Chapter 15 In Bloomsbury

Of the two startled young people, it was Norman Gale¹ who recovered himself first.
"Of course," he said. "It's Monsieur - Monsieur Poirot. Are you still trying to clear your character, M. Poirot?"
"Ah, you remember our little conversation? And it is the poor Mr Clancy you suspect?"
"So do you," said Jane acutely, "or you wouldn't be here."
He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment.
"Have you ever thought about murder, mademoiselle? Thought about it, I mean, in the abstract - cold-bloodedly and dispassionately?"
"I don't think I've ever thought about it at all until just lately," said Jane.
Hercule Poirot nodded.
"Yes, you think about it now because a murder has touched you personally. But me, I have dealt with crime for many years now. I have my own way of regarding things. What should you say the most important thing was to bear in mind when you are trying to solve a murder?"
"Finding the murderer," said Jane.
Norman Gale said: "Justice."
Poirot shook his head.
"There are more important things than finding the murderer. And justice is a fine word, but it is sometimes difficult to say exactly what one means by it. In my opinion, the important thing is to clear the innocent."
"Oh, naturally," said Jane. "That goes without saying. If anyone is falsely accused -"
"Not even that. There may be no accusation². But until one person is proved guilty beyond any possible doubt, everyone else who is associated with the crime is liable to suffer in varying degrees."
Norman Gale said with emphasis:
"How true that is."
Jane said:
"Don't we know it!"
Poirot looked from one to the other.
"I see. Already you have been finding that out for yourselves."
He became suddenly brisk:
"Come now, I have affairs to see to. Since our aims are the same, we three, let us combine together? I am about to call upon our ingenious friend, Mr Clancy. I would suggest that mademoiselle accompanies me in the guise³ of my secretary. Here, mademoiselle, is a notebook and a pencil for the shorthand."
"I can't write shorthand," gasped4

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1 gale
n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等）
参考例句：
We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。 According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报，明天有大风。

2 accusation
n.控告，指责，谴责
参考例句：
I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。 She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

3 guise
n.外表，伪装的姿态
参考例句：
They got into the school in the guise of inspectors.他们假装成视察员进了学校。 The thief came into the house under the guise of a repairman.那小偷扮成个修理匠进了屋子。

4 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》

5 plausible
adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的
参考例句：
His story sounded plausible.他说的那番话似乎是真实的。 Her story sounded perfectly plausible.她的说辞听起来言之有理。

6 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》

7 chaos
n.混乱，无秩序
参考例句：
After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。 The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

8 assortment
n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集
参考例句：
This shop has a good assortment of goods to choose from.该店各色货物俱全，任君选择。 She was wearing an odd assortment of clothes.她穿着奇装异服。

9 promptly
adv.及时地，敏捷地
参考例句：
He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。 She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

10 skull
n.头骨；颅骨
参考例句：
The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。 He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

11 parlor
n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅
参考例句：
She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。 Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？

12 perfectly
adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地
参考例句：
The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。 Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

13 investigation
n.调查，调查研究
参考例句：
In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。 He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

14 investigator
n.研究者，调查者，审查者
参考例句：
He was a special investigator for the FBI.他是联邦调查局的特别调查员。 The investigator was able to deduce the crime and find the criminal.调查者能够推出犯罪过程并锁定罪犯。

15 monotonous
adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的
参考例句：
She thought life in the small town was monotonous.她觉得小镇上的生活单调而乏味。 His articles are fixed in form and monotonous in content.他的文章千篇一律，一个调调儿。

16 dart
v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲
参考例句：
The child made a sudden dart across the road.那小孩突然冲过马路。 Markov died after being struck by a poison dart.马尔科夫身中毒镖而亡。

17 darts
n.掷飞镖游戏；飞镖( dart的名词复数 )；急驰，飞奔v.投掷，投射( dart的第三人称单数 )；向前冲，飞奔
参考例句：
His darts trophy takes pride of place on the mantelpiece. 他将掷镖奖杯放在壁炉顶上最显著的地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I never saw so many darts in a bodice! 我从没见过紧身胸衣上纳了这么多的缝褶！ 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 positively
adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实
参考例句：
She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。 The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

19 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。

20 offense
n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪
参考例句：
I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。 His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

21 chuckled
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。 She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。

22 expedient
adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计
参考例句：
The government found it expedient to relax censorship a little.政府发现略微放宽审查是可取的。 Every kind of expedient was devised by our friends.我们的朋友想出了各种各样的应急办法。

23 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。

24 sensational
adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的
参考例句：
Papers of this kind are full of sensational news reports.这类报纸满是耸人听闻的新闻报道。 Their performance was sensational.他们的演出妙极了。

25 descends
v.下来( descend的第三人称单数 )；下去；下降；下斜
参考例句：
This festival descends from a religious rite. 这个节日起源于宗教仪式。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The path descends steeply to the village. 小路陡直而下直到村子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 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。

27 meditatively
adv.冥想地
参考例句：
The old man looked meditatively at the darts board. 老头儿沉思不语，看着那投镖板。 来自英汉文学 "Well,'said the foreman, scratching his ear meditatively, "we do need a stitcher. “这--"工头沉思地搔了搔耳朵。 "我们确实需要一个缝纫工。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

28 dealing
n.经商方法，待人态度
参考例句：
This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。 His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

29 confidentially
ad.秘密地，悄悄地
参考例句：
She was leaning confidentially across the table. 她神神秘秘地从桌子上靠过来。 Kao Sung-nien and Wang Ch'u-hou talked confidentially in low tones. 高松年汪处厚两人低声密谈。

30 flustered
adj.慌张的；激动不安的v.使慌乱，使不安( fluster的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句：
The honking of horns flustered the boy. 汽车喇叭的叫声使男孩感到慌乱。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 She was so flustered that she forgot her reply. 她太紧张了，都忘记了该如何作答。 来自辞典例句

31 animation
n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作
参考例句：
They are full of animation as they talked about their childhood.当他们谈及童年的往事时都非常兴奋。 The animation of China made a great progress.中国的卡通片制作取得很大发展。

32 tabulate
v.列表，排成表格式
参考例句：
It took me ten hours to tabulate the results.我花了十个小时把结果制成表格。 Let me tabulate the results as follows.让我将结果列表如下。

33 motives
n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )
参考例句：
to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机 His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

34 adage
n.格言，古训
参考例句：
But the old adage that men grow into office has not proved true in my experience.但是，根据我的经验，人们所谓的工作岗位造就人材这句古话并不正确。 Her experience lends credence to the adage " We live and learn!"她的经验印证了一句格言: 活到老，学到老！

35 charing
n.炭化v.把…烧成炭，把…烧焦( char的现在分词 )；烧成炭，烧焦；做杂役女佣
参考例句：
We married in the chapel of Charing Cross Hospital in London. 我们是在伦敦查令十字医院的小教堂里结的婚。 来自辞典例句 No additional charge for children under12 charing room with parents. ☆十二岁以下小童与父母同房不另收费。 来自互联网

36 trespassed
（trespass的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
Here is the ringleader of the gang that trespassed on your grounds. 这就是侵犯你土地的那伙人的头子。 He trespassed against the traffic regulations. 他违反了交通规则。

37 amiability
n.和蔼可亲的，亲切的，友善的
参考例句：
His amiability condemns him to being a constant advisor to other people's troubles. 他那和蔼可亲的性格使他成为经常为他人排忧解难的开导者。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 I watched my master's face pass from amiability to sternness. 我瞧着老师的脸上从和蔼变成严峻。 来自辞典例句

38 amiable
adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的
参考例句：
She was a very kind and amiable old woman.她是个善良和气的老太太。 We have a very amiable companionship.我们之间存在一种友好的关系。

39 blurt
vt.突然说出，脱口说出
参考例句：
If you can blurt out 300 sentences,you can make a living in America.如果你能脱口而出300句英语，你可以在美国工作。 I will blurt out one passage every week.我每星期要脱口而出一篇短文！

40 idiotic
adj.白痴的
参考例句：
It is idiotic to go shopping with no money.去买东西而不带钱是很蠢的。 The child's idiotic deeds caused his family much trouble.那小孩愚蠢的行为给家庭带来许多麻烦。

41 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：
The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

42 scarlet
n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的
参考例句：
The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。 The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了，深红的颜色变成了绯红，绯红又变为浅红。

43 petal
n.花瓣
参考例句：
Each white petal had a stripe of red.每一片白色的花瓣上都有一条红色的条纹。 A petal fluttered to the ground.一片花瓣飘落到地上。

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