Chapter 16 Palmer's Malice

 "Indeed!" said Lawrence, in assumed surprise.

 

"Yes, mine was left with the clerk."

 

"And mine also."

 

"And he doubtless made a mistake in delivering them. Upon my word I am not surprised, as they certainly are very much alike."

 

"So they are!" said Lawrence, taking the valise from Palmer's hand. "And here is your name too."

 

"It is quite a joke, ha, ha!" laughed Palmer, his spirits rising as he saw that there would be no difficulty in effecting the exchange. "I suppose I may take mine?"

 

"You are quite sure it is yours? Pardon my asking, but you are a stranger to me."

 

"Oh, it's all right! You see this spot on my valise. Outside of that, there is really no difference."

 

"You are willing to swear that valise I brought over from the Clifton is yours?"

 

"Why, of course!" returned Palmer in surprise. "How can there be a doubt after what I have said?"

 

"You will pardon my caution. It certainly does seem like it, but I don't want to run any risk of giving it to the wrong party."

 

"Oh, that's all right!" said Palmer impatiently, setting down Lawrence in his own mind as a crank.

 

"Probably you have the key that opens it."

 

"Certainly."

 

"Then do you mind opening it, and satisfying yourself and me that it really belongs to you?"

 

"Surely not," said Palmer, really glad of an opportunity of satisfying himself that the bonds were safe.

 

He drew from his pocket a bunch of keys, and carefully selecting one inserted it in the lock of the valise. It opened at once, and Palmer eagerly scanned the contents. The under-clothing had been carefully replaced, and he did not discover that it had been disturbed, but when he lifted it to look for the envelopes containing the bonds, his face underwent a change.

 

"What is the matter?" inquired Lawrence, calmly.

 

"That valise has been opened," said Palmer, angrily.

 

"What makes you think so?"

 

"The most valuable contents have been removed. I hold you accountable for this, Mr. Lawrence," continued Palmer, fiercely.

 

"Please be a little more explicit². What is it that you miss?"

 

"Two envelopes, containing valuable bonds."

 

"This is a serious charge. Are you sure they were in the valise?"

 

"Of course I am. I put them there myself, and when I opened the valise this morning they were there."

 

"Wasn't it rash in you to leave articles of such value in your valise? Can you name any of the bonds?"

 

"Yes; there were two Erie mortgage bonds of a thousand dollars each, two government bonds of five hundred dollars each, some bank bills, and miscellaneous securities."

 

"You don't mean it? And you placed them there?"

 

"I did, and I am willing to swear to the statement. I demand of you, sir, where they are."

 

Mr. Lawrence rose from his seat, and on pretense³ of examining the contents of the open valise, managed to get in between Palmer and the door.

 

"A man in my employ had charge of the valise for a short time," he said. "He may have opened it."

 

"Where is he? He must be arrested before he can get away," said Palmer in excitement.

 

"Ferguson!" called Mr. Lawrence.

 

The detective, who had of course heard all that had passed, stepped out from the inner room. He assumed the tone of a servant.

 

"Did you call, sir?" he asked.

 

"Yes."

 

"I am at your service."

 

"This gentleman here claims the valise as his property. He says that some bonds have been abstracted from it. Am I right?"

 

"Yes," assented⁴ Palmer, with a fierce glance at the detective.

 

"He charges me with having opened the valise, and taken them."

 

"What does he say to that?" demanded Palmer in excitement.

 

"It is true," said Ferguson, calmly.

 

"You hear?" said Palmer. "Give me back those bonds, you scoundrel, and I may let you go free. Otherwise I will have you arrested, and you can guess what will follow. Don't let the fellow escape!" he added quickly, as the detective edged towards the door.

 

Lawrence upon this went to the door and locked it.

 

"What have you to say for yourself?" he demanded, turning to Ferguson.

 

"Only that I am a detective, and that I am specially⁵ deputed to search for and recover the bonds stolen from Philo Carver of Elmira, yesterday afternoon. I have reason to think I have found them."

 

"Duped!" exclaimed Palmer, sinking into a chair in dismay.

 

"Yes, Mr. Palmer, it looks like it. There is one article missing, a gold watch and chain."

 

"I don't know anything about them."

 

"We may find some one who does. Fred!"

 

At the summons the train boy stepped out from the inner room, followed by Frank Hamblin.

 

At sight of his late room-mate Palmer first showed surprise, and then anger.

 

"Did you put up this job on me?" he asked fiercely.

 

"It seems that you put up a job on me," said Fred, quietly. "The watch was found in my bundle."

 

"Yes, that was to be your share," answered Palmer maliciously⁶. "Gentlemen, I suppose I shall have to surrender at discretion⁸, but I am not the only guilty party. That boy is my confederate!"

 

"It is an outrageous⁹ falsehood!" burst out Fred indignantly.

 

"It is of no use your denying it. I am convinced that you have betrayed me, and I will have no mercy on you. Gentlemen, arrest me if you think best, but arrest him too. He is just as guilty as I am."

 

"You assert that he is your confederate?" said Lawrence.

 

"Yes."

 

"How long have you known him?"

 

"Ever since he was born. His mother was a cousin of mine," Palmer asserted unblushingly.

 

"Do you believe this, Mr. Ferguson?" asked Fred, quite overwhelmed. "I never saw this man till last evening."

 

"If he is your cousin, what is his name?" asked the detective, not answering Fred's appeal.

 

"Fred Fenton," said Palmer coolly.

 

"He has got my name right, but he saw it in the hotel register," said Fred.

 

"I presume you are right," said Ferguson.

 

"You seem interested in my young cousin," said Palmer with a malicious⁷ sneer¹⁰.

 

"Do you mean to say that he was with you in Elmira?" asked Lawrence.

 

"Yes; he stood outside to warn me if any one came along, who was likely to interfere¹¹ with me."

 

"And you both took the train for Niagara after the burglary was effected?"

 

"Exactly."

 

Lawrence was staggered by the positive assertions of the culprit. It must be considered that he was not acquainted with Fred, who, so far as he knew, might be an artful young adventurer.

 

"Why didn't you take the boy over to the Canada side with you?"

 

"It was understood that he was to come over later in the day. We passed for strangers at the Lynch House, and I thought it might excite suspicion if we both went away together at so early an hour in the morning."

 

"Mr. Palmer," said Fred warmly, "you know perfectly¹² well that all these statements are false, and that I never met you or had anything to do with you till last evening."

 

"It won't do, Fred!" said the burglar. "You and I are in the same boat. You are a boy, and will probably get a lighter¹³ sentence than I. But you shouldn't go back on your old pal¹ like this."

 

"Do you believe that man, Mr. Ferguson?" asked Fred with a troubled look.

 

"No, but I shall be obliged to hold you till I produce him in court to-morrow."

1 pal   

n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友

参考例句：

• He is a pal of mine.他是我的一个朋友。
• Listen,pal,I don't want you talking to my sister any more.听着，小子，我不让你再和我妹妹说话了。

2 explicit   

adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的

参考例句：

• She was quite explicit about why she left.她对自己离去的原因直言不讳。
• He avoids the explicit answer to us.他避免给我们明确的回答。

3 pretense   

n.矫饰，做作，借口

参考例句：

• You can't keep up the pretense any longer.你无法继续伪装下去了。
• Pretense invariably impresses only the pretender.弄虚作假欺骗不了真正的行家。

4 assented   

同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The judge assented to allow the prisoner to speak. 法官同意允许犯人申辩。
• "No," assented Tom, "they don't kill the women -- they're too noble. “对，”汤姆表示赞同地说，“他们不杀女人——真伟大！

5 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

6 maliciously   

adv.有敌意地

参考例句：

• He was charged with maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm. 他被控蓄意严重伤害他人身体。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His enemies maliciously conspired to ruin him. 他的敌人恶毒地密谋搞垮他。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 malicious   

adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的

参考例句：

• You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
• Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。

8 discretion   

n.谨慎；随意处理

参考例句：

• You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
• Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

9 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

10 sneer   

v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语

参考例句：

• He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。
• You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻，但很多人喜欢这种音乐。

11 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

12 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

13 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。