The prisoner and his counsel, Maître Grosíer, were accommodated with chairs. A formidable guard with resplendent sabre stood before the door. The patient greffier sat at his desk. The examination began.
“Renauld,” began the magistrate2, “do you deny that you were in Merlinville on the night of the crime?”
Jack did not reply at once, then he said with a hesitancy of manner which was piteous:
“I—I—told you that I was in Cherbourg.”
Maître Grosíer frowned and sighed. I realized at once that Jack Renauld was obstinately3 bent4 on conducting his own case as he wished, to the despair of his legal representative.
The magistrate turned sharply.
“Send in the station witnesses.”
In a moment or two the door opened to admit a man whom I recognized as being a porter at Merlinville station.
“You were on duty on the night of June 7th?”
“Yes, monsieur.”
“You witnessed the arrival of the 11:40 train?”
“Yes, monsieur.”
“Look at the prisoner. Do you recognize him as having been one of the passengers to alight?”
“Yes, Monsieur le juge.”
“There is no possibility of your being mistaken?”
“No, monsieur. I knew M. Jack Renauld well.”
“Nor of your being mistaken as to the date?”
“No, monsieur. Because it was the following morning, June 8th, that we heard of the murder.”
Another railway official was brought in, and confirmed the first one’s evidence. The magistrate looked at Jack Renauld.
“These men have identified you positively5. What have you to say?”
“Nothing.”
M. Hautet exchanged a glance with the greffier, as the scratching of the latter’s pen recorded the answer.
“Renauld,” continued the magistrate, “do you recognize this?”
He took something from the table by his side, and held it out to the prisoner. I shuddered7 as I recognized the aeroplane dagger8.
“Pardon,” cried Maître Grosíer. “I demand to speak to my client before he answers that question.”
But Jack Renauld had no consideration for the feelings of the wretched Grosíer. He waved him aside, and replied quietly:
“Certainly I recognize it. It is a present given by me to my mother, as a souvenir of the War.”
“Is there, as far as you know, any duplicate of that dagger in existence?”
“Not that I know of. The setting was my own design.”
Even the magistrate almost gasped10 at the boldness of the reply. It did, in very truth, seem as though Jack was rushing on his fate. I realized, of course, the vital necessity he was under of concealing11, for Bella’s sake, the fact that there was a duplicate dagger in the case. So long as there was supposed to be only one weapon, no suspicion was likely to attach to the girl who had had the second paper-knife in her possession. He was valiantly12 shielding the woman he had once loved—but at what a cost to himself! I began to realize the magnitude of the task I had so lightly set Poirot. It would not be easy to secure the acquittal of Jack Renauld, by anything short of the truth.
“Madame Renauld told us that this dagger was on her dressing14 table on the night of the crime. But Madame Renauld is a mother! It will doubtless astonish you, Renauld, but I consider it highly likely that Madame Renauld was mistaken, and that, by inadvertence perhaps, you had taken it with you to Paris. Doubtless you will contradict me—”
I saw the lad’s handcuffed hands clench15 themselves. The perspiration16 stood out in beads17 upon his brow, as with a supreme18 effort he interrupted M. Hautet in a hoarse19 voice:
“I shall not contradict you. It is possible.”
It was a stupefying moment. Maître Grosíer rose to his feet, protesting:
“My client has undergone a considerable nervous strain. I should wish it put on record that I do not consider him answerable for what he says.”
The magistrate quelled20 him angrily. For a moment a doubt seemed to arise in his own mind. Jack Renauld had almost overdone21 his part. He leaned forward, and gazed at the prisoner searchingly.
“Do you fully22 understand, Renauld, that on the answers you have given me I shall have no alternative but to commit you for trial?”
“M. Hautet, I swear that I did not kill my father.”
But the magistrate’s brief moment of doubt was over. He laughed a short, unpleasant laugh.
“Without doubt, without doubt—they are always innocent, our prisoners! By your own mouth you are condemned24. You can offer no defence, no alibi—only a mere25 assertion which would not deceive a babe!—that you are not guilty. You killed your father, Renauld—cruel and cowardly murder—for the sake of money which you believed would come to you at his death. Your mother was an accessory after the fact. Doubtless, in view of the fact that she acted as a mother, the courts will extend an indulgence to her that they will not accord to you. And rightly so! Your crime was a horrible one—to be held in abhorrence26 by gods and men!” M. Hautet was enjoying himself, working up his period, steeped in the solemnity of the moment, and his own role as representative of justice. “You killed—and you must pay the consequences of your action. I speak to you, not as a man, but as Justice, eternal Justice, which—”
“Who says what?” cried the justly incensed29 magistrate. “This is highly irregular. I forbid it—I absolutely forbid it.”
But a slender figure pushed the stammering30 gendarme31 aside. Dressed all in black, with a long veil that hid her face, she advanced into the room.
My heart gave a sickening throb32. She had come then! All my efforts were in vain. Yet I could not but admire the courage that had led her to take this step so unfalteringly.
She raised her veil—and I gasped. For, though as like her as two peas, this girl was not Cinderella! On the other hand, now that I saw her without the fair wig33 she had worn on the stage, I recognized her as the girl of the photograph in Jack Renauld’s room.
“Yes, but I forbid—”
“My name is Bella Duveen. I wish to give myself up for the murder of Mr. Renauld.”
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1
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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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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obstinately
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| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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dagger
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| n.匕首，短剑，剑号 | |
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overrode
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| 越控( override的过去式 )； （以权力）否决； 优先于； 比…更重要 | |
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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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11
concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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valiantly
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| adv.勇敢地，英勇地；雄赳赳 | |
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13
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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14
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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15
clench
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| vt.捏紧（拳头等），咬紧（牙齿等），紧紧握住 | |
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perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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18
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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quelled
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| v.（用武力）制止，结束，镇压( quell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21
overdone
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| v.做得过分( overdo的过去分词 )；太夸张；把…煮得太久；（工作等）过度 | |
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22
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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23
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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24
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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25
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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26
abhorrence
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| n.憎恶；可憎恶的事 | |
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27
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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28
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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29
incensed
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| 盛怒的 | |
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30
stammering
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的现在分词 ) | |
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31
gendarme
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| n.宪兵 | |
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32
throb
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| v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动 | |
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wig
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| n.假发 | |
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queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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