Chapter Nineteen

Nineteen
I nside the house, they found the family assembled in the library. Lewis was walking up and down, and there was anair of general tension in the atmosphere.
“Is anything the matter?” asked Miss Bellever.
Lewis said shortly, “Ernie Gregg is missing from roll call tonight.”
“Has he run away?”
“We don’t know. Maverick¹ and some of the staff are searching the grounds. If we cannot find him we mustcommunicate with the police.”
“Grandam!” Gina ran over to Carrie Louise, startled by the whiteness of her face. “You look ill.”
“I am unhappy. The poor boy….”
Lewis said, “I was going to question him this evening as to whether he had seen anything noteworthy last night. Ihave the offer of a good post for him and I thought that after discussing that, I would bring up the other topic. Now—”
he broke off.
Miss Marple murmured softly:
“Foolish boy … poor, foolish boy….”
She shook her head, and Mrs. Serrocold said gently:
“So you think so too, Jane …?”
Stephen Restarick came in. He said, “I missed you at the theatre, Gina. I thought you said you would—Hullo,what’s up?”
Lewis repeated his information, and as he finished speaking, Dr. Maverick came in with a fair-haired boy with pinkcheeks and a suspiciously angelic expression. Miss Marple remembered his being at dinner on the night she hadarrived at Stonygates.
“I’ve brought Arthur Jenkins along,” said Dr. Maverick. “He seems to have been the last person to talk to Ernie.”
“Now, Arthur,” said Lewis Serrocold, “please help us if you can. Where has Ernie gone? Is this just a prank³?”
“I dunno, sir. Straight, I don’t. Didn’t say nothing to me, he didn’t. All full of the play at the theatre he was, that’sall. Said as how he’d had a smashing idea for the scenery, what Mrs. Hudd and Mr. Stephen thought was first class.”
“There’s another thing, Arthur. Ernie claims he was prowling about the grounds after lockup last night. Was thattrue?”
“’Course it ain’t. Just boasting, that’s all. Perishing liar⁴, Ernie. He never got out at night. Used to boast he could,but he wasn’t that good with locks! He couldn’t do anything with a lock as was a lock. Anyway ’e was in larst night,that I do know.”
“You’re not saying that just to satisfy us, Arthur?”
“Cross my heart,” said Arthur virtuously⁵.
Lewis did not look quite satisfied.
“Listen,” said Dr. Maverick. “What’s that?”
A murmur² of voices was approaching. The door was flung open and, looking very pale and ill, the spectacled Mr.
Birnbaum staggered in.
He gasped⁶ out, “We’ve found him—them. It’s horrible….”
He sank down on a chair and mopped his forehead.
Mildred Strete said sharply:
“What do you mean—found them?”
Birnbaum was shaking all over.
“Down at the theatre,” he said. “Their heads crushed in—the big counterweight must have fallen on them. AlexisRestarick and that boy Ernie Gregg. They’re both dead….”

1 maverick   

adj.特立独行的；不遵守传统的；n.持异议者，自行其是者

参考例句：

• He's a maverick.He has his own way of thinking about things.他是个特异独行的人。对事情有自己的看法。
• You're a maverick and you'll try anything.你是个爱自行其是的人，样样事情都要尝试一下。

2 murmur   

n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言

参考例句：

• They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。
• There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。

3 prank   

n.开玩笑，恶作剧；v.装饰；打扮；炫耀自己

参考例句：

• It was thought that the fire alarm had been set off as a prank.人们认为火警报警器响是个恶作剧。
• The dean was ranking the boys for pulling the prank.系主任正在惩罚那些恶作剧的男学生。

4 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。

5 virtuously   

合乎道德地，善良地

参考例句：

• Pro31:29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. 箴31:29说，才德的女子很多，惟独你超过一切。

6 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》