For some time Alan knocked without answer.
At last I heard the window on the first floor openingquietly. I knew my uncle was looking out. He couldsee Alan on the steps，but we three witnesses wereround the corner.
艾倫敲了好大一會兒也沒有人應盧。後來，我聽見二樓上的窗子輕輕地打開了。我知道我叔叔在向外張望。他可以看見站在台階上的艾倫，可是我們三位見證人都藏在角落。
After a minute Ebenezer spoke.
過了一會兒，埃比尼澤開口了：
“Wha t’s this ？”he asked.“This is no time ofnight for h one s t p e ople . Why ha ve you c ome ？I ha vea gun.”
“這是幹什麼？夜深人靜，正經人是不會現在出來的。你來幹什麼？我手裏可有槍。”
“Is tha t you，Mr Ba lfour？”Alan said，He steppedback and looked up.“Ta ke ca re of tha t old blun de rbuss . It might burs t.”
“是你嗎？巴爾福先生？”艾倫問道。他後退了幾步，抬起頭望著。
“當心你那杆破槍，它說不定會爆炸的。”
“Wh a t brings you he re ？Who a re you？”my unclecried angrily.
“你來這裏幹什麼？你是誰？”
我叔叔憤怒地吼叫著。
“My name doe s not ma tte r ，”Alan said，“I ha vec ome on your bus ine s s ，not mine .”
“我的名字無關緊要。我是為你的事來的，不是為我的事。”艾倫說。
“And wha t is it？”my uncle asked.
“什麼事？”我叔叔問道。
“Da vid ，”Alan said.
“大衛的事。”艾倫的答說。
“Wha t wa s tha t？”my uncle cried. His voice wasvery different now.
“什麼？”我叔叔大聲問道。這時他的口氣大不一樣了。
“S ha ll I give you the re s t of the name ，th e n？”Alansaid.
“你還要我連名帶姓都告訴你？”艾倫說。
There was a pause. Then，“Pe rha ps I’ll le t youc ome in，”my uncle said.
一陣沉默過後，我叔叔說：“或許我可以讓你進來。”
“Pe rha ps you will，”Alan replied. “But theque s tion is-will I come in ？The a nswe r is no . Wewill ta lk a bout this bus ine s s he re on this d oor-s te p . Itis he re or n owhe re . I am a s proud a s you，a nd a ge ntleman of be tte r family.”
艾倫回答說：“或許會是這樣。
不過，問題是，我願意進來嗎？咱們就在門外台階上談這件事吧。要麼在這兒談，要麼就不談了。我的自尊心跟你的一樣強，而且出身比你更高貴。”
Ebenezer thought for a minute. He did not likeit.
埃比尼澤想了一會兒。他並不願意在門口談話。末了，他說：
“We ll，”he said at last，“I’ll come down .”