Five（3）

III
It was a grey morning with the wind blowing coldly from the sea. Tup-pence was alone at the far end of the beach.
She took from her bag two letters that she had just called for at a smallnewsagent’s in the town.
They had taken some time in coming since they had been readdressedthere, the second time to a Mrs. Spender. Tuppence liked crossing hertracks. Her children believed her to be in Cornwall with an old aunt.
She opened the first letter.
“Dearest Mother,
“Lots of funny things I could tell you only I mustn’t. We’reputting up a good show, I think. Five German planes be-fore breakfast is today’s market quotation¹. Bit of a mess atthe moment and all that, but we’ll get there all right in theend.
“It’s the way they machine-gun the poor civilian² devils onthe roads that gets me. It makes us all see red. Gus andTrundles want to be remembered to you. They’re still go-ing strong.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m all right. Wouldn’t havemissed this show for the world. Love to old Carrot Top—have the W.O. given him a job yet?
“Yours ever,
“Derek.”
Tuppence’s eyes were very bright and shining as she read and rereadthis.
Then she opened the other letter.
“Dearest Mum,
“How’s old Aunt Gracie? Going strong? I think you’re won-derful to stick it. I couldn’t.
“No news. My job is very interesting, but so hush-hush Ican’t tell you about it. But I really do feel I’m doing some-thing worthwhile. Don’t fret³ about not getting any warwork to do—it’s so silly all these elderly women rushingabout wanting to do things. They only really want peoplewho are young and efficient. I wonder how Carrots is get-ting on at his job up in Scotland? Just filling up forms, Isuppose. Still he’ll be happy to feel he is doing something.
“Lots of love,
“Deborah.”
Tuppence smiled.
She folded the letters, smoothed them lovingly, and then under the shel-ter of a breakwater she struck a match and set them on fire. She waiteduntil they were reduced to ashes.
Taking out her fountain pen and a small writing pad, she wrote rapidly.
“Langherne,
Cornwall.
“Dearest Deb,
“It seems so remote from the war here that I can hardly be-lieve there is a war going on. Very glad to get your letterand know that your work is interesting.
“Aunt Gracie has grown much more feeble and very hazyin her mind. I think she is glad to have me here. She talks agood deal about the old days and sometimes, I think, con-fuses me with my own mother. They are growing more ve-getables than usual — have turned the rose garden intopotatoes. I help old Sikes a bit. It makes me feel I am doingsomething in the war. Your father seems a bit disgruntled,but I think, as you say, he too is glad to be doing some-thing.
“Love from your
“TUPPENNY MOTHER.”
She took a fresh sheet.
“Darling Derek,
“A great comfort to get your letter. Send field postcards of-ten if you haven’t time to write.
“I’ve come down to be with Aunt Gracie a bit. She is veryfeeble. She will talk of you as though you were seven andgave me ten shillings yesterday to send you as a tip.
“I’m still on the shelf and nobody wants my invaluable⁴ ser-vices! Extraordinary! Your father, as I told you, has got ajob in the Ministry⁵ of Requirements. He is up north some-where. Better than nothing, but not what he wanted, poorold Carrot Top. Still I suppose we’ve got to be humble⁶ andtake a back seat and leave the war to you young idiots.
“I won’t say ‘Take care of yourself,’ because I gather thatthe whole point is that you should do just the opposite. Butdon’t go and be stupid.
“Lots of love,
“TUPPENCE.”
She put the letters into envelopes, addressed and stamped them, andposted them on her way back to Sans Souci.
As she reached the bottom of the cliff her attention was caught by twofigures standing⁷ talking a little way up.
Tuppence stopped dead. It was the same woman she had seen yesterdayand talking to her was Carl von Deinim.
Regretfully Tuppence noted⁸ the fact that there was no cover. She couldnot get near them unseen and overhear what was being said.
Moreover, at that moment, the young German turned his head and sawher. Rather abruptly⁹, the two figures parted. The woman came rapidlydown the hill, crossing the road and passing Tuppence on the other side.
Carl von Deinim waited until Tuppence came up to him.
Then, gravely and politely, he wished her good morning.
Tuppence said immediately:
“What a very odd-looking woman that was to whom you were talking,Mr. Deinim.”
“Yes. It is a Central European type. She is a Pole.”
“Really? A—a friend of yours?”
Tuppence’s tone was a very good copy of the inquisitive¹⁰ voice of AuntGracie in her younger days.
“Not at all,” said Carl stiffly. “I never saw the woman before.”
“Oh really. I thought—” Tuppence paused artistically¹¹.
“She asked me only for a direction. I speak German to her because shedoes not understand much English.”
“I see. And she was asking the way somewhere?”
“She asked me if I knew a Mrs. Gottlieb near here. I do not, and she saysshe has, perhaps, got the name of the house wrong.”
“I see,” said Tuppence thoughtfully.
Mr. Rosenstein. Mrs. Gottlieb.
She stole a swift glance at Carl von Deinim. He was walking beside herwith a set stiff face.
Tuppence felt a definite suspicion of this strange woman. And she feltalmost convinced that when she had first caught sight of them, the womanand Carl had been already talking some time together.
Carl von Deinim?
Carl and Sheila that morning. “You must be careful.”
Tuppence thought:
“I hope—I hope these young things aren’t in it!”
Soft, she told herself, middle-aged¹² and soft! That’s what she was! TheNazi creed¹⁴ was a youth creed. Nazi¹³ agents would in all probability beyoung. Carl and Sheila. Tommy said Sheila wasn’t in it. Yes, but Tommywas a man, and Sheila was beautiful with a queer breathtaking beauty.
Carl and Sheila, and behind them that enigmatic figure: Mrs. Perenna.
Mrs. Perenna, sometimes the voluble commonplace guesthouse hostess,sometimes, for fleeting¹⁵ minutes, a tragic¹⁶, violent personality.
Tuppence went slowly upstairs to her bedroom.
That evening, when she went to bed, she pulled out the long drawer ofher bureau. At one side of it was a small japanned box with a flimsy cheaplock. Tuppence slipped on gloves, unlocked the box, and opened it. A pileof letters lay inside. On the top was the one received that morning from“Raymond.” Tuppence unfolded it with due precautions.
Then her lips set grimly. There had been an eyelash in the fold of the pa-per this morning. The eyelash was not there now.
She went to the washstand. There was a little bottle labelled innocently:
“Grey powder” with a dose.
Adroitly¹⁷ Tuppence dusted a little of the powder on to the letter and on tothe surface of the glossy¹⁸ japanned enamel¹⁹ of the box.
There were no fingerprints²⁰ on either of them.
Again Tuppence nodded her head with a certain grim satisfaction.
For there should have been fingerprints—her own.
A servant might have read the letters out of curiosity, though it seemedunlikely—certainly unlikely that she should have gone to the trouble offinding a key to fit the box.
But a servant would not think of wiping off fingerprints.
Mrs. Perenna? Sheila? Somebody else? Somebody, at least, who was in-terested in the movements of British armed forces.

1 quotation   

n.引文，引语，语录；报价，牌价，行情

参考例句：

• He finished his speech with a quotation from Shakespeare.他讲话结束时引用了莎士比亚的语录。
• The quotation is omitted here.此处引文从略。

2 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

3 fret   

v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损

参考例句：

• Don't fret.We'll get there on time.别着急，我们能准时到那里。
• She'll fret herself to death one of these days.她总有一天会愁死的.

4 invaluable   

adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的

参考例句：

• A computer would have been invaluable for this job.一台计算机对这个工作的作用会是无法估计的。
• This information was invaluable to him.这个消息对他来说是非常宝贵的。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 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。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

10 inquisitive   

adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的

参考例句：

• Children are usually inquisitive.小孩通常很好问。
• A pat answer is not going to satisfy an inquisitive audience.陈腔烂调的答案不能满足好奇的听众。

11 artistically   

adv.艺术性地

参考例句：

• The book is beautifully printed and artistically bound. 这本书印刷精美，装帧高雅。
• The room is artistically decorated. 房间布置得很美观。

12 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

13 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

14 creed   

n.信条；信念，纲领

参考例句：

• They offended against every article of his creed.他们触犯了他的每一条戒律。
• Our creed has always been that business is business.我们的信条一直是公私分明。

15 fleeting   

adj.短暂的，飞逝的

参考例句：

• The girls caught only a fleeting glimpse of the driver.女孩们只匆匆瞥了一眼司机。
• Knowing the life fleeting,she set herself to enjoy if as best as she could.她知道这种日子转瞬即逝，于是让自已尽情地享受。

16 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

17 adroitly   

adv.熟练地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He displayed the cigarette holder grandly on every occasion and had learned to manipulate it adroitly. 他学会了一套用手灵巧地摆弄烟嘴的动作，一有机会就要拿它炫耀一番。 来自辞典例句
• The waitress passes a fine menu to Molly who orders dishes adroitly. 女服务生捧来菜单递给茉莉，后者轻车熟路地点菜。 来自互联网

18 glossy   

adj.平滑的；有光泽的

参考例句：

• I like these glossy spots.我喜欢这些闪闪发光的花点。
• She had glossy black hair.她长着乌黑发亮的头发。

19 enamel   

n.珐琅，搪瓷，瓷釉；(牙齿的)珐琅质

参考例句：

• I chipped the enamel on my front tooth when I fell over.我跌倒时门牙的珐琅质碰碎了。
• He collected coloured enamel bowls from Yugoslavia.他藏有来自南斯拉夫的彩色搪瓷碗。

20 fingerprints   

n.指纹( fingerprint的名词复数 )v.指纹( fingerprint的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Everyone's fingerprints are unique. 每个人的指纹都是独一无二的。
• They wore gloves so as not to leave any fingerprints behind (them). 他们戴着手套，以免留下指纹。 来自《简明英汉词典》