "First arrested in 1891, for forging the name of EdwinGoodsell to a check for ten thousand dollars. Again arrestedJune 19, 1893, for forgery24. Arrested in April, 1898, for forgingthe signature of Oscar Hemmenway to a series of bonds that werecounterfeit. Arrested as the man back of the Reilly gang, in1903. Arrested in 1908 for forgery."There was no change in the face or pose of the man who listenedto the reading. When it was done, and the officer looked up witha resumption of his triumphant25 grin, Garson spoke quietly.
"Haven't any records of convictions, have you?"The grin died, and a snarl26 sprang in its stead.
"No," he snapped, vindictively27. "But we've got the right dope onyou, all right, Joe Garson." He turned savagely28 on the girl, whonow had regained29 her usual expression of demure30 innocence31, butwith her rather too heavy brows drawn32 a little lower than theirwont, under the influence of an emotion otherwise concealed34.
"And you're little Aggie Lynch," Cassidy declared, as he thrustthe note-book back into his pocket. "Just now, you're posing asMary Turner's cousin. You served two years in Burnsing forblackmail. You were arrested in Buffalo35, convicted, and servedyour stretch. Nothing on you? Well, well!" Again there wastriumph in the officer's chuckle36.
Aggie showed no least sign of perturbation in the face of thisrevelation of her unsavory record. Only an expression ofhalf-incredulous wonder and delight beamed from her widely openedblue eyes and was emphasized in the rounding of the little mouth.
"Why," she cried, and now there was softness enough in the cooingnotes, "my Gawd! It looks as though you had actually beenworkin'!"The sarcasm37 was without effect on the dull sensibilities of theofficer. He went on speaking with obvious enjoyment38 of theextent to which his knowledge reached.
"And the head of the gang is Mary Turner. Arrested four yearsago for robbing the Emporium. Did her stretch of three years.""Is that all you've got about her?" Garson demanded, with suchabruptness that Cassidy forgot his dignity sufficiently39 to answerwith an unqualified yes.
The forger continued speaking rapidly, and now there was anundercurrent of feeling in his voice.
"Nothing in your record of her about her coming out without afriend in the world, and trying to go straight? You ain't gotnothing in that pretty little book of your'n about your going tothe millinery store where she finally got a job, and tipping themoff to where she come from?""Sure, they was tipped off," Cassidy answered, quite unmoved.
And he added, swelling40 visibly with importance: "We got toprotect the city.""Got anything in that record of your'n," Garson went onvenomously, "about her getting another job, and your followingher up again, and having her thrown out? Got it there about theletter you had old Gilder write, so that his influence would gether canned?""Oh, we had her right the first time," Cassidy admitted,complacently.
Then, the bitterness of Garson's soul was revealed by thefierceness in his voice as he replied.
"You did not! She was railroaded for a job she never done. Shewent in honest, and she came out honest."The detective indulged himself in a cackle of sneering42 merriment.
"And that's why she's here now with a gang of crooks43," heretorted.
Garson met the implication fairly.
"Where else should she be?" he demanded, violently. "You ain'tgot nothing in that record about my jumping into the river afterher?" The forger's voice deepened and trembled with theintensity of his emotion, which was now grown so strong that anywho listened and looked might guess something of the truth as tohis feeling toward this woman of whom he spoke. "That's where Ifound her--a girl that never done nobody any harm, starvingbecause you police wouldn't give her a chance to work. In theriver because she wouldn't take the only other way that was lefther to make a living, because she was keeping straight!... Haveyou got any of that in your book?"Cassidy, who had been scowling44 in the face of this arraignment,suddenly gave vent45 to a croaking46 laugh of derision.
"Huh!" he said, contemptuously. "I guess you're stuck on her,eh?"At the words, an instantaneous change swept over Garson.
Hitherto, he had been tense, his face set with emotion, a manstrong and sullen47, with eyes as clear and heartless as those of abeast in the wild. Now, without warning, a startlingtransformation was wrought48. His form stiffened49 to rigidity50 afterone lightning-swift step forward, and his face grayed. The eyesglowed with the fires of a man's heart in a spasm51 of hate. Hewas the embodiment of rage, as he spoke huskily, his voice awhisper that was yet louder than any shout.
"Cut that!"The eyes of the two men locked. Cassidy struggled with all hispride against the dominant52 fury this man hurled53 on him.
"What?" he demanded, blusteringly. But his tone was weaker thanits wont33.
"I mean," Garson repeated, and there was finality in his accents,a deadly quality that was appalling54, "I mean, cut it out--now,here, and all the time! It don't go!" The voice rose slightly.
The effect of it was more penetrant than a scream. "It don'tgo!... Do you get me?"There was a short interval55 of silence, then the officer's eyes atlast fell. It was Aggie who relieved the tension of the scene.
"He's got you," she remarked, airily. "Oi, oi! He's got you!"There were again a few seconds of pause, and then Cassidy made anobservation that revealed in some measure the shock of theexperience he had just undergone.
"You would have been a big man, Joe, if it hadn't been for thattemper of yours. It's got you into trouble once or twicealready. Some time it's likely to prove your finish."Garson relaxed his immobility, and a little color crept into hischeeks.
"That's my business," he responded, dully.
"Anyway," the officer went on, with a new confidence, now thathis eyes were free from the gaze that had burned into his soul,"you've got to clear out, the whole gang of you--and do itquick."Aggie, who as a matter of fact began to feel that she was notreceiving her due share of attention, now interposed, movingforward till her face was close to the detective's.
"We don't scare worth a cent," she snapped, with the virulence56 ofa vixen. "You can't do anything to us. We ain't broke the law."There came a sudden ripple57 of laughter, and the charming lipscurved joyously58, as she added: "Though perhaps we have bent5 it abit."Cassidy sneered59, outraged60 by such impudence61 on the part of anex-convict.
"Don't make no difference what you've done," he growled62. "Gee63!"he went on, with a heavy sneer41. "But things are coming to apretty pass when a gang of crooks gets to arguing about theirrights. That's funny, that is!""Then laugh!" Aggie exclaimed, insolently64, and made a face at theofficer. "Ha, ha, ha!""Well, you've got the tip," Cassidy returned, somewhatdisconcerted, after a stolid65 fashion of his own. "It's up to youto take it, that's all. If you don't, one of you will make along visit with some people out of town, and it'll probably beMary. Remember, I'm giving it to you straight."Aggie assumed her formal society manner, exaggerated to the pointof extravagance.
"Do come again, little one," she chirruped, caressingly66. "I'veenjoyed your visit so much!"But Cassidy paid no apparent attention to her frivolousness67; onlyturned and went noisily out of the drawing-room, offering noreturn to her daintily inflected good-afternoon.
For her own part, as she heard the outer door close behind thedetective, Aggie's expression grew vicious, and the heavy browsdrew very low, until the level line almost made her prettinessvanish.
"The truck-horse detective!" she sneered. "An eighteen collar,and a six-and-a-half hat! He sure had his nerve, trying to bluffus!"But it was plain that Garson was of another mood. There wasanxiety in his face, as he stood staring vaguely69 out of thewindow.
"Perhaps it wasn't a bluff68, Aggie," he suggested.
"Well, what have we done, I'd like to know?" the girl demanded,confidently. She took a cigarette and a match from the tabouretbeside her, and stretched her feet comfortably, if veryinelegantly, on a chair opposite.
Garson answered with a note of weariness that was unlike him.
"It ain't what you have done," he said, quietly. "It's what theycan make a jury think you've done. And, once they set out to getyou--God, how they can frame things! If they ever start out afterMary----" He did not finish the sentence, but sank down into hischair with a groan70 that was almost of despair.
The girl replied with a burst of careless laughter.
"Joe," she said gaily71, "you're one grand little forger, allright, all right. But Mary's got the brains. Pooh, I'll stringalong with her as far as she wants to go. She's educated, she is.
She ain't like you and me, Joe. She talks like a lady, and,what's a damned sight harder, she acts like a lady. I guess Iknow. Wake me up any old night and ask me--just ask me, that'sall. She's been tryin' to make a lady out of me!"The vivaciousness72 of the girl distracted the man for the momentfrom the gloom of his thoughts, and he turned to survey thespeaker with a cynical73 amusement.
"Swell chance!" he commented, drily.
"Oh, I'm not so worse! Just you watch out." The lively girlsprang up, discarded the cigarette, adjusted an imaginary train,and spoke lispingly in a society manner much more moderate andconvincing than that with which she had favored the retiringCassidy. Voice, pose and gesture proclaimed at least theexcellent mimic74.
"How do you do, Mrs. Jones! So good of you to call!... My dearMiss Smith, this is indeed a pleasure." She seated herselfagain, quite primly75 now, and moved her hands over the tabouretappropriately to her words. "One lump, or two?... Yes, I justlove bridge. No, I don't play," she continued, simpering; "but,just the same, I love it." With this absurd ending, Aggie againarranged her feet according to her liking76 on the opposite chair.
"That's the kind of stuff she's had me doing," she rattled77 on inher coarser voice, "and believe me, Joe, it's damned near killingme. But all the same," she hurried on, with a swift revulsion ofmood to the former serious topic, "I'm for Mary strong! You stickto her, Joe, and you'll wear diamon's.... And that reminds me! Iwish she'd let me wear mine, but she won't. She says they'revulgar for an innocent country girl like her cousin, Agnes Lynch.
Ain't that fierce?... How can anything be vulgar that's worth ahundred and fifty a carat?"
收听单词发音 |
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aggie
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| n.农校，农科大学生 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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gilder
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| 镀金工人 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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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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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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curt
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| adj.简短的，草率的 | |
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query
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| n.疑问，问号，质问；vt.询问，表示怀疑 | |
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brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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craved
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| 渴望，热望( crave的过去式 )； 恳求，请求 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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vouchsafed
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| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 )；允诺 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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clumped
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| adj.[医]成群的v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的过去式和过去分词 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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forger
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| v.伪造；n.（钱、文件等的）伪造者 | |
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heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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acerbity
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| n.涩，酸，刻薄 | |
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wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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forgery
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| n.伪造的文件等，赝品，伪造（行为） | |
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triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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vindictively
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| adv.恶毒地；报复地 | |
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savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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demure
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| adj.严肃的；端庄的 | |
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innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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sneering
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| 嘲笑的，轻蔑的 | |
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crooks
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| n.骗子( crook的名词复数 )；罪犯；弯曲部分；（牧羊人或主教用的）弯拐杖v.弯成钩形( crook的第三人称单数 ) | |
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scowling
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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croaking
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| v.呱呱地叫( croak的现在分词 )；用粗的声音说 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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rigidity
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| adj.钢性，坚硬 | |
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spasm
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| n.痉挛，抽搐；一阵发作 | |
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dominant
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| adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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virulence
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| n.毒力，毒性；病毒性；致病力 | |
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ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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outraged
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| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
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impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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63
gee
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| n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转 | |
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64
insolently
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| adv.自豪地，自傲地 | |
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stolid
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| adj.无动于衷的，感情麻木的 | |
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66
caressingly
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| 爱抚地，亲切地 | |
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67
frivolousness
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| n.不重要，不必要 | |
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68
bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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69
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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70
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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vivaciousness
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| 活泼的性格 | |
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cynical
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| adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的 | |
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mimic
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| v.模仿，戏弄；n.模仿他人言行的人 | |
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primly
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| adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地 | |
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liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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77
rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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