T. X. folded the telegram very carefully and slipped it into hiswaistcoat pocket.
He favoured the newcomer with a little bow and taking upon himselfthe honours of the establishment, pushed a chair to his visitor.
"I think you know my name," said Kara easily, "I am a friend ofpoor Lexman's.""So I am told," said T. X.,"but don't let your friendship forLexman prevent your sitting down."For a moment the Greek was nonplussed1 and then, with a littlesmile and bow, he seated himself by the writing table.
"I am very distressed2 at this happening," he went on, "and I ammore distressed because I feel that as I introduced Lexman to thisunfortunate man, I am in a sense responsible.""If I were you," said T. X., leaning back in the chair and lookinghalf questioningly and half earnestly into the face of the other,"I shouldn't let that fact keep me awake at night. Most peopleare murdered as a result of an introduction. The cases wherepeople murder total strangers are singularly rare. That I thinkis due to the insularity3 of our national character."Again the other was taken back and puzzled by the flippancy4 of theman from whom he had expected at least the official manner.
"When did you see Mr. Vassalaro last?" asked T. X. pleasantly.
Kara raised his eyes as though considering.
"I think it must have been nearly a week ago.""Think again," said T. X.
For a second the Greek started and again relaxed into a smile.
"I am afraid," he began.
"Don't worry about that," said T. X.,"but let me ask you thisquestion. You were here last night when Mr. Lexman received aletter. That he did receive a letter, there is considerableevidence," he said as he saw the other hesitate, "because we havethe supporting statements of the servant and the postman.""I was here," said the other, deliberately5, "and I was presentwhen Mr. Lexman received a letter."T. X. nodded.
"A letter written on some brownish paper and rather bulky," hesuggested.
Again there was that momentary6 hesitation7.
"I would not swear to the color of the paper or as to the bulk ofthe letter," he said.
"I should have thought you would," suggested T. X.,"because yousee, you burnt the envelope, and I presumed you would have noticedthat.""I have no recollection of burning any envelope," said the othereasily.
"At any rate," T. X. went on, "when Mr. Lexman read this letterout to you . . .""To which letter are you referring?" asked the other, with a liftof his eyebrows8.
"Mr. Lexman received a threatening letter," repeated T. X.
patiently, "which he read out to you, and which was addressed tohim by Vassalaro. This letter was handed to you and you alsoread it. Mr. Lexman to your knowledge put the letter in his safe- in a steel drawer."The other shook his head, smiling gently.
"I am afraid you've made a great mistake," he said almostapologetically, "though I have a recollection of his receiving aletter, I did not read it, nor was it read to me."The eyes of T. X. narrowed to the very slits9 and his voice becamemetallic and hard.
"And if I put you into the box, will you swear, that you did notsee that letter, nor read it, nor have it read to you, and thatyou have no knowledge whatever of such a letter having beenreceived by Mr. Lexman?""Most certainly," said the other coolly.
"Would you swear that you have not seen Vassalaro for a week?""Certainly," smiled the Greek.
"That you did not in fact see him last night," persisted T. X.,"and interview him on the station platform at Lewes, that you didnot after leaving him continue on your way to London and then turnyour car and return to the neighbourhood of Beston Tracey?"The Greek was white to the lips, but not a muscle of his facemoved.
"Will you also swear," continued T. X. inexorably, "that you didnot stand at the corner of what is known as Mitre's Lot andre-enter a gate near to the side where your car was, and that youdid not watch the whole tragedy?""I'd swear to that," Kara's voice was strained and cracked.
"Would you also swear as to the hour of your arrival in London?""Somewhere in the region of ten or eleven," said the Greek.
T. X. smiled.
"Would you swear that you did not go through Guilford at half-pasttwelve and pull up to replenish10 your petrol?"The Greek had now recovered his self-possession and rose.
"You are a very clever man, Mr. Meredith - I think that is yourname?""That is my name," said T. X. calmly. "There has been, no needfor me to change it as often as you have found the necessity."He saw the fire blazing in the other's eyes and knew that his shothad gone home.
"I am afraid I must go," said Kara. "I came here intending to seeMrs. Lexman, and I had no idea that I should meet a policeman.""My dear Mr. Kara," said T. X.,rising and lighting11 a cigarette,"you will go through life enduring that unhappy experience.""What do you mean?""Just what I say. You will always be expecting to meet oneperson, and meeting another, and unless you are very fortunateindeed, that other will always be a policeman."His eyes twinkled for he had recovered from the gust12 of angerwhich had swept through him.
"There are two pieces of evidence I require to save Mr. Lexmanfrom very serious trouble," he said, "the first of these is theletter which was burnt, as you know.""Yes," said Kara.
T. X. leant across the desk.
"How did you know" he snapped.
"Somebody told me, I don't know who it was.""That's not true," replied T. X.; "nobody knows except myself andMrs. Lexman.""But my dear good fellow," said Kara, pulling on his gloves, "youhave already asked me whether I didn't burn the letter.""I said envelope," said T. X.,with a little laugh.
"And you were going to say something about the other clue?""The other is the revolver," said T. X.
"Mr. Lexman's revolver!" drawled the Greek.
"That we have," said T. X. shortly. "What we want is the weaponwhich the Greek had when he threatened Mr. Lexman.""There, I'm afraid I cannot help you."Kara walked to the door and T. X. followed.
"I think I will see Mrs. Lexman.""I think not," said T. X.
The other turned with a sneer13.
"Have you arrested her, too?" he asked.
"Pull yourself together!" said T. X. coarsely. He escorted Karato his waiting limousine14.
"You have a new chauffeur15 to-night, I observe," he said.
Kara towering with rage stepped daintily into the car.
"If you are writing to the other you might give him my love," saidT. X.,"and make most tender enquiries after his mother. Iparticularly ask this.
Kara said nothing until the car was out of earshot then he layback on the down cushions and abandoned himself to a paroxysm ofrage and blasphemy16.
收听单词发音 |
1
nonplussed
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| adj.不知所措的，陷于窘境的v.使迷惑( nonplus的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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insularity
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| n.心胸狭窄；孤立；偏狭；岛国根性 | |
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flippancy
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| n.轻率；浮躁；无礼的行动 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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8
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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9
slits
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| n.狭长的口子，裂缝( slit的名词复数 )v.切开，撕开( slit的第三人称单数 )；在…上开狭长口子 | |
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replenish
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| vt.补充；(把…)装满；(再)填满 | |
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11
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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gust
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| n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发 | |
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13
sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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14
limousine
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| n.豪华轿车 | |
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15
chauffeur
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| n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车 | |
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16
blasphemy
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| n.亵渎，渎神 | |
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