黑麦奇案23

时间：2025-10-10 08:30:11

（单词翻译:单击）

II
Inspector1 Neele went in search of Mary Dove.
He found her in one of the bedrooms on the first floor superintending
Ellen, who was denuding2 the bed of what seemed to be clean sheets. A
little pile of clean towels lay on a chair.
Inspector Neele looked puzzled.
“Somebody coming to stay?” he asked.
Mary Dove smiled at him. In contrast to Ellen, who looked grim and
truculent3, Mary was her usual imperturbable4 self.
“Actually,” she said, “the opposite is the case.”
Neele looked inquiringly at her.
“This is the guest room we had prepared for Mr. Gerald Wright.”
“Gerald Wright? Who is he?”
“He’s a friend of Miss Elaine Fortescue’s.” Mary’s voice was carefully
devoid5 of inflection.
“He was coming here—when?”
“I believe he arrived at the Golf Hotel the day after Mr. Fortescue’s
death.”
“The day after.”
“So Miss Fortescue said.” Mary’s voice was still impersonal6: “She told me
she wanted him to come and stay in the house—so I had a room prepared.
Now—after these other two—tragedies—it seems more suitable that he
should remain at the hotel.”
“The Golf Hotel?”
“Yes.”
“Quite,” said Inspector Neele.
Ellen gathered up the sheets and towels and went out of the room.
Mary Dove looked inquiringly at Neele.
“You wanted to see me about something?”
Neele said pleasantly:
“It’s becoming important to get exact times very clearly stated. Members
of the family all seem a little vague about time—perhaps understandably.
You, on the other hand, Miss Dove, I have found extremely accurate in
your statements as to times.”
“Again understandably!”
“Yes—perhaps—I must certainly congratulate you on the way you have
kept this house going in spite of the—well, panic—these last deaths must
have caused.” He paused and then asked curiously7: “How did you do it?”
He had realized, astutely8, that the one chink in the armour9 of Mary
Dove’s inscrutability was her pleasure in her own efficiency. She unbent
slightly now as she answered.
“The Crumps wanted to leave at once, of course.”
“We couldn’t have allowed that.”
“I know. But I also told them that Mr. Percival Fortescue would be more
likely to be—well—generous—to those who had spared him inconveni-
ence.”
“And Ellen?”
“Ellen does not wish to leave.”
“Ellen does not wish to leave,” Neele repeated. “She has good nerves.”
“She enjoys disasters,” said Mary Dove. “Like Mrs. Percival, she finds in
disaster a kind of pleasurable drama.”
“Interesting. Do you think Mrs. Percival has—enjoyed the tragedies?”
“No—of course not. That is going too far. I would merely say that it has
enabled her to—well—stand up to them—”
“And how have you yourself been affected10, Miss Dove?”
Mary Dove shrugged11 her shoulders.
“It has not been a pleasant experience,” she said dryly.
Inspector Neele felt again a longing12 to break down this cool young wo-
man’s defences—to find out what was really going on behind the careful
and efficient understatement of her whole attitude.
He merely said brusquely:
“Now—to recapitulate13 times and places: the last time you saw Gladys
Martin was in the hall before tea, and that was at twenty minutes to five?”
“Yes—I told her to bring in tea.”
“You yourself were coming from where?”
“From upstairs—I thought I had heard the telephone a few minutes be-
fore14.”
“Gladys, presumably, had answered the telephone?”
“Yes. It was a wrong number. Someone who wanted the Baydon Heath
Laundry.”
“And that was the last time you saw her?”
“She brought the tea tray into the library about ten minutes or so later.”
“After that Miss Elaine Fortescue came in?”
“Yes, about three or four minutes later. Then I went up to tell Mrs. Per-
cival tea was ready.”
“Did you usually do that?”
“Oh no—people came in to tea when they pleased—but Mrs. Fortescue
asked where everybody was. I thought I heard Mrs. Percival coming—but
that was a mistake—”
Neele interrupted. Here was something new.
“You mean you heard someone upstairs moving about?”
“Yes—at the head of the stairs, I thought. But no one came down so I
went up. Mrs. Percival was in her bedroom. She had just come in. She had
been out for a walk—”
“Out for a walk—I see. The time being then—”
“Oh—nearly five o’clock, I think—”
“And Mr. Lancelot Fortescue arrived—when?”
“A few minutes after I came downstairs again—I thought he had arrived
earlier—but—”
Inspector Neele interrupted:
“Why did you think he had arrived earlier?”
“Because I thought I had caught sight of him through the landing win-
dow.”
“In the garden, you mean?”
“Yes—I caught a glimpse of someone through the yew15 hedge—and I
thought it would probably be him.”
“This was when you were coming down after telling Mrs. Percival For-
tescue tea was ready?”
Mary corrected him.
“No—not then—it was earlier—when I came down the first time.”
Inspector Neele stared.
“Are you sure about that, Miss Dove?”
“Yes, I’m perfectly16 sure. That’s why I was surprised to see him—when he
actually did ring the bell.”
Inspector Neele shook his head. He kept his inner excitement out of his
voice as he said:
“It couldn’t have been Lancelot Fortescue you saw in the garden. His
train—which was due at 4:28, was nine minutes late. He arrived at Baydon
Heath Station at 4:37. He had to wait a few minutes for a taxi—that train is
always very full. It was actually nearly a quarter to five (five minutes after
you had seen the man in the garden) when he left the station and it is a
ten- minute drive. He paid off the taxi at the gate here at about five
minutes to five at the earliest. No—it wasn’t Lancelot Fortescue you saw.”
“I’m sure I did see someone.”
“Yes, you saw someone. It was getting dark. You couldn’t have seen the
man clearly?”
“Oh no—I couldn’t see his face or anything like that—just his build—tall
and slender. We were expecting Lancelot Fortescue—so I jumped to the
conclusion that that’s who it was.”
“He was going—which way?”
“Along behind the yew hedge towards the east side of the house.”
“There is a side door there. Is it kept locked?”
“Not until the house is locked up for the night.”
“Anyone could have come in by that side door without being observed
by any of the household.”
Mary Dove considered.
“I think so. Yes.” She added quickly: “You mean—the person I heard
later upstairs could have come in that way? Could have been hiding—up-
stairs?”
“Something of the kind.”
“But who—?”
“That remains17 to be seen. Thank you, Miss Dove.”
As she turned to go away Inspector Neele said in a casual voice: “By the
way, you can’t tell me anything about blackbirds, I suppose?”
For the first time, so it seemed, Mary Dove was taken aback. She turned
back sharply.
“I—what did you say?”
“I was just asking you about blackbirds.”
“Do you mean—”
“Blackbirds,” said Inspector Neele.
He had on his most stupid expression.
“You mean that silly business last summer? But surely that can’t …” She
broke off.
Inspector Neele said pleasantly:
“There’s been a bit of talk about it, but I was sure I’d get a clear account
from you.”
Mary Dove was her calm, practical self again.
“It must, I think, have been some silly, spiteful joke,” she said. “Four
dead blackbirds were on Mr. Fortescue’s desk in his study here. It was
summer and the windows were open, and we rather thought it must have
been the gardener’s boy, though he insisted he’d never done anything of
the kind. But they were actually blackbirds the gardener had shot which
had been hanging up by the fruit bushes.”
“And somebody had cut them down and put them on Mr. Fortescue’s
desk?”
“Yes.”
“Any sort of reason behind it—any association with blackbirds?”
Mary shook her head.
“I don’t think so.”
“How did Mr. Fortescue take it? Was he annoyed?”
“Naturally he was annoyed.”
“But not upset in any way?”
“I really can’t remember.”
“I see,” said Inspector Neele.
He said no more. Mary Dove once more turned away, but this time, he
thought, she went rather unwillingly18 as though she would have liked to
know more of what was in his mind. Ungratefully, all that Inspector Neele
felt was annoyance19 with Miss Marple. She had suggested to him that there
would be blackbirds and, sure enough, there the blackbirds were! Not four
and twenty of them, that was true. What might be called a token consign-
ment.
That had been as long ago as last summer and where it fitted in In-
spector Neele could not imagine. He was not going to let this blackbird bo-
gey divert him from the logical and sober investigation20 of murder by a
sane21 murderer for a sane reason, but he would be forced from now on to
keep the crazier possibilities of the case in mind.

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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 denuding 0af92375a0e8b6d5926d2af81046c958     
v.使赤裸( denude的现在分词 )；剥光覆盖物
参考例句：
  • A weathering-denuding surface separates the lacustrine strata and layer of the loess in the Tuoketuo mesa. 野外观察表明托克托台地的湖相层与上覆的黄土之间存在风化剥蚀面。 来自互联网
  • Mineral pyroelectricity can be used tothe denuding levels of deposits and to assess the mineralized district. 因此用矿物的热电性质可以对矿床的侵蚀面水平和矿化地段的远景作出评价。 来自互联网
3 truculent kUazK     
adj.野蛮的，粗野的
参考例句：
  • He was seen as truculent,temperamental,too unwilling to tolerate others.他们认为他为人蛮横无理，性情暴躁，不大能容人。
  • He was in no truculent state of mind now.这会儿他心肠一点也不狠毒了。
4 imperturbable dcQzG     
adj.镇静的
参考例句：
  • Thomas,of course,was cool and aloof and imperturbable.当然，托马斯沉着、冷漠，不易激动。
  • Edward was a model of good temper and his equanimity imperturbable.爱德华是个典型的好性子，他总是沉着镇定。
5 devoid dZzzx     
adj.全无的，缺乏的
参考例句：
  • He is completely devoid of humour.他十分缺乏幽默。
  • The house is totally devoid of furniture.这所房子里什么家具都没有。
6 impersonal Ck6yp     
adj.无个人感情的，与个人无关的，非人称的
参考例句：
  • Even his children found him strangely distant and impersonal.他的孩子们也认为他跟其他人很疏远，没有人情味。
  • His manner seemed rather stiff and impersonal.他的态度似乎很生硬冷淡。
7 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地
参考例句：
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
8 astutely df129d9348bcb9a62edf51a3de71f1b5     
adv.敏锐地；精明地；敏捷地；伶俐地
参考例句：
  • That was what Ada Quonsetf astutely intended. 这正是艾达·昆赛脱狡狯之处。 来自辞典例句
  • Freemantle had an idea that the TV session, astutely managed, might well develop into a show. 弗里曼特却自有主意，只要安排得巧妙，电视采访完全可以变成一次示威。 来自辞典例句
9 armour gySzuh     
（=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队
参考例句：
  • His body was encased in shining armour.他全身披着明晃晃的甲胄。
  • Bulletproof cars sheathed in armour.防弹车护有装甲。
10 affected TzUzg0     
adj.不自然的，假装的
参考例句：
  • She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
  • His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
11 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 longing 98bzd     
n.（for）渴望
参考例句：
  • Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
  • His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。
13 recapitulate CU9xx     
v.节述要旨，择要说明
参考例句：
  • Let's recapitulate the main ideas.让我们来概括一下要点。
  • It will be helpful to recapitulate them.在这里将其简要重述一下也是有帮助的。
14 fore ri8xw     
adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部
参考例句：
  • Your seat is in the fore part of the aircraft.你的座位在飞机的前部。
  • I have the gift of fore knowledge.我能够未卜先知。
15 yew yew     
n.紫杉属树木
参考例句：
  • The leaves of yew trees are poisonous to cattle.紫杉树叶会令牛中毒。
  • All parts of the yew tree are poisonous,including the berries.紫杉的各个部分都有毒，包括浆果。
16 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地
参考例句：
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
17 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹
参考例句：
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
18 unwillingly wjjwC     
adv.不情愿地
参考例句：
  • He submitted unwillingly to his mother. 他不情愿地屈服于他母亲。
  • Even when I call, he receives unwillingly. 即使我登门拜访，他也是很不情愿地接待我。
19 annoyance Bw4zE     
n.恼怒，生气，烦恼
参考例句：
  • Why do you always take your annoyance out on me?为什么你不高兴时总是对我出气？
  • I felt annoyance at being teased.我恼恨别人取笑我。
20 investigation MRKzq     
n.调查，调查研究
参考例句：
  • In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
  • He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。
21 sane 9YZxB     
adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的
参考例句：
  • He was sane at the time of the murder.在凶杀案发生时他的神志是清醒的。
  • He is a very sane person.他是一个很有头脑的人。

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