A slight gesture from Poirot enjoined¹ me to stay behind the rest. I obeyed, going over to the fire and thoughtfully stirring the big logs on it with the toe of my boot.

 

I was puzzled. For the first time I was absolutely at sea as to Poirot’s meaning. For a moment I was inclined to think that the scene I had just witnessed was a gigantic piece of bombast—that he had been what he called “playing the comedy” with a view to making himself interesting and important. But, in spite of myself, I was forced to believe in an underlying² reality. There had been real menace in his words—a certain indisputable sincerity³. But I still believed him to be on entirely⁴ the wrong tack⁵.

 

When the door shut behind the last of the party he came over to the fire.

 

“Well, my friend,” he said quietly, “and what do you think of it all?”

 

“I don’t know what to think,” I said frankly⁶. “What was the point? Why not go straight to Inspector⁷ Raglan with the truth instead of giving the guilty person this elaborate warning?”

 

Poirot sat down and drew out his case of tiny Russian290 cigarettes. He smoked for a minute or two in silence. Then:—

 

“Use your little gray cells,” he said. “There is always a reason behind my actions.”

 

I hesitated for a moment, and then I said slowly:

 

“The first one that occurs to me is that you yourself do not know who the guilty person is, but that you are sure that he is to be found amongst the people here to-night. Therefore your words were intended to force a confession8

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1 enjoined
v.命令( enjoin的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The embezzler was severely punished and enjoined to kick back a portion of the stolen money each month. 贪污犯受到了严厉惩罚，并被责令每月退还部分赃款。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She enjoined me strictly not to tell anyone else. 她严令我不准告诉其他任何人。 来自辞典例句

2 underlying
adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的
参考例句：
The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。 This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

3 sincerity
n.真诚，诚意；真实
参考例句：
His sincerity added much more authority to the story.他的真诚更增加了故事的说服力。 He tried hard to satisfy me of his sincerity.他竭力让我了解他的诚意。

4 entirely
ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地
参考例句：
The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。 His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

5 tack
n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝
参考例句：
He is hammering a tack into the wall to hang a picture.他正往墙上钉一枚平头钉用来挂画。 We are going to tack the map on the wall.我们打算把这张地图钉在墙上。

6 frankly
adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说
参考例句：
To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。 Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

7 inspector
n.检查员，监察员，视察员
参考例句：
The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。 The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

8 confession
n.自白，供认，承认
参考例句：
Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。 The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

9 formerly
adv.从前，以前
参考例句：
We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。 This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

10 sufficiently
adv.足够地，充分地
参考例句：
It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。 The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

11 stump
n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走
参考例句：
He went on the stump in his home state.他到故乡所在的州去发表演说。 He used the stump as a table.他把树桩用作桌子。

12 discrepancy
n.不同；不符；差异；矛盾
参考例句：
The discrepancy in their ages seemed not to matter.他们之间年龄的差异似乎没有多大关系。 There was a discrepancy in the two reports of the accident.关于那次事故的两则报道有不一致之处。

13 accomplice
n.从犯，帮凶，同谋
参考例句：
She was her husband's accomplice in murdering a rich old man.她是她丈夫谋杀一个老富翁的帮凶。 He is suspected as an accomplice of the murder.他涉嫌为这次凶杀案的同谋。

14 deduction
n.减除，扣除，减除额；推论，推理，演绎
参考例句：
No deduction in pay is made for absence due to illness.因病请假不扣工资。 His deduction led him to the correct conclusion.他的推断使他得出正确的结论。

15 motive
n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的
参考例句：
The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。 He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

16 supreme
adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的
参考例句：
It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。 He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

17 drawn
v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
参考例句：
All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。 Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

18 blackmailing
胁迫，尤指以透露他人不体面行为相威胁以勒索钱财( blackmail的现在分词 )
参考例句：
The policemen kept blackmailing him, because they had sth. on him. 那些警察之所以经常去敲他的竹杠是因为抓住把柄了。 Democratic paper "nailed" an aggravated case of blackmailing to me. 民主党最主要的报纸把一桩极为严重的讹诈案件“栽”在我的头上。

19 scrap
n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废
参考例句：
A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。 Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

20 casually
adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地
参考例句：
She remarked casually that she was changing her job.她当时漫不经心地说要换工作。 I casually mentioned that I might be interested in working abroad.我不经意地提到我可能会对出国工作感兴趣。

21 dictate
v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令
参考例句：
It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。 What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令？

22 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》

23 ledge
n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁
参考例句：
They paid out the line to lower him to the ledge.他们放出绳子使他降到那块岩石的突出部分。 Suddenly he struck his toe on a rocky ledge and fell.突然他的脚趾绊在一块突出的岩石上，摔倒了。

24 inmates
n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )
参考例句：
One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 deliberately
adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地
参考例句：
The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。 They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

26 ascertain
vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清
参考例句：
It's difficult to ascertain the coal deposits.煤储量很难探明。 We must ascertain the responsibility in light of different situtations.我们必须根据不同情况判定责任。

27 inquiries
n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听
参考例句：
He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。 I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

28 investigations
（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究
参考例句：
His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。 He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

29 purloin
v.偷窃
参考例句：
Each side purloins the other's private letters.双方彼此都偷对方的私人信件。 Xiao Chen insisted that he didn't purloin.小陈坚称自己没有偷窃。

30 dagger
n.匕首，短剑，剑号
参考例句：
The bad news is a dagger to his heart.这条坏消息刺痛了他的心。 The murderer thrust a dagger into her heart.凶手将匕首刺进她的心脏。

31 flora
n.(某一地区的)植物群
参考例句：
The subtropical island has a remarkably rich native flora.这个亚热带岛屿有相当丰富的乡土植物种类。 All flora need water and light.一切草木都需要水和阳光。

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