I stared at her. Goggled1, I suppose, would be a better term. I wonder,really, that she didn’t burst out laughing.
I was just recovering myself when she spoke2 again.
“There’s no need to be so taken aback,” she said. “It’s not a proposal.”
I found my tongue.
“You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“Of course I do. What I’m suggesting is perfectly3 feasible—and it has theadvantage of not dragging some innocent person into possible danger.”
“It’s putting yourself in danger.”
“That’s my lookout4.”
“No, it isn’t. And anyway, it wouldn’t hold water for a moment.”
“Oh yes, it would. I’ve been thinking it out. I arrive at a furnished flat,with a suitcase or two with foreign labels. I take the flat in the name ofMrs. Easterbrook—and who on earth is to say I’m not Mrs. Easterbrook?”
“Anyone who knows you.”
“Anyone who knows me won’t see me. I’m away from my job, ill. A spotof hair dye—what was your wife, by the way, dark or blonde?—not that itreally matters.”
“Dark,” I said mechanically.
“Good, I’d hate a bleach5. Different clothes and lots of makeup6, and mybest friend wouldn’t look at me twice! And since you haven’t had a wife inevidence for the last fifteen years or so—no one’s likely to spot that I’m nother. Why should anyone in the Pale Horse doubt that I’m who I say I am?
If you’re prepared to sign papers wagering7 large sums of money that I’llstay alive, there’s not likely to be any doubt as to my being the bona fidearticle. You’re not connected with the police in any way—you’re a genuineclient. They can verify the marriage by looking up old records in SomersetHouse. They can check up on your friendship with Hermia and all that—so why should there by any doubts?”
“You don’t realise the difficulties—the risk.”
“Risk—Hell!” said Ginger8. “I’d love to help you win a miserly hundredpounds or whatever it is from that shark Bradley.”
I looked at her. I liked her very much… Her red hair, her freckles9, hergallant spirit. But I couldn’t let her take the risks she wanted to take.
“I can’t stand for it, Ginger,” I said. “Suppose—something happened.”
“To me?”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t that my affair?”
“No. I got you in on all this.”
She nodded thoughtfully.
“Yes, perhaps you did. But who got there first doesn’t matter much.
We’re both in it now—and we’ve got to do something. I’m being seriousnow, Mark. I’m not pretending this is all just fun. If what we believe to betrue is true, it’s a sickening beastly thing. And it’s got to be stopped! Yousee, it’s not hot- blooded murder, from hate or jealousy10; it’s not evenmurder from cupidity11, the human frailty12 of murder for gain but taking therisk yourself. It’s murder as a business—murder that takes no account ofwho or what the victim may be.
“That is,” she added, “if the whole thing is true?”
She looked at me in momentary13 doubt.
“It is true,” I said. “That’s why I’m afraid for you.”
Ginger put both elbows on the table, and began to argue.
We thrashed it out, to and fro, ding-dong, repeating ourselves whilst thehands of the clock on my mantelpiece moved slowly round.
Finally Ginger summed up.
“It’s like this. I’m forewarned and forearmed. I know what someone istrying to do to me. And I don’t believe for one moment she can do it! Ifeveryone’s got a ‘desire for death’ mine isn’t well developed! I’ve goodhealth. And I simply cannot believe that I’ll develop gallstones, or men-ingitis just because—old Thyrza draws pentagrams on the floor, or Sybilthrows a trance—or whatever it is those women do do.”
“Bella sacrifices a white cock, I should imagine,” I said thoughtfully.
“You must admit it’s all terribly bogus!”
“We don’t know what actually does happen,” I pointed14 out.
“No. That’s why it’s important to find out. But do you believe, really be-lieve, that because of what three women can do in the barn of the PaleHorse, I, in a flat in London, will develop some fatal disease? You can’t!”
“No,” I said. “I can’t believe it.
“But,” I added. “I do….”
We looked at each other.
“Yes,” said Ginger. “That’s our weakness.”
“Look here,” I said. “Let’s make it the other way round. Let me be theone in London. You be the client. We can cook up something—”
But Ginger was vigorously shaking her head.
“No, Mark,” she said. “It won’t work that way. For several reasons. Themost important is that I’m known at the Pale Horse already—as my care-free self. They could get all the dope about my life from Rhoda — andthere’s nothing there. But you are in the ideal position already—you’re anervous client, sniffing15 around, not able yet to commit yourself. No, it’s gotto be this way.”
“I don’t like it. I don’t like to think of you—alone in some place under afalse name—with nobody to keep an eye on you. I think, before we em-bark on this, we ought to go to the police—now—before we try anythingelse.”
“I’m agreeable to that,” said Ginger slowly. “In fact I think it’s what youought to do. You’ve got something to go on. What police? Scotland Yard?”
“No,” I said. “I think Divisional Detective-Inspector Lejeune is the bestbet.”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
goggled
|
|
| adj.戴护目镜的v.睁大眼睛瞪视， （惊讶的）转动眼珠( goggle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
spoke
|
|
| 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： |
|
|
|
|
3
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
lookout
|
|
| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
bleach
|
|
| vt.使漂白；vi.变白；n.漂白剂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
makeup
|
|
| n.组织；性格；化装品 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
wagering
|
|
| v.在（某物）上赌钱，打赌( wager的现在分词 )；保证，担保 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
ginger
|
|
| n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
freckles
|
|
| n.雀斑，斑点( freckle的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
jealousy
|
|
| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
cupidity
|
|
| n.贪心，贪财 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
frailty
|
|
| n.脆弱；意志薄弱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
momentary
|
|
| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
pointed
|
|
| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
sniffing
|
|
| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |