When Poirot returned to his flat he was surprised to find an unexpected visitor waiting for him.
A bald head was visible above the back of a chair, and the small neat figure of Mr. Barnes rose
to his feet.
With eyes that twinkled as usual, he made a dry little apology.
He had come, he explained, to return M. Hercule Poirot’s visit.
Poirot professed1 himself delighted to see Mr. Barnes.
George was instructed to bring some coffee unless his visitor preferred tea or whisky and soda2?
“Coffee will be admirable,” said Mr. Barnes. “I imagine that your manservant prepares it well.
Most English servants do not.”
Presently, after a few interchanges of polite remarks, Mr. Barnes gave a little cough and said:
“I will be frank with you, M. Poirot. It was sheer curiosity that brought me here. You, I
imagined, would be well posted in all the details of this rather curious case. I see by the papers that
the missing Miss Sainsbury Seale has been found. That an inquest was held and adjourned3 for
further evidence. Cause of death was stated to have been an overdose of medinal.”
“That is quite correct,” said Poirot.
There was a pause and then Poirot asked:
“Have you ever heard of Albert Chapman, Mr. Barnes?”
“Ah, the husband of the lady in whose flat Miss Sainsbury Seale came to die? Rather an elusive4
person, it would seem.”
“But hardly nonexistent?”
“Oh no,” said Mr. Barnes. “He exists. Oh yes, he exists—or did exist. I had heard he was dead.
But you can’t trust these rumours5.”
“Who was he, Mr. Barnes?”
“I don’t suppose they’ll say at the inquest. Not if they can help it. They’ll trot6 out the armaments
firm traveller story.”
“He was in the Secret Service then?”
“Of course he was. But he had no business to tell his wife so—no business at all. In fact he
ought not to have continued in the Service after his marriage. It isn’t usually done—not, that is,
when you’re one of the really hush-hush people.”
“And Albert Chapman was?”
“Yes. Q.X.912. That’s what he was known as. Using a name is most irregular. Oh, I don’t mean
that Q.X.912 was specially7 important—or anything of that kind. But he was useful because he was
an insignificant8 kind of chap—the kind whose face isn’t easily remembered. He was used a lot as a
messenger up and down Europe. You know the sort of thing. One dignified9 letter sent via our
Ambassador in Ruritania—one unofficial ditto containing the dirt per Q.X.912—that is to say: Mr.
Albert Chapman.”
“Then he knew a lot of useful information?”
“Probably didn’t know a thing,” said Mr. Barnes cheerfully. “His job was just hopping10 in and
out of trains and boats and aero-planes and having the right story to explain why he was going
where he was going!”
“And you heard he was dead?”
“That’s what I heard,” said Mr. Barnes. “But you can’t believe all you hear. I never do.”
Looking at Mr. Barnes intently, Poirot asked:
“What do you think has happened to his wife?”
“I can’t imagine,” said Mr. Barnes. He looked, wide-eyed at Poirot. “Can you?”
Poirot said:
“I had an idea—” He stopped.
He said slowly:
“It is very confusing.”
Mr. Barnes murmured sympathetically: “Anything worrying you in particular?”
Hercule Poirot said slowly:
“Yes. The evidence of my own eyes….”
![](../../../skin/default/image/4.jpg)
点击
收听单词发音
![收听单词发音](/template/default/tingnovel/images/play.gif)
1
professed
![]() |
|
公开声称的,伪称的,已立誓信教的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2
soda
![]() |
|
n.苏打水;汽水 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3
adjourned
![]() |
|
(使)休会, (使)休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4
elusive
![]() |
|
adj.难以表达(捉摸)的;令人困惑的;逃避的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5
rumours
![]() |
|
n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 );风闻;谣言;谣传 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6
trot
![]() |
|
n.疾走,慢跑;n.老太婆;现成译本;(复数)trots:腹泻(与the 连用);v.小跑,快步走,赶紧 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7
specially
![]() |
|
adv.特定地;特殊地;明确地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8
insignificant
![]() |
|
adj.无关紧要的,可忽略的,无意义的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9
dignified
![]() |
|
a.可敬的,高贵的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10
hopping
![]() |
|
n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |