Luke was favourably1 impressed by the appearance of SuperintendentBattle. He was a solid, comfortable-looking man with a broad red face anda large handsome moustache. He did not exactly express brilliance3 at afirst glance, but a second glance was apt to make an observant personthoughtful, for Superintendent2 Battle’s eye was unusually shrewd.
Luke did not make the mistake of underestimating him. He had metmen of Battle’s type before. He knew that they could be trusted, and thatthey invariably got results. He could not have wished for a better man tobe put in charge of the case.
When they were alone together Luke said:
“You’re rather a big noise to be sent down on a case like this?”
Superintendent Battle smiled.
“It may turn out to be a serious business, Mr. Fitzwilliam. When a manlike Lord Whitfield is concerned, we don’t want to have any mistakes.”
“I appreciate that. Are you alone?”
“Oh, no. Got a detective-sergeant with me. He’s at the other pub, theSeven Stars, and his job is to keep an eye on his lordship.”
“I see.”
Battle asked:
“In your opinion, Mr. Fitzwilliam, there’s no doubt whatever? You’repretty sure of your man?”
“On the facts I don’t see that any alternative theory is possible. Do youwant me to give you the facts?”
“I’ve had them, thank you, from Sir William.”
“Well, what do you think? I suppose it seems to you wildly unlikely thata man in Lord Whitfield’s position should be a homicidal criminal?”
“Very few things seem unlikely to me,” said Superintendent Battle.
“Nothing’s impossible in crime. That’s what I’ve always said. If you wereto tell me that a dear old maiden4 lady, or an archbishop, or a schoolgirl,was a dangerous criminal, I wouldn’t say no. I’d look into the matter.”
“If you’ve heard the main facts of the case from Sir William, I’ll just tellyou what happened this morning,” said Luke.
He ran over briefly5 the main lines of his scene with Lord Whitfield. Su-perintendent Battle listened with a good deal of interest.
He said:
“You say he was fingering a knife. Did he make a special point of thatknife, Mr. Fitzwilliam? Was he threatening with it?”
“Not openly. He tested the edge in a rather nasty way—a kind of ?s-thetic pleasure about that that I didn’t care about. Miss Waynflete felt thesame, I believe.”
“That’s the lady you spoke6 about—the one who’s known Lord Whitfieldall her life, and was once engaged to marry him?”
“That’s right.”
Superintendent Battle said:
“I think you can make your mind easy about the young lady, Mr. Fitzwil-liam. I’ll have someone put on to keep a sharp watch on her. With that,and with Jackson tailing his lordship, there ought to be no danger of any-thing happening.”
“You relieve my mind a good deal,” said Luke.
The superintendent nodded sympathetically.
“It’s a nasty position for you, Mr. Fitzwilliam. Worrying about Miss Con-way. Mind you, I don’t expect this will be an easy case. Lord Whitfieldmust be a pretty shrewd man. He will probably lie low for a good longwhile. That is, unless he’s got to the last stage.”
“What do you call the last stage?”
“A kind of swollen7 egoism where a criminal thinks he simply can’t befound out! He’s too clever and everybody else is too stupid! Then, ofcourse, we get him!”
Luke nodded. He rose.
“Well,” he said, “I wish you luck. Let me help in any way I can.”
“Certainly.”
“There’s nothing that you can suggest?”
Battle turned the question over in his mind.
“I don’t think so. Not at the moment. I just want to get the general hangof things in the place. Perhaps I could have another word with you in theevening?”
“Rather.”
“I shall know better where we are then.”
Luke felt vaguely8 comforted and soothed9. Many people had had thatfeeling after an interview with Superintendent Battle.
He glanced at his watch. Should he go round and see Bridget beforelunch?
Better not, he thought. Miss Waynflete might feel that she had to askhim to stay for the meal, and it might disorganize her housekeeping.
Middle-aged10 ladies, Luke knew from experience with aunts, were liable tobe fussed over problems of housekeeping. He wondered if Miss Waynfletewas an aunt? Probably.
He had strolled out to the door of the inn. A figure in black hurryingdown the street stopped suddenly when she saw him.
“Mr. Fitzwilliam.”
“Mrs. Humbleby.”
He came forward and shook hands.
She said:
“I thought you had left?”
“No—only changed my quarters. I’m staying here now.”
“And Bridget? I heard she had left Ashe Manor11?”
“Yes, she has.”
Mrs. Humbleby sighed.
“I am so glad—so very glad she has gone right away from Wychwood.”
“Oh, she’s still here. As a matter of fact, she’s staying with Miss Waynf-lete.”
Mrs. Humbleby moved back a step. Her face, Luke noted12 with surprise,looked extraordinarily13 distressed14.
“Staying with Honoria Waynflete? Oh, but why?”
“Miss Waynflete very kindly15 asked her to stay for a few days.”
Mrs. Humbleby gave a little shiver. She came close to Luke and laid ahand on his arm.
“Mr. Fitzwilliam, I know I have no right to say anything—anything atall. I have had a lot of sorrow and grief lately and—perhaps—it makes mefanciful! These feelings of mine may be only sick fancies.”
Luke said gently:
“What feelings?”
“This conviction I have of—of evil!”
She looked timidly at Luke. Seeing that he merely bowed his headgravely and did not appear to question her statement, she went on:
“So much wickedness — that is the thought that is always with me —wickedness here in Wychwood. And that woman is at the bottom of it all. Iam sure of it!”
Luke was mystified.
“What woman?”
Mrs. Humbleby said:
“Honoria Waynflete is, I am sure, a very wicked woman! Oh, I see, youdon’t believe me! No one believed Lavinia Pinkerton either. But we bothfelt it. She, I think, knew more than I did…Remember, Mr. Fitzwilliam, if awoman is not happy she is capable of terrible things.”
Luke said gently:
“That may be—yes.”
Mrs. Humbleby said quickly:
“You don’t believe me? Well, why should you? But I can’t forget the daywhen John came home with his hand bound up from her house, though hepooh-poohed it and said it was only a scratch.”
She turned.
“Good-bye. Please forget what I have just said. I—I don’t feel quite my-self these days.”
Luke watched her go. He wondered why Mrs. Humbleby called HonoriaWaynflete a wicked woman. Had Dr. Humbleby and Honoria Waynfletebeen friends, and was the doctor’s wife jealous?
What had she said? “Nobody believed Lavinia Pinkerton either.” ThenLavinia Pinkerton must have confided16 some of her suspicions to Mrs.
Humbleby.
With a rush the memory of the railway carriage came back, and theworried face of a nice old lady. He heard again an earnest voice saying,“The look on a person’s face.” And the way her own face had changed asthough she were seeing something very clearly in her mind. Just for a mo-ment, he thought, her face had been quite different, the lips drawn17 backfrom the teeth and a queer, almost gloating look in her eyes.
He suddenly thought: But I’ve seen someone look just like that—that sameexpression…Quite lately—when? This morning! Of course! Miss Waynflete,when she was looking at Bridget in the drawing room at the Manor.
And quite suddenly another memory assailed18 him. One of many yearsago. His Aunt Mildred saying, “She looked, you know, my dear, quite half-witted!” and just for a minute her own sane19 comfortable face had borne animbecile, mindless expression….
Lavinia Pinkerton had been speaking of the look she had seen on aman’s—no, a person’s face. Was it possible that, just for a second, her vividimagination had reproduced the look that she saw—the look of a murdererlooking at his next victim….
Half unaware20 of what he was doing, Luke quickened his pace towardsMiss Waynflete’s house.
A voice in his brain was saying over and over again:
“Not a man—she never mentioned a man—you assumed it was a manbecause you were thinking of a man—but she never said so…Oh, God, am Iquite mad? It isn’t possible what I’m thinking…surely it isn’t possible—itwouldn’t make sense… But I must get to Bridget. I must know she’s allright…Those eyes—those queer, light amber21 eyes. Oh, I’m mad! I must bemad! Whitfield’s the criminal! He must be. He practically said so!”
And still, like a nightmare, he saw Miss Pinkerton’s face in its moment-ary impersonation of something horrible and not quite sane.
The stunted22 little maid opened the door to him. A little startled by hisvehemence, she said:
“The lady’s gone out. Miss Waynflete told me so. I’ll see if Miss Waynf-lete’s in.”
He pushed past her, went into the drawing room. Emily ran upstairs.
She came down breathless.
“The mistress is out too.”
Luke took her by the shoulder.
“Which way? Where did they go?”
She gaped23 at him.
“They must have gone out by the back. I’d have seen them if they’d goneout frontways because the kitchen looks out there.”
She followed him as he raced out through the door into the tiny gardenand out beyond. There was a man clipping a hedge. Luke went up to himand asked a question, striving to keep his voice normal.
The man said slowly:
“Two ladies? Yes. Some while since. I was having my dinner under thehedge. Reckon they didn’t notice me.”
“Which way did they go?”
He strove desperately24 to make his voice normal. Yet the other’s eyesopened a little wider as he replied slowly:
“Across them fields…Over that way. I don’t know where after that.”
Luke thanked him and began to run. His strong feeling of urgency wasdeepened. He must catch up with them—he must! He might be quite mad.
In all probability they were just taking an amicable25 stroll, but somethingin him clamoured for haste. More haste!
He crossed the two fields, stood hesitating in a country lane. Which waynow?
And then he heard the call—faint, far away, but unmistakable….
“Luke, help.” And again, “Luke…”
Unerringly he plunged26 into the wood and ran in the direction fromwhich the cry had come. There were more sounds now—scuffling—pant-ing—a low gurgling cry.
He came through the trees in time to tear a mad woman’s hands fromher victim’s throat, to hold her, struggling, foaming27, cursing, till at last shegave a convulsive shudder28 and turned rigid29 in his grasp.
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收听单词发音
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1
favourably
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| adv. 善意地，赞成地 =favorably | |
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2
superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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brilliance
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| n.光辉，辉煌，壮丽，（卓越的）才华，才智 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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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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7
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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8
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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9
soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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10
middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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manor
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| n.庄园，领地 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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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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confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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17
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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stunted
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| adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的 | |
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gaped
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| v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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amicable
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| adj.和平的，友好的；友善的 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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28
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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