THREE, FOUR, SHUT THE DOOR 9

IX
Miss Sainsbury Seale was in the dimly lit lounge of the Glengowrie Court Hotel having tea.
She was flustered¹ by the appearance of a police officer in plain clothes—but her excitement was
of a pleasurable nature, he observed. Poirot noticed, with sorrow, that she had not yet sewn the
buckle² on her shoe.
“Really, officer,” fluted³ Miss Sainsbury Seale, glancing round, “I really don’t know where we
could go to be private. So difficult—just teatime—but perhaps you would care for some tea—and
—and your friend—”
“Not for me, Madam,” said Japp. “This is M. Hercule Poirot.”
“Really?” said Miss Sainsbury Seale. “Then perhaps—you’re sure—you won’t either of you
have tea? No. Well, perhaps we might try the drawing room, though that’s very often full—Oh, I
see, there is a corner over there—in the recess⁴. The people are just leaving. Shall we go there—”
She led the way to the comparative seclusion⁵ of a sofa and two chairs in an alcove⁶. Poirot and
Japp followed her, the former picking up a scarf and a handkerchief that Miss Sainsbury Seale had
shed en route.
He restored them to her.
“Oh, thank you—so careless of me. Now please, Inspector⁷—No, Chief Inspector, isn’t it?—do
ask me anything you like. So distressing⁸, the whole business. Poor man — I suppose he had
something on his mind? Such worrying times we live in!”
“Did he seem to you worried, Miss Sainsbury Seale?”
“Well—” Miss Sainsbury Seale reflected, and finally said unwillingly⁹:
“I can’t really say, you know, that he did! But then perhaps I shouldn’t notice—not under the
circumstances. I’m afraid I’m rather a coward, you know.” Miss Sainsbury Seale tittered a little
and patted her bird’s-nest-like curls.
“Can you tell us who else was in the waiting room while you were there?”
“Now let me see—there was just one young man there when I went in. I think he was in pain
because he was muttering to himself and looking quite wild and turning over the leaves of a
magazine just anyhow. And then suddenly he jumped up and went out. Really acute toothache he
must have had.”
“You don’t know whether he left the house when he went out of the room?”
“I don’t know at all. I imagined he just felt he couldn’t wait any longer and must see the dentist.
But it couldn’t have been Mr. Morley he was going to, because the boy came in and took me up to
Mr. Morley only a few minutes later.”
“Did you go into the waiting room again on your way out?”
“No. Because, you see, I’d already put on my hat and straightened my hair up in Mr. Morley’s
room. Some people,” went on Miss Sainsbury Seale, warming to her subject, “take off their hats
downstairs in the waiting room, but I never do. A most distressing thing happened to a friend of
mine who did that. It was a new hat and she put it very carefully on a chair, and when she came
down, would you believe it, a child had sat on it and squashed it flat. Ruined! Absolutely ruined!”
“A catastrophe,” said Poirot politely.
“I blame the mother entirely,” said Miss Sainsbury Seale judicially¹⁰. “Mothers should keep an
eye on their children. The little dears do not mean any harm, but they have to be watched.”
Japp said:
“Then this young man with toothache was the only other patient you noticed at 58, Queen
Charlotte Street.”
“A gentleman came down the stairs and went out just as I went up to Mr. Morley—Oh! and I
remember—a very peculiar¹¹ looking foreigner came out of the house just as I arrived.”
Japp coughed. Poirot said with dignity:
“That was I, Madame.”
“Oh dear!” Miss Sainsbury Seale peered at him. “So it was! Do forgive—so shortsighted—and
very dark here, isn’t it?” She tailed off into incoherencies. “And really, you know, I flatter myself
that I have a very good memory for faces. But the light here is dim, isn’t it? Do forgive my most
unfortunate mistake!”
They soothed¹² the lady down, and Japp asked:
“You are quite sure Mr. Morley didn’t say anything such as — for instance — that he was
expecting a painful interview this morning? Anything of that kind?”
“No, indeed, I’m sure he didn’t.”
“He didn’t mention a patient by the name of Amberiotis?”
“No, no. He really said nothing—except, I mean, the things that dentists have to say.”
Through Poirot’s mind there ran quickly: “Rinse. Open a little wider, please. Now close gently.”
Japp had proceeded to his next step. It would possibly be necessary for Miss Sainsbury Seale to
give evidence at the inquest.
After a first scream of dismay, Miss Sainsbury Seale seemed to take kindly¹³ to the idea. A
tentative inquiry¹⁴ from Japp produced Miss Sainsbury Seale’s whole life history.
She had, it seemed, come from India to England six months ago. She had lived in various hotels
and boardinghouses and had finally come to the Glengowrie Court which she liked very much
because of its homely¹⁵ atmosphere; in India she had lived mostly in Calcutta where she had done
Mission work and had also taught elocution.
“Pure, well-enunciated English—most important, Chief Inspector. You see,” Miss Sainsbury
Seale simpered and bridled¹⁶, “as a girl I was on the stage. Oh! only in small parts, you know. The
provinces! But I had great ambitions. Repertory. Then I went on a world tour—Shakespeare,
Bernard Shaw.” She sighed. “The trouble with us poor women is heart—at the mercy of our
hearts. A rash impulsive¹⁷ marriage. Alas¹⁸! we parted almost immediately. I—I had been sadly
deceived. I resumed my maiden¹⁹ name. A friend kindly provided me with a little capital and I
started my elocution school. I helped to found a very good amateur dramatic society. I must show
you some of our notices.”
Chief Inspector Japp knew the dangers of that! He escaped, Miss Sainsbury Seale’s last words
being: “and if, by any chance, my name should be in the papers—as a witness at the inquest, I
mean — you will be sure that it is spelt right. Mabelle Sainsbury Seale — Mabelle spelt
M.A.B.E.L.L.E, and Seale S.E.A.L.E. And, of course, if they did care to mention that I appeared
in As You Like It at the Oxford²⁰ Repertory Theatre—”
“Of course, of course.” Chief Inspector Japp fairly fled.
In the taxi, he sighed and wiped his forehead.
“If it’s ever necessary, we ought to be able to check up on her all right,” he observed, “unless it
was all lies—but that I don’t believe!”
Poirot shook his head. “Liars,” he said, “are neither so circumstantial nor so inconsequential.”
Japp went on:
“I was afraid she’d jib at the inquest—most middle-aged²¹ spinsters do—but her having been an
actress accounts for her being eager. Bit of limelight for her!”
Poirot said:
“Do you really want her at the inquest?”
“Probably not. It depends.” He paused and then said: “I’m more than ever convinced, Poirot.
This wasn’t suicide.”
“And the motive²²?”
“Has us beat for the moment. Suppose Morley once seduced²³ Amberiotis’ daughter?”
Poirot was silent. He tried to visualize²⁴ Mr. Morley in the role of seducer²⁵ to a luscious-eyed
Greek maiden, but failed lamentably²⁶.
He reminded Japp that Mr. Reilly had said his partner had had no joy of living.
Japp said vaguely²⁷: “Oh well, you never know what may happen on a cruise!” and he added with
satisfaction, “We shall know better where we stand when we’ve talked to this fellow.”
They paid off the taxi and entered the Savoy.
Japp asked for Mr. Amberiotis.
The clerk looked at them rather oddly. He said:
“Mr. Amberiotis? I’m sorry, sir, I’m afraid you can’t see him.”
“Oh, yes, I can, my lad,” Japp said grimly. He drew the other a little aside and showed him his
credentials²⁸.
The clerk said:
“You don’t understand, sir. Mr. Amberiotis died half an hour ago.”
To Hercule Poirot it was as though a door had gently but firmly shut.

1 flustered   

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)

参考例句：

• The honking of horns flustered the boy. 汽车喇叭的叫声使男孩感到慌乱。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She was so flustered that she forgot her reply. 她太紧张了，都忘记了该如何作答。 来自辞典例句

2 buckle   

n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲

参考例句：

• The two ends buckle at the back.带子两端在背后扣起来。
• She found it hard to buckle down.她很难专心做一件事情。

3 fluted   

a.有凹槽的

参考例句：

• The Taylor house is that white one with the tall fluted column on Polyock Street. 泰勒家的住宅在波洛克街上，就是那幢有高大的雕花柱子的白色屋子。
• Single chimera light pink two-tone fluted star. Plain, pointed. Large. 单瓣深浅不一的亮粉红色星形缟花，花瓣端有凹痕。平坦尖型叶。大型。

4 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

5 seclusion   

n.隐遁，隔离

参考例句：

• She liked to sunbathe in the seclusion of her own garden.她喜欢在自己僻静的花园里晒日光浴。
• I live very much in seclusion these days.这些天我过着几乎与世隔绝的生活。

6 alcove   

n.凹室

参考例句：

• The bookcase fits neatly into the alcove.书架正好放得进壁凹。
• In the alcoves on either side of the fire were bookshelves.火炉两边的凹室里是书架。

7 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。

8 distressing   

a.使人痛苦的

参考例句：

• All who saw the distressing scene revolted against it. 所有看到这种悲惨景象的人都对此感到难过。
• It is distressing to see food being wasted like this. 这样浪费粮食令人痛心。

9 unwillingly   

adv.不情愿地

参考例句：

• He submitted unwillingly to his mother. 他不情愿地屈服于他母亲。
• Even when I call, he receives unwillingly. 即使我登门拜访，他也是很不情愿地接待我。

10 judicially   

依法判决地，公平地

参考例句：

• Geoffrey approached the line of horses and glanced judicially down the row. 杰弗里走进那栏马，用审视的目的目光一匹接一匹地望去。
• Not all judicially created laws are based on statutory or constitutional interpretation. 并不是所有的司法机关创制的法都以是以成文法或宪法的解释为基础的。

11 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

12 soothed   

v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦

参考例句：

• The music soothed her for a while. 音乐让她稍微安静了一会儿。
• The soft modulation of her voice soothed the infant. 她柔和的声调使婴儿安静了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

13 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

14 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

15 homely   

adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的

参考例句：

• We had a homely meal of bread and cheese.我们吃了一顿面包加乳酪的家常便餐。
• Come and have a homely meal with us,will you?来和我们一起吃顿家常便饭，好吗？

16 bridled   

给…套龙头( bridle的过去式和过去分词 )； 控制； 昂首表示轻蔑（或怨忿等）； 动怒，生气

参考例句：

• She bridled at the suggestion that she was lying. 她对暗示她在说谎的言论嗤之以鼻。
• He bridled his horse. 他给他的马套上笼头。

17 impulsive   

adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的

参考例句：

• She is impulsive in her actions.她的行为常出于冲动。
• He was neither an impulsive nor an emotional man,but a very honest and sincere one.他不是个一冲动就鲁莽行事的人，也不多愁善感.他为人十分正直、诚恳。

18 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

19 maiden   

n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的

参考例句：

• The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
• The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

20 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

21 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

22 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

23 seduced   

诱奸( seduce的过去式和过去分词 )； 勾引； 诱使堕落； 使入迷

参考例句：

• The promise of huge profits seduced him into parting with his money. 高额利润的许诺诱使他把钱出了手。
• His doctrines have seduced many into error. 他的学说把许多人诱入歧途。

24 visualize   

vt.使看得见，使具体化，想象，设想

参考例句：

• I remember meeting the man before but I can't visualize him.我记得以前见过那个人，但他的样子我想不起来了。
• She couldn't visualize flying through space.她无法想像在太空中飞行的景象。

25 seducer   

n.诱惑者,骗子,玩弄女性的人

参考例句：

• Shvitzer - Yiddish: someone who sweats a lot, especially a nervous seducer. 依地语：一个汗如雨下的人，尤指一个紧张的玩弄女人者。
• The dream of flight is the dream a seductive seducer. 飞翔的梦就是引诱者的引诱之梦。

26 lamentably   

adv.哀伤地，拙劣地

参考例句：

• Aviation was lamentably weak and primitive. 航空设施极其薄弱简陋。 来自辞典例句
• Poor Tom lamentably disgraced himself at Sir Charles Mirable's table, by premature inebriation. 可怜的汤姆在查尔斯·米拉贝尔爵士的宴会上，终于入席不久就酩酊大醉，弄得出丑露乖，丢尽了脸皮。 来自辞典例句

27 vaguely   

adv.含糊地，暖昧地

参考例句：

• He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
• He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面，对一切都视而不见。

28 credentials   

n.证明，资格，证明书，证件

参考例句：

• He has long credentials of diplomatic service.他的外交工作资历很深。
• Both candidates for the job have excellent credentials.此项工作的两个求职者都非常符合资格。