顺水推舟42

时间：2025-01-30 17:36:03

（单词翻译:单击）

Thirteen
It took them only about five minutes to reach Furrowbank. The drive wound up an incline through
carefully massed banks of rhododendrons. No trouble or expense had been spared by Gordon
Cloade to make Furrowbank a showplace.
The parlourmaid who answered the front door looked surprised to see them and a little doubtful
as to whether they could see Mrs. Cloade. Madam, she said, wasn’t up yet. However, she
ushered1 them into the drawing room and went upstairs with Poirot’s message.
Poirot looked round him. He was contrasting this room with Frances Cloade’s drawing room
— the latter such an intimate room, so characteristic of its mistress. The drawing room at
Furrowbank was strictly2 impersonal—speaking only of wealth tempered by good taste. Gordon
Cloade had seen to the latter—everything in the room was of good quality and of artistic3 merit, but
there was no sign of any selectiveness, no clue to the personal tastes of the room’s mistress.
Rosaleen, it seemed, had not stamped upon the place any individuality of her own.
She had lived in Furrowbank as a foreign visitor might live at the Ritz or at the Savoy.
“I wonder,” thought Poirot, “if the other—”
Lynn broke the chain of his thought by asking him of what he was thinking, and why he looked
so grim.
“The wages of sin, Mademoiselle, are said to be death. But sometimes the wages of sin seem
to be luxury. Is that any more endurable, I wonder? To be cut off from one’s own home life. To
catch, perhaps, a single glimpse of it when the way back to it is barred—”
He broke off. The parlourmaid, her superior manner laid aside, a mere4 frightened middle-aged5
woman, came running into the room, stammering6 and choking with words she could hardly get
out.
“Oh Miss Marchmont! Oh, sir, the mistress—upstairs—she’s very bad—she doesn’t speak
and I can’t rouse her and her hand’s so cold.”
Sharply, Poirot turned and ran out of the room. Lynn and the maid came behind him. He raced
up to the first floor. The parlourmaid indicated the open door facing the head of the stairs.
It was a large beautiful bedroom, the sun pouring in through the open windows on to pale
beautiful rugs.
In the big carved bedstead Rosaleen was lying—apparently asleep. Her long dark lashes7 lay on
her cheeks, her head turned naturally into the pillow. There was a crumpled-up handkerchief in
one hand. She looked like a sad child who had cried itself to sleep.
Poirot picked up her hand and felt for the pulse. The hand was ice-cold and told him what he
already guessed.
He said quietly to Lynn:
“She has been dead some time. She died in her sleep.”
“Oh, sir—oh—what shall we do?” The parlourmaid burst out crying.
“Who was her doctor?”
“Uncle Lionel,” said Lynn.
Poirot said to the parlourmaid: “Go and telephone to Dr. Cloade.” She went out of the room,
still sobbing8. Poirot moved here and there about the room. A small white cardboard box beside the
bed bore a label, “One powder to be taken at bedtime.” Using his handkerchief, he pushed the
box open. There were three powders left. He moved across to the mantelpiece, then to the writing-
table. The chair in front of it was pushed aside, the blotter was open. A sheet of paper was there,
with words scrawled9 in an unformed childish hand.
“I don’t know what to do…I can’t go on…I’ve been so wicked. I must tell someone and
get peace…I didn’t mean to be so wicked to begin with. I didn’t know all that was going to
come of it. I must write down—”
The words sprawled10 off in a dash. The pen lay where it had been flung down. Poirot stood
looking down at those written words. Lynn still stood by the bed looking down at the dead girl.
Then the door was pushed violently open and David Hunter strode breathlessly into the room.
“David,” Lynn started forward. “Have they released you? I’m so glad—”
He brushed her words aside, as he brushed her aside, thrusting her almost roughly out of the
way as he bent11 over the still white figure.
“Rosa! Rosaleen…” He touched her hand, then he swung round on Lynn, his face blazing
with anger. His words came high and deliberate!
“So you’ve killed her, have you? You’ve got rid of her at last! You got rid of me, sent me to
gaol12 on a trumped-up charge, and then, amongst you all, you put her out of the way! All of you?
Or just one of you? I don’t care which it is! You killed her! You wanted the damned money—
now you’ve got it! Her death gives it to you! You’ll all be out of Queer Street now. You’ll all
be rich—a lot of dirty murdering thieves, that’s what you are! You weren’t able to touch her so
long as I was by. I knew how to protect my sister—she was never one to be able to protect herself.
But when she was alone here, you saw your chance and you took it.” He paused, swayed slightly,
and said in a low quivering voice, “Murderers.”
Lynn cried out:
“No, David. No, you’re wrong. None of us would kill her. We wouldn’t do such a thing.”
“One of you killed her, Lynn Marchmont. And you know that as well as I do!”
“I swear we didn’t, David. I swear we did nothing of the kind.”
The wildness of his gaze softened13 a little.
“Maybe it wasn’t you, Lynn—”
“It wasn’t, David, I swear it wasn’t—”
Hercule Poirot moved forward a step and coughed. David swung round on him.
“I think,” said Poirot, “that your assumptions are a little overdramatic. Why jump to the
conclusion that your sister was murdered?”
“You say she wasn’t murdered? Do you call this”—he indicated the figure on the bed—“a
natural death? Rosaleen suffered from nerves, yes, but she had no organic weakness. Her heart
was sound enough.”
“Last night,” said Poirot, “before she went to bed, she sat writing here—”
David strode past him, bent over the sheet of paper.
“Do not touch it,” Poirot warned him.
David drew back his hand, and read the words as he stood motionless.
He turned his head sharply and looked searchingly at Poirot.
“Are you suggesting suicide? Why should Rosaleen commit suicide?”
The voice that answered the question was not Poirot’s. Superintendent14 Spence’s quiet
Oastshire voice spoke15 from the open doorway16:
“Supposing that last Tuesday night Mrs. Cloade wasn’t in London, but in Warmsley Vale?
Suppose she went to see the man who had been blackmailing17 her? Suppose that in a nervous
frenzy18 she killed him?”
David swung round on him. His eyes were hard and angry.
“My sister was in London on Tuesday night. She was there in the flat when I got in at eleven
o’clock.”
“Yes,” said Spence, “that’s your story, Mr. Hunter. And I dare say you’ll stick to it. But
I’m not obliged to believe that story. And in any case, isn’t it a little late”—he gestured
towards the bed—“the case will never come to court now.”

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1 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》
2 strictly GtNwe     
adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地
参考例句：
  • His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
  • The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。
3 artistic IeWyG     
adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的
参考例句：
  • The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
  • These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。
4 mere rC1xE     
adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过
参考例句：
  • That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
  • It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
5 middle-aged UopzSS     
adj.中年的
参考例句：
  • I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
  • The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。
6 stammering 232ca7f6dbf756abab168ca65627c748     
v.结巴地说出( stammer的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • He betrayed nervousness by stammering. 他说话结结巴巴说明他胆子小。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • \"Why,\" he said, actually stammering, \"how do you do?\" “哎呀，\"他说，真的有些结结巴巴，\"你好啊？” 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
7 lashes e2e13f8d3a7c0021226bb2f94d6a15ec     
n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥
参考例句：
  • Mother always lashes out food for the children's party. 孩子们聚会时，母亲总是给他们许多吃的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Never walk behind a horse in case it lashes out. 绝对不要跟在马后面，以防它突然猛踢。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 sobbing df75b14f92e64fc9e1d7eaf6dcfc083a     
<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的
参考例句：
  • I heard a child sobbing loudly. 我听见有个孩子在呜呜地哭。
  • Her eyes were red with recent sobbing. 她的眼睛因刚哭过而发红。
9 scrawled ace4673c0afd4a6c301d0b51c37c7c86     
乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • I tried to read his directions, scrawled on a piece of paper. 我尽量弄明白他草草写在一片纸上的指示。
  • Tom scrawled on his slate, "Please take it -- I got more." 汤姆在他的写字板上写了几个字：“请你收下吧，我多得是哩。”
10 sprawled 6cc8223777584147c0ae6b08b9304472     
v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）
参考例句：
  • He was sprawled full-length across the bed. 他手脚摊开横躺在床上。
  • He was lying sprawled in an armchair, watching TV. 他四肢伸开正懒散地靠在扶手椅上看电视。
11 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
12 gaol Qh8xK     
n.(jail)监狱；(不加冠词)监禁；vt.使…坐牢
参考例句：
  • He was released from the gaol.他被释放出狱。
  • The man spent several years in gaol for robbery.这男人因犯抢劫罪而坐了几年牢。
13 softened 19151c4e3297eb1618bed6a05d92b4fe     
（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰
参考例句：
  • His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
  • The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。
14 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。
15 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。
16 doorway 2s0xK     
n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径
参考例句：
  • They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
  • Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。
17 blackmailing 5179dc6fb450aa50a5119c7ec77af55f     
胁迫，尤指以透露他人不体面行为相威胁以勒索钱财( blackmail的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • The policemen kept blackmailing him, because they had sth. on him. 那些警察之所以经常去敲他的竹杠是因为抓住把柄了。
  • Democratic paper "nailed" an aggravated case of blackmailing to me. 民主党最主要的报纸把一桩极为严重的讹诈案件“栽”在我的头上。
18 frenzy jQbzs     
n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动
参考例句：
  • He was able to work the young students up into a frenzy.他能激起青年学生的狂热。
  • They were singing in a frenzy of joy.他们欣喜若狂地高声歌唱。

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