It was early when I left Alan next morning. Iwalked into the main street of Queensferry. Peoplewere lighting their fires and opening their. windowsand coming out of their houses. It was a fine littletown，and I was ashamed of my rough，dirty oldclothes.
第二天一早我就离开艾伦，走到皇后渡口镇那条主要街道上。人们正在生炉子，开窗户，一个个从家里走出来。这是一座漂亮的小镇，而我的衣服质地很粗，又脏又旧，真有点寒碜。
I walked up and down. The town people intheir neat dress looked at me. What could I do？
Now I was here at last，but my hopes. fell .
我在街上着。穿得整整齐齐的城里人打量着我。我有什么办法呢？现在，我好不容易才来到这儿，可是心里凉了半截。
I load no real proof of my claim to the Shaws.
I could not even prove I was David Balfour. I neededtime，and I had no time. I had only three shillingsin my pocket，and I had to help an outlaw toleave the country quickly.
我并没有真凭实据说我是肖府财产的继承人，甚至都不能证明我就是大卫·巴尔福。这是需要时间的。可我偏偏没有时间。我的口袋里只有三个先令，还得帮助一名罪犯马上逃往国外。
I saw people pointing at me and smiling. I hadnot enough courage to ask for Mr Rankeillor ’shouse. I went throught the street and down to theharbour. I wandered back again. By nine o’clock I我看见人们指着我笑。我没有足够的勇气去询问兰基勒先生住在哪里。我穿过那条街道，来到渡口，接着又转了回去。到九点钟时，我
was tired and my spirits were very low.
感到又累又沮丧。
I stopped by a very good house with beautifulwindows，A fine，big man was coming out. His facewas clever and there were spectacles on his nose. Isaw he was an important person.
我在一座安着漂亮窗户的高级住宅附近停住脚步。一位身体魁梧、衣着考究的人正从里面走出来。他的鼻子上架着一副眼镜，显得很精明。看得出来，他是一位重要人物。
He noticed me at once，and spoke to me.
他一眼就看到我，对我说：
“Do you wa nt a nything？”he asked.
“你有什么事？”
His words gave me courage.
他的话给了我勇气。
“Ca n you dire ct me to the hous e o f Mr Ra nke illo rthe lawye r？”I said.
“您能告诉我去兰基勒家的路吗？”我问道。
“Why，”he said，“I ha ve jus t c ome out of hishous e . I am Mr Ra nke illor.”
“什么？这就是他的家。我就是兰基勒先生。”他说。
“S ir，”I said.“will yo u le t me s pe a k to you？”
“先生，我可以跟您谈话吗？”
我问道。
“I do no t know your name ，”he said.“or yon rfa c e .”
“我不知道你的尊姓大名，也不认识你。”他说。
“My name is Da vid Ba lfour，”I said. My wordssurprised him.“Da vid Ba lfour？”he repeated in ahigh voice.“And whe re ha ve you come from，Mr Da -vid Ba lfour？”
“我叫大卫· 巴尔福。”我说，我的话使他吃了一惊。他高声重复着说；“大卫·巴尔福？你是打哪儿来的，大卫·巴尔福先生。”
He looked at me sharply through his spectacles.
他从眼镜里死死盯着我。
“I ha ve come from ma ny s tra nge pla ce s . s ir，”Isaid，“I could te ll you more if we we re not in a p ublicpla ce ，”
“先生，我走了许多陌生的地方才到这里。要是我们不在大庭广众之中，我会把一切都告诉您的。”我说。
He stood and thought for a moment.
他站在那里，想了一会儿，说：
“Ye s ，”he said，“tha t will h e be s t.”“是的，那再好不过了。”
He led me into his house. We went into a littleroom full of books and papers. He sat down，and offeredme a chair. He looked sadly from his cleanchair to my dirty clothes.
他把我领进他的住所。我们走进一个堆满书籍和文件的小房间。
他坐了下来，并请我坐在一把椅子上。他看着他那干干净净的椅子，再望望我这一身沾满污泥的衣服，显得无可奈何。
“Now，”he said，“if you ha ve a ny bus ine s s ，ple a s e te ll me quic kly.”
他说：“好吧，你要是有事，就快对我说吧。”
The blood came to my face，but I said，“I be -lie ve I ha ve some cla im to the la nds of S haws .”
我 的脸涨红了，不过，我还是说：“我想我对肖府的财产有继承权。”
He took a note - book from a drawer and put iton his desk.“We ll？”be said.
他从抽屉里拿出一本记事簿，放在他面前的桌子上，说：“讲下去。”
I could not go on. What could I say？
我说不下去了。说什么好呢？
“Come ，c ome ，Mr Ba lfour，”he said，“you mus tc ontinue . Whe re we re you born ？”
他 说；“讲吧，讲吧，巴尔福先生。你必须讲下去。你是在哪里出生的？”
“Iu Es s e nde a n ，s ir ，”I said.“In the ye a r 1733，the twe lfth of ma rch .”
我回答说：“在埃森迪恩，先生。
1733年3月12日。”
He looked at his notes.
他看了看他的笔记。
“Your fa the r a nd mothe r？”he said.
“你父母叫什么名字？”他问道。
I told him their names.
我把父母亲的名字告诉了他。
“Ha ve you a ny pa pe rs ？Ca n you prove you a reDa vid Da lfour？”Mr Rankeillor asked.
“你有证件吗？你能证明你是大卫·巴尔福先生吗？”兰基勒先生问。
“I ha ve no pa pe rs ，s ir，”I replied，“but MrCampbe ll the minis te r ha s them a t Es s e nde a n . He willre c ognis e me . I think my uncle will do so ，too .”
“我没有证件，先生。证件在埃森迪恩的牧师坎贝尔先生手里。他能认得我。我想我叔叔也能认出我的。”
“Mr Ebe ne ze r Ba lfour？”he said.
“是埃比尼泽· 巴尔福先生吗？”他说。
“The s ame ，”I answered.
“就是他。”我说。
“Ha ve you s e e n h im？”he said.
“你见过他？”他又问道。
“He re ce ive d me into his own hous e ，”I said.
“他让我在他家里住过。”我说。
“Did you e ve r me e t Ca pta in Hos e a son？”thelawyer asked.
“你见没见过霍西森船长？”律师接着问道。
“I did，inde e d ，s ir，”Isaid.“My unc le pa id him tokidna p me ne a r this town. I wa s coming to your hous ewhe n the c a pta in invite d me to his brig，On de ck，I re -c e ive d a crue l blow on the he a d. He put me b e lowde c k a nd s a ile d out to s e a . He wa s ta king me to Americ a in ord e r to s e ll me in the s la ve ma rke t. But thebrig we nt down. By the he lp of God I ha ve e s ca pe dtha t e vil.”
我回答说：“见过，确实见过，先生。我叔叔花钱叫他在这个小镇附近把我拐走的。我正要来找你的时候，船长请我上了他的双桅船。我刚上甲板，就被他在头上猛击了一下，打晕过去。接着船就出海了。
他原来打算把我带到美洲，在奴隶市场上把我卖掉。可是，那条双桅船沉没了。多亏上帝保佑，我才逃脱了那场厄运。”
“Whe re did the brig go down ？”Mr Raukeillorasked.
“那条船是在哪儿失事的？”兰基勒先生问道。
“Off the south e n d of the is la nd of Mull，”I said.
“I came a shore on the is la n d of Ea rra id .”
“在马尔岛南端一带的洋面上，我在伊雷岛上了岸。”我回答说。
He looked again at his note - book.
他又看了一下记事簿，说：
