paul the peddler-第22部分

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of。〃



〃Very　true；　my　dear。　　The　remark　does　credit　to　your　good

judgment　and　penetration。　　But　I　know　how　to　get　over　that。〃



〃As　how？〃



〃Be　a　little　more　particular　about　your　speech；　my　dear。　

Remember；　you　are　a　minister's　wife；　and　must　use　refined

expressions。　　What　is　easier　than　to　say　that　the　ring　was　given

me　by　a　benevolent　lady　of　my　congregation；　to　dispose　of　for　the

benefit　of　the　poor？〃



〃Well　thought　of；　Tony。　　You've　got　a　good　head…piece。〃



〃You're　right；　my　dear。　　I　don't　like　to　indulge　in　self…praise；

but　I　believe　I　know　a　thing　or　two。　　And　now　for　the　masquerade。



Where　are　the　duds？〃



〃In　the　black　trunk。〃



〃Then　we'd　better　lose　no　time　in　putting　them　on。〃



Without　describing　the　process　of　transformation　in　detail；　it

will　be　sufficient　to　say　that　the　next　twenty　minutes　wrought　a

decided　change　in　the　appearance　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Felix

Montgomery。　　The　former　was　arrayed　in　a　suit　of　canonical　black；

not　of　the　latest　cut。　　A　white　neckcloth　was　substituted　for　the

more　gaudy　article　worn　by　the　jeweler　from　Syracuse；　and　a　pair

of　silver…bowed　spectacles；　composed　of　plain　glass；　lent　a

scholarly　air　to　his　face。　　His　hair　was　combed　behind　his　ears；

and；　so　far　as　appearance　went；　he　quite　looked　the　character　of

a　clergyman　from　the　rural　districts。



〃How　will　I　do；　my　dear？〃　he　asked；　complacently。



〃Tiptop；〃　answered　the　lady。　　〃How　do　I　look？〃



Mrs。　Montgomery　had　put　on　a　dress　of　sober　tint；　and　scant

circumference；　contrasting　in　a　marked　manner　with　the　mode　then

prevailing。　　A　very　plain　collar　encircled　her　neck。　　Her　hands

were　incased　in　brown　silk　gloves；　while　her　husband　wore　black

kids。　　Her　bonnet　was　exceedingly　plain；　and　her　whole　costume

was　almost　Quaker…like　in　its　simplicity。



Her　husband　surveyed　her　with　satisfaction。



〃My　dear；〃　he　said；　〃you　are　a　fitting　helpmeet　for　the　Rev。　Mr。

Barnes；　of　Hayfield　Centre。　　By　Jove；　you　do　me　credit！〃



〃　'By　Jove'　is　not　a　proper　expression　for　a　man　of　your

profession；　Mr。　Barnes；〃　said　the　new　minister's　wife；　with　a

smile。



〃You　are　right；　my　dear。　　I　must　eschew　profanity；　and　cultivate

a　decorous　style　of　speech。　　Well；　are　we　ready？〃



〃I　am。〃



〃Then　let　us　set　forth　on　our　pilgrimage。　　We　will　imagine；　Mrs。

Barnes；　that　we　are　about　to　make　some　pastoral　calls。〃



They　emerged　into　the　street。　　On　the　way　downstairs　they　met

Mrs。　Flagg；　the　landlady；　who　bowed　respectfully。　　She　was

somewhat　puzzled；　however；　not　knowing　when　they　were　let　in。



〃Good…morning；　madam；〃　said　Mr。　Barnes。　　〃Are　you　the　landlady　of

this　establishment？〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃



〃I　have　been　calling　on　one　of　your　lodgersMr。　Anthony　Blodgett

（this　was　the　name　by　which　Mr。　Felix　Montgomery　was　known　in　the

house）。　　He　is　a　very　worthy　man。〃



Now；　to　tell　the　truth；　Mrs。　Flagg　had　not　been　particularly

struck　by　the　moral　worth　of　her　lodger；　and　this　testimony　led

her　to　entertain　doubts　as　to　the　discernment　of　her　clerical

visitor。



〃You　know　him；　then？〃



〃I　know　him　as　myself；　madam。　　Have　you　never　heard　him　mention

the　name　of　Rev。　Mr。　Barnes；　of　Hayfield　Centre；　Connecticut？〃



〃I　can't　say　I　have；〃　answered　the　landlady。



〃That　is　singular。　　We　were　always　very　intimate。　　We　attended

the　same　school　as　boys；　and；　in　fact；　were　like　Damon　and

Pythias。〃



Mrs。　Flagg　had　never　heard　of　Damon　and　Pythias；　still　she

understood　the　comparison。



〃You're　in　rather　a　different　line　now；〃　she　remarked；　dryly。



〃Yes；　our　positions　are　different。　　My　friend　dwells　in　the　busy

metropolis；　while　I　pass　a　quiet；　peaceful　existence　in　a

secluded　country　village；　doing　what　good　I　can。　　But；　my　dear；

we　are　perhaps　detaining　this　worthy　lady　from　her　domestic

avocations。　　I　think　we　must　be　going。〃



〃Very　well；　I　am　ready。〃



The　first　sound　of　her　voice　drew　the　attention　of　the　landlady。　

Mrs。　Felix　Montgomery　possessed　a　thin　somewhat　shrill；　voice；

which　she　was　unable　to　conceal；　and；　looking　attentively　at　her；

Mrs。　Flagg　penetrated　her　disguise。　　Then；　turning　quickly　to　the

gentleman；　aided　by　her　new　discovery；　she　also　recognized　him。



〃Well；　I　declare；〃　said　she；　〃if　you　didn't　take　me　in

beautifully。〃



Mr。　Montgomery　laughed　heartily。



〃You　wouldn't　know　me；　then？〃　he　said。



〃You're　got　up　excellent；〃　said　Mrs。　Flagg；　with　a　slight

disregard　for　grammar。　　〃Is　it　a　joke？〃



〃Yes；　a　little　practical　joke。　　We're　going　to　call　on　some

friends　and　see　if　they　know　us。〃



〃You'd　do　for　the　theatre；〃　said　the　landlady；　admiringly。



〃I　flatter　myself　I　might　have　done　something　on　the　stage；　if　my

attention　had　been　turned　that　way。　　But；　my　dear；　we　must　be

moving；　or　we　shan't　get　through　our　calls。〃



〃I　wonder　what　mischief　they　are　up　to　now；〃　thought　Mrs。　Flagg；

as　she　followed　them　to　the　door。　　〃I　know　better　than　to　think

they'd　take　the　trouble　to　dress　up　that　way　just　to　take　in

their　friends。　　No；　they're　up　to　some　game。　　Not　that　I　care；　as

long　as　they　get　money　enough　to　pay　my　bill。〃



So　the　worldly…wise　landlady　dismissed　them　from　her　thoughts；

and　went　about　her　work。



Mr。　Barnes　and　his　wife　walked　up　toward　Broadway　at　a　slow；

decorous　pace；　suited　to　the　character　they　had　assumed。　　More

than　one　who　met　them　turned　back　to　look　at　what　they　considered

a　perfect　type　of　the　country　minister　and　his　wife。　　They　would

have　been　not　a　little　surprised　to　learn　that　under　this　quiet

garb　walked　two　of　the　most　accomplished　swindlers　in　a　city

abounding　in　adventurers　of　all　kinds。



Mr。　Barnes　paused　a　moment　to　reprove　a　couple　of　urchins　who

were　pitching　pennies　on　the　sidewalk。



〃Don't　you　know　that　it's　wrong　to　pitch　pennies？〃　he　said

gravely。



〃None　of　your　chaff；　mister；〃　retorted　one　of　the　street　boys；

irreverently。　　〃When　did　you　come　from　the　country；　old　Goggles？〃



〃My　son；　you　should　address　me　with　more　respect。〃



〃Just　get　out　of　the　way；　mister！　　I　don't　want　to　hear　no

preachin'。〃



〃I　am　afraid　you　have　been　badly　brought　up；　my　son。〃



〃I　ain't　your　son；　and　I　wouldn't　be　for　a　shillin'。　　Just　you　go

along；　and　let　me　alone！〃



〃A　sad　case　of　depravity；　my　dear；〃　remarked　Mr。　Barnes　to　his

wife。　　〃I　fear　we　must　leave　these　boys　to　their　evil　ways。〃



〃You'd　better；〃　said　one　of　the　boys。



〃They're　smart　little　rascals！〃　　said　Mr。　Montgomery；　when　they

were　out　of　hearing　of　the　boys。　　〃I　took　them　in；　though。　　They

thought　I　was　the　genuine　article。〃



〃We'd　better　not　waste　any　more　time；〃　said　his　wife。　　〃That　boy

might　get　out；　you　know；　and　give　us　trouble。〃



〃I　don't　believe　he　will　get　out　in　a　hurry。　　I　locked　the　door

and　he'd　have　to　pound　some　time　before　he　could　make　any　one

hear；　I　declare；　I　should　like　to　see　how　he　looked　when　he

recovered　from　his　stupor；　and　realized　that　his　ring　was　gone。〃



〃What　sort　of　boy　was　he；　Tony？〃



〃Better　not　call　me　by　that　name；　my　dear。　　It　might　be　heard；

you　know；　and　might　not　be　considered　in　character。　　As　to　your

question；　he　was　by　no　means　a　stupid　boy。　　Rather　sharpish；　I

should　say。〃



〃Then　how　came　he　to　let　you　take　him　in？〃



〃As　to　that；　I　claim　to　be　rather　sharp　myself；　and　quite　a　match

even　for　a　smart　boy。　　I　haven't　knocked　about　the　world

forty…four　years　for　nothing。〃



They　were　now　in　Broadway。　　Turning　the　corner　of　Amity　street；

they　walked　a　short　distance　downtown；　and　paused　before　the

handsome　jewelry　store　of　Ball　&　Black。



〃I　think　we　had　better　go　in　here；〃　said　Felix　Montgomery（I

hesitate　a　little　by　which　of　his　numerous　names　to　call　him）。



〃Why　not　go　to　Tiffany's？〃



〃I　gather　from　what　the　boy　told　me　that　the　ring　has　already

been　offered　there。　　It　would　be　very　likely　to　be　recognized　and

that　would　be　awkward；　you　know。〃



〃Are　you　sure　the　ring　has　not　been　offered　here？　　asked　his

wife。



〃Quite　sure。　　The　boy　would　have　mentioned　it；　had　such　been　the

case。〃



〃Very　well。　　Let　us　go　in　then。〃



The　Rev。　Mr。　Barnes　and　his　wife；　of　Hayfield　Centre；　entered

the　elegant　store；　and　ten　minutes　later　Paul　Hoffman　entered

also；　and　took　his　station　at　the　counters　wholly　unconscious　of

the　near　proximity　of　the　man　who　had　so　artfully　swindled　him。







CHAPTER　XXI



PAUL　IS　CHECKMATED



On　entering　the　large　jewelry　store　Mr。　Montgomery　and　his　wife

walked　to　the　rear　of　the　store；　and　advanced　to　the　counter；

behind　which　stood　a　clerk　unengaged。



〃What　shall　I　show　you？〃　he　inquired



〃I　didn't　come　to　purchase；〃　said　Mr。　Montgomery；　with　suavity；

〃but　to　sell。　　I　suppose　you　purchase　jewelry　at　times？〃



〃Sometimes；〃　said　the　clerk。　　〃Let　me　see　what　you　have。〃



〃First；〃　said　the　adventurer；　〃let　me　introduce　myself。　　I　am　the

Rev。　Mr。　Barnes；　of　Hayfield　Centre；　C