I“N ow, Elspeth, you’re quite clear as to what I want you to do?”
“I’m clear enough,” said Mrs. McGillicuddy, “but what I say to you is, Jane, that it seems very odd.”
“It’s not odd at all,” said Miss Marple.
“Well, I think so. To arrive at the house and to ask almost immediately whether I can—er—go upstairs.”
“It’s very cold weather,” Miss Marple pointed1 out, “and after all, you might have eaten something that disagreedwith you and—er—have to ask to go upstairs. I mean, these things happen. I remember poor Louisa Felby came to seeme once and she had to ask to go upstairs five times during one little half hour. That,” added Miss Marpleparenthetically, “was a bad Cornish pasty.”
“If you’d just tell me what you’re driving at, Jane,” said Mrs. McGillicuddy.
“That’s just what I don’t want to do,” said Miss Marple.
“How irritating you are, Jane. First you make me come all the way back to England before I need—”
“I’m sorry about that,” said Miss Marple; “but I couldn’t do anything else. Someone, you see, may be killed at anymoment. Oh, I know they’re all on their guard and the police are taking all the precautions they can, but there’s alwaysthe outside chance that the murderer might be too clever for them. So you see, Elspeth, it was your duty to come back.
After all, you and I were brought up to do our duty, weren’t we?”
“We certainly were,” said Mrs. McGillicuddy, “no laxness in our young days.”
“So that’s quite all right,” said Miss Marple, “and that’s the taxi now,” she added, as a faint hoot2 was heard outsidethe house.
Mrs. McGillicuddy donned her heavy pepper-and-salt coat and Miss Marple wrapped herself up with a good manyshawls and scarves. Then the two ladies got into the taxi and were driven to Rutherford Hall.
II
“Who can this be driving up?” Emma asked, looking out of the window, as the taxi swept past it. “I do believe it’sLucy’s old aunt.”
“What a bore,” said Cedric.
He was lying back in a long chair looking at Country Life with his feet reposing3 on the side of the mantelpiece.
“Tell her you’re not at home.”
“When you say tell her I’m not at home, do you mean that I should go out and say so? Or that I should tell Lucy totell her aunt so?”
“Hadn’t thought of that,” said Cedric. “I suppose I was thinking of our butler and footman days, if we ever hadthem. I seem to remember a footman before the war. He had an affair with the kitchen maid and there was a terrificrumpus about it. Isn’t there one of those old hags about the place cleaning?”
But at that moment the door was opened by Mrs. Hart, whose afternoon it was for cleaning the brasses4, and MissMarple came in, very fluttery, in a whirl of shawls and scarves, with an uncompromising figure behind her.
“I do hope,” said Miss Marple, taking Emma’s hand, “that we are not intruding5. But you see, I’m going home theday after tomorrow, and I couldn’t bear not to come over and see you and say good-bye, and thank you again for yourgoodness to Lucy. Oh, I forgot. May I introduce my friend, Mrs. McGillicuddy, who is staying with me?”
“How d’you do,” said Mrs. McGillicuddy, looking at Emma with complete attention and then shifting her gaze toCedric, who had now risen to his feet. Lucy entered the room at this moment.
“Aunt Jane, I had no idea….”
“I had to come and say good-bye to Miss Crackenthorpe,” said Miss Marple, turning to her, “who has been so very,very kind to you, Lucy.”
“It’s Lucy who’s been very kind to us,” said Emma.
“Yes, indeed,” said Cedric. “We’ve worked her like a galley6 slave. Waiting on the sick room, running up and downthe stairs, cooking little invalid7 messes….”
Miss Marple broke in. “I was so very, very sorry to hear of your illness. I do hope you’re quite recovered now,Miss Crackenthorpe?”
“Oh, we’re quite well again now,” said Emma.
“Lucy told me you were all very ill. So dangerous, isn’t it, food poisoning? Mushrooms, I understand.”
“The cause remains8 rather mysterious,” said Emma.
“Don’t you believe it,” said Cedric. “I bet you’ve heard the rumours9 that are flying round, Miss—er—”
“Marple,” said Miss Marple.
“Well, as I say, I bet you’ve heard the rumours that are flying round. Nothing like arsenic10 for raising a little flutterin the neighbourhood.”
“Cedric,” said Emma, “I wish you wouldn’t. You know Inspector11 Craddock said….”
“Bah,” said Cedric, “everybody knows. Even you’ve heard something, haven’t you?” he turned to Miss Marple andMrs. McGillicuddy.
“I myself,” said Mrs. McGillicuddy, “have only just returned from abroad—the day before yesterday,” she added.
“Ah, well, you’re not up on our local scandal then,” said Cedric. “Arsenic in the curry12, that’s what it was. Lucy’saunt knows all about it, I bet.”
“Well,” said Miss Marple, “I did just hear—I mean, it was just a hint, but of course I didn’t want to embarrass youin any way, Miss Crackenthorpe.”
“You must pay no attention to my brother,” said Emma. “He just likes making people uncomfortable.” She gavehim an affectionate smile as she spoke13.
The door opened and Mr. Crackenthorpe came in, tapping angrily with his stick.
“Where’s tea?” he said, “why isn’t tea ready? You! Girl!” he addressed Lucy, “why haven’t you brought tea in?”
“It’s just ready, Mr. Crackenthorpe. I’m bringing it in now. I was just setting the table ready.”
Lucy went out of the room again and Mr. Crackenthorpe was introduced to Miss Marple and Mrs. McGillicuddy.
“Like my meals on time,” said Mr. Crackenthorpe. “Punctuality and economy. Those are my watchwords.”
“Very necessary, I’m sure,” said Miss Marple, “especially in these times with taxation14 and everything.”
Mr. Crackenthorpe snorted. “Taxation! Don’t talk to me of those robbers. A miserable15 pauper—that’s what I am.
And it’s going to get worse, not better. You wait, my boy,” he addressed Cedric, “when you get this place ten to onethe Socialists16 will have it off you and turn it into a Welfare Centre or something. And take all your income to keep itup with!”
Lucy reappeared with a tea tray, Bryan Eastley followed her carrying a tray of sandwiches, bread and butter andcake.
“What’s this? What’s this?” Mr. Crackenthorpe inspected the tray. “Frosted cake? We having a party today?
Nobody told me about it.”
A faint flush came into Emma’s face.
“Dr. Quimper’s coming to tea, Father. It’s his birthday today and—”
“Birthday?” snorted the old man. “What’s he doing with a birthday? Birthdays are only for children. I never countmy birthdays and I won’t let anyone else celebrate them either.”
“Much cheaper,” agreed Cedric. “You save the price of candles on your cake.”
“That’s enough from you, boy,” said Mr. Crackenthorpe.
Miss Marple was shaking hands with Bryan Eastley. “I’ve heard about you, of course,” she said, “from Lucy. Dearme, you remind me so of someone I used to know at St. Mary Mead17. That’s the village where I’ve lived for so manyyears, you know. Ronnie Wells, the solicitor’s son. Couldn’t seem to settle somehow when he went into his father’sbusiness. He went out to East Africa and started a series of cargo18 boats on the lake out there. Victoria Nyanza, or is itAlbert, I mean? Anyway, I’m sorry to say that it wasn’t a success, and he lost all his capital. Most unfortunate! Notany relation of yours, I suppose? The likeness19 is so great.”
“No,” said Bryan, “I don’t think I’ve any relations called Wells.”
“He was engaged to a very nice girl,” said Miss Marple. “Very sensible. She tried to dissuade20 him, but he wouldn’tlisten to her. He was wrong of course. Women have a lot of sense, you know, when it comes to money matters. Nothigh finance, of course. No woman can hope to understand that, my dear father said. But everyday L.s.d.—that sort ofthing. What a delightful21 view you have from this window,” she added, making her way across and looking out.
Emma joined her.
“Such an expanse of parkland! How picturesque22 the cattle look against the trees. One would never dream that onewas in the middle of a town.”
“We’re rather an anachronism, I think,” said Emma. “If the windows were open now you’d hear far off the noise ofthe traffic.”
“Oh, of course,” said Miss Marple, “there’s noise everywhere, isn’t there? Even in St. Mary Mead. We’re nowquite close to an airfield23, you know, and really the way those jet planes fly over! Most frightening. Two panes24 in mylittle greenhouse broken the other day. Going through the sound barrier, or so I understand, though what it means Inever have known.”
“It’s quite simple, really,” said Bryan, approaching amiably25. “You see, it’s like this.”
Miss Marple dropped her handbag and Bryan politely picked it up. At the same moment Mrs. McGillicuddyapproached Emma and murmured, in an anguished27 voice—the anguish26 was quite genuine since Mrs. McGillicuddydeeply disliked the task which she was now performing:
“I wonder—could I go upstairs for a moment?”
“Of course,” said Emma.
“I’ll take you,” said Lucy.
Lucy and Mrs. McGillicuddy left the room together.
“Very cold, driving today,” said Miss Marple in a vaguely28 explanatory manner.
“About the sound barrier,” said Bryan, “you see it’s like this… Oh, hallo, there’s Quimper.”
The doctor drove up in his car. He came in rubbing his hands and looking very cold.
“Going to snow,” he said, “that’s my guess. Hallo, Emma, how are you? Good lord, what’s all this?”
“We made you a birthday cake,” said Emma. “D’you remember? You told me today was your birthday.”
“I didn’t expect all this,” said Quimper. “You know it’s years—why, it must be—yes sixteen years since anyone’sremembered my birthday.” He looked almost uncomfortably touched.
“Do you know Miss Marple?” Emma introduced him.
“Oh, yes,” said Miss Marple, “I met Dr. Quimper here before and he came and saw me when I had a very nastychill the other day and he was most kind.”
“All right again now, I hope?” said the doctor.
Miss Marple assured him that she was quite all right now.
“You haven’t been to see me lately, Quimper,” said Mr. Crackenthorpe. “I might be dying for all the notice youtake of me!”
“I don’t see you dying yet awhile,” said Dr. Quimper.
“I don’t mean to,” said Mr. Crackenthorpe. “Come on, let’s have tea. What’re we waiting for?”
“Oh, please,” said Miss Marple, “don’t wait for my friend. She would be most upset if you did.”
They sat down and started tea. Miss Marple accepted a piece of bread and butter first, and then went on to asandwich.
“Are they—?” she hesitated.
“Fish,” said Bryan. “I helped make ’em.”
Mr. Crackenthorpe gave a cackle of laughter.
“Poisoned fishpaste,” he said. “That’s what they are. Eat ’em at your peril29.”
“Please, Father!”
“You’ve got to be careful what you eat in this house,” said Mr. Crackenthorpe to Miss Marple. “Two of my sonshave been murdered like flies. Who’s doing it—that’s what I want to know.”
“Don’t let him put you off,” said Cedric, handing the plate once more to Miss Marple. “A touch of arsenicimproves the complexion30, they say, so long as you don’t have too much.”
“Eat one yourself, boy,” said old Mr. Crackenthorpe.
“Want me to be official taster?” said Cedric. “Here goes.”
He took a sandwich and put it whole into his mouth. Miss Marple gave a gentle, ladylike little laugh and took asandwich. She took a bite, and said:
“I do think it’s so brave of you all to make these jokes. Yes, really, I think it’s very brave indeed. I do admirebravery so much.”
She gave a sudden gasp31 and began to choke. “A fish bone,” she gasped32 out, “in my throat.”
Quimper rose quickly. He went across to her, moved her backwards33 towards the window and told her to open hermouth. He pulled out a case from his pocket, selecting some forceps from it. With quick professional skill he peereddown the old lady’s throat. At that moment the door opened and Mrs. McGillicuddy, followed by Lucy, came in. Mrs.
McGillicuddy gave a sudden gasp as her eyes fell on the tableau34 in front of her, Miss Marple leaning back and thedoctor holding her throat and tilting35 up her head.
“But that’s him,” cried Mrs. McGillicuddy. “That’s the man in the train….”
With incredible swiftness Miss Marple slipped from the doctor’s grasp and came towards her friend.
“I thought you’d recognize him, Elspeth!” she said. “No. Don’t say another word.” She turned triumphantly36 roundto Dr. Quimper. “You didn’t know, did you, Doctor, when you strangled that woman in the train, that somebodyactually saw you do it? It was my friend here. Mrs. McGillicuddy. She saw you. Do you understand? Saw you with herown eyes. She was in another train that was running parallel with yours.”
“What the hell?” Dr. Quimper made a quick step towards Mrs. McGillicuddy but again, swiftly, Miss Marple wasbetween him and her.
“Yes,” said Miss Marple. “She saw you, and she recognizes you, and she’ll swear to it in court. It’s not often, Ibelieve,” went on Miss Marple in her gentle plaintive37 voice, “that anyone actually sees a murder committed. It’susually circumstantial evidence of course. But in this case the conditions were very unusual. There was actually aneyewitness to murder.”
“You devilish old hag,” said Dr. Quimper. He lunged forward at Miss Marple but this time it was Cedric whocaught him by the shoulder.
“So you’re the murdering devil, are you?” said Cedric as he swung him round. “I never liked you and I alwaysthought you were a wrong ’un, but lord knows, I never suspected you.”
Bryan Eastley came quickly to Cedric’s assistance. Inspector Craddock and Inspector Bacon entered the room fromthe farther door.
“Dr. Quimper,” said Bacon, “I must caution you that….”
“You can take your caution to hell,” said Dr. Quimper. “Do you think anyone’s going to believe what a couple ofold women say? Who’s ever heard of all this rigmarole about a train!”
Miss Marple said: “Elspeth McGillicuddy reported the murder to the police at once on the 20th December and gavea description of the man.”
Dr. Quimper gave a sudden heave of the shoulders. “If ever a man had the devil’s own luck,” said Dr. Quimper.
“But—” said Mrs. McGillicuddy.
“Be quiet, Elspeth,” said Miss Marple.
“Why should I want to murder a perfectly38 strange woman?” said Dr. Quimper.
“She wasn’t a strange woman,” said Inspector Craddock. “She was your wife.”
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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hoot
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| n.鸟叫声，汽车的喇叭声； v.使汽车鸣喇叭 | |
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reposing
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的现在分词 ) | |
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brasses
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| n.黄铜( brass的名词复数 )；铜管乐器；钱；黄铜饰品（尤指马挽具上的黄铜圆片） | |
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intruding
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| v.侵入，侵扰，打扰( intrude的现在分词)；把…强加于 | |
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galley
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| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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rumours
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| n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传 | |
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arsenic
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| n.砒霜，砷；adj.砷的 | |
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inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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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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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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taxation
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| n.征税，税收，税金 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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socialists
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| 社会主义者( socialist的名词复数 ) | |
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mead
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| n.蜂蜜酒 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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dissuade
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delightful
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picturesque
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airfield
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panes
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amiably
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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anguished
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| adj.极其痛苦的v.使极度痛苦(anguish的过去式) | |
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vaguely
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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tableau
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| n.画面，活人画（舞台上活人扮的静态画面） | |
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tilting
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triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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perfectly
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