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II
Vera Claythorne, in a third-class carriage with five other travellers in it, leaned her head back
and shut her eyes. How hot it was travelling by train today! It would be nice to get to the sea!
Really a great piece of luck getting this job. When you wanted a holiday post it nearly always
get. Even the agency hadn’t held out much hope.
And then the letter had come.
“I have received your name from the Skilled Women’s Agency together with their
recommendation. I understand they know you personally. I shall be glad to pay you the
salary you ask and shall expect you to take up your duties on August 8th. The train is the
12.40 from Paddington and you will be met at Oakbridge station. I enclose five £1 notes
for expenses.
Yours truly,
Una Nancy Owen.”
And at the top was the stamped address, Soldier Island, Sticklehaven, Devon….
Soldier Island! Why, there had been nothing else in the papers lately! All sorts of hints and
been built by a millionaire and was said to be absolutely the last word in luxury.
games mistress in a third-class school isn’t much of a catch … If only I could get a job at some
decent school.”
And then, with a cold feeling round her heart, she thought: “But I’m lucky to have even
blame!”
He had even complimented her on her presence of mind and courage, she remembered. For
an inquest it couldn’t have gone better. And Mrs. Hamilton had been kindness itself to her—
only Hugo—but she wouldn’t think of Hugo!
Suddenly, in spite of the heat in the carriage she shivered and wished she wasn’t going to
the sea. A picture rose clearly before her mind. Cyril’s head, bobbing up and down, swimming
to the rock … up and down—up and down … and herself, swimming in easy practised strokes
after him—cleaving her way through the water but knowing, only too surely, that she wouldn’t
be in time….
The sea—its deep warm blue—mornings spent lying out on the sands—Hugo—Hugo who
had said he loved her….
She must not think of Hugo….
She opened her eyes and frowned across at the man opposite her. A tall man with a brown
She thought to herself:
I bet he’s been to some interesting parts of the world and seen some interesting things….
2
维拉·克莱索恩闭着眼，头往后靠着。三等车厢里除了她，还坐着五名乘客。这种天气
坐火车旅行太热了！所以去海边一定非常舒服。能找到这样一份工作真幸运。一般来说，
像她这样找假期工作，十之八九是摊上照看一群孩子的活儿，哪儿那么容易找到秘书之类
的工作。就算是职业妇女介绍所也帮不上忙。
可就在她发愁的时候，这封信如期而至。
我收到职业妇女介绍所对你的推荐，从推荐信来看，他们对你深为了解。我同意支付
你所期望的薪水，并希望你在八月八日入职。火车十二点四十分从帕丁顿车站出发。有人
会到橡树桥车站接你。另附现金五镑作为旅途开支。
乌娜·南希·欧文
信头打印了地址，德文郡斯蒂克尔黑文的士兵岛……士兵岛！就是它！最近的报纸除
了它简直就不谈别的了！流言蜚语和各种猜测，说什么的都有，不过绝大部分可能都是空
穴来风。但是，岛上的别墅归一位百万富翁所有，这个说法确凿无疑。而且，用奢华至极
来形容这幢别墅绝对没错。
上个学期，维拉·克莱索恩在学校里忙得不可开交。她不甘心地想：一个只能带孩子做
游戏的女教师，在一所三流学校里混日子能赚几个钱？要是能去体面些的学校工作，恐怕
会好得多……
想到这里，她突然不寒而栗。心想：“能找到一份教师的工作已经谢天谢地了。谁都不
愿听到死因审讯这类话，就算验尸官已经帮我开脱了所有罪名，想起来还是后怕！”
就连他都对她当时的表现和勇气称赞不已，她对此念念不忘。就说那次死因审讯吧，
简直不能再顺利了。汉密尔顿夫人对她非常照顾——只有雨果——算了，何必去想雨果
呢！
想到这里，尽管车厢里是那样闷热，她却突然打起寒战来。真希望自己现在不是去海
边！当时的情景历历在目！她眼前是西里尔的脑袋在水面上一起一伏，漂向岩石……他的
脑袋在水面上一起一伏，一起一伏……而她就跟在他身后，摆出一副奋力向前游的架势，
其实她心里再清楚不过，自己无论如何也追不上他了……
那片海——那片温暖的深蓝色的大海——躺在柔软的沙滩上度过整个早晨……雨
果……雨果说他爱她……
她一定不能去想那个叫雨果的男人……
她睁开双眼，眉头紧锁，瞥了一眼坐在她对面的男人。这个男人身材高大，棕色的皮
肤，两只浅色眼睛的间距很窄。他的嘴型看起来很傲慢，一副不屑一顾的模样，表情近乎
残忍。
她想：
对面这个男人一定去过很多不可思议的地方，见过很多有意思的事……
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