"I think I see it all," said Dowker, musingly6. "She was to have met Lord Calliston on that night to go down by the nine train, but went to the ball first to avoid suspicion. He got tired of waiting for her, and went off to The Pink 'Un.' She would have let him know her plans by telegram, and called at his rooms after the ball to explain. He was away and did not get the telegram, so when she arrived at the rooms she found Desmond. He tried to persuade her to go back; she refuses, and after some angry words goes out in a rage, stays all night somewhere, and goes down to Shoreham in the morning, but all this does not explain Lena Sarschine's death. It can't be possible that Lady Balscombe killed her--no, it can't be that--there is no connection between the two."
He ran over in his mind the principal items of the conversation as reported by Flip, and his thoughts took a new turn.
"Lady Balscombe did not leave her house in Park Lane till after midnight, so that would not have given her time to be at Lord Calliston's chambers7 and have an interview with Desmond, therefore it cannot have been her. I wish I could find out the name of the Woman who saw Desmond, and I'd also like to know the name of the woman who saw Lady Balscombe on that night, and discover what was the exact time Lady Balscombe left the house--let me see."
He took out his note-book, and wrote the following memoranda8:
1. To find out name of woman who called at Calliston's chambers on Monday (night of murder) between eleven and twelve.
This could only be proved by Myles Desmond himself, as Mrs. Povy asserted it was Lena Sarschine, and Desmond denied it; therefore there was a dead-lock--affirmation and denial.
Memo3.--To see Desmond and find out name of visitor.
2. To ascertain9 appearance and, if possible, name of woman who visited Lady Balscombe on night of murder, as it might possibly have some bearing on case.
A servant in Lady Balscombe's house could probably furnish this information.
Memo--To try and find out said servant.
3. To discover exact time Lady Balscombe left her house on Tuesday morning, also ascertain subsequent movements. This would also have to be discovered through a servant--as to finding out subsequent movements, discover, if possible, train she left London by, and what she did between time of leaving her house and leaving by train.
Memo.--These discoveries must be left to future developments of case.
4. To find out what has become of missing dagger10.
Possibly this might be discovered in Desmond's possession.
Mem.--Search his room--secretly--employ agent--say Flip.
5. To search out early life of Lena Sarschine!
Might be discovered in a small measure from Lydia Fenny11, who, being confidential12 maid, might possibly have gathered information from casual remarks.
Mem.--To see Lydia Fenny.
Having thus arranged his plan of action satisfactorily, Dowker turned his attention to Number four of his memoranda, and proceeded to tell Flip what he wanted him to do.
"You see this?" asked Dowker, showing Flip the dagger he had abstracted from Cleopatra Villa13.
Flip intimated by a vigorous nod of his head that he did.
"I've got an idea," explained Dowker smoothly14, "that a dagger very similar to this is to be found in the possession of Mr. Myles Desmond, the gentleman you saw to-day, so I want you by some means to get into his rooms and find out if it's there."
Flip screwed his face into a look of profound thought, and then smiled in a satisfied manner.
"I'll do it, Guv'nor," he said, sagaciously.
"How?" asked Dowker, curious to learn how this juvenile15 detective proposed to deal with the problem.
"I'll doss on his doorstep to-night," said Flip, "and when he comes 'ome do a 'perish'--you knows"--in an explanatory tone--"say I'm dyin' for victuals--'e'll take me inside, and when I gits there you leave me alone, guv'nor, I'm fly!"
"Well, you can manage it as you please," said Dowker. "But don't you prick16 yourself with it, as it's poisoned, and Flip, if you bring me this dagger without him knowing about it, I'll give you half a sov."
"Done, Guv'nor!" said Flip, joyfully17, and bidding adieu to his patron, went off to get something to eat and prepare his plan of action.
It was now about six o'clock and very dark, the sky being overcast18 with clouds. Soon it began to rain steadily19, and the streets became sloppy20 and dismal21. Flip drew his rags round him, shivered a little in a professional manner, and then, going off to a cook-shop he patronised in Drury Lane, had a hunch22 of bread and a steaming cup of coffee for a small sum.
Being thus prepared for his work, Flip wiped his mouth, and, sallying forth23 into the dirty Lane, took his way up to Bloomsbury, combining business with pleasure by begging on the road.
Turning into Primrose24 Crescent, he soon found the house he wanted, and curling himself up on the doorstep, waited patiently for chance to deliver Myles into his designing hands.
The rain continued to pour down steadily, and as it was now dark Flip could see the windows all along the street being lighted up. The gas-lamps also shone brightly through the rain, and were reflected in dull, blurred25 splashes on the pavements. Occasionally a gentleman would hurry past with his umbrella up, and a ragged26 tramp would slouch along singing a dismal ditty. It was dreary27 waiting, but Flip was used to such times, and sat quite contented28, thinking how he could lay out his promised half-sovereign to the best advantage, till his quick ear caught the sound of footsteps inside.
This was his cue, so he immediately lay down on the wet stones, and commenced to moan dismally29: Myles opened the door, and would have stumbled over him, for he was right in front of the entrance after the fashion of the clown in the pantomime, only he caught sight of him in time.
"Hullo," said Myles crossly, "what the deuce is the matter?"
Flip made no reply to this, but groaned30 with renewed vigour31, upon which Desmond, who was a kind-hearted man, bent32 down and touched the ragged little figure.
"Are you ill?" he asked gently.
"Oh, lor'--awful--my insides," groaned Flip pressing his dirty hands on his stomach. "Ain't 'ad a bit for days."
Myles was doubtful as to the genuineness of this case as he knew how deceptive33 tramps are, but as the poor lad did seem in pain, and it was raining heavily, he determined34 to give him the benefit of the doubt.
"Can you rise?" he asked sharply, "if so get up and come inside. I'll give you something to do you good."
With many groans35 and asseverations of extreme pain Flip struggled to his feet, and aided by Myles went inside, up the stairs, and was at last safely deposited on the hearthrug in front of the fire, where he lay and groaned with great dramatic effect.
"I'll give you some hot port wine," said Myles, going to the sideboard and taking out a glass and a bottle, "so I'll have to go downstairs and get some hot water--you wait here."
Flip groaned again and gyrated on the floor like a young eel36; but when the door had closed behind his benefactor37, he sprang to his feet and took a survey of the room.
It was a large and lofty apartment, with a pair of folding doors on one side, which being half open showed Flip that the other room was a bed-room.
There was a sideboard in the sitting-room38 and near this a writing-table, towards which Flip darted39 and commenced to turn over the papers rapidly with the idea of finding the dagger hidden underneath40.
Nothing however rewarded his efforts, and though he looked into the sideboard, examined the book-case and lifted up the covers of the chairs, he found no sign of the weapon.
"Must be in the bed-room," thought Flip, scratching his head in perplexity and wondering how he could get in, when suddenly it occurred to him that he had not examined the mantel-piece.
There was not a moment to be lost, as Myles might return at any moment, so in a second Flip scrambled41 up on a chair, and was eagerly looking among the ornaments42 on the mantel-piece.
There was a mirror framed in tarnished43 gold, and in front of this a tawdry French clock under a glass shade, two Dresden china figures simpering at one another, and two tall green vases at each end. Flip saw nothing of what he wanted till he peered into one of these vases, when he saw something looking like steel, and drew forth a slender shining blade with no handle.
"Wonder if this is what the guy'nor wants," he said to himself, turning it over gingerly, "tain't got no 'andle."
He thought for a moment, and then, as he had been so lucky with one vase looked into the other, and found a cross handle--he joined the two and they fitted perfectly44. Being certain this was what Dowker wanted, he was thinking how he could take it, when he heard Myles ascending45 the stairs. Jumping down he hid the broken blade and the handle securely among his rags, being very careful not to prick himself as he remembered Dowker's warning about the poison, then he lay down on the hearthrug again, and was groaning46 loudly when Myles entered with the hot water.
"Feeling bad?" asked Myles sympathetically, pouring out some port wine.
"Awful," groaned Flip feeling not a bit of compunction at the treacherous47 part he was playing. "It's cold I think--cold and 'unger."
"Here drink this," said Desmond, kneeling down beside him, and giving him the steaming tumbler. "It will do you good."
"Thanks, guv'nor," said Flip gratefully, feeling if the broken blade was all safe, "it 'ull warm me up."
Desmond lighted his pipe and sat watching the ragged little Arab drinking the hot wine, never thinking for a moment that he was nourishing a viper48--a viper that would turn and sting him. Honest himself, he never suspected wrong-doing in others, and while succouring this outcast he did not know he was doing an evil thing for himself.
After Flip had finished the wine he declared he felt better, and with many asseverations of gratitude49 took leave of his benefactor.
"Poor little devil!" said Desmond as he closed the door and saw the ragged little urchin50 scudding51 away into the darkness, "he seemed very bad--well I've done one good action, so perhaps it will bring me a reward."
It did, and the reward was that next morning Myles Desmond of Bloomsbury, journalist, was arrested for the murder of Lena Sarschine.
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收听单词发音
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1
flip
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| vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的 | |
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tenacious
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| adj.顽强的，固执的，记忆力强的，粘的 | |
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memo
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| n.照会，备忘录；便笺；通知书；规章 | |
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dictated
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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musingly
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| adv.沉思地，冥想地 | |
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chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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memoranda
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| n. 备忘录, 便条 名词memorandum的复数形式 | |
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9
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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dagger
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| n.匕首，短剑，剑号 | |
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fenny
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| adj.沼泽的；沼泽多的；长在沼泽地带的；住在沼泽地的 | |
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confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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villa
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| n.别墅，城郊小屋 | |
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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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juvenile
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| n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的 | |
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16
prick
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| v.刺伤，刺痛，刺孔；n.刺伤，刺痛 | |
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17
joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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18
overcast
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| adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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sloppy
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| adj.邋遢的，不整洁的 | |
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21
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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22
hunch
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| n.预感，直觉 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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primrose
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| n.樱草，最佳部分， | |
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25
blurred
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| v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离 | |
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26
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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28
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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dismally
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| adv.阴暗地，沉闷地 | |
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30
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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31
vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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32
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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33
deceptive
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| adj.骗人的，造成假象的，靠不住的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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35
groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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36
eel
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| n.鳗鲡 | |
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37
benefactor
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| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
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38
sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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39
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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40
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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41
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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42
ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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43
tarnished
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| （通常指金属）（使）失去光泽，（使）变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 )； 玷污，败坏 | |
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44
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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45
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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46
groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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47
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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48
viper
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| n.毒蛇；危险的人 | |
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49
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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50
urchin
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| n.顽童；海胆 | |
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51
scudding
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| n.刮面v.（尤指船、舰或云彩）笔直、高速而平稳地移动( scud的现在分词 ) | |
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