CHAPTER 29 Accident

"Arm, imm?,, l," said Rhoda. "No, really, Anne, don't answer with half your mind on a crossword¹ puzzlel I want you to attend to me." "I am attending." Anne sat bolt upright and put down the paper. "That's better. Look here, Anne." Bhoda hesitated. "About this man coming." "Superintendent² Battle?" "Yes. Anne, I wish you'd tell him--about being at the Bensons'." Anne's voice grew rather cold. "Nonsense. Why should I?" "Becausewell, it might look--as though you'd been keeping something back. I'm sure it would be better to mention it." "I can't very well now," said Anne coldly. "I wish you had in the first place." "Well, it's too late to bother about that now." "Yes." Rhoda did not sound convinced. Anne said rather irritably³: "In any case, I can't see why. It's got nothing to do with all this." "No, of course not." "I was only there about two months. He only wants these things as--well--references. Two months doesn't count." "No, I know. I expect I'm being foolish, but it does worry me rather. I feel you ought to mention it. You see, if it came out some other way, it might look rather bad--your keeping dark about it, I mean." "I don't see how it can come out. Nobody knows but you." "N-no?" Anne pounced⁴ on the slight hesitation⁵ in Rhoda's voice. "Why, who does know?" "Well, every one at Combeacre," said Rhoda after a moment's pause. "Oh, that!" Anne dismissed it with a shrug⁶. "The superintendent isn't likely to come up against any one from there. It would be an extraordinary coincidence ffhe did." "Coincidences happen." "Rhoda, you're being extraordinary about this. Fuss, fuss, fuss." "I'm terribly sorry, darling. Only you know what the police might be like if they thought you werewell hiding things." "They won't know. Who's to tell them? Nobody knows but you." It was the second time she had said those words. At this second repetition her voice changed a little--something queer and

分享到：