黑麦奇案33

时间：2025-10-10 08:33:11

（单词翻译:单击）

III
Mr. Billingsley, of Billingsley, Horsethorpe & Walters, was an urbane1
man whose discretion2 was concealed3 habitually4 by a misleadingly forth-
coming manner. It was the second interview that Inspector5 Neele had had
with him, and on this occasion Mr. Billingsley’s discretion was less notice-
able than it had been on the former one. The triple tragedy at Yewtree
Lodge6 had shaken Mr. Billingsley out of his professional reserve. He was
now only too anxious to put all the facts he could before the police.
“Most extraordinary business, this whole thing,” he said. “A most ex-
traordinary business. I don’t remember anything like it in all my profes-
sional career.”
“Frankly, Mr. Billingsley,” said Inspector Neele, “we need all the help we
can get.”
“You can count on me, my dear sir. I shall be only too happy to assist
you in every way I can.”
“First let me ask you how well you knew the late Mr. Fortescue, and how
well do you know the affairs of his firm?”
“I knew Rex Fortescue fairly well. That is to say I’ve known him for a
period of, well, sixteen years I should say. Mind you, we are not the only
firm of solicitors7 he employed, not by a long way.”
Inspector Neele nodded. He knew that. Billingsley, Horsethorpe & Wal-
ters were what one might describe as Rex Fortescue’s reputable solicitors.
For his less reputable dealings he had employed several different and
slightly less scrupulous8 firms.
“Now what do you want to know?” continued Mr. Billingsley. “I’ve told
you about his will. Percival Fortescue is the residuary legatee.”
“I’m interested now,” said Inspector Neele, “in the will of his widow. On
Mr. Fortescue’s death she came into the sum of one hundred thousand
pounds, I understand?”
Billingsley nodded his head.
“A considerable sum of money,” he said, “and I may tell you in confid-
ence, Inspector, that it is one the firm could ill have afforded to pay out.”
“The firm, then, is not prosperous?”
“Frankly,” said Mr. Billingsley, “and strictly9 between ourselves, it’s drift-
ing onto the rocks and has been for the last year and a half.”
“For any particular reason?”
“Why yes. I should say the reason was Rex Fortescue himself. For the
last year Rex Fortescue’s been acting10 like a madman. Selling good stock
here, buying speculative11 stuff there, talking big about it all the time in the
most extraordinary way. Wouldn’t listen to advice. Percival—the son, you
know—he came here urging me to use my influence with his father. He’d
tried, apparently12 and been swept aside. Well, I did what I could, but For-
tescue wouldn’t listen to reason. Really, he seems to have been a changed
man.”
“But not, I gather, a depressed13 man,” said Inspector Neele.
“No, no. Quite the contrary. Flamboyant14, bombastic15.”
Inspector Neele nodded. An idea which had already taken form in his
mind was strengthened. He thought he was beginning to understand some
of the causes of friction16 between Percival and his father. Mr. Billingsley
was continuing:
“But it’s no good asking me about the wife’s will. I didn’t make any will
for her.”
“No. I know that,” said Neele. “I’m merely verifying that she had some-
thing to leave. In short, a hundred thousand pounds.”
Mr. Billingsley was shaking his head violently.
“No, no, my dear sir. You’re wrong there.”
“Do you mean the hundred thousand pounds was only left to her for her
lifetime?”
“No—no—it was left to her outright17. But there was a clause in the will
governing that bequest18. That is to say, Fortescue’s wife did not inherit the
sum unless she survived him for one month. That, I may say, is a clause
fairly common nowadays. It has come into operation owing to the uncer-
tainties of air travel. If two people are killed in an air accident, it becomes
exceedingly difficult to say who was the survivor19 and a lot of very curious
problems arise.”
Inspector Neele was staring at him.
“Then Adele Fortescue had not got a hundred thousand pounds to leave.
What happens to that money?”
“It goes back into the firm. Or rather, I should say, it goes to the resid-
uary legatee.”
“And the residuary legatee is Mr. Percival Fortescue.”
“That’s right,” said Billingsley, “it goes to Percival Fortescue. And with
the state the firm’s affairs are in,” he added unguardedly, “I should say
that he’ll need it!”
IV
“The things you policemen want to know,” said Inspector Neele’s doctor
friend.
“Come on, Bob, spill it.”
“Well, as we’re alone together you can’t quote me, fortunately! But I
should say, you know, that your idea’s dead right. GPI by the sound of it
all. The family suspected it and wanted to get him to see a doctor. He
wouldn’t. It acts just in the way you describe. Loss of judgment20, megalo-
mania21, violent fits of irritation22 and anger — boastfulness — delusions23 of
grandeur—of being a great financial genius. Anyone suffering from that
would soon put a solvent24 firm on the rocks—unless he could be restrained
—and that’s not so easy to do—especially if the man himself has an idea of
what you’re after. Yes—I should say it was a bit of luck for your friends
that he died.”
“They’re no friends of mine,” said Neele. He repeated what he had once
said before:
“They’re all very unpleasant people… .”

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 urbane GKUzG     
adj.温文尔雅的，懂礼的
参考例句：
  • He tried hard to be urbane.他极力作出彬彬有礼的神态。
  • Despite the crisis,the chairman's voice was urbane as usual.尽管处于危机之中，董事长的声音还象通常一样温文尔雅。
2 discretion FZQzm     
n.谨慎；随意处理
参考例句：
  • You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
  • Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。
3 concealed 0v3zxG     
a.隐藏的，隐蔽的
参考例句：
  • The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
  • I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。
4 habitually 4rKzgk     
ad.习惯地，通常地
参考例句：
  • The pain of the disease caused him habitually to furrow his brow. 病痛使他习惯性地紧皱眉头。
  • Habitually obedient to John, I came up to his chair. 我已经习惯于服从约翰，我来到他的椅子跟前。
5 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。
6 lodge q8nzj     
v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆
参考例句：
  • Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？
  • I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。
7 solicitors 53ed50f93b0d64a6b74a2e21c5841f88     
初级律师( solicitor的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • Most solicitors in England and Wales are in private practice . 英格兰和威尔士的大多数律师都是私人执业者。
  • The family has instructed solicitors to sue Thomson for compensation. 那家人已经指示律师起诉汤姆森，要求赔偿。
8 scrupulous 6sayH     
adj.审慎的，小心翼翼的，完全的，纯粹的
参考例句：
  • She is scrupulous to a degree.她非常谨慎。
  • Poets are not so scrupulous as you are.诗人并不像你那样顾虑多。
9 strictly GtNwe     
adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地
参考例句：
  • His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
  • The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。
10 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的
参考例句：
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。
11 speculative uvjwd     
adj.思索性的，暝想性的，推理的
参考例句：
  • Much of our information is speculative.我们的许多信息是带推测性的。
  • The report is highly speculative and should be ignored.那个报道推测的成分很大，不应理会。
12 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地；表面上，似乎
参考例句：
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
13 depressed xu8zp9     
adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的
参考例句：
  • When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
  • His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。
14 flamboyant QjKxl     
adj.火焰般的，华丽的，炫耀的
参考例句：
  • His clothes were rather flamboyant for such a serious occasion.他的衣着在这种严肃场合太浮夸了。
  • The King's flamboyant lifestyle is well known.国王的奢华生活方式是人尽皆知的。
15 bombastic gRGy0     
adj.夸夸其谈的，言过其实的
参考例句：
  • The candidate spoke in a bombastic way of all that he would do if elected.候选人大肆吹嘘，一旦他当选将要如何如何。
  • The orator spoke in a bombastic manner.这位演说家的讲话言过其实。
16 friction JQMzr     
n.摩擦，摩擦力
参考例句：
  • When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
  • Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。
17 outright Qj7yY     
adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的
参考例句：
  • If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
  • You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。
18 bequest dWPzq     
n.遗赠；遗产，遗物
参考例句：
  • In his will he made a substantial bequest to his wife.在遗嘱里他给妻子留下了一大笔遗产。
  • The library has received a generous bequest from a local businessman.图书馆从当地一位商人那里得到了一大笔遗赠。
19 survivor hrIw8     
n.生存者，残存者，幸存者
参考例句：
  • The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
  • There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。
20 judgment e3xxC     
n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见
参考例句：
  • The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
  • He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。
21 mania 9BWxu     
n.疯狂；躁狂症，狂热，癖好
参考例句：
  • Football mania is sweeping the country.足球热正风靡全国。
  • Collecting small items can easily become a mania.收藏零星物品往往容易变成一种癖好。
22 irritation la9zf     
n.激怒，恼怒，生气
参考例句：
  • He could not hide his irritation that he had not been invited.他无法掩饰因未被邀请而生的气恼。
  • Barbicane said nothing,but his silence covered serious irritation.巴比康什么也不说，但是他的沉默里潜伏着阴郁的怒火。
23 delusions 2aa783957a753fb9191a38d959fe2c25     
n.欺骗( delusion的名词复数 )；谬见；错觉；妄想
参考例句：
  • the delusions of the mentally ill 精神病患者的妄想
  • She wants to travel first-class: she must have delusions of grandeur. 她想坐头等舱旅行，她一定自以为很了不起。 来自辞典例句
24 solvent RFqz9     
n.溶剂；adj.有偿付能力的
参考例句：
  • Gasoline is a solvent liquid which removes grease spots.汽油是一种能去掉油污的有溶解力的液体。
  • A bankrupt company is not solvent.一个破产的公司是没有偿还债务的能力的。

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