章节正文
"When you see Mr. Preston, just mention my name; Felix
Montgomery."
"I will do so."
"Say, if you please, that I would have called upon him, but,
coming to the city strictly on business, was too hurried to do
so."
This also Paul promised, and counted himself fortunate in falling
in with a friend, or, at all events, acquaintance of Mr. Preston,
since he was likely to make twenty-five dollars more than he
would otherwise have done.
When he got out of the car at the Astor House, the stranger said:
"It will be half an hour before I can reach Lovejoy's, as I have
a business call to make first. Can you call there, say, in
three-quarters of an hour?"
"Yes, sir."
"Very well, then, I will expect you. Inquire for me at the desk,
and ask the servant to conduct you to my room-- you remember my
name?"
"Yes, sir--Mr. Felix Montgomery."
"Quite right. Good-by, then, till we meet."
Mr. Felix Montgomery went into the Astor House, and remained
about five minutes. He then came out on the steps, and, looking
about him to see if Paul was anywhere near, descended the steps,
and walked across to Lovejoy's Hotel. Going up to the desk, he
inquired:
"Can you accommodate me with a room?"
"Yes, sir; please enter your name."
The stranger entered his name with a flourish, as Felix
Montgomery, Syracuse.
"Room No. 237," said the clerk; "will you go up now?"
"Yes, I think so."
"Any luggage?"
"My trunk will be brought from the St. Nicholas in the course of
the afternoon."
"We require payment in advance where there is no luggage."
"Very well. I will pay for one day. I am not sure but I shall
get through my business in time to go away to-morrow."
Here the servant appeared to conduct Mr. Montgomery to his room.
"By the way," he said, turning back, as if it were an
afterthought, "I directed a boy to call here for me in about half
an hour. When he comes you may send him up to my room."
"Very well, sir."
Mr. Montgomery followed the servant upstairs to room No. 237.
It was rather high up, but he seemed well pleased that this was
the case.
"Hope you won't get tired of climbing, sir," said the servant.
"No--I've got pretty good wind."
"Most gentlemen complain of going up so far."
"It makes little difference to me."
At length they reached the room, and Mr. Montgomery entered.
"This will answer very well," he said, with a hasty glance about
him. "When my trunk comes, I want it sent up."
"Yes, sir."
"I believe that is all; you can go."
The servant retired and Mr. Felix Montgomery sat down upon the
bed.
"My little plot seems likely to succeed," he said to himself.
"I've been out of luck lately, but this boy's ring will give me a
lift. He can't suspect anything. He'll be sure to come."
Probably the reader has already suspected that Mr. Felix
Montgomery was not a jeweler from Syracuse, nor had he any claim
to the name under which he at present figured. He was a noted
confidence man, who lived by preying upon the community. His
appearance was in his favor, and it was his practice to assume
the dress and air of a respectablemiddle-aged citizen, as in the
present instance. The sight of the diamond ring had excited his
cupidity, and he had instantly formed the design of getting
possession of it, if possible. Thus far, his plan promised
success.
Meanwhile, Paul loitered away the time in the City Hall Park for
half an hour or more. He did not care to go home until his
negotiation was complete, and he could report the ring sold, and
carry home the money.
"Won't mother be astonished," he thought, "at the price I got for
the ring? I'm in luck this morning."
When the stipulated time had passed, Paul rose from the bench on
which he was seated, and walked to Lovejoy's Hotel, not far
distant.
"Has Mr. Felix Montgomery a room here?" he asked.
"Yes," answered the clerk. "Did you wish to see him?"
"Yes, sir."
"He mentioned that a boy would call by appointment. Here, James,
show this boy up to No. 237--Mr. Montgomery's room."
A hotel servant appeared, and Paul followed him up several
flights of stairs till they stood before No. 237.
"This is the room, sir," said James. "Wait a minute, and I'll
knock."
In answer to the knock, Mr. Montgomery himself opened the door.
"Come in," he said to Paul; "I was expecting you."
So Paul, not suspecting treachery, entered No. 237.
CHAPTER XVIII
A CLEVER THIEF
"Take a seat," said Mr. Montgomery. "My friend will be in
directly. Meanwhile will you let me look at the ring once more?"
Paul took it from his pocket, and handed it to the jeweler from
Syracuse, as he supposed him to be.
Mr. Montgomery took it to the window, and appeared to be
examining it carefully.
He stood with his back to Paul, but this did not excite suspicion
on the part of our hero.
"I am quite sure," he said, still standing with his back to Paul,
"that this will please my friend. From the instructions he gave
me, it is precisely what he wanted."
While uttering these words, he had drawn a sponge and a vial of
chloroform from his side pocket. He saturated the former from
the vial, and then, turning quickly, seized Paul, too much taken
by surprise to make immediate resistance, and applied the sponge
to his nose. When he realized that foul play was meditated, he
began to struggle, but he was in a firm grasp, and the chloroform
was already beginning to do its work. His head began to swim,
and he was speedily in a state of insensibility. When this was
accomplished, Mr. Felix Montgomery, eyeing the insensible boy
with satisfaction, put on his hat, walked quickly to the door,
which he locked on the outside, and made his way rapidly
downstairs. Leaving the key at the desk, he left the hotel and
disappeared.
Meanwhile Paul slowly recovered consciousness. As he came to
himself, he looked about him bewildered, not at first
comprehending where he was. All at once it flashed upon him, and
he jumped up eagerly and rushed to the door. He tried in vain to
open it.
"I am regularly trapped!" he thought, with a feeling of mingled
anger and vexation. "What a fool I was to let myself be swindled
so easily! I wonder how long I have been lying here insensible?"
Paul was not a boy to give up easily. He meant to get back the
ring if it was a possible thing. The first thing was, of course,
to get out of his present confinement. He was not used to hotel
arrangements and never thought of the bell, but, as the only
thing he could think of, began to pound upon the door. But it so
happened that at this time there were no servants on that floor,
and his appeals for help were not heard. Every moment that he
had to wait seemed at least five, for no doubt the man who had
swindled him was improving the time to escape to a place of
safety. Finding that his blows upon the door produced no effect,
he began to jump up and down upon the floor, making, in his heavy
boots, a considerable noise.
The room directly under No. 237 was occupied by an old gentleman
of a very nervous and irascible temper, Mr. Samuel Piper, a
country merchant, who, having occasion to be in the city on
business for a few days, had put up at Lovejoy's Hotel. He had
fatigued himself by some business calls, and was now taking a
little rest upon the bed, when he was aroused from half-sleep by
the pounding overhead.
"I wish people would have the decency to keep quiet," he said to
himself, peevishly. "How can I rest with such a confounded
racket going on above!"
He lay back, thinking the noise would cease, but Paul, finding
the knocking on the door ineffectual, began to jump up and down,
as I have already said. Of course this noise was heard
distinctly in the room below.
"This is getting intolerable!" exclaimed Mr. Piper, becoming
more and more excited. "The man ought to be indicted as a common
nuisance. How they can allow such goings-on in a respectable
hotel, I can't understand. I should think the fellow was
splitting wood upstairs."
He took his cane, and, standing on the bed, struck it furiously
against the ceiling, intending it as signal to the man above to
desist. But Paul, catching the response, began to jump more
furiously than ever, finding that he had attracted attention.
Mr. Piper became enraged.
"The man must be a lunatic or overcome by drink," he exclaimed.
"I can't and I won't stand it."
But the noise kept on.
Mr. Piper put on his shoes and his coat, and, seizing his cane,
emerged upon the landing. He espied a female servant just coming
upstairs.
"Here, you Bridget, or Nancy, or whatever your name is," he
roared, "there's a lunaticupstairs, making a tremendous row in
the room over mine. If you don't stop him I'll leave the hotel.
Hear him now!"
Bridget let fall her duster in fright.
"Is it a crazy man?" she asked.
"Of course he must be. I want you to go up and stop him."
"Is it me that would go near a crazy man?" exclaimed Bridget,
horror-struck; "I wouldn't do it for a million dollars; no, I
wouldn't."
"I insist upon your going up," said Mr. Piper, irritably. "He
must be stopped. Do you think I am going to stand such an
infernal thumping over my head?"
"I wouldn't do it if you'd go down on your knees to me," said
Bridget, fervently.
"Come along, I'll go with you."
But the terrified girl would not budge.
"Then you go down and tell your master there's a madman up here.
If you don't, I will."
This Bridget consented to do; and, going downstairs, gave a not
very coherent account of the disturbance. Three male servants
came back with her.
"Is that the man?" asked the first, pointing to Mr. Piper, who
certainly looked half wild with irritation.
"Yes," said Bridget, stupidly.
Immediately Mr. Piper found himself pinioned on either side by a
stout servant.
"What have you been kickin' up a row for?" demanded the first.
"Let me alone, or I'll have the law take care of you," screamed
the outraged man. "Can't you hear the fellow that's making the
racket?"
Paul, tired with thumping, had desisted for a moment, but now had
recommenced with increased energy. The sounds could be
distinctly heard on the floor below.
"Excuse me, sir. I made a mistake," said the first speaker,
Montgomery."
"I will do so."
"Say, if you please, that I would have called upon him, but,
coming to the city strictly on business, was too hurried to do
so."
This also Paul promised, and counted himself fortunate in falling
in with a friend, or, at all events, acquaintance of Mr. Preston,
since he was likely to make twenty-five dollars more than he
would otherwise have done.
When he got out of the car at the Astor House, the stranger said:
"It will be half an hour before I can reach Lovejoy's, as I have
a business call to make first. Can you call there, say, in
three-quarters of an hour?"
"Yes, sir."
"Very well, then, I will expect you. Inquire for me at the desk,
and ask the servant to conduct you to my room-- you remember my
name?"
"Yes, sir--Mr. Felix Montgomery."
"Quite right. Good-by, then, till we meet."
Mr. Felix Montgomery went into the Astor House, and remained
about five minutes. He then came out on the steps, and, looking
about him to see if Paul was anywhere near, descended the steps,
and walked across to Lovejoy's Hotel. Going up to the desk, he
inquired:
"Can you accommodate me with a room?"
"Yes, sir; please enter your name."
The stranger entered his name with a flourish, as Felix
Montgomery, Syracuse.
"Room No. 237," said the clerk; "will you go up now?"
"Yes, I think so."
"Any luggage?"
"My trunk will be brought from the St. Nicholas in the course of
the afternoon."
"We require payment in advance where there is no luggage."
"Very well. I will pay for one day. I am not sure but I shall
get through my business in time to go away to-morrow."
Here the servant appeared to conduct Mr. Montgomery to his room.
"By the way," he said, turning back, as if it were an
afterthought, "I directed a boy to call here for me in about half
an hour. When he comes you may send him up to my room."
"Very well, sir."
Mr. Montgomery followed the servant upstairs to room No. 237.
It was rather high up, but he seemed well pleased that this was
the case.
"Hope you won't get tired of climbing, sir," said the servant.
"No--I've got pretty good wind."
"Most gentlemen complain of going up so far."
"It makes little difference to me."
At length they reached the room, and Mr. Montgomery entered.
"This will answer very well," he said, with a hasty glance about
him. "When my trunk comes, I want it sent up."
"Yes, sir."
"I believe that is all; you can go."
The servant retired and Mr. Felix Montgomery sat down upon the
bed.
"My little plot seems likely to succeed," he said to himself.
"I've been out of luck lately, but this boy's ring will give me a
lift. He can't suspect anything. He'll be sure to come."
Probably the reader has already suspected that Mr. Felix
Montgomery was not a jeweler from Syracuse, nor had he any claim
to the name under which he at present figured. He was a noted
confidence man, who lived by preying upon the community. His
appearance was in his favor, and it was his practice to assume
the dress and air of a respectablemiddle-aged citizen, as in the
present instance. The sight of the diamond ring had excited his
cupidity, and he had instantly formed the design of getting
possession of it, if possible. Thus far, his plan promised
success.
Meanwhile, Paul loitered away the time in the City Hall Park for
half an hour or more. He did not care to go home until his
negotiation was complete, and he could report the ring sold, and
carry home the money.
"Won't mother be astonished," he thought, "at the price I got for
the ring? I'm in luck this morning."
When the stipulated time had passed, Paul rose from the bench on
which he was seated, and walked to Lovejoy's Hotel, not far
distant.
"Has Mr. Felix Montgomery a room here?" he asked.
"Yes," answered the clerk. "Did you wish to see him?"
"Yes, sir."
"He mentioned that a boy would call by appointment. Here, James,
show this boy up to No. 237--Mr. Montgomery's room."
A hotel servant appeared, and Paul followed him up several
flights of stairs till they stood before No. 237.
"This is the room, sir," said James. "Wait a minute, and I'll
knock."
In answer to the knock, Mr. Montgomery himself opened the door.
"Come in," he said to Paul; "I was expecting you."
So Paul, not suspecting treachery, entered No. 237.
CHAPTER XVIII
A CLEVER THIEF
"Take a seat," said Mr. Montgomery. "My friend will be in
directly. Meanwhile will you let me look at the ring once more?"
Paul took it from his pocket, and handed it to the jeweler from
Syracuse, as he supposed him to be.
Mr. Montgomery took it to the window, and appeared to be
examining it carefully.
He stood with his back to Paul, but this did not excite suspicion
on the part of our hero.
"I am quite sure," he said, still standing with his back to Paul,
"that this will please my friend. From the instructions he gave
me, it is precisely what he wanted."
While uttering these words, he had drawn a sponge and a vial of
chloroform from his side pocket. He saturated the former from
the vial, and then, turning quickly, seized Paul, too much taken
by surprise to make immediate resistance, and applied the sponge
to his nose. When he realized that foul play was meditated, he
began to struggle, but he was in a firm grasp, and the chloroform
was already beginning to do its work. His head began to swim,
and he was speedily in a state of insensibility. When this was
accomplished, Mr. Felix Montgomery, eyeing the insensible boy
with satisfaction, put on his hat, walked quickly to the door,
which he locked on the outside, and made his way rapidly
downstairs. Leaving the key at the desk, he left the hotel and
disappeared.
Meanwhile Paul slowly recovered consciousness. As he came to
himself, he looked about him bewildered, not at first
comprehending where he was. All at once it flashed upon him, and
he jumped up eagerly and rushed to the door. He tried in vain to
open it.
"I am regularly trapped!" he thought, with a feeling of mingled
anger and vexation. "What a fool I was to let myself be swindled
so easily! I wonder how long I have been lying here insensible?"
Paul was not a boy to give up easily. He meant to get back the
ring if it was a possible thing. The first thing was, of course,
to get out of his present confinement. He was not used to hotel
arrangements and never thought of the bell, but, as the only
thing he could think of, began to pound upon the door. But it so
happened that at this time there were no servants on that floor,
and his appeals for help were not heard. Every moment that he
had to wait seemed at least five, for no doubt the man who had
swindled him was improving the time to escape to a place of
safety. Finding that his blows upon the door produced no effect,
he began to jump up and down upon the floor, making, in his heavy
boots, a considerable noise.
The room directly under No. 237 was occupied by an old gentleman
of a very nervous and irascible temper, Mr. Samuel Piper, a
country merchant, who, having occasion to be in the city on
business for a few days, had put up at Lovejoy's Hotel. He had
fatigued himself by some business calls, and was now taking a
little rest upon the bed, when he was aroused from half-sleep by
the pounding overhead.
"I wish people would have the decency to keep quiet," he said to
himself, peevishly. "How can I rest with such a confounded
racket going on above!"
He lay back, thinking the noise would cease, but Paul, finding
the knocking on the door ineffectual, began to jump up and down,
as I have already said. Of course this noise was heard
distinctly in the room below.
"This is getting intolerable!" exclaimed Mr. Piper, becoming
more and more excited. "The man ought to be indicted as a common
nuisance. How they can allow such goings-on in a respectable
hotel, I can't understand. I should think the fellow was
splitting wood upstairs."
He took his cane, and, standing on the bed, struck it furiously
against the ceiling, intending it as signal to the man above to
desist. But Paul, catching the response, began to jump more
furiously than ever, finding that he had attracted attention.
Mr. Piper became enraged.
"The man must be a lunatic or overcome by drink," he exclaimed.
"I can't and I won't stand it."
But the noise kept on.
Mr. Piper put on his shoes and his coat, and, seizing his cane,
emerged upon the landing. He espied a female servant just coming
upstairs.
"Here, you Bridget, or Nancy, or whatever your name is," he
roared, "there's a lunaticupstairs, making a tremendous row in
the room over mine. If you don't stop him I'll leave the hotel.
Hear him now!"
Bridget let fall her duster in fright.
"Is it a crazy man?" she asked.
"Of course he must be. I want you to go up and stop him."
"Is it me that would go near a crazy man?" exclaimed Bridget,
horror-struck; "I wouldn't do it for a million dollars; no, I
wouldn't."
"I insist upon your going up," said Mr. Piper, irritably. "He
must be stopped. Do you think I am going to stand such an
infernal thumping over my head?"
"I wouldn't do it if you'd go down on your knees to me," said
Bridget, fervently.
"Come along, I'll go with you."
But the terrified girl would not budge.
"Then you go down and tell your master there's a madman up here.
If you don't, I will."
This Bridget consented to do; and, going downstairs, gave a not
very coherent account of the disturbance. Three male servants
came back with her.
"Is that the man?" asked the first, pointing to Mr. Piper, who
certainly looked half wild with irritation.
"Yes," said Bridget, stupidly.
Immediately Mr. Piper found himself pinioned on either side by a
stout servant.
"What have you been kickin' up a row for?" demanded the first.
"Let me alone, or I'll have the law take care of you," screamed
the outraged man. "Can't you hear the fellow that's making the
racket?"
Paul, tired with thumping, had desisted for a moment, but now had
recommenced with increased energy. The sounds could be
distinctly heard on the floor below.
"Excuse me, sir. I made a mistake," said the first speaker,
- fortunate [´fɔ:tʃənət]
a.幸运的，侥幸的 (初中英语单词) - acquaintance [ə´kweintəns] n.相识；熟人，相识的人 (初中英语单词)
- otherwise [´ʌðəwaiz] ad.另外 conj.否则 (初中英语单词)
- anywhere [´eniweə] ad.无论何处；任何地方 (初中英语单词)
- flourish [´flʌriʃ] v.茂盛；挥动 n.挥舞 (初中英语单词)
- payment [´peimənt] n.支付；报酬；报偿 (初中英语单词)
- complain [kəm´plein] vi.抱怨，叫屈；控诉 (初中英语单词)
- lately [´leitli] ad.近来，不久前 (初中英语单词)
- suspect [´sʌspekt, sə´spekt] v.怀疑；觉得 n.嫌疑犯 (初中英语单词)
- instance [´instəns] n.例子，实例，例证 (初中英语单词)
- instantly [´instəntli] ad.立即，立刻 (初中英语单词)
- meanwhile [´mi:n´wail] n.&ad.其间；同时 (初中英语单词)
- supposed [sə´pəuzd] a.想象的；假定的 (初中英语单词)
- excite [ik´sait] vt.激动；引起，招惹 (初中英语单词)
- standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)
- resistance [ri´zistəns] n.抵抗；抵制；耐力 (初中英语单词)
- beginning [bi´giniŋ] n.开始，开端；起源 (初中英语单词)
- satisfaction [,sætis´fækʃən] n.满意；满足 (初中英语单词)
- eagerly [´i:gəli] ad.渴望地，急切地 (初中英语单词)
- considerable [kən´sidərəbəl] a.重要的；值得重视 (初中英语单词)
- nervous [´nə:vəs] a.神经的；神经过敏的 (初中英语单词)
- temper [´tempə] n.韧度 v.锻炼；调和 (初中英语单词)
- overcome [,əuvə´kʌm] vt.战胜，克服 (初中英语单词)
- female [´fi:meil] a.女(性)的 n.女人 (初中英语单词)
- whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)
- tremendous [tri´mendəs] a.可怕的；巨大的 (初中英语单词)
- downstairs [,daun´steəz] ad.在楼下 a.楼下的 (初中英语单词)
- account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)
- energy [´enədʒi] n.活力，精力；能力 (初中英语单词)
- speaker [´spi:kə] n.演讲人；代言人 (初中英语单词)
- strictly [´striktli] ad.严格地 (高中英语单词)
- hurried [´hʌrid] a.仓促的，慌忙的 (高中英语单词)
- accommodate [ə´kɔmədeit] vt.供应；容纳；调节 (高中英语单词)
- community [kə´mju:niti] n.团体；社区；公众 (高中英语单词)
- respectable [ri´spektəbəl] a.可敬的；有身价的 (高中英语单词)
- treachery [´tretʃəri] n.背叛；背信弃义 (高中英语单词)
- precisely [pri´saisli] ad.精确地；刻板地 (高中英语单词)
- sponge [spʌndʒ] n.海绵(状物) (高中英语单词)
- consciousness [´kɔnʃəsnis] n.意识；觉悟；知觉 (高中英语单词)
- regularly [´regjuləli] ad.有规律地；经常地 (高中英语单词)
- finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)
- response [ri´spɔns] n.回答；响应 (高中英语单词)
- disturbance [di´stə:bəns] n.扰乱，骚动 (高中英语单词)
- upstairs [,ʌp´steəz] ad.在楼上 a.楼上的 (英语四级单词)
- speedily [´spi:dili] ad.迅速地 (英语四级单词)
- retired [ri´taiəd] a.退休的；通职的 (英语六级单词)
- jeweler [´dʒu:ələ] n.珠宝商；宝石工人 (英语六级单词)
- middle-aged [´midl´eidʒid] a.中年的 (英语六级单词)
- applied [ə´plaid] a.实用的，应用的 (英语六级单词)
- insensible [in´sensəbəl] a.麻木的；冷淡的 (英语六级单词)
- vexation [vek´seiʃən] n.烦恼(的原因) (英语六级单词)
- confinement [kən´fainmənt] n.限制；监禁；分娩 (英语六级单词)
- taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)
- decency [´di:sənsi] n.正派；体面 (英语六级单词)
- lunatic [´lu:nətik] a.精神错乱的 n.疯子 (英语六级单词)
- landing [´lændiŋ] n.登陆；降落；楼梯平台 (英语六级单词)
- madman [´mædmən] n.疯子；狂人 (英语六级单词)
文章标签:名著
章节正文
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