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Chapter 5 有用的先生(A Useful Gentleman)
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Chapter 5
A USEFUL GENTLEMAN
Rufus Van Aldin had just finished the sparse1 breakfast of coffee and dry toast, which was all he ever allowed himself when Knighton entered the room.
"Mr Goby is below, sir, waiting to see you."
The millionaire glanced at the clock. It was just half-past nine.
"All right," he said curtly2. "He can come up."
A minute or two later, Mr Goby entered the room. He was a small, elderly man, shabbily dressed, with eyes that looked carefully all round the room, and never at the person he was addressing.
"Good morning, Goby," said the millionaire. "Take a chair."
"Thank you, Mr Van Aldin."
Mr Goby sat down with his hands on his knees, and gazed earnestly at the radiator3.
"I have got a job for you."
"Yes, Mr Van Aldin?"
"My daughter is married to the Hon Derek Kettering, as you may perhaps know."
Mr Goby transferred his gaze from the radiator to the left-hand drawer of the desk, and permitted a deprecating smile to pass over his face. Mr Goby knew a great many things, but he always hated to admit the fact.
"By my advice, she is about to file a petition for divorce. That, of course, is a solicitor's business. But, for private reasons, I want the fullest and most complete information."
Mr Goby looked at the cornice and murmured:
"About Mr Kettering?"
"About Mr Kettering."
"Very good, sir."
Mr Goby rose to his feet.
"When will you have it ready for me?"
"In a hurry, sir?"
"I'm always in a hurry," said the millionaire.
Mr Goby smiled understandingly at the wall. "Two o'clock this afternoon, sir?"
"Excellent," approved the other. "Good morning, Goby."
"Good morning, Mr Van Aldin."
"That's a very useful man," said the millionaire as Goby went out and his secretary came in. "In his own line he's a specialist."
"What is his line?"
"Information. Give him twenty-four hours and he would lay the private life of the Archbishop of Canterbury bare for you."
"A useful sort of chap," said Knighton, with a smile.
"He has been useful to me once or twice," said Van Aldin. "Now then, Knighton, I'm ready for work."
The next few hours saw a vast quantity of business rapidly
点击收听单词发音
1 sparse | |
adj.稀疏的,稀稀落落的,薄的 | |
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2 curtly | |
adv.简短地 | |
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3 radiator | |
n.暖气片,散热器 | |
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4 transacted | |
v.办理(业务等)( transact的过去式和过去分词 );交易,谈判 | |
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5 doorway | |
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径 | |
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6 ironic | |
adj.讽刺的,有讽刺意味的,出乎意料的 | |
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7 eyebrows | |
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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8 puffed | |
adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧 | |
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9 flicked | |
(尤指用手指或手快速地)轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 ); (用…)轻挥; (快速地)按开关; 向…笑了一下(或瞥了一眼等) | |
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10 obsolete | |
adj.已废弃的,过时的 | |
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11 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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12 niche | |
n.壁龛;合适的职务(环境、位置等) | |
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13 discordantly | |
adv.不一致地,不和谐地 | |
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14 underneath | |
adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面 | |
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15 granite | |
adj.花岗岩,花岗石 | |
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16 shrugged | |
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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17 solicitors | |
初级律师( solicitor的名词复数 ) | |
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18 interfere | |
v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰 | |
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19 ushered | |
v.引,领,陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20 monotonous | |
adj.单调的,一成不变的,使人厌倦的 | |
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21 attentively | |
adv.聚精会神地;周到地;谛;凝神 | |
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22 winking | |
n.瞬眼,目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 );递眼色(表示友好或高兴等);(指光)闪烁;闪亮 | |
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23 malevolently | |
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24 gilt | |
adj.镀金的;n.金边证券 | |
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25 cleft | |
n.裂缝;adj.裂开的 | |
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26 triumphant | |
adj.胜利的,成功的;狂欢的,喜悦的 | |
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27 eluded | |
v.(尤指机敏地)避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 );逃避;躲避;使达不到 | |
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28 irritably | |
ad.易生气地 | |
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29 watchful | |
adj.注意的,警惕的 | |
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30 impulsiveness | |
n.冲动 | |
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31 interfering | |
adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词 | |
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32 adversary | |
adj.敌手,对手 | |
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33 entangled | |
adj.卷入的;陷入的;被缠住的;缠在一起的v.使某人(某物/自己)缠绕,纠缠于(某物中),使某人(自己)陷入(困难或复杂的环境中)( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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