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Chapter 57 The Beginning of the Search for the Key and the Coat
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When Madame Goesler revealed her plans and ideas to Mr Wickerby, the attorney, who had been employed to bring Phineas Finn through his troubles, that gentleman evidently did not think much of the unprofessional assistance which the lady proposed to give him. “I’m afraid it is far-fetched, Ma’am — if you understand what I mean,” said Mr Wickerby. Madame Goesler declared that she understood very well what Mr Wickerby meant, but that she could hardly agree with him. “According to that the gentleman must have plotted the murder more than a month before he committed it,” said Mr Wickerby.
“And why not?”
“Murder plots are generally the work of a few hours at the longest, Madame Goesler. Anger, combined with an indifference1 to self-sacrifice, does not endure the wear of many days. And the object here was insufficient2. I don’t think we can ask to have the trial put off in order to find out whether a false key may have been made in Prague.”
“And you will not look for the coat?”
“We can look for it, and probably get it, if the woman has not lied to you; but I don’t think it will do us any good. The woman probably is lying. You have been paying her very liberally, so that she has been making an excellent livelihood3 out of the murder. No jury would believe her. And a grey coat is a very common thing. After all, it would prove nothing. It would only let the jury know that Mr Meager4 had a grey coat as well as Mr Finn. That Mr Finn wore a grey coat on that night is a fact which we can’t upset. If you got hold of Meager’s coat you wouldn’t be a bit nearer to proof that Emilius had worn it.”
“There would be the fact that he might have worn it.”
“Madame Goesler, indeed it would not help our client. You see what are the difficulties in our way. Mr Finn was on the spot at the moment, or so near it as to make it certainly possible that he might have been there. There is no such evidence as to Emilius, even if he could be shown to have had a latch-key. The man was killed by such an instrument as Mr Finn had about him. There is no evidence that Mr Emilius had such an instrument in his hand. A tall man in a grey coat was seen hurrying to the spot at the exact hour. Mr Finn is a tall man and wore a grey coat at the time. Emilius is not a tall man, and, even though Meager had a grey coat, there is no evidence to show that Emilius ever wore it. Mr Finn had quarelled violently with Mr Bonteen within the hour. It does not appear that Emilius ever quarelled with Mr Bonteen, though Mr Bonteen had exerted himself in
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1
indifference
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n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎 | |
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2
insufficient
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adj.(for,of)不足的,不够的 | |
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3
livelihood
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n.生计,谋生之道 | |
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4
meager
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adj.缺乏的,不足的,瘦的 | |
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5
opposition
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n.反对,敌对 | |
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6
alibi
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n.某人当时不在犯罪现场的申辩或证明;借口 | |
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7
affix
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n.附件,附录 vt.附贴,盖(章),签署 | |
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8
inflict
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vt.(on)把…强加给,使遭受,使承担 | |
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9
unwilling
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adj.不情愿的 | |
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10
shuddered
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v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动 | |
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11
horrid
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adj.可怕的;令人惊恐的;恐怖的;极讨厌的 | |
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12
averse
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adj.厌恶的;反对的,不乐意的 | |
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13
chancellor
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n.(英)大臣;法官;(德、奥)总理;大学校长 | |
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monk
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n.和尚,僧侣,修道士 | |
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15
bishop
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n.主教,(国际象棋)象 | |
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16
innocence
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n.无罪;天真;无害 | |
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17
shrugged
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vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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18
acquitted
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宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 ); 使(自己)作出某种表现 | |
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19
guilt
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n.犯罪;内疚;过失,罪责 | |
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adherent
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n.信徒,追随者,拥护者 | |
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21
zeal
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n.热心,热情,热忱 | |
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22
lieutenancy
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n.中尉之职,代理官员 | |
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23
radical
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n.激进份子,原子团,根号;adj.根本的,激进的,彻底的 | |
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propensities
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n.倾向,习性( propensity的名词复数 ) | |
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inclination
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n.倾斜;点头;弯腰;斜坡;倾度;倾向;爱好 | |
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26
bestow
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v.把…赠与,把…授予;花费 | |
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foretell
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v.预言,预告,预示 | |
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prosecution
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n.起诉,告发,检举,执行,经营 | |
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exchequer
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n.财政部;国库 | |
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entrusted
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v.委托,托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
aged
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adj.年老的,陈年的 | |
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32
practitioner
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n.实践者,从事者;(医生或律师等)开业者 | |
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33
fangs
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n.(尤指狗和狼的)长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 );(蛇的)毒牙;罐座 | |
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34
sergeant
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n.警官,中士 | |
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judiciously
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adv.明断地,明智而审慎地 | |
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36
courageous
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adj.勇敢的,有胆量的 | |
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eloquent
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adj.雄辩的,口才流利的;明白显示出的 | |
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painstaking
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adj.苦干的;艰苦的,费力的,刻苦的 | |
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throng
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n.人群,群众;v.拥挤,群集 | |
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conspicuous
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adj.明眼的,惹人注目的;炫耀的,摆阔气的 | |
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sundry
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adj.各式各样的,种种的 | |
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42
postponed
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vt.& vi.延期,缓办,(使)延迟vt.把…放在次要地位;[语]把…放在后面(或句尾)vi.(疟疾等)延缓发作(或复发) | |
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improper
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adj.不适当的,不合适的,不正确的,不合礼仪的 | |
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devoted
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adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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45
exclusion
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n.拒绝,排除,排斥,远足,远途旅行 | |
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repudiated
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v.(正式地)否认( repudiate的过去式和过去分词 );拒绝接受;拒绝与…往来;拒不履行(法律义务) | |
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impeded
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阻碍,妨碍,阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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honourable
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adj.可敬的;荣誉的,光荣的 | |
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ovation
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n.欢呼,热烈欢迎,热烈鼓掌 | |
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