A flood of wild surmises1 as to the part Commander Haydock had played inTommy’s disappearance2 surged through Tuppence’s brain, but she thrustthem resolutely3 aside. This was a moment for keeping all her wits abouther.
Would or would not the Commander recognise her? It was an interest-ing question.
She had so steeled herself beforehand to display no recognition or sur-prise herself, no matter whom she might see, that she felt reasonably surethat she herself had displayed no signs untoward4 to the situation.
She rose now to her feet and stood there, standing5 in a respectable atti-tude, as befitted a mere6 German woman in the presence of a Lord of cre-ation.
“So you have arrived,” said the Commander.
He spoke7 in English and his manner was precisely8 the same as usual.
“Yes,” said Tuppence, and added, as though presenting her credentials9:
“Nurse Elton.”
Haydock smiled as though at a joke.
“Nurse Elton! Excellent.”
He looked at her approvingly.
“You look absolutely right,” he said kindly10.
Tuppence inclined her head, but said nothing. She was leaving the initi-ative to him.
“You know, I suppose, what you have to do?” went on Haydock. “Sitdown, please.”
Tuppence sat down obediently. She replied:
“I was to take detailed11 instructions from you.”
“Very proper,” said Haydock. There was a faint suggestion of mockery inhis voice.
He said:
“You know the day?”
“The fourth.”
Haydock looked startled. A heavy frown creased12 his forehead.
“So you know that, do you?” he muttered.
There was a pause, then Tuppence said:
“You will tell me, please, what I have to do?”
Haydock said:
“All in good time, my dear.”
He paused a minute, and then asked:
“You have heard, no doubt, of Sans Souci?”
“No,” said Tuppence.
“You haven’t?”
“No,” said Tuppence firmly.
“Let’s see how you deal with this one!” she thought.
There was a queer smile on the Commander’s face. He said:
“So you haven’t heard of Sans Souci? That surprises me very much—since I was under the impression, you know, that you’d been living there forthe last month .?.?.”
There was a dead silence. The Commander said:
“What about that, Mrs. Blenkensop?”
“I don’t know what you mean, Dr. Binion. I landed by parachute thismorning.”
Again Haydock smiled—definitely an unpleasant smile.
He said:
“A few yards of canvas thrust into a bush create a wonderful illusion.
And I am not Dr. Binion, dear lady. Dr. Binion is, officially, my dentist—heis good enough to lend me his surgery now and again.”
“Indeed?” said Tuppence.
“Indeed, Mrs. Blenkensop! Or perhaps you would prefer me to addressyou by your real name of Beresford?”
Again there was a poignant13 silence. Tuppence drew a deep breath.
Haydock nodded.
“The game’s up, you see. ‘You’ve walked into my parlour,’ said the spiderto the fly.”
There was a faint click and a gleam of blue steel showed in his hand. Hisvoice took on a grim note as he said:
“And I shouldn’t advise you to make any noise or try to arouse theneighbourhood! You’d be dead before you got so much as a yelp14 out, andeven if you did manage to scream it wouldn’t arouse attention. Patientsunder gas, you know, often cry out.”
Tuppence said composedly:
“You seem to have thought of everything. Has it occurred to you that Ihave friends who know where I am?”
“Ah! Still harping15 on the blue-eyed boy—actually brown-eyed! YoungAnthony Marsdon. I’m sorry, Mrs. Beresford, but young Anthony happensto be one of our most stalwart supporters in this country. As I said justnow, a few yards of canvas creates a wonderful effect. You swallowed theparachute idea quite easily.”
“I don’t see the point of all this rigmarole!”
“Don’t you? We don’t want your friends to trace you too easily, you see.
If they pick up your trail it will lead to Yarrow and to a man in a car. Thefact that a hospital nurse, of quite different facial appearance, walked intoLeatherbarrow between one and two will hardly be connected with yourdisappearance.”
“Very elaborate,” said Tuppence.
Haydock said:
“I admire your nerve, you know. I admire it very much. I’m sorry tohave to coerce16 you—but it’s vital that we should know just exactly howmuch you did discover at Sans Souci.”
Tuppence did not answer.
Haydock said quietly:
“I’d advise you, you know, to come clean. There are certain—possibilit-ies—in a dentist’s chair and instruments.”
Tuppence merely threw him a scornful look.
Haydock leant back in his chair. He said slowly:
“Yes—I dare say you’ve got a lot of fortitude—your type often has. Butwhat about the other half of the picture?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m talking about Thomas Beresford, your husband, who has latelybeen living at Sans Souci under the name of Mr. Meadowes, and who isnow very conveniently trussed up in the cellar of my house.”
Tuppence said sharply:
“I don’t believe it.”
“Because of the Penny Plain letter? Don’t you realise that that was just asmart bit of work on the part of young Anthony. You played into his handsnicely when you gave him the code.”
Tuppence’s voice trembled.
“Then Tommy—then Tommy—”
“Tommy,” said Commander Haydock, “is where he has been all along—completely in my power! It’s up to you now. If you answer my questionssatisfactorily, there’s a chance for him. If you don’t—well, the originalplan holds. He’ll be knocked on the head, taken out to sea and put over-board.”
Tuppence was silent for a minute or two—then she said:
“What do you want to know?”
“I want to know who employed you, what your means of communica-tion with that person or persons are, what you have reported so far, andexactly what you know?”
Tuppence shrugged17 her shoulders.
“I could tell you what lies I choose,” she pointed18 out.
“No, because I shall proceed to test what you say.” He drew his chair alittle nearer. His manner was now definitely appealing. “My dear woman—I know just what you feel about it all, but believe me when I say I reallydo admire both you and your husband immensely. You’ve got grit19 andpluck. It’s people like you that will be needed in the new State—the Statethat will arise in this country when your present imbecile Government isvanquished. We want to turn some of our enemies into friends—thosethat are worthwhile. If I have to give the order that ends your husband’slife, I shall do it—it’s my duty—but I shall feel really badly about having todo it! He’s a fine fellow—quiet, unassuming and clever. Let me impressupon you what so few people in this country seem to understand. OurLeader does not intend to conquer this country in the sense that you allthink. He aims at creating a new Britain — a Britain strong in its ownpower—ruled over, not by Germans, but by Englishmen. And the best typeof Englishmen — Englishmen with brains and breeding and courage. Abrave new world, as Shakespeare puts it.”
He leaned forward.
“We want to do away with muddle20 and inefficiency21. With bribery22 andcorruption. With self-seeking and money-grabbing—and in this new statewe want people like you and your husband—brave and resourceful—en-emies that have been, friends to be. You would be surprised if you knewhow many there are in this country, as in others, who have sympathy withand belief in our aims. Between us all we will create a new Europe—aEurope of peace and progress. Try and see it that way—because, I assureyou—it is that way .?.?.”
His voice was compelling, magnetic. Leaning forward, he looked the em-bodiment of a straightforward23 British sailor.
Tuppence looked at him and searched her mind for a telling phrase. Shewas only able to find one that was both childish and rude.
“Goosey, goosey, gander!” said Tuppence. .?.?.
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收听单词发音
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1
surmises
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的第三人称单数 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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2
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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3
resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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untoward
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| adj.不利的，不幸的，困难重重的 | |
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5
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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6
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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7
spoke
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| 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 | |
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8
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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9
credentials
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| n.证明，资格，证明书，证件 | |
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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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11
detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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12
creased
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| （使…）起折痕，弄皱( crease的过去式和过去分词 )； （皮肤）皱起，使起皱纹； 皱皱巴巴 | |
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13
poignant
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| adj.令人痛苦的，辛酸的，惨痛的 | |
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14
yelp
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| vi.狗吠 | |
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harping
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| n.反复述说 | |
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coerce
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| v.强迫，压制 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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grit
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| n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关 | |
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20
muddle
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| n.困惑，混浊状态；vt.使混乱，使糊涂，使惊呆；vi.胡乱应付，混乱 | |
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21
inefficiency
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| n.无效率，无能；无效率事例 | |
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22
bribery
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| n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿 | |
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straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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