加勒比海之谜(英文版)-第4部分

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　so　full　of　jokes　at　the　Civil　Defence　meetingsor　perhaps　Mr。　Murdoch　the　butcher。　Mr。　Murdoch　had　had　rather　a　bad　reputation；　but　some　people　said　it　was　just　gossip；　and　that　Mr。　Murdoch　himself　liked　to　encourage　the　rumours！　〃Lucky〃　now？　Well；　that　was　easyMarleen　at　the　Three　Crowns。　Evelyn　Hillingdon？　She　couldn't　fit　Evelyn　in　precisely。　In　appearance　she　fitted　many　rolestall　thin　weatherbeaten　Englishwomen　were　plentiful。　Lady　Caroline　Wolfe；　Peter　Wolfe's　first　wife；　who　had　mitted　suicide？　Or　there　was　Leslie　Jamesthat　quiet　woman　who　seldom　showed　what　she　felt　and　who　had　sold　up　her　house　and　left　without　ever　telling　anyone　she　was　going。　Colonel　Hillingdon？　No　immediate　clue　there。　She'd　have　to　get　to　know　him　a　little　first。　One　of　those　quiet　men　with　good　manners。　You　never　knew　what　they　were　thinking　about。　Sometimes　they　surprised　you。　Major　Harper；　she　remembered；　had　quietly　cut　his　throat　one　day。　Nobody　had　ever　known　why。　Miss　Marple　thought　that　she　did　knowbut　she'd　never　been　quite　sure。。。　Her　eyes　strayed　to　Mr。　Rafiel's　table。　The　principal　thing　known　about　Mr。　Rafiel　was　that　he　was　incredibly　rich；　he　came　every　year　to　the　West　Indies；　he　was　semiparalysed　and　looked　like　a　wrinkled　old　bird　of　prey。　His　clothes　hung　loosely　on　his　shrunken　form。　He　might　have　been　seventy　or　eighty；　or　even　niy。　His　eyes　were　shrewd　and　he　was　frequently　rude；　but　people　seldom　took　offence；　partly　because　he　was　so　rich；　and　partly　because　of　his　overwhelming　personality　which　hypnotised　you　into　feeling　that　somehow；　Mr。　Rafiel　had　the　right　to　be　rude　if　he　wanted　to。

With　him　sat　his　secretary；　Mrs。　Walters。　She　had　corncoloured　hair；　and　a　pleasant　face。　Mr。　Rafiel　was　frequently　very　rude　to　her；　but　she　never　seemed　to　notice　it。　She　was　not　so　much　subservient；　as　oblivious。　She　behaved　like　a　welltrained　hospital　nurse。　Possibly；　thought　Miss　Marple；　she　had　been　a　hospital　nurse。　A　young　man；　tall　and　goodlooking；　in　a　white　jacket；　came　to　stand　by　Mr。　Rafiel's　chair。　The　old　man　looked　up　at　him；　nodded；　then　motioned　him　to　a　chair。　The　young　man　sat　down　as　bidden。　〃Mr。　Jackson；　I　presume；〃　said　Miss　Marple　to　herself。　〃His　valetattendant。〃

She　studied　Mr。　Jackson　with　some　attention。

In　the　bar；　Molly　Kendal　stretched　her　back；　and　slipped　off　her　highheeled　shoes。　Tim　came　in　from　the　terrace　to　join　her。　They　had　the　bar　to　themselves　for　the　moment。　〃Tired；　darling？〃　he　asked。

〃Just　a　bit。　I　seem　to　be　feeling　my　feet　tonight。〃

〃Not　too　much　for　you；　is　it？　All　this？　I　know　it's　hard　work。〃　He　looked　at　her　anxiously。

She　laughed。　〃Oh　Tim；　don't　be　ridiculous。　I　love　it　here。　It's　geous。　The　kind　of　dream　I've　always　had；　e　true。〃

〃Yes；　it　would　be　all　rightif　one　was　just　a　guest。　But　running　the　showthat's　work。〃

〃Well；　you　can't　have　anything　for　nothing；　can　you？〃　said　Molly　Kendal　reasonably。　Tim　Kendal　frowned。

〃You　think　it's　going　all　right？　A　success？　We're　making　a　go　of　it？〃

〃Of　course　we　are。〃

〃You　don't　think　people　are　saying；　'It's　not　the　same　as　when　the　Sandersons　were　here'。〃

〃Of　course　someone　will　be　saying　thatthey　always　do！　But　only　some　old　stickinthemud。　I'm　sure　that　we're　far　better　at　the　job　than　they　were。　We're　more　glamorous。　You　charm　the　old　pussies　and　manage　to　look　as　though　you'd　like　to　make　love　to　the　desperate　forties　and　fifties；　and　I　ogle　the　old　gentlemen　and　make　them　feel　sexy　dogsor　play　the　sweet　little　daughter　the　sentimental　ones　would　love　to　have　had。　Oh；　we've　got　it　all　taped　splendidly。〃

Tim's　frown　vanished。

〃As　long　as　you　think　so。　I　get　scared。　We've　risked　everything　on　making　a　job　of　this。　I　chucked　my　job〃

〃And　quite　right　to　do　so；〃　Molly　put　in　quickly。　〃It　was　souldestroying。〃

He　laughed　and　kissed　the　tip　of　her　nose。

〃I　tell　you　we've　got　it　taped；〃　she　repeated。　〃Why　do　you　always　worry？〃

〃Made　that　way；　I　suppose。　I'm　always　thinkingsuppose　something　should　go　wrong。〃

〃What　sort　of　thing〃

〃Oh　I　don't　know。　Somebody　might　get　drowned。〃

〃Not　they。　It's　one　of　the　safest　of　all　the　beaches。　And　we've　got　that　hulking　Swede　always　on　guard。〃

〃I'm　a　fool；〃　said　Tim　Kendal。　He　hesitatedand　then　said；　〃Youhaven't　had　any　more　of　those　dreams；　have　you？〃

〃That　was　shellfish；〃　said　Molly；　and　laughed。



Chapter　3

A　DEATH　IN　THE　HOTEL



Miss　Marple　had　her　breakfast　brought　to　her　in　bed　as　usual。

Tea；　a　boiled　egg；　and　a　slice　of　pawpaw。

The　fruit　on　the　island；　thought　Miss　Marple；　was　rather　disappointing。　It　seemed　always　to　be　pawpaw。　If　she　could　have　a　nice　apple　nowbut　apples　seemed　to　be　unknown。　Now　that　she　had　been　here　a　week；　Miss　Marple　had　cured　herself　of　the　impulse　to　ask　what　the　weather　was　like。　The　weather　was　always　the　samefine。　No　interesting　variations。

〃The　manysplendoured　weather　of　an　English　day〃　she　murmured　to　herself　and　wondered　if　it　was　a　quotation；　or　whether　she　had　made　it　up。　There　were；　of　course；　hurricanes；　or　so　she　understood。　But　hurricanes　were　not　weather　in　Miss　Marple's　sense　of　the　word。　They　were　more　in　the　nature　of　an　Act　of　God。　There　was　rain；　short　violent　rainfall　that　lasted　five　minutes　and　stopped　abruptly。　Everything　and　everyone　was　wringing　wet；　but　in　another　five　minutes　they　were　dry　again。

The　black　West　Indian　girl　smiled　and　said　GoodMorning　as　she　placed　the　tray　on　Miss　Marple's　knees。　Such　lovely　white　teeth　and　so　happy　and　smiling。　Nice　natures；　all　these　girls；　and　a　pity　they　were　so　averse　to　getting　married。　It　worried　Canon　Prescott　a　good　deal。　Plenty　of　christenings；　he　said；　trying　to　console　himself；　but　no　weddings。　Miss　Marple　ate　her　breakfast　and　decided　how　she　would　spend　her　day。

It　didn't　really　take　much　deciding。　She　would　get　up　at　her　leisure；　moving　slowly　because　it　was　rather　hot　and　her　fingers　weren't　as　nimble　as　they　used　to　be。　Then　she　would　rest　for　ten　minutes　or　so；　and　she　would　take　her　knitting　and　walk　slowly　along　towards　the　hotel　and　decide　where　she　would　settle　herself。　On　the　terrace　overlooking　the　sea？　Or　should　she　go　on　to　the　bathing　beach　to　watch　the　bathers　and　the　children？　Usually　it　was　the　latter。　In　the　afternoon；　after　her　rest；　she　might　take　a　drive。　It　really　didn't　matter　very　much。

Today　would　be　a　day　like　any　other　day；　she　said　to　herself。　Only；　of　course；　it　wasn't。

Miss　Marple　carried　out　her　programme　as　planned　and　was　slowly　making　her　way　along　the　path　towards　the　hotel　when　she　met　Molly　Kendal。　For　once　that　sunny　young　woman　was　not　smiling。　Her　air　of　distress　was　so　unlike　her　that　Miss　Marple　said　immediately：　〃My　dear；　is　anything　wrong？〃

Molly　nodded。　She　hesitated　and　then　said：　''Well；　you'll　have　to　knoweveryone　will　have　to　know。　It's　Major　Palgrave。　He's　dead。〃

〃Dead？〃

〃Yes。　He　died　in　the　night。〃

〃Oh　dear；　I　am　sorry。〃

〃Yes；　it's　horrid　having　a　death　here。　It　makes　everyone　depressed。　Of　coursehe　was　quite　old。〃

〃He　seemed　quite　well　and　cheerful　yesterday；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　slightly　resenting　this　calm　assumption　that　everyone　of　advanced　years　was　liable　to　die　at　any　minute。

〃He　had　high　blood　pressure；〃　said　Molly。

〃But　surely　there　are　things　one　takes　nowadayssome　kind　of　pill。　Science　is　so　wonderful。〃

〃Oh　yes；　but　perhaps　he　fot　to　take　his　pills；　or　took　too　many　of　them。　Like　insulin；　you　know。〃

Miss　Marple　did　not　think　that　diabetes　and　high　blood　pressure　were　at　all　the　same　kind　of　thing。　She　asked。　〃What　does　the　doctor　say？〃

〃Oh；　Dr。　Graham；　who's　practically　retired　now；　and　lives　in　the　hotel；　took　a　look　at　him；　and　the　local　people　came　officially；　of　course；　to　give　a　death　certificate；　but　it　all　seems　quite　straightforward。　This　kind　of　thing　is　quite　liable　to　happen　when　you　have　high　blood　pressure；　especially　if　you　overdo　the　alcohol；　and　Major　Palgrave　was　really　very　naughty　that　way。　Last　night；　for　instance。〃

〃Yes；　I　noticed；〃　said　Miss　Marple。

〃He　probably　fot　to　take　his　pills。　It　is　bad　luck　for　the　old　boybut　people　can't　live　forever；　can　they？　But　it's　terribly　worryingfor　me　and　Tim；　I　mean。　People　might　suggest　it　was　something　in　the　food。〃

〃But　surely　the　symptoms　of　food　poisoning　and　of　blood　pressure　are　quite　different？〃

〃Yes。　But　people　do　say　things　so　easily。　And　if　people　decided　the　food　was　badand　leftor　told　their　friends〃

〃I　really　don't　think　you　need　worry；　said　Miss　Marple　kindly。　〃As　you　say；　an　elderly　man　like　Major　Palgravehe　must　have　been　over　seventyis　quite　liable　to　die。　To　most　people　it　will　seem　quite　an　ordinary　occurrencesad；　but　not　out　of　the　way　at　all。〃

〃If　only；〃　said　Molly　unhappily；　〃it　hadn't　been　so　sudden。〃

Yes；　it　had　been　very　sudden　Miss　Marple　thought　as　she　walked　slowly　on。　There　he　had　been　last　night；　laughing　and　talking　in　the　best　of　spirits　with　the　Hillingdons　and　the　Dysons。

The　Hillingdons　and　the　Dysons。。。

Miss　Marple　walked　more　slowly　still。。。

Finally　she　stopped　abruptly。　Instead　of　going　to　the　bathing　beach　she　settled　herself　in　a　shady　corner　of　the　terrace。　She　took　out　her　knitting　and　the　needles　clicked　rapidly　as　though　they　were　trying　to　match　the　speed　of　her　thoughts。　She　didn't　like　itno　she　didn't