死亡约会 Part II Chapter 4（3）

（单词翻译）

‘When we got round the bend, Dr Gerard and I caught up the others. We all walked together.

Then, after a while, Dr Gerard turned back. He had been looking rather queer for some time. Icould see he had fever. I wanted to go back with him, but he wouldn’t hear of it.’

‘What time was this?’

‘Oh! about four, I suppose.’

‘And the rest?’

‘We went on.’

‘Were you all together?’

‘At first. Then we split up.’ Sarah hurried on as though foreseeing the next question. ‘NadineBoynton and Mr Cope went one way and Carol, Lennox, Raymond and I went another.’

‘And you continued like that?’

‘Well—no. Raymond Boynton and I separated from the others. We sat down on a slab¹ of rockand admired the wildness of the scenery. Then he went off and I stayed where I was for some timelonger. It was about half-past five when I looked at my watch and realized I had better get back. Ireached the camp at six o’clock. It was just about sunset.’

‘You passed Mrs Boynton on the way?’

‘I noticed she was still in her chair up on the ridge².’

‘That did not strike you as odd—that she had not moved?’

‘No, because I had seen her sitting there the night before when we arrived.’

‘I see. Continuez.’

‘I went into the marquee. The others were all there—except Dr Gerard. I washed and then cameback. They brought in dinner and one of the servants went to tell Mrs Boynton. He came runningback to say she was ill. I hurried out. She was sitting in her chair just as she had been, but as soonas I touched her I realized she was dead.’

‘You had no doubt at all as to her death being natural?’

‘None whatever. I had heard that she suffered from heart trouble, though no specified³ diseasehad been mentioned.’

‘You simply thought she had died sitting there in her chair?’

‘Yes.’

‘Without calling out for assistance?’

‘Yes. It happens that way sometimes. She might even have died in her sleep. She was quitelikely to have dozed⁴ off. In any case, all the camp was asleep most of the afternoon. No one wouldhave heard her unless she had called very loud.’

‘Did you form an opinion as to how long she had been dead?’

‘Well, I didn’t really think very much about it. She had clearly been dead some time.’

‘What do you call some time?’ asked Poirot.

‘Well—over an hour. It might have been much longer. The refraction of the rock would keepher body from cooling quickly.’

‘Over an hour? Are you aware, Mademoiselle King, that Raymond Boynton spoke⁵ to her only alittle over half an hour earlier, and that she was then alive and well?’

Now her eyes no longer met his. But she shook her head. ‘He must have made a mistake. Itmust have been earlier than that.’

‘No, mademoiselle, it was not.’

She looked at him point-blank. He noticed again the firm set of her mouth.

‘Well,’ said Sarah, ‘I’m young and I haven’t got much experience of dead bodies—but I knowenough to be quite sure of one thing. Mrs Boynton had been dead at least an hour when Iexamined her body!’

‘That,’ said Hercule Poirot unexpectedly, ‘is your story and you are going to stick to it! Thencan you explain why Mr Boynton should say his mother was alive when she was, in point of fact,dead?’

‘I’ve no idea,’ said Sarah. ‘They’re probably rather vague about times, all of them! They’re avery nervy family.’

‘On how many occasions, mademoiselle, have you spoken with them?’

Sarah was silent a moment, frowning a little.

‘I can tell you exactly,’ she said. ‘I talked to Raymond Boynton in the wagons-lits corridorcoming to Jerusalem. I had two conversations with Carol Boynton—one at the Mosque⁶ of Omarand one late that evening in my bedroom. I had a conversation with Mrs Lennox Boynton thefollowing morning. That’s all—up to the afternoon of Mrs Boynton’s death, when we all wentwalking together.’

‘You did not have any conversation with Mrs Boynton herself?’

Sarah flushed uncomfortably.

‘Yes. I exchanged a few words with her on the day she left Jerusalem.’ She paused and thenblurted out: ‘As a matter of fact, I made a fool of myself.’

‘Ah?’

The interrogation was so patent that, stiffly and unwillingly⁷, Sarah gave an account of theconversation.

Poirot seemed interested and cross-examined her closely.

‘The mentality⁸ of Mrs Boynton—it is very important in this case,’ he said. ‘And you are anoutsider—an unbiased observer. That is why your account of her is very significant.’

Sarah did not reply. She still felt hot and uncomfortable when she thought of that interview.

‘Thank you, mademoiselle,’ said Poirot. ‘I will now converse⁹ with the other witnesses.’

Sarah rose. ‘Excuse me, M. Poirot, but if I might make a suggestion—’

‘Certainly. Certainly.’

‘Why not postpone¹⁰ all this until an autopsy¹¹ can be made and you discover whether or not yoursuspicions are justified¹²? I think all this is rather like putting the cart before the horse.’

Poirot waved a grandiloquent¹³ hand. ‘This is the method of Hercule Poirot,’ he announced.

Pressing her lips together, Sarah left the room.