Chapter 6 An Interview in the Dark

While Mr. Swift was writing the message he wished his son to take tothe village, the young mechanic inspected the motor-cycle he hadpurchased. Tom found that a few repairs would suffice to put it ingood shape, though an entire new front wheel would be needed. Themotor had not been damaged, as he ascertained¹ by a test. Tom rodeinto town on his bicycle, and as he hurried along he noticed in thewest a bank of ugly-looking clouds that indicated a shower.
"I'm in for a wetting before I get back," he mused², and he increasedhis speed, reaching the telegraph office shortly before seveno'clock.
"Think this storm will hold off until I get home?" asked Tom.
"I'm afraid not," answered the agent. "You'd better get a hustleon."
Tom sprinted³ off. It was getting dark rapidly, and when he was abouta mile from home he felt several warm drops on his face.
"Here it comes!" exclaimed the youth. "Now for a little more speed!"
Tom pressed harder on the pedals, too hard, in fact, for an instantlater something snapped, and the next he knew he was flying over thehandlebars of the bicycle. At the same time there was a metallic,clinking sound.
"Chain's busted⁴!" exclaimed the lad as he picked himself up out ofthe dust. "Well, wouldn't that jar you!" and he walked back towhere, in the dusk, he could dimly discern his wheel.
The chain had come off the two sprockets and was lying to one side.Tom picked it up and ascertained by close observation that the screwand nut holding the two joining links together was lost.
"Nice pickle⁵!" he murmured. "How am I going to find it in all thisdust and darkness?" he asked himself disgustedly. "I'll carry anextra screw next time. No, I won't, either. I'll ride my motor-cyclenext time. Well, I may as well give a look around. I hate to walk,if I can fix it and ride."
Tom had not spent more than two minutes looking about the dustyroad, with the aid of matches, for the screw, when the rain suddenlybegan falling in a hard shower.
"Guess there's no use lingering here any longer," he remarked. "I'llpush the wheel and run for home."
He started down the road in the storm and darkness. The highway soonbecame a long puddle⁶ of mud, through which he splashed, finding itmore and more difficult every minute to push the bicycle in thethick, sticky clay.
Above the roar of the wind and the swishing of the rain he heardanother sound. It was a steady "puff-puff," and then the darknesswas cut by a glare of light.
"An automobile⁸," said Tom aloud. "Guess I'd better get out of theway."
He turned to one side, but the auto⁷, instead of passing him when itgot to the place where he was, made a sudden stop.
"Want a ride?" asked the chauffeur⁹, peering out from the sidecurtains which somewhat protected him from the storm. Tom saw thatthe car was a large, touring one. "Can I give you a lift?" went onthe driver.
"Well, I've got my bicycle with me," explained the young inventor."My chain's broken, and I've got a mile to go."
"Jump up in back," invited the man. "Leave your wheel here; I guessit will be safe."
"Oh, I couldn't do that," said Tom. "I don't mind walking. I'm wetthrough now, and I can't get much wetter. I'm much obliged, though."
"Well, I'm sorry, but I can hardly take you and the bicycle, too,"continued the chauffeur.
"Certainly not," added a voice from the tonneau of the car. "Wecan't have a muddy bicycle in here. Who is that person, Simpson?"
"It's a young man," answered the driver.
"Is he acquainted around here?" went on the voice from the rear ofthe car. "Ask him if he is acquainted around here, Simpson."
Tom was wondering where he had heard that voice before. He had avague notion that it was familiar.
"Are you acquainted around here?" obediently asked the man at thewheel.
"I live here," replied Tom.
"Ask him if he knows any one named Swift?" continued the voice fromthe tonneau, and the driver started to repeat it.
"I heard him," interrupted Tom. "Yes, I know a Mr. Swift;" but Tom,with a sudden resolve, and one he could hardly explain, decidedthat, for the present, he would not betray his own identity.
"Ask him if Mr. Swift is an inventor." Once more the unseen personspoke in the voice Tom was trying vainly to recall.
"Yes, he is an inventor," was the youth's answer.
"Do you know much about him? What are his habits? Does he live nearhis workshops? Does he keep many servants? Does he--"
The unseen questioner suddenly parted the side curtains and peeredout at Tom, who stood in the muddy road, close to the automobile. Atthat moment there came a bright flash of lightning, illuminating¹⁰ notonly Tom's face, but that of his questioner as well. And at thesight Tom started, no less than did the man. For Tom had recognizedhim as one of the three mysterious persons in the restaurant, and asfor the man, he had also recognized Tom.
"Ah--er--um--is--Why, it's you, isn't it?" cried the questioner, andhe thrust his head farther out from between the curtains. "My, what astorm!" he exclaimed as the rain increased. "So you know Mr. Swift,eh? I saw you to-day in Mansburg, I think. I have a good memory forfaces. Do you work for Mr. Swift? If you do I may be able to--"
"I'm Tom Swift, son of Mr. Barton Swift," said Tom as quietly as hecould.
"Tom Swift! His son!" cried the man, and he seemed much agitated¹¹."Why, I thought--that is, Morse said--Simpson, hurry back toMansburg!" and with that, taking no more notice of Tom, the man inthe auto hastily drew the curtains together.
The chauffeur threw in the gears and swung the ponderous¹² machine toone side. The road was wide, and he made the turn skilfully¹³. Amoment later the car was speeding back the way it had come, leavingTom standing¹⁴ on the highway, alone in the mud and darkness, with therain pouring down in torrents¹⁵.

1 ascertained   

v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The previously unidentified objects have now been definitely ascertained as being satellites. 原来所说的不明飞行物现在已证实是卫星。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I ascertained that she was dead. 我断定她已经死了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 mused   

v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事）

参考例句：

• \"I wonder if I shall ever see them again, \"he mused. “我不知道是否还可以再见到他们，”他沉思自问。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"Where are we going from here?\" mused one of Rutherford's guests. 卢瑟福的一位客人忍不住说道：‘我们这是在干什么？” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

3 sprinted   

v.短距离疾跑( sprint的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sprinted for the line. 他向终点线冲去。
• Sergeant Horne sprinted to the car. 霍恩中士全力冲向那辆汽车。 来自辞典例句

4 busted   

adj. 破产了的，失败了的，被降级的，被逮捕的，被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• You are so busted! 你被当场逮住了！
• It was money troubles that busted up their marriage. 是金钱纠纷使他们的婚姻破裂了。

5 pickle   

n.腌汁，泡菜；v.腌，泡

参考例句：

• Mother used to pickle onions.妈妈过去常腌制洋葱。
• Meat can be preserved in pickle.肉可以保存在卤水里。

6 puddle   

n.(雨)水坑，泥潭

参考例句：

• The boy hopped the mud puddle and ran down the walk.这个男孩跳过泥坑，沿着人行道跑了。
• She tripped over and landed in a puddle.她绊了一下，跌在水坑里。

7 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

8 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

9 chauffeur   

n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车

参考例句：

• The chauffeur handed the old lady from the car.这个司机搀扶这个老太太下汽车。
• She went out herself and spoke to the chauffeur.她亲自走出去跟汽车司机说话。

10 illuminating   

a.富于启发性的，有助阐明的

参考例句：

• We didn't find the examples he used particularly illuminating. 我们觉得他采用的那些例证启发性不是特别大。
• I found his talk most illuminating. 我觉得他的话很有启发性。

11 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。

12 ponderous   

adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的

参考例句：

• His steps were heavy and ponderous.他的步伐沉重缓慢。
• It was easy to underestimate him because of his occasionally ponderous manner.由于他偶尔现出的沉闷的姿态，很容易使人小看了他。

13 skilfully   

adv. (美skillfully)熟练地

参考例句：

• Hall skilfully weaves the historical research into a gripping narrative. 霍尔巧妙地把历史研究揉进了扣人心弦的故事叙述。
• Enthusiasm alone won't do. You've got to work skilfully. 不能光靠傻劲儿，得找窍门。

14 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

15 torrents   

n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断

参考例句：

• The torrents scoured out a channel down the hill side. 急流沿着山腰冲刷出一条水沟。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Sudden rainstorms would bring the mountain torrents rushing down. 突然的暴雨会使山洪暴发。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》