At Denver there was an influx of passengers into the coaches on the eastbound B. & M. Express. In one coach there sat a very pretty young woman dressed in clothes showing her elegant taste and surrounded by all the luxurious comforts of an experienced traveller. Among the newcomers were two young men, one of handsome presence with a bold, frank countenance and manner; the other a ruffled, glum-faced person, heavily built and roughly dressed.
在丹佛，一群乘客正涌入向東駛去的B.＆M.公司的快車車廂。其中一節車廂里坐著一位年輕漂亮的女士。她穿著很有品味，身邊擺滿了有經驗的旅行者才會攜帶的豪華物品。新上車的旅客中走來了兩個人。一位年輕英俊，神態舉止顯得果敢而又坦率；另一位則面色陰沉，體格健壯，穿著隨意。
The two were handcuffed together. As they passed down the aisle of the coach the only vacant seat offered was a reversed one facing the attractive young woman. Here the linked couple seated themselves. The young woman’s glance fell upon them with a distant, swift disinterest; then with a lovely smile brightening her countenance and a tender pink tingeing her rounded cheeks, she held out a little grey-gloved hand.
這兩人被手銬銬在一起。他們沿著客車的過道找到了車上唯一的空座，剛好正對著那位年輕迷人的女士。他們坐了下來。年輕女士冷冷地掃了他們一眼，她的臉上突然露出了可愛的笑容，這笑容讓她那圓潤的面頰顯得更加粉嫩。她伸出一只纖細的小手，手上戴著灰色手套。
When she spoke her voice, full, sweet, and deliberate, proclaimed that its owner was accustomed to speak and be heard. “Well, Mr. Easton, if you will make me speak first, I suppose I must. Don’t you ever recognize old friends when you meet them in the West?” The younger man roused himself sharply at the sound of her voice, seemed to struggle with a slight embarrassment which he threw off instantly, and then clasped her fingers with his left hand.
她說出的話語是那么的周到、悅耳、深思熟慮，讓人覺得她很擅長訴說與聆聽?！昂冒?，伊斯頓先生，如果您非得讓我先發言，我想我必須這樣做。難道您來到西部就認不出老朋友了？”較年輕的那位男子聽到她的聲音后，開始努力喚醒自己的記憶，似乎在與內心中小小的尷尬的短暫斗爭后，立刻甩掉了這個念頭，然后用左手緊緊握住她的手。
“It’s Miss Fairchild,” he said, with a smile. “I’ll ask you to excuse the other hand; it’s otherwise engaged just at present.” He slightly raised his right hand, bound at the wrist by the shining “bracelet” to the left one of his companion. The glad look in the girl’s eyes slowly changed to a bewildered horror. The glow faded from her cheeks. Her lips parted in a vague, relaxing distress. Easton, with a little laugh, as if amused, was about to speak again when the other forestalled him. The glum-faced man had been watching the girl’s countenance with veiled glances from his keen, shrewd eyes.
“您是費爾查爾德女士，”他微笑著說道，“請您原諒我只能用一只手跟您握手，另一只手正忙著別的事情?！彼陨耘e起右手，展示了一下他右腕上與他同伴左手相連的閃閃發光的“手鏈”。 看到這個場景，姑娘高興的表情慢慢變得充滿困惑與恐懼。她面頰上的光芒漸漸消失了。她的嘴微微張開，發出含糊不清的聲音，似乎正在緩解內心的悲痛。伊斯頓露出一點點笑容，好像是被逗笑的。當他正要接話時，卻被他的同伴打斷了。這位面色鐵青的男子一直在用他那雙敏銳、精明的眼睛偷偷觀察著這位姑娘的表情。
“You’ll excuse me for speaking, miss, but, I see you’re acquainted with the marshal here. If you’ll ask him to speak a word for me when we get to the pen he’ll do it, and it’ll make things easier for me there. He’s taking me to Leavenworth prison. It’s seven years for counterfeiting.”
“原諒我打斷您，女士，我知道您認識這位警官。如果您能夠讓他在我入獄時幫我說句好話，我到那里之后的日子應該會好過些。他正帶我去萊文沃思監獄。我因偽造罪將在那里服刑7年?！?br />“Oh!” said the girl, with a deep breath and returning colour. “So that is what you are doing out here? A marshal!” “My dear Miss Fairchild,” said Easton, calmly, “I had to do something. Money has a way of taking wings unto itself, and you know it takes money to keep step with our crowd in Washington. I saw this opening in the West, and — well, a marshalship isn’t quite as high a position as that of ambassador, but — ”
“哦！”姑娘深吸了一口氣，面色恢復了正常，然后繼續說道，“原來您是做這行的??？一名警官！”“親愛的費爾查爾德女士，”伊斯頓平靜地說，“我不得不找個差事做。錢這東西，它是不會自己長翅膀飛來的。而且，您知道，在華盛頓生活也得有錢才能跟得上其他人的生活方式。我只不過在西部找到了這份工作——而且，警官的地位可比不上大使，但是……”
“The ambassador,” said the girl, warmly, “doesn’t call any more. He needn’t ever have done so. You ought to know that. And so now you are one of these dashing Western heroes, and you ride and shoot and go into all kinds of dangers. That’s different from the Washington life. You have been missed from the old crowd.”
“大使……”姑娘親切地說，“您可別再這么稱呼了。我的工作跟大使可沒什么關系。您應該知道的。那么，您現在可是位瀟灑的西部英雄啦！每天騎馬、打槍、出生入死。這與華盛頓的生活大不相同??！您已經跟老朋友不在一個戰壕了?！?br />The girl’s eyes, fascinated, went back, widening a little, to rest upon the glittering handcuffs. “Don’t you worry about them, miss,” said the other man. “All marshals handcuff themselves to their prisoners to keep them from getting away. Mr. Easton knows his business.” “Will we see you again soon in Washington?” asked the girl.
姑娘現在已經心馳神往了，兩只眼睛一眨一眨地，最后又落在了閃閃發光的手銬上?！澳槐負倪@東西，女士，”另一個男士說。 “警官都會把自己與犯人拷在一起，以免他們逃脫。伊斯頓先生很精通自己的業務。”“我們很快會在華盛頓再次見到您嗎？”女士問道。
Not soon, I think,” said Easton. “My butterfly days are over, I fear.” “I love the West,” said the girl irrelevantly. Her eyes were shining softly. She looked away out the car window. She began to speak truly and simply without the gloss of style and manner: “Mamma and I spent the summer in Denver. She went home a week ago because father was slightly ill. I could live and be happy in the West. I think the air here agrees with me. Money isn’t everything. But people always misunderstand things and remain stupid — ”
“我想不會很快，”伊斯頓說，“恐怕我輕松自在的日子已經結束了。”“我愛西部，”姑娘唐突地說，眼睛里閃爍著柔光。她轉頭看向車窗外，開始敞開心扉，說起簡單樸實的話語：“這個夏天我和媽媽是在丹佛過的。一周前她先回家了，因為父親身體有點小恙。我可以生活在西部，而且在那里我很快樂。我覺得那里的空氣很適合我。金錢不是萬能的。但人們總是在犯傻，總是不知道什么才是最珍貴的……”
“Say, Mr. Marshal,” growled the glum-faced man. “This isn’t quite fair. I’m needing a drink, and haven’t had a smoke all day. Haven’t you talked long enough? Take me in the smoker now, won’t you? I’m half dead for a pipe.”
“好啦，警官先生，”鐵青臉的男子大聲嚷道，“這不太公平。我需要喝點兒什么，而且整天都沒有吸煙了。你們談的時間還不夠長嗎？現在是不是應該帶我去吸煙室吸根香煙了？我的煙癮已經快控制不住了?！?br /> The bound travellers rose to their feet, Easton with the same slow smile on his face. “I can’t deny a petition for tobacco,” he said, lightly. “It’s the one friend of the unfortunate. Good-bye, Miss Fairchild. Duty calls, you know.” He held out his hand for a farewell.
這兩位拷在一起的旅客站起身來，伊斯頓的臉上依舊掛著遲鈍的微笑?！叭ノ鶡熯@樣的請求，我可拒絕不了，”他輕描淡寫地說道， “香煙可是不幸的人最好的朋友。再見，費爾柴爾德女士。您知道，職責所在?！比缓?，他伸手做了個告別動作。
“It’s too bad you are not going East,” she said, re-clothing herself with manner and style. “But you must go on to Leavenworth, I suppose?” “Yes,” said Easton, “I must go on to Leavenworth.” The two men sidled down the aisle into the smoker. The two passengers in a seat nearby had heard most of the conversation. One of them said: “That marshal’s a good sort of chap. Some of these Western fellows are all right.” “Pretty young to hold an office like that, isn’t he?” asked the other. “Young!” exclaimed the first speaker, “why — Oh! Didn’t you catch on? Say — did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand?”
“您不是去東部，這真是太糟糕了，”她說，語氣又重新回到了之前的氣質，“但，我猜，您必須繼續前往萊文沃思是嗎？”“是的，”伊斯頓說道，“我必須繼續前往萊文沃思。”然后，這兩個男子側身沿著過道走進了吸煙室。旁邊座位上的兩名乘客聽到了他們大部分的談話。其中一人說：“那個警官是個好人。這些西部人中有些還是不賴的?！薄澳闶窃谡f，他這么年輕就能執行這樣重要的任務，是吧？”另一個人問道。“年輕?。俊钡谝蝗撕傲似饋恚笆裁茨贻p啊……哦！你沒看明白嗎？你見過警官把自己的右手跟犯人銬在一起嗎？”