日期：2025-09-16 VII Upstairs I sat by Megans bed waiting for her to come round and occasion-ally cursing Nash. How do you know shes all right? It was too big a risk. Nash was very soothing. Just a soporific in the milk she always had by her bed. Nothing more. Itsta... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 Fourteen So you see, said Mrs. Dane Calthrop, I was quite right to call in an ex-pert. I stared at her. We were all at the vicarage. The rain was pouring downoutside and there was a pleasant log fire, and Mrs. Dane Calthrop had justwandered round, b... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 IV I was a little nervous of meeting Joanna but I found when I got home that Ineednt have worried. She was out and she did not return for lunch. Thisaggrieved Partridge a good deal, who said sourly as she proffered two loinchops in an entre dish: Mi... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 II Well, that was that. I walked away from the house feeling slightly dazedbut irritatingly conscious of Roses passionately interested gaze followingme. Rose had had a good deal to say before I could escape. That shed never felt the same since that... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 Twelve I I dont know what the usual reactions are of a man who goes to proposemarriage. In fiction his throat is dry and his collar feels too tight and he is in a piti-able state of nervousness. I didnt feel at all like that. Having thought of agood... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 II Marcus Kent was pleased with me. He told me that I surpassed his wildestexpectations. You must have the constitution of an elephant, he said, to make acomeback like this. Oh well, wonderful what country air and no late hoursor excitements will do... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 Eleven I On the following day I went mad. Looking back on it, that is really the onlyexplanation I can find. I was due for my monthly visit to Marcus Kent I went up by train. Tomy intense surprise Joanna elected to stay behind. As a rule she was eag... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 II As we were going home Joanna told me that I ought not to have repeatedwhat Nash said about letters coming. Why not? Because Mrs. Dane Calthrop might be It. You dont really believe that! Im not sure. Shes a queer woman. We began our discussion of... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 Ten I The next week, I think, was one of the queerest times I have ever passedthrough. It had an odd dream quality. Nothing seemed real. The inquest on Agnes Woddell was held and the curious of Lymstock at-tended en masse. No new facts came to light... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 VI I stood staring at it. I looked at the title page. It had been published in1840. There could be no doubt at all. I was looking at the book from the pagesof which the anonymous letters had been put together. Who had cut themout? Well, to begin wit... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 IV As I stood staring after him the church door opened and the Rev. CalebDane Calthrop came out. He smiled vaguely at me. Goodgood morning, Mrerer I helped him. Burton. Of course, of course, you mustnt think I dont remember you. Yourname had just sl... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 III I came upon Mr. Pye by the church. He was talking to Emily Barton, wholooked pink and excited. Mr. Pye greeted me with every evidence of delight. Ah, Burton, good morning, good morning! How is your charming sis-ter? I told him that Joanna was we... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 II Joanna was quite right. The High Street was full of interested groups. Iwas determined to get everyones reactions in turn. I met Griffith first. He looked terribly ill and tired. So much so that Iwondered. Murder is not, certainly, all in the day... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 Nine I I went and found Megan before leaving the house. She was in the gardenand seemed almost back to her usual self. She greeted me quite cheerfully. I suggested that she should come back to us again for a while, but after amomentary hesitation sh... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 III Presently Nash said that he was going to interview Rose once more. Iasked him, rather diffidently, if I might come too. Rather to my surprise heassented cordially. Im very glad of your cooperation, Mr. Burton, if I may say so. That sounds suspic... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 II It was the ringing of the telephone that roused me. A persistent ringing. I sat up in bed, glanced at my watch. It was half past seven. I had not yetbeen called. The telephone was ringing in the hall downstairs. I jumped out of bed, pulled on a d... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 Eight I I slept badly that night. I think that, even then, there were pieces of thepuzzle floating about in my mind. I believe that if I had given my mind toit, I could have solved the whole thing then and there. Otherwise why didthose fragments tag... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 IV That afternoon we were to go to tea with Miss Emily Barton at her roomsin the village. We strolled down there on foot, for I felt strong enough now to managethe hill back again. We must actually have allowed too much time and got there early, for... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 VAt dinner that night, Joanna said to Partridge that she hoped her tea partyhad been a success. Partridge got rather red in the face and held herself even more stiffly. Thank you, miss, but Agnes never turned up after all. Oh, Im sorry. It didnt mat... 阅读全文>>

日期：2025-09-16 III I was annoyed, I must confess, at the abrupt way in which Megan had leftus. Perhaps she had suddenly got bored with us. After all, it wasnt a very amusing life for a girl. At home shed got thekids and Elsie Holland. I heard Joanna returning and... 阅读全文>>