CHAPTER VII A CHANCE MEETING

 Paul lost no time in reaching Cartown with the belated mail, and so was obliged to leave the girls an the road with scant¹ ceremony, hardly pausing to discuss why he had been bound when no apparent robbery had been perpetrated.

 

Hazel appeared so agitated² that Cora insisted upon her returning to the Kimball home to dinner, and also had succeeded in getting a promise from Paul that he would come there as early in the evening as it would be possible for him to do so.

 

Then, when the mail car was lost sight of, and the motor girls started again on their homeward way, Clip insisted upon leading.

 

"I know the variety of bandit," she declared, "and I want to meet him personally. He is sure to fall dead in love with me on the spot. And, oh, girls! Think of it! Me and the bandit!"

 

Even Hazel laughed. The suggestion called up a picture of the disgraceful Clip in robber uniform, with the proverbial red handkerchief on her head, and all the rest of the disreputable accessories. Clip would "look the part."

 

But the Thayer machine was not noted³ for its beauty or service—it had the reputation of bolting always at the "psychological moment," and when Clip dashed forward to meet her fate, the fate of the Turtle (as her car was called) intercepted⁴ her.

 

With a jerk the Turtle tossed up its head, bounced Clip off her seat, and then stopped.

 

"Oh!" exclaimed the girl. "Isn't this the utmost! And I about to meet my bandit! Now I suppose I will have to leave Turtle here to afford the foe⁵ a means of escape. I say, girls, isn't that the utmost?"

 

She jumped out of the car and, with a superficial glance at the fractious machine, waited for Cora's car.

 

"Come on, Ray," she said to her companion. "No use sitting there. That car will never, move unless it is dragged. I know her. No use monkeying with tools. When she stops, she stops, and we may as well make up our minds to it."

 

"But," argued Ray, "you have not even attempted to find out what is the matter. Perhaps we could fix it up—"

 

"No use attempting. I would find the whole thing the matter. Just feel," she suggested, putting her ungloved hand on the radiator⁶. "You could make beef stew⁷ on any of her lids. Oh, I know this kind of hot box! I've boiled the water, and the cylinders⁸ are stuck."

 

By this time the other girls had come along. Cora insisted upon looking over the disabled machine, and, while she did so, Clip deliberately⁹ made herself comfortable in the Whirlwind.

 

"Get in with Daisy," she called to Ray. "This will do me."

 

"Can't we tow it?" asked Cora. "Why should you leave your machine out here? And it is almost dark!"

 

"That's the reason," replied Clip. "It is almost dark, and I prefer to leave the machine here as a little token of my love to the bandit. Suppose I want to be 'run in' for traveling without a glimmer'?"

 

Cora saw that argument was useless. Reluctantly she turned from the Turtle. Ray climbed in with Daisy and Maud. Bess and Belle¹⁰ were ready to start "from the seat," without cranking up. Cora gave the Whirlwind a few turns.

 

"I hope we get home without any further trouble," came from the folds of Ray's blue veil. "I think we have had enough for one day."

 

"Enough!" echoed Clip. "Why, I could stand ten times that much! I love trouble—in the abstract."

 

"Suppose you call this the abstract," almost sneered¹¹ Daisy, who evidently did not relish¹² being crowded.

 

"Certainly I do," declared Clip. "Just gaze on the abstracted Turtle!"

 

"Who's that?" whispered Hazel nervously¹³. A step could be heard in the roadway.

 

"My bandit!" breathed Clip. "Oh, my darling, desperate bandit!"

 

"Hush¹⁴!" cautioned Cora, for she felt the possibility of Paul's captors being about still. Then two figures appeared from the sharp turn in the road. Cora wanted to start, but hesitated. The figures came closer. They were those of two well-dressed men; that was easily discernable.

 

Clip put her hand over her heart.

 

"Oh-h=h!" she groaned¹⁵ audibly. "Isn't he handsome!"

 

Hazel clutched at her sleeve. "Do stop!" she begged. "They may be—"

 

"They are!" answered Clip, and, as the men halted beside the Turtle, she deliberately jumped out and approached them.

 

The other girls were spellbound. Cora, too, left her place—she knew

Cecilia's recklessness and felt it her duty to stand by her.

The two strange men looked first at the girls and then at the car.

 

"Had an accident?" asked the taller of the two politely.

 

"Oh, no, it's chronic," answered Clip flippantly, much to Cora's dismay.

 

The men were evidently gentlemen. They were well dressed, and had the mannerisms of culture.

 

"Perhaps I can help you," suggested one, taking from his pocket a wrench¹⁶. "I always carry tools—meet so many 'chronics,'" and he laughed lightly.

 

"Come on," called Hazel from the Whirlwind. "You know, Paul will be waiting, Cora."

 

At this the men both started. He with the wrench ceased his attempt to open the motor hood¹⁷. The other looked toward Hazel.

 

"Oh, I see," he said with affected¹⁸ ease. "Your friend promised to meet you, and you are late."

 

"My brother," said Hazel curtly¹⁹.

 

"Paul Hastings," said Cora quickly, before she knew why.

 

"Oh!" almost whistled the taller man. "I see; of the Whitehall

Company?"

"Do you know him?" demanded Cora rather sharply.

 

"Slight-ly," drawled the stout²⁰ man, he with the wrench.

 

"Well, we had best not detain you, young ladies," said the other, "as you have so important an engagement," and with that they both turned off.

 

"What do you think of that?" exclaimed Cora.

 

"The utmost!" replied Clip, in her favorite way of expressing "the limit."

 

"They knew Paul!" gasped²¹ Hazel.

 

"Seemed to," answered Cora evasively. She had her opinions and doubts as to who these gentlemen might be.

 

"Just my luck," murmured Clip. "I rather liked the tall fellow, but I noticed that the other carried a gold filigree²² fountain pen, had a perfectly²³ dear watch charm, and he talked like a lawyer."

 

"Oh, my!" exclaimed Cora. "You did size him up. I only noticed that he was a joint²⁴ short on his right-hand thumb."

 

"That, my dear, is termed a professional thumb-mark. We will know him if we meet him in the dark," said Clip.

 

Cora laughed. She felt, however, more serious than she cared to have the others know. "Well, let's be off this time," she said. "We will hardly make town before dark now."

1 scant   

adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略

参考例句：

• Don't scant the butter when you make a cake.做糕饼时不要吝惜奶油。
• Many mothers pay scant attention to their own needs when their children are small.孩子们小的时候，许多母亲都忽视自己的需求。

2 agitated   

adj.被鼓动的，不安的

参考例句：

• His answers were all mixed up,so agitated was he.他是那样心神不定，回答全乱了。
• She was agitated because her train was an hour late.她乘坐的火车晚点一个小时，她十分焦虑。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 intercepted   

拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻

参考例句：

• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave the hotel. 他正要离开旅馆，记者们把他拦截住了。
• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave by the rear entrance. 他想从后门溜走，记者把他截住了。

5 foe   

n.敌人，仇敌

参考例句：

• He knew that Karl could be an implacable foe.他明白卡尔可能会成为他的死敌。
• A friend is a friend;a foe is a foe;one must be clearly distinguished from the other.敌是敌，友是友，必须分清界限。

6 radiator   

n.暖气片，散热器

参考例句：

• The two ends of the pipeline are connected with the radiator.管道的两端与暖气片相连接。
• Top up the radiator before making a long journey.在长途旅行前加满散热器。

7 stew   

n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑

参考例句：

• The stew must be boiled up before serving.炖肉必须煮熟才能上桌。
• There's no need to get in a stew.没有必要烦恼。

8 cylinders   

n.圆筒( cylinder的名词复数 )；圆柱；汽缸；（尤指用作容器的）圆筒状物

参考例句：

• They are working on all cylinders to get the job finished. 他们正在竭尽全力争取把这工作干完。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• That jeep has four cylinders. 那辆吉普车有4个汽缸。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

10 belle   

n.靓女

参考例句：

• She was the belle of her Sunday School class.在主日学校她是她们班的班花。
• She was the belle of the ball.她是那个舞会中的美女。

11 sneered   

讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
• It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。

12 relish   

n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味

参考例句：

• I have no relish for pop music.我对流行音乐不感兴趣。
• I relish the challenge of doing jobs that others turn down.我喜欢挑战别人拒绝做的工作。

13 nervously   

adv.神情激动地，不安地

参考例句：

• He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
• He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。

14 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

15 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 wrench   

v.猛拧；挣脱；使扭伤；n.扳手；痛苦，难受

参考例句：

• He gave a wrench to his ankle when he jumped down.他跳下去的时候扭伤了足踝。
• It was a wrench to leave the old home.离开这个老家非常痛苦。

17 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

18 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

19 curtly   

adv.简短地

参考例句：

• He nodded curtly and walked away. 他匆忙点了一下头就走了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The request was curtly refused. 这个请求被毫不客气地拒绝了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20   

参考例句：

21 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

22 filigree   

n.金银丝做的工艺品；v.用金银细丝饰品装饰；用华而不实的饰品装饰；adj.金银细丝工艺的

参考例句：

• The frost made beautiful filigree on the window pane.寒霜在玻璃窗上形成了美丽的花纹。
• The art filigree tapestry is elegant and magnificent.嵌金银丝艺术挂毯，绚丽雅典。

23 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。

24 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。