He was sitting where the detectives had left him, and although their departure might have been supposed to have depressed4 him, actually it had had a contrary effect; he was chuckling5 with amusement, and, between his chuckles6, addressing himself to the contents of the pewter with every mark of appreciation8. Three gleaming golden teeth on the lower row, and one glittering canine9, made a dazzling show every time that he smiled; he was a very greasy10 and a very mirthful Hebrew.
Finishing his tankard of ale, he shuffled11 out into the street, the line of his bent12 shoulders running parallel with that of his hat-brim. His hat appeared to be several sizes too large for his head, and his skull13 was only prevented from disappearing into the capacious crown by the intervention14 of his ears, which, acting15 as brackets, supported the whole weight of the rain-sodden structure. He mounted a tram proceeding16 in the same direction as that which had borne off the Scotland Yard men. Quitting this at Bow Road, he shuffled into the railway station, and from Bow Road proceeded to Liverpool Street. Emerging from the station at Liverpool Street, he entered a motor-'bus bound westward17.
His neighbors, inside, readily afforded him ample elbow room; and, smiling agreeably at every one, including the conductor (who resented his good-humor) and a pretty girl in the corner seat (who found it embarrassing) he proceeded to Charing18 Cross. Descending19 from the 'bus, he passed out into Leicester Square and plunged20 into the network of streets which complicates21 the map of Soho. It will be of interest to follow him.
In a narrow turning off Greek Street, and within hail of the popular Bohemian restaurants, he paused before a doorway22 sandwiched between a Continental23 newsagent's and a tiny French cafe; and, having fumbled24 in his greasy raiment he presently produced a key, opened the door, carefully closed it behind him, and mounted the dark stair.
On the top floor he entered a studio, boasting a skylight upon which the rain was drumming steadily25 and drearily26. Lighting27 a gas burner in one corner of the place which bore no evidence of being used for its legitimate28 purpose—he entered a little adjoining dressing7-room. Hot and cold water were laid on there, and a large zinc29 bath stood upon the floor. With the aid of an enamel30 bucket, Mr. Abraham Levinsky filled the bath.
Leaving him to his ablutions, let us glance around the dressing-room. Although there was no easel in the studio, and no indication of artistic31 activity, the dressing-room was well stocked with costumes. Two huge dress-baskets were piled in one corner, and their contents hung upon hooks around the three available walls. A dressing table, with a triplicate mirror and a suitably shaded light, presented a spectacle reminiscent less of a model's dressing-room than of an actor's.
At the expiration32 of some twenty-five minutes, the door of this dressing-room opened; and although Abraham Levinsky had gone in, Abraham Levinsky did not come out!
Carefully flicking33 a particle of ash from a fold of his elegant, silk-lined cloak, a most distinguished34 looking gentleman stepped out onto the bleak35 and dirty studio. He wore, in addition to a graceful36 cloak, which was lined with silk of cardinal37 red, a soft black hat, rather wide brimmed and dented38 in a highly artistic manner, and irreproachable39 evening clothes; his linen40 was immaculate; and no valet in London could have surpassed the perfect knotting of his tie. His pearl studs were elegant and valuable; and a single eyeglass was swung about his neck by a thin, gold chain. The white gloves, which fitted perfectly41, were new; and if the glossy42 boots were rather long in the toe-cap from an English point of view, the gold-headed malacca cane43 which the newcomer carried was quite de rigeur.
The strong clean-shaven face calls for no description here; it was the face of M. Gaston Max.
M. Max, having locked the study door, and carefully tried it to make certain of its security, descended44 the stairs. He peeped out cautiously into the street ere setting foot upon the pavement; but no one was in sight at the moment, and he emerged quickly, closing the door behind him, and taking shelter under the newsagent's awning45. The rain continued its steady downpour, but M. Max stood there softly humming a little French melody until a taxi-cab crawled into view around the Greek Street corner.
He whistled shrilly46 through his teeth—the whistle of a gamin; and the cabman, glancing up and perceiving him, pulled around into the turning, and drew up by the awning.
M. Max entered the cab.
“To Frascati's,” he directed.
The cabman backed out into Greek Street and drove off. This was the hour when the theaters were beginning to eject their throngs47, and outside one of them, where a popular comedy had celebrated48 its three-hundred-and-fiftieth performance, the press of cabs and private cars was so great that M. Max found himself delayed within sight of the theater foyer.
Those patrons of the comedy who had omitted to order vehicles or who did not possess private conveyances49, found themselves in a quandary50 tonight, and amongst those thus unfortunately situated51, M. Max, watching the scene with interest, detected a lady whom he knew—none other than the delightful52 American whose conversation had enlivened his recent journey from Paris—Miss Denise Ryland. She was accompanied by a charming companion, who, although she was wrapped up in a warm theater cloak, seemed to be shivering disconsolately53 as she and her friend watched the interminable stream of vehicles filing up before the theater, and cutting them off from any chance of obtaining a cab for themselves.
“Drive into that side turning!” he directed the cabman, leaning out of the window. The cabman followed his directions, and M. Max, heedless of the inclement55 weather, descended from the cab, dodged56 actively57 between the head lamps of a big Mercedes and the tail-light of a taxi, and stood bowing before the two ladies, his hat pressed to his bosom58 with one gloved hand, the other, ungloved, resting upon the gold knob of the malacca.
“Why!” cried Miss Ryland, “if it isn't... M. Gaston! My dear ... M. Gaston! Come under the awning, or”—her head was wagging furiously—“you will be... simply drowned.”
M. Max smilingly complied.
“This is M. Gaston,” said Denise Ryland, turning to her companion, “the French gentleman... whom I met... in the train from... Paris. This is Miss Helen Cumberly, and I know you two will get on... famously.”
M. Max acknowledged the presentation with a few simple words which served to place the oddly met trio upon a mutually easy footing. He was, par3 excellence59, the polished cosmopolitan60 man of the world.
“Fortunately I saw your dilemma,” he explained. “I have a cab on the corner yonder, and it is entirely61 at your service.”
“Now that... is real good of you,” declared Denise Ryland. “I think you're... a brick.”...
“But, my dear Miss Ryland!” cried Helen, “we cannot possibly deprive M. Gaston of his cab on a night like this!”
“I had hoped,” said the Frenchman, bowing gallantly62, “that this most happy reunion might not be allowed to pass uncelebrated. Tell me if I intrude63 upon other plans, because I am speaking selfishly; but I was on my way to a lonely supper, and apart from the great pleasure which your company would afford me, you would be such very good Samaritans if you would join me.”
Helen Cumberly, although she was succumbing64 rapidly to the singular fascination65 of M. Max, exhibited a certain hesitancy. She was no stranger to Bohemian customs, and if the distinguished Frenchman had been an old friend of her companion's, she should have accepted without demur66; but she knew that the acquaintance had commenced in a Continental railway train, and her natural prudence67 instinctively68 took up a brief for the prosecution69. But Denise Ryland had other views.
“My dear girl,” she said, “you are not going to be so... crack-brained... as to stand here... arguing and contracting... rheumatism70, lumbago... and other absurd complaints... when you know PERFECTLY well that we had already arranged to go... to supper!” She turned to the smiling Max. “This girl needs... DRAGGING out of... her morbid71 self... M. Gaston! We'll accept... your cab, on the distinct... understanding that YOU are to accept OUR invitation... to supper.”
M. Max bowed agreeably.
“By all means let MY cab take us to YOUR supper,” he said, laughing.
点击收听单词发音
1 impudence | |
n.厚颜无耻;冒失;无礼 | |
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2 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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3 par | |
n.标准,票面价值,平均数量;adj.票面的,平常的,标准的 | |
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4 depressed | |
adj.沮丧的,抑郁的,不景气的,萧条的 | |
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5 chuckling | |
轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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6 chuckles | |
轻声地笑( chuckle的名词复数 ) | |
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7 dressing | |
n.(食物)调料;包扎伤口的用品,敷料 | |
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8 appreciation | |
n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨 | |
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9 canine | |
adj.犬的,犬科的 | |
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10 greasy | |
adj. 多脂的,油脂的 | |
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11 shuffled | |
v.洗(纸牌)( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 );拖着脚步走;粗心地做;摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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12 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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13 skull | |
n.头骨;颅骨 | |
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14 intervention | |
n.介入,干涉,干预 | |
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15 acting | |
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的 | |
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16 proceeding | |
n.行动,进行,(pl.)会议录,学报 | |
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17 westward | |
n.西方,西部;adj.西方的,向西的;adv.向西 | |
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18 charing | |
n.炭化v.把…烧成炭,把…烧焦( char的现在分词 );烧成炭,烧焦;做杂役女佣 | |
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19 descending | |
n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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20 plunged | |
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降 | |
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21 complicates | |
使复杂化( complicate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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22 doorway | |
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径 | |
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23 continental | |
adj.大陆的,大陆性的,欧洲大陆的 | |
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24 fumbled | |
(笨拙地)摸索或处理(某事物)( fumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 乱摸,笨拙地弄; 使落下 | |
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25 steadily | |
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
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26 drearily | |
沉寂地,厌倦地,可怕地 | |
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27 lighting | |
n.照明,光线的明暗,舞台灯光 | |
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28 legitimate | |
adj.合法的,合理的,合乎逻辑的;v.使合法 | |
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29 zinc | |
n.锌;vt.在...上镀锌 | |
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30 enamel | |
n.珐琅,搪瓷,瓷釉;(牙齿的)珐琅质 | |
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31 artistic | |
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的 | |
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32 expiration | |
n.终结,期满,呼气,呼出物 | |
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33 flicking | |
(尤指用手指或手快速地)轻击( flick的现在分词 ); (用…)轻挥; (快速地)按开关; 向…笑了一下(或瞥了一眼等) | |
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34 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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35 bleak | |
adj.(天气)阴冷的;凄凉的;暗淡的 | |
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36 graceful | |
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的 | |
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37 cardinal | |
n.(天主教的)红衣主教;adj.首要的,基本的 | |
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38 dented | |
v.使产生凹痕( dent的过去式和过去分词 );损害;伤害;挫伤(信心、名誉等) | |
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39 irreproachable | |
adj.不可指责的,无过失的 | |
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40 linen | |
n.亚麻布,亚麻线,亚麻制品;adj.亚麻布制的,亚麻的 | |
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41 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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42 glossy | |
adj.平滑的;有光泽的 | |
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43 cane | |
n.手杖,细长的茎,藤条;v.以杖击,以藤编制的 | |
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44 descended | |
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 | |
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45 awning | |
n.遮阳篷;雨篷 | |
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46 shrilly | |
尖声的; 光亮的,耀眼的 | |
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47 throngs | |
n.人群( throng的名词复数 )v.成群,挤满( throng的第三人称单数 ) | |
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48 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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49 conveyances | |
n.传送( conveyance的名词复数 );运送;表达;运输工具 | |
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50 quandary | |
n.困惑,进迟两难之境 | |
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51 situated | |
adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的 | |
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52 delightful | |
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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53 disconsolately | |
adv.悲伤地,愁闷地;哭丧着脸 | |
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54 promptly | |
adv.及时地,敏捷地 | |
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55 inclement | |
adj.严酷的,严厉的,恶劣的 | |
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56 dodged | |
v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 );回避 | |
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57 actively | |
adv.积极地,勤奋地 | |
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58 bosom | |
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 | |
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59 excellence | |
n.优秀,杰出,(pl.)优点,美德 | |
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60 cosmopolitan | |
adj.世界性的,全世界的,四海为家的,全球的 | |
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61 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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62 gallantly | |
adv. 漂亮地,勇敢地,献殷勤地 | |
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63 intrude | |
vi.闯入;侵入;打扰,侵扰 | |
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64 succumbing | |
不再抵抗(诱惑、疾病、攻击等)( succumb的现在分词 ); 屈从; 被压垮; 死 | |
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65 fascination | |
n.令人着迷的事物,魅力,迷恋 | |
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66 demur | |
v.表示异议,反对 | |
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67 prudence | |
n.谨慎,精明,节俭 | |
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68 instinctively | |
adv.本能地 | |
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69 prosecution | |
n.起诉,告发,检举,执行,经营 | |
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70 rheumatism | |
n.风湿病 | |
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71 morbid | |
adj.病的;致病的;病态的;可怕的 | |
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