Chapter 22 Part 4 Chapter 22

Frith brought in the local paper that night, and I saw the headline across the headline.He brought the papers into the room and spread them out on the table. Maxim was not in the room and went upstairs early to change and pack for dinner.Frith lingered for a while to see what I had to say.What happened this time was so important to everyone in the family that it would be inappropriate for me not to say anything about it, as if I wanted to hurt someone's feelings. So I said, "It's a terrible thing, Frith." "Yes, ma'am. We are all very sorry in the lower room," he said.

"Mr. de Winter is worse," I said. "He has to live it all over again." "Yes, ma'am. It's a pain. It's all very distressing, ma'am, I mean having to claim the second after the first body has been identified. I guess this time it's certain that the bodies on the ship are dead." The old Mrs. de Winter?" "I'm afraid so, Frith, this time for sure." "Everyone thinks it's strange, ma'am, that she should keep herself locked up in her cabin like that. She's an old sailor." "Yes, Frith. We all feel the same way. But accidents are inevitable. As for the truth of accidents, I'm afraid none of us will know."

"I think so, ma'am. Even so, it was a great shock. Everyone in the lower room was very sad. And it happened so suddenly on the day's feast. It's a bit of a coincidence, isn't it?" "That's right, Frith." "Looks like there's going to be a witness call, ma'am?" "Yes. But you know, it's just a formality." "Of course, ma'am. Wonder if any of us should give evidence?" "No way." "If I can be of service, I will. Mr. de Winter knows that." "Yes, Frith. I'm sure he knows you."

"I told the servants not to gossip. But it's not easy to keep these people in check, especially the girls. Of course, Robert, I can deal with it. This news may be a shock to Mrs. Danvers." Heavy blow." "Yes, Frith, I expected that." "After lunch, she went straight to her room without looking back, and never came downstairs again. Just now, Alice brought her a cup of tea and brought her a newspaper. She said that Mrs. Danvers looked like Very ill." "Really, she'd better keep her in her room," I said. "If she's sick, there's no need for her to get up and do all the housework. Maybe Alice will tell her what I mean? I'm quite in charge of the recipes, I mean I go straight to the same The cook is discussing what to do."

"Yes, ma'am. I don't think there's anything really wrong with her, ma'am, though. It's mainly the discovery of Mrs. de Winter's ship, and she's agitated. She's really devoted to Mrs. de Winter." "Not bad," I said. "I know that." Frith finished speaking and walked out of the room.Before I got downstairs in Maxim, I glanced quickly at the newspaper.There was a large column of text on the front page and a picture of Maxim.The photo was ugly and blurry, and must have been taken at least fifteen years ago.It's hard to see a photo like this popping up on the front page.There was also a short line at the bottom of the page addressing myself as Maxim's second wife, and then mentioning that he had given a masquerade ball at Manderley not long before the accident.These stories are publicized in bold typeface in newspapers, which sounds somewhat unreasonable and cruel.The newspapers said that Rebecca, who was beautiful and talented, and loved by everyone who knew her, had drowned a year ago.Unexpectedly, in the spring of the following year, Maxim immediately resumed the strings, and brought the bride directly to Manderley (so the newspapers said), and held a large masquerade ball for her.The next morning, the body of his ex-wife was found in the cabin of her sailboat, which sank on the bottom of the bay.

The whole story is, of course, full of truth, with a few inaccuracies, and that's to give some excitement to the hundreds of readers who have paid to subscribe to the newspaper and want to read something of value.The report made Maxim a scheming, old-fashioned womanizer: with the "young bride"—the exact words of the report—back at Manderley, and a ball, it sounded like we Want to show off in front of the world. I tucked the newspaper under a chair cushion so Maxim wouldn't see it.But I couldn't hide the morning paper either.The London newspaper we subscribed to also carried the story, with a picture of Manderley above and a text below.Manderley was in the news; Maxim was no exception.The newspapers called him Max De Winter, which sounded so slick and demeaning.The discovery of Rebecca's body the day after the masquerade ball was played up in the newspapers, as if the two were some kind of artificial arrangement.Both papers used the word "ironic."Yes, there is irony in the facts, which is why the newspapers make a big deal of it.At breakfast, I saw Maxim reading one newspaper after another, and finally he didn't miss the local paper, and his face became more and more ugly as he read.I reached out quickly. "To hell with them," he cursed under his breath. "To hell with them, to hell with them!"

I don't know what kind of reports these reporters will write if they find out the truth of the matter.At that time, it will no longer be one column, but five columns, six columns.In London special editions were published and posted on the streets; newsboys peddled the big news in the streets and outside the Underground stations.The monstrous six-letter word,* printed in monstrous black ink, loomed large in the center of the special issue. ① refers to the word "murder". After breakfast, Frank came to visit.He was pale and looked exhausted, as if he hadn't slept all night. "I told the telephone company to direct all calls to Mandolin to my office," he said to Maxim.

"It doesn't matter who the call is from. If a reporter calls to find out, I'll take care of it. Anyone else will. I don't want you two to get pissed off. Received Several phone calls from locals. I always reply with the same words: Mr. and Mrs. de Winter are very grateful for the condolences of relatives and friends, and please understand that they cannot answer the phone these days. Lacey Madam called at around 8:30 and said she was going to visit you immediately." "Oh, my God..." Maxim began to cry. "Don't worry, I've stood in your way. I told her frankly that I didn't think her presence would be of any use to the matter; and that you didn't want to see anyone but Mrs. de Winter." she asked. When the arraignment will be held, I said the date has not been decided yet.

But if she sees it in the papers, we can't keep her from being there. " "Those damned reporters," Maxim said. "I see what you mean," Frank said. "We'd all love to wring the necks off these guys, but you gotta understand what they're doing. It's their livelihood. When you're a reporter, you have to work for your newspaper. Editors lose their jobs if they don't do anything well, just as the boss loses the editor if he doesn't get a newspaper that sells well, and the boss loses money if the paper doesn't sell.You don't have to give interviews, talk to reporters, Maxim.I will represent you in this matter.You need to concentrate on producing a deposition for the arraignment. "

"I knew what I had to say," Maxim said. "Of course you understand that. But don't forget, this time the coroner is the old fellow Horwich. See how unambiguous he is. Don't let this guy piss you off." "Why should I be angry? There is no reason to be angry." "There's no reason to be angry. But I've been in a coroner's arraignment before. It's easy to make a man nervous and irritable on such occasions. You don't want to piss off the fellow." gone." "Frank's right," I said. "I see what he means. The better the arraignment goes, and the sooner it ends, the better it will be for everyone. Then, once the dreadful thing is over, we'll all forget it, and others will." Forgotten, isn't it, Frank?"

"Yes, of course," said Frank. I still didn't dare to look him in the eyes, but I was more certain in my heart that he knew the details of the matter.He was an insider all along, and knew from the beginning.I recalled the first time I saw him.It was my first day at Manderley, and he came for lunch with the couple Beatrice and Giles.On that occasion, Beatrice made some very unseemly and stupid remarks about Maxim's health.I remember how quietly Frank changed the subject, and how unobtrusively he helped Maxim out of trouble when difficulties arose.No wonder Frank was so uncharacteristically reluctant to bring up Rebecca, and whenever we started to have a good conversation, he always became very rigid and babbled with a strange solemnity.I understand all this now.Frank knew the details, but Maxim was still in the dark about it, and Frank didn't want Maxim to know the details of what he knew, the three of us just stood there like this, you look at me, I look at you, no Ken dismantles the subtle barriers between each other. We no longer suffer from intrusive phone calls: calls are always forwarded to the estate office.So the next thing to do is wait—wait for Tuesday. I did not see Mrs. Danvers, and the menu was sent for my perusal, and I did not ask for any changes.I asked little girl Clarice how she was.The girl said that Mrs. Danvers took care of the housework as usual, but she didn't talk to anyone, and all three meals were served in the living room of her apartment, and she ate alone behind closed doors. Clarice's eyes were wide open, obviously curious, but she never asked me questions.Of course I wouldn't discuss it with her.There is no doubt that people are talking about it in the kitchen these days, in the manor, in the porter, in the various farms; and, presumably, it is the same in the whole city of Chris.We stayed at the Manderley house, or we walked around the gardens near the house.We didn't even go for a walk in the woods.This hot flood has not yet passed, it is always so stuffy, and the air is heavy with thunder.There was a heavy rain brewing behind the dense clouds, but the rain just wouldn't come down.I can feel the rain clouds brewing and accumulating in the sky; I can smell the rain stars in the air.The arraignment has been fixed for Tuesday afternoon at two o'clock. That day, we had lunch at a quarter past twelve.Here comes Frank.Thank goodness, Beatrice called to say she couldn't have a double, and the kid Roger came home with measles, so the whole family was in quarantine.I couldn't help being grateful for the measles, but I don't think Maxim would have been able to bear Beatrice living in the house, sitting beside him, asking questions with sincerity, warmth, and concern, and not letting him be quiet for a moment.Beatrice was always asking questions. Lunch was eaten in a hurry, everyone was restless, and no one said much.The unsettling pain hit me again. I didn't want to eat anything, and I couldn't swallow it.It was a relief to finally finish the pretentious lunch.I heard Maxim go out into the driveway and start the car, and the roar of the engine reassured me somewhat; sit still.Frank followed us in his own car.I kept one hand on Maxim's lap the whole way as he drove.He looked calm, not at all disturbed. This taste is like sending someone to the hospital for surgery, not knowing what the outcome of the operation will be, whether it will be successful.My hands were cold and my heart was beating faster and faster than usual.At the same time, the faint pain in my heart has been haunting me.The arraignment took place in Languo, a fair six miles further on from Chris.We had to park the car in a cobbled square by the market.Dr. Phillips' car was there, and Colonel Julian's and some others.I saw a passer-by give Maxim a curious look, and then touch his companion's arm meaningfully. "I guess I'll stay here," I said. "I don't want to go in with you." "I advise you not to come," said Maxim. "I objected to your appearance from the very beginning. In fact, it is better for you to stay in Manderley." "No," I said. "No, I'll wait here in the car, no problem." Frank came over and looked in through the car window. "Mrs. de Winter won't come in?" he asked. "Yes," said Maxim. "She'd rather wait in the car." "The way I see it, she's right," Frank said. "There's no need for her at all. We'll be out in a minute. "OK," I said. "I'll save you a seat," Frank said. "So that you have a place if you change your mind." They both left, leaving me alone in the car.It happened to be an early closing day, and the shop was closed, showing a kind of depression.There are not many pedestrians around.Lanyin is far from the coast, after all, it is not a tourist center.I sat in the car, looking at those lonely shops in a daze.The minutes passed, and I wondered what everyone was doing inside—the coroner, Frank, Maxim, Colonel Julian.I got out of the car and started pacing up and down the market square.I stopped in front of a shop window, looked in, and started wandering again.I saw a policeman looking at me suspiciously, so I turned into a side street to avoid him. Somehow, I subconsciously walked into the building where the arraignment was being held.Since the exact time of the arraignment was not made public, there was no crowd of idlers waiting, which was what I was dreading.It was deserted inside and outside the house.I went up the steps and stood in the hall. Out of nowhere came a policeman. "What do you want?" he asked. "No," I said. "I don't want to do anything." "You cannot linger here," he said. "Excuse me," I said, and headed for the steps leading to the street. "Excuse me, ma'am," said he, "are you not Mrs. de Winter?" "Yes," I said. "That's another matter, of course," he said. "You can wait here if you like. Would you like to take a seat in the hall?" "Thank you," I said. He led me into a small empty room.There was a desk here, like the reception room of a police station.I sat with my hands in my arms and waited for five minutes, and nothing happened.It's worse than sitting outside in a car and waiting.So I stood up and walked into the aisle.The policeman was still standing where he was. "How much longer?" I asked. "If you want to know, I can go in and ask one," he said. He walked down the aisle, disappeared at the end, but came back immediately to report: "I don't think it will be long. Mr. de Winter has just given testimony. Before that, Captain Sale, divers and Phillips Testified successively. There was one witness who did not speak, Mr. Taber, Chris' shipbuilder." "So it's almost over?" I said. "I'm almost done, ma'am," he said.Then an idea occurred to him, and he said to me: "Would you like to hear the last part of the testimony. There is an empty seat as soon as you enter the door. If you just walk in quietly, no one will notice you." "say to me. "That's right, I'd like to hear it." The witness call is almost over.Maxim had finished his testimony.I don't care what the rest of the people say.It was Maxim's testimony that I did not want to hear; I was afraid to hear him.That's why I didn't follow him and Frank into the house in the first place.It doesn't matter now, anyway, his play is over. I followed the policeman, who opened a door at the end of the hallway, and I slipped in and sat down by the door. I keep my head down so I don't have to glance at anyone.The communication hall is smaller than I originally imagined, and the room is hot and noisy.I thought the Communication Hall was a big, empty room with rows of pews, like a cathedral.Maxim and Frank sat down the hall.The coroner was a thin, elderly man wearing a pince-nez.There were many people in the hall I didn't know, and I watched these strangers out of the corner of my eye.Suddenly, my heart sank—I recognized Mrs. Danvers in the gallery.She sat in the last row, next to Favere.Jack Feiffer, Rebecca's cousin.The fellow was leaning forward, with his chin in his hands, and stared intently at the coroner, Mr. Horwich.I didn't expect him to be there, and wondered if Maxim saw the guy.James Taber, the Naval Architect, was standing up now, and the coroner was asking him questions. "Yes, sir," replied Taber. "I refitted Mrs. de Winter's schooner. It was a French-built fishing boat, and Mrs. de Winter bought it in Brittany for nothing, and had it shipped. Come. She gave me the business to refit the boat and make it look like a little yacht." "Is the condition of the ship suitable for going to sea at that time?" asked the examiner. "When I fitted out the boat last April, it was fully seaworthy," Taber said. "Mrs. de Winter sent the boat into my dock in October as in previous years. In March she informed me to make routine renovations on the boat, which I did. Since I refitted the boat for her, it is De Winter. In the fourth year Mrs. Winter sent the ship for fit-out." "Has the ship ever been capsized before?" asked the coroner. "No, sir. If there is such a precedent, Mrs. de Winter will certainly let me know at once. From what she has said to me, she is entirely satisfied with the ship." "You need to be very careful in sailing?" asked the coroner again. "Well, my lord, when it comes to sailing, one has to keep one's cool head, I don't deny that. But Mrs. de Winter's boat is not the kind of boat one sees in Chris, and the driver doesn't Don't leave the helm, or you'll capsize. The ship is strong, she can stand the wind and waves, and she can handle the wind very well. Mrs. de Winter has sailed the boat in much worse weather than that night. Didn't she There was only a gust of wind that night. I kept saying I couldn't see how Mrs. de Winter's ship could have been wrecked on such a night." "But if Mrs. de Winter went down to get a coat, as everyone imagines, and at that moment a sudden gust of wind came down from the headland, it might of course capsize the ship?" asked the coroner. James Taber shook his head and said stubbornly, "No, I don't think so." "But that may be the way I see it," said the coroner. "I don't think Mr. de Winter or any of us are here to blame your workmanship for the accident. When the sailing season started you fitted that boat up and reported that it was in good shape and weathered. I think That's all that is known. Unfortunately, the late Mrs. de Winter's negligence resulted in a wreck and loss of life. Such accidents have happened before. I repeat. This court does not blame you. " "Allow me to say a few more words, sir," said the architect of the ship. "There is more to the matter than that. I would like to explain further, with permission." "Yes, go ahead," said the coroner. "That's the case, Your Excellency. After the accident last year, many people in Chris City said that I was not good at craftsmanship, and some even said that I let Mrs. de Winter go out to sea in a leaky broken boat, which is really a bad start! For this reason Well, two or three customers returned the goods. It's really not fair! But the ship sank, and I can't find any reason to justify myself. Then, as you know, the ship ran aground, and then Derwent The lady's boat was found and brought to the surface. Captain Searle himself ordered yesterday that I be allowed to go and see the boat. I went. I wanted to see it with my own eyes to confirm that although the boat was soaked in the water Twelve months or more, but I'm fine with my renovations." "Well, it's human nature," said the coroner. "I hope you don't find anything wrong." "Yes, sir, I am completely satisfied. As far as the fit-out is concerned, there is nothing wrong with the ship. Captain Sale has towed her onto the barge and moored it in the mouth, and I have inspected every corner of the ship on the spot. The place where the ship sank happened to be sand on the bottom of the sea; I asked the diver, and he told me. The ship did not hit the reef at all; the reef was a good five feet away from the ship. Rock impact marks." He paused for a moment, and the coroner waited expectantly for him to speak. "How?" asked the coroner. "That's all you want to talk about?" "No, sir," Tabor said emphatically. "And that's not all. The question I want to ask is: Who made those holes in the deck? It wasn't from the rocks. The nearest rocks were five feet from the hull. Besides, the holes weren't Like a rock. It's a hole made by a man, chiselled with a sharp iron." I didn't dare to look at the man, but looked down at the floor.There was an oilcloth on the floor.Green oilcloth.I stare at the oilcloth. I don't understand why the coroner is silent.This cold scene has dragged on for a long time!At last the coroner spoke, but he seemed to speak from a great distance. "What do you mean by that?" he asked. "What kind of hole?" "There are three holes," said the ship's architect. "One was just forward, next to the chain locker, on the starboard plating below the waterline. The other two were amidships, very close together, on the bottom under the cabin floor battens. The ballast was also It moved its position, and lay in an inexplicable place without a side. The strange thing is still behind! All the seabed valves on the hull are open." "A subsea valve? What's that?" asked the coroner. "That's the cock that fits the wash-basin or toilet-pipe, sir. Mrs. de Winter asked me to fit a small toilet aft, and a sink forward for her to wash. There's a sea valve there, and there's another in the lavatory. These valves are always all shut when sailing, otherwise the sea would flood into the cabin. When I checked the boat yesterday, I found both valves fully open." It was really hot in the house, very hot.Why don't these people open a window?The air is so filthy, it's no wonder everyone isn't suffocated sitting here.So many people, all breathing the same air, so many people! "With a few holes in the plank, my lord, and with the valves on the bottom of the sea not closed, it wouldn't take long for such a small boat to sink under the circumstances. In my opinion, ten minutes or so should be enough. The ship is far from me. The docks didn't have those holes. I was very proud of my work, and Mrs. de Winter was satisfied.Therefore, in my opinion, the ship was not capsized at all, but intentionally scuttled. " I must try to get out the door, must try to slip back into the little reception room.There was no air in the room.And the people sitting next to me squeezed closer, tighter and tighter... Someone in front of me was standing up; everyone was discussing, and the whole room was discussing.I don't understand what's going on, and I can't see anything when I look out.Hot, very hot.The coroner demanded silence and referred to "Mr. de Winter" as he spoke.But I still couldn't see anything, the woman's big hat just blocked my sight.Maxim was standing up now.I dare not look at him.I must not look at him now.Has anything like this happened before?When did that happen?I don't know, can't remember.Oh yes, it was with Mrs Danvers that time, standing beside me at the window.Mrs. Danvers was in the room at the moment, listening to the coroner.Over there, Maxim was standing up.Puffs of hot air rose from the floor toward me, into my sweaty, slick palms, my neck, my jaw, my cheeks. "Mr. de Winter, did you hear the testimony of James Taber, who fitted out Mrs. de Winter's schooner? Do you know the holes that were cut in the planks?" "I don't know at all." "Can you imagine any reason for those holes in the plank?" "No, of course I can't." "Is this the first time you've heard of this?" "yes." "Of course you were shocked by it?" "It was shocking enough to learn that twelve months ago I had misidentified the body; and now I have heard that my late wife was not only drowned in her own cabin, but that several A hole. The hole was made, of course, to introduce sea water on purpose, to sink the sailboat. I was shocked to hear that. Why, you are surprised by this?" No, Maxim, don't do that.You will piss him off.Didn't you hear what Frank said?You must not make him angry.Don't talk in that tone, Maxim, that angry tone.He won't understand, don't do it, darling, please don't do it.Oh God, don't make Maxim lose his temper, don't make him lose his temper! "Mr. de Winter, I want you to realize that we are all deeply sorry for you in this matter. No doubt hearing that your dead wife was drowned in her cabin was not what you imagined. To die at sea like that was a blow to you, a heavy blow. I am now in charge of investigating the case for you. For your sake, I will find out the details of the cause of death and what happened. I am not in charge of the case because of idleness. You have to lie, and you have nothing to make fun of." "It's obvious to all, isn't it?" "I hope so. James Taber said just now that the boat that carried the late Mrs. de Winter's body had three holes punched in its bottom, and that the valves on the bottom of the sea were all open. You don't agree with his testimony. Is there any doubt about its authenticity?" "Of course there is no doubt. He is a shipbuilder and must have understood the meaning of his testimony." "Who looks after Lady de Winter's boat?" "Herself." "No workers?" "No. Not one." "The boat is tied at Manderley's private dock?" "right." "If a stranger tried to do some vandalism on the boat, he'd be found out, wouldn't he? You can't enter the little quay from a footpath that isn't on private property, right?" "Yes, not bad at all." "The port is a secluded place, isn't it? It's surrounded by trees?" "right." "Whoever trespasses will probably not be noticed?" "possible." "But just now James Taber said--and this court has no reason not to believe him--that a boat like that, with holes in the bottom and all the valves open, would be gone in ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. have to sink." "It's true." "Then we may exclude the possibility that, long before Mrs. de Winter set out that night, the ship had been sabotaged by malicious thugs. For in that event the schooner would have sunk at anchorage." "Not bad." "From this, it can be deduced that no matter who was the one who sailed out that night, it must have been the person who dug the hole and opened the valve." "Probably so." "You have told this court that the hatches were closed, the portholes were shut, and that your wife's body lay on the floor. These details were brought up in your testimony, as well as those of Dr. Phillips and Captain Sale. Arrived." "yes." "Now, in addition to the above details, one thing must be added, that is, someone smashed through the bottom of the boat with a sharp iron and opened the bottom valve. Don't you think there is something unusual about this, Mr. de Winter?" "Of course it's abnormal." "You can't offer any explanation for that?" "No, absolutely not." "Mr. de Winter, in spite of the pain it may cause you, it is my duty to ask you a personal question." "Take it up." "Is your relationship with the late Mrs. de Winter quite happy?" Needless to say, the eyes will turn black sooner or later.Sure enough, the black dots flashed and danced in front of my eyes, piercing the smoke in the room.The air is stuffy, stuffy!There are so many people crowded, so many faces, and the windows are not opened. The door was right next to me, but now it looked farther away than I had imagined.At the same time, the floor seemed to be leaping towards me. Then, amidst the dizzying smoke all around, Maxim's voice suddenly resounded, sonorous and powerful: "Someone, please, help my lady out, she is about to faint."