The hush1 of the court, which had been broken when the foreman of the jury returned their verdict, was intensified2 as the Judge, with a quick glance over his pince-nez at the tall prisoner, marshalled his papers with the precision and method which old men display in tense moments such as these. He gathered them together, white paper and blue and buff and stacked them in a neat heap on a tiny ledge3 to the left of his desk. Then he took his pen and wrote a few words on a printed paper before him.
Another breathless pause and he groped beneath the desk and brought out a small square of black silk and carefully laid it over his white wig4. Then he spoke5:
"James Meredith, you have been convicted after a long and patient trial of the awful crime of wilful6 murder. With the verdict of the jury I am in complete agreement. There is little doubt, after hearing the evidence of the unfortunate lady to whom you were engaged, and whose evidence you attempted in the most brutal7 manner to refute, that, instigated8 by your jealousy9, you shot Ferdinand Bulford. The evidence of Miss Briggerland that you had threatened this poor young man, and that you left her presence in a temper, is unshaken. By a terrible coincidence, Mr. Bulford was in the street outside your fiancee's door when you left, and maddened by your insane jealousy, you shot him dead.
"To suggest, as you have through your counsel, that you called at Miss Briggerland's that night to break off your engagement and that the interview was a mild one and unattended by recriminations is to suggest that this lady has deliberately10 committed perjury11 in order to swear away your life, and when to that disgraceful charge you produce a motive12, namely that by your death or imprisonment13 Miss Briggerland, who is your cousin, would benefit to a considerable extent, you merely add to your infamy14. Nobody who saw the young girl in the box, a pathetic, and if I may say, a beautiful figure, could accept for one moment your fantastic explanation.
"Who killed Ferdinand Bulford? A man without an enemy in the world. That tragedy cannot be explained away. It now only remains15 for me to pass the sentence which the law imposes. The jury's recommendation to mercy will be forwarded to the proper quarter...."
He then proceeded to pass sentence of death, and the tall man in the dock listened without a muscle of his face moving.
So ended the great Berkeley Street Murder Trial, and when a few days later it was announced that the sentence of death had been commuted16 to one of penal17 servitude for life, there were newspapers and people who hinted at mistaken leniency18 and suggested that James Meredith would have been hanged if he were a poor man instead of being, as he was, the master of vast wealth.
"That's that," said Jack19 Glover between his teeth, as he came out of court with the eminent20 King's Counsel who had defended his friend and client, "the little lady wins."
His companion looked sideways at him and smiled.
"Honestly, Glover, do you believe that poor girl could do so dastardly a thing as lie about the man she loves?"
"She loves!" repeated Jack Glover witheringly.
"I think you are prejudiced," said the counsel, shaking his head. "Personally, I believe that Meredith is a lunatic; I am satisfied that all he told us about the interview he had with the girl was born of a diseased imagination. I was terribly impressed when I saw Jean Briggerland in the box. She--by Jove, there is the lady!"
They had reached the entrance of the Court. A big car was standing21 by the kerb and one of the attendants was holding open the door for a girl dressed in black. They had a glimpse of a pale, sad face of extraordinary beauty, and then she disappeared behind the drawn22 blinds.
The counsel drew a long sigh.
"Mad!" he said huskily. "He must be mad! If ever I saw a pure soul in a woman's face, it is in hers!"
"You've been in the sun, Sir John--you're getting sentimental," said Jack Glover brutally23, and the eminent lawyer choked indignantly.
Jack Glover had a trick of saying rude things to his friends, even when those friends were twenty years his senior, and by every rule of professional etiquette24 entitled to respectful treatment.
"Really!" said the outraged25 Sir John. "There are times, Glover, when you are insufferable!"
But by this time Jack Glover was swinging along the Old Bailey, his hands in his pockets, his silk hat on the back of his head.
He found the grey-haired senior member of the firm of Rennett, Glover and Simpson (there had been no Simpson in the firm for ten years) on the point of going home.
Mr. Rennett sat down at the sight of his junior.
"I heard the news by 'phone," he said. "Ellbery says there is no ground for appeal, but I think the recommendation to mercy will save his life--besides it is a _crime passionelle_, and they don't hang for homicidal jealousy. I suppose it was the girl's evidence that turned the trick?"
Jack nodded.
"And she looked like an angel just out of the refrigerator," he said despairingly. "Ellbery did his poor best to shake her, but the old fool is half in love with her--I left him raving26 about her pure soul and her other celestial27 etceteras."
Mr. Rennett stroked his iron grey beard.
"She's won," he said, but the other turned on him with a snarl28.
"Not yet!" he said almost harshly. "She hasn't won till Jimmy Meredith is dead or----"
"Or----?" repeated his partner significantly. "That 'or' won't come off, Jack. He'll get a life sentence as sure as 'eggs is eggs.' I'd go a long way to help Jimmy; I'd risk my practice and my name."
Jack Glover looked at his partner in astonishment29.
"You old sportsman!" he said admiringly. "I didn't know you were so fond of Jimmy?"
Mr. Rennett got up and began pulling on his gloves. He seemed a little uncomfortable at the sensation he had created.
"His father was my first client," he said apologetically. "One of the best fellows that ever lived. He married late in life, that was why he was such a crank over the question of marriage. You might say that old Meredith founded our firm. Your father and Simpson and I were nearly at our last gasp30 when Meredith gave us his business. That was our turning point. Your father--God rest him--was never tired of talking about it. I wonder he never told you."
"I think he did," said Jack thoughtfully. "And you really would go a long way--Rennett--I mean, to help Jim Meredith?"
"All the way," said old Rennett shortly.
Jack Glover began whistling a long lugubrious31 tune32.
"I'm seeing the old boy to-morrow," he said. "By the way, Rennett, did you see that a fellow had been released from prison to a nursing home for a minor33 operation the other day? There was a question asked in Parliament about it. Is it usual?"
"It can be arranged," said Rennett. "Why?"
"Do you think in a few months' time we could get Jim Meredith into a nursing home for--say an appendix operation?"
"Has he appendicitis34?" asked the other in surprise.
"He can fake it," said Jack calmly. "It's the easiest thing in the world to fake."
Rennett looked at the other under his heavy eyebrows35.
"You're thinking of the 'or'?" he challenged, and Jack nodded.
"It can be done--if he's alive," said Rennett after a pause.
"He'll be alive," prophesied36 his partner, "now the only thing is--where shall I find the girl?"
收听单词发音 |
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hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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intensified
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| v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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wig
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| n.假发 | |
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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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wilful
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| adj.任性的，故意的 | |
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brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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instigated
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| v.使（某事物）开始或发生，鼓动( instigate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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perjury
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| n.伪证；伪证罪 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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infamy
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| n.声名狼藉，出丑，恶行 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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commuted
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| 通勤( commute的过去式和过去分词 )； 减（刑）； 代偿 | |
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penal
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| adj.刑罚的；刑法上的 | |
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leniency
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| n.宽大（不严厉） | |
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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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eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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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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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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brutally
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| adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地 | |
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etiquette
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| n.礼仪，礼节；规矩 | |
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outraged
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| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
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raving
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| adj.说胡话的；疯狂的，怒吼的；非常漂亮的；令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话；疯话adv.胡言乱语地；疯狂地 | |
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celestial
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| adj.天体的；天上的 | |
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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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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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lugubrious
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| adj.悲哀的，忧郁的 | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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appendicitis
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| n.阑尾炎，盲肠炎 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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prophesied
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| v.预告，预言( prophesy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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