“L ess serious? Fiddlesticks!” said Mrs. McGillicuddy. “It was murder!”
She looked defiantly1 at Miss Marple and Miss Marple looked back at her.
“Go on, Jane,” said Mrs. McGillicuddy. “Say it was all a mistake! Say I imagined the whole thing! That’s what youthink now, isn’t it?”
“Anyone can be mistaken,” Miss Marple pointed2 out gently. “Anybody, Elspeth—even you. I think we must bearthat in mind. But I still think, you know, that you were most probably not mistaken… You use glasses for reading, butyou’ve got very good far sight—and what you saw impressed you very powerfully. You were definitely suffering fromshock when you arrived here.”
“It’s a thing I shall never forget,” said Mrs. McGillicuddy with a shudder3. “The trouble is, I don’t see what I can doabout it!”
“I don’t think,” said Miss Marple thoughtfully, “that there’s anything more you can do about it.” (If Mrs.
McGillicuddy had been alert to the tones of her friend’s voice, she might have noticed a very faint stress laid on theyou.) “You’ve reported what you saw—to the railway people and to the police. No, there’s nothing more you can do.”
“That’s a relief, in a way,” said Mrs. McGillicuddy, “because as you know, I’m going out to Ceylon immediatelyafter Christmas—to stay with Roderick, and I certainly do not want to put that visit off— I’ve been looking forward toit so much. Though of course I would put it off if I thought it was my duty,” she added conscientiously4.
“I’m sure you would, Elspeth, but as I say, I consider you’ve done everything you possibly could do.”
“It’s up to the police,” said Mrs. McGillicuddy. “And if the police choose to be stupid—”
Miss Marple shook her head decisively.
“Oh, no,” she said, “the police aren’t stupid. And that makes it interesting, doesn’t it?”
Mrs. McGillicuddy looked at her without comprehension and Miss Marple reaffirmed her judgment5 of her friend asa woman of excellent principles and no imagination.
“One wants to know,” said Miss Marple, “what really happened.”
“She was killed.”
“Yes, but who killed her, and why, and what happened to her body? Where is it now?”
“That’s the business of the police to find out.”
“Exactly—and they haven’t found out. That means, doesn’t it, that the man was clever—very clever. I can’timagine, you know,” said Miss Marple, knitting her brows, “how he disposed of it… You kill a woman in a fit ofpassion—it must have been unpremeditated, you’d never choose to kill a woman in such circumstances just a fewminutes before running into a big station. No, it must have been a quarrel—jealousy—something of that kind. Youstrangle her—and there you are, as I say, with a dead body on your hands and on the point of running into a station.
What could you do except as I said at first, prop6 the body up in a corner as though asleep, hiding the face, and thenyourself leave the train as quickly as possible. I don’t see any other possibility—and yet there must have been one….”
Miss Marple lost herself in thought.
Mrs. McGillicuddy spoke7 to her twice before Miss Marple answered.
“You’re getting deaf, Jane.”
“Just a little, perhaps. People do not seem to me to enunciate8 their words as clearly as they used to do. But it wasn’tthat I did not hear you. I’m afraid I wasn’t paying attention.”
“I just asked about the trains to London tomorrow. Would the afternoon be all right? I’m going to Margaret’s andshe isn’t expecting me before teatime.”
“I wonder, Elspeth, if you would mind going up by the 12:15? We could have an early lunch.”
“Of course and—” Miss Marple went on, drowning her friend’s words:
“And I wonder, too, if Margaret would mind if you didn’t arrive for tea—if you arrived about seven, perhaps?”
Mrs. McGillicuddy looked at her friend curiously9.
“What’s on your mind, Jane?”
“I suggest, Elspeth, that I should travel up to London with you, and that we should travel down again as far asBrackhampton in the train you travelled by the other day. You would then return to London from Brackhampton and Iwould come on here as you did. I, of course, would pay the fares,” Miss Marple stressed this point firmly.
Mrs. McGillicuddy ignored the financial aspect.
“What on earth do you expect, Jane?” she asked. “Another murder?”
“Certainly not,” said Miss Marple shocked. “But I confess I should like to see for myself, under your guidance, the—the—really it is most difficult to find the correct term—the terrain10 of the crime.”
So accordingly on the following day Miss Marple and Mrs. McGillicuddy found themselves in two oppositecorners of a first-class carriage speeding out of London by the 4:50 from Paddington. Paddington had been even morecrowded than on the preceding Friday—as there were now only two days to go before Christmas, but the 4:50 wascomparatively peaceful—at any rate, in the rear portion.
On this occasion no train drew level with them, or they with another train. At intervals11 trains flashed past themtowards London. On two occasions trains flashed past them the other way going at high speed. At intervals Mrs.
McGillicuddy consulted her watch doubtfully.
“It’s hard to tell just when—we’d passed through a station I know…” But they were continually passing throughstations.
“We’re due in Brackhampton in five minutes,” said Miss Marple.
A ticket collector appeared in the doorway12. Miss Marple raised her eyes interrogatively. Mrs. McGillicuddy shookher head. It was not the same ticket collector. He clipped their tickets, and passed on staggering just a little as the trainswung round a long curve. It slackened speed as it did so.
“I expect we’re coming into Brackhampton,” said Mrs. McGillicuddy.
“We’re getting into the outskirts13, I think,” said Miss Marple.
There were lights flashing past outside, buildings, an occasional glimpse of streets and trams. Their speedslackened further. They began crossing points.
“We’ll be there in a minute,” said Mrs. McGillicuddy, “and I can’t really see this journey has been any good at all.
Has it suggested anything to you, Jane?”
“I’m afraid not,” said Miss Marple in a rather doubtful voice.
“A sad waste of good money,” said Mrs. McGillicuddy, but with less disapproval14 than she would have used hadshe been paying for herself. Miss Marple had been quite adamant15 on that point.
“All the same,” said Miss Marple, “one likes to see with one’s own eyes where a thing happened. This train’s just afew minutes late. Was yours on time on Friday?”
“I think so. I didn’t really notice.”
The train drew slowly into the busy length of Brackhampton station. The loudspeaker announced hoarsely16, doorsopened and shut, people got in and out, milled up and down the platform. It was a busy crowded scene.
Easy, thought Miss Marple, for a murderer to merge17 into that crowd, to leave the station in the midst of thatpressing mass of people, or even to select another carriage and go on in the train wherever its ultimate destinationmight be. Easy to be one male passenger amongst many. But not so easy to make a body vanish into thin air. Thatbody must be somewhere.
Mrs. McGillicuddy had descended18. She spoke now from the platform, through the open window.
“Now take care of yourself, Jane,” she said. “Don’t catch a chill. It’s a nasty treacherous19 time of year, and you’renot so young as you were.”
“I know,” said Miss Marple.
“And don’t let’s worry ourselves anymore over all this. We’ve done what we could.”
Miss Marple nodded, and said:
“Don’t stand about in the cold, Elspeth. Or you’ll be the one to catch a chill. Go and get yourself a good hot cup oftea in the Restaurant Room. You’ve got time, twelve minutes before your train back to town.”
“I think perhaps I will. Good-bye, Jane.”
“Good-bye, Elspeth. A happy Christmas to you. I hope you find Margaret well. Enjoy yourself in Ceylon, and givemy love to dear Roderick—if he remembers me at all, which I doubt.”
“Of course he remembers you—very well. You helped him in some way when he was at school—something to dowith money that was disappearing from a locker—he’s never forgotten it.”
“Oh, that!” said Miss Marple.
Mrs. McGillicuddy turned away, a whistle blew, the train began to move. Miss Marple watched the sturdy thicksetbody of her friend recede20. Elspeth could go to Ceylon with a clear conscience—she had done her duty and was freedfrom further obligation.
Miss Marple did not lean back as the train gathered speed. Instead she sat upright and devoted21 herself seriously tothought. Though in speech Miss Marple was woolly and diffuse22, in mind she was clear and sharp. She had a problemto solve, the problem of her own future conduct; and, perhaps strangely, it presented itself to her as it had to Mrs.
McGillicuddy, as a question of duty.
Mrs. McGillicuddy had said that they had both done all that they could do. It was true of Mrs. McGillicuddy butabout herself Miss Marple did not feel so sure.
It was a question, sometimes, of using one’s special gifts… But perhaps that was conceited… After all, what couldshe do? Her friend’s words came back to her, “You’re not so young as you were….”
Dispassionately, like a general planning a campaign, or an accountant assessing a business, Miss Marple weighedup and set down in her mind the facts of and against further enterprise. On the credit side were the following:
1. My long experience of life and human nature.
2. Sir Henry Clithering and his godson (now at Scotland Yard, I believe), who was so very nice in the LittlePaddocks case.
3. My nephew Raymond’s second boy, David, who is, I am almost sure, in British Railways.
4. Griselda’s boy Leonard who is so very knowledgeable23 about maps.
Miss Marple reviewed these assets and approved them. They were all very necessary, to reinforce the weaknesses onthe debit24 side—in particular her own bodily weakness.
“It is not,” thought Miss Marple, “as though I could go here, there and everywhere, making inquiries25 and findingout things.”
Yes, that was the chief objection, her own age and weakness. Although, for her age, her health was good, yet shewas old. And if Dr. Haydock had strictly26 forbidden her to do practical gardening he would hardly approve of herstarting out to track down a murderer. For that, in effect, was what she was planning to do—and it was there that herloophole lay. For if heretofore murder had, so to speak, been forced upon her, in this case it would be that she herselfset out deliberately27 to seek it. And she was not sure that she wanted to do so… She was old—old and tired. She felt atthis moment, at the end of a tiring day, a great reluctance28 to enter upon any project at all. She wanted nothing at all butto march home and sit by the fire with a nice tray of supper, and go to bed, and potter about the next day just snippingoff a few things in the garden, tidying up in a very mild way, without stooping, without exerting herself….
“I’m too old for anymore adventures,” said Miss Marple to herself, watching absently out of the window thecurving line of an embankment….
A curve….
Very faintly something stirred in her mind… Just after the ticket collector had clipped their tickets….
It suggested an idea. Only an idea. An entirely29 different idea….
A little pink flush came into Miss Marple’s face. Suddenly she did not feel tired at all!
“I’ll write to David tomorrow morning,” she said to herself.
And at the same time another valuable asset flashed through her mind.
“Of course. My faithful Florence!”
II
Miss Marple set about her plan of campaign methodically and making due allowance for the Christmas season whichwas a definitely retarding30 factor.
She wrote to her great-nephew, David West, combining Christmas wishes with an urgent request for information.
Fortunately she was invited, as on previous years, to the vicarage for Christmas dinner, and here she was able totackle young Leonard, home for the Christmas season, about maps.
Maps of all kinds were Leonard’s passion. The reason for the old lady’s inquiry31 about a large-scale map of aparticular area did not rouse his curiosity. He discoursed32 on maps generally with fluency33, and wrote down for herexactly what would suit her purpose best. In fact, he did better. He actually found that he had such a map amongst hiscollection and he lent it to her, Miss Marple promising34 to take great care of it and return it in due course.
III
“Maps,” said his mother, Griselda, who still, although she had a grown-up son, looked strangely young and bloomingto be inhabiting the shabby old vicarage. “What does she want with maps? I mean, what does she want them for?”
“I don’t know,” said young Leonard, “I don’t think she said exactly.”
“I wonder now…” said Griselda. “It seems very fishy35 to me… At her age the old pet ought to give up that sort ofthing.”
Leonard asked what sort of thing, and Griselda said elusively36:
“Oh, poking37 her nose into things. Why maps, I wonder?”
In due course Miss Marple received a letter from her great-nephew David West. It ran affectionately:
Dear Aunt Jane,— Now what are you up to? I’ve got the information you wanted. There are only two trains thatcan possibly apply—the 4:33 and the 5 o’clock. The former is a slow train and stops at Haling Broadway,Barwell Heath, Brackhampton and then stations to Market Basing. The 5 o’clock is the Welsh express for Cardiff,Newport and Swansea. The former might be overtaken somewhere by the 4:50, although it is due inBrackhampton five minutes earlier and the latter passes the 4:50 just before Brackhampton.
In all this do I smell some village scandal of a fruity character? Did you, returning from a shopping spree intown by the 4:50, observe in a passing train the mayor’s wife being embraced by the Sanitary38 Inspector39? But whydoes it matter which train it was? A weekend at Porthcawl perhaps? Thank you for the pullover. Just what Iwanted. How’s the garden? Not very active this time of year, I should imagine.
Yours ever,
David
Miss Marple smiled a little, then considered the information thus presented to her. Mrs. McGillicuddy had saiddefinitely that the carriage had not been a corridor one. Therefore—not the Swansea express. The 4:33 was indicated.
Also some more travelling seemed unavoidable. Miss Marple sighed, but made her plans.
She went up to London as before on the 12:15, but this time returned not by the 4:50, but by the 4:33 as far asBrackhampton. The journey was uneventful, but she registered certain details. The train was not crowded—4:33 wasbefore the evening rush hour. Of the first-class carriages only one had an occupant—a very old gentleman reading theNew Statesman. Miss Marple travelled in an empty compartment40 and at the two stops, Haling Broadway and BarwellHeath, leaned out of the window to observe passengers entering and leaving the train. A small number of third-classpassengers got in at Haling Broadway. At Barwell Heath several third-class passengers got out. Nobody entered or lefta first-class carriage except the old gentleman carrying his New Statesman.
As the train neared Brackhampton, sweeping41 around a curve of line, Miss Marple rose to her feet and stoodexperimentally with her back to the window over which she had drawn42 down the blind.
Yes, she decided43, the impetus44 of the sudden curving of the line and the slackening of speed did throw one off one’sbalance back against the window and the blind might, in consequence, very easily fly up. She peered out into the night.
It was lighter45 than it had been when Mrs. McGillicuddy had made the same journey—only just dark, but there waslittle to see. For observation she must make a daylight journey.
On the next day she went up by the early morning train, purchased four linen46 pillow-cases (tut-tutting at the price!)so as to combine investigation47 with the provision of household necessities, and returned by a train leaving Paddingtonat twelve fifteen. Again she was alone in a first-class carriage. “This taxation,” thought Miss Marple, “that’s what it is.
No one can afford to travel first class except business men in the rush hours. I suppose because they can charge it toexpenses.”
About a quarter of an hour before the train was due at Brackhampton, Miss Marple got out the map with whichLeonard had supplied her and began to observe the country-side. She had studied the map very carefully beforehand,and after noting the name of a station they passed through, she was soon able to identify where she was just as thetrain began to slacken for a curve. It was a very considerable curve indeed. Miss Marple, her nose glued to thewindow, studied the ground beneath her (the train was running on a fairly high embankment) with close attention. Shedivided her attention between the country outside and the map until the train finally ran into Brackhampton.
That night she wrote and posted a letter addressed to Miss Florence Hill, 4 Madison Road, Brackhampton… On thefollowing morning, going to the County library, she studied a Brackhampton directory and gazetteer48, and a Countyhistory.
Nothing so far had contradicted the very faint and sketchy49 idea that had come to her. What she had imagined waspossible. She would go no further than that.
But the next step involved action—a good deal of action—the kind of action for which she, herself, was physicallyunfit. If her theory were to be definitely proved or disproved, she must at this point have help from some other source.
The question was—who? Miss Marple reviewed various names and possibilities rejecting them all with a vexed50 shakeof the head. The intelligent people on whose intelligence she could rely were all far too busy. Not only had they all gotjobs of varying importance, their leisure hours were usually apportioned51 long beforehand. The unintelligent who hadtime on their hands were simply, Miss Marple decided, no good.
She pondered in growing vexation and perplexity.
Then suddenly her forehead cleared. She ejaculated aloud a name.
“Of course!” said Miss Marple. “Lucy Eyelesbarrow!”
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1
defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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conscientiously
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| adv.凭良心地；认真地，负责尽职地；老老实实 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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prop
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| vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山 | |
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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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enunciate
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curiously
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terrain
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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outskirts
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disapproval
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adamant
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hoarsely
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merge
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descended
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treacherous
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recede
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devoted
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diffuse
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knowledgeable
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debit
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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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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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entirely
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retarding
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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discoursed
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| 演说（discourse的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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fluency
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| n.流畅，雄辩，善辩 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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fishy
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elusively
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poking
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| n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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sanitary
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| adj.卫生方面的，卫生的，清洁的，卫生的 | |
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inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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drawn
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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impetus
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| n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力 | |
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lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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gazetteer
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| n.地名索引 | |
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sketchy
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| adj.写生的，写生风格的，概略的 | |
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vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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apportioned
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| vt.分摊，分配（apportion的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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