黑麦奇案9

时间：2025-10-10 08:13:02

（单词翻译:单击）

Chapter Eight
I
“I’ve got what I could, sir.” So Sergeant1 Hay reported. “The marmalade, bit
of the ham. Samples of tea, coffee and sugar, for what they’re worth. Ac-
tual brews3 have been thrown out by now, of course, but there’s one point.
There was a good lot of coffee left over and they had it in the servants’ hall
at elevenses—that’s important, I should say.”
“Yes, that’s important. Shows that if he took it in his coffee, it must have
been slipped into the actual cup.”
“By one of those present. Exactly. I’ve inquired, cautious like, about the
yew4 stuff—berries or leaves—there’s been none of it seen about the house.
Nobody seems to know anything about the cereal in his pocket, either … It
just seems daft to them. Seems daft to me, too. He doesn’t seem to have
been one of those food faddists who’ll eat any mortal thing so long as it
isn’t cooked. My sister’s husband’s like that. Raw carrots, raw peas, raw
turnips5. But even he doesn’t eat raw grain. Why, I should say it would
swell6 up in your inside something awful.”
The telephone rang and, on a nod from the inspector7, Sergeant Hay
sprinted8 off to answer it. Following him, Neele found that it was
headquarters on the line. Contact had been made with Mr. Percival Fortes-
cue, who was returning to London immediately.
As the inspector replaced the telephone, a car drew up at the front door.
Crump went to the door and opened it. The woman who stood there had
her arms full of parcels. Crump took them from her.
“Thanks, Crump. Pay the taxi, will you? I’ll have tea now. Is Mrs. Fortes-
cue or Miss Elaine in?”
The butler hesitated, looking back over his shoulder.
“We’ve had bad news, ma’am,” he said. “About the master.”
“About Mr. Fortescue?”
Neele came forward. Crump said: “This is Mrs. Percival, sir.”
“What is it? What’s happened? An accident?”
The inspector looked her over as he replied. Mrs. Percival Fortescue was
a plump woman with a discontented mouth. Her age he judged to be
about thirty. Her questions came with a kind of eagerness. The thought
flashed across his mind that she must be very bored.
“I’m sorry to have to tell you that Mr. Fortescue was taken to St. Jude’s
Hospital this morning seriously ill and has since died.”
“Died? You mean he’s dead?” The news was clearly even more sensa-
tional than she had hoped for. “Dear me—this is a surprise. My husband’s
away. You’ll have to get in touch with him. He’s in the North somewhere. I
dare say they’ll know at the office. He’ll have to see to everything. Things
always happen at the most awkward moment, don’t they.”
She paused for a moment, turning things over in her mind.
“It all depends, I suppose,” she said, “where they’ll have the funeral.
Down here, I suppose. Or will it be in London?”
“That will be for the family to say.”
“Of course. I only just wondered.” For the first time she took direct cog-
nisance of the man who was speaking to her.
“Are you from the office?” she asked. “You’re not a doctor, are you?”
“I’m a police officer. Mr. Fortescue’s death was very sudden and—”
She interrupted him.
“Do you mean he was murdered?”
It was the first time that word had been spoken. Neele surveyed her
eager questioning face carefully.
“Now why should you think that, madam?”
“Well, people are sometimes. You said sudden. And you’re police. Have
you seen her about it? What did she say?”
“I don’t quite understand to whom you are referring?”
“Adele, of course. I always told Val his father was crazy to go marrying a
woman years younger than himself. There’s no fool like an old fool. Besot-
ted2 about that awful creature, he was. And now look what comes of it … A
nice mess we’re all in. Pictures in the paper and reporters coming round.”
She paused, obviously visualizing10 the future in a series of crude highly
coloured pictures. He thought that the prospect11 was still not wholly un-
pleasing. She turned back to him.
“What was it? Arsenic12?”
In a repressive voice Inspector Neele said:
“The cause of death has yet to be ascertained13. There will be an autopsy14
and an inquest.”
“But you know already, don’t you? Or you wouldn’t come down here.”
There was a sudden shrewdness in her plump rather foolish face.
“You’ve been asking about what he ate and drank, I suppose? Dinner
last night. Breakfast this morning. And all the drinks, of course.”
He could see her mind ranging vividly15 over all the possibilities. He said,
with caution:
“It seems possible that Mr. Fortescue’s illness resulted from something
he ate at breakfast.”
“Breakfast?” She seemed surprised. “That’s difficult. I don’t see how… .”
She paused and shook her head.
“I don’t see how she could have done it, then … unless she slipped some-
thing into the coffee—when Elaine and I weren’t looking… .”
A quiet voice spoke9 softly beside them:
“Your tea is all ready in the library, Mrs. Val.”
Mrs. Val jumped.
“Oh thank you, Miss Dove. Yes, I could do with a cup of tea. Really, I feel
quite bowled over. What about you, Mr.—Inspector—”
“Thank you, not just now.”
The plump figure hesitated and then went slowly away.
As she disappeared through a doorway16, Mary Dove murmured softly:
“I don’t think she’s ever heard of the term slander17.”
Inspector Neele did not reply.
Mary Dove went on:
“Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Where can I find the housemaid, Ellen?”
“I will take you to her. She’s just gone upstairs.”

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 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？
2 ted 9gazhs     
vt.翻晒，撒，撒开
参考例句：
  • The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
  • She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。
3 brews 3c9121e29c31af738dda66d88a876b61     
n.（尤指某地酿造的）啤酒( brew的名词复数 )；酿造物的种类；（茶）一次的冲泡量；（不同思想、环境、事件的）交融v.调制( brew的第三人称单数 )；酝酿；沏（茶）；煮（咖啡）
参考例句：
  • He brews beer at home. 他在家里酿造啤酒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They produce the country's best brews of beer. 他们生产该国的佳酿啤酒。 来自辞典例句
4 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。
5 turnips 0a5b5892a51b9bd77b247285ad0b3f77     
芜青( turnip的名词复数 )； 芜菁块根； 芜菁甘蓝块根； 怀表
参考例句：
  • Well, I like turnips, tomatoes, eggplants, cauliflowers, onions and carrots. 噢，我喜欢大萝卜、西红柿、茄子、菜花、洋葱和胡萝卜。 来自魔法英语-口语突破（高中）
  • This is turnip soup, made from real turnips. 这是大头菜汤，用真正的大头菜做的。
6 swell IHnzB     
vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强
参考例句：
  • The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
  • His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。
7 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。
8 sprinted cbad7fd28d99bfe76a3766a4dd081936     
v.短距离疾跑( sprint的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • He sprinted for the line. 他向终点线冲去。
  • Sergeant Horne sprinted to the car. 霍恩中士全力冲向那辆汽车。 来自辞典例句
9 spoke XryyC     
n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说
参考例句：
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
10 visualizing d9a94ee9dc976b42816302d5ab042d9c     
肉眼观察
参考例句：
  • Nevertheless, the Bohr model is still useful for visualizing the structure of an atom. 然而，玻尔模型仍有利于使原子结构形象化。
  • Try to strengthen this energy field by visualizing the ball growing stronger. 通过想象能量球变得更强壮设法加强这能量场。
11 prospect P01zn     
n.前景，前途；景色，视野
参考例句：
  • This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
  • The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。
12 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。
13 ascertained e6de5c3a87917771a9555db9cf4de019     
v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • The previously unidentified objects have now been definitely ascertained as being satellites. 原来所说的不明飞行物现在已证实是卫星。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I ascertained that she was dead. 我断定她已经死了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
14 autopsy xuVzm     
n.尸体解剖；尸检
参考例句：
  • They're carrying out an autopsy on the victim.他们正在给受害者验尸。
  • A hemorrhagic gut was the predominant lesion at autopsy.尸检的主要发现是肠出血。
15 vividly tebzrE     
adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地
参考例句：
  • The speaker pictured the suffering of the poor vividly.演讲者很生动地描述了穷人的生活。
  • The characters in the book are vividly presented.这本书里的人物写得栩栩如生。
16 doorway 2s0xK     
n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径
参考例句：
  • They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
  • Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。
17 slander 7ESzF     
n./v.诽谤，污蔑
参考例句：
  • The article is a slander on ordinary working people.那篇文章是对普通劳动大众的诋毁。
  • He threatened to go public with the slander.他威胁要把丑闻宣扬出去。

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