Mary had scarcely received from Aggie1 an account of Cassidy'sthreatening invasion, when the maid announced that Mr. Irwin hadcalled.
"Show him in, in just two minutes," Mary directed.
"Who's the gink?" Aggie demanded, with that slangy diction whichwas her habit.
"You ought to know," Mary returned, smiling a little. "He's thelawyer retained by General Hastings in the matter of a certainbreach-of-promise suit.""Oh, you mean yours truly," Aggie exclaimed, not in the leastabashed by her forgetfulness in an affair that concerned herselfso closely. "Hope he's brought the money. What about it?""Leave the room now," Mary ordered, crisply. "When I call to you,come in, but be sure and leave everything to me. Merely followmy lead. And, Agnes--be very ingenue.""Oh, I'm wise--I'm wise," Aggie nodded, as she hurried out towardher bedroom. "I'll be a squab--surest thing you know!"Next moment, Mary gave a formal greeting to the lawyer whorepresented the man she planned to mulct effectively, and invitedhim to a chair near her, while she herself retained her place atthe desk, within a drawer of which she had just locked theformidable-appearing document received from Harris.
Irwin lost no time in coming to the point.
"I called in reference to this suit, which Miss Agnes Lynchthreatens to bring against my client, General Hastings."Mary regarded the attorney with a level glance, serenelyexpressionless as far as could be achieved by eyes so clear andshining, and her voice was cold as she replied with significantbrusqueness.
"It's not a threat, Mr. Irwin. The suit will be brought."The lawyer frowned, and there was a strident note in his voicewhen he answered, meeting her glance with an uncompromising stareof hostility3.
"You realize, of course," he said finally, "that this is merelyplain blackmail4."There was not the change of a feature in the face of the womanwho listened to the accusation5. Her eyes steadfastly6 retainedtheir clear gaze into his; her voice was still coldly formal, asbefore.
"If it's blackmail, Mr. Irwin, why don't you consult the police?"she inquired, with manifest disdain7. Mary turned to the maid,who now entered in response to the bell she had sounded a minutebefore. "Fanny, will you ask Miss Lynch to come in, please?"Then she faced the lawyer again, with an aloofness8 of manner thatwas contemptuous. "Really, Mr. Irwin," she drawled, "why don'tyou take this matter to the police?"The reply was uttered with conspicuous9 exasperation10.
"You know perfectly11 well," the lawyer said bitterly, "thatGeneral Hastings cannot afford such publicity12. His position wouldbe jeopardized13.""Oh, as for that," Mary suggested evenly, and now there was atrace of flippancy14 in her fashion of speaking, "I'm sure thepolice would keep your complaint a secret. Really, you know, Mr.
Irwin, I think you had better take your troubles to the police,rather than to me. You will get much more sympathy from them."The lawyer sprang up, with an air of sudden determination.
"Very well, I will then," he declared, sternly. "I will!"Mary, from her vantage point at the desk across from him, smileda smile that would have been very engaging to any man under morefavorable circumstances, and she pushed in his direction thetelephone that stood there.
"3100, Spring," she remarked, encouragingly, "will bring anofficer almost immediately." She leaned back in her chair, andsurveyed the baffled man amusedly.
The lawyer was furious over the failure of his effort tointimidate this extraordinarily16 self-possessed young woman, whomade a mock of his every thrust. But he was by no means at theend of his resources.
"Nevertheless," he rejoined, "you know perfectly well thatGeneral Hastings never promised to marry this girl. Youknow----" He broke off as Aggie entered the drawing-room,Now, the girl was demure17 in seeming almost beyond belief, achildish creature, very fair and dainty, guileless surely, withthose untroubled eyes of blue, those softly curving lips ofwarmest red and the more delicate bloom in the rounded cheeks.
There were the charms of innocence18 and simplicity19 in the mannerof her as she stopped just within the doorway20, whence sheregarded Mary with a timid, pleading gaze, her slender littleform poised21 lightly as if for flight"Did you want me, dear?" she asked. There was somethinghalf-plaintive in the modulated22 cadences24 of the query25.
"Agnes," Mary answered affectionately, "this is Mr. Irwin, whohas come to see you in behalf of General Hastings.""Oh!" the girl murmured, her voice quivering a little, as thelawyer, after a short nod, dropped again into his seat; "oh, I'mso frightened!" She hurried, fluttering, to a low stool behindthe desk, beside Mary's chair, and there she sank down, droopingslightly, and catching27 hold of one of Mary's hands as if in mutepleading for protection against the fear that beset28 her chastesoul.
"Nonsense!" Mary exclaimed, soothingly29. "There's really nothingat all to be frightened about, my dear child." Her voice wasthat with which one seeks to cajole a terrified infant. "Youmustn't be afraid, Agnes. Mr. Irwin says that General Hastingsdid not promise to marry you. Of course, you understand, mydear, that under no circumstances must you say anything thatisn't strictly30 true, and that, if he did not promise to marryyou, you have no case--none at all. Now, Agnes, tell me: didGeneral Hastings promise to marry you?""Oh, yes--oh, yes, indeed!" Aggie cried, falteringly31. "And I wishhe would. He's such a delightful32 old gentleman!" As she spoke33,the girl let go Mary's hand and clasped her own togetherecstatically.
The legal representative of the delightful old gentleman scowleddisgustedly at this outburst. His voice was portentous34, as heput a question.
"Was that promise made in writing?""No," Aggie answered, gushingly35. "But all his letters were inwriting, you know. Such wonderful letters!" She raised her blueeyes toward the ceiling in a naive36 rapture37. "So tender, andso--er--interesting!" Somehow, the inflection on the last worddid not altogether suggest the ingenuous38.
"Yes, yes, I dare say," Irwin agreed, hastily, with someevidences of chagrin39. He had no intention of dwelling40 on thatfeature of the letters, concerning which he had no doubtwhatsoever, since he knew the amorous41 General very well indeed.
They would be interesting, beyond shadow of questioning, horriblyinteresting. Such was the confessed opinion of the swain himselfwho had written them in his folly--horribly interesting to allthe reading public of the country, since the General was aconspicuous figure.
Mary intervened with a suavity42 that infuriated the lawyer almostbeyond endurance.
"But you're quite sure, Agnes," she questioned gently, "thatGeneral Hastings did promise to marry you?" The candor43 of hermanner was perfect.
And the answer of Aggie was given with a like convincingemphasis.
"Oh, yes!" she declared, tensely. "Why, I would swear to it."The limpid44 eyes, so appealing in their soft lusters45, went firstto Mary, then gazed trustingly into those of the routed attorney.
"You see, Mr. Irwin, she would swear to that," emphasized Mary.
"We're beaten," he confessed, dejectedly, turning his glancetoward Mary, whom, plainly, he regarded as his real adversary46 inthe combat on his client's behalf. "I'm going to be quite frankwith you, Miss Turner, quite frank," he stated with moregeniality, though with a very crestfallen47 air. Somehow, indeed,there was just a shade too much of the crestfallen in the fashionof his utterance48, and the woman whom he addressed watched warilyas he continued. "We can't afford any scandal, so we're going tosettle at your own terms." He paused expectantly, but Maryoffered no comment; only maintained her alert scrutiny49 of theman. The lawyer, therefore, leaned forward with a semblance50 offrank eagerness. Instantly, Aggie had become agog51 with greedilyblissful anticipations52, and she uttered a slight ejaculation ofjoy; but Irwin paid no heed53 to her. He was occupied in takingfrom his pocket a thick bill-case, and from this presently asheaf of banknotes, which he laid on the desk before Mary, with alittle laugh of discomfiture54 over having been beaten in thecontest.
As he did so, Aggie thrust forth55 an avaricious56 hand, but it wascaught and held by Mary before it reached above the top of thedesk, and the avaricious gesture passed unobserved by theattorney.
"We can't fight where ladies are concerned," he went on,assuming, as best he might contrive57, a chivalrous58 tone. "So, ifyou will just hand over General Hastings' letters, why, here'syour money."Much to the speaker's surprise, there followed an interval59 ofsilence, and his puzzlement showed in the knitting of his brows.
"You have the letters, haven't you?" he demanded, abruptly60.
Aggie coyly took a thick bundle from its resting place on herrounded bosom61.
"They never leave me," she murmured, with dulcet62 passion. Therewas in her voice a suggestion of desolation--a desolation thatwas the blighting63 effect of letting the cherished missives gofrom her.
"Well, they can leave you now, all right," the lawyer remarkedunsympathetically, but with returning cheerfulness, since he sawthe end of his quest in visible form before him. He reachedquickly forward for the packet, which Aggie extended willinglyenough. But it was Mary who, with a swift movement, caught andheld it.
"Not quite yet, Mr. Irwin, I'm afraid," she said, calmly.
The lawyer barely suppressed a violent ejaculation of annoyance64.
"But there's the money waiting for you," he protested,indignantly.
The rejoinder from Mary was spoken with great deliberation, yetwith a note of determination that caused a quick and acuteanxiety to the General's representative.
"I think," Mary explained tranquilly65, "that you had better seeour lawyer, Mr. Harris, in reference to this. We women knownothing of such details of business settlement.""Oh, there's no need for all that formality," Irwin urged, with agreat appearance of bland66 friendliness67.
"Just the same," Mary persisted, unimpressed, "I'm quite sure youwould better see Mr. Harris first." There was a cadence23 ofinsistence in her voice that assured the lawyer as to thefutility of further pretense68 on his part.
"Oh, I see," he said disagreeably, with a frown to indicate hiscomplete sagacity in the premises69.
"I thought you would, Mr. Irwin," Mary returned, and now shesmiled in a kindly70 manner, which, nevertheless, gave no pleasureto the chagrined71 man before her. As he rose, she went oncrisply: "If you'll take the money to Mr. Harris, Miss Lynch willmeet you in his office at four o'clock this afternoon, and, whenher suit for damages for breach2 of promise has been legallysettled out of court, you will get the letters....
Good-afternoon, Mr. Irwin."The lawyer made a hurried bow which took in both of the women,and walked quickly toward the door. But he was arrested beforehe reached it by the voice of Mary, speaking again, still in thatimperturbable evenness which so rasped his nerves, for all itsmellow resonance72. But this time there was a sting, of thesharpest, in the words themselves.
"Oh, you forgot your marked money, Mr. Irwin," Mary said.
The lawyer wheeled, and stood staring at the speaker with acertain sheepishness of expression that bore witness to thecompleteness of his discomfiture. Without a word, after a longmoment in which he perceived intently the delicate, yet subtlyenergetic, loveliness of this slender woman, he walked back tothe desk, picked up the money, and restored it to the bill-case.
This done, at last he spoke, with a new respect in his voice, aquizzical smile on his rather thin lips.
"Young woman," he said emphatically, "you ought to have been alawyer." And with that laudatory73 confession74 of her skill, hefinally took his departure, while Mary smiled in a triumph shewas at no pains to conceal75, and Aggie sat gaping76 astonishmentover the surprising turn of events.
It was the latter volatile77 person who ended the silence thatfollowed on the lawyer's going.
"You've darn near broke my heart," she cried, bouncing upviolently, "letting all that money go out of the house.... Say,how did you know it was marked?""I didn't," Mary replied, blandly78; "but it was a pretty goodguess, wasn't it? Couldn't you see that all he wanted was to getthe letters, and have us take the marked money? Then, my simpleyoung friend, we would have been arrested very neatly79 indeed--forblackmail."Aggie's innocent eyes rounded in an amazed consternation80, whichwas not at all assumed.
"Gee!" she cried. "That would have been fierce! And now?" shequestioned, apprehensively81.
Mary's answer repudiated82 any possibility of fear.
"And now," she explained contentedly83, "he really will go to ourlawyer. There, he will pay over that same marked money. Then,he will get the letters he wants so much. And, just because it'sa strictly business transaction between two lawyers, witheverything done according to legal ethics84----""What's legal ethics?" Aggie demanded, impetuously. "They soundsome tasty!" With the comment, she dropped weakly into a chair.
Mary laughed in care-free enjoyment85, as well she might afterwinning the victory in such a battle of wits.
"Oh," she said, happily, "you just get it legally, and you gettwice as much!""And it's actually the same old game!" Aggie mused15. She was doingher best to get a clear understanding of the matter, though toher it was all a mystery most esoteric.
Mary reviewed the case succinctly86 for the other's enlightenment.
"Yes, it's the same game precisely," she affirmed. "A shamelessold roue makes love to you, and he writes you a stack of sillyletters."The pouting87 lips of the listener took on a pathetic droop26, andher voice quivered as she spoke with an effective semblance ofvirginal terror.
"He might have ruined my life!"Mary continued without giving much attention to thesehistrionics.
"If you had asked him for all this money for the return of hisletters, it would have been blackmail, and we'd have gone to jailin all human probability. But we did no such thing--no, indeed!
What we did wasn't anything like that in the eyes of the law.
What we did was merely to have your lawyer take steps toward asuit for damages for breach of promise of marriage for the sum often thousand dollars. Then, his lawyer appears in behalf ofGeneral Hastings, and there follow a number of conferencesbetween the legal representatives of the opposing parties. Bymeans of these conferences, the two legal gentlemen run up veryrespectable bills of expenses. In the end, we get our tenthousand dollars, and the flighty old General gets back hisletters... . My dear," Mary concluded vaingloriously, "we'reinside the law, and so we're perfectly safe. And there you are!"
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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breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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hostility
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| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
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blackmail
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| n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓 | |
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accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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steadfastly
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| adv.踏实地，不变地；岿然；坚定不渝 | |
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disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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aloofness
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| 超然态度 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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exasperation
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| n.愤慨 | |
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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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publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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jeopardized
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| 危及，损害( jeopardize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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flippancy
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| n.轻率；浮躁；无礼的行动 | |
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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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extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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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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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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modulated
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| 已调整[制]的，被调的 | |
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cadence
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| n.（说话声调的）抑扬顿挫 | |
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cadences
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| n.（声音的）抑扬顿挫( cadence的名词复数 )；节奏；韵律；调子 | |
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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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droop
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| v.低垂，下垂；凋萎，萎靡 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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falteringly
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| 口吃地，支吾地 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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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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portentous
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| adj.不祥的，可怕的，装腔作势的 | |
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gushingly
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naive
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| adj.幼稚的，轻信的；天真的 | |
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rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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ingenuous
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| adj.纯朴的，单纯的；天真的；坦率的 | |
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chagrin
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| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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amorous
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| adj.多情的；有关爱情的 | |
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suavity
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| n.温和；殷勤 | |
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candor
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| n.坦白，率真 | |
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limpid
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| adj.清澈的，透明的 | |
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lusters
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| n.光泽( luster的名词复数 )；光辉；光彩；荣耀 | |
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adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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crestfallen
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| adj. 挫败的，失望的，沮丧的 | |
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utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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agog
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| adj.兴奋的，有强烈兴趣的； adv.渴望地 | |
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anticipations
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| 预期( anticipation的名词复数 )； 预测； （信托财产收益的）预支； 预期的事物 | |
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heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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discomfiture
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| n.崩溃；大败；挫败；困惑 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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avaricious
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| adj.贪婪的，贪心的 | |
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contrive
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| vt.谋划，策划；设法做到；设计，想出 | |
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chivalrous
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| adj.武士精神的；对女人彬彬有礼的 | |
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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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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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dulcet
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| adj.悦耳的 | |
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blighting
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| 使凋萎( blight的现在分词 )； 使颓丧； 损害； 妨害 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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tranquilly
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| adv. 宁静地 | |
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bland
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| adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的 | |
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friendliness
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| n.友谊，亲切，亲密 | |
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pretense
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| n.矫饰，做作，借口 | |
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premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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chagrined
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| adj.懊恼的，苦恼的v.使懊恼，使懊丧，使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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resonance
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| n.洪亮；共鸣；共振 | |
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laudatory
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| adj.赞扬的 | |
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confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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76
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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77
volatile
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| adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质 | |
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78
blandly
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| adv.温和地，殷勤地 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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80
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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81
apprehensively
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| adv.担心地 | |
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82
repudiated
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| v.（正式地）否认( repudiate的过去式和过去分词 )；拒绝接受；拒绝与…往来；拒不履行（法律义务） | |
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83
contentedly
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| adv.心满意足地 | |
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84
ethics
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| n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准 | |
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85
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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86
succinctly
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| adv.简洁地；简洁地，简便地 | |
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87
pouting
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| v.撅（嘴）( pout的现在分词 ) | |
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