THREE, FOUR, SHUT THE DOOR 8

VIII
Alistair Blunt had never loomed¹ large in the public eye. Possibly because he was himself a very
quiet and retiring man. Possibly because for many years he had functioned as a Prince Consort²
rather than as a King.
Rebecca Sanseverato, née Arnholt, came to London a disillusioned³ woman of forty-five. On
either side she came of the Royalty⁴ of wealth. Her mother was an heiress of the European family
of Rothersteins. Her father was the head of the great American banking⁵ house of Arnholt. Rebecca
Arnholt, owing to the calamitous⁶ deaths of two brothers and a cousin in an air accident, was sole
heiress to immense wealth. She married a European aristocrat⁷ with a famous name, Prince Felipe
di Sanseverato. Three years later she obtained a divorce and custody⁸ of the child of the marriage,
having spent two years of wretchedness with a well-bred scoundrel whose conduct was notorious.
A few years later her child died.
Embittered⁹ by her sufferings, Rebecca Arnholt turned her undoubted brains to the business of
finance—the aptitude¹⁰ for it ran in her blood. She associated herself with her father in banking.
After his death she continued to be a powerful figure in the financial world with her immense
holdings. She came to London—and a junior partner of the London house was sent to Claridge’s
to see her with various documents. Six months later the world was electrified¹¹ to hear that Rebecca
Sanseverato was marrying Alistair Blunt, a man nearly twenty years younger than herself.
There were the usual jeers—and smiles. Rebecca, her friends said, was really an incurable¹² fool
where men were concerned! First Sanseverato—now this young man. Of course he was only
marrying her for her money. She was in for a second disaster! But to everyone’s surprise the
marriage was a success. The people who prophesied¹³ that Alistair Blunt would spend her money on
other women were wrong. He remained quietly devoted¹⁴ to his wife. Even after her death, ten years
later, when as inheritor of her vast wealth he might have been supposed to cut loose, he did not
marry again. He lived the same quiet and simple life. His genius for finance had been no less than
his wife’s. His judgements and dealings were sound—his integrity above question. He dominated
the vast Arnholt and Rotherstein interests by his sheer ability.
He went very little into society, had a house in Kent and one in Norfolk where he spent
weekends—not with gay parties, but with a few quiet stodgy¹⁵ friends. He was fond of golf and
played moderately well. He was interested in his garden.
This was the man towards whom Chief Inspector¹⁶ Japp and Hercule Poirot were bouncing along
in a somewhat elderly taxi.
The Gothic House was a well-known feature on Chelsea Embankment. Inside it was luxurious¹⁷
with an expensive simplicity¹⁸. It was not very modern but it was eminently¹⁹ comfortable.
Alistair Blunt did not keep them waiting. He came to them almost at once.
“Chief Inspector Japp?”
Japp came forward and introduced Hercule Poirot. Blunt looked at him with interest.
“I know your name, of course, M. Poirot. And surely—somewhere—quite recently—” he
paused, frowning.
Poirot said:
“This morning, Monsieur, in the waiting room of ce pauvre M. Morley.”
Alistair Blunt’s brow cleared. He said:
“Of course. I knew I had seen you somewhere.” He turned to Japp. “What can I do for you? I
am extremely sorry to hear about poor Morley.”
“You were surprised, Mr. Blunt?”
“Very surprised. Of course I knew very little about him, but I should have thought him a most
unlikely person to commit suicide.”
“He seemed in good health and spirits then, this morning?”
“I think so—yes.” Alistair Blunt paused, then said with an almost boyish smile: “To tell you the
truth, I’m a most awful coward about going to the dentist. And I simply hate that beastly drill thing
they run into you. That’s why I really didn’t notice anything much. Not till it was over, you know,
and I got up to go. But I must say Morley seemed perfectly²⁰ natural then. Cheerful and busy.”
“You have been to him often?”
“I think this was my third or fourth visit. I’ve never had much trouble with my teeth until the
last year. Breaking up, I suppose.”
Hercule Poirot asked:
“Who recommended Mr. Morley to you originally?”
Blunt drew his brows together in an effort of concentration.
“Let me see now—I had a twinge—somebody told me Morley of Queen Charlotte Street was
the man to go to—no, I can’t for the life of me remember who it was. Sorry.”
Poirot said:
“If it should come back to you, perhaps you will let one of us know?”
Alistair Blunt looked at him curiously²¹.
He said:
“I will—certainly. Why? Does it matter?”
“I have an idea,” said Poirot, “that it might matter very much.”
They were going down the steps of the house when a car drew up in front of it. It was a car of
sporting build—one of those cars from which it is necessary to wriggle²² from under the wheel in
sections.
The young woman who did so appeared to consist chiefly of arms and legs. She had finally
dislodged herself as the men turned to walk down the street.
The girl stood on the pavement looking after them. Then, suddenly and vigorously, she
ejaculated, “Hi!”
Not realizing that the call was addressed to them, neither man turned, and the girl repeated: “Hi!
Hi! You there!”
They stopped and looked round inquiringly. The girl walked towards them. The impression of
arms and legs remained. She was tall, thin, and her face had an intelligence and aliveness that
redeemed²³ its lack of actual beauty. She was dark with a deeply tanned skin.
She was addressing Poirot:
“I know who you are—you’re the detective man, Hercule Poirot!” Her voice was warm and
deep, with a trace of American accent.
Poirot said:
“At your service, Mademoiselle.”
Her eyes went on to his companion.
Poirot said:
“Chief Inspector Japp.”
Her eyes widened—almost it seemed with alarm. She said, and there was a slight breathlessness
in her voice:
“What have you been doing here? Nothing—nothing has happened to Uncle Alistair, has it?”
Poirot said quickly:
“Why should you think so, Mademoiselle?”
“It hasn’t? Good.”
Japp took up Poirot’s question.
“Why should you think anything had happened to Mr. Blunt, Miss—”
He paused inquiringly.
The girl said mechanically:
“Olivera. Jane Olivera.” Then she gave a slight and rather unconvincing laugh. “Sleuths on the
doorstep rather suggest bombs in the attic²⁴, don’t they?”
“There’s nothing wrong with Mr. Blunt, I’m thankful to say, Miss Olivera.”
She looked directly at Poirot.
“Did he call you in about something?”
Japp said:
“We called on him, Miss Olivera, to see if he could throw any light on a case of suicide that
occurred this morning.”
She said sharply:
“Suicide? Whose? Where?”
“A Mr. Morley, a dentist, of 58, Queen Charlotte Street.”
“Oh!” said Jane Olivera blankly. “Oh!—” She started ahead of her, frowning. Then she said
unexpectedly:
“Oh, but that’s absurd!” And turning on her heel she left them abruptly²⁵ and without ceremony,
running up the steps of the Gothic House and letting herself in with a key.
“Well!” said Japp, staring after her, “that’s an extraordinary thing to say.”
“Interesting,” observed Poirot mildly.
Japp pulled himself together, glanced at his watch and hailed an approaching taxi.
“We’ll have time to take the Sainsbury Seale on our way to the Savoy.”

1 loomed   

v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• A dark shape loomed up ahead of us. 一个黑糊糊的影子隐隐出现在我们的前面。
• The prospect of war loomed large in everyone's mind. 战事将起的庞大阴影占据每个人的心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 consort   

v.相伴；结交

参考例句：

• They went in consort two or three together.他们三三两两结伴前往。
• The nurses are instructed not to consort with their patients.护士得到指示不得与病人交往。

3 disillusioned   

a.不再抱幻想的，大失所望的，幻想破灭的

参考例句：

• I soon became disillusioned with the job. 我不久便对这个工作不再抱幻想了。
• Many people who are disillusioned in reality assimilate life to a dream. 许多对现实失望的人把人生比作一场梦。

4 royalty   

n.皇家，皇族

参考例句：

• She claims to be descended from royalty.她声称她是皇室后裔。
• I waited on tables，and even catered to royalty at the Royal Albert Hall.我做过服务生， 甚至在皇家阿伯特大厅侍奉过皇室的人。

5 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

6 calamitous   

adj.灾难的，悲惨的；多灾多难；惨重

参考例句：

• We are exposed to the most calamitous accidents. 我们遭受着极大的灾难。 来自辞典例句
• Light reveals the subtle alteration of things, the sly or calamitous impermanence or mortal life. 事物的细微变动，人生的狡猾，倏忽无常，一一都在光中显露出来。 来自辞典例句

7 aristocrat   

n.贵族，有贵族气派的人，上层人物

参考例句：

• He was the quintessential english aristocrat.他是典型的英国贵族。
• He is an aristocrat to the very marrow of his bones.他是一个道道地地的贵族。

8 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

9 embittered   

v.使怨恨，激怒( embitter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• These injustices embittered her even more. 不公平使她更加受苦。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The artist was embittered by public neglect. 大众的忽视于那位艺术家更加难受。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 aptitude   

n.(学习方面的)才能，资质，天资

参考例句：

• That student has an aptitude for mathematics.那个学生有数学方面的天赋。
• As a child,he showed an aptitude for the piano.在孩提时代，他显露出对于钢琴的天赋。

11 electrified   

v.使电气化( electrify的过去式和过去分词 )；使兴奋

参考例句：

• The railway line was electrified in the 1950s. 这条铁路线在20世纪50年代就实现了电气化。
• The national railway system has nearly all been electrified. 全国的铁路系统几乎全部实现了电气化。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 incurable   

adj.不能医治的，不能矫正的，无救的；n.不治的病人，无救的人

参考例句：

• All three babies were born with an incurable heart condition.三个婴儿都有不可治瘉的先天性心脏病。
• He has an incurable and widespread nepotism.他们有不可救药的，到处蔓延的裙带主义。

13 prophesied   

v.预告，预言( prophesy的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She prophesied that she would win a gold medal. 她预言自己将赢得金牌。
• She prophesied the tragic outcome. 她预言有悲惨的结果。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

15 stodgy   

adj.易饱的；笨重的；滞涩的；古板的

参考例句：

• It wasn't easy to lose puppy fat when Mum fed her on stodgy home cooking.母亲给她吃易饱的家常菜，她想减掉婴儿肥可是很难。
• The gateman was a stodgy fellow of 60.看门人是个六十岁的矮胖子。

16 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

17 luxurious   

adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的

参考例句：

• This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
• The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。

18 simplicity   

n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯

参考例句：

• She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
• The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

19 eminently   

adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地

参考例句：

• She seems eminently suitable for the job. 她看来非常适合这个工作。
• It was an eminently respectable boarding school. 这是所非常好的寄宿学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

21 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

22 wriggle   

v./n.蠕动，扭动；蜿蜒

参考例句：

• I've got an appointment I can't wriggle out of.我有个推脱不掉的约会。
• Children wriggle themselves when they are bored.小孩子感到厌烦时就会扭动他们的身体。

23 redeemed   

adj. 可赎回的，可救赎的 动词redeem的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• She has redeemed her pawned jewellery. 她赎回了当掉的珠宝。
• He redeemed his watch from the pawnbroker's. 他从当铺赎回手表。

24 attic   

n.顶楼，屋顶室

参考例句：

• Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
• What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理？

25 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。