"I hope you don't mind," she said, "but I should like you to see my maid. It may be nothing but a passing fit of hysteria, but I never saw her so nervous before. She went to the village on an errand this afternoon, and when she came back she told me she had been frightened by two large monkeys in the pine wood behind the house. She said that they vanished in a most extraordinary way. I should have put the whole thing down to sheer imagination if I had not known that some animals have escaped recently from the circus at Castlebridge."
"It is possible the girl spoke3 the truth," said Wilfrid, with a coolness he was far from feeling, "but I will see her with pleasure. I daresay if I prescribe something soothing4 you can send into Oldborough and get it made up."
Wilfrid returned by and by with the information that there was nothing the matter with the maid and that her story seemed clear and coherent. There was no time for further discussion, as Flower came forward and enlisted5 Wilfrid to make up a hand at bridge. The house was looking at its best and brightest now. All the brilliantly lighted rooms were filled with a stream of gaily6 dressed guests. The click of the balls came from the billiard-room. It seemed hard to associate a scene like this, the richest flower of the joie de vivre, with the shadow of impending7 tragedy, and yet it lurked8 in every corner and was even shouting its warning aloud in Wilfrid's ears. And only a few short hours ago everything was smooth, humdrum9, monotonous10.
"I hope you are not in any hurry to leave," Flower murmured as he piloted Wilfrid to the card table. "Most of these chattering idiots will be gone by eleven, and there is something that I have to say to you."
"I shall be at your service," Wilfrid said. "I will stay as long as you please. In any case I should like to have another look at your hand before I go."
Flower turned away apparently11 satisfied and made his way back to the billiard-room. For a couple of hours and more the guests stayed enjoying themselves until, at length, they began to dribble12 away, and with one solitary13 exception the card tables were broken up. Wilfrid lingered in the hall as if admiring the pictures, until it seemed that he was the last guest. It was a little awkward, for Flower had disappeared and Beatrice was not to be seen. She came presently and held out her hand.
"I am very tired," she said. "My uncle wants to see you before you go and I know you will excuse me. But I hope we shall not lose sight of one another again. I hope you will be a visitor at the Grange. Please tell your mother for me that I will come and call upon her in a day or two."
"Is it worth while?" Wilfrid asked somewhat sadly. "We are poor and struggling, you know, so poor that this display of luxury and wealth almost stifles14 me."
"We have always been such good friends," Beatrice murmured.
"I hope we always shall be," Wilfrid replied. "I think you know what my feelings are. But this is neither the time nor place to speak of them."
He turned away afraid to say more. Perhaps Beatrice understood, for a pleasant smile lighted up her face and the colour deepened in her cheeks. At the same moment Flower came out of the library. He glanced suspiciously from one to the other. Little escaped those keen eyes.
"You had better go to bed, Beatrice," he said abruptly15. "I have some business with Mr. Mercer. Let us talk it over in the billiard-room. I can't ask you in the library because my man Cotter will be busy there for the next half-hour."
In spite of his curtness16 it was evident that Flower was restless and ill at ease. His hand shook as he poured out the whisky and soda17, and his fingers twitched18 as he passed the cigarettes.
"I am going to ask you a question," he said. "You recollect19 what you told us this afternoon about that Borneo incident—about the man whom you found dead in such extraordinary circumstances. I couldn't put it to you more plainly this afternoon before my niece, but it struck me that you knew more than you cared to say. Did you tell us everything?"
"Really, I assure you there is no more to be said," Wilfrid exclaimed. "The victim was practically a stranger to me, and I should have known nothing about it if I had not been fetched. I am as puzzled now as I was then."
Flower's brows knitted with disappointment.
"I am sorry to hear that," he said. "I thought perhaps you had formed some clue or theory that might account for the man's death."
"I assure you, nothing," Wilfrid said. "I made a most careful examination of the body; in fact, I went so far as to make a post-mortem. I could find nothing wrong except a certain amount of congestion20 of the brain which I attributed then and do still to the victim's dissipated habits. Every organ of the body was sound. All things considered, the poor fellow's blood was in a remarkably21 healthy state. I spared no pains."
"Then he might have died a natural death?"
"No," Wilfrid said firmly. "I am sure he didn't. I am convinced that the man was murdered in some way, though I don't believe that any surgeon could have put his hand upon the instrument used or have indicated the vital spot which was affected22. I admit that I should have allowed the matter to pass if I had not found that strange piece of string knotted round the brows. It would be absurd to argue that the string was the cause of death, but I fancy that it was a symbol or a warning of much the same sort that the conspirators23 in the olden days used when they pinned rough drawings of a skull24 and crossbones to the breasts of their victims."
Flower was listening with his whole mind concentrated upon the speaker's words. He seemed as if he were about to ask some further question, when he changed his mind. From the breast-pocket of his dress-coat he produced a letter, and from it extracted a piece of knotted string.
"Of course you recognize this?" he asked.
"I do," Wilfrid said. "It is the piece which Miss Galloway picked up this afternoon."
"Well, then it isn't," Flower said with a snarl25. "This is another piece altogether. I hold in my hand, as you see, a letter. This letter was sent me from Borneo by one of my agents. It is connected with a highly complicated and delicate piece of business, the secret of which is known only to my agent, to my secretary and myself. The letter is written in cypher in my agent's own handwriting. I know that from the time it was written to the time it was posted it was never out of his hand. It reached me with every seal intact, and yet, neatly26 coiled up inside, was the identical piece of string which you are looking at now. I should like to know, Dr. Mercer, how you account for that."
"I couldn't," said Wilfrid. "Nobody could explain such an extraordinary occurrence. Of course, there is a chance that your agent himself might——"
"Nothing of the kind," Flower put in. "He is not that sort of man. Besides, if he had been, there must have been some explanation in the letter, whereas the thing is not alluded27 to at all. Frankly28, I am disappointed that you can give me no further information. But I will not detain you longer."
"One moment," Wilfrid said. "I must have a look at your hand before I go. It is as well to be on the safe side."
"One moment," Flower said. "I'll see if my man Cotter has finished, then I will come back to you."
Wilfrid was not sorry to be alone, for this was fresh material for his already bewildered thoughts. There was danger pressing here, but from what quarter, and why, it was impossible to determine. Yet he was convinced the hand of tragedy was upon the house, and that all Flower's wealth, all his costly29 possessions, would never save him from the shadow of the coming trouble. This pomp and ostentation30, these beautiful chairs and tables and carpets and pictures, were no more than a hollow mockery.
Time was creeping on and yet Flower did not return. The hands of the clock over the billiard-room mantelpiece moved onwards till the hour of twelve struck, and still Flower made no sign. It seemed to Wilfrid that the subtle odours of the blooms which lined the hall and overflowed31 into the billiard-room were changing their scent32, that the clear light thrown by the electrics was merging33 to a misty34 blue. He felt as if a great desire to sleep had overtaken him. He closed his eyes and lay back. Where had he smelt35 that perfume?
He jumped to his feet with a start. With a throbbing36 head he darted37 for the window. He knew now what it was—the same pungent38, acrid39 smell those men were making in their fire under the trees. Was it deadly? A moment's delay might prove fatal.
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1
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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2
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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3
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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4
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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enlisted
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| adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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6
gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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lurked
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| vi.潜伏，埋伏（lurk的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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9
humdrum
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| adj.单调的，乏味的 | |
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monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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12
dribble
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| v.点滴留下，流口水；n.口水 | |
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13
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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14
stifles
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的第三人称单数 )； 镇压，遏制 | |
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15
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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curtness
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| n.简短；草率；简略 | |
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17
soda
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| n.苏打水；汽水 | |
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18
twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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19
recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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congestion
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| n.阻塞，消化不良 | |
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21
remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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23
conspirators
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| n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
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24
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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25
snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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27
alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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30
ostentation
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| n.夸耀，卖弄 | |
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31
overflowed
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| 溢出的 | |
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32
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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33
merging
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| 合并（分类） | |
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34
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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35
smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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36
throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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37
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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38
pungent
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| adj.（气味、味道）刺激性的，辛辣的；尖锐的 | |
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39
acrid
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| adj.辛辣的，尖刻的，刻薄的 | |
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