So apprehensive1 was Lord Caterham of being consulted by George that he spent the whole morning making a tour of his estate. Only the pangs2 of hunger drew him homeward. He also reflected that by now the worst would surely be over.
He sneaked3 into the house quietly by a small side door. From there he slipped neatly4 into his sanctum. He flattered himself that his entrance had not been observed, but there he was mistaken. The watchful5 Tredwell let nothing escape him. He presented himself at the door.
“You’ll excuse me, my lord——”
“What is it, Tredwell?”
“Mr. Lomax, my lord, is anxious to see you in the library as soon as you return.”
By this delicate method Tredwell conveyed that Lord Caterham had not yet returned unless he chose to say so.
Lord Caterham sighed, and then rose.
“I suppose it will have to be done sooner or later. In the library, you say?”
“Yes, my lord.”
Sighing again, Lord Caterham crossed the wide spaces of his ancestral home, and reached the library door. The door was locked. As he rattled6 the handle, it was unlocked from inside, opened a little way, and the face of George Lomax appeared, peering out suspiciously.
His face changed when he saw who it was.
“Ah, Caterham, come in. We were just wondering what had become of you.”
[Pg 95]
Murmuring something vague about duties on the estate, repairs for tenants7, Lord Caterham sidled in apologetically. There were two other men in the room. One was Colonel Melrose, the Chief Constable8. The other was a squarely built middle-aged9 man with a face so singularly devoid10 of expression as to be quite remarkable11.
“Superintendent12 Battle arrived half an hour ago,” explained George. “He has been round with Inspector13 Badgworthy, and seen Dr. Cartwright. He now wants a few facts from us.”
They all sat down, after Lord Caterham had greeted Melrose and acknowledged his introduction to Superintendent Battle.
“I need hardly tell you, Battle,” said George, “that this is a case in which we must use the utmost discretion14.”
“That will be all right, Mr. Lomax. But no concealments from us. I understand that the dead gentleman was called Count Stanislaus—at least, that that is the name by which the household knew him. Now was that his real name?”
“It was not.”
“What was his real name?”
“Prince Michael of Herzoslovakia.”
Battle’s eyes opened just a trifle, otherwise he gave no sign.
“And what, if I may ask the question, was the purpose of his visit here? Just pleasure?”
“There was a further object, Battle. All this in the strictest confidence of course.”
“Yes, yes, Mr. Lomax.”
“Colonel Melrose?”
“Of course.”
“Well, then, Prince Michael was here for the express purpose of meeting Mr. Herman Isaacstein. A loan was to be arranged on certain terms.”
“Which were?”
[Pg 96]
“I do not know the exact details. Indeed, they had not yet been arranged. But in the event of coming to the throne, Prince Michael pledged himself to grant certain oil concessions16 to those companies in which Mr. Isaacstein is interested. The British Government was prepared to support the claim of Prince Michael to the throne in view of his pronounced British sympathies.”
“Well,” said Superintendent Battle, “I don’t suppose I need go further into it than that. Prince Michael wanted the money, Mr. Isaacstein wanted oil, and the British Government was ready to do the heavy father. Just one question. Was anyone else after those concessions?”
“And been turned down, eh?”
Superintendent Battle did not press the point.
“Lord Caterham, I understand that this is what occurred yesterday. You met Prince Michael in town and journeyed down here in company with him. The Prince was accompanied by his valet, a Herzoslovakian named Boris Anchoukoff, but his equerry, Captain Andrassy, remained in town. The Prince, on arriving, declared himself greatly fatigued20, and retired21 to the apartments set aside for him. Dinner was served to him there, and he did not meet the other members of the house party. Is that correct?”
“Quite correct.”
“This morning a housemaid discovered the body at approximately 7.45 a.m. Dr. Cartwright examined the dead man and found that death was the result of a bullet fired from a revolver. No revolver was found, and no one in the house seems to have heard the shot. On the other hand the dead man’s wrist watch was smashed by the fall, and marks the crime as having been committed at[Pg 97] exactly a quarter to twelve. Now what time did you retire to bed last night?”
“We went early. Somehow or other the party didn’t seem to ‘go’ if you know what I mean, superintendent. We went up about half-past ten, I should say.”
“Thank you. Now I will ask you, Lord Caterham, to give me a description of all the people staying in the house.”
“But, excuse me, I thought the fellow who did it came from outside?”
Superintendent Battle smiled.
“I dare say he did. I dare say he did. But all the same I’ve got to know who was in the house. Matter of routine, you know.”
“Well, there was Prince Michael and his valet and Mr. Herman Isaacstein. You know all about them. Then there was Mr. Eversleigh——”
“Who works in my department,” put in George condescendingly.
“And who was acquainted with the real reason of Prince Michael’s being here?”
“No, I should not say that,” replied George weightily. “Doubtless he realized that something was in the wind, but I did not think it necessary to take him fully22 into my confidence.”
“I see. Will you go on, Lord Caterham?”
“Let me see, there was Mr. Hiram Fish.”
“Who is Mr. Hiram Fish?”
“Mr. Fish is an American. He brought over a letter of introduction from Mr. Lucius Gott—you’ve heard of Lucius Gott?”
Superintendent Battle smiled acknowledgment. Who had not heard of Lucius C. Gott, the multi-millionaire?
“He was specially23 anxious to see my first editions. Mr. Gott’s collection is, of course, unequalled, but I’ve got several treasures myself. This Mr. Fish was an enthusiast24. Mr. Lomax had suggested that I ask one or two extra people down here this week-end to make things seem[Pg 98] more natural, so I took the opportunity of asking Mr. Fish. That finishes the men. As for the ladies, there is only Mrs. Revel—and I expect she brought a maid or something like that. Then there was my daughter, and of course the children and their nurses and governesses and all the servants.”
Lord Caterham paused and took a breath.
“There is no doubt, I suppose,” asked George ponderously26, “that the murderer entered by the window?”
Battle paused for a minute before replying slowly.
“There were footsteps leading up to the window, and footsteps leading away from it. A car stopped outside the park at 11.40 last night. At twelve o’clock a young man arrived at the Jolly Cricketers in a car, and engaged a room. He put his boots outside to be cleaned—they were very wet and muddy, as though he had been walking through the long grass in the park.”
George leant forward eagerly.
“Could not the boots be compared with the footprints?”
“They were.”
“Well?”
“They exactly correspond.”
“That settles it,” cried George. “We have the murderer. The young man—what is his name, by the way?”
“At the inn he gave the name of Anthony Cade.”
“This Anthony Cade must be pursued at once, and arrested.”
“You won’t need to pursue him,” said Superintendent Battle.
“Why?”
“Because he’s still there.”
“What?”
“Curious, isn’t it?”
Colonel Melrose eyed him keenly.
“What’s in your mind, Battle? Out with it.”
[Pg 99]
“I just say it’s curious, that’s all. Here’s a young man who ought to cut and run, but he doesn’t cut and run. He stays here, and gives us every facility for comparing footmarks.”
“What do you think, then?”
“I don’t know what to think. And that’s a very disturbing state of mind.”
George rose and went to it. Tredwell, inwardly suffering from having to knock at doors in this low fashion, stood dignified28 upon the threshold, and addressed his master.
“Excuse me, my lord, but a gentleman wishes to see you on urgent and important business, connected, I understand, with this morning’s tragedy.”
“What’s his name?” asked Battle suddenly.
“His name, sir, is Mr. Anthony Cade, but he said it wouldn’t convey anything to anybody.”
It seemed to convey something to the four men present. They all sat up in varying degrees of astonishment29.
“I’m really beginning to enjoy myself. Show him in, Tredwell. Show him in at once.”
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收听单词发音
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1
apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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sneaked
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| v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状 | |
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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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watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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tenants
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| n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者 | |
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constable
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| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
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middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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devoid
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| adj.全无的，缺乏的 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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offhand
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| adj.临时，无准备的；随便，马虎的 | |
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concessions
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| n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权 | |
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overtures
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| n.主动的表示，提议；（向某人做出的）友好表示、姿态或提议( overture的名词复数 )；（歌剧、芭蕾舞、音乐剧等的）序曲，前奏曲 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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fatigued
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| adj. 疲乏的 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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enthusiast
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| n.热心人，热衷者 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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ponderously
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discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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