加勒比海之谜(英文版)-第31部分

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　face　powders　sometimes。〃

〃You　seem　to　be　very　knowledgeable　on　the　subject；〃　said　Miss　Marple。

〃Worked　in　the　pharmaceutical　line　for　a　bit；〃　said　Jackson。　〃One　learns　to　know　a　good　deal　about　cosmetics　there。　Put　stuff　in　a　fancy　jar；　package　it　expensively；　and　it's　astonishing　what　you　could　rook　women　for。〃

〃Is　that　what　you？〃　Miss　Marple　broke　off　deliberately。

〃Well　no；　I　didn't　e　in　here　to　talk　about　cosmetics；〃　Jackson　agreed。

〃You've　not　had　much　time　to　think　up　a　lie；〃　thought　Miss　Marple　to　herself。　〃Let's　see　what　you'll　e　out　with。〃

〃Matter　of　fact；〃　said　Jackson；　〃Mrs。　Walters　lent　her　lipstick　to　Mrs。　Kendal　the　other　day。　I　came　in　to　get　it　back　for　her。　I　tapped　on　the　window　and　then　I　saw　Mrs。　Kendal　was　fast　asleep；　so　I　thought　it　would　be　quite　all　right　if　I　just　walked　across　into　the　bathroom　and　looked　for　it。〃

〃I　see；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃And　did　you　find　it？〃

Jackson　shook　his　head。　〃Probably　in　one　of　her　handbags；〃　he　said　lightly。　〃I　won't　bother。　Mrs。　Walters　didn't　make　a　point　of　it。　She　only　just　mentioned　it　casually。〃　He　went　on；　surveying　the　toilet　preparations：　〃Doesn't　have　very　much；　does　she？　Ah　well；　doesn't　need　it　at　her　age。　Good　natural　skin。〃

〃You　must　look　at　women　with　quite　a　different　eye　from　ordinary　men；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　smiling　pleasantly。

〃Yes。　I　suppose　various　jobs　do　alter　one's　angle。〃

〃You　know　a　good　deal　about　drugs？〃

〃Oh　yes。　Good　。　If　you　ask　me；　there　are　too　many　of　them　about　nowadays。　Too　many　tranquilisers　and　pep　pills　and　miracle　drugs　and　all　the　rest　of　it。　All　right　if　they're　given　on　prescription；　but　there　are　too　many　of　them　you　can　get　without　prescription。　Some　of　them　can　be　dangerous。〃

〃I　suppose　so；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃Yes；　I　suppose　so。〃

〃They　have　a　great　effect；　you　know；　on　behaviour。　A　lot　of　this　teenage　hysteria　you　get　from　time　to　time。　It's　not　natural　causes。　The　kids've　been　taking　things。　Oh；　there's　nothing　new　about　it。　It's　been　known　for　ages。　Out　in　the　Eastnot　that　I've　ever　been　thereall　sorts　of　funny　things　used　to　happen。　You'd　be　surprised　at　some　of　the　things　women　gave　their　husbands。　In　India；　for　example；　in　the　bad　old　days；　a　young　wife　who　married　an　old　husband。　Didn't　want　to　get　rid　of　him；　I　suppose；　because　she'd　have　been　burnt　on　the　funeral　pyre；　or　if　she　wasn't　burnt　she'd　have　been　treated　as　an　outcast　by　the　family。　No　catch　to　have　been　a　widow　in　India　in　those　days。　But　she　could　keep　an　elderly　husband　under　drugs；　make　him　semiimbecile；　give　him　hallucinations；　drive　him　more　or　less　off　his　head。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃Yes；　lot　of　dirty　work。〃

He　went　on：　〃And　witches；　you　know。　There's　a　lot　of　interesting　things　known　now　about　witches。　Why　did　they　always　confess；　why　did　they　admit　so　readily　that　they　were　witches；　that　they　had　flown　on　broomsticks　to　the　Witches'　Sabbath。〃

〃Torture；〃　said　Miss　Marple。

〃Not　always；〃　said　Jackson。　〃Oh　yes；　torture　accounted　for　a　lot　of　it；　but　they　came　out　with　some　of　those　confessions　almost　before　torture　was　mentioned。　They　didn't　so　much　confess　as　boast　about　it。　Well；　they　rubbed　themselves　with　ointments；　you　know。　Anointing　they　used　to　call　it。　Some　of　the　preparations；　belladonna；　atropine；　all　that　sort　of　thing；　if　you　rub　them　on　the　skin　they　give　you　hallucinations　of　levitation；　of　flying　through　the　air。　They　thought　it　all　was　genuine；　poor　devils。　And　look　at　the　Assassinsmedieval　people；　out　in　Syria；　the　Lebanon；　somewhere　like　that。　They　fed　them　Indian　hemp；　gave　them　hallucinations　of　paradise　and　houris；　and　endless　time。　They　were　told　that　that　was　what　would　happen　to　them　after　death；　but　to　attain　it　they　had　to　go　and　do　a　ritual　killing。　Oh；　I'm　not　putting　it　in　fancy　language；　but　that's　what　it　came　to。〃

〃What　it　came　to；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　〃is　in　essence　the　fact　that　people　are　highly　credulous。〃

〃Well　yes；　I　suppose　you　could　put　it　like　that。〃

〃They　believe　what　they　are　told；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃Yes　indeed；　we're　all　inclined　to　do　that；〃　she　added。　Then　she　said　sharply。　〃Who　told　you　these　stories　about　India；　about　the　doping　of　husbands　with　datura；〃　and　she　added　sharply；　before　he　could　answer；　〃Was　it　Major　Palgrave？〃

Jackson　looked　slightly　surprised。

〃Wellyes；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　it　was。　He　told　me　a　lot　of　stories　like　that。　Of　course　most　of　it　must　have　been　before　his　time；　but　he　seemed　to　know　all　about　it。〃

〃Major　Palgrave　was　under　the　impression　that　he　knew　a　lot　about　everything；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃He　was　often　inaccurate　in　what　he　told　people。〃　She　shook　her　head　thoughtfully。　〃Major　Palgrave；〃　she　said；　〃has　a　lot　to　answer　for。〃

There　was　a　slight　sound　from　the　adjoining　bedroom。　Miss　Marple　turned　her　head　sharply。　She　went　quickly　out　of　the　bathroom　into　the　bedroom。　Lucky　Dyson　was　standing　just　inside　the　window。

〃Ioh！　I　didn't　think　you　were　here；　Miss　Marple。〃

〃I　just　stepped　into　the　bathroom　for　a　moment；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　with　dignity　and　a　faint　air　of　Victorian　reserve。

In　the　bathroom；　Jackson　grinned　broadly。　Victorian　modesty　always　amused　him。

〃I　just　wondered　if　you'd　like　me　to　sit　with　Molly　for　a　bit；〃　said　Lucky。　She　looked　over　towards　the　bed。　〃She's　asleep；　isn't　she？〃

〃I　think　so；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃But　it's　really　quite　all　right。　You　go　and　amuse　yourself；　my　dear。　I　thought　you'd　gone　on　that　expedition？〃

〃I　was　going；〃　said　Lucky；　〃but　I　had　such　a　filthy　headache　that　at　the　last　moment　I　cried　off。　So　I　thought　I　might　as　well　make　myself　useful。〃

〃That　was　very　nice　of　you；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　She　reseated　herself　by　the　bed　and　resumed　her　knitting；　〃but　I'm　quite　happy　here。〃

Lucky　hesitated　for　a　moment　or　two　and　then　turned　away　and　went　out。

Miss　Marple　waited　a　moment　then　tiptoed　back　into　the　bathroom；　but　Jackson　had　departed；　no　doubt　through　the　other　door。　Miss　Marple　picked　up　the　jar　of　face　cream　he　had　been　holding；　and　slipped　it　into　her　pocket。



Chapter　22

A　MAN　IN　HER　LIFE



Getting　a　little　chat　in　a　natural　manner　with　Dr。　Graham　was　not　so　easy　as　Miss　Marple　had　hoped。　She　was　particularly　anxious　not　to　approach　him　directly　since　she　did　not　want　to　lend　undue　importance　to　the　questions　she　was　going　to　ask　him。

Tim　was　back；　looking　after　Molly　and　Miss　Marple　had　arranged　that　she　should　relieve　him　there　during　the　time　that　dinner　was　served　and　he　was　needed　in　the　dining　room。　He　had　assured　her　that　Mrs。　Dyson　was　quite　willing　to　take　that　on；　or　even　Mrs。　Hillingdon；　but　Miss　Marple　said　firmly　that　they　were　both　young　women　who　liked　enjoying　themselves　and　that　she　herself　preferred　a　light　meal　early　and　so　that　would　suit　everybody。　Tim　once　again　thanked　her　warmly。　Hovering　rather　uncertainly　round　the　hotel　and　on　the　pathway　which　connected　with　various　bungalows；　among　them　Dr。　Graham's；　Miss　Marple　tried　to　plan　what　she　was　going　to　do　next。

She　had　a　lot　of　confused　and　contradictory　ideas　in　her　head　and　if　there　was　one　thing　that　Miss　Marple　did　not　like；　it　was　to　have　confused　and　contradictory　ideas。　This　whole　business　had　started　out　clearly　enough。　Major　Palgrave　with　his　regrettable　capacity　for　telling　stories；　his　indiscretion　that　had　obviously　been　overheard　and　the　corollary；　his　death　within　twentyfour　hours。　Nothing　difficult　about　that；　thought　Miss　Marple。　But　afterwards；　she　was　forced　to　admit；　there　was　nothing　but　difficulty。

Everything　pointed　in　too　many　different　directions　at　once。　Once　admit　that　you　didn't　believe　a　word　that　anybody　had　said　to　you；　that　nobody　could　be　trusted；　and　that　many　of　the　persons　with　whom　she　had　conversed　here　had　had　regrettable　resemblances　to　certain　persons　at　St。　Mary　Mead；　and　where　did　that　lead　you？　Her　mind　was　increasingly　focused　on　the　victim。　Someone　was　going　to　be　killed　and　she　had　the　increasing　feeling　that　she　ought　to　know　quite　well　who　that　someone　was。

There　had　been　something。　Something　she　had　heard？　Noticed？　Seen？

Something　someone　had　told　her　that　had　a　bearing　on　the　case。　Joan　Prescott？　Joan　Prescott　had　said　a　lot　of　things　about　a　lot　of　people。　Scandal？　Gossip？　What　exactly　had　Joan　Prescot