波洛圣诞探案记36
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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)

IV
Pilar stood in the centre of the music room. She stood very straight, her eyes darting1 from side toside like an animal who fears an attack.
She said:
“I want to get away from here!”
Stephen Farr said gently:
“You’re not the only one who feels like that. But they won’t let us go, my dear.”
“You mean—the police?”
“Yes.”
Pilar said very seriously:
“It is not nice to be mixed up with the police. It is a thing that should not happen torespectable people.”
Stephen said with a faint smile:
“Meaning yourself?”
Pilar said:
“No, I mean Alfred and Lydia and David and George and Hilda and—yes—Magdalene too.”
Stephen lit a cigarette. He puffed2 at it for a moment or two before saying:
“Why the exception?”
“What is that, please?”
Stephen said:
“Why leave out brother Harry3?”
Pilar laughed, her teeth showing white and even.
“Oh, Harry is different! I think he knows very well what it is to be mixed up with the police.”
“Perhaps you are right. He certainly is a little too picturesque4 to blend well into the domesticpicture.”
He went on:
“Do you like your English relations, Pilar?”
Pilar said doubtfully:
“They are kind—they are all very kind. But they do not laugh much, they are not gay.”
“My dear girl, there’s just been a murder in the house!”
“Y-es,” said Pilar doubtfully.
“A murder,” said Stephen instructively, “is not such an everyday occurrence as yournonchalance seems to imply. In England they take their murders seriously whatever they may doin Spain.”
Pilar said:
“You are laughing at me. .?.?.”
Stephen said:
“You’re wrong. I’m not in a laughing mood.”
Pilar looked at him and said:
“Because you, too, wish to get away from here?”
“Yes.”
“And the big, handsome policeman will not let you go?”
“I haven’t asked him. But if I did, I’ve no doubt he’d say no. I’ve got to watch my step, Pilar,and be very very careful.”
“That is tiresome5,” said Pilar, nodding her head.
“It’s just a little bit more than tiresome, my dear. Then there’s that lunatic foreigner prowlingabout. I don’t suppose he’s any good but he makes me feel jumpy.”
Pilar was frowning. She said:
“My grandfather was very, very rich, was he not?”
“I should imagine so.”
“Where does his money go to now? To Alfred and the others?”
“Depends on his will.”
Pilar said thoughtfully: “He might have left me some money, but I am afraid that perhaps hedid not.”
Stephen said kindly6:
“You’ll be all right. After all, you’re one of the family. You belong here. They’ll have to lookafter you.”
Pilar said with a sigh: “I—belong here. It is very funny, that. And yet it is not funny at all.”
“I can see that you mightn’t find it very humorous.”
Pilar sighed again. She said:
“Do you think if we put on the gramophone, we could dance?”
Stephen said dubiously7:
“It wouldn’t look any too good. This is a house of mourning, you callous8 Spanish baggage.”
Pilar said, her big eyes opening very wide:
“But I do not feel sad at all. Because I did not really know my grandfather, and though I likedto talk to him, I do not want to cry and be unhappy because he is dead. It is very silly to pretend.”
Stephen said: “You’re adorable!”
Pilar said coaxingly9:
“We could put some stockings and some gloves in the gramophone, and then it would notmake much noise, and no one would hear.”
“Come along then, temptress.”
She laughed happily and ran out of the room, going along towards the ballroom10 at the far endof the house.
Then, as she reached the side passage which led to the garden door, she stopped dead.
Stephen caught up with her and stopped also.
Hercule Poirot had unhooked a portrait from the wall and was studying it by the light fromthe terrace. He looked up and saw them.
“Aha!” he said. “You arrive at an opportune11 moment.”
Pilar said: “What are you doing?”
She came and stood beside him.
Poirot said gravely:
“I am studying something very important, the face of Simeon Lee when he was a youngman.”
“Oh, is that my grandfather?”
“Yes, mademoiselle.”
She stared at the painted face. She said slowly:
“How different—how very different .?.?. He was so old, so shrivelled up. Here he is likeHarry, like Harry might have been ten years ago.”
Hercule Poirot nodded.
“Yes, mademoiselle. Harry Lee is very much the son of his father. Now here—” He led her alittle way along the gallery. “Here is madame, your grandmother—a long gentle face, very blondehair, mild blue eyes.”
Pilar said:
“Like David.”
Stephen said:
“Just a look of Alfred too.”
Poirot said:
“The heredity, it is very interesting. Mr. Lee and his wife were diametrically opposite types.
On the whole, the children of the marriage took after the mother. See here, mademoiselle.”
He pointed12 to a picture of a girl of nineteen or so, with hair like spun13 gold and wide, laughingblue eyes. The colouring was that of Simeon Lee’s wife, but there was a spirit, a vivacity14 thatthose mild blue eyes and placid15 features had never known.
“Oh!” said Pilar.
The colour came up in her face.
Her hand went to her neck. She drew out a locket on a long gold chain. She pressed the catchand it flew open. The same laughing face looked up at Poirot.
“My mother,” said Pilar.
Poirot nodded. On the opposite side of the locket was the portrait of a man. He was youngand handsome, with black hair and dark blue eyes.
Poirot said: “Your father?”
Pilar said:
“Yes, my father. He is very beautiful, is he not?”
“Yes, indeed. Few Spaniards have blue eyes, have they, se?orita?”
“Sometimes, in the North. Besides, my father’s mother was Irish.”
Poirot said thoughtfully:
“So you have Spanish blood, and Irish and English, and a touch of gipsy too. Do you knowwhat I think, mademoiselle? With that inheritance, you should make a bad enemy.”
Stephen said, laughing:
“Remember what you said in the train, Pilar? That your way of dealing16 with your enemieswould be to cut their throats. Oh!”
He stopped—suddenly realizing the import of his words.
Hercule Poirot was quick to lead the conversation away. He said:
“Ah, yes, there was something, se?orita, I had to ask you. Your passport. It is needed by myfriend the superintendent17. There are, you know, police regulations—very stupid, very tiresome,but necessary—for a foreigner in this country. And of course, by law, you are a foreigner.”
Pilar’s eyebrows18 rose.
“My passport? Yes, I will get it. It is in my room.”
Poirot said apologetically as he walked by her side:
“I am most sorry to trouble you. I am indeed.”
They had reached the end of the long gallery. Here was a flight of stairs. Pilar ran up andPoirot followed. Stephen came too. Pilar’s bedroom was just at the head of the stairs.
She said as she reached the door: “I will get it for you.”
She went in. Poirot and Stephen Farr remained waiting outside.
Stephen said remorsefully19:
“Damn” silly of me to say a thing like that. I don’t think she noticed, though, do you?”
Poirot did not answer. He held his head a little on one side as though listening.
He said:
“The English are extraordinarily20 fond of fresh air. Miss Estravados must have inherited thatcharacteristic.”
Stephen said staring:
“Why?”
Poirot said softly:
“Because though it is today extremely cold—the black frost you call it (not like yesterday somild and sunny) Miss Estravados has just flung up her lower window sash. Amazing to love somuch the fresh air.”
Suddenly there was an exclamation21 in Spanish from inside the room and Pilar reappearedlaughingly dismayed.
“Ah!” she cried. “But I am stupid—and clumsy. My little case it was on the windowsill, and Iwas sorting through it so quickly and very stupidly I knock my passport out of the window. It isdown on the flowerbed below. I will get it.”
“I’ll get it,” said Stephen, but Pilar had flown past him and cried back over her shoulder:
“No, it was my stupidity. You go to the drawing room with M. Poirot and I will bring it toyou there.”
Stephen Farr seemed inclined to go after her, but Poirot’s hand fell gently on his arm andPoirot’s voice said:
“Let us go this way.”
They went along the first floor corridor towards the other end of the house until they got tothe head of the main staircase. Here Poirot said:
“Let us not go down for a minute. If you will come with me to the room of the crime there issomething I want to ask you.”
They went along the corridor which led to Simeon Lee’s room. On their left they passed analcove which contained two marble statues, stalwart nymphs clasping their draperies in an agonyof Victorian propriety22.
Stephen Farr glanced at them and murmured:
“Pretty frightful23 by daylight. I thought there were three of them when I came along the othernight, but thank goodness there are only two!”
“They are not what is admired nowadays,” admitted Poirot. “But no doubt they cost muchmoney in their time. They look better by night, I think.”
“Yes, one sees only a white glimmering24 figure.”
Poirot murmured:
“All cats are grey in the dark!”
They found Superintendent Sugden in the room. He was kneeling by the safe and examiningit with a magnifying glass. He looked up as they entered.
“This was opened with the key all right,” he said. “By someone who knew the combination.
No sign of anything else.”
Poirot went up to him, drew him aside, and whispered something. The superintendent noddedand left the room.
Poirot turned to Stephen Farr, who was standing25 staring at the armchair in which Simeon Leealways sat. His brows were drawn26 together and the veins27 showed in his forehead. Poirot looked athim for a minute or two in silence, then he said:
“You have the memories—yes?”
Stephen said slowly:
“Two days ago he sat there alive—and now .?.?.”
Then, shaking off his absorption, he said: “Yes, M. Poirot, you brought me here to ask mesomething?”
“Ah, yes. You were, I think, the first person to arrive on the scene that night?”
“Was I? I don’t remember. No, I think one of the ladies was here before me.”
“Which lady?”
“One of the wives—George’s wife or David’s—I know they were both here pretty soon.”
“You did not hear the scream, I think you said?”
“I don’t think I did. I can’t quite remember. Somebody did cry out but that may have beensomeone downstairs.”
Poirot said:
“You did not hear a noise like this?”
He threw his head back and suddenly gave vent28 to a piercing yell.
It was so unexpected that Stephen started backwards29 and nearly fell over. He said angrily:
“For the Lord’s sake, do you want to scare the whole house? No, I didn’t hear anything in theleast like that! You’ll have the whole place by the ears again! They’ll think another murder hashappened!”
Poirot looked crestfallen30. He murmured:
“True .?.?. it was foolish .?.?. We must go at once.”
He hurried out of the room. Lydia and Alfred were at the foot of the stairs peering up—George came out of the library to join them, and Pilar came running, a passport held in her hand.
Poirot cried:
“It is nothing—nothing. Do not be alarmed. A little experiment that I make. That was all.”
Alfred looked annoyed and George indignant. Poirot left Stephen to explain and he hurriedlyslipped away along the passage to the other end of the house.
At the end of the passage Superintendent Sugden came quietly out of Pilar’s door and metPoirot.
“Eh bien?” asked Poirot.
The superintendent shook his head.
“Not a sound.”
His eyes met Poirot’s appreciatively and he nodded.
 


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 darting darting     
v.投掷,投射( dart的现在分词 );向前冲,飞奔
参考例句:
  • Swallows were darting through the clouds. 燕子穿云急飞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Swallows were darting through the air. 燕子在空中掠过。 来自辞典例句
2 puffed 72b91de7f5a5b3f6bdcac0d30e24f8ca     
adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧
参考例句:
  • He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟,狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了,便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 harry heBxS     
vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼
参考例句:
  • Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天,人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
  • Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。
4 picturesque qlSzeJ     
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的
参考例句:
  • You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
  • That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。
5 tiresome Kgty9     
adj.令人疲劳的,令人厌倦的
参考例句:
  • His doubts and hesitations were tiresome.他的疑惑和犹豫令人厌烦。
  • He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors.他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜,令人生厌。
6 kindly 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。
7 dubiously dubiously     
adv.可疑地,怀疑地
参考例句:
  • "What does he have to do?" queried Chin dubiously. “他有什么心事?”琴向觉民问道,她的脸上现出疑惑不解的神情。 来自汉英文学 - 家(1-26) - 家(1-26)
  • He walked out fast, leaving the head waiter staring dubiously at the flimsy blue paper. 他很快地走出去,撇下侍者头儿半信半疑地瞪着这张薄薄的蓝纸。 来自辞典例句
8 callous Yn9yl     
adj.无情的,冷淡的,硬结的,起老茧的
参考例句:
  • He is callous about the safety of his workers.他对他工人的安全毫不关心。
  • She was selfish,arrogant and often callous.她自私傲慢,而且往往冷酷无情。
9 coaxingly 2424e5a5134f6694a518ab5be2fcb7d5     
adv. 以巧言诱哄,以甘言哄骗
参考例句:
10 ballroom SPTyA     
n.舞厅
参考例句:
  • The boss of the ballroom excused them the fee.舞厅老板给他们免费。
  • I go ballroom dancing twice a week.我一个星期跳两次交际舞。
11 opportune qIXxR     
adj.合适的,适当的
参考例句:
  • Her arrival was very opportune.她来得非常及时。
  • The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。
12 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。
13 spun kvjwT     
v.纺,杜撰,急转身
参考例句:
  • His grandmother spun him a yarn at the fire.他奶奶在火炉边给他讲故事。
  • Her skilful fingers spun the wool out to a fine thread.她那灵巧的手指把羊毛纺成了细毛线。
14 vivacity ZhBw3     
n.快活,活泼,精神充沛
参考例句:
  • Her charm resides in her vivacity.她的魅力存在于她的活泼。
  • He was charmed by her vivacity and high spirits.她的活泼与兴高采烈的情绪把他迷住了。
15 placid 7A1yV     
adj.安静的,平和的
参考例句:
  • He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。
  • You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。
16 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。
17 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。
18 eyebrows a0e6fb1330e9cfecfd1c7a4d00030ed5     
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
  • His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
19 remorsefully 0ed583315e6de0fd0c1544afe7e22b82     
adv.极为懊悔地
参考例句:
  • "My poor wife!" he said, remorsefully. “我可怜的妻子!”他悔恨地说。 来自柯林斯例句
20 extraordinarily Vlwxw     
adv.格外地;极端地
参考例句:
  • She is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.她是个美丽非凡的姑娘。
  • The sea was extraordinarily calm that morning.那天清晨,大海出奇地宁静。
21 exclamation onBxZ     
n.感叹号,惊呼,惊叹词
参考例句:
  • He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。
  • The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号,以引起读者的注意。
22 propriety oRjx4     
n.正当行为;正当;适当
参考例句:
  • We hesitated at the propriety of the method.我们对这种办法是否适用拿不定主意。
  • The sensitive matter was handled with great propriety.这件机密的事处理得极为适当。
23 frightful Ghmxw     
adj.可怕的;讨厌的
参考例句:
  • How frightful to have a husband who snores!有一个发鼾声的丈夫多讨厌啊!
  • We're having frightful weather these days.这几天天气坏极了。
24 glimmering 7f887db7600ddd9ce546ca918a89536a     
n.微光,隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光,发微光( glimmer的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • I got some glimmering of what he was driving at. 他这么说是什么意思,我有点明白了。 来自辞典例句
  • Now that darkness was falling, only their silhouettes were outlined against the faintly glimmering sky. 这时节两山只剩余一抹深黑,赖天空微明为画出一个轮廓。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译
25 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
26 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
27 veins 65827206226d9e2d78ea2bfe697c6329     
n.纹理;矿脉( vein的名词复数 );静脉;叶脉;纹理
参考例句:
  • The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的,感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》
28 vent yiPwE     
n.通风口,排放口;开衩;vt.表达,发泄
参考例句:
  • He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。
  • When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时,发动机就会停转。
29 backwards BP9ya     
adv.往回地,向原处,倒,相反,前后倒置地
参考例句:
  • He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
  • All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。
30 crestfallen Aagy0     
adj. 挫败的,失望的,沮丧的
参考例句:
  • He gathered himself up and sneaked off,crushed and crestfallen.他爬起来,偷偷地溜了,一副垂头丧气、被斗败的样子。
  • The youth looked exceedingly crestfallen.那青年看上去垂头丧气极了。
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