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But the child's mother did not believe this.
可是孩子的母亲不相信，
She said she had heard a scream--and the scream came from the hill，a long way away from the water.
她说她听见了一声尖叫--尖叫声从小山传来，那儿离河水很远。
It's impossible， of course， said Van Cheele to himself.
那当然不可能，范·切尔对自己说。
But the child disappeared two months ago， and the boy talked about child meat.
可这孩子两个月前失踪的，那个男孩说起了小孩肉。
He was joking， of course…but what a horrible joke！
他当然是在开玩笑……可这是个多么可怕的玩笑啊！
Van Cheele usually talked to his aunt about the birds，plants and animals he saw on his walks.
范·切尔常向姑妈谈论路途上看见的鸟、植物和动物。
But today he said nothing.
但是今天他什么都没说。
He was an important man in his village.
他是村里的一个重要人物，
If there was a thief living in his woods， he did not want anyone to know.
如果他的树林里住着一个贼，他是不想让任何人知道的。
If people hear about the boy， he thought，
如果人们知道了这个男孩，他想，
perhaps they will want me to pay for their lost chickens and their disappearing sheep.
他们可能会让我赔偿他们丢失的鸡和羊。
He was unusually quiet at dinner.
晚饭时他异乎寻常地安静。
'What's the matter with you？'joked his aunt.
"你怎么了？"姑妈逗他说。
'Did you see a wolf on your walk？'
"你在路上看见狼了吗？"
At breakfast the next morning Van Cheele realized that he still felt uncomfortable about yesterday's adventure.
第二天早餐时范·切尔还在为昨天的奇遇颇为不爽。
I know what I' ll do， he said to himself.
我知道我要做什么，他自言自语。
I' ll take the train to London and I'll go and see Cunningham.
我要乘火车去伦敦，去看望坎宁安。
I'll ask him if he was joking when he said there was a wild animal in my woods.
我要问他当他说我家树林里有一头野兽时是不是在开玩笑。
After he had decided this，Van Cheele felt better.
做出这个决定之后，范·切尔觉得好了一些。
He sang a happy little song as he walked to the sitting-room for his morning cigarette.
朝客厅走去拿早上抽的烟时他唱起了快乐的小曲。
His fat old dog walked beside him.
他的老肥狗走在他的旁边。
As Van Cheele entered the sitting-room， the song died on his lips and his dog ran away with his tail between his legs.
当范·切尔走进客厅，他的歌声在嘴唇上嘎然而止，他的狗夹着尾巴逃跑了。
There on the day－bed， with his hands comfortably behind his head， lay the boy from the woods.
在那张白天休息的床上躺着那个树林里来的男孩他的头舒服地枕在手上。
He was drier than yesterday， but he was still naked.
他比昨天干多了，但还是赤身裸体。
'What are you doing here？ asked Van Cheele angrily.
"你在这儿做什么？"范·切尔气愤地问。
'You told me I couldn't stay in the woods，'said the boy calmly.
"你告诉过我我不能呆在树林里，"男孩平静地说。
'But I didn't tell you to come here.
"但我没告诉你来这儿。
What if my aunt sees you？ What will she think？'
我姑妈看见你会怎样？她会怎么想？"
Van Cheele hurriedly covered his unwanted guest's nakedness with a newspaper.
范·切尔赶紧用报纸盖住这位不速之客的光身子。
At that moment his aunt entered the room.
正在这时姑妈进了房间。
'This is a poor boy，' explained Van Cheele quickly.
"这是个可怜的孩子，"范·切尔马上解释。
'He has lost his way-and lost his memory too.
"他迷了路--也失去了记忆。
He doesn't know who he is， or where he comes from.
他不知道他是谁，从哪儿来。"
Miss Van Cheele was very interested.
范·切尔小姐很感兴趣。
'Perhaps his name is on his underclothes，' she said.
"他的名字可能在内衣上，"她说。
'He has lost his underclothes too，' said Van Cheele.
"他连内衣也丢了，"范·切尔说。
The newspaper was slipping off the boy's naked body.
报纸从男孩的光身子上滑了下来，
Van Cheele hurried to replace it.
范·切尔赶忙又把报纸盖在男孩的身上。
