《蓝色特快上的秘密-蓝色列车之谜-蓝色列车(英文版)》蓝色列车之谜-蓝色列车(英文版)-第23章

〃Marvellous　luck；〃　murmured　Chubby。　〃I　wish　I　could　have　gone　along　with　you　…　and　seen　…　all　the　exhibits。〃　
His　tone　was　wistful　and　childlike。　
Katherine　said　nothing。　The　police　had　laid　no　injunctions　of　secrecy　upon　her；　and　it　was　clearly　impossible　to　suppress　the　bare　facts　or　try　to　keep　them　from　her　hostess。　
But　she　did　rather　wish　it　had　been　possible　to　do　so。　
〃Yes；〃　said　Lady　Tamplin；　ing　suddenly　out　of　her　reverie；　〃I　do　think　something　might　be　done。　A　little　account；　you　know；　cleverly　written　up。　An　eyewitness；　a　feminine　touch：　"How　I　chatted　with　the　dead　woman；　little　thinking　…"　that　sort　of　thing；　you　know。〃　
〃Rot！〃　said　Lenox。　
〃You　have　no　idea；〃　said　Lady　Tamplin　in　a　soft；　wistful　voice；　〃what　newspapers　will　pay　for　a　little　tit…bit！　Written；　of　course；　by　someone　of　really　unimpeachable　social　position。　You　would　not　like　to　do　it　yourself；　I　dare　say；　Katherine　dear；　but　just　give　me　the　bare　bones　of　it；　and　I　will　manage　the　whole　thing　for　you。　Mr　de　Haviland　is　a　special　friend　of　mine。　We　have　a　little　understanding　together。　A　most　delightful　man　…　not　at　all　reporterish。　How　does　the　idea　strike　you；　Katherine？〃　
〃I　would　much　prefer　to　do　nothing　of　the　kind；〃　said　Katherine　bluntly。　
Lady　Tamplin　was　rather　disconcerted　at　this　unpromising　refusal。　She　sighed　and　turned　to　the　elucidation　of　further　details。　
〃A　very　striking…looking　woman；　you　said？　I　wonder　now　who　she　could　have　been。　You　didn"t　hear　her　name？〃　
〃It　was　mentioned；〃　Katherine　admitted；　〃but　I　can"t　remember　it。　You　see；　I　was　rather　upset。〃　
〃I　should　think　so；〃　said　Mr　Evans；　〃it　must　have　been　a　beastly　shock。〃　
It　is　to　be　doubted　whether；　even　if　Katherine　had　remembered　the　name；　she　would　have　admitted　the　fact。　Lady　Tamplin"s　remorseless　cross…examination　was　making　her　restive。　Lenox；　who　was　observant　in　her　own　way；　noticed　this；　and　offered　to　take　Katherine　upstairs　to　see　her　room。　She　left　her　there；　remarking　kindly　before　she　went；　〃You　mustn"t　mind　Mother；　she　would　make　a　few　pennies"　profit　out　of　her　dying　grandmother　if　she　could。〃　
Lenox　went　down　again　to　find　her　mother　and　her　stepfather　discussing　the　newer。　
〃Presentable；〃　said　Lady　Tamplin；　〃quite　presentable。　Her　clothes　are　all　right。　That　grey　thing　is　the　same　model　that　Gladys　Cooper　wore　in　Palm　Trees　in　Egypt　…〃　
〃Have　you　noticed　her　eyes　…　what？〃　interposed　Mr　Evans。　
〃Never　mind　her　eyes；　Chubby；〃　said　Lady　Tamplin　tartly；　〃we　are　discussing　the　things　that　really　matter。〃　
〃Oh；　quite；〃　said　Mr　Evans；　and　retired　into　his　shell。　
〃She　doesn"t　seem　to　me　very　…　malleable；〃　said　Lady　Tamplin；　rather　hesitating　to　choose　the　right　word。　
〃She　has　all　the　instincts　of　a　lady；　as　they　say　in　books；〃　said　Lenox；　with　a　grin。　
〃Narrow…minded；〃　murmured　Lady　Tamplin。　〃Inevitable　under　the　circumstances；　I　suppose。〃　
〃I　expect　you　will　do　your　best　to　broaden　her；〃　said　Lenox；　with　a　grin；　〃but　you　will　have　your　work　cut　out。　Just　now；　you　noticed；　she　stuck　down　her　forefeet　and　laid　back　her　ears　and　refused　to　budge。〃　
〃Anyway；〃　said　Lady　Tamplin　hopefully；　〃she　doesn"t　look　to　me　at　all　mean。　Some　people；　when　they　e　into　money；　seem　to　attach　undue　importance　to　it。〃　
〃Oh；　you"ll　easily　touch　her　for　what　you　want；〃　said　Lenox；　〃and；　after　all；　that　is　all　that　matters；　isn"t　it？　That　is　what　she　is　here　for。〃　
〃She　is　my　own　cousin；〃　said　Lady　Tamplin；　with　dignity。　
〃Cousin；　eh？〃　said　Mr　Evans；　waking　up　again。　〃I　suppose　I　call　her　Katherine；　don"t　I？〃　
〃It　is　of　no　importance　at　all　what　you　call　her；　Chubby；〃　said　Lady　Tamplin。　
〃Good；〃　said　Mr　Evans；　〃then　I　will。　Do　you　suppose　she　plays　tennis？〃　he　added　hopefully。　
〃Of　course　not；〃　said　Lady　Tamplin。　〃She　has　been　a　panion；　I　tell　you。　panions　don"t　play　tennis　…　or　golf。　They　might　possibly　play　golf…croquet；　but　I　have　always　understood　that　they　wind　wool　and　wash　dogs　most　of　the　day。〃　
〃O　God！〃　said　Mr　Evans；　〃do　they　really？〃　
Lenox　drifted　upstairs　again　to　Katherine"s　room。　〃Can　I　help　you？〃　she　asked　rather　perfunctorily。　
On　Katherine"s　disclaimer；　Lenox　sat　on　the　edge　of　the　bed　and　stared　thoughtfully　at　her　guest。　
〃Why　did　you　e？〃　she　said　at　last。　〃To　us；　I　mean。　We"re　not　your　sort。〃　
〃Oh；　I　am　anxious　to　get　into　Society。〃　
〃Don"t　be　an　ass；〃　said　Lenox　promptly　detecting　the　flicker　of　a　smile。　〃You　know　what　I　mean　well　enough。　You　are　not　a　bit　what　I　thought　you　would　be。　I　say；　you　have　got　some　decent　clothes。〃　
She　sighed。　〃Clothes　are　no　good　to　me。　I　was　born　awkward。　It"s　a　pity；　because　I　love　them。〃　
〃I　love　them　too；〃　said　Katherine；　〃but　it　has　not　been　much　use　my　loving　them　up　to　now。　Do　you　think　this　is　nice？〃　
She　and　Lenox　discussed　several　models　with　artistic　fervour。　
〃I　like　you；〃　said　Lenox　suddenly。　〃I　came　up　to　warn　you　not　to　be　taken　in　by　Mother；　but　I　think　now　that　there　is　no　need　to　do　that。　You　are　frightfully　sincere　and　upright　and　all　those　queer　things；　but　you　are　not　a　fool。　Oh　hell！　what　is　it　now？〃　
Lady　Tamplin"s　voice　was　calling　plaintively　from　the　hall：　
〃Lenox；　Derek　has　just　rung　up。　He　wants　to　e　to　dinner　tonight。　Will　it　be　all　right？　I　mean；　we　haven"t　got　anything　awkward；　like　quails；　have　we？〃　
Lenox　reassured　her　and　came　back　into　Katherine"s　room。　Her　face　looked　brighter　and　less　sullen。　
〃I"m　glad　old　Derek　is　ing；〃　she　said；　〃you"ll　like　him。〃　
〃Who　is　Derek？〃　
〃He　is　Lord　Leconbury"s　son；　married　a　rich　American　woman。　Women　are　simply　potty　about　him。〃　
〃Why？〃　
〃Oh；　the　usual　reason　…　very　good…looking　and　a　regular　bad　lot。　Everyone　goes　off　their　head　about　him。〃　
〃Do　you？〃　
〃Sometimes　I　do；〃　said　Lenox；　〃and　sometimes　I　think　I　would　like　to　marry　a　nice　curate　and　live　in　the　country　and　grow　things　in　frames。〃　She　paused　a　minute；　and　then　added；　〃An　Irish　curate　would　be　best；　and　then　I　should　hunt。〃　
After　a　minute　or　two　she　reverted　to　her　former　theme。　〃There　is　something　queer　about　Derek。　All　that　family　are　a　bit　potty　…　mad　gamblers；　you　know。　In　the　old　days　they　used　to　gamble　away　their　wives　and　their　estates；　and　did　most　r