The Elmore Bank had just put in a new safe and vault. Mr. Adams was very proud of it， and insisted on an inspectioninspection n.检查， 视察 by every one. The vault was a small one， but it had a new， patented door. It fastened with three solid steel bolts thrown simultaneously with a single handle， and had a timelock. Mr. Adams beamingly explained its workings to Mr. Spencer， who showed a courteous but not too intelligent interest. The two children， May and Agatha， were delighted by the shining metal and funny clock and knobs.
艾尔摩尔银行最近安装了一个保险库。亚当斯先生非常得意，坚持要大家见识见识。保险库不大，但是有一扇新式的门。门上装有一个定时锁和三道用一个把手同时开关的刚闩。亚当斯先生得意洋洋地把它的构造解释给斯潘塞先生听，斯潘塞彬彬有礼地听着，但好像不很感兴趣。那两个小女孩，梅和阿加莎，见了闪闪发亮的金属以及古怪的时钟装置和把手，非常高兴。
While they were thus engaged Ben Price saunteredsaunter n.vi.闲逛， 漫步 in and leaned on his elbow， looking casually inside between the railings. He told the teller that he didnt want anything， he was just waiting for a man he knew.
这时候，本·普赖斯逛了进来，胳臂肘支在柜台上，有意无意地向栅栏里望去。他对出纳员说他不要什么，只是等一个熟人。
Suddenly there was a scream or two from the women， and a commotion. Unperceived by the elders， May， the nineyearold girl， in a spirit of play， had shut Agatha in the vault. She had then shot the bolts and turned the knob of the combination as she had seen Mr. Adams do.
突然间，女人当中发出了一两声尖叫，乱成一团。在大人们没有注意的时候，9岁的梅好奇地把阿加莎关进保险库，学着亚当斯先生的样子，关上了刚闩，扭动了暗码盘。
The old banker sprang to the handle and tugged at it for a moment. “The door cant be opened.” he groaned. “The clock hasnt been wound nor the combination set.”
老银行家跳上前去，扳动着把手。“门打不开了。”他呻吟着说，“定时锁没有上，暗码也没有对准。”
Agathas mother screamed again， hysterically.
阿加莎的母亲又歇斯底里地尖叫起来。
“Hush！” said Mr. Adams， raising his trembling hand. “All be quite for a moment. Agatha！” he called as loudly as he could. “Listen to me.” During the following silence they could just hear the faint sound of the child wildly shrieking in the dark vault in a panicpanic n.惊慌， 恐慌， 没有理由的 of terror.
“嘘！”亚当斯先生举起发抖的手说，“大伙都静一会儿。阿加莎！”他尽量大声地嚷道，“听我说。”静下来的时候，他们隐隐约约可以听到那孩子关在漆黑的保险库里吓得狂叫的声音。
“My precious darling！” wailed the mother. “She will die of fright！ Open the door！ Oh， break it open！ Cant you men do something？”
“我的小宝贝！”她母亲哀叫道，“她会吓死的！开门！哦，把它打开！你们这些男人不能想些办法吗？”
“There isnt a man nearer than Little Rock who can open that door.” said Mr. Adams， in a shakyshaky adj.虚弱的， 颤抖的， 不安的， 不可靠的， 震动的，摇晃的， 动摇的 voice. “My God！ Spencer， what shall we do？ That child—she cant stand it long in there. There isnt enough air， and， besides， shell go into convulsions from fright.”
“小石城才有人能打开这扇门。”亚当斯先生声音颤抖地说，“老天，斯潘塞，我们怎么办？那孩子——她在里面待不了多久。里面空气不够，何况她要吓坏的。”
Agathas mother， frantic now， beat the door of the vault with her hands. Somebody wildly suggested dynamitedynamite n.炸药， <俚> 能产生不凡效果的人或物 vt.炸毁， 使失败. Annabel turned to Jimmy， her large eyes full of anguish， but not yet despairing. To a woman nothing seems quite impossible to the powers of the man she worshipsworship n.崇拜， 礼拜， 尊敬 vi.敬神， 拜神 vt.崇拜， 尊敬.
阿加莎的母亲发疯似的用手捶打着保险库的门。有人甚至提议用炸药。安娜贝尔转向吉米，她那双大眼睛里充满了焦急，但并没有绝望的神色。对一个女人来说，她所崇拜的男人仿佛是无所不能的。
“Cant you do something， Ralph—try， wont you？”
“你能想些办法吗？拉尔夫——试试看，好吗？”
He looked at her with a queer， soft smile on his lips and in his keen eyes.
他瞅着她，嘴唇上和急切的眼睛里露出一抹古怪的柔和的笑容。
“Annabel，” he said， “give me that rose you are wearing， will you？”
“安娜贝尔，”他说，“把你戴的那朵玫瑰给我，好不好？”
Hardly believing that she heard him aright， she unpinned the bud from the bosom of her dress， and placed it in his hand. Jimmy stuffed it into his vestpocket， threw off his coat and pulled up his shirtsleeves. With that act Ralph D. Spencer passed away and Jimmy Valentine took his place.
她以为自己听错了他的话，但还是从胸襟上取下那朵玫瑰，交到他手里。吉米把它塞进坎肩口袋，脱去上衣，卷起衬衫袖子。这样一来，拉尔夫·迪·斯潘塞消失了，代替他的是吉米·瓦伦汀。
“Get away from the door， all of you.” he commanded， shortly.
“大家从门口闪开。”他简单地命令说。
He set his suitcase on the table， and opened it out flat. From that time on he seemed to be unconscious of the presence of any one else. He laid out the shining， queer implementsimplement n.工具， 器具 vt.贯彻， 实现 v.执行 swiftly and orderly， whistling softly to himself as he always did when at work. In a deep silence and immovableimmovable adj.固定的， 不动的， 不改变的， the others watched him as if under a spell.
他把手提箱往桌子上一放，打了开来。从那一刻开始，他就仿佛没有意识到周围的人了，他敏捷而井井有条地把那些闪亮古怪的工具摆出来，一面照他平时干活的脾气轻轻地吹着口哨。周围的人屏声静息，一动不动地看着他，似乎都着了魔。
In a minute Jimmys pet drill was biting smoothly into the steel door. In ten minutes—breaking his own burglariousburglarious adj.夜盗的， 窃盗的 record—he threw back the bolts and opened the door.
不出一分钟，吉米的小刚钻已经顺利地钻进了那扇门。十分钟后——这打破了他自己的盗窃纪录——他打开门闩，拉开了门。
Agatha， almost collapsed， but safe， was gathered into her mothers arms.
阿加莎几乎吓瘫了，但没有任何损伤，被搂在她妈妈怀里。
Jimmy Valentine put on his coat， and walked outside the railings towards the front door. As he went he thought he heard a faraway voice that he once knew call “Ralph！” But he never hesitated.
吉米·瓦伦汀穿好衣服，到栅栏外面，向前门走去。半路上他模模糊糊听到一个耳熟的声音喊了一声“拉尔夫！”但他没有停下脚步。
At the door a big man stood somewhat in his way.
门口有一个高大的人几乎挡住了他的去路。
“Hello， Ben！” said Jimmy， still with his strange smile. “Got around at last， have you？ Well， lets go. I dont know that it makes much difference， now.”
“喂，本！”吉米说道，脸上还带着那种古怪的笑容，“你终于来了，是吗？好吧，我们走。我想现在也无所谓了。”
And then Ben Price acted rather strangely.
本·普赖斯的举动有些古怪。
“Guess youre mistaken， Mr. Spencer.” he said. “Dont believe I recognize you. Your buggys waiting for you， aint it？”
“你认错人了吧，斯潘塞先生。”他说，“别以为我认识你。你的马车在等着你呢，不是吗？”
And Ben Price turned and strolledstroll n.漫步， 闲逛， 四处流浪 v.闲逛， 漫步， 跋涉于 down the street.
本·普赖斯转过身，朝街上走去。
