借镜杀人18

时间：2025-10-10 07:08:37

（单词翻译:单击）

Twelve
1
Lewis Serrocold went away and Inspector1 Curry2 sat down and gave Miss
Marple a rather peculiar3 smile.
“So Mr. Serrocold has been asking you to act as watchdog,” he said.
“Well, yes,” she added apologetically. “I hope you don’t mind—”
“I don’t mind. I think it’s a very good idea. Does Mr. Serrocold know just
how well qualified4 you are for the post?”
“I don’t quite understand, Inspector.”
“I see. He thinks you’re just a very nice, elderly lady who was at school
with his wife.” He shook his head at her. “We know you’re a bit more than
that, Miss Marple, aren’t you? Crime is right down your street. Mr. Serro-
cold only knows one aspect of crime—the promising5 beginners. Makes me
a bit sick, sometimes. Daresay I’m wrong and old-fashioned. But there are
plenty of good decent lads about, lads who could do with a start in life. But
there, honesty has to be its own reward—millionaires don’t leave trust
funds to help the worthwhile. Well—well, don’t pay any attention to me.
I’m old- fashioned. I’ve seen boys — and girls — with everything against
them, bad homes, bad luck, every disadvantage, and they’ve had the grit6 to
win through. That’s the kind I shall leave my packet to, if I ever have one.
But then, of course, that’s what I never shall have. Just my pension and a
nice bit of garden.”
He nodded his head at Miss Marple.
“Superintendent Blacker told me about you last night. Said you’d had a
lot of experience of the seamy side of human nature. Well now, let’s have
your point of view. Who’s the nigger in the woodpile? The G.I. husband?”
“That,” said Miss Marple, “would be very convenient for everybody.”
Inspector Curry smiled softly to himself.
“A G.I. pinched my best girl,” he said reminiscently. “Naturally, I’m pre-
judiced. His manner doesn’t help. Let’s have the amateur point of view.
Who’s been secretly and systematically7 poisoning Mrs. Serrocold?”
“Well,” said Miss Marple judicially8, “one is always inclined, human
nature being what it is, to think of the husband. Or if it’s the other way
round, the wife. That’s the first assumption, don’t you think, in a poisoning
case?”
“I agree with you every time,” said Inspector Curry.
“But really—in this case—” Miss Marple shook her head. “No, frankly—I
cannot seriously consider Mr. Serrocold. Because you see, Inspector, he
really is devoted9 to his wife. Naturally he would make a parade of being so
—but it isn’t a parade. It’s very quiet, but it’s genuine. He loves his wife,
and I’m quite certain he wouldn’t poison her.”
“To say nothing of the fact that he wouldn’t have any motive10 for doing
so. She’s made over her money to him already.”
“Of course,” said Miss Marple primly11, “there are other reasons for a gen-
tleman wanting his wife out of the way. An attachment12 to a young woman,
for instance. But I really don’t see any signs of it in this case. Mr. Serrocold
does not act as though he had any romantic preoccupation. I’m really
afraid,” she sounded quite regretful about it, “we shall have to wash him
out.”
“Regrettable, isn’t it?” said the Inspector. He grinned. “And anyway, he
couldn’t have killed Gulbrandsen. It seems to me that there’s no doubt that
the one thing hinges on the other. Whoever is poisoning Mrs. Serrocold
killed Gulbrandsen to prevent him spilling the beans. What we’ve got to
get at now is who had an opportunity to kill Gulbrandsen last night. And
our prize suspect—there’s no doubt about it—is young Walter Hudd. It
was he who switched on a reading lamp which resulted in a fuse going,
thereby13 giving him the opportunity to leave the Hall and go to the fuse
box. The fuse box is in the kitchen passage which opens off from the main
corridor. It was during his absence from the Great Hall that the shot was
heard. So that’s suspect No 1 perfectly14 placed for committing the crime.”
“And suspect No 2?” asked Miss Marple.
“Suspect 2 is Alex Restarick who was alone in his car between the lodge15
and the house and took too long getting there.”
“Anybody else?” Miss Marple leaned forward eagerly—remembering to
add, “It’s very kind of you to tell me all this.”
“It’s not kindness,” said Inspector Curry. “I’ve got to have your help. You
put your finger on the spot when you said ‘Anybody else?’ Because there
I’ve got to depend on you. You were there, in the Hall last night, and you
can tell me who left it….”
“Yes—yes, I ought to be able to tell you … but can I? You see—the cir-
cumstances—”
“You mean that you were all listening to the argument going on behind
the door of Mr. Serrocold’s study.”
Miss Marple nodded vehemently16.
“Yes, you see we were all really very frightened. Mr. Lawson looked—he
really did—quite demented. Apart from Mrs. Serrocold who seemed quite
unaffected, we all feared that he would do a mischief17 to Mr. Serrocold. He
was shouting, you know, and saying the most terrible things—we could
hear them quite plainly—and what with that and with most of the lights
being out—I didn’t really notice anything else.”
“You mean that whilst that scene was going on, anybody could have
slipped out of the Hall, gone along the corridor, shot Mr. Gulbrandsen, and
slipped back again?”
“I think it would have been possible….”
“Could you say definitely that anybody was in the Great Hall the whole
time?”
Miss Marple considered.
“I could say that Mrs. Serrocold was—because I was watching her. She
was sitting quite close to the study door, and she never moved from her
seat. It surprised me, you know, that she was able to remain so calm.”
“And the others?”
“Miss Bellever went out—but I think—I am almost sure—that that was
after the shot. Mrs. Strete? I really don’t know. She was sitting behind me,
you see. Gina was over by the far window. I think she remained there the
whole time but, of course, I cannot be sure. Stephen was at the piano. He
stopped playing when the quarrel began to get heated—”
“We mustn’t be misled by the time you heard the shot,” said Inspector
Curry. “That’s a trick that’s been done before now, you know. Fake up a
shot so as to fix the time of a crime, and fix it wrong. If Miss Bellever had
cooked up something of that kind (farfetched—but you never know) then
she’d leave as she did, openly, after the shot was heard. No, we can’t go by
the shot. The limits are between when Christian18 Gulbrandsen left the Hall
to the moment when Miss Bellever found him dead, and we can only elim-
inate those people who were known not to have had opportunity. That
gives us Lewis Serrocold and young Edgar Lawson in the study, and Mrs.
Serrocold in the Hall. It’s very unfortunate, of course, that Gulbrandsen
should be shot on the same evening that this schemozzle happened
between Serrocold and this young Lawson.”
“Just unfortunate, you think?” murmured Miss Marple.
“Oh? What do you think?”
“It occurred to me,” murmured Miss Marple, “that it might have been
contrived19.”
“So that’s your idea?”
“Well, everybody seems to think it very odd that Edgar Lawson should
quite suddenly have a relapse, so to speak. He’d got this curious complex,
or whatever the term is, about his unknown father. Winston Churchill and
Viscount Montgomery—all quite likely in his state of mind. Just any fam-
ous man he happened to think of. But suppose somebody puts it into his
head that it’s Lewis Serrocold who is really his father, that it’s Lewis Serro-
cold who has been persecuting20 him—that he ought, by rights, to be the
crown prince, as it were, of Stonygates. In his weak mental state he’ll ac-
cept the idea—work himself up into a frenzy21, and sooner or later will
make the kind of scene he did make. And what a wonderful cover that will
be! Everybody will have their attention fixed22 on the dangerous situation
that is developing—especially if somebody has thoughtfully supplied him
with a revolver.”
“Hm, yes. Walter Hudd’s revolver.”
“Oh yes,” said Miss Marple, “I’d thought of that. But you know, Walter is
uncommunicative and he’s certainly sullen23 and ungracious, but I don’t
really think he’s stupid.”
“So you don’t think it’s Walter?”
“I think everybody would be very relieved if it was Walter. That sounds
very unkind, but it’s because he is an outsider.”
“What about his wife?” asked Inspector Curry. “Would she be relieved?”
Miss Marple did not answer. She was thinking of Gina and Stephen Re-
starick standing24 together as she had seen them on her first day. And she
thought of the way Alex Restarick’s eyes had gone straight to Gina as he
had entered the Hall last night. What was Gina’s own attitude?

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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 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。
3 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。
4 qualified DCPyj     
adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的
参考例句：
  • He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
  • We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。
5 promising BkQzsk     
adj.有希望的，有前途的
参考例句：
  • The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
  • We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。
6 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。
7 systematically 7qhwn     
adv.有系统地
参考例句：
  • This government has systematically run down public services since it took office.这一屆政府自上台以来系统地削减了公共服务。
  • The rainforest is being systematically destroyed.雨林正被系统地毀灭。
8 judicially 8e141e97c5a0ea74185aa3796a2330c0     
依法判决地，公平地
参考例句：
  • Geoffrey approached the line of horses and glanced judicially down the row. 杰弗里走进那栏马，用审视的目的目光一匹接一匹地望去。
  • Not all judicially created laws are based on statutory or constitutional interpretation. 并不是所有的司法机关创制的法都以是以成文法或宪法的解释为基础的。
9 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。
10 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。
11 primly b3917c4e7c2256e99d2f93609f8d0c55     
adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地
参考例句：
  • He didn't reply, but just smiled primly. 他没回答，只是拘谨地笑了笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He wore prim suits with neckties set primly against the collar buttons of his white shirts. 他穿着整洁的外套，领结紧贴着白色衬衫领口的钮扣。 来自互联网
12 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。
13 thereby Sokwv     
adv.因此，从而
参考例句：
  • I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。
  • He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。
14 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。
15 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。
16 vehemently vehemently     
adv. 热烈地
参考例句：
  • He argued with his wife so vehemently that he talked himself hoarse. 他和妻子争论得很激烈，以致讲话的声音都嘶哑了。
  • Both women vehemently deny the charges against them. 两名妇女都激烈地否认了对她们的指控。
17 mischief jDgxH     
n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹
参考例句：
  • Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
  • He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。
18 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。
19 contrived ivBzmO     
adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的
参考例句：
  • There was nothing contrived or calculated about what he said.他说的话里没有任何蓄意捏造的成分。
  • The plot seems contrived.情节看起来不真实。
20 persecuting 668e268d522d47306d7adbfe4e26738d     
（尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的现在分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人
参考例句：
  • This endurance made old Earnshaw furious, when he discovered his son persecuting the poor, fatherless child, as he called him. 当老恩萧发现他的儿子这样虐待他所谓的可怜的孤儿时，这种逆来顺受使老恩萧冒火了。
  • He is possessed with the idea that someone is persecuting him. 他老是觉得有人要害他。
21 frenzy jQbzs     
n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动
参考例句：
  • He was able to work the young students up into a frenzy.他能激起青年学生的狂热。
  • They were singing in a frenzy of joy.他们欣喜若狂地高声歌唱。
22 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。
23 sullen kHGzl     
adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的
参考例句：
  • He looked up at the sullen sky.他抬头看了一眼阴沉的天空。
  • Susan was sullen in the morning because she hadn't slept well.苏珊今天早上郁闷不乐，因为昨晚没睡好。
24 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。

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