Вбивство на поле для гольфу
8. An Unexpected Meeting
Itwascertainlyhot.Iturnedupthepathwehadtakenthedaybefore.Ihadamindtostudythesceneofthecrimemyself.Ididnotgodirectlytothespot,however,butturnedasideintothebushes,soastocomeoutonthelinkssomehundredyardsorsofurthertotheright.IfGiraudwerestillonthespot,Iwantedtoobservehismethodsbeforeheknewofmypresence.Buttheshrubberyherewasmuchdenser,andIhadquiteastruggletoforcemywaythrough.WhenIemergedatlastonthecourse,itwasquiteunexpectedlyandwithsuchvigourthatIcannonedheavilyintoayoungladywhohadbeenstandingwithherbacktotheplantation.
Shenotunnaturallygaveasuppressedshriek,butI,too,utteredanexclamationofsurprise.Foritwasmyfriendofthetrain,Cinderella!
Thesurprisewasmutual.
“You,”webothexclaimedsimultaneously.
Theyoungladyrecoveredherselffirst.
“MyonlyAunt!”sheexclaimed.“Whatareyoudoinghere?”
“Forthematterofthat,whatareyou?”Iretorted.
“WhenlastIsawyou,thedaybeforeyesterday,youweretrottinghometoEnglandlikeagoodlittleboy.Havetheygivenyouaseasontickettoandfro,onthestrengthofyourM.P.?”
Iignoredtheendofthespeech.
“WhenlastIsawyou,”Isaid,“youweretrottinghomewithyoursister,likeagoodlittlegirl.Bytheway,howisyoursister?”
Aflashofwhiteteethrewardedme.
“Howkindofyoutoask!Mysisteriswell,Ithankyou.”
“Sheisherewithyou?”
“Sheremainedintown,”saidtheminxwithdignity.
“Idon’tbelieveyou’vegotasister,”Ilaughed.
