英语沙龙：手 套（在线收听）

The Glove

James Dunne hung from the window and，after a moment，dropped to the ground．He had made no noise．He looked about him．The house was on the edge of the town and it was not too near the road．It was almost two o’clock and the night was dark．“Nobody will see me at this time of night．”He thought．He ran quickly across the garden．He felt fairly safe now．

He felt clever，too．He had been a thief once．But that was before he had come t o live in the little town of Brampton．Now he was a jeweller．He had had a jeweller’s1) shop in Brampton for ten years．And nobody in the town knew that he had once been a thief．He was not nervous．He climbed easily over the garden wall．He could even think coolly2) of the dead man he had left in the house．He had not wanted to kill Richard Strong，but it had been necessary．He had not wanted to steal from Strong either．But he needed money．

Dunne needed money because someone had found out about him．A man he had once met in prison recognized him．The man demanded money．He knew that Dunne had been a thief．He said that he would tell people in Brampton about this．Dunne was afraid so he gave him the money．Then the man wanted more money．Dunne’s jewellery business was good，but the man demanded so much that Dunne could not pay him．He tried to win some money，but he lost instead．Now he was in real trouble．He had to get money so he became a thief again．

Richard Strong had a lot of valuable old things in his house．Dunne knew this because as a jeweller he often bought old gold and melted it down3)．He had decided to melt Strong’s gold which he knew he could sell easily．

It was easy to get into the house．In Brampton no one worried about thieves．Dunne knew that the valuable things were in one room，so he climbed up to the open window．In the room Dunne filled his pockets with gold pieces．He soon had more than enough．

He was about to leave when he heard a sound behind him．He turned quickly．The door had opened and Strong was standing in front of him．“Dunne．”It was the only word Strong said．Dunne had been looking at an old knife and he still held it in his hand．He hardly thought before he used it．In a few seconds Strong was dead，Dunne pulled the body into the room and closed the door．Then he turned off the light，drew back the curtains and climbed out through the window．

He did not blame4) himself for killing Strong．“I could do nothing else．”He told himself，“He recognized me．If I hadn’ t killed him I would have gone to prison．”He remembered the look of surprise on Strong’ s face．It even made him smile．“I had to kill him，”he thought．“Besides，he was an old man．He had only a few more years to live．”

He felt safe．Nobody had any reason to think that he had been to Strong’s house．“I left nothing there，”he thought．“Nobody saw me going or returning．”The little street was empty and dark when he went into his own house by the side door．

He lived alone in the house；a woman came in every day to cook and clean for him but she did not live there．His bedroom was at the back of the house，but he drew the heavy curtains across the window before he turned on the light．Then he felt in his pocket and pulled out a glove．A look of surprise came on to his face．He felt in his pocket again．His hand moved among the gold pieces there but he did not take them out，he was afraid to look at them．He was while with fear．The other glove was not there．

He remembered finding the gloves in his pocket when he was at Strong’s house．He had put them on a table while he filled his pockets with gold．He was certain that he had picked them both up before he left．But now one of the gloves had gone．And it had his name and address inside．

He thought of the room where the dead m an lay．The thought of returning filled him with fear．He gave a little cry．“I can’t do it，”he said to himself，“I can’t ．”

Then he thought of prison．The rest of his life in prison．This thought made him go out into the street again．The return journey to Strong’s house was like a terrible dream．He thought he saw strange shapes at every corner．Once he nearly screamed at a piece of paper on the ground．For a moment it had looked like a dead body．

He reached the house and climbed slowly up to the window．The room was dark as he had left it．But he thought he could see a darker thing on the floor near the door．He needed to turn the light on to find his glove．He had to go towards the body．His feet touched something soft．He almost screamed5)．Then his nervous fingers turned on the light．

Richard Strong lay on the floor at his feet．Dunne tried not to look at the body．But something made him look．He put out his hand and touched the knife．

“Put up your hands．Put up your hands，you――．”

Dunne looked up with a cry．The door had opened and Strong’s son stood there．He was pointing a gun at him．Slowly，Dunne raised his arms above his head．

A detective6) and two policemen took him to the police station．On the way，the detective said to Dunne．“Well，this is a surprise．You know，if Strong’s son had not found you in the room，you would have been safe．We would never have thought of you if he hadn’t found you with the body――and with your pockets full of gold．You just did not get away in time．”

Dunne said nothing．

His house was on the way to the police station．He asked if he could go in and fetch his overcoat．He was cold．

“Certainly，”said the detective，“But we‘ll go with you．”

He opened the side door and went in．Dunne came next and then the two policemen．Dunne’s foot touched something on the floor．

He picked it up and at the moment the detective turned on the light．Dunne looked at the thing in his hand．

It was his glove．

手 套

詹姆斯·邓恩从窗户上爬下来，一会儿就踩到了地面，没有弄出任何的声响。他看了看周围，这幢房子位于城镇的边缘，并且离公路不是很近。现在将近凌晨两点钟，天空漆黑一片。“晚上这个时候没有人会看到我。”他想。他很快地穿过了花园，现在他感到相当地安全。

他还感到很机敏。他曾经是个小偷。但那是他来布雷姆顿小镇居住以前的事了。现在他是一个珠宝商。他在布雷姆顿拥有自己的珠宝店已有１０年的光景。这个小镇上没有一个人知道他以前做过贼。他住得很安心。他很容易地翻过了花园的墙。当他想起在屋里他杀的那个人，他竟能安之若素。他并不想杀死理查德·斯特朗，但是杀掉他是必要的。他也不想盗窃他的东西，但是他需要钱。

邓恩需要钱，因为有人发现了他。一个曾经和他在监狱里呆过的人认出了他。这个人现在向他敲诈，他知道邓恩做过贼。他说他将把邓恩做过的事告诉住在这里的人们。邓恩非常害怕，于是给了他钱来了结此事。但是现在这个人又向他勒索更多的钱。邓恩的珠宝生意做得不错，但这个人索要的钱数非常巨大，邓恩无法支付。他努力地去挣钱，但是却亏了本。现在他真正陷入了麻烦之中。他不得不去弄钱，所以现在他又变成了一个贼。

理查德·斯特朗的家里有很多值钱的古玩。邓恩知道这些，因为作为一个珠宝商，他常常收购旧的金物，把它们熔化后再铸成新的。他决定去偷理查德·斯特朗的旧金物，把它们熔掉，他知道这样能很轻易地脱手。

进入理查德·斯特朗的房子简直太容易了。在布雷姆顿这里没有人会担心贼。他知道理查德·斯特朗值钱的东西放在哪个房间，于是他爬到那个开了窗子的地方。在屋子里，他把金币装在口袋里，很快他的口袋就装不下了。

当他正要离开的时候，他听到身后有声音，他很快地转过身去。门开了，斯特朗站在他的面前。“邓恩。”斯特朗仅仅喊了这一声。此前邓恩正看一把旧刀，刀仍在手中，他想都没想就给了斯特朗一刀。几秒钟后斯特朗就死了。邓恩把他的尸体拖到了房间里，关上了门。接着他关了灯，拉上窗帘，从窗户溜走了。

他没有因为杀了斯特朗而谴责自己。“我只能这么做。”他对自己说，“他认出了我，如果我不杀他，我会坐牢的。”他仍然记得斯特朗脸上惊讶的表情。这甚至使他发笑。“我不得不杀了他，”他想。“再说，他也上了年纪，活不了几年了。”

这时，他感到安全。没有人会想到他会去斯特朗的房子。“我什么都没留下，”他想。“没有人看到我的行踪。”当他从侧门回到家时，空空的街道漆黑一片。

邓恩一个人生活在这所屋子里。只有一个妇人每天来给他做饭和收拾房间，而她不住在这儿。他的寝室在房子的后部，尽管如此，在开灯之前，他还是要把厚厚的窗帘拉上，然后摸摸自己的口袋，抽出了一只手套。他突然大惊失色，又摸了摸自己的口袋。他的手在那堆金币里摸来摸去，但并没有把金币拿出来。他怕看到金币。这时他非常害怕，另一只手套不见了。

他记得他在斯特朗房间里的时候手套还在口袋里。他装金币时把它们放在了桌子上。他肯定在离开的时候把两只手套都带走了。但是现在一只手套不见了，那里面有他的姓名和住址。

他想到了躺有尸体的那个房间。但当他想到要返回去看看时，他惊恐万状。他小声喊道：“我不能这样做，”他对自己说，“我不能。”

然后他想到了监狱，他将要在监狱里度过余生。这个想法使他再次走回街头。回到斯特朗房子的这段路简直就像一场噩梦。他觉得在各个黑角落里他都能看到奇怪的影子。有一次，看到地上一张纸，他几乎尖叫了起来，猛然看来这张纸像是一具死尸。

他走到了斯特朗的房子，慢慢地爬上了窗户。他离开房间的时候，房间是黑的。但他想他能看到离门不远的地板上有个黑色的东西。他需要开灯去找手套。他不得不向尸体走去。他的脚碰到了一个柔软的东西，他几乎要喊出来了。他用发抖的手指拧开了灯。

斯特朗的尸体就在他脚边的地板上。邓恩尽量不去看那具尸体。但是，他不得不注意观察。他抽出了手，握住了刀把。

“举起手来。举起你的手，你---。”

邓恩惊叫着抬起了头。门开了，斯特朗的儿子站在那里，手里的枪正对着他。慢慢地，邓恩举起了双手。

一个侦探和两个警察把他带往警察局。在路上，侦探对邓恩说：“哦，这真是意想不到。你知道，如果斯特朗的儿子没有在房间里发现你，你就是安全的。如果他没有发现你和尸体在一起，并且口袋里装满了金子，我们也绝不会想到是你。你只是没能及时逃离而已。”

邓恩什么也没说。

在去警察局的路上路过他的住所。他问是否能进去取他的外套，他感到冷。

“行，”侦探说，“但是我们必须和你一起去。”

侦探打开了侧门，走了进去。然后是邓恩，两个警察跟在后面。这时，邓恩的脚触到了地板上一个东西。

他把它拣了起来，此刻侦探打开了灯。邓恩看了看他手里的东西。

竟然是他的手套。