Out of the house came John Harrison and stood a moment on the terrace looking out over thegarden. He was a big man with a lean, cadaverous face. His aspect was usually somewhat grim butwhen, as now, the rugged2 features softened3 into a smile, there was something very attractive abouthim.
John Harrison loved his garden, and it had never looked better than it did on this August evening,summery and languorous4.
The rambler roses were still beautiful; sweet peas scented5 the air.
A well-known creaking sound made Harrison turn his head sharply. Who was coming in throughthe garden gate? In another minute, an expression of utter astonishment6 came over his face, for thedandified figure coming up the path was the last he expected to see in this part of the world.
'By all that's wonderful,' cried Harrison. 'Monsieur Poirott'
It was, indeed, the famous Hercule Poirot whose renown7 as a detective had spread over the wholeworld.
'Yes,' he said, 'it is I. You said to me once: "If you are ever in this part of the world, come and seeme." I take you at your word.
I arrive.'
'And I'm delighted,' said Harrison heartily8. 'Sit down and have a drink.'
With a hospitable9 hand, he indicated a table on the veranda10 bearing assorted11 bottles.
'I thank you,' said Poirot, sinking down into a basket chair.
'You have, I suppose, no drop? No, no, I thought not. A little plain soda12 water then - no whisky.'
And he added in a feeling voice as the other placed the glass beside him: 'Alas13, my moustache arelimp. It is this heatl'
'And what brings you into this quiet spot?' asked Harrison as he dropped into another chair.
'Pleasure?'
'No, mon ami, business.'
'Business? In this out-of-the-way place?'
Poirot nodded gravely. 'But yes, my friend, all crimes are not committed in crowds, you know?'
The other laughed. 'I suppose that was rather an idiotic14 remark of mine. But what particular crimeare you investigating down here, or is that a thing I mustn't ask?'
'You may ask,' said the detective. 'Indeed, I would prefer that you asked.'
Harrison looked at him curiously15. He sensed something a little unusual in the other's manner. 'Youare investigating a crime, you say?' he advanced rather hesitatingly. 'A serious crime?'
'A crime of the most serious there is.' 'You mean...' 'Murder.'
So gravely did Hercule Poirot say that word that Harrison was quite taken aback. The detectivewas looking straight at him and again there was something so unusual in his glance that Harrisonhardly knew how to proceed. At last, he said: 'But I have heard of no murder.'
'No,' said Poirot, 'you would not have heard of it.'
'Who has been murdered?'
'As yet,' said Hercule Poirot, 'nobody.'
'What?'
'That is why I said you would not have heard of it. I am investigating a crime that has not yet takenplace.'
'But look here, that is nonsense.'
'Not at all. If one can investigate a murder before it has hap-pened, surely that is very much betterthan afterwards. One might even - a little idea - prevent it.'
Harrison stared at him. 'You are not serious, Monsieur Poirot.' 'But yes, I am serious.'
'You really believe that a murder is going to be committed? oh, it's absurd!'
Hercule Poirot finished the first part of the sentence without taking any notice of the exclamation16.
'Unless we can manage to prevent it. Yes, mon ami, that is what I mean.' 'We?' 'I said we. I shallneed your cooperation.' 'Is that why you came down here?' Again Poirot looked at him, and againan indefinable something made Harrison uneasy.
'I came here, Monsieur ttarrison because I - well - like you.' And then he added in an entirelydifferent voice: 'I see, Monsieur Harrison, that you have a wasps' nest there. You should destroy it.'
The change of subject made Harrison frown in a puzzled way.
He followed Poirot's glance and said in rather a bewildered voice: 'As a matter of fact, I'm goingto. Or rather, young Langton is.
You remember Claude Langton? He was at that same dinner where I met you. He's coming overthis evening to take the nest.
Rather fancies himself at the job.' 'Ah!' said Poirot. 'And how is he going to do it?' 'Petrol and thegarden syringe. He's bringing his own syringe over; it's a more convenient size than mine.' 'Thereis another way, is there not?' asked Poirot. 'With cyanide of potassium?' Harrison looked a littlesurprised. 'Yes, but that's rather dangerous stuff. Always a risk having it about the place.' Poirotnodded gravely. 'Yes, it is deadly poison.' He waited a minute and then repeated in a grave voice.
'Deadly poison.' 'Useful if you want to do away with your mother-in-law, eh?' aid Harrison with alaugh.
But Hercule Poirot remained grave. 'And you are quite sure, Monsieur Harrison, that it is withpetrol that Monsieur Langton ia going to destroy your wasps' nest?' 'Quite sure. Why?' 'Iwondered. I was at the chemist's in Barchester this afternoon.
For one of my purchases I had to sign the poison book. I saw the last entry. It was for cyanide ofpotassium and it was signed for by Claude Langton.'
Harrison stared. 'That's odd,' he said. 'Langton told me the other day that he'd never dream of usingthe stuff; in fact, he said it oughtn't to be sold for the purpose.'
Poirot looked out over the roses. His voice was very quiet as he asked a question. 'Do you likeLangton?'
The other started. The question somehow seemed to find him quite unprepared. 'I - I - well, I mean- of course, I like him.
Why shouldn't I?'
'I only wondered,' said Poirot placidly18, 'whether you did.'
And as the other did not answer, he went on. 'I also wondered if he liked you?'
'What are you getting at, Monsieur Poirot? There's something in your mind I can't fathom19.'
'I am going to be very frank. You are engaged to be married, Monsieur Harrison. I know MissMolly Dearie. She is a very charming, a very beautiful girl. Before she was engaged to you, shewas engaged to Claude Langton. She threw him over for you.'
Harrison nodded.
'I do not ask what her reasons were; she may have been justified20.
But I tell you this, it is not too much to suppose that Langton has not forgotten or forgiven.'
'You're wrong, Monsieur Poirot. I swear you're wrong. Lang-ton's been a sportsman; he's takenthings like a man. He's been amazingly decent to me - gone out of his way to be friendly.'
'And that does not strike you as unusual? You use the word"amazingly", but you do not seem to be amazed.'
'What do you mean, M. Poirot?'
'I mean,' said Poirot, and his voice had a new note in it, 'that a man may conceal21 his hate till theproper time comes.'
'Hate?' Harrison shook his head and laughed.
'The English are very stupid,' said Poirot. 'They think that they can deceive anyone but that no onecan deceive them. The sportsman - the good fellow - never will they believe evil of him.
And because they are brave, but stupid, sometimes they die when they need not die.' /'You are warning me,' said Harrison in a low voice. 'I see it now - what has puzzled me all along.
You are warning me against Claude Langton. You came here today to warn me...'
Poirot nodded. Harrison sprang up suddenly. 'But you are mad, Monsieur Poirot. This is England.
Things don't happen like that here. Disappointed suitors don't go about stabbing people in the backand poisoning them. And you're wrong about Langton. That chap wouldn't hurt a fly.'
'The lives of flies are not my concern,' said Poirot placidly.
'And although you say Monsieur Langton would not take the life of one, yet you forget that he iseven now preparing to take the lives of several thousand wasps.'
Harrison did not at once reply. The little detective in his turn sprang to his feet. He advanced to hisfriend and laid a hand on his shoulder. So agitated23 was he that he almost shook the big man, and,as he did so, he hissed24 into his ear: 'Rouse yourself, my friend, rouse yourself. And look - lookwhere I am pointing. There on the bank, close by that tree root. See you, the wasps returninghome, placid17 at the end of the day? In a little hour, there will be destruction, and they know it not.
There is no one to tell them.
They have not, it seems, a Hercule Poirot. I tell you, Monsieur Harrison, I am down here onbusiness. Murder is my business.
And it is my business before it has happened as well as afterwards.
At what time does Monsieur Langton come to take this wasps' nest?'
'Langton would never...'
'At what time?'
'At nine o'clock. But I tell you, you're all wrong. Langton would never...°'These Englishl' cried Poirot in a passion. He caught up his hat and stick and moved down thepath, pausing to speak over his shoulder. 'I do not stay to argue with you. I should only enragemyself. But you understand, I return at nine o'clock?'
Harrison opened his mouth to speak, but Poirot did not give him the chance. 'I know what youwould say: "Langton would never," et cetera. Ah, Langton would never{ But all the same I returnat nine o'clock. But, yes, it will amuse me - put it like that - it will amuse me to see the taking of awasps' nest. Another of your English sports' He waited for no reply but passed rapidly down thepath and out through the door that creaked. Once outside on the road, his pace slackened. Hisvivacity died down, his face became grave and troubled. Once he drew his watch from his pocketand con-suited it. The hands pointed22 to ten minutes past eight. 'Over three quarters of an hour,' hemurmured. 'I wonder if I should have waited.' His footsteps slackened; he almost seemed on thepoint of returning. Some vague foreboding seemed to assail25 him. He shook it off resolutely,however, and continued to walk in the direction of the village. But his face was still troubled, andonce or twice he shook his head like a man only partly satisfied.
It was still some minutes of nine when he once more approached the garden door. It was a clear,still evening; hardly a breeze stirred the leaves. There was, perhaps, something a little sinister26 inthe stillness, like the lull27 before a storm.
Poirot's footsteps quickened every so slightly. He was suddenly alarmed - and uncertain. He fearedhe knew not what.
And at that moment the garden door opened and Claude Langton stepped quickly out into theroad. He started when he saw Poirot.
'Oh - er - good evening.' 'Good evening, Monsieur Langton. You are early.' Langton stared at him.
'I don't know what you mean.' 'You have taken the wasps' nest?' 'As a matter of fact, I didn't.' 'Oh!'
said Poirot softly. 'So you did not take the wasps' nest.
What did you do then?' 'Oh, just sat and yarned28 a bit with old Harrison. I really must hurry alongnow, Monsieur Poirot. I'd no idea you were remaining in this part of the world.' 'I-had businesshere, you see.'
'Ohl Well, you'll find Harrison on the terrace. Sorry I can't stop.'
He hurried away. Poirot looked after him. A nervous young fellow, good-looking with a weakmouthl
'So I shall find Harrison on the terrace,' murmured Poirot.
'I wonder.' He went in through the garden door and up the path.
Harrison was sitting in a chair by the table. He sat motionless and did not even turn his head asPoirot came up to him.
'Ah! Mon ami,' said Poirot. 'You are all right, eh?'
There was a long pause and, then Harrison said in a queer, dazed voice, 'What did you say?'
'I said - are you all right?'
'All right? Yes, I'm all right. Why not?' 'You feel no ill effects? That is good.' 'Ill effects? Fromwhat?' 'Washing soda.'
Harrison roused himself suddenly. 'Washing soda? What do you mean?'
Poirot made an apologetic gesture. 'I infinitely29 regret the necessity, but I put some in your pocket.'
'You put some in my pocket? What on earth for?'
IIarrison stared at him. Poirot spoke30 quietly and impersonally31 like a lecturer coming down to thelevel of a small child.
'You see, one of the advantages, or disadvantages, of being a detective is that it brings you intocontact with the criminal classes. And the criminal classes, they can teach you some veryinteresting and curious things. There was a pickpocket32 once - I interested myself in him becausefor once in a way he has not done what they say he has done - and so I get him off. And becausehe is grateful he pays me in the only way he can think of - which is to show me the tricks of histrade.
'And so it happens that I can pick a man's pocket if I choose without his ever suspecting the fact. Ilay one hand on his shoulder, I excite myself, and he feels nothing. But all the same I havemanaged to transfer what is in his pocket to my pocket and leave washing soda in its place.
'You see,' continued Poirot dreamily, 'if a man wants to get at some poison quickly to put in aglass, unobserved, he positively33 must keep it in his right-hand coat pocket; there is nowhere else.
I knew it would be there.' He dropped his hand into his pocket and brought out a few white, lumpycrystals. 'Exceedingly dangerous,' he murmured, 'to carry it like that - loose.' Calmly and withouthurrying himself, he took from another pocket a wide-mouthed bottle. He slipped in the crystals,stepped to the table and filled up the bottle with plain water. Then carefully corking34 it, he shook ituntil all the crystals were dissolved.
Harrison watched him as though fascinated.
Satisfied with his solution, Poirot stepped across to the nest.
He uncorked the bottle, turned his head aside, and poured the solution into the wasps' nest, thenstood back a pace or two watching.
Some wasps that were returning alighted, quivered a little and then lay still. Other wasps crawledout of the hole only to die.
Poirot watched for a minute or two and then nodded his head and came back to the veranda.
'A quick death,' he said. 'A very quick death.' Harrison found his voice. 'How much do you know?'
Poirot looked straight ahead. 'As I told you, I saw Claude Langton's name in the book. What I didnot tell you was that almost immediately afterwards, I happened to meet him. He told me he hadbeen buying cyanide of potassium at your request - to take a wasps' nest. That struck me as a littleodd, my friend, because I remember that at that dinner of which you spoke, you held forth35 on thesuperior merits of petrol and denounced the buying of cyanide as dangerous and unnecessary.' 'Goon.' 'I knew something else. I had seen Claude Langton and Molly Deane together when theythought no one saw them. I do not know what lovers' quarrel it was that originally parted them anddrove her into your arms, but I realized that misunderstandings were over and that Miss Deanewas drifting back to her love.' Go on.' 'I knew something more, my fricnd. I was in Harley Streetthe
other day, and I saw you come out of a certain doctor's house. I know that doctor and for whatdisease one consults him, and I read the expression on your face. I have seen it only once or twicein my lifetime, but it is not easily mistaken. It was the face of a man under sentence of death. I amright, am I not?' 'Quite right. He gave me two months.' 'You did not see me, my friend, for you hadother things to think about. I saw something else on your face - the thing that I told you thisafternoon men try to conceal. I saw hate there, my friend. You did not trouble to conceal it,because you thought there were none to observe.' 'Go on,' said Harrison.
'There is not much more to say. I came down here, saw Lang-ton's name by accident in the poisonbook as I tell you, met him, and came here to you. I laid traps for you. You denied having askedLangton to get cyanide, or rather you expressed surprise at his having done so. You were takenaback at first at my appearance, but presently you saw how well it would fit in and you encouragedmy suspicions. I knew from Langton himself that he was coming at half past eight. You told menine o'clock, thinking I should come and find everything over. And so I knew everything.' 'Whydid you come?' cried Harrison. 'If only you hadn't comel' Poirot drew himself up. 'I told you,' hesaid, 'murder is my business.' 'Murder? Suicide, you mean.' 'No.' Poirot's voice rang out sharplyand clearly. 'I mean murder.
Your death was to be quick and easy, but the death you planned for Langton was the worst deathany man can die. He bought the poison; he comes to see you, and he is alone with you. You diesuddenly, and the cyznide is found in your glass, and Claude Langton hangs. That was your plan.'
Again Harrison moaned.
'Why did you come? Why did you come?' 'I have told you, but there is another reason. I liked you.
Listen, rnon ami, you are a dying man; you have lost the girl you loved, but there is one thing thatyou are not: you are not a murderer. Tell me now: are you glad or sorry that I came?'
There was a moment's pause and Harrison drew himself up.
There was a new dignity in his face - the look of a man who has conquered his own baser self. Hestretched out his hand across the table.
'Thank goodness you came,' he cried. 'Oh, thank goodness you came.'
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收听单词发音
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1
wasps
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| 黄蜂( wasp的名词复数 )； 胡蜂； 易动怒的人； 刻毒的人 | |
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rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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languorous
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| adj.怠惰的，没精打采的 | |
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scented
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| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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renown
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| n.声誉，名望 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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assorted
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| adj.各种各样的，各色俱备的 | |
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soda
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| n.苏打水；汽水 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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idiotic
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| adj.白痴的 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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placidly
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| adv.平稳地，平静地 | |
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fathom
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| v.领悟，彻底了解 | |
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justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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assail
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| v.猛烈攻击，抨击，痛斥 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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lull
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| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
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yarned
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| vi.讲故事（yarn的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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impersonally
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| ad.非人称地 | |
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pickpocket
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| n.扒手；v.扒窃 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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corking
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| adj.很好的adv.非常地v.用瓶塞塞住( cork的现在分词 ) | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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