XII THE TELEPHONE SPEAKS

 Slowly the look on his face grew to something hard and round and bright. His lips tightened—“is that all?—Good-bye!” His voice sounded in the tube and was gone, and he hung up the receiver. “They make it twenty thousand—for one hour,” he said drily.

 

Achilles bent¹ forward, his face on fire, his finger pointing to the Thing.

 

“They are right there!” said the man. He gave a short laugh—“Can’t trace them that way—we have tried—They’ve tapped a wire. Central is after them. But they won’t get ’em that way. Sit down and I will talk to you.” He motioned again to the chair and the Greek seated himself, bending forward a little to catch the murmur² and half-incoherent jerks that the man spoke³.

 

Now and then the Greek nodded, or his dark face lighted; and once or twice he spoke. But for the most part it was a rapid monologue⁴, told in breathless words.

 

The great Philip Harris had no hope that the ignorant man sitting before him could help him. But there was a curious relief in talking to him; and as he talked, he found the story shaping itself in his mind—things related fell into place, and things apart came suddenly together. The story ran back for years—there had been earlier attempts, but the child had been guarded with strictest care; and lately they had come to feel secure. They had thought the band was broken up. The blow had fallen out of a clear sky. They had not the slightest clue—all day the detectives had gathered the great city in their hands—and sifted⁵ it through careful fingers. A dozen men had been arrested, but there was no clue. The New York men were on the way; they would arrive in the morning, and meantime the great man sat in his bare room, helpless. He looked into the dark eyes opposite him and found a curious comfort there. “The child knew you,” he said.

 

“Yes—she know me. We love,” said Achilles simply.

 

The other smiled a little. It would not have occurred to him to say that Betty loved him. He was not sure that she did—as he thought of it. She had always the quick smile for him—and for everyone. But there had been no time for foolishness between him and Betty. He had hardly known her for the last year or two. He shifted a little in his place, shading his eyes from the light, and looked at the Greek.

 

The Greek rose, and stood before him. “I go now,” he said.

 

Philip Harris made no reply. He was thinking, behind his hand; and his mind, wrenched⁶ from its stockyards and its corners and deals, seemed to be groping toward a point of light that glimmered⁷ somewhere—mistily. He could not focus it. The darkness tricked him, but somehow, vaguely⁸, the Greek held a clue. He had known the child. “Don’t go,” said Philip Harris, looking up at last.

 

“I find her,” said Achilles.

 

Philip Harris shook his head. “You cannot find her.” He said it bitterly. “But you can tell me—sit down.” He leaned forward. “Now, tell me—everything—you know—about her.”

 

The face of Achilles lighted. “She was a nice child,” he said blithely⁹.

 

The man smiled. “Yes—go on.”

 

So the voice of Achilles was loosened and he told of Betty Harris—to her father sitting absorbed and silent. The delight of her walk, her little hands, the very tones of her voice were in his words.

 

And the big man listened with intent face. Once the telephone rang and he stopped to take down something. “No clue,” he said, “go on.” And Achilles’s voice took up the story again.

 

His hands reached out in the words, quick gestures made a halo about them, lips and smiles spoke, and ran the words to a laugh that made the child’s presence in the room.

 

The father listened dumbly. Then silence fell in the room and the clock ticked.

 

And while the two men sat in silence, something came between them and knit them. And when Achilles rose to go, the great man held out his hand, simply. “You have helped me,” he said.

 

“I help—yes—” said Achilles. Then he turned his head. A door across the room had opened and a woman stood in it—looking at them.

 

 

1 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

2 murmur   

n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言

参考例句：

• They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。
• There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 monologue   

n.长篇大论，（戏剧等中的）独白

参考例句：

• The comedian gave a long monologue of jokes.喜剧演员讲了一长段由笑话组成的独白。
• He went into a long monologue.他一个人滔滔不绝地讲话。

5 sifted   

v.筛( sift的过去式和过去分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审

参考例句：

• She sifted through her papers to find the lost letter. 她仔细在文件中寻找那封丢失的信。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She sifted thistles through her thistle-sifter. 她用蓟筛筛蓟。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 wrenched   

v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛

参考例句：

• The bag was wrenched from her grasp. 那只包从她紧握的手里被夺了出来。
• He wrenched the book from her hands. 他从她的手中把书拧抢了过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 glimmered   

v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "There glimmered the embroidered letter, with comfort in its unearthly ray." 她胸前绣着的字母闪着的非凡的光辉，将温暖舒适带给他人。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• The moon glimmered faintly through the mists. 月亮透过薄雾洒下微光。 来自辞典例句

8 vaguely   

adv.含糊地，暖昧地

参考例句：

• He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
• He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面，对一切都视而不见。

9 blithely   

adv.欢乐地，快活地，无挂虑地

参考例句：

• They blithely carried on chatting, ignoring the customers who were waiting to be served. 他们继续开心地聊天，将等着购物的顾客们置于一边。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He blithely ignored her protests and went on talking as if all were agreed between them. 对她的抗议他毫不在意地拋诸脑后，只管继续往下说，仿彿他们之间什么都谈妥了似的。 来自《简明英汉词典》