Seventeen MRS. RIVINGTON TALKS

Seventeen MRS. RIVINGTON TALKS
“Supposing,” said Bobby, pausing on the doorstep, “that Mr. M. R. Riving-ton of Onslow Square is himself a solicitor¹? That would be a blow.”
“You’d better try the Tite Street colonel first,” said Frankie. “He won’tknow anything about solicitors².”
Accordingly, Bobby took a taxi to Tite Street. Colonel Rivington was out.
Mrs. Rivington, however, was at home. Bobby delivered over to the smartparlourmaid his card on which he had written: “From Messrs Spragge,Spragge, Jenkinson & Spragge. Very Urgent.”
The card and Lord Marchington’s clothes produced their effect upon theparlourmaid. She did not for an instant suspect that Bobby had come tosell miniatures or tout³ for insurances. He was shown into a beautifullyand expensively furnished drawing room and presently Mrs. Rivington,beautifully- and expensively-dressed and made-up, came into the room.
“I must apologize for troubling you, Mrs. Rivington,” said Bobby. “Butthe matter was rather urgent and we wished to avoid the delay of letters.”
That any solicitor could ever wish to avoid delay seemed so transpar-ently impossible that Bobby for a moment wondered anxiously whetherMrs. Rivington would see through the pretence⁴.
Mrs. Rivington, however, was clearly a woman of more looks thanbrains who accepted things as they were presented to her.
“Oh, do sit down!” she said. “I got the telephone message just now fromyour office saying that you were on your way here.”
Bobby mentally applauded Frankie for this last-minute flash of brilli-ance.
He sat down and endeavoured to look legal.
“It is about our client, Mr. Alan Carstairs,” he said.
“Oh, yes?”
“He may have mentioned that we were acting⁵ for him.”
“Did he now? I believe he did,” said Mrs. Rivington, opening very largeblue eyes. She was clearly of a suggestible type. “But of course, I knowabout you. You acted for Dolly Maltravers, didn’t you, when she shot thatdreadful dressmaker man? I suppose you know all the details?”
She looked at him with frank curiosity. It seemed to Bobby that Mrs. Riv-ington was going to be easy meat.
“We know a lot that never comes into court,” he said, smiling.
“Oh, I suppose you must.” Mrs. Rivington looked at him enviously⁶. “Tellme, did she really—I mean, was she dressed as that woman said?”
“The story was contradicted in court,” said Bobby solemnly. He slightlydropped the corner of his eyelid⁷.
“Oh, I see,” breathed Mrs. Rivington, enraptured⁸.
“About Mr. Carstairs,” said Bobby, feeling that he had now establishedfriendly relations and could get on with his job. “He left England very sud-denly, as perhaps you know?”
Mrs. Rivington shook her head.
“Has he left England? I didn’t know. We haven’t seen him for sometime.”
“Did he tell you how long he expected to be over here?”
“He said he might be here for a week or two or it might be six months ora year.”
“Where was he staying?”
“At the Savoy.”
“And you saw him last—when?”
“Oh, about three weeks or a month ago. I can’t remember.”
“You took him down to Staverley one day?”
“Of course! I believe that’s the last time we saw him. He rang up to knowwhen he could see us. He’d just arrived in London and Hubert was veryput out because we were going up to Scotland the next day, and we weregoing down to Staverley to lunch and dining out with some dreadfulpeople that we couldn’t get rid of, and he wanted to see Carstairs becausehe liked him so much, and so I said: ‘My dear, let’s take him down to theBassington- ffrenches with us. They won’t mind.’ And we did. And, ofcourse, they didn’t.”
She came breathlessly to a pause.
“Did he tell you his reasons for being in England?” asked Bobby.
“No. Did he have any? Oh yes, I know. We thought it was something todo with that millionaire man, that friend of his, who had such a tragicdeath. Some doctor told him he had cancer and he killed himself. A verywicked thing for a doctor to do, don’t you think so? And they’re often quitewrong. Our doctor said the other day that my little girl had measles⁹ and itturned out to be a sort of heat rash. I told Hubert I should change him.”
Ignoring Mrs. Rivington’s treatment of doctors as though they were lib-rary books, Bobby returned to the point.
“Did Mr. Carstairs know the Bassington-ffrenches?”
“Oh, no! But I think he liked them. Though he was very queer andmoody on the way back. I suppose something that had been said musthave upset him. He’s a Canadian, you know, and I often think Canadiansare so touchy¹⁰.”
“You don’t know what it was that upset him?”
“I haven’t the least idea. The silliest things do it sometimes, don’t they?”
“Did he take any walks in the neighbourhood?” asked Bobby.
“Oh, no! What a very odd idea!” She stared at him.
Bobby tried again.
“Was there a party? Did he meet any of the neighbours?”
“No, it was just ourselves and them. But it’s odd your saying that—”
“Yes,” said Bobby eagerly, as she paused.
“Because he asked a most frightful¹¹ lot of questions about some peoplewho lived near there.”
“Do you remember the name?”
“No, I don’t. It wasn’t anyone very interesting—some doctor or other.”
“Dr. Nicholson?”
“I believe that was the name. He wanted to know all about him and hiswife and when they came there — all sorts of things. It seemed so oddwhen he didn’t know them, and he wasn’t a bit a curious man as a rule.
But, of course, perhaps he was only making conversation, and couldn’tthink of anything to say. One does do things like that sometimes.”
Bobby agreed that one did and asked how the subject of the Nicholsonshad come up, but that Mrs. Rivington was unable to tell him. She had beenout with Henry Bassington-ffrench in the garden and had come in to findthe others discussing the Nicholsons.
So far, the conversation had proceeded easily, Bobby pumping the ladywithout any camouflage¹², but she now displayed a sudden curiosity.
“But what is it you want to know about Mr. Carstairs?” she asked.
“I really wanted his address,” explained Bobby. “As you know, we actfor him and we’ve just had a rather important cable from New York—youknow, there’s rather a serious fluctuation¹³ in the dollar just now—”
Mrs. Rivington nodded with desperate intelligence.
“And so,” continued Bobby rapidly, “we wanted to get in touch with him— to get his instructions — and he hasn’t left an address — and, havingheard him mention he was a friend of yours, I thought you might possiblyhave news of him.”
“Oh, I see,” said Mrs. Rivington, completely satisfied. “What a pity. Buthe’s always rather a vague man, I should think.”
“Oh, distinctly so,” said Bobby. “Well,” he rose, “I apologize for taking upso much of your time.”
“Oh, not at all,” said Mrs. Rivington. “And it’s so interesting to know thatDolly Maltravers really did—as you say she did.”
“I said nothing at all,” said Bobby.
“Yes, but then lawyers are so discreet¹⁴, aren’t they?” said Mrs. Rivingtonwith a little gurgle of laughter.
“So that’s all right,” thought Bobby, as he walked away down Tite Street.
“I seem to have taken Dolly Whatsername’s character away for good, but Idaresay she deserves it, and that charming idiot of a woman will neverwonder why, if I wanted Carstairs’ address, I didn’t simply ring up and askfor it!”
Back in Brook¹⁵ Street he and Frankie discussed the matter from everyangle.
“It looks as though it were really pure chance that took him to theBassington-ffrenches,” said Frankie thoughtfully.
“I know. But evidently when he was down there some chance remarkdirected his attention to the Nicholsons.”
“So that, really, it is Nicholson who is at the heart of the mystery, not theBassington-ffrenches?”
Bobby looked at her.
“Still intent on whitewashing¹⁶ your hero,” he inquired coldly.
“My dear, I’m only pointing out what it looks like. It’s the mention ofNicholson and his nursing home that excited Carstairs. Being taken downto the Bassington-ffrenches was a pure matter of chance. You must admitthat.”
“It seems like it.”
“Why only ‘seems?’ ”
“Well, there is just one other possibility. In some way, Carstairs mayhave found out that the Rivingtons were going down to lunch with theBassington-ffrenches. He may have overheard some chance remark in arestaurant—at the Savoy, perhaps. So he rings them up, very urgent to seethem, and what he hopes may happen does happen. They’re very booked-up and they suggest his coming down with them — their friends won’tmind and they do so want to see him. That is possible, Frankie.”
“It is possible, I suppose. But it seems a very roundabout method of do-ing things.”
“No more roundabout than your accident,” said Bobby.
“My accident was vigorous direct action,” said Frankie coldly.
Bobby removed Lord Marchington’s clothes and replaced them wherehe had found them. Then he donned his chauffeur’s uniform once moreand they were soon speeding back to Staverley.
“If Roger has fallen for me,” said Frankie demurely¹⁷, “he’ll be pleased I’vecome back so soon. He’ll think I can’t bear to be away from him for long.”
“I’m not sure that you can bear it, either,” said Bobby. “I’ve alwaysheard that really dangerous criminals were singularly attractive.”
“Somehow I can’t believe he is a criminal.”
“So you remarked before.”
“Well, I feel like that.”
“You can’t get over the photograph.”
“Damn the photograph!” said Frankie.
Bobby drove up the drive in silence. Frankie sprang out and went intothe house without a backward glance. Bobby drove away.
The house seemed very silent. Frankie glanced at the clock. It was halfpast two.
“They don’t expect me back for hours yet,” she thought. “I wonderwhere they are?”
She opened the door of the library and went in, stopping suddenly onthe threshold.
Dr. Nicholson was sitting on the sofa, holding both Sylvia Bassington-ffrench’s hands in his.
Sylvia jumped to her feet and came across the room towards Frankie.
“He’s been telling me,” she said.
Her voice was stifled¹⁸. She put both hands to her face as though to hide itfrom view.
“It’s too terrible,” she sobbed¹⁹, and, brushing past Frankie, she ran out ofthe room.
Dr. Nicholson had risen. Frankie advanced a step or two towards him.
His eyes, watchful²⁰ as ever, met hers.
“Poor lady,” he said suavely²¹. “It has been a great shock to her.”
The muscles at the corner of his mouth twitched²³. For a moment or twoFrankie fancied that he was amused. And then, quite suddenly, she real-ized that it was quite a different emotion.
The man was angry. He was holding himself in, hiding his anger behinda suave²² bland²⁴ mask, but the emotion was there. It was all he could do tohold that emotion in.
There was a moment’s pause.
“It was best that Mrs. Bassington-ffrench should know the truth,” saidthe doctor. “I want her to induce her husband to place himself in myhands.”
“I’m afraid,” said Frankie gently, “that I interrupted you.” She paused. “Icame back sooner than I meant.”

1 solicitor   

n.初级律师，事务律师

参考例句：

• The solicitor's advice gave me food for thought.律师的指点值得我深思。
• The solicitor moved for an adjournment of the case.律师请求将这个案件的诉讼延期。

2 solicitors   

初级律师( solicitor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Most solicitors in England and Wales are in private practice . 英格兰和威尔士的大多数律师都是私人执业者。
• The family has instructed solicitors to sue Thomson for compensation. 那家人已经指示律师起诉汤姆森，要求赔偿。

3 tout   

v.推销，招徕；兜售；吹捧，劝诱

参考例句：

• They say it will let them tout progress in the war.他们称这将有助于鼓吹他们在战争中的成果。
• If your case studies just tout results,don't bother requiring registration to view them.如果你的案例研究只是吹捧结果，就别烦扰别人来注册访问了。

4 pretence   

n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰

参考例句：

• The government abandoned any pretence of reform. 政府不再装模作样地进行改革。
• He made a pretence of being happy at the party.晚会上他假装很高兴。

5 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

6 enviously   

adv.满怀嫉妒地

参考例句：

• Yet again, they were looking for their way home blindly, enviously. 然而，它们又一次盲目地、忌妒地寻找着归途。 来自辞典例句
• Tanya thought enviously, he must go a long way south. 坦妮亚歆羡不置，心里在想，他准是去那遥远的南方的。 来自辞典例句

7 eyelid   

n.眼睑，眼皮

参考例句：

• She lifted one eyelid to see what he was doing.她抬起一只眼皮看看他在做什么。
• My eyelid has been tumid since yesterday.从昨天起，我的眼皮就肿了。

8 enraptured   

v.使狂喜( enrapture的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was enraptured that she had smiled at him. 她对他的微笑使他心荡神驰。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They were enraptured to meet the great singer. 他们和大名鼎鼎的歌手见面，欣喜若狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 measles   

n.麻疹，风疹，包虫病，痧子

参考例句：

• The doctor is quite definite about Tom having measles.医生十分肯定汤姆得了麻疹。
• The doctor told her to watch out for symptoms of measles.医生叫她注意麻疹出现的症状。

10 touchy   

adj.易怒的；棘手的

参考例句：

• Be careful what you say because he's touchy.你说话小心，因为他容易生气。
• He's a little touchy about his weight.他对自己的体重感到有点儿苦恼。

11 frightful   

adj.可怕的；讨厌的

参考例句：

• How frightful to have a husband who snores!有一个发鼾声的丈夫多讨厌啊！
• We're having frightful weather these days.这几天天气坏极了。

12 camouflage   

n./v.掩饰，伪装

参考例句：

• The white fur of the polar bear is a natural camouflage.北极熊身上的白色的浓密软毛是一种天然的伪装。
• The animal's markings provide effective camouflage.这种动物身上的斑纹是很有效的伪装。

13 fluctuation   

n.(物价的)波动，涨落；周期性变动；脉动

参考例句：

• The erratic fluctuation of market prices are in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。
• Early and adequate drainage is essential if fluctuation occurs.有波动感时，应及早地充分引流。

14 discreet   

adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的

参考例句：

• He is very discreet in giving his opinions.发表意见他十分慎重。
• It wasn't discreet of you to ring me up at the office.你打电话到我办公室真是太鲁莽了。

15 brook   

n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让

参考例句：

• In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
• The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

16 whitewashing   

粉饰，美化，掩饰( whitewash的现在分词 )； 喷浆

参考例句：

• Tom went on whitewashing the fence, paying no attention to Ben. 汤姆没有理睬本，继续在粉刷着篱笆。
• When whitewashing the wall, he painted with a roller in his hand. 刷墙的时候，他手里拿个辊子，挥舞着胳膊。

17 demurely   

adv.装成端庄地，认真地

参考例句：

• "On the forehead, like a good brother,'she answered demurely. "吻前额，像个好哥哥那样，"她故作正经地回答说。 来自飘（部分）
• Punctuation is the way one bats one's eyes, lowers one's voice or blushes demurely. 标点就像人眨眨眼睛，低声细语，或伍犯作态。 来自名作英译部分

18 stifled   

（使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵

参考例句：

• The gas stifled them. 煤气使他们窒息。
• The rebellion was stifled. 叛乱被镇压了。

19 sobbed   

哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说

参考例句：

• She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
• She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。

20 watchful   

adj.注意的，警惕的

参考例句：

• The children played under the watchful eye of their father.孩子们在父亲的小心照看下玩耍。
• It is important that health organizations remain watchful.卫生组织保持警惕是极为重要的。

21 suavely   

参考例句：

• He is suavely charming and all the ladies love him. 他温文尔雅，女士们都喜欢他。 来自互联网
• Jiro: (Suavely) What do you think? What do you feel I'm like right now? 大东﹕（耍帅）你认为呢﹖我现在给你的感觉如何﹖。 来自互联网

22 suave   

adj.温和的；柔和的；文雅的

参考例句：

• He is a suave,cool and cultured man.他是个世故、冷静、有教养的人。
• I had difficulty answering his suave questions.我难以回答他的一些彬彬有礼的提问。

23 twitched   

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》

24 bland   

adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的

参考例句：

• He eats bland food because of his stomach trouble.他因胃病而吃清淡的食物。
• This soup is too bland for me.这汤我喝起来偏淡。