Chapter 29 Jack Is Detected

 In the course of the afternoon, Jack¹ made another visit to the foot of the staircase. He saw through the crevice² the same two men at work, but the old man was not with them. Ascertaining³ this, he ought, in prudence⁴, immediately to have retraced⁵ his steps, but he remained on watch for twenty minutes. When he did return he was startled by finding the old man seated, and waiting for him. There was a menacing expression on his face.

 

"Where have you been?" he demanded, abruptly⁶.

 

"Downstairs," answered Jack.

 

"Ha! What did you see?"

 

"I may as well own up," thought Jack. "Through a crack I saw some men at work in a basement room," he replied.

 

"Do you know what they were doing?"

 

"Counterfeiting⁷, I should think."

 

"Well, is there anything wrong in that?"

 

"I suppose you wouldn't want to be found out," he answered.

 

"I didn't mean to have you make this discovery. Now there's only one thing to be done."

 

"What's that?"

 

"You have become possessed⁸ of an important--I may say, a dangerous secret. You have us in your power."

 

"I suppose," said Jack, "you are afraid I will denounce you to the police?"

 

"Well, there is a possibility of that. That class of people has a prejudice against us, though we are only doing what everybody likes to do--making money."

 

"Will you let me go if I keep your secret?"

 

"What assurance have we that you would keep your promise?"

 

"I would pledge my word."

 

"Your word!" Foley--for this was the old man's real name--snapped his fingers. "I wouldn't give that for it. That is not sufficient."

 

"What will be?"

 

"You must become one of us."

 

"One of you!"

 

"Yes. You must make yourself liable to the same penalties, so that it will be for your own interest to remain silent. Otherwise we can't trust you."

 

"Suppose I decline these terms?"

 

"Then I shall be under the painful necessity of retaining you as my guest," said Foley, smiling disagreeably.

 

"What made you pretend to be a mad-doctor?"

 

"To put you off the track," said Foley. "You believed it, didn't you?"

 

"At first."

 

"Well, what do you say?" asked Foley.

 

"I should like to take time to reflect upon your proposal," said Jack. "It is of so important a character that I don't like to decide at once."

 

"How long do you require?"

 

"Two days. Suppose I join you, shall I get good pay?"

 

"Excellent," answered Foley. "In fact, you'll be better paid than a boy of your age would be anywhere else."

 

"That's worth thinking about," said Jack, gravely. "My father is poor, and I've got my own way to make."

 

"You couldn't have a better opening. You're a smart lad, and will be sure to succeed."

 

"Well, I'll think of it. If I should make up my mind before the end of two days, I will let you know."

 

"Very well. You can't do better."

 

"But there's one thing I want to ask about," said Jack, with pretended anxiety. "It's pretty risky⁹ business, isn't it?"

 

"I've been in the business ten years, and they haven't got hold of me yet," answered Foley. "All you've got to do is to be careful."

 

"He'll join," said Foley to himself. "He's a smart fellow, and we can make him useful. It'll be the best way to dispose of one who might get us into trouble." 

1 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

2 crevice   

n.(岩石、墙等)裂缝；缺口

参考例句：

• I saw a plant growing out of a crevice in the wall.我看到墙缝里长出一棵草来。
• He edged the tool into the crevice.他把刀具插进裂缝里。

3 ascertaining   

v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I was ascertaining whether the cellar stretched out in front or behind. 我当时是要弄清楚地下室是朝前还是朝后延伸的。 来自辞典例句
• The design and ascertaining of permanent-magnet-biased magnetic bearing parameter are detailed introduced. 并对永磁偏置磁悬浮轴承参数的设计和确定进行了详细介绍。 来自互联网

4 prudence   

n.谨慎，精明，节俭

参考例句：

• A lack of prudence may lead to financial problems.不够谨慎可能会导致财政上出现问题。
• The happy impute all their success to prudence or merit.幸运者都把他们的成功归因于谨慎或功德。

5 retraced   

v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯

参考例句：

• We retraced our steps to where we started. 我们折回我们出发的地方。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We retraced our route in an attempt to get back on the right path. 我们折返，想回到正确的路上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

7 counterfeiting   

n.伪造v.仿制，造假( counterfeit的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was sent to prison for counterfeiting five-dollar bills. 他因伪造5美元的钞票被捕入狱。 来自辞典例句
• National bureau released securities, certificates with security anti-counterfeiting paper technical standards. 国家质量技术监督局发布了证券、证件用安全性防伪纸张技术标准。 来自互联网

8 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。

9 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。