借镜杀人17

时间：2025-10-10 07:08:35

（单词翻译:单击）

2
Lewis Serrocold was standing1 by the window in the library.
There was no one else in the room.
He turned as Miss Marple came in and came forward to meet her, taking
her hand in his.
“I hope,” he said, “that you are not feeling the worse for the shock. To be
at close quarters with what is undoubtedly2 murder must be a great strain
on anyone who has not come in contact with such a thing before.”
Modesty3 forbade Miss Marple to reply that she was, by now, quite at
home with murder. She merely said that life in St. Mary Mead4 was not
quite so sheltered as outside people believed.
“Very nasty things go on in a village, I assure you,” she said. “One has an
opportunity of studying things there that one would never have in a
town.”
Lewis Serrocold listened indulgently, but with only half an ear.
He said very simply: “I want your help.”
“But of course, Mr. Serrocold.”
“It is a matter that affects my wife—affects Caroline. I think that you are
really attached to her?”
“Yes, indeed. Everyone is.”
“That is what I believed. It seems that I am wrong. With the permission
of Inspector5 Curry6, I am going to tell you something that no one else as yet
knows. Or perhaps I should say what only one person knows.”
Briefly7, he told her what he had told Inspector Curry the night before.
Miss Marple looked horrified8.
“I can’t believe it, Mr. Serrocold. I really can’t believe it.”
“That is what I felt when Christian9 Gulbrandsen told me.”
“I should have said that dear Carrie Louise had not got an enemy in the
world.”
“It seems incredible that she should have. But you see the implication?
Poisoning—slow poisoning—is an intimate family matter. It must be one
of our closely knit little household—”
“If it is true. Are you sure that Mr. Gulbrandsen was not mistaken?”
“Christian was not mistaken. He is too cautious a man to make such a
statement without foundation. Besides, the police took away Caroline’s
medicine bottle and a separate sample of its contents. There was arsenic10
in both of them—and arsenic was not prescribed. The actual quantitative11
tests will take longer—but the actual fact of arsenic being present is estab-
lished.”
“Then her rheumatism—the difficulty in walking—all that—”
“Yes, leg cramps12 are typical, I understand. Also, before you came, Car-
oline had had one or two severe attacks of a gastric13 nature — I never
dreamed until Christian came—”
He broke off. Miss Marple said softly: “So Ruth was right!”
“Ruth?”
Lewis Serrocold sounded surprised. Miss Marple flushed.
“There is something I have not told you. My coming here was not en-
tirely fortuitous. If you will let me explain — I’m afraid I tell things so
badly. Please have patience.”
Lewis Serrocold listened whilst Miss Marple told him of Ruth’s unease
and urgency.
“Extraordinary,” he commented. “I had no idea of this.”
“It was all so vague,” said Miss Marple. “Ruth herself didn’t know why
she had this feeling. There must be a reason—in my experience there al-
ways is—but ‘something wrong’ was as near as she could get.”
Lewis Serrocold said grimly:
“Well, it seems that she was right. Now, Miss Marple, you see how I am
placed. Am I to tell Caroline of this?”
Miss Marple said quickly, “Oh no,” in a distressed14 voice, and then
flushed and stared doubtfully at Lewis. He nodded.
“So you feel as I do? As Christian Gulbrandsen did. Should we feel like
that with an ordinary woman?”
“Carrie Louise is not an ordinary woman. She lives by her trust, by her
belief in human nature—oh dear, I am expressing myself very badly. But I
do feel that until we know who—”
“Yes, that is the crux15. But you do see, Miss Marple, that there is a risk in
saying nothing—”
“And so you want me to—how shall I put it?—watch over her?”
“You see, you are the only person whom I can trust,” said Lewis Serro-
cold simply. “Everyone here seems devoted16. But are they? Now your at-
tachment goes back many years.”
“And also I only arrived a few days ago,” said Miss Marple pertinently17.
Lewis Serrocold smiled.
“Exactly.”
“It is a very mercenary question,” said Miss Marple apologetically. “But
who exactly would benefit if dear Carrie Louise were to die?”
“Money!” said Lewis bitterly. “It always boils down to money, does it?”
“Well, I really think it must in this case. Because Carrie Louise is a very
sweet person with a great deal of charm, and one cannot really imagine
anyone disliking her. She couldn’t, I mean, have an enemy. So then it does
boil down, as you put it, to a question of money, because as you don’t need
me to tell you, Mr. Serrocold, people will quite often do anything for
money.”
“I suppose so, yes.”
He went on: “Naturally Inspector Curry has already taken up that point.
Mr. Gilroy is coming down from London today and can give detailed18 in-
formation. Gilroy, Gilroy, Jaimes and Gilroy are a very eminent19 firm of
lawyers. This Gilroy’s father was one of the original trustees and they
drew up both Caroline’s will and the original will of Eric Gulbrandsen. I
will put it in simple terms for you—”
“Thank you,” said Miss Marple gratefully. “So mystifying the law, I al-
ways think.”
“Eric Gulbrandsen after endowment of the College and his various fel-
lowships and trusts and other charitable bequests20, and having settled an
equal sum on his daughter Mildred and on his adopted daughter Pippa
(Gina’s mother), left the remainder of his vast fortune in trust, the income
from it to be paid to Caroline for her lifetime.”
“And after her death?”
“After her death it was to be divided equally between Mildred and Pippa
—or their children, if they themselves had predeceased Caroline.”
“So that, in fact, it goes to Mrs. Strete and to Gina.”
“Yes. Caroline has also quite a considerable fortune of her own—though
not in the Gulbrandsen class. Half of this she made over to me four years
ago. Of the remaining amount, she left ten thousand pounds to Juliet Bel-
lever, and the rest equally divided between Alex and Stephen Restarick,
her two stepsons.”
“Oh dear,” said Miss Marple. “That’s bad. That’s very bad.”
“You mean?”
“It means everyone in the house had a financial motive21.”
“Yes. And yet, you know, I can’t believe that any of these people would
do murder. I simply can’t … Mildred is her daughter—and already quite
well provided for. Gina is devoted to her grandmother. She is generous
and extravagant22, but has no acquisitive feelings. Jolly Bellever is fanatic-
ally devoted to Caroline. The two Restaricks care for Caroline as though
she were really their mother. They have no money of their own to speak
of, but quite a lot of Caroline’s income has gone towards financing their
enterprises—especially so with Alex. I simply can’t believe either of those
two would deliberately23 poison her for the sake of inheriting money at her
death. I just can’t believe any of it, Miss Marple.”
“There’s Gina’s husband, isn’t there?”
“Yes,” said Lewis gravely. “There is Gina’s husband.”
“You don’t really know much about him. And one can’t help seeing that
he’s a very unhappy young man.”
Lewis sighed.
“He hasn’t fitted in here—no. He’s no interest in or sympathy for what
we’re trying to do. But after all, why should he? He’s young, crude, and he
comes from a country where a man is esteemed24 by the success he makes
of life.”
“Whilst here we are so very fond of failures,” said Miss Marple.
Lewis Serrocold looked at her sharply and suspiciously.
She flushed a little and murmured rather incoherently:
“I think sometimes, you know, one can overdo25 things the other way … I
mean the young people with a good heredity, and brought up wisely in a
good home—and with grit26 and pluck and the ability to get on in life—well,
they are really, when one comes down to it—the sort of people a country
needs.”
Lewis frowned and Miss Marple hurried on, getting pinker and pinker
and more and more incoherent.
“Not that I don’t appreciate—I do indeed—you and Carrie Louise—a
really noble work—real compassion—and one should have compassion—
because after all it’s what people are that counts—good and bad luck—and
much more expected (and rightly) of the lucky ones. But I do think some-
times one’s sense of proportion — oh, I don’t mean you, Mr. Serrocold.
Really I don’t know what I mean—but the English are rather odd that way.
Even in war, so much prouder of their defeats and their retreats than of
their victories. Foreigners never can understand why we’re so proud of
Dunkerque. It’s the sort of thing they’d prefer not to mention themselves.
But we always seem to be almost embarrassed by a victory—and treat it as
though it weren’t quite nice to boast about it. And look at all our poets!
‘The Charge of the Light Brigade.’ And the little Revenge went down in the
Spanish Main. It’s really a very odd characteristic when you come to think
of it!”
Miss Marple drew a fresh breath.
“What I really mean is that everything here must seem rather peculiar27
to young Walter Hudd.”
“Yes,” Lewis allowed. “I see your point. And Walter has certainly a fine
war record. There’s no doubt about his bravery.”
“Not that that helps,” said Miss Marple candidly28. “Because war is one
thing, and everyday life is quite another. And actually to commit a
murder, I think you do need bravery—or perhaps, more often, just con-
ceit. Yes, conceit29.”
“But I would hardly say that Walter Hudd had a sufficient motive.”
“Wouldn’t you?” said Miss Marple. “He hates it here. He wants to get
away. He wants to get Gina away. And if it’s really money he wants, it
would be important for Gina to get all the money before she—er—defin-
itely forms an attachment30 to someone else.”
“An attachment to someone else,” said Lewis, in an astonished voice.
Miss Marple wondered at the blindness of enthusiastic social reformers.
“That’s what I said. Both the Restaricks are in love with her, you know.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” said Lewis absently.
He went on:
“Stephen’s invaluable31 to us—quite invaluable. The way he’s got those
lads coming along — keen — interested. They gave a splendid show last
month. Scenery, costumes, everything. It just shows, as I’ve always said to
Maverick32, that it’s lack of drama in their lives that leads these boys to
crime. To dramatise yourself is a child’s natural instinct. Maverick says—
ah yes, Maverick—”
Lewis broke off.
“I want Maverick to see Inspector Curry about Edgar. The whole thing is
so ridiculous really.”
“What do you really know about Edgar Lawson, Mr. Serrocold?”
“Everything,” said Lewis positively33. “Everything, that is, that one needs
to know. His background, upbringing—his deep-seated lack of confidence
in himself—”
Miss Marple interrupted.
“Couldn’t Edgar Lawson have poisoned Mrs. Serrocold?” she asked.
“Hardly. He’s only been here a few weeks. And anyway, it’s ridiculous!
Why should Edgar want to poison my wife? What could he possibly gain
by doing so?”
“Nothing material, I know. But he might have—some odd reason. He is
odd, you know.”
“You mean unbalanced?”
“I suppose so. No, I don’t—not quite. What I mean is, he’s all wrong.”
It was not a very lucid35 exposition of what she felt. Lewis Serrocold ac-
cepted the words at their face value.
“Yes,” he said with a sigh. “He’s all wrong, poor lad. And he was showing
such marked improvement. I can’t really understand why he had this sud-
den34 setback….”
Miss Marple leaned forward eagerly.
“Yes, that’s what I wondered. If—”
She broke off as Inspector Curry came into the room.

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1 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
2 undoubtedly Mfjz6l     
adv.确实地，无疑地
参考例句：
  • It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
  • He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。
3 modesty REmxo     
n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素
参考例句：
  • Industry and modesty are the chief factors of his success.勤奋和谦虚是他成功的主要因素。
  • As conceit makes one lag behind,so modesty helps one make progress.骄傲使人落后，谦虚使人进步。
4 mead BotzAK     
n.蜂蜜酒
参考例句：
  • He gave me a cup of mead.他给我倒了杯蜂蜜酒。
  • He drank some mead at supper.晚饭时他喝了一些蜂蜜酒。
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 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。
7 briefly 9Styo     
adv.简单地，简短地
参考例句：
  • I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
  • He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。
8 horrified 8rUzZU     
a.(表现出)恐惧的
参考例句：
  • The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
  • We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。
9 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。
10 arsenic 2vSz4     
n.砒霜，砷；adj.砷的
参考例句：
  • His wife poisoned him with arsenic.他的妻子用砒霜把他毒死了。
  • Arsenic is a poison.砒霜是毒药。
11 quantitative TCpyg     
adj.数量的，定量的
参考例句：
  • He said it was only a quantitative difference.他说这仅仅是数量上的差别。
  • We need to do some quantitative analysis of the drugs.我们对药物要进行定量分析。
12 cramps cramps     
n. 抽筋, 腹部绞痛, 铁箍 adj. 狭窄的, 难解的 v. 使...抽筋, 以铁箍扣紧, 束缚
参考例句：
  • If he cramps again let the line cut him off. 要是它再抽筋，就让这钓索把它勒断吧。
  • "I have no cramps." he said. “我没抽筋，"他说。
13 gastric MhnxW     
adj.胃的
参考例句：
  • Miners are a high risk group for certain types of gastric cancer.矿工是极易患某几种胃癌的高风险人群。
  • That was how I got my gastric trouble.我的胃病就是这么得的。
14 distressed du1z3y     
痛苦的
参考例句：
  • He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
  • The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。
15 crux 8ydxw     
adj.十字形；难事，关键，最重要点
参考例句：
  • The crux of the matter is how to comprehensively treat this trend.问题的关键是如何全面地看待这种趋势。
  • The crux of the matter is that attitudes have changed.问题的要害是人们的态度转变了。
16 devoted xu9zka     
adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的
参考例句：
  • He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
  • We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
17 pertinently 7029b76227afea199bdb41f4572844e1     
适切地
参考例句：
  • It is one thing to speak much and another to speak pertinently. 说得多是一回事，讲得中肯又是一回事。
  • Pertinently pointed out the government, enterprises and industry association shall adopt measures. 有针对性地指出政府、企业和行业协会应采取的措施。
18 detailed xuNzms     
adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的
参考例句：
  • He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
  • A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。
19 eminent dpRxn     
adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的
参考例句：
  • We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我们正期待一位著名科学家的来访。
  • He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一个杰出的中国公民。
20 bequests a47cf7b1ace6563dc82dfe0dc08bc225     
n.遗赠( bequest的名词复数 )；遗产，遗赠物
参考例句：
  • About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He left bequests of money to all his friends. 他留下一些钱遗赠给他所有的朋友。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
21 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。
22 extravagant M7zya     
adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的
参考例句：
  • They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。
  • He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。
23 deliberately Gulzvq     
adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地
参考例句：
  • The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
  • They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。
24 esteemed ftyzcF     
adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为
参考例句：
  • The art of conversation is highly esteemed in France. 在法国十分尊重谈话技巧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He esteemed that he understood what I had said. 他认为已经听懂我说的意思了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
25 overdo 9maz5o     
vt.把...做得过头，演得过火
参考例句：
  • Do not overdo your privilege of reproving me.不要过分使用责备我的特权。
  • The taxi drivers' association is urging its members,who can work as many hours as they want,not to overdo it.出租车司机协会劝告那些工作时长不受限制的会员不要疲劳驾驶。
26 grit LlMyH     
n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关
参考例句：
  • The soldiers showed that they had plenty of grit. 士兵们表现得很有勇气。
  • I've got some grit in my shoe.我的鞋子里弄进了一些砂子。
27 peculiar cinyo     
adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的
参考例句：
  • He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
  • He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。
28 candidly YxwzQ1     
adv.坦率地，直率而诚恳地
参考例句：
  • He has stopped taking heroin now,but admits candidly that he will always be a drug addict.他眼下已经不再吸食海洛因了,不过他坦言自己永远都是个瘾君子。
  • Candidly,David,I think you're being unreasonable.大卫，说实话我认为你不讲道理。
29 conceit raVyy     
n.自负，自高自大
参考例句：
  • As conceit makes one lag behind,so modesty helps one make progress.骄傲使人落后，谦虚使人进步。
  • She seems to be eaten up with her own conceit.她仿佛已经被骄傲冲昏了头脑。
30 attachment POpy1     
n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附
参考例句：
  • She has a great attachment to her sister.她十分依恋她的姐姐。
  • She's on attachment to the Ministry of Defense.她现在隶属于国防部。
31 invaluable s4qxe     
adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的
参考例句：
  • A computer would have been invaluable for this job.一台计算机对这个工作的作用会是无法估计的。
  • This information was invaluable to him.这个消息对他来说是非常宝贵的。
32 maverick 47Ozg     
adj.特立独行的；不遵守传统的；n.持异议者，自行其是者
参考例句：
  • He's a maverick.He has his own way of thinking about things.他是个特异独行的人。对事情有自己的看法。
  • You're a maverick and you'll try anything.你是个爱自行其是的人，样样事情都要尝试一下。
33 positively vPTxw     
adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实
参考例句：
  • She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
  • The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。
34 den 5w9xk     
n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室
参考例句：
  • There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。
  • The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。
35 lucid B8Zz8     
adj.明白易懂的，清晰的，头脑清楚的
参考例句：
  • His explanation was lucid and to the point.他的解释扼要易懂。
  • He wasn't very lucid,he didn't quite know where he was.他神志不是很清醒，不太知道自己在哪里。

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