加勒比海之谜(英文版)-第6部分

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y　well。　He　had　been　rather　a　garrulous　elderly　man　of　the　clubbore　type；　always　telling　you　personal　reminiscences　that　you　had　no　particular　desire　to　hear。　He　had　had　little　to　anchor　himself　to　any　particular　part　of　the　world。　His　wife　had　died　many　years　ago。　He　had　had　a　lonely　life　and　a　lonely　death。　But　it　had　been　the　kind　of　loneliness　that　spends　itself　in　living　amongst　people；　and　in　passing　the　time　that　way　not　unpleasantly。　Major　Palgrave　might　have　been　a　lonely　man；　he　had　also　been　quite　a　cheerful　one。　He　had　enjoyed　himself　in　his　own　particular　way。　And　now　he　was　dead；　buried；　and　nobody　cared　very　much；　and　in　another　week's　time　nobody　would　even　remember　him　or　spare　him　a　passing　thought。

The　only　person　who　could　possibly　be　said　to　miss　him　was　Miss　Marple。　Not　indeed　out　of　any　personal　affection；　but　he　represented　a　kind　of　life　that　she　knew。　As　one　grew　older；　so　she　reflected　to　herself；　one　got　more　and　more　into　the　habit　of　listening；　listening　possibly　without　any　great　interest；　but　there　had　been　between　her　and　the　Major　the　gentle　give　and　take　of　two　old　people。　It　had　had　a　cheerful；　human　quality。　She　did　not　actually　mourn　Major　Palgrave　but　she　missed　him。

On　the　afternoon　of　the　funeral；　as　she　was　sitting　knitting　in　her　favourite　spot　Dr。　Graham　came　and　joined　her。　She　put　her　needles　down　and　greeted　him。　He　said　at　once；　rather　apologetically：　〃I　am　afraid　I　have　rather　disappointing　news。　Miss　Marple。〃

〃Indeed？　About　my〃

〃Yes。　We　haven't　found　that　precious　snapshot　of　yours。　I'm　afraid　that　will　be　a　disappointment　to　you。〃

〃Yes。　Yes　it　is。　But　of　course　it　does　not　really　matter。　It　was　a　sentimentality。　I　do　realise　that　now。　It　wasn't　in　Major　Palgrave's　wallet？〃

〃No。　Nor　anywhere　else　among　his　things。　There　were　a　few　letters　and　newspaper　clippings　and　odds　and　ends；　and　a　few　old　photographs；　but　no　sign　of　a　snapshot　such　as　you　mentioned。〃

〃Oh　dear；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃Well；　it　can't　be　helped。。。　Thank　you　very　much；　Dr。　Graham；　for　the　trouble　you've　taken。〃

〃Oh　it　was　no　trouble；　indeed。　But　I　knoy　own　experience　how　much　family　trifles　mean　to　one；　especially　as　one　is　getting　older。〃

The　old　lady　was　really　taking　it　very　well；　he　thought。　Major　Palgrave；　he　presumed；　had　probably　e　across　the　snapshot　when　taking　something　out　of　his　wallet；　and　not　even　realising　how　it　had　e　there；　had　torn　it　up　as　something　of　no　importance。　But　of　course　it　was　of　great　importance　to　this　old　lady。　Still；　she　seemed　quite　cheerful　and　philosophical　about　it。

Internally；　however；　Miss　Marple　was　far　from　being　either　cheerful　or　philosophical。　She　wanted　a　little　time　in　which　to　think　things　out；　but　she　was　also　determined　to　use　her　present　opportunities　to　the　fullest　effect。　She　engaged　Dr。　Graham　in　conversation　with　an　eagerness　which　she　did　not　attempt　to　conceal。　That　kindly　man；　putting　down　her　flow　of　talk　to　the　natural　loneliness　of　an　old　lady；　exerted　himself　to　divert　her　mind　from　the　loss　of　the　snapshot；　by　conversing　easily　and　pleasantly　about　life　in　St。　Honorй；　and　the　various　interesting　places　perhaps　Miss　Marple　might　like　to　visit。　He　hardly　knew　himself　how　the　conversation　drifted　back　to　Major　Palgrave's　decease。

〃It　seems　so　sad；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　〃to　think　of　anyone　dying　like　this　away　from　home。　Though　I　gather；　from　what　he　himself　told　me；　that　he　had　no　immediate　family。　It　seems　he　lived　by　himself　in　London。〃

〃He　travelled　a　fair　amount；　I　believe；〃　said　Dr。　Graham。　〃At　any　rate　in　the　winters。　He　didn't　care　for　our　English　winters。　Can't　say　I　blame　him。〃

〃No；　indeed；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃And　perhaps　he　had　some　special　reason　like　a　weakness　of　the　lungs　or　something　which　made　it　necessary　for　him　to　winter　abroad？〃

〃Oh　no；　I　don't　think　so。〃

〃He　had　high　blood　pressure；　I　believe。　So　sad。　Nowadays　one　hears　so　much　of　it。〃

〃He　spoke　about　it　to　you；　did　he？〃

〃Oh　no。　No；　he　never　mentioned　it。　It　was　somebody　else　who　told　me。〃

〃Ah；　really。〃

〃I　suppose；〃　went　on　Miss　Marple；　〃that　death　was　to　be　expected　under　those　circumstances。〃

〃Not　necessarily；〃　said　Dr。　Graham。　〃There　are　methods　of　controlling　blood　pressure　nowadays。〃

〃His　death　seemed　very　suddenbut　I　suppose　you　weren't　surprised。〃

〃Well　I　wasn't　particularly　surprised　in　a　man　of　that　age。　But　I　certainly　didn't　expect　it。　Frankly；　he　always　seemed　to　me　in　very　good　form；　but　I　hadn't　ever　attended　him　professionally。　I'd　never　taken　his　blood　pressure　or　anything　like　that。〃

〃Does　one　knowI　mean；　does　a　doctor　knowwhen　a　man　has　high　blood　pressure　just　by　looking　at　him？〃　Miss　Marple　inquired　with　a　kind　of　dewy　innocence。

〃Not　just　by　looking；〃　said　the　doctor；　smiling。　〃One　has　to　do　a　bit　of　testing。〃

〃Oh　I　see。　That　dreadful　thing　when　you　put　a　rubber　band　round　somebody's　arm　and　blow　it　upI　dislike　it　so　much。　But　my　doctor　said　that　my　blood　pressure　was　really　very　good　for　my　age。〃

〃Well　that's　good　hearing；〃　said　Dr。　Graham。

〃Of　course；　the　Major　was　rather　fond　of　Planters　Punch；〃　said　Miss　Marple　thoughtfully。

〃Yes。　Not　the　best　thing　with　blood　pressurealcohol。〃

〃One　takes　tablets；　doesn't　one；　or　so　I　have　heard？〃

〃Yes。　There　are　several　on　the　market。　There　was　a　bottle　of　one　of　them　in　his　roomSerenite。〃

〃How　wonderful　science　is　nowadays；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃Doctors　can　do　so　much；　can't　they？〃

〃We　all　have　one　great　petitor；〃　said　Dr。　Graham。　〃Nature；　you　know。　And　some　of　the　good　oldfashioned　home　remedies　e　back　from　time　to　time。〃

〃Like　putting　cobwebs　on　a　cut？〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃We　always　used　to　do　that　when　I　was　a　child。〃

〃Very　sensible；〃　said　Dr。　Graham。

〃And　a　linseed　poultice　on　the　chest　and　rubbing　in　camphorated　oil　for　a　bad　cough。〃

〃I　see　you　know　it　all！〃　said　Dr。　Graham　laughing。　He　got　up。　〃How's　the　knee？　Not　been　too　troublesome？〃

〃No；　it　seems　much；　much　better。〃

〃Well；　we　won't　say　whether　that's　Nature　or　my　pills；〃　said　Dr。　Graham。　〃Sorry　I　couldn't　have　been　of　more　help　to　you。〃

〃But　you　have　been　most　kindI　am　really　ashamed　of　taking　up　your　time。　Did　you　say　that　there　were　no　photographs　in　the　Major's　wallet？〃

〃Oh　yesa　very　old　one　of　the　Major　himself　as　quite　a　young　man　on　a　polo　ponyand　one　of　a　dead　tiger。　He　was　standing　with　his　foot　on　it。　Snaps　of　that　sort。　Memories　of　his　younger　days。　But　I　looked　very　carefully；　I　assure　you；　and　the　one　you　describe　of　your　nephew　was　definitely　not　there〃

〃Oh　I'm　sure　you　looked　carefullyI　didn't　mean　thatI　was　just　interested。　We　all　tend　to　keep　such　very　odd　things〃

〃Treasures　from　the　past；〃　said　the　doctor　smiling。　He　said　goodbye　and　departed。　Miss　Marple　remained　looking　thoughtfully　at　the　palm　trees　and　the　sea。　She　did　not　pick　up　her　knitting　again　for　some　minutes。　She　had　a　fact　now。　She　had　to　think　about　that　fact　and　what　it　meant。　The　snapshot　that　the　Major　had　brought　out　of　his　wallet　and　replaced　so　hurriedly　was　not　there　after　he　died。　It　was　not　the　sort　of　thing　the　Major　would　throw　away。　He　had　replaced　it　in　his　wallet　and　it　ought　to　have　been　in　his　wallet　after　his　death。　Money　might　have　been　stolen；　but　no　one　would　want　to　steal　a　snapshot。　Unless；　that　is；　they　had　a　special　reason　for　so　doing。。。

Miss　Marple's　face　was　grave。　She　had　to　take　a　decision。　Was　she；　or　was　she　not；　going　to　allow　Major　Palgrave　to　remain　quietly　in　his　grave？　Might　it　not　be　better　to　do　just　that？　She　quoted　under　her　breath。　〃Duncan　is　dead。　After　Life's　fitful　fever　he　sleeps　well！〃　Nothing　could　hurt　Major　Palgrave　now。　He　had　gone　where　danger　could　not　touch　him。　Was　it　just　a　coincidence　that　he　should　have　died　on　that　particular　night？　Or　was　it　just　possibly　not　a　coincidence？　Doctors　accepted　the　deaths　of　elderly　men　so　easily。　Especially　since　in　his　room　there　had　been　a　bottle　of　the　tablets　that　people　with　high　blood　pressure　had　to　take　every　day　of　their　lives。　But　if　someone　had　taken　the　snapshot　from　the　Mayor's　wallet；　that　same　person　could　have　put　that　bottle　of　tablets　in　the　Major's　room。　She　herself　never　remembered　seeing　the　Major　take　tablets；　he　had　never　spoken　about　his　blood　pressure　to　her。　The　only　thing　he　had　ever　said　about　his　health　was　the　admission：　〃Not　as　young　as　I　was〃。　He　had　been　occasionally　a　little　short　of　breath；　a　trifle　asthmatic；　nothing　else。

But　someone　had　mentioned　that　Major　Palgrave　had　high　blood　pressureMolly？　Miss　Prescott？　She　couldn't　remember。　Miss　Marple　sighed；　then　admonished　herself　in　words；　though　she　did　not　speak　those　words　aloud。

〃Now；　Jane；　what　are　you　suggesting　or　thinking？　Are　you；　perhaps；　just　making　the　whole　thing　up？　Have　you　really　got　anything　to　build　on？〃

She　went　over；　step　by　step；　as　nearly　as　she　could；　the　conversation　between　herself　and　the　Major　on　the　subject　of　murder　and　murderers。

〃Oh　dear；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃Even　ifreally；　I　don't　see　how　I　can　do　anything　about　it〃

But　she　knew　that　she　meant　to　try。



Chapter　6

IN　THE　SMALL　HOURS



Miss　Marple　woke　early。　Like　many　old　people　she　slept　lightly　and　had　periods　of　wakefulness；　which　she　used　for　the　planning　of　some　action　or　actions　to　be　carri