加勒比海之谜(英文版)- 第10部分

Mrs。　Walters　had　been　in　attendance　on　Mr。　Rafiel　long　enough　to　have　adopted　her　own　formula　for　dealing　with　him。　She　knew　that　he　liked　a　good　space　of　time　in　which　to　recover　from　the　exertion　of　bathing　and　she　had　therefore　reminded　him　of　the　time；　allowing　a　good　ten　minutes　for　him　to　rebut　her　suggestion　and　then　be　able　to　adopt　it　without　seeming　to　do　so。

〃I　don't　like　these　espadrilles；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel　raising　a　foot　and　looking　at　it。　〃I　told　that　fool　Jackson　so。　The　man　never　pays　attention　to　a　word　I　say。〃

〃I'll　fetch　you　some　others；　shall　I；　Mr。　Rafiel？〃

〃No；　you　won't；　you'll　sit　here　and　keep　quiet。　I　hate　people　rushing　about　like　clucking　hens。〃

Evelyn　shifted　slightly　in　the　warm　sand；　stretching　out　her　arms。　Miss　Marple；　intent　on　her　knittingor　so　it　seemedstretched　out　a　foot；　then　hastily　she　apologised。　〃I'm　so　sorry；　so　very　sorry；　Mrs。　Hillingdon。　I'm　afraid　I　kicked　you。〃

〃Oh；　it's　quite　all　right；〃　said　Evelyn。　〃This　beach　gets　rather　crowded。〃

〃Oh；　please　don't　move。　Please。　I'll　move　my　chair　a　little　back　so　that　I　won't　do　it　again。〃

As　Miss　Marple　resettled　herself；　she　went　on　talking　in　a　childish　and　garrulous　manner。　〃It　seems　so　wonderful　to　be　here。　I've　never　been　to　the　West　Indies　before；　you　know。　I　thought　it　was　the　kind　of　place　I　never　should　e　to　and　here　I　am。　All　by　the　kindness　of　my　dear　nephew。　I　suppose　you　know　this　part　of　the　world　very　well；　don't　you；　Mrs。　Hillingdon？〃

〃I　have　been　in　this　island　once　or　twice　before　and　of　course　in　most　of　the　others。〃

〃Oh　yes。　Butterflies；　isn't　it；　and　wild　flowers？　You　and　youryour　friendsor　are　they　relations？〃

〃Friends。　Nothing　more。〃

〃And　I　suppose　you　go　about　together　a　great　deal　because　of　your　interests　being　the　same？〃

〃Yes。　We've　travelled　together　for　some　years　now。〃

〃I　suppose　you　must　have　had　some　rather　exciting　adventures　sometimes？〃

〃I　don't　think　so；〃　said　Evelyn。　Her　voice　was　unaccentuated；　slightly　bored。　〃Adventures　always　seem　to　happen　to　other　people。〃　She　yawned。

〃No　dangerous　encounters　with　snakes　or　with　wild　animals　or　with　natives　gone　berserk？〃　（〃What　a　fool　I　sound；〃）　thought　Miss　Marple。

〃Nothing　worse　than　insect　bites；〃　Evelyn　assured　her。

〃Poor　Major　Palgrave；　you　know；　was　bitten　by　a　snake　once；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　making　a　purely　fictitious　statement。

〃Was　he？〃

〃Did　he　never　tell　you　about　it？〃

〃Perhaps。　I　don't　remember。〃

〃I　suppose　you　knew　him　quite　well；　didn't　you？〃

〃Major　Palgrave？　No；　hardly　at　all。〃

〃He　always　had　so　many　interesting　stories　to　tell。〃

〃Ghastly　old　bore；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。　〃Silly　fool；　too。　He　needn't　have　died　if　he'd　looked　after　himself　properly。〃

〃Oh　e　now；　Mr。　Rafiel；〃　said　Mrs。　Walters。

〃I　know　what　I'm　talking　about。　If　you　look　after　your　health　properly　you're　all　right　anywhere。　Look　at　me。　The　doctors　gave　me　up　years　ago。　All　right；　I　said；　I've　got　my　rules　of　health　and　I　shall　keep　to　them。　And　here　I　am。〃　He　looked　round　proudly。　It　did　indeed　seem　rather　a　miracle　that　he　should　be　there。

〃Poor　Major　Palgrave　had　high　blood　pressure；〃　said　Mrs。　Walters。

〃Nonsense；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。

〃Oh；　but　he　did；〃　said　Evelyn　Hillingdon。　She　spoke　with　sudden；　unexpected　authority。

〃Who　says　so？〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。　〃Did　he　tell　you　so？〃

〃Somebody　said　so。〃

〃He　looked　very　red　in　the　face；〃　Miss　Marple　contributed。

〃Can't　go　by　that；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。　〃And　anyway　he　didn't　have　high　blood　pressure　because　he　told　me　so。〃

〃What　do　you　mean；　he　told　you　so？〃　said　Mrs。　Walters。　〃I　mean；　you　can't　exactly　tell　people　you　haven't　got　a　thing。〃

〃Yes　you　can。　I　said　to　him　once　when　he　was　downing　all　those　Planters　Punches；　and　eating　too　much。　I　said。　'You　ought　to　watch　your　diet　and　your　drink。　You've　got　to　think　of　your　blood　pressure　at　your　age。'　And　he　said　he'd　nothing　to　look　out　for　in　that　line；　that　his　blood　pressure　was　very　good　for　his　age。〃

〃But　he　took　some　stuff　for　it；　I　believe；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　entering　the　conversation　once　more。　〃Some　stuff　calledoh；　something　likewas　it　Serenite？〃

〃If　you　ask　me；〃　said　Evelyn　Hillingdon；　〃I　don't　think　he　ever　liked　to　admit　that　there　could　be　anything　the　matter　with　him　or　that　he　could　be　ill。　I　think　he　was　one　of　those　people　who　are　afraid　of　illness　and　therefore　deny　there's　ever　anything　wrong　with　them。〃

It　was　a　long　speech　for　her。　Miss　Marple　looked　thoughtfully　down　at　the　top　of　her　dark　head。

〃The　trouble　is；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel　dictatorially　〃everybody's　too　fond　of　knowing　other　people's　ailments。　They　think　everybody　over　fifty　is　going　to　die　of　hypertension　or　coronary　thrombosis　or　one　of　those　thingspoppycock！　If　a　man　says　there's　nothing　much　wrong　with　him　I　don't　suppose　there　is。　A　man　ought　to　know　about　his　own　health。　What's　the　time？　Quarter　to　twelve？　I　ought　to　have　had　my　dip　long　ago。　Why　can't　you　remind　me　about　these　things；　Esther？〃

Mrs。　Walters　made　no　protest。　She　rose　to　her　feet　and　with　some　deftness　assisted　Mr。　Rafiel　to　his。　Together　they　went　down　the　beach；　she　supporting　him　carefully。　Together　they　stepped　into　the　sea。　Seсora　de　Caspearo　opened　her　eyes　and　murmured：　〃How　ugly　are　old　men！　Oh　how　they　are　ugly！　They　should　all　be　put　to　death　at　forty；　or　perhaps　thirtyfive　would　be　better。　Yes？〃

Edward　Hillingdon　and　Gregory　Dyson　came　crunching　down　the　beach。　〃What's　the　water　like；　Evelyn？〃

〃Just　the　same　as　always。〃

〃Never　much　variation；　is　there？　Where's　Lucky？〃

〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Evelyn。

Again　Miss　Marple　looked　down　thoughtfully　at　the　dark　head。

〃Well；　now　I　give　my　imitation　of　a　whale；〃　said　Gregory。　He　threw　off　his　gaily　patterned　Bermuda　shirt　and　tore　down　the　beach；　flinging　himself；　puffing　and　panting；　into　the　sea；　doing　a　fast　crawl。　Edward　Hillingdon　sat　down　on　the　beach　by　his　wife。　Presently　he　asked；　〃ing　in　again？〃

She　smiledput　on　her　capand　they　went　down　the　beach　together　in　a　much　less　spectacular　manner。　Seсora　de　Caspearo　opened　her　eyes　again。　〃I　think　at　first　those　two　they　are　on　their　honeymoon；　he　is　so　charming　to　her；　but　I　hear　they　have　been　married　eightnine　years。　It　is　incredible；　is　it　not？〃

〃I　wonder　where　Mrs。　Dyson　is？〃　said　Miss　Marple。

〃That　Lucky？　She　is　with　some　man。〃

〃Youyou　think　so？〃

〃It　is　certain；〃　said　Seсora　de　Caspearo。　〃She　is　that　type。　But　she　is　not　so　young　any　longerHer　husbandalready　his　eyes　go　elsewhere。　He　makes　passeshere；　there；　all　the　time。　I　know。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　〃I　expect　you　would　know。〃

Seсora　de　Caspearo　shot　a　surprised　glance　at　her。　It　was　clearly　not　what　she　had　expected　from　that　quarter。　Miss　Marple；　however；　was　looking　at　the　waves　with　an　air　of　gentle　innocence。



II



〃May　I　speak　to　you；　ma'am；　Mrs。　Kendal？〃

〃Yes；　of　course；〃　said　Molly。　She　was　sitting　at　her　desk　in　the　office。　Victoria　Johnson；　tall　and　buoyant　in　her　crisp　white　uniform　came　in　farther　and　shut　the　door　behind　her　with　a　somewhat　mysterious　air。

〃I　like　to　tell　you　something；　please；　Mrs。　Kendal。〃

〃Yes；　what　is　it。　Is　anything　wrong？〃

〃I　don't　know　that。　Not　for　sure。　It's　the　old　gentleman　who　died