'You can understand the feelings of a mother,' said Mrs Waverly for perhaps the sixth time.
She looked appealingly at Poirot. My little friend, always sympathetic to motherhood in distress,gesticulated reassuringly1.
'But yes, but yes, I comprehend perfectly2. Have faith in Papa Poirot.'
'The police - ' began Mr Waverly.
His wife waved the interruption aside. 'I won't have anything more to do with the police. Wetrusted to them and look what happened! But I'd heard so much of M. Poirot and the wonderfulthings he'd done, that I felt he might possibly be able to help us.
A mother's feelings -'
Poirot hastily stemmed the reiteration3 with an eloquent4 gesture.
Mrs Waverly's emotion was obviously genuine, but it assorted5 strangely with her shrewd, ratherhard type of countenance6. When I heard later that she was the daughter of a prominent steelmanufacturer of Birmingham who had worked his way up in the world from an office boy to hispresent eminence7, I realized that ahe had inherited many of the paternal8 qualities.
Mr Waverly was a big, florid, jovial-looking man. He stood with his legs straddled wide apart andlooked the type of the country squire9.
'I suppose you know all about this business, M. Poirot?'
The question was almost superfluous10. For some days past the paper had been full of thesensational kidnapping of little Johnnie Waverly, the three- year- old son and heir of MarcusWaverly, Esq., of Waverly Court, Surrey, one of the oldest families in England.
'The main facts I know, of course, but recount to me the whole story, monsieur, I beg of you. Andin detail if you please.'
'Well, I suppose the beginning of the whole thing was about ten days ago when I got ananonymous letter - beastly things, anyway - that I couldn't make head or tail of. The writer had theimpudence to demand that I should pay him twenty-five thousand pounds - twenty-five thousandpounds, M. Poirotl Failing my agreement, he threatened to kidnap Johnnie. Of course I threw thething into the wastepaper basket without more ado. Thought it was some silly joke. Five days laterI got another letter. "Unless you pay, your son will be kidnapped on the twenty-ninth." That wason the twenty-seventh. Ada was worried, but I couldn't bring myself to treat the matter seriously.
Damn it all, we're in England.
Nobody goes about kidnapping children and holding them up to ransom11.'
'It is not a common practice, certainly,' said Poirot. 'Proceed, monsieur.'
'Well, Ada gave me no peace, so - feeling a bit of a fool - I laid the matter before Scotland Yard.
They didn't seem to take the thing very seriously - inclined to my view that it was some silly joke.
On the twenty-eighth I got a third letter. "You have not paid. Your son will be taken from you attwelve o'clock noon tomorrow, the twenty-ninth. It will cost you fifty thousand pounds to recoverhim." Up I drove to Scotland Yard again. This time they were more impressed. They inclined tothe view that the letters were written by a lunatic, and that in all probability an attempt of somekind would be made at the hour stated. They aured me that they would take all due precautions.
Inspector12 McNeil and a sufficient force would come down to Waverly on the morrow and takecharge.
'I went home much relieved in my mind. Yet we already had the feeling of being in a state ofsiege. I gave orders that no stranger was to be admitted, and that no one was to leave the house.
The evening passed off without any untoward13 incident, but on the following morning my wife wasseriously unwell. Alarmed by her condition, I sent for Doctor Dakers. Her symptoms appeared topuzzle him. While hesitating to suggest that she had been poisoned, I could see that that was whatwas in his mind. There was no danger, he assured me, but it would be a day or twobefore she would be able to get about again. Returning to my own room, I was startled andamazed to find a note pinned to my pillow. It was in the same handwriting as the others andcontained just three words: "At twelve o'clock".
'I admit, M. Po[rot, that then I saw redl Someone in the house was in this - one of the servants. Ihad them all up, blackguarded them right and left. They never split on each other; it was MissCollins, my wife's companion, who informed me that she had seen Johnnie's nurse slip down thedrive early that morning. I taxed her with it, and she broke down. She had left the child with thenursery maid and stolen out to meet a friend of hers - a manl Pretty goings onl She denied havingpinned the note to my pillow - she may have been speaking the truth, I don't know. I felt I couldn'ttake the risk of the child's own nurse being in the plot. One of the servants was implicated14 - of thatI was sure.
Finally I lost my temper and sacked the whole bunch, nurse and all. I gave them an hour to packtheir boxes and get out of the house.'
Mr Waverly's red face was quite two shades redder as he remembered his just wrath15.
'Was not that a little injudicious, monsieur?' suggested Poirot.
'For all you know, you might have been playing into the enemy's hands.'
Mr Waverly stared at him. 'I don't see that. Send the whole lot packing, that was my idea. I wiredto London for a fresh lot to be sent down that evening. In the meantime, there'd be only people Icod trust in the house: my wife's secretary, Miss Collins, and Tredwell, the butler, who has beenwith me since I was a boy.'
'And this Miss Collins, how long has she been with you?'
'Just a year,' said Mrs Waverly. 'She has been invaluable16 to me as a secretary-companion, and isalso a very efficient housekeeper17.' 'The nurse?'
'She has been with me six months. She came to me with excellent references. All the same, I neverreally liked her, although Johnnie was quite devoted18 to her.'
'Still, I gather she had already left when the catastrophe19 occurred.
Perhaps, Monsieur Waverly, you will be so kind as to continue.' Mr Waverly resumed hisnarrative.
'Inspector McNeil arrived about ten-thirty. The servants had all left by then. He declared himselfquite satisfied with the internal arrangements. He had various men posted in the park outside,guarding all the approaches to the house, and he assured me that if the whole thing were not ahoax, we should undoubtedly20 catch my mysterious correspondent.
'I had Johnnie with me, and he and I and the inspector went together into a room we call thecouncil chamber21. The inspector locked the door. There is a big grandfather clock there, and as thehands drew near to twelve I don't mind confessing that I was as nervous as a cat. There was awhirring sound, and the clock began to strike. I clutched lohnnie. I had a feeling a man might dropfrom the skies. The last stroke sounded, and as it did so, there was a great commotion22 outside -shouting and running. The inspector flung up the window, and a constable23 came running up.
' "We've got him, sir," he panted. "He was sneaking24 up through the bushes. He's got a whole dopeoutfit on him."
'We hurried out on the terrace where two constables25 were holding a ruffianly-looking fellow inshabby clothes, who was twisting and turning in a vain endeavour to escape. One of the policemenheld out an unrolled parcel which they had wrested26 from their captive. It contained a pad of cottonwool and a bottle of chloroform. It made my blood boil to see it. There was a note, too, addressedto me. I tore it open. It bore the following words: "You should have paid up. To ransom your sonwill now cost you fifty thousand. In spite of all your precautions he has been abducted27 at twelveo'clock on the twenty-ninth as I said."
'I gave a great laugh, the laugh of relief, but as I did so I heard the hum of a motor and a shout. Iturned my head. Racing28 down the drive towards the south lodge29 at a furious speed was a low, longgrey car. It was the man who drove it who had shouted, but that was not what gave me a shock ofhorror. It was the sight of Johnnie's flaxen curls. The child was in the car beside him.
'The inspector ripped out an oath. "The child was here not a minute ago," he cried. His eyes sweptover us. We were all there:
myself, Tredwell, Miss Collins. "When did you see him last, Mr Waverly?"'I cast my mind back, trying to remember. When the constable had called us, I had run out with theinspector, forgetting all about Johnnie.
'And then there came a sound that startled us, the chiming of a church clock from the village. Withan exclamation30 the inspector pulled out his watch. It was exactly twelve o'clock. With onecommon accord we ran to the council chamber; the clock there marked the hour as ten minutespast. Someone must have deliber-ately tampered31 with it, for I have never known it gain or losebefore. It is a perfect timekeeper.'
Mr Waverly paused. Poirot smiled to himself and straightened a little mat which the anxious fatherhad pushed askew32.
'A pleasing little problem, obscure and charming,' murmured Poirot. 'I will investigate it for youwith pleasure. Truly it was planned d merveille.'
Mrs Waverly looked at him reproachfully. 'But my boy,' she wailed33.
Poirot hastily composed his face and looked the picture of earnest sympathy again. 'He is safe,madame, he is unharmed.
Rest assured, these miscreants34 will take the greatest care of him.
I he not to them the turkey - no, the goose - that lays the golden egg?'
'M. Poirot, I'm sure there's only one thing to be done - pay up.
I was all against it at first - but hOWl A mother's feelings - '
'But we have interrupted monsieur in his history,' cried Poirot hastily.
'I expect you know the rest pretty well from the papers,' said Mr Waverly. 'Of course, InspectorMcNeil got on to the telephone immediately. A description of the car and the man was circulatedall round, and it looked at first as though everything was going to turn out all right. A car,answering to the description, with a man and a small boy, had passed through various villages,apparently making for London. At one place they had stopped, and it wa noticed that the child wascrying and obviously afraid of his companion. When Inspector McNeil announced that the car hadbeen stopped and the man and boy detained, I was almost ill with relief. You know the sequel. Theboy was not Johnnie, and the man was an ardent35 motorist, fond of children, who had picked up asmall child playing in the streets of Edenswell, a village about fifteen miles from us, and waskindly giving him a ride. Thanks to the cocksure blundering of the police, all traces havedisappeared.
Had they not persistently37 followed the wrong car, they might by now have found the boy.'
'Calm yourself, monsieur. The police are a brave and intelligent force of men. Their mistake was avery natural one. And altogether it was a clever scheme. As to the man they caught in the grounds,I understand that his defence has consisted all along of a persistent36 denial. He declares that thenote and parcel were given to him to deliver at Waverly Court. The man who gave them to himhanded him a ten- shilling note and promised him another if it were delivered at exactly tenminutes to twelve. He was to approach the house through the grounds and knock at the side door.'
'I don't bdieve a word of it,' declared Mrs Waverly hotly. 'It's all a parcel of lies.'
'Eh vritg, it is a thin story,' said Poirot reflectively. 'But so far they have not shaken it. Iunderstand, also, that he made a certain accusation38?'
His glance interrogated39 Mr Waverly. The latter got rather red again.
'Tlle fellow had the impertinence to pretend that he recognized in Tredwell the man who gave himthe parcel. "Only the bloke has shaved off his moustache." Tredwell, who was born on the estatel'
Poirot smiled a little at the country gentleman's indignation.
'Yet you yourself suspect an inmate40 of the house to have been accessory to the abduction.'
'Yes, but not Tredwell.'
'And you, madame?' asked Poirot, suddenly turning to her.
'It could not have been Tredwell who gave this tramp the letter and parcel - if anybody ever did,which I don't believe. It was given him at ten o'clock, he says. At ten o'clock Tredwell waa withmy husband in the smoking-room.'
'Were you able to see the face of the man in the car, monsieur?
Did it resemble that of Tredwell in any way?' 'It was too far away for me to see his face.' 'HasTredwell a brother, do you know?'
'He had several, but they are all dead. The last one was killed in the war.'
'I am not yet clear as to the grounds of Waverly Court. The car was heading for the south lodge. Isthere another entrance?'
'Yes, what we call the east lodge. It can be seen from the other side of the house.'
'It seems to me strange that nobody saw the car entering the grounds.'
'There is a right of way through, and access to a small chapel41.
A good many cars pass through. The man must have stopped the car in a convenient place and runup to the house just as the alarm was given and attention attracted elsewhere.'
'Unless he was already inside the house,' mused42 Poirot. 'Is there any place where he could havehidden?'
'Well, we certainly didn't make a thorough search of the house beforehand. There seemed no need.
I suppose he might have hidden himself somewhere, but who would have let him in?'
'We shall come to that later. One thing at a time - let us be methodical. There is no special hiding-place in the house? Waverly Court is an old place, and there are sometimes "priests' holes", as theycall them.'
'By gad43, there/s a priest's hole. It opens from one of the panels in the hall.'
'Near the council chamber?' 'Just outside the door.' 'Vo/k/l'
'But nobody knows of its existence except my wife and myself.' 'Tredwell?'
'Well - he might have heard of it.'
'Miss Collins?'
'I have never mentioned it to her.'
Poirot reflected for a minute.
'Well, monsieur, the next thing is for me to come down toWaverly Court. If I arrive this afternoon, will it suit you?' 'Oh, as soon as possible, please,Monsieur Poirotl' cried Mrs Waverly. 'Read this once more.' She thrust into his hands the lastmissive from the enemy which had reached the Waverlys that morning and which had sent herpost-haste to Poirot. It gave clever and explicit44 directions for the paying over of the money, andended with a threat that the boy's life would pay for any treachery. It was clear that a love ofmoney warred with the essential mother love of Mrs Waverley, and that the latter was at lastgaining the day.
Poirot detained Mrs Waverly for a minute behind her husband.
'Madame, the truth, if you please. Do you share your husband's faith in the butler, Tredwell?' 'Ihave nothing against him, Monsieur Poirot, I cannot see how he can have been concerned in this,but - well, I have never liked him - never?
'One other thing, madame, can you give me the address of the child's nurse?' 'x49 Netherall Road,Hammersmith. You don't imagine- ' 'Never do I imagine. Only - I employ the little grey cells. Andsometimes, just sometimes, I have a little idea.' Poirot came back to me as the door closed.
'So madame has never liked the butler. It is interesting, that, eh, Hastings?' I refused to be drawn45.
Poirot has deceived me so often that I now go warily46. There is always a catch somewhere.
After completing an elaborate outdoor toilet, we set off for Netherall Road. We were fortunateenough to find Miss Jessie Withers47 at home. She was a pleasant-faced woman of thirty-five,capable and superior. I could not believe that she could be mixed up in the affair. She was bitterlyresentful of the way she had been dismissed, but admitted that she had been in the wrong. She wasengaged to be married to a painter and decorator who happened to be in the neighbourhood, andshe had run out to meet him.
The thing seemed natural enough. I could not quite understand Poirot. All his questions seemed tome quite irrelevant48. They were concerned mainly with the daily routine of her life at WaverlyCourt. I was frankly49 bored and glad when Poirot took his departure.
'Kidnapping is an easy job, rnon ami,' he observed, as he hailed a taxi in the Hammersmith Roadand ordered it to drive to Water-1oo.
'That child could have been abducted with the greatest ease any day for the last three years.' 'Idon't see that that advances us much,' I remarked coldly. '.4u contraire, it advances us enormously,but enormouslyl If you must wear a tie pin, Hastings, at least let it be in the exact centre of yourtie. At present it is at least a sixteenth of an inch too much to the right.' Waverly Court was a fineold place and had recently been restored with taste and care. Mr Waverly showed us the councilchamber, the terrace, and all the various spots connected with the case.
Finally, at Poirot's request, he pressed a spring in the wall, a panel slid aside, and a short passageled us into the priest's hole.
'You see,' said Waverly. 'There is nothing here.' The tiny room was bare enough, there was noteven the mark of a footstep on the floor. I joined Poirot where he was bending attentively50 over amark in the corner.
'What do you make of this, my friend?' There were four imprints51 close together.
'A dog,' I cried.
'A very small dog, Hastings.' 'A Porn.' 'Smaller than a Porn.' 'A griffon?' I suggested doubtfully.
'Smaller even than a griffon. A species unknown to the Kennel52 Club.' I looked at him. His face wasalight with excitement and satisfaction.
'I was right,' he murmured. 'I knew I was right. Come, Hastings.' As we stepped out into the halland the panel closed behind us, a young lady came out of a door farther down the passage. MrWaverl? presented her to us.
'Miss Collins.' Miss Collins was about thirty years of age, brisk and alert inmanner. She had fair, rather dull hair, and wore pincenez.
At Poirot's request, we passed into a small morning-room, and he questioned her closely as to theservants and particularly as to Tredwell. She admitted that she did not like the butler.
'He gives himself airs,' she explained.
They then went into the question of the food eaten by Mrs Waverly on the night of the 28th. MissCollins declared that she had partaken of the same dishes upstairs in her sitting-room53 and had feltno ill effects. As she was departing I nudged Poirot.
'The dog,' I whispered.
'Ah, yes, the dog!' He smiled broadly. 'Is there a dog kept here by any chance, mademoiselle?'
'There are two retrievers in the kennels54 outside.' 'No, I mean a small dog, a toy dog.' 'No - nothingof the kind.' Poirot permitted her to depart. Then, pressing the bell, he remarked to me, 'She lies,that Mademoiselle Collins. Possibly I should, also, in her place. Now for the butler.' Tredwell wasa dignified55 individual. He told his story with perfect aplomb56, and it was essentially57 the same asthat of Mr Waverly. He admitted that he knew the secret of the priest's hole.
When he finally withdrew, pontifical58 to the last, I met Poirot's quizzical eyes.
'What do you make of it all, Hastings?' 'What do you?' I parried.
'How cautious you become. Never, never will the grey celh function unless you stimulate59 them.
Ah, but I will not tease youl Let us make our deductions60 together. What points strike us speciallyas being difficult?' 'There is one thing that strikes me,' I said. 'Why did the man who kidnapped thechild go out by the south lodge instead of by the east lodge where no one would see him?' 'That isa very good point, Hastings, an excellent one. I will match it with another. Why warn theWaverlys beforehand? Why not simply kidnap the child and hold him to ransom?' 'BeCause theyhoped to get the money without being forced to action.'
Court. I was frankly bored and glad when Poirot took his departure.
'Kidnapping is an easy job, mort ami,' he observed, as he hailed a taxi in the Hammersmith Roadand ordered it to drive to Waterloo.
'That child could have been abducted with the greatest ease any day for the last three years.' 'Idon't see that that advances us much,' I remarked coldly. '.4u contraire, it advances us enormously,but enormouslyl If you must wear a tie pin, Hastings, at least let it be in the exact centre of yourtie. At present it is at least a sixteenth of an inch too much to the right.' Waverly Court was a fineold place and had recently been restored with taste and care. Mr Waverly showed us the councilchamber, the terrace, and all the various spots connected with the cae.
Finally, at Poirot's request, he pressed a spring in the wall, a panel ,lid aside, and a short passageled us into the priest's hole.
'You see,' said Waverly. 'There is nothing here.' The tiny room was bare enough, there was noteven the mark of a footstep on the floor. I joined Poirot where he was bending attentively over amark in the corner.
'What do you make of this, my friend?' There were four imprints close together.
'A dog,' I cried.
'A very small dog, Hastings.' 'A Porn.' 'Smaller than a Porn.' 'A griffon?' I suggested doubtfully.
'Smaller even than a griffon. A species unknown to the Kennel Club.' I looked at him. His face wasalight with excitement and atisfaction.
'I was right,' he murmured. 'I knew I was right. Come, Hastings.' As we stepped out into the halland the panel closed behind ua, a young lady came out of a door farther down the passage. MrWaverl? presented her to us.
'Miss Collins.' Miss Collins was about thirty years of age, brisk and alert inmanner. She had fair, rather dull hair, and wore pincenez.
At Poirot's request, we passed into a small morning-room, and he questioned her closely as to theservants and particularly as to Tredwell. She admitted that she did not like the butler.
'He gives himself air,' she explained.
They then went into the question of the food eaten by Mrs Waverly on the night of the zSth. MissCollins declared that she had partaken of the same dishes upstairs in her sitting-room and had feltno ill effects. As she was departing I nudged Poirot.
'The dog,' I whispered.
'Ah, yes, the dog? He smiled broadly. 'Is there a dog kept here by any chance, mademoiselle?'
'There are two retriever in the kennels outside.' 'No, I mean a small dog, a toy dog.' 'No - nothingof the kind.' Poirot permitted her to depart. Then, pressing the bell, he remarked to me, 'She lies,that Mademoiselle Collins. Possibly I should, also, in her place. Now for the butler.' Tredwell wasa dignified individual. He told his story with perfect aplomb, and it was essentially the same asthat of Mr Waverly. He admitted that he knew the secret of the priest's hole.
When he finally withdrew, pontifical to the last, I met Poirot's quizzical eyes.
'What do you make of it all, Hastings?' 'What do you?' I parried.
'How cautious you become. Never, never will the grey cells function unless you stimulate them.
Ah, but I will not tease youl Let us make our deductions together. What points strike us speciallyas being difficult?' 'There is one thing that strikes me,' I said. 'Why did the man who kidnapped thechild go out by the south lodge instead of by the east lodge where no one would see him?' 'That isa very good point, Hastings, an excellent one. I will match it with another. Why warn theWaverlys beforehand? Why not simply kidnap the child and hold him to ransom?' 'BeCause theyhoped to get the money without being forced to actiol.'
'Surely it was very unlikely that the money would be paid on a mere61 threat?' 'Also they wanted tofocus attention on twelve o'clock, so that when the tramp man' was seized, the other could emergefrom his hiding-place and get away with the child unnoticed.' 'That does not alter the fact that theywere making a thing difficult that was perfectly easy. If they do not specify62 a time or date, nothingwould be easier than to wait their chance, and carry off the child in a motor one day when he is outwith his nurse.' 'Ye - es,' I admitted doubtfully.
'In fact, there is a deliberate playing of the farce63! Now let us approach the question from anotherside. Everything goes to show that there was an accomplice64 inside the house. Point number one,the mysterious poisoning of Mrs Waverly. Point number two, the letter pinned to the pillow. Pointnumber three, the putting on of the clock ten minutes - all inside jobs. And an additional fact thatyou may not have noticed. There was no dust in the priest's hole. It had been swept out with abroom.
'Now then, we have four people in the house. We can exclude the nurse, since she could not haveswept out the priest's hole, though she could have attended to the other three points. Four people,Mr and Mrs Waverly, Tredwell, the butler, and Miss Collins. We will take Miss Collins first. Wehave nothing much against her, except that we know very little about her, that she is obviously anintelligent young woman, and that she has only been here a year.' 'She lied about the dog, yousaid,' I reminded him.
'Ah, yes, the dog.' Poirot gave a peculiar65 smile. 'Now let us pass to Tredwell. There are severalsuspicious facts against him.
For one thing, the tramp declares that it was Tredwell who gave him the parcel in the village.' 'ButTredwell can prove an alibi66 on that point.' 'Even then, he could have poisoned Mrs Waverly,pinned the note to the pillow, put on the clock, and swept out the priest's hole. On the other hand,he has been born and bred in the service of the Waverlys. It seems unlikely in the last degree thathe should connive67 at the abduction of the son of the house. It is not in the picturel'
'Well, then?'
'We must proceed logically - however absurd it may seem. We will briefly68 consider Mrs Waverly.
But she is rich, the money is hers. It is her money which has restored this impoverished69 estate.
There would be no reason for her to kidnap her son and pay over her money to herself. Herhusband, now, is in a different position.
He has a rich wife. It is not the same thing as being rich himself-in fact I have a little idea that thelady is not very fond of parting with her money, except on a very good pretext70. But Mr Waverley,you can see at once, he is bon viveur.'
'Impossible,' I spluttered.
'Not at all. Who sends away the servants? Mr Waverly. He can write the notes, drug his wife, puton the hands of the clock, and establish an excellent alibi for his faithful retainer Tredwell.
Tredwell has never liked Mrs Waverley. He is devoted to his master and is willing to obey hisorders implicitly71. There were three of them in it. Waverly, Tredwell, and some friend of Waverly.
That is the mistake the police made, they made no further inquiries72 about the man who drove thegrey car with the wrong child in it. He was the third man. He picks up a child in a village near by,a boy with flaxen curls. He drives in through the east lodge and passes out through the south lodgejust at the right moment, waving his hand and shouting. They cannot see his face or the number ofthe car, so obviously they cannot see the child's face, either. Then he lays a false trail to London.
In the meantime, Tredwell has done his part in arranging for the parcel and note to be delivered bya rough- looking gentleman. His master can provide an alibi in the unlikely case of the manrecognizing him, in spite of the false moustache he wore. As for Mr Waverly, as soon as thehullabaloo occurs outside, and the inspector rushes out, he quickly hides the child in the priest'shole, and follows him out. Later in the day, when the inspector is gone and Miss Collins is out ofthe way, it will be easy enough to drive him off to some safe place in his own car.'
'But what about the dog?' I asked. 'And Miss Collins lying?'
'That was my little joke. I asked her if there were any toy dog in the house, and she said no - butdoubtless there are some - in the nurseryl You see, Mr Waverly placed some toys in the priest'shole to keep Johnnie amused and quiet.' 'M. Poirot - ' Mr Waverly entered the room - 'have youdiscovered anything? Have you any clue to where the boy has been taken?' Poirot handed him apiece of paper. 'Here is the address.' 'But this is a blank sheet.' 'Because I am waiting for you towrite it down for me.' 'What the - ' Mr Waverly's face turned purple.
'I know everything, monsieur. I give you twenty-four hours to return the boy. Your ingenuity73 willbe equal to the task of explaining his reappearance. Otherwise, Mrs Waverly will be informed ofthe exact sequence of events.' Mr Waverly sank down in a chair and buried his face in his hands.
'He is with my old nurse, ten miles away. He is happy and well cared for.' 'I have no doubt of that.
If I did not believe you to be a good father at heart, I should not be willing to give you anotherchance:' 'The scandal ' 'Exactly. Your name is an old and honoured one. Do not jeopardize74 it again.
Good evening, Mr Waverly. Ah, by the way, one word of advice. Always sweep in the cornersl'
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reassuringly
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perfectly
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reiteration
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eloquent
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assorted
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countenance
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eminence
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paternal
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squire
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ransom
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inspector
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untoward
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| adj.不利的，不幸的，困难重重的 | |
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implicated
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| adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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invaluable
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| adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的 | |
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housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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constable
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| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
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sneaking
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| a.秘密的，不公开的 | |
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constables
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| n.警察( constable的名词复数 ) | |
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wrested
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| （用力）拧( wrest的过去式和过去分词 )； 费力取得； （从…）攫取； （ 从… ） 强行取去… | |
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abducted
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| 劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展 | |
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racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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tampered
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| v.窜改( tamper的过去式 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄 | |
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askew
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| adv.斜地；adj.歪斜的 | |
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wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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miscreants
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| n.恶棍，歹徒( miscreant的名词复数 ) | |
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ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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persistently
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| ad.坚持地；固执地 | |
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accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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interrogated
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| v.询问( interrogate的过去式和过去分词 )；审问；（在计算机或其他机器上）查询 | |
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inmate
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| n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人 | |
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chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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gad
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| n.闲逛；v.闲逛 | |
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explicit
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| adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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withers
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| 马肩隆 | |
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irrelevant
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| adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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imprints
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| n.压印( imprint的名词复数 )；痕迹；持久影响 | |
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kennel
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| n.狗舍，狗窝 | |
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sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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kennels
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| n.主人外出时的小动物寄养处，养狗场；狗窝( kennel的名词复数 )；养狗场 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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aplomb
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| n.沉着，镇静 | |
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essentially
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| adv.本质上，实质上，基本上 | |
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pontifical
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| adj.自以为是的，武断的 | |
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stimulate
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| vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋 | |
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deductions
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| 扣除( deduction的名词复数 )； 结论； 扣除的量； 推演 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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specify
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| vt.指定，详细说明 | |
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farce
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| n.闹剧，笑剧，滑稽戏；胡闹 | |
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accomplice
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| n.从犯，帮凶，同谋 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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alibi
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| n.某人当时不在犯罪现场的申辩或证明；借口 | |
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connive
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| v.纵容；密谋 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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impoverished
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| adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化 | |
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pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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implicitly
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| adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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jeopardize
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| vt.危及，损害 | |
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