加勒比海之谜(英文版)-第5部分

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word。　They　were　more　in　the　nature　of　an　Act　of　God。　There　was　rain；　short　violent　rainfall　that　lasted　five　minutes　and　stopped　abruptly。　Everything　and　everyone　was　wringing　wet；　but　in　another　five　minutes　they　were　dry　again。

The　black　West　Indian　girl　smiled　and　said　GoodMorning　as　she　placed　the　tray　on　Miss　Marple's　knees。　Such　lovely　white　teeth　and　so　happy　and　smiling。　Nice　natures；　all　these　girls；　and　a　pity　they　were　so　averse　to　getting　married。　It　worried　Canon　Prescott　a　good　deal。　Plenty　of　christenings；　he　said；　trying　to　console　himself；　but　no　weddings。　Miss　Marple　ate　her　breakfast　and　decided　how　she　would　spend　her　day。

It　didn't　really　take　much　deciding。　She　would　get　up　at　her　leisure；　moving　slowly　because　it　was　rather　hot　and　her　fingers　weren't　as　nimble　as　they　used　to　be。　Then　she　would　rest　for　ten　minutes　or　so；　and　she　would　take　her　knitting　and　walk　slowly　along　towards　the　hotel　and　decide　where　she　would　settle　herself。　On　the　terrace　overlooking　the　sea？　Or　should　she　go　on　to　the　bathing　beach　to　watch　the　bathers　and　the　children？　Usually　it　was　the　latter。　In　the　afternoon；　after　her　rest；　she　might　take　a　drive。　It　really　didn't　matter　very　much。

Today　would　be　a　day　like　any　other　day；　she　said　to　herself。　Only；　of　course；　it　wasn't。

Miss　Marple　carried　out　her　programme　as　planned　and　was　slowly　making　her　way　along　the　path　towards　the　hotel　when　she　met　Molly　Kendal。　For　once　that　sunny　young　woman　was　not　smiling。　Her　air　of　distress　was　so　unlike　her　that　Miss　Marple　said　immediately：　〃My　dear；　is　anything　wrong？〃

Molly　nodded。　She　hesitated　and　then　said：　''Well；　you'll　have　to　knoweveryone　will　have　to　know。　It's　Major　Palgrave。　He's　dead。〃

〃Dead？〃

〃Yes。　He　died　in　the　night。〃

〃Oh　dear；　I　am　sorry。〃

〃Yes；　it's　horrid　having　a　death　here。　It　makes　everyone　depressed。　Of　coursehe　was　quite　old。〃

〃He　seemed　quite　well　and　cheerful　yesterday；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　slightly　resenting　this　calm　assumption　that　everyone　of　advanced　years　was　liable　to　die　at　any　minute。

〃He　had　high　blood　pressure；〃　said　Molly。

〃But　surely　there　are　things　one　takes　nowadayssome　kind　of　pill。　Science　is　so　wonderful。〃

〃Oh　yes；　but　perhaps　he　fot　to　take　his　pills；　or　took　too　many　of　them。　Like　insulin；　you　know。〃

Miss　Marple　did　not　think　that　diabetes　and　high　blood　pressure　were　at　all　the　same　kind　of　thing。　She　asked。　〃What　does　the　doctor　say？〃

〃Oh；　Dr。　Graham；　who's　practically　retired　now；　and　lives　in　the　hotel；　took　a　look　at　him；　and　the　local　people　came　officially；　of　course；　to　give　a　death　certificate；　but　it　all　seems　quite　straightforward。　This　kind　of　thing　is　quite　liable　to　happen　when　you　have　high　blood　pressure；　especially　if　you　overdo　the　alcohol；　and　Major　Palgrave　was　really　very　naughty　that　way。　Last　night；　for　instance。〃

〃Yes；　I　noticed；〃　said　Miss　Marple。

〃He　probably　fot　to　take　his　pills。　It　is　bad　luck　for　the　old　boybut　people　can't　live　forever；　can　they？　But　it's　terribly　worryingfor　me　and　Tim；　I　mean。　People　might　suggest　it　was　something　in　the　food。〃

〃But　surely　the　symptoms　of　food　poisoning　and　of　blood　pressure　are　quite　different？〃

〃Yes。　But　people　do　say　things　so　easily。　And　if　people　decided　the　food　was　badand　leftor　told　their　friends〃

〃I　really　don't　think　you　need　worry；　said　Miss　Marple　kindly。　〃As　you　say；　an　elderly　man　like　Major　Palgravehe　must　have　been　over　seventyis　quite　liable　to　die。　To　most　people　it　will　seem　quite　an　ordinary　occurrencesad；　but　not　out　of　the　way　at　all。〃

〃If　only；〃　said　Molly　unhappily；　〃it　hadn't　been　so　sudden。〃

Yes；　it　had　been　very　sudden　Miss　Marple　thought　as　she　walked　slowly　on。　There　he　had　been　last　night；　laughing　and　talking　in　the　best　of　spirits　with　the　Hillingdons　and　the　Dysons。

The　Hillingdons　and　the　Dysons。。。

Miss　Marple　walked　more　slowly　still。。。

Finally　she　stopped　abruptly。　Instead　of　going　to　the　bathing　beach　she　settled　herself　in　a　shady　corner　of　the　terrace。　She　took　out　her　knitting　and　the　needles　clicked　rapidly　as　though　they　were　trying　to　match　the　speed　of　her　thoughts。　She　didn't　like　itno　she　didn't　like　it。　It　came　so　pat。

She　went　over　the　occurrences　of　yesterday　in　her　mind。

Major　Palgrave　and　his　stories。。。

That　was　all　as　usual　and　one　didn't　need　to　listen　very　closely。。。　Perhaps；　though；　it　would　have　been　better　if　she　had。

Kenyahe　had　talked　about　Kenya　and　then　Indiathe　North　West　Frontierand　thenfor　some　reason　they　had　got　on　to　murder　And　even　then　she　hadn't　really　been　listening。。。　Some　famous　case　that　had　taken　place　out　herethat　had　been　in　the　newspapers　It　was　after　thatwhen　he　picked　up　her　ball　of　woolthat　he　had　begun　telling　her　about　a　snapshot　A　snapshot　of　a　murdererthat　is　what　he　had　said。

Miss　Marple　closed　her　eyes　and　tried　to　remember　just　exactly　how　that　story　had　gone。

It　had　been　rather　a　confused　storytold　to　the　Major　in　his　Clubor　in　somebody　else's　clubtold　him　by　a　doctorwho　had　heard　it　from　another　doctorand　one　doctor　had　taken　a　snapshot　of　someone　ing　through　a　front　doorsomeone　who　was　a　murderer

Yes；　that　was　itthe　various　details　were　ing　back　to　her　now。　And　he　had　offered　to　show　her　that　snapshot。　He　had　got　out　his　wallet　and　begun　hunting　through　its　contentstalking　all　the　time。　And　then　still　talking；　he　had　looked　uphad　lookednot　at　herbut　at　something　behind　herbehind　her　right　shoulder　to　be　accurate。　And　he　had　stopped　talking；　his　face　had　gone　purpleand　he　had　started　stuffing　back　everything　into　his　wallet　with　slightly　shaky　hands　and　had　begun　talking　in　a　loud　unnatural　voice　about　elephant　tusks！

A　moment　or　two　later　the　Hillingdons　and　the　Dysons　had　joined　them。。。

It　was　then　that　she　had　turned　her　head　over　her　right　shoulder　to　look。。。　But　there　had　been　nothing　and　nobody　to　see。

To　her　left；　some　distance　away；　in　the　direction　of　the　hotel；　there　had　been　Tim　Kendal　and　his　wife；　and　beyond　them　a　family　group　of　Venezuelans。　But　Major　Palgrave　had　not　been　looking　in　that　direction。。。　Miss　Marple　meditated　until　lunch　time。　After　lunch　she　did　not　go　for　a　drive。　Instead　she　sent　a　message　to　say　that　she　was　not　feeling　very　well；　and　to　ask　if　Dr。　Graham　would　be　kind　enough　to　e　and　see　her。



Chapter　4

MISS　MARPLE　SEEKS　MEDICAL　ATTENTION



Dr。　Graham　was　a　kindly　elderly　man　of　about　sixtyfive。　He　had　practised　in　the　West　Indies　for　many　years；　but　was　now　semiretired；　and　left　most　of　his　work　to　his　West　Indian　partners。　He　greeted　Miss　Marple　pleasantly　and　asked　her　what　the　trouble　was。　Fortunately　at　Miss　Marple's　age；　there　was　always　some　ailment　that　could　be　discussed　with　slight　exaggerations　on　the　patient's　part。　Miss　Marple　hesitated　between　〃her　shoulder〃　and　〃her　knee〃；　but　finally　decided　upon　the　knee。　Miss　Marple's　knee；　as　she　would　have　put　it　to　herself；　was　always　with　her。

Dr。　Graham　was　exceedingly　kindly　but　he　refrained　from　putting　into　words　the　fact　that　at　her　time　of　life　such　troubles　were　only　to　be　expected。　He　prescribed　for　her　one　of　the　brands　of　useful　little　pills　that　form　the　basis　of　a　doctor's　prescriptions。　Since　he　knew　by　experience　that　many　elderly　people　could　be　lonely　when　they　first　came　to　St。　Honorй；　he　remained　for　a　while　gently　chatting。　〃A　very　nice　man；〃　thought　Miss　Marple　to　herself；　〃and　I　really　feel　rather　ashamed　of　having　to　tell　him　lies。　But　I　don't　quite　see　what　else　I　can　do。〃

Miss　Marple　had　been　brought　up　to　have　a　proper　regard　for　truth　and　was　indeed　by　nature　a　very　truthful　person。　But　on　certain　occasions；　when　she　considered　it　her　duty　so　to　do；　she　could　tell　lies　with　a　really　astonishing　verisimilitude。

She　cleared　her　throat；　uttered　an　apologetic　little　cough；　and　said；　in　an　oldladyish　and　slightly　twittering　manner：　〃There　is　something。　Dr。　Graham；　I　would　like　to　ask　you。　I　don't　really　like　mentioning　itbut　I　don't　quite　see　what　else　I　am　to　doalthough　of　course　it's　quite　unimportant　really。　But　you　see；　it's　important　to　me。　And　I　hope　you　will　understand　and　not　think　what　I　am　asking　is　tiresome　oror　unpardonable　in　any　way。〃

To　this　opening　Dr。　Graham　replied　kindly。　〃Something　is