Three people sat eating breakfast in the kitchen.
三个人坐在厨房里吃早餐。
Outside, the sun shone. It was a lovely day.
外面，太阳正在冉冉升起，这是晴朗的一天。
They felt now like people just awakening from a nightmare. There was danger, yet, but it was danger in daylight. That paralyzing atmosphere of fear that had wrapped them round like a blanket yesterday while the wind howled outside was gone.
他们觉得像刚刚从恶梦中清醒过来一样。危险依然存在，但这是白昼的危险。昨天狂风怒吼时他们像裹在厚毛毯里动弹不得似的恐惧气氛已经消失了。
The storm was a thing of the past. And with the change in the weather, a change had come in the mood of the prisoners on the island.
风暴己经过去了。随着天气的改变，岛上囚徒们的情绪也改变了。
Lombard said: “We’ll try heliographing today with a mirror from the highest point of the island. Some bright lad wandering on the cliff will recognize SOS when he sees it, I hope. In the evening we could try a bonfire — only there isn’t much wood — and anyway they might just think it was song and dance and merriment.”
隆巴德说：“今天我们可以在岛的最高处用一面镜子试着发发信号。我希望哪个在峭壁上游玩的小家伙能有脑子认出SOS的信号。晚上我们还可以点起一堆篝火——只是木柴不多了——他们很可能认为这里大家都在唱歌跳舞，尽情狂欢呢。”
Vera said: “Surely some one can read Morse. And then they’ll come to take us off. Long before this evening.”
维拉说：“肯定有人认得摩尔斯电码，到不了晚上就会有人把我们搭救出去。”
Lombard said: “The weather’s cleared all right, but the sea hasn’t gone down yet. Terrific swell on! They won’t be able to get a boat near the island before tomorrow.”
隆巴德说：“天是晴了，海可并没完全平静。多大的浪啊！明天天明之前，他们的船是无法在这个岛靠岸的。”
Lombard said: “What’s that?”
“什么事？”隆巴德说。
Lombard said: “Well, we’ve got one piece of evidence. Only three little Indian boys left on the dinner-table. It looks as though Armstrong had got his quietus.”
隆巴德说：“唔，我们已经有一个证据，餐桌上只剩下三个小瓷人了。看来阿姆斯特朗已经不在人世了。”
Blore said: “I don’t know. But I do know one thing.”
布洛尔说：“我不明白。可我知道一件事。”
Blore said: “The revolver. It was your revolver. It’s in your possession now. There’s nothing to show that it hasn’t been in your possession all along.”
布洛尔说，“那枝手枪。你的那枝枪。它现在掌握在你手里。没有什么迹象表明它不是一直在你手里。”
Lombard said sharply: “By whom? You? Me? You saw him go out of the front door. You come along and find me in my room. We go out and search together. When the devil had I time to kill him and carry his body round the island?”
隆巴德严厉地说：“谁扔的？你还是我？你看见他从前门出去了，你回来在我房里找到我。我们一起出去找寻他。我又从哪来的时间杀死他，再背着他的尸体在岛上转？”
Blore said: “Exactly.”
布洛尔说：“说得对。”
Blore said doubtfully: “It might have been thrown into the sea.”
布洛尔疑虑地说：“他可能被扔进海里了。”
Vera cried: “Another night in this place!”
维拉叫道：“在这个岛上再过一夜！”
Lombard shrugged his shoulders. “May as well face it! Twenty-four hours will do it, I think. If we can last out that, we’ll be all right.”
隆巴德耸耸肩膀：“还是面对现实的好！有二十个小时就差不多了。如果我们能坚持过去，我们就胜利了。”
Vera said: “Then why haven’t you found his dead body?”
维拉说：“那为什么没找到他的尸体呢？”
Lombard shook his head. He said: “It’s damned odd — no getting over it.”
隆巴德摇摇头说：“真他妈的怪——想不通。”
Blore cleared his throat. He said: “We’d better come to a clear understanding. What’s happened to Armstrong?”
布洛尔清清嗓子，说道：“阿姆斯特朗出了什么事，这一点我们最好查清楚。”
“My good blockhead, I swear to you that it was put back in my drawer. Greatest surprise I ever had in my life when I found it there.”
“我的傻兄弟，我问你发誓它是被放回我的抽屉的。当我发现它又回到我抽屉里的时候，我一辈子也没有那么吃惊过。”
Blore agreed. “No, there isn’t. You might have thought of a better story.”
布洛尔赞同道：“是的，毫无道理。你可能应该编一个更好一点儿的故事。”
“Rather proof that I’m telling the truth, isn’t it?”
“更能证明我说的是实话，对吗？”
Blore went on stolidly: “If you’re speaking the truth — there’s only one thing to be done. As long as you have that revolver, Miss Claythorne and I are at your mercy. The only fair thing is to put that revolver with the other things that are locked up — and you and I will hold the two keys still.”
布洛尔不依不饶地说：“如果你说的是真话——只有一条方法可行。你拿着手枪就意味着克莱索恩小姐和我都在你的手心里攥着。公正的方法是把手枪和那几样东西一起锁起来——钥匙仍然是你、我各一把。”
Blore said: “You ask us to believe a thing like that! Why the devil should Armstrong, or any one else for that matter, put it back?”
布洛尔说：“你要我们相信这种事！阿姆斯特朗也好，其他某个人也好，到底为什么要把它放回原处呢？”
Lombard raised his shoulders hopelessly. “I haven’t the least idea. It’s just crazy. The last thing one would expect. There seems no point in it.”
隆巴德无可奈何地耸耸肩膀：“我一点也不理解。这是发疯，世界上最意料不到的事，毫无道理。”
“Yes, you’d hidden it away before that happened. Afterwards you just took it back again.”
“是的，你事前把它藏了起来，事后又立刻取回来。”
“I don’t look at it that way.”
“我不这么看。”
Philip said: “You wouldn’t.”
“你不愿意。”菲利普说。
Blore said: “Look here, Mr. Lombard, if you’re an honest man, as you pretend –“
布洛尔说：“听着，隆巴德先生，如果你是一个正人君子，像你现在装的这样……”
“Come now, Blore, we were all searched.”
“我说，布洛尔，我们都一个一个搜过了。”
Philip murmured: “When did I lay claims to being an honest man? No, indeed, I never said that.”
菲利普嘲讽道：“我什么时候自称为正人君子了？没有，说实话，我从没这么说过。”
“That I’m U. N. Owen? Think what you damned well please. But I’ll ask you, if that’s so, why I didn’t pot you with the revolver last night? I could have, about twenty times over.”
“什么结论？我是U。N。欧文？随你的便。可我问你，假如就是这么回事，为什么我昨天晚上不用枪打你？我可以有二十次以上的机会。”
She recited in a meaning voice: “Four little Indian boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.”
她意味深长地背诵道：“四个小印第安孩子乘船出海，一个失足落水，被一条青鱼吞咽。”
Blore shook his head. He said: “I don’t know — and that’s a fact. You must have had some reason.”
布洛尔摇摇头，说：“我不明白——不过这倒是实情。你一定有其它原因。”
She went on: “A red herring — that’s the vital clue. Armstrong’s not dead… He took away the china Indian to make you think he was. You may say what you like — Armstrong’s on the island still. His disappearance is just a red herring across the track…”
她继续说：“一条青鱼（路上的一条青鱼是英语中的一句成语，意思是障人视线的事物——译者注）……这是极为重要的线索。阿姆斯朗没有死……他拿走了那个小瓷人使你们觉得他已经死了。你们爱怎么说就怎么说……阿姆斯特朗还在这岛上。他正是扔在路上的一条青鱼，为了吸引你们的视线。”
Vera had taken no part in the discussion. She stirred now and said: “I think you’re both behaving like a pair of idiots.”
维拉一直没有发表意见。她心里一震，说道：“我觉得你们表现得就像一对白痴。”
“You won’t agree to that?”
“你不同意吗？”
“No, I won’t. That revolver’s mine. I need it to defend myself — and I’m going to keep it.”
“嗯，我不同意。手枪是属于我的，我要用它自卫——我得带着它。”
Blore said: “In that case we’re bound to come to one conclusion.”
布洛尔说：“照这样的话我们就不得不下一个结论了。”
Vera said: “You’ve forgotten the nursery rhyme. Don’t you see there’s a clue there?”
维拉说：“你们忘了那首儿歌。你们没看到这里还有一条线索可寻？”
Philip Lombard lit a cigarette. As he puffed smoke, he said: “Don’t be an ass.”
菲利普·隆巴德点着一枝香烟，一边喷着烟，一边说：“别在这儿痴人说梦了。”
Lombard looked at her. “What’s this?”
隆巴德看了看她。“什么意思？”
Lombard sat down again. He said: “You know, you may be right.”
隆巴德重新坐下。他说：“也许你是对的。”
Vera said scornfully: “We all searched for the revolver, didn’t we, and couldn’t find it? But it was somewhere all the time!”
维拉嘲讽地说：“我们不是都寻找过手枪吗？找到了吗？可是它却一直在某个地方！”
Blore said: “Yes, but if so, where is he? We’ve searched the place. Outside and inside.”
布洛尔说：“是的，如果真是这么回事，他又在哪儿？我们搜查过这个地方，里里外外，哪个角落都看到了。”
Blore murmured: “Rather giving himself away, wasn’t it? Actually mentioning a red herring in the verse. He could have written it up a bit different.”
布洛尔唠唠叨叨地说：“确切点儿说，他是把自己藏了起来，对吗？诗上确实提到一条青鱼，他不可能写得再详细些了。”
Lombard murmured: “There’s a slight difference in size, my dear, between a man and a revolver.”
隆巴德嘟囔道：“亲爱的，人和手枪在尺寸上多少有些差别啊。”
Blore said: “Yes, you’re right.” He thought a minute. “At any rate there’s no Zoo on the island. He’ll have a bit of trouble getting over that.”
布洛尔说：“是的，你说得很对！”他想了一会儿，“无论如何，岛上并没有动物园，下次他不会那么顺手了。”
Vera said: “I don’t care — I’m sure I’m right.”
维拉说：“我不去管那些事，我相信我是正确的。”
Vera cried: “But don’t you see, he’s mad? It’s all mad! The whole thing of going by the rhyme is mad! Dressing up the judge, killing Rogers when he was chopping sticks — drugging Mrs. Rogers so that she overslept herself — arranging for a bumblebee when Miss Brent died! It’s like some horrible child playing a game. It’s all got to fit in.”
维拉喊道：“难道你还不明白，他是疯子？这件事是狂人干的，一件件的事都按照诗里描写的发生，这意味着疯狂！把法官装扮起来，在罗杰斯劈柴时杀死他……让罗杰斯太太吃毒药一睡不醒……布伦特小姐死的时候弄来一只大黄蜂！这真像一个可怕的孩子在玩游戏，什么都不能走样。”
They spent the morning on the cliffs, taking it in turns to flash a mirror at the mainland.
他们在峭壁上待了一早晨，轮流用一面镜子向陆地发信号。
There were no signs that any one saw them. No answering signals. The day was fine, with a slight haze. Below, the sea weaved in a gigantic swell. There were no boats out.
没有任何迹象说明有人看到了他们发的信号，更没有人回答。天气好极了，只有一些薄雾。大海波涛汹涌，没有一只船出海。
They had made another abortive search of the island. There was no trace of the missing physician.
他们对小岛又进行了一次搜查，但一无所获。还是没有发现失踪的医生。
Vera cried: “Don’t you see? We’re the Zoo… Last night, we were hardly human any more. We’re the Zoo…”
维拉喊着：“难道你们看不出来？我们就是动物……昨天晚上，我们已经不是人了。我们就是一群动物……”
Lombard said: “Not a bad idea. We’re pretty safe here, no one can get at us without our seeing him a long time beforehand.”
隆巴德说：“主意不坏。我们在这里挺安全。一切都在我们视线之内，没人能偷偷摸摸地接近我们。”
Blore said: “Have to pass the night somewhere. We’ll have to go back to the house then.”
布洛尔说：“怎么也得有个地方过夜，看样子还得回到别墅去。”
Vera said: “We’ll stay here.”
维拉说：“我们三个人都待在这儿吧！”
Vera looked up at the house from where they were standing. She said, her breath coming with a slight catch in it: “One feels safer here, out in the open… Don’t let’s go back into the house again.”
维拉抬头望了望别墅，她说：“我在这里觉得更安全些，到底是在光天化日之下……咱们不要回到房子里去了。”她的声音有些哽咽。
Vera shuddered, “I can’t bear it. I can’t go through another night!”
维拉惊悸了一下。“我不能忍受，说什么我也不能再在那所房子里过夜了。”
Philip said: “You’ll be safe enough — locked in your room.”
菲利普说：“锁上你的门，你会相当安全的。”
Vera murmured: “I suppose so.” She stretched out her hands, murmuring: “It’s lovely — to feel the sun again…”
维拉嘟囔道：“我希望这样。”她张开手臂，喃喃地说：“太可爱了——重见阳光……”
She thought: “How odd… I’m almost happy. And yet I suppose I’m actually in danger… Somehow — now — nothing seems to matter… not in daylight… I feel full of power — I feel that I can’t die…”
她想，“多奇怪……我几乎可以说很快乐。但是我仍然认为我并没有脱离危险境地……怎么搞的——现在——似乎对什么都无所谓了……白天对什么也不在乎了……我觉得充满力量——我不能死……”
Blore was looking at his wrist-watch. He said: “It’s two o’clock. What about lunch?”
布洛尔看了看表，说，“两点了，午饭怎么办？”
Vera said: “If I even see a tinned tongue, I shall be sick! I don’t want any food. People go days on end with nothing sometimes when they’re on a diet.”
维拉说：“我只要一看到罐头口条就恶心。我什么都不想吃。人们节食的时候有时也可以几天不吃东西。”
Blore said: “Well, I need my meals regular. What about you, Mr. Lombard?”
布洛尔说：“好吧，我可得按时吃饭。你呢，隆巴德先生？”
Vera said obstinately: “I’m not going back to the house. I’m going to stay here — in the open.”
维拉顽固地说：“我不打算回屋里去了，我要待在这儿……在露天里。”
“Oh, come now, Miss Claythorne. Got to keep your strength up, you know.”
“哦，来吧，克莱索恩小姐，你要明白，需要吃点东西保持体力。”
Blore hesitated. Vera said: “I shall be quite all right. I don’t think he’ll shoot me as soon as your back is turned if that’s what you’re afraid of.”
布洛尔有些犹豫不决。维拉说：“我不会出什么问题。我不相信他会等你刚一转身就开枪打我，假如你是担心这个的话。”
Philip said: “You know, I don’t relish the idea of tinned tongue particularly. I’ll stay here with Miss Claythorne.”
菲利普说：“你知道，我对罐头食品不特别感兴趣，我和克莱索恩小姐留在这儿。”
Blore said: “It’s all right if you say so. But we agreed we ought not to separate.”
布洛尔说：“这么说就好。但是咱们说好了不要分开。”
“No, you won’t,” said Blore. “You’ll stay here.”
“不，你不用去，”布洛尔说，“你留在这儿吧。”
“Well,” said Philip, “you seem to know all about it.”
“哦，”菲利普说，“你似乎对一切都知道得很清楚！”
Philip said softly: “And therefore, will I lend you my revolver? Answer, no, I will not! Not quite so simple as that, thank you.”
菲利普和蔼地说：“因此，是不是我应该把手枪借给你？回答是：不，我不借！这件事绝不这么简单。谢谢啦。”
Vera said anxiously: “Isn’t it very risky, what he’s doing?”
维拉焦虑地说：“他这么做不太冒险了吗？”
“In a sense you mean — no, I don’t think it is! Armstrong’s not armed, you know, and anyway Blore is twice a match for him in physique and he’s very much on his guard. And anyway it’s a sheer impossibility that Armstrong can be in the house. I know he’s not there.”
“照你心里想的那样，我不同意。阿姆斯特朗没有武器，你知道，无论如何布洛尔在体力上能敌得过两个医生，而且他非常警惕。阿姆斯特朗在房子里藏着是绝对不可能的事。我知道他不在那儿。”
Blore said: “Yes, but that wouldn’t be according to plan. It’s one at a time, and it’s got to be done in a certain way.”
布洛尔说：“不错，可那就不是按照计划办事了。一次只能弄死一个，而且需要按照特定的方式。”
Philip said: “You’re the one who wants to go into the lion’s den. I’ll come with you if you like?”
菲利普说：“你是准备深入虎穴了？需要的话我奉陪。”
Lombard said softly: “Feeding time at the Zoo! The animals are very regular in their habits!”
隆巴德和颜悦色地说：“动物园的喂食时间到了！动物是非常遵守习性的。”
Blore shrugged his shoulders and began to make his way up the steep slope to the house.
布洛尔耸耸肩，开始动身爬上陡壁，朝房子走去。
Philip laughed. “So you’re still afraid of me? Why, I could shoot you both this very minute if I liked.”
菲利普笑起来了。“这么说你仍然对我不放心，是吗？如果我有这个心，在这一分钟里我就能够开枪打死你两次。”
“Of course,” said Blore, “it’s a bit jumpy going up to the house alone –“
“当然，”布洛尔说，“我一个人到屋子里去，多少有些不自在。”
“Oh — do you really think –?”
“噢……你真的认为……”
“But — what other solution is there?”
“那——答案是什么呢？”
Philip said softly: “There’s Blore.”
菲利普轻轻地说：“布洛尔本人。”
“Listen, my girl. You heard Blore’s story. You’ve got to admit that if it’s true, I can’t possibly have had anything to do with Armstrong’s disappearance. His story clears me. But it doesn’t clear him. We’ve only his word for it that he heard footsteps and saw a man going downstairs and out at the front door. The whole thing may be a lie. He may have got rid of Armstrong a couple of hours before that.”
“听着，姑娘，你听到布洛尔是怎么讲的了。按照他的那套话，你必须承认，我同阿姆斯特朗的失踪不可能有任何关系。他的故事把我的嫌疑完全说清了，但是却不能把他自己撇干净。我们只是听他自己说他听见了脚步声，看见了一个黑影走下楼，从前门跑出去。这些话可能都是他编造的。他也许在两小时之前就已经把阿姆斯特朗干掉了。”
“How?”
“怎么干掉的？”
Lombard shrugged his shoulders. “That we don’t know. But if you ask me, we’ve only one danger to fear — and that danger is Blore! What do we know about the man? Less than nothing! All this ex-policeman story may be bunkum! He may be anybody — a mad millionaire — a crazy business man — an escaped inmate of Broadmoor. One thing’s certain. He could have done every one of these crimes.”
隆巴德耸耸肩。“我们怎么会知道，如果你要问我的意见，我们现在只有一个危险，那就是布洛尔本人！我们对他有什么了解吗？一无所知！这位退职的警官老爷的全部故事都是杜撰的，都是无稽之谈！他本人的身份也不明——也许是位神经失常的百万富翁——一个疯癫的生意人——或许是个从布罗德摩尔监狱出来的逃犯。但是有一件事是肯定的，这些死者每一个都可能是他杀的。”
Vera had gone rather white. She said in a slightly breathless voice: “And supposing he gets — us?”
维拉脸色变得苍白，连说话都有些气喘吁吁了。“假如他要对——我们……”
Lombard said softly, patting the revolver in his pocket: “I’m going to take very good care he doesn’t.”
隆巴德拍了拍口袋里的手枪，低声说：“我会盯住他，叫他老老实实的。”
Lombard raised his eyebrows. He said: “Heavenly visitants, eh? No, I don’t believe in the supernatural. This business is human enough.”
隆巴德挑了挑眼眉，说道：“天国的信使，嗯？不，我不相信超自然的事物。这种事完全是人干的。”
Then he looked at her curiously. “Touching faith in me, haven’t you, Vera? Quite sure I wouldn’t shoot you?”
然后他有些好奇地盯住维拉，“你信任不信任我，维拉？你相信我不会对你开枪吗？”
Lombard said slowly: “That’s just nerves.”
隆巴德一字一板地说：“这是咱们神经过敏。”
Vera said: “One has got to trust some one… As a matter of fact I think you’re wrong about Blore. I still think it’s Armstrong.”
维拉说：“一个人必须相信别人……事实上，我觉得你对布洛尔的看法错了。我仍然认为是阿姆斯特朗。”
She shivered. She bent a little closer. “Tell me — you don’t think –” She broke off, went on: “I read a story once — about two judges that came to a small American town — from the Supreme Court. They administered justice — Absolute Justice. Because — they didn’t come from this world at all…”
她打了个寒战，往近凑了凑。“告诉我——你并不这样想——”停了一下，她继续说道，“有一次我看了一个故事——是说两个法官来到了一个美国小镇——他们自称是最高法院来的。他们伸张正义，大公无私。原来是因为——他们并非这个世界的人……”
Vera said in a low voice: “Sometimes — I’m not sure…”
维拉低声说：“有时候……我怀疑……”
Vera said eagerly: “Then you have felt it?”
维拉急切地说：“这么说你也感觉到了？”
She turned to him suddenly. “Don’t you feel — all the time — that there’s some one. Some one watching and waiting?”
她忽然把头转过来，“你不觉得——一直有个人监视着我们，等着机会想下手？”
Lombard looked at her. He said: “That’s conscience…”
隆巴德看着她说：“这是因为你的良心作祟……”
After a moment’s silence he said very quietly: “So you did drown that kid after all?”
沉默了片刻后，他又平静地加了一句：“这么说你确实淹死了那个孩子？”
A sudden feeling of lassitude, of intense weariness, spread over Vera’s limbs. She said in a dull voice: “Yes — there was a man in it…”
维拉忽然感到一阵浑身无力，极度疲劳。她懒懒地说：“是的——牵扯到一个男人……”
“Please yourself. I am.”
“随你便，我去。”
Lombard said softly: “Thanks. That’s what I wanted to know…”
隆巴德轻声说：“谢谢。这正是我想要知道的……”
They walked up the slope to the house. The terrace was peaceful and innocuous-looking in the sunshine.
他们向别墅走去。阳光洒满了露台，给人一种宁静的感觉。
They stared up at the house.
他们往房子那个方向看了看。
Vera sat up suddenly. She exclaimed: “What was that? It wasn’t an earthquake?”
维拉忽然一下子坐了起来，喊道：“怎么回事？是不是地震了？”
Vera said desperately: “All right. I’ll come with you.”
维拉无可奈何地说：“那好吧，我和你去。”
“No, no, I’m not going.”
“不，我不去。”
They hesitated there a minute, then instead of entering by the front door, they made a cautious circuit of the house.
他们踌躇了片刻，没有从前门进去，而是小心翼翼地绕着房子查看。
He laughed easily. “Oh, yes, you did, my good girl! I don’t know why. Can’t imagine. There was a man in it probably. Was that it?”
他很随便地笑了笑。“一点没错，你把那孩子淹死了。我不知道你为什么那么做，也想像不出来。也许其中牵扯到一个男人，是吗？”
Lombard said: “It came from there. We’d better go up and see.”
隆巴德说：“声音是从那边来的。我们最好上去看看。”
Lombard said: “No, no. Queer, though — a thud shook the ground. And I thought — did you hear a sort of cry? I did.”
隆巴德说：“不，不会是。但是有点奇怪，地面是动了动。我本以为——你刚才听到有人喊吗？我听见了一声。”
Vera said vehemently: “I didn’t! I didn’t! You’ve no right to say that!”
维拉气急败坏地说：“我没有！没有！你没权力说这话。”
Philip looked up. He said: “Whose is that window just above?”
菲利普抬头望了望，说道：“正上方的窗户是谁的房间？”
She repeated and her voice shook and quavered: “It was shaped like a bear…”
她带着颤音唠叨着，“雕成一只熊的样子……”
They found Blore. He was spread-eagled on the stone terrace on the east side, his head crushed and mangled by a great block of white marble.
他们找到了布洛尔。他的头被一大块白色大理石砸得血肉模糊，张着两臂匍匐在东边的石阶上。
Philip grasped her shoulder. He said, and his voice was urgent and grim: “This settles it. Armstrong is in hiding somewhere in that house. I’m going to get him.”
菲利普抓住她的肩膀，严峻、急切地说，“真相已经大白了，阿姆斯特朗一定在里面什么地方藏着。我进去抓住他。”
Vera said in a low shuddering voice: “It’s mine — and that’s the clock from my mantelpiece… I remember now. It was — shaped like a bear.”
维拉战战兢兢地回答：“是我的。这个钟也是我房间里壁炉上的……我想起来了。它雕刻成一个——一只熊的样子，”
Vera cried: “At any rate, you do admit now I was right.”
维拉喊着：“无论如何，你该承认我说对了。”
But Vera clung to him. She cried: “Don’t be a fool. It’s us now! We’re next! He wants us to look for him! He’s counting on it!”
维拉拽住他不放，喊着说：“别那么傻，现在就剩我们俩了！也轮到我们俩了。他正等着我们去找他呢！他巴不得我们进去呢！”
Philip stopped. He said thoughtfully: “There’s something in that.”
菲利普停住了。他沉思地说：“有道理。”
He nodded. “Yes — you win! It’s Armstrong all right. But where the devil did he hide himself? We went over the place with a fine-tooth comb.”
他点点头。“是的——你赢了！这是阿姆斯特朗，无疑是他。但是他藏在哪儿了？我们像用蓖子似地把这地方仔细篦过啊。”
Vera said urgently: “If you didn’t find him last night, you won’t find him now… That’s common-sense.”
维拉着急地说：“如果你昨天夜里没能找到他，现在你也不会找到……这是起码的常识。”
Lombard said, half bringing out the revolver from his pocket: “I’ve got this, you know.”
“你知道我有这个。”隆巴德边说边把手枪从兜里抽出了一半来。
Vera said: “There must be…”
维拉说：“肯定有……”
Lombard said: “I’d like to see –“
隆巴德说：“我倒要看看！”
“He could have had one made.”
“他可以让人给修一间。”
Philip Lombard shook his head. He said: “We measured the place — that first morning. I’ll swear there’s no space unaccounted for.”
菲利普·隆巴德摇摇头，说道：“我们丈量过这所房子——就在第二天早上。我保证没有查出面积不合的地方来。”
“He must have prepared a secret place beforehand — naturally — of course it’s just what he would do. You know, like a Priest’s Hole in old manor houses.”
“他肯定事先准备好一个秘密的地方——一点儿没错——这正是他要做的。找一个同那种老式宅邸里的密室一样的地方。”
Lombard said reluctantly: “Yes, but –“
隆巴德有些不情愿地说：“是的，不过……”
“This isn’t an old house of that kind.”
“这并不是那类老式房子。”
Lombard put back the revolver in his pocket. He said: “Come on, then.”
隆巴德把手枪放回口袋里，说：“那好，走吧。”
“You said Blore was all right — that he was more than a match for Armstrong. So he was physically, and he was on the lookout too. But what you don’t seem to realize is that Armstrong is mad! And a madman has all the advantages on his side. He’s twice as cunning as any one sane can be.”
“你刚才还说布洛尔出不了事——阿姆斯特朗绝不是他的对手。他比阿姆斯特朗强壮，而且他的警惕性很高。但是，你似乎没能理解阿姆斯特朗是个疯子！一个疯子永远处于有利地位，他比正常人要狡猾两倍。”
Vera cried: “Yes, you’d like to see! And he knows that! He’s in there — waiting for you.”
维拉喊道：“是的，你想进去看看，他对这点知道得很清楚！他就在里面——等着你进去送死。”
Lombard said at last: “What are we going to do when night comes?”
最后隆巴德问道：“晚上我们怎么办？”
Philip Lombard said quietly: “Yes, that’s true…”
菲利普说：“这倒是实话……”他的语气很平静。
“All right.”
“好吧！”
Vera said with a raucous laugh: “Cold? I should be colder if I were dead!”
维拉哑着嗓子笑了笑说：“冷？如果我死了我还要冷呢。”
Vera said, with a sudden nervous little giggle: “Pity we can’t have a bathe…”
维拉突然神经质地咯咯笑了起来，她说：“可惜，我们不能洗个海水浴……”
Philip Lombard said thoughtfully: “It’s fine weather. There will be a moon. We must find a place — up by the top cliffs perhaps. We can sit there and wait for morning. We mustn’t go to sleep… We must watch the whole time. And if any one comes up towards us, I shall shoot!” He paused: “You’ll be cold, perhaps, in that thin dress?”
菲利普·隆巴德沉思地说：“天气很好。晚上一定有月亮。我们得在悬崖那边找个地方，可以坐一晚上等着天亮。我们绝不能睡觉……要时刻警戒着。万一有人爬上来，我就开枪！”他停顿了一下，接着说：“也许你要冷的，衣服这么薄。”
Vera moved restlessly. She said: “I shall go mad if I sit here any longer. Let’s move about.”
维拉不安地移动着身体。她说：“如果我要照这样继续坐在这儿，我真要疯了。咱们溜溜吧。”
Philip was looking down towards the sea. He said abruptly: “What’s that, there? You see — by that big rock? No — a little further to the right.”
菲利普望着脚下的大海，突然打断她的话头说：“那是什么——那边？你看见了吗？靠近那块大礁石那边。不对，再靠右一点。”
Vera didn’t answer. He went on accusingly: “You haven’t thought of that?” She said helplessly: “What can we do? Oh, my God, I’m frightened…”
维拉这回没吭气。隆巴德没好气地继续说：“你没想过吗？”维拉无望地说：“我们能做什么？噢，上帝，我真害怕……”
They paced slowly up and down, along the line of the rocks overlooking the sea. The sun was dropping towards the west. The light was golden and mellow. It enveloped them in a golden glow.
他们沿着俯瞰着大海的岩石走来走去。太阳快要落到西边地平线下了。金色的光芒绚烂夺目。他们俩完全沐浴在夕阳金色的光辉里。
Vera stared. She said: “It looks like somebody’s clothes!”
维拉盯着他指的地方看。她说：“好像是谁的衣服？”
Vera said: “Let’s go and look.”
维拉说：“我们过去看看。”
“A bather, eh?” Lombard laughed. “Queer. I suppose it’s only seaweed.”
“一个游泳的人，嗯！”隆巴德笑着说，“奇怪，我估计只不过是一堆水草。”
They scrambled over the rocks.
他们踩着几块礁石跳过去。
“It is clothes,” said. Lombard as they drew nearer. “A bundle of them. That’s a boot. Come on, let’s scramble along here.”
“是衣服，”隆巴德在走近一些时说道，“一堆衣服，那里还有一只靴子。快点，从这儿爬过去。”
Lombard and Vera reached it in a last scramble.
隆巴德和维拉最后跳上一块礁石，走近这人身边。
Vera stopped suddenly. She said: “It’s not clothes — it’s a man…”
维拉突然站住了。她说：“不是衣服——是一个人……”
The man was wedged between two rocks, flung there by the tide earlier in the day.
这个人夹在两块岩石中间，是被潮水冲过来的。
Lombard said: “My God! It’s Armstrong…”
隆巴德说：“我的天！是阿姆斯特朗……”
They bent down. A purple discoloured face — a hideous drowned face…
他们弯下身去，一张被水泡得发紫的脸，一个溺水者的狰狞可怖的脸……
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