CHAPTER VIII. A FRIENDLY FOE CAPITOLO VIII. UN AMICO AMICHEVOLE

It required two days and a night to go by rail from Beverly to Dorfield and as Mary Louise had passed a sleepless night at the school she decided to purchase a berth on the sleeper. Il viaggio in treno da Beverly a Dorfield richiedeva due giorni e una notte e, poiché Mary Louise aveva passato una notte insonne a scuola, decise di acquistare una cuccetta sul vagone letto. That made a big hole in her surplus of eight dollars and she also found her meals in the dining car quite expensive, so that by the time she left the train at Dorfield her finances would be reduced to the sum of a dollar and twenty cents.

That would not have disturbed her, knowing that thereafter she would be with Gran'pa Jim, except for one circumstance. Questo non l'avrebbe turbata, sapendo che da lì in poi sarebbe stata con nonna Jim, se non fosse stato per una circostanza. The little man with the fat nose, who had taken the train at Beverly, was still on board. All the other passengers who had been on the train at that time had one by one left it and been replaced by others, for the route lay through several large cities where many alighted and others came aboard. Tutti gli altri passeggeri che si trovavano sul treno a quell'ora lo avevano lasciato uno dopo l'altro ed erano stati sostituiti da altri, poiché il percorso attraversava diverse grandi città dove molti scendevano e altri salivano a bordo. Only the little man from Beverly remained, quiet and unobtrusive but somehow haunting the girl's presence in an embarrassing manner. Rimaneva solo l'omino di Beverly, silenzioso e non invadente, ma che in qualche modo infestava la presenza della ragazza in modo imbarazzante. He seldom looked at her but was found staring from the window whenever she turned her eyes toward him. Raramente la guardava, ma si trovava a fissarla dalla finestra ogni volta che lei volgeva lo sguardo verso di lui. At first she scarcely noticed the man, but the longer he remained aboard the train the more she speculated as to where he might be going. All'inizio non notò quasi l'uomo, ma più rimaneva a bordo del treno e più ipotizzava dove potesse essere diretto. Whenever she entered the dining car he took a notion to eat at that time, but found a seat as far removed from her as possible. Ogni volta che lei entrava nella carrozza ristorante, lui prendeva l'idea di mangiare a quell'ora, ma trovava un posto a sedere il più lontano possibile da lei. She imagined she had escaped him when she went to the sleeper, but next morning as she passed out he was standing in the vestibule and a few moments later he was in the diner where she was breakfasting. Pensò di essergli sfuggita quando andò a dormire, ma la mattina dopo, mentre sveniva, lui era in piedi nell'anticamera e pochi istanti dopo era nella sala da pranzo dove lei stava facendo colazione.

It was now that the girl first conceived the idea that he might be following her for a purpose, dogging her footsteps to discover at what station she left the train. Fu allora che la ragazza concepì per la prima volta l'idea che lui potesse seguirla per uno scopo, pedinando i suoi passi per scoprire a quale stazione avesse lasciato il treno. And, when she asked herself why the stranger should be so greatly concerned with her movements, she remembered that she was going to Gran'pa Jim and that at one time an officer had endeavored to discover, through her, her grandfather's whereabouts. E quando si chiese perché quello sconosciuto dovesse essere così interessato ai suoi spostamenti, si ricordò che stava andando da Gran'pa Jim e che una volta un ufficiale aveva cercato di scoprire, tramite lei, dove si trovava suo nonno. "If this little man," she mused, glancing at his blank, inexpressive features, "happens to be a detective, and knows who I am, he may think I will lead him directly to Colonel Weatherby, whom he may then arrest. "Se questo ometto", pensò lei, guardando i suoi lineamenti vuoti e inespressivi, "è un detective e sa chi sono, potrebbe pensare che lo condurrò direttamente al colonnello Weatherby, che potrebbe quindi arrestare. Gran'pa Jim is innocent, of course, but I know he doesn't wish to be arrested, because he left Beverly suddenly to avoid it. And," she added with a sudden feinting of the heart, "if this suspicion is true I am actually falling into the trap and leading an officer to my grandfather's retreat." E", aggiunse con un'improvvisa fitta al cuore, "se questo sospetto è vero, sto davvero cadendo nella trappola e sto conducendo un ufficiale alla ritirata di mio nonno". This reflection rendered the girl very uneasy and caused her to watch the fat-nosed man guardedly all through that tedious day. Questa riflessione rese la ragazza molto inquieta e la indusse a guardare con attenzione l'uomo dal naso grasso per tutta quella noiosa giornata. She constantly hoped he would leave the train at some station and thus prove her fears to be groundless, but always he remained in his seat, patiently eyeing the landscape through his window. Lei sperava costantemente che lui lasciasse il treno in qualche stazione, dimostrando così l'infondatezza dei suoi timori, ma lui rimaneva sempre al suo posto, osservando pazientemente il paesaggio attraverso il finestrino.

Late in the afternoon another suspicious circumstance aroused her alarm. Nel tardo pomeriggio un'altra circostanza sospetta la mise in allarme. The conductor of the train, as he passed through the car, paused at the rear end and gazed thoughtfully at the little man huddled in the rear seat, who seemed unconscious of his regard. Il capotreno, mentre attraversava il vagone, si fermò in fondo e guardò pensieroso l'omino rannicchiato sul sedile posteriore, che sembrava inconsapevole della sua attenzione. After watching him a while the conductor suddenly turned his head and looked directly at Mary Louise, with a curious expression, as if connecting his two passengers. Dopo averlo osservato per un po', il conduttore girò improvvisamente la testa e guardò direttamente Mary Louise, con un'espressione curiosa, come se volesse collegare i due passeggeri. Then he went on through the train, but the girl's heart was beating high and the little man, while seeming to eye the fleeting landscape through the window, wriggled somewhat uneasily in his seat, Mary Louise now decided he was a detective. Poi proseguì nel treno, ma il cuore della ragazza batteva forte e l'omino, mentre sembrava osservare il fugace paesaggio attraverso il finestrino, si dimenava un po' a disagio sul suo sedile, Mary Louise decise ormai che era un detective. She suspected that he had been sent to Beverly, after the other man left, to watch her movements, with the idea that sooner or later she would rejoin her grandfather. Perhaps, had any letter come for her from her mother or Gran'pa Jim, this officer would have seized it and obtained from it the address of the man he was seeking. Forse, se fosse arrivata una lettera per lei da parte di sua madre o di nonno Jim, l'ufficiale l'avrebbe presa e ne avrebbe ricavato l'indirizzo dell'uomo che stava cercando. That would account for their failure to write her; perhaps they were aware of the plot and therefore dared not send her a letter. Questo spiegherebbe perché non le hanno scritto; forse erano a conoscenza del complotto e quindi non osavano inviarle una lettera.

And now she began wondering what she should do when she got to Dorfield, if the little man also left the train at that station. E ora cominciò a chiedersi cosa avrebbe dovuto fare una volta arrivata a Dorfield, se anche l'omino avesse lasciato il treno in quella stazione. Such an act on his part would prove that her suspicions were correct, in which case she would lead him straight to her grandfather, whom she would thus deliver into the power of his merciless enemies. Un simile gesto da parte sua dimostrerebbe che i suoi sospetti erano corretti, nel qual caso lo condurrebbe direttamente dal nonno, che consegnerebbe così in potere dei suoi spietati nemici.

No; that would not do, at all. If the man followed her from the train at Dorfield she dared not go to Peter Conant's house. Where, then, COULD she go? Had she possessed sufficient money it might be best to ride past Dorfield and pay her fare to another station; but her funds were practically exhausted. Se avesse avuto denaro sufficiente, sarebbe stato meglio passare da Dorfield e pagare il biglietto per un'altra stazione; ma i suoi fondi erano praticamente esauriti. Dorfield was a much bigger town than Beverly; it was quite a large city, indeed; perhaps she could escape the supervision of the detective, in some way, and by outwitting him find herself free to seek the Conant's home. Dorfield era una città molto più grande di Beverly; anzi, era una città piuttosto grande; forse poteva sfuggire in qualche modo alla sorveglianza del detective e, raggirandolo, trovarsi libera di cercare la casa dei Conant. She would try this and circumstances must decide her plan of action. Always there was the chance that she misjudged the little man.

As the conductor called the station the train halted and the girl passed the rear seat, where the man had his bare head half out the open window, and descended from the car to the platform. A few others also alighted, to hurry away to the omnibuses or street car or walk to their destinations. Alcuni altri sono scesi, per affrettarsi verso gli omnibus o i tram o per raggiungere le loro destinazioni a piedi.

Mary Louise stood quite still upon the platform until the train drew out after its brief stop. It was nearly six o'clock in the evening and fast growing dark, yet she distinctly observed the fat-nosed man, who had alighted on the opposite side of the track and was now sauntering diagonally across the rails to the depot, his hands thrust deep in his pockets and his eyes turned away from Mary Louise as if the girl occupied no part of his thoughts. Erano quasi le sei di sera e si stava facendo rapidamente buio, eppure lei osservò distintamente l'uomo dal naso grasso, che era sceso sul lato opposto del binario e ora camminava in diagonale attraverso le rotaie verso il deposito, con le mani infilate in tasca e lo sguardo rivolto a Mary Louise come se la ragazza non occupasse parte dei suoi pensieri. But she knew better than that. Ma lei lo sapeva bene. Her suspicions were now fully confirmed and she sought to evade the detective in just the way any inexperienced girl might have done. Turning in the opposite direction she hastily crossed the street, putting a big building between herself and the depot, and then hurried along a cross-street. Girando nella direzione opposta attraversò frettolosamente la strada, mettendo un grande edificio tra sé e il deposito, e poi si affrettò lungo una traversa. She looked back now and then and found she had not been followed; so, to insure escape, she turned another corner, giving a fearful glance over her shoulder as she did so. Si guardò indietro di tanto in tanto e scoprì di non essere stata seguita; così, per assicurarsi la fuga, girò un altro angolo, lanciando un'occhiata timorosa alle spalle mentre lo faceva.

This street was not so well lighted as the others had been and she had no idea where it led to. She knew Dorfield pretty well, having once resided there for three years, but in her agitated haste she had now lost all sense of direction. Conosceva Dorfield abbastanza bene, essendoci stata per tre anni, ma nella sua agitata fretta aveva ormai perso il senso dell'orientamento. Feeling, however, that she was now safe from pursuit, she walked on more slowly, trying to discover her whereabouts, and presently passed a dimly-lighted bakery before which a man stood looking abstractedly into the window at the cakes and pies, his back toward her. Ritenendo, tuttavia, di essere ormai al sicuro da ogni inseguimento, camminò più lentamente, cercando di scoprire dove si trovasse, e di lì a poco passò davanti a una pasticceria scarsamente illuminata, davanti alla quale un uomo guardava astrattamente dalla finestra i dolci e le torte, con le spalle rivolte verso di lei.

Instantly Mary Louise felt her heart sink. Immediatamente Mary Louise sentì il suo cuore affondare. She did not need to see the man's face to recognize the detective. Nor did he stir as she passed him by and proceeded up the street. Non si mosse nemmeno quando lei gli passò accanto e proseguì per la strada. But how did he happen to be there? Ma come ha fatto a trovarsi lì? Had she accidentally stumbled upon him, or had he purposely placed himself in her path to assure her that escape from him was impossible? Si era imbattuta in lui per caso o lui si era messo di proposito sulla sua strada per assicurarle che fuggire da lui era impossibile?

As she reached the next corner a street car came rushing along, halted a brief moment and proceeded on its way. Quando arrivò all'angolo successivo, un'auto di linea arrivò di corsa, si fermò per un breve momento e proseguì per la sua strada. In that moment Mary Louise had stepped aboard and as she entered the closed section and sank into a seat she breathed a sigh of relief. In quel momento Mary Louise era salita a bordo e, quando entrò nella sezione chiusa e si sedette, tirò un sospiro di sollievo. The man at the bakery window had not followed her. The car made one or two more stops, turned a corner and stopped again. L'auto fece un'altra o due soste, girò un angolo e si fermò di nuovo. This time the little man with the fat nose deliberately swung himself to the rear platform, paid his fare and remained there. Questa volta l'omino con il naso grasso si spostò deliberatamente sul binario posteriore, pagò il biglietto e rimase lì. He didn't look at Mary Louise at all, but she looked at him and her expression was one of mingled horror and fear. Non guardò affatto Mary Louise, ma lei lo guardò e la sua espressione era di orrore e paura. A mile farther on the car reached the end of its line and the conductor reversed the trolley-pole and prepared for the return journey. Un chilometro più avanti la vettura giunse al capolinea e il conduttore invertì l'asta del carrello e si preparò per il viaggio di ritorno. Mary Louise kept her seat. Mary Louise rimase seduta. The detective watched the motorman and conductor with an assumption of stupid interest and retained his place on the platform. Il detective osservò il macchinista e il conduttore con una presunzione di stupido interesse e mantenne il suo posto sulla piattaforma.

On the way back to the business section of Dorfield, Mary Louise considered what to do next. Sulla via del ritorno alla zona commerciale di Dorfield, Mary Louise pensò a cosa fare dopo. She was very young and inexperienced; she was also, at this moment, very weary and despondent. Era molto giovane e inesperta; era anche, in quel momento, molto stanca e avvilita. It was clearly evident that she could not escape this man, whose persistence impressed her with the imminent danger that threatened her grandfather if she went to the home of the Conants—the one thing she positively must not do. Era chiaramente evidente che non poteva sfuggire a quell'uomo, la cui insistenza le fece capire l'imminente pericolo che minacciava suo nonno se si fosse recata a casa dei Conant, l'unica cosa che non doveva assolutamente fare. Since her arrival was wholly unexpected by her friends, with whom she could not communicate, she now found herself a forlorn wanderer, without money or shelter. Poiché il suo arrivo era stato del tutto inaspettato dai suoi amici, con i quali non poteva comunicare, si trovò ora ad essere una vagabonda abbandonata, senza soldi e senza riparo.

When the car stopped at Main Street she got off and walked slowly along the brilliantly lighted thoroughfare, feeling more safe among the moving throngs of people. Quando l'auto si fermò in Main Street, scese e camminò lentamente lungo la strada brillantemente illuminata, sentendosi più sicura tra la folla in movimento. Presently she came to a well-remembered corner where the principal hotel stood on one side and the First National Bank on the other. Arrivò ad un angolo ben ricordato, dove da un lato c'era l'albergo principale e dall'altro la First National Bank. She now knew where she was and could find the direct route to the Conants, had she dared go there. To gain time for thought the girl stepped into the doorway of the bank, which was closed for the day, thus avoiding being jostled by pedestrians. Per avere il tempo di riflettere, la ragazza si infilò nell'ingresso della banca, che era chiusa per quel giorno, evitando così di essere urtata dai pedoni. She set down her suit case, leaned against the door-frame and tried to determine her wisest course of action. Posò la valigia, si appoggiò allo stipite della porta e cercò di determinare la linea d'azione più saggia.

She was hungry, tired, frightened, and the combination of sensations made her turn faint. With a white face and despair in her heart she leaned heavily back and closed her eyes. Con il volto bianco e la disperazione nel cuore, si appoggiò pesantemente allo schienale e chiuse gli occhi.

"Pardon me," said a soft voice, and with a nervous start she opened her eyes to find the little fat-nosed man confronting her. He had removed his hat and was looking straight into her face—for the first time, she imagined—and now she noticed that his gray eyes were not at all unkindly. Lui si era tolto il cappello e la stava guardando dritto in faccia - per la prima volta, immaginava - e ora si accorse che i suoi occhi grigi non erano affatto scortesi.

"What do you want?" she asked sharply, with an involuntary shudder. chiese bruscamente, con un brivido involontario.

"I wish to advise you, Miss Burrows," he replied. "I believe you know who I am and it is folly for us to pursue this game of hide-and-seek any longer. "Credo che tu sappia chi sono e che sia una follia continuare a giocare a nascondino. You are tired and worn out with your long ride and the anxiety I have caused you." Sei stanco e sfinito dal lungo viaggio e dall'ansia che ti ho causato". "You are dogging me!" "Mi stai facendo il cagnolino!". she exclaimed indignantly.

"I am keeping you in sight, according to orders." "You are a detective!" she asked, a little disarmed by his frankness.

"John O'Gorman by name, Miss. "John O'Gorman di nome, signorina. At home I have a little girl much like you, but I doubt if my Josie—even though I have trained her—would prove more shrewd than you have done under such trying circumstances. A casa ho una bambina molto simile a te, ma dubito che la mia Josie, anche se l'ho addestrata, si dimostri più scaltra di te in circostanze così difficili. Even in the train you recognized my profession—and I am thought to be rather clever at disguising my motives." Anche in treno avete riconosciuto la mia professione - e si pensa che io sia piuttosto abile nel dissimulare le mie motivazioni". "Yes?" "And you know quite well that because you have come to Dorfield to join your grandfather, whom you call Colonel Weatherby, I have followed you in an attempt to discover, through you, the man for whom our government has searched many years." "Oh, indeed!" "Oh, davvero!" "Therefore you are determined not to go to your destination and you are at your wits' end to know what to do. "Perciò siete decisi a non andare a destinazione e non sapete più cosa fare. Let me advise you, for the sake of my own little Josie." Lasciate che vi consigli, per il bene della mia piccola Josie". The abrupt proposal bewildered her. La brusca proposta la sconcertò.

"You are my enemy!" "Don't think that, Miss," he said gently. "I am an officer of the law, engaged in doing my duty. I am not your enemy and bear you no ill-will." Non sono tuo nemico e non ti porto rancore". "You are trying to arrest my grandfather." "In the course of duty. "Nell'adempimento del dovere. But he is quite safe from me for to-night, while you are almost exhausted through your efforts to protect him. Ma per stanotte è al sicuro da me, mentre voi siete quasi esausti per i vostri sforzi di proteggerlo. Go into the hotel across the way and register and get some supper and a room. Entrate nell'hotel dall'altra parte della strada, registratevi e prendete una cena e una stanza. To-morrow you will be able to think more clearly and may then make up your mind what to do." Domani sarai in grado di pensare più chiaramente e potrai decidere cosa fare". She hesitated. The voice seemed earnest and sincere, the eyes considerate and pitying, and the advice appealed to her as good; but— "Just for to-night, put yourself in my care," he said. La voce sembrava seria e sincera, gli occhi premurosi e pietosi, e il consiglio le piacque; ma... "Solo per stanotte, affidati a me", disse. "I'm ashamed to have annoyed you to such an extent and to have interfered with your plans; but I could not help it. "Mi vergogno di averla infastidita a tal punto e di aver interferito con i suoi piani; ma non ho potuto evitarlo. You have succeeded in balking the DETECTIVE, but the MAN admires you for it. Siete riusciti a mettere in difficoltà il detective, ma l'uomo vi ammira per questo. I noticed, the last time you took out your purse in the dining-car, that your money is nearly gone. Ho notato, l'ultima volta che ha tirato fuori la borsa nel vagone ristorante, che i suoi soldi sono quasi finiti. If you will permit me to lend you enough for your hotel expenses—" "No." "Well, it may not be necessary. Your friends will supply you with money whenever our little—comedy, shall we say?—is played to the end. I vostri amici vi forniranno denaro ogni volta che la nostra piccola commedia, diciamo così, verrà recitata fino in fondo. In the meantime I'll speak to the landlord. Nel frattempo parlerò con il proprietario. Now, Miss Burrows, run across to the hotel and register." She gazed at him uncertainly a moment and the little man smiled reassuringly. Somehow, she felt inclined to trust him.

"Thank you," she said and took her suit case into the hotel office. The clerk looked at her rather curiously as she registered, but assigned her a room and told her that dinner was still being served. She followed the bellboy to her room, where she brushed her gown, bathed her hands and face and rearranged her hair. Seguì il fattorino nella sua stanza, dove si spazzolò l'abito, si lavò le mani e il viso e si sistemò i capelli. Then she went to the dining room and, although the journey and worry had left her sick and nervous, she ate some dinner and felt stronger and better after it.