Fifteen HE INQUEST

Fifteen HE INQUEST

Bundle reached home about six a.m. She was up and dressed by half pastnine, and rang up Jimmy Thesiger on the telephone.
The promptitude of his reply somewhat surprised her, till he explainedthat he was going down to attend the inquest.
“So am I,” said Bundle. “And I’ve got a lot to tell you.”
“Well, suppose you let me drive you down and we can talk on the way.
How about that?”
“All right. But allow a bit extra because you’ll have to take me to Chim-neys. The Chief Constable’s picking me up there.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s a kind man,” said Bundle.
“So am I,” said Jimmy. “Very kind.”
“Oh! you—you’re an ass¹,” said Bundle. “I heard somebody say so lastnight.”
“Who?”
“To be strictly² accurate—a Russian Jew. No, it wasn’t. It was—”
But an indignant protest drowned her words.
“I may be an ass,” said Jimmy. “I daresay I am—but I won’t have RussianJews saying so. What were you doing last night, Bundle?”
“That’s what I’m going to talk about,” said Bundle. “Good-bye for the mo-ment.”
She rang off in a tantalizing³ manner which left Jimmy pleasantlypuzzled. He had the highest respect for Bundle’s capabilities⁴, though therewas not the slightest trace of sentiment in his feeling towards her.
“She’s been up to something,” he opined, as he took a last hasty drink ofcoffee. “Depend upon it, she’s been up to something.”
Twenty minutes later, his little two- seater drew up before the BrookStreet house and Bundle, who had been waiting, came tripping down thesteps. Jimmy was not ordinarily an observant young man, but he noticedthat there were black rings round Bundle’s eyes and that she had all theappearance of having had a late night the night before.
“Now then,” he said, as the car began to nose her way through the sub-urbs, “what dark deeds have you been up to?”
“I’ll tell you,” said Bundle. “But don’t interrupt until I’ve finished.”
It was a somewhat long story, and Jimmy had all he could do to keepsufficient attention on the car to prevent an accident. When Bundle hadfinished he sighed—then looked at her searchingly.
“Bundle?”
“Yes?”
“Look here, you’re not pulling my leg?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m sorry,” apologized Jimmy, “but it seems to me as though I’d heard itall before—in a dream, you know.”
“I know,” said Bundle sympathetically.
“It’s impossible,” said Jimmy, following out his own train of thought.
“The beautiful foreign adventuress, the international gang, the mysteriousNo 7, whose identity nobody knows—I’ve read it all a hundred times inbooks.”
“Of course you have. So have I. But it’s no reason why it shouldn’t reallyhappen.”
“I suppose not,” admitted Jimmy.
“After all — I suppose fiction is founded on the truth. I mean unlessthings did happen, people couldn’t think of them.”
“There is something in what you say,” agreed Jimmy. “But all the same Ican’t help pinching myself to see if I’m awake.”
“That’s how I felt.”
Jimmy gave a deep sigh.
“Well, I suppose we are awake. Let me see, a Russian, an American, anEnglishman—a possible Austrian or Hungarian—and the lady who may beany nationality—for choice Russian or Polish—that’s a pretty representat-ive gathering⁵.”
“And a German,” said Bundle. “You’ve forgotten the German.”
“Oh!” said Jimmy slowly. “You think—?”
“The absent No 2. No 2 is Bauer—our footman. That seems to me quiteclear from what they said about expecting a report which hadn’t come in—though what there can be to report about Chimneys, I can’t think.”
“It must be something to do with Gerry Wade⁶’s death,” said Jimmy.
“There’s something there we haven’t fathomed⁷ yet. You say they actuallymentioned Bauer by name?”
Bundle nodded.
“They blamed him for not having found that letter.”
“Well, I don’t see what you could have clearer than that. There’s no go-ing against it. You’ll have to forgive my first incredulity, Bundle—but youknow, it was rather a tall story. You say they knew about my going downto Wyvern Abbey next week?”
“Yes, that’s when the American—it was him, not the Russian—said theyneedn’t worry—you were only the usual kind of ass.”
“Ah!” said Jimmy. He pressed his foot down on the accelerator viciouslyand the car shot forward. “I’m very glad you told me that. It gives me whatyou might call a personal interest in the case.”
He was silent for a minute or two and then he said:
“Did you say that German inventor’s name was Eberhard?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Wait a minute. Something’s coming back to me. Eberhard, Eberhard—yes, I’m sure that was the name.”
“Tell me.”
“Eberhard was a Johnny who’d got some patent process he applied⁸ tosell. I can’t put the thing properly because I haven’t got the scientificknowledge—but I know the result was that it became so toughened that awire was as strong as a steel bar had previously⁹ been. Eberhard had to dowith aeroplanes and his idea was that the weight would be so enormouslyreduced that flying would be practically revolutionized—the cost of it, Imean. I believe he offered his invention to the German Government, andthey turned it down, pointed¹⁰ out some undeniable flaw in it—but they didit rather nastily. He set to work and circumvented¹¹ the difficulty, whateverit was, but he’d been offended by their attitude and swore they shouldn’thave his ewe lamb. I always thought the whole thing was probablybunkum, but now—it looks differently.”
“That’s it,” said Bundle eagerly. “You must be right, Jimmy. Eberhardmust have offered his invention to our Government. They’ve been taking,or are going to take, Sir Oswald Coote’s expert opinion on it. There’s goingto be an unofficial conference at the Abbey. Sir Oswald, George, the AirMinister and Eberhard. Eberhard will have the plans or the process orwhatever you call it—”
“Formula,” suggested Jimmy. “I think ‘formula’ is a good word myself.”
“He’ll have the formula with him, and the Seven Dials are out to stealthe formula. I remember the Russian saying it was worth millions.”
“I suppose it would be,” said Jimmy.
“And well worth a few lives—that’s what the other man said.”
“Well, it seems to have been,” said Jimmy, his face clouding over. “Lookat this damned inquest today. Bundle, are you sure Ronny said nothingelse?”
“No,” said Bundle. “Just that. Seven Dials. Tell Jimmy Thesiger. That’s allhe could get out, poor lad.”
“I wish we knew what he knew,” said Jimmy. “But we’ve found out onething. I take it that the footman, Bauer, must almost certainly have beenresponsible for Gerry’s death. You know, Bundle—”
“Yes?”
“Well, I’m a bit worried sometimes. Who’s going to be the next one! Itreally isn’t the sort of business for a girl to be mixed up in.”
Bundle smiled in spite of herself. It occurred to her that it had takenJimmy a long time to put her in the same category as Loraine Wade.
“It’s far more likely to be you than me,” she remarked cheerfully.
“Hear, hear,” said Jimmy. “But what about a few casualties on the otherside for a change? I’m feeling rather bloodthirsty this morning. Tell me,Bundle, would you recognize any of these people if you saw them?”
Bundle hesitated.
“I think I should recognize No 5,” she said at last. “He’s got a queer wayof speaking — a kind of venomous, lisping way — that I think I’d knowagain.”
“What about the Englishman?”
Bundle shook her head.
“I saw him least—only a glimpse—and he’s got a very ordinary voice.
Except that he’s a big man, there’s nothing much to go by.”
“There’s the woman, of course,” continued Jimmy. “She ought to beeasier. But then, you’re not likely to run across her. She’s probably puttingin the dirty work, being taken out to dinner by amorous¹² Cabinet Ministersand getting State secrets out of them when they’ve had a couple. At least,that’s how it’s done in books. As a matter of fact, the only Cabinet MinisterI know drinks hot water with a dash of lemon in it.”
“Take George Lomax, for instance, can you imagine him being amorouswith beautiful foreign women?” said Bundle with a laugh.
Jimmy agreed with her criticism.
“And now about the man of mystery—No 7,” went on Jimmy. “You’ve noidea who he could be?”
“None whatever.”
“Again—by book standards, that is—he ought to be someone we allknow. What about George Lomax himself?”
Bundle reluctantly shook her head.
“In a book it would be perfect,” she agreed. “But knowing Codders—”
And she gave herself up to sudden uncontrollable mirth. “Codders, thegreat criminal organizer,” she gasped¹³. “Wouldn’t it be marvellous?”
Jimmy agreed that it would. Their discussion had taken some time andhis driving had slowed down involuntarily once or twice. They arrived atChimneys, to find Colonel Melrose already there waiting. Jimmy was intro-duced to him and they all three proceeded to the inquest together.
As Colonel Melrose had predicted, the whole affair was very simple.
Bundle gave her evidence. The doctor gave his. Evidence was given of riflepractice in the neighbourhood. A verdict of death by misadventure wasbrought in.
After the proceedings¹⁴ were over, Colonel Melrose volunteered to driveBundle back to Chimneys, and Jimmy Thesiger returned to London.
For all his lighthearted manner, Bundle’s story had impressed him pro-foundly. He set his lips closely together.
“Ronny, old boy,” he murmured, “I’m going to be up against it. Andyou’re not here to join in the game.”
Another thought flashed into his mind. Loraine! Was she in danger?
After a minute or two’s hesitation¹⁵, he went over to the telephone andrang her up.
“It’s me—Jimmy. I thought you’d like to know the result of the inquest.
Death by misadventure.”
“Oh, but—”
“Yes, but I think there’s something behind that. The coroner had had ahint. Someone’s at work to hush¹⁶ it up. I say, Loraine—”
“Yes?”
“Look here. There’s—there’s some funny business going about. You’ll bevery careful, won’t you? For my sake.”
He heard the quick note of alarm that sprang into her voice.
“Jimmy—but then it’s dangerous—for you.”
He laughed.
“Oh, that’s all right. I’m the cat that had nine lives. Bye-bye, old thing.”
He rang off and remained a minute or two lost in thought. Then hesummoned Stevens.
“Do you think you could go out and buy me a pistol, Stevens?”
“A pistol, sir?”
True to his training, Stevens betrayed no hint of surprise.
“What kind of a pistol would you be requiring?”
“The kind where you put your finger on the trigger and the thing goeson shooting until you take it off again.”
“An automatic, sir.”
“That’s it,” said Jimmy. “An automatic. And I should like it to be a bluen-osed one—if you and the shopman know what that is. In American stories,the hero always takes his bluenosed automatic from his hip¹⁷ pocket.”
Stevens permitted himself a faint, discreet¹⁸ smile.
“Most American gentlemen that I have known, sir, carry something verydifferent in their hip pockets,” he observed.
Jimmy Thesiger laughed.

1 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。

2 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

3 tantalizing   

adj.逗人的；惹弄人的；撩人的；煽情的v.逗弄，引诱，折磨( tantalize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• This was my first tantalizing glimpse of the islands. 这是我第一眼看见的这些岛屿的动人美景。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We have only vague and tantalizing glimpses of his power. 我们只能隐隐约约地领略他的威力，的确有一种可望不可及的感觉。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史

4 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

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。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

5 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

6 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

7 fathomed   

理解…的真意( fathom的过去式和过去分词 )； 彻底了解； 弄清真相

参考例句：

• I have not yet quite fathomed her meaning. 我当时还没有完全揣摸出她是什么意思。
• Have you fathomed out how to work the video yet? 你弄清楚如何操作录像机了吗？

8 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

9 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

10 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

11 circumvented   

v.设法克服或避免（某事物），回避( circumvent的过去式和过去分词 )；绕过，绕行，绕道旅行

参考例句：

• By such means the ban against dancing was circumvented. 这样，舞蹈就不至于被禁止。 来自英汉非文学 - 民俗
• It can therefore be circumvented by address manipulation and explicit type conversion. 因而可以通过地址操纵和显式型别转换来绕过此保护功能。 来自互联网

12 amorous   

adj.多情的；有关爱情的

参考例句：

• They exchanged amorous glances and clearly made known their passions.二人眉来眼去，以目传情。
• She gave him an amorous look.她脉脉含情的看他一眼。

13 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

15 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

16 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

17 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

18 discreet   

adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的

参考例句：

• He is very discreet in giving his opinions.发表意见他十分慎重。
• It wasn't discreet of you to ring me up at the office.你打电话到我办公室真是太鲁莽了。