福爾摩斯探案經典:《恐怖谷》第11章Part3

"Well, let it rest at that. I'll bear what you have said in mind, and maybe some day I'll come back to it. I expect you meant kindly by speaking to me like this. Now I'll be getting home."
"One word before you go," said Morris. "We may have been seen together. They may want to know what we have spoken about." "Ah! that's well thought of."
"I offer you a clerkship in my store."
"And I refuse it. That's our business. Well, so long, Brother Morris, and may you find things go better with you in the future."
That same afternoon, as McMurdo sat smoking, lost in thought beside the stove of his sitting-room, the door swung open and its framework was filled with the huge figure of Boss McGinty. He passed the sign, and then seating himself opposite to the young man he looked at him steadily for some time, a look which was as steadily returned.
"I'm not much of a visitor, Brother McMurdo," he said at last. "I guess I am too busy over the folk that visit me. But I thought I'd stretch a point and drop down to see you in your own house."
"I'm proud to see you here, Councillor," McMurdo answered heartily, bringing his whisky bottle out of the cupboard. "It's an honour that I had not expected."
"How's the arm?" asked the Boss.
McMurdo made a wry face. "Well, I'm not forgetting it," he said; "but it's worth it."
"Yes, it's worth it," the other answered, "to those that are loyal and go through with it and are a help to the lodge. What were you speaking to Brother Morris about on Miller Hill this morning?"
The question came so suddenly that it was well that he had his answer prepared. He burst into a hearty laugh. "Morris didn't know I could earn a living here at home. He shan't know either; for he has got too much conscience for the likes of me. But he's a good-hearted old chap. It was his idea that I was at a loose end, and that he would do me a good turn by offering me a clerkship in a drygoods store."
"Oh, that was it?"
"Yes, that was it."
"And you refused it?"
"Sure. Couldn't I earn ten times as much in my own bedroom with four hours' work?"
"That's so. But I wouldn't get about too much with Morris."
"Why not?"
"Well, I guess because I tell you not. That's enough for most folk in these parts."
"It may be enough for most folk; but it ain't enough for me, Councillor," said McMurdo boldly. "If you are a judge of men, you'll know that."
The swarthy giant glared at him, and his hairy paw closed for an instant round the glass as though he would hurl it at the head of his companion. Then he laughed in his loud, boisterous, insincere fashion.
"You're a queer card, for sure," said he. "Well, if you want reasons, I'll give them. Did Morris say nothing to you against the lodge?"
"No."
"Nor against me?"
"No."

“好，我們就談到這裏。我一定把你的話記在心上，也可能過幾天我就給你回話。我認爲你對我講這些話是善意的。現在我要回家去了。”
“在你走之前，我還要講一句話，"莫里斯說道，“我們在一起講話，難免有人看見。他們可能要打聽我們說些什麼。”“啊，這一着想得很好。”
“我就說我想請你到我店裏做職員。”
“我說我不答應。這就是我們到這裏辦的事情。好，再見，莫里斯兄弟。祝你走運。”
就在這天中午，麥克默多坐在起居室壁爐旁吸菸，正陷於沉思之中，門突然被撞開，首領麥金蒂高大的身影堵滿了門框。他打過招呼，在這個年輕人對面坐了下來，冷靜沉着地瞪了他好一陣子，麥克默多也照樣瞪着他。
“我是不輕易出來拜訪人的，麥克默多兄弟，"麥金蒂終於說道，“我總是忙於接待那些拜訪我的人。可是我認爲我已經破例到你家來看望你了。”
“蒙你光臨，我很感榮幸，參議員先生，"麥克默多親熱地答道，從食起櫥裏取出一起威士忌酒來，“這是我喜出望外的光榮。”
“胳膊怎麼樣，"身主問道。
麥克默多作了一個鬼臉，答道：“啊，我不會忘記的，可是這是有價值的。”
“對於那些忠實可靠、履行儀式、幫助會務的人來說，這是有價值的。今天早晨在米勒山附近，你對莫里斯兄弟說了些什麼？”
這一問題來得如此突兀，幸而麥克默多早有準備，遂放聲大笑道：“莫里斯不知道我可以在家中謀生。他也根本不會知道，因爲他把我這一類人的良心估計過高。不過他倒是一個好心的老傢伙。他以爲我沒有職業，所以他要我在一家綢布店裏做職員。”
“啊，原來是爲這事嗎？”
“是的，就是這麼件事。”
“那麼你回絕了嗎？”
“當然了。我在自己臥室裏幹四個小時，不要比在他那裏多掙十倍嗎？”
“不錯。可是要是我的話，我不會和莫里斯來往太多的。”
“爲什麼呢？”
“我想我不能告訴你。這裏大多數人都明白。”
“也許大多數人都明白，可是我還不明白，參議員先生，”麥克默多魯莽地說，"如果你是一個公正的人，你就會知道的。”
這個黑大漢怒目瞪着麥克默多，他那毛茸茸的手爪一下子抓住酒杯，好象要把它猛擲在對方頭上，後來他反而興高采烈、虛情假意地大笑起來。
“毫無疑問，你確實是一個怪人，"麥金蒂說道，“好，如果你一定要知道原因，那麼我就告訴你。莫里斯沒有向你說什麼反對本會的話嗎？”
“沒有。”
“也沒有反對我的話嗎？”
“沒有。”