Chapter 33 Harold's Plot Fails

 Luke wore a sack coat with side pockets. It was this circumstance that had made it easy for Harold to transfer the wallet unsuspected to his pocket.

 

Quite ignorant of what had taken place, Luke kept on his way to Mrs. Merton's house. He rang the bell, and on being admitted, went up, as usual, to the room of his patroness.

 

"Good morning, Luke," said Mrs. Merton, pleasantly.

 

"Good-morning," responded Luke.

 

"I don't think I shall go out this morning, and I don't think of any commission, so you will have a vacation."

 

"I am afraid I am not earning my money, Mrs. Merton. You make it very easy for me."

 

"At any rate, Luke, the money is cheerfully given, and I have no doubt you find it useful. How are you getting along?"

 

"Very well, indeed! I have just made the last payment on mother's machine, and now we owe nothing, except, perhaps, for the rent, and only a week has gone by on the new month."

 

"You seem to be a good manager, Luke. You succeed in keeping your money, while I have not always found it easy. Yesterday, for instance, I lost sixty-five dollars."

 

"How was that?" inquired Luke, with interest.

 

"The drawer in which I keep a pocketbook was unlocked, and this, with its contents, was stolen."

 

"Don't you suspect anyone?"

 

"I did, but he has cleared himself, in my opinion. It is possible it was one of the servants."

 

At this moment Luke pulled his handkerchief from his side pocket and with it came the morocco pocketbook, which fell on the carpet.

 

Mrs. Merton uttered an exclamation¹ of surprise.

 

"Why, that is the very pocketbook!" she said.

 

Luke stooped and picked it up, with an expression of bewilderment on his face.

 

"I don't understand it," he said. "I never saw that pocketbook before in my life."

 

"Please hand it to me."

 

Luke did so.

 

"Yes, that is the identical pocketbook," said the old lady.

 

"And it came from my pocket?"

 

Yes."

 

"Is there any money in it, Mrs. Merton."

 

Mrs. Merton opened it, and shook her head. That has been taken out," she answered.

 

"I hope you won't think I took the money," said Luke, with a troubled look.

 

"I know you did not. It was taken while we were out together yesterday. The last thing before I left the house I locked the drawer, and the pocketbook with the money inside was there. When I returned it was gone."

 

"That is very mysterious. I don't understand how the pocketbook came in my pocket."

 

"Someone must have put it there who wished you to be suspected of the theft."

 

"Yes," said Luke, eagerly. "I see."

 

Then he stopped suddenly, for what he was about to say would throw suspicion upon Harold.

 

"Well, go on!"

 

"I don't know that I ought to speak. It might throw suspicion on an innocent person."

 

"Speak! It is due to me. I will judge on that point. Who has had the chance of putting the wallet into your pocket?"

 

"I will speak if you insist upon it, Mrs. Merton," said Luke, reluctantly. "A few minutes since I met Harold on the street. We were bound in opposite directions. He surprised me by stopping me, and addressing me quite cordially. We stood talking together two or three minutes."

 

"Did he have an opportunity of putting the wallet in your pocket?"

 

"He might have done so, but I was not conscious of it."

 

"Let me think!" said the old lady, slowly. "Harold knew where I kept my money, for I opened the drawer in his presence the other day, and he saw me take a bill from the pocketbook. I did not think him capable of robbing me."

 

"Perhaps he did not," said Luke. "It may be explained in some other way."

 

"Can you think of any other way?" asked the old lady.

 

"Suppose a servant had taken the money, and left the pocketbook somewhere where Harold found it----"

 

"Even in that case, why should he put it in your pocket?"

 

"He does not like me. He might wish to throw suspicion upon me."

 

"That would be very mean."

 

"I think it would, but still he might not be a thief."

 

"I would sooner excuse a thief. It is certainly disreputable to steal, but it is not necessarily mean or contemptible². Trying to throw suspicion on an innocent person would be both."

 

Luke remained silent, for nothing occurred to him to say. He did not wish to add to Mrs. Merton's resentment³ against Harold.

 

After a moment's thought the old lady continued: "Leave the pocketbook with me, and say nothing about what has happened till I give you leave."

 

"Very well."

 

Mrs. Merton took the pocketbook, replaced it in the drawer, and carefully locked it.

 

"Someone must have a key that will open this drawer," she said. "I should like to know who it is."

 

"Do you think anyone will open it again?" asked Luke.

 

"No; it will be supposed that I will no longer keep money there. I think, however, I will sooner or later find out who opened it."

 

"I hope it won't prove to be Harold."

 

"I hope so, too. I would not like to think so near a relative a thief. Well, Luke, I won't detain you here any longer. You may come to-morrow, as usual."

 

"It is lucky Mrs. Merton has confidence in me," thought Luke. "Otherwise she might have supposed me to be the thief. What a mean fellow Harold Tracy is, to try to have an innocent boy suspected of such a crime."

 

As he was going out of the front door, Mrs. Tracy entered.

 

She cast a withering⁴ glance at Luke.

 

"Have you seen my aunt this morning?" she asked.

 

"Yes, madam."

 

"I wonder you had the face to stand in her presence."

 

It must be said, in justification⁵ of Mrs. Tracy, that she really believed that Luke had stolen Mrs. Merton's money.

 

"I know of no reason why I should not," said Luke, calmly. "Will you be kind enough to explain what you mean?"

 

"You know well enough," retorted Mrs. Tracy, nodding her head venomously.

 

"Mrs. Merton appears to be well satisfied with me," said Luke, quietly. "When she is not, she will tell me so, and I shall never come again."

 

"You are the most brazen⁶ boy I know of. Why it is that my aunt is so infatuated with you, I can't for my part, pretend to understand."

 

"If you will allow me, I will bid you good-morning," said Luke, with quiet dignity.

 

Mrs. Tracy did not reply, and Luke left the house.

 

"If I ever hated and despised a boy, it is that one!" said Mrs. Tracy to herself as she went upstairs to remove her street dress. "I wish I could strip the mask from him, and get aunt to see him in his real character. He is a sly, artful young adventurer. Ah, Felicie, come and assist me. By the way, I want you to watch that boy who has just gone out?"

 

"Luke Walton?"

 

"Yes; of course you have heard of my aunt's loss. I suspect that this Luke Walton is the thief."

 

"Is it possible, madam? Have you any evidence?"

 

"No; but we may find some. What do you think?"

 

"I haven't thought much about the matter. It seems to me very mysterious."

 

When Felicie left the presence of her mistress she smiled curiously⁷.

 

"What would Madam Tracy say if she knew it was her own son?" she soliloquized. "He is a young cur, but she thinks him an angel." 

1 exclamation   

n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词

参考例句：

• He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。
• The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号，以引起读者的注意。

2 contemptible   

adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的

参考例句：

• His personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.他气貌不扬，言语粗俗。
• That was a contemptible trick to play on a friend.那是对朋友玩弄的一出可鄙的把戏。

3 resentment   

n.怨愤，忿恨

参考例句：

• All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
• She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。

4 withering   

使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的

参考例句：

• She gave him a withering look. 她极其蔑视地看了他一眼。
• The grass is gradually dried-up and withering and pallen leaves. 草渐渐干枯、枯萎并落叶。

5 justification   

n.正当的理由；辩解的理由

参考例句：

• There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
• In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。

6 brazen   

adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的

参考例句：

• The brazen woman laughed loudly at the judge who sentenced her.那无耻的女子冲着给她判刑的法官高声大笑。
• Some people prefer to brazen a thing out rather than admit defeat.有的人不愿承认失败，而是宁肯厚着脸皮干下去。

7 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。