In theory, an excellent resolution; situated4 as I was, not an easy one to put into practice. Before the end of the coroner’s inquest Messrs. Cleaver5 and Caxton informed me that their guarantee to provide for the expenses of my sojourn6 at Mrs. Barnes’s establishment thenceforward was withdrawn7. Of the four banknotes which had come to me in Duncan Rothwell’s letter about fifteen pounds remained. If that sum might be credited to my account, on the debit8 side of the column was the injury which my connection with the affair had, at least temporarily, done my character. If before I had found it difficult to obtain remunerative9 employment, I should find it now still harder.
On the morning after the close of the inquiry I was meditating10 taking an immediate11 departure from the house in which I had met with experiences which had been to anything but my advantage, when Mrs. Barnes came into the room. Her worries had worn her almost to a shadow. I felt that, if she continued to diminish at the same rate long, she soon, literally12, would entirely13 waste away. Her nervous tricks seemed to have become accentuated14. She stood rubbing her hands together, apparently15 for the moment at a loss for something to say.
“I hope, sir, that you are not going?”
“Then you hope wrong, Mrs. Barnes. I certainly am going, and that at once.”
“You mustn’t sir—you really mustn’t.”
“You are wrong again, Mrs. Barnes, for I really must, if on one account only—that I am not in a position to pay your terms.”
She gave a sudden movement forward, coming to lean with both her hands upon the table. Her voice dropped to that odd, palpitating whisper of which she seemed to be so fond.
“You needn’t let that trouble you. You can live board and lodging16 free, and you’ll be welcome.”
I observed her closely. In her face there was something which was positively17 uncanny. If ever a person had a haunted look it was Mrs. Barnes.
“Why do you make to me such a proposition? Do you consider that I am the sort of person who would be willing to snatch at anybody’s charity, or are you in the habit of giving strangers board and lodging free?”
“Indeed, no; but it’s different with you. If you leave me now I shall not dare to stay in the house, and that’s the truth. I feel as if you were guarding me; as if hungry eyes were on the house, seeking for a chance to work me evil, but that the hidden watchers dare not come in to do that to me which they desire while my roof still shelters you. Sir, do you think that ‘he’ did it?”
“Do I think that who did what?”
“Do you think that my husband killed that man?”
“To be frank with you, I think it extremely possible that he knows as much of the business as may altogether be good for him—more, for instance, than you or I. I have been reproaching myself for having done as you requested, and not having at least alluded18 to the gentleman in question when giving my evidence before the coroner.”
My words set her trembling.
“You did quite right. You would have been sorry for it afterwards. I cannot tell you why or how, but I am certain that my husband had no more to do with that deed of blood than you or I.”
The woman’s intense earnestness made me stare.
“I can only say, Mrs. Barnes, that I regret that I am unable to share your certainty.”
“That is one reason why I ask you—why I implore20 you to stay. There is a cloud hanging over you and over me—it is the same cloud! If you stay I feel that it may be lifted; but, if you leave, it may rest on us for ever.”
What she said was nonsense pure and simple. Still, I suffered myself to be persuaded. I agreed to stay on—at any rate, for a time. The satisfaction with which she received my decision was so pronounced that one might have thought that I had done her the greatest service in the world.
I went out in the afternoon. When I came back in the evening, not a little to my surprise, my food was brought me by a man. I stared at him askance. Hitherto the whole service of the house, in which I had been the only guest, had been done by the maid. Now I found myself confronted by a quite irreproachable-looking waiter, attired21 in the orthodox costume of his kind. His presence was so unexpected that I found it impossible to conceal22 my astonishment23.
“Who the deuce are you?” I blurted24 out.
The fellow began to smirk25 in reply. “New waiter, sir—only came this afternoon, sir!”
“I had no notion that Mrs. Barnes contemplated26 making such an addition to her establishment.”
“No, sir; perhaps not, sir. Business is very slack just now, but the season is coming on, and the house will very soon be full.”
This was emphatically a lie. So far from the season just coming on, in an hotel-keeper’s sense, it was rapidly drawing to an end; and so far as Mrs. Barnes was personally concerned, apparently a bitter one, too. What she wanted, circumstanced as she was, with such a gorgeous individual as this about the place, or what she could find for him to do, surpassed my comprehension.
The fellow bustled27 about the room, pretending to busy himself, in accordance with a trick of his trade, with nothing at all.
“Been here long, sir?”
“You know very well how long I have been here.”
“Beg pardon, sir, how’s that?”
“You have read it in the papers. Don’t feign28 ignorance with me, my man.”
The fellow turned away. He was industriously29 polishing an already spotless glass.
“You allude19 to the recent unfortunate occurrence, sir? I believe that I did see something about it.”
“You believe! Is that all? You are perfectly30 aware that you are as well up in what you call the recent occurrence as I am. You know all about me; how I came into the house, when I came, my name, and everything.”
I do not know why I said this, but I did say it, and I felt that it was true. The man seemed taken aback.
“Mrs. Barnes did mention your name,” he murmured.
“You knew it without her mentioning it. You can leave the room. When I want you I will ring.”
I was glad to be rid of him. His presence seemed to chafe31 me. I knew not why. He was not ill-looking. His bearing was wholly respectful; and yet some instinct had seemed to warn me that while I was in his near neighbourhood it would be just as well that I should be upon my guard.
When I had eaten I sallied forth32 in quest of Mrs. Barnes. Her nervous system had not improved since the morning; even the sight of me seemed to fill her with terror. Her eyes looked at everything except at me. I wondered if some disaster had been added to the sum of her already over-numerous troubles.
“You have a new waiter,” I began.
“Yes.” She spoke33 in a stammering34 whisper. Her features were agitated35 with the former reminiscence of St. Vitus’s Dance. “Yes; a new waiter.”
“I hope very sincerely, for your sake, Mrs. Barnes, that he may ere long have other guests to wait upon besides myself.”
“Yes.” The same irresolute36 muttering. “Yes; I hope he may.”
“I had no idea that you thought of making an engagement of the kind just now.”
“No—I don’t think—I told you.”
What was the matter with the woman? Why did she persist in speaking in that tone of voice, as if she was fearful of being overheard! And why did she apparently not dare to allow her eyes to rest, even for a moment, on my face? She had been so effusive37 in the morning. Now, on a sudden, she had returned to the condition of almost doddering terror which had marked her bearing during the time we had a policeman quartered in the house.
“Where did you get the man? What is his name? And what do you know of him?”
As I put my questions I thought for a moment that she was going to favour me with one of her frenzied38 bursts of confidence. But while I waited for her to speak, all at once her frame became rigid39. I seemed to see the unspoken words lying on her lips. Turning to discover the cause of the obvious change in her manner, I found that the new waiter had opened the door and, unannounced, had entered the room. At sight of him her agitation40 again assumed the upper hand.
“I— I must ask you to excuse me, sir. I have something which I must do.”
I did excuse her; but when I had left her I decided41 in my own mind that my instinct had been right, and that there was more in the new waiter than met the eye. It seemed scarcely likely that even a landlady42 of such an eccentric type as Mrs. Barnes would increase her staff when the only guest which her house contained was such an emphatically unprofitable one as I bade fair to be.
However, in one respect the position of affairs was destined43 to be speedily changed. The house received not only another guest, but also one who bade fair to be as profitable a one as a landlady’s heart could wish. It was on the day immediately following that Mrs. Lascelles–Trevor arrived. I had been out all the morning and afternoon, renewing the weary search for employment which might provide me with the means for obtaining my daily bread. The first intimation I had of her arrival was when, having dined, I was thinking of a quiet pipe, and of an early retirement44 to bed.
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收听单词发音
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1
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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3
unravel
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| v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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cleaver
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| n.切肉刀 | |
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sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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7
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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8
debit
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| n.借方，借项，记人借方的款项 | |
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remunerative
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| adj.有报酬的 | |
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meditating
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| a.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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accentuated
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| v.重读( accentuate的过去式和过去分词 )；使突出；使恶化；加重音符号于 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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allude
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| v.提及，暗指 | |
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implore
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| vt.乞求，恳求，哀求 | |
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attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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blurted
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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smirk
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| n.得意地笑；v.傻笑；假笑着说 | |
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contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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bustled
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| 闹哄哄地忙乱，奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 )； 催促 | |
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feign
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| vt.假装，佯作 | |
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industriously
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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chafe
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| v.擦伤；冲洗；惹怒 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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spoke
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| 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 | |
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stammering
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的现在分词 ) | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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irresolute
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| adj.无决断的，优柔寡断的，踌躇不定的 | |
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effusive
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| adj.热情洋溢的；感情(过多)流露的 | |
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frenzied
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| a.激怒的；疯狂的 | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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landlady
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| n.女房东，女地主 | |
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43
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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retirement
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| n.退休，退职 | |
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