NINE, TEN, A GOOD FAT HEN 4

IV
There was some sensational¹ news in the morning papers. The Prime Minister had been shot at
when leaving 10, Downing Street with a friend yesterday evening. Fortunately the bullet had gone
wide. The man, an Indian, had been taken into custody².
After reading this, Poirot took a taxi to Scotland Yard where he was shown up to Japp’s room.
The latter greeted him heartily³.
“Ah, so the news has brought you along. Have any of the papers mentioned who ‘the friend’
was with the P.M.?”
“No, who was it?”
“Alistair Blunt.”
“Really?”
“And,” went on Japp, “we’ve every reason to believe that the bullet was meant for Blunt and
not for the P.M. That is, unless the man was an even more thundering bad shot than he is already!”
“Who did it?”
“Some crazy Hindu student. Half-baked, as usual. But he was put up to it. It wasn’t all his own
idea.”
Japp added:
“Quite a sound bit of work getting him. There’s usually a small group of people, you know,
watching No. 10. When the shot was fired, a young American grabbed hold of a little man with a
beard. He held on to him like grim death and yelled to the police that he’d got the man. Meanwhile
the Indian was quietly hooking it—but one of our people nabbed him all right.”
“Who was the American?” asked Poirot curiously⁴.
“Young fellow by the name of Raikes. Why—” He stopped short, staring at Poirot. “What’s the
matter?”
Poirot said:
“Howard Raikes, staying at the Holborn Palace Hotel?”
“That’s right. Who—why, of course! I thought the name seemed familiar. He’s the patient who
ran away that morning when Morley shot himself….”
He paused. He said slowly:
“Rum—how that old business keeps cropping up. You’ve still got your ideas about it, haven’t
you, Poirot?”
Hercule Poirot replied gravely:
“Yes. I still have my ideas….”

1 sensational   

adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的

参考例句：

• Papers of this kind are full of sensational news reports.这类报纸满是耸人听闻的新闻报道。
• Their performance was sensational.他们的演出妙极了。

2 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。

3 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

4 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。