ABC谋杀案 27

NOT FROM CAPTAIN HASTINGS’ PERSONAL NARRATIVEBelow his breath Mr. Leadbetter uttered a grunt¹ of impatience² as his next-door neighbour got upand stumbled clumsily past him, dropping his hat over the seat in front, and leaning over toretrieve it.

All this at the culminating moment of Not a Sparrow, that all-star, thrilling drama of pathos³ andbeauty that Mr. Leadbetter had been looking forward to seeing for a whole week.

The golden-haired heroine, played by Katherine Royal (in Mr. Leadbetter’s opinion the leadingfilm actress in the world), was just giving vent⁴ to a hoarse⁵ cry of indignation:

“Never. I would sooner starve. But I shan’t starve. Remember those words: not a sparrow falls—”

Mr. Leadbetter moved his head irritably⁶ from right to left. People! Why on earth peoplecouldn’t wait till the end of a film…And to leave at this soul-stirring moment.

Ah, that was better. The annoying gentleman had passed on and out. Mr. Leadbetter had a fullview of the screen and of Katherine Royal standing⁷ by the window in the Van Schreiner Mansionin New York.

And now she was boarding the train—the child in her arms…What curious trains they had inAmerica—not at all like English trains.

Ah, there was Steve again in his shack⁸ in the mountains….

The film pursued its course to its emotional and semi-religious end.

Mr. Leadbetter breathed a sigh of satisfaction as the lights went up.

He rose slowly to his feet, blinking a little.

He never left the cinema very quickly. It always took him a moment or two to return to theprosaic reality of everyday life.

He glanced round. Not many people this afternoon—naturally. They were all at the races. Mr.

Leadbetter did not approve of racing⁹ nor of playing cards nor of drinking nor of smoking. This lefthim more energy to enjoy going to the pictures.

Everyone was hurrying towards the exit. Mr. Leadbetter prepared to follow suit. The man in theseat in front of him was asleep—slumped down in his chair. Mr. Leadbetter felt indignant to thinkthat anyone could sleep with such a drama as Not a Sparrow going on.

An irate¹⁰ gentleman was saying to the sleeping man whose legs were stretched out blocking theway:

“Excuse me, sir.”

Mr. Leadbetter reached the exit. He looked back.

There seemed to be some sort of commotion¹¹. A commissionaire…a little knot of people…Perhaps that man in front of him was dead drunk and not asleep….

He hesitated and then passed out—and in so doing missed the sensation of the day—a greatersensation even than Not Half winning the St. Leger at 85 to 1.

The commissionaire was saying:

“Believe you’re right, sir…He’s ill…Why—what’s the matter, sir?”

The other had drawn¹² away his hand with an exclamation¹³ and was examining a red sticky smear¹⁴.

“Blood….”

The commissionaire gave a stifled¹⁵ exclamation.

He had caught sight of the corner of something yellow projecting from under the seat.

“Gor blimey!” he said. “It’s a b—A B C.”

 

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