顺水推舟26

时间：2025-01-30 17:25:27

（单词翻译:单击）

Sixteen
Superintendent1 Spence looked thoughtfully across his table at Beatrice Lippincott, who was sitting
with her lips compressed tightly together.
“Thank you, Miss Lippincott,” he said. “That’s all you can remember? I’ll have it typed
out for you to read and then if you wouldn’t mind signing it—”
“Oh, dear—I shan’t have to give evidence in a police court, I do hope.”
Superintendent Spence smiled appeasingly.
“Oh, we hope it mayn’t come to that,” he said mendaciously2.
“It may be suicide,” Beatrice suggested hopefully.
Superintendent Spence forbore to say that a suicide does not usually cave in the back of his
skull3 with a pair of steel fire tongs4. Instead, he replied in the same easy manner:
“Never any good jumping to conclusions. Thank you, Miss Lippincott. Very good of you to
come forward with this statement so promptly5.”
When she had been ushered6 out, he ran over her statement in his mind. He knew all about
Beatrice Lippincott, had a very good idea of how far her accuracy was to be depended upon. So
much for a conversation genuinely overhead and remembered. A little extra embroidery7 for
excitement’s sake. A little extra still because murder had been done in bedroom No. 5. But take
extras away and what remained was ugly and suggestive.
Superintendent Spence looked at the table in front of him. There was a wristwatch with a
smashed glass, a small gold lighter8 with initials on it, a lipstick9 in a gilt10 holder11, and a pair of heavy
steel fire tongs, the heavy head of which was stained a rusty12 brown.
Sergeant13 Graves looked in and said that Mr. Rowley Cloade was waiting. Spence nodded and
the Sergeant showed Rowley in.
Just as he knew all about Beatrice Lippincott, so the Superintendent knew all about Rowley
Cloade. If Rowley had come to the police station, it was because Rowley had got something to say
and that something would be solid, reliable and unimaginative. It would, in fact, be worth hearing.
At the same time, Rowley being a deliberate type of person, it would take some time to say. And
you couldn’t hurry the Rowley Cloade type. If you did, they became rattled14, repeated
themselves, and generally took twice as long….
“Good morning, Mr. Cloade. Pleased to see you. Can you throw any light on this problem of
ours? The man who was killed at the Stag.”
Rather to Spence’s surprise, Rowley began with a question. He asked abruptly16:
“Have you identified the fellow?”
“No,” said Spence slowly. “I wouldn’t say we had. He signed the register Enoch Arden.
There’s nothing in his possession to show he was Enoch Arden.”
Rowley frowned.
“Isn’t that—rather odd?”
It was exceedingly odd, but Superintendent Spence did not propose to discuss with Rowley
Cloade just how odd he thought it was. Instead he said pleasantly: “Come now, Mr. Cloade,
I’m the one who asks the questions. You went to see the dead man last night. Why?”
“You know Beatrice Lippincott, Superintendent? At the Stag.”
“Yes, of course. And,” said the Superintendent, taking what he hoped would be a short cut,
“I’ve heard her story. She came to me with it.”
Rowley looked relieved.
“Good. I was afraid she mightn’t want to be mixed up with a police matter. These people are
funny that way sometimes.” The Superintendent nodded. “Well, then, Beatrice told me what
she’d overheard and it seemed to me—I don’t know if it does to you—decidedly fishy18. What I
mean is—we’re, well, we’re interested parties.”
Again the Superintendent nodded. He had taken a keen local interest in Gordon Cloade’s
death and in common with general local opinion he considered that Gordon’s family had been
badly treated. He endorsed19 the common opinion that Mrs. Gordon Cloade “wasn’t a lady,”
and that Mrs. Gordon Cloade’s brother was one of those young firebrand Commandos who,
though they had had their uses in time of war, were to be looked at askance in peacetime.
“I don’t suppose I need explain to you, Superintendent, that if Mrs. Gordon’s first husband
is still alive, it will make a big difference to us as a family. This story of Beatrice’s was the first
intimation I had that such a state of affairs might exist. I’d never dreamed of such a thing.
Thought she was definitely a widow. And I may say it shook me up a lot. Took me a bit of time to
realize it, as you might say. You know, I had to let it soak in.”
Spence nodded again. He could see Rowley slowly ruminating20 the matter, turning it over and
over in his mind.
“First of all I thought I’d better get my uncle on to it—the lawyer one.”
“Mr. Jeremy Cloade?”
“Yes, so I went along there. Must have been some time after eight. They were still at dinner
and I sat down in old Jeremy’s study to wait for him, and I went on turning things over in my
mind.”
“Yes?”
“And finally I came to the conclusion that I’d do a bit more myself before getting my uncle
on to it. Lawyers, Superintendent, are all the same, I’ve found. Very slow, very cautious, and
have to be absolutely sure of their facts before they’ll move in a matter. The information I’d
got had come to me in a rather hole-and-corner manner—and I wondered if old Jeremy might hem15
and haw a bit about acting21 on it. I decided17 I’d go along to the Stag and see this Johnnie for
myself.”
“And you did so?”
“Yes. I went right back to the Stag—”
“At what time was this?”
Rowley pondered.
“Lemme see, I must have got to Jeremy’s about twenty past eight or thereabouts—five
minutes—well, I wouldn’t like to say exactly, Spence—after half-past eight—perhaps about
twenty to nine?”
“Yes, Mr. Cloade?”
“I knew where the bloke was—Bee had mentioned the number of his room—so I went right
up and knocked at the door and he said, ‘Come in,’ and I went in.”
Rowley paused.
“Somehow I don’t think I handled the business very well. I thought when I went in that I was
the one who was on top. But the fellow must have been rather a clever fellow. I couldn’t pin him
down to anything definite. I thought he’d be frightened when I hinted he’d been doing a spot of
blackmail22, but it just seemed to amuse him. He asked me—damned cheek—if I was in the market
too? ‘You can’t play your dirty game with me,’ I said. ‘I’ve nothing to hide.’ And he
said rather nastily that that wasn’t his meaning. The point was, he said, that he’d got something
to sell and was I a buyer? ‘What do you mean?’ I said. He said: ‘How much will you—or the
family generally—pay me for the definite proof that Robert Underhay, reported dead in Africa, is
really alive and kicking?’ I asked him why the devil we should pay anything at all? And he
laughed and said, ‘Because I’ve got a client coming this evening who certainly will pay a very
substantial sum for proof positive that Robert Underhay is dead.’ Then—well, then, I’m afraid
I rather lost my temper and told him that my family weren’t used to doing that kind of dirty
business. If Underhay was really alive, I said, the fact ought to be quite easy to establish. Upon
that I was just stalking out when he laughed and said in what was really rather a queer tone, ‘I
don’t think you’ll prove it without my cooperation.’ Funny sort of way he said that.”
“And then?”
“Well, frankly23, I went home rather disturbed. Felt, you know, that I’d messed things up.
Rather wished I’d left it to old Jeremy to tackle after all. I mean, dash it all, a lawyer’s used to
dealing24 with slippery customers.”
“What time did you leave the Stag?”
“I’ve no idea. Wait a sec. Must have been just before nine because I heard the pips for the
news as I was going along the village—through one of the windows.”
“Did Arden say who it was he was expecting? The ‘client?’”
“No. I took it for granted it was David Hunter. Who else could it be?”
“He didn’t seem in any way alarmed by the prospect25?”
“I tell you the fellow was thoroughly26 pleased with himself and on top of the world!”
Spence indicated with a slight gesture the heavy steel tongs.
“Did you notice these in the grate, Mr. Cloade?”
“Those? No—I don’t think so. The fire wasn’t lit.” He frowned, trying to visualize27 the
scene. “There were fire irons in the grate, I’m sure, but I can’t say I noticed what they
were.” He added, “Was that what—”
Spence nodded.
“Smashed his skull in.”
Rowley frowned.
“Funny. Hunter’s a lightly built chap—Arden was a big man—powerful.”
The Superintendent said in a colourless voice:
“The medical evidence is that he was struck down from behind and that the blows delivered
with the head of the tongs were struck from above.”
Rowley said thoughtfully:
“Of course he was a cocksure sort of a bloke—but all the same I wouldn’t have turned my
back with a fellow in the room whom I was trying to bleed white and who’d done some pretty
tough fighting in the war. Arden can’t have been a very cautious sort of chap.”
“If he had been cautious very likely he’d be alive now,” said the Superintendent dryly.
“I wish to God he was,” said Rowley fervently28. “As it is I feel I’ve mucked things up
thoroughly. If only I hadn’t got on my high horse and stalked off, I might have got something
useful out of him. I ought to have pretended that we were in the market, but the thing’s so
damned silly. I mean, who are we to bid against Rosaleen and David? They’ve got the cash.
None of us could raise five hundred pounds between us.”
The Superintendent picked up the gold lighter.
“Seen this before?”
A crease29 appeared between Rowley’s brows. He said slowly:
“I’ve seen it somewhere, yes, but I can’t remember where. Not very long ago. No—I
can’t remember.”
Spence did not give the lighter into Rowley’s outstretched hand. He put it down and picked up
the lipstick, unsheathing it from its case.
“And this?”
Rowley grinned.
“Really, that’s not in my line, Superintendent.”
Thoughtfully, Spence smeared30 a little on the back of his hand. He put his head on one side,
studying it appreciatively.
“Brunette colouring, I should say,” he remarked.
“Funny things you policemen know,” said Rowley. He got up. “And you don’t—definitely
do not—know who the dead man was?”
“Have you any idea yourself, Mr. Cloade?”
“I only wondered,” said Rowley slowly. “I mean — this fellow was our only clue to
Underhay. Now that he’s dead—well, looking for Underhay is going to be like looking for a
needle in a haystack.”
“There’ll be publicity31, Mr. Cloade,” said Spence. “Remember that in due course a lot of
this will appear in the press. If Underhay is alive and comes to read about it—well, he may come
forward.”
“Yes,” said Rowley doubtfully. “He may.”
“But you don’t think so?”
“I think,” said Rowley Cloade, “that Round One has gone to David Hunter.”
“I wonder,” said Spence. As Rowley went out, Spence picked up the gold lighter and looked
at the initials D.H. on it. “Expensive bit of work,” he said to Sergeant Graves. “Not mass
produced. Quite easily identified. Greatorex or one of those Bond Street places. Have it seen to!”
“Yes, sir.”
Then the Superintendent looked at the wristwatch — the glass was smashed and the hands
pointed32 to ten minutes past nine.
He looked at the Sergeant.
“Got the report on this, Graves?”
“Yes, sir. Mainspring’s broken.”
“And the mechanism33 of the hands?”
“Quite all right, sir.”
“What, in your opinion, Graves, does the watch tell us?”
Graves murmured warily34, “Seems as though it might give us the time the crime was
committed.”
“Ah,” said Spence, “when you’ve been as long in the Force as I have, you’ll be a leetle
suspicious of anything so convenient as a smashed watch. It can be genuine—but it’s a well-
known hoary35 old trick. Turn the hands of a watch to a time that suits you—smash it—and out with
some virtuous36 alibi37. But you don’t catch an old bird that way. I’m keeping a very open mind on
the subject of the time this crime was committed. Medical evidence is: between 8 p.m. and 11
p.m.”
Sergeant Graves cleared his throat.
“Edwards, second gardener at Furrowbank, says he saw David Hunter coming out of a side
door there about 7:30. The maids didn’t know he was down here. They thought he was up in
London with Mrs. Gordon. Shows he was in the neighbourhood all right.”
“Yes,” said Spence. “I’ll be interested to hear Hunter’s own account of his doings.”
“Seems like a clear case, sir,” said Graves, looking at the initials on the lighter.
“H’m,” said the Superintendent. “There’s still this to account for.”
He indicated the lipstick.
“It had rolled under the chest of drawers, sir. Might have been there some time.”
“I’ve checked up,” said Spence. “The last time a woman occupied that room was three
weeks ago. I know service isn’t up to much nowadays—but I still think they run a mop under the
furniture once in three weeks. The Stag is kept pretty clean and tidy on the whole.”
“There’s been no suggestion of a woman being mixed up with Arden.”
“I know,” said the Superintendent. “That’s why that lipstick is what I call the unknown
quantity.”
Sergeant Graves refrained from saying “Cherchez la femme.” He had a very good French
accent and he knew better than to irritate Superintendent Spence by drawing attention to it.
Sergeant Graves was a tactful young man.

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1 superintendent 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。
2 mendaciously 947e425540defab6ef1185528dad81c1     
参考例句：
3 skull CETyO     
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。
4 tongs ugmzMt     
n.钳；夹子
参考例句：
  • She used tongs to put some more coal on the fire.她用火钳再夹一些煤放进炉子里。
  • He picked up the hot metal with a pair of tongs.他用一把钳子夹起这块热金属。
5 promptly LRMxm     
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。
6 ushered d337b3442ea0cc4312a5950ae8911282     
v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
  • A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 embroidery Wjkz7     
n.绣花，刺绣；绣制品
参考例句：
  • This exquisite embroidery won people's great admiration.这件精美的绣品，使人惊叹不已。
  • This is Jane's first attempt at embroidery.这是简第一次试着绣花。
8 lighter 5pPzPR     
n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级
参考例句：
  • The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
  • The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。
9 lipstick o0zxg     
n.口红，唇膏
参考例句：
  • Taking out her lipstick,she began to paint her lips.她拿出口红，开始往嘴唇上抹。
  • Lipstick and hair conditioner are cosmetics.口红和护发素都是化妆品。
10 gilt p6UyB     
adj.镀金的；n.金边证券
参考例句：
  • The plates have a gilt edge.这些盘子的边是镀金的。
  • The rest of the money is invested in gilt.其余的钱投资于金边证券。
11 holder wc4xq     
n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物
参考例句：
  • The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
  • That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。
12 rusty hYlxq     
adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的
参考例句：
  • The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
  • I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用，我的法语又荒疏了。
13 sergeant REQzz     
n.警官，中士
参考例句：
  • His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
  • How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？
14 rattled b4606e4247aadf3467575ffedf66305b     
慌乱的，恼火的
参考例句：
  • The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
  • Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。
15 hem 7dIxa     
n.贴边，镶边；vt.缝贴边；(in)包围，限制
参考例句：
  • The hem on her skirt needs sewing.她裙子上的褶边需要缝一缝。
  • The hem of your dress needs to be let down an inch.你衣服的折边有必要放长1英寸。
16 abruptly iINyJ     
adv.突然地，出其不意地
参考例句：
  • He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
  • I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。
17 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
18 fishy 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。
19 endorsed a604e73131bb1a34283a5ebcd349def4     
vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品
参考例句：
  • The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》
20 ruminating 29b02bd23c266a224e13df488b3acca0     
v.沉思( ruminate的现在分词 )；反复考虑；反刍；倒嚼
参考例句：
  • He sat there ruminating and picking at the tablecloth. 他坐在那儿沉思，轻轻地抚弄着桌布。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He is ruminating on what had happened the day before. 他在沉思前一天发生的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》
21 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的
参考例句：
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。
22 blackmail rRXyl     
n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓
参考例句：
  • She demanded ＄1000 blackmail from him.她向他敲诈了1000美元。
  • The journalist used blackmail to make the lawyer give him the documents.记者讹诈那名律师交给他文件。
23 frankly fsXzcf     
adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说
参考例句：
  • To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
  • Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。
24 dealing NvjzWP     
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。
25 prospect P01zn     
n.前景，前途；景色，视野
参考例句：
  • This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
  • The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。
26 thoroughly sgmz0J     
adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地
参考例句：
  • The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
  • The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。
27 visualize yeJzsZ     
vt.使看得见，使具体化，想象，设想
参考例句：
  • I remember meeting the man before but I can't visualize him.我记得以前见过那个人，但他的样子我想不起来了。
  • She couldn't visualize flying through space.她无法想像在太空中飞行的景象。
28 fervently 8tmzPw     
adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地
参考例句：
  • "Oh, I am glad!'she said fervently. “哦，我真高兴！”她热烈地说道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • O my dear, my dear, will you bless me as fervently to-morrow?' 啊，我亲爱的，亲爱的，你明天也愿这样热烈地为我祝福么？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
29 crease qo5zK     
n.折缝，褶痕，皱褶；v.(使)起皱
参考例句：
  • Does artificial silk crease more easily than natural silk?人造丝比天然丝更易起皱吗？
  • Please don't crease the blouse when you pack it.包装时请不要将衬衫弄皱了。
30 smeared c767e97773b70cc726f08526efd20e83     
弄脏； 玷污； 涂抹； 擦上
参考例句：
  • The children had smeared mud on the walls. 那几个孩子往墙上抹了泥巴。
  • A few words were smeared. 有写字被涂模糊了。
31 publicity ASmxx     
n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告
参考例句：
  • The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
  • He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。
32 pointed 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。
33 mechanism zCWxr     
n.机械装置；机构，结构
参考例句：
  • The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
  • The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。
34 warily 5gvwz     
adv.留心地
参考例句：
  • He looked warily around him,pretending to look after Carrie.他小心地看了一下四周，假装是在照顾嘉莉。
  • They were heading warily to a point in the enemy line.他们正小心翼翼地向着敌人封锁线的某一处前进。
35 hoary Jc5xt     
adj.古老的；鬓发斑白的
参考例句：
  • They discussed the hoary old problem.他们讨论老问题。
  • Without a word spoken,he hurried away,with his hoary head bending low.他什么也没说，低着白发苍苍的头，匆匆地走了。
36 virtuous upCyI     
adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的
参考例句：
  • She was such a virtuous woman that everybody respected her.她是个有道德的女性，人人都尊敬她。
  • My uncle is always proud of having a virtuous wife.叔叔一直为娶到一位贤德的妻子而骄傲。
37 alibi bVSzb     
n.某人当时不在犯罪现场的申辩或证明；借口
参考例句：
  • Do you have any proof to substantiate your alibi? 你有证据表明你当时不在犯罪现场吗？
  • The police are suspicious of his alibi because he already has a record.警方对他不在场的辩解表示怀疑，因为他已有前科。

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