黑麦奇案19

时间：2025-10-10 08:28:30

（单词翻译:单击）

III
“Well?” demanded Inspector1 Neele impatiently.
The doctor said promptly2:
“Cyanide—potassium cyanide probably—in the tea.”
“Cyanide,” muttered Neele.
The doctor looked at him with slight curiosity.
“You’re taking this hard—any special reason—”
“She was cast as a murderess,” said Neele.
“And she turns out to be a victim. Hm. You’ll have to think again, won’t
you?”
Neele nodded. His face was bitter and his jaw3 was grimly set.
Poisoned! Right under his nose. Taxine in Rex Fortescue’s breakfast cof-
fee, cyanide in Adele Fortescue’s tea. Still an intimate family affair. Or so it
seemed.
Adele Fortescue, Jennifer Fortescue, Elaine Fortescue and the newly ar-
rived Lance Fortescue had had tea together in the library. Lance had gone
up to see Miss Ramsbottom, Jennifer had gone to her own sitting room to
write letters, Elaine had been the last to leave the library. According to her
Adele had then been in perfect health and had just been pouring herself
out a last cup of tea.
A last cup of tea! Yes, it had indeed been her last cup of tea.
And after that a blank twenty minutes, perhaps, until Mary Dove had
come into the room and discovered the body.
And during that twenty minutes—
Inspector Neele swore to himself and went out into the kitchen.
Sitting in a chair by the kitchen table, the vast figure of Mrs. Crump, her
belligerence4 pricked5 like a balloon, hardly stirred as he came in.
“Where’s that girl? Has she come back yet?”
“Gladys? No—she’s not back—Won’t be, I suspect, until eleven o’clock.”
“She made the tea, you say, and took it in.”
“I didn’t touch it, sir, as God’s my witness. And what’s more I don’t be-
lieve Gladys did anything she shouldn’t. She wouldn’t do a thing like that
—not Gladys. She’s a good enough girl, sir—a bit foolish like, that’s all—
not wicked.”
No, Neele did not think that Gladys was wicked. He did not think that
Gladys was a poisoner. And in any case the cyanide had not been in the
teapot.
“But what made her go off suddenly—like this? It wasn’t her day out,
you say.”
“No, sir, tomorrow’s her day out.”
“Does Crump—”
Mrs. Crump’s belligerence suddenly revived. Her voice rose wrathfully.
“Don’t you go fastening anything on Crump. Crump’s out of it. He went
off at three o’clock—and thankful I am now that he did. He’s as much out
of it as Mr. Percival himself.”
Percival Fortescue had only just returned from London—to be greeted
by the astounding6 news of this second tragedy.
“I wasn’t accusing Crump,” said Neele mildly. “I just wondered if he
knew anything about Gladys’s plans.”
“She had her best nylons on,” said Mrs. Crump. “She was up to some-
thing. Don’t tell me! Didn’t cut any sandwiches for tea, either. Oh yes, she
was up to something. I’ll give her a piece of my mind when she comes
back.”
When she comes back—
A faint uneasiness possessed7 Neele. To shake it off he went upstairs to
Adele Fortescue’s bedroom. A lavish8 apartment—all rose brocade hanging
and a vast gilt9 bed. On one side of the room was a door into a mirror-lined
bathroom with a sunk orchid-pink porcelain10 bath. Beyond the bathroom,
reached by a communicating door, was Rex Fortescue’s dressing11 room.
Neele went back into Adele’s bedroom, and through the door on the
farther side of the room into her sitting room.
The room was furnished in Empire style with a rose pile carpet. Neele
only gave it a cursory12 glance for that particular room had had his close at-
tention on the preceding day—with special attention paid to the small el-
egant desk.
Now, however, he stiffened13 to sudden attention. On the centre of the
rose pile carpet was a small piece of caked mud.
Neele went over to it and picked it up. The mud was still damp.
He looked round—there were no footprints visible—only this one isol-
ated fragment of wet earth.

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 inspector q6kxH     
n.检查员，监察员，视察员
参考例句：
  • The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
  • The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。
2 promptly LRMxm     
adv.及时地，敏捷地
参考例句：
  • He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
  • She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
3 jaw 5xgy9     
n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训
参考例句：
  • He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
  • A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。
4 belligerence BuXzZ     
n.交战，好战性，斗争性
参考例句：
  • He could be accused of passion,but never belligerence.可以说他很冲动，但不能说他爱挑事。
  • He was almost back to his belligerent mood of twelve months ago.他故态复萌，几乎又像一年前那样咄咄逼人了。
5 pricked 1d0503c50da14dcb6603a2df2c2d4557     
刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛
参考例句：
  • The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry. 厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。
  • He was pricked by his conscience. 他受到良心的谴责。
6 astounding QyKzns     
adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词)
参考例句：
  • There was an astounding 20% increase in sales. 销售量惊人地增加了20%。
  • The Chairman's remarks were so astounding that the audience listened to him with bated breath. 主席说的话令人吃惊，所以听众都屏息听他说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 possessed xuyyQ     
adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的
参考例句：
  • He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
  • He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。
8 lavish h1Uxz     
adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍
参考例句：
  • He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
  • The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。
9 gilt p6UyB     
adj.镀金的；n.金边证券
参考例句：
  • The plates have a gilt edge.这些盘子的边是镀金的。
  • The rest of the money is invested in gilt.其余的钱投资于金边证券。
10 porcelain USvz9     
n.瓷；adj.瓷的，瓷制的
参考例句：
  • These porcelain plates have rather original designs on them.这些瓷盘的花纹很别致。
  • The porcelain vase is enveloped in cotton.瓷花瓶用棉花裹着。
11 dressing 1uOzJG     
n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料
参考例句：
  • Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
  • The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。
12 cursory Yndzg     
adj.粗略的；草率的；匆促的
参考例句：
  • He signed with only a cursory glance at the report.他只草草看了一眼报告就签了名。
  • The only industry mentioned is agriculture and it is discussed in a cursory sentence.实业方面只谈到农业,而且只是匆匆带了一句。
13 stiffened de9de455736b69d3f33bb134bba74f63     
加强的
参考例句：
  • He leaned towards her and she stiffened at this invasion of her personal space. 他向她俯过身去，这种侵犯她个人空间的举动让她绷紧了身子。
  • She stiffened with fear. 她吓呆了。

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