Yarrow was a small country station where the village was some distancefrom the railway.
Outside the station a car was waiting. A good-looking young man wasdriving it. He touched his peaked cap to Tuppence, but the gesture seemedhardly natural.
Tuppence kicked the off-side tyre dubiously1.
“Isn’t this rather flat?”
“We haven’t got far to go, madam.”
She nodded and got in.
They drove, not towards the village, but towards the downs. After wind-ing up over a hill, they took a sidetrack that dropped sharply into a deepcleft. From the shadow of a small copse of trees a figure stepped out tomeet them.
The car stopped and Tuppence, getting out, went to meet AnthonyMarsdon.
“Beresford’s all right,” he said quickly. “We located him yesterday. He’sa prisoner—the other side got him—and for good reasons he’s remainingput for another twelve hours. You see, there’s a small boat due in at a cer-tain spot—and we want to catch her badly. That’s why Beresford’s lyinglow—we don’t want to give the show away until the last minute.”
He looked at her anxiously.
“You do understand, don’t you?”
“Oh, yes!” Tuppence was staring at a curious tangled2 mass of canvas ma-terial half-hidden by the trees.
“He’ll be absolutely all right,” continued the young man earnestly.
“Of course Tommy will be all right,” said Tuppence impatiently. “Youneedn’t talk to me as though I were a child of two. We’re both ready to runa few risks. What’s that thing over there?”
“Well—” The young man hesitated. “That’s just it. I’ve been ordered toput a certain proposition before you. But—but well, frankly3, I don’t likedoing it. You see—”
Tuppence treated him to a cold stare.
“Why don’t you like doing it?”
“Well—dash it—you’re Deborah’s mother. And I mean—what wouldDeb say to me if—if—”
“If I got it in the neck?” inquired Tuppence. “Personally, if I were you, Ishouldn’t mention it to her. The man who said explanations were a mis-take was quite right.”
Then she smiled kindly4 at him.
“My dear boy, I know exactly how you feel. That it’s all very well for youand Deborah and the young generally to run risks, but that the meremiddle-aged must be shielded. All complete nonsense, because if anyone isgoing to be liquidated6 it is much better it should be the middle-aged5, whohave had the best part of their lives. Anyway, stop looking upon me as thatsacred object, Deborah’s mother, and just tell me what dangerous and un-pleasant job there is for me to do.”
“You know,” said the young man with enthusiasm, “I think you’re splen-did, simply splendid.”
“Cut out the compliments,” said Tuppence. “I’m admiring myself a gooddeal, so there’s no need for you to chime in. What exactly is the big idea?”
Tony indicated the mass of crumpled7 material with a gesture.
“That,” he said, “is the remains8 of a parachute.”
“Aha,” said Tuppence. Her eyes sparkled.
“There was just an isolated9 parachutist,” went on Marsdon. “Fortunatelythe LDVs around here are quite a bright lot. The descent was spotted10, andthey got her.”
“Her?”
“Yes, her! Woman dressed as a hospital nurse.”
“I’m sorry she wasn’t a nun11,” said Tuppence. “There have been so manygood stories going around about nuns12 paying their fares in buses withhairy muscular arms.”
“Well, she wasn’t a nun and she wasn’t a man in disguise. She was a wo-man of medium height, middle-aged, with dark hair and of slight build.”
“In fact,” said Tuppence, “a woman not unlike me?”
“You’ve hit it exactly,” said Tony.
“Well?” said Tuppence.
Marsdon said slowly:
“The next part of it is up to you.”
Tuppence smiled. She said:
“I’m on all right. Where do I go and what do I do?”
“I say, Mrs. Beresford, you really are a sport. Magnificent nerve you’vegot.”
“Where do I go and what do I do?” repeated Tuppence, impatiently.
“The instructions are very meagre, unfortunately. In the woman’spocket there was a piece of paper with these words on it in German. ‘Walkto Leatherbarrow—due east from the stone cross. 14 St. Asalph’s Rd. Dr.
Binion.’ ”
Tuppence looked up. On the hilltop nearby was a stone cross.
“That’s it,” said Tony. “Signposts have been removed, of course. ButLeatherbarrow’s a biggish place, and walking due east from the crossyou’re bound to strike it.”
“How far?”
“Five miles at least.”
Tuppence made a slight grimace13.
“Healthy walking exercise before lunch,” she commented. “I hope Dr.
Binion offers me lunch when I get there.”
“Do you know German, Mrs. Beresford?”
“Hotel variety only. I shall have to be firm about speaking English—saymy instructions were to do so.”
“It’s an awful risk,” said Marsdon.
“Nonsense. Who’s to imagine there’s been a substitution? Or does every-one know for miles round that there’s been a parachutist brought down?”
“The two LDV men who reported it are being kept by the Chief Con-stable. Don’t want to risk their telling their friends how clever they havebeen!”
“Somebody else may have seen it—or heard about it?”
Tony smiled.
“My dear Mrs. Beresford, every single day word goes round that one,two, three, four, up to a hundred parachutists have been seen!”
“That’s probably quite true,” agreed Tuppence. “Well, lead me to it.”
Tony said:
“We’ve got the kit14 here—and a policewoman who’s an expert in the artof makeup15. Come with me.”
Just inside the copse there was a tumbledown shed. At the door of it wasa competent-looking middle-aged woman.
She looked at Tuppence and nodded approvingly.
Inside the shed, seated on an upturned packing case, Tuppence submit-ted herself to expert ministrations. Finally the operator stood back, nod-ded approvingly and remarked:
“There, now, I think we’ve made a very nice job of it. What do you think,sir?”
“Very good indeed,” said Tony.
Tuppence stretched out her hand and took the mirror the other womanheld. She surveyed her own face earnestly and could hardly repress a cryof surprise.
The eyebrows16 had been trimmed to an entirely17 different shape, alteringthe whole expression. Small pieces of adhesive18 plaster hidden by curlspulled forward over the ears that tightened19 the skin of the face andaltered its contours. A small amount of nose putty had altered the shape ofthe nose, giving Tuppence an unexpectedly beaklike profile. Skilfulmakeup had added several years to her age, with heavy lines runningdown each side of the mouth. The whole face had a complacent20, ratherfoolish look.
“It’s frightfully clever,” said Tuppence admiringly. She touched her nosegingerly.
“You must be careful,” the other woman warned her. She produced twoslices of thin india rubber. “Do you think you could bear to wear these inyour cheeks?”
“I suppose I shall have to,” said Tuppence gloomily.
She slipped them in and worked her jaws21 carefully.
“It’s not really too uncomfortable,” she had to admit.
Tony then discreetly22 left the shed and Tuppence shed her own clothingand got into the nurse’s kit. It was not too bad a fit, though inclined tostrain a little over the shoulders. The dark blue bonnet23 put the final touchto her new personality. She rejected, however, the stout24 square- toedshoes.
“If I’ve got to walk five miles,” she said decidedly, “I do it in my ownshoes.”
They both agreed that this was reasonable—particularly as Tuppence’sown shoes were dark blue brogues that went well with the uniform.
She looked with interest into the dark blue handbag—powder; no lip-stick; two pounds fourteen and sixpence in English money; a handkerchiefand an identity card in the name of Freda Elton, 4 Manchester Road, Shef-field.
Tuppence transferred her own powder and lipstick25 and stood up, pre-pared to set out.
Tony Marsdon turned his head away. He said gruffly:
“I feel a swine letting you do this.”
“I know just how you feel.”
“But, you see, it’s absolutely vital—that we should get some idea of justwhere and how the attack will come.”
Tuppence patted him on the arm. “Don’t you worry, my child. Believe itor not, I’m enjoying myself.”
Tony Marsdon said again:
“I think you’re simply wonderful!”
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1
dubiously
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| adv.可疑地，怀疑地 | |
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2
tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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3
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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6
liquidated
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| v.清算( liquidate的过去式和过去分词 )；清除（某人）；清偿；变卖 | |
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7
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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8
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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9
isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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11
nun
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| n.修女，尼姑 | |
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nuns
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| n.（通常指基督教的）修女， （佛教的）尼姑( nun的名词复数 ) | |
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grimace
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| v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭 | |
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14
kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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15
makeup
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| n.组织；性格；化装品 | |
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16
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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adhesive
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| n.粘合剂；adj.可粘着的，粘性的 | |
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tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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complacent
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| adj.自满的；自鸣得意的 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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discreetly
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| ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地 | |
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23
bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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lipstick
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| n.口红，唇膏 | |
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