paul the peddler-第20部分

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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　lunatic　upstairs；　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；

releasing　his　hold。　　〃We'll　go　up　and　see　what's　the　matter。〃



So　the　party　went　upstairs；　followed　at　a　distance　by　Bridget；

who；　influenced　alike　by　fear　and　curiosity；　did　not　know　whether

to　go　up　or　retreat。



The　sounds　were　easily　traced　to　room　No。　237。　　In　front　of

this；　therefore；　the　party　congregated。



〃What's　the　matter　in　there？〃　asked　James；　the　first　servant；

putting　his　lips　to　the　keyhole。



〃Yes；〃　chimed　in　Mr。　Piper；　irritably；　〃what　do　you　mean　by　such

an　infernal　hubbub？〃



〃Open　the　door；　and　let　me　out；〃　returned　Paul；　eagerly。



The　party　looked　at　each　other　in　surprise。　　They　did　not　expect

to　find　the　desperate　maniac　a　boy。



〃Perhaps　there's　more　than　one　of　them；〃　suggested　the　second

servant；　prudently。



〃Why　don't　you　come　out　yourself？〃　asked　James。　　〃I　am　locked

in。〃



The　door　was　opened　with　a　passkey　and　Paul　confronted　the　party。



〃Now；　young　man；　what　do　you　mean　by　making　such　a　disturbance？〃　

demanded　Mr。　Piper；　excitably。　　〃My　room　is　just　below；　and　I

expected　every　minute　you　would　come　through。〃



〃I　am　sorry　if　I　disturbed　you；　sir；〃　said　Paul；　politely；　〃but

it　was　the　only　way　I　could　attract　attention。〃



〃How　came　you　locked　up　here？〃



〃Yes；〃　chimed　in　James；　suspiciously；　〃how　came　you　locked　up

here？〃



〃I　was　drugged　with　chloroform；　and　locked　in；〃　said　Paul。



〃Who　did　it？〃



〃Mr。　Felix　Montgomery；　or　that's　what　he　called　himself。　　I　came

here　by　appointment　to　meet　him。〃



〃What　did　he　do　that　for？〃



〃He　has　carried　off　a　diamond　ring　which　I　came　up　here　to　sell

him。〃



〃A　very　improbable　story；〃　said　Mr。　Piper；　suspiciously。　　〃What

should　such　a　boy　have　to　do　with　a　diamond　ring？〃



Nothing　is　easier　than　to　impart　suspicion。　　Men　are　prone　to

believe　evil　of　each　other；　and　Paul　was　destined　to　realize

this。　　The　hotel　servants；　ignorant　and　suspicious；　caught　the

suggestion。



〃It's　likely　he's　a'　thafe；〃　said　Bridget；　from　a　safe　distance。



〃If　I　were；〃　said　Paul；　coolly；　〃I　shouldn't　be　apt　to　call　your

attention　by　such　a　noise。　　I　can　prove　to　you　that　I　am　telling

the　truth。　　I　stopped　at　the　office；　and　the　bookkeeper　sent　a

servant　to　show　me　up　here。〃



〃If　this　is　true；〃　said　Mr。　Piper；　〃why；　when　you　found　yourself

locked　in；　didn't　you　ring　the　bell；　instead　of　making　such　a

confounded　racket？　　My　nerves　won't　get　over　it　for　a　week。〃



〃I　didn't　think　of　the　bell；〃　said　Paul；　〃I　am　not　much　used　to

hotels。〃



〃What　will　we　do　with　him？〃　asked　James；　looking　to　Mr。　Piper

for　counsel。



〃You'd　better　take　him　downstairs；　and　see　if　his　story　is

correct；〃　said　the　nervous　gentleman；　with　returning　good　sense。



〃I'll　do　it；〃　said　James；　to　whom　the　very　obvious　suggestion

seemed　marked　by　extraordinary　wisdom；　and　he　grasped　Paul

roughly　by　the　arm。



〃You　needn't　hold　me；〃　said　our　hero；　shaking　off　the　grasp。　　〃I

haven't　any　intention　of　running　away。　　I　want　to　find　out；　if　I

can；　what　has　become　of　the　man　that　swindled　me。〃



James　looked　doubtfully　at　Mr。　Piper。



〃I　don't　think　he　means　to　run　away；〃　said　that　gentleman。　　〃I

begin　to　think　his　story　is　correct。　　And　hark　you；　my　young

friend；　if　you　ever　get　locked　up　in　a　hotel　room　again；　just　see

if　there　is　a　bell　before　you　make　such　a　confounded　racket。〃



〃Yes；　sir；　I　will；〃　said　Paul；　half…smiling；　〃but　I'll　take　care

not　to　get　locked　up　again。　　It　won't　be　easy　for　anybody　to　play

that　trick　on　me　again。〃



The　party　filed　downstairs　to　the　office　and　Paul　told　his　story

to　the　bookkeeper。



〃Have　you　seen　Mr。　Montgomery　go　out？〃　asked　our　hero。



〃Yes；　he　went　out　half　an　hour　ago；　or　perhaps　more。　　He　left　his

key　at　the　desk；　but　said　nothing。　　He　seemed　to　be　in　a　hurry。〃



〃You　didn't　notice　in　what　direction　he　went？〃



〃No。〃



Of　course　no　attempt　was　made　to　detain　Paul。　　There　could　be　no

case　against　him。　　He　went　out　of　the　hotel；　and　looked　up　and

down　Broadway　in　a　state　of　indecision。　　He　did　not　mean　to　sit

down　passively　and　submit　to　the　swindle。　　But　he　had　no　idea　in

what　direction　to　search　for　Mr。　Felix　Montgomery。







CHAPTER　XIX



PAUL　DELIBERATES



Paul　stood　in　the　street　irresolute。　　He　looked　hopelessly　up　and

down　Broadway；　but　of　course　the　jeweler　from　Syracuse　was　not　to

be　seen。　　Seeking　for　him　in　a　city　containing　hundreds　of

streets　and　millions　of　inhabitants　was　about　as　discouraging　as

hunting　for　a　needle　in　a　haystack。　　But　difficult　as　it　was；

Paul　was　by　no　means　ready　to　give　up　the　search。　　Indeed；

besides　the　regret　he　felt　at　the　loss；　he　was　mortified　at

having　been　so　easily　outwitted。



〃He's　taken　me　in　just　as　if　I　was　a　country　boy；〃　thought　Paul。　

〃I　dare　say　he's　laughing　at　me　now。　　I'd　like　to　get　even　with

him。〃



Finally　he　decided　to　go　to　Tiffany's；　and　ask　them　to　detain　any

one　who　might　bring　in　the　ring　and　offer　it　for　sale。　　He　at

once　acted　upon　this　thought；　and；　hailing　a　Broadway　stage；　for

no　time　was　to　be　lost；　soon　reached　his　destination。　　Entering

the　store；　he　walked　up　to　the　counter　and　addressed　the　clerk　to

whom　he　had　before　shown　the　ring。



〃Do　you　remember　my　offering　you　a　diamond　ring　for　sale　this

morning？〃　he　asked。



〃Yes；　I　remember　it　very　well。　　Have　you　got　it　with　you？〃



〃No；　it　has　been　stolen　from　me。〃



〃Indeed！　　How　was　that？〃　asked　the　clerk；　with　interest。



〃I　met　in　the　cars　a　well…dressed　man；　who　called　himself　a

jeweler　from　Syracuse。　　He　examined　the　ring；　and　offered　me　more

than　Mr。　Tiffany；　but　asked　me　to　bring　it　to　him　at　Lovejoy's

Hotel。　　When　I　got　there；　he　drugged　me　with　chloroform；　and　when

I　recovered　he　was　gone。〃



〃You　have　been　unlucky。　　There　are　plenty　of　such　swindlers

about。　　You　should　have　been　careful　about　displaying　the　ring

before　strangers。〃



〃I　was　showing　it　to　a　friend。〃



〃Have　you　notified　the　police？〃



〃Not　yet。　　I　came　here　to　let　you　know；　because　I　thought　the

thief　might　bring　it　in　here　to　sell。〃



〃Very　likely。　　Give　me　a　description　of　him。〃



Paul　described　Mr。　Felix　Montgomery　to　the　best　of　his　ability。



〃I　think　I　should　know　him　from　your　description。　　I　will　speak

to　Mr。　Tiffany；　and　he　will　no　doubt　give　orders　to　detain　any

person　who　may　offer　the　ring　for　sale。〃



〃Thank　you