Williams thought highly of his idea. It had come to him that morning while thinking of the person he had heard descending1 the stairs, the person he insisted was Mrs. Stokes. In its inception2 it had been directed chiefly at that lady, but now with the mystery complicated by the intrusion of a new figure its usefulness would be extended. The thing that was aimed at Mrs. Stokes, would include Joe Tracy. That was how he put it to Rawson to gain the consent and cooperation of his superior. For he had little interest in Joe Tracy himself, inclining to agree with Bassett and Anne that the boy had nothing to do with the murder and was not on the island.
It was a simple and practicable plan—a watch kept for the rest of the night on the stairs and certain points of exit. In the face of positive orders[Pg 244] two people had come from the upper floor the night before, Miss Tracy on an errand that Rawson thought suspicious, Mrs. Stokes, in Williams’ opinion, to communicate with her husband. Even if both men were wrong some powerful incentive3 was making them take such risks and it was natural to suppose that incentive might be strengthened after twenty-four hours of strain and uncertainty4. They might try it again, and to catch them at it, surprise them in the act—if they didn’t break down on the spot—a little grilling5 would do the job.
As for the boy—if he was still in the top story as Rawson thought, he’d certainly not stay there after they’d been searching the place for him. He’d know they were on his trail, that his only hope was getting away and the night was dark enough to tempt6 him. If he was outside he’d discover his escape was cut off and what would he want then—food? He’d see himself faced by starvation and the place he’d make for would be the kitchen.
Rawson looked at his assistant with an approving[Pg 245] eye. The idea was good, excellent, and without waste of time they arranged the distribution of the watch.
Williams would take the front stairs, his particular prey7 was there and he had already located the position of the electric-light button. Rawson would station himself in the kitchen with its two doors one to the outside, one to the hall. As Williams had pointed8 out it was the place to which Joe, escape blocked, would inevitably9 turn. The living-room they would assign to Shine, less important than either of the other ambushes10, but commanding the entrance to the side wing and the path to the causeway and dock. Any one descending the back stairs to make an exit from the house would either turn to the kitchen or go through the living-room, and whichever way they took, would run into a trap. The men were satisfied, each one was detailed11 to the spot where he might expect to apprehend12 the object of his suspicion. The living-room, central and exposed, might safely be left to Shine.
They found Shine in the butler’s room sleeping [Pg 246]soundly on the outside of the bed. He was acquainted with the plan, and stumbling and heavy-eyed followed them. In the hall Rawson left them, taking his way to his hiding-place, the other two faring on to the scene of Shine’s duties. Here he received his instructions, special emphasis being laid on the door that led to the kitchen wing and the back stairs. Shine looked from the door to Williams with a perplexed13 frown. He did not like to admit—no more than he had liked to display the healthy vigor14 of his appetite—that he was so sleepy it was doubtful whether he could keep awake. In this embarrassing position, when he desired to acquit15 himself creditably and feared the weakness of his flesh, he too had an idea. He did not know if it would be acceptable and broached16 it with a cautious preamble17.
They just wanted to know who the person was, didn’t they? He wouldn’t have to catch them, which would be nearly impossible in the dark and was unnecessary as no one could get off the island. To see them, be able to identify them, get on to [Pg 247]who was stealing round the house, was the point. If that was enough he’d a way of doing it, the surest and most efficacious way it could be done, no scrambling18 round the furniture, no uncertainty—he’d set his small camera for a flashlight photograph. The materials were all at hand, he’d gathered them together for a flashlight picture of the company. All he had to do was to get them ready and if any one entered by the door he was to watch, he’d have their number before they knew it.
Williams was interested—it was a neat trick and tickled19 his fancy. As he was ignorant of the process, Shine explained it, getting his properties from the cabinet as he spoke20. The flashlight powder in a saucer on the table, then a double wire extending from it to a point above the door—the pair of antlers would answer. There the wire would be cut, one-half hanging down from the antlers, the other twisted round the door handle, its end standing21 out. When the door was opened the two severed22 ends would come in contact and [Pg 248]make the circuit which would set off the powder. He did not tell Williams that the taking of the picture could be achieved whether he was asleep or awake, but that the camera would make its record whatever his state was an immense relief to his mind.
Williams left and he quickly completed his preparations. The antlers served his purpose well, the depending cord was in exactly the right position and before he made his final adjustment of the two wires he unloosed the latch23 of the door that it might open easily and noiselessly at the first push of a stealthy hand. Then, his camera in place, he turned off the lights. The room was suddenly plunged24 into Egyptian blackness; he had to feel for the chair he had pulled up and grasping the tripod, nearly upset it. Swearing under his breath he found the arms of the chair and let himself down upon it carefully, to avoid creaking. The silence of the house closed round him, a silence that was like oblivion. The darkness showed no break as his glance traveled over it. A [Pg 249]solid impenetrable wall, it was hard to look at, the eye required something to rest upon. After he had stared into it for what seemed a measureless stretch of time, he felt he must shut his eyes for a moment of respite25. He did so, his head drooped26, nodded, sunk, and he lay a big crumpled27 figure held in the embrace of the chair.
A bang—in that silence as loud as a cannon28 shot—a rending29 burst of light, waked him. He leaped to his feet his senses scattered30, not knowing where he was or what had happened. Then from every side of the house noise broke, groans32, screams, slamming of doors, thudding footfalls. It was terrifying in the darkness, like a company of ghosts wailing33 and running about in some black inferno35. Williams’ voice shouted the first intelligible36 words:
“You got them—good work! Where the hell are the lights?”
That shook Shine into consciousness, and he called to the gallery whence a patter of bare feet and shrill37 female cries rose:
[Pg 250]
“It’s all right. Don’t be scared. It’s only a flashlight.”
Male voices followed, harsh and loud as the men came rushing in:
Rawson’s from the left with the crash of the door flung back against the wall.
“What are you doing in here? What was that?”
Bassett’s from the entrance, his body colliding with furniture as he ran blindly forward. Somewhere in the darkness behind, Stokes’ high and choked, breaking into curses. And over all Miss Pinkney’s riding the tumult38 like the war cry of the Valkyries:
“Why don’t some of you fools turn on the electricity? The button’s on the right side of the door.”
Bassett’s hand found it and the room was flooded with light.
The women in straight white nightgowns stood on the gallery huddled39 together. The dreadful darkness lifted, they leaned over the railing, their [Pg 251]faces pallid40 between hanging locks of hair, dropping a shower of questions on the men below. One of them was hysterical41 and gave forth42 a sobbing43 wail34, and Williams shouted with angry authority:
“Keep quiet up there. Nothing’s the matter. Didn’t you hear it was a flashlight?”
Some one strangled a scream—Williams thought it was Flora44 but could not be sure. Then they made a simultaneous retreat to the bedrooms for negligées and slippers45, while the men, gathered round Shine, listened to his explanation. No, he’d seen nothing and heard nothing, but he’d got the picture all right, whoever it was, he had them. Now he’d go and develop it—he could do that in a few minutes—and there was the projector46 in the corner he could use, throw it on to something where they’d all see. A sheet over that screen by the desk would do. And when it’s on there, large as life, there won’t be any use lying, there’ll be nothing for it but to come across.
They urged him out, they’d attend to everything:[Pg 252] hurry up with the picture. Williams was unable to hide his elation47. His idea, augmented48 by Shine’s, was a bull’s-eye hit, and his voice showed an exultant49 excitement as he called to Miss Pinkney to bring a sheet. Rawson’s satisfaction was less apparent, but his eye was alight with anticipation50. If it was the boy, he had run back up-stairs, for no exit had been attempted through the kitchen. With the whole house astir he’d be afraid to come down and they had him safe as a rat in a trap. Impatient at the wait for Shine’s reappearance he left the room, saying he was going to the boat-house for a word with Patrick.
Bassett saw him go and made no move—he could not leave Anne now. The detonation51 and fire-work illumination that had made him leap for the path had roused Patrick. As he ran, not knowing what had taken place in the house, he had heard the man’s grunt52 of returning consciousness and a hoarse53 expletive thrown into the night. Rawson would find him awake and his dereliction never be known. But this mattered nothing to [Pg 253]Bassett. An inner anguish54 held him; his eyes and Anne’s had met as she stood on the gallery and for the despair in hers he had no consolation55. He saw Miss Pinkney and Williams pulling out the screen and draping it with a sheet, he saw Stokes walking stiffly to a chair, his hands curved over its back, his face a curious shining white—he saw and his mind registered nothing. If it was Joe, if it was Joe—what would become of her, what could he do?
The noise of the women’s footsteps on the stairs came in a descending rush. They burst in, their voices going before them, a scattering56 of gasped57 explosive utterances58.
Flora went to Stokes and caught at his arm. “What is it, what is it?” she kept repeating, jerking at his arm, till he started away from her pushing her off.
Williams heard and answered with veiled gusto. Some one had been walking about the house at night against orders. It had been important to find out who was doing it and so Mr. Shine had [Pg 254]set his camera and caught them, him or her—Williams’ voice was heavy on the last pronoun—in a flashlight picture. Mr. Shine was developing it now and as soon as he was ready they’d see it thrown on the sheet.
“It wasn’t me,” came Mrs. Cornell’s voice in loud relief.
“Nor me, nor me.” Flora’s followed.
“Can’t you damned women keep still,” Stokes ground out between his teeth.
Rawson reentered. He had heard them as he came up the path and stopped on the threshold looking at Anne, waiting to see if she would speak. But she said nothing, standing by Bassett, her hand braced59 against a table, her glance on the floor. She knew Rawson was watching her and willed her form to an upright immobility, her face to a stony60 blankness. If she could hold herself this way, not move or speak, she could bear the tension. A touch, a word, and she felt that her body might break to pieces and her voice ascend61 in long-drawn screams to the skies.
[Pg 255]
The screen under its white covering was set in the place Shine had indicated, the projector put some distance back, facing it. To some of them these preparations had the hideous62 significance of those preceding an execution and all of them felt the deadly oppression of the approaching climax63. The room was very still as if an enchantment64 lay on it. At intervals65 Mrs. Cornell drew her breath with a low moaning sound, Stokes’ hands clenched66 and unclenched on the chair-back and Williams looked at his watch. He began a guttural mutter of impatience67 and stopped as the door opened and Shine came in.
He came quickly, bringing an air of excitement to the already highly charged atmosphere. There was a bewildered agitation68 in his face, and his words were broken and uncertain as he answered Williams’ questions:
“Oh, yes, I got it—something—I can’t quite make out—got me sort of flustered69 hurrying so. You’ll have to stand away there, folks.” He made a waving gesture and they drew back, pushing[Pg 256] against one another till they stood massed in the rear of the room. He turned to the projector, adjusting it, then held the negative out toward Williams. “We’ll probably lose this, Mr. Williams. Doing it so quickly I couldn’t fix it. It’ll likely melt with the heat in here, won’t last more than a few minutes. You don’t want to keep it, do you?”
“Go ahead. It’s only the picture—that’s all that concerns us.”
“All right—it’s your say-so. You’ll get it in a minute now and by gum, I want to see—” he stopped, his breath caught, his hands busy over the machine. “Now then, we’re ready. Some one please put out the lights.”
Miss Pinkney pressed the button and the room dropped into darkness. Through it the projector cast a golden shaft70 that rested on the screen in a bright circle. The reflection painted their faces with a spectral71 glow. Every face, eyes staring, lips dropped agape or pressed together in a taut72 line, watched the bright disk of gold.
[Pg 257]
“Now,” came Shine’s voice whisperingly.
A picture leaped into being on the screen. A door-frame backed by solid indistinguishable black, the edge of a door, and beyond it, the outlines melting into the darkness, the suggestion of a head and shoulders only the face showing clear, looking at them with wide questioning eyes—Sybil Saunders’ face.
The silence held for a moment, then broke in an explosive volume of sound. The women’s shrieks73 rose simultaneously—“Sybil! Sybil!” The name ran about the room, beat on the high ceiling and was buffeted74 from wall to wall.
“It is—it’s her. I saw it when I developed it and I don’t know—something’s gone wrong.”
A raucous76 cry rose above the chorus of female voices. Stokes had dropped his hold on the chair, his starting eyes fixed77 on the picture. From his lips, curled back like an angry dog’s, came a strangling rush of words:
[Pg 258]
“She’s dead. She’s dead for I killed her. I shot her—she’s dead. She can’t come back, she never can come back. I shot her as she ran—I killed her—I saw her fall—she’s dead—dead!”
The words died in a groan31. He pitched forward and lay a writhing78 moaning shape with hands that clawed and dug into the carpet. The men rushed at him, clustered about him, the women watching in dumb horror while the picture behind them slowly faded from the screen.
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收听单词发音
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1
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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2
inception
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| n.开端，开始，取得学位 | |
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incentive
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| n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机 | |
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4
uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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5
grilling
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| v.烧烤( grill的现在分词 )；拷问，盘问 | |
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6
tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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8
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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9
inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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10
ambushes
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| n.埋伏( ambush的名词复数 )；伏击；埋伏着的人；设埋伏点v.埋伏( ambush的第三人称单数 )；埋伏着 | |
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11
detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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12
apprehend
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| vt.理解，领悟，逮捕，拘捕，忧虑 | |
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13
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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14
vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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15
acquit
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| vt.宣判无罪；(oneself)使(自己)表现出 | |
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16
broached
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| v.谈起( broach的过去式和过去分词 )；打开并开始用；用凿子扩大（或修光）；（在桶上）钻孔取液体 | |
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17
preamble
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| n.前言；序文 | |
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18
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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19
tickled
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| （使）发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）愉快，逗乐 | |
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20
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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21
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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22
severed
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| v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂 | |
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23
latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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24
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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25
respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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26
drooped
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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28
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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29
rending
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| v.撕碎( rend的现在分词 )；分裂；（因愤怒、痛苦等而）揪扯（衣服或头发等）；（声音等）刺破 | |
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30
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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31
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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32
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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33
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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34
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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35
inferno
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| n.火海；地狱般的场所 | |
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36
intelligible
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| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
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37
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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38
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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39
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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40
pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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41
hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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42
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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43
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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44
flora
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| n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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45
slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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46
projector
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| n.投影机，放映机，幻灯机 | |
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47
elation
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| n.兴高采烈，洋洋得意 | |
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48
Augmented
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| adj.增音的 动词augment的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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49
exultant
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| adj.欢腾的，狂欢的，大喜的 | |
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50
anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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51
detonation
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| n.爆炸；巨响 | |
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52
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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53
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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54
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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55
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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56
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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57
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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58
utterances
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| n.发声( utterance的名词复数 )；说话方式；语调；言论 | |
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braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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60
stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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61
ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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62
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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63
climax
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| n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点 | |
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64
enchantment
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| n.迷惑，妖术，魅力 | |
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65
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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66
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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68
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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69
flustered
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| adj.慌张的；激动不安的v.使慌乱，使不安( fluster的过去式和过去分词) | |
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70
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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spectral
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| adj.幽灵的，鬼魂的 | |
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taut
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| adj.拉紧的，绷紧的，紧张的 | |
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73
shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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74
buffeted
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| 反复敲打( buffet的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续猛击； 打来打去； 推来搡去 | |
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75
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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76
raucous
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| adj.(声音)沙哑的，粗糙的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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78
writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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