Emily was rather fascinated by her first view of Sittaford. Turning off themain road about two miles from Exhampton, they went upwards1 over arough moorland road until they reached a village that was situated3 righton the edge of the moor2. It consisted of a smithy, and a combined post of-fice and sweet shop. From there they followed a lane and came to a row ofnewly built small granite4 bungalows5. At the second of these the carstopped and the driver volunteered the information that this was Mrs.
Curtis’s.
Mrs. Curtis was a small, thin, grey-haired woman, energetic and shrew-ish in disposition6. She was all agog7 with the news of the murder whichhad only penetrated8 to Sittaford that morning.
“Yes, of course I can take you in, Miss, and your cousin too, if he can justwait until I shift a few duds. You won’t mind having your meals along ofus, I don’t suppose? Well, who would have believed it! Captain Trevelyanmurdered and an inquest and all! Cut off from the world we’ve been sinceFriday morning, and this morning when the news came you could haveknocked me down with a feather. ‘The Captain’s dead,’ I said to Curtis,‘that shows you the wickedness there is in the world nowadays.’ But I’mkeeping you talking here, Miss. Come away in and the gentleman too. Ihave got the kettle on and you shall have a cup of tea immediately, for youmust be perished by the drive up, though of course, it’s warmer todayafter what it’s been. Eight and ten feet the snow has been hereabout.”
Drowned in this sea of talk, Emily and Charles Enderby were showntheir new quarters. Emily had a small square room, scrupulously9 clean,looking out and up to the slope of Sittaford Beacon10. Charles’s room was asmall slit11 facing the front of the house and the lane, containing a bed and amicroscopic chest of drawers and washstand.
“The great thing is,” he observed after the driver of the car had disposedhis suitcase upon the bed, and had been duly paid and thanked, “that weare here. If we don’t know all there is to be known about everyone livingin Sittaford within the next quarter of an hour, I’ll eat my hat.”
Ten minutes later, they were sitting downstairs in the comfortable kit-chen being introduced to Curtis, a rather gruff-looking, grey-haired oldman, and being regaled with strong tea, bread and butter, Devonshirecream and hard- boiled eggs. While they ate and drank they listened.
Within half an hour they knew everything there was to be known aboutthe inhabitants of the small community.
First there was a Miss Percehouse, who lived in No. 4, The Cottages, aspinster of uncertain years and temper who had come down here to die,according to Mrs. Curtis, six years ago.
“But believe it or not, Miss, the air of Sittaford is that healthy that shepicked up from the day she came. Wonderfully pure air for lungs it is.
“Miss Percehouse has a nephew who occasionally comes down to seeher,” she went on, “and indeed he’s staying with her at the present time.
Seeing to it that the money doesn’t go out of the family, that’s what he’sdoing. Very dull for a young gentleman at this time of year. But there,there’s more ways than one of amusing yourself, and his coming has beena providence12 for the young lady at Sittaford House. Poor young thing, theidea of bringing her to that great barrack of a house in the winter time.
Selfish is what some mothers are. A very pretty young lady, too. Mr. Ron-ald Garfield is up there as often as he can be without neglecting Miss Per-cehouse.”
Charles Enderby and Emily exchanged glances. Charles rememberedthat Ronald Garfield had been mentioned as one of the party present atthe table-turning.
“The cottage this side of mine, No. 6,” continued Mrs. Curtis, “has onlyjust been took. Gentleman of the name of Duke. That is if you would callhim a gentleman. Of course, he may be and he may not. There’s no saying,folks aren’t so particular nowadays as they used to be. He’s been madefree of the place in the heartiest13 manner. A bashful sort of gentleman he is—might be a military gentleman from the look of him, but somehow hehasn’t got the manner. Not like Major Burnaby, that you would know as amilitary gentleman the first time you clapped eyes on him.
“No. 3, that’s Mr. Rycroft’s, little elderly gentleman. They do say that heused to go after birds to outlandish parts for the British Museum. Whatthey call a naturalist14 he is. Always out and roaming over the moor whenthe weather permits. And he has a very fine library of books. His cottage isnearly all bookcases.
“No. 2, is an invalid15 gentleman’s, a Captain Wyatt with an Indian ser-vant. And poor fellow he does feel the cold, he does. The servant I mean,not the Captain. Coming from warm outlandish parts, it’s no wonder. Theheat they keep up inside the house would frighten you. It’s like walkinginto an oven.
“No. 1, is Major Burnaby’s cottage. Lives by himself he does, and I go into do for him early mornings. He is a very neat gentleman, he is, and veryparticular. He and Captain Trevelyan were as thick as thieves. Friends of alifetime they were. And they both have the same kind of outlandish headsstuck up on the walls.
“As for Mrs. Willett and Miss Willett, that’s what no one can make out.
Plenty of money there. Amos Parker at Exhampton they deal with, and hetells me their weekly book comes to well over eight pounds or ninepounds. You wouldn’t believe the eggs that goes into that house! Broughttheir maidservants from Exeter with them, they did, but they don’t like itand want to leave, and I’m sure I don’t blame them. Mrs. Willett, she sendsthem into Exeter twice a week in her car, and what with that and the liv-ing being so good, they agreed to stop on, but if you ask me it’s a queerbusiness, burying yourself in the country like this, a smart lady like that.
Well, well, I suppose I had better be clearing away these tea things.”
She drew a deep breath and so did Charles and Emily. The flow of in-formation loosened with so little difficulty had almost overwhelmed them.
Charles ventured to put a question.
“Has Major Burnaby got back yet?” he asked.
Mrs. Curtis paused at once, tray in hand. “Yes, indeed, sir, came tramp-ing in just the same as ever about half an hour before you arrived. ‘Why,sir,’ I cried to him. ‘You’ve never walked all the way from Exhampton?’
And he says in his stern way, ‘Why not? If a man has got two legs hedoesn’t need four wheels. I do it once a week anyway as you know, Mrs.
Curtis.’ ‘Oh, yes, sir, but this is different. What with the shock and themurder and the inquest it’s wonderful you’ve got the strength to do it.’ Buthe only grunted16 like and walked on. He looks bad though. It’s a miracle heever got through on Friday night. Brave I call it at his age. Tramping offlike that and three miles of it in a snowstorm. You may say what you like,but nowadays the young gentlemen aren’t a patch on the old ones. ThatMr. Ronald Garfield he would never have done it, and it’s my opinion, andit’s the opinion of Mrs. Hibbert at the post office, and it’s the opinion ofMr. Pound, the blacksmith, that Mr. Garfield ought never to have let himgo off alone the way he did. He should have gone with him. If Major Burn-aby had been lost in a snowdrift, everybody would have blamed Mr. Gar-field. And that’s a fact.”
She disappeared triumphantly17 into the scullery amid a clatter18 of teathings.
Mr. Curtis thoughtfully removed an aged19 pipe from the right side of hismouth to the left side.
“Women,” he said, “talk a lot.”
He paused and then murmured.
“And half the time they don’t know the truth of what they are talkingabout.”
Emily and Charles received this announcement in silence. Seeing thatno more was coming, however, Charles murmured approvingly.
“That’s very true—yes, very true.”
“Ah!” said Mr. Curtis, and relapsed into a pleasant and contemplative si-lence.
Charles rose. “I think I’ll go round and see old Burnaby,” he said, “tellhim the camera parade will be tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll come with you,” said Emily. “I want to know what he really thinksabout Jim and what ideas he has about the crime in general.”
“Have you got any rubber boots or anything? It’s awfully20 slushy.”
“I bought some Wellingtons in Exhampton,” said Emily.
“What a practical girl you are. You think of everything.”
“Unfortunately,” said Emily, “that’s not much help to you in finding outwho’s done a murder. It might help one to do a murder,” she added re-flectively.
“Well, don’t murder me,” said Mr. Enderby.
They went out together. Mrs. Curtis immediately returned.
“They be gone round to the Major’s,” said Mr. Curtis.
“Ah!” said Mrs. Curtis. “Now, what do you think? Are they sweetheart-ing, or are they not? A lot of harm comes of cousins marrying, so they say.
Deaf and dumbs and half-wits and a lot of other evils. He’s sweet on her,that you can see easily enough. As for her, she’s a deep one like my GreatAunt Sarah’s Belinda, she is. Got a way with her and with the men. I won-der what she’s after now? Do you know what I think, Curtis?”
Mr. Curtis grunted.
“This young gentleman that the police are holding on account of themurder, it’s my belief that he’s the one she’s set on. And she’s come uphere to nose about and see what she can find out. And mark my words,”
said Mrs. Curtis, rattling21 china, “if there’s anything to find out she will findit!”
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收听单词发音
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1
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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moor
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| n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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bungalows
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| n.平房( bungalow的名词复数 )；单层小屋，多于一层的小屋 | |
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6
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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agog
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| adj.兴奋的，有强烈兴趣的； adv.渴望地 | |
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penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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scrupulously
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| adv.一丝不苟地；小心翼翼地，多顾虑地 | |
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beacon
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| n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔 | |
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11
slit
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| n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂 | |
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12
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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13
heartiest
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| 亲切的( hearty的最高级 )； 热诚的； 健壮的； 精神饱满的 | |
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14
naturalist
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| n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者) | |
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15
invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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16
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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