Six II

II
“I’m worried,” said Claudia Reece-Holland.
She refilled her cup from the coffee percolator. Frances Cary gave an enormous yawn. Bothgirls were breakfasting in the small kitchen of the flat. Claudia was dressed and ready to start forher day’s work. Frances was still in dressing¹ gown and pyjamas². Her black hair fell over one eye.
“I’m worried about Norma,” continued Claudia.
Frances yawned.
“I shouldn’t worry if I were you. She’ll ring up or turn up sooner or later, I suppose.”
“Will she? You know, Fran, I can’t help wondering—”
“I don’t see why,” said Frances, pouring herself out more coffee. She sipped³ it doubtfully. “Imean—Norma’s not really our business, is she? I mean, we’re not looking after her or spoon-feeding her or anything. She just shares the flat. Why all this motherly solicitude⁴? I certainlywouldn’t worry.”
“I daresay you wouldn’t. You never worry over anything. But it’s not the same for you as it isfor me.”
“Why isn’t it the same? You mean because you’re the tenant⁵ of the flat or something?”
“Well, I’m in rather a special position, as you might say.”
Frances gave another enormous yawn.
“I was up too late last night,” she said. “At Basil’s party. I feel dreadful. Oh well, I supposeblack coffee will be helpful. Have some more before I’ve drunk it all? Basil would make us trysome new pills—Emerald Dreams. I don’t think it’s really worth trying all these silly things.”
“You’ll be late at your gallery,” said Claudia.
“Oh well, I don’t suppose it matters much. Nobody notices or cares.
“I saw David last night,” she added. “He was all dressed up and really looked ratherwonderful.”
“Now don’t say you’re falling for him, too, Fran. He really is too awful.”
“Oh, I know you think so. You’re such a conventional type, Claudia.”
“Not at all. But I cannot say I care for all your arty set. Trying out all these drugs and passingout or getting fighting mad.”
Frances looked amused.
“I’m not a drug fiend, dear—I just like to see what these things are like. And some of the gangare all right. David can paint, you know, if he wants to.”
“David doesn’t very often want to, though, does he?”
“You’ve always got your knife into him, Claudia…You hate him coming here to see Norma.
And talking of knives….”
“Well? Talking of knives?”
“I’ve been worrying,” said Frances slowly, “whether to tell you something or not.”
Claudia glanced at her wristwatch.
“I haven’t got time now,” she said. “You can tell me this evening if you want to tell mesomething. Anyway, I’m not in the mood. Oh dear,” she sighed, “I wish I knew what to do.”
“About Norma?”
“Yes. I’m wondering if her parents ought to know that we don’t know where she is….”
“That would be very unsporting. Poor Norma, why shouldn’t she slope off on her own if shewants to?”
“Well, Norma isn’t exactly—” Claudia stopped.
“No, she isn’t, is she? Non compos mentis. That’s what you meant. Have you rung up thatterrible place where she works? ‘Homebirds,’ or whatever it’s called? Oh yes, of course you did. Iremember.”
“So where is she?” demanded Claudia. “Did David say anything last night?”
“David didn’t seem to know. Really, Claudia, I can’t see that it matters.”
“It matters for me,” said Claudia, “because my boss happens to be her father. Sooner or later, ifanything peculiar⁶ has happened to her, they’ll ask me why I didn’t mention the fact that she hadn’tcome home.”
“Yes, I suppose they might pitch on you. But there’s no real reason, is there, why Norma shouldhave to report to us every time she’s going to be away from here for a day or two. Or even a fewnights. I mean, she’s not a paying guest or anything. You’re not in charge of the girl.”
“No, but Mr. Restarick did mention he felt glad to know that she had got a room here with us.”
“So that entitles you to go and tittle-tattle about her every time she’s absent without leave?
She’s probably got a crush on some new man.”
“She’s got a crush on David,” said Claudia. “Are you sure she isn’t holed up at his place?”
“Oh, I shouldn’t think so. He doesn’t really care for her, you know.”
“You’d like to think he doesn’t,” said Claudia. “You are rather sweet on David yourself.”
“Certainly not,” said Frances sharply. “Nothing of the kind.”
“David’s really keen on her,” said Claudia. “If not, why did he come round looking for her herethe other day?”
“You soon marched him out again,” said Frances. “I think,” she added, getting up and looking ather face in a rather unflattering small kitchen mirror, “I think it might have been me he really cameto see.”
“You’re too idiotic⁷! He came here looking for Norma.”
“That girl’s mental,” said Frances.
“Sometimes I really think she is!”
“Well, I know she is. Look here, Claudia, I’m going to tell you that something now. You oughtto know. I broke the string of my bra the other day and I was in a hurry. I know you don’t likeanyone fiddling⁸ with your things—”
“I certainly don’t,” said Claudia.
“—but Norma never minds, or doesn’t notice. Anyway, I went into her room and I rootled inher drawer and I—well, I found something. A knife.”
“A knife!” said Claudia, surprised. “What sort of a knife?”
“You know we had that sort of shindy thing in the courtyard? A group of beats, teenagerswho’d come in here and were having a fight with flick-knives and all that? And Norma came injust after.”
“Yes, yes, I remember.”
“One of the boys got stabbed, so a reporter told me, and he ran away. Well, the knife inNorma’s drawer was a flick-knife. It had got a stain on it—looked like dried blood.”
“Frances! You’re being absurdly dramatic.”
“Perhaps. But I’m sure that’s what it was. And what on earth was that doing hidden away inNorma’s drawer, I should like to know?”
“I suppose—she might have picked it up.”
“What—a souvenir? And hidden it away and never told us?”
“What did you do with it?”
“I put it back,” said Frances slowly. “I—I didn’t know what else to do…I couldn’t decidewhether to tell you or not. Then yesterday I looked again and it was gone, Claudia. Not a trace ofit.”
“You think she sent David here to get it?”
“Well, she might have done…I tell you, Claudia, in future I’m going to keep my door locked atnight.”

1 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

2 pyjamas   

n.（宽大的）睡衣裤

参考例句：

• This pyjamas has many repairs.这件睡衣有许多修补过的地方。
• Martin was in his pyjamas.马丁穿着睡衣。

3 sipped   

v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sipped his coffee pleasurably. 他怡然地品味着咖啡。
• I sipped the hot chocolate she had made. 我小口喝着她调制的巧克力热饮。 来自辞典例句

4 solicitude   

n.焦虑

参考例句：

• Your solicitude was a great consolation to me.你对我的关怀给了我莫大的安慰。
• He is full of tender solicitude towards my sister.他对我妹妹满心牵挂。

5 tenant   

n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用

参考例句：

• The tenant was dispossessed for not paying his rent.那名房客因未付房租而被赶走。
• The tenant is responsible for all repairs to the building.租户负责对房屋的所有修理。

6 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。

7 idiotic   

adj.白痴的

参考例句：

• It is idiotic to go shopping with no money.去买东西而不带钱是很蠢的。
• The child's idiotic deeds caused his family much trouble.那小孩愚蠢的行为给家庭带来许多麻烦。

8 fiddling   

微小的

参考例句：

• He was fiddling with his keys while he talked to me. 和我谈话时他不停地摆弄钥匙。
• All you're going to see is a lot of fiddling around. 你今天要看到的只是大量的胡摆乱弄。 来自英汉文学 - 廊桥遗梦