Nineteen
I
“I want to talk to you, Kirsty,” said Philip.
“Yes, of course, Philip.”
Kirsten Lindstrom paused in her task. She had just brought in somewashing which she was putting away in the chest of drawers.
“I want to talk to you about all this business,” said Philip. “You don’tmind, do you?”
“There is too much talk already,” said Kirsten. “That is my view.”
“But it would be as well, wouldn’t it,” said Philip, “to come to some con-clusion among ourselves. You know what’s going on at present, don’tyou?”
“Things are going wrong everywhere,” said Kirsten.
“Do you think Leo and Gwenda will ever get married now?”
“Why not?”
“Several reasons,” said Philip. “First of all, perhaps, because Leo Argylebeing an intelligent man, realizes that a marriage between him andGwenda will give the police what they want. A perfectly¹ good motive² forthe murder of his wife. Or, alternatively, because Leo suspects thatGwenda is the murderer. And being a sensitive man, he doesn’t really liketaking as a second wife the woman who killed his first wife. What do yousay to that?” he added.
“Nothing,” said Kirsten, “what should I say?”
“Playing it very close to your chest, aren’t you, Kirsty?”
“I don’t understand you.”
“Who are you covering up for, Kirsten?”
“I am not ‘covering up,’ as you call it, for anyone. I think there should beless talk and I think people should not stay on in this house. It is not goodfor them. I think you, Philip, should go home with your wife to your ownhome.”
“Oh, you do, do you? Why, in particular?”
“You are asking questions,” said Kirsten. “You are trying to find outthings. And your wife does not want you to do it. She is wiser than youare. You might find out something you did not want to find out, or that shedid not want you to find out. You should go home, Philip. You should gohome very soon.”
“I don’t want to go home,” said Philip. He spoke³ rather like a petulantsmall boy.
“That is what children say,” said Kirsten. “They say I don’t want to dothis and I don’t want to do that, but those who know more of life, who seebetter what is happening, have to

分享到：