按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Not at all。 The top of a wardrobe is an excellent place for brown
paper and cardboard boxes。 I have kept them there myself。 Neatly
arranged； there is nothing to offend the eye。〃
〃Poirot；〃 I asked earnestly； 〃have you made up your mind about this
crime？〃
〃Yesthat is to say； I believe I know how it was committed。〃
〃Ah！〃
〃Unfortunately； I have no proof beyond my surmise； unless〃 With
sudden energy； he caught me by the arm； and whirled me down the hall；
calling out in French in his excitement： 〃Mademoiselle Dorcas；
Mademoiselle Dorcas； un moment； s'il vous plait！〃
Dorcas； quite flurried by the noise； came hurrying out of the pantry。
〃My good Dorcas； I have an ideaa little ideaif it should prove
justified； what magnificent chance！ Tell me； on Monday； not Tuesday；
Dorcas； but Monday； the day before the tragedy； did anything go wrong
with Mrs。 Inglethorp's bell？〃
Dorcas looked very surprised。
〃Yes； sir； now you mention it； it did； though I don't know how you
came to hear of it。 A mouse； or some such； must have nibbled the wire
through。 The man came and put it right on Tuesday morning。〃
With a long drawn exclamation of ecstasy； Poirot led the way back to
the morning…room。
134
… Page 135…
THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES
〃See you； one should not ask for outside proofno； reason should be
enough。 But the flesh is weak； it is consolation to find that one is on the
right track。 Ah； my friend； I am like a giant refreshed。 I run！ I leap！〃
And； in very truth； run and leap he did； gambolling wildly down the
stretch of lawn outside the long window。
〃What is your remarkable little friend doing？〃 asked a voice behind
me； and I turned to find Mary Cavendish at my elbow。 She smiled； and
so did I。 〃What is it all about？〃
〃Really； I can't tell you。 He asked Dorcas some question about a bell；
and appeared so delighted with her answer that he is capering about as you
see！〃
Mary laughed。
〃How ridiculous！ He's going out of the gate。 Isn't he coming back to…
day？〃
〃I don't know。 I've given up trying to guess what he'll do next。〃
〃Is he quite mad； Mr。 Hastings？〃
〃I honestly don't know。 Sometimes； I feel sure he is as mad as a
hatter； and then； just as he is at his maddest； I find there is method in his
madness。〃
〃I see。〃
In spite of her laugh； Mary was looking thoughtful this morning。 She
seemed grave； almost sad。
It occurred to me that it would be a good opportunity to tackle her on
the subject of Cynthia。 I began rather tactfully； I thought； but I had not
gone far before she stopped me authoritatively。
〃You are an excellent advocate； I have no doubt； Mr。 Hastings； but in
this case your talents are quite thrown away。 Cynthia will run no risk of
encountering any unkindness from me。〃
I began to stammer feebly that I hoped she hadn't thought But again
she stopped me； and her words were so unexpected that they quite drove
Cynthia； and her troubles； out of my mind。
〃Mr。 Hastings；〃 she said； 〃do you think I and my husband are happy
together？〃
135
… Page 136…
THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES
I was considerably taken aback； and murmured something about it's
not being my business to think anything of the sort。
〃Well；〃 she said quietly； 〃whether it is your business or not； I will tell
you that we are *NOT happy。〃
I said nothing； for I saw that she had not finished。
She began slowly； walking up and down the room； her head a little
bent； and that slim； supple figure of hers swaying gently as she walked。
She stopped suddenly； and looked up at me。
〃You don't know anything about me； do you？〃 she asked。 〃Where I
come from； who I was before I married John anything； in fact？ Well； I
will tell you。 I will make a father confessor of you。 You are kind； I
thinkyes； I am sure you are kind。〃
Somehow； I was not quite as elated as I might have been。 I
remembered that Cynthia had begun her confidences in much the same
way。 Besides； a father confessor should be elderly； it is not at all the role
for a young man。
〃My father was English；〃 said Mrs。 Cavendish； 〃but my mother was a
Russian。〃
〃Ah；〃 I said； 〃now I understand〃
〃Understand what？〃
〃A hint of something foreigndifferentthat there has always been
about you。〃
〃My mother was very beautiful； I believe。 I don't know； because I
never saw her。 She died when I was quite a little child。 I believe there
was some tragedy connected with her deathshe took an overdose of some
sleeping draught by mistake。 However that may be； my father was
broken…hearted。 Shortly afterwards； he went into the Consular Service。
Everywhere he went； I went with him。 When I was twenty…three； I had
been nearly all over the world。 It was a splendid lifeI loved it。〃
There was a smile on her face； and her head was thrown back。 She
seemed living in the memory of those old glad days。
〃Then my father died。 He left me very badly off。 I had to go and
live with some old aunts in Yorkshire。〃 She shuddered。 〃You will
136
… Page 137…
THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES
understand me when I say that it was a deadly life for a girl brought up as
I had been。 The narrowness； the deadly monotony of it； almost drove me
mad。〃 She paused a minute； and added in a different tone： 〃And then I met
John Cavendish。〃
〃Yes？〃
〃You can imagine that； from my aunts' point of view； it was a very
good match for me。 But I can honestly say it was not this fact which
weighed with me。 No； he was simply a way of escape from the
insufferable monotony of my life。〃
I said nothing； and after a moment； she went on：
〃Don't misunderstand me。 I was quite honest with him。 I told him；
what was true； that I liked him very much； that I hoped to come to like him
more； but that I was not in any way what the world calls 'in lo