IThree people sat eating breakfast in the kitchen.
Outside, the sun shone. It was a lovely day. The storm was a thing of thepast.
And with the change in the weather, a change had come in the mood ofthe prisoners on the island.
They felt now like people just awakening1 from a nightmare. There wasdanger, yes, but it was danger in daylight. That paralysing atmosphere offear that had wrapped them round like a blanket yesterday while thewind howled outside was gone.
Lombard said:
‘We’ll try heliographing today with a mirror from the highest point ofthe island. Some bright lad wandering on the cliff will recognize SOS whenhe sees it, I hope. In the evening we could try a bonfire—only there isn’tmuch wood—and anyway they might just think it was song and dance andmerriment.’
Vera said:
‘Surely someone can read Morse. And then they’ll come to take us off.
Long before this evening.’
Lombard said:
‘The weather’s cleared all right, but the sea hasn’t gone down yet. Ter-rific swell2 on! They won’t be able to get a boat near the island before to-morrow.’
Vera cried:
‘Another night in this place!’
Lombard shrugged3 his shoulders.
‘May as well face it! Twenty-four hours will do it, I think. If we can lastout that, we’ll be all right.’
Blore cleared his throat. He said:
‘We’d better come to a clear understanding. What’s happened to Arm-strong?’
Lombard said:
‘Well, we’ve got one piece of evidence. Only three little soldier boys lefton the dinner-table. It looks as though Armstrong had got his quietus.’
Vera said:
‘Then why haven’t you found his dead body?’
Blore said:
‘Exactly.’
Lombard shook his head. He said:
‘It’s damned odd—no getting over it.’
Blore said doubtfully:
‘It might have been thrown into the sea.’
Lombard said sharply:
‘By whom? You? Me? You saw him go out of the front door. You comealong and find me in my room. We go out and search together. When thedevil had I time to kill him and carry his body round the island?’
Blore said:
‘I don’t know. But I do know one thing.’
Lombard said:
‘What’s that?’
Blore said:
‘The revolver. It was your revolver. It’s in your possession now. There’snothing to show that it hasn’t been in your possession all along.’
‘Come now, Blore, we were all searched.’
‘Yes, you’d hidden it away before that happened. Afterwards you justtook it back again.’
‘My good blockhead, I swear to you that it was put back in my drawer.
Greatest surprise I ever had in my life when I found it there.’
Blore said:
‘You ask us to believe a thing like that! Why the devil should Armstrong,or anyone else for that matter, put it back?’
Lombard raised his shoulders hopelessly.
‘I haven’t the least idea. It’s just crazy. The last thing one would expect.
There seems no point in it.’
Blore agreed.
‘No, there isn’t. You might have thought of a better story.’
‘Rather proof that I’m telling the truth, isn’t it?’
‘I don’t look at it that way.’
Philip said:
‘You wouldn’t.’
Blore said:
‘Look here, Mr Lombard, if you’re an honest man, as you pretend—’
Philip murmured:
‘When did I lay claims to being an honest man? No, indeed, I never saidthat.’
Blore went on stolidly6:
‘If you’re speaking the truth—there’s only one thing to be done. As longas you have that revolver, Miss Claythorne and I are at your mercy. Theonly fair thing is to put that revolver with the other things that are lockedup—and you and I will hold the two keys still.’
Philip Lombard lit a cigarette.
As he puffed7 smoke, he said:
‘Don’t be an ass8.’
‘You won’t agree to that?’
‘No, I won’t. That revolver’s mine. I need it to defend myself—and I’mgoing to keep it.’
Blore said:
‘In that case we’re bound to come to one conclusion.’
‘That I’m U. N. Owen? Think what you damned well please. But I’ll askyou, if that’s so, why I didn’t pot you with the revolver last night? I couldhave, about twenty times over.’
Blore shook his head.
He said:
‘I don’t know—and that’s a fact. You must have had some reason.’
Vera had taken no part in the discussion. She stirred now and said:
‘I think you’re both behaving like a pair of idiots.’
Lombard looked at her.
‘What’s this?’
Vera said:
‘You’ve forgotten the nursery rhyme. Don’t you see there’s a clue there?’
She recited in a meaning voice:
‘Four little soldier boys going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one and then there were Three.’
She went on:
‘A red herring—that’s the vital clue. Armstrong’s not dead…He took awaythe china soldier to make you think he was. You may say what you like—Armstrong’s on the island still. His disappearance9 is just a red herringacross the track…’
Lombard sat down again.
He said:
‘You know, you may be right.’
Blore said:
‘Yes, but if so, where is he? We’ve searched the place. Outside and in-side.’
Vera said scornfully:
‘We all searched for the revolver, didn’t we, and couldn’t find it? But itwas somewhere all the time!’
Lombard murmured:
‘There’s a slight difference in size, my dear, between a man and a re-volver.’
Vera said:
‘I don’t care—I’m sure I’m right.’
Blore murmured:
‘Rather giving himself away, wasn’t it? Actually mentioning a red her-ring in the verse. He could have written it up a bit different.’
Vera cried:
‘But don’t you see, he’s mad? It’s all mad! The whole thing of going by therhyme is mad! Dressing10 up the judge, killing11 Rogers when he was chop-ping sticks—drugging Mrs Rogers so that she overslept herself—arrangingfor a bumble bee when Miss Brent died! It’s like some horrible child play-ing a game. It’s all got to fit in.’
Blore said:
‘Yes, you’re right.’ He thought a minute. ‘At any rate there’s no zoo onthe island. He’ll have a bit of trouble getting over that.’
Vera cried:
‘Don’t you see? We’re the Zoo…Last night, we were hardly human anymore. We’re the Zoo…’
II
They spent the morning on the cliffs, taking it in turns to flash a mirror atthe mainland.
There were no signs that any one saw them. No answering signals. Theday was fine, with a slight haze12. Below, the sea heaved in a gigantic swell.
There were no boats out.
They had made another abortive13 search of the island. There was notrace of the missing physician.
Vera looked up at the house from where they were standing4.
She said, her breath coming with a slight catch in it:
‘One feels safer here, out in the open…Don’t let’s go back into the houseagain.’
Lombard said:
‘Not a bad idea. We’re pretty safe here, no one can get at us without ourseeing him a long time beforehand.’
Vera said:
‘We’ll stay here.’
Blore said:
‘Have to pass the night somewhere. We’ll have to go back to the housethen.’
Vera shuddered14.
‘I can’t bear it. I can’t go through another night!’
Philip said:
‘You’ll be safe enough—locked in your room.’
Vera murmured: ‘I suppose so.’
She stretched out her hands, murmuring:
‘It’s lovely—to feel the sun again…’
She thought:
‘How odd…I’m almost happy. And yet I suppose I’m actually in danger…Somehow—now—nothing seems to matter…not in daylight…I feel full ofpower—I feel that I can’t die…’
Blore was looking at his wristwatch. He said:
‘It’s two o’clock. What about lunch?’
Vera said obstinately15:
‘I’m not going back to the house. I’m going to stay here—in the open.’
‘Oh come now, Miss Claythorne. Got to keep your strength up, youknow.’
Vera said:
‘If I even see a tinned tongue, I shall be sick! I don’t want any food.
People go days on end with nothing sometimes when they’re on a diet.’
Blore said:
‘Well, I need my meals regular. What about you, Mr Lombard?’
Philip said:
‘You know, I don’t relish16 the idea of tinned tongue particularly. I’ll stayhere with Miss Claythorne.’
Blore hesitated. Vera said:
‘I shall be quite all right. I don’t think he’ll shoot me as soon as yourback is turned if that’s what you’re afraid of.’
Blore said:
‘It’s all right if you say so. But we agreed we ought not to separate.’
Philip said:
‘You’re the one who wants to go into the lion’s den5. I’ll come with you ifyou like.’
‘No, you won’t,’ said Blore. ‘You’ll stay here.’
Philip laughed.
‘So you’re still afraid of me? Why, I could shoot you both this veryminute if I liked.’
Blore said:
‘Yes, but that wouldn’t be according to plan. It’s one at a time, and it’sgot to be done in a certain way.’
‘Well,’ said Philip, ‘you seem to know all about it.’
‘Of course,’ said Blore, ‘it’s a bit jumpy going up to the house alone—’
Philip said softly:
‘And therefore, will I lend you my revolver? Answer, no, I will not! Notquite so simple as that, thank you.’
Blore shrugged his shoulders and began to make his way up the steepslope to the house.
Lombard said softly:
‘Feeding time at the Zoo! The animals are very regular in their habits!’
Vera said anxiously:
‘Isn’t it very risky17, what he’s doing?’
‘In the sense you mean—no, I don’t think it is! Armstrong’s not armed,you know, and anyway Blore is twice a match for him in physique andhe’s very much on his guard. And anyway it’s a sheer impossibility thatArmstrong can be in the house. I know he’s not there.’
‘But—what other solution is there?’
Philip said softly:
‘There’s Blore.’
‘Oh—do you really think—?’
‘Listen, my girl. You heard Blore’s story. You’ve got to admit that if it’strue, I can’t possibly have had anything to do with Armstrong’s disappear-ance. His story clears me. But it doesn’t clear him. We’ve only his word forit that he heard footsteps and saw a man going downstairs and out at thefront door. The whole thing may be a lie. He may have got rid of Arm-strong a couple of hours before that.’
‘How?’
Lombard shrugged his shoulders.
‘That we don’t know. But if you ask me, we’ve only one danger to fear—and that danger is Blore! What do we know about the man? Less thannothing! All this ex-policeman story may be bunkum! He may be anybody—a mad millionaire—a crazy businessman—an escaped inmate18 of Broad-moor. One thing’s certain. He could have done every one of these crimes.’
Vera had gone rather white. She said in a slightly breathless voice:
‘And supposing he gets—us?’
Lombard said softly, patting the revolver in his pocket:
‘I’m going to take very good care he doesn’t.’
Then he looked at her curiously19.
‘Touching faith in me, haven’t you, Vera? Quite sure I wouldn’t shootyou?’
Vera said:
‘One has got to trust someone…As a matter of fact I think you’re wrongabout Blore. I still think it’s Armstrong.’
She turned to him suddenly:
‘Don’t you feel—all the time—that there’s someone. Someone watchingand waiting?’
Lombard said slowly:
‘That’s just nerves.’
Vera said eagerly:
‘Then you have felt it?’
She shivered. She bent20 a little closer.
‘Tell me—you don’t think—’ she broke off, went on: ‘I read a story once—about two judges that came to a small American town—from the Su-preme Court. They administered justice—Absolute Justice. Because—theydidn’t come from this world at all…’
Lombard raised his eyebrows21.
He said:
‘Heavenly visitants, eh? No, I don’t believe in the supernatural. Thisbusiness is human enough.’
Vera said in a low voice:
‘Sometimes—I’m not sure…’
Lombard looked at her. He said:
‘That’s conscience…’ After a moment’s silence he said very quietly: ‘Soyou did drown that kid after all?’
Vera said vehemently22:
‘I didn’t! I didn’t! You’ve no right to say that!’
He laughed easily.
‘Oh yes, you did, my good girl! I don’t know why. Can’t imagine. Therewas a man in it probably. Was that it?’
A sudden feeling of lassitude, of intense weariness, spread over Vera’slimbs. She said in a dull voice:
‘Yes—there was a man in it…’
Lombard said softly:
‘Thanks. That’s what I wanted to know…’
Vera sat up suddenly. She exclaimed:
‘What was that? It wasn’t an earthquake?’
Lombard said:
‘No, no. Queer, though—a thud shook the ground. And I thought—didyou hear a sort of cry? I did.’
They stared up at the house.
Lombard said:
‘It came from there. We’d better go up and see.’
‘No, no, I’m not going.’
‘Please yourself. I am.’
Vera said desperately23:
‘All right. I’ll come with you.’
They walked up the slope to the house. The terrace was peaceful and in-nocuous-looking in the sunshine. They hesitated there a minute, then in-stead of entering by the front door, they made a cautious circuit of thehouse.
They found Blore. He was spreadeagled on the stone terrace on the eastside, his head crushed and mangled24 by a great block of white marble.
Philip looked up. He said:
‘Whose is that window just above?’
Vera said in a low shuddering25 voice:
‘It’s mine—and that’s the clock from my mantelpiece…I remember now. Itwas—shaped like a bear.’
She repeated and her voice shook and quavered:
‘It was shaped like a bear…’
III
Philip grasped her shoulder.
He said, and his voice was urgent and grim:
‘This settles it. Armstrong is in hiding somewhere in that house. I’m go-ing to get him.’
But Vera clung to him. She cried:
‘Don’t be a fool. It’s us now! We’re next! He wants us to look for him!
He’s counting on it!’
Philip stopped. He said thoughtfully:
‘There’s something in that.’
Vera cried:
‘At any rate you do admit now I was right.’
He nodded.
‘Yes—you win! It’s Armstrong all right. But where the devil did he hidehimself? We went over the place with a fine-tooth comb.’
Vera said urgently:
‘If you didn’t find him last night, you won’t find him now…That’s commonsense26.’
Lombard said reluctantly:
‘Yes, but—’
‘He must have prepared a secret place beforehand — naturally — ofcourse it’s just what he would do. You know, like a Priest’s Hole in oldmanor houses.’
‘This isn’t an old house of that kind.’
‘He could have had one made.’
Philip Lombard shook his head. He said:
‘We measured the place—that first morning. I’ll swear there’s no spaceunaccounted for.’
Vera said:
‘There must be…’
Lombard said:
‘I’d like to see—’
Vera cried:
‘Yes, you’d like to see! And he knows that! He’s in there—waiting foryou.’
Lombard said, half bringing out the revolver from his pocket:
‘I’ve got this, you know.’
‘You said Blore was all right—that he was more than a match for Arm-strong. So he was physically27, and he was on the look out too. But what youdon’t seem to realize is that Armstrong is mad! And a madman has all theadvantages on his side. He’s twice as cunning as any one sane28 can be.’
Lombard put back the revolver in his pocket. He said:
‘Come on, then.’
IV
Lombard said at last:
‘What are we going to do when night comes?’
Vera didn’t answer. He went on accusingly:
‘You haven’t thought of that?’
She said helplessly:
‘What can we do? Oh, my God, I’m frightened…’
Philip Lombard said thoughtfully:
‘It’s fine weather. There will be a moon. We must find a place—up bythe top cliffs perhaps. We can sit there and wait for morning. We mustn’tgo to sleep…We must watch the whole time. And if any one comes up to-wards us, I shall shoot!’
He paused:
‘You’ll be cold, perhaps, in that thin dress?’
Vera said with a raucous29 laugh:
‘Cold? I should be colder if I were dead!’
Philip Lombard said quietly:
‘Yes, that’s true…’
Vera moved restlessly.
She said:
‘I shall go mad if I sit here any longer. Let’s move about.’
‘All right.’
They paced slowly up and down, along the line of the rocks overlookingthe sea. The sun was dropping towards the west. The light was golden andmellow. It enveloped30 them in a golden glow.
Vera said, with a sudden nervous little giggle31:
‘Pity we can’t have a bathe…’
Philip was looking down towards the sea. He said abruptly32:
‘What’s that, there? You see—by that big rock? No—a little farther to theright.’
Vera stared. She said:
‘It looks like somebody’s clothes!’
‘A bather, eh?’ Lombard laughed. ‘Queer. I suppose it’s only seaweed.’
Vera said:
‘Let’s go and look.’
‘It is clothes,’ said Lombard as they drew nearer. ‘A bundle of them.
That’s a boot. Come on, let’s scramble33 along here.’
They scrambled34 over the rocks.
Vera stopped suddenly. She said:
‘It’s not clothes—it’s a man…’
The man was wedged between two rocks, flung there by the tide earlierin the day.
Lombard and Vera reached it in a last scramble. They bent down.
A purple discoloured face—a hideous35 drowned face… Lombard said:
‘My God! it’s Armstrong…’
点击
收听单词发音
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1
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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2
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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3
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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4
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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6
stolidly
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| adv.迟钝地，神经麻木地 | |
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7
puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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9
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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10
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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13
abortive
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| adj.不成功的，发育不全的 | |
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14
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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15
obstinately
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| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
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16
relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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17
risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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inmate
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| n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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vehemently
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| adv. 热烈地 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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mangled
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| vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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commonsense
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| adj.有常识的；明白事理的；注重实际的 | |
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27
physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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28
sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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29
raucous
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| adj.(声音)沙哑的，粗糙的 | |
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enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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giggle
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| n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说 | |
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32
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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33
scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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35
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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