22. The Truth

Twenty-two
T HE T RUTH
W hen the Inspector¹ turned on Edmund Swettenham, Mitzi had crept quietly out of the room and back to the kitchen.
She was running water into the sink when Miss Blacklock entered.
Mitzi gave her a shamefaced sideways look.
“What a liar² you are, Mitzi,” said Miss Blacklock pleasantly. “Here—that isn’t the way to wash up. The silver first,and fill the sink right up. You can’t wash up in about two inches of water.”
Mitzi turned the taps on obediently.
“You are not angry at what I say, Miss Blacklock?” she asked.
“If I were to be angry at all the lies you tell, I should never be out of a temper,” said Miss Blacklock.
“I will go and say to the Inspector that I make it all up, shall I?” asked Mitzi.
“He knows that already,” said Miss Blacklock, pleasantly.
Mitzi turned off the taps and as she did so two hands came up behind her head and with one swift movement forcedit down into the water-filled sink.
“Only I know that you’re telling the truth for once,” said Miss Blacklock viciously.
Mitzi thrashed and struggled but Miss Blacklock was strong and her hands held the girl’s head firmly under water.
Then, from somewhere quite close behind her, Dora Bunner’s voice rose piteously on the air:
“Oh Lotty—Lotty—don’t do it … Lotty.”
Miss Blacklock screamed. Her hands flew up in the air, and Mitzi, released, came up chocking and spluttering.
Miss Blacklock screamed again and again. For there was no one there in the kitchen with her….
“Dora, Dora, forgive me. I had to … I had to—”
She rushed distractedly towards the scullery door—and the bulk of Sergeant³ Fletcher barred her way, just as MissMarple stepped, flushed and triumphant⁴, out of the broom cupboard.
“I could always mimic⁵ people’s voices,” said Miss Marple.
“You’ll have to come with me, Madam,” said Sergeant Fletcher. “I was a witness of your attempt to drown thisgirl. And there will be other charges. I must warn you, Letitia Blacklock—”
“Charlotte Blacklock,” corrected Miss Marple. “That’s who she is, you know. Under that choker of pearls shealways wears you’ll find the scar of the operation.”
“Operation?”
“Operation for goitre.”
Miss Blacklock, quite calm now, looked at Miss Marple.
“So you know all about it?” she said.
“Yes, I’ve known for some time.”
Charlotte Blacklock sat down by the table and began to cry.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” she said. “Not made Dora’s voice come. I loved Dora. I really loved Dora.”
Inspector Craddock and the others had crowded in the doorway⁶.
Constable⁷ Edwards, who added a knowledge of first aid and artificial respiration⁸ to his other accomplishments⁹, wasbusy with Mitzi. As soon as Mitzi could speak she was lyrical with self-praise.
“I do that good, do I not? I am clever! And I am brave! Oh, I am brave! Very very nearly was I murdered, too. ButI was so brave I risk everything.”
With a rush Miss Hinchcliffe thrust aside the others and leapt upon the weeping figure of Charlotte Blacklock bythe table.
It took all Sergeant Fletcher’s strength to hold her off.
“Now then—” he said. “Now then—no, no, Miss Hinchcliffe—”
Between clenched¹⁰ teeth Miss Hinchcliffe was muttering:
“Let me get at her. Just let me get at her. It was she who killed Amy Murgatroyd.”
Charlotte Blacklock looked up and sniffed¹¹.
“I didn’t want to kill her. I didn’t want to kill anybody—I had to—but it’s Dora I mind about—after Dora wasdead, I was all alone—ever since she died—I’ve been alone—oh, Dora—Dora—”
And once again she dropped her head on her hands and wept.

1 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

2 liar   

n.说谎的人

参考例句：

• I know you for a thief and a liar!我算认识你了，一个又偷又骗的家伙！
• She was wrongly labelled a liar.她被错误地扣上说谎者的帽子。

3 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

4 triumphant   

adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的

参考例句：

• The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
• There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。

5 mimic   

v.模仿，戏弄；n.模仿他人言行的人

参考例句：

• A parrot can mimic a person's voice.鹦鹉能学人的声音。
• He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another.他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。

6 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

7 constable   

n.(英国)警察，警官

参考例句：

• The constable conducted the suspect to the police station.警官把嫌疑犯带到派出所。
• The constable kept his temper,and would not be provoked.那警察压制着自己的怒气，不肯冒起火来。

8 respiration   

n.呼吸作用；一次呼吸；植物光合作用

参考例句：

• They tried artificial respiration but it was of no avail.他们试做人工呼吸，可是无效。
• They made frequent checks on his respiration,pulse and blood.他们经常检查他的呼吸、脉搏和血液。

9 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 clenched   

v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He clenched his fists in anger. 他愤怒地攥紧了拳头。
• She clenched her hands in her lap to hide their trembling. 她攥紧双手放在腿上，以掩饰其颤抖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 sniffed   

v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说

参考例句：

• When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣，吸了吸鼻子，擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》