M rs. Bantry stepped back a foot or two, surveyed herself in the glass, made a slight adjustment to her hat (she wasnot used to wearing hats), drew on a pair of good quality leather gloves and left the lodge1, closing the door carefullybehind her. She had the most pleasurable anticipations2 of what lay in front of her. Some three weeks had passed sinceher talk with Miss Marple. Marina Gregg and her husband had arrived at Gossington Hall and were now more or lessinstalled there.
There was to be a meeting there this afternoon of the main persons involved in the arrangements for the fête in aidof the St. John Ambulance. Mrs. Bantry was not among those on the committee, but she had received a note fromMarina Gregg asking her to come and have tea beforehand. It had recalled their meeting in California and had beensigned, “Cordially, Marina Gregg.” It had been handwritten, not typewritten. There is no denying that Mrs. Bantry wasboth pleased and flattered. After all, a celebrated3 film star is a celebrated film star and elderly ladies, though they maybe of local importance, are aware of their complete unimportance in the world of celebrities4. So Mrs. Bantry had thepleased feeling of a child for whom a special treat had been arranged.
As she walked up the drive Mrs. Bantry’s keen eyes went from side to side registering her impressions. The placehad been smartened up since the days when it had passed from hand to hand. “No expense spared,” said Mrs. Bantryto herself, nodding in satisfaction. The drive afforded no view of the flower garden and for that Mrs. Bantry was just aspleased. The flower garden and its special herbaceous border had been her own particular delight in the far-off dayswhen she had lived at Gossington Hall. She permitted regretful and nostalgic memories of her irises5. The best irisgarden of any in the country, she told herself with a fierce pride.
Faced by a new front door in a blaze of new paint she pressed the bell. The door was opened with gratifyingpromptness by what was undeniably an Italian butler. She was ushered6 by him straight to the room which had beenColonel Bantry’s library. This, as she had already heard, had been thrown into one with the study. The result wasimpressive. The walls were panelled, the floor was parquet7. At one end was a grand piano and halfway8 along the wallwas a superb record player. At the other end of the room was a small island, as it were, which comprised Persian rugs,a tea table and some chairs. By the tea table sat Marina Gregg, and leaning against the mantelpiece was what Mrs.
Bantry at first thought to be the ugliest man she had ever seen.
Just a few moments previously9 when Mrs. Bantry’s hand had been advanced to press the bell, Marina Gregg hadbeen saying in a soft, enthusiastic voice, to her husband:
“This place is right for me, Jinks, just right. It’s what I’ve always wanted. Quiet. English quiet and the Englishcountryside. I can see myself living here, living here all my life if need be. And we’ll adopt the English way of life.
We’ll have afternoon tea every afternoon with China tea and my lovely Georgian tea service. And we’ll look out ofthe window on those lawns and that English herbaceous border. I’ve come home at last, that’s what I feel. I feel that Ican settle down here, that I can be quiet and happy. It’s going to be home, this place. That’s what I feel. Home.”
And Jason Rudd (known to his wife as Jinks) had smiled at her. It was an acquiescent10 smile, indulgent, but it heldits reserve because, after all, he had heard it very often before. Perhaps this time it would be true. Perhaps this was theplace that Marina Gregg might feel at home. But he knew her early enthusiasms so well. She was always so sure thatat last she had found exactly what she wanted. He said in his deep voice:
“That’s grand, honey. That’s just grand. I’m glad you like it.”
“Like it? I adore it. Don’t you adore it too?”
“Sure,” said Jason Rudd. “Sure.”
It wasn’t too bad, he reflected to himself. Good, solidly built, rather ugly Victorian. It had, he admitted, a feeling ofsolidity and security. Now that the worst of its fantastic inconveniences had been ironed out, it would be quitereasonably comfortable to live in. Not a bad place to come back to from time to time. With luck, he thought, Marinawouldn’t start taking a dislike to it for perhaps two years to two years and a half. It all depended.
Marina said, sighing softly:
“It’s so wonderful to feel well again. Well and strong. Able to cope with things.”
And he said again: “Sure, honey, sure.”
And it was at that moment that the door opened and the Italian butler had ushered in Mrs. Bantry.
Marina Gregg’s welcome was all that was charming. She came forward, hands outstretched, saying how delightfulit was to meet Mrs. Bantry again. And what a coincidence that they should have met that time in San Fransisco andthat two years later she and Jinks should actually buy the house that had once belonged to Mrs. Bantry. And she didhope, she really did hope that Mrs. Bantry wouldn’t mind terribly the way they’d pulled the house about and donethings to it and she hoped she wouldn’t feel that they were terrible intruders living here.
“Your coming to live here is one of the most exciting things that has ever happened to this place,” said Mrs. Bantrycheerfully and she looked towards the mantelpiece. Whereupon, almost as an afterthought, Marina Gregg said:
“You don’t know my husband, do you? Jason, this is Mrs. Bantry.”
Mrs. Bantry looked at Jason Rudd with some interest. Her first impression that this was one of the ugliest men shehad ever seen became qualified12. He had interesting eyes. They were, she thought, more deeply sunk in his head thanany eyes she had seen. Deep quiet pools, said Mrs. Bantry to herself, and felt like a romantic lady novelist. The rest ofhis face was distinctly craggy, almost ludicrously out of proportion. His nose jutted13 upwards14 and a little red paintwould have transformed it into the nose of a clown very easily. He had, too, a clown’s big sad mouth. Whether he wasat this moment in a furious temper or whether he always looked as though he were in a furious temper she did notquite know. His voice when he spoke15 was unexpectedly pleasant. Deep and slow.
“A husband,” he said, “is always an afterthought. But let me say with my wife that we’re very glad to welcome youhere. I hope you don’t feel that it ought to be the other way about.”
“You must get it out of your head,” said Mrs. Bantry, “that I’ve been driven forth16 from my old home. It never wasmy old home. I’ve been congratulating myself ever since I sold it. It was a most inconvenient17 house to run. I liked thegarden but the house became more and more of a worry. I’ve had a perfectly18 splendid time ever since travellingabroad and going and seeing my married daughters and my grandchildren and my friends in all different parts of theworld.”
“Daughters,” said Marina Gregg, “you have daughters and sons?”
“Two sons and two daughters,” said Mrs. Bantry, “and pretty widely spaced. One in Kenya, one in South Africa.
One near Texas and the other, thank goodness, in London.”
“Four,” said Marina Gregg. “Four—and grandchildren?”
“Nine up-to-date,” said Mrs. Bantry. “It’s great fun being a grandmother. You don’t have any of the worry ofparental responsibility. You can spoil them in the most unbridled way—”
Jason Rudd interrupted her. “I’m afraid the sun catches your eyes,” he said, and went to a window to adjust theblind. “You must tell us all about this delightful11 village,” he said as he came back.
He handed her a cup of tea.
“Will you have a hot scone19 or a sandwich, or this cake? We have an Italian cook and she makes quite good pastryand cakes. You see we have quite taken to your English afternoon tea.”
“Delicious tea too,” said Mrs. Bantry, sipping20 the fragrant21 beverage22.
Marina Gregg smiled and looked pleased. The sudden nervous movement of her fingers which Jason Rudd’s eyeshad noticed a minute or two previously, was stilled again. Mrs. Bantry looked at her hostess with great admiration23.
Marina Gregg’s heyday24 had been before the rise to supreme25 importance of vital statistics. She could not have beendescribed as Sex Incarnate26, or “The Bust” or “The Torso.” She had been long and slim and willowy. The bones of herface and head had had some of the beauty associated with those of Garbo. She had brought personality to her picturesrather than mere27 sex. The sudden turn of her head, the opening of the deep lovely eyes, the faint quiver of her mouth,all these were what brought to one suddenly that feeling of breathtaking loveliness that comes not from regularity28 offeature but from sudden magic of the flesh that catches the onlooker29 unawares. She still had this quality though it wasnot now so easily apparent. Like many film and stage actresses she had what seemed to be a habit of turning offpersonality at will. She could retire into herself, be quiet, gentle, aloof30, disappointing to an eager fan. And thensuddenly the turn of the head, the movement of the hands, the sudden smile and the magic was there.
One of her greatest pictures had been Mary, Queen of Scots, and it was of her performance in that picture that Mrs.
Bantry was reminded now as she watched her. Mrs. Bantry’s eye switched to the husband. He too was watchingMarina. Off guard for a moment, his face expressed clearly his feelings. “Good Lord,” said Mrs. Bantry to herself,“the man adores her.”
She didn’t know why she should feel so surprised. Perhaps because film stars and their love affairs and theirdevotion were so written up in the Press that one never expected to see the real thing with one’s own eyes. On animpulse she said:
“I do hope you’ll enjoy it here and that you’ll be able to stay here some time. Do you expect to have the house forlong?”
Marina opened wide surprised eyes as she turned her head. “I want to stay here always,” she said. “Oh, I don’tmean that I shan’t have to go away a lot. I shall, of course. There’s a possibility of making a film in North Africa nextyear although nothing’s settled yet. No, but this will be my home. I shall come back here. I shall always be able tocome back here.” She sighed. “That’s what’s so wonderful. To have found a home at last.”
“I see,” said Mrs. Bantry, but at the same time she thought to herself, “All the same I don’t believe for a momentthat it will be like that. I don’t believe you’re the kind that can ever settle down.”
Again she shot a quick surreptitious glance at Jason Rudd. He was not scowling31 now. Instead he was smiling, asudden very sweet and unexpected smile, but it was a sad smile. “He knows it too,” thought Mrs. Bantry.
The door opened and a woman came in. “Bartletts want you on the telephone, Jason,” she said.
“Tell them to call back.”
“They said it was urgent.”
He sighed and rose. “Let me introduce you to Mrs. Bantry,” he said. “Ella Zielinsky, my secretary.”
“Have a cup of tea, Ella,” said Marina as Ella Zielinsky acknowledged the introduction with a smiling “Pleased tomeet you.”
“I’ll have a sandwich,” said Ella. “I don’t go for China tea.”
Ella Zielinsky was at a guess thirty-five. She wore a well cut suit, a ruffled32 blouse and appeared to breathe self-confidence. She had short-cut black hair and a wide forehead.
“You used to live here, so they tell me,” she said to Mrs. Bantry.
“It’s a good many years ago now,” said Mrs. Bantry. “After my husband’s death I sold it and it’s passed throughseveral hands since then.”
“Mrs. Bantry really says she doesn’t hate the things we’ve done to it,” said Marina.
“I should be frightfully disappointed if you hadn’t,” said Mrs. Bantry. “I came up here all agog33. I can tell you themost splendid rumours34 have been going around the village.”
“Never knew how difficult it was to get hold of plumbers35 in this country,” said Miss Zielinsky, champing asandwich in a businesslike way. “Not that that’s been really my job,” she went on.
“Everything is your job,” said Marina, “and you know it is, Ella. The domestic staff and the plumbing36 and arguingwith the builders.”
“They don’t seem ever to have heard of a picture window in this country.”
Ella looked towards the window. “It’s a nice view, I must admit.”
“A lovely old-fashioned rural English scene,” said Marina. “This house has got atmosphere.”
“It wouldn’t look so rural if it wasn’t for the trees,” said Ella Zielinsky. “That housing estate down there growswhile you look at it.”
“That’s new since my time,” said Mrs. Bantry.
“You mean there was nothing but the village when you lived here?”
Mrs. Bantry nodded.
“It must have been hard to do your shopping.”
“I don’t think so,” said Mrs. Bantry. “I think it was frightfully easy.”
“I understand having a flower garden,” said Ella Zielinsky, “but you folk over here seem to grow all yourvegetables as well. Wouldn’t it be much easier to buy them—there’s a supermarket?”
“It’s probably coming to that,” said Mrs. Bantry, with a sigh. “They don’t taste the same, though.”
“Don’t spoil the atmosphere, Ella,” said Marina.
The door opened and Jason looked in. “Darling,” he said to Marina, “I hate to bother you but would you mind?
They just want your private view about this.”
Marina sighed and rose. She trailed languidly towards the door. “Always something,” she murmured. “I’m sosorry, Mrs. Bantry. I don’t really think that this will take longer than a minute or two.”
“Atmosphere,” said Ella Zielinsky, as Marina went out and closed the door. “Do you think the house has gotatmosphere?”
“I can’t say I ever thought of it that way,” said Mrs. Bantry. “It was just a house. Rather inconvenient in some waysand very nice and cosy37 in other ways.”
“That’s what I should have thought,” said Ella Zielinsky. She cast a quick direct look at Mrs. Bantry. “Talking ofatmosphere, when did the murder take place here?”
“No murder ever took place here,” said Mrs. Bantry.
“Oh come now. The stories I’ve heard. There are always stories, Mrs. Bantry. On the hearthrug, right there, wasn’tit?” said Miss Zielinsky nodding towards the fireplace.
“Yes,” said Mrs. Bantry. “That was the place.”
“So there was a murder?”
Mrs. Bantry shook her head. “The murder didn’t take place here. The girl who had been killed was brought hereand planted in this room. She’d nothing to do with us.”
Miss Zielinsky looked interested.
“Possibly you had a bit of difficulty making people believe that?” she remarked.
“You’re quite right there,” said Mrs. Bantry.
“When did you find it?”
“The housemaid came in in the morning,” said Mrs. Bantry, “with early morning tea. We had housemaids then, youknow.”
“I know,” said Miss Zielinksy, “wearing print dresses that rustled38.”
“I’m not sure about the print dress,” said Mrs. Bantry, “it may have been overalls39 by then. At any rate, she burst inand said there was a body in the library. I said ‘nonsense,’ then I woke up my husband and we came down to see.”
“And there it was,” said Miss Zielinsky. “My, the way things happen.” She turned her head sharply towards thedoor and then back again. “Don’t talk about it to Miss Gregg, if you don’t mind,” she said. “It’s not good for her, thatsort of thing.”
“Of course. I won’t say a word,” said Mrs. Bantry. “I never do talk about it, as a matter of fact. It all happened solong ago. But won’t she—Miss Gregg I mean—won’t she hear it anyway?”
“She doesn’t come very much in contact with reality,” said Ella Zielinsky. “Film stars can lead a fairly insulatedlife, you know. In fact very often one has to take care that they do. Things upset them. Things upset her. She’s beenseriously ill the last year or two, you know. She only started making a comeback a year ago.”
“She seems to like the house,” said Mrs. Bantry, “and to feel she will be happy here.”
“I expect it’ll last a year or two,” said Ella Zielinsky.
“Not longer than that?”
“Well, I rather doubt it. Marina is one of those people, you know, who are always thinking they’ve found theirheart’s desire. But life isn’t as easy as that, is it?”
“No,” said Mrs. Bantry forcefully, “it isn’t.”
“It’ll mean a lot to him if she’s happy here,” said Miss Zielinsky. She ate two more sandwiches in an absorbed,rather gobbling fashion in the manner of one who crams40 food into themselves as though they had an important train tocatch. “He’s a genius, you know,” she went on. “Have you seen any of the pictures he’s directed?”
Mrs. Bantry felt slightly embarrassed. She was of the type of woman who when she went to the cinema wententirely for the picture. The long lists of casts, directors, producers, photography and the rest of it passed her by. Veryfrequently, indeed, she did not even notice the names of the stars. She was not, however, anxious to call attention tothis failing on her part.
“I get mixed-up,” she said.
“Of course he’s got a lot to contend with,” said Ella Zielinsky. “He’s got her as well as everything else and she’snot easy. You’ve got to keep her happy, you see; and it’s not really easy, I suppose, to keep people happy. Unless—that is—they—they are—” she hesitated.
“Unless they’re the happy kind,” suggested Mrs. Bantry. “Some people,” she added thoughtfully, “enjoy beingmiserable.”
“Oh, Marina isn’t like that,” said Ella Zielinsky, shaking her head. “It’s more that her ups and downs are so violent.
You know—far too happy one moment, far too pleased with everything and delighted with everything and howwonderful she feels. Then of course some little thing happens and down she goes to the opposite extreme.”
“I suppose that’s temperament,” said Mrs. Bantry vaguely41.
“That’s right,” said Ella Zielinsky. “Temperament. They’ve all got it, more or less, but Marina Gregg has got itmore than most people. Don’t we know it! The stories I could tell you!” She ate the last sandwich. “Thank God I’monly the social secretary.”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
lodge
|
|
| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
anticipations
|
|
| 预期( anticipation的名词复数 )； 预测； （信托财产收益的）预支； 预期的事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
celebrated
|
|
| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
celebrities
|
|
| n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
irises
|
|
| n.虹( iris的名词复数 )；虹膜；虹彩；鸢尾（花） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
ushered
|
|
| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
parquet
|
|
| n.镶木地板 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
halfway
|
|
| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
previously
|
|
| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
acquiescent
|
|
| adj.默许的，默认的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
delightful
|
|
| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
qualified
|
|
| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
jutted
|
|
| v.（使）突出( jut的过去式和过去分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
upwards
|
|
| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
inconvenient
|
|
| adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
scone
|
|
| n.圆饼，甜饼，司康饼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
sipping
|
|
| v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
fragrant
|
|
| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
beverage
|
|
| n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
admiration
|
|
| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
heyday
|
|
| n.全盛时期，青春期 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
supreme
|
|
| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
incarnate
|
|
| adj.化身的，人体化的，肉色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
mere
|
|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
regularity
|
|
| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
onlooker
|
|
| n.旁观者，观众 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
aloof
|
|
| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
scowling
|
|
| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
ruffled
|
|
| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
agog
|
|
| adj.兴奋的，有强烈兴趣的； adv.渴望地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
rumours
|
|
| n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
plumbers
|
|
| n.管子工，水暖工( plumber的名词复数 )；[美][口]（防止泄密的）堵漏人员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
plumbing
|
|
| n.水管装置；水暖工的工作；管道工程v.用铅锤测量（plumb的现在分词）；探究 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
cosy
|
|
| adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
rustled
|
|
| v.发出沙沙的声音( rustle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
overalls
|
|
| n.（复）工装裤；长罩衣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
crams
|
|
| v.塞入( cram的第三人称单数 )；填塞；塞满；（为考试而）死记硬背功课 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
vaguely
|
|
| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |