Chapter 7 Chapter VII

one The next day Mrs. Spurrow went to London. On her side, she only gave a few tentative words, and several tenants of Xiaoyao Hotel volunteered to take care of Xiao Baidi on her behalf. Before leaving, Mrs. Spruo repeatedly asked Betty to be obedient and to be a good child.After she left, Bai Di stayed with Qiu Peng.It turned out that she had been chosen to take care of the children in the morning. "Play," Betty said. "play hide and seek." She spoke more and more clearly now, and had acquired a lovely habit.When she talks to you, she always tilts her head and at the same time gives you an endearing smile, saying in a low voice:

"Please--" Qiu Peng originally planned to take her out for a stroll, but it was raining heavily outside, so the two of them shifted positions and returned to Bai Di's bedroom.Once in the bedroom, Betty took the awning to find the bottom drawer of the chest of drawers.It turned out that her toys were all there. "Let's hide the dog, shall we?" Qiu Peng asked. But Betty has changed her mind and doesn't want to play with toys anymore. "Read the story." Qiu Peng pulled out a rather tattered book from one end of the cupboard, but Betty "Wow", stopped her action.

"No, no! That's--not--bad!" Qiu Peng looked at her strangely, then looked down at the book.It was a colorful copy of "Jack the Trumpeter." "Is Jack a bad boy?" she asked. "Is it because he stole the raisins?" Betty repeated more emphatically: "Bad!" Then, very forcefully, "Dirty!" She snatched the book from Qiu Peng's hand, put it back in its place, and pulled out a book from the other end of the row.It turned out to be Jack the Trumpeter too.At the same time, she said triumphantly, with a smile on her face: "F... clean...! Good Trumpeter-J-K!"

Only then did Qiupeng understand: it turned out that for any dirty or used books, he had to buy a new, clean one.She finds it amusing.Mrs. Spurrow was very much like the "hygienic mother" in Qiu Peng's mind. This kind of person is always afraid of germs and unclean food, and is always worried that the child will suck dirty toys. Qiu Peng has lived a carefree life in the parish since he was a child, and he has always been a little bit disapproving of the excessive emphasis on hygiene.At the same time, the way she raised her two children was to let them absorb the so-called "appropriate amount" of dirt.Even so, she obediently took out the clean "Jack the Trumpeter" and read it to Betty, adding a comment or two when the time came.Betty whispered, "That's Jack!—the raisins—in the cake—" pointing with a sticky finger at these amusing objects, and it seemed that the second copy would soon be thrown away. To the trash heap.After reading this book, they continued to read "Elder Goose, Granny Goose" and "Old Granny Living in Shoes".Then, Bai Di hid those books, and it took Qiu Peng a long time to find them.So, Betty couldn't be happier.The morning time passed quickly.

After lunch, Betty went to bed.At this moment, Mrs. O'Rourke invited Qiu Peng to her room. Mrs. O'Rourke's room was a mess and smelled strongly of peppermint, sour cake, and faintly of mothballs.On each stage were photographs: some of Mrs. O'Rourke's daughters, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, and grandnieces.There were too many, Qiu Peng felt as if she was watching a play set in the late Victorian period, and the characters in it were all very realistic. "Mrs. Brunken, you have a knack for children," said Mrs. O'Rourke kindly. "Well, but," Qiu Peng said. "For my own two—"

Mrs. O'Rourke interrupted her at once: "Two? I remember you saying you had three?" "Ah, yes, three. But there are two who are very different in age. I was thinking of being with these two." "Oh, that's right. Now sit down, Mrs. Brunken, and you're welcome." Qiu Peng sat down amiably, thinking to himself: I hope Mrs. O'Rourke will not be so disturbing this time.She felt exactly like the two children in the Grimm's fairy tales, going to the witch's house for dinner. "Now, tell me," said Mrs. O'Rourke. "What do you think of Xiaoyao Hotel?"

Qiu Peng began to spout praises, but Mrs. O'Rourke interrupted her unceremoniously. "I mean, don't you think there's something weird about this place?" "Strange? No. I don't think so." "Don't you think Mrs. Pliner is a little strange? You have to admit: you're very interested in her. I see you keep looking at her." Qiu Peng's face was red. "She's an interesting character." "She's not like that," Mrs. O'Rourke said. "She's an ordinary woman. That is to say, if she is what she looks like, she's just an ordinary person, but maybe she's not what she appears to be, don't you think?"

"Mrs. O'Rourke, I really don't understand what you mean." "You don't stop to think: Are many of us like this? We are often not what we appear to be. Mr. Meadows, for example, is a very difficult character to understand. Sometimes I think he's a perfectly normal Englishman, and quite confused. But, occasionally, I see him put on a look, or say a word or two, without being confused at all. It's strange, don't you think?" Qiu Peng firmly said: "Ah, I really think Mr. Meadows is pretty standard." "There are other strange characters. You know who I mean?"

Qiu Peng shook his head. "This man's last name," Mrs. O'Rourke mentioned quietly, "begins with S." She nodded several times. Sparks of anger burst out of Qiu Peng's heart, and there was a faint urge to stand up and protect the fragile young man.She said hastily: "Shera was just a rebellious kid. We tend to be like that when we're young." Mrs. O'Rourke nodded several times, looking like a fat china doll in Chinese clothes.Qiu Peng remembered that Aunt Gracie's mantelpiece had such a display.At this moment Mrs. O'Rourke's lips curled up, and with a smile on her face, she said softly:

"You may not know that Miss Minton's Christian name is Sophia." "Oh!" Qiu Peng was taken aback. "Do you mean Miss Minton?" "No," said Mrs. O'Rourke. Qiu Peng turned to look at the window.She thought how much this old woman had influenced her, she gave her a feeling of uneasiness and terror, "Like a mouse under a cat's paw. That's how I feel..." This huge, smiling old woman sat there almost like a cat purring proudly.However, its paws kept slapping "Flop! Flop!", playing with its captive, and would never let it go...

boring!These are all boring thoughts.Qiu Peng thought: This is all in my imagination.At the same time, she was looking at the scenery in the garden intently.At this time, the rain stopped, and water dripped lightly from the trees. Qiu Peng thought: "This is all my imagination. I am not a person who likes to imagine! There must be some evil activities concentrated here. If I can see it—" Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted. There was a slight gap in the bushes in the depths of the garden, and a face was exposed in that gap, watching the movement in the room furtively, that was the foreign woman who talked to Denimo on the road that day. That face didn't move or blink, so Qiu Peng felt that it was not a human face, and now he was staring at Xiaoyao Hotel without turning his eyes.The face was expressionless, but there was no doubt that there was a threatening look on it, and it was motionless, showing a look of irreversible hatred.The kind of spirit and meaning expressed by such a face are very inconsistent with the ordinary life of the Xiaoyao Hotel and the British Hotel. Qiu Peng thought: Jael in the Bible Judges nailed the curtain into Sisera. Sisera's forehead is such an air. It took only a second or two for these thoughts to pass through Qiu Peng's heart.She turned suddenly, said something in a low voice to Mrs. O'Rourke, and hurried out of the room, down the stairs, and toward the front door. She turned right and ran across the side garden path to where she had found the face, and now there was no one there.Qiu Peng passed through the bushes and came to the road outside. He looked up and down the mountain, but he didn't see a single person. Where did the woman go? She was very anxious, so she turned around and went back to Xiaoyao Hotel.Was it all in her imagination?no.The woman had indeed been there just now. She scoured the garden, looking behind every bush, trying to find her.As a result, she got her clothes wet, and there was still no sign of the strange woman.Now I have no choice but to go back inside, but I have a vague premonition in my heart, a strange, unspecific fear, that something is going to happen here. In any case it never occurred to her what was going to happen. two Now that the weather had cleared, Miss Minton dressed Betty and was going to take her for a walk.They were going into town to buy a celluloid duck to float in Betty's tub. Betty was so excited that she kept bouncing up and down, so it was hard to tuck her arms into the sweater.When they set off together, Betty kept shouting: "Buy ducks, buy ducks! Give it to Betty, give it to Betty!" She kept talking about this important event, so she was very happy. There are two matchboxes on the marble in the hall, randomly placed crosswise.This is to tell Qiu Peng: "Mr. Meadows" is following Mrs. Pliner this afternoon, so Qiu Peng went to the living room to find the Carlyles. Carlyle is in a very irritable mood today.He said he had come to Lehanton with the object of a life of absolute tranquility.However, there are children in the hotel, how can there be peace?Running around all day long, bouncing up and down. His wife whispered softly: Betty is really a lovely child, but her husband doesn't agree with what she said. "Yes, yes," said Mr. Carlyle, wagging his long neck, "but her mother should have quieted him. Be considerate of others. There are sick people here, and people who need calm." "It's very difficult for a child at that age to keep her quiet. It's against nature to force her to be quiet. If a child is very quiet, there must be something wrong with the child," said Qiu Peng. Mr. Carlyle exclaimed angrily: "Boring, boring! This boring 'modern spirit' is really boring! What makes a child do whatever he wants! Boring! A child should let her sit quietly, hug a doll, or read a book. valid reason." "She is not yet three years old." Qiu Peng said with a smile. "How can you expect a child of this age to be able to read?" "Well, something has to be done. I'm going to talk to Mrs. Pliner. The kid was singing and singing in bed before seven o'clock this morning. I didn't sleep well last night. Let her wake up." "My husband must get as much sleep as possible," said Mrs. Carlyle anxiously. "That's what the doctor said." "You should live in a nursing home," Qiu Peng said. "Mrs. Brunken, that kind of place is very expensive, and the atmosphere there is not right. Living in that kind of place always makes people feel that he is sick. This subconscious psychology is not good for my body. of." "The doctor said to be in a pleasant, social environment," Mrs. Carlyle explained for her husband. "Live a normal life. The doctor says it's better to live in a hotel than to just rent a furnished house. Because then Mr. Carlyle won't be brooding so much; Get excited." In fact, according to Qiu Peng's judgment, the way Mr. Carlyle communicated with others was to report his own illness.The so-called exchange depends entirely on whether others sympathize with his words. Qiu Peng suddenly changed the subject. "I wish you could tell me," she said, "what do you think of life in Germany. Didn't you tell me that you've been traveling there a lot lately? To hear from someone with experience like yourself, It's very interesting. I can see you're one of those people who's not affected by prejudice. One of those people can really make things out there." Qiu Peng thought: As far as a man is concerned, he might as well flatter him as much as possible.Sure enough, Mr. Carlyle was immediately hooked. "Mrs. Brunken, as you say, I can give a clear and unbiased opinion. My opinion, then, is—" What he said next was a monologue.Qiu Peng only occasionally inserted a sentence or two, such as: "Ah, this is really interesting!" or: "Your observation skills are so keen!" look.Seeing the other party listening so sympathetically, Mr. Carlyle didn't feel carried away.He has fully demonstrated that he is an admirer of the Nazi system. Although he did not say it explicitly, he hinted to her: It would be great if Britain and Germany united to deal with other European countries! This monologue lasted almost two hours without interruption, and now, Miss Minton and Betty came back from buying celluloid ducks, and then interrupted the conversation. Qiu Peng looked up and suddenly found a strange expression on Mrs. Carlyle's face.What this signifies is difficult to determine, but it may simply be a wife's jealousy that another woman draws her husband's attention and neglects her.Perhaps it was a surprise that the husband had made his political views so frank.Either way, it was indeed an expression of dissatisfaction. Then it was time for afternoon tea.Mrs Spurrow returned from London just after tea.she cried: "I hope Betty is very good and didn't cause you any trouble? Betty, are you a good boy?" To this question, Betty simply answered: "no no!" This was not to be taken as a sign of dislike for her mother's return, but as a sign of candied blackberries. This made Mrs. O'Rourke laugh fondly, and her mother quickly scolded her: "Come on, honey!" So Mrs. Spurrow sat down, drank several cups of tea, and began to talk animatedly of her shopping in London and the crowds on the trains.She also talked about what a soldier who had recently returned from France told his fellow passengers, and what the waitress at the hosiery counter in a department store told her about the horrors of the suburbs being attacked by enemy planes. In fact, this is a completely ordinary conversation.This conversation continued outside later.It turned out that the sun was shining outside, and the rainy days had passed. Betty ran around happily.Sometimes she sneaked into the bushes, and when she came back, she held a laurel branch in her hand, and sometimes she picked up a pile of pebbles.She would put stones on the legs of anyone present and speak indistinctly, and no one knew what those things meant.Fortunately, her game does not require any cooperation, as long as she says to her occasionally: "Good boy, how nice! Really?" She is satisfied. The situation at night is the most representative of the most stable way of life in Xiaoyao Hotel.When everyone talks about everything from ancient to modern times, most of them will speculate on the current war situation: Can France recover from its decline?Can Weygand (French general, who served as Allied commander in World War II; Maxime Weygand, 1867—translator's note) make a comeback?What might Russia do?If Hitler wanted to invade Britain, would he succeed?If the "pimple" of this current situation is not untied, will Paris fall?really...?It is said that...everyone rumours... Everyone happily spread political and military rumors to each other. Qiu Peng thought: "Is it dangerous for a nagging person? Nonsense! This kind of person is safe. Everyone will feel happy when they talk about rumors. Because rumors can stimulate them and make them find a chance to have fun while fighting. " She also contributes an anecdote, which begins: "My son said to me - of course, it was very confidential -" Mrs. Spurrow looked suddenly at her watch and said: "Oh, it's nearly seven! It's time to put the boy to bed. Betty! Betty!" Betty hadn't been on the balcony for a while, but no one noticed that she wasn't there. Mrs. Spurrow screamed more and more impatiently. "Betty! Where's the boy?" Mrs. O'Rourke laughed loudly and said: "It's messing around again. There's no problem. The general trend of the world is always like this. Once the world is peaceful, there will be chaos," "Betty! Come on, mom is busy." There was no response.Then Mrs. Spurrow got up impatiently. "I'm afraid I'll have to look for her. I don't know where she's going?" Miss Minton said she might be hiding somewhere.Qiu Peng said based on his childhood experience that she might be in the kitchen.However, after searching inside and out, Bai Di could not be found.They called her name all over the garden, and searched everywhere in the house, but there was no sign of Betty there. Mrs. Spurrow slowly grew angry. "This child is so naughty, so naughty! Do you think she ran onto the road?" She and Qiupeng went outside the gate together and looked up and down the mountain. There was only a young man with his bicycle beside him, talking with the maid opposite, and there was no one else to be seen. At Qiu Peng's suggestion, the two of them crossed the road.Mrs. Spurrow asked if they had noticed a little girl.They both shook their heads.Later, the servant girl suddenly remembered, and she asked: "Is it a little girl in green plaid?" Mrs. Spurrow said eagerly: "correct." "I saw her about one hour ago, the same woman going down the hill." Mrs. Spurrow asked in astonishment: "The same woman? What kind of woman?" The girl seemed slightly uneasy. "This—I'd say, is a strange-looking woman, a foreigner, with a strange dress and something like a scarf around it, no hat, and a strange face—don't know if you get what I mean I don't understand. I've seen her a time or two lately. To be honest, I don't think she's quite normal—you know what I mean?" She added the last sentence, fearing that it would not be understood. In an instant, Qiupeng suddenly remembered the face that was peeping in the bushes that afternoon, and the premonition that passed through his heart at that time. However, she never thought that the woman would be involved with the child.Now, she doesn't understand what's going on. Even so, she had no time to think about it now.By this time Mrs. Spurrow was almost falling on top of her. "Oh, Betty, my child, she's been kidnapped. What's that woman like? A gypsy?" Qiu Peng shook his head vigorously. "No, she has fair hair and fair, very fair skin. A broad face with high cheekbones and blue eyes set far apart." Seeing Mrs. Spurrow looking at her intently, she hastened to explain: "I saw this woman this afternoon—she was peeping among the bushes in the garden. Karl Denimo was talking to her one day. It must have been this woman." The maid also interjected: "Yes. She has yellow hair. But she doesn't look normal. I don't understand a bit of what she was talking to that man." "Oh, Lord!" said Mrs. Spurrow in a moan. "what should I do?" Qiu Peng put an arm around her. "Go back to the room. Have some brandy to calm yourself down before we call the police. It's all right. We'll get her back." Mrs. Spurrow followed her meekly, and said in a low, bewildered air: "I really never thought that Betty would go away with a stranger." "She's still young," Qiu Peng said. "I don't know about birth yet." Mrs. Spurrow cried weakly: "Probably a German woman. She's going to kill Betty." "Nonsense." Qiu Peng said firmly. "It doesn't matter. I think she is probably a crazy person." Although she said so verbally, she didn't believe her words.She absolutely did not believe that the composed blonde woman could be an irresponsible lunatic. Karl!Will Carl know?Could Carl have anything to do with this? After a few minutes, she had some doubts about this.Karl DeNemo seemed as bewildered, disbelieving, and amazed as everyone else. When they explained the situation, Major Brechelle assumed command. "Mrs. Spurrow," he said to Mrs. Spurrow. "Sit here. Have a drink of this--brandy. It's all right, and I'll call the police later." Mrs. Spurrow said in a low voice: "Wait a minute, maybe there's something—" She hurried upstairs, down the corridor, to her and Betty's bedroom. At the end of a minute or two they heard the frantic running of her feet on the landing above.Like a madman, she grabbed the major's hand holding the telephone receiver.It turned out that Brechelle was about to call the police. "No, no!" she said breathlessly. "Don't, don't—" Sobbing wildly, she collapsed on a chair. Everyone gathered around her.After a minute or two, she regained her composure.Now that Mrs. Carlyle's arms were around her, she sat up and took out something to show them. "I found this—on the floor in my room. It was thrown through the window with a stone wrapped around it. Look, what's written on it." Tang Mi took it from her hand, opened the ball of paper, it was a short message, it was a strange handwriting of foreigners, the font was very big and thick. We took your child; she is safe now.When the time is right, we will let you know what to do.If you report it to the police, we will kill your child.Keep quiet.Awaiting instructions.Otherwise - X. Mrs. Spurrow hummed weakly: "Betty - Betty -" Everyone spoke in unison.Mrs. O'Rourke said: "Dirty murderer!" Sheila said: "Brute!" Mr. Carlyle said: "No way! No way! I don't believe a word of it! What a silly joke!" Miss Minton said: "Ah, dear boy, little one!" said Karl Denimo, "I don't understand. It's unbelievable." The voice of Major Breqiley was the most emphatic: "Damn it, what nonsense! This is a threat! We should call the police immediately, and they will find out soon." He walked in the direction of the telephone again.This time, Mrs. Spurrow, because the Major disregarded her motherly claim, stopped him with a cry. He said aloud: "But, ma'am, we've got to report it to the police. We can't put you at your own risk of tracking down those rascals. It's just a crude way of stopping you." "They're going to kill her." "Nonsense! They dare not." "Let me tell you, I don't agree to do this. I am her mother, and I should make the decision." "I know, I know. It's natural that they catch on to your weakness—feeling like this. But, I'm a soldier, I'm a man of experience. You've got to believe me, what we need right now Most importantly, it was the assistance of the police.” "No!" Major Brechelle's eyes scanned everyone to see who agreed with him. "Meadows, do you agree with my solution?" Tang Mi nodded slowly. "What about Carlyle? Look, Mrs. Spurrow, Meadows and Carlyle are all in favor." Mrs. Spurrow said suddenly and forcefully: "Men! You are all men! What do you think of women?" Tang Mi looked at Qiu Peng.Qiu Peng said in a low, unsteady voice: "I—I—approve of Mrs. Spurrow." She was thinking, "If it was Deborah, or if it was Derek, I would feel like her too. Of course Tang Mi and a few others are right, but I still can't do that, I don't want to. Dare to take that risk." Mrs. O'Rourke said: "No mother dares to take such risks. It is an undeniable fact." Mrs. Carey said in a low voice: "You know, I really think... this—" At this point, I couldn't continue. Miss Minton said timidly: "Such terrible things will happen. If there is something wrong with Xiao Baidi, we are really sorry for her." Qiu Peng suddenly said: "Monsieur Denimo, you have not expressed your opinion yet." Denimo's blue eyes were bright, but his face was like a mask.He said slowly and stiffly: "I'm a foreigner, and I don't know much about the police in your country. I don't know how capable they are, and I don't know how fast they handle cases." Someone came into the hall now, Mrs. Pliner.Her face was flushed, obviously because of her haste to catch up with the mountain.she says: "What's going on here?" There was majesty and arrogance in her voice.She is not a kind boss lady now, but a powerful woman. Everyone told her what had happened, there was a lot of talk, in a disorganized manner.However, she soon heard what was going on. Once she figured out what was going on, the matter seemed to be waiting for her, and she was now the Supreme Court. She took the scribbled note over to read, and returned it to Mrs. Spurrow.She said in a shrewd and dignified tone: "The police station? They're useless. It's no fun for them to get it wrong. It's a task you have to take on yourself and find the child yourself." Brechelle said resignedly: "Well, if you don't want to call the police, that's the only way to do it." Tang Mi said: "It won't be long before their plot begins." "My servant said it took half an hour," Qiu Peng said. "Look for Haydack," Brecheyley said. "Haydack can help, he has a car. You just said that the woman looks very strange, and is she a foreigner? There should be some clues that can be traced. Come on, without further ado. Meadows, you go too, right?" Mrs. Spurrow stood up. "I'll go as well." "Oh, Mrs. Spurrow, leave it to us." "I also need to go." "Ah, then—" He had to give in.At the same time, he complained again, saying: Women are sometimes more vicious than men. three Lieutenant-Colonel Haidak, as a naval officer deserves, was to be commended for being quick to understand the situation.Finally, he drove off in the car.Tang Mi sat next to him, followed by Brechelle, Mrs. Spurrow, and Qiu Peng.Mrs. Spurrow was always cuddling with Thompson, not only because she was so close to him, but because no one but Denimo could have recognized the mysterious kidnapper. Lieutenant Colonel Haidak's organizational skills were strong and he moved quickly. After a while, he filled the gasoline.He threw a local map and a larger map of Lehanton to Brechelle, and prepared to go. Mrs. Spurrow went upstairs again, probably to get a coat.However, when she got back to the car and everyone started down the mountain, she took out something from her handbag and showed it to Qiu Peng. It turned out to be a small ocean umbrella. She said calmly: "It was taken out of Major Brechelle's room. I remember him mentioning such things one day." Qiu Peng showed a dubious look on his face. "Do you think it will!" Mrs. Spurrow's lips formed a thin line. "Maybe it will be useful." Qiu Peng sat in the car, feeling very surprised.She thought: What a strange power a common young woman's motherly nature can exert when necessary.A woman like Mrs. Spurrow, who would turn pale with fright at the sight of a gun, would take it easy to kill someone who hurt her child.This, she can imagine. On the advice of the lieutenant colonel, their cars arrived at the station first.There was a train leaving Lehanton about twenty minutes ago, and the desperadoes might take that train. When they arrived at the station, they split up to look for it.The lieutenant colonel asked the ticket inspector, Tang Mi asked at the ticket office, and Brechley asked the porter outside.Choppon and Mrs. Spurrow went to the ladies' room to look it up, because maybe the woman would get a makeover in there before she could hitchhike. None of them got anything.Now it is even more difficult to determine what to do.Nine times out of ten, Lieutenant Colonel Haidak pointed out, those who abducted Betty had cars waiting.When the woman coaxes her away, she can jump up and escape.At the same time, Major Brechelle once again pointed out that cooperation with the police station is absolutely necessary in such a place.It takes an agency like that to get in touch with all parts of the country and check all the roads. Mrs. Spurrow just shook her head, her lips drawn tight. Qiu Peng said: "We have to think about it. Where will their cars be waiting? Naturally, the closer to the Xiaoyao Hotel, the better. However, we must find a place where people can't see the cars. Now, let's think based on this What was the situation: The woman and Betty walked down the hill to the bottom of the beach playground. The car is probably parked there. You can park there for a long time as long as you don't forget to take care of it. Other possible parks, Only the car park at James Square, which is also very close to the Xiaoyao Hotel. And the quiet street that leads outside." At this moment, a person came over.This man is short, shy, wearing pince-nez, and has a bit of a stutter when speaking: "Yes... sorry... I hope... you don't blame me... but... I can't help listening to what you just said to the porter." Now he was addressing Major Brechelle. "Of course, I'm not listening to you specifically. I'm here to see if a package has arrived. Everything is so delayed these days. They say it's because of troop movements. But sometimes it's easy Damaged, so it's very difficult to do. I mean the package... So, it seems like a wonderful coincidence that I overheard your conversation..." Immediately Mrs. Spurrow jumped up and grabbed the man by the arm. "Did you see her? Did you see my little girl?" "Ah, really, you mean, is that your kid? Come to think of it—" "Tell me," said Mrs. Spurrow loudly, and the tips of her fingers dug into the man's arm, making him dodge.Qiu Peng immediately said: "Please tell us quickly what you have seen. We are very grateful if you do." "Ah, this - of course - may be irrelevant. But it fits well with what you say-" Qiu Peng felt that Mrs. Spurrow was shaking beside her, but she herself tried to look calm and unhurried.She knew what kind of person they were dealing with--mostly fussy, confused, unsure, unable to get straight to the point.If you urged him, he would be even more hesitant.So she said: "Then please tell us." "It's just—oh, I forgot to tell you, my name is Edward Roe." "Oh, Mr. Luo." "I live in Whiteway, Ernest Street. It's a new house on that new road. It's very well equipped and labor-saving. And it's got a good view, and it's a stone's throw from the prairie." Qiu Peng signaled with her eyes to stop Breqilei, because she had already seen that he was about to explode.she says: "So, you see the girl we're looking for?" "Yes, I suppose so. You said just now: a little girl and a foreign-looking woman, didn't you? That's really the woman I've been eyeing. Because, oh, of course, we've all been eyeing the enemy lately." Fifth Column, don't you think? Pay close attention, everyone says that. I've always wanted to do it. So, didn't I just say that? I noticed that woman, I think, was probably a nurse, or Daughter. There are many spies who came to England in this capacity. That woman looks very special. She is walking to the other side of the road, going to the grassland, and she is taking a little girl with her. The child seems very tired, a little I couldn't keep up with her. It was half-past seven, when the children were mostly in bed. So I paid special attention to her. She was disturbed, I thought, as she hurried past, Pulling the little girl behind. Finally she picks up the baby and walks up the path, up the rock. I find this weird. You know, because there's no house there, nothing, and you have to go to Newport Inhabited. It's about five miles across the prairie. It's a favorite route for hikers. But I find it odd in this situation, wondering if the woman is going to signal. About Enemy espionage, we hear too much. At the same time, when she saw me watching her intently, she was really disturbed." At this time, Major Brechelle had returned to the car and started the engine.He said: "On Ernis Road, you say? That's just the other side of town, isn't it?" "Yes. You'll walk along the waterfront, past the old town, and up—" Everyone else is now in the car.They no longer listen to Mr. Luo. Qiu Peng cried: “罗先生，谢谢你！”于是，他们的车子便开了，同时把罗先生撇在后面，目瞪口呆的望着他们。 他们的车子开得飞快，幸而没出车祸。原因与其说是车子开得好，不如说是运气好。但是，他们的运气继续维持下去。最后，来到一堆零落的房子前面，大概因为离瓦斯工厂近的关系，这一片房屋的发展多少受到阻碍。这里有一连串的小路通到草原，这些小路到离上山不远的地方突然断了。鄂尼斯路就是其中的第三条。 海达克中校很伶俐地将车开到那条路上，停了下来。到了尽头，那条路愈来愈小，一直通到荒山脚下，山脚下有一条羊肠小径，迂回的通到上面。 “最好在这里下车步行。”布列其雷少校说。海达克犹豫地说： “也许可以把车子开上去。地是够坚固的，有点儿不平，但是，我想车子是可以开过去的。” 斯普若太太叫道： “啊，是的，开吧，开呀……我们得快些。” 中校自言自语地说： “真希望我们没找错。那个打小报告的家伙所看见的，也许是随便一个带孩子的女人。” 车子在畸岖的小径上费力地开过去，同时发出很不自在的响声。这条路的倾斜度很陡，但是路上的草很短，而且那种土是有弹性的。他们总算安全地开到顶上。到这里，山那边的景色遮断的较少，可以一直望到远方白港的转弯处。 Blakely said: “这倒是不坏的想法。那女人在必要时可以在此处过夜，等到明天再下山到白港，再由那里搭火车逃走。” 海达克说： “一点也看不见她们的影子。” 他幸亏想得很周到，把望远镜带来了。现在，他正站在那儿，用望远镜看。他突然在镜子里望到两个小黑点，这时候，他立刻紧张起来。 “哎呀！我找到她们了……” 他再跳到车上，车子便拼命前进了。现在追的路程不远。车上的人忽而让车子颠得跳起来，忽而东倒西歪。他们终于很快就接近那两个小黑点了。现在，可以分辨清楚了。原来是一个高高的人形和一个矮矮的。如今离得更近了，是一个女人，手里抱着一个孩子。再近些，不错，可以看出是一个穿绿方格衣服的孩子，就是白蒂。 斯普若太太发出一声压抑的叫喊。 “好了，好了！亲爱的，”布列其雷少校说，一面亲切的拍拍她。“我们找到他们了。” 他们的车子继续前进。突然之间，那女人转过头来，看见汽车正朝着她开过去。 她突然大叫一声，将孩子抱起来，开始跑起来。 她并不是朝山岩上望，而是斜着看山岩。 过了几码路以后，车子再也开不过去了，因为地太不平而且路上有大的石块。车子停下来，车上的人都跳了出来。 斯普若太太先下车，正拼命追赶那两人。 其余的人跟着她追。 他们现在离她们不到二十码了。这时候，那个女人已经让他们追得无路可走。她现在正站在绝崖的边上。她发出一声沙哑的喊叫，把白蒂抓得更紧。 海达克叫道： “哎呀，她要把孩子扔到崖下了。” 那女人紧抓住白蒂，站在那儿。她由于极度的愤恨，脸色非常难看。她以沙哑的声音，讲了一句很长的话，可是她的话没一个人听得懂。她现在仍然紧抱着那孩子，不时望望下面坠下去有多深，离她站的地方不到一码。 看样子，她明明是威胁他们，要把孩子扔到崖下面。 他们都吓得呆在那里，一动也不动，生怕惹起一场大祸。 这时候，海达克拼命掏口袋，结果掏出一把手枪。 他喊道： “把孩子放下来，要不放下，我就要开枪了。” 那外国女人哈哈大笑，把孩子抱得更靠近她的胸脯，两个人已经不可分开了。 海达克嘟嘟喃喃地说： “我不敢开枪，会打中孩子的。” Tang Mi said: “那女人疯了，她可能一转眼就带着孩子跳下去。” 海达克又无可奈何地说： “我不敢开枪——” 但是，就在那一刹那，有一声枪响。接着，那女人便摇摇晃晃倒了下去，孩子仍抱在她的怀里。 于是，男的都跑了过去，斯普若太太摇摇晃晃地站在那里，手里的枪直冒烟，两眼瞪得大大的。 她僵僵地向前走了几步。 唐密在地上的两个人一旁跪下来，他先轻轻将她们转动一下，然后又看看那个女人——他以欣赏的态度，注视着她那种奇怪而野性的美丽面孔。那女人的眼睛睁开来，看看他，然后又露出发呆的样子，终于抽一口气，死了。原来子弹正中她的脑部。 小白蒂安然无恙。她挣扎着爬起来，直奔她母亲的方向。现在，斯普若太太正像一个石像似的站在那儿。 然后，她终于崩溃了。她把手枪扔掉，蹲到地上，将白蒂紧紧抱过去。 她叫道： “她没事——她没事——啊，白蒂——白蒂！”然后，她又低声地，很害怕地问： “我——把——那女人——打——死了？” 秋蓬坚定地说： “不要想它了，还是照顾白蒂罢，还是照顾白蒂罢。” 斯普若太太把孩子抱得更紧，一面直哭。 秋蓬走过去和他们站在一起。 海达克低声说： “他妈的，真是奇迹，要我就开不出那么一枪。我也不相信那女人以前玩过枪。这是奇迹，奇迹！” Qiu Peng said: “感谢主！只有分毫之差！”于是，她往下面望望要坠下海去的距离，不禁打了一个寒战。