黑麦奇案34

时间：2025-10-10 08:33:26

（单词翻译:单击）

Chapter Nineteen
In the drawing room at Yewtree Lodge1, the whole Fortescue family was as-
sembled. Percival Fortescue, leaning against the mantelpiece, was ad-
dressing2 the meeting.
“It’s all very well,” said Percival. “But the whole position is most unsatis-
factory. The police come and go and don’t tell us anything. One supposes
they’re pursuing some line of research. In the meantime everything’s at a
standstill. One can’t make plans, one can’t arrange things for the future.”
“It’s all so inconsiderate,” said Jennifer. “And so stupid.”
“There still seems to be this ban against anyone leaving the house,” went
on Percival. “Still, I think among ourselves we might discuss future plans.
What about you, Elaine? I gather you’re going to marry—what’s-his-name
—Gerald Wright? Have you any idea when?”
“As soon as possible,” said Elaine.
Percival frowned.
“You mean, in about six months’ time?”
“No, I don’t. Why should we wait six months?”
“I think it would be more decent,” said Percival.
“Rubbish,” said Elaine. “A month. That’s the longest we’ll wait.”
“Well, it’s for you to say,” said Percival. “And what are your plans when
you are married, if you have any?”
“We’re thinking of starting a school.”
Percival shook his head.
“That’s a very risky3 speculation4 in these times. What with the shortage
of domestic labour, the difficulty of getting an adequate teaching staff—
really, Elaine, it sounds all right. But I should think twice about it if I were
you.”
“We have thought. Gerald feels that the whole future of this country lies
in right education.”
“I am seeing Mr. Billingsley the day after tomorrow,” said Percival.
“We’ve got to go into various questions of finance. He was suggesting that
you might like to make this money that’s been left to you by Father into a
trust for yourself and your children. It’s a very sound thing to do
nowadays.”
“I don’t want to do that,” said Elaine. “We shall need the money to start
up our school. There’s a very suitable house we’ve heard of for sale. It’s in
Cornwall. Beautiful grounds and quite a good house. It would have to be
built onto a good deal—several wings added.”
“You mean—you mean you’re going to take all your money out of the
business? Really, Elaine, I don’t think you’re wise.”
“Much wiser to take it out than leave it in, I should say,” said Elaine.
“Businesses are going phut all over the place. You said yourself, Val, be-
fore5 Father died, that things were getting into a pretty bad state.”
“One says that sort of thing,” said Percival vaguely6, “but I must say,
Elaine, to take out all your capital and sink it in the buying, equipping and
running of a school is crazy. If it’s not a success, look what happens?
You’re left without a penny.”
“It will be a success,” said Elaine, doggedly7.
“I’m with you.” Lance, lying sprawled8 out in a chair, spoke9 up encour-
agingly. “Have a crack at it, Elaine. In my opinion it’ll be a damned odd
sort of school, but it’s what you want to do—you and Gerald. If you do lose
your money you’ll at any rate have had the satisfaction of doing what you
wanted to do.”
“Just what one might have expected you to say, Lance,” said Percival,
acidly.
“I know, I know,” said Lance. “I’m the spendthrift prodigal10 son. But I still
think I’ve had more fun out of life than you have, Percy, old boy.”
“It depends on what you call fun,” said Percival coldly. “Which brings us
to your own plans, Lance. I suppose you’ll be off again back to Kenya—or
Canada—or climbing Mount Everest or something fairly fantastic?”
“Now what makes you think that?” said Lance.
“Well, you’ve never had much use for a stay-at-home life in England,
have you?”
“One changes as one gets older,” said Lance. “One settles down. D’you
know, Percy my boy, I’m quite looking forward to having a crack at being
a sober business man.”
“Do you mean… .”
“I mean I’m coming into the firm with you, old boy.” Lance grinned.
“Oh, you’re the senior partner, of course. You’ve got the lion’s share. I’m
only a very junior partner. But I have got a holding in it that gives me the
right to be in on things, doesn’t it?”
“Well—yes—of course, if you put it that way. But I can assure you, my
dear boy, you’ll be very, very bored.”
“I wonder now. I don’t believe I shall be bored.”
Percival frowned.
“You don’t seriously mean, Lance, that you’re coming into the busi-
ness?”
“Having a finger in the pie? Yes, that’s exactly what I am doing.”
Percival shook his head.
“Things are in a very bad way, you know. You’ll find that out. It’s going
to be about all we can do to pay out Elaine her share, if she insists on hav-
ing it paid out.”
“There you are, Elaine,” said Lance. “You see how wise you were to in-
sist on grabbing your money while it’s still there to grab.”
“Really, Lance,” Percival spoke angrily, “these jokes of yours are in bad
taste.”
“I do think, Lance, you might be more careful what you say,” said Jen-
nifer.
Sitting a little way away near the window, Pat studied them one by one.
If this was what Lance had meant by twisting Percival’s tail, she could see
that he was achieving his object. Percival’s neat impassivity was quite
ruffled11. He snapped again, angrily:
“Are you serious, Lance?”
“Dead serious.”
“It won’t work, you know. You’ll soon get fed up.”
“Not me. Think what a lovely change it’ll be for me. A city office, typists
coming and going. I shall have a blonde secretary like Miss Grosvenor—is
it Grosvenor? I suppose you’ve snaffled her. But I shall get one just like
her. ‘Yes, Mr. Lancelot; no, Mr. Lancelot. Your tea, Mr. Lancelot.’ ”
“Oh, don’t play the fool,” snapped Percival.
“Why are you so angry, my dear brother? Don’t you look forward to
having me sharing your city cares?”
“You haven’t the least conception of the mess everything’s in.”
“No. You’ll have to put me wise to all that.”
“First you’ve got to understand that for the last six months—no, more, a
year, Father’s not been himself. He’s done the most incredibly foolish
things, financially. Sold out good stock, acquired various wildcat holdings.
Sometimes he’s really thrown away money hand over fist. Just, one might
say, for the fun of spending it.”
“In fact,” said Lance, “it’s just as well for the family that he had taxine in
his tea.”
“That’s a very ugly way of putting it, but in essence you’re quite right.
It’s about the only thing that saved us from bankruptcy12. But we shall have
to be extremely conservative and go very cautiously for a bit.”
Lance shook his head.
“I don’t agree with you. Caution never does anyone any good. You must
take a few risks, strike out. You must go for something big.”
“I don’t agree,” said Percy. “Caution and economy. Those are our watch-
words.”
“Not mine,” said Lance.
“You’re only the junior partner, remember,” said Percival.
“All right, all right. But I’ve got a little say-so all the same.”
Percival walked up and down the room agitatedly13.
“It’s no good, Lance. I’m fond of you and all that—”
“Are you?” Lance interpolated. Percival did not appear to hear him.
“… but I really don’t think we’re going to pull together at all. Our out-
looks are totally different.”
“That may be an advantage,” said Lance.
“The only sensible thing,” said Percival, “is to dissolve the partnership14.”
“You’re going to buy me out—is that the idea?”
“My dear boy, it’s the only sensible thing to do, with our ideas so differ-
ent.”
“If you find it hard to pay Elaine out her legacy15, how are you going to
manage to pay me my share?”
“Well, I didn’t mean in cash,” said Percival. “We could—er—divide up
the holdings.”
“With you keeping the gilt-edged and me taking the worst of the specu-
lative off you, I suppose?”
“They seem to be what you prefer,” said Percival.
Lance grinned suddenly.
“You’re right in a way, Percy, old boy. But I can’t indulge my own taste
entirely16. I’ve got Pat here to think of.”
Both men looked towards her. Pat opened her mouth, then shut it again.
Whatever game Lance was playing, it was best that she should not inter-
fere. That Lance was driving at something special, she was quite sure, but
she was still a little uncertain as to what his actual object was.
“Line ’em up, Percy,” said Lance, laughing. “Bogus Diamond Mines, Inac-
cessible Rubies17, the Oil Concessions19 where no oil is. Do you think I’m quite
as big a fool as I look?”
Percival said:
“Of course, some of these holdings are highly speculative20, but remem-
ber, they may turn out immensely valuable.”
“Changed your tune21, haven’t you?” said Lance, grinning. “Going to offer
me father’s latest wildcat acquisition as well as the old Blackbird Mine and
things of that kind. By the way, has the inspector22 been asking you about
this Blackbird Mine?”
Percival frowned.
“Yes, he did. I can’t imagine what he wanted to know about it. I couldn’t
tell him much. You and I were children at the time. I just remember
vaguely that Father went out there and came back saying the whole thing
was no good.”
“What was it—a gold mine?”
“I believe so. Father came back pretty certain that there was no gold
there. And, mind you, he wasn’t the sort of man to be mistaken.”
“Who got him into it? A man called MacKenzie, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. MacKenzie died out there.”
“MacKenzie died out there,” said Lance thoughtfully. “Wasn’t there a
terrific scene? I seem to remember … Mrs. MacKenzie, wasn’t it? Came
here. Ranted23 and stormed at Father. Hurled24 down curses on his head. She
accused him, if I remember rightly, of murdering her husband.”
“Really,” said Percival repressively. “I can’t recollect25 anything of the
kind.”
“I remember it, though,” said Lance. “I was a good bit younger than you,
of course. Perhaps that’s why it appealed to me. As a child it struck me as
full of drama. Where was Blackbird? West Africa wasn’t it?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“I must look up the concession18 sometime,” said Lance, “when I’m at the
office.”
“You can be quite sure,” said Percival, “that Father made no mistake. If
he came back saying there was no gold, there was no gold.”
“You’re probably right there,” said Lance. “Poor Mrs. MacKenzie. I won-
der what happened to her and to those two kids she brought along. Funny
—they must be grown-up by now.”

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 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。
2 dressing 1uOzJG     
n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料
参考例句：
  • Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
  • The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。
3 risky IXVxe     
adj.有风险的，冒险的
参考例句：
  • It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
  • He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。
4 speculation 9vGwe     
n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机
参考例句：
  • Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
  • There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。
5 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。
6 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。
7 doggedly 6upzAY     
adv.顽强地，固执地
参考例句：
  • He was still doggedly pursuing his studies.他仍然顽强地进行着自己的研究。
  • He trudged doggedly on until he reached the flat.他顽强地、步履艰难地走着，一直走回了公寓。
8 sprawled 6cc8223777584147c0ae6b08b9304472     
v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）
参考例句：
  • He was sprawled full-length across the bed. 他手脚摊开横躺在床上。
  • He was lying sprawled in an armchair, watching TV. 他四肢伸开正懒散地靠在扶手椅上看电视。
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 prodigal qtsym     
adj.浪费的，挥霍的，放荡的
参考例句：
  • He has been prodigal of the money left by his parents.他已挥霍掉他父母留下的钱。
  • The country has been prodigal of its forests.这个国家的森林正受过度的采伐。
11 ruffled e4a3deb720feef0786be7d86b0004e86     
adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
  • She ruffled his hair affectionately. 她情意绵绵地拨弄着他的头发。
  • All this talk of a strike has clearly ruffled the management's feathers. 所有这些关于罢工的闲言碎语显然让管理层很不高兴。
12 bankruptcy fPoyJ     
n.破产；无偿付能力
参考例句：
  • You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
  • His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。
13 agitatedly 45b945fa5a4cf387601637739b135917     
动摇，兴奋； 勃然
参考例句：
  • "Where's she waiting for me?" he asked agitatedly. 他慌忙问道：“在哪里等我？” 来自子夜部分
  • His agitatedly ground goes accusatorial accountant. 他勃然大怒地去责问会计。
14 partnership NmfzPy     
n.合作关系，伙伴关系
参考例句：
  • The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
  • Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。
15 legacy 59YzD     
n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西
参考例句：
  • They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
  • He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。
16 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地
参考例句：
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
17 rubies 534be3a5d4dab7c1e30149143213b88f     
红宝石( ruby的名词复数 )； 红宝石色，深红色
参考例句：
  • a necklace of rubies intertwined with pearls 缠着珍珠的红宝石项链
  • The crown was set with precious jewels—diamonds, rubies and emeralds. 王冠上镶嵌着稀世珍宝—有钻石、红宝石、绿宝石。
18 concession LXryY     
n.让步，妥协；特许(权)
参考例句：
  • We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
  • That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。
19 concessions 6b6f497aa80aaf810133260337506fa9     
n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权
参考例句：
  • The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
  • The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。
20 speculative uvjwd     
adj.思索性的，暝想性的，推理的
参考例句：
  • Much of our information is speculative.我们的许多信息是带推测性的。
  • The report is highly speculative and should be ignored.那个报道推测的成分很大，不应理会。
21 tune NmnwW     
n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整
参考例句：
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
22 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。
23 ranted dea2765295829322a122c2b596c12838     
v.夸夸其谈( rant的过去式和过去分词 )；大叫大嚷地以…说教；气愤地)大叫大嚷；不停地大声抱怨
参考例句：
  • Drink in hand,he ranted about his adventures in Africa. 他端着酒杯，激动地叙述他在非洲的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Lu Xun ranted and raved against the enemy, but he felt warmth towards the people. 鲁迅对敌人冷嘲热讽，而对人民却是满腔热忱。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
24 hurled 16e3a6ba35b6465e1376a4335ae25cd2     
v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂
参考例句：
  • He hurled a brick through the window. 他往窗户里扔了块砖。
  • The strong wind hurled down bits of the roof. 大风把屋顶的瓦片刮了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
25 recollect eUOxl     
v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得
参考例句：
  • He tried to recollect things and drown himself in them.他极力回想过去的事情而沉浸于回忆之中。
  • She could not recollect being there.她回想不起曾经到过那儿。

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