To avert2 all suspicion, she rode to Selling on her bicycle, and there caught the early train to London. Resolved on economy, she purchased a third-class ticket, and had just time to stumble into a carriage before the train started. Then she became aware that she had but one companion in the compartment--a man. He turned his head as the train began to move, and she saw with astonishment3 and some annoyance4 that it was Mr. Pride. "Never mind," she thought, returning his greeting with a stiff nod; "he can tell Joad on his return if he pleases. It will then be too late for the old man to do anything, as I shall have seen Lady Burville."
Like Joad, this man was another protégé of Edermont's, who had procured5 for him a small post in a private school at Chillum. Pride was not unlike his late patron, being short and insignificant-looking, with a white beard, hardly so luxuriant as that of Edermont, and silvery-white hair. In the distance the resemblance was striking, but a closer inspection6 showed the difference between the two men, as Pride was plump and rosy7, with mild eyes and a good-natured smile. He rubbed one fat hand over the over, and saluted8 Miss Carew in his usual cheery fashion.
"I am glad to see you looking so well, Miss Carew," he said brightly. "You go to London?"
"Only for the day, Mr. Pride," replied Dora coldly.
"Ah! no doubt you wish to get away from those pests who swarm9 round the Red House in the hope of gaining a fortune."
"Those amateur detectives?" said Dora quietly; "do you think they will discover the truth?"
"Who knows?" was Pride's reply; "they will do their best to do so. Fifty thousand pounds is worth the earning."
Dora considered for a moment, then turned on him suddenly.
"You were at Canterbury on the night the murder was committed?"
"Till close on eleven," returned Pride easily; "then I walked back to Chillum."
"And you went into Mr. Joad's house?"
"I did. I was with him at one o'clock."
"Did you meet anyone on a bicycle as you walked to Chillum from Canterbury?"
"Why," replied the schoolmaster after a moment's pause, "I met two people, and each rode a bicycle. One, a man, was riding towards Chillum; the other, a woman, was making for Canterbury."
"Did you know who they were?"
"I, my dear Miss Carew!" said Pride in great surprise--"why, no. I took no particular notice of them, in the first place; and in the second, they flitted along so swiftly and noiselessly that I was hardly aware of their passing."
"I--am--afraid--not," said Pride slowly. "I knew Mr. Edermont well; but there was nothing in his past life likely to endanger his safety."
"I knew that, Miss Carew. Monomania, my dear lady--monomania."
"It could not be monomania if it came true," said Dora impetuously.
"Why not?" replied Pride in an argumentative tone. "Monomania is the dwelling16 on one particular idea until it fills the thoughts and life of the thinker. Mr. Edermont may have had reason to suppose that his life was in danger; but the original cause may have passed away. Nevertheless, the habit may have continued; and so," added Pride with a shrug17, "we may reasonably ascribe our friend's death to a creature of his imagination."
"Your argument is weak," replied Dora spiritedly. "Mr. Edermont believed that he would die a violent death, and what he believed came to pass. That does away with all your sophistries18."
"How do you know that?"
"Joad told me. We were discussing the possibility of the existence of this unknown enemy whom Mr. Edermont feared; and Joad mentioned that Mr. Pallant had set that fear at rest."
"Do you mean to say that Mr. Pallant told him his enemy was dead?"
"Joad thought that such was the case."
"Then you must see," cried Dora triumphantly20, "that such a supposition does away with your theory of monomania. Evidently Mr. Edermont's fear was founded on no fancy, but on fact."
"Well, I will agree with you for the sake of argument;" said Pride hastily; "but granted that all you say is true, it brings us no nearer the solution of the mystery. Admitting that the enemy whom Mr. Edermont feared really existed: if such enemy died, as we suppose Mr. Pallant told our poor friend, who killed him, and verified his lifelong prediction that he would come to a violent end?"
"I understand your meaning," was Dora's reply; "but I do not think all the talking in the world will aid us to discover the actual assassin. What is your belief, Mr. Pride?"
"I cannot say that I have any particular belief, Miss Carew. These criminal problems are too intricate for me."
"Don't you wish to earn the reward?"
"I should not mind doing so," replied Pride, with a good-natured laugh. "No man in his senses would lose the chance of gaining fifty thousand pounds. All the same, I am not clever enough to win it. I do not see where to begin."
"Do you think that the manuscript in the bureau was the motive for the crime?"
"No. Why should anyone have killed Mr. Edermont to gain a worthless manuscript?"
"It might not have been worthless to the assassin," objected Dora; "it contained the story of Mr. Edermont's past life."
"But what has his past life to do with his violent death?"
"Everything. You forget that Mr. Edermont believed himself to be a threatened man."
"And so we get back to the starting-point of our argument!" laughed Pride.
Dora laughed also; and, finding that they were arguing in a circle, changed that particular line of conversation.
"You knew Mr. Edermont well?" she asked, after a pause.
"Yes--for quite fifteen years. He was very good to me, and helped me to the post I now hold."
"Did you know Mr. Edermont at Christchurch?"
"Christchurch?" repeated Pride slowly. "No; I did not know him then. Did he live there?"
Evidently there was nothing to be learnt from Pride. His knowledge of Edermont only extended back fifteen years; and Dora believed that the motive of the crime was to be found as far back as twenty. Moreover, if he knew anything conclusive22, he would be certain to utilize23 it for his own benefit, and thus gain the reward. Under these circumstances Dora hardly regarded Pride in the light of an important factor in the course she was pursuing, and took no further notice of him from that point of view. They chatted on indifferent subjects until the train arrived at Victoria Station. Here Pride took his leave, and Dora went forward on her mission.
Jersey24 Place was easily found by asking a convenient policeman. Dora was impressed with the magnificence of the houses and by the aristocratic seclusion25 of the square. If possible, No. 22 was even more imposing26 than the surrounding mansions27, and as Dora rang the bell she could not help thinking that she was undertaking28 a difficult task. Here was a rich and titled lady, evidently a power in society, fenced round, as it were, by wealth and position. Yet she proposed to accuse this powerful personage of a crime; she intended to save her lover at the cost of casting down this formidable goddess from her pedestal. It was a dangerous, almost a hopeless, task, but Dora did not shrink from its fulfilment. Too much depended upon the issue of the coming interview for her to retreat at the eleventh hour.
She was introduced by the footman into a small anteroom on the left of the entrance-hall, and there she remained while he took her card up to Lady Burville. In a few moments he returned with the information that his mistress would see her. Dora followed the man upstairs, and was shown into the drawing-room. It was empty at the moment, and she had ample leisure to survey the splendid room, and its still more splendid furniture. The apartment was sumptuous29 in the extreme. Everything that art and luxury could supply was gathered together between these four walls. The East and the West had contributed to adorn30 this house. It was more like a palace than the residence of a private person, and gave Dora large ideas of the wealth of Sir John Burville.
His portrait--as she guessed--hung in a conspicuous31 part of the room. A strong, burly man he appeared to be, with a shrewd, coarse face. Parvenu32 was writ33 large on his whole personality, and Dora could guess from his lowering looks that he possessed34 a violent temper. The portrait was not prepossessing, and she left it to look at the picture of a frail35 and delicate woman. This, without doubt, was Lady Burville, and her suspicion was confirmed in a few minutes, for as she was contemplating36 the portrait the door opened to admit the original.
Lady Burville was small, slender, and usually as daintily tinted37 as a statuette of Dresden china. But at the present moment her face was pale, and her eyes, filled with alarm, looked apprehensively38 at Dora from under the loose fringe of her golden hair. Arrayed in a tea-gown of some white filmy material, she looked like a ghost as she glided39 towards the girl. Dora put these terrified looks down to a secret knowledge of her guilt40, and believed in her own mind that Lady Burville had really slain41 Mr. Edermont. But again, she thought, it was impossible that so frail a creature could have struck so deadly a blow. Yet, why was she so terrified?
"Miss Carew, I believe?" said Lady Burville, trying to smile with white lips. "Will you not be seated?"
"No, thank you, Lady Burville," replied Dora stiffly. "I am obliged to you for granting me this interview."
"I was his ward, Lady Burville."
"Yes, yes; how stupid of me! I forgot about that terrible murder."
Dora deliberately42 produced the pearl brooch from her pocket, and held it out towards the other.
"Perhaps this will refresh your memory?" she said slowly.
"My brooch!" said Lady Burville in surprise. "How did you come by it? How did you find it?"
"I did not find it, but Dr. Scott did."
"Really! Where?"
"On the floor of the room in which Mr. Edermont was killed."
Lady Burville's face turned even whiter than it was before.
"I can explain," continued Dora pitilessly. "You visited the Red House on the night of the second of August; you dropped this brooch there, and you there killed my guardian."
"No, no! I--I did not! Who dares to say such a thing?"
"I dare," said Dora calmly. "I say it again. You killed Mr. Edermont."
"The proof of this brooch; the evidence of Dr. Scott, who met you returning from the Red House. You need not deny it, Lady Burville. I believe you to be guilty, and I shall denounce you."
"No, no! You cannot--you dare not!"
"Why?"
Lady Burville fell at her feet in a passion of tears.
"I am your mother," she cried, "your unhappy mother!"
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收听单词发音
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1
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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3
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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4
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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5
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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6
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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7
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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8
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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9
swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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10
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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11
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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12
scruple
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| n./v.顾忌，迟疑 | |
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13
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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14
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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15
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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16
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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17
shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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18
sophistries
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| n.诡辩术( sophistry的名词复数 )；（一次）诡辩 | |
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19
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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20
triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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conclusive
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| adj.最后的，结论的；确凿的，消除怀疑的 | |
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23
utilize
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| vt.使用，利用 | |
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jersey
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| n.运动衫 | |
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25
seclusion
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| n.隐遁，隔离 | |
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imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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27
mansions
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| n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 ) | |
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undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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29
sumptuous
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| adj.豪华的，奢侈的，华丽的 | |
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adorn
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| vt.使美化，装饰 | |
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31
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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32
parvenu
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| n.暴发户，新贵 | |
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33
writ
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| n.命令状，书面命令 | |
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34
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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35
frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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36
contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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37
tinted
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| adj. 带色彩的 动词tint的过去式和过去分词 | |
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38
apprehensively
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| adv.担心地 | |
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39
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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40
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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41
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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42
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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43
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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