前言

秘方简介

常用词列表

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

CHAPTER I. I GO TO STYLES

The intense 强烈的，极度的 interest aroused 引起 in the public by what was known at the time as "The Styles Case" has now some‧what 有些 sub‧side 塌陷. Nevertheless 虽然, in view of the world-wide notoriety which attended it, I have been asked, both by my friend Poirot and the family themselves, to write an account of the whole story. This, we trust, will effectually silence the sensational 轰动的 rumours which still persist 坚持.

I will therefore briefly 短时间地 set down the circumstances 环境 which led to my being connected 连接 with the affair.

I had been invalided 无效 home from the Front; and, after spending 用钱；消磨时间 some months in a rather depressing 压抑 Convalescent Home, was given a month's sick leave. Having no near relations or friends, I was trying to make up my mind what to do, when I ran across John Cavendish. I had seen very little of him for some years. Indeed, I had never known him particularly well. He was a good fifteen 十五 years my senior 前辈, for one thing, though he hardly looked his forty 四十-five years. As a boy, though, I had often stayed at Styles, his mother's place in Essex.

We had a good yarn 纱 about old times, and it ended in his inviting me down to Styles to spend my leave there.

"The mater 伴，友 will be delighted to see you again—after all those years," he added.

"Your mother keeps well?" I asked.

"Oh, yes. I suppose you know that she has married again?"

I am afraid I showed my surprise rather plainly. Mrs. Cavendish, who had married John's father when he was a widower 鳏夫 with two sons, had been a hand‧some 英俊 woman of middle-age as I remembered her. She certainly could not be a day less than seventy 七十 now. I recalled 召回 her as an energetic 有活力, autocratic personality 个性, some‧what 有些 inclined 倾斜 to charitable 慈善 and social notoriety, with a fondness for opening bazaars and playing the Lady Bountiful. She was a most generous 慷慨的 woman, and possessed 拥有 a consider‧able 大量 for‧tune 命运 of her own.

Their country-place, Styles Court, had been purchased 采购 by Mr. Cavendish early in their married life. He had been completely under his wife's ascendancy, so much so that, on dying, he left the place to her for her life‧time 一生, as well as the larger part of his income 收入; an arrangement 安排 that was distinctly 历历 unfair 不公平 to his two sons. Their step-mother, however, had always been most generous 慷慨的 to them; indeed, they were so young at the time of their father's remarriage that they always thought of her as their own mother.

Lawrence, the younger, had been a delicate 微妙的；纤弱的 youth. He had qualified 达标 as a doctor but early relinquished 放弃 the profession of medicine 医学, and lived at home while pursuing 追求 literary ambitions 抱负; though his verses 诗 never had any marked success.

John practiced for some time as a barrister 律师, but had finally settled down to the more congenial life of a country squire. He had married two years ago, and had taken his wife to live at Styles, though I entertained a shrewd 精明 suspicion 怀疑 that he would have preferred his mother to increase his allowance 津贴；补贴, which would have enabled 启用 him to have a home of his own. Mrs. Cavendish, however, was a lady who liked to make her own plans, and expected other people to fall in with them, and in this case she certainly had the whip 鞭打 hand, namely: the purse 钱包 strings 绳子.

John noticed my surprise at the news of his mother's remarriage and smiled rather rue‧fully 后悔‧完全地.

" Rotten 腐烂的 little bounder 必定；跳 too!" he said savagely 野蛮人. "I can tell you, Hastings, it's making life jolly 欢乐 difficult for us. As for Evie—you remember Evie?"

"No."

"Oh, I suppose she was after your time. She's the mater's factotum, companion 同伴, Jack of all trades! A great sport—old Evie! Not precisely 精确地 young and beautiful 美丽, but as game as they make them."

"You were going to say——?"

"Oh, this fellow! He turned up from now‧here 无处, on the pre‧text 预‧文字材料 of being a second cousin or something of Evie's, though she didn't seem particularly keen 热切的 to acknowledge 确认 the relationship. The fellow is an absolute outsider, anyone can see that. He's got a great black beard 胡须, and wears patent 专利 leather 皮 boots 靴；鞋 in all weathers! But the mater cottoned 棉 to him at once, took him on as secretary—you know how she's always running a hundred 百 societies?"

I nodded 点头.

"Well, of course the war has turned the hundreds 百 into thou‧sand 千. No doubt the fellow was very useful 有用 to her. But you could have knocked 敲 us all down with a feather 羽毛 when, three months ago, she suddenly announced 宣布 that she and Alfred were engaged 从事! The fellow must be at least twenty 二十 years younger than she is! It's simply bare 光秃秃的-faced for‧tune 命运 hunting; but there you are—she is her own mistress 情妇, and she's married him."

"It must be a difficult situation for you all."

"Difficult! It's damn‧able 该死，可恶，真倒霉‧能够的!"

Thus it came about that, three days later, I descended 下来 from the train at Styles St. Mary, an absurd 荒诞 little station, with no apparent 清晰可见的；显而易见的；明白易懂的 reason for existence, perched 栖息 up in the midst 中间 of green fields and country lanes 车道. John Cavendish was waiting on the platform 平台, and piloted 飞行员 me out to the car.

"Got a drop or two of petrol 汽油 still, you see," he remarked. "Mainly owing 欠…债 to the mater's activities."

The village of Styles St. Mary was situated 位于 about two miles from the little station, and Styles Court lay lie a mile the other side of it. It was a still, warm day in early July. As one looked out over the flat Essex country, lying so green and peaceful 平静的 under the afternoon sun, it seemed almost impossible to believe that, not so very far away, a great war was running its appointed course. I felt I had suddenly strayed 流浪 into another world. As we turned in at the lodge 存放 gates 门, John said:

"I'm afraid you'll find it very quiet down here, Hastings."

"My dear fellow, that's just what I want."

"Oh, it's pleasant enough if you want to lead the idle 无意义的 life. I drill 钻头 with the volunteers 志愿者 twice 两次 a week, and lend 把…借给 a hand at the farms. My wife works regularly 经常 'on the land'. She is up at five every morning to milk 奶, and keeps at it steadily until lunch‧time 午餐时间. It's a jolly 欢乐 good life taking it all round—if it weren't for that fellow Alfred Inglethorp!" He checked the car suddenly, and glanced 一瞥 at his watch. "I wonder if we've time to pick up Cynthia. No, she'll have started from the hospital by now."

"Cynthia! That's not your wife?"

"No, Cynthia is a protegee of my mother's, the daughter of an old school‧fellow 学校‧同伴 of hers, who married a rascally solicitor 律师. He came a cropper 农作物, and the girl was left an orphan 孤儿 and penniless. My mother came to the rescue 营救, and Cynthia has been with us nearly two years now. She works in the Red Cross Hospital at Tadminster, seven 七 miles away."

As he spoke speak the last words, we drew draw up in front of the fine old house. A lady in a stout 肥硕 tweed skirt 裙子, who was bending over a flower bed, straightened 变直 her‧self 她自己 at our approach.

"Hullo, Evie, here's our wounded 创伤 hero 英雄! Mr. Hastings—Miss Howard."

Miss Howard shook shake hands with a hearty 爽朗, almost painful 痛苦, grip 握. I had an impression 印象 of very blue eyes in a sunburnt face. She was a pleasant-looking woman of about forty 四十, with a deep voice, almost manly in its stentorian tones 音, and had a large sensible 明智 square body, with feet to match—these last encased in good thick boots. Her conversation, I soon found, was couched 长椅 in the telegraphic style 样式.

"Weeds grow like house afire. Can't keep even with 'em. Shall press you in. Better be careful 小心."

"I'm sure I shall be only too delighted to make myself 我 useful 有用," I responded 响应.

"Don't say it. Never does. Wish you hadn't later."

"You're a cynic, Evie," said John, laughing. "Where's tea 茶水 to-day—inside or out?"

"Out. Too fine a day to be cooped up in the house."

"Come on then, you've done enough gardening for to-day. 'The labourer is worthy 值得 of his hire 聘用', you know. Come and be refreshed 使恢复."

"Well," said Miss Howard, drawing off her gardening gloves 手套, "I'm inclined 倾斜 to agree with you."

She led the way round the house to where tea was spread under the shade 遮阳；阴 of a large sycamore.

A figure rose rise from one of the basket 篮 chairs, and came a few steps to meet us.

"My wife, Hastings," said John.

I shall never forget my first sight of Mary Cavendish. Her tall, slender 苗条 form, out‧line 概述；轮廓线 against the bright light; the vivid 生动 sense of slumbering fire that seemed to find expression only in those wonderful 精彩 tawny eyes of hers, remark‧able 非凡的；奇异的；引人注目的 eyes, different from any other woman's that I have ever known; the intense 强烈的，极度的 power of stillness she possessed, which nevertheless 虽然 conveyed 传达 the impression 印象 of a wild untamed spirit in an exquisitely 精美 civilised body—all these things are burnt burn into my memory. I shall never forget them.

She greeted 欢迎 me with a few words of pleasant welcome in a low clear voice, and I sank 淹没:sink into a basket 篮 chair feeling distinctly 历历 glad 高兴的 that I had accepted John's invitation 邀请. Mrs. Cavendish gave me some tea, and her few quiet remarks heightened 变高 my first impression 印象 of her as a thoroughly fascinating 深深吸引；迷住 woman. An appreciative listener is always stimulating 刺激, and I described, in a humorous 幽默 manner, certain incidents 事件 of my Convalescent Home, in a way which, I flatter myself 我, greatly amused 使人发笑 my hostess 女主人. John, of course, good fellow though he is, could hardly be called a brilliant 出色的 conversationalist.

At that moment a well remembered voice floated 漂浮 through the open French window near at hand:

"Then you'll write to the Princess after tea, Alfred? I'll write to Lady Tadminster for the second day, myself 我. Or shall we wait until we hear from the Princess? In case of a refusal 拒绝, Lady Tadminster might open it the first day, and Mrs. Crosbie the second. Then there's the Duchess—about the school fete."

There was the murmur 私语 of a man's voice, and then Mrs. Inglethorp's rose in reply:

"Yes, certainly. After tea will do quite well. You are so thoughtful 周到, Alfred dear."

The French window swung swing open a little wider, and a hand‧some 英俊 white-haired old lady, with a some‧what 有些 masterful cast 投 of features 特征, stepped out of it on to the lawn 草坪. A man followed her, a suggestion 建议 of deference 尊重 in his manner.

Mrs. Inglethorp greeted me with effusion.

"Why, if it isn't too delightful 愉快 to see you again, Mr. Hastings, after all these years. Alfred, darling 宠儿, Mr. Hastings—my husband."

I looked with some curiosity 好奇心 at "Alfred darling 宠儿". He certainly struck strike a rather alien 外侨 note. I did not wonder at John objecting to his beard 胡须. It was one of the longest and blackest I have ever seen. He wore wear gold 金-rimmed 轮缘 pince-nez, and had a curious impassivity of feature 特征. It struck me that he might look natural 自然 on a stage, but was strangely out of place in real life. His voice was rather deep and unctuous. He placed a wooden 木制的 hand in mine and said:

"This is a pleasure, Mr. Hastings." Then, turning to his wife: "Emily dearest, I think that cushion 垫子 is a little damp 微湿的."

She beamed 梁 fondly 喜欢的 on him, as he substituted 替代 another with every demonstration 展示 of the tenderest 纤弱的 care. Strange infatuation of an otherwise sensible 明智 woman!

With the presence of Mr. Inglethorp, a sense of constraint 约束 and veiled 面纱 hostility 敌意 seemed to settle down upon the company. Miss Howard, in particular, took no pains to conceal 隐藏 her feelings. Mrs. Inglethorp, however, seemed to notice nothing unusual 异常. Her volubility, which I remembered of old, had lost nothing in the intervening 干预 years, and she poured 淋；倒 out a steady flood 洪水 of conversation, mainly on the subject of the forthcoming 即将到来 bazaar which she was organizing and which was to take place shortly. Occasionally 偶尔，间或；有时 she referred to her husband over a question of days or dates. His watchful and attentive 注意的 manner never varied 变化. From the very first I took a firm and rooted dislike 反感 to him, and I flatter myself 我 that my first judgments 判断 are usually fairly shrewd 精明.

Presently Mrs. Inglethorp turned to give some instructions 指令 about letters to Evelyn Howard, and her husband addressed me in his painstaking voice:

"Is soldiering your regular profession, Mr. Hastings?"

"No, before the war I was in Lloyd's."

"And you will return there after it is over?"

"Perhaps. Either that or a fresh start altogether 全部地."

Mary Cavendish leant lean forward.

"What would you really choose as a profession, if you could just consult 咨询；请教；查阅 your inclination 倾角?"

"Well, that depends."

"No secret hobby 爱好?" she asked. "Tell me—you're drawn draw to something? Every one is—usually something absurd 荒诞."

"You'll laugh at me."

She smiled.

"Perhaps."

"Well, I've always had a secret hankering to be a detective 侦探!"

"The real thing—Scotland Yard? Or Sherlock Holmes?"

"Oh, Sherlock Holmes by all means. But really, seriously, I am awfully 糟糕的 drawn to it. I came across a man in Belgium once, a very famous 著名 detective 侦探, and he quite inflamed 发炎 me. He was a marvellous little fellow. He used to say that all good detective 侦探 work was a mere matter of method 方法. My system is based on his—though of course I have progressed rather further. He was a funny 有趣的 little man, a great dandy, but wonderfully 奇妙 clever 聪明的."

"Like a good detective 侦探 story myself 我," remarked Miss Howard. "Lots of non‧sense 废话 written, though. Criminal 罪犯 discovered in last chapter 章节. Every one dumbfounded. Real crime 罪行—you'd know at once."

"There have been a great number of undiscovered crimes 罪行," I argued.

"Don't mean the police, but the people that are right in it. The family. You couldn't really hoodwink them. They'd know."

"Then," I said, much amused, "you think that if you were mixed up in a crime 罪行, say a murder, you'd be able to spot the murderer right off?"

"Of course I should. Mightn't be able to prove it to a pack of lawyers. But I'm certain I'd know. I'd feel it in my finger‧tip 指尖 if he came near me."

"It might be a 'she,'" I suggested.

"Might. But murder's a violent 猛烈 crime. Associate 关联 it more with a man."

"Not in a case of poisoning 毒药." Mrs. Cavendish's clear voice startled 惊吓 me. "Dr. Bauerstein was saying yesterday that, owing to the general ignorance 无知 of the more uncommon 罕见 poisons 毒药 among the medical profession, there were probably count‧less 无数 cases of poisoning quite unsuspected."

"Why, Mary, what a gruesome conversation!" cried Mrs. Inglethorp. "It makes me feel as if a goose 鹅 were walking over my grave 坟墓；严重的. Oh, there's Cynthia!"

A young girl in V. A. D. uniform 制服 ran lightly across the lawn 草坪.

"Why, Cynthia, you are late to-day. This is Mr. Hastings—Miss Murdoch."

Cynthia Murdoch was a fresh-looking young creature 动物；生物, full of life and vigour. She tossed 折腾 off her little V. A. D. cap 盖, and I admired the great loose waves of her auburn hair, and the smallness and whiteness of the hand she held out to claim her tea. With dark eyes and eyelashes she would have been a beauty.

She flung her‧self 她自己 down on the ground grind beside John, and as I handed her a plate 盘子 of sandwiches 三明治 she smiled up at me.

"Sit down here on the grass 草, do. It's ever so much nicer."

I dropped down obediently.

"You work at Tadminster, don't you, Miss Murdoch?"

She nodded 点头.

"For my sins 罪."

"Do they bully 欺负 you, then?" I asked, smiling.

"I should like to see them!" cried Cynthia with dignity 尊严.

"I have got a cousin who is nursing 护士," I remarked. "And she is terrified 惊吓 of 'Sisters'."

"I don't wonder. Sisters are, you know, Mr. Hastings. They simp—ly are! You've no idea! But I'm not a nurse 护士, thank heaven 天, I work in the dispensary."

"How many people do you poison 毒药?" I asked, smiling.

Cynthia smiled too.

"Oh, hundreds 百!" she said.

"Cynthia," called Mrs. Inglethorp, "do you think you could write a few notes for me?"

"Certainly, Aunt 阿姨 Emily."

She jumped up promptly 敏捷的, and something in her manner reminded me that her position was a dependent one, and that Mrs. Inglethorp, kind as she might be in the main, did not allow her to forget it.

My hostess 女主人 turned to me.

"John will show you your room. Supper 晚饭 is at half-past seven 七. We have given up late dinner for some time now. Lady Tadminster, our Member's wife—she was the late Lord Abbotsbury's daughter—does the same. She agrees with me that one must set an example of economy 经济. We are quite a war house‧hold 家庭; nothing is wasted here—every scrap 废料 of waste paper, even, is saved and sent send away in sacks 解雇."

I expressed my appreciation 升值, and John took me into the house and up the broad stair‧case 楼梯, which forked 叉 right and left half-way to different wings 翅膀 of the building. My room was in the left wing 翅膀, and looked out over the park.

John left me, and a few minutes later I saw him from my window walking slowly across the grass 草 arm in arm with Cynthia Murdoch. I heard Mrs. Inglethorp call "Cynthia" impatiently 不耐烦, and the girl started and ran back to the house. At the same moment, a man stepped out from the shadow of a tree and walked slowly in the same direction. He looked about forty 四十, very dark with a melancholy 愁绪 clean-shaven face. Some violent 猛烈 emotion 情感 seemed to be mastering him. He looked up at my window as he passed, and I recognized him, though he had changed much in the fifteen 十五 years that had elapsed 过去 since we last met. It was John's younger brother, Lawrence Cavendish. I wondered what it was that had brought that singular 单数 expression to his face.

Then I dismissed 解雇 him from my mind, and returned to the contemplation of my own affairs.

The evening passed pleasantly enough; and I dreamed dream that night of that enigmatical woman, Mary Cavendish.

The next morning dawned 黎明 bright and sunny 晴朗, and I was full of the anticipation 预期 of a delightful 愉快 visit.

I did not see Mrs. Cavendish until lunch 午餐-time, when she volunteered 志愿者 to take me for a walk, and we spent spend a charming 魔力；使陶醉 afternoon roaming 漫游 in the woods, returning to the house about five.

As we entered the large hall, John beckoned 招手 us both into the smoking-room. I saw at once by his face that something disturbing 打扰 had occurred 发生. We followed him in, and he shut 关闭 the door after us.

"Look here, Mary, there's the deuce of a mess 不整洁；弄乱. Evie's had a row 行 with Alfred Inglethorp, and she's off."

"Evie? Off?"

John nodded 点头 gloomily 阴沉.

"Yes; you see she went to the mater, and—Oh, here's Evie her‧self 她自己."

Miss Howard entered. Her lips were set grimly 严峻 together, and she carried a small suit-case. She looked excited and determined, and slightly on the defensive 防御性.

"At any rate," she burst 爆裂 out, "I've spoken speak my mind!"

"My dear Evelyn," cried Mrs. Cavendish, "this can't be true!"

Miss Howard nodded 点头 grimly 严峻.

"True enough! Afraid I said some things to Emily she won win't forget or for‧give 原谅 in a hurry. Don't mind if they've only sunk 淹没:sink in a bit 一点. Probably water off a duck 鸭子's back, though. I said right out: 'You're an old woman, Emily, and there's no fool like an old fool. The man's twenty 二十 years younger than you, and don't you fool your‧self 你自己 as to what he married you for. Money! Well, don't let him have too much of it. Farmer Raikes has got a very pretty young wife. Just ask your Alfred how much time he spends over there.' She was very angry 生气的. Natural 自然! I went on, 'I'm going to warn you, whether you like it or not. That man would as soon murder you in your bed as look at you. He's a bad lot. You can say what you like to me, but remember what I've told you. He's a bad lot!'"

"What did she say?"

Miss Howard made an extremely expressive 表现的 grimace.

"'Darling Alfred'—'dearest Alfred'—' wicked 邪恶的 calumnies' —' wicked lies'—' wicked woman'—to accuse 指责 her 'dear husband'! The sooner I left her house the better. So I'm off."

"But not now?"

"This minute!"

For a moment we sat sit and stared at her. Finally John Cavendish, finding his persuasions 劝说 of no avail 果, went off to look up the trains. His wife followed him, murmuring 私语 something about persuading 说服 Mrs. Inglethorp to think better of it.

As she left the room, Miss Howard's face changed. She leant towards me eagerly 渴望的.

"Mr. Hastings, you're honest 诚实的. I can trust you?"

I was a little startled 惊吓. She laid her hand on my arm, and sank her voice to a whisper 低声说.

"Look after her, Mr. Hastings. My poor Emily. They're a lot of sharks 鲨鱼—all of them. Oh, I know what I'm talking about. There isn't one of them that's not hard up and trying to get money out of her. I've protected her as much as I could. Now I'm out of the way, they'll impose 强加 upon her."

"Of course, Miss Howard," I said, "I'll do everything I can, but I'm sure you're excited and over‧wrought 之上‧锻."

She interrupted 打断 me by slowly shaking her fore‧finger 前面‧手指.

"Young man, trust me. I've lived in the world rather longer than you have. All I ask you is to keep your eyes open. You'll see what I mean."

The throb 搏动 of the motor came through the open window, and Miss Howard rose and moved to the door. John's voice sounded outside. With her hand on the handle, she turned her head over her shoulder, and beckoned 招手 to me.

"Above all, Mr. Hastings, watch that devil 魔鬼—her husband!"

There was no time for more. Miss Howard was swallowed 吞 up in an eager 渴望的 chorus 合唱 of protests 抗议 and good-byes 再见. The Inglethorps did not appear.

As the motor drove drive away, Mrs. Cavendish suddenly detached 分离 her‧self 她自己 from the group, and moved across the drive to the lawn 草坪 to meet a tall bearded 胡须 man who had been evidently 明显地 making for the house. The colour rose in her cheeks 脸颊 as she held out her hand to him.

"Who is that?" I asked sharply, for instinctively 本能 I distrusted 怀疑 the man.

"That's Dr. Bauerstein," said John shortly.

"And who is Dr. Bauerstein?"

"He's staying in the village doing a rest cure 治愈, after a bad nervous 担心的 break‧down 分解. He's a London specialist 专家；专业人员; a very clever 聪明的 man—one of the greatest living experts 专家 on poisons, I believe."

"And he's a great friend of Mary's," put in Cynthia, the irrepressible.

John Cavendish frowned 皱眉 and changed the subject.

"Come for a stroll 漫步, Hastings. This has been a most rotten 腐烂的 business. She always had a rough tongue 舌头, but there is no stauncher 坚定 friend in England than Evelyn Howard."

He took the path 小路 through the plantation 种植园, and we walked down to the village through the woods which bordered 边；界 one side of the estate 房地产.

As we passed through one of the gates on our way home again, a pretty young woman of gipsy type coming in the opposite direction bowed 弓 and smiled.

"That's a pretty girl," I remarked appreciatively.

John's face hardened 使硬化.

"That is Mrs. Raikes."

"The one that Miss Howard——"

"Exactly," said John, with rather unnecessary 不必要 abruptness.

I thought of the white-haired old lady in the big house, and that vivid 生动 wicked 3 little face that had just smiled into ours, and a vague 模糊 chill 寒意 of foreboding crept 爬行:creep over me. I brushed it aside.

"Styles is really a glorious 辉煌 old place," I said to John.

He nodded 点头 rather gloomily 阴沉.

"Yes, it's a fine property. It'll be mine some day—should be mine now by rights, if my father had only made a decent 正经 will. And then I shouldn't be so damned 该死的 hard up as I am now."

"Hard up, are you?"

"My dear Hastings, I don't mind telling you that I'm at my wits 风趣' end for money."

"Couldn't your brother help you?"

"Lawrence? He's gone through every penny 便士 he ever had, publishing 发布 rotten 腐烂的 verses in fancy 想像 bindings. No, we're an impecunious lot. My mother's always been awfully good to us, I must say. That is, up to now. Since her marriage, of course——" he broke break off, frowning 皱眉.

For the first time I felt that, with Evelyn Howard, something indefinable had gone from the atmosphere 大气层. Her presence had spelt 拼写:spell security 安全. Now that security 安全 was removed 去掉—and the air seemed rife with suspicion 怀疑. The sinister 险恶 face of Dr. Bauerstein recurred 复发 to me unpleasantly 不愉快. A vague 模糊 suspicion of every one and everything filled my mind. Just for a moment I had a premonition of approaching evil.

CHAPTER II. THE 16TH AND 17TH OF JULY

I had arrived at Styles on the 5th of July. I come now to the events of the 16th and 17th of that month. For the convenience 方便 of the reader I will recapitulate the incidents 事件 of those days in as exact a manner as possible. They were elicited 引出 subsequently 随后的，接着的 at the trial by a process of long and tedious 乏味 cross-examinations 检查.

I received a letter from Evelyn Howard a couple of days after her departure 离开, telling me she was working as a nurse 护士 at the big hospital in Middlingham, a manufacturing town some fifteen 十五 miles away, and begging 乞讨 me to let her know if Mrs. Inglethorp should show any wish to be reconciled 调和.

The only fly in the ointment of my peaceful 平静的 days was Mrs. Cavendish's extra‧ordinary 非凡的, and, for my part, unaccountable preference 偏爱 for the society of Dr. Bauerstein. What she saw in the man I cannot imagine, but she was always asking him up to the house, and often went off for long expeditions 远征 with him. I must confess 供认 that I was quite unable 无法 to see his attraction 吸引.

The 16th of July fell fall on a Monday. It was a day of turmoil 动荡. The famous 著名 bazaar had taken place on Saturday, and an entertainment 娱乐, in connection with the same charity 慈善, at which Mrs. Inglethorp was to recite 背诵 a War poem, was to be held that night. We were all busy during the morning arranging and decorating 装饰 the Hall in the village where it was to take place. We had a late luncheon 午餐 and spent the afternoon resting in the garden. I noticed that John's manner was some‧what 有些 unusual 异常. He seemed very excited and rest‧less 不安.

After tea, Mrs. Inglethorp went to lie down to rest before her efforts in the evening and I challenged 挑战 Mary Cavendish to a single at tennis 网球.

About a quarter to seven 七, Mrs. Inglethorp called us that we should be late as supper 晚饭 was early that night. We had rather a scramble 争夺 to get ready in time; and before the meal 餐 was over the motor was waiting at the door.

The entertainment 娱乐 was a great success, Mrs. Inglethorp's recitation receiving tremendous 巨大 applause 热烈鼓掌. There were also some tableaux in which Cynthia took part. She did not return with us, having been asked to a supper 晚饭 party, and to remain the night with some friends who had been acting with her in the tableaux.

The following morning, Mrs. Inglethorp stayed in bed to break‧fast 早餐, as she was rather overtired; but she appeared in her briskest 轻快 mood 心境 about 12.30, and swept sweep Lawrence and myself 我 off to a luncheon 午餐 party.

"Such a charming invitation 邀请 from Mrs. Rolleston. Lady Tadminster's sister 姐妹, you know. The Rollestons came over with the Conqueror 征服者—one of our oldest families."

Mary had excused 原谅 her‧self 她自己 on the plea 恳求 of an engagement 订婚 with Dr. Bauerstein.

We had a pleasant luncheon 午餐, and as we drove away Lawrence suggested that we should return by Tadminster, which was barely 光秃秃的 a mile out of our way, and pay a visit to Cynthia in her dispensary. Mrs. Inglethorp replied that this was an excellent idea, but as she had several letters to write she would drop us there, and we could come back with Cynthia in the pony 小马-trap 陷阱；诱骗.

We were detained 扣留 under suspicion 3 by the hospital porter 搬运工, until Cynthia appeared to vouch for us, looking very cool and sweet in her long white over‧all 总体. She took us up to her sanctum, and introduced us to her fellow dispenser 发放, a rather awe 威严-inspiring 激励，鼓舞 individual, whom 谁 Cynthia cheerily addressed as "Nibs."

"What a lot of bottles!" I exclaimed 喊叫, as my eye travelled round the small room. "Do you really know what's in them all?"

"Say something original 原版的," groaned 呻吟 Cynthia. "Every single person who comes up here says that. We are really thinking of bestowing 赐给 a prize 奖赏 on the first individual who does not say: 'What a lot of bottles!' And I know the next thing you're going to say is: 'How many people have you poisoned 毒药?'"

I pleaded 求情 guilty 有罪的；内疚的 with a laugh.

"If you people only knew how fatally 致命 easy it is to poison 毒药 someone by mistake, you wouldn't joke 笑话 about it. Come on, let's have tea. We've got all sorts of secret stories in that cup‧board 橱柜. No, Lawrence—that's the poison cupboard. The big cupboard—that's right."

We had a very cheery tea, and assisted 帮助；协助；援助 Cynthia to wash up after‧ward 之后. We had just put away the last tea-spoon 匙 when a knock 敲 came at the door. The countenances 面容 of Cynthia and Nibs were suddenly petrified into a stern 严肃 and forbidding 禁止 expression.

"Come in," said Cynthia, in a sharp professional 专业的 tone 音.

A young and rather scared 惊恐 looking nurse appeared with a bottle which she proffered to Nibs, who waved her towards Cynthia with the some‧what 有些 enigmatical remark:

"I'm not really here to-day."

Cynthia took the bottle and examined it with the severity 严重 of a judge.

"This should have been sent up this morning."

" Sister 姐妹 is very sorry 对不起的. She forgot forget."

"Sister should read the rules outside the door."

I gathered from the little nurse's expression that there was not the least likelihood 可能性 of her having the hardihood to retail 零售 this message to the dreaded 恐惧 "Sister".

"So now it can't be done until to-morrow," finished Cynthia.

"Don't you think you could possibly let us have it to-night?"

"Well," said Cynthia graciously 亲切, "we are very busy, but if we have time it shall be done."

The little nurse withdrew, and Cynthia promptly took a jar 罐 from the shelf 架子, refilled 充值 the bottle, and placed it on the table outside the door.

I laughed.

" Discipline 训练 must be maintained 保持?"

"Exactly. Come out on our little balcony 阳台. You can see all the outside wards 病房 there."

I followed Cynthia and her friend and they pointed out the different wards 病房 to me. Lawrence remained behind, but after a few moments Cynthia called to him over her shoulder to come and join us. Then she looked at her watch.

"Nothing more to do, Nibs?"

"No."

"All right. Then we can lock up and go."

I had seen Lawrence in quite a different light that afternoon. Compared to John, he was an astoundingly difficult person to get to know. He was the opposite of his brother in almost every respect, being unusually 异常 shy 害羞 and reserved. Yet he had a certain charm 魔力；使陶醉 of manner, and I fancied 想像 that, if one really knew him well, one could have a deep affect‧ion 感情 for him. I had always fancied that his manner to Cynthia was rather con‧strain 压抑, and that she on her side was inclined 倾斜 to be shy 害羞 of him. But they were both gay 快乐的 enough this afternoon, and chatted 聊 together like a couple of children.

As we drove through the village, I remembered that I wanted some stamps 邮票, so accordingly 于是 we pulled up at the post office.

As I came out again, I cannoned 大炮 into a little man who was just entering. I drew aside and apologised, when suddenly, with a loud 响亮的 exclamation, he clasped 钩 me in his arms and kissed 接吻 me warmly.

"Mon ami Hastings!" he cried. "It is indeed mon amiHastings!"

"Poirot!" I exclaimed 喊叫.

I turned to the pony 小马-trap 陷阱；诱骗.

"This is a very pleasant meeting for me, Miss Cynthia. This is my old friend, Monsieur Poirot, whom 谁 I have not seen for years."

"Oh, we know Monsieur Poirot," said Cynthia gaily 快乐的. "But I had no idea he was a friend of yours."

"Yes, indeed," said Poirot seriously. "I know Mademoiselle Cynthia. It is by the charity 慈善 of that good Mrs. Inglethorp that I am here." Then, as I looked at him inquiringly: "Yes, my friend, she had kindly extended hospitality 待客 to seven 七 of my country‧people 国家；乡村‧人们 who, alas 唉, are refugees 难民 from their native 本土的 land. We Belgians will always remember her with gratitude 感谢."

Poirot was an extra‧ordinary 非凡的 looking little man. He was hardly more than five feet, four inches, but carried himself with great dignity 尊严. His head was exactly the shape of an egg 鸡蛋, and he always perched 栖息 it a little on one side. His moustache was very stiff 严厉的 and military 军事. The neatness of his attire 服装 was almost incredible 难以置信. I believe a speck of dust would have caused him more pain than a bullet 子弹 wound 创伤. Yet this quaint 精巧 dandified little man who, I was sorry 对不起的 to see, now limped 跛行 badly 很糟地, had been in his time one of the most celebrated 庆祝 members of the Belgian police. As a detective 侦探, his flair 风骚 had been extra‧ordinary 非凡的, and he had achieved 实现 triumphs 胜利 by unravelling 绎 some of the most baffling 障 cases of the day.

He pointed out to me the little house inhabited 居住于 by him and his fellow Belgians, and I promised to go and see him at an early date. Then he raised his hat with a flourish 繁荣 to Cynthia, and we drove away.

"He's a dear little man," said Cynthia. "I'd no idea you knew him."

"You've been entertaining a celebrity 名人 unawares 不知道," I replied.

And, for the rest of the way home, I recited 背诵 to them the various exploits 利用 and triumphs 胜利 of Hercule Poirot.

We arrived back in a very cheerful 快乐 mood 心境. As we entered the hall, Mrs. Inglethorp came out of her boudoir. She looked flushed 红晕 and upset 打翻.

"Oh, it's you," she said.

"Is there anything the matter, Aunt 阿姨 Emily?" asked Cynthia.

"Certainly not," said Mrs. Inglethorp sharply. "What should there be?" Then catching sight of Dorcas, the parlourmaid, going into the dining 吃饭-room, she called to her to bring some stamps into the boudoir.

"Yes, m'm." The old servant 仆人 hesitated 犹豫, then added diffidently: "Don't you think, m'm, you'd better get to bed? You're looking very tired."

"Perhaps you're right, Dorcas—yes—no—not now. I've some letters I must finish by post-time. Have you lighted the fire in my room as I told you?"

"Yes, m'm."

"Then I'll go to bed directly after supper 3."

She went into the boudoir again, and Cynthia stared after her.

"Goodness gracious 亲切! I wonder what's up?" she said to Lawrence.

He did not seem to have heard her, for without a word he turned on his heel 脚跟 and went out of the house.

I suggested a quick game of tennis 网球 before supper and, Cynthia agreeing, I ran upstairs 楼上 to fetch 取 my racquet.

Mrs. Cavendish was coming down the stairs 楼梯. It may have been my fancy 想像, but she, too, was looking odd 奇 and disturbed 打扰.

"Had a good walk with Dr. Bauerstein?" I asked, trying to appear as indifferent 冷漠 as I could.

"I didn't go," she replied abruptly 突然. "Where is Mrs. Inglethorp?"

"In the boudoir."

Her hand clenched 咬紧 itself 本身 on the banisters, then she seemed to nerve 神经 her‧self 她自己 for some encounter 遭遇, and went rapidly past me down the stairs across the hall to the boudoir, the door of which she shut 关闭 behind her.

As I ran out to the tennis 网球 court a few moments later, I had to pass the open boudoir window, and was unable 无法 to help over‧hear 偷听 the following scrap 废料 of dialogue. Mary Cavendish was saying in the voice of a woman desperately 拼命 controlling her‧self 她自己:

"Then you won't show it to me?"

To which Mrs. Inglethorp replied:

"My dear Mary, it has nothing to do with that matter."

"Then show it to me."

"I tell you it is not what you imagine. It does not concern you in the least."

To which Mary Cavendish replied, with a rising bitterness 苦味:

"Of course, I might have known you would shield 盾 him."

Cynthia was waiting for me, and greeted me eagerly with:

"I say! There's been the most awful 糟糕的 row 行! I've got it all out of Dorcas."

"What kind of a row?"

"Between Aunt 阿姨 Emily and him. I do hope she's found him out at last!"

"Was Dorcas there, then?"

"Of course not. She 'happened to be near the door'. It was a real old bust 胸围-up. I do wish I knew what it was all about."

I thought of Mrs. Raikes's gipsy face, and Evelyn Howard's warnings, but wisely 明智的；聪明的 decided to hold my peace, whilst 同时 Cynthia exhausted 排气 every possible hypothesis 假设, and cheerfully 乐意 hoped, "Aunt 3 Emily will send him away, and will never speak to him again."

I was anxious 焦急的 to get hold of John, but he was now‧here 无处 to be seen. Evidently something very momentous had occurred 发生 that afternoon. I tried to forget the few words I had over‧hear 偷听; but, do what I would, I could not dismiss 解雇 them altogether 全部地 from my mind. What was Mary Cavendish's concern in the matter?

Mr. Inglethorp was in the drawing-room when I came down to supper. His face was impassive as ever, and the strange unreality of the man struck me afresh.

Mrs. Inglethorp came down last. She still looked agitated 激荡, and during the meal 餐 there was a some‧what 有些 con‧strain 压抑 silence. Inglethorp was unusually 异常 quiet. As a rule, he surrounded his wife with little attentions, placing a cushion 垫子 at her back, and altogether 全部地 playing the part of the devoted 奉献 husband. Immediately after supper, Mrs. Inglethorp retired to her boudoir again.

"Send my coffee in here, Mary," she called. "I've just five minutes to catch the post."

Cynthia and I went and sat by the open window in the drawing-room. Mary Cavendish brought our coffee to us. She seemed excited.

"Do you young people want lights, or do you enjoy the twilight 暮?" she asked. "Will you take Mrs. Inglethorp her coffee, Cynthia? I will pour 淋；倒 it out."

"Do not trouble, Mary," said Inglethorp. "I will take it to Emily." He poured it out, and went out of the room carrying it carefully 小心.

Lawrence followed him, and Mrs. Cavendish sat down by us.

We three sat for some time in silence. It was a glorious 辉煌 night, hot and still. Mrs. Cavendish fanned 扇子 her‧self 她自己 gently with a palm 棕榈 leaf 叶子.

"It's almost too hot," she murmured 私语. "We shall have a thunder‧storm 雷雨."

Alas, that these harmonious 和谐 moments can never endure 忍受! My paradise 天堂 was rudely 粗鲁的 shattered 打碎 by the sound of a well known, and heartily 爽朗 disliked 反感, voice in the hall.

"Dr. Bauerstein!" exclaimed 喊叫 Cynthia. "What a funny 有趣的 time to come."

I glanced 一瞥 jealously 妒忌的 at Mary Cavendish, but she seemed quite undisturbed, the delicate 微妙的；纤弱的 pallor of her cheeks 脸颊 did not vary 变化.

In a few moments, Alfred Inglethorp had ushered 招待员 the doctor in, the latter laughing, and protesting 抗议 that he was in no fit state for a drawing-room. In truth, he presented a sorry spectacle 场面；眼镜, being literally 按照字面 plastered 灰泥 with mud 泥.

"What have you been doing, doctor?" cried Mrs. Cavendish.

"I must make my apologies 道歉认错," said the doctor. "I did not really mean to come in, but Mr. Inglethorp insisted 咬定."

"Well, Bauerstein, you are in a plight 困境," said John, strolling 漫步 in from the hall. "Have some coffee, and tell us what you have been up to."

"Thank you, I will." He laughed rather rue‧fully 后悔‧完全地, as he described how he had discovered a very rare species 种类 of fern 蕨类 in an inaccessible 人迹罕至 place, and in his efforts to obtain 获得 it had lost his footing, and slipped ignominiously into a neighbouring pond 池塘.

"The sun soon dried me off," he added, "but I'm afraid my appearance is very disreputable."

At this juncture 契机, Mrs. Inglethorp called to Cynthia from the hall, and the girl ran out.

"Just carry up my despatch-case, will you, dear? I'm going to bed."

The door into the hall was a wide one. I had risen rise when Cynthia did, John was close by me. There were therefore three witnesses who could swear 发誓 that Mrs. Inglethorp was carrying her coffee, as yet untasted, in her hand.

My evening was utterly 完全 and entirely spoilt by the presence of Dr. Bauerstein. It seemed to me the man would never go. He rose at last, however, and I breathed 呼吸 a sigh 叹 of relief.

"I'll walk down to the village with you," said Mr. Inglethorp. "I must see our agent over those estate 房地产 accounts." He turned to John. "No one need sit up. I will take the latch 闩-key."

CHAPTER III. THE NIGHT OF THE TRAGEDY

To make this part of my story clear, I append the following plan of the first floor of Styles. The servants 仆人' rooms are reached through the door B. They have no communication 通讯 with the right wing 翅膀, where the Inglethorps' rooms were situated 位于.

It seemed to be the middle of the night when I was awakened 憬 by Lawrence Cavendish. He had a candle 蜡烛 in his hand, and the agitation 搅动 of his face told me at once that something was seriously wrong.

"What's the matter?" I asked, sitting up in bed, and trying to collect my scattered 散落 thoughts.

"We are afraid my mother is very ill 生病. She seems to be having some kind of fit. Unfortunately 不幸 she has locked her‧self 她自己 in."

"I'll come at once."

I sprang out of bed; and, pulling on a dressing-gown 袍, followed Lawrence along the passage and the gallery 画廊 to the right wing of the house.

John Cavendish joined us, and one or two of the servants were standing round in a state of awe 威严-stricken excitement 激动. Lawrence turned to his brother.

"What do you think we had better do?"

Never, I thought, had his indecision of character been more apparent 清晰可见的；显而易见的；明白易懂的.

John rattled 霸王鞭 the handle of Mrs. Inglethorp's door violently 猛烈, but with no effect. It was obviously 明显 locked or bolted 螺栓 on the inside. The whole house‧hold 家庭 was aroused 引起 by now. The most alarming 警告 sounds were audible 听得见 from the interior 室内 of the room. Clearly something must be done.

"Try going through Mr. Inglethorp's room, sir 先生," cried Dorcas. "Oh, the poor mistress 情妇!"

Suddenly I realized that Alfred Inglethorp was not with us—that he alone had given no sign of his presence. John opened the door of his room. It was pitch 沥青 dark, but Lawrence was following with the candle 蜡烛, and by its feeble 微弱 light we saw that the bed had not been slept sleep in, and that there was no sign of the room having been occupied 占据.

We went straight to the connecting 连接 door. That, too, was locked or bolted 螺栓 on the inside. What was to be done?

"Oh, dear, sir 先生," cried Dorcas, wringing 拧 her hands, "what ever shall we do?"

"We must try and break the door in, I suppose. It'll be a tough 坚强的 job, though. Here, let one of the maids 女佣 go down and wake 醒 Baily and tell him to go for Dr. Wilkins at once. Now then, we'll have a try at the door. Half a moment, though, isn't there a door into Miss Cynthia's rooms?"

"Yes, sir 先生, but that's always bolted 螺栓. It's never been undone."

"Well, we might just see."

He ran rapidly down the corridor 走廊 to Cynthia's room. Mary Cavendish was there, shaking the girl—who must have been an unusually 异常 sound sleeper—and trying to wake 醒 her.

In a moment or two he was back.

"No good. That's bolted 螺栓 too. We must break in the door. I think this one is a shade 遮阳；阴 less solid than the one in the passage."

We strained 压力 and heaved 举起 together. The frame‧work 构架 of the door was solid, and for a long time it resisted 抵抗 our efforts, but at last we felt it give beneath 之下 our weight, and finally, with a resounding 回响 crash 碰撞, it was burst 爆裂 open.

We stumbled 绊倒 in together, Lawrence still holding his candle 蜡烛. Mrs. Inglethorp was lying on the bed, her whole form agitated 激荡 by violent convulsions, in one of which she must have over‧turn 颠覆 the table beside her. As we entered, however, her limbs 肢 relaxed 放松, and she fell back upon the pillows 枕头.

John strode across the room, and lit the gas. Turning to Annie, one of the housemaids, he sent her downstairs 楼下 to the dining-room for brandy 白兰地. Then he went across to his mother whilst 同时 I unbolted the door that gave on the corridor 走廊.

I turned to Lawrence, to suggest that I had better leave them now that there was no further need of my services, but the words were frozen 使结冰；不动:freeze on my lips. Never have I seen such a ghastly 阴森 look on any man's face. He was white as chalk 粉笔, the candle 蜡烛 he held in his shaking hand was sputtering onto the carpet 地毯, and his eyes, petrified with terror 恐怖, or some such kind‧red 种类‧红色的 emotion 情感, stared fixedly over my head at a point on the further wall. It was as though he had seen something that turned him to stone. I instinctively 本能 followed the direction of his eyes, but I could see nothing unusual 异常. The still feebly 微弱 flickering 闪烁 ashes 灰 in the grate 炉排, and the row of prim ornaments 装饰 on the mantelpiece, were surely harm‧less 无害 enough.

The violence 暴力 of Mrs. Inglethorp's attack seemed to be passing. She was able to speak in short gasps 喘气.

"Better now—very sudden— stupid 愚蠢的 of me—to lock myself 我 in."

A shadow fell on the bed and, looking up, I saw Mary Cavendish standing near the door with her arm around Cynthia. She seemed to be supporting the girl, who looked utterly 完全 dazed 迷乱 and unlike 不像 her‧self 她自己. Her face was heavily 很大，沉重地 flushed 红晕, and she yawned 打哈欠 repeatedly 反复.

"Poor Cynthia is quite frightened 使惊恐," said Mrs. Cavendish in a low clear voice. She her‧self 她自己, I noticed, was dressed in her white land smock. Then it must be later than I thought. I saw that a faint 微弱的 streak 条纹 of day‧light 日光 was showing through the curtains 窗帘 of the windows, and that the clock 钟 on the mantelpiece pointed to close upon five o' clock.

A strangled 扼杀 cry from the bed startled 惊吓 me. A fresh access 访问 of pain seized 抓住 the unfortunate 不幸的 old lady. The convulsions were of a violence 暴力 terrible to behold 不料. Everything was confusion 混乱. We thronged 人群 round her, power‧less 无力 to help or alleviate 缓和. A final 最后 convulsion lifted her from the bed, until she appeared to rest upon her head and her heels 脚跟, with her body arched 弓形 in an extraordinary 3 manner. In vain 徒劳的 Mary and John tried to administer 管理 more brandy 白兰地. The moments flew fly. Again the body arched itself 本身 in that peculiar 奇怪的 fashion.

At that moment, Dr. Bauerstein pushed his way authoritatively 权威性 into the room. For one instant 瞬间 he stopped dead, staring at the figure on the bed, and, at the same instant, Mrs. Inglethorp cried out in a strangled 扼杀 voice, her eyes fixed on the doctor:

"Alfred—Alfred——" Then she fell back motion‧less 运动‧少 on the pillows 枕头.

With a stride 迈, the doctor reached the bed, and seizing 抓住 her arms worked them energetically 有活力, applying what I knew to be artificial 人造的 respiration. He issued a few short sharp orders to the servants. An imperious wave of his hand drove us all to the door. We watched him, fascinated 深深吸引；迷住, though I think we all knew in our hearts that it was too late, and that nothing could be done now. I could see by the expression on his face that he himself had little hope.

Finally he abandoned 放弃 his task 任务, shaking his head gravely 坟墓；严重的. At that moment, we heard foot‧step 脚步 outside, and Dr. Wilkins, Mrs. Inglethorp's own doctor, a portly 港口, fussy little man, came bustling 忙碌 in.

In a few words Dr. Bauerstein explained how he had happened to be passing the lodge 存放 gates as the car came out, and had run up to the house as fast as he could, whilst 同时 the car went on to fetch 取 Dr. Wilkins. With a faint 微弱的 gesture 手势 of the hand, he indicated 表明 the figure on the bed.

"Ve—ry sad 悲哀的. Ve—ry sad," murmured 私语 Dr. Wilkins. "Poor dear lady. Always did far too much—far too much—against my advice 劝告. I warned her. Her heart was far from strong. 'Take it easy,' I said to her, 'Take—it—easy'. But no—her zeal 热情 for good works was too great. Nature rebelled 反叛. Na—ture—re— belled 钟."

Dr. Bauerstein, I noticed, was watching the local doctor narrowly. He still kept his eyes fixed on him as he spoke.

"The convulsions were of a peculiar 奇怪的 violence, Dr. Wilkins. I am sorry you were not here in time to witness them. They were quite—tetanic in character."

"Ah!" said Dr. Wilkins wisely.

"I should like to speak to you in private," said Dr. Bauerstein. He turned to John. "You do not object?"

"Certainly not."

We all trooped 部队 out into the corridor 走廊, leaving the two doctors alone, and I heard the key turned in the lock behind us.

We went slowly down the stairs. I was violently excited. I have a certain talent 天赋 for deduction 扣除, and Dr. Bauerstein's manner had started a flock 群 of wild surmises in my mind. Mary Cavendish laid her hand upon my arm.

"What is it? Why did Dr. Bauerstein seem so—peculiar?"

I looked at her.

"Do you know what I think?"

"What?"

"Listen!" I looked round, the others were out of ear‧shot 耳朵‧射击. I lowered my voice to a whisper 低声说. "I believe she has been poisoned! I'm certain Dr. Bauerstein suspects 怀疑；嫌疑犯 it."

"What?" She shrank against the wall, the pupils 学生 of her eyes dilating wildly. Then, with a sudden cry that startled 惊吓 me, she cried out: "No, no—not that—not that!" And breaking from me, fled up the stairs. I followed her, afraid that she was going to faint 微弱的. I found her leaning against the bannisters, deadly pale. She waved me away impatiently 不耐烦.

"No, no—leave me. I'd rather be alone. Let me just be quiet for a minute or two. Go down to the others."

I obeyed 服从 her reluctantly 勉强. John and Lawrence were in the dining-room. I joined them. We were all silent, but I suppose I voiced the thoughts of us all when I at last broke it by saying:

"Where is Mr. Inglethorp?"

John shook his head.

"He's not in the house."

Our eyes met. Where was Alfred Inglethorp? His absence 缺席 was strange and inexplicable. I remembered Mrs. Inglethorp's dying words. What lay beneath 之下 them? What more could she have told us, if she had had time?

At last we heard the doctors descending 下来 the stairs. Dr. Wilkins was looking important and excited, and trying to conceal 隐藏 an inward 向内的 exultation under a manner of decorous calm 镇定的. Dr. Bauerstein remained in the back‧ground 背景, his grave 坟墓；严重的 bearded face unchanged 不变. Dr. Wilkins was the spokesman 发言人 for the two. He addressed himself to John:

"Mr. Cavendish, I should like your consent 同意 to a postmortem."

"Is that necessary?" asked John gravely. A spasm of pain crossed his face.

"Absolutely," said Dr. Bauerstein.

"You mean by that——?"

"That neither Dr. Wilkins nor myself 我 could give a death certificate 证书 under the circumstances 环境."

John bent bend his head.

"In that case, I have no alter‧native 替代 but to agree."

"Thank you," said Dr. Wilkins briskly 轻快. "We propose that it should take place to-morrow night—or rather to-night." And he glanced 一瞥 at the day‧light 日光. "Under the circumstances 环境, I am afraid an inquest can hardly be avoided—these formalities 礼节 are necessary, but I beg 乞讨 that you won't distress 苦难 yourselves."

There was a pause 暂停, and then Dr. Bauerstein drew two keys from his pocket 口袋, and handed them to John.

"These are the keys of the two rooms. I have locked them and, in my opinion, they would be better kept locked for the present."

The doctors then departed 离开.

I had been turning over an idea in my head, and I felt that the moment had now come to broach it. Yet I was a little chary of doing so. John, I knew, had a horror 恐怖 of any kind of publicity 公开, and was an easygoing optimist, who preferred never to meet trouble half-way. It might be difficult to convince 说服 him of the soundness of my plan. Lawrence, on the other hand, being less conventional 传统的；常规的；普通的, and having more imagination 想像力, I felt I might count upon as an ally 联盟；盟友. There was no doubt that the moment had come for me to take the lead.

"John," I said, "I am going to ask you something."

"Well?"

"You remember my speaking of my friend Poirot? The Belgian who is here? He has been a most famous 著名 detective 侦探."

"Yes."

"I want you to let me call him in—to investigate 调查 this matter."

"What—now? Before the post-mortem?"

"Yes, time is an advantage if—if—there has been foul 犯规 play."

" Rubbish 垃圾!" cried Lawrence angrily 生气的. "In my opinion the whole thing is a mare 母马's nest （鸟）窝 of Bauerstein's! Wilkins hadn't an idea of such a thing, until Bauerstein put it into his head. But, like all specialists 专家；专业人员, Bauerstein's got a bee 蜜蜂 in his bonnet 帽子. Poisons are his hobby 爱好, so of course he sees them every‧where 到处."

I confess 供认 that I was surprised by Lawrence's attitude 态度. He was so seldom 很少 vehement about anything.

John hesitated.

"I can't feel as you do, Lawrence," he said at last. "I'm inclined 倾斜 to give Hastings a free hand, though I should prefer to wait a bit 一点. We don't want any unnecessary 不必要 scandal 丑闻."

"No, no," I cried eagerly, "you need have no fear of that. Poirot is discretion 慎重 itself 本身."

"Very well, then, have it your own way. I leave it in your hands. Though, if it is as we suspect 怀疑；嫌疑犯, it seems a clear enough case. God for‧give 原谅 me if I am wronging him!"

I looked at my watch. It was six o' clock 钟. I determined to lose no time.

Five minutes' delay 延迟, however, I allowed myself 我. I spent it in ransacking the library until I discovered a medical book which gave a description of strychnine poisoning.

CHAPTER IV. POIROT INVESTIGATES

The house which the Belgians occupied 占据 in the village was quite close to the park gates. One could save time by taking a narrow path 小路 through the long grass, which cut off the detours 車輛改道 of the winding drive. So I, accordingly 于是, went that way. I had nearly reached the lodge 存放, when my attention was arrested 逮捕 by the running figure of a man approaching me. It was Mr. Inglethorp. Where had he been? How did he intend to explain his absence 缺席?

He accosted me eagerly.

"My God! This is terrible! My poor wife! I have only just heard."

"Where have you been?" I asked.

"Denby kept me late last night. It was one o'clock 3 before we'd finished. Then I found that I'd forgotten forget the latch 闩-key after all. I didn't want to arouse 引起 the house‧hold 家庭, so Denby gave me a bed."

"How did you hear the news?" I asked.

"Wilkins knocked Denby up to tell him. My poor Emily! She was so self 自己-sacrificing 牺牲—such a noble 高尚的 character. She over-taxed her strength."

A wave of revulsion swept over me. What a consummate hypocrite the man was!

"I must hurry on," I said, thankful 感谢 that he did not ask me whither I was bound 必定；跳.

In a few minutes I was knocking 敲 at the door of Leastways Cottage 小屋.

Getting no answer, I repeated my summons 召唤 impatiently 不耐烦. A window above me was cautiously 小心的 opened, and Poirot himself looked out.

He gave an exclamation of surprise at seeing me. In a few brief 简要 words, I explained the tragedy 悲剧 that had occurred 发生, and that I wanted his help.

"Wait, my friend, I will let you in, and you shall recount 叙事 to me the affair whilst 同时 I dress."

In a few moments he had unbarred the door, and I followed him up to his room. There he installed 安装 me in a chair, and I related the whole story, keeping back nothing, and omitting 省略 no circumstance 环境, however insignificant 微不足道, whilst 同时 he himself made a careful 小心 and deliberate 商榷 toilet 厕所.

I told him of my awakening 憬, of Mrs. Inglethorp's dying words, of her husband's absence, of the quarrel 争吵 the day before, of the scrap 废料 of conversation between Mary and her mother-in-law that I had over‧hear 偷听, of the former quarrel between Mrs. Inglethorp and Evelyn Howard, and of the latter's innuendoes.

I was hardly as clear as I could wish. I repeated myself 我 several times, and occasionally 偶尔，间或；有时 had to go back to some detail that I had forgotten. Poirot smiled kindly on me.

"The mind is confused 使困窘? Is it not so? Take time, mon ami. You are agitated 激荡; you are excited—it is but natural 自然. Presently, when we are calmer 镇定的, we will arrange the facts, neatly 整洁的, each in his proper place. We will examine—and reject 拒绝. Those of importance we will put on one side; those of no importance, pouf!"—he screwed 螺丝钉 up his cherub-like face, and puffed 噗 comically 滑稽 enough—"blow them away!"

"That's all very well," I objected, "but how are you going to decide what is important, and what isn't? That always seems the difficulty to me."

Poirot shook his head energetically 有活力. He was now arranging his moustache with exquisite 精美 care.

"Not so. Voyons! One fact leads to another—so we continue. Does the next fit in with that? A merveille! Good! We can proceed 继续. This next little fact—no! Ah, that is curious! There is something missing—a link 链接 in the chain that is not there. We examine. We search. And that little curious fact, that possibly paltry little detail that will not tally 相符, we put it here!" He made an extravagant 靡 gesture 手势 with his hand. "It is significant 重大! It is tremendous 巨大!"

"Y—es ES—"

"Ah!" Poirot shook his fore‧finger 前面‧手指 so fiercely 凶猛的 at me that I quailed before it. "Beware! Peril to the detective 侦探 who says: 'It is so small—it does not matter. It will not agree. I will forget it.' That way lies confusion 混乱! Everything matters."

"I know. You always told me that. That's why I have gone into all the details of this thing whether they seemed to me relevant 相应 or not."

"And I am pleased with you. You have a good memory, and you have given me the facts faithfully 忠实. Of the order in which you present them, I say nothing—truly 真, it is deplorable! But I make allowances 津贴；补贴—you are upset 打翻. To that I attribute 特性；特质；属性 the circumstance 环境 that you have omitted 省略 one fact of par‧amount 最重要的 importance."

"What is that?" I asked.

"You have not told me if Mrs. Inglethorp ate well last night."

I stared at him. Surely the war had affected 影响 the little man's brain. He was carefully 小心 engaged 从事 in brushing his coat before putting it on, and seemed wholly 全 engrossed in the task 任务.

"I don't remember," I said. "And, anyway 无论如何, I don't see——"

"You do not see? But it is of the first importance."

"I can't see why," I said, rather nettled. "As far as I can remember, she didn't eat much. She was obviously 明显 upset 打翻, and it had taken her appetite 食欲 away. That was only natural 自然."

"Yes," said Poirot thoughtfully 沉思地, "it was only natural 自然."

He opened a drawer 抽屉, and took out a small despatch-case, then turned to me.

"Now I am ready. We will proceed 继续 to the chateau, and study matters on the spot. Excuse 原谅 me, mon ami, you dressed in haste 匆忙, and your tie is on one side. Permit me." With a deft gesture 手势, he rear‧range 改编 it.

"Ca y est! Now, shall we start?"

We hurried up the village, and turned in at the lodge 3 gates. Poirot stopped for a moment, and gazed 凝视 sorrow‧fully 悲痛‧完全地 over the beautiful 美丽 expanse 广阔 of park, still glittering 闪光 with morning dew.

"So beautiful 美丽, so beautiful 美丽, and yet, the poor family, plunged 跳水 in sorrow 悲痛, prostrated with grief 哀思."

He looked at me keenly 热切的 as he spoke, and I was aware 知道的 that I reddened under his pro‧long 延长 gaze 凝视.

Was the family prostrated by grief 哀思? Was the sorrow at Mrs. Inglethorp's death so great? I realized that there was an emotional 情绪化 lack in the atmosphere 大气层. The dead woman had not the gift 赠品 of commanding love. Her death was a shock and a distress 苦难, but she would not be passionately 热情 regretted 后悔.

Poirot seemed to follow my thoughts. He nodded 点头 his head gravely.

"No, you are right," he said, "it is not as though there was a blood tie. She has been kind and generous 慷慨的 to these Cavendishes, but she was not their own mother. Blood tells—always remember that—blood tells."

"Poirot," I said, "I wish you would tell me why you wanted to know if Mrs. Inglethorp ate well last night? I have been turning it over in my mind, but I can't see how it has anything to do with the matter?"

He was silent for a minute or two as we walked along, but finally he said:

"I do not mind telling you—though, as you know, it is not my habit 习惯 to explain until the end is reached. The present content‧ion 争夺 is that Mrs. Inglethorp died of strychnine poisoning, presumably 想必 administered 管理 in her coffee."

"Yes?"

"Well, what time was the coffee served?"

"About eight 八 o'clock."

"Therefore she drank drink it between then and half-past eight 八—certainly not much later. Well, strychnine is a fairly rapid poison 3. Its effects would be felt very soon, probably in about an hour. Yet, in Mrs. Inglethorp's case, the symptoms 症状 do not manifest 表现 themselves until five o'clock the next morning: nine 九 hours! But a heavy meal, taken at about the same time as the poison, might retard 减速 its effects, though hardly to that extent. Still, it is a possibility 可能性 to be taken into account. But, according to you, she ate very little for supper, and yet the symptoms do not develop until early the next morning! Now that is a curious circumstance 环境, my friend. Something may arise at the autopsy to explain it. In the mean‧time 其时, remember it."

As we neared the house, John came out and met us. His face looked weary 厌倦 and haggard.

"This is a very dreadful 可怕 business, Monsieur Poirot," he said. "Hastings has explained to you that we are anxious 焦急的 for no publicity 公开?"

"I comprehend 理解 perfectly."

"You see, it is only suspicion so far. We have nothing to go upon."

" Precisely 精确地. It is a matter of pre‧caution 预防 only."

John turned to me, taking out his cigarette 香烟，纸烟-case, and lighting a cigarette as he did so.

"You know that fellow Inglethorp is back?"

"Yes. I met him."

John flung the match into an adjacent 邻 flower bed, a proceeding 继续 which was too much for Poirot's feelings. He retrieved 取回 it, and buried 埋葬 it neatly.

"It's jolly 欢乐 difficult to know how to treat him."

"That difficulty will not exist long," pronounced 发音 Poirot quietly.

John looked puzzled 使迷惑, not quite understanding the portent of this cryptic saying. He handed the two keys which Dr. Bauerstein had given him to me.

"Show Monsieur Poirot everything he wants to see."

"The rooms are locked?" asked Poirot.

"Dr. Bauerstein considered it advisable 可取."

Poirot nodded 点头 thoughtfully 沉思地.

"Then he is very sure. Well, that simplifies 简化 matters for us."

We went up together to the room of the tragedy 悲剧. For convenience 方便 I append a plan of the room and the principal 主要 articles of furniture 家具 in it.

Poirot locked the door on the inside, and proceeded 继续 to a minute inspection 检查 of the room. He darted 镖 from one object to the other with the agility of a grasshopper. I remained by the door, fearing to obliterate 泯 any clues 线索. Poirot, however, did not seem grateful 感激的 to me for my forbearance.

"What have you, my friend," he cried, "that you remain there like—how do you say it?—ah, yes, the stuck stick pig 猪?"

I explained that I was afraid of obliterating 泯 any foot-marks.

"Foot-marks? But what an idea! There has already been practically an army in the room! What foot-marks are we likely to find? No, come here and aid 援助 me in my search. I will put down my little case until I need it."

He did so, on the round table by the window, but it was an ill 生病-advised proceeding 继续; for, the top of it being loose, it tilted 倾斜 up, and precipitated 沉淀 the despatch-case on the floor.

"Eh voilà une table!" cried Poirot. "Ah, my friend, one may live in a big house and yet have no comfort."

After which piece of moralizing, he resumed 恢复 his search.

A small purple 紫色的 despatch-case, with a key in the lock, on the writing-table, engaged 从事 his attention for some time. He took out the key from the lock, and passed it to me to inspect 检查. I saw nothing peculiar, however. It was an ordinary key of the Yale type, with a bit of twisted 扭成一束 wire through the handle.

Next, he examined the frame‧work 构架 of the door we had broken break in, assuring 向…保证；肯定地说 himself that the bolt 螺栓 had really been shot shoot. Then he went to the door opposite leading into Cynthia's room. That door was also bolted 螺栓, as I had stated. However, he went to the length of unbolting it, and opening and shutting 关闭 it several times; this he did with the utmost 极 pre‧caution 预防 against making any noise 噪音. Suddenly something in the bolt 螺栓 itself 本身 seemed to rivet 铆钉 his attention. He examined it carefully 小心, and then, nimbly whipping 鞭打 out a pair of small forceps from his case, he drew out some minute particle which he carefully 小心 sealed 封上，海豹 up in a tiny 小 envelope 信封.

On the chest 胸部 of drawers 抽屉 there was a tray 盘子 with a spirit lamp 灯 and a small sauce‧pan 平底锅 on it. A small quantity 量 of a dark fluid 流体 remained in the sauce‧pan 平底锅, and an empty cup and saucer 茶杯托 that had been drunk drink out of stood near it.

I wondered how I could have been so unobservant as to over‧look 俯瞰 this. Here was a clue 线索 worth having. Poirot delicately 微妙的；纤弱的 dipped 浸 his finger into liquid 液体, and tasted it gingerly 生姜. He made a grimace.

"Cocoa—with—I think—rum 朗姆酒 in it."

He passed on to the debris 废墟 on the floor, where the table by the bed had been over‧turn 颠覆. A reading- lamp 灯, some books, matches, a bunch 束 of keys, and the crushed 压破 fragments 分段 of a coffee-cup lay scattered about.

"Ah, this is curious," said Poirot.

"I must confess 供认 that I see nothing particularly curious about it."

"You do not? Observe the lamp—the chimney 烟囱 is broken in two places; they lie there as they fell. But see, the coffee-cup is absolutely smashed 粉碎 to powder 粉."

"Well," I said wearily 厌倦, "I suppose someone must have stepped on it."

"Exactly," said Poirot, in an odd 奇 voice. "Someone stepped on it."

He rose from his knees, and walked slowly across to the mantelpiece, where he stood abstractedly fingering the ornaments, and straightening 变直 them—a trick 哄骗；诀窍 of his when he was agitated 激荡.

"Mon ami," he said, turning to me, "somebody stepped on that cup, grinding 磨碎 it to powder 粉, and the reason they did so was either because it contained strychnine or—which is far more serious—because it did not contain strychnine!"

I made no reply. I was bewildered 困惑, but I knew that it was no good asking him to explain. In a moment or two he roused 唤醒 himself, and went on with his investigations 调查. He picked up the bunch 束 of keys from the floor, and twirling them round in his fingers finally selected 选择 one, very bright and shining 发光, which he tried in the lock of the purple 紫色的 despatch-case. It fitted, and he opened the box, but after a moment's hesitation 犹豫, closed and relocked it, and slipped the bunch of keys, as well as the key that had originally 本来 stood in the lock, into his own pocket 口袋.

"I have no authority 权威 to go through these papers. But it should be done—at once!"

He then made a very careful 小心 examination 检查 of the drawers of the wash-stand. Crossing the room to the left-hand window, a round stain, hardly visible 可以看见的；可视的 on the dark brown carpet 地毯, seemed to interest him particularly. He went down on his knees, examining it minutely—even going so far as to smell it.

Finally, he poured a few drops of the cocoa 可可 into a test tube 管, sealing 封上，海豹 it up carefully 小心. His next proceeding 继续 was to take out a little note‧book 笔记簿.

"We have found in this room," he said, writing busily, "six points of interest. Shall I enumerate them, or will you?"

"Oh, you," I replied hastily 草草.

"Very well, then. One, a coffee-cup that has been ground into powder; two, a despatch-case with a key in the lock; three, a stain on the floor."

"That may have been done some time ago," I interrupted.

"No, for it is still perceptibly damp 微湿的 and smells of coffee. Four, a fragment 分段 of some dark green fabric 布—only a thread 线 or two, but recognizable 识别."

"Ah!" I cried. "That was what you sealed up in the envelope 信封."

"Yes. It may turn out to be a piece of one of Mrs. Inglethorp's own dresses, and quite unimportant 不重要. We shall see. Five, this!" With a dramatic 戏剧性 gesture 手势, he pointed to a large splash 溅 of candle 蜡烛 grease 油脂 on the floor by the writing-table. "It must have been done since yesterday, otherwise a good house‧maid 房屋‧女佣 would have at once removed 去掉 it with blotting 斑点-paper and a hot iron 铁器. One of my best hats once—but that is not to the point."

"It was very likely done last night. We were very agitated 激荡. Or perhaps Mrs. Inglethorp her‧self 她自己 dropped her candle 蜡烛."

"You brought only one candle 蜡烛 into the room?"

"Yes. Lawrence Cavendish was carrying it. But he was very upset 3. He seemed to see something over here"—I indicated 表明 the mantelpiece—"that absolutely paralysed him."

"That is interesting," said Poirot quickly. "Yes, it is suggestive 提示"—his eye sweeping the whole length of the wall—"but it was not his candle 蜡烛 that made this great patch 补丁, for you perceive 认为 that this is white grease 油脂; whereas 而 Monsieur Lawrence's candle 蜡烛, which is still on the dressing-table, is pink 粉红色的. On the other hand, Mrs. Inglethorp had no candle‧stick 蜡烛‧棍；粘贴 in the room, only a reading-lamp 3."

"Then," I said, "what do you deduce 推断?"

To which my friend only made a rather irritating 刺激 reply, urging me to use my own natural 自然 faculties 学院.

"And the sixth point?" I asked. "I suppose it is the sample of cocoa 可可."

"No," said Poirot thoughtfully 沉思地. "I might have included that in the six, but I did not. No, the sixth point I will keep to myself 我 for the present."

He looked quickly round the room. "There is nothing more to be done here, I think, unless"—he stared ear‧nest 热心的 and long at the dead ashes in the grate 炉排. "The fire burns—and it destroys. But by chance—there might be—let us see!"

Deftly, on hands and knees, he began to sort the ashes from the grate 炉排 into the fender 挡开, handling them with the greatest caution 小心. Suddenly, he gave a faint 3 exclamation.

"The forceps, Hastings!"

I quickly handed them to him, and with skill he extracted 提取 a small piece of half charred 烧焦 paper.

"There, mon ami!" he cried. "What do you think of that?"

I scrutinized 细察 the fragment 分段. This is an exact reproduction 繁殖 of it:—

I was puzzled. It was unusually 异常 thick, quite unlike 不像 ordinary note‧paper 笔记‧纸；报纸. Suddenly an idea struck me.

"Poirot!" I cried. "This is a fragment 分段 of a will!"

"Exactly."

I looked up at him sharply.

"You are not surprised?"

"No," he said gravely, "I expected it."

I relinquished 放弃 the piece of paper, and watched him put it away in his case, with the same methodical care that he bestowed 赐给 on everything. My brain was in a whirl 旋转. What was this complication 复杂化 of a will? Who had destroyed it? The person who had left the candle 蜡烛 grease 油脂 on the floor? Obviously 明显. But how had anyone gained admission 准许进入? All the doors had been bolted 螺栓 on the inside.

"Now, my friend," said Poirot briskly 轻快, "we will go. I should like to ask a few questions of the parlourmaid—Dorcas, her name is, is it not?"

We passed through Alfred Inglethorp's room, and Poirot delayed 延迟 long enough to make a brief 简要 but fairly comprehensive 全面的；综合的；详尽的 examination 检查 of it. We went out through that door, locking both it and that of Mrs. Inglethorp's room as before.

I took him down to the boudoir which he had expressed a wish to see, and went myself 我 in search of Dorcas.

When I returned with her, however, the boudoir was empty.

"Poirot," I cried, "where are you?"

"I am here, my friend."

He had stepped outside the French window, and was standing, apparently 据…所知；看来；据说；听说 lost in admiration 钦佩, before the various shaped flower beds.

"Admirable!" he murmured 私语. "Admirable! What symmetry 对称! Observe that crescent; and those diamonds 钻石—their neatness rejoices 欢庆 the eye. The spacing of the plants, also, is perfect. It has been recently done; is it not so?"

"Yes, I believe they were at it yesterday afternoon. But come in—Dorcas is here."

"Eh bien, eh bien! Do not grudge 怨恨 me a moment's satisfaction 满足 of the eye."

"Yes, but this affair is more important."

"And how do you know that these fine begonias are not of equal importance?"

I shrugged 耸 my shoulders. There was really no arguing with him if he chose choose to take that line.

"You do not agree? But such things have been. Well, we will come in and interview 访问 the brave 勇敢的 Dorcas."

Dorcas was standing in the boudoir, her hands folded 折叠 in front of her, and her grey 灰色:gray hair rose in stiff 严厉的 waves under her white cap. She was the very model and picture of a good old-fashioned servant 仆人.

In her attitude 态度 towards Poirot, she was inclined 倾斜 to be suspicious 可疑的, but he soon broke down her defences. He drew forward a chair.

"Pray be seated, mademoiselle."

"Thank you, sir 3."

"You have been with your mistress 情妇 many years, is it not so?"

"Ten 十 years, sir."

"That is a long time, and very faithful 可信 service. You were much attached 连接 to her, were you not?"

"She was a very good mistress 情妇 to me, sir."

"Then you will not object to answering a few questions. I put them to you with Mr. Cavendish's full approval 批准；同意；赞成."

"Oh, certainly, sir."

"Then I will begin by asking you about the events of yesterday afternoon. Your mistress 情妇 had a quarrel 争吵?"

"Yes, sir. But I don't know that I ought——" Dorcas hesitated. Poirot looked at her keenly.

"My good Dorcas, it is necessary that I should know every detail of that quarrel 3 as fully 充分 as possible. Do not think that you are betraying 背叛 your mistress 情妇's secrets. Your mistress 情妇 lies dead, and it is necessary that we should know all—if we are to avenge her. Nothing can bring her back to life, but we do hope, if there has been foul 犯规 play, to bring the murderer to justice."

"Amen to that," said Dorcas fiercely. "And, naming no names, there's one in this house that none of us could ever abide 遵守! And an ill day it was when first he darkened 变暗 the threshold 阈."

Poirot waited for her indignation 愤慨 to sub‧side 塌陷, and then, resuming 恢复 his business-like tone 音, he asked:

"Now, as to this quarrel? What is the first you heard of it?"

"Well, sir, I happened to be going along the hall outside yesterday——"

"What time was that?"

"I couldn't say exactly, sir, but it wasn't tea-time by a long way. Perhaps four o'clock—or it may have been a bit later. Well, sir, as I said, I happened to be passing along, when I heard voices very loud 响亮的 and angry 生气的 in here. I didn't exactly mean to listen, but—well, there it is. I stopped. The door was shut, but the mistress 情妇 was speaking very sharp and clear, and I heard what she said quite plainly. 'You have lied lie to me, and deceived 欺诈 me,' she said. I didn't hear what Mr. Inglethorp replied. He spoke a good bit lower than she did—but she answered: 'How dare 敢 you? I have kept you and clothed you and fed feed you! You owe 欠…债 everything to me! And this is how you repay 偿还 me! By bringing disgrace 耻辱 upon our name!' Again I didn't hear what he said, but she went on: 'Nothing that you can say will make any difference. I see my duty clearly. My mind is made up. You need not think that any fear of publicity 公开, or scandal 丑闻 between husband and wife will deter 阻止 me.' Then I thought I heard them coming out, so I went off quickly."

"You are sure it was Mr. Inglethorp's voice you heard?"

"Oh, yes, sir, whose 谁的 else's could it be?"

"Well, what happened next?"

"Later, I came back to the hall; but it was all quiet. At five o'clock, Mrs. Inglethorp rang the bell 钟 and told me to bring her a cup of tea—nothing to eat—to the boudoir. She was looking dreadful 可怕—so white and upset. 'Dorcas,' she says, 'I've had a great shock.' 'I'm sorry for that, m'm,' I says. 'You'll feel better after a nice hot cup of tea, m'm.' She had something in her hand. I don't know if it was a letter, or just a piece of paper, but it had writing on it, and she kept staring at it, almost as if she couldn't believe what was written there. She whispered 低声说 to her‧self 她自己, as though she had forgotten I was there: 'These few words—and everything's changed.' And then she says to me: 'Never trust a man, Dorcas, they're not worth it!' I hurried off, and got her a good strong cup of tea, and she thanked me, and said she'd feel better when she'd drunk it. 'I don't know what to do,' she says. 'Scandal between husband and wife is a dreadful 可怕 thing, Dorcas. I'd rather hush 嘘 it up if I could.' Mrs. Cavendish came in just then, so she didn't say any more."

"She still had the letter, or whatever it was, in her hand?"

"Yes, sir."

"What would she be likely to do with it after‧ward 之后?"

"Well, I don't know, sir, I expect she would lock it up in that purple 紫色的 case of hers."

"Is that where she usually kept important papers?"

"Yes, sir. She brought it down with her every morning, and took it up every night."

"When did she lose the key of it?"

"She missed it yesterday at lunch 午餐-time, sir, and told me to look carefully 小心 for it. She was very much put out about it."

"But she had a duplicate 重复 key?"

"Oh, yes, sir."

Dorcas was looking very curiously at him and, to tell the truth, so was I. What was all this about a lost key? Poirot smiled.

"Never mind, Dorcas, it is my business to know things. Is this the key that was lost?" He drew from his pocket the key that he had found in the lock of the despatch-case upstairs 楼上.

Dorcas's eyes looked as though they would pop 流行的 out of her head.

"That's it, sir, right enough. But where did you find it? I looked every‧where 到处 for it."

"Ah, but you see it was not in the same place yesterday as it was to-day. Now, to pass to another subject, had your mistress 情妇 a dark green dress in her wardrobe 衣柜?"

Dorcas was rather startled 惊吓 by the unexpected 意外 question.

"No, sir."

"Are you quite sure?"

"Oh, yes, sir."

"Has anyone else in the house got a green dress?"

Dorcas reflected.

"Miss Cynthia has a green evening dress."

"Light or dark green?"

"A light green, sir; a sort of chiffon, they call it."

"Ah, that is not what I want. And nobody else has anything green?"

"No, sir—not that I know of."

Poirot's face did not betray 背叛 a trace 跟踪 of whether he was disappointed 使失望 or otherwise. He merely remarked:

"Good, we will leave that and pass on. Have you any reason to believe that your mistress 情妇 was likely to take a sleeping powder last night?"

"Not last night, sir, I know she didn't."

"Why do you know so positively 积极?"

"Because the box was empty. She took the last one two days ago, and she didn't have any more made up."

"You are quite sure of that?"

"Positive 正, sir."

"Then that is cleared up! By the way, your mistress 情妇 didn't ask you to sign any paper yesterday?"

"To sign a paper? No, sir."

"When Mr. Hastings and Mr. Lawrence came in yesterday evening, they found your mistress 情妇 busy writing letters. I suppose you can give me no idea to whom 谁 these letters were addressed?"

"I'm afraid I couldn't, sir. I was out in the evening. Perhaps Annie could tell you, though she's a care‧less 粗心 girl. Never cleared the coffee-cups away last night. That's what happens when I'm not here to look after things."

Poirot lifted his hand.

"Since they have been left, Dorcas, leave them a little longer, I pray you. I should like to examine them."

"Very well, sir."

"What time did you go out last evening?"

"About six o'clock, sir."

"Thank you, Dorcas, that is all I have to ask you." He rose and strolled 漫步 to the window. "I have been admiring these flower beds. How many gardeners 园丁 are employed here, by the way?"

"Only three now, sir. Five, we had, before the war, when it was kept as a gentle‧man 先生's place should be. I wish you could have seen it then, sir. A fair sight it was. But now there's only old Manning, and young William, and a new-fashioned woman gardener in breeches and such-like. Ah, these are dreadful 可怕 times!"

"The good times will come again, Dorcas. At least, we hope so. Now, will you send Annie to me here?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

"How did you know that Mrs. Inglethorp took sleeping powders 粉?" I asked, in lively curiosity 好奇心, as Dorcas left the room. "And about the lost key and the duplicate 重复?"

"One thing at a time. As to the sleeping powders, I knew by this." He suddenly produced a small card‧board 纸板 box, such as chemists 化学家 use for powders.

"Where did you find it?"

"In the wash-stand drawer 抽屉 in Mrs. Inglethorp's bed‧room 卧室. It was Number Six of my catalogue."

"But I suppose, as the last powder was taken two days ago, it is not of much importance?"

"Probably not, but do you notice anything that strikes you as peculiar about this box?"

I examined it closely.

"No, I can't say that I do."

"Look at the label 标签."

I read the label 标签 carefully 小心: "'One powder to be taken at bed‧time 就寝时间, if required. Mrs. Inglethorp.' No, I see nothing unusual 异常."

"Not the fact that there is no chemist 化学家's name?"

"Ah!" I exclaimed 喊叫. "To be sure, that is odd 奇!"

"Have you ever known a chemist 化学家 to send out a box like that, without his printed name?"

"No, I can't say that I have."

I was becoming quite excited, but Poirot damped 微湿的 my ardour by remarking:

"Yet the explanation 说明 is quite simple. So do not intrigue 诡计 your‧self 你自己, my friend."

An audible 听得见 creaking 吱吱 pro‧claim 宣布 the approach of Annie, so I had no time to reply.

Annie was a fine, strapping 用带捆扎 girl, and was evidently 明显地 labouring under intense 强烈的，极度的 excitement 激动, mingled 交融 with a certain ghoulish enjoyment 享受 of the tragedy 悲剧.

Poirot came to the point at once, with a business-like briskness.

"I sent for you, Annie, because I thought you might be able to tell me something about the letters Mrs. Inglethorp wrote last night. How many were there? And can you tell me any of the names and addresses?"

Annie considered.

"There were four letters, sir. One was to Miss Howard, and one was to Mr. Wells, the lawyer, and the other two I don't think I remember, sir—oh, yes, one was to Ross's, the caterers in Tadminster. The other one, I don't remember."

"Think," urged Poirot.

Annie racked 架 her brains in vain 徒劳的.

"I'm sorry, sir, but it's clean gone. I don't think I can have noticed it."

"It does not matter," said Poirot, not betraying 背叛 any sign of disappointment 失望. "Now I want to ask you about something else. There is a sauce‧pan 平底锅 in Mrs. Inglethorp's room with some cocoa 可可 in it. Did she have that every night?"

"Yes, sir, it was put in her room every evening, and she warmed it up in the night— when‧ever 随时 she fancied it."

"What was it? Plain cocoa 可可?"

"Yes, sir, made with milk 奶, with a teaspoonful of sugar 食糖, and two teaspoonfuls of rum 朗姆酒 in it."

"Who took it to her room?"

"I did, sir."

"Always?"

"Yes, sir."

"At what time?"

"When I went to draw the curtains, as a rule, sir."

"Did you bring it straight up from the kitchen then?"

"No, sir, you see there's not much room on the gas stove 炉, so Cook used to make it early, before putting the vegetables 蔬菜 on for supper. Then I used to bring it up, and put it on the table by the swing door, and take it into her room later."

"The swing door is in the left wing, is it not?"

"Yes, sir."

"And the table, is it on this side of the door, or on the farther—servants' side?"

"It's this side, sir."

"What time did you bring it up last night?"

"About quarter-past seven 七, I should say, sir."

"And when did you take it into Mrs. Inglethorp's room?"

"When I went to shut up, sir. About eight 八 o'clock. Mrs. Inglethorp came up to bed before I'd finished."

"Then, between 7.15 and 8 o'clock, the cocoa 可可 was standing on the table in the left wing?"

"Yes, sir." Annie had been growing redder and redder in the face, and now she blurted out unexpectedly 不料:

"And if there was salt in it, sir, it wasn't me. I never took the salt near it."

"What makes you think there was salt in it?" asked Poirot.

"Seeing it on the tray 盘子, sir."

"You saw some salt on the tray?"

"Yes. Coarse 粗鄙的 kitchen salt, it looked. I never noticed it when I took the tray 3 up, but when I came to take it into the mistress 情妇's room I saw it at once, and I suppose I ought to have taken it down again, and asked Cook to make some fresh. But I was in a hurry, because Dorcas was out, and I thought maybe the cocoa 可可 itself 本身 was all right, and the salt had only gone on the tray. So I dusted it off with my apron 围裙, and took it in."

I had the utmost 极 difficulty in controlling my excitement 激动. Unknown 未知 to her‧self 她自己, Annie had provided us with an important piece of evidence 证据. How she would have gaped 盱；目瞪口呆 if she had realized that her " coarse 粗鄙的 kitchen salt" was strychnine, one of the most deadly poisons known to man‧kind 人类. I marvelled 奇迹 at Poirot's calm 镇定的. His self 自己-control was astonishing 使惊讶. I awaited 等待 his next question with impatience 不耐烦, but it disappointed me.

"When you went into Mrs. Inglethorp's room, was the door leading into Miss Cynthia's room bolted 螺栓?"

"Oh! Yes, sir; it always was. It had never been opened."

"And the door into Mr. Inglethorp's room? Did you notice if that was bolted 螺栓 too?"

Annie hesitated.

"I couldn't rightly say, sir; it was shut but I couldn't say whether it was bolted 螺栓 or not."

"When you finally left the room, did Mrs. Inglethorp bolt 螺栓 the door after you?"

"No, sir, not then, but I expect she did later. She usually did lock it at night. The door into the passage, that is."

"Did you notice any candle 蜡烛 grease 3 on the floor when you did the room yesterday?"

"Candle grease? Oh, no, sir. Mrs. Inglethorp didn't have a candle 蜡烛, only a reading-lamp."

"Then, if there had been a large patch 补丁 of candle 蜡烛 grease on the floor, you think you would have been sure to have seen it?"

"Yes, sir, and I would have taken it out with a piece of blotting 斑点-paper and a hot iron 铁器."

Then Poirot repeated the question he had put to Dorcas:

"Did your mistress 情妇 ever have a green dress?"

"No, sir."

"Nor a mantle 披风, nor a cape 海角；斗篷, nor a—how do you call it?—a sports coat?"

"Not green, sir."

"Nor anyone else in the house?"

Annie reflected.

"No, sir."

"You are sure of that?"

"Quite sure."

"Bien! That is all I want to know. Thank you very much."

With a nervous 担心的 giggle 傻笑, Annie took her‧self 她自己 creakingly out of the room. My pent-up excitement 激动 burst forth.

"Poirot," I cried, "I congratulate 祝贺 you! This is a great discovery 发现."

"What is a great discovery?"

"Why, that it was the cocoa 可可 and not the coffee that was poisoned. That explains everything! Of course it did not take effect until the early morning, since the cocoa 可可 was only drunk in the middle of the night."

"So you think that the cocoa 可可—mark well what I say, Hastings, the cocoa 可可—contained strychnine?"

"Of course! That salt on the tray, what else could it have been?"

"It might have been salt," replied Poirot placidly.

I shrugged 耸 my shoulders. If he was going to take the matter that way, it was no good arguing with him. The idea crossed my mind, not for the first time, that poor old Poirot was growing old. Privately I thought it lucky 幸运 that he had associated 关联 with him someone of a more receptive 接受 type of mind.

Poirot was surveying 调查 me with quietly twinkling 眨眼 eyes.

"You are not pleased with me, mon ami?"

"My dear Poirot," I said coldly, "it is not for me to dictate 听写 to you. You have a right to your own opinion, just as I have to mine."

"A most admirable 令人钦佩 sentiment 情绪," remarked Poirot, rising briskly 轻快 to his feet. "Now I have finished with this room. By the way, whose 谁的 is the smaller desk in the corner?"

"Mr. Inglethorp's."

"Ah!" He tried the roll top tentatively 姑且. "Locked. But perhaps one of Mrs. Inglethorp's keys would open it." He tried several, twisting 扭成一束 and turning them with a practiced hand, and finally uttering 说出 an ejaculation of satisfaction 满足. "Voilà! It is not the key, but it will open it at a pinch 捏." He slid slide back the roll top, and ran a rapid eye over the neatly filed 文件 papers. To my surprise, he did not examine them, merely remarking approvingly as he relocked the desk: "Decidedly, he is a man of method 方法, this Mr. Inglethorp!"

A "man of method 方法" was, in Poirot's estimation 估计, the highest praise 赞扬 that could be bestowed 赐给 on any individual.

I felt that my friend was not what he had been as he rambled 漫谈 on disconnectedly:

"There were no stamps in his desk, but there might have been, eh, mon ami? There might have been? Yes"—his eyes wandered 漫步 round the room—"this boudoir has nothing more to tell us. It did not yield much. Only this."

He pulled a crumpled 弄皱 envelope 信封 out of his pocket, and tossed 折腾 it over to me. It was rather a curious document 文件. A plain, dirty 肮脏 looking old envelope 3 with a few words scrawled across it, apparently at random 随机. The following is a facsimile of it.