Chapter 17 The Butler
The following day was one of inactivity for us, and activity for Japp. He came round to see us about teatime.
He was red and wrathful.
‘I’ve made a bloomer.’
‘Impossible, my friend,’ said Poirot soothingly¹.
‘Yes, I have. I’ve let that (here he gave way to profanity) – of a butler slip through my fingers.’
‘He has disappeared?’
‘Yes. Hooked it. What makes me kick myself for a double-dyed idiot is that I didn’t particularly suspect him.’
‘Calm yourself – but calm yourself then.’
‘All very well to talk. You wouldn’t be calm if you’d been hauled over the coals at headquarters. Oh! he’s a slippery customer. It isn’t the first time he’s given anyone the slip. He’s an old hand.’
Japp wiped his forehead and looked the picture of misery². Poirot made sympathetic noises – somewhat suggestive of a hen laying an egg. With more insight into the English character, I poured out a stiff whisky and soda³ and placed it in front of the gloomy inspector⁴. He brightened a little.
‘Well,’ he said. ‘I don’t mind if I do.’
Presently he began to talk more cheerfully.
‘I’m not so sure even now that he’s the murderer! Of course it looks bad his bolting this way, but there might be other reasons for that. I’d begun to get on to him, you see. Seems he’s mixed up with a couple of disreputable night clubs. Not the usual thing. Something a great deal more recherché and nasty. In fact, he’s a real bad hat.’
‘Tout⁵ de même, that does not necessarily mean that he is a murderer.’
‘Exactly! He may have been up to some funny business or other, but not necessarily murder. No, I’m more than ever convinced it was the Adams girl. I’ve got nothing to prove it as yet, though. I’ve had men going all through her flat today, but we’ve found nothing that’s helpful. She was a canny6

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1 soothingly
adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地
参考例句：
The mother talked soothingly to her child. 母亲对自己的孩子安慰地说。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He continued to talk quietly and soothingly to the girl until her frightened grip on his arm was relaxed. 他继续柔声安慰那姑娘，她那因恐惧而紧抓住他的手终于放松了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 misery
n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦
参考例句：
Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。 He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

3 soda
n.苏打水；汽水
参考例句：
She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。 I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。

4 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。

5 tout
v.推销，招徕；兜售；吹捧，劝诱
参考例句：
They say it will let them tout progress in the war.他们称这将有助于鼓吹他们在战争中的成果。 If your case studies just tout results,don't bother requiring registration to view them.如果你的案例研究只是吹捧结果，就别烦扰别人来注册访问了。

6 canny
adj.谨慎的，节俭的
参考例句：
He was far too canny to risk giving himself away.他非常谨慎，不会冒险暴露自己。 But I'm trying to be a little canny about it.但是我想对此谨慎一些。

7 neatly
adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地
参考例句：
Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。 The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

8 disposition
n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署
参考例句：
He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。 He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

9 unnatural
adj.不自然的；反常的
参考例句：
Did her behaviour seem unnatural in any way?她有任何反常表现吗？ She has an unnatural smile on her face.她脸上挂着做作的微笑。

10 loyalty
n.忠诚，忠心
参考例句：
She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。 His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

11 replenished
补充( replenish的过去式和过去分词 )； 重新装满
参考例句：
She replenished her wardrobe. 她添置了衣服。 She has replenished a leather [fur] coat recently. 她最近添置了一件皮袄。

12 lone
adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的
参考例句：
A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。 She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

13 adjourned
（使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The court adjourned for lunch. 午餐时间法庭休庭。 The trial was adjourned following the presentation of new evidence to the court. 新证据呈到庭上后，审讯就宣告暂停。

14 hoisted
把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He hoisted himself onto a high stool. 他抬身坐上了一张高凳子。 The sailors hoisted the cargo onto the deck. 水手们把货物吊到甲板上。

15 theatrical
adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的
参考例句：
The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果，叫人失望。 She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。

16 shrugged
vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。 She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 thrift
adj.节约，节俭；n.节俭，节约
参考例句：
He has the virtues of thrift and hard work.他具备节俭和勤奋的美德。 His thrift and industry speak well for his future.他的节俭和勤勉预示着他美好的未来。

18 entailed
使…成为必要( entail的过去式和过去分词 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需
参考例句：
The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son. 城堡和土地限定由长子继承。 The house and estate are entailed on the eldest daughter. 这所房子和地产限定由长女继承。

19 bequests
n.遗赠( bequest的名词复数 )；遗产，遗赠物
参考例句：
About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He left bequests of money to all his friends. 他留下一些钱遗赠给他所有的朋友。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

20 participation
n.参与，参加，分享
参考例句：
Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。 The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

21 vindictive
adj.有报仇心的，怀恨的，惩罚的
参考例句：
I have no vindictive feelings about it.我对此没有恶意。 The vindictive little girl tore up her sister's papers.那个充满报复心的小女孩撕破了她姐姐的作业。

22 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：
The bride was attired in white. 新娘穿一身洁白的礼服。 来自《简明英汉词典》 It is appropriate that everyone be suitably attired. 人人穿戴得体是恰当的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 genially
adv.亲切地，和蔼地；快活地
参考例句：
The white church peeps out genially from behind the huts scattered on the river bank. 一座白色教堂从散布在岸上的那些小木房后面殷勤地探出头来。 来自《简明英汉词典》 "Well, It'seems strange to see you way up here,'said Mr. Kenny genially. “咳，真没想到会在这么远的地方见到你，"肯尼先生亲切地说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

24 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：
They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。 The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

25 supremely
adv.无上地，崇高地
参考例句：
They managed it all supremely well. 这件事他们干得极其出色。 I consider a supremely beautiful gesture. 我觉得这是非常优雅的姿态。

26 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。

27 extraordinarily
adv.格外地；极端地
参考例句：
She is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.她是个美丽非凡的姑娘。 The sea was extraordinarily calm that morning.那天清晨，大海出奇地宁静。

28 intriguing
adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心
参考例句：
These discoveries raise intriguing questions. 这些发现带来了非常有趣的问题。 It all sounds very intriguing. 这些听起来都很有趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》

29 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。

30 complimentary
adj.赠送的，免费的，赞美的，恭维的
参考例句：
She made some highly complimentary remarks about their school.她对他们的学校给予高度的评价。 The supermarket operates a complimentary shuttle service.这家超市提供免费购物班车。

31 abruptly
adv.突然地，出其不意地
参考例句：
He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。 I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

32 devoured
吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光
参考例句：
She devoured everything she could lay her hands on: books, magazines and newspapers. 无论是书、杂志，还是报纸，只要能弄得到，她都看得津津有味。 The lions devoured a zebra in a short time. 狮子一会儿就吃掉了一匹斑马。

33 relinquish
v.放弃，撤回，让与，放手
参考例句：
He was forced to relinquish control of the company.他被迫放弃公司的掌控权。 They will never voluntarily relinquish their independence.他们绝对不会自动放弃独立。

34 tempted
v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）
参考例句：
I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。 I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

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