Blore was easily roped in. He expressed immediate agreement with their arguments.
同布洛尔一说即成，他对他们的计划立刻表示同意。
“What you’ve said about those china figures, sir, makes all the difference. That’s crazy, that is! There’s only one thing. You don’t think this Owen’s idea might be to do the job by proxy, as it were?”
“你们提到的关于小瓷人的那些事，说明问题完全不那么简单，先生们。邪了！就是！就是还有一点：你们是不是认为，到现在为止，从所发生的全部事情来看，这个欧文的做法，就是本人不出面，都由你们自己搞呢？”
“Explain yourself, man.”
“说清楚些，老兄。”
Armstrong shook his head. He stressed the point about the Cyanide. Blore agreed.
阿姆斯特朗摇着脑袋，又着重提到了氰化物的问题。布洛尔对这一点也同意。
“Well, I mean like this. After the racket last night this young Mr. Marston gets the wind up and poisons himself. And Rogers, he gets the wind up too and bumps off his wife! All according to U. N. O.’s plan.”
“听着，我的意思是这样的：昨天晚上一咋呼，那个毛孩子马斯顿先生就受不住，服毒自尽了。那个罗杰斯，也挺不住了，干掉了自己的老婆！全是由着尤·纳·欧文的摆布。”
“Yes, I’d forgotten that. Not a natural thing to be carrying about With you. But how did it get into his drink, sir?”
“说实在的，我把这点给忘了，随身带着它到处转悠，确实罕见。但它又是怎样跑到他的酒里去的呢，先生？”
Lombard said: “I’ve been thinking about that. Marston had several drinks that night. Between the time he had his last one and the time he finished the one before it, there was quite a gap. During that time his glass was lying about on some table or other. I think — though I can’t be sure, it was on the little table near the window. The window was open. Somebody could have slipped a dose of the Cyanide into the glass.”
隆巴德说道：“我一直在琢磨这个问题。昨晚，马斯顿喝了不止一杯。他喝最末了一杯同喝上一杯之间隔着不短时间，而他那只杯子就一直搁在桌上或者什么地方。我想想——不能太肯定，可能是放在靠窗户的那张小桌子上。窗户是开着的。也许有什么人偷偷放了一点氰化物进去。”
Blore shrugged his shoulders.
布洛尔耸了耸肩膀。
Armstrong said slowly: “That’s true. We’d all been attacked. We were walking about, moving about the room. Arguing, indignant, intent on our own business. I think it could have been done…”
阿姆斯特朗慢条斯理地说道：“这不错。我们当时都给吓住了。大家在屋子里团团转，嚷着，可恼火啦！光顾着说自己的事了。我看还是有可能的……”
“Fact is, it must have been done! Now then, gentlemen, let’s make a start. Nobody’s got a revolver, by any chance? I suppose that’s too much to hope for.”
“事情明摆着，一定是这样干的！话就说到这里为止，各位，我们动手吧！有谁碰巧带着枪呐？也许谁也想不到会用得上它吧？”
“You may be wrong there, Blore. Many homicidal lunatics are very quiet, unassuming people. Delightful fellows.”
“这点兴许你错了，布洛尔！杀人狂不一定都是张牙舞爪、大打出手的。他们多数是斯斯文文的随和人物。”
Armstrong coughed.
阿姆斯特朗干咳着。
Lombard said: “Usually. I’ve been in some tight places, you know.”
隆巴德说道：“常带着。我常到那些不尴不尬、不三不四的地方去，这你们都知道。”
Lombard said drily: “We were all — rather concerned elsewhere.”
隆巴德冷冷地说道：“我们都——忙着别的呢。”
Lombard said: “I’ve got one.” He patted his pocket.
隆巴德说道：“我带着一枝。”他拍了拍口袋。
Blore’s eyes opened very wide. He said in an over-casual tone: “Always carry that about with you, sir?”
布洛尔睁大双眼，用装得漫不经心却显然装过了头的声音说道：“老带着这个玩意儿吗，先生？”
“Oh,” said Blore and added: “Well, you’ve probably never been in a tighter place than you are today! If there’s a lunatic hiding on this island, he’s probably got a young arsenal on him — to say nothing of a knife or dagger or two.”
“明白了，”布洛尔接着又说，“可是，也许你还从来没有到过像你今天所到的这种更尴尬得多的地方吧！要是真有这么一个疯子藏在岛上，他完全可能配备有良好的武器——更甭提有两三把刀子匕首之类的了。”
Blore said unbelievingly: “Without our all seeing him, sir?”
布洛尔不太相信地说道：“躲过了我们所有人的眼睛，先生？”
Blore said: “I don’t feel this one is going to be of that kind, Dr. Armstrong.”
布洛尔说道：“我可感觉不出来我们这儿的那位会是这种人，阿姆斯特郎大夫。”
On the rest of the island there were no trees and very little cover. The three men worked carefully and methodically, beating up and down from the highest point to the water’s edge, narrowly scanning the least irregularity in the rock which might point to the entrance to a cave. But there were no caves.
岛上别处，无一树木，几乎暴露无遗。三个人仔仔细细、有条不紊地搜查着，真是把个印地安岛从岛顶到水边上上下下走了个遍了。一寸一寸地探摸，哪怕一丁点儿不寻常的岩石褶子和任何一个可能通向洞窟的旯旮，都不漏过。然而，就是没有洞，也没有窟窿！
They came at last, skirting the water’s edge, to where General Macarthur sat looking out to sea. It was very peaceful here with the lap of the waves breaking over the rocks. The old man sat very upright, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
他们绕着水边走，最后来到了麦克阿瑟将军独坐远眺水天一色的地方。这里，只有层层叠叠的波浪拍打着礁石溅起浪花，宁静极了！老人笔挺地坐着，双眼直愣愣地望着水平线。
It proved unexpectedly simple. On the northwest side, towards the coast, the cliffs f ell sheer to the sea below, their surface unbroken.
结果没想到事情竟这么简单。岛的西北角，也就是冲着大陆沿岸的那一边，直挺挺的悬崖直插海底，崖壁是光溜溜的一片。
He paid no attention to the approach of the searchers. His oblivion of them made one at least faintly uncomfortable.
这帮搜岛的人走过去时，他全然没有注意。这种漠然的态度，至少使三人中的一个人稍微感到有些不安。
The three men started on their tour of the island.
三个人开始在岛上兜起圈子来。
Blore thought to himself: “‘Tisn’t natural — looks as though he’d gone into a trance or something.”
布洛尔心里想：“这不对头——看上去像是中了什么魔似的。”
The General frowned. He cast a quick look over his shoulder. He said: “There is so little time — so little time. I really must insist that no one disturbs me.”
将军皱起眉头，回头掠过一眼，说道：“没多少时间了——太少了。我务请各位别来打扰我。”
Blore said genially: “We won’t disturb you. We’re just making a tour of the island, so to speak. Just wondered, you know, if some one might be hiding on it.”
布洛尔十分亲切和蔼地说道：“我们不打扰你。我们在岛上转一圈，可以这么说吧。就是有点怀疑，也许有人正躲在岛上。”
He cleared his throat and said in a would — be conversational tone: “Nice peaceful spot you’ve found for yourself, sir.”
他清清嗓子，摆出一副准备好好聊上一阵子的架势说：“您真会给自己找个安逸的好地方啊，先生。”
The General frowned and said: “You don’t understand — you don’t understand at all. Please go away.”
将军还是皱着眉头说：“你们不懂啊——你们根本不懂。请走开吧。”
Lombard asked with some curiosity: “What did he say?”
隆巴德有点好奇地问道：“他说什么啦？”
Blore retreated. He said, as he joined the other two: “He’s crazy… It’s no good talking to him.”
布洛尔走开了。他走到另外两人那里说道：“他疯了……同他讲，没用。”
Blore shrugged his shoulders. “Something about there being no time and that he didn’t want to be disturbed.”
布洛尔耸了耸肩膀：“什么时间不多啦，他不愿意别人打扰他啦。”
Dr. Armstrong frowned. He murmured: “I wonder now.”
阿姆斯特朗大夫也皱起眉头来了。他喃喃地说道：“现在，我担心……”
The search of the island was practically completed. The three men stood on the highest point looking over towards the mainland. There were no boats out. The wind was freshening.
搜岛宣告结束了，三个人站在全岛的制高点上俯视着远处的大陆，没有船只出海，海风吹来，新鲜气息越来越浓了。
Lombard said: “No fishing boats out. There’s a storm coming. Damned nuisance you can’t see the village from here. We could signal or do something.”
隆巴德说道：“没有船出海，风暴要来了。伤脑筋的是，这儿望不见村子，没办法发个信号什么的。”
Blore said: “We might light a bonfire tonight.”
布洛尔说道：“今晚上我们弄堆篝火试试。”
Lombard said, frowning: “The devil of it is that that’s all probably been provided for.”
隆巴德皱着眉头说道：“坏就坏在也许这些都是安排好了的。”
“In what way, sir?”
“怎么安排的，先生？”
“How do I know? Practical joke, perhaps. We’re to be marooned here, no attention is to be paid to signals, etc. Possibly the village has been told there’s a wager on. Some damn fool story anyway.”
“我哪里知道？也许会是开个玩笑什么的。把我们放逐到这个岛上，任你发什么信号也不理睬，诸如此类的。譬如，对村子里说，这儿在赌着东道呢。反正，可以胡扯呗。”
Blore said dubiously: “Think they’d swallow that?”
布洛尔半信不信地说道：“你以为村子里的人就信啦？”
Lombard said drily: “It’s easier of belief than the truth! If the village were told that the island was to be isolated until Mr. Unknown Owen had quietly murdered all his guests-do you think they’d believe that?”
隆巴德冷淡地说道：“哼，假的比真的还有人信！要是有人对村里人说，别去理睬这个岛子，让不知何许人的欧文先生悄悄地把他的客人们都干掉了再说——你认为他们会相信吗？”
Philip Lombard, his lips curling back from his teeth, said: “And yet — that’s just it! You’ve said it, doctor!”
菲利普·隆巴德用牙齿咬着嘴唇说道：“而今——就是这个话！大夫，这是你说的！”
Dr. Armstrong said: “There are moments when I can’t believe it myself. And yet –“
阿姆斯特朗大夫说道：“一开始，连我自己也无论如何不信，而今……”
Blore was gazing down into the water. He said: “Nobody could have clambered down here, I suppose?”
布洛尔盯着水面说：“我想，不至于有人爬到水下去吧？”
Lombard said: “If we had a boat, we’d all be halfway to the mainland by now!”
隆巴德说：“如果有船，我们全体已经在返岸的途中了。”
Armstrong shook his head. “I doubt it. It’s pretty sheer. And where could he hide?”
阿姆斯特朗摇摇头。“我看不会。再说这么陡，哪儿藏得住人啊？”
He shot a sideways look at Armstrong. He said: “You’re very silent, doctor. What are you thinking?”
他侧目看了阿姆斯特朗一眼说：“你倒是镇静得很，大夫。在想些什么呢？”
Lombard stared up at the sky. The clouds were beginning to mass themselves together. The wind was increasing.
隆巴德看了看天空，云块正在集结着，风势增强了。
Armstrong said slowly: “I was wondering exactly how mad old Macarthur was…”
阿姆斯特朗慢慢地说道：“我正在想老麦克阿瑟到底疯到什么程度了……”
He started off briskly down to the house.
他径直地朝着屋里跑去。
Blore said: “Might as well be sure. Though it seems absurd — on the face of it! I’ll see if I can get hold of something.”
布洛尔说道：“还是弄清楚的好。虽然，乍一看——看起来似乎挺可笑的。我来找找，看能不能弄到根绳子什么的。”
Lombard said suddenly: “We can make sure of this cliff. There’s only one place where there could be a recess — just a little to the right below here. If you fellows can get hold of a rope, you can let me down to make sure.”
隆巴德突然说道：“我们可以把这座崖壁摸透。这里只有一个地方藏得住人——就在右边靠下面那里。你们哪一位能弄到根绳子，可以把我放下去探个究竟。”
“True enough, sir.”
“说得对，先生。”
Blore said: “There might be a hole in the cliff. If we had a boat now, we could row round the island.”
布洛尔说道：“也许崖壁上有窟窿。现在如果有条船，我们就能绕岛划一圈。”
Vera had been restless all the morning. She had avoided Emily Brent with a kind of shuddering aversion.
整个上午，维拉都心神不宁，她躲着埃米莉·布伦特。布伦特使她害怕，她讨厌布伦特。
Miss Brent herself had taken a chair just round the corner of the house so as to be out of the wind. She sat there knitting.
布伦特小姐呢，端了张椅子坐在房子的犄角里，正好躲开风道。她坐在那里编织着什么。
And Emily Brent, placid and righteous, sat knitting.
埃米莉·布伦特镇静如常，一本正经地坐着织毛衣。
When Vera looked at him, she saw a man standing in the dock — a young man with fair hair and blue eyes and a bewildered, frightened face. Edward Seton. And in imagination she saw the judge’s old hands put the black cap on his head and begin to pronounce sentence…
维拉瞧着他的时候，就好像看到了站在被告席上的那个人——有着蓝眼珠，一头美发，一张困惑而害怕的脸的小伙子，爱德华·塞顿。想像之中，她似乎又看到法官用衰老的双手戴上了法官帽子，开始宣读判决……
Every time Vera thought of her she seemed to see a pale drowned face with seaweed entangled in the hair… A face that had once been pretty- impudently pretty perhaps-and which was now beyond the reach of pity or terror.
只要维拉一想到她，就好像看到一张灰白色淹死人的脸，头发上缠挂着海草……这张脸曾经很好看——好看到可能把什么东西都不放在眼里的程度——如今，这张脸却连怜悯和恐惧都没有了。
On the main terrace, Mr. Justice Wargrave sat huddled in a porter’s chair. His head was poked down well into his neck.
大平台上，沃格雷夫法官先生蜷缩在一张门房用的椅子里，脑袋几乎缩到了脖子里。
After a while Vera strolled slowly down to the sea. She walked along towards the extreme end of the island where an old man sat staring out to the horizon.
隔了一会儿，维拉信步向海边走去，她沿着海边一直走到了岛地尽头。一个老人正坐在那里傻望着天边。
General Macarthur stirred at her approach. His head turned — there was a queer mixture of questioning and apprehension in his look. It startled her. He stared intently at her for a minute or two.
麦克阿瑟将军看见她走近，动了一下。他扭过头来——脸上现出了疑虑、惶惑、奇特而复杂的神情。维拉深深一惊。将军死盯着她看了半晌。
Her fingers worked spasmodically. She felt suddenly afraid of this quiet old soldier. He said musingly: “You see, I loved Leslie. I loved her very much.”
她感到手指头一阵阵地痉挛。突然，对这个文文静静的老军人害怕起来了。他乐滋滋地说道：“我告诉你，我是爱菜斯利的。我爱她，爱极了……”
He said: “Yes. Of course, you’re very young… you haven’t got to that yet. But it does come! The blessed relief when you know that you’ve done with it all — that you haven’t got to carry the burden any longer. You’ll feel that too some day…”
他说道：“是的。当然，你还太年青……你还没接触到这个问题。但是，这个问题就要来了！一个人当发觉自己一切都干完了——从此以后无事一身轻了，也就是谢天谢的解脱了。有一天你也会有这种感觉的……”
Vera said wonderingly: “The relief?”
维拉不解地问道：“解脱？”
“To wait?” said Vera sharply. “What are you waiting for?”
“等待？”维拉立刻说，“您在等待着什么呐？”
Vera sat down beside him. She said: “Do you like sitting here looking out to sea?”
维拉在他身边坐下说道：“您喜欢坐在这儿看海吗？”
“Yes,” he said. “It’s pleasant. It’s a good place, I think, to wait.”
“是的，”他说道，“使人神往啊！我看，这真是一个等待的好地方。”
She said unsteadily: “What do you mean?”
这么一来，她连说话都哆里哆嗦的了：“您这是什么意思？”
She thought to herself: “How queer. It’s almost as though he knew.”
她心里想：“多么古怪。就好像他已经清楚……”
He said: “Ah! it’s you! You’ve come…”
他说道：“啊！原来是你！你是来……”
Vera said hoarsely: “I don’t understand you.”
维拉嘶哑地说道：“我不懂你说的是什么。”
General Macarthur said gravely: “None of us are going to leave the island. That’s the plan. You know it, of course, perfectly. What, perhaps, you can’t understand is the relief!”
麦克阿瑟将军庄严地说道：“我们哪一个人都离不开这个小岛了。这是安排好了的。当然，你完全清楚这一点。也许你还悟不透这就是解脱。”
He nodded his head gently.
他和气地点点头。
He said gently: “The end. But I think you know that, don’t you? It’s true, isn’t it? We’re all waiting for the end.”
他还是和和气气地说：“末日。可是，我以为你不是早已知道了吗？这不是事实吗？我们都在等待着自己的末日。”
Vera said: “You mean –” and paused.
维拉说道：“你是说——”她停住了。
He was silent for a minute or two, then he said: “Yes, I loved Leslie. That’s why I did it.”
他静默了一两分钟，接着又说道：“是的，我爱莱斯利。就是因为这一点，我才这样干的。”
General Macarthur nodded his head gently. “It’s not much good denying it now — not when we’re all going to die. I sent Richmond to his death. I suppose, in a way, it was murder. Curious. Murder- and I’ve always been such a law-abiding man! But it didn’t seem like that at the time. I had no regrets. ‘Serves him damned well right!’ — that’s what I thought. But afterwards –“
麦克阿瑟将军心平气和地点了点头：“现在再抵赖也没用了——再抵赖也得完蛋了。是我把里奇蒙送上死路的。我看，这也算得上是一种谋杀。听来多奇怪。谋杀——而我一直奉公守法。但在当时说什么也和谋杀扯不到一块儿。事后也不后悔。‘这小子，就是活该！’——我就是这么想的。可后来……”
In a hard voice, Vera said: “Well, afterwards?”
维拉的声音变了，她说道：“是啊。后来？”
“Yes, my wife… I loved her — and I was very proud of her. She was so pretty — and so gay.”
“是的，是我的妻子……我爱她——有这样一个妻子，我可得意啦。她，多漂亮——多开朗。”
Vera said questioningly: “Was Leslie your wife?”
维拉问他道：“莱斯利是您的太太吗？”
He shook his head vaguely. He looked puzzled and a little distressed.
他惘然若失地摇着脑袋，看上去既困惑又有点伤感。
“I don’t know. I — don’t know. It was all different, you see. I don’t know if Leslie ever guessed… I don’t think so. But you see, I didn’t know about her any more. She’d gone far away where I couldn’t reach her. And then she died — and I was alone.”
“我不知道。我——不知道。你瞧，什么都变样了。我不知道莱斯利是不是看出来了……我看不至于。但是你知道，从此以后我再也不了解她了。她离我太远了，远得我接近不了她。而后来，她就死了——我也就只剩下自己一个人了……”
Blore said incredulously: “You mean he’s homicidal?”
布洛尔不能相信自己的耳朵了。他说道：“你的意思是说他爱杀人？”
Dr. Armstrong said grimly: “What we’re looking for is a madman. What price Macarthur?”
阿姆斯特朗大夫回答的口气是冷酷无情的：“我们要找的正是一个疯子，麦克阿瑟有可能吗？”
“What about him, Sir?”
“他怎么啦，先生？”
He said: “I know, my child, I know.”
他说道：“我懂，我的孩子，我懂……”
Blore said breathlessly: “Where’s Mr. Lombard?”
布洛尔上气不接下气地说道：“隆巴德到哪里去了？”
He said very gently and softly: “Leslie…”
一面他还在轻声细语地说着：“菜斯利……”
General Macarthur looked out to sea again. He seemed unconscious of her presence behind him.
麦克阿瑟将军又只顾自己去看海了，似乎压根儿不知道她在后面站着。
General Macarthur said: “You’ll be glad, too, when the end comes.”
麦克阿瑟将军说道：“末日来临时，你也会高兴的。”
“I should say we were all worried.”
“我的说法是我们都在担心。”
Vera said: “Alone — alone –” and the echo of her voice came back to her from the rocks.
维拉说道：“一个人了——一个人了——”岩石那边传来了她说话的回音。
Armstrong said carelessly: “Gone to test some theory or other. He’ll be back in a minute. Look here, Blore, I’m worried.”
阿姆斯特朗不在意地回答说：“去证实他的想法或者什么去了，一会儿就回来。听我说，布洛尔，我真担心。”
The doctor waved an impatient hand. “Of course — of course. I don’t mean it that way. I’m thinking of old Macarthur.”
大夫不耐烦地摆摆手：“当然，当然。我不是这个意思，我是在考虑着麦克阿瑟老头的问题。”
“You don’t. You don’t understand at all.”
“你不懂，你什么也不懂。”
Vera got up. She said sharply: “I don’t know what you mean!”
维拉站起来，尖声说道：“我不懂你是什么意思。”
When Blore returned from the house with a rope coiled over his arm, he found Armstrong where he had left him staring down into the depths.
布洛尔胳臂上拎着一圈绳子从屋子里回来时，在原来那个地方，他看见阿姆斯特朗正盯着水面往下瞧呢！
Armstrong said doubtfully: “In what way?”
阿姆斯特朗不相信地说道：“何以见得？”
Armstrong cut in with a slight effort as of a man who pulls himself together.
阿姆斯特朗没让他说下去，极力想使自己重新镇静下来。
“He’s a wrong ‘un!”
“他是个特殊人物。”
Blore said doubtfully: “Ga ga, yes! But I wouldn’t have said…”
布洛尔怀疑地说道：“说他老糊涂了，同意！但我不会说……”
“What?”
“什么？”
Lombard said: “I’ll help myself all I can. Keep a lookout for a sudden strain on the rope.”
隆巴德说道：“我会尽量留神自己的。你们只要注意着绳子是否突然抽紧就行了。”
There was a silence and the ex-Inspector said: “Funny sort of cove altogether. D’you know what I think?”
两个人都不作声了。一会儿，这个前探长说话了：“总之，这位仁兄很不寻常，你懂得我说的意思吗？”
Dr. Armstrong said: “I should think he must have done some mountaineering in his time.”
阿姆斯特朗大夫说道：“我倒认为他先前想必有过点爬山的经验。”
“Maybe.”
“也许吧。”
Armstrong said doubtfully: “I shouldn’t have said so. Not for a minute. But of course I’m not a specialist in mental diseases. I haven’t really had any conversation with him — I haven’t studied him from that point of view.”
阿姆斯特朗怀疑地说道：“我原不该这么说的。眼下不该说。当然，在精神病方面，我不擅长。其实，我也没有好好跟他聊过——没有从这个角度研究过他。”
After a minute or two, while they stood together watching Lombard’s progress, Blore said: “Climbs like a cat, doesn’t he?”
阿姆斯特朗同布洛尔站在那里瞧着隆巴德往下爬，隔了一会儿，布洛尔说道：“爬得挺像一只猫，是不？”
They fastened the rope carefully.
他们小心地把绳子拴牢。
“You’re probably right! Damn it all, there must be some one hiding on the island. Ah! here comes Lombard.”
“也许你是对的。见鬼，一定有什么人藏在这个岛上！啊！隆巴德来了。”
There was something odd in his voice.
他的口气里另有一种味道儿。
Armstrong stared. “Me? Good Lord, no. Why should i bring a gun?”
阿姆斯特朗傻瞪着眼说：“我？上帝知道，没有！我干吗要带枪？”
Dr. Armstrong said: “I suppose he’s led an adventurous life.”
阿姆斯特朗大夫说道：“我看他是个闯江湖的。”
Blore snorted.
布洛尔鼻子里哼了声。
Blore grunted. Then he said: “I don’t know — exactly. But I wouldn’t trust him a yard.”
布洛尔叨咕了几句。随后说道：“我不清楚——具体的。可我是一丁点儿都不会信任他的。”
Blore said: “I bet some of his adventures have had to be kept pretty dark.” He paused and then went on: “Did you happen to bring a revolver along with you, doctor?”
布洛尔说道：“要说闯江湖的话，我敢打赌，他干过一些见不得人的勾当。”他停了停，又继续说下去，“你是不是正好带着把枪啊，大夫？”
Blore said: “Why did Mr. Lombard?”
布洛尔说道：“隆巴德干吗要带枪？”
A sudden pull came on the rope. For some moments they had their hands full. Presently, when the strain relaxed, Blore said: “There are habits and habits! Mr. Lombard takes a revolver to out-of-the- way places, right enough, and a primus and a sleeping-bag and a supply of bug powder, no doubt! But habit wouldn’t make him bring the whole outfit down here? It’s only in books people carry revolvers around as a matter of course.”
绳子忽然拉紧了。有这么一阵子，他们双手使劲攥着。后来，绳子又松了，布洛尔说道：“总说习惯啊，习惯的！要是隆巴德先生光临穷乡僻壤，带把枪，那蛮对劲；带个汽油炉子，睡袋和一些臭虫粉之类的，也无可非议。但是今天到这儿来也带上这一整套行装，就是‘习惯’两字也解释不通吧。只有在小说里，才会把带着手枪到处跑，说成是理所当然的呐。”
Dr. Armstrong shook his head perplexedly.
阿姆斯特朗大夫迷惘不解地摇摇头。
Armstrong said doubtfully: “I suppose — habit.”
阿姆斯特朗疑心地说道：“我想——习惯吧。”
They leaned over and watched Lombard’s progress. His search was thorough and they could see at once that it was futile. Presently he came up over the edge of the cliff. He wiped the perspiration from his forehead.
他们靠在一起，注意着隆巴德的动作。他搜索得很彻底。很快他们就看出来了，那全是白费劲。眼下，隆巴德已经往上爬到了崖壁尽头。他抹着前额把汗水擦掉。
“Well,” he said. “We’re up against it. It’s the house or nowhere.”
“好吧，”他说道，“我们没办法了。前面就是房子了，无处可走了。”
The house was easily searched. They went through the few outbuildings first and then turned their attention to the building itself. Mrs. Rogers’ yard measure discovered in the kitchen dresser assisted them. But there were no hidden spaces left unaccounted for. Everything was plain and straightforward, a modern structure devoid of concealments. They went through the ground floor first. As they mounted to the bedroom floor, they saw through the landing window Rogers carrying out a tray of cocktails to the terrace.
那所房子很容易地就搜完了。他们先搜外圈几幢楼房，然后再集中精力搜主楼。从厨房食柜里翻出来的罗杰斯太太的卷尺，帮了他们的大忙。没有什么犄角旯旮没有搜到的。新式建筑不存在什么隔墙暗楼，哪儿都是宽阔而敞开的。他们从楼下搜起，搜到楼上卧房那一层。上楼时，从窗户里看见罗杰斯正托着一盘鸡尾酒向平台走去。
They turned in to the first bedroom.
他们走进了第一间卧室。
Philip Lombard said lightly: “Wonderful animal, the good servant. Carries on with an impassive countenance.”
菲利普·隆巴德低声说：“出奇的牲口，了不起的佣人。竟然能够不动声色，照常办事。”
Blore said: “His wife was a pretty good cook, too. That dinner — last night –“
布洛尔说道：“他老婆也是个相当出色的厨师。那顿晚饭——昨天晚上……”
Armstrong said appreciatively: “Rogers is a first-class butler, I’ll say that for him!”
阿姆斯特朗则颇为赞赏地说：“罗杰斯确实是第一流的管家。我得实话实说！”
Five minutes later they faced each other on the landing. No one hiding — no possible hiding-place.
五分钟以后，他们又回到了楼道口。没人藏着——也没有可以藏人的地方。
Blore said: “There’s a little stair here.”
布洛尔说道：“这里有座小楼梯。”
He flung open the door and rushed in, the other two close behind him.
他一下子把门推开，猛地冲了进去，另外两个人紧跟在后面。
Rogers was in the room, his hands full of garments.
罗杰斯在房间里，两手抱满了衣服。
Then all three stopped dead.
然后，三个人全都呆在那儿了。
Armstrong whispered: “He’s actually in the bedroom itself. The room where Mrs. Rogers’ body is.”
阿姆斯特朗咬着耳朵说道：“其实，这个人是在卧室里，在那边罗杰斯太太停尸的房间里。”
Blore said: “There must be a place under the roof — for cisterns, water tank, etc. It’s the best chance — and the only one!”
布洛尔说道：“屋子顶棚底下一定有个地方——什么水槽、水池子等等，都在那里。那是可能性最大的地方——也只有这个地方了！”
They all heard it. Armstrong grasped Blore’s arm. Lombard held up an admonitory finger. “Quiet — listen.”
们三人全都听见了。阿姆斯特朗一把抓住布洛尔的胳臂，隆巴德伸出一个指头让他们两人别出声：“静——听。”
On the little landing outside the door of the bedroom they paused again.
在那间卧室门外的小楼道口，他们又停住了。
Dr. Armstrong said: “It leads up to the servants’ room.”
阿姆斯特朗大夫说道：“那是通底下人房间的。”
Blore whispered back: “Of course! Best hiding-place he could have chosen! Nobody likely to go there. Now then — quiet as you can.”
布洛尔也咬着耳朵回答说：“就是！真有他的，最好不过的藏身之处了！谁也不会到那儿去。现在——尽量别出声。”
Yes, some one was in the room. There was a faint creak from within.
确实，是有人在房间里。就是有轻微的吱吱嘎嘎的声音从里面传出来。
Blore whispered: “Now.”
布洛尔轻声命令道：“动手。”
And it was then, as they stood there, that they heard the sound from above. A soft furtive footfall overhead.
就在他们正站在那里的时候，他们听见头顶上有声音，一种轻轻的、偷偷摸摸的脚步踩在头顶上的声音！
It came again — some one moving softly, furtively, overhead.
又有了——有人在轻轻地、鬼鬼祟祟地挪动着，就在头顶上。
They crept stealthily upstairs.
他们悄悄地偷偷往上爬。
Rogers said: “I’m sorry, gentlemen. I was just moving my things. I take it there will be no objection if I take one of the vacant guest chambers on the floor below? The smallest room.”
罗杰斯说道：“请原谅，先生们。我刚刚在搬我自己的东西。我自作主张地想在楼下的空客房里挑一间住，最小的一间，我想你们不会不同意吧？”
Blore was wrestling with the bolts of a low manhole.
布洛尔使劲扳着墙脚边管道入口阀门上的插栓。
He went out of the room with his arm full of belongings and went down the stairs to the floor below.
他走出了房间，双手抱满了衣物，顺着楼梯到楼下去了。
Armstrong moved over to the bed and, lifting the sheet, looked down on the peaceful face of the dead woman. There was no fear there now. Just emptiness.
阿姆斯特朗走到床边，揭开床单，俯视着那个死女人的平静的脸。这张脸上，不再有恐惧了，有的只是空虚和茫然。
He avoided looking at the sheeted figure lying on the bed.
他避开不去看床上盖着床单的尸体。
Blore recovered himself first. He said: “Sorry — er — Rogers. Heard some one moving about in here, and thought — well –“
布洛尔首先恢复了常态。他说道：“对不起——呃——罗杰斯。听到这里有人在走动，以为——这个，这个……”
Armstrong said: “Wish I’d got my stuff here. I’d like to know what drug it was.”
阿姆斯特朗说道：“如果我的那套家伙在身边就好了，我真想弄清楚她吃下去的是什么东西。”
He stopped.
他顿住了。
Then he turned to the other two. “Let’s get finished. I feel it in my bones we’re not going to find anything.”
然后，他转过来向另外的两个人说道：“我们结束吧。我死心了，不会找到任何东西的。”
Rogers said: “Thank you, sir.”
罗杰斯说道：“谢谢，先生。”
It was to Armstrong that he spoke, and Armstrong replied: “Of course. Of course. Get on with it.”
他是朝着阿姆斯特朗说的，阿姆斯特朗回答说：“当然，当然。搬吧，搬吧。”
He said: “That chap moves damned quietly. A minute or two ago we saw him in the garden. None of us heard him come upstairs.”
他说道：“罗杰斯这家伙的动作真是神不知鬼不觉的，刚才我们还看见他在花园里。我们谁也没听见他上楼啊！”
Blore disappeared into a cavernous darkness. Lombard pulled a torch from his pocket and followed.
布洛尔钻到敞开了入口的黑洞里去了，隆巴德从口袋里掏出一枝手电筒跟了进去。
There was no one on the island but their eight selves.
除了他们自己八位之外，全岛别无他人！
Lombard said: “I suppose that’s why we assumed it must be a stranger moving about up here.”
隆巴德说道：“我看正因为这样，我们才以为这里肯定有什么生人在走动呢。”
Five minutes later three men stood on an upper landing and looked at each other. They were dirty and festooned with cobwebs and their faces were grim.
五分钟之后，三个人站在最高一层地楼道口，面面相觑。他们脏得很，挂满了蜘蛛网，脸上难看极了。
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