His red and black wheels labouring noiselessly through the sawdust of the village road, he drove up to the front door of the barn-like wooden structure, which staggered under the name, in huge letters, of the CONTINENTAL3 HOTEL. There was no one in sight to hold the horse, so he sat in the trap and waited, with severe impatience4, for some one to come out to him.
In a few moments the landlord strolled forth5 in his shirt-sleeves, chewing tobacco, and inquired casually6 what he could do for his visitor.
"I'm looking for Mr. Blackstock—Mr. J. T. Blackstock," said the stranger with lofty politeness. "Will you be so good as to direct me to him?"
The landlord spat7 thoughtfully into the sawdust, to show that he was not unduly9 impressed by the stranger's appearance.
"You'll find him down to the furder end of the cross street yonder," he answered pointing with his thumb. "Last house towards the river. Lives with old Mrs. Amos—him an' Woolly Billy."
The stranger found it without difficulty, and halted his trap in front of the door. Before he could alight, a tall, rather gaunt woodsman, with kind but piercing eyes and brows knitted in an habitual10 concentration, appeared in the doorway11 and gave him courteous12 greeting.
"Mr. Blackstock, I presume? The Deputy Sheriff, I should say," returned the stranger with extreme affability, descending13 from the trap.
"The same," assented14 Blackstock, stepping forward to hitch15 the horse to a fence post. A big black dog came from the house and, ignoring the resplendent stranger, went up to Blackstock's side to superintend the hitching16. A slender little boy, with big china-blue eyes and a shock of pale, flaxen curls, followed the dog from the house and stopped to stare at the visitor.
"I am extraordinarily18 glad to meet you, Mr. Blackstock," he said, holding out his hand. "If, as I surmise19, the name of this little boy here is Master George Harold Manners Watson, then I owe you a debt of gratitude20 which nothing can repay. I hear that you not only saved his life, but have been as a father to him, ever since the death of his own unhappy father."
Blackstock's heart contracted. He accepted the stranger's hand cordially enough, but was in no hurry to reply. At last he said slowly:
"Yes, Stranger, you've got Woolly Billy's reel name all O.K. But why should you thank me? Whatever I've done, it's been for Woolly Billy's own sake—ain't it, Billy?"
For answer, Woolly Billy snuggled up against his side and clutched his great brown hand adoringly, while still keeping dubious21 eyes upon the stranger.
"Well, you see, Mr. Blackstock, I'm only his uncle, and his only uncle at that. So I have a right to thank you, and I see by the way the child clings to you how good you've been to him. My name is J. Heathington Johnson, of Heathington Hall, Cramley, Blankshire. I'm his mother's brother. And I fear I shall have to tear him away from you in a great hurry, too."
"Come inside, Mr. Johnson," said Blackstock, "an' sit down. We must talk this over a bit. It is kind o' sudden, you see."
"I don't want to seem unsympathetic," said the visitor kindly23, "and I know my little nephew is going to resent my carrying him off." (At these words Woolly Billy began to realize what was in the air, and clung to Blackstock with a storm of frightened tears.) "But you will understand that I have to catch the next boat from New York—and I have a thirty-mile drive before me now to the nearest railway station. You know what the roads are! So I'm sure you won't think me unreasonable24 if I ask you to get my nephew ready as soon as possible."
Blackstock devoted25 a few precious moments to quieting the child's sobs26 before replying. He remembered having found out in some way, from some papers in the drowned Englishman's pockets or somewhere, that the name of Woolly Billy's mother, before her marriage, was not Johnson, but O'Neill. Of course that discrepancy27, he realized, might be easily explained, but his quick suspicions, sharpened by his devotion to the child, were aroused.
"We are not a rich family, by any means, Mr. Blackstock," continued the stranger, after a pause. "But we have enough to be able to reward handsomely those who have befriended us. All possible expense that my nephew may have been to you, I want to reimburse28 you for at once. And I wish also to make you a present as an expression of my gratitude—not, I assure you, as a payment," he added, noticing that Blackstock's face had hardened ominously29. He took out a thick bill-book, well stuffed with banknotes.
"Put away your money, Mr. Johnson," said Blackstock coldly. "I ain't taking any, thank you, for what I may have done for Woolly Billy. But what I want to know is, what authority have you to demand the child?"
"I'm his uncle, his mother's brother," answered the stranger sharply, drawing himself up.
"That may be, an' then again, it mayn't," said Blackstock. "Do you think I'm goin' to hand over the child to a perfect stranger, just because he comes and says he's the child's uncle? What proofs have you?"
The visitor glared angrily, but restrained himself and handed Blackstock his card.
Blackstock read it carefully.
"What does that prove?" he demanded sarcastically30. "It might not be your card! An' even if you are 'Mr. Johnson' all right, that's not proving that Mr. Johnson is the little feller's uncle! I want legal proof, that would hold in a court of law."
"You insolent31 blockhead!" exclaimed the visitor. "How dare you interfere32 between my nephew and me? If you don't hand him over at once, I will make you smart for it. Come, child, get your cap and coat, and come with me immediately. I have no more time to waste with this foolery, my man." And he stepped forward as if to lay hands on Woolly Billy.
Blackstock interposed an inexorable shoulder. The big dog growled33, and stiffened34 up the hair on his neck ominously.
"Look here," said Blackstock crisply, "you're goin' to git yourself into trouble before you go much further, my lad. You jest mind your manners. When you bring me them proofs, I'll talk to you, see!"
He took Woolly Billy's hand, and turned towards the door.
The stranger's righteous indignation, strangely enough, seemed to have been allayed35 by this speech. He followed eagerly.
"Don't be unreasonable, Mr. Blackstock," he coaxed36. "I'll send you the documents, from my solicitors37, at once. I'm sure you don't want to stand in the dear child's light this way, and prevent him getting back to his own people, and the life that is his right, a day longer than is necessary. Do listen to reason, now." And he patted his wad of bank-notes suggestively.
But at this stage, Woolly Billy and the big dog having already entered the cottage, Blackstock followed, and calmly shut the door. "You'll smart for this, you ignorant clod-hopper!" shouted Mr. Heathington Johnson. He clutched the door-knob. But for all his rage, prudence38 came to his rescue. He did not turn the knob. After a moment's hesitation39 he ground his heel upon the doorstep, stalked back to his gig, and drove off furiously. The three at the window watched his going.
"We won't see him back here again," remarked the Deputy. "He wasn't no uncle o' yours, Woolly Billy."
That same evening he wrote to a reliable firm of lawyers at Exville, telling them all he knew about Woolly Billy and Woolly Billy's father, and also all he suspected, and instructed them to look into the matter fully8.
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收听单词发音
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1
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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continental
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| adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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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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7
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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8
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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9
unduly
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| adv.过度地，不适当地 | |
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10
habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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11
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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12
courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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14
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
hitch
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| v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉 | |
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16
hitching
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| 搭乘； （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的现在分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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17
scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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18
extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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19
surmise
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| v./n.猜想，推测 | |
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20
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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21
dubious
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| adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的 | |
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22
amiably
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| adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地 | |
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23
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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24
unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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26
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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27
discrepancy
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| n.不同；不符；差异；矛盾 | |
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28
reimburse
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| v.补偿，付还 | |
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29
ominously
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| adv.恶兆地，不吉利地；预示地 | |
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30
sarcastically
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| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
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31
insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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32
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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33
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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34
stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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35
allayed
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| v.减轻，缓和( allay的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36
coaxed
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱 | |
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37
solicitors
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| 初级律师( solicitor的名词复数 ) | |
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38
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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