Twelve（1）

Twelve
I
In her spotlessly kept bedroom, Kirsten Lindstrom plaited her grizzledblonde hair into two unbecoming plaits and prepared for bed.
She was worried and afraid.
The police didn’t like foreigners. She had been in England so long thatshe herself did not feel foreign. But the police could not know that.
That Dr. Calgary—why did he have to come and do this to her?
Justice had been done. She thought of Jacko—and repeated to herselfthat justice had been done.
She thought of him as she had known him from a small boy.
Always, yes, always, a liar¹ and a cheat! But so charming, so engaging. Al-ways one forgave him. Always one tried to shield him from punishment.
He lied so well. That was the horrible truth. He lied so well that one be-lieved him—that one couldn’t help believing him. Wicked, cruel Jacko.
Dr. Calgary might think he knew what he was talking about! But Dr. Cal-gary was wrong. Places and times and alibis² indeed! Jacko could arrangethings of that kind easily enough. Nobody really knew Jacko as she hadknown him.
Would anybody believe her if she told them just exactly what Jacko waslike? And now—tomorrow, what was going to happen? The police wouldcome. And everyone so unhappy, so suspicious. Looking at each other …Not sure what to believe.
And she loved them all so much … so much. She knew more about themall than anyone else could know. Far more than Mrs. Argyle had everknown. For Mrs. Argyle had been blinded by her intense maternal³ pos-sessiveness. They were her children—she saw them always as belongingto her. But Kirsten had seen them as individuals—as themselves—with alltheir faults and virtues⁴. If she had had children of her own, she mighthave felt possessive about them, she supposed. But she was not pre-emin-ently a maternal woman. Her principal love would have been for the hus-band she had never had.
Women like Mrs. Argyle were difficult for her to understand. Crazyabout a lot of children who were not her own, and treating her husbandas though he were not there! A good man, too, a fine man, none better.
Neglected, pushed aside. And Mrs. Argyle too self-absorbed to notice whatwas happening under her nose. That secretary—a good-looking girl andevery inch a woman. Well, it was not too late for Leo—or was it too latenow? Now, with murder raising its head from the grave in which it hadbeen laid, would those two ever dare to come together?
Kirsten sighed unhappily. What was going to happen to them all? ToMicky, who had borne that deep, almost pathological grudge⁵ against hisadopted mother. To Hester, so unsure of herself, so wild. Hester, who hadbeen on the point of finding peace and security with that nice stolid⁶ youngdoctor. To Leo and Gwenda, who had had motive⁷ and, yes, it had to befaced, opportunity, as they both must realize. To Tina, that sleek⁸ little cat-like creature. To selfish, cold-hearted Mary, who until she had marriedhad never shown affection for anybody.
Once, Kirsten thought, she herself had been full of affection for her em-ployer, full of admiration⁹. She couldn’t remember exactly when she hadbegun to dislike her, when she had begun to judge her and finding herwanting. So sure of herself, benevolent¹⁰, tyrannical—a kind of living walk-ing embodiment of mother knows best. And not really even a mother! Ifshe had ever borne a child, it might have kept her humble¹¹.
But why go on thinking of Rachel Argyle? Rachel Argyle was dead.
She had to think of herself—and the others.
And of what might happen tomorrow.

1 liar   

n.说谎的人

参考例句：

• I know you for a thief and a liar!我算认识你了，一个又偷又骗的家伙！
• She was wrongly labelled a liar.她被错误地扣上说谎者的帽子。

2 alibis   

某人在别处的证据( alibi的名词复数 )； 不在犯罪现场的证人； 借口； 托辞

参考例句：

• The suspects all had alibis for the day of the robbery. 嫌疑人均有证据证明抢劫当天不在犯罪现场。
• I'm not trying to beat your alibis any more than I'm trying to prove 'em. 我并不是不让你辩护，我只是想把那个人找出来。

3 maternal   

adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的

参考例句：

• He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
• The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。

4 virtues   

美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处

参考例句：

• Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
• She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。

5 grudge   

n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做

参考例句：

• I grudge paying so much for such inferior goods.我不愿花这么多钱买次品。
• I do not grudge him his success.我不嫉妒他的成功。

6 stolid   

adj.无动于衷的，感情麻木的

参考例句：

• Her face showed nothing but stolid indifference.她的脸上毫无表情，只有麻木的无动于衷。
• He conceals his feelings behind a rather stolid manner.他装作无动于衷的样子以掩盖自己的感情。

7 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

8 sleek   

adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢

参考例句：

• Women preferred sleek,shiny hair with little decoration.女士们更喜欢略加修饰的光滑闪亮型秀发。
• The horse's coat was sleek and glossy.这匹马全身润泽有光。

9 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

10 benevolent   

adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的

参考例句：

• His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him.他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。
• He was a benevolent old man and he wouldn't hurt a fly.他是一个仁慈的老人，连只苍蝇都不愿伤害。

11 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。