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我 晚餐即将结束。 食物很好，葡萄酒也很完美。 罗杰斯等得很好。 每个人的精神都更好了。 他们开始更加自由和亲密地互相交谈。 沃格雷夫法官先生被这句精彩的话所软化，以一种尖刻的方式有趣，阿姆斯特朗博士和托尼·马斯顿正在听他说话。 布伦特小姐与麦克阿瑟将军聊天，他们发现了一些共同的朋友。 维拉·克莱索恩（Vera Claythorne）向戴维斯先生提出了有关南非的一些聪明问题。 戴维斯先生在这个问题上非常流利。 隆巴德听着谈话。 有一两次，他迅速抬起头，眼睛眯起来。 他的眼睛时不时地在桌子上转来转去，研究其他人。

After that the rumours of the gossip writers had started. Indian Island had really been bought by Miss Gabrielle Turl, the Hollywood film star!Shewanted to spend some months there free from all publicity! Busy Bee had hinted delicatelythat it was to be an abode for Royalty?

Mr. Justice Wargrave allowed his head to nod... He slept...

Chapter 1 In the corner of a first-class smoking carriage, Mr. Justice Wargrave, lately retired from thebench, puffed at a cigar and ran an interested eye through the political news in the Times. He laid the paper down and glanced out of the window. They were running now throughSomerset. He glanced at his watch - another two hours to go. He went over in his mind all that had appeared in the papers about Indian Island. There hadbeen its original purchase by an American millionaire who was crazy about yachting - andan account of the luxurious modern house he had built on this little island off the Devoncoast. The unfortunate fact that the new third wife of the American millionaire was a badsailor had led to the subsequent putting up of the house and island for sale. Various glowingadvertisements of it had appeared in the papers. Then came the first bald statement that ithad been bought - by a Mr. Owen. After that the rumours of the gossip writers had started. Indian Island had really been bought by Miss Gabrielle Turl, the Hollywood film star! Shewanted to spend some months there free from all publicity! Busy Bee had hinted delicatelythat it was to be an abode for Royalty??! Mr. Merryweather had had it whispered to him thatit had been bought for a honeymoon - Young Lord L... had surrendered to Cupid at last!Jones knew for a fact that it had been purchased by the Admiralty with a view to carryingout some very hush hush experiments! Definitely, Indian Island was news! From his pocket Mr. Justice Wargrave drew out a letter. The handwriting was practicallyillegible but words here and there stood out with unexpected clarity. Dearest Lawrence...such years since I heard anything of you... must come to Indian Island... the mostenchanting place... so much to talk over... old days... communion with Nature... bask insunshine... 12:40 from Paddington... meet you at Oakbridge... and his correspondent signedherself with a flourish his ever Constance Culmington. Mr. Justice Wargrave cast back in his mind to remember when exactly he had last seen LadyConstance Culmington. It must be seven - no, eight years ago. She had then been going toItaly to bask in the sun and be at one with Nature and the contadini. Later, he had heard,she had proceeded to Syria where she proposed to bask in yet stronger sun and live at onewith Nature and the bedouin. Constance Culmington, he reflected to himself, was exactly the sort of woman who wouldbuy an island and surround herself with mystery! Nodding his head in gentle approval of hislogic, Mr. Justice Wargrave allowed his head to nod... He slept...

Chapter 1 In the corner of a first-class smoking carriage, Mr. Justice Wargrave, lately retired from thebench, puffed at a cigar and ran an interested eye through the political news in the Times. hello

IV In a non-smoking carriage Miss Emily Brent sat very upright as was her custom. She wassixty-five and she did not approve of lounging. Her father, a Colonel of the old school, hadbeen particular about deportment. The present generation was shamelessly lax - in their carriage, and in every other way... Enveloped in an aura of righteousness and unyielding principles, Miss Brent sat in hercrowded third-class carriage and triumphed over its discomfort and its heat. Every onemade such a fuss over things nowadays! They wanted injections before they had teeth pulled- they took drugs if they couldn’t sleep - they wanted easy chairs and cushions and the girlsallowed their figures to slop about anyhow and lay about half naked on the beaches insummer. Miss Brent’s lips set closely. She would like to make an example of certain people. She remembered last year’s summer holiday. This year, however, it would be quite different.Indian Island... Mentally she reread the letter which she had already read so many times. Dear Miss Brent, I do hope you remember me? We were together at Bellhaven Guest House in August someyears ago, and we seemed to have so much in common. I am starting a guest house of my own on an island off the coast of Devon. I think there isreally an opening for a place where there is good plain cooking and a nice old-fashionedtype of person. None of this nudity and gramophones half the night. I shall be very glad ifyou could see your way to spending your summer holiday on Indian Island - quite free - asmy guest. Would early in August suit you? Perhaps the 8th. Yours sincerely. U.N. -What was the name? The signature was rather difficult to read. Emily Brent thoughtimpatiently: “So many people write their signatures quite illegibly.” She let her mind run back over the people at Bellhaven. She had been there two summersrunning. There had been that nice middle-aged woman - Mrs. - Mrs. - now what was hername? - her father had been a Canon. And there had been a Miss Olton - Ormen - No, surelyit was Oliver! Yes - Oliver. Indian Island! There had been things in the paper about Indian Island - something about afilm star - or was it an American millionaire? Of course often those places went very cheap - islands didn’t suit everybody. They thoughtthe idea was romantic but when they came to live there they realized the disadvantages andwere only too glad to sell. Emily Brent thought to herself: “I shall be getting a free holiday at any rate.” With her income so much reduced and so many dividends not being paid, that was indeedsomething to take into consideration. If only she could remember a little more about Mrs. -or was it Miss - Oliver?

III Philip Lombard, summing up the girl opposite in a mere flash of his quick moving eyesthought to himself: “Quite attractive - a bit schoolmistressy perhaps...” A cool customer, he should imagine - and one who could hold her own - in love or war. He’drather like to take her on... He frowned. No, cut out all that kind of stuff. This was business. He’d got to keep his mindon the job. What exactly was up, he wondered? That little Jew had been damned mysterious. “Take it or leave it, Captain Lombard.” He had said thoughtfully: “A hundred guineas, eh?” He had said it in a casual way as though a hundred guineas was nothing to him. A hundredguineas when he was literally down to his last square meal! He had fancied, though, that thelittle Jew had not been deceived - that was the damnable part about Jews, you couldn’tdeceive them about money - they knew! He had said in the same casual tone: “And you can’t give me any further information?” Mr. Isaac Morris had shaken his little bald head very positively. “No, Captain Lombard, the matter rests there. It is understood by my client that yourreputation is that of a good man in a tight place. I am empowered to hand you one hundredguineas in return for which you will travel to Sticklehaven, Devon. The nearest station isOakbridge, you will be met there and motored to Sticklehaven where a motor launch willconvey you to Indian Island. There you will hold yourself at the disposal of my client.” Lombard had said abruptly: “For how long?” “Not longer than a week at most.” Fingering his small moustache, Captain Lombard said: “You understand I can’t undertake anything - illegal?” He had darted a very sharp glance at the other as he had spoken. There had been a veryfaint smile on the thick Semitic lips of Mr. Morris as he answered gravely: “If anything illegal is proposed, you will, of course, be at perfect liberty to withdraw.” Damn the smooth little brute, he had smiled! It was as though he knew very well that inLombard’s past actions legality had not always been a sine qua non... Lombard’s own lips parted in a grin. By Jove, he’d sailed pretty near the wind once or twice! But he’d always got away with it!There wasn’t much he drew the line at really... No, there wasn’t much he’d draw the line at. He fancied that he was going to enjoy himselfat Indian Island...

II Vera Claythorne, in a third-class carriage with five other travellers in it, leaned her headback and shut her eyes. How hot it was travelling by train today! It would be nice to get tothe sea! Really a great piece of luck getting this job. When you wanted a holiday post itnearly always meant looking after a swarm of children - secretarial holiday posts were muchmore difficult to get. Even the agency hadn’t held out much hope. And then the letter had come. “I have received your name from the Skilled Women’s Agency together with theirrecommendation. I understand they know you personally. I shall be glad to pay you thesalary you ask and shall expect you to take up your duties on August 8th. The train is the12:40 from Paddington and you will be met at Oakbridge station. I enclose five pound notesfor expenses. Yours truly,Una Nancy Owen. And at the top was the stamped address Indian Island. Sticklehaven. Devon... Indian Island! Why, there had been nothing else in the papers lately! All sorts of hints andinteresting rumours. Though probably that was mostly untrue. But the house had certainlybeen built by a millionaire and was said to be absolutely the last word in luxury. Vera Claythorne, tired by a recent strenuous term at school, thought to herself - “Being agames mistress in a third-class school isn’t much of a catch... If only I could get a job atsome decent school.” And then, with a cold feeling round her heart, she thought: “But I’m lucky to have even this.After all, people don’t like a Coroner’s Inquest, even if the Coroner did acquit me of allblame!” He had even complimented her on her presence of mind and courage, she remembered. Foran inquest it couldn’t have gone better. And Mrs. Hamilton had been kindness itself to her -only Hugo - (but she wouldn’t think of Hugo!) Suddenly, in spite of the heat in the carriage she shivered and wished she wasn’t going tothe sea. A picture rose clearly before her mind. Cyril’s head, bobbing up and down,swimming to the rock... Up and down - up and down... And herself, swimming in easypractised strokes after him - cleaving her way through the water but knowing, only toosurely, that she wouldn’t be in time... The sea - its deep warm blue mornings spent lying out on the sands - Hugo - Hugo who hadsaid he loved her... She must not think of Hugo... She opened her eyes and frowned across at the man opposite her. A tall man with a brownface, light eyes set rather close together and an arrogant almost cruel mouth. She thought to herself: “I bet he’s been to some interesting parts of the world and seen some interesting things...”

姐妹们都对她另眼相看。班太太看到尼日斐花园的一家人都这么喜爱她的大女儿，觉得非常得意。吉英跟她母亲一样得意，只不过没有像她母亲那样声张。伊丽莎白也为吉英快活。曼丽曾听到人们在彬格莱小姐面前提到她自己，说她是邻近一带最有才干的姑娘；咖苔琳①和丽迪雅运气最好，没有哪一轮舞缺少舞伴，这是她们每逢去跳舞会时唯一关心的一件事。母女们高高兴兴地回到她们所住的浪搏恩村（她们算是这个村子里的旺族），看见班纳特先生还没有睡觉。且说这位班先生平常只要捧上一本书，就忘了时间，可是这次没有睡觉，却是因为他极想知道大家朝思暮想的这一个盛会，经过情形究竟如何。他满以为他太太对那位贵客一定很失望，但是他立刻就发觉事实并非如此。“噢！我的好老爷，” 她一走进房间就这么说，“ 我们这一个晚上过得太快活了，舞会太好了。你没有去真可惜。吉英那么吃香，简直是无法形容。①咖苔琳即吉蒂，后者为爱称。什么人都说她长得好；彬格莱先生认为她很美，跟她跳了两场舞！你光是想想这一点看吧，亲爱的；他确实跟她跳了两场！全场那么多女宾，就只有她一个人蒙受了他第二次邀请。他头一场舞是邀请卢卡斯小姐跳的。我看到他站到她身边去，不禁有些气恼！不过，他对她根本没意思，其实，什么人也不会对她有意思；当吉英走下舞池的时候，他可就显得非常着迷了。他立即打听她的姓名，请人介绍，然后邀她跳下一轮舞。他第三轮舞是跟金小姐跳的，第四轮跟玛丽亚· 卢卡斯跳，第五轮又跟吉英跳，第六轮跟丽萃跳，还有布朗谢家的——”“ 要是他稍许体谅我一点，” 她的丈夫不耐烦地叫起来了，“ 他就不会跳这么多，一半也不会！天哪，不要提他那些舞伴了吧。噢！但愿他头一场舞就跳得脚踝扭了筋！”“ 噢！亲爱的，” 班纳特太太接下去说，“ 我非常喜欢他。他真太漂亮啦！他的姐妹们也都很讨人喜欢。我生平没有看见过任何东西比她们的衣饰更讲究。我敢说，赫斯脱太太衣服上的花边——”她说到这里又给岔断了。班纳特先生不愿意听人谈到衣饰。她因此不得不另找话题，于是就谈到达西先生那不可一世的傲慢无礼的态度，她的措辞辛辣刻薄，而又带有几分夸张。“ 不过我可以告诉你，” 她补充道，“ 丽萃不中他的意，这对于丽萃并没有什么可惜，因为他是个最讨厌、最可恶的人，不值得去奉承他。那么高傲，那么自大，叫人不可容忍！他一会儿走到这里，一会儿走到那里，把他自己看得那么了不起！还要嫌人家不够漂亮，配不上跟他跳舞呢！要是你在场的话，你就可以好好地教训他一顿。我厌恶透了那个人。”

XII 艾米丽·布伦特（Emily Brent）穿着黑色丝绸衣服，准备吃晚饭，正在她的卧室里阅读圣经。 她的嘴唇动了动，跟着这句话说道： “异教徒陷在他们所挖的坑里：他们自己的脚陷在他们隐藏的网里。主因他所执行的审判而为人所知：恶人被自己手中的工作所困住。恶人将被变成地狱。” 她的嘴唇紧闭。她合上圣经。 她站起来，在脖子上别了一枚凯恩戈姆胸针，然后下楼去吃饭。