Eleven（2）

II
“You see, Albert, it’s a possibility.”
“I see what you mean, madam, of course. But I don’t like the idea verymuch, I must say.”
“I think it might work.”
“Yes, madam, but it’s exposing yourself to attack—that’s what I don’tlike—and I’m sure the master wouldn’t like it.”
“We’ve tried all the usual ways. That is to say, we’ve done what wecould keeping under cover. It seems to me that now the only chance is tocome out into the open.”
“You are aware, madam, that thereby¹ you may be sacrificing an advant-age?”
“You’re frightfully BBC in your language this afternoon, Albert,” saidTuppence, with some exasperation².
Albert looked slightly taken aback and reverted³ to a more natural formof speech.
“I was listening to a very interesting talk on pond life last night,” he ex-plained.
“We’ve no time to think about pond life now,” said Tuppence.
“Where’s Captain Beresford, that’s what I’d like to know?”
“So should I,” said Tuppence, with a pang⁴.
“Don’t seem natural, his disappearing without a word. He ought to havetipped you the wink⁵ by now. That’s why—”
“Yes, Albert?”
“What I mean is, if he’s come out in the open, perhaps you’d better not.”
He paused to arrange his ideas and then went on.
“I mean, they’ve blown the gaff on him, but they mayn’t know about you—and so it’s up to you to keep under cover still.”
“I wish I could make up my mind,” sighed Tuppence.
“Which way were you thinking of managing it, madam?”
Tuppence murmured thoughtfully:
“I thought I might lose a letter I’d written—make a lot of fuss⁶ about it,seem very upset. Then it would be found in the hall and Beatrice wouldprobably put it on the hall table. Then the right person would get a look atit.”
“What would be in the letter?”
“Oh, roughly—that I’d been successful in discovering the identity of theperson in question and that I was to make a full report personally tomor-row. Then, you see, Albert, N or M would have to come out in the openand have a shot at eliminating me.”
“Yes, and maybe they’d manage it, too.”
“Not if I was on my guard. They’d have, I think, to decoy me away some-where—some lonely spot. That’s where you’d come in—because they don’tknow about you.”
“I’d follow them up and catch them red-handed, so to speak?”
Tuppence nodded.
“That’s the idea. I must think it out carefully—I’ll meet you tomorrow.”

1 thereby   

adv.因此，从而

参考例句：

• I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。
• He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。

2 exasperation   

n.愤慨

参考例句：

• He snorted with exasperation.他愤怒地哼了一声。
• She rolled her eyes in sheer exasperation.她气急败坏地转动着眼珠。

3 reverted   

恢复( revert的过去式和过去分词 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还

参考例句：

• After the settlers left, the area reverted to desert. 早期移民离开之后，这个地区又变成了一片沙漠。
• After his death the house reverted to its original owner. 他死后房子归还给了原先的主人。

4 pang   

n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷

参考例句：

• She experienced a sharp pang of disappointment.她经历了失望的巨大痛苦。
• She was beginning to know the pang of disappointed love.她开始尝到了失恋的痛苦。

5 wink   

n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁

参考例句：

• He tipped me the wink not to buy at that price.他眨眼暗示我按那个价格就不要买。
• The satellite disappeared in a wink.瞬息之间，那颗卫星就消失了。

6 fuss   

n.过分关心，过分体贴，大惊小怪，小题大作

参考例句：

• My mother makes a fuss of me every time I come home.我每次回家，母亲总对我体贴备至。
• Stop all this fuss and do your homework.别大惊小怪了，去做你的家庭作业吧。