Chapter Seventeen

Seventeen
IS ir Henry’s face was very grave.
He said:
“I don’t like it.”
“I am aware,” said Miss Marple, “that it isn’t what you call orthodox. But it is so important, isn’t it, to be quite sure—‘to make assurance doubly sure,’ as Shakespeare has it. I think, if Mr. Jefferson would agree—?”
“What about Harper? Is he to be in on this?”
“It might be awkward for him to know too much. But there might be a hint from you. To watch certain persons—have them trailed, you know.”
Sir Henry said slowly:
“Yes, that would meet the case….”
II
Superintendent¹ Harper looked piercingly at Sir Henry Clithering.
“Let’s get this quite clear, sir. You’re giving me a hint?”
Sir Henry said:
“I’m informing you of what my friend has just informed me—he didn’t tell me in confidence—that he proposes tovisit a solicitor² in Danemouth tomorrow for the purpose of making a new will.”
The Superintendent’s bushy eyebrows³ drew downwards⁴ over his steady eyes. He said:
“Does Mr. Conway Jefferson propose to inform his son-in-law and daughter-in-law of that fact?”
“He intends to tell them about it this evening.”
“I see.”
The Superintendent tapped his desk with a penholder.
He repeated again: “I see….”
Then the piercing eyes bored once more into the eyes of the other man. Harper said:
“So you’re not satisfied with the case against Basil Blake?”
“Are you?”
The Superintendent’s moustaches quivered. He said:
“Is Miss Marple?”
The two men looked at each other.
Then Harper said:
“You can leave it to me. I’ll have men detailed⁵. There will be no funny business, I can promise you that.”
Sir Henry said:
“There is one more thing. You’d better see this.”
He unfolded a slip of paper and pushed it across the table.
This time the Superintendent’s calm deserted⁶ him. He whistled:
“So that’s it, is it? That puts an entirely⁷ different complexion⁸ on the matter. How did you come to dig up this?”
“Women,” said Sir Henry, “are eternally interested in marriages.”
“Especially,” said the Superintendent, “elderly single women.”
III
Conway Jefferson looked up as his friend entered.
His grim face relaxed into a smile.
He said:
“Well, I told ’em. They took it very well.”
“What did you say?”
“Told ’em that, as Ruby⁹ was dead, I felt that the fifty thousand I’d originally left her should go to something that Icould associate with her memory. It was to endow a hostel¹⁰ for young girls working as professional dancers in London.
Damned silly way to leave your money—surprised they swallowed it. As though I’d do a thing like that!”
He added meditatively¹¹:
“You know, I made a fool of myself over that girl. Must be turning into a silly old man. I can see it now. She was apretty kid—but most of what I saw in her I put there myself. I pretended she was another Rosamund. Same colouring,you know. But not the same heart or mind. Hand me that paper—rather an interesting bridge problem.”
IV
Sir Henry went downstairs. He asked a question of the porter.
“Mr. Gaskell, sir? He’s just gone off in his car. Had to go to London.”
“Oh! I see. Is Mrs. Jefferson about?”
“Mrs. Jefferson, sir, has just gone up to bed.”
Sir Henry looked into the lounge and through to the ballroom¹². In the lounge Hugo McLean was doing a crosswordpuzzle and frowning a good deal over it. In the ballroom Josie was smiling valiantly¹³ into the face of a stout¹⁴, perspiringman as her nimble feet avoided his destructive tread. The stout man was clearly enjoying his dance. Raymond,graceful and weary, was dancing with an anaemic-looking girl with adenoids, dull brown hair, and an expensive andexceedingly unbecoming dress.
Sir Henry said under his breath:
“And so to bed,” and went upstairs.
VIt was three o’clock. The wind had fallen, the moon was shining over the quiet sea.
In Conway Jefferson’s room there was no sound except his own heavy breathing as he lay, half propped¹⁵ up onpillows.
There was no breeze to stir the curtains at the window, but they stirred … For a moment they parted, and a figurewas silhouetted¹⁶ against the moonlight. Then they fell back into place. Everything was quiet again, but there wassomeone else inside the room.
Nearer and nearer to the bed the intruder stole. The deep breathing on the pillow did not relax.
There was no sound, or hardly any sound. A finger and thumb were ready to pick up a fold of skin, in the otherhand the hypodermic was ready.
And then, suddenly, out of the shadows a hand came and closed over the hand that held the needle, the other armheld the figure in an iron grasp.
An unemotional voice, the voice of the law, said:
“No, you don’t. I want that needle!”
The light switched on and from his pillows Conway Jefferson looked grimly at the murderer of Ruby Keene.

1 superintendent   

n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长

参考例句：

• He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
• He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。

2 solicitor   

n.初级律师，事务律师

参考例句：

• The solicitor's advice gave me food for thought.律师的指点值得我深思。
• The solicitor moved for an adjournment of the case.律师请求将这个案件的诉讼延期。

3 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

4 downwards   

adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地）

参考例句：

• He lay face downwards on his bed.他脸向下伏在床上。
• As the river flows downwards,it widens.这条河愈到下游愈宽。

5 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

6 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

7 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

8 complexion   

n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格

参考例句：

• Red does not suit with her complexion.红色与她的肤色不协调。
• Her resignation puts a different complexion on things.她一辞职局面就全变了。

9 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

10 hostel   

n.（学生）宿舍，招待所

参考例句：

• I lived in a hostel while I was a student.我求学期间住在青年招待所里。
• He says he's staying at a Youth Hostel.他说他现住在一家青年招待所。

11 meditatively   

adv.冥想地

参考例句：

• The old man looked meditatively at the darts board. 老头儿沉思不语，看着那投镖板。 来自英汉文学
• "Well,'said the foreman, scratching his ear meditatively, "we do need a stitcher. “这--"工头沉思地搔了搔耳朵。 "我们确实需要一个缝纫工。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

12 ballroom   

n.舞厅

参考例句：

• The boss of the ballroom excused them the fee.舞厅老板给他们免费。
• I go ballroom dancing twice a week.我一个星期跳两次交际舞。

13 valiantly   

adv.勇敢地，英勇地；雄赳赳

参考例句：

• He faced the enemy valiantly, shuned no difficulties and dangers and would not hesitate to lay down his life if need be. 他英勇对敌，不避艰险，赴汤蹈火在所不计。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Murcertach strove valiantly to meet the new order of things. 面对这个新事态，默克塔克英勇奋斗。 来自辞典例句

14   

参考例句：

15 propped   

支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sat propped up in the bed by pillows. 他靠着枕头坐在床上。
• This fence should be propped up. 这栅栏该用东西支一支。

16 silhouetted   

显出轮廓的，显示影像的

参考例句：

• We could see a church silhouetted against the skyline. 我们可以看到一座教堂凸现在天际。
• The stark jagged rocks were silhouetted against the sky. 光秃嶙峋的岩石衬托着天空的背景矗立在那里。