"All right," said old Anthony. "I'm glad the boy has got what he wanted. I told him I wouldn't spare any expense in the matter if--"

“好呵，“我很高兴，那孩子总算实现了他的愿望。我早对他说过，在这件事上，我不惜付出任何代价，只要——”

"But, brother Anthony, what good could your money have done?"

“可是，安东尼弟弟，在这件事上，你的金钱起了什么作用呢？”

"Sister," said Anthony Rockwall. "I've got my pirate in a devil of a scrape. His ship has just been scuttled,

“姐姐，”安东尼·罗克韦尔说，“我的海盗正处于万分危急的关头，他的船刚被凿沉，

and he's too good a judge of the value of money to let drown. I wish you would let me go on with this chapter."

他有钱，重视金钱的价值，决不会让自己给淹死的。我希望你别来打扰，让我看完这一章吧。”

The story should end here. I wish it would as heartily as you who read it wish it did. But we must go to the bottom of the well for truth.

故事本该在这儿打住了。我跟你们一样，也热切地希望如此。不过，为了明白究竟，我们还得刨根问底。

The next day a person with red hands and a blue polka-dot necktie, who called himself Kelly, called at Anthony Rockwall's house,

第二天，有个两手通红、系着兰点子领带、自称凯利的人来找安东尼·罗克韦尔，

and was at once received in the library.

立刻在书房受到接见。

"Well," said Anthony, reaching for his chequebook, "it was a good bilin' of soap. Let's see--you had $5,000 in cash."

“唔，”安东尼说，伸手去拿支票簿，“这一锅肥皂熬得不坏。瞧瞧，你已经支了五千美元现款。”

"I paid out $300 more of my own," said Kelly. "I had to go a little above the estimate. I got the express wagons and cabs mostly for $5;

“我自己还垫了三百块哩，”凯利说。“预算不得不超出一点，邮车和马车大多付五美元，

but the trucks and two-horse teams mostly raised me to $10. The motormen wanted $10, and some of the loaded teams $20.

但卡车和双马马车提高到十美元。汽车司机要十美元，载满货的二十美元。

The cops struck me hardest--$50 I paid two, and the rest $20 and $25.

警察敲得我最凶——其中有两个，我每人给了五十，其余有的二十，有的二十五。

But didn't it work beautiful, Mr. Rockwall?

可表演得真精彩啊，罗克韦尔先生？