A week after the release of Valentine， 9762， there was a neat job of safeburglary done in Richmond， Indiana， with no clue to the author. A scant eight hundred dollars was all that was secured. Two weeks after that a patented， improved， burglarproof safe in Logansport was opened like a cheese to the tune of fifteen hundred dollars， currency， securities and silver untouched. That began to interest the roguecatchers. Then an oldfashioned banksafe in Jefferson City became active and threw out of its crater an eruption of banknotes amounting to five thousand dollars. The losses were now high enough to bring the matter up into Ben Prices class of work. By comparing notes， a remarkable similaritysimilarity n.类似， 类似处 in the methods of the burglaries was noticed. Ben Price investigated the scenes of the robberiesrobbery n.抢掠， 抢夺， and was heard to remark：
在瓦伦汀—9762号释放了一个星期之后，印第安纳州里士满发生了一件保险箱盗窃案，案子做得干净利落，毫无线索可循。一共失窃了为数不多的八百元。两个星期后，失窃一千五百元现款，证券和银器没有损失。警局开始注意了。接着，杰斐逊城一只老式银行保险箱出了毛病，损失了五千元现款。如今失窃数字相当高了，本·普赖斯不得不插手干预。经过比较，他发现盗窃的方法惊人的相似。本·普赖斯调查了失窃现场，宣布说：
“Thats Dandy Jim Valentines autographautograph n.亲笔签名， 手稿 adj.署名 v.署名. Hes resumed business. Look at that combination knob—jerked out as easy as pulling up a radish in wet weather. Hes got the only clamps that can do it. And look how clean those tumblerstumbler n.打滚的人， 翻筋斗者， 杂技演员， (平底)大玻璃杯， 一杯量 were punched out！ Jimmy never has to drill but one hole. Yes， I guess I want Mr. Valentine. Hell do his bit next time without any shorttime or clemencyclemency n.温和， 仁慈， 和蔼 foolishness.”
“那是‘花花公子’吉米·瓦伦汀的手法。他又恢复营业了。瞧那个暗码盘——像潮湿天气拔萝卜那般轻易地拔了出来。只有他的钳子才干得了。再瞧这些发条给钻得多么利落！吉米一向只须钻一个洞就行了。哎，我想我得逮住瓦伦汀先生。下次可不能有什么减刑或赦免的蠢事，他得蹲满刑期才行。”
Ben Price knew Jimmys habits. He had learned them while working on the Springfield case. Long jumps， quick getaways， no confederatesconfederate n.同盟者， 同盟国 adj.同盟的， 联合的vt.vi.(使)联盟， (使)联合， 同伙， 帮凶， and a taste for good society—these ways had helped Mr. Valentine to become noted as a successful dodger of retribution. It was given out that Ben Price had taken up the trail of the elusiveelusive adj.难懂的， 难捉摸的， 易忘的 cracksman， and other people with burglarproof safes felt more at ease.
本·普赖斯了解吉米的习惯。他经手处理斯普林菲尔德那件案子时就摸熟了吉米的脾气。跑得远，脱身快，不找搭档，喜欢交上流社会的朋友——这些情况使瓦伦汀赢得了难得失风的名声。本·普赖斯已在追踪这个难抓到的开保险箱好手的消息透露了出去，有防盗保险箱的人比较安心一些了。
One afternoon Jimmy Valentine and his suitcase climbed out of the mailhack in Elmore， a little town five miles off the railroad down in the blackjack country of Arkansas. Jimmy， looking like an athleticathletic adj.运动的 young senior just home from college， went down the board sidewalk toward the hotel.
一天下午，吉米·瓦伦汀带着他的手提箱搭了邮车来到艾尔摩尔。艾尔摩尔是阿肯色州黑榭地带的一个小镇，离铁路线有五英里。吉米活像是一个从学校回来的结实年轻的大学四年级学生，他在宽阔的人行道上向旅馆走去。
A young lady crossed the street， passed him at the corner and entered a door over which was the sign， “The Elmore Bank”. Jimmy Valentine looked into her eyes， forgot what he was， and became another man. She lowered her eyes and coloured slightly. Young men of Jimmys style and looks were scarce in Elmore. Jimmy collared a boy that was loafing on the steps of the bank as if he were one of the stockholdersstockholder n.股东， and began to ask him questions about the town， feeding him dimes at intervalsinterval n.间隔， 距离， 幕间休息 n.时间间隔. By and by the young lady came out， looking royally unconscious of the young man with the suitcase， and went her way.
一位年轻姑娘穿过街道，在拐角那里从他身边经过，走进一扇挂着“艾尔摩尔银行”招牌的门，吉米·瓦伦汀直勾勾地瞅着她，忘了自己是谁，仿佛成了另一个人。她垂下眼睛，脸上泛起一阵红晕。有吉米这种气宇和外表的年轻人在艾尔摩尔是不多见的。银行门口台阶上有个男孩，仿佛是股东老板似的在闲荡，吉米便缠住他，开始打听这个小镇的情况，不时给他几枚银币，没多久，那位姑娘出来了，装着根本没有见到这个提箱子的年轻人，大模大样地自顾自走路。
“Is that young lady Polly Simpson？” asked Jimmy， with speciousspecious adj.外表美观， 华而不实的， 徒有其表的，似是而非的， 外表美观的 guileguile n.狡诈， 诡计.
“那位年轻姑娘是不是波利·辛普森小姐？”吉米装得老实，其实很狡黠地问道。
“No.” said the boy. “Shes Annabel Adams. Her pather owns this bank. Whyd you come to Elmore for？ Is that a gold watchchain？ Im going to get a bulldogbulldog n.牛头犬， 摔倒， 左轮手枪 v.摔牛. Got any more dimes？”
“不”小孩说，“她是安娜贝尔·亚当斯。这家银行就是她爸爸开的。你到艾尔摩尔来干吗？那表链是不是金的？我就要有一条巴儿狗了。还有银角子吗？”
Jimmy went to the Planters Hotel， registered as Ralph D. Spencer， and engaged a room. He leaned on the desk and declared his platform to the clerk. He said he had come to Elmore to look for a location to go into business. How was the shoe business， now， in the town？ He had thought of the shoe business. Was there an opening？
吉米到了农场主旅馆，用拉尔夫·迪·斯潘塞的姓名登了记，租了一个房间。他靠在柜台上，把自己的来意告诉了那个旅馆职员。他说他来艾尔摩尔是想找个地方做些买卖。这个小镇的鞋子行业怎么样？他想到了鞋子行业。有没有机会？
The clerk was impressed by the clothes and manner of Jimmy. He， himself， was something of a pattern of fashion to the thinly gilded youth of Elmore， but he now perceived his shortcomingsshortcoming n.缺点， 短处. While trying to figure out Jimmys manner of tying his fourinhand he cordially gave information.
旅馆职员被吉米的衣着和风度打动了。他本人也可以算是艾尔摩尔那些还不够格的时髦青年之一，但是现在看到了自己的差距。他一面揣摩吉米的领结是怎么打的，一面恳切地提供了情况。
Yes， there ought to be a good opening in the shoe line. There wasnt an exclusiveexclusive adj.排外的， 孤高的， 唯我独尊的， 独占的，唯一的， 高级的 shoestore in the place. The drygoods and general stores handled them. Business in all lines was fairly good. Hoped Mr. Spencer would decide to locate in Elmore. He would find it a pleasant town to live in， and the people very sociable. Mr. Spencer thought he would stop over in the town a few days and look over the situation. No， the clerk neednt call the boy. He would carry up his suitcase， himself， it was rather heavy.
是啊，鞋子行业应该有很好的机会。当地没有专门的鞋店。绸缎和百货商店兼做鞋子生意。各行各业的买卖都相当好。希望斯潘塞先生能打定主意在艾尔摩尔安顿下来。他将发现住在这个小镇上是很愉快的，居民都很好客。斯潘塞先生认为不妨在镇上逗留几天，看看情形再说。不，不必叫小厮了。他自己把手提箱带上去。箱子相当沉。
Mr. Ralph Spencer， the phoenix that arose from Jimmy Valentines ashes—ashes left by the flame of a sudden and alterative attack of love—remained in Elmore， and prospered. He opened a shoestore and secured a good run of trade.
一阵突如其来，脱胎换骨的爱情之火把吉米·瓦伦汀烧成了灰烬，从灰烬中重生的凤凰拉尔夫·斯潘塞先生在艾尔摩尔安顿下来，一帆风顺。他开了一家鞋店，买卖很兴隆。
Socially he was also a success， and made many friends. And he accomplished the wish of his heart. He met Miss Annabel Adams， and became more and more captivatedcaptivate vt.迷住， 迷惑 by her charms.
在社交上，他也获得了成功，交了许多朋友。他的愿望也达到了。他结识了安娜贝尔·亚当斯小姐，越来越为她的魅力所倾倒。