顺水推舟39

时间：2025-01-30 17:30:46

（单词翻译:单击）

Ten
It was past eight o’clock when Poirot got back to the Stag. He found a note from Frances Cloade
asking him to come and see her. He went out at once.
She was waiting for him in the drawing room. He had not seen that room before. The open
windows gave on a walled garden with pear trees in bloom. There were bowls of tulips on the
tables. The old furniture shone with beeswax and elbow grease and the brass1 of the fender and
coal scuttle2 were brightly gleaming.
It was, Poirot thought, a very beautiful room.
“You said I should want you, M. Poirot. You were quite right. There is something that must be
told—and I think you are the best person to tell it to.”
“It is always easier, Madame, to tell a thing to someone who already has a very good idea of
what it is.”
“You think you know what I am going to say?”
Poirot nodded.
“Since when—”
She left the question unfinished, but he replied promptly3:
“Since the moment when I saw the photograph of your father. The features of your family are
very strongly marked. One could not doubt that you and he were of the same family. The
resemblance was equally strong in the man who came here calling himself Enoch Arden.”
She sighed—a deep unhappy sigh.
“Yes—yes, you’re right—although poor Charles had a beard. He was my second cousin, M.
Poirot, somewhat the black sheep of the family. I never knew him very well but we played
together as children—and now I’ve brought him to his death—an ugly sordid4 death—”
She was silent for a moment or two. Poirot said gently:
“You will tell me—”
She roused herself.
“Yes, the story has got to be told. We were desperate for money—that’s where it begins. My
husband—my husband was in serious trouble—the worst kind of trouble. Disgrace, perhaps
imprisonment5 lay ahead of him—still lies ahead of him for that matter. Now understand this, M.
Poirot, the plan I made and carried out was my plan; my husband had nothing to do with it. It
wasn’t his sort of plan in any case—it would have been far too risky6. But I’ve never minded
taking risks. And I’ve always been, I suppose, rather unscrupulous. First of all, let me say, I
applied8 to Rosaleen Cloade for a loan. I don’t know whether, left to herself, she would have
given it to me or not. But her brother stepped in. He was in an ugly mood and he was, or so I
thought, unnecessarily insulting. When I thought of this scheme I had no scruples9 at all about
putting it into operation.
“To explain matters, I must tell you that my husband had repeated to me last year a rather
interesting piece of information which he had heard at his club. You were there, I believe, so I
needn’t repeat it in detail. But it opened up the possibility that Rosaleen’s first husband might
not be dead—and of course in that case she would have no right at all to any of Gordon’s money.
It was, of course, only a vague possibility, but it was there at the back of our minds, a sort of
outside chance that might possibly come true. And it flashed into my mind that something could
be done by using that possibility. Charles, my cousin, was in this country, down on his luck.
He’s been in prison, I’m afraid, and he wasn’t a scrupulous7 person, but he did well in the war.
I put the proposition before him. It was, of course, blackmail10, neither more nor less. But we
thought that we had a good chance of getting away with it. At worst, I thought, David Hunter
would refuse to play. I didn’t think that he would go to the police about it—people like him
aren’t fond of the police.”
Her voice hardened.
“Our scheme went well. David fell for it better than we hoped. Charles, of course, could not
definitely pose as ‘Robert Underhay.’ Rosaleen could give that away in a moment. But
fortunately she went up to London and that left Charles a chance of at least suggesting that he
might be Robert Underhay. Well, as I say, David appeared to be falling for the scheme. He was to
bring the money on Tuesday evening at nine o’clock. Instead—”
Her voice faltered11.
“We should have known that David was—a dangerous person. Charles is dead—murdered—
and but for me he would be alive. I sent him to his death.”
After a little she went on in a dry voice:
“You can imagine what I have felt like ever since.”
“Nevertheless,” said Poirot, “you were quick enough to see a further development of the
scheme? It was you who induced Major Porter to identify your cousin as ‘Robert
Underhay?’”
But at once she broke out vehemently12:
“No, I swear to you, no. Not that! No one was more astonished… Astonished? We were
dumbfounded! when this Major Porter came down and gave evidence that Charles—Charles!—
was Robert Underhay. I couldn’t understand it—I still can’t understand it!”
“But someone went to Major Porter. Someone persuaded him or bribed13 him—to identify the
dead man as Underhay?”
Frances said decisively:
“It was not I. And it was not Jeremy. Neither of us would do such a thing. Oh, I dare say that
sounds absurd to you! You think that because I was ready to blackmail, that I would stoop just as
easily to fraud. But in my mind the two things are worlds apart. You must understand that I felt—
indeed I still feel—that we have a right to a portion of Gordon’s money. What I had failed to get
by fair means I was prepared to get by foul14. But deliberately15 to swindle Rosaleen out of
everything, by manufacturing evidence that she was not Gordon’s wife at all—oh, no, indeed, M.
Poirot, I would not do a thing like that. Please, please, believe me.”
“I will at least admit,” said Poirot slowly, “that every one has their own particular sins. Yes,
I will believe that.”
Then he looked at her sharply.
“Do you know, Mrs. Cloade, that Major Porter shot himself this afternoon?”
She shrank back, her eyes wide and horrified16.
“Oh, no, M. Poirot—no!”
“Yes, Madame. Major Porter, you see, was au fond an honest man. Financially he was in very
low water, and when temptation came he, like many other men, failed to resist it. It may have
seemed to him, he can have made himself feel, that his lie was almost morally justified17. He was
already deeply prejudiced in his mind against the woman his friend Underhay had married. He
considered that she had treated his friend disgracefully. And now this heartless little gold digger
had married a millionaire and had got away with her second husband’s fortune to the detriment18
of his own flesh and blood. It must have seemed tempting19 to him to put a spoke20 in her wheel—no
more than she deserved. And merely by identifying a dead man he himself would be made secure
for the future. When the Cloades got their rights, he would get his cut…Yes—I can see the
temptation… But like many men of his type he lacked imagination. He was unhappy, very
unhappy, at the inquest. One could see that. In the near future he would have to repeat his lie upon
oath. Not only that; a man was now arrested, charged with murder—and the identity of the dead
man supplied a very potent21 motive22 for that charge.
“He went back home and faced things squarely. He took the way out that seemed best to
him.”
“He shot himself?”
“Yes.”
Frances murmured: “He didn’t say who—who—”
Slowly Poirot shook his head.
“He had his code. There was no reference whatever as to who had instigated23 him to commit
perjury24.”
He watched her closely. Was there an instant flash of relief, of relaxed tension? Yes, but that
might be natural enough in any case….
She got up and walked to the window. She said:
“So we are back where we were.”
Poirot wondered what was passing in her mind.

分享到：


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 brass DWbzI     
n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器
参考例句：
  • Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
  • Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
2 scuttle OEJyw     
v.急赶，疾走，逃避；n.天窗；舷窗
参考例句：
  • There was a general scuttle for shelter when the rain began to fall heavily.下大雨了，人们都飞跑着寻找躲雨的地方。
  • The scuttle was open,and the good daylight shone in.明朗的亮光从敞开的小窗中照了进来。
3 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。
4 sordid PrLy9     
adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的
参考例句：
  • He depicts the sordid and vulgar sides of life exclusively.他只描写人生肮脏和庸俗的一面。
  • They lived in a sordid apartment.他们住在肮脏的公寓房子里。
5 imprisonment I9Uxk     
n.关押，监禁，坐牢
参考例句：
  • His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
  • He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。
6 risky IXVxe     
adj.有风险的，冒险的
参考例句：
  • It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
  • He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。
7 scrupulous 6sayH     
adj.审慎的，小心翼翼的，完全的，纯粹的
参考例句：
  • She is scrupulous to a degree.她非常谨慎。
  • Poets are not so scrupulous as you are.诗人并不像你那样顾虑多。
8 applied Tz2zXA     
adj.应用的；v.应用，适用
参考例句：
  • She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
  • This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。
9 scruples 14d2b6347f5953bad0a0c5eebf78068a     
n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
  • I overcame my moral scruples. 我抛开了道德方面的顾虑。
  • I'm not ashamed of my scruples about your family. They were natural. 我并未因为对你家人的顾虑而感到羞耻。这种感觉是自然而然的。 来自疯狂英语突破英语语调
10 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。
11 faltered d034d50ce5a8004ff403ab402f79ec8d     
（嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃
参考例句：
  • He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
  • "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”
12 vehemently vehemently     
adv. 热烈地
参考例句：
  • He argued with his wife so vehemently that he talked himself hoarse. 他和妻子争论得很激烈，以致讲话的声音都嘶哑了。
  • Both women vehemently deny the charges against them. 两名妇女都激烈地否认了对她们的指控。
13 bribed 1382e59252debbc5bd32a2d1f691bd0f     
v.贿赂( bribe的过去式和过去分词 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂
参考例句：
  • They bribed him with costly presents. 他们用贵重的礼物贿赂他。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • He bribed himself onto the committee. 他暗通关节，钻营投机挤进了委员会。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
14 foul Sfnzy     
adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规
参考例句：
  • Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
  • What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！
15 deliberately Gulzvq     
adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地
参考例句：
  • The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
  • They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。
16 horrified 8rUzZU     
a.(表现出)恐惧的
参考例句：
  • The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
  • We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。
17 justified 7pSzrk     
a.正当的，有理的
参考例句：
  • She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
  • The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。
18 detriment zlHzx     
n.损害；损害物，造成损害的根源
参考例句：
  • Smoking is a detriment to one's health.吸烟危害健康。
  • His lack of education is a serious detriment to his career.他的未受教育对他的事业是一种严重的妨碍。
19 tempting wgAzd4     
a.诱人的, 吸引人的
参考例句：
  • It is tempting to idealize the past. 人都爱把过去的日子说得那么美好。
  • It was a tempting offer. 这是个诱人的提议。
20 spoke XryyC     
n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说
参考例句：
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
21 potent C1uzk     
adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的
参考例句：
  • The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
  • We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。
22 motive 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。
23 instigated 55d9a8c3f57ae756aae88f0b32777cd4     
v.使（某事物）开始或发生，鼓动( instigate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • The government has instigated a programme of economic reform. 政府已实施了经济改革方案。
  • He instigated the revolt. 他策动了这次叛乱。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
24 perjury LMmx0     
n.伪证；伪证罪
参考例句：
  • You'll be punished if you procure the witness to commit perjury.如果你诱使证人作伪证，你要受罚的。
  • She appeared in court on a perjury charge.她因被指控做了伪证而出庭受审。

©2005-2010英文阅读网