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Three(2)
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II
Mary Durrant crossed the room and picked up some fallen petals1 from avase of chrysanthemums2. She put them carefully into the wastepaper bas-ket. She was a tall, serene-looking young woman of twenty-seven who, al-though her face was unlined, yet looked older than her years, probablyfrom a sedate3 maturity4 that seemed part of her makeup5. She had goodlooks, without a trace of glamour6. Regular features, a good skin, eyes of avivid blue, and fair hair combed off her face and arranged in a large bunat the back of her neck; a style which at the moment happened to be fash-ionable although that was not her reason for wearing it so. She was a wo-man who always kept to her own style. Her appearance was like herhouse; neat, well kept. Any kind of dust or disorder7 worried her.
The man in the invalid8 chair watching her as she put the fallen petalscarefully away, smiled a slightly twisted smile.
“Same tidy creature,” he said. “A place for everything and everything inits place.” He laughed, with a faint malicious9 note in the laugh. But MaryDurrant was quite undisturbed.
“I do like things to be tidy,” she agreed. “You know, Phil, you wouldn’tlike it yourself if the house was like a shambles10.”
Her husband said with a faint trace of bitterness:
“Well, at any rate I haven’t got the chance of making it into one.”
Soon after their marriage, Philip Durrant had fallen a victim to polio ofthe paralytic11 type. To Mary, who adored him, he had become her child aswell as her husband. He himself felt at times slightly embarrassed by herpossessive love. His wife had not got the imagination to understand thather pleasure in his dependence12 upon her sometimes irked him.
He went on now rather quickly, as though fearing some word of com-miseration or sympathy from her.
“I must say your father’s news beggars description! After all this time!
How can you be so calm about it?”
“I suppose I can hardly take it in … It’s so extraordinary. At first I simplycouldn’t believe what father was saying. If it had been Hester, now, Ishould have thought she’d imagined the whole thing. You know whatHester’s like.”
Philip Durrant’s face lost a little of its bitterness. He said softly:
“A vehement13 passionate14 creature, setting out in life to look for troubleand certain to find it.”
Mary waved away the analysis. Other people’s characters did not in-terest her.
She said doubtfully: “I suppose it’s true? You don’t think this man mayhave imagined it all?”
“The absentminded scientist? It would be nice to think so,” said Philip,“but it seems that Andrew Marshall has taken the matter seriously. AndMarshall, Marshall & Marshall are a very hard-headed legal proposition,let me tell you.”
Mary Durrant said, frowning: “What will it actually mean, Phil?”
Philip said: “It means that Jacko will be completely exonerated15. That is,if the authorities are satisfied—and I gather that there is going to be noquestion of anything else.”
“Oh, well,” said Mary, with a slight sigh, “I suppose it’s all very nice.”
Philip Durrant laughed again, the same twisted, rather bitter laughter.
“Polly!” he said, “you’ll be the death of me.”
Only her husband had ever called Mary Durrant Polly. It was a nameludicrously inappropriate to her statuesque appearance. She looked atPhilip in faint surprise.
“I don’t see what I’ve said to amuse you so much.”
“You were so gracious about it!” said Philip. “Like Lady Somebody at theSale of Work praising the Village Institute’s handiwork.”
Mary said, puzzled: “But it is very nice! You can’t pretend it’s been satis-factory to have had a murderer in the family.”
“Not really in the family.”
“Well, it’s practically the same thing. I mean, it was all very worrying,and made one most uncomfortable. Everybody was so agog16 and curious. Ihated it all.”
“You took it very well,” said Philip. “Froze them with that icy blue gazeof yours. Made them pipe down and look ashamed of themselves. It’s won-derful the way you manage never to show emotion.”
“I disliked it all very much. It was all most unpleasant,” said Mary Dur-rant, “but at any rate he died and it was over. And now—now, I suppose, itwill all be raked up again. So tiresome17.”
“Yes,” said Philip Durrant thoughtfully. He shifted his shoulders slightly,a faint expression of pain on his face. His wife came to him quickly.
“Are you cramped18? Wait. Let me just move this cushion. There. That bet-ter?”
“You ought to have been a hospital nurse,” said Philip.
“I’ve not the least wish to nurse a lot of people. Only you.”
It was said very simply but there was a depth of feeling behind the barewords.
The telephone rang and Mary went to it.
“Hallo … yes … speaking … Oh, it’s you….”
She said aside to Philip: “It’s Micky.”
“Yes … yes, we have heard. Father telephoned … Well, of course … Yes …Yes … Philip says if the lawyers are satisfied it must be all right … Really,Micky, I don’t see why you’re so upset … I’m not aware of being particu-larly dense19 … Really, Micky, I do think you — Hallo?… Hallo?…” Shefrowned angrily. “He’s rung off.” She replaced the receiver. “Really, Philip,I can’t understand Micky.”
“What did he say exactly?”
“Well, he seems in such a state. He said that I was dense, that I didn’trealize the—the repercussions20. Hell to pay! That’s the way he put it. Butwhy? I don’t understand.”
“Got the wind up, has he?” said Philip thoughtfully.
“But why?”
“Well, he’s right, you know. There will be repercussions.”
Mary looked a little bewildered.
“You mean that there will be a revival21 of interest in the case? Of courseI’m glad Jacko is cleared, but it will be rather unpleasant if people begintalking about it again.”
“It’s not just what the neighbours say. There’s more to it than that.”
She looked at him inquiringly.
“The police are going to be interested, too!”
“The police?” Mary spoke22 sharply. “What’s it got to do with them?”
“My dear girl,” said Philip. “Think.”
Mary came back slowly to sit by him.
“It’s an unsolved crime again now, you see,” said Philip.
“But surely they won’t bother—after all this time?”
“A very nice bit of wishful thinking,” said Philip, “but fundamentally un-sound, I fear.”
“Surely,” said Mary, “after they’ve been so stupid—making such a badmistake over Jacko—they won’t want to rake it all up again?”
“They mayn’t want to—but they’ll probably have to! Duty is duty.”
“Oh, Philip, I’m sure you’re wrong. There will just be a bit of talk andthen it will all die down.”
“And then our lives will go on happily ever afterwards,” said Philip inhis mocking voice.
“Why not?”
He shook his head. “It’s not as simple as that … Your father’s right. Wemust all get together and have a consultation23. Get Marshall down as hesaid.”
“You mean—go over to Sunny Point?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, we can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“It’s not practicable. You’re an invalid and—”
“I’m not an invalid.” Philip spoke with irritation24. “I’m quite strong andwell. I just happen to have lost the use of my legs. I could go to Timbuctoowith the proper transport laid on.”
“I’m sure it would be very bad for you to go to Sunny Point. Having allthis unpleasant business raked up—”
“It’s not my mind that’s affected25.”
“—And I don’t see how we can leave the house. There have been somany burglaries lately.”
“Get someone to sleep in.”
“It’s all very well to say that—as though it was the easiest thing in theworld.”
“Old Mrs. Whatsername can come in every day. Do stop making house-wifely objections, Polly. It’s you, really, who doesn’t want to go.”
“No, I don’t.”
“We won’t be there long,” said Philip reassuringly26. “But I think we’ve gotto go. This is a time when the family’s got to present a united front to theworld. We’ve got to find out exactly how we stand.”

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1 petals f346ae24f5b5778ae3e2317a33cd8d9b     
n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • white petals tinged with blue 略带蓝色的白花瓣
  • The petals of many flowers expand in the sunshine. 许多花瓣在阳光下开放。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
2 chrysanthemums 1ded1ec345ac322f70619ba28233b570     
n.菊花( chrysanthemum的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The cold weather had most deleterious consequences among the chrysanthemums. 寒冷的天气对菊花产生了极有害的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The chrysanthemums are in bloom; some are red and some yellow. 菊花开了, 有红的,有黄的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
3 sedate dDfzH     
adj.沉着的,镇静的,安静的
参考例句:
  • After the accident,the doctor gave her some pills to sedate her.事故发生后,医生让她服了些药片使她镇静下来。
  • We spent a sedate evening at home.我们在家里过了一个恬静的夜晚。
4 maturity 47nzh     
n.成熟;完成;(支票、债券等)到期
参考例句:
  • These plants ought to reach maturity after five years.这些植物五年后就该长成了。
  • This is the period at which the body attains maturity.这是身体发育成熟的时期。
5 makeup 4AXxO     
n.组织;性格;化装品
参考例句:
  • Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
  • Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗?
6 glamour Keizv     
n.魔力,魅力;vt.迷住
参考例句:
  • Foreign travel has lost its glamour for her.到国外旅行对她已失去吸引力了。
  • The moonlight cast a glamour over the scene.月光给景色增添了魅力。
7 disorder Et1x4     
n.紊乱,混乱;骚动,骚乱;疾病,失调
参考例句:
  • When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后,他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
  • It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。
8 invalid V4Oxh     
n.病人,伤残人;adj.有病的,伤残的;无效的
参考例句:
  • He will visit an invalid.他将要去看望一个病人。
  • A passport that is out of date is invalid.护照过期是无效的。
9 malicious e8UzX     
adj.有恶意的,心怀恶意的
参考例句:
  • You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
  • Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。
10 shambles LElzo     
n.混乱之处;废墟
参考例句:
  • My room is a shambles.我房间里乱七八糟。
  • The fighting reduced the city to a shambles.这场战斗使这座城市成了一片废墟。
11 paralytic LmDzKM     
adj. 瘫痪的 n. 瘫痪病人
参考例句:
  • She was completely paralytic last night.她昨天晚上喝得酩酊大醉。
  • She rose and hobbled to me on her paralytic legs and kissed me.她站起来,拖着她那麻痹的双腿一瘸一拐地走到我身边,吻了吻我。
12 dependence 3wsx9     
n.依靠,依赖;信任,信赖;隶属
参考例句:
  • Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
  • He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。
13 vehement EL4zy     
adj.感情强烈的;热烈的;(人)有强烈感情的
参考例句:
  • She made a vehement attack on the government's policies.她强烈谴责政府的政策。
  • His proposal met with vehement opposition.他的倡导遭到了激烈的反对。
14 passionate rLDxd     
adj.热情的,热烈的,激昂的,易动情的,易怒的,性情暴躁的
参考例句:
  • He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
  • He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。
15 exonerated a20181989844e1ecc905ba688f235077     
v.使免罪,免除( exonerate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The police report exonerated Lewis from all charges of corruption. 警方的报告免除了对刘易斯贪污的所有指控。
  • An investigation exonerated the school from any blame. 一项调查证明该学校没有任何过失。 来自辞典例句
16 agog efayI     
adj.兴奋的,有强烈兴趣的; adv.渴望地
参考例句:
  • The children were all agog to hear the story.孩子们都渴望着要听这个故事。
  • The city was agog with rumors last night that the two had been executed.那两人已被处决的传言昨晚搞得全城沸沸扬扬。
17 tiresome Kgty9     
adj.令人疲劳的,令人厌倦的
参考例句:
  • His doubts and hesitations were tiresome.他的疑惑和犹豫令人厌烦。
  • He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors.他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜,令人生厌。
18 cramped 287c2bb79385d19c466ec2df5b5ce970     
a.狭窄的
参考例句:
  • The house was terribly small and cramped, but the agent described it as a bijou residence. 房子十分狭小拥挤,但经纪人却把它说成是小巧别致的住宅。
  • working in cramped conditions 在拥挤的环境里工作
19 dense aONzX     
a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的
参考例句:
  • The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
  • The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
20 repercussions 4fac33c46ab5414927945f4d05f0769d     
n.后果,反响( repercussion的名词复数 );余波
参考例句:
  • The collapse of the company will have repercussions for the whole industry. 这家公司的垮台将会给整个行业造成间接的负面影响。
  • Human acts have repercussions far beyond the frontiers of the human world. 人类行为所产生的影响远远超出人类世界的范围。 来自《简明英汉词典》
21 revival UWixU     
n.复兴,复苏,(精力、活力等的)重振
参考例句:
  • The period saw a great revival in the wine trade.这一时期葡萄酒业出现了很大的复苏。
  • He claimed the housing market was showing signs of a revival.他指出房地产市场正出现复苏的迹象。
22 spoke XryyC     
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:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
23 consultation VZAyq     
n.咨询;商量;商议;会议
参考例句:
  • The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
  • The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。
24 irritation la9zf     
n.激怒,恼怒,生气
参考例句:
  • He could not hide his irritation that he had not been invited.他无法掩饰因未被邀请而生的气恼。
  • Barbicane said nothing,but his silence covered serious irritation.巴比康什么也不说,但是他的沉默里潜伏着阴郁的怒火。
25 affected TzUzg0     
adj.不自然的,假装的
参考例句:
  • She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
  • His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
26 reassuringly YTqxW     
ad.安心,可靠
参考例句:
  • He patted her knee reassuringly. 他轻拍她的膝盖让她放心。
  • The doctor smiled reassuringly. 医生笑了笑,让人心里很踏实。


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