CHAPTER XXXIII. WILL HE SCORE?

 Winthrop Crawford was not satisfied, however. His anxiety was centered about the welfare of his old friend, and he could not lose sight of Stone’s continued absence from the Windermere.

 

“But what are you going to do about Jimmy?” he asked eagerly. “Don’t delay, man. Hunt him up as soon as possible, even if you have to defy Follansbee, and mess things up generally in order to do so.”

 

“Don’t worry about that, Crawford. I’ll look out for your friend. He may have spent the night at Follansbee’s house. At any rate, the doctor is a marked man, and if Stone has gone anywhere with his companion, it ought to be a comparatively easy matter to trace them. You can’t stay here, though, while I’m doing it.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“For various reasons. If you did so, and Stone came back, it would be hard to act as if nothing had happened, and he would be watching you with lynx eyes, waiting to see the effect of the injection. I haven’t had time yet to analyze¹ the original contents of the syringe, so that I can’t say just how the stuff is supposed to act. In order to be on the safe side, though, you’ll have to leave the Windermere for the time being. If you’re out of their sight, they will not be able to keep tabs on your condition, and we can easily enough make them believe that the disease which they suppose has been introduced into your system is following its normal course.”

 

“But won’t Jimmy think it strange if I disappear after I’ve stuck to him so long—stuck to him against his will?”

 

“You can leave word for him. Write him a note and make some excuse that will sound plausible².”

 

“Yes, I could do that,” the miner agreed. “Where do you want me to go?”

 

“I haven’t thought of any particular place as yet. That will come later, but it is necessary that you should go away at once. Furthermore, I want the people here in the hotel to see you and me go out together.”

 

Crawford soon became convinced that something of the sort was desirable. He was very reluctant to leave the hotel before learning anything definite concerning Stone’s whereabouts, but there seemed no help for it, and Nick promised to let him know at frequent intervals³ whenever anything new came up. By half-past nine o’clock Crawford and the detective—the latter once more in the guise⁴ of Thomas Mortimer—were eating their breakfast in the dining room. Making a pretense⁵ of eating, however, would be the better way of describing the half-hearted way in which the man from South America toyed with his food.

 

Before ten o’clock they had both left the Windermere without giving any one a hint as to their destination. So far as the detective knew, he was the only one on the case; therefore it did not occur to him to keep Chick advised of his comings and goings.

 

Crawford took with him nothing in the way of baggage; therefore they were obliged to purchase a suit case and enough clothing for a few days. That done, they boarded a train at the Grand Central Terminal, and about half an hour later alighted in one of the northern suburbs within sight of Long Island Sound.

 

A motor bus from the hotel met the train and took them to a huge pile of masonry⁶ on a hill overlooking the water. It was one of the best-known hotels in the neighborhood of New York, and much frequented by those who wished to go away from the bustle⁷ of the great city for a few days. There Crawford registered, at Nick’s suggestion, under an assumed name.

 

They had parted, and the detective was already descending⁸ the steps, when the miner ran after him.

 

“I’ve just thought of something that may help you to an understanding of poor old Jim’s condition,” Crawford said breathlessly. “It has occurred to me that he used to knock about the mine without his hat on last year in all that broiling⁹ sun, and I know that many years ago, when he was a boy, an axhead hit him on the skull¹⁰. He was watching somebody chop wood, and the head became loosened and flew off the handle. Isn’t it possible that that injury affected¹¹ him somehow, but that the trouble didn’t manifest itself until recently?”

 

Nick nodded. “There may be something in that,” he said. “The exposure to the sun may have developed the latent disease, somewhat in the way photographic film is developed. I’m glad you told me of that. It makes it clearer than ever that your friend is a victim himself, and should not be judged harshly.”

 

“That’s it,” Crawford agreed eagerly. “He deserves all the mercy you can show him, Carter. I’m positive that if he ever returns to his senses he will be absolutely heartbroken to hear what he has tried to do. I tell you, Jimmy Stone loves me like a brother, and he would rather cut off his right hand than harm me. You must save him—save him from Follansbee first of all, and then from himself. If you do, there’s nothing you can’t ask of me.”

 

Nick ignored the generous promise. “The affection of man for man is a wonderful thing, Crawford,” he said quietly. “I’m glad to have known you and had this proof of what loyalty¹² means. I must go now, though. Try to have patience and take things as quietly as you can. I’ll do my best for Stone, and telephone you from time to time.”

 

As he returned to the station, the detective felt sure that his promise to Winthrop Crawford would greatly hamper¹³ his movements but he shrugged¹⁴ his shoulders philosophically¹⁵.

 

“Follansbee is a lucky rascal¹⁶, and a keen one,” he thought. “He has remained in the background, and even that telltale conversation I overheard last night doesn’t seem destined¹⁷ to be used as a weapon against him. He’s certainly stolen a base or two, but he may yet be called out at the home plate!”

1 analyze   

vt.分析，解析 (=analyse)

参考例句：

• We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
• The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。

2 plausible   

adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的

参考例句：

• His story sounded plausible.他说的那番话似乎是真实的。
• Her story sounded perfectly plausible.她的说辞听起来言之有理。

3 intervals   

n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息

参考例句：

• The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴，有阵雨。
• Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。

4 guise   

n.外表，伪装的姿态

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors.他们假装成视察员进了学校。
• The thief came into the house under the guise of a repairman.那小偷扮成个修理匠进了屋子。

5 pretense   

n.矫饰，做作，借口

参考例句：

• You can't keep up the pretense any longer.你无法继续伪装下去了。
• Pretense invariably impresses only the pretender.弄虚作假欺骗不了真正的行家。

6 masonry   

n.砖土建筑；砖石

参考例句：

• Masonry is a careful skill.砖石工艺是一种精心的技艺。
• The masonry of the old building began to crumble.旧楼房的砖石结构开始崩落。

7 bustle   

v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹

参考例句：

• The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。
• There is a lot of hustle and bustle in the railway station.火车站里非常拥挤。

8 descending   

n. 下行 adj. 下降的

参考例句：

• The results are expressed in descending numerical order . 结果按数字降序列出。
• The climbers stopped to orient themselves before descending the mountain. 登山者先停下来确定所在的位置，然后再下山。

9 broiling   

adj.酷热的，炽热的，似烧的v.（用火）烤（焙、炙等）( broil的现在分词 )；使卷入争吵；使混乱；被烤（或炙）

参考例句：

• They lay broiling in the sun. 他们躺在太阳底下几乎要晒熟了。
• I'm broiling in this hot sun. 在太阳底下，我感到热极了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

11 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。

12 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

13 hamper   

vt.妨碍，束缚，限制；n.(有盖的)大篮子

参考例句：

• There are some apples in a picnic hamper.在野餐用的大篮子里有许多苹果。
• The emergence of such problems seriously hamper the development of enterprises.这些问题的出现严重阻碍了企业的发展。

14 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 philosophically   

adv.哲学上；富有哲理性地；贤明地；冷静地

参考例句：

• He added philosophically that one should adapt oneself to the changed conditions. 他富于哲理地补充说，一个人应该适应变化了的情况。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Harry took his rejection philosophically. 哈里达观地看待自己被拒的事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 rascal   

n.流氓；不诚实的人

参考例句：

• If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。
• The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。

17 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。