At Monte Carlo the Professor captured a porter and rescued his luggage. Exhausted1 by this effort, and by the attempt to communicate with the porter, first in Latin and then in French as practised at Purewater, he withdrew to a corner of the waiting-room and fished in his pockets for the address of the quiet pension in the hills. He found it at last, and handed it wearily to the porter. The latter threw up his hands. “Parti! Parti! Autobus gone.” That devil of a woman had been right!
When would there be another, the Professor asked.
Not till tomorrow morning at 8:30. To confirm his statement the porter pointed2 to a large time-table on the wall of the waiting-room. The Professor scanned it and sat down again with a groan3. He was about to consult his companion as to the possibility of finding a night’s lodging4 in a respectable pension (fantastic as the idea seemed in such a place); but hardly had he begun: “Can you tell me where — ” when, with a nod of comprehension and a wink5 of complicity, the porter returned in fluent English: “Pretty ladies? Turkish bath? Fottographs?”
The Professor repudiated6 these suggestions with a shudder7, and leaving his bags in the cloak-room set forth8 on his quest. He had hardly taken two steps when another stranger of obviously doubtful morality offered him a pamphlet which he was indignantly rejecting when he noticed its title: “The Theory of Chance in Roulette.” The theory of chance was deeply interesting to the Professor, and the idea of its application to roulette not without an abstract attraction. He bought the pamphlet and sat down on the nearest bench.
His study was so absorbing that he was roused only by the fall of twilight9, and the scattered10 twinkle of many lamps all radiating up to the central focus of the Casino. The Professor started to his feet, remembering that he had still to find a lodging. “And I must be up early to catch the bus,” he reminded himself. He took his way down a wide empty street apparently11 leading to a quieter and less illuminated12 quarter. This street he followed for some distance, vainly scrutinizing13 the houses, which seemed all to be private dwellings14, till at length he ran against a slim well-set-up young fellow in tennis flannels15, with a bright conversational16 eye, who was strolling along from the opposite direction.
“Excuse me, sir,” said the Professor.
“What for?” rejoined the other, in a pleasant tone made doubly pleasant by the familiar burr of the last word, which he pronounced like fur.
“Why, you’re an American!” exclaimed the Professor.
“Sherlock!” exulted17 the young man, extending his hand. “I diagnose the same complaint in yourself.”
The Professor sighed pleasurably. “Oh, yes. What I want,” he added, “is to find a plain quiet boarding-house or family hotel.”
“Same as mother used to make ’em?” The young man reflected. “Well, it’s a queer place in which to prosecute18 your search; but there is one at Monte, and I’m about the only person that knows it. My name’s Taber Tring. Come along.”
For a second the Professor’s eye rested doubtfully on Mr. Tring. He knew, of course — even at Purewater it was known — that in the corrupt19 capitals of Europe one could not always rely implicitly20 on the information given by strangers casually21 encountered; no, not even when it was offered with affability, and in the reassuring22 twang of the Western States. But after all Monte Carlo was not a capital; it was just an absurd little joke of a town crammed23 on a ledge24 between sea and mountain; and a second glance at the young man convinced the Professor that he was as harmless as the town.
Mr. Tring, who seemed quick at thought-reading, returned his look with an amused glance.
“Not much like our big and breezy land, is it? These Riviera resorts always remind me of the subway at rush hours; everybody strap-hanging. But my landlady25 is an old friend, and I know one of her boarders left this morning, because I heard her trying to seize his luggage. He got away; so I don’t see why you shouldn’t have his room. See?”
The Professor saw. But he became immediately apprehensive26 of having his own luggage seized, an experience unprecedented27 in his history.
“Are such things liable to occur in this place?” he enquired28.
“What? A scrap29 with your landlady? Not if you pay up regularly; or if she likes you. I guess she didn’t like that other fellow; and I know he was always on the wrong side of the tables.”
“The tables — do you refer to the gambling30 tables?” The Professor stopped short to put the question.
“That’s it,” said the other.
“And do you yourself sometimes visit the gambling-rooms?” the Professor next enquired.
“Oh, hell,” said Taber Tring expressively31.
The Professor scrutinized32 him with growing interest. “And have you a theory of chance?”
The young man met his gaze squarely. “I have; but it can’t be put into language that would pass the censor33.”
“Ah — you refer, no doubt, to your personal experience. But, as regards the theory — ”
“Well, the theory has let me down to bedrock; and I came down on it devilish hard.” His expression turned from apathy34 to animation35. “I’m stony36 broke; but if you’d like to lend me a hundred francs to have another try — ”
“Oh, no,” said the Professor hastily; “I don’t possess it.” And his doubts began to stir again.
Taber Tring laughed. “Of course you don’t; not for lending purposes. I was only joking; everybody makes that joke here. Well, here’s the house; I’ll go ahead and rout37 out our hostess.”
They stopped before a pleasant-looking little house at the end of the street. A palm-tree, a couple of rose-bushes and a gateway38 surmounted39 by the word Arcadie divided it from the pavement; the Professor drew a breath of relief as a stout40 lady in an orange wig41 bustled42 out to receive him.
In spite of the orange wig her face was so full of a shrewd benevolence43 that the Professor felt sure he had reached a haven44 of rest. She welcomed him affably, informed him that she had a room, and offered to lead him up to it. “Only for tonight, though? For it is promised to a Siamese nobleman for tomorrow.”
This, the Professor assured her, made no difference, as he would be leaving at daylight. But on the lowest step of the stair he turned and addressed himself to Mr. Tring.
“Perhaps the lady would be good enough to have my bags brought up from the station? If you would kindly45 explain that I’m going out now to take a little stroll. As I’m leaving so early tomorrow it’s my only chance to have a look around.”
“That’s so; I’ll tell her,” the young man rejoined sympathetically; and as the Professor’s hand was on the gate, he heard Mr. Tring call out, mimicking46 the stentorian47 tones of a megaphone man on a sight-seeing motorbus: “Third street to the left, then first right to the tables”; after which he added, in his natural tone: “Say, Arcadia locks up at midnight.”
The Professor smiled at the superfluous48 hint.
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1
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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6
repudiated
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| v.（正式地）否认( repudiate的过去式和过去分词 )；拒绝接受；拒绝与…往来；拒不履行（法律义务） | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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scrutinizing
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的现在分词 ) | |
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dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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flannels
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| 法兰绒男裤； 法兰绒( flannel的名词复数 ) | |
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conversational
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| adj.对话的，会话的 | |
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exulted
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| 狂喜，欢跃( exult的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prosecute
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| vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官 | |
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corrupt
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| v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的 | |
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implicitly
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| adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地 | |
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casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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crammed
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| adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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landlady
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| n.女房东，女地主 | |
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apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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unprecedented
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| adj.无前例的，新奇的 | |
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enquired
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| 打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 )； 询问； 问问题； 查问 | |
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29
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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gambling
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| n.赌博；投机 | |
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31
expressively
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| ad.表示(某事物)地；表达地 | |
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32
scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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censor
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| n./vt.审查，审查员；删改 | |
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apathy
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| n.漠不关心，无动于衷；冷淡 | |
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animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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rout
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| n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮 | |
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gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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39
surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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wig
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| n.假发 | |
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42
bustled
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| 闹哄哄地忙乱，奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 )； 催促 | |
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benevolence
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| n.慈悲，捐助 | |
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haven
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| n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所 | |
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45
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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mimicking
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| v.（尤指为了逗乐而）模仿( mimic的现在分词 )；酷似 | |
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47
stentorian
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| adj.大声的，响亮的 | |
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48
superfluous
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| adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的 | |
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