【外国文学】斯泰尔斯庄园奇案 The Mysterious Affair at Styles.docx

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1、【外国文学】斯泰尔斯庄园奇案 The Mysterious Affair at StylesChapter 1 I Go To StylesThe intense interest aroused in the public by what was known at the time as "The Styles Case" has now somewhat subsided. Nevertheless, in view of the world-wide notoriety which attended it, I have been asked, both by my

2、friend Poirot and the family themselves, to write an account of the whole story. This, we trust, will effectually silence the sensational rumours which still persist.I will therefore briefly set down the circumstances which led to my being connected with the affair.I had been invalided home from the

3、 Front; and, after spending some months in a rather depressing Convalescent Home, was given a month's sick leave. Having no near relations or friends, I was trying to make up my mind what to do, when I ran across John Cavendish. I had seen very little of him for some years. Indeed, I had never k

4、nown him particularly well. He was a good fifteen years my senior, for one thing, though he hardly looked his forty-five years. As a boy, though, I had often stayed at Styles, his mother's place in Essex.We had a good yarn about old times, and it ended in his inviting me down to Styles to spend

5、my leave there."The mater will be delighted to see you again-after all those years," he added."Your mother keeps well?" I asked."Oh, yes. I suppose you know that she has married again?"I am afraid I showed my surprise rather plainly. Mrs. Cavendish, who had married John

6、's father when he was a widower with two sons, had been a handsome woman of middle-age as I remembered her. She certainly could not be a day less than seventy now. I recalled her as an energetic, autocratic personality, somewhat inclined to charitable and social notoriety, with a fondness for op

7、ening bazaars and playing the Lady Bountiful. She was a most generous woman, and possessed a considerable fortune of her own.Their country-place, Styles Court, had been purchased by Mr. Cavendish early in their married life. He had been completely under his wife's ascendancy, so much so that, on

8、 dying, he left the place to her for her lifetime, as well as the larger part of his income; an arrangement that was distinctly unfair to his two sons. Their step-mother, however, had always been most generous to them; indeed, they were so young at the time of their father's remarriage that they

9、 always thought of her as their own mother.Lawrence, the younger, had been a delicate youth. He had qualified as a doctor but early relinquished the profession of medicine, and lived at home while pursuing literary ambitions; though his verses never had any marked success.John practiced for some tim

10、e as a barrister, but had finally settled down to the more congenial life of a country squire. He had married two years ago, and had taken his wife to live at Styles, though I entertained a shrewd suspicion that he would have preferred his mother to increase his allowance, which would have enabled h

11、im to have a home of his own. Mrs. Cavendish, however, was a lady who liked to make her own plans, and expected other people to fall in with them, and in this case she certainly had the whip hand, namely: the purse strings.John noticed my surprise at the news of his mother's remarriage and smile

12、d rather ruefully."Rotten little bounder too!" he said savagely. "I can tell you, Hastings, it's making life jolly difficult for us. As for Evie-you remember Evie?""No.""Oh, I suppose she was after your time. She's the mater's factotum, companion, Jack

13、of all trades! A great sport-old Evie! Not precisely young and beautiful, but as game as they make them.""You were going to say-?""Oh, this fellow! He turned up from nowhere, on the pretext of being a second cousin or something of Evie's, though she didn't seem particular

14、ly keen to acknowledge the relationship. The fellow is an absolute outsider, anyone can see that. He's got a great black beard, and wears patent leather boots in all weathers! But the mater cottoned to him at once, took him on as secretary-you know how she's always running a hundred societie

15、s?"I nodded."Well, of course the war has turned the hundreds into thousands. No doubt the fellow was very useful to her. But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged! The fellow must be at least twenty

16、 years younger than she is! It's simply bare-faced fortune hunting; but there you are-she is her own mistress, and she's married him.""It must be a difficult situation for you all.""Difficult! It's damnable!"Thus it came about that, three days later, I descended

17、from the train at Styles St. Mary, an absurd little station, with no apparent reason for existence, perched up in the midst of green fields and country lanes. John Cavendish was waiting on the platform, and piloted me out to the car."Got a drop or two of petrol still, you see," he remarked

18、. "Mainly owing to the mater's activities."The village of Styles St. Mary was situated about two miles from the little station, and Styles Court lay a mile the other side of it. It was a still, warm day in early July. As one looked out over the flat Essex country, lying so green and pe

19、aceful under the afternoon sun, it seemed almost impossible to believe that, not so very far away, a great war was running its appointed course. I felt I had suddenly strayed into another world. As we turned in at the lodge gates, John said:"I'm afraid you'll find it very quiet down her

20、e, Hastings.""My dear fellow, that's just what I want.""Oh, it's pleasant enough if you want to lead the idle life. I drill with the volunteers twice a week, and lend a hand at the farms. My wife works regularly 'on the land'. She is up at five every morning to mi

21、lk, and keeps at it steadily until lunchtime. It's a jolly good life taking it all round-if it weren't for that fellow Alfred Inglethorp!" He checked the car suddenly, and glanced at his watch. "I wonder if we've time to pick up Cynthia. No, she'll have started from the hos

22、pital by now.""Cynthia! That's not your wife?""No, Cynthia is a protegee of my mother's, the daughter of an old schoolfellow of hers, who married a rascally solicitor. He came a cropper, and the girl was left an orphan and penniless. My mother came to the rescue, and Cynt

23、hia has been with us nearly two years now. She works in the Red Cross Hospital at Tadminster, seven miles away."As he spoke the last words, we drew up in front of the fine old house. A lady in a stout tweed skirt, who was bending over a flower bed, straightened herself at our approach."Hul

24、lo, Evie, here's our wounded hero! Mr. Hastings-Miss Howard."Miss Howard shook hands with a hearty, almost painful, grip. I had an impression of very blue eyes in a sunburnt face. She was a pleasant-looking woman of about forty, with a deep voice, almost manly in its stentorian tones, and h

25、ad a large sensible square body, with feet to match-these last encased in good thick boots. Her conversation, I soon found, was couched in the telegraphic style."Weeds grow like house afire. Can't keep even with 'em. Shall press you in. Better be careful.""I'm sure I shall

26、 be only too delighted to make myself useful," I responded."Don't say it. Never does. Wish you hadn't later.""You're a cynic, Evie," said John, laughing. "Where's tea to-day-inside or out?""Out. Too fine a day to be cooped up in the house."

27、;"Come on then, you've done enough gardening for to-day. 'The labourer is worthy of his hire', you know. Come and be refreshed.""Well," said Miss Howard, drawing off her gardening gloves, "I'm inclined to agree with you."She led the way round the house t

28、o where tea was spread under the shade of a large sycamore.A figure rose from one of the basket chairs, and came a few steps to meet us."My wife, Hastings," said John.I shall never forget my first sight of Mary Cavendish. Her tall, slender form, outlined against the bright light; the vivid

29、 sense of slumbering fire that seemed to find expression only in those wonderful tawny eyes of hers, remarkable eyes, different from any other woman's that I have ever known; the intense power of stillness she possessed, which nevertheless conveyed the impression of a wild untamed spirit in an e

30、xquisitely civilised body-all these things are burnt into my memory. I shall never forget them.She greeted me with a few words of pleasant welcome in a low clear voice, and I sank into a basket chair feeling distinctly glad that I had accepted John's invitation. Mrs. Cavendish gave me some tea,

31、and her few quiet remarks heightened my first impression of her as a thoroughly fascinating woman. An appreciative listener is always stimulating, and I described, in a humorous manner, certain incidents of my Convalescent Home, in a way which, I flatter myself, greatly amused my hostess. John, of c

32、ourse, good fellow though he is, could hardly be called a brilliant conversationalist.At that moment a well remembered voice floated through the open French window near at hand:"Then you'll write to the Princess after tea, Alfred? I'll write to Lady Tadminster for the second day, myself

33、. Or shall we wait until we hear from the Princess? In case of a refusal, Lady Tadminster might open it the first day, and Mrs. Crosbie the second. Then there's the Duchess-about the school fete."There was the murmur of a man's voice, and then Mrs. Inglethorp's rose in reply:"Y

34、es, certainly. After tea will do quite well. You are so thoughtful, Alfred dear."The French window swung open a little wider, and a handsome white-haired old lady, with a somewhat masterful cast of features, stepped out of it on to the lawn. A man followed her, a suggestion of deference in his

35、manner.Mrs. Inglethorp greeted me with effusion."Why, if it isn't too delightful to see you again, Mr. Hastings, after all these years. Alfred, darling, Mr. Hastings-my husband."I looked with some curiosity at "Alfred darling". He certainly struck a rather alien note. I did n

36、ot wonder at John objecting to his beard. It was one of the longest and blackest I have ever seen. He wore gold-rimmed pince-nez, and had a curious impassivity of feature. It struck me that he might look natural on a stage, but was strangely out of place in real life. His voice was rather deep and u

37、nctuous. He placed a wooden hand in mine and said:"This is a pleasure, Mr. Hastings." Then, turning to his wife: "Emily dearest, I think that cushion is a little damp."She beamed fondly on him, as he substituted another with every demonstration of the tenderest care. Strange infa

38、tuation of an otherwise sensible woman!With the presence of Mr. Inglethorp, a sense of constraint and veiled hostility seemed to settle down upon the company. Miss Howard, in particular, took no pains to conceal her feelings. Mrs. Inglethorp, however, seemed to notice nothing unusual. Her volubility

39、, which I remembered of old, had lost nothing in the intervening years, and she poured out a steady flood of conversation, mainly on the subject of the forthcoming bazaar which she was organizing and which was to take place shortly. Occasionally she referred to her husband over a question of days or

40、 dates. His watchful and attentive manner never varied. From the very first I took a firm and rooted dislike to him, and I flatter myself that my first judgments are usually fairly shrewd.Presently Mrs. Inglethorp turned to give some instructions about letters to Evelyn Howard, and her husband addre

41、ssed me in his painstaking voice:"Is soldiering your regular profession, Mr. Hastings?""No, before the war I was in Lloyd's.""And you will return there after it is over?""Perhaps. Either that or a fresh start altogether."Mary Cavendish leant forward."

42、What would you really choose as a profession, if you could just consult your inclination?""Well, that depends.""No secret hobby?" she asked. "Tell me-you're drawn to something? Every one is-usually something absurd.""You'll laugh at me."She smiled

43、."Perhaps.""Well, I've always had a secret hankering to be a detective!""The real thing-Scotland Yard? Or Sherlock Holmes?""Oh, Sherlock Holmes by all means. But really, seriously, I am awfully drawn to it. I came across a man in Belgium once, a very famous det

44、ective, and he quite inflamed me. He was a marvellous little fellow. He used to say that all good detective work was a mere matter of method. My system is based on his-though of course I have progressed rather further. He was a funny little man, a great dandy, but wonderfully clever.""Like

45、 a good detective story myself," remarked Miss Howard. "Lots of nonsense written, though. Criminal discovered in last chapter. Every one dumbfounded. Real crime-you'd know at once.""There have been a great number of undiscovered crimes," I argued."Don't mean the

46、 police, but the people that are right in it. The family. You couldn't really hoodwink them. They'd know.""Then," I said, much amused, "you think that if you were mixed up in a crime, say a murder, you'd be able to spot the murderer right off?""Of course I s

47、hould. Mightn't be able to prove it to a pack of lawyers. But I'm certain I'd know. I'd feel it in my fingertips if he came near me.""It might be a 'she,' " I suggested."Might. But murder's a violent crime. Associate it more with a man.""Not

48、in a case of poisoning." Mrs. Cavendish's clear voice startled me. "Dr. Bauerstein was saying yesterday that, owing to the general ignorance of the more uncommon poisons among the medical profession, there were probably countless cases of poisoning quite unsuspected.""Why, Ma

49、ry, what a gruesome conversation!" cried Mrs. Inglethorp. "It makes me feel as if a goose were walking over my grave. Oh, there's Cynthia!"A young girl in V. A. D. uniform ran lightly across the lawn."Why, Cynthia, you are late to-day. This is Mr. Hastings-Miss Murdoch."

50、Cynthia Murdoch was a fresh-looking young creature, full of life and vigour. She tossed off her little V. A. D. cap, and I admired the great loose waves of her auburn hair, and the smallness and whiteness of the hand she held out to claim her tea. With dark eyes and eyelashes she would have been a b

51、eauty.She flung herself down on the ground beside John, and as I handed her a plate of sandwiches she smiled up at me."Sit down here on the grass, do. It's ever so much nicer."I dropped down obediently."You work at Tadminster, don't you, Miss Murdoch?"She nodded."For

52、 my sins.""Do they bully you, then?" I asked, smiling."I should like to see them!" cried Cynthia with dignity."I have got a cousin who is nursing," I remarked. "And she is terrified of 'Sisters'.""I don't wonder. Sisters _are_, you know, Mr. Hastings. They simp-ly _are_! You've no idea! But I'm not a nurse, thank heaven, I work in the dispensary.""How many people do you poison?" I asked, smiling.Cynthia smiled too."Oh, hundreds!"