Chapter 21 Chapter 21

Maxim walked into the small room and closed the door behind him.Soon afterward Robert came in to clear away the tea things.I stood up, deliberately turned my back to him, lest he see my face.I don't know when the people on the farm, the servants in the house, and the people of Chris City will hear about it; Maxim's voice came faintly from the small room over there.I waited and waited, only feeling uncomfortable in my heart.The phone ringing just now seemed to wake up every nerve in my body.At first I sat on the floor next to Maxim, clutching his hand, my cheek against his shoulder, almost in a dream; I listened to his account of what had happened, and as I listened, the figure seemed to be split in half, half Be a shadow, follow him, take part in it all; Kill Rebecca, shipwreck in the bay, I've got a share; I'll listen to the wind howl out there with him, and wait for Mrs. Danvers to come knock on the door.

But my other half sat on the rug, motionless, lost in thought, thinking about one thing and only caring about one thing, repeating one thing over and over: He doesn't love Rebecca.He did not love Rebecca.But as soon as the phone rang, the two halves joined together again, as usual.But, after all, something had appeared in me that hadn't been there before: my heart was free and very light, despite my fears and worries.I realized that I was no longer afraid of Rebecca, and I no longer hated her.Once I realized that this woman had such a vicious heart and such an evil character, I no longer hated her.She can't hurt me.I can walk into the morning room without caring, sit down at her desk, use her pen, and look at her handwriting on the pigeonhole file rack; I can go to her west wing with peace of mind, like this morning In that way, stand at the window.Rebecca's magic, like a thin mist, suddenly vanished into nothingness.From now on, she can no longer haunt me; on the stairs, in the dining room, there will no longer be ghosts haunting me; in me.Maxim never loved her, and I don't hate her any more.True, her body had turned up, and her quaintly portentously named schooner, I Return, had been found, but I got rid of her once and for all.

I am now free to live with Maxim, to touch him, to hug him, to love him.I will no longer be a child, not always "I" "I" "I" and so on, but "we" so and so. We are an inseparable pair, and we will stand up to this trouble together—he and I, Captain Sale, the diver, Frank, Mrs. Danvers, Beatrice, and There were the men and women who read the newspapers in Christown, and none of them could separate us now.It is never too late to live our happy life.I'm no longer a chick; I'm no longer shy and frightened.I will fight for Maxim, lie, perjury, swear for him, curse profanity for him, pray for him.Rebecca was not victorious.Rebecca failed.

After Robert removed the tea set, Maxim returned to the library. "It's Colonel Julian," he told me. "He just talked to Searle. Tomorrow this man will go to sea with us to salvage the wreck. Searle told me all about it." "Why bring Colonel Julian into this? Why?" I asked. "He's Chris's chief executive, so he had to be there." "What did he say?" "He asked me if I knew whose body it might be?" "what do you say?" "I said I didn't know, and I said we all thought Rebecca had gone to sea alone. And I said I couldn't think of any friend who might have been with her."

"Did he say anything after hearing that?" "said." "Say what?" "He asked me if I had considered the possibility that I had identified the wrong person when I went to Edgecombe to identify the body." "He actually said that? Has he considered this?" "yes." "Then how do you answer?" "I say it's possible. I'm not sure." "So, he's going with you tomorrow to inspect the wreck? He, Captain Sale, and a doctor." "And Sheriff Welch." "Sheriff Welch?" "good."

"Why? Why the sheriff?" "It's customary. When a body is found, the sheriff is always there." I will say no more.He and I stared at each other intently.Once again I felt a dull pain in the pit of my heart. "Maybe they can't lift the wreck," I said. "Maybe," he said. "Then they can't investigate that body, can they?" I asked. "I don't know," he said. He looks out the window.The sky was white and cloudy, exactly as it had been when I was walking home from the cliff.The wind had died down, however, and everything was very still, and the air was motionless.

"Almost an hour ago I thought there might be a southwesterly wind and then it stopped," he said. "Oh," I said. "It will be calm tomorrow when the divers go into the water," he said. In the small room, the phone rang again.That piercing, hurried voice was a bit frightening indeed.Maxim exchanged a look with me, then went into the small room to listen to the phone.Just like the previous time, he closed the door behind him as soon as he entered the room.The strange heart-wrenching pain hadn't gone away, but when the phone rang, the pain became even worse.The feeling at this time reminded me of my long-ago childhood.Back then, when I was a child, I always felt this pain every time I heard firecrackers coming from the streets of London.For no apparent reason I'd slip under the cupboard under the stairs and sit there shaking with terror.The pain felt there then was exactly the same as it is now.

Maxim went back to the library. "The show's on," he said slowly. "What are you referring to? What happened?" I asked, my whole body turned cold. "It's a reporter calling," he said. "Reporter from the County Register. He asked if it was true that the late Mrs. de Winter's boat had been found." "what do you say?" "I said, yes, a boat has been spotted. But that's all we know so far. Maybe it wasn't her boat at all." "Did he say nothing else?" "Also. He asked me if I could confirm the rumors that a body was found in the cabin."

"real!" "It's true. Someone must have leaked it. Searle won't leak it, I'm sure. It might be a diver, or a friend of a diver. You can't keep those people shut. News before breakfast tomorrow." It will spread throughout Chris City." "What do you say about the corpse?" "I said I didn't know. No comment. I'd be very grateful if he stopped calling me to trouble me." "You'll piss off these people and make them all stand up against you." "I can't help it. I never make a statement to the papers. I don't want these guys calling endlessly asking this and that."

"We may need the support of these people," I said. "If there's a real fight, I'd rather go it alone," he said. "I don't count on newspaper support." "Journalists will call someone else," I said. "Look at Colonel Julian or Captain Sale." "The guy won't get much out of them," said Maxim. "If only we could figure out something," I said. "There's a lot of time left! And we're just sitting here with nothing to do until tomorrow morning." "I can't help it," said Maxim.We were still sitting in the library.Maxim picked up a book, but I knew he hadn't read a word of it.From time to time, I saw him raise his head and listen, as if he heard the phone ringing again.Luckily, no one bothered to call us anymore.We changed our clothes for dinner as usual.It's unbelievable to think that at this time last night I was wearing white goggles and sitting in front of the dressing table combing my curly wig in front of the mirror!All this is more like a long-forgotten nightmare, recalled only after a few months, even I can't believe it.

Frith waited on him at dinner.He had gone out in the afternoon and had returned by this time.Frith's face was solemn and expressionless.I don't know if he went to Chris, if he heard anything. After dinner, we went back to the library.The two didn't talk much.I sat on the floor at Maxim's feet, with my head on his lap.He ran his fingers through my hair in a far different way from the absent-minded way he used to be than petting Jasper the spaniel.I feel his fingertips moving over my scalp.Sometimes I kiss me and sometimes talk to me.There is no longer anyone's shadow between us.Sometimes two people do not speak, it is because both want to be silent for a while.I don't understand how I can be so content when the world around me is in danger.There was something unusual about this feeling of contentment, not the kind of happiness I dreamed of and looked forward to, or the kind of happy life I imagined when I was alone.There is neither fanaticism nor fleeting threat to this contented state of mind.It is a silent, quiet bliss. The library window was wide open.Whenever we didn't talk or touch each other, we turned our faces away and looked at the dark night sky outside the window. I awoke just after seven o'clock the next morning. I leaned out of the window and saw the roses in the garden downstairs all curled up and hanging their heads, and the grass slope leading to the woods was wet and covered with silvery white flowers. Water drops, which means that it must have rained at night.There is a slight damp smell of mist in the air, the unique smell of early autumn.I don't know if autumn will come to the world two months in advance. Maxim got up at five o'clock and he didn't wake me up.He must have tiptoed out of his bed, walked through the bathroom, and walked quietly into the dressing room.At this time, he should be busy in the bay with Colonel Julian and Captain Sale and the barge crew.Barges will be brought to the scene, with cranes and salvage chains; Rebecca's boat will be hoisted slowly to the surface.I looked indifferent, thinking about this scene calmly, as if I saw all these people in the bay over there, the narrow dark keel of the sailboat was slowly rising to the surface, the keel was soaked, tick-tock The water was flowing down, and the sides of the boat were covered with grass-like green algae and shells.The sailboat was loaded onto the barge, and the water trickled down the sides of the ship, forming rapids and re-entering the sea.The boat's wood must have looked limp and blackened, pulpy in several places.The boat smelled of mud and rust, and of the black weeds that grow near untouched underwater rocks in the deep waters.Perhaps, there is still a ship's name plate hanging at the stern: "I'm home", the words on the plate are all green and faded.The nails are completely rusted.And Rebecca herself lay there on the floor of the cabin. I got up, took a shower, got dressed, and went downstairs for breakfast at nine o'clock as usual.On the tray was a pile of letters from people expressing appreciation and thanks for the ball that day.I skimmed through the letters, but did not read them one by one.Frith asked if he wanted to keep breakfast hot on the stove until Maxim came back.I said I didn't know when he would come back; I also said that he had something to go out early in the morning.Frith didn't say a word, his expression was very solemn and serious.I wondered again in my heart: did he know everything.After breakfast I took all the letters and went to the morning room.There was a musty smell in the room, and the windows were still closed.I pushed the window open to let the cool, fresh air into the room.The flowers on the mantelpiece were all drooping, many dead, and their petals scattered on the floor.I rang the bell, and it was Maud, Servant of the Housemaid, who was summoned into the house. "The room wasn't cleaned this morning," I said. "Even the windows are closed. The flowers are dying, please take them away." "I'm so sorry, ma'am," said the handmaid tremblingly, with a guilty look on her face. She went to the fireplace and picked up the vase. "It can't be like that next time," I said. "Got it, ma'am," she said.She walked out of the room with the flowers in her arms.I never imagined that it would be so effortless to put on a dignified posture to my servants; I don't understand why it was always so difficult for me to be a master before.Today's menu is spread out on the desk: cold salmon with mayonnaise, carnitas, chicken wraps, soufflé.I recognized all these dishes as the cold meal on the night of the ball; evidently, the whole family is still eating the leftovers of that day, the cold meal that was set up in the dining room at noon yesterday, which I did not touch. Also these things.It seems that the servants are being lazy these days. I crossed off items on the menu with a pencil and rang the bell for Robert. "Go and tell Mrs. Danvers to get some hot food," I said. "If you have too much cold food and can't eat it, don't take it to the restaurant to refill it." "Yes, ma'am," he said. I followed him out of the morning room, into the little garden to get my scissors, and then to the rose garden to snip some buds. The coolness in the air has disappeared, and the day will become as sultry as yesterday.I don't know if they are still busy in the bay, or have they returned to the creek in Port Chris?I'll hear the news right away, and Maxim will come home and tell me all about it.No matter what happens, I must remain calm and calm, and must not panic.I trimmed the roses neatly and went back to the morning room with the flowers in my arms.The carpet had been dusted, and the fallen petals had been swept away.I started by arranging the roses in Robert's watered vase.Just as I was about to prepare everything, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," I said. It was Mrs. Danvers.Holding the menu in one hand, she was pale and tired, with swollen eye circles. "Good morning, Mrs. Danvers," I said. "I don't understand," she began to complain, "why did you send the menu back through Robert and have him send me a message. Why did you do that?" I held a rose in my hand and watched her from across the room. "Those carnitas and salmon were served yesterday," I said. "I saw these two dishes on the sideboard. Today I want a hot meal. If the servants in the kitchen don't want to eat cold food, you can throw these things away. Anyway, our family eats them every day." A lot of food is wasted, and it's not a big deal to throw it away." She stared at me with wide eyes, but said nothing.I also put a rose in my hand into the vase. "I don't believe you can't manage to get us a meal, Mrs. Danvers," I said. "You must have all kinds of recipes hidden in your room." "I'm not used to my master sending me messages through Robert's mouth," she said. "When Mrs. de Winter was alive, if she wanted to eat something else, she would make an internal call and explain to me." "What Mrs. de Winter was accustomed to do in those days probably didn't concern me very much," I said. "You should understand that I am Mrs. de Winter at present. If I would rather have Robert's message, I will do my own thing." Just then Robert came into the room. "The County Register called, ma'am," he said. "Tell them I'm not home," I ordered. "Yes, ma'am," he said, and went out of the house. "Well, Mrs. Danvers, what's the matter?" I said. She kept staring at me, but still didn't speak. "If there's nothing else, you can go. Go and tell the cook to serve hot lunch," I said. "I'm busy right now." "Why did the County Register call you?" she asked. "How do I know, Mrs. Danvers," I said. "Last night, Frith sent back news from Chris that Mrs. de Winter's boat was found. Is this true?" she asked word by word. "There are such rumors?" I said. "I haven't heard of it at all." "Chris' harbor master, Captain Sale, was here yesterday, wasn't he?" she asked again. "Robert told me he was the one who led the harbor master into the house. Frith says word got in Chris that the diver who went down to inspect the stranded steamer found Mrs. de Winter's wreck." "Maybe," I said. "You'd better wait for Mr. de Winter to come back and ask him himself." "Why does Mr. de Winter get up so early in the morning?" she asked. "That's Mr. de Winter's own business," I answered. She was still staring at me. "Fris also said there was a rumor that there was a body in the cabin of the boat," she said. "Why are there dead bodies in the cabin? Mrs. de Winter always goes to sea alone." "You can't ask me why, Mrs. Danvers," I said. "I know no more than you do." "Really?" she said slowly, still looking at me intently.I turned away and put the vase back on the table by the window. "I'll go and order Zhang Luo for lunch," she said, still lingering.I ignored her, so she had to go out of the house. I don't think she scares me anymore.Her magic had died with Rebecca.Now, I don't care about her words and actions, and I will never be hurt by them again.I understand that she is my enemy.But what does it matter?But what if she were to learn the truth about the dead body in the cabin, and thus become Maxim's enemy too?I sat down in a chair and put the scissors on the table.I don't want to prune rosettes anymore.What the hell is Maxim doing? Why was the County Register reporter calling again?The nausea I used to feel came back. I had to run to the window and leaned over to look out.It was hot enough.Thunder bursts in the air.The gardeners were mowing again, and I saw one of them pushing the mower up and down the top of the slope.I can't sit in the morning room anymore!I still put down the scissors and roses, walked out of the house, came to the terrace, and started pacing.Jesper slapped and slapped me around, wondering why I didn't take him for a walk.I paced back and forth on the platform.About half past eleven Frith came out of the house to look for me. "Mr. de Winter please listen to the phone, ma'am," he said. I went through the library and into the little room at the far end.My hands trembled as I picked up the receiver. "Is that you?" I heard him say. "I'm Maxim. I'm calling you from the office. I'm with Frank." "What's the matter?" I asked. He paused before answering: "I'll be home at one o'clock for lunch with Frank and Colonel Julian." "OK," I said. I waited for him to go on. "They managed to get the boat up," he said. "I've just come back from the creek." "Oh," I said. "There was Sale, Colonel Julian and Frank. There were some others," he said.I don't know if Frank was standing next to him when he called, maybe it was Frank's presence that made his tone so calm, so distant and unfamiliar. "That's it," he said. "Wait for us. Be there around one o'clock." I put the receiver back in place.He didn't say anything, and I'm still in the dark about what just happened.I made it clear to Frith that there were not two but four people eating lunch, and then walked back to the platform. An hour dragged on slowly, seemingly endlessly.I went upstairs and changed into a thinner coat, then came downstairs and sat in the living room waiting for them to come back.At five minutes to one I heard the sound of a car in the drive, and then I heard voices in the hall.I quickly brushed my hair in front of the mirror.I was so terribly pale that I had to pinch my cheeks to get a little color, and then I stood up and waited for them to come into the room.Maxim entered first, then Frank, and finally Colonel Julian.I've seen this man before, and I remember that he was disguised as Cromwell at the ball that night, and after taking off the disguise, this man was much thinner, shorter and smaller, and completely changed. ① Cromwell (1599-1658), the regent of the British bourgeois revolutionary republic. "Good day," he said, in a flat, serious tone, like a doctor's. "Call Frith for the sherry," said Maxim. "I'm going to wash up." "I want a wash too," Frank said.Before I could ring the bell, Frith brought in the sherry.Colonel Julien did not take a sip of his wine; I took several to embolden myself, and the colonel went to the window and stood beside me. "It's a distressing thing indeed, Mrs. de Winter," he said softly. "I feel deeply for you and for your husband." "Thanks for that," I said, sipping the sherry again.Then, I hurriedly put the wine glass on the table, lest he see how badly my hands were shaking. "The trouble is because your husband went to claim that other female body a year ago," he said. "I don't quite understand what you mean," I said. "So you haven't heard the results of our inspection this morning?" he asked. "I only know of one body, which was found by divers," I said. "Not bad," he said.Then, he glanced back slightly in the direction of the hall, and continued, "I think it must be her body," he continued in a low voice, "I can't tell you the details, but the evidence is solid, your husband and Fei Even Doctor Lipu recognized her." He stopped talking suddenly and walked away from me.It turned out that Mike Youmu and Frank had returned to the hall again. "Lunch is ready, let's eat in the dining room," said Maxim. I took the lead and walked into the dining room, my heart was as heavy as a big stone, and I didn't feel anything.Colonel Julian sat on my right, Frank on my left.I dared not look at Maxim.Frith and Robert began serving the first course. Everyone is talking about the weather. "I read in the Times that it was well over eighty degrees in London yesterday," said Colonel Julian. "Really?" I said. "Really. It must be enough for those who can't leave London." "Yes, enough," I said. "Paris is sometimes hotter than London," said Frank. "I remember one year in mid-August, I spent the weekend in Paris. It was so hot that I couldn't sleep. There was no wind in the whole city, and the temperature was well over ninety degrees." "And those Frenchmen like to sleep with their windows closed, don't they?" asked Colonel Julian. "I don't know that," Frank said. "I live in hotels and most of the travelers are Americans." "Naturally you know Francois very well, Mrs. de Winter?" said Colonel Julian. "Not sure," I said. "Oh! I thought you had lived in France for years." "No," I said. "I met her in Monte Carlo," Maxim said. "You can't say that's the same as France, can you?" "No, I don't think so," said Colonel Julian. "Monte Carlo is a cosmopolitan city, but the coast around there is beautiful, isn't it?" "It's really beautiful," I said. "It's not as rocky as the coast here, is it? But I have my hobbies. When it comes to the best place to settle down, I always pick England. Here you don't get lost in your head and don't know where you are." .” “I dare say the French have the same affection for their country,” Maxime said. "Oh, that's true," said Colonel Julian. We buried our heads in the food and didn't speak for a while.Frith stood behind me.In fact, one thing was on everyone's mind at this time, but because of Frith's presence, they had to continue to pretend to be acting.I knew Frith was thinking about it too. Let's hear what he has to say if we drop the etiquette and let him join our conversation.Wouldn't it be much simpler?Robert came into the dining room with the wine, changed the plates for us, and served the second course.After all, Mrs. Danvers did not forget my order, and at last made a hot dish for me.I scooped something from a warming pan covered in mushroom juice. "It seems to me that all the guests came away to the feast that night," said Colonel Julian. "I'm honored," I said. "Such activities can really benefit the local area," he said. "Yeah, I thought so too," I said. "Isn't the desire to disguise, to pretend to be someone else, a part of human nature?" Frank asked. "So I probably lack the common human nature," Maxim said. "It seems to me quite human," said Colonel Julian. "I mean everybody wants to be something else. We're all still kids in a sense." I don't know how much fun he had playing Cromwell.I didn't see much of the man at the ball, he spent most of that evening playing bridge in the morning room. "Don't you play golf, Mrs. de Winter?" asked Colonel Julian. "No, I'm afraid I won't play well," I said. "You should practice," he said. "My older daughter is a big fan, but she couldn't find any young ball mates. I gave her a car for her birthday. Now she drives to the North Coast almost every day to pass the time." "It's so interesting," I said. "She should cast a boy," he said. "My boy is completely different from this daughter. He can't do any kind of sports, but just concentrates on writing poetry. I hope he doesn't grow up like this." "Oh, yes," said Frank. "When I was your son's age, I also wrote a lot of poetry. It was all kind of sick stuff. I don't do that kind of nonsense now." "For God's sake, I hope you stop writing poetry," said Maxim. "I don't know from whom my son received the inheritance of writing poetry," said Colonel Julian. "Certainly not from his mother or from me." Then there was another chill.For the second time, Colonel Zhu De'an scooped some hot food from the hot pot. "Mrs. Lacey looked fine that night," he said. "Yes," I said. "Her ball gowns are always too baggy, and this time was no exception," Maxim said. "It must be trouble enough to dress an Oriental woman," said Colonel Julian. "But you know they say it's more comfortable to wear than anything an English lady can wear, and besides, it's much cooler!" "Really?" I asked. "Yeah, that's what everyone says. Probably those wide, loose folds to keep out the hot sun." "That's odd," Frank said. "It's commonly thought that wrinkles do the exact opposite." "No, that doesn't seem to be the case," said Colonel Julian. "Are you familiar with the East, Colonel?" Frank asked. "I know the Far East well," said Colonel Julian. "I spent five years in China and then went to Singapore." "Is it where the curry powder is made?" I asked. "Not bad. Singaporeans serve us good curry." "I love curry," Frank said. "Ah, but what you get in England isn't curry at all, it's a mess of grass roots," said Colonel Julian. The dishes were removed, and a soufflé and a fruit salad were served. "I suppose the raspberry season is almost over on your estate," said Colonel Julian. "Maybe the weather is good for raspberries this summer? We've made several pots of raspberry jam." "Raspberries have never been good to me for jam," said Frank. "Too many cores." "You must try our jam sometime," said Colonel Julian. "I don't think there are many pits in the jam." "We're expecting a good harvest of apples at Manderley this year," Frank said. "I told Maxim the other day that there could be a record apple crop this year. We can ship a lot of apples to London." "You're really making money doing this?" Colonel Julian asked. "I mean, you have to pay workers overtime, and then you have to pay for packing and shipping, so after 30% off, is it worth the money?" "Oh, my God, of course it's worth it," Frank said. "That's interesting. I'll tell my wife," said Colonel Julian. The soufflé and fruit salad were gone in no time.Robert served cheese and biscuits; afterward Frith brought coffee and cigarettes; then they both went out and closed the door.We drank our coffee in silence; I stared intently at the plate in front of me. "I was speaking to your wife before lunch, De Winter," Colonel Julian began again in his old confiding whisper. "The trickiest part of the whole bad luck is that you went to claim the original body." "Yes, exactly," said Maxim. "Given the circumstances at the time, it's no longer natural to misidentify the dead body," Frank said hastily. "The administration wrote to Maxim asking him to go to Edgecombe. Before he arrived, everyone had a preconceived notion that it was her body, and besides, Maxim was Sick. I offered to go with him, but he insisted on going alone. His mental state at the time was really not suitable for dealing with such things. " "Nonsense," said Maxim. "I was fine." "Okay, what's the use of looking through these old imperial calendars today!" Colonel Julian said. "Anyway, you identified the body, so now you have to admit that you were mistaken. This time the body will never be mistaken again." "No," said Maxim. "I wish I could manage to prevent a formal arraignment, and save you from public embarrassment," said Colonel Julian, "but I'm afraid I can't." "I totally understand," Maxim said. "I don't think, however, that the coroner's arraignment will take long to be concluded," said Colonel Julian. "Just ask you to come out and re-examine the body, and get Tab to testify. You said that Tab was responsible for refitting the boat your wife bought from France. You have to make him appear in court to prove that he was sent to his dock last time. At the time of the overhaul, the boat was in good shape and sea-proof. It's all red tape, you know. But it has to be done. No, I'm worried that things are going to blow up, for you and Your wife is really sad and embarrassing enough." "That's all right," Maxim said. "We understand." "It's bad luck that damned ship ran aground there," said Colonel Julian. "If it hadn't been for that ship, the whole thing would have been buried under the sea without a sound." "Yes," said Maxim. "However, there is one consolation, that is, we now realize that Mrs. de Winter's tragic death must have happened suddenly and all at once, instead of being dragged on for a long time, as everyone has always imagined, caused her to suffer terribly. This death ruled out any possibility of survival by paddling." "That's certainly ruled out," Maxim said. "She must have been carrying something in the cabin below, and the door was jammed. Just then there was a gale, and the ship was unmanned, and a dreadful disaster ensued," said Colonel Julian. "That's right," said Maxim. "That's the only possible explanation, doesn't it, Crowley?" said Colonel Julian, turning to Frank. "Oh, that must be the case," said Frank. I looked up just in time to see Frank's eyes rest on Maxim.Although he looked away immediately, I had caught a glimpse of his eyes and understood the meaning.Frank knew the details.But Maxim was in the dark about it.I kept stirring the coffee in the cup, my palms were hot and sticky with sweat. "I think sooner or later we all make errors of judgment of one kind or another," Colonel Julian said. "Then there's a price to be paid for it. Mrs. de Winter must have known the wind in the bay, how it blows down like a funnel; She must have sailed by herself dozens of times in those seas. But when the moment of death came, she took a risk, and the risk cost her her life. It is a lesson for all of us." "Accidents happen," Frank said. "Even for the most experienced veterans. Just think of the number of hunters who die in accidents every year during the hunting season." "Ah, I know that. But those hunters usually get unlucky when their horse stumbles. If Mrs. de Winter hadn't left the helm, the accident would never have happened. She's gone a little out of the way. I've been Watched her on weekend fair boat races out of Chris and never saw her make any mistakes in basic boating skills. Only rookies would do stupid things like leave the helm. Especially in that area On the sea surface, it is close to the reef." ① Refers to a game of equal opportunity that gives disadvantages to the dominant player and favorable conditions to the disadvantaged player. "It was windy that night," Frank said. “也许索具出了毛病，有哪一条绳索被卡住了。这样，她就可能下舱去找把刀子。” “当然，当然。嗯，至于真相，咱们大概永远无从知道了。不过，我认为即使了解当时的经过情形。也于事无补，还是我刚才说过的那句话，我但愿能阻止当局举行传讯，可我又实在无能为力。我正在安排日程，准备把传讯放在星期二上午举行。另外，我会尽可能使传讯在最短时间之内结束。就这么走一个过场。不过，我们恐怕没法不让记者到场。” 又一次冷场。我想这时应该拖开椅子，离开餐桌了。 “到花园去吧？”我说。 大家站起身来，由我带头，鱼贯走到平台。朱利安上校拍拍杰斯珀。 “这畜生长得很像样了，”他说。 "Not bad," I said. 四人分散仁立了一会。接着，上校一看手表。 “谢谢您这顿丰盛的午餐，”他说。“下午我还有不少公事要办，如此匆匆告辞，请不要见怪。” “哪儿的话，”我说。 “出了这件意外，我很难过。请接受我无保留的同情。一俟传讯结束，务望二位把这事儿忘个干干净净。” “好，”我说。“好吧，我们一定设法忘个干净。” “我的车就在这儿的车道上，不知道克劳利要不要搭车。怎么样，克劳利？如果需要，我可以让你在你的办事处附近下车。” “谢谢，上校，”弗兰克说。 弗兰克走过来，握着我的手说：“我会再来看望您的。” “好，”我说。 我没敢看他，生怕他看到我的眼神。我不愿让他看出我了解全部事实真相。迈克西姆把两人送上汽车，待车开走，才回到平台来和我作伴。他挽住我的胳臂，两人一起站在平台上眺望绿茵茵的草坪，草坪那头的大海以及海岬处的灯塔。 “事情会迎刃而解的，”他说，“我很镇静，完全有信心。你看到吃午饭时朱利安上校的态度了，还有弗兰克。传讯时不会有人出来作难，一切都会很顺利的。” 我没吭声，只是紧紧抓着他的手臂。 “那尸体不是什么陌生人，对于这一点不曾有过任何怀疑，”他告诉我。“我们看到的东西足以使菲力普斯医生认出她来，就是我不在场也毫无问题。那是明明白白摆着的事实，一清二楚。我干的事倒也不落痕迹，子弹并未伤着骨头。” 一只蝴蝶飞过我身旁，懵懂而微不足道的小昆虫！ “他们说的话，你都听见了，”他接着说。“他们以为她是不小心被困在舱里送了命的。传讯时，陪审团肯定也会相信这种说法。菲力普斯会这么对他们说的。”他顿了一顿，可我还是没开口。 “我只担心你，”他说。“其他的事，我倒一点也不遗憾。要是一切再重演一遍，我一定还是这样干。我杀了吕蓓卡，对此我感到庆幸，决没有一丝一毫的反悔，一点没有，从来没有！可是还有个你。这事儿对你的刺激太大，对此我可没法不放在心上。吃午饭的时候，我一直看着你，自始至终只想着这一点。你那种小妞儿似的滑稽而迷惘的表情，那种我喜欢的表情，已消失得无影无踪，再也不会有了。把吕蓓卡的事儿告诉你的同时，我已把那种表情毁灭了！二十四小时之内，这种表情不见了，你一下子变得那么老成持重……”