Jack1 Tarling lay stretched upon his hard bed, a long cigarette-holder between his teeth, a book on Chinese metaphysics balanced on his chest, at peace with the world. The hour was eight o'clock, and it was the day that Sam Stay had been released from gaol2.
It had been a busy day for Tarling, for he was engaged in a bank fraud case which would have occupied the whole of his time had he not had a little private business to attend to. This private matter was wholly unprofitable, but his curiosity had been piqued3.
He lay the book flat on his chest as the soft click of the opening door announced the coming of his retainer. The impassive Ling Chu came noiselessly into the room, carrying a tray, which he placed upon a low table by the side of his master's bed. The Chinaman wore a blue silk pyjama suit--a fact which Tarling noticed.
"You are not going out to-night then, Ling Chu?"
"No, Lieh Jen," said the man.
They both spoke4 in the soft, sibilant patois5 of Shantung.
"You have been to the Man with the Cunning Face?"
For answer the other took an envelope from an inside pocket and laid it in the other's hand. Tarling glanced at the address.
"So this is where the young lady lives, eh? Miss Odette Rider, 27, Carrymore Buildings, Edgware Road."
"It is a clan6 house, where many people live," said Ling Chu. "I myself went, in your honourable7 service, and saw people coming in and going out interminably, and never the same people did I see twice."
"It is what they call in English a 'flat building,' Ling," said Tarling with a little smile. "What did the Man with the Cunning Face say to my letter?"
"Master, he said nothing. He just read and read, and then he made a face like this." Ling gave an imitation of Mr. Milburgh's smile. "And then he wrote as you see."
Tarling nodded. He stared for a moment into vacancy8, then he turned on his elbow and lifted the cup of tea which his servant had brought him.
"What of Face-White-and-Weak Man, Ling?" he asked in the vernacular9. "You saw him?"
"I saw him, master," said the Chinaman gravely. "He is a man without a heaven."
Again Tarling nodded. The Chinese use the word "heaven" instead of "God," and he felt that Ling had very accurately10 sized up Mr. Thornton Lyne's lack of spiritual qualities.
He finished the tea, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.
"Ling," he said, "this place is very dull and sad. I do not think I shall live here."
"Will the master go back to Shanghai?" asked the other, without any display of emotion.
"I think so," nodded Tarling. "At any rate, this place is too dull. Just miserable11 little taking-money-easily cases, and wife-husband-lover cases and my soul is sick."
"These are small matters," said Ling philosophically12. "But The Master"--this time he spoke of the great Master, Confucius--"has said that all greatness comes from small things, and perhaps some small-piece man will cut off the head of some big-piece man, and then they will call you to find the murderer."
Tarling laughed.
"You're an optimist13, Ling," he said. "No, I don't think they'll call me in for a murder. They don't call in private detectives in this country."
Ling shook his head.
"But the master must find murderers, or he will no longer be Lieh Jen, the Hunter of Men."
"You're a bloodthirsty soul, Ling," said Tarling, this time in English, which Ling imperfectly understood, despite the sustained efforts of eminent14 missionary15 schools. "Now I'll go out," he said with sudden resolution. "I am going to call upon the small-piece woman whom White-Face desires."
"May I come with you?" asked Ling.
Tarling hesitated.
"Yes, you may come," he said, "but you must trail me."
Carrymore Mansions16 is a great block of buildings sandwiched between two more aristocratic and more expensive blocks of flats in the Edgware Road. The ground floor is given up to lock-up shops which perhaps cheapened the building, but still it was a sufficiently17 exclusive habitation for the rents, as Tarling guessed, to be a little too high for a shop assistant, unless she were living with her family. The explanation, as he was to discover, lay in the fact that there were some very undesirable18 basement flats which were let at a lower rental19.
He found himself standing20 outside the polished mahogany door of one of these, wondering exactly what excuse he was going to give to the girl for making a call so late at night. And that she needed some explanation was clear from the frank suspicion which showed in her face when she opened the door to him.
"Yes, I am Miss Rider," she said.
"Can I see you for a few moments?"
"I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head, "but I am alone in the flat, so I can't ask you to come in."
This was a bad beginning.
"Is it not possible for you to come out?" he asked anxiously, and in spite of herself, she smiled.
"I'm afraid it's quite impossible for me to go out with somebody I have never met before," she said, with just a trace of amusement in her eyes.
"I recognise the difficulty," laughed Tailing. "Here is one of my cards. I'm afraid I am not very famous in this country, so you will not know my name."
She took the card and read it.
"A private detective?" she said in a troubled voice. "Who has sent you? Not Mr.----"
"Not Mr. Lyne," he said.
She hesitated a moment, then threw open the door wider.
"You must come in. We can talk here in the hall. Do I understand Mr. Lyne has not sent you?"
"Mr. Lyne was very anxious that I should come," he said. "I am betraying his confidence, but I do not think that he has any claim upon my loyalty21. I don't know why I've bothered you at all, except that I feel that you ought to be put on your guard."
"Against what?" she asked.
"Against the machinations of a gentleman to whom you have been----" he hesitated for a word.
"Very offensive," she finished for him.
"I don't know how offensive you've been," he laughed, "but I gather you have annoyed Mr. Lyne for some reason or other, and that he is determined22 to annoy you. I do not ask your confidence in this respect, because I realise that you would hardly like to tell me. But what I want to tell you is this, that Mr. Lyne is probably framing up a charge against you--that is to say, inventing a charge of theft."
"Of theft?" she cried in indignant amazement23. "Against me? Of theft? It's impossible that he could be so wicked!"
"It's not impossible that anybody could be wicked," said Tarling of the impassive face and the laughing eyes. "All that I know is that he even induced Mr. Milburgh to say that complaints have been made by Milburgh concerning thefts of money from your department."
"That's absolutely impossible!" she cried emphatically. "Mr. Milburgh would never say such a thing. Absolutely impossible!"
"Mr. Milburgh didn't want to say such a thing, I give him credit for that," said Tarling slowly, and then gave the gist24 of the argument, omitting any reference, direct or indirect, to the suspicion which surrounded Milburgh.
"So you see," he said in conclusion, "that you ought to be on your guard. I suggest to you that you see a solicitor25 and put the matter in his hands. You need not move against Mr. Lyne, but it would strengthen your position tremendously if you had already detailed26 the scheme to some person in authority."
"Thank you very, very much, Mr. Tarling," she said warmly, and looked up into his face with a smile so sweet, so pathetic, so helpless, that Tarling's heart melted towards her.
"And if you don't want a solicitor," he said, "you can depend upon me. I will help you if any trouble arises."
"You don't know how grateful I am to you, Mr. Tarling, I didn't receive you very graciously!"
"If you will forgive my saying so, you would have been a fool to have received me in any other way," he said.
She held out both hands to him: he took them, and there were tears in her eyes. Presently she composed herself, and led him into her little drawing-room.
"Of course, I've lost my job," she laughed, "but I've had several offers, one of which I shall accept. I am going to have the rest of the week to myself and to take a holiday."
Tarling stopped her with a gesture. His ears were superhumanly sensitive.
"Are you expecting a visitor?" he asked softly.
"No," said the girl in surprise.
"Do you share this flat with somebody?"
"I have a woman who sleeps here," she said. "She is out for the evening."
"Has she a key?"
The girl shook her head.
The man rose, and Odette marvelled27 how one so tall could move so swiftly, and without so much as a sound, across the uncarpeted hallway. He reached the door, turned the knob of the patent lock and jerked it open. A man was standing on the mat and he jumped back at the unexpectedness of Tarling's appearance. The stranger was a cadaverous-looking man, in a brand-new suit of clothes, evidently ready-made, but he still wore on his face the curious yellow tinge28 which is the special mark of the recently liberated29 gaol-bird.
"Beg pardon," he stammered30, "but is this No. 87?"
Tarling shot out a hand, and gripping him by the coat, drew the helpless man towards him.
"Hullo, what are you trying to do? What's this you have?"
He wrenched31 something from the man's hand. It was not a key but a flat-toothed instrument of strange construction.
"Come in," said Tarling, and jerked his prisoner into the hall.
A swift turning back of his prisoner's coat pinioned32 him, and then with dexterousness33 and in silence he proceeded to search. From two pockets he took a dozen jewelled rings, each bearing the tiny tag of Lyne's Store.
"Hullo!" said Tarling sarcastically34, "are these intended as a loving gift from Mr. Lyne to Miss Rider?"
The man was speechless with rage. If looks could kill, Tarling would have died.
"A clumsy trick," said Tarling, shaking his head mournfully. "Now go back to your boss, Mr. Thornton Lyne, and tell him that I am ashamed of an intelligent man adopting so crude a method," and with a kick he dismissed Sam Stay to the outer darkness.
The girl, who had been a frightened spectator of the scene, turned her eyes imploringly36 upon the detective.
"What does it mean?" she pleaded. "I feel so frightened. What did that man want?"
"You need not be afraid of that man, or any other man," said Tarling briskly. "I'm sorry you were scared."
He succeeded in calming her by the time her servant had returned and then took his leave.
"Remember, I have given you my telephone number and you will call me up if there is any trouble. Particularly," he said emphatically, "if there is any trouble to-morrow."
But there was no trouble on the following day, though at three o'clock in the afternoon she called him up.
"I am going away to stay in the country," she said. "I got scared last night."
"Come and see me when you get back," said Tarling, who had found it difficult to dismiss the girl from his mind. "I am going to see Lyne to-morrow. By the way, the person who called last night is a protege of Mr. Thornton Lyne's, a man who is devoted37 to him body and soul, and he's the fellow we've got to look after. By Jove! It almost gives me an interest in life!"
He heard the faint laugh of the girl.
"Must I be butchered to make a detective's holiday?" she mocked, and he grinned sympathetically.
"Any way, I'll see Lyne to-morrow," he said.
The interview which Jack Tarling projected was destined38 never to take place.
On the following morning, an early worker taking a short cut through Hyde Park, found the body of a man lying by the side of a carriage drive. He was fully35 dressed save that his coat and waistcoat had been removed. Wound about his body was a woman's silk night-dress stained with blood. The hands of the figure were crossed on the breast and upon them lay a handful of daffodils.
At eleven o'clock that morning the evening newspapers burst forth39 with the intelligence that the body had been identified as that of Thornton Lyne, and that he had been shot through the heart.
收听单词发音 |
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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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gaol
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| n.(jail)监狱；(不加冠词)监禁；vt.使…坐牢 | |
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piqued
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| v.伤害…的自尊心( pique的过去式和过去分词 )；激起（好奇心） | |
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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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patois
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| n.方言；混合语 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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vacancy
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| n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺 | |
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vernacular
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| adj.地方的，用地方语写成的；n.白话；行话；本国语；动植物的俗名 | |
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accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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philosophically
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| adv.哲学上；富有哲理性地；贤明地；冷静地 | |
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optimist
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| n.乐观的人，乐观主义者 | |
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eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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missionary
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| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 | |
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mansions
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| n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 ) | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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undesirable
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| adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子 | |
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rental
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| n.租赁，出租，出租业 | |
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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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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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gist
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| n.要旨；梗概 | |
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solicitor
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| n.初级律师，事务律师 | |
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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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marvelled
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| v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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liberated
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| a.无拘束的，放纵的 | |
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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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wrenched
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| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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pinioned
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| v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
dexterousness
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| 灵巧，敏捷，熟练 | |
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sarcastically
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| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
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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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imploringly
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| adv. 恳求地, 哀求地 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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