Twenty-three NEW BEGINNING

Twenty-three NEW BEGINNING

“But I don’t understand,” said Lord Whitfield. “I don’t understand.”
He strove to maintain his dignity, but beneath the pompous¹ exterior² arather pitiable bewilderment was evident. He could hardly credit the ex-traordinary things that were being told him.
“It’s like this, Lord Whitfield,” said Battle patiently. “To begin with thereis a touch of insanity³ in the family. We’ve found that out now. Often theway with these old families. I should say she had a predisposition thatway. And then she was an ambitious lady—and she was thwarted⁴. Firsther career and then her love affair.” He coughed. “I understand it was youwho jilted her?”
Lord Whitfield said stiffly:
“I don’t like the term jilt.”
Superintendent⁵ Battle amended⁶ the phrase.
“It was you who terminated the engagement?”
“Well—yes.”
“Tell us why, Gordon,” said Bridget.
Lord Whitfield got rather red. He said:
“Oh, very well, if I must. Honoria had a canary. She was very fond of it.
It used to take sugar from her lips. One day it pecked her violently instead.
She was angry and picked it up—and—wrung its neck! I—I couldn’t feelthe same after that. I told her I thought we’d both made a mistake.”
Battle nodded. He said:
“That was the beginning of it! As she told Miss Conway, she turned herthoughts and her undoubted mental ability to one aim and purpose.”
Lord Whitfield said incredulously:
“To get me convicted as a murderer? I can’t believe it.”
Bridget said, “It’s true, Gordon. You know, you were surprised yourselfat the extraordinary way that everybody who annoyed you was instantlystruck down.”
“There was a reason for that.”
“Honoria Waynflete was the reason,” said Bridget. “Do get it into yourhead, Gordon, that it wasn’t Providence⁸ that pushed Tommy Pierce out ofthe window, and all the rest of them. It was Honoria.”
Lord Whitfield shook his head.
“It all seems to me quite incredible!” he said.
Battle said:
“You say you got a telephone message this morning?”
“Yes—about twelve o’clock. I was asked to go to the Shaw Wood at onceas you, Bridget, had something to say to me. I was not to come by car butto walk.”
Battle nodded.
“Exactly. That would have been the finish. Miss Conway would havebeen found with her throat cut; and beside her your knife with your finger-prints on it! And you yourself would have been seen in the vicinity at thetime! You wouldn’t have had a leg to stand upon. Any jury in the worldwould have convicted you.”
“Me?” said Lord Whitfield, startled and distressed⁹. “Anyone would havebelieved a thing like that of Me?”
Bridget said gently:
“I didn’t, Gordon. I never believed it.”
Lord Whitfield looked at her coldly, then he said stiffly:
“In view of my character and my standing¹⁰ in the county, I do not believethat anyone for one moment would have believed in such a monstrouscharge!”
He went out with dignity and closed the door behind him.
Luke said:
“He’ll never realize that he was really in danger!”
Then he said:
“Go on, Bridget, tell me how you came to suspect the Waynflete wo-man.”
Bridget explained:
“It was when you were telling me that Gordon was the killer¹¹. I couldn’tbelieve it! You see, I knew him so well. I’d been his secretary for two years!
I knew him in and out! I knew that he was pompous and petty and com-pletely self-absorbed, but I knew, too, that he was a kindly¹² person and al-most absurdly tenderhearted. It worried him even to kill a wasp¹³. Thatstory about his killing¹⁴ Miss Waynflete’s canary—it was all wrong. He justcouldn’t have done it. He’d told me once that he had jilted her. Now youinsisted that it was the other way about. Well, that might be so! His pridemight not have allowed him to admit that she had thrown him over. Butnot the canary story! That simply wasn’t Gordon! He didn’t even shoot be-cause seeing things killed made him feel sick.
“So I simply knew that that part of the story was untrue. But if so, MissWaynflete must have lied. And it was really, when you came to think of it, avery extraordinary lie! And I wondered suddenly if she’d told anymore lies.
She was a very proud woman—one could see that. To be thrown overmust have hurt her pride horribly. It would probably make her feel veryangry and revengeful against Lord Whitfield — especially, I felt, if heturned up again later all rich and prosperous and successful. I thought,‘Yes, she’d probably enjoy helping¹⁵ to fix a crime upon him.’ And then acurious sort of whirling feeling came in my brain and I thought—but sup-pose everything she says is a lie—and I suddenly saw how easily a womanlike that could make a fool of a man! And I thought, ‘It’s fantastic, but sup-pose it was she who killed all these people and fed Gordon up with theidea that it was a kind of divine retribution!’ It would be quite easy for herto make him believe that. As I told you once, Gordon would believe any-thing! And I thought, ‘Could she have done all those murders?’ And I sawthat she could! She could give a shove to a drunken man—and push a boyout of a window, and Amy Gibbs had died in her house. Mrs. Horton, too—Honoria Waynflete used to go and sit with her when she was ill. Dr.
Humbleby was more difficult. I didn’t know then that Wonky Pooh had anasty septic ear and that she infected the dressing¹⁶ she put on his hand.
Miss Pinkerton’s death was even more difficult, because I couldn’t imagineMiss Waynflete dressed up as a chauffeur¹⁷ driving a Rolls.
“And then, suddenly, I saw that that was the easiest of the lot! It was theold shove from behind—easily done in a crowd. The car didn’t stop andshe saw a fresh opportunity and told another woman she had seen thenumber of the car, and gave the number of Lord Whitfield’s Rolls.
“Of course, all this only came very confusedly through my head. But ifGordon definitely hadn’t done the murders—and I knew—yes, knew thathe hadn’t—well, who had? And the answer seemed quite clear. ‘Someonewho hates Gordon!’ Who hates Gordon? Honoria Waynflete, of course.
“And then I remembered that Miss Pinkerton had definitely spoken of aman as the killer. That knocked out all my beautiful theory, because, un-less Miss Pinkerton was right, she wouldn’t have been killed…So I got you torepeat exactly Miss Pinkerton’s words and I soon discovered that shehadn’t actually said ‘man’ once. Then I felt that I was definitely on theright track! I decided¹⁸ to accept Miss Waynflete’s invitation to stay with herand I resolved to try to ferret out the truth.”
“Without saying a word to me?” said Luke angrily.
“But, my sweet, you were so sure—and I wasn’t sure a bit! It was allvague and doubtful. But I never dreamed that I was in any danger. Ithought I’d have plenty of time….”
She shivered.
“Oh, Luke, it was horrible…Her eyes…And that dreadful, polite, inhu-man laugh….”
Luke said with a slight shiver:
“I shan’t forget how I only got there just in time.”
He turned to Battle. “What’s she like now?”
“Gone right over the edge,” said Battle. “They do, you know. They can’tface the shock of not having been as clever as they thought they were.”
Luke said ruefully:
“Well, I’m not much of a policeman! I never suspected Honoria Waynf-lete once. You’d have done better, Battle.”
“Maybe, sir, maybe not. You’ll remember my saying that nothing’s im-possible in crime. I mentioned a maiden¹⁹ lady, I believe.”
“You also mentioned an archbishop and a schoolgirl! Am I to under-stand that you consider all these people as potential criminals?”
Battle’s smile broadened to a grin.
“Anyone may be a criminal, sir, that’s what I meant.”
“Except Gordon,” said Bridget. “Luke, let’s go and find him.”
They found Lord Whitfield in his study busily making notes.
“Gordon,” said Bridget in a small meek²⁰ voice. “Please, now that youknow everything, will you forgive us?”
Lord Whitfield looked at her graciously.
“Certainly, my dear, certainly. I realize the truth. I was a busy man. Ineglected you. The truth of the matter is as Kipling so wisely puts it: ‘Hetravels the fastest who travels alone. My path in life is a lonely one.’” Hesquared his shoulders. “I carry a big responsibility. I must carry it alone.
For me there can be no companionship, no easing of the burden—I mustgo through life alone—till I drop by the wayside.”
Bridget said:
“Dear Gordon! You really are sweet!”
Lord Whitfield frowned.
“It is not a question of being sweet. Let us forget all this nonsense. I am abusy man.”
“I know you are.”
“I am arranging for a series of articles to start at once. Crimes commit-ted by Women through the Ages.”
Bridget gazed at him with admiration²¹.
“Gordon, I think that’s a wonderful idea.”
Lord Whitfield puffed²² out his chest.
“So please leave me now. I must not be disturbed. I have a lot of work toget through.”
Luke and Bridget tiptoed from the room.
“But he really is sweet!” said Bridget.
“Bridget, I believe you were really fond of that man!”
“Do you know, Luke, I believe I was.”
Luke looked out of the window.
“I’ll be glad to get away from Wychwood. I don’t like this place. There’sa lot of wickedness here, as Mrs. Humbleby would say. I don’t like the wayAshe Ridge⁷ broods over the village.”
“Talking of Ashe Ridge, what about Ellsworthy?”
Luke laughed a little shamefacedly.
“That blood on his hands?”
“Yes.”
“They’d sacrificed a white cock apparently²³!”
“How perfectly²⁴ disgusting!”
“I think something unpleasant is going to happen to our Mr. Ellsworthy.
Battle is planning a little surprise.”
Bridget said:
“And poor Major Horton never even attempted to kill his wife, and Mr.
Abbot, I suppose, just had a compromising letter from a lady, and Dr.
Thomas is just a nice unassuming young doctor.”
“He’s a superior ass²⁵!”
“You say that because you’re jealous of his marrying Rose Humbleby.”
“She’s much too good for him.”
“I always have felt you liked that girl better than me!”
“Darling, aren’t you being rather absurd?”
“No, not really.”
She was silent a minute and then said:
“Luke, do you like me now?”
He made a movement towards her but she warded²⁶ him off.
“I said like, Luke—not love.”
“Oh! I see…Yes, I do…I like you, Bridget, as well as loving you.”
Bridget said:
“I like you, Luke….”
They smiled at each other — a little timidly — like children who havemade friends at a party.
Bridget said:
“Liking is more important than loving. It lasts. I want what is betweenus to last, Luke. I don’t want us just to love each other and marry and gettired of each other and then want to marry someone else.”
“Oh! my dear Love, I know. You want reality. So do I. What’s between uswill last forever because it’s founded on reality.”
“Is that true, Luke?”
“It’s true, my sweet. That’s why, I think, I was afraid of loving you.”
“I was afraid of loving you, too.”
“Are you afraid now?”
“No.”
He said:
“We’ve been close to Death for a long time. Now—that’s over! Now—we’ll begin to Live….”

1 pompous   

adj.傲慢的，自大的；夸大的；豪华的

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities.他有点自大，自视甚高。
• He is a good man underneath his pompous appearance. 他的外表虽傲慢，其实是个好人。

2 exterior   

adj.外部的，外在的；表面的

参考例句：

• The seed has a hard exterior covering.这种子外壳很硬。
• We are painting the exterior wall of the house.我们正在给房子的外墙涂漆。

3 insanity   

n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐

参考例句：

• In his defense he alleged temporary insanity.他伪称一时精神错乱，为自己辩解。
• He remained in his cell,and this visit only increased the belief in his insanity.他依旧还是住在他的地牢里，这次视察只是更加使人相信他是个疯子了。

4 thwarted   

阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过

参考例句：

• The guards thwarted his attempt to escape from prison. 警卫阻扰了他越狱的企图。
• Our plans for a picnic were thwarted by the rain. 我们的野餐计划因雨受挫。

5 superintendent   

n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长

参考例句：

• He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
• He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。

6 Amended   

adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
• He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。

7 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

8 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

9 distressed   

痛苦的

参考例句：

• He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
• The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

12 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

13 wasp   

n.黄蜂，蚂蜂

参考例句：

• A wasp stung me on the arm.黄蜂蜇了我的手臂。
• Through the glass we can see the wasp.透过玻璃我们可以看到黄蜂。

14 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

15 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

16 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

17 chauffeur   

n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车

参考例句：

• The chauffeur handed the old lady from the car.这个司机搀扶这个老太太下汽车。
• She went out herself and spoke to the chauffeur.她亲自走出去跟汽车司机说话。

18 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

19 maiden   

n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的

参考例句：

• The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
• The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

20 meek   

adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的

参考例句：

• He expects his wife to be meek and submissive.他期望妻子温顺而且听他摆布。
• The little girl is as meek as a lamb.那个小姑娘像羔羊一般温顺。

21 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

22 puffed   

adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟，狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了，便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

24 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

25 ass   

n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人

参考例句：

• He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。
• An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。

26 warded   

有锁孔的，有钥匙榫槽的

参考例句：

• The soldiers warded over the city. 士兵们守护着这座城市。
• He warded off a danger. 他避开了危险。