Chapter 20 [Continues]

 "You seem to be in an awful hurry to see me," said Luke, grumbling¹. "I was just getting to sleep."

 

"I've lost my pocketbook. Have you seen it?"

 

"Have I seen it? That's a strange question. How should I have seen it?"

 

"I lost it on the way from the store to the house."

 

"Do you mean to charge me with taking it?"

 

"I haven't said anything of the sort," said Harry²; "but you were with me, and I thought you might have seen it drop out of my pocket."

 

"Did you drop it out of your pocket?"

 

"I can't think of any other way I could lose it."

 

"Of course I haven't seen it. Was that all you woke me up about?"

 

"Is that all? You talk as if it was a little thing losing thirty-three dollars."

 

"Thirty-three dollars!" repeated Luke, pretending to be surprised. "You don't mean to say you've lost all that?"

 

"Yes, I do."

 

"Well," said Luke, yawning, "I wish I could help you; but I can't. Good night."

 

"Good night," said Harry, turning away disappointed.

 

"What success, Harry?" inquired Mr. Leavitt, who had deferred³ going to bed in order to hear his report.

 

"None at all," answered Harry.

 

"Is there anything by which you can identify any of the bills?"

 

"Yes," answered Harry, with sudden recollection, "I dropped a penful of ink on one of the bills--a two-dollar note--just in the center. I had been writing a letter, and the bill lay on the table near by."

 

"Good!" said Mr. Leavitt. "Now, supposing Luke has taken this money, how is he likely to spend it?"

 

"At the tailor's, most likely. He is always talking about new clothes; but lately he hasn't had any because Merrill shut down on him on account of an unpaid⁴ bill."

 

"Then you had better see Merrill and ask him to take particular notice of any bills that Luke pays him."

 

"Innocence⁵ must often be suspected, or guilt⁶ would never be detected. It is the only way to get on the track of the missing bills."

 

Harry saw that this was reasonable and decided⁷ to call on Merrill the next day.

 

"Do you think Luke took it?" asked the tailor.

 

"I don't know. I don't like to suspect him."

 

"I haven't much opinion of Luke. He owes me a considerable bill."

 

"He prefers your clothes to Hayden's, and if he has the money, he will probably come here and spend some of it."

 

"Suppose he does, what do you want me to do?"

 

"To examine the bills he pays you, and if you find an ink spot on the center of one let me know."

 

"I understand. I think I can manage it."

 

"My money was mostly in ones and twos."

 

"That may help you. I will bear it in mind."

 

Two days afterwards, Luke Harrison met Harry.

 

"Have you found your money, Walton?" he asked.

 

"No, and I am afraid I never shall," said our hero.

 

"What do you think has become of it?"

 

"That's just what I would like to find out," said Harry.

 

"The only thing you can do is to grin and bear it."

 

"And be more careful next time."

 

"Of course."

 

"He's given it up," said Luke to himself. "I think I can venture to use some of it now. I'll go round to Merrill's and see what he's got in the way of pants."

 

Accordingly he strolled into Merrill's that evening.

 

"Got any new cloths in, Merrill?" asked Luke.

 

"I've got some new cloths for pants."

 

"That's just what I want."

 

"You're owing me a bill."

 

"How much is it?"

 

"Some over thirty dollars."

 

"I can't pay it all, but I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll pay you fifteen dollars on account, and you can make me a new pair of pants. Will that answer?"

 

"All right. Of course I'd rather you'd pay the whole bill. Still I want to be accommodating."

 

"Let me look at your cloths."

 

The tailor displayed a variety of cloths, one of which suited Luke's fancy.

 

"Here's fifteen dollars," he said. "Just credit me with that on the bill, will you?"

 

"All right," said Merrill.

 

He proceeded to count the money, which consisted of consisted of ones and twos, and instantly came to the conclusion that it was from Harry's missing pocketbook, particularly as he came upon the identical note with the blot⁸ in the center.

 

Unaware⁹ of the manner in which he had betrayed himself, Luke felt quite complacent¹⁰ over his reestablished credit, and that without any expense to himself.

 

"Have you got any new cloth for coats?" he asked.

 

"I shall have some new cloths in next week."

 

"All right. When will you have the pants done?"

 

"You may call round in two or three days."

 

"Just make 'em in style, Merrill, and I'll send all my friends here."

 

"Very well. I hope you'll soon be able to pay me the balance of my bill."

 

"Oh, yes, to be sure. You won't have to wait long."

 

He swaggered out of the shop, lighting¹¹ a cigar.

 

"My young friend," soliloquized the tailor, watching his exit, "you have walked into my trap neatly¹². Colman,"--turning to a young man present at the time--"did you see Luke Harrison pay me this money?"

 

"Yes; to be sure."

 

"Do you see this blot on one of the bills--a two?"

 

"Yes; What of it?"

 

"Nothing. I only called your attention to it."

 

"I don't see what there is strange about that. Anybody might get ink on a bill, mightn't he?"

 

"Of course."

 

Colman was puzzled. He could not understand why he should have been called upon to notice such a trifle; but the tailor had his reasons. He wanted to be able to prove by Colman's testimony¹³ that the blotted¹⁴ bill was actually put into his hands by Luke Harrison. 

1 grumbling   

adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的

参考例句：

• She's always grumbling to me about how badly she's treated at work. 她总是向我抱怨她在工作中如何受亏待。
• We didn't hear any grumbling about the food. 我们没听到过对食物的抱怨。

2 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

3 deferred   

adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从

参考例句：

• The department deferred the decision for six months. 这个部门推迟了六个月才作决定。
• a tax-deferred savings plan 延税储蓄计划

4 unpaid   

adj.未付款的，无报酬的

参考例句：

• Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
• He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。

5 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

6 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 blot   

vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍

参考例句：

• That new factory is a blot on the landscape.那新建的工厂破坏了此地的景色。
• The crime he committed is a blot on his record.他犯的罪是他的履历中的一个污点。

9 unaware   

a.不知道的，未意识到的

参考例句：

• They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
• I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。

10 complacent   

adj.自满的；自鸣得意的

参考例句：

• We must not become complacent the moment we have some success.我们决不能一见成绩就自满起来。
• She was complacent about her achievements.她对自己的成绩沾沾自喜。

11 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

12 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

13 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

14 blotted   

涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 )； （用吸墨纸）吸干

参考例句：

• She blotted water off the table with a towel. 她用毛巾擦干桌上的水。
• The blizzard blotted out the sky and the land. 暴风雪铺天盖地而来。