“On my own,” she repeated to herself. “On my own with a vengeance1.”
Salt had his picture and it was up to her to get a good story. Until now she had depended upon his guidance. With all support withdrawn2 she suddenly felt uncertain and incompetent3.
Penny waited a few minutes before gathering4 sufficient courage to enter the long hallway. One glance assured her that the breakfast room was deserted5.
“Mrs. Kippenberg probably went upstairs to talk with her daughter,” she reasoned. “I’d like to hear what they say to each other.”
With the guests assembled in the garden, only a few persons lingered in the house. No one paid heed6 to Penny as she moved noiselessly up the spiral stairway.
[46]
A bedroom door stood slightly ajar. Hearing a low murmur7 of voices, Penny paused. Framed against the leaded windows she saw Sylvia Kippenberg talking with her mother. Despite a tear-streaked face the girl was very lovely. She wore a long flowing gown of white satin and the flowers at the neckline were outlined with real pearls. Her net veil had been discarded. A bouquet8 of flowers lay on the floor.
“How could Grant do such a cruel thing?” Penny heard her sob9. “I just can’t believe it of him, Mother. Surely he will come.”
Mrs. Kippenberg held the girl in her arms, trying to comfort her.
“It is nearly three now, Sylvia. The servants have searched everywhere. A man of his type isn’t worthy10 of you.”
“But I love him, Mother. And I am sure he loves me. It doesn’t seem possible he would do such a thing without a word of explanation.”
“He will explain, never fear,” Mrs. Kippenberg said grimly. “But now, we must think what has to be done. The guests must be told.”
“Oh, Mother!” Sylvia went into another paroxysm of crying.
“There is no other way, my dear. Leave everything to me.”
[47]
Before Penny realized that the interview had ended, Mrs. Kippenberg stepped out into the hall. Her eyes focused hard upon the girl.
“You are a reporter!” she accused harshly. “I remember, you were with that photographer!”
“Please—” began Penny.
“I’ll tell you nothing,” the woman cried. “How dare you intrude11 in my home and go about listening at bedroom doors!”
“Mrs. Kippenberg, if only you will calm yourself, I may be able to help you.”
“Help me?” the woman demanded. “What do you mean?”
“I may be able to give you a clue as to what became of Grant Atherwald.”
The anger faded from Mrs. Kippenberg’s face. She came close to Penny, grasping her arm with a pressure which hurt.
“You have seen him? Tell me!”
“He came over in the same boat.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Shortly after one o’clock. He was stopped at the front door by a servant who handed him a note. Mr. Atherwald read it and walked down toward the garden.”
“I wonder which one of the servants spoke12 to him? It was at the front door, you say?”
“Yes.”
[48]
“Then it must have been Gregg. I’ll talk with him.”
Forgetting Penny, Mrs. Kippenberg hastened down the stairway. She jangled a bell and asked that the manservant be sent to her. Unnoticed, Penny lingered to hear the interview.
The man came into the room. “You sent for me, Mrs. Kippenberg?” he inquired.
“Yes, Gregg. You were at the door when Mr. Atherwald arrived?”
“I was, Madam.”
“I understand you handed him a note which he read.”
“Yes, Madam.”
“Who gave you the note?”
“Mrs. Latch13, the cook. She told me it was brought to the kitchen door early this morning by a most disreputable looking boy.”
“He had been hired to deliver it for another person, I suppose?”
“Yes, Madam. The boy told Mrs. Latch that the message came from a friend of Mr. Atherwald’s and should be given to him as soon as he arrived.”
“You have no idea what the note contained?”
“No, Mrs. Kippenberg, the envelope was sealed.”
Sensing that when the interview ended Mrs. Kippenberg’s wrath14 might again descend15 upon her, Penny decided16 not to tempt17 fate. While the woman was still talking with the servant, she slipped out of the house.
[49]
“Atherwald might have had that note sent to himself, but I doubt it,” she told herself. “Either he is still on the estate, or the boatman would have had to take him back across the river.”
She walked quickly down to the dock and was elated to find the guest launch tied up there. The boatman answered her questions readily. He had not seen Grant Atherwald since early in the afternoon. Salt was the only person he had taken back across the river.
“Have you noticed any other boat leaving the estate?” inquired Penny.
“Boats have been going up and down the river all day,” the man answered with a shrug18. “I didn’t notice any particular one.”
Penny glanced across the water. She could see Salt perched on the drawbridge waiting for her. But she was not yet ready to leave the estate.
Ignoring his shout to “come on,” she turned and walked back toward the house. Deliberately19, she chose the same path which she and Salt had followed earlier in the afternoon.
A swift walk brought her to the forbidden trail with the barrier sign. Penny glanced around to be certain she was not under observation. Then she stepped boldly over the wire.
[50]
Passing the place where she and Salt had talked with the gardener, she noticed his trowel lying on the ground. There was no evidence that he had done any work.
However, all along the path flowering shrubs20 were well trimmed and tended.
“So this part of the estate isn’t fixed21 up,” Penny mused22. “It’s much nicer than the other section in my opinion. I wonder why that gardener told so many lies?”
The path led deeper into the woods. Rustic23 benches invited one to linger, but Penny walked rapidly onward24.
Unexpectedly, she came to a little clearing, and saw before her a large, circular pool. From a gap in the trees, warm sunshine poured down upon the bed of flowers which flanked the cement sides, making a circle of brilliant color.
“So this is where the path leads,” thought Penny. “No mystery here after all.”
She was at a loss to understand why this portion of the estate had been closed to visitors for certainly it was the most beautiful part. Yet there was a quality to the beauty which the girl did not like.
As she stood staring at the pool, she was fully25 aware of an uneasy feeling which had taken possession of her. It was almost as if she stood in the presence of something sinister26 and unknown. The gentle rustling27 of the tree leaves, the cool river air blowing against her cheek, only served to heighten the feeling.
[51]
She drew closer and peered down into the blue depths of the pool. She could not see the bottom plainly for the water was choked with a tangle28 of feathery plants. A few yellow lilies floated on the surface.
Penny absently reached out to pluck one. But as the stem snapped off, she gave a little scream and dropped the flower. She had seen a large, shadowy form slithering through the water beneath her.
Penny backed a step away from the pool. From among the lily pads an ugly head emerged and a broad snout was raised above the surface for an instant. Powerful jaws29 opened and closed, revealing jagged teeth set in deep pits.
“An alligator30!” Penny exclaimed aloud. “Such a horrid31, ugly creature! And to think, I nearly put my hand in that water.”
She shivered and watched the movements of the alligator. Its head scooted smoothly32 over the water for a short distance. Then with a swish of its tail, the reptile33 submerged and the pool was as placid34 as before.
“Eight feet long if it’s an inch,” estimated Penny. “Why would any person in his right mind keep such a creature here? Why, it’s dangerous.”
[52]
She felt enraged35, thinking how close she had come to touching36 the alligator. Yet justice compelled her to admit that she had only herself to blame. Deliberately, she had disregarded the warning not to explore the forbidden trail.
“The Kippenbergs keep nice pets,” she thought ironically. “If anyone fell into that pool it would be just too bad.”
Now that her curiosity was satisfied, Penny had not the slightest desire to linger near the lily pool. With another glance down into the murky37 depths she turned away, but she had taken less than a dozen steps when she paused. Her attention was held by a bright and shiny object which lay in the dust at her feet.
With a low cry of surprise she reached down and picked up a plain band of white gold. Obviously, it was a wedding ring.
“Now where did this come from?” Penny turned it over on the palm of her hand.
Startled thoughts leaped into her mind. She felt certain Grant Atherwald had taken this same path earlier in the afternoon. It was logical to believe that the ring had been his, intended for Sylvia Kippenberg. Had he lost the band accidentally or deliberately thrown it away?
Slowly, Penny’s gaze roved to the lily pond. She noted38 that the coping was so low that one who walked carelessly might easily stumble and fall into the water. It made her shudder39 to think of such a gruesome possibility, yet she could not avoid giving it consideration. For that matter, Grant Atherwald might have been lured40 to this isolated41 spot. The mysterious message—
Penny delved42 no deeper into the problem for suddenly she felt someone grasp her arms. With a terrified cry she whirled about to face her assailant.
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1
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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3
incompetent
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| adj.无能力的，不能胜任的 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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6
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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7
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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8
bouquet
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| n.花束，酒香 | |
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9
sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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intrude
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| vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰 | |
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12
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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13
latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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14
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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15
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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16
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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28
tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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29
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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alligator
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| n.短吻鳄(一种鳄鱼) | |
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31
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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reptile
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| n.爬行动物；两栖动物 | |
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placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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37
murky
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| adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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40
lured
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| 吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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41
isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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42
delved
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| v.深入探究，钻研( delve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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