I was violently excited. I was sure that I had hit on the right trail at last.
One thing was clear, I must not move out of the cabin. The asafoetida hadgot to be borne. I examined my facts again.
Tomorrow was the 22nd, and at 1 am or 1 pm something would happen.
I plumped for 1 am. It was now seven o’clock. In six hours I should know.
I don’t know how I got through the evening. I retired1 to my cabin fairlyearly. I had told the stewardess2 that I had a cold in the head and didn’tmind smells. She still seemed distressed3, but I was firm.
The evening seemed interminable. I duly retired to bed, but in view ofemergencies I swathed myself in a thick flannel4 dressing5 gown, and en-cased my feet in slippers6. Thus attired7 I felt that I could spring up and takean active part in anything that happened.
What did I expect to happen? I hardly knew. Vague fancies, most ofthem wildly improbable, flitted through my brain. But one thing I wasfirmly convinced of, at one o’clock something would happen.
At various times I heard fellow passengers coming to bed. Fragments ofconversation, laughing good nights, floated in through the open transom.
Then, silence. Most of the lights went out. There was still one in the pas-sage outside, and there was therefore a certain amount of light in mycabin. I heard eight bells go. The hour that followed seemed the longest Ihad ever known. I consulted my watch surreptitiously to be sure I had notovershot the time.
If my deductions8 were wrong, if nothing happened at one o’clock, Ishould have made a fool of myself, and spent all the money I had in theworld on a mare’s nest. My heart beat painfully.
Two bells went overhead. One o’clock! And nothing. Wait—what wasthat? I heard the quick light patter of feet running—running along the pas-sage.
Then with the suddenness of a bombshell my cabin door burst open anda man almost fell inside.
“Save me,” he said hoarsely9. “They’re after me.”
It was not a moment for argument or explanation. I could hear footstepsoutside. I had about forty seconds in which to act. I had sprung to my feetand was standing10 facing the stranger in the middle of the cabin.
A cabin does not abound11 in hiding places for a six-foot man. With onearm I pulled out my cabin trunk. He slipped down behind it under thebunk. I raised the lid. At the same time, with the other hand I pulled downthe washbasin. A deft13 movement and my hair was screwed into a tinyknot on the top of my head. From the point of view of appearance it wasinartistic, from another standpoint it was supremely15 artistic14. A lady, withher hair screwed into an unbecoming knob and in the act of removing apiece of soap from her trunk with which, apparently16, to wash her neck,could hardly be suspected of harbouring a fugitive17.
There was a knock at the door, and without waiting for me to say “Comein” it was pushed open.
I don’t know what I expected to see. I think I had vague ideas of Mr. Pa-gett brandishing18 a revolver. Or my missionary19 friend with a sandbag, orsome other lethal20 weapon. But I certainly did not expect to see a nightstewardess, with an inquiring face and looking the essence of respectabil-ity.
“I beg your pardon, miss, I thought you called out.”
“No,” I said, “I didn’t.”
“I’m sorry for interrupting you.”
“That’s all right,” I said. “I couldn’t sleep. I thought a wash would do megood.” It sounded rather as though it were a thing I never had as a generalrule.
“I’m so sorry, miss,” said the stewardess again. “But there’s a gentlemanabout who’s rather drunk and we are afraid he might get into one of theladies’ cabins and frighten them.”
“How dreadful!” I said, looking alarmed. “He won’t come in here, willhe?”
“Oh, I don’t think so, miss. Ring the bell if he does. Good night.”
“Good night.”
I opened the door and peeped down the corridor. Except for the retreat-ing form of the stewardess, there was nobody in sight.
Drunk! So that was the explanation of it. My histrionic talents had beenwasted. I pulled the cabin trunk out a little farther and said: “Come out atonce, please,” in an acid voice.
There was no answer. I peered under the bunk12. My visitor lay immove-able. He seemed to be asleep. I tugged21 at his shoulder. He did not move.
“Dead drunk,” I thought vexedly. “What am I to do?”
Then I saw something that made me catch my breath, a small scarletspot on the floor.
Using all my strength, I succeeded in dragging the man out into themiddle of the cabin. The dead whiteness of his face showed that he hadfainted. I found the cause of his fainting easily enough. He had beenstabbed under the left shoulder blade—a nasty deep wound. I got his coatoff and set to work to attend to it.
At the sting of the cold water he stirred, then sat up.
“Keep still, please,” I said.
He was the kind of young man who recovers his faculties22 very quickly.
He pulled himself to his feet and stood there swaying a little.
“Thank you; I don’t need anything done for me.”
His manner was defiant23, almost aggressive. Not a word of thanks—ofeven common gratitude24!
“That is a nasty wound. You must let me dress it.”
“You will do nothing of the kind.”
He flung the words in my face as though I had been begging a favour ofhim. My temper, never placid25, rose.
“I cannot congratulate you on your manners,” I said coldly.
“I can at least relieve you of my presence.” He started for the door, butreeled as he did so. With an abrupt26 movement I pushed him down uponthe sofa.
“Don’t be a fool,” I said unceremoniously. “You don’t want to go bleed-ing all over the ship, do you?”
He seemed to see the sense of that, for he sat quietly whilst I bandagedup the wound as best I could.
“There,” I said, bestowing27 a pat on my handiwork, “that will have to dofor the present. Are you better-tempered now and do you feel inclined totell me what it’s all about?”
“I’m sorry that I can’t satisfy your very natural curiosity.”
“Why not?” I said, chagrined28.
He smiled nastily.
“If you want a thing broadcast, tell a woman. Otherwise keep yourmouth shut.”
“Don’t you think I could keep a secret?”
“I don’t think—I know.”
He rose to his feet.
“At any rate,” I said spitefully, “I shall be able to do a little broadcastingabout the events of this evening.”
“I’ve no doubt you will too,” he said indifferently.
“How dare you!” I cried angrily.
We were facing each other, glaring at each other with the ferocity of bit-ter enemies. For the first time, I took in the details of his appearance, theclose-cropped dark head, the lean jaw29, the scar on the brown cheek, thecurious light grey eyes that looked into mine with a sort of reckless mock-ery hard to describe. There was something dangerous about him.
“You haven’t thanked me yet for saving your life!” I said with falsesweetness.
I hit him there. I saw him flinch30 distinctly. Intuitively I knew that hehated above all to be reminded that he owed his life to me. I didn’t care. Iwanted to hurt him. I had never wanted to hurt anyone so much.
“I wish to God you hadn’t!” he said explosively. “I’d be better dead andout of it.”
“I’m glad you acknowledge the debt. You can’t get out of it. I saved yourlife and I’m waiting for you to say ‘Thank you.’ ”
If looks could have killed, I think he would have liked to kill me then. Hepushed roughly past me. At the door he turned back, and spoke31 over hisshoulder.
“I shall not thank you—now or at any other time. But I acknowledge thedebt. Some day I will pay it.”
He was gone, leaving me with clenched32 hands, and my heart beatinglike a mill race.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
retired
|
|
| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
stewardess
|
|
| n.空中小姐，女乘务员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
distressed
|
|
| 痛苦的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
flannel
|
|
| n.法兰绒；法兰绒衣服 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
dressing
|
|
| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
slippers
|
|
| n. 拖鞋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
attired
|
|
| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
deductions
|
|
| 扣除( deduction的名词复数 )； 结论； 扣除的量； 推演 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
hoarsely
|
|
| adv.嘶哑地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
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： |
|
|
|
|
11
abound
|
|
| vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
bunk
|
|
| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
deft
|
|
| adj.灵巧的，熟练的（a deft hand 能手） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
artistic
|
|
| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
supremely
|
|
| adv.无上地，崇高地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
apparently
|
|
| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
fugitive
|
|
| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
brandishing
|
|
| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
missionary
|
|
| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
lethal
|
|
| adj.致死的；毁灭性的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
tugged
|
|
| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
faculties
|
|
| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
defiant
|
|
| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
gratitude
|
|
| adj.感激，感谢 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
placid
|
|
| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
abrupt
|
|
| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
bestowing
|
|
| 砖窑中砖堆上层已烧透的砖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
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： |
|
|
|
|
29
jaw
|
|
| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
flinch
|
|
| v.畏缩，退缩 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
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： |
|
|
|
|
32
clenched
|
|
| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |