To all outward appearances, the little bird-fancier's shop in Gray's Inn Road was innocent enough, and no doubt the police would have given the tenant1 of the shop a good character if they had been asked about his antecedents. The proprietor2 was a born naturalist3 and was too much devoted4 to his studies to make his business a success. He was a dried-up little man who lived behind the shop where he did entirely5 for himself, for he had a morbid6 horror of everything in the shape of woman. He cared little or nothing for the litter and confusion which marked his sitting-room7, and as long as he could pay his rent was satisfied to pass a monotonous8 existence. It was, therefore, a stroke of luck for Mr. Giles when a somewhat obese9 foreigner walked into his shop one day and asked if he had a couple of rooms to spare. Giles had the rooms to spare, but there was no furniture in them, and he could not depart from his rule that no woman should ever set foot on the premises10. Instead of regarding these statements as drawbacks, the would-be lodger11 affected12 to receive them with every demonstration13 of approval.
"Ah, my friend," he said, "this is just what I want. I am an old traveller. I have seen a great deal of the world and have always been accustomed to do for myself. If I pay ten shillings a week for these rooms and bring my own furniture, will that satisfy you, eh? I will not interfere14 with you and you will not interfere with me. I will cook my own food and do my own cleaning and everything. What I want is quiet, for I am writing a book on my travels, and must not be interrupted."
There was only one reply to such an offer, and that was to close with it with alacrity15. Ten shillings a week would make all the difference between affluence16 and poverty to the naturalist. It would pay his rent and enable him to buy such books as his soul coveted17. Within a week Jansen was established in his new quarters. It was no empty boast that his landlord and he would see little of one another, for weeks passed at a time without their exchanging a word.
Meanwhile, Jansen was conquering a certain shyness with which he had been afflicted18 during the earlier part of his tenancy. At first he hardly left the house except at night, but now he walked in and out, whistling blithely19 to himself as if he had no care or trouble in the world.
So far as his sitting-room was concerned, there was no reason to disregard his statement that he was writing a book. One or two tables were littered with papers, but maps and strange-looking plans which could have only been properly understood by an engineer were most in evidence.
One night, Jansen had cooked his frugal20 supper over a spirit-lamp, and then put his cooking utensils21 on one side and lighted a big Dutch pipe. From time to time he glanced at the noisy little clock on the mantel-piece as if anxious he should not forget some important appointment. He drew from his pocket a bundle of letters which he spread out on his ample knee. The contents of the letters appeared to give him satisfaction, for he chuckled22 again and again as he read them.
"Strange what mistakes clever men make sometimes," he muttered. "There is Flower, who thinks he has deceived everybody. Well, he has not hoodwinked me. Ah, it is true that, as the philosopher says, everything comes to him who knows how to wait, and my three years have not been wasted. Within a few weeks there will no longer be either Samuel Flower nor Cotter to stand in the way. And all I shall have to do is to go down to Maldon Grange and help myself, and spend the rest of my life in ease and pleasure."
Jansen glanced at the clock again, which now indicated the half hour after nine. He rose from his seat and walked on tip-toe towards the door. Despite his great weight he made no more noise than a cat. He could hear his landlord bustling23 about in the back of the shop as he crept down the stairs and opened the front door. He stood there just a moment with the light of the gas behind him, looking up and down the street as if searching for some one. Then, presently, out of the shadows emerged a slight figure wearing a long overcoat and tall silk hat. As the figure passed Jansen the latter held out a detaining hand.
"All right, my friend," he said. "I am waiting for you. Come this way."
The figure made no demur24; no remark whatever crossed his lips. He followed Jansen quietly upstairs into the sitting-room, the door of which was then carefully closed. No word was spoken till Jansen produced the materials for the filling and smoking of an opium26 pipe which he handed to his companion. The latter had discarded his hat and overcoat. He looked out of place in his European costume as he squatted27 on the floor with the pipe between his lips.
"You know why you are here?" Jansen asked.
"I know very well," the Oriental said stolidly28. "I come because you are willing to help me. You will tell me how, and when it is all over you are going to show me that which I can take back to my country whence your countryman stole it. That is why I am here to-night."
"Quite right," Jansen said cheerfully. "But you are moving too fast. We don't do things so rapidly in this country. Do you know that your man has gone again? Do you know that he left London to-night?"
The Eastern looked up and his beady eyes gleamed like stars. Cold-blooded man of the world as he was Jansen shuddered29 as he noticed the glance.
"What I am telling you is the truth," he went on. "He has gone. They have spirited him away, and no doubt they fancy he is out of harm's reach."
"He is not," the Malay said unconcernedly. "Were he at the end of the world he would not be safe from us. Have we not waited and watched and travelled all these years, and did not the star of luck shine upon us at last? You know whether it is true that that man is safe."
"Oh, we know," Jansen said cheerfully. "But the point is this, my friend; you are in a civilized30 country where the police have peculiar31 ideas. If they can lay hands upon you they won't care a rap about your religious scruples32. You will find yourself within the walls of an English gaol33 and the two of you will be hanged to a certainty. What about your revenge then? Your prey34 will escape you, secure in the knowledge that he has no longer anybody to fear. He will be able to enjoy his ill-gotten gains with a light heart. You are taking this thing too easily. Now suppose I can show you a way——"
"You are bound to show us a way," he said. "You are pledged to it. Are you not one of us? Have you not taken the sacred vows36? And if you should dare to play us false——"
"Come, come, don't talk like that," Jansen said in an injured tone. "Do be reasonable. Didn't I ask you here to-night on purpose to show you a way. But it will be useless unless I can see both of you together. If you are not going to trust me, you had better go your own way and there will be an end of it."
Jansen shrugged37 his shoulders as if he washed his hands of the whole transaction. Out of the corners of his narrow eyes the man squatting38 on the floor watched him intently. By and by he laid down his pipe with a sigh and produced from his pocket a flimsy bit of paper on which he proceeded to scribble39 something with a charcoal40 pencil. Even then he hesitated before he handed it over to Jansen. The latter assumed an attitude of indifference41 which he was very far from feeling.
"There," the Malay said, "that is where you will find him at twelve of the clock to-night. I have trusted everything into your hands, and if you fail us—but you will not fail us. You must see him and bring him here so that we may talk this matter over."
Jansen thrust the paper carelessly into his pocket as if it were of no importance. He began to talk of other matters likely to interest the Oriental. He spoke25 of the latter's country and people whilst the little man nodded drowsily42 over the opium pipes which his host was preparing for him. Finally his head fell back upon the carpet and he lay in the deep sleep which the drug produces.
"Good," Jansen muttered. "It is better luck than I anticipated. I did not expect to get two birds with one stone. And now to sweep the other into the net."
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
tenant
|
|
| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
proprietor
|
|
| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
naturalist
|
|
| n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
devoted
|
|
| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
morbid
|
|
| adj.病的；致病的；病态的；可怕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
sitting-room
|
|
| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
monotonous
|
|
| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
obese
|
|
| adj.过度肥胖的，肥大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
premises
|
|
| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
lodger
|
|
| n.寄宿人，房客 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
affected
|
|
| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
demonstration
|
|
| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
interfere
|
|
| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
alacrity
|
|
| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
affluence
|
|
| n.充裕，富足 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
coveted
|
|
| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
afflicted
|
|
| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
blithely
|
|
| adv.欢乐地，快活地，无挂虑地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
frugal
|
|
| adj.节俭的，节约的，少量的，微量的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
utensils
|
|
| 器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
chuckled
|
|
| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
bustling
|
|
| adj.喧闹的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
demur
|
|
| v．表示异议，反对 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
opium
|
|
| n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
squatted
|
|
| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
stolidly
|
|
| adv.迟钝地，神经麻木地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
shuddered
|
|
| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
civilized
|
|
| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
scruples
|
|
| n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
gaol
|
|
| n.(jail)监狱；(不加冠词)监禁；vt.使…坐牢 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
prey
|
|
| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
glistened
|
|
| v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
vows
|
|
| 誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
shrugged
|
|
| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
squatting
|
|
| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
scribble
|
|
| v.潦草地书写，乱写，滥写；n.潦草的写法，潦草写成的东西，杂文 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
charcoal
|
|
| n.炭，木炭，生物炭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
indifference
|
|
| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
drowsily
|
|
| adv.睡地，懒洋洋地，昏昏欲睡地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |