加勒比海之谜(英文版)- 第29部分

It　was　their　joint　tribute　to　violent　death。

〃That　poor　girl；〃　said　Miss　Marple。

〃Very　sad；〃　said　the　Canon。　〃Most　deplorable。〃

〃For　a　moment　or　two；〃　said　Miss　Prescott；　〃we　really　thought　of　leaving；　Jeremy　and　I。　But　then　we　decided　against　it。　It　would　not　really　be　fair；　I　felt；　on　the　Kendals。　After　all；　it's　not　their　fault。　It　might　have　happened　anywhere。〃

〃In　the　midst　of　life　we　are　in　death；〃　said　the　Canon　solemnly。

〃It's　very　important；　you　know；〃　said　Miss　Prescott；　〃that　they　should　make　a　go　of　this　place。　They　have　sunk　all　their　capital　in　it。〃

〃A　very　sweet　girl；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　〃but　not　looking　at　all　well　lately。〃

〃Very　nervy；〃　agreed　Miss　Prescott。　〃Of　course　her　family〃　she　shook　her　head。

〃I　really　think；　Joan；〃　said　the　Canon　in　mild　reproof；　〃that　there　are　some　things〃

〃Everybody　knows　about　it；〃　said　Miss　Prescott。　〃Her　family　live　in　our　part　of　the　world。　A　greatauntmost　peculiarand　one　of　her　uncles　took　off　all　his　clothes　in　one　of　the　tube　stations。　Green　Park；　I　believe　it　was。〃

〃Joan；　that　is　a　thing　that　should　not　be　repeated。〃

〃Very　sad；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　shaking　her　head；　〃though　I　believe　not　an　unmon　form　of　madness。　I　know　when　we　were　working　for　the　Armenian　relief；　a　most　respectable　elderly　clergyman　was　afflicted　the　same　way。　They　telephoned　his　wife　and　she　came　along　at　once　and　took　him　home　in　a　cab；　wrapped　in　a　blanket。〃

〃Of　course；　Molly's　immediate　family's　all　right；〃　said　Miss　Prescott。　〃She　never　got　on　very　well　with　her　mother；　but　then　so　few　girls　seem　to　get　on　with　their　mothers　nowadays。〃

〃Such　a　pity；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　shaking　her　head；　〃because　really　a　young　girl　needs　her　mother's　knowledge　of　the　world　and　experience。〃

〃Exactly；〃　said　Miss　Prescott　with　emphasis。　〃Molly；　you　know；　took　up　with　some　manquite　unsuitable；　I　understand。〃

〃It　so　often　happens；〃　said　Miss　Marple。

〃Her　family　disapproved；　naturally。　She　didn't　tell　them　about　it。　They　heard　about　it　from　a　plete　outsider。　Of　course　her　mother　said　she　must　bring　him　along　so　that　they　met　him　properly。　This；　I　understand；　the　girl　refused　to　do。　She　said　it　was　humiliating　to　him。　Most　insulting　to　be　made　to　e　and　meet　her　family　and　be　looked　over。　Just　as　though　you　were　a　horse；　she　said。〃

Miss　Marple　sighed。　〃One　does　need　so　much　tact　when　dealing　with　the　young；〃　she　murmured。

〃Anyway　there　it　was！　They　forbade　her　to　see　him。〃

〃But　you　can't　do　that　nowadays；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃Girls　have　jobs　and　they　meet　people　whether　anyone　forbids　them　or　not。〃

〃But　then；　very　fortunately；〃　went　on　Miss　Prescott；　〃she　met　Tim　Kendal；　and　the　other　man　sort　of　faded　out　of　the　picture。　I　can't　tell　you　how　relieved　the　family　was。〃

〃I　hope　they　didn't　show　it　too　plainly；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃That　so　often　puts　girls　off　from　forming　suitable　attachments。〃

〃Yes；　indeed。〃

〃One　remembers　oneself。〃　Murmured　Miss　Marple；　her　mind　going　back　to　the　past。　A　young　man　she　had　met　at　a　croquet　party。　He　had　seemed　so　nicerather　gay；　almost　Bohemian　in　his　views。　And　then　he　had　been　unexpectedly　warmly　weled　by　her　father。　He　had　been　suitable；　eligible；　he　had　been　asked　freely　to　the　house　more　than　once；　and　Miss　Marple　had　found　that；　after　all；　he　was　dull。　Very　dull。

The　Canon　seemed　safely　atose　and　Miss　Marple　advanced　tentatively　to　the　subject　she　was　anxious　to　pursue。

〃Of　course　you　know　so　much　about　this　place；〃　she　murmured。　〃You　have　been　here　several　years　running；　have　you　not？〃

〃Well；　last　year　and　two　years　before　that。　We　like　St。　Honorй　very　much。　Always　such　nice　people　here。　Not　the　flashy；　ultrarich　set。〃

〃So　I　suppose　you　know　the　Hillingdons　and　the　Dysons　well！〃

'〃Yes；　fairly　well。〃

Miss　Marple　coughed　and　lowered　her　voice　slightly。

〃Major　Palgrave　told　me　such　an　interesting　story；〃　she　said。

〃He　had　a　great　repertoire　of　stories；　hadn't　he？　Of　course　he　had　travelled　very　widely。　Africa；　India；　even　China　I　believe。〃

〃Yes　indeed；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃But　I　didn't　mean　one　of　those　stories。　This　was　a　story　concerned　withwell；　with　one　of　the　people　I　have　just　mentioned。〃

〃Oh！〃　said　Miss　Prescott。　Her　voice　held　meaning。

〃Yes。　Now　I　wonder〃　Miss　Marple　allowed　her　eyes　to　travel　gently　round　the　beach　to　where　Lucky　lay　sunning　her　back。　〃Very　beautifully　tanned；　isn't　she；〃　remarked　Miss　Marple。　〃And　her　hair。　Most　attractive。　Practically　the　same　colour　as　Molly　Kendal's；　isn't　it？〃

〃The　only　difference；〃　said　Miss　Prescott；　〃is　that　Molly's　is　natural　and　Lucky's　es　out　of　a　bottle！〃

〃Really；　Joan；〃　the　Canon　protested；　unexpectedly　awake　again。　〃Don't　you　think　that　is　rather　an　uncharitable　thing　to　say？〃

〃It's　not　uncharitable；〃　said　Miss　Prescott；　acidly。　〃Merely　accurate。〃

〃It　looks　very　nice　to　me。〃　said　the　Canon。

〃Of　course。　That's　why　she　does　it。　But　I　assure　you；　my　dear　Jeremy；　it　wouldn't　deceive　any　woman　for　a　moment。　Would　it？〃　She　appealed　to　Miss　Marple。

〃Well；　I'm　afraid〃　said　Miss　Marple；　〃of　course　I　haven't　the　experience　that　you　havebut　I'm　afraidyes　I　should　say　definitely　not　natural。　The　appearance　at　the　roots　every　fifth　or　sixth　day〃　She　looked　at　Miss　Prescott　and　they　both　nodded　ale　assurance。

The　Canon　appeared　to　be　dropping　off　again。

〃Major　Palgrave　told　me　a　really　extraordinary　story；　murmured　Miss　Marple；　〃about　a　little　deaf　sometimes。　He　appeared　to　be　saying　or　hinting〃　she　paused。

〃I　know　what　you　mean。　There　was　a　great　deal　of　talk　at　the　time〃

〃You　mean　at　the　time　that〃

〃When　the　first　Mrs。　Dyson　died。　Her　death　was　quite　unexpected。　In　fact；　everybody　thought　she　was　a　malade　imaginairea　hypochondriac。　So　when　she　had　this　attack　and　died　so　unexpectedly；　well　of　course；　people　did　talk。〃

〃There　wasn't　any　trouble　at　the　time？〃

〃The　doctor　an　and　he　hadn't　had　much　experience。　He　was　what　I　call　one　of　those　antibioticsforall　men。　You　know；　the　kind　that　doesn't　bother　to　look　at　the　patient　much；　or　worry　what's　the　matter　with　him。　They　just　give　them　some　kind　of　pill　out　of　a　bottle　and　if　they　don't　get　better；　then　they　try　a　different　pill。　Yes；　I　believe　he　was　puzzled；　but　it　seemed　she　had　had　gastric　trouble　before。　At　least　her　husband　said　so；　and　there　seemed　no　reason　for　believing　anything　was　wrong。〃

〃But　you　yourself　think〃

〃Well；　I　always　try　to　keep　an　open　mind；　but　one　does　wonder；　you　know。　And　what　with　various　things　people　said〃

〃Joan！〃　The　Canon　sat　up。　He　looked　belligerent。　〃I　don't　likeI　really　don't　like　to　hear　this　kind　of　illnatured　gossip　being　repeated。　We've　always　set　our　faces　against　that　kind　of　thing。　See　no　evil；　hear　no　evil；　speak　no　eviland　what　is　more；　think　no　evil！　That　should　be　the　motto　of　every　Christian　man　and　woman。〃

The　two　women　sat　in　silence。　They　were　rebuked；　and　in　deference　to　their　training　they　deferred　to　the　criticism　of　a　man。　But　inwardly　they　were　frustrated；　irritated　and　quite　unrepentant。　Miss　Prescott　threw　a　frank　glance　of　irritation　towards　her　brother。　Miss　Marple　took　out　her　knitting　and　looked　at　it。　Fortunately　for　them；　chance　was　on　their　side。

〃Mon　pкre！〃　said　a　small　shrill　voice。　I