Hannibal Sees Active Service with Mr Crispin
Albert tapped on the bedroom door and in answer to Tuppence’s ‘Come in’
advanced his head round the side of it.
‘The lady as came the other morning,’ he said. ‘Miss Mullins. She’s here.
Wants to speak to you for a minute or two. Suggestions about the garden, Iunderstand. I said as you was in bed and I wasn’t sure if you were receiv-ing.’
‘The words you use, Albert,’ said Tuppence. ‘All right. I am receiving.’
‘I was just going to bring your morning coffee up.’
‘Well, you can bring that up and another cup. That’s all. There’ll beenough for two, won’t there?’
‘Oh yes, madam.’
‘Very well, then. Bring it up, put it on the table over there, and thenbring Miss Mullins up.’
‘What about Hannibal?’ said Albert. ‘Shall I take him down and shut himup in the kitchen?’
‘He doesn’t like being shut up in the kitchen. No. Just push him into thebathroom and shut the door of it when you’ve done so.’
Hannibal, resenting the insult which was being put upon him, allowedwith a bad grace Albert’s pushing him into the bathroom and adjustmentto the door. He gave several loud fierce barks.
‘Shut up!’ Tuppence shouted to him. ‘Shut up!’
Hannibal consented to shut up as far as barking went. He lay down withhis paws in front of him and his nose pressed to the crack under the doorand uttered long, non-cooperative growls2.
‘Oh, Mrs Beresford,’ cried Miss Mullins, ‘I’m afraid I am intruding3, but Ireally thought you’d like to look at this book I have on gardening. Sugges-tions for planting at this time of year. Some very rare and interestingshrubs and they do quite well in this particular soil although some peoplesay they won’t…Oh dear–oh no, oh, it’s very kind of you. Yes, I would like acup of coffee. Please let me pour it out for you, it’s so difficult when you’rein bed. I wonder, perhaps–’ Miss Mullins looked at Albert, who obliginglydrew up a chair.
‘That be all right for you, miss?’ he demanded.
‘Oh yes, very nice indeed. Dear me, is that another bell downstairs?’
‘Milk, I expect,’ said Albert. ‘Or might be the grocer. It’s his morning. Ex-cuse me, won’t you.’
He went out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Hannibal gaveanother growl1.
‘That’s my dog,’ said Tuppence, ‘he’s very annoyed at not being allowedto join the party but he makes so much noise.’
‘Do you take sugar, Mrs Beresford?’
‘One lump,’ said Tuppence.
Miss Mullins poured out a cup of coffee. Tuppence said, ‘Otherwiseblack.’
Miss Mullins put down the coffee beside Tuppence and went to pour outa cup for herself.
Suddenly she stumbled, clutched at an occasional table, and went downon her knees with an exclamation4 of dismay.
‘Have you hurt yourself?’ demanded Tuppence.
‘No, oh no, but I’ve broken your vase. I caught my foot in something–soclumsy–and your beautiful vase is smashed. Dear Mrs Beresford, what willyou think of me? I assure you it was an accident.’
‘Of course it was,’ said Tuppence kindly5. ‘Let me see. Well, it looks as if itcould be worse. It’s broken in two, which means we shall be able to glue ittogether. I dare say the join will hardly show.’
‘I shall still feel awful about it,’ declared Miss Mullins. ‘I know you mustperhaps be feeling ill and I oughtn’t to have come today, but I did so wantto tell you–’
Hannibal began to bark again.
‘Oh, the poor wee doggie,’ said Miss Mullins, ‘shall I let him out?’
‘Better not,’ said Tuppence. ‘He’s not very reliable sometimes.’
‘Oh dear, is that another bell downstairs?’
‘No,’ said Tuppence. ‘Albert’ll answer it. He can always bring up a mes-sage if necessary.’
It was, however, Tommy who answered the telephone.
‘Hullo,’ he said. ‘Yes? Oh, I see. Who? I see–yes. Oh. An enemy, definiteenemy. Yes, that’s all right. We’ve taken the countermeasures all right.
Yes. Thank you very much.’
He dropped the receiver back, and looked at Mr Crispin.
‘Words of warning?’ said Mr Crispin.
‘Yes,’ said Tommy.
He continued to look at Mr Crispin.
‘Difficult to know, isn’t it? I mean, who’s your enemy and who’s yourfriend.’
‘Sometimes when you know it’s too late. Postern of Fate, Disaster’s Cav-ern,’ said Tommy.
Mr Crispin looked at him in some surprise.
‘Sorry,’ said Tommy. ‘For some reason or other we’ve got in the habit ofreciting poetry in this house.’
‘Flecker, isn’t it? “Gates of Baghdad” or is it the “Gates of Damascus”?’
‘Come up, will you?’ said Tommy. ‘Tuppence is only resting, she’s notsuffering from any peculiar6 disease or anything. Not even a sneezing coldin the head.’
‘I’ve taken up coffee,’ said Albert, reappearing suddenly, ‘and an extracup for Miss Mullins wot’s up there now with a gardening book or some-thing.’
‘I see,’ said Tommy. ‘Yes. Yes, it’s all going very well. Where’s Hannibal?’
‘Shut him in the bathroom.’
‘Did you latch7 the door very tight, because he won’t like that, you know?’
‘No, sir, I’ve done just what you said.’
Tommy went upstairs. Mr Crispin came just behind him. Tommy gave alittle tap on the bedroom door and then went in. From the bathroom doorHannibal gave one more outspoken8 bark of defiance9, then he leapt at thedoor from the inside, the latch gave, he shot out into the room. He gaveone quick glance at Mr Crispin, then came forward and lunged with all hismight, growling10 furiously, at Miss Mullins.
‘Oh dear,’ said Tuppence, ‘oh dear.’
‘Good boy, Hannibal,’ said Tommy, ‘good boy. Don’t you think so?’
He turned his head to Mr Crispin.
‘Knows his enemies, doesn’t he–and your enemies.’
‘Oh dear,’ said Tuppence. ‘Has Hannibal bitten you?’
‘A very nasty nip,’ said Miss Mullins, rising to her feet and scowling11 atHannibal.
‘His second one, isn’t it?’ said Tommy. ‘Chased you out of our pampasgrass, didn’t he?’
‘He knows what’s what,’ said Mr Crispin. ‘Doesn’t he, Dodo, my dear?
Long time since I’ve seen you, Dodo, isn’t it?’
Miss Mullins got up, shot a glance at Tuppence, at Tommy and at MrCrispin.
‘Mullins,’ said Mr Crispin. ‘Sorry I’m not up to date. Is that a marriedname or are you now known as Miss Mullins?’
‘I am Iris12 Mullins, as I always was.’
‘Ah, I thought you were Dodo. You used to be Dodo to me. Well, dear, Ithink– nice to have seen you, but I think we’d better get out of herequickly. Drink your coffee. I expect that’s all right. Mrs Beresford? I’mvery pleased to meet you. If I might advise you, I shouldn’t drink your cof-fee.’
‘Oh dear, let me take the cup away.’
Miss Mullins pressed forward. In a moment Crispin stood between herand Tuppence.
‘No, Dodo dear, I wouldn’t do that,’ he said. ‘I’d rather have charge of itmyself. The cup belongs to the house, you know, and of course it would benice to have an analysis of exactly what’s in it just now. Possibly youbrought a little dose with you, did you? Quite easy to put a little dose intothe cup as you’re handing it to the invalid13 or the supposed invalid.’
‘I assure you I did no such thing. Oh, do call your dog off.’
Hannibal showed every desire to pursue her down the staircase.
‘He wants to see you off the premises,’ said Tommy. ‘He’s rather particu-lar about that. He likes biting people who are going out through the frontdoor. Ah, Albert, there you are. I thought you’d be just outside the otherdoor. Did you see what happened, by any chance?’
Albert put his head round the dressing-room door across the room.
‘I saw all right. I watched her through the crack of the hinge. Yes. Putsomething in the missus’s cup, she did. Very neat. Good as a conjuror14, butshe did it all right.’
‘I don’t know what you mean,’ said Miss Mullins. ‘I–oh dear, oh dear, Imust go. I’ve got an appointment. It’s very important.’
She shot out of the room and down the stairs. Hannibal gave one glanceand went after her. Mr Crispin showed no sign of animosity, but he too lefthurriedly in pursuit.
‘I hope she’s a good runner,’ said Tuppence, ‘because if she isn’t Hanni-bal will catch up with her. My word, he’s a good guard dog, isn’t he?’
‘Tuppence, that was Mr Crispin, sent us by Mr Solomon. Came at a verygood moment, didn’t he? I think he’s been waiting his time to see whatmight be going to happen. Don’t break that cup and don’t pour any of thatcoffee away until we’ve got a bottle or something to put it in. It’s going tobe analysed and we’re going to find out what’s in it. Put your best dress-ing-gown on, Tuppence, and come down to the sitting-room15 and we’ll havesome drinks there before lunch.’
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收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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2
growls
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的第三人称单数 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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3
intruding
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| v.侵入，侵扰，打扰( intrude的现在分词)；把…强加于 | |
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4
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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5
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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6
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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7
latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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8
outspoken
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| adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的 | |
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9
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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10
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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11
scowling
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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12
iris
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| n.虹膜，彩虹 | |
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13
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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14
conjuror
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| n.魔术师，变戏法者 | |
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15
sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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