Mason never again alluded2 to the discovery he had made in regard to the trouble Charles was in, excepting once, when they were walking together in a crowded street on the East Side, and he had noticed that Charles seemed to be slightly nervous.
"Leave it to me," said Mason, suddenly. "I'll keep a sharp watch out, and I'll let you know if I see the slightest thing that looks fishy3. Keep your mind off of it. I don't want to know any more about it, either. From what you say I gather that you are bound by some promise or other to keep your mouth eternally closed, even to a friend like me. That's all right. I admire you all the more for it. You may be a thief to those Boston folks, but you are not to me. The fact that you don't even deny the charge means nothing to me."
Upon another occasion, one rainy evening Mason took up the framed photograph of Ruth which Charles always had on the bureau, table, or mantelpiece, and stood admiring it.
"Say, pal4," he said, suddenly, as he wiped the glass over the little face with his handkerchief, "if I ever leave you I'll want to steal this thing. It has grown on me. She must be a beauty, and so sweet and gentle."
Charles rose, took the picture into his hands, and stood looking at it steadily5. "I wouldn't take the world for it," he said.
"I think I know something about her—I can guess. You say you used to drink hard at one time, though you don't now."
"Yes, that's true, but what else?" Charles went on, still feasting his homesick eyes on the picture.
"I don't want to bring up things that will pain you for no good in the world," Mason said, "so let's drop it."
"No, go ahead," Charles urged, half smiling. "I want you to finish, for I think, from some little things you have dropped now and then, that you are mistaken about me—in one particular, at least."
"Well," Mason went on, "I have an idea that you were once happily married and that—well, the old habit got the upper hand so far that your wife took the little girl and went away."
"Wrong, old man," Charles said, with a weary smile. "I've never been married."
"Ah, then she is a little sister?"
"No, only a niece," Charles interrupted, "but I love her and I think she loved me at one time, and may still, perhaps. They say that children soon forget those they love, and, as I shall never see Ruth again, she is sure to forget me; but I shall never forget her. Do you know, old man, that that very little angel has seen me drunk. She has crept into my arms and hugged me tight when I was too drunk to know she was near. I came to myself one day when she was crying in alarm because she could not wake me up. Oh, if I could blot6 that out! Perhaps when Ruth is grown she will recall that, scene more vividly7 than any other associated with me. It is odd, but I don't feel as if I shall ever drink a drop again—the desire has left me completely. I don't know why, but it has."
"Our talk is on the wrong line to-night," Mason said, sympathetically. "You said once that it was absolutely impossible for you ever to go back to your old friends, and if that is so this talk is doing you no good at all."
"No, it is doing no good," Charles admitted. "When I think of those old days my very soul seems torn apart. Lost opportunities—the 'what might have been' but wasn't! Yes, let's talk of the present. What chance for work now?"
Mason lighted his pipe, which he had been carefully filling. "There is a chance, but not here in New York. To tell you the truth, I rather like the idea, for it is the only thing I have seen in which we could stay together."
"A chance? What is it?" Charles demanded, putting the picture back into its place.
"You may laugh, but this monotony is killing8 me, and I am thinking seriously of taking the plunge," Mason said, as he puffed9 away. "I want you to come, but not if you don't like it. This morning I met a man in union Square who told me he was taking a week off from a job with a traveling circus and menagerie. It is now in Philadelphia. It will be in Newark, New Jersey10, the day after to-morrow. He says men who are willing to do hard manual labor11 can always get employment, good food, fair sleeping-quarters on the train, and two dollars a day promptly12 paid. I've always liked outdoor work. The thing fairly charms me, for I want to see more of the country, but I don't want to throw you over. I've got used to you. I'd be lost without you. I've never had a real pal before."
Charles lighted his own pipe. He frowned as if in deep reflection. "I'm going to be frank," he said, presently. "I am like you. I like the idea of that sort of life immensely, and I am dying of dry rot. But I am wondering, would a man—well, a man like me, for instance—be as safe there as here."
"Safer, in my opinion," Mason declared, eagerly. "In a roundabout way I dug it out of the chap that many of the hangers-on were fellows who, for different reasons, were dodging13 officers of the law. He said he did not like that feature of the life, but that you don't have to associate with them unless you like. Gosh! you know, I like the idea, and I wish you did!"
"Newark, day after to-morrow," Charles said, thoughtfully. "That's close. Well, I'll think it over. It looks inviting14, doesn't it? Yes, I'll think it over. What will we have to do?"
Mason laughed. "Feed the animals; drive stakes and pull them up; help about the big tent-kitchen; dress up like Turks or some other outlandish creature and march in the street processions, and Heaven only knows what else."
"It is getting interesting," Charles smiled. "I'll let you know soon. Keep it in view. It is the only thing in sight, and we will starve at this rate."
The two friends happened to be in Madison Square the following afternoon, and were attracted by the sight of several groups of people gathered around some "soap-box" orators15 in the space set aside by the city for such meetings. Speeches were made daily by the men and women on religion, science, philosophy and every form of politics from crass16 anarchy17 to ideal socialism. For the most part, the speakers were of foreign birth or the descendants of foreigners. Presently they were drawn18 into a group that was gathering19 about a blond-bearded philosopher who had the ascetic20 face of a mystic and who was telling how he had forsaken21 a life of practical activity and had found infinite peace. Men in the group who openly avowed22 themselves to be atheists began to laugh and jeer23 and ask pertinent24 questions. The speaker replied to them. A fierce argument arose. The noise of the discussion attracted persons in the other groups and Mason and Charles found themselves hemmed25 in by the close-pressing human mass. Charles, who was deeply interested in the man's theory of renunciation, suddenly felt his friend nudging him with his elbow. Looking into his face he detected a queer expression in it.
"Let's get out," Mason said, in a low voice. There was no mistaking the insistent26 note of warning which it held, and, sure now that something was wrong, Charles quickly assented27 and began worming his way through the crowd. It was difficult to do so, for the spectators were all deeply interested in the argument and did not care to stand aside. As they laboriously28 moved forward, inch by inch, Charles noticed that Mason now and then cast a furtive29 backward glance into the throng30, as if anxious to avoid some one.
"Come on, come on!" he kept urging. Finally they were free and on the open sidewalk. "Come on!" Mason repeated, his eyes on the ground.
"What is the matter?" Charles asked, bewildered.
Looking back toward the crowd, Mason suddenly lowered his head again and said, warningly: "Don't look back. I see him watching us. He followed us out of the crowd." Mason swore under his breath. "I don't like the looks of this a bit—not a bit!"
Further along he explained. "I was looking over that bunch of men just now when all at once I saw a short man a little behind us watching you like a hawk31. He evidently didn't think we were together. He never let your face leave him for a minute. I saw his eyes gleaming, as if he had just discovered you and was studying your features."
"And you think—" Charles did not finish.
"He looked to me like a detective in plain clothes. I have seen some of them, and he was of that type. He couldn't hide his interest. You know your picture has been published. It looked to me like this fellow was comparing you to it in his mind. I don't know, but I am sure we must dodge32 him if we can."
"I ought not to have come out like this," Charles sighed, gloomily. "I've been a fool."
"Never mind, come on," Mason said, looking back. "I don't see him now. We'll give him the shake."
They went up to Central Park; they sat there on one of the benches till sundown, and then went back to their room. Both were very grave and neither had much to say.
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1
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fishy
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| adj. 值得怀疑的 | |
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pal
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| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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6
blot
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| vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍 | |
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7
vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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8
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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10
jersey
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| n.运动衫 | |
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11
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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12
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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13
dodging
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| n.避开，闪过，音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 )；回避 | |
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14
inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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15
orators
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| n.演说者，演讲家( orator的名词复数 ) | |
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16
crass
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| adj.愚钝的，粗糙的；彻底的 | |
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anarchy
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| n.无政府状态；社会秩序混乱，无秩序 | |
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18
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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19
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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ascetic
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| adj.禁欲的；严肃的 | |
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Forsaken
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| adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词 | |
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avowed
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| adj.公开声明的，承认的v.公开声明，承认( avow的过去式和过去分词) | |
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23
jeer
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| vi.嘲弄，揶揄；vt.奚落；n.嘲笑，讥评 | |
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24
pertinent
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| adj.恰当的；贴切的；中肯的；有关的；相干的 | |
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hemmed
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| 缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 )； 包围 | |
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insistent
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| adj.迫切的，坚持的 | |
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27
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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laboriously
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| adv.艰苦地；费力地；辛勤地；（文体等）佶屈聱牙地 | |
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29
furtive
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| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
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30
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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31
hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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32
dodge
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| v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计 | |
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