三幕悲剧 07-凯发k8官网

三幕悲剧 07
文章来源:未知 文章作者:enread 发布时间:2023-09-12 05:56 字体: [ ] 
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
7
sir charles and mr. satterthwaite were sitting in colonel johnson’s study. the chief 1 was a big red-faced man with a barrack- room voice and a 2 manner.
he had greeted mr. satterthwaite with every sign of pleasure and was obviously delighted to make the acquaintance of the famous charles cartwright.
“my missus is a great playgoer. she’s one of your - what do the americans call it? - fans. that’s it - fans. i like a good play myself - good clean stuff that is, some of the things they put on the stage nowadays - faugh!”
sir charles, conscious of rectitude in this respect - he had never put on “daring” plays, responded suitably with all his easy charm of manner. when they came to mention the object of their visit colonel johnson was only too ready to tell them he could.
“friend of yours, you say? too bad - too bad. yes, he was very popular round here. that sanatorium of his is very highly spoken of, and by all accounts sir bartholomew was a first-rate fellow, as well as being at the top of his profession. kind, generous, popular all round. last man in the world you’d expect to be murdered - and murder is what it looks like. there’s nothing to indicate suicide, and anything like accident seems out of the question.”
“satterthwaite and i have just come back from abroad,” said sir charles. “we’ve only seen snippets here and there in the papers.”
“and naturally you want to know all about it. well, i’ll tell you exactly how the matter stands. i think there’s no doubt the butler’s the man we’ve got to look for. he was a new man - sir bartholomew had only had him a fortnight, and the moment after the crime he disappears - vanishes into thin air. that looks a bit 3, doesn’t it? eh, what?”
“you’ve no notion where he went?”
colonel johnson’s naturally red face got a little redder.
“negligence on our part, you think. i admit it damn’ well looks like it. naturally the fellow was under observation - just the same as everyone else. he answered our questions quite satisfactorily - gave the london agency which obtained him the place. last employer, sir horace bird. all very civil spoken, no sign of panic. next thing was he’d gone - and the house under observation. i’ve hauled my men over the coals, but they swear they didn’t bat an 4.”
“very remarkable,” said mr. satterthwaite.
“apart from everything else,” said sir charles thoughtfully, “it seems a damn’ fool thing to do. as far as he knew, the man wasn’t suspected. by bolting he draws attention to himself.”
“exactly. and not a hope of escape. his description’s been circulated. it’s only a matter of days before he’s pulled in.”
“very odd,” said sir charles. “i don’t understand it.”
“oh, the reason’s clear enough. he lost his nerve. got the wind up suddenly.”
“wouldn’t a man who had the nerve to commit murder have the nerve to sit still 5?”
“depends. depends. i know criminals. chicken-livered, most of them. he thought he was suspected, and he bolted.”
“have you verified his own account of himself?”
“naturally, sir charles. that’s plain routine work. london agency confirms his story. he had a written reference from sir horace bird, recommending him warmly. sir horace himself is in east africa.”
“so the reference might have been forged?”
“exactly,” said colonel johnson, beaming upon sir charles, with the air of a schoolmaster congratulating a bright pupil. “we’ve wired to sir horace, of course, but it might be some little time before we get a reply. he’s on 6.”
“when did the man disappear?”
“morning after the death. there was a doctor present at the dinner - sir jocelyn campbell - bit of a toxicologist, i understand; he and davis (local man) agreed over the case, and our people were called in immediately. we interviewed everybody that night. ellis (that’s the butler) went to his room as usual and was missing in the morning. his bed hadn’t been slept in.”
“he slipped away under cover of the darkness?”
“seems so. one of the ladies staying there, miss sutcliffe, the actress - you know her, perhaps?”
“very well, indeed.”
“miss sutcliffe has made a suggestion to us. she suggested that the man had left the house through a secret passage.” he blew his nose apologetically. “sounds rather edgar wallace stuff, but it seems there was such a thing. sir bartholomew was rather proud of it. he showed it to miss sutcliffe. the end of it comes out among some fallen 7 about half a mile away.”
“that would be a possible explanation, certainly,” agreed sir charles. “only - would the butler know of the existence of such a passage?”
“that’s the point, of course. my missus always says servants know everything. daresay she’s right.”
“i understand the poison was 8,” said mr. satterthwaite.
“that’s right. most unusual stuff to use, i believe. comparatively rare. i understand if a man’s a heavy 9, such as the doctor was, it would tend to 10 matters. i mean, he might have died of nicotine poisoning in a natural way. only, of course, this business was too sudden for that.”
“how was it administered?”
“we don’t know,” admitted colonel johnson. “that’s going to be the weak part of the case. according to medical evidence, it could only have been swallowed a few minutes previous to death.”
“they were drinking port, i understand?”
“exactly. seems as though the stuff was in the port; but it wasn’t. we analysed his glass. that glass had contained port, and nothing but port. the other wine glasses had been cleared, of course, but they were all on a tray in the pantry, unwashed, and not one of them contained anything it shouldn’t. as for what he ate, it was the same as everybody else had. soup, 11 sole, pheasant and chipped potatoes, chocolate soufflé, soft 12 on toast. his cook’s been with him fifteen years. no, there doesn’t seem to be any way he could have been given the stuff, and yet there it is in the stomach. it’s a nasty problem.”
sir charles wheeled round on mr. satterthwaite.
“the same thing,” he said excitedly. “exactly the same as before.”
he turned apologetically to the chief constable.
“i must explain. a death occurred at my house in cornwall - ”
colonel johnson looked interested.
“i think i’ve heard about that. from a young lady - miss lytton 13.”
“yes, she was there. she told you about it?”
“she did. she was very set on her theory. but, you know, sir charles, i can’t believe there’s anything in that theory. it doesn’t explain the flight of the butler. your man didn’t disappear, by any chance?”
“haven’t got a man - only a parlourmaid.”
“she couldn’t have been a man in disguise?”
thinking of the smart and obviously feminine temple, sir charles smiled.
colonel johnson also smiled apologetically.
“just an idea,” he said. “no, i can’t say i put much reliance in miss lytton gore’s theory. i understand the death in question was an elderly clergyman. who would want to put an old clergyman out of the way?”
“that’s just the puzzling part of it,” said sir charles.
“i think you’ll find it’s just coincidence. depend on it, the butler’s our man. very likely he’s a regular criminal. unluckily we can’t find any of his finger-prints. we had a finger-print expert go over his bedroom and the butler’s pantry, but he had no luck.”
“if it was the butler, what 14 can you suggest?”
“that, of course, is one of our difficulties,” admitted colonel johnson. “the man might have been there with intent to steal, and sir bartholomew might have caught him out.”
both sir charles and mr. satterthwaite remained 15 silent. colonel johnson himself seemed to feel that the suggestion lacked 16.
“the fact of the matter is, one can only theorise. once we’ve got john ellis under lock and key and have found out who he is, and whether he’s ever been through our hands before - well, the motive may be as clear as day.”
“you’ve been through sir bartholomew’s papers, i suppose?”
“naturally, sir charles. we’ve given that side of the case every attention. i must introduce you to 17 crossfield, who has charge of the case. a most reliable man. i 18 out to him, and he was quick to agree with me, that sir bartholomew’s profession might have had something to do with the crime. a doctor knows many professional secrets. sir bartholomew’s papers were all 19 filed and docketed - his secretary, miss lyndon, went through them with crossfield.”
“and there was nothing?”
“nothing at all suggestive, sir charles.”
“was anything missing from the house - silver, jewellery, anything like that?”
“nothing 20.”
“who exactly was staying in the house?”
“i’ve got a list - now where is it? ah, i think crossfield has it. you must meet crossfield; as a matter of fact, i’m expecting him any minute now to report” - as a bell went - “that’s probably the man now.”
superintendent crossfield was a large, solid-looking man, rather slow of speech, but with a fairly keen blue eye.
he 21 his superior officer, and was introduced to the two visitors.
it is possible that had mr. satterthwaite been alone he would have found it hard to make crossfield unbend. crossfield didn’t hold with gentlemen from london - amateurs coming down with “ideas.” sir charles, however, was a different matter. superintendent crossfield had a childish 22 for the 23 of the stage. he had twice seen sir charles act, and the excitement and 24 of seeing this hero of the footlights in a flesh-an-blood manner made him as friendly and 25 as could be wished.
“i saw you in london, sir, i did. i was up with the wife. lord
aintree’s 26 -that’s what the play was. in the pit, i was - and the house was crowded out - we had to stand two hours beforehand. but nothing else would do for the wife. ‘i must see sir charles cartwright in lord aintree’s dilemma,’ she said. at the 27 mall theatre, it was.”
“well,” said sir charles, “i’ve 28 from the stage now, as you know. but they still know my name at the pall mall.” he took out a card and wrote a few words on it. “you give this to the people at the box office next time you and mrs. crossfield are having a 29 to town, and they’ll give you a couple of the best seats going.”
“i take that very 30 of you, sir charles - very kindly, indeed. my wife will be all worked up when i tell her about this.”
after this superintendent crossfield was as wax in the ex-actor’s hand.
“it’s an odd case, sir. never come across a case of nicotine poisoning before in all my experience. no more has our doctor davis.”
“i always thought it was a kind of disease you got from over- smoking.”
“to tell the truth, so did i, sir. but the doctor says that the pure alkaloid is an odourless liquid, and that a few drops of it are enough to kill a man almost instantaneously.”
sir charles whistled.
“potent stuff.”
“as you say, sir. and yet it’s in common use, as you might say. solutions are used to spray roses with. and of course it can be extracted from ordinary tobacco.”
“roses,” said sir charles. “now, where have i heard - ?”
he frowned, then shook his head.
“anything fresh to report, crossfield?” asked colonel johnson.
“nothing definite, sir. we’ve had reports that our man ellis has been seen at durham, at ipswich, at balham, at land’s end, and a dozen other places. that’s all got to be 31 out for what it’s worth. he turned to the other two. the moment a man’s description is circulated as wanted, he’s seen by someone all over england.”
“what is the man’s description?” asked sir charles.
johnson took up a paper.
“john ellis, medium height, say five-foot seven, stoops slightly, grey hair, small side whiskers, dark eyes, husky voice, tooth missing in upper 32, visible when he smiles, no special marks or characteristics.”
“h’m,” said sir charles. “very nondescript, bar the side whiskers and the tooth, and the first will be off by now, and you can’t rely on his smiling.”
“the trouble is,” said crossfield, “that nobody observes anything. the difficulty i had in getting anything but the vaguest description out of the maids at the abbey. it’s always the same. i’ve had descriptions of one and the same man, and he’s been called tall, thin, short, 33, medium height, thickset, slender - not one in fifty really uses their eyes properly.”
“you’re satisfied in you own mind, superintendent, that ellis is the man?”
“why else did he bolt, sir? you can’t get away from that.”
“that’s the stumbling block,” said sir charles thoughtfully. crossfield turned to colonel johnson and reported the measures that were being taken. the colonel nodded approval and then asked the superintendent for the list of 34 of the abbey on the night of the crime. this was handed to the two new inquirers. it ran as follows:
martha leckie, cook.beatrice church, upper-housemaid.
doris
cocker,
under-housemaid.
victoria
ball,
between-maid.
alice
west,
parlourmaid.
violet
bassington,
kitchenmaid.
(above have all been in service of deceased for some time and bear good character. mrs. leckie has been there for fifteen years.) gladys lyndon - secretary, thirty-three, has been secretary to sir bartholomew strange for three years, can give no information as
to
likely
motive.
guests:
lord
and
lady
eden,
187
cadogan
square.
sir jocelyn and lady campbell, 1256 harley street.
miss
angela
sutcliffe,
28
cantrell
35,
s.w.3.
captain and mrs. dacres, 3 st. john’s house, w.i.
(mrs. dacres carries on business as ambrosine, ltd., 36 street.) lady mary and miss hermione lytton gore, rose cottage, loomouth.
miss
muriel wills, 5 upper cathcart
road,
tooting.
mr. oliver manders, messrs. speier & ross, old broad street, e.c.2.
“h’m,” said sir charles. “the tooting touch was omitted by the papers. i see young manders was there, too.”
“that’s by the way of being an accident, sir,” said superintendent crossfield. “the young gentleman ran his car into a wall just by the abbey, and sir bartholomew, who i understood was slightly acquainted with him, asked him to stay the night.”
“careless thing to do,” said sir charles cheerfully.
“it was that, sir,” said superintendent. “in fact, i fancy myself the young gentleman must have had one over the eight, as the saying goes. what made him 37 the wall just where he did i can’t imagine, if he was sober at the time.”
“just high spirits, i expect,” said sir charles.
“spirits it was, in my opinion, sir.”
“well, thank you very much, superintendent. any objection to our going and having a look at the abbey, colonel johnson?”
“of course not, my dear sir. though i’m afraid you won’t learn much more there than i can tell you.”
“anybody there?”
“only the domestic staff, sir,” said crossfield. “the house-party left immediately after the inquest, and miss lyndon has returned to harley street.”
“we might, perhaps, see dr. - er - davis, too?” suggested mr. satterthwaite.
“good idea.”
they obtained the doctor’s address, and having thanked colonel johnson warmly for his kindness, they left.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 wppzg     
n.(英国)警察,警官
参考例句:
  • the constable conducted the suspect to the police station.警官把嫌疑犯带到派出所。
  • the constable kept his temper,and would not be provoked.那警察压制着自己的怒气,不肯冒起火来。
2 od1zn     
adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的
参考例句:
  • after work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了,他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
  • we accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。
3 ysgzzf     
adj. 值得怀疑的
参考例句:
  • it all sounds very fishy to me.所有这些在我听起来都很可疑。
  • there was definitely something fishy going on.肯定当时有可疑的事情在进行中。
4 zlcxj     
n.眼睑,眼皮
参考例句:
  • she lifted one eyelid to see what he was doing.她抬起一只眼皮看看他在做什么。
  • my eyelid has been tumid since yesterday.从昨天起,我的眼皮就肿了。
5 fk6y3     
adv.后来;以后
参考例句:
  • let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏,然后吃饭。
  • afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来,这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。
6 tcnz5     
n.远征旅行(探险、考察);探险队,狩猎队
参考例句:
  • when we go on safari we like to cook on an open fire.我们远行狩猎时,喜欢露天生火做饭。
  • they went on safari searching for the rare black rhinoceros.他们进行探险旅行,搜寻那稀有的黑犀牛。
7 y21yi     
n.砖土建筑;砖石
参考例句:
  • masonry is a careful skill.砖石工艺是一种精心的技艺。
  • the masonry of the old building began to crumble.旧楼房的砖石结构开始崩落。
8 qgoxj     
n.(化)尼古丁,烟碱
参考例句:
  • many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily.许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
  • many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily.许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
9 giqzkx     
n.吸烟者,吸烟车厢,吸烟室
参考例句:
  • his wife dislikes him to be a smoker.他妻子不喜欢他当烟民。
  • he is a moderate smoker.他是一个有节制的烟民。
10 zx1ya     
vt.使复杂化,使混乱,使难懂
参考例句:
  • there is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
  • these events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。
11 grilled     
adj. 烤的, 炙过的, 有格子的 动词grill的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句:
  • he was grilled for two hours before the police let him go. 他被严厉盘查了两个小时后,警察才放他走。
  • he was grilled until he confessed. 他被严加拷问,直到他承认为止。
12 ff631e8c4a5d2574abfbb459f7b420da     
n.獐( roe的名词复数 );獐鹿;鱼卵;鱼精液
参考例句:
  • thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins. 3你的两乳好像一对小鹿,就是母鹿双生的。 来自互联网
  • roes comes out with the strangest remarks at times. 罗斯不时地发表些极怪的议论。 来自互联网
13 gevzd     
n.凝血,血污;v.(动物)用角撞伤,用牙刺破;缝以补裆;顶
参考例句:
  • the fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
  • carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。
14 gfzxz     
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。
15 4v2z8o     
adv.有礼貌地,亲切地
参考例句:
  • he courteously opened the door for me.他谦恭有礼地为我开门。
  • presently he rose courteously and released her.过了一会,他就很客气地站起来,让她走开。
16 61dc2510cb0f5a78f45d67d5f7172f8f     
n. 似有道理, 能言善辩
参考例句:
  • we can add further plausibility to the above argument. 我们可以在上述论据之外,再进一步增添一个合理的论据。
  • let us consider the charges she faces, and the legal plausibility of those charges. 让我们考虑一下她面临的指控以及这些指控在法律上的可信性。
17 vstwv     
n.监督人,主管,总监;(英国)警务长
参考例句:
  • he was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of foreign trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
  • he decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。
18 il8zb4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • he gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • she wished to show mrs.john dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
19 ynzzbp     
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。
20 beqz8i     
adv.(用于否定句中以加强语气)任何;pron.无论什么
参考例句:
  • there's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
  • all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样,你就怎样对人。
21 1a86aa8dabc06746471537634e1a215f     
v.欢迎,致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 );赞扬,赞颂
参考例句:
  • the sergeant stood to attention and saluted. 中士立正敬礼。
  • he saluted his friends with a wave of the hand. 他挥手向他的朋友致意。 来自《简明英汉词典》
22 bbyzt     
n.敬畏,尊敬,尊严;reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称;v.尊敬,敬畏,崇敬
参考例句:
  • he was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
  • we reverence tradition but will not be fettered by it.我们尊重传统,但不被传统所束缚。
23 keizv     
n.魔力,魅力;vt.迷住
参考例句:
  • foreign travel has lost its glamour for her.到国外旅行对她已失去吸引力了。
  • the moonlight cast a glamour over the scene.月光给景色增添了魅力。
24 9stzg     
n.狂喜;全神贯注;着迷;v.使狂喜
参考例句:
  • his speech was received with rapture by his supporters.他的演说受到支持者们的热烈欢迎。
  • in the midst of his rapture,he was interrupted by his father.他正欢天喜地,被他父亲打断了。
25 eweyx     
adj.多嘴的,饶舌的
参考例句:
  • the normally loquacious mr o'reilly has said little.平常话多的奥赖利先生几乎没说什么。
  • kennedy had become almost as loquacious as joe.肯尼迪变得和乔一样唠叨了。
26 vlzzf     
n.困境,进退两难的局面
参考例句:
  • i am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
  • he was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。
27 hvwyp     
v.覆盖,使平淡无味;n.柩衣,棺罩;棺材;帷幕
参考例句:
  • already the allure of meals in restaurants had begun to pall.饭店里的饭菜已经不像以前那样诱人。
  • i find his books begin to pall on me after a while.我发觉他的书读过一阵子就开始对我失去吸引力。
28 njhzyv     
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的
参考例句:
  • the old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
  • many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。
29 f3dxj     
v.短程旅游;n.游览
参考例句:
  • they are off for a day's jaunt to the beach.他们出去到海边玩一天。
  • they jaunt about quite a lot,especially during the summer.他们常常到处闲逛,夏天更是如此。
30 tpuzhq     
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。
31 9e99ff7bb86944100bb6d7c842e48f39     
v.筛( sift的过去式和过去分词 );筛滤;细查;详审
参考例句:
  • she sifted through her papers to find the lost letter. 她仔细在文件中寻找那封丢失的信。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • she sifted thistles through her thistle-sifter. 她用蓟筛筛蓟。 来自《简明英汉词典》
32 5xgy9     
n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训
参考例句:
  • he delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
  • a strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。
33 pguzf     
adj.强壮的,粗大的,结实的,勇猛的,矮胖的
参考例句:
  • he cut a stout stick to help him walk.他砍了一根结实的枝条用来拄着走路。
  • the stout old man waddled across the road.那肥胖的老人一跩一跩地穿过马路。
34 9f4380ba14152f3e12fbdf1595415606     
n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • one of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • the inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》
35 55c599f36b2c0a2058258d6f2310fd20     
n.宅第,公馆,大厦( mansion的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • fifth avenue was boarded up where the rich had deserted their mansions. 第五大道上的富翁们已经出去避暑,空出的宅第都已锁好了门窗,钉上了木板。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
  • oh, the mansions, the lights, the perfume, the loaded boudoirs and tables! 啊,那些高楼大厦、华灯、香水、藏金收银的闺房还有摆满山珍海味的餐桌! 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
36 psiyg     
n.小河,溪;v.忍受,容让
参考例句:
  • in our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
  • the brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。
37 dtvxg     
(random access memory)随机存取存储器
参考例句:
  • 512k ram is recommended and 640k ram is preferred.推荐配置为512k内存,640k内存则更佳。
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