“Another of them found out,” he thought, as he set to work to draft his statement to the Magistrate5.
He was interrupted by the arrival of Fielding.
He imparted all he knew without reservations. Miss Derek had herself driven in the Mudkul car about an hour ago, she and Miss Quested both in a terrible state. They had gone straight to his bungalow6 where he happened to be, and there and then he had taken down the charge and arranged for the arrest at the railway station.
“What is the charge, precisely7?”
“That he followed her into the cave and made insulting advances. She hit at him with her field-glasses; he pulled at them and the strap8 broke, and that is how she got away. When we searched him just now, they were in his pocket.”
“Oh no, oh no, no; it’ll be cleared up in five minutes,” he cried again.
“Have a look at them.”
The strap had been newly broken, the eye-piece was jammed. The logic9 of evidence said “Guilty.”
“Did she say any more?”
“There was an echo that appears to have frightened her. Did you go into those caves?”
“I saw one of them. There was an echo. Did it get on her nerves?”
“I couldn’t worry her overmuch with questions. She’ll have plenty to go through in the witness-box. They don’t bear thinking about, these next weeks. I wish the Marabar Hills and all they contain were at the bottom of the sea. Evening after evening one saw them from the club, and they were just a harmless name. . . . Yes, we start already.” For a visiting card was brought; Vakil Mahmoud Ali, legal adviser11 to the prisoner, asked to be allowed to see him. McBryde sighed, gave permission, and continued: “I heard some more from Miss Derek—she is an old friend of us both and talks freely; well—her account is that you went off to locate the camp, and almost at once she heard stones falling on the Kawa Dol and saw Miss Quested running straight down the face of a precipice12. Well. She climbed up a sort of gully to her, and found her practically done for—her helmet off——”
“Was a guide not with her?” interrupted Fielding.
“No. She had got among some cactuses. Miss Derek saved her life coming just then—she was beginning to fling herself about. She helped her down to the car. Miss Quested couldn’t stand the Indian driver, cried, ‘Keep him away’—and it was that that put our friend on the track of what had happened. They made straight for our bungalow, and are there now. That’s the story as far as I know it yet. She sent the driver to join you. I think she behaved with great sense.”
“I suppose there’s no possibility of my seeing Miss Quested?” he asked suddenly.
“I hardly think that would do. Surely.”
“I was afraid you’ld say that. I should very much like to.”
“She is in no state to see anyone. Besides, you don’t know her well.”
“Hardly at all. . . . But you see I believe she’s under some hideous13 delusion14, and that that wretched boy is innocent.”
The policeman started in surprise, and a shadow passed over his face, for he could not bear his dispositions15 to be upset. “I had no idea that was in your mind,” he said, and looked for support at the signed deposition16, which lay before him.
“Those field-glasses upset me for a minute, but I’ve thought since: it’s impossible that, having attempted to assault her, he would put her glasses into his pocket.”
“Quite possible, I’m afraid; when an Indian goes bad, he goes not only very bad, but very queer.”
“I don’t follow.”
“How should you? When you think of crime you think of English crime. The psychology17 here is different. I dare say you’ll tell me next that he was quite normal when he came down from the hill to greet you. No reason he should not be. Read any of the Mutiny records; which, rather than the Bhagavad Gita, should be your Bible in this country. Though I’m not sure that the one and the other are not closely connected. Am I not being beastly? But, you see, Fielding, as I’ve said to you once before, you’re a schoolmaster, and consequently you come across these people at their best. That’s what puts you wrong. They can be charming as boys. But I know them as they really are, after they have developed into men. Look at this, for instance.” He held up Aziz’ pocket-case. “I am going through the contents. They are not edifying18. Here is a letter from a friend who apparently19 keeps a brothel.”
“I don’t want to hear his private letters.”
“It’ll have to be quoted in Court, as bearing on his morals. He was fixing up to see women at Calcutta.”
“Oh, that’ll do, that’ll do.”
McBryde stopped, naively20 puzzled. It was obvious to him that any two sahibs ought to pool all they knew about any Indian, and he could not think where the objection came in.
“I dare say you have the right to throw stones at a young man for doing that, but I haven’t. I did the same at his age.”
So had the Superintendent of Police, but he considered that the conversation had taken a turn that was undesirable21. He did not like Fielding’s next remark either.
“Miss Quested really cannot be seen? You do know that for a certainty?”
“You have never explained to me what’s in your mind here. Why on earth do you want to see her?”
“On the off chance of her recanting before you send in that report and he’s committed for trial, and the whole thing goes to blazes. Old man, don’t argue about this, but do of your goodness just ring up your wife or Miss Derek and enquire22. It’ll cost you nothing.”
“It’s no use ringing up them,” he replied, stretching out for the telephone. “Callendar settles a question like that, of course. You haven’t grasped that she’s seriously ill.”
“He’s sure to refuse, it’s all he exists for,” said the other desperately23.
The expected answer came back: the Major would not hear of the patient being troubled.
“I only wanted to ask her whether she is certain, dead certain, that it was Aziz who followed her into the cave.”
“Possibly my wife might ask her that much.”
“But I wanted to ask her. I want someone who believes in him to ask her.”
“What difference does that make?”
“She is among people who disbelieve in Indians.”
“Well, she tells her own story, doesn’t she?”
“I know, but she tells it to you.”
McBryde raised his eyebrows24, murmuring: “A bit too finespun. Anyhow, Callendar won’t hear of you seeing her. I’m sorry to say he gave a bad account just now. He says that she is by no means out of danger.”
They were silent. Another card was brought into the office—Hamidullah’s. The opposite army was gathering25.
“I must put this report through now, Fielding.”
“I wish you wouldn’t.”
“How can I not?”
“I feel that things are rather unsatisfactory as well as most disastrous26. We are heading for a most awful smash. I can see your prisoner, I suppose.”
He hesitated. “His own people seem in touch with him all right.”
“Well, when he’s done with them.”
“I wouldn’t keep you waiting; good heavens, you take precedence of any Indian visitor, of course. I meant what’s the good. Why mix yourself up with pitch?”
“I say he’s innocent——”
“Innocence or guilt10, why mix yourself up? What’s the good?”
“Oh, good, good,” he cried, feeling that every earth was being stopped. “One’s got to breathe occasionally, at least I have. I mayn’t see her, and now I mayn’t see him. I promised him to come up here with him to you, but Turton called me off before I could get two steps.”
“Sort of all-white thing the Burra Sahib would do,” he muttered sentimentally27. And trying not to sound patronizing, he stretched his hand over the table, and said: “We shall all have to hang together, old man, I’m afraid. I’m your junior in years, I know, but very much your senior in service; you don’t happen to know this poisonous country as well as I do, and you must take it from me that the general situation is going to be nasty at Chandrapore during the next few weeks, very nasty indeed.”
“So I have just told you.”
“But at a time like this there’s no room for—well—personal views. The man who doesn’t toe the line is lost.”
“I see what you mean.”
“No, you don’t see entirely28. He not only loses himself, he weakens his friends. If you leave the line, you leave a gap in the line. These jackals”—he pointed29 at the lawyers’ cards—“are looking with all their eyes for a gap.”
“Can I visit Aziz?” was his answer.
“No.” Now that he knew of Turton’s attitude, the policeman had no doubts. “You may see him on a magistrate’s order, but on my own responsibility I don’t feel justified30. It might lead to more complications.”
He paused, reflecting that if he had been either ten years younger or ten years longer in India, he would have responded to McBryde’s appeal. The bit between his teeth, he then said, “To whom do I apply for an order?”
“City Magistrate.”
“That sounds comfortable!”
“Yes, one can’t very well worry poor Heaslop.”
More “evidence” appeared at this moment—the table-drawer from Aziz’ bungalow, borne with triumph in a corporal’s arms.
“Photographs of women. Ah!”
“That’s his wife,” said Fielding, wincing31.
“How do you know that?”
“He told me.”
McBryde gave a faint, incredulous smile, and started rummaging32 in the drawer. His face became inquisitive33 and slightly bestial34. “Wife indeed, I know those wives!” he was thinking. Aloud he said: “Well, you must trot35 off now, old man, and the Lord help us, the Lord help us all. . .”
As if his prayer had been heard, there was a sudden rackety-dacket on a temple bell.
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收听单词发音
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1
superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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3
reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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latitude
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| n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区 | |
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magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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6
bungalow
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| n.平房，周围有阳台的木造小平房 | |
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7
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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8
strap
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| n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎 | |
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9
logic
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| n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性 | |
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10
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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adviser
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| n.劝告者，顾问 | |
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12
precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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13
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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delusion
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| n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑 | |
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15
dispositions
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| 安排( disposition的名词复数 )； 倾向； （财产、金钱的）处置； 气质 | |
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16
deposition
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| n.免职，罢官；作证；沉淀；沉淀物 | |
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17
psychology
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| n.心理，心理学，心理状态 | |
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18
edifying
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| adj.有教训意味的，教训性的，有益的v.开导，启发( edify的现在分词 ) | |
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19
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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20
naively
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| adv. 天真地 | |
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21
undesirable
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| adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子 | |
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22
enquire
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| v.打听，询问；调查，查问 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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24
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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25
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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sentimentally
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| adv.富情感地 | |
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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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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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30
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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wincing
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的现在分词 ) | |
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32
rummaging
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| 翻找，搜寻( rummage的现在分词 )； 海关检查 | |
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33
inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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34
bestial
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| adj.残忍的；野蛮的 | |
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35
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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