Chapter 15 Section 3

At a quarter to eight the doorbell rang. Tracylian went to answer the door.He went back to the pantry to find Horberry there, picking up the coffee cup on the tray and looking at the markings on it. "Who is it?" said Horberry. "Superintendent Sugden—look out, what are you doing?" Horbury dropped a coffee cup and broke it. "Look at this," Tracylian said regretfully, "I've been cleaning these glasses for eleven years and I've never broken a single one, and now you're touching something you shouldn't be touching, look at you What have you done!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Tracylian, I'm so sorry," Holbury said apologetically, his face covered with sweat. "I don't know how it happened, you mean a superintendent is coming?" "Yes—Mr. Sugden." The manservant spat out a word from his pale lips. "What—what does he want?" "Fundraising for the police orphanage." "Oh!" the manservant breathed a sigh of relief, his voice more natural. "Has he got anything?" "I took the registration book up to Mr. Li, and he asked me to bring the superintendent up and put the sherry on the table."

"At this time of year, there's nothing but money to--nothing," said Hawbury. "That old chap is generous, and in spite of all his faults, I'll put in a good word for him." Tracylian said solemnly: "Mr. Li has always been a very generous gentleman." Horbury nodded. "That's the best bit about him! Well, I'm going now." "Go to the movies?" "I think so. See you later, Mr. Tracylian." He went out through a door leading to the lower chamber. Tracylian looked at the clock hanging on the wall. He went into the dining room and put the hot towel roll on top of the napkin.

After confirming that everything was all right, he struck the gong in the hall announcing the opening of dinner. When the last gong died away, the superintendent came downstairs.Superintendent Sugden was a tall, handsome man. He wore a tightly buttoned blue uniform and walked with a pompous air. He said kindly, "I'm sure there's going to be a frost tonight. Good thing the weather hasn't been quite right lately." Tressilian shook her head and said, "The humidity does a lot to my rheumatism." The superintendent said rheumatism was a painful disease, and Tracylian sent him out the front door.

The old butler closed the door and closed it, and slowly returned to the hall.He rubbed his eyes with his hands and sighed, then straightened when he saw Lydia cross the living room.George Lee was also coming down the stairs. Tracylian was already waiting, and when the last guest, Magdalen, came into the living room, he stood up and whispered, "Dinner is ready," Tracylian is a connoisseur with his own views on women's clothing.As he squatted around the table with a pour in his hand, he was always noticing the ladies' evening gowns, and secretly criticizing them. He noticed that Mrs. Alfred had put on her new black and white moiréed dress.The eye-catching design is very eye-catching. Although many women don't look good in it, it is acceptable on her.Mrs. George's dress was a sample, he was sure, and must have cost a fortune.He wondered how Mr. George would be willing to pay. Mr. George didn't like spending money—never did.It was Mrs. Davy's turn, a very nice lady, but not very good at dressing.Black velveteen was the best fabric for her figure, and this striped velvet, again in crimson, was a poor choice.And Miss Pilar, she doesn't care what she wears, with her figure and her hair, she looks good in anything, even if it's just a thin, cheap little white gown.Nevertheless, Mr. Li will soon pay attention to this matter.He has been captivated by her beauty.Every gentleman is the same when he is old, and a young face has complete control over him.

"German white wine or French Bordeaux red wine?" Tracylian asked modestly in Mrs. Zhi's ear.Out of the corner of his eye he noticed that Walter, the valet, was bringing the vegetables before the gravy again - he had been told so many times! Tracylian walked around the table carrying the soufflé.Now that his interest in the ladies' attire and the uneasiness caused by Walter's fault were over, he had a sudden feeling that everyone was very silent tonight.Only Mr. Harry was talking there.Oh no, not Mr. Harry, but the gentleman from South Africa.And other people were talking too, just in bursts like this.There was something odd about the atmosphere around the table.

Like Mr. Alfred, he looks totally out of place, like he's been hit by something or something, he looks dazed, he moves food around on his plate and doesn't eat anything.The mistress was worried about him, Tracylian could see.She had been watching him across the table—quietly, of course, so it wasn't obvious.Mr. George was very red in the face—he was wolfing down his food, not paying attention to the taste of the food, and if he was not careful he would have a stroke one day.Mrs. George hasn't eaten, is she on a diet to lose weight? It seems unlikely.Miss Pilar seemed to be having a good time, talking and laughing with the South African gentleman.He was probably fascinated by her, and nothing seemed to be going on between them! Mr. Davy? Tressilian was very worried about him. He was nervous now, and lo and behold, he knocked over his glass.Tracylian took it away, wiped the wine neatly off the floor, and everything was done.But Mr. Davy didn't seem to notice what he was doing at all, and just sat there looking forward with a pale face.

Speaking of pallor, in the pantry just now, when Holberry heard a policeman coming, he looked ridiculous... almost like-- Tracylian's train of thought stopped, Walter. Dropped a pear from a dish he was serving.The current servants are really bad, they can only be grooms if they go on like this! He walked around the table with rum.Mr. Harry seemed a little absent-minded tonight. He kept looking at Mr. Alfred. They had never been right, ever since childhood.Mr. Harry, of course, had always been his father's favorite child, and that made Mr. Alfred bitter.Mr. Li never cared much for Mr. Alfred. It's a pity that Mr. Alfred has always been so devoted to his father.

See, Lady Alfred is now on her feet, and she walks along the table, in a stately and elegant manner, with a beautiful design of moirés, and a cloak that suits her well--a very elegant lady. Tracylian went back to the pantry and closed the dining room door for the gentlemen to enjoy their mulled wine, and he went into the drawing room with the coffee tray, where he found it awkward for the four ladies to sit there without saying a word .He quietly served the coffee. He went out of the living room again, and as he entered the pantry he saw the dining room door open and David Lee come out and walk across the hall to the living room.

Tracylian walked back to his pantry, and he gave Walter a serious warning, the fellow was simply too reckless! Tracylian was alone in the pantry, sitting down, very tired. He felt so down, on Christmas Eve, this jittery atmosphere...he didn't like it! He managed to get up and went to collect the coffee cups in the living room.Lydia was alone in the room, and she was standing at the far end of the room, half hidden by the curtains, looking out the window into the night. Mr. Davey was playing the piano, and a sad music came over, and Tracylian thought, why did Mr. Davy play this "Funeral March"? It was indeed this piece.Oh, things are really going wrong.

He walked slowly across the living room to his pantry. That's when he began to hear the noise overhead, the clinking and shattering of china, the knocking and knocking of furniture, the continuous cracking and banging. "My God!" thought Tracylian, what the master is doing? What the hell is going on up there? And at that moment, there is a scream, clear and shrill—a horrific still sound. The sharp cry gradually disappeared into a burst of choking laughter. Tracylian was almost paralyzed for a moment, then he ran out into the hall and up the great wide staircase.Others also came running.The shriek was heard throughout the house. They rushed up the stairs, turned a corner, and passed an alcove containing mysterious and terrifying statues.They walked along the straight corridor to Simeon Lee's room.Mr. Farr and Mrs. Davy were already there, her back against the wall, while he was turning the doorknob. "The door is locked," he said, "the door is locked!" Harry Lee squeezed in, snatched the doorknob and twisted and pushed. "Father," he called, "Father, let us in." He raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and everyone listened quietly.There was no answer, no sound from the room. The doorbell rang, but no one noticed. "We've got to knock the door open, that's the only way," Stephen Farr said. Harry said, "That's going to be a tough job, the doors are very strong. Come on, Alfred." They pulled and tugged until at last they found an oaken bench and slammed it against the door, which at last was knocked open, its hinges broken, and it leaned precariously against the frame. For a moment, they huddled together and looked in together, and they saw a sight that each of them would never forget... It was evident that there had been a terrible struggle here, and that the heavy furniture had been overturned, and the fragments of the china vase were strewn about, on the hearth-rug, Simeon.Li was lying in a pool of blood... blood was splattered everywhere, the place was like a slaughterhouse. Someone let out a long sigh with trembling sounds, and two voices sounded one after another.Oddly, they all quote what someone else said. David.Li said: "Skynet is restored..." Lydia's voice was trembling, almost inaudible: "But who would have thought that this old man would have so much blood..."