Twelve（3）

III
Leo Argyle watched the morning light fill the room slowly with dim greylight.
He had thought out everything very carefully.
It was quite clear to him—exactly what they were up against, he andGwenda.
He lay looking at the whole thing as Superintendent¹ Huish would look atit. Rachel coming in and telling them about Jacko—his wildness and histhreats. Gwenda had tactfully gone into the next room, and he had tried tocomfort Rachel, had told her she was quite right to have been firm, thathelping Jacko in the past had done no good—that for better or worse hemust take what was coming to him. And she had gone away easier in hermind.
And then Gwenda had come back into the room, and gathered up theletters for the post and had asked if there was anything that she could do,her voice saying more than the actual words. And he had thanked her andsaid no. And she had said good night and gone out of the room. Along thepassage and down the stairs and past the room where Rachel was sittingat her desk and so out of the house with no one to watch her go….
And he himself had sat on alone in the library, and there had beennobody to check whether he left it and went down to Rachel’s room.
It was like that—opportunity for either of them.
And motive², because already by then he loved Gwenda and she lovedhim.
And there was nobody, ever, who could prove the guilt³ or innocence⁴ ofeither of them.
IV
A quarter of a mile away, Gwenda lay dry-eyed and sleepless⁵.
Her hands clenched⁶, she was thinking how much she had hated RachelArgyle.
And now in the darkness, Rachel Argyle was saying: “You thought youcould have my husband once I was dead. But you can’t—you can’t. You willnever have my husband.”
V
Hester was dreaming. She dreamt that she was with Donald Craig and thathe had left her suddenly at the edge of an abyss. She had cried out in fearand then, on the other side of it, she saw that Arthur Calgary was standingholding out his hands to her.
She cried out to him reproachfully.
“Why have you done this to me?” and he answered:
“But I’ve come to help you….”
She woke up.
VI
Lying quietly in the small spare-room bed, Tina breathed gently and regu-larly, but sleep did not come.
She thought of Mrs. Argyle, without gratitude⁷ and without resentment—simply with love. Because of Mrs. Argyle she had had food and drink andwarmth and toys and comfort. She had loved Mrs. Argyle. She was sorryshe was dead….
But it wasn’t quite as simple as that.
It hadn’t mattered when it was Jacko….
But now?

1 superintendent   

n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长

参考例句：

• He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
• He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。

2 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。

3 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

4 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

5 sleepless   

adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的

参考例句：

• The situation gave her many sleepless nights.这种情况害她一连好多天睡不好觉。
• One evening I heard a tale that rendered me sleepless for nights.一天晚上，我听说了一个传闻，把我搞得一连几夜都不能入睡。

6 clenched   

v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He clenched his fists in anger. 他愤怒地攥紧了拳头。
• She clenched her hands in her lap to hide their trembling. 她攥紧双手放在腿上，以掩饰其颤抖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。