Loraine Wade1 sat up in bed and switched on the light. It was exactly tenminutes to one. She had gone to bed early—at half past nine. She pos-sessed the useful art of being able to wake herself up at the required time,so she had been able to enjoy some hours of refreshing2 sleep.
Two dogs slept in the room with her, and one of these now raised hishead and looked at her inquiringly.
“Quiet, Lurcher,” said Loraine, and the big animal put his head downagain obediently, watching her from between his shaggy eyelashes.
It is true that Bundle had once doubted the meekness3 of Loraine Wade,but that brief moment of suspicion had passed. Loraine had seemed so en-tirely reasonable, so willing to be kept out of everything.
And yet, if you studied the girl’s face, you saw that there was strength ofpurpose in the small, resolute4 jaw5 and the lips that closed together sofirmly.
Loraine rose and dressed herself in a tweed coat and skirt. Into onepocket of the coat she dropped an electric torch. Then she opened thedrawer of her dressing6 table and took out a small ivory-handled pistol—al-most a toy in appearance. She had bought it the day before at Harrods andshe was very pleased with it.
She gave a final glance round the room to see if she had forgotten any-thing, and at that moment the big dog rose and came over to her, lookingup at her with pleading eyes and wagging its tail.
“No, Lurcher. Can’t go. Missus can’t take you. Got to stay here and be agood boy.”
She dropped a kiss on the dog’s head, made him lie down on his rugagain, and then slipped noiselessly out of the room, closing the door be-hind her.
She let herself out of the house by a side door and made her way roundto the garage, where her little two-seater car was in readiness. There wasa gentle slope, and she let the car run silently down it, not starting the en-gine till she was some way from the house. Then she glanced at the watchon her arm and pressed her foot down on the accelerator.
She left the car at a spot she had previously7 marked down. There was agap there in the fencing that she could easily get through. A few minuteslater, slightly muddy, Loraine stood inside the grounds of Wyvern Abbey.
As noiselessly as possible, she made her way towards the venerable ivy8-coloured building. In the distance a stable clock chimed two.
Loraine’s heart beat faster as she drew near to the terrace. There was noone about—no sign of life anywhere. Everything seemed peaceful and un-disturbed. She reached the terrace and stood there, looking about her.
Suddenly, without the least warning, something from above fell with aflop almost at her feet. Loraine stooped to pick it up. It was a brown paperpacket, loosely wrapped. Holding it, Loraine looked up.
There was an open window just above her head, and even as she lookeda leg swung over it and a man began to climb down the ivy.
Loraine waited no more. She took to her heels and ran, still clasping thebrown paper packet.
Behind her, the noise of a struggle suddenly broke out. A hoarse9 voice:
“Lemme go”; another that she knew well: “Not if I know it—ah, you would,would you?”
Still Loraine ran—blindly, as though panic-stricken—right round thecorner of the terrace—and slap into the arms of a large, solidly built man.
“There, there,” said Superintendent10 Battle kindly11.
Loraine was struggling to speak.
“Oh, quick!—oh, quick! They’re killing12 each other. Oh, do be quick!”
There was a sharp crack of a revolver shot—and then another.
Superintendent Battle started to run. Loraine followed. Back round thecorner of the terrace and along to the library window. The window wasopen.
Battle stooped and switched on an electric torch. Loraine was close be-hind him, peering over his shoulder. She gave a little sobbing13 gasp14.
On the threshold of the window lay Jimmy Thesiger in what looked likea pool of blood. His right arm lay dangling15 in a curious position.
Loraine gave a sharp cry.
“He’s dead,” she wailed16. “Oh, Jimmy—Jimmy—he’s dead!”
“Now, now,” said Superintendent Battle soothingly17. “Don’t you take onso. The young gentleman isn’t dead, I’ll be bound. See if you can find thelights and turn them on.”
Loraine obeyed. She stumbled across the room, found the switch by thedoor and pressed it down. The room was flooded with light. Superintend-ent Battle uttered a sigh of relief.
“It’s all right—he’s only shot in the right arm. He’s fainted through lossof blood. Come and give me a hand with him.”
There was a pounding on the library door. Voices were heard, asking,expostulating, demanding.
Loraine looked doubtfully at it.
“Shall I—?”
“No hurry,” said Battle. “We’ll let them in presently. You come and giveme a hand.”
Loraine came obediently. The Superintendent had produced a large,clean pocket handkerchief and was neatly18 bandaging the wounded man’sarm. Loraine helped him.
“He’ll be all right,” said the Superintendent. “Don’t you worry. As manylives as cats, these young fellows. It wasn’t the loss of blood knocked himout either. He must have caught his head a crack on the floor as he fell.”
Outside, the knocking on the door had become tremendous. The voice ofGeorge Lomax, furiously upraised, came loud and distinct:
“Who is in there? Open the door at once.”
Superintendent Battle sighed.
“I suppose we shall have to,” he said. “A pity.”
His eyes darted19 round, taking in the scene. An automatic lay by Jimmy’sside. The Superintendent picked it up gingerly, holding it very delicately,and examined it. He grunted20 and laid it on the table. Then he steppedacross and unlocked the door.
Several people fell into the room. Nearly everybody said something atthe same minute. George Lomax, spluttering with obdurate21 words whichrefused to come with sufficient fluency22, exclaimed:
“The—the—the meaning of this? Ah! It’s you, Superintendent; what’shappened? I say—what has—happened?”
Bill Eversleigh said; “My God! Old Jimmy!” and stared at the limp figureon the ground.
Lady Coote, clad in a resplendent purple dressing gown, cried out: “Thepoor boy!” and swept past Superintendent Battle to bend over the pros-trate Jimmy in a motherly fashion.
Bundle said: “Loraine!”
Herr Eberhard said: “Gott im Himmel!” and other words of that nature.
Sir Stanley Digby said: “My God, what’s all this?”
A housemaid said: “Look at the blood,” and screamed with pleasurableexcitement.
A footman said: “Lor!”
The butler said, with a good deal more bravery in his manner than hadbeen noticeable a few minutes earlier: “Now then, this won’t do!” andwaved away under servants.
The efficient Mr. Rupert Bateman said to George: “Shall we get rid ofsome of these people, sir?”
Then they all took fresh breath.
“Incredible!” said George Lomax. “Battle, what has happened?”
Battle gave him a look, and George’s discreet23 habits assumed their usualway.
“Now then,” he said, moving to the door, “everyone go back to bed,please. There’s been a—er—”
“A little accident,” said Superintendent Battle easily.
“A—er—an accident. I shall be much obliged if everyone will go back tobed.”
Everyone was clearly reluctant to do so.
“Lady Coote—please—”
“The poor boy,” said Lady Coote in a motherly fashion.
She rose from a kneeling position with great reluctance24. And as she didso, Jimmy stirred and sat up.
“Hallo!” he said thickly. “What’s the matter?”
He looked round him vacantly for a minute or two and then intelligencereturned to his eye.
“Have you got him? he demanded eagerly.
“Got who?”
“The man. Climbed down the ivy. I was by the window there. Grabbedhim and we had no end of a set-to—”
“One of those nasty, murderous cat burglars,” said Lady Coote. “Poorboy.”
Jimmy was looking round him.
“I say—I’m afraid we—er—have made rather a mess of things. Fellowwas as strong as an ox and we went fairly waltzing round.”
The condition of the room was clear proof of this statement. Everythinglight and breakable within a range of twelve feet that could be broken hadbeen broken.
“And what happened then?”
But Jimmy was looking round for something.
“Where’s Leopold? The pride of the bluenosed automatics?”
Battle indicated the pistol on the table.
“Is this yours, Mr. Thesiger?”
“That’s right. That’s little Leopold. How many shots have been fired?”
“One shot.”
Jimmy looked chagrined25.
“I’m disappointed in Leopold,” he murmured. “I can’t have pressed thebutton properly, or he’d have gone on shooting.”
“Who shot first?”
“I did, I’m afraid,” said Jimmy. “You see, the man twisted himself out ofmy grasp suddenly. I saw him making for the window and I closed my fin-ger down on Leopold and let him have it. He turned in the window andfired at me and—well, I suppose after that I took the count.”
He rubbed his head rather ruefully.
But Sir Stanley Digby was suddenly alert.
“Climbing down the ivy, you said? My God, Lomax, you don’t thinkthey’ve got away with it?”
He rushed from the room. For some curious reason nobody spoke26 dur-ing his absence. In a few minutes Sir Stanley returned. His round, chubbyface was white as death.
“My God, Battle,” he said, “they’ve got it. O’Rourke’s fast asleep —drugged, I think. I can’t wake him. And the papers have vanished.”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
wade
|
|
| v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
refreshing
|
|
| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
meekness
|
|
| n.温顺，柔和 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
resolute
|
|
| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
jaw
|
|
| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
dressing
|
|
| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
previously
|
|
| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
ivy
|
|
| n.常青藤，常春藤 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
hoarse
|
|
| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
superintendent
|
|
| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
killing
|
|
| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
sobbing
|
|
| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
gasp
|
|
| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
dangling
|
|
| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
wailed
|
|
| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
soothingly
|
|
| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
neatly
|
|
| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
darted
|
|
| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
grunted
|
|
| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
obdurate
|
|
| adj.固执的，顽固的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
fluency
|
|
| n.流畅，雄辩，善辩 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
discreet
|
|
| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
reluctance
|
|
| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
chagrined
|
|
| adj.懊恼的，苦恼的v.使懊恼，使懊丧，使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |