“N asty things, mushrooms,” said Mrs. Kidder.
Mrs. Kidder had made the same remark about ten times in the last few days. Lucy did not reply.
“Never touch ’em myself,” said Mrs. Kidder, “much too dangerous. It’s a merciful Providence1 as there’s only beenone death. The whole lot might have gone, and you, too, miss. A wonderful escape, you’ve had.”
“It wasn’t the mushrooms,” said Lucy. “They were perfectly2 all right.”
“Don’t you believe it,” said Mrs. Kidder. “Dangerous they are, mushrooms. One toadstool in among the lot andyou’ve had it.”
“Funny,” went on Mrs. Kidder, among the rattle3 of plates and dishes in the sink, “how things seem to come alltogether, as it were. My sister’s eldest4 had measles5 and our Ernie fell down and broke ’is arm, and my ’usband cameout all over with boils. All in the same week! You’d hardly believe it, would you? It’s been the same thing here,” wenton Mrs. Kidder, “first that nasty murder and now Mr. Alfred dead with mushroom-poisoning. Who’ll be the next, I’dlike to know?”
Lucy felt rather uncomfortably that she would like to know too.
“My husband, he doesn’t like me coming here now,” said Mrs. Kidder, “thinks it’s unlucky, but what I say is I’veknown Miss Crackenthorpe a long time now and she’s a nice lady and she depends on me. And I couldn’t leave poorMiss Eyelesbarrow, I said, not to do everything herself in the house. Pretty hard it is on you, miss, all these trays.”
Lucy was forced to agree that life did seem to consist very largely of trays at the moment. She was at the momentarranging trays to take to the various invalids6.
“As for them nurses, they never do a hand’s turn,” said Mrs. Kidder. “All they want is pots and pots of tea madestrong. And meals prepared. Wore out, that’s what I am.” She spoke7 in a tone of great satisfaction, though actually shehad done very little more than her normal morning’s work.
Lucy said solemnly, “You never spare yourself, Mrs. Kidder.”
Mrs. Kidder looked pleased. Lucy picked up the first of the trays and started off up the stairs.
“What’s this?” said Mr. Crackenthorpe disapprovingly8.
“Beef tea and baked custard,” said Lucy.
“Take it away,” said Mr. Crackenthorpe. “I won’t touch that stuff. I told that nurse I wanted a beef steak.”
“Dr. Quimper thinks you ought not to have beef steak just yet,” said Lucy.
Mr. Crackenthorpe snorted. “I’m practically well again. I’m getting up tomorrow. How are the others?”
“Mr. Harold’s much better,” said Lucy. “He’s going back to London tomorrow.”
“Good riddance,” said Mr. Crackenthorpe. “What about Cedric—any hope that he’s going back to his islandtomorrow?”
“He won’t be going just yet.”
“Pity. What’s Emma doing? Why doesn’t she come and see me?”
“She’s still in bed, Mr. Crackenthorpe.”
“Women always coddle themselves,” said Mr. Crackenthorpe. “But you’re a good strong girl,” he addedapprovingly. “Run about all day, don’t you?”
“I get plenty of exercise,” said Lucy.
Old Mr. Crackenthorpe nodded his head approvingly. “You’re a good strong girl,” he said, “and don’t think I’veforgotten what I talked to you about before. One of these days you’ll see what you’ll see. Emma isn’t always going tohave things her own way. And don’t listen to the others when they tell you I’m a mean old man. I’m careful of mymoney. I’ve got a nice little packet put by and I know who I’m going to spend it on when the time comes.” He leeredat her affectionately.
Lucy went rather quickly out of the room, avoiding his clutching hand.
The next tray was taken in to Emma.
“Oh, thank you, Lucy. I’m really feeling quite myself again by now. I’m hungry, and that’s a good sign, isn’t it?
My dear,” went on Emma as Lucy settled the tray on her knees, “I’m really feeling very upset about your aunt. Youhaven’t had any time to go and see her, I suppose?”
“No, I haven’t, as a matter of fact.”
“I’m afraid she must be missing you.”
“Oh, don’t worry, Miss Crackenthorpe. She understands what a terrible time we’ve been through.”
“Have you rung her up?”
“No, I haven’t just lately.”
“Well, do. Ring her up every day. It makes such a difference to old people to get news.”
“You’re very kind,” said Lucy. Her conscience smote9 her a little as she went down to fetch the next tray. Thecomplications of illness in a house had kept her thoroughly10 absorbed and she had had no time to think of anythingelse. She decided11 that she would ring Miss Marple up as soon as she had taken Cedric his meal.
There was only one nurse in the house now and she passed Lucy on the landing, exchanging greetings.
Cedric, looking incredibly tidied up and neat, was sitting up in bed writing busily on sheets of paper.
“Hallo, Lucy,” he said, “what hell brew12 have you got for me today? I wish you’d get rid of that god-awful nurse,she’s simply too arch for words. Calls me ‘we’ for some reason. ‘And how are we this morning? Have we slept well?
Oh, dear, we’re very naughty, throwing off the bedclothes like that.’” He imitated the refined accents of the nurse in ahigh falsetto voice.
“You seem very cheerful,” said Lucy. “What are you busy with?”
“Plans,” said Cedric. “Plans for what to do with this place when the old man pops off. It’s a jolly good bit of landhere, you know. I can’t make up my mind whether I’d like to develop some of it myself, or whether I’ll sell it in lotsall in one go. Very valuable for industrial purposes. The house will do for a nursing home or a school. I’m not sure Ishan’t sell half the land and use the money to do something rather outrageous13 with the other half. What do you think?”
“You haven’t got it yet,” said Lucy, dryly.
“I shall have it, though,” said Cedric. “It’s not divided up like the other stuff. I get it outright14. And if I sell it for agood fat price the money will be capital, not income, so I shan’t have to pay taxes on it. Money to burn. Think of it.”
“I always understood you rather despised money,” said Lucy.
“Of course I despise money when I haven’t got any,” said Cedric. “It’s the only dignified15 thing to do. What alovely girl you are, Lucy, or do I just think so because I haven’t seen any good-looking women for such a long time?”
“I expect that’s it,” said Lucy.
“Still busy tidying everyone and everything up?”
“Somebody seems to have been tidying you up,” said Lucy, looking at him.
“That’s that damned nurse,” said Cedric with feeling. “Have you had the inquest on Alfred yet? What happened?”
“It was adjourned,” said Lucy.
“Police being cagey. This mass poisoning does give one a bit of a turn, doesn’t it? Mentally, I mean. I’m notreferring to more obvious aspects.” He added: “Better look after yourself, my girl.”
“I do,” said Lucy.
“Has young Alexander gone back to school yet?”
“I think he’s still with the Stoddart-Wests. I think it’s the day after tomorrow that school begins.”
Before getting her own lunch Lucy went to the telephone and rang up Miss Marple.
“I’m so terribly sorry I haven’t been able to come over, but I’ve been really very busy.”
“Of course, my dear, of course. Besides, there’s nothing that can be done just now. We just have to wait.”
“Yes, but what are we waiting for?”
“Elspeth McGillicuddy ought to be home very soon now,” said Miss Marple. “I wrote to her to fly home at once. Isaid it was her duty. So don’t worry too much, my dear.” Her voice was kindly16 and reassuring17.
“You don’t think…” Lucy began, but stopped.
“That there will be anymore deaths? Oh, I hope not, my dear. But one never knows, does one? When anyone isreally wicked, I mean. And I think there is great wickedness here.”
“Or madness,” said Lucy.
“Of course I know that is the modern way of looking at things. I don’t agree myself.”
Lucy rang off, went into the kitchen and picked up her tray of lunch. Mrs. Kidder had divested18 herself of her apronand was about to leave.
“You’ll be all right, miss, I hope?” she asked solicitously19.
“Of course I shall be all right,” snapped Lucy.
She took her tray not into the big, gloomy dining room but into the small study. She was just finishing her mealwhen the door opened and Bryan Eastley came in.
“Hallo,” said Lucy, “this is very unexpected.”
“I suppose it is,” said Bryan. “How is everybody?”
“Oh, much better. Harold’s going back to London tomorrow.”
“What do you think about it all? Was it really arsenic20?”
“It was arsenic all right,” said Lucy.
“It hasn’t been in the papers yet.”
“No, I think the police are keeping it up their sleeves for the moment.”
“Somebody must have a pretty good down on the family,” said Bryan. “Who’s likely to have sneaked21 in andtampered with the food?”
“I suppose I’m the most likely person really,” said Lucy.
Bryan looked at her anxiously. “But you didn’t, did you?” he asked. He sounded slightly shocked.
“No. I didn’t,” said Lucy.
Nobody could have tampered22 with the curry23. She had made it—alone in the kitchen, and brought it to table, and theonly person who could have tampered with it was one of the five people who sat down to the meal.
“I mean—why should you?” said Bryan. “They’re nothing to you, are they? I say,” he added, “I hope you don’tmind my coming back here like this?”
“No, no, of course I don’t. Have you come to stay?”
“Well, I’d like to, if it wouldn’t be an awful bore to you.”
“No. No, we can manage.”
“You see, I’m out of a job at the moment and I—well, I get rather fed up. Are you really sure you don’t mind?”
“Oh, I’m not the person to mind, anyway. It’s Emma.”
“Oh, Emma’s all right,” said Bryan. “Emma’s always been very nice to me. In her own way, you know. She keepsthings to herself a lot, in fact, she’s rather a dark horse, old Emma. This living here and looking after the old manwould get most people down. Pity she never married. Too late now, I suppose.”
“I don’t think it’s too late, at all,” said Lucy.
“Well…” Bryan considered. “A clergyman perhaps,” he said hopefully. “She’d be useful in the parish and tactfulwith the Mothers’ union. I do mean the Mothers’ union, don’t I? Not that I know what it really is, but you comeacross it sometimes in books. And she’d wear a hat in church on Sundays,” he added.
“Doesn’t sound much of a prospect24 to me,” said Lucy, rising and picking up the tray.
“I’ll do that,” said Bryan, taking the tray from her. They went into the kitchen together. “Shall I help you wash up?
I do like this kitchen,” he added. “In fact, I know it isn’t the sort of thing that people do like nowadays, but I like thiswhole house. Shocking taste, I suppose, but there it is. You could land a plane quite easily in the park,” he added withenthusiasm.
He picked up a glass-cloth and began to wipe the spoons and forks.
“Seems a waste, its coming to Cedric,” he remarked. “First thing he’ll do is to sell the whole thing and go breakingoff abroad again. Can’t see, myself, why England isn’t good enough for anybody. Harold wouldn’t want this houseeither, and of course it’s much too big for Emma. Now, if only it came to Alexander, he and I would be as happytogether here as a couple of sand boys. Of course it would be nice to have a woman about the house.” He lookedthoughtfully at Lucy. “Oh, well, what’s the good of talking? If Alexander were to get this place it would mean thewhole lot of them would have to die first, and that’s not really likely, is it? Though from what I’ve seen of the old boyhe might easily live to be a hundred, just to annoy them all. I don’t suppose he was much cut up by Alfred’s death,was he?”
Lucy said shortly, “No, he wasn’t.”
“Cantankerous old devil,” said Bryan Eastley cheerfully.
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收听单词发音
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1
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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2
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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3
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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4
eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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measles
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| n.麻疹，风疹，包虫病，痧子 | |
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6
invalids
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| 病人，残疾者( invalid的名词复数 ) | |
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7
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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8
disapprovingly
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| adv.不以为然地，不赞成地，非难地 | |
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smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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10
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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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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12
brew
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| v.酿造，调制 | |
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outrageous
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| adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的 | |
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14
outright
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| adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的 | |
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15
dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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16
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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17
reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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18
divested
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| v.剥夺( divest的过去式和过去分词 )；脱去（衣服）；2。从…取去…；1。（给某人）脱衣服 | |
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19
solicitously
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| adv.热心地，热切地 | |
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20
arsenic
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| n.砒霜，砷；adj.砷的 | |
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21
sneaked
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| v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状 | |
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22
tampered
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| v.窜改( tamper的过去式 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄 | |
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23
curry
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| n.咖哩粉，咖哩饭菜；v.用咖哩粉调味，用马栉梳，制革 | |
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24
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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