借镜杀人22

时间:2025-10-10 07:08:41

(单词翻译:单击)

3
Into the Gothic gloom of the library, Gina brought an exotic glow. Even In-
spector Curry1 blinked a little at the radiant young woman who sat down,
leaned forward over the table and said expectantly, “Well?”
Inspector2 Curry, observing her scarlet3 shirt and dark green slacks said
drily:
“I see you’re not wearing mourning, Mrs. Hudd?”
“I haven’t got any,” said Gina. “I know everyone is supposed to have a
little black number and wear it with pearls. But I don’t. I hate black. I
think it’s hideous4, and only receptionists and housekeepers5 and people
like that ought to wear it. Anyway Christian6 Gulbrandsen wasn’t really a
relation. He’s my grandmother’s stepson.”
“And I suppose you didn’t know him very well?”
Gina shook her head.
“He came here three or four times when I was a child, but then in the
war I went to America, and I only came back here to live about six months
ago.”
“You have definitely come back here to live? You’re not just on a visit?”
“I haven’t really thought,” said Gina.
“You were in the Great Hall last night, when Mr. Gulbrandsen went to
his room?”
“Yes. He said good night and went away. Grandam asked if he had
everything he wanted and he said yes—that Jolly had fixed7 him up fine.
Not those words, but that kind of thing. He said he had letters to write.”
“And then?”
Gina described the scene between Lewis and Edgar Lawson. It was the
same story as Inspector Curry had by now heard many times, but it took
an added colour, a new gusto, under Gina’s handling. It became drama.
“It was Wally’s revolver,” she said. “Fancy Edgar’s having the guts8 to go
and pinch it out of his room. I’d never have believed he’d have the guts.”
“Were you alarmed when they went into the study and Edgar Lawson
locked the door?”
“Oh no,” said Gina, opening her enormous brown eyes very wide. “I
loved it. It was so ham, you know, and so madly theatrical9. Everything
Edgar does is always ridiculous. One can’t take him seriously for a mo-
ment.”
“He did fire the revolver, though?”
“Yes. We all thought then that he’d shot Lewis after all.”
“And did you enjoy that?” Inspector Curry could not refrain from ask-
ing.
“Oh no, I was terrified, then. Everyone was, except Grandam. She never
turned a hair.”
“That seems rather remarkable10.”
“Not really. She’s that kind of person. Not quite in this world. She’s the
sort of person who never believes anything bad can happen. She’s sweet.”
“During all this scene, who was in the Hall?”
“Oh, we were all there. Except Uncle Christian, of course.”
“Not all, Mrs. Hudd. People went in and out.”
“Did they?” asked Gina vaguely11.
“Your husband, for instance, went out to fix the lights.”
“Yes. Wally’s great at fixing things.”
“During his absence, a shot was heard, I understand. A shot that you all
thought came from the park?”
“I don’t remember that … Oh yes, it was just after the lights had come on
again and Wally had come back.”
“Did anyone else leave the Hall?”
“I don’t think so. I don’t remember.”
“Where were you sitting, Mrs. Hudd?”
“Over by the window.”
“Near the door to the library?”
“Yes.”
“Did you yourself leave the Hall at all?”
“Leave? With all the excitement? Of course not.”
Gina sounded scandalised by the idea.
“Where were the others sitting?”
“Mostly round the fireplace, I think. Aunt Mildred was knitting and so
was Aunt Jane—Miss Marple, I mean—Grandam was just sitting.”
“And Mr. Stephen Restarick?”
“Stephen? He was playing the piano to begin with. I don’t know where
he went later.”
“And Miss Bellever?”
“Fussing about, as usual. She practically never sits down. She was look-
ing for keys or something.”
She said suddenly:
“What’s all this about Grandam’s tonic12? Did the chemist make a mistake
in making it up or something?”
“Why should you think that?”
“Because the bottle’s disappeared and Jolly’s been fussing round madly
looking for it, in no end of a stew13. Alex told her the police had taken it
away. Did you?”
Instead of replying to the question, Inspector Curry said:
“Miss Bellever was upset, you say?”
“Oh! Jolly always fusses,” said Gina carelessly. “She likes fussing. Some-
times I wonder how Grandam can stand it.”
“Just one last question, Mrs. Hudd. You’ve no ideas yourself as to who
killed Christian Gulbrandsen and why?”
“One of the queers did it, I should think. The thug ones are really quite
sensible. I mean they only cosh people so as to rob a till or get money or
jewelry—not just for fun. But one of the queers—you know, what they call
mentally maladjusted — might do it for fun, don’t you think? Because I
can’t see what other reason there could be for killing14 Uncle Christian ex-
cept fun, do you? At least I don’t mean fun, exactly—but—”
“You can’t think of a motive15?”
“Yes, that’s what I mean,” said Gina gratefully. “He wasn’t robbed or
anything, was he?”
“But you know, Mrs. Hudd, the College buildings were locked and
barred. Nobody could get out from there without a pass.”
“Don’t you believe it,” Gina laughed merrily. “Those boys could get out
from anywhere! They’ve taught me a lot of tricks.”
“She’s a lively one,” said Lake when Gina had departed. “First time I’ve
seen her close up. Lovely figure, hasn’t she. Sort of a foreign figure, if you
know what I mean.”
Inspector Curry threw him a cold glance. Sergeant16 Lake said hastily that
she was a merry one. “Seems to have enjoyed it all, as you might say.”
“Whether Stephen Restarick is right or not about her marriage breaking
up, I notice that she went out of her way to mention that Walter Hudd was
back in the Great Hall, before that shot was heard.”
“Which, according to everyone else, isn’t so?”
“Exactly.”
“She didn’t mention Miss Bellever leaving the Hall to look for keys,
either.”
“No,” said the Inspector thoughtfully, “she didn’t….”

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1 curry xnozh     
n.咖哩粉,咖哩饭菜;v.用咖哩粉调味,用马栉梳,制革
参考例句:
  • Rice makes an excellent complement to a curry dish.有咖喱的菜配米饭最棒。
  • Add a teaspoonful of curry powder.加一茶匙咖喱粉。
2 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。
3 scarlet zD8zv     
n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的
参考例句:
  • The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
  • The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了,深红的颜色变成了绯红,绯红又变为浅红。
4 hideous 65KyC     
adj.丑陋的,可憎的,可怕的,恐怖的
参考例句:
  • The whole experience had been like some hideous nightmare.整个经历就像一场可怕的噩梦。
  • They're not like dogs,they're hideous brutes.它们不像狗,是丑陋的畜牲。
5 housekeepers 5a9e2352a6ee995ab07d759da5565f52     
n.(女)管家( housekeeper的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Can you send up one of your housekeepers to make bed? 请你派个女服务员来整理床铺好吗? 来自互联网
  • They work as gas station attendants, firemen, housekeepers,and security personnel. 本句翻译:机器人也能够作为煤气站的服务员,救火队员等保安作用。 来自互联网
6 Christian KVByl     
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒
参考例句:
  • They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
  • His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。
7 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
8 guts Yraziv     
v.狼吞虎咽,贪婪地吃,飞碟游戏(比赛双方每组5人,相距15码,互相掷接飞碟);毁坏(建筑物等)的内部( gut的第三人称单数 );取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 );内脏;消化道的下段;肠
参考例句:
  • I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净,我只需烧一下即可。
  • Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 theatrical pIRzF     
adj.剧场的,演戏的;做戏似的,做作的
参考例句:
  • The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果,叫人失望。
  • She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。
10 remarkable 8Vbx6     
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
参考例句:
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
11 vaguely BfuzOy     
adv.含糊地,暖昧地
参考例句:
  • He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
  • He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面,对一切都视而不见。
12 tonic tnYwt     
n./adj.滋补品,补药,强身的,健体的
参考例句:
  • It will be marketed as a tonic for the elderly.这将作为老年人滋补品在市场上销售。
  • Sea air is Nature's best tonic for mind and body.海上的空气是大自然赋予的对人们身心的最佳补品。
13 stew 0GTz5     
n.炖汤,焖,烦恼;v.炖汤,焖,忧虑
参考例句:
  • The stew must be boiled up before serving.炖肉必须煮熟才能上桌。
  • There's no need to get in a stew.没有必要烦恼。
14 killing kpBziQ     
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财
参考例句:
  • Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
  • Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
15 motive GFzxz     
n.动机,目的;adv.发动的,运动的
参考例句:
  • The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
  • He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。
16 sergeant REQzz     
n.警官,中士
参考例句:
  • His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
  • How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹?

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