“I was searching for a flaw, my friend.”
“我在寻找一个漏洞，我的朋友。”
M. Bouc was looking at his friend curiously.
布克先生好奇地看着他的朋友。
“I do not quite understand you, mon vieux. You were trying to do — what?”
“我真是看不透你，我的朋友，你想…干什么？”
“You suspect her,” said M. Bouc slowly. “But why? She seems a very charming young lady — the last person in the world to be mixed up in a crime of this kind.”
“你怀疑她，”布克先生缓缓地说，“可是为什么呢？她是个年轻迷人的女孩，是世界上跟这种案子最扯不上关系的人。”
“I agree,” said Constantine. “She is cold. She has not emotions. She would not stab a man; she would sue him in the law courts.”
“我同意。”康斯坦汀说，“她很冷漠，没有感情。所以她不会去杀人——而是会把他送上法庭。”
“A flaw?”
“一个漏洞？”
“Yes — in the armour of a young lady’s self-possession. I wished to shake her sangfroid. Did I succeed? I do not know. But I know this — she did not expect me to tackle the matter as I did.”
“是的，在一位年轻小姐沉着冷静的外表上寻找。我想动摇她的临危不乱。我做到了吗？我不知道。但是我知道一点：她没想到我会这样办案。”
Poirot sighed “You must, both of you, get rid of your obsession that this is an unpremeditated and sudden crime. As for the reason why I suspect Miss Debenham, there are two. One is because of something that I overheard, and that you do not as yet know.”
波洛叹了口气。“你们两个人不能固执地认为这是一起始料不及的、仓促的犯罪。我之所以怀疑德贝纳姆小姐，有两个原因。一个是我无意中偷听到的，这件事你们还不知道。”
He retailed to them the curious interchange of phrases he had overheard on the journey from Aleppo.
于是他跟二人说了在从阿勒颇过来的路上无意中听见的一段奇怪的对话。
“That is curious, certainly,” said M. Bouc when he had finished. “It needs explaining. If it means what you suspect it means, then they are both of them in it together — she and the stiff Englishman.”
“果然很奇怪。”听完波洛的话之后，布克先生说道，“这需要解释一下。如果这跟你怀疑的一样，那么他们两个人都牵涉其中了——她和那个呆板的英国人。”
“You said there was another reason for your suspicions of her,” M. Bouc reminded him.
“你说过让你对她有所怀疑的还有一个原因？”布克先生提醒他道。
Poirot nodded.
波洛点点头。
Poirot smiled.
波洛笑了。
“And that is just what is not borne out by the facts,” he said. “See you, if they were both in this together, what should we expect to find — that each of them would provide an alibi for the other. Is not that so? But no — that does not happen. Miss Debenham’s alibi is provided by a Swedish woman whom she has never seen before, and Colonel Arbuthnot’s alibi is vouched for by MacQueen, the dead man’s secretary. No, that solution of the puzzle is too easy.”
“然而恰恰还没有事实能证明这一点。”他说，“你知道，如果他们都参与了这起谋杀，我们能指望发现什么？他们能给彼此提供不在场证明。不是这样吗？是的，不会发生这种事的。德贝纳姆小姐的不在场证明只能由她素昧平生的瑞典太太提供，而阿巴思诺特上校则由死者的秘书麦奎因担保。不，这种解开谜题的方法也太简单了。”
M. Bouc shook his head. “I think you are wrong, my friend. I do not see that young English girl as a criminal.”
布克先生摇摇头。“我觉得你错了，我的朋友。我怎么看那个年轻的英国女孩都不像个杀人犯。”
“Ah! but that is only psychological. I ask myself, is it possible for Miss Debenham to have planned this crime? Behind this business, I am convinced, there is a cool, intelligent, resourceful brain. Miss Debenham answers to that description.”
“啊！但那只是个心理因素。我问自己，有没有可能是德贝纳姆小姐计划了这场谋杀？在这种行为的背后，我认为，有个冷漠而聪明机智的大脑在操纵。德贝纳姆小姐符合这些因素。”
“Ah, well,” said Poirot, picking up the last passport, “to the final name on our list. Hildegarde Schmidt, lady’s maid.”
“啊！好吧，”波洛说着，拿起最后一份护照，“我们名单上的最后一个名字，希尔德嘉德·施密特，女仆。”
Summoned by the attendant, Hildegarde Schmidt came into the restaurant car and stood waiting respectfully.
希尔德嘉德·施密特被服务员叫进了餐车里，恭敬地站在那儿等着。
She did so, folding her hands and waiting placidly till he questioned her. She seemed a placid creature altogether — eminently respectable — perhaps not over intelligent.
她坐下来，双手交叉，一声不响地等他问问题。她的性情真的很温和——品行端正，可能没那么聪明。
Poirot motioned her to sit down.
波洛示意她坐下。
Poirot’s methods with Hildegarde Schmidt were a complete contrast to his handling of Mary Debenham.
波洛对待希尔德嘉德·施密特的方式跟对玛丽·德贝纳姆的完全不同。
He was at his kindest and most genial, setting the woman at her ease. Then, having got her to write down her name and address, he slid gently into his questions.
他很是和蔼亲切，好让她放下心来。然后，让她写下姓名和住址，之后才委婉、自然地引出问题。
The interview took place in German.
他们用的是德语。
“We want to know as much as possible about what happened last night,” he said. “We know that you cannot give us much information bearing on the crime itself, but you may have seen or heard something that, while conveying nothing to you, may be valuable to us. You understand?”
“我们希望尽可能多地了解昨天晚上发生的事，”他说，“我们也知道，关于谋杀案本身，你不可能给我们提供很多情况，但是没准你看到或听到了什么，虽然你不以为意，但可能对我们来说很有价值。你明白我的意思吗？”
She did not seem to. Her broad, kindly face remained set in its expression of placid stupidity as she answered:
她好像没明白，那宽阔而亲切的脸庞仍旧是一副平静而迟钝的表情。她回答道：
“I do not know anything, Monsieur.”
“我什么也不知道，先生。”
“I do not, Monsieur. I was asleep, you see, when the attendant came and told me.”
“不记得了，先生。你知道，列车员过来告诉我的时候我已经睡着了。”
“Eh bien, then, you received the summons and you got up. Did you put on a dressing gown?”
“啊，这么说，你随后就起床了。那你穿了件睡衣？”
She stared at him. “It is a dark-blue flannel dressing gown, Monsieur.”
她盯着他。“是深蓝色的法兰绒睡衣，先生。”
“Yes, yes. Was it usual for you to be sent for in this way?”
“是的，是的。通常都是派人去叫你吗？”
“It was not unusual, Monsieur. The gracious lady often required attention at night. She did not sleep well.”
“一般都这样，先生。我们仁慈的夫人晚上经常需要人服侍，她睡眠不好。”
“That, yes.”
“那个，我知道。”
“No, Monsieur, I put on a few clothes. I would not like to go in to her Excellency in my dressing gown.”
“不，先生，我穿了几件常服，我不想穿着睡衣去夫人那里。”
“And yet it is a very nice dressing gown — scarlet, is it not?”
“不过那是件很不错的睡衣吧——猩红色的，对吗？”
“Well, for instance, you know that your mistress sent for you last night?”
“呃，比如，你知道你的女主人昨天晚上叫过你吧？”
“I gave her massage, Monsieur, and then I read aloud. I do not read aloud very well, but her Excellency says that is all the better. So it sends her better to sleep. When she became sleepy, Monsieur, she told me to go, so I closed the book and I returned to my own compartment.”
“我给她做了按摩，先生，然后读书给她听。我读得不是很好，但是夫人说那样更合适——更容易入睡。她快睡着的时候，先生，便让我走了，于是我合上书回自己的房间去了。”
“Ah! continue. A little pleasantry on my part, that is all. So you went along to Madame la Princesse. And what did you do when you got there?”
“啊！你接着说吧，我只是开个小玩笑，没别的意思。然后你就去公主的房间了，那么，你到了那里之后做什么了？”
“Do you remember the time?”
“你记不记得是什么时候？”
“No, Monsieur.”
“没看到，先生。”
“What was he doing?”
“他在干什么？”
“He came out of one of the compartments, Monsieur.”
“他正从一个房间里出来，先生。”
“Well, how long had you been with Madame la Princesse?”
“那么，你在公主那里待了多长时间？”
“You did not, for instance, see a lady in a scarlet kimono with dragons on it?”
“比方说，你有没有看见一个穿猩红色睡衣的女人，衣服上还绣着龙？”
“And you met no one in the corridor?”
“你在过道上看到什么人没有？”
“And then?”
“后来呢？”
Hildegarde Schmidt looked frightened again and Poirot cast a reproachful glance at his friend.
希尔德嘉德·施密特再次受到了惊吓。波洛责备地看了他的朋友一眼。
“There is nothing more, Monsieur. I returned to my carriage and went to sleep.”
“没什么了，先生。我回自己的房间睡觉去了。”
“No, Monsieur.”
“不知道，先生。”
“First, I fetched her Excellency an extra rug from my compartment. It was very cold in spite of the heating. I arranged the rug over her and she wished me good night. I poured her out some mineral water. Then I turned out the light and left her.”
“一开始，我从自己的房间里拿了一条毯子给夫人。虽然有暖气，可还是很冷。我给她盖上毯子，她跟我说晚安。我给她倒了一些矿泉水，然后关了灯就走了。”
“But you did see the conductor?”
“但是你看到列车员了？”
Her mild eyes bulged at him. “No, indeed, Monsieur. There was nobody about except the attendant. Everyone was asleep.”
她睁圆了那双温顺的眼睛看着他。“真的没看见，先生。除了列车员，大家都睡了。”
“Yes, Monsieur.”
“是的，先生。”
“About half an hour, Monsieur.”
“大约半个小时，先生。”
“Do you know what time that was?”
“你知道那是什么时候吗？”
“Good, continue.”
“很好，继续说吧。”
“What?” M. Bouc leaned forward. “Which one?”
“什么？”布克先生向前探过身，“哪间？”
“It was about the middle of the coach, Monsieur. Two or three doors from Madame la Princesse.”
“大概在车厢的中间位置，先生，跟公主的房间隔了两三个门。”
“Naturally,” he said. “The conductor often has to answer bells at night. Do you remember which compartment it was?”
“自然啦，”他说，“晚上的时候，旅客经常会按铃，列车员就得过去。你记得是哪一间吗？”
“Ah! tell us, if you please, exactly where this was and what happened.”
“啊！要是你愿意的话，告诉我们，究竟是哪个房间，发生了什么事。”
“Towards me, Monsieur. He apologized and passed on down the corridor towards the dining car. A bell began ringing, but I do not think he answered it.” She paused and then said: “I do not understand. How is it –?”
“朝着我，先生。他道了歉，然后朝餐车那边跑过去了。后来又有铃响了，不过我觉得他没去应铃。”她顿了顿，又说，“我不明白，怎么——”
Poirot spoke reassuringly.
波洛的话很让人放心。
“And he came out of a compartment and almost collided with you? In which direction was he going?”
“那么就是说，他从一个房间里出来，又差点跟你撞个满怀。他向哪个方向走的？”
“It was not the same conductor who woke me, Monsieur. It was another one.”
“他不是叫醒我的那个列车员，先生，是另一个。”
“He nearly ran into me, Monsieur. It was when I was returning from my compartment to that of the Princess with the rug.”
“他差点撞到我，先生，那时候我正从自己的房间拿了毯子送给公主。”
“Ah, another one! Had you seen him before?”
“啊！另一个！你以前见过他吗？”
“It is just a question of times,” he said. “All a matter of routine. This poor conductor, he seems to have had a busy night — first waking you and then answering bells.”
“只是个时间问题，”他说，“这些都是例行公事。可怜的列车员，他这个晚上肯定忙坏了，先是叫醒了你，然后去应旅客们的铃。”
Poirot was continuing his questions in an easy friendly manner.
波洛继续用他轻松友好的方式问着问题。
“I think so, Monsieur.”
“我想可以的，先生。”
“No. Monsieur.”
“没有，先生。”
Tears had come into the woman’s eyes. Her strong motherly soul was moved.
泪水从女仆的眼里淌了出来。她那强烈的母爱之心受到了震撼。
“It was an abominable crime,” said Poirot gravely.
“这真是一桩可恶的罪行。”波洛严肃地说。
He drew a scrap of cambric from his pocket and handed it to her.
他掏出一块棉纱手帕递给她。
“Ah! Do you think you would recognize him if you saw him?”
“啊，你觉得如果你再见到他，能认出他来吗？”
Poirot murmured something in M. Bouc’s ear. The latter got up and went to the door to give an order.
波洛在布克先生耳朵边咕哝了几句，后者站起来走向门口下达了命令。
“Yes, I have heard, Monsieur. It was abominable — wicked. The good God should not allow such things. We are not so wicked as that in Germany.”
“是的，我听说过，先生。这太可恶了——罪大恶极。仁慈的上帝不会允许发生这种事的。我们德国人不会这么邪恶的。”
“You have heard, perhaps, of who this man who was killed really was — that he was responsible for the death of a little child.”
“也许，你听说过死者真正的身份是杀死一个小孩的凶手吗？”
“Never, Monsieur. It must be a fine country.”
“从没去过，先生，肯定是个很不错的国家。”
“Have you ever been to America, Frau Schmidt?”
“你去过美国吗，施密特小姐？”
“Is this your handkerchief, Frau Schmidt?”
“这是你的手帕吗，施密特小姐？”
There was a moment’s silence as the woman examined it. She looked up after a minute. The colour had mounted a little in her face.
她仔细地看着手帕，沉默半晌，然后抬起了头，有点脸红。
“Ah! no, indeed. It is not mine, Monsieur.”
“啊！不是我的，真的。这不是我的，先生。”
“It is not yours and you do not know whose it is?”
“不是你的，那你也不知道是谁的？”
“I? Oh, no, Monsieur.”
“我？哦，不，不知道，先生。”
Hildegarde Schmidt looked at them and immediately shook her head.
希尔德嘉德·施密特看看他们，然后马上摇了摇头。
The three men entered. Pierre Michel, the big blond conductor of the Athens-Paris coach, and the stout burly conductor of the Bucharest one.
三个人走了进来。皮埃尔·米歇尔；高个子金发，雅典－巴黎车厢的列车员；还有布加勒斯特车厢上那个粗壮魁梧的列车员。
M. Bouc whispered in his ear. Poirot nodded and said to the woman: “The three sleeping car attendants are coming in. Will you be so kind as to tell me which is the one you met last night as you were going with the rug to the Princess?”
布克先生在他耳边低语几句，波洛点点头，对女仆说：“三个车厢的列车员就要过来了，你能不能告诉我，昨天晚上你给公主送毯子时看见的人是哪一个？”
“It has the initial H, you see. That is why I thought it was yours.”
“你瞧，上面有个H，所以我以为是你的。”
Of the three listening, only Poirot caught the nuance of hesitation in the reply.
三个听的人之中，只有波洛察觉到了她回答时那一点点细微的犹豫。
“Ah! Monsieur, it is a lady’s handkerchief, that. A very expensive handkerchief. Embroidered by hand. It comes from Paris, I should say.”
“啊，先生，这是夫人小姐们使用的手帕，非常贵，手工刺绣，我敢说是巴黎货。”
“No, Monsieur,” she said. “None of these is the man I saw last night.”
“不，先生，”她说，“他们都不是我昨晚看见的那个。”
“But these are the only conductors on the train. You must be mistaken.”
“可火车上只有这三个列车员啊，你肯定是记错了。”
“I am quite sure, Monsieur. These are all tall, big men. The one I saw was small and dark. He had a little moustache. His voice when he said ‘Pardon’ was weak like a woman’s. Indeed, I remember him very well, Monsieur.”
“绝对没错，先生，他们全都高高大大的，而我看见的那个又小又黑，长着一小撮胡子。他说‘对不起’的时候，声音很柔弱，像个女人。真的，我记得很清楚，先生。”
0 条评论