CHAPTER X RATHER QUEER INDEED

 Mary Louise found the door of the office, which was located on the third floor of the Chambers¹ Building, locked. However, the sign: "Peter Conant, Attorney at Law," was painted on the glass panel in big, distinct letters, so she was sure she had made no mistake. She slowly paced the hall, waiting, until the elevator stopped and Mr. Conant stepped out and approached the door, his morning paper in one hand, a key in the other. Running to him, the girl exclaimed:

 

"Oh, Mr. Conant!"

 

He stopped short and turned to face her. Then he stepped a pace backward and said:

 

"Great heavens, it's Mary Louise!"

 

"Didn't you recognize me?" she asked.

 

"Not at first," he answered slowly. "You have grown tall and—and—older, in two years."

 

"Where is Gran'pa J-"

 

"Hush²!" with a startled glance up and down the hall. Then he unlocked the door and added: "Come in."

 

Mary Louise followed him through the outer office and into a smaller room beyond, the door of which Mr. Conant carefully closed after them. Then he turned to look steadily³ at the girl, who thought he did not seem especially delighted at her appearance in Dorfield. Indeed, his first words proved this, for he asked sternly:

 

"Why are you here?"

 

"I left the school at Beverly because the girls made it so uncomfortable for me there that I could not bear it longer," she explained.

 

"In what way did they make it uncomfortable for you?"

 

"They jeered⁴ at me because—because—Gran'pa Jim is being hunted by the officers of the law, who accuse him, of doing something wicked."

 

Mr. Conant frowned.

 

"Perhaps their attitude was only natural," he remarked; "but there was no accusation⁵ against you, my child. Why didn't you stick it out? The scandal would soon have died away and left you in peace."

 

"I was unhappy there," she said simply, "and so I thought I would come here to mother and Gran'pa Jim."

 

"Here?" as if surprised.

 

"Yes. Aren't they here, with you?"

 

"No."

 

"Then where are they?"

 

"I've no idea."

 

She sat still and stared at him, while he regarded her with a thoughtful and perplexed⁶ look on his face.

 

Mr. Conant is difficult to describe because he was like dozens of men one meets every day, at least in outward appearance. He was neither tall nor short, lean nor fat, handsome nor ugly, attractive nor repulsive⁷. Yet Peter Conant must not be considered a nonentity⁸ because he was commonplace in person, for he possessed⁹ mannerisms that were peculiar¹⁰. He would open his eyes very wide and stare at one steadily until the person became confused and turned away. The gaze was not especially shrewd, but it was disconcerting because steadfast¹¹. When he talked he would chop off his words, one by one, with a distinct pause between each, and that often made it hard to tell whether he had ended his speech or still had more to say. When very earnest or interested he would play with a locket that dangled¹² from his watch chain; otherwise he usually stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

 

Mary Louise well knew these peculiarities¹³, having previously¹⁴ lived in his house, and also she knew he was a kind-hearted man, devotedly¹⁵ attached to his deaf wife and thoroughly¹⁶ trusted by Gran'pa Jim.

 

"I was told," said the girl presently, "to direct all my letters to my grandfather in your care."

 

"I am aware that you have done so," he replied.

 

"So I thought, of course, that he and my mother were with you."

 

"No; they did not come here. Colonel Weatherby arranged for me to forward your letters, which I did as soon as they arrived."

 

"Oh; then you know his address?"

 

"I do not. There are six different points to which I forward letters, in rotation¹⁷, both those from you and from others on various matters of business, and these points are widely scattered¹⁸. My impression is that Colonel Weatherby is in none of these places and that the letters are again forwarded to him to—wherever he may be."

 

Mary Louise felt quite discouraged. With hesitation¹⁹ she asked:

 

"Do you suppose you could find him for me?"

 

"It is impossible."

 

"What am I to do, Mr. Conant?"

 

"I advise you to go back to your school."

 

"Can't I stay here, with you?"

 

He stared at her with his round eyes, playing with his locket.

 

"I haven't the money for the return trip," she went on falteringly²⁰. "I had to sell some of my jewelry²¹ to get here. I won't be much trouble, if you will let me live with you until I can find Gran'pa Jim."

 

Mr. Conant still stared.

 

"I'm sure," said Mary Louise, "that my grandfather will gladly repay you any money it costs you to keep me."

 

"You—don't—un-der-stand," he retorted, chopping off his words rather viciously. "Moreover, you can't understand. Go to the house and talk to Hannah. Have you any baggage!"

 

"I've a suit case at the hotel," she said, and went on to tell him the experiences of her journey and of her encounter with Detective O'Gorman.

 

During this relation, which he did not interrupt, Mr. Conant toyed persistently²² with his watch charm. His features were noncommittal but he was thoroughly interested.

 

"You see," he remarked when she had finished, "Colonel Weatherby's elaborate system of evading²³ discovery is quite necessary."

 

"But why should he wish to hide?" asked the girl.

 

"Don't you know?"

 

"No, sir."

 

"Then your grandfather doesn't wish you to know. I am his lawyer—at least I am one of his lawyers—and a lawyer must respect the confidences of his clients."

 

Mary Louise looked at him wonderingly, for here was someone who evidently knew the entire truth.

 

"Do you believe my grandfather is a bad man?" she asked.

 

"No. I have the highest respect for Colonel Weatherby."

 

"Do you know his name to be Weatherby—or is it Hathaway?"

 

"I am his lawyer," reiterated²⁴ Mr. Conant.

 

"Is it possible that an innocent man would change his name and hide, rather than face an unjust accusation?"

 

"Yes."

 

Mary Louise sighed.

 

"I will go with you to the hotel and pay your bill," said the lawyer. "Then you may go to the house and talk to Hannah. When I have talked with her myself, we will determine what to do with you."

 

So they went to the hotel and the girl packed her suit case and brought it downstairs.

 

"Queer!" said Mr. Conant to her, fingering his locket. "Your bill has been paid by that man O'Gorman."

 

"How impertinent!" she exclaimed.

 

"There is also a note for you in your box."

 

The clerk handed her an envelope, which she opened. "I hope to be able to send you your grandfather's address very soon," wrote O'Gorman. "You will probably stay in Dorfield; perhaps with the Conants, with whom you lived before. You might try sending Colonel Weatherby a letter in care of Oscar Lawler, at Los Angeles, California. In any event, don't forget my card or neglect to wire me in case of emergency."

 

Having read this with considerable surprise the girl handed the note to Mr. Conant, who slowly read it and gave a bark like that of an angry dog when he came to the name of the California attorney. Without remark he put the detective's letter in his pocket and picking up Mary Louise's suit case led the girl outside to the street corner.

 

"This car will take you to within two blocks of my house," he said.

"Can you manage your grip alone?"

 

"Easily," she assured him.

 

"You have carfare!"

 

"Yes, thank you."

 

"Then good-bye. I'll see you this evening."

 

He turned away and she boarded the street car.

1 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

2 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

3 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

4 jeered   

v.嘲笑( jeer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The police were jeered at by the waiting crowd. 警察受到在等待的人群的嘲弄。
• The crowd jeered when the boxer was knocked down. 当那个拳击手被打倒时，人们开始嘲笑他。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

6 perplexed   

adj.不知所措的

参考例句：

• The farmer felt the cow,went away,returned,sorely perplexed,always afraid of being cheated.那农民摸摸那头牛，走了又回来，犹豫不决，总怕上当受骗。
• The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story.这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。

7 repulsive   

adj.排斥的，使人反感的

参考例句：

• She found the idea deeply repulsive.她发现这个想法很恶心。
• The repulsive force within the nucleus is enormous.核子内部的斥力是巨大的。

8 nonentity   

n.无足轻重的人

参考例句：

• She was written off then as a political nonentity.她当时被认定是成不了气候的政坛小人物。
• How could such a nonentity become chairman of the company? 这样的庸才怎么能当公司的董事长？

9 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

10 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

11 steadfast   

adj.固定的，不变的，不动摇的；忠实的；坚贞不移的

参考例句：

• Her steadfast belief never left her for one moment.她坚定的信仰从未动摇过。
• He succeeded in his studies by dint of steadfast application.由于坚持不懈的努力他获得了学业上的成功。

12 dangled   

悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口

参考例句：

• Gold charms dangled from her bracelet. 她的手镯上挂着许多金饰物。
• It's the biggest financial incentive ever dangled before British footballers. 这是历来对英国足球运动员的最大经济诱惑。

13 peculiarities   

n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪

参考例句：

• the cultural peculiarities of the English 英国人的文化特点
• He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another. 他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。

14 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

15 devotedly   

专心地； 恩爱地； 忠实地； 一心一意地

参考例句：

• He loved his wife devotedly. 他真诚地爱他的妻子。
• Millions of fans follow the TV soap operas devotedly. 千百万观众非常着迷地收看这部电视连续剧。

16 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

17 rotation   

n.旋转；循环，轮流

参考例句：

• Crop rotation helps prevent soil erosion.农作物轮作有助于防止水土流失。
• The workers in this workshop do day and night shifts in weekly rotation.这个车间的工人上白班和上夜班每周轮换一次。

18 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

19 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

20 falteringly   

口吃地，支吾地

参考例句：

• The German war machine had lumbered falteringly over the frontier and come to a standstill Linz. 德国的战争机器摇摇晃晃，声音隆隆地越过了边界，快到林茨时却走不动了。

21 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

22 persistently   

ad.坚持地；固执地

参考例句：

• He persistently asserted his right to a share in the heritage. 他始终声称他有分享那笔遗产的权利。
• She persistently asserted her opinions. 她果断地说出了自己的意见。

23 evading   

逃避( evade的现在分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出

参考例句：

• Segmentation of a project is one means of evading NEPA. 把某一工程进行分割，是回避《国家环境政策法》的一种手段。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Too many companies, she says, are evading the issue. 她说太多公司都在回避这个问题。

24 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。