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Fourteen DR. NICHOLSON
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Fourteen DR. NICHOLSON
Frankie attacked Sylvia the following morning.
She started by saying carelessly:
“What was that man’s name you mentioned last night? Alan Carstairs,was it? I feel sure I’ve heard that name before.”
“I daresay you have. He’s rather a celebrity1 in his way, I believe. He’s aCanadian—a naturalist2 and big game hunter and explorer. I don’t reallyknow him. Some friends of ours, the Rivingtons, brought him down hereone day for lunch. A very attractive man—big and bronzed and nice blueeyes.”
“I was sure I’d heard of him.”
“He’d never been over to this country before, I believe. Last year hewent on a tour through Africa with that millionaire man, John Savage—the one who thought he had cancer and killed himself in that tragic3 way.
Carstairs has been all over the world. East Africa, South America—simplyeverywhere, I believe.”
“Sounds a nice adventurous4 person,” said Frankie.
“Oh, he was. Distinctly attractive.”
“Funny—his being so like the man who fell over the cliff at Marchbolt,”
said Frankie.
“I wonder if everyone has a double.”
They compared instances, citing Adolf Beck and referring lightly to theLyons Mail. Frankie was careful to make no further references to AlanCarstairs. To show too much interest in him would be fatal.
In her own mind, however, she felt she was getting on now. She wasquite convinced that Alan Carstairs had been the victim of the cliff tragedyat Marchbolt. He fulfilled all the conditions. He had no intimate friends orrelations in this country and his disappearance5 was unlikely to be noticedfor some time. A man who frequently ran off to East Africa and SouthAmerica was not likely to be missed at once. Moreover, Frankie noted6, al-though Sylvia Bassington-ffrench had commented on the resemblance inthe newspaper reproduction, it had not occurred to her for a moment thatit actually was the man.
That, Frankie thought, was rather an interesting bit of psychology7.
We seldom suspect people who are “news” of being people we have usu-ally seen or met.
Very good, then. Alan Carstairs was the dead man. The next step was tolearn more about Alan Carstairs. His connection with the Bassington-ffrenches seemed to have been of the slightest. He had been brought downthere quite by chance by friends. What was the name? Rivington. Frankiestored it in her memory for future use.
That certainly was a possible avenue of inquiry8. But it would be well togo slowly. Inquiries9 about Alan Carstairs must be very discreetly10 made.
“I don’t want to be poisoned or knocked on the head,” thought Frankiewith a grimace11. “They were ready enough to bump off Bobby for practic-ally nothing at all—”
Her thoughts flew off at a tangent to that tantalizing12 phrase that hadstarted the whole business.
Evans! Who was Evans? Where did Evans fit in?
“A dope gang,” decided13 Frankie. Perhaps some relation of Carstairs wasvictimized, and he was determined14 to bust15 it up. Perhaps he came to Eng-land for that purpose. Evans may have been one of the gang who had re-tired and gone to Wales to live. Carstairs had bribed16 Evans to give the oth-ers away and Evans had consented and Carstairs went there to see him,and someone followed him and killed him.
Was that somebody Roger Bassington-ffrench? It seemed very unlikely.
The Caymans, now, were far more what Frankie imagined a gang of dopesmugglers would be likely to be.
And yet—that photograph. If only there was some explanation of thatphotograph.
That evening, Dr. Nicholson and his wife were expected to dinner.
Frankie was finishing dressing17 when she heard their car drive up to thefront door. Her window faced that way and she looked out.
A tall man was just alighting from the driver’s seat of a dark-blue Talbot.
Frankie withdrew her head thoughtfully.
Carstairs had been a Canadian. Dr. Nicholson was a Canadian. And Dr.
Nicholson had a dark-blue Talbot.
Absurd to build anything upon that, of course, but wasn’t it just faintlysuggestive?
Dr. Nicholson was a big man with a manner that suggested great re-serves of power. His speech was slow, on the whole he said very little, butcontrived somehow to make every word sound significant. He wore strongglasses and behind them his very pale-blue eyes glittered reflectively.
His wife was a slender creature of perhaps twenty-seven, pretty, indeedbeautiful. She seemed, Frankie, thought, slightly nervous and chatteredrather feverishly18 as though to conceal19 the fact.
“You had an accident, I hear, Lady Frances,” said Dr. Nicholson as hetook his seat beside her at the dinner table.
Frankie explained the catastrophe20. She wondered why she should feelso nervous doing so. The doctor’s manner was simple and interested. Whyshould she feel as though she were rehearsing a defence to a charge thathad never been made. Was there any earthly reason why the doctorshould disbelieve in her accident?
“That was too bad,” he said, as she finished, having, perhaps, made amore detailed21 story of it than seemed strictly22 necessary. “But you seem tohave made a very good recovery.”
“We won’t admit she’s cured yet. We’re keeping her with us,” saidSylvia.
The doctor’s gaze went to Sylvia. Something like a very faint smile cameto his lips but passed almost immediately.
“I should keep her with you as long as possible,” he said gravely.
Frankie was sitting between her host and Dr. Nicholson. Henry Bassing-ton-ffrench was decidedly moody23 tonight. His hands twitched24, he ate nextto nothing and he took no part in the conversation.
Mrs. Nicholson, opposite, had a difficult time with him, and turned toRoger with obvious relief. She talked to him in a desultory25 fashion, butFrankie noticed that her eyes were never long absent from her husband’sface.
Dr. Nicholson was talking about life in the country.
“Do you know what a culture is, Lady Frances?”
“Do you mean book learning?” asked Frankie, rather puzzled.
“No, no. I was referring to germs. They develop, you know, in speciallyprepared serum26. The country, Lady Frances, is a little like that. There istime and space and infinite leisure—suitable conditions, you see, for de-velopment.”
“Do you mean bad things?” asked Frankie puzzled.
“That depends, Lady Frances, on the kind of germ cultivated.”
Idiotic27 conversation, thought Frankie, and why should it make me feelcreepy, but it does!
She said flippantly:
“I expect I’m developing all sorts of dark qualities.”
He looked at her and said calmly:
“Oh, no, I don’t think so, Lady Frances. I think you would always be onthe side of law and order.”
Was there a faint emphasis on the word law?
Suddenly, across the table, Mrs. Nicholson said:
“My husband prides himself on summing up character.”
Dr. Nicholson nodded his head gently.
“Quite right, Moira. Little things interest me.” He turned to Frankieagain. “I had heard of your accident, you know. One thing about it in-trigued me very much.”
“Yes?” said Frankie, her heart beating suddenly.
“The doctor who was passing—the one who brought you in here.”
“Yes?”
“He must have had a curious character—to turn his car before going tothe rescue.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Of course not. You were unconscious. But young Reeves, the messageboy, came from Staverley on his bicycle and no car passed him, yet hecomes round the corner, finds the smash, and the doctor’s car pointing thesame way he was going—towards London. You see the point? The doctordid not come from the direction of Staveley so he must have come theother way, down the hill. But in that case his car should have been point-ing towards Staverley. But it wasn’t. Therefore he must have turned it.”
“Unless he had come from Staverley some time before,” said Frankie.
“Then his car would have been standing28 there as you came down thehill. Was it?”
The pale-blue eyes were looking at her very intently through the thickglasses.
“I don’t remember,” said Frankie. “I don’t think so.”
“You sound like a detective, Jasper,” said Mrs. Nicholson. “And all aboutnothing at all.”
“Little things interest me,” said Nicholson.
He turned to his hostess, and Frankie drew a breath of relief.
Why had he catechized her like that? How had he found out all aboutthe accident? “Little things interest me,” he had said. Was that all therewas to it?
Frankie remembered the dark- blue Talbot saloon, and the fact thatCarstairs had been a Canadian. It seemed to her that Dr. Nicholson was asinister man.
She kept out of his way after dinner, attaching herself to the gentle, fra-gile Mrs. Nicholson. She noticed that all the time Mrs. Nicholson’s eyes stillwatched her husband. Was it love, Frankie wondered, or fear?
Nicholson devoted29 himself to Sylvia and at half past ten he caught hiswife’s eye and they rose to go.
“Well,” said Roger after they had gone, “what do you think of our Dr.
Nicholson? A very forceful personality, hasn’t he?”
“I’m like Sylvia,” said Frankie. “I don’t think I like him very much. I likeher better.”
“Good-looking, but rather a little idiot,” said Roger. “She either worshipshim or is scared to death of him—I don’t know which.”
“That’s just what I wondered,” agreed Frankie.
“I don’t like him,” said Sylvia, “but I must admit that he’s got a lot of—offorce. I believe he’s cured drugtakers in the most marvellous way. Peoplewhose relations despaired utterly30. They’ve gone there as a last hope andcome out absolutely cured.”
“Yes,” cried Henry Bassington- ffrench suddenly. “And do you knowwhat goes on there? Do you know the awful suffering and mental tor-ment? A man’s used to a drug and they cut him off it—cut him off it—tillhe goes raving31 mad for the lack of it and beats his head against the wall.
That’s what he does — your ‘forceful’ doctor tortures people — torturesthem—sends them to Hell—drives them mad. .?.?.”
He was shaking violently. Suddenly he turned and left the room.
Sylvia Bassington-ffrench looked startled.
“What is the matter with Henry?” she said wonderingly. “He seems veryupset.”
Frankie and Roger dared not look at each other.
“He’s not looked well all evening,” ventured Frankie.
“No. I noticed that. He’s very moody lately. I wish he hadn’t given upriding. Oh, by the way, Dr. Nicholson invited Tommy over tomorrow, but Idon’t like him going there very much — not with all those queer nervecases and dope-takers.”
“I don’t suppose the doctor would allow him to come into contact withthem,” said Roger. “He seems very fond of children.”
“Yes, I think it’s a disappointment he hasn’t got any of his own. Probablyto her, too. She looks very sad—and terribly delicate.”
“She’s like a sad Madonna,” said Frankie.
“Yes, that describes her very well.”
“If Dr. Nicholson is so fond of children I suppose he came to your chil-dren’s party?” said Frankie carelessly.
“Unfortunately he was away for a day or two just then. I think he had togo to London for some conference.”
“I see.”
They went up to bed. Before she went to sleep, Frankie wrote to Bobby.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 celebrity xcRyQ     
n.名人,名流;著名,名声,名望
参考例句:
  • Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
  • He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。
2 naturalist QFKxZ     
n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者)
参考例句:
  • He was a printer by trade and naturalist by avocation.他从事印刷业,同时是个博物学爱好者。
  • The naturalist told us many stories about birds.博物学家给我们讲述了许多有关鸟儿的故事。
3 tragic inaw2     
adj.悲剧的,悲剧性的,悲惨的
参考例句:
  • The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
  • Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。
4 adventurous LKryn     
adj.爱冒险的;惊心动魄的,惊险的,刺激的 
参考例句:
  • I was filled with envy at their adventurous lifestyle.我很羨慕他们敢于冒险的生活方式。
  • He was predestined to lead an adventurous life.他注定要过冒险的生活。
5 disappearance ouEx5     
n.消失,消散,失踪
参考例句:
  • He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
  • Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。
6 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的,知名的
参考例句:
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
7 psychology U0Wze     
n.心理,心理学,心理状态
参考例句:
  • She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
  • He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。
8 inquiry nbgzF     
n.打听,询问,调查,查问
参考例句:
  • Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
  • The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。
9 inquiries 86a54c7f2b27c02acf9fcb16a31c4b57     
n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 );疑问;探究;打听
参考例句:
  • He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释,等候进一步调查。
  • I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
10 discreetly nuwz8C     
ad.(言行)审慎地,慎重地
参考例句:
  • He had only known the perennial widow, the discreetly expensive Frenchwoman. 他只知道她是个永远那么年轻的寡妇,一个很会讲排场的法国女人。
  • Sensing that Lilian wanted to be alone with Celia, Andrew discreetly disappeared. 安德鲁觉得莉莲想同西莉亚单独谈些什么,有意避开了。
11 grimace XQVza     
v.做鬼脸,面部歪扭
参考例句:
  • The boy stole a look at his father with grimace.那男孩扮着鬼脸偷看了他父亲一眼。
  • Thomas made a grimace after he had tasted the wine.托马斯尝了那葡萄酒后做了个鬼脸。
12 tantalizing 3gnzn9     
adj.逗人的;惹弄人的;撩人的;煽情的v.逗弄,引诱,折磨( tantalize的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • This was my first tantalizing glimpse of the islands. 这是我第一眼看见的这些岛屿的动人美景。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • We have only vague and tantalizing glimpses of his power. 我们只能隐隐约约地领略他的威力,的确有一种可望不可及的感觉。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史
13 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
14 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的;有决心的
参考例句:
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
15 bust WszzB     
vt.打破;vi.爆裂;n.半身像;胸部
参考例句:
  • I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
  • She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。
16 bribed 1382e59252debbc5bd32a2d1f691bd0f     
v.贿赂( bribe的过去式和过去分词 );向(某人)行贿,贿赂
参考例句:
  • They bribed him with costly presents. 他们用贵重的礼物贿赂他。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • He bribed himself onto the committee. 他暗通关节,钻营投机挤进了委员会。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
17 dressing 1uOzJG     
n.(食物)调料;包扎伤口的用品,敷料
参考例句:
  • Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
  • The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。
18 feverishly 5ac95dc6539beaf41c678cd0fa6f89c7     
adv. 兴奋地
参考例句:
  • Feverishly he collected his data. 他拼命收集资料。
  • The company is having to cast around feverishly for ways to cut its costs. 公司迫切须要想出各种降低成本的办法。
19 conceal DpYzt     
v.隐藏,隐瞒,隐蔽
参考例句:
  • He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方,他只好隐瞒身份。
  • He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。
20 catastrophe WXHzr     
n.大灾难,大祸
参考例句:
  • I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
  • This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。
21 detailed xuNzms     
adj.详细的,详尽的,极注意细节的,完全的
参考例句:
  • He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
  • A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。
22 strictly GtNwe     
adv.严厉地,严格地;严密地
参考例句:
  • His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
  • The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。
23 moody XEXxG     
adj.心情不稳的,易怒的,喜怒无常的
参考例句:
  • He relapsed into a moody silence.他又重新陷于忧郁的沉默中。
  • I'd never marry that girl.She's so moody.我决不会和那女孩结婚的。她太易怒了。
24 twitched bb3f705fc01629dc121d198d54fa0904     
vt.& vi.(使)抽动,(使)颤动(twitch的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Her lips twitched with amusement. 她忍俊不禁地颤动着嘴唇。
  • The child's mouth twitched as if she were about to cry. 这小孩的嘴抽动着,像是要哭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
25 desultory BvZxp     
adj.散漫的,无方法的
参考例句:
  • Do not let the discussion fragment into a desultory conversation with no clear direction.不要让讨论变得支离破碎,成为没有明确方向的漫谈。
  • The constables made a desultory attempt to keep them away from the barn.警察漫不经心地拦着不让他们靠近谷仓。
26 serum 8seyS     
n.浆液,血清,乳浆
参考例句:
  • The serum is available to the general public.一般公众均可获得血清。
  • Untreated serum contains a set of 11 proteins called complement.未经处理的血清含有一组蛋白质,共11种,称为补体。
27 idiotic wcFzd     
adj.白痴的
参考例句:
  • It is idiotic to go shopping with no money.去买东西而不带钱是很蠢的。
  • The child's idiotic deeds caused his family much trouble.那小孩愚蠢的行为给家庭带来许多麻烦。
28 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
29 devoted xu9zka     
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的
参考例句:
  • He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
  • We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
30 utterly ZfpzM1     
adv.完全地,绝对地
参考例句:
  • Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民,把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
  • I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。
31 raving c42d0882009d28726dc86bae11d3aaa7     
adj.说胡话的;疯狂的,怒吼的;非常漂亮的;令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话;疯话adv.胡言乱语地;疯狂地
参考例句:
  • The man's a raving lunatic. 那个男子是个语无伦次的疯子。
  • When I told her I'd crashed her car, she went stark raving bonkers. 我告诉她我把她的车撞坏了时,她暴跳如雷。


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