福尔摩斯探案经典:《恐怖谷》第8章Part2
"Yes, for strangers to travel," the other answered.
"That's good enough. I'm Brother Scanlan, Lodge 341, Vermissa VAlley. Glad to see you in these parts."
"Thank you. I'm Brother John McMurdo, Lodge 29, Chicago. Bodymaster J.H. Scott. But I am in luck to meet a brother so early."
"Well, there are plenty of us about. You won't find the order more flourishing anywhere in the States than right here in Vermissa Valley. But we could do with some lads like you. I can't understand a spry man of the union finding no work to do in Chicago."
"I found plenty of work to do," said McMurdo.
"Then why did you leave?"
McMurdo nodded towards the policemen and smiled. "I guess those chaps would be glad to know," he said.
Scanlan groaned sympathetically. "In trouble?" he asked in a whisper.
"Deep."
"A penitentiary job?"
"And the rest."
"Not a killing!"
"It's early days to talk of such things," said McMurdo with the air of a man who had been surprised into saying more than he intended. "I've my own good reasons for leaving Chicago, and let that be enough for you. Who are you that you should take it on yourself to ask such things?" His gray eyes gleamed with sudden and dangerous anger from behind his glasses.
"All right, mate, no offense meant. The boys will think none the worse of you, whatever you may have done. Where are you bound for now?"
"Vermissa."
"That's the third halt down the line. Where are you staying?"
McMurdo took out an envelope and held it close to the murky oil lamp. "Here is the address--Jacob Shafter, Sheridan Street. It's a boarding house that was recommended by a man I knew in Chicago."
“对旅行的异乡人，黑夜是不愉快的，"另一个人回答说。
“太好了。我是维尔米萨山谷三四一分会的斯坎伦兄弟。很高兴在此地见到你。”
“谢谢你。我是芝加哥二十九分会的约翰·麦克默多兄弟。身主J．H．斯科特。不过我很幸运，这么快就遇到了一个弟兄。”
“好，附近我们有很多人。你会看到，在维尔米萨山谷，本会势力雄厚，这是美国任何地方也比不上的。可是我们要有许多象你这样的小伙子才成。我真不明白象你这样生气勃勃的工会会员，为什么在芝加哥找不到工作。”
“我找到过很多工作呢，"麦克默多说道。
“那你为什么离开呢？”
麦克默多向警察那面点头示意并且笑了笑，说道：“我想这些家伙知道了是会很高兴的。”
斯坎伦同情地哼了一声。"有什么麻烦事吗？"他低声问道。
“很麻烦。”
“是犯罪行为吗？”
“还有其他方面的。”
“不是杀人吧？”
“谈这样的事还太早，"麦克默多说道，现出因说过了头而吃惊的样子，“我离开芝加哥有我自己的充分理由，你就不要多管了。你是什么人？怎么可以对这种事问个不休呢？”麦克默多灰色的双眸透过眼镜突然露出气愤的凶光。
“好了，老兄。请不要见怪。人们不会以为你做过什么坏事的。你现在要到哪儿去？”
“到维尔米萨。”
“第三站就到了。你准备住在哪里？”
麦克默多掏出一个信封来，把它凑近昏暗的油灯旁。“这就是地址——谢里登街，雅各布·谢夫特。这是我在芝加哥认识的一个人介绍给我的一家公寓。”
