“It was good of you,” Malone murmured.
她厉声说：“毕竟，麦克莱恩家族当年也是坐统舱过来的。”她站起来，站在壁炉前，双手深深地插在她黑色羊毛连衣裙的大侧兜里。“坐统舱，但坐的是最好的船之一。”
She said sharply, “After all, the McClanes came over in the steerage, too.” She rose and stood before the fireplace, her hands thrust deep in the huge side pockets of her black wool dress. “In the steerage, but one of the best boats.”
小主，
海伦几乎绝望地说：“马龙，我不能再等了。趁我们三个单独在这儿，告诉我……”
Helene said almost desperately, “Malone, I can’t wait any longer. While the three of us are alone here, tell me—”
她被洛特斯的回来打断了。文宁夫妇紧跟在她后面几步远的地方。迈克尔·文宁穿着花呢衣服，一只手拿着烟斗。海伦觉得为了使画面完整，他应该有一只纯种塞特猎犬在他脚边徘徊。伊迪莎·文宁没有显露出她前一晚经历的迹象，表面上很平静，但她眼睛里的光芒几乎是闪烁的，两团红晕高高地浮现在她的脸颊上。
She was interrupted by the return of Lotus. The Vennings were only a few steps behind her. Michael Venning was in tweeds and held a pipe in one hand. Helene thought to plete the picture he should have had a thoroughbred setter prowling at his heels. Editha Venning showed no signs of her experience of the night before and wore a show of outward calm, but the light in her eyes was almost a glitter, and two spots of color burned high on her cheeks.
“彭德利马上就下来。”洛特斯说。
“Pendley will be down in a minute,” Lotus said.
马龙又看了一眼他的手表。他不知道他是否应该拖延时间，等杰克到来。
Malone glanced at his watch again. He wondered if he ought to stall for time until Jake arrived.
“喝茶吗？”莫娜·麦克莱恩礼貌地问，“还是鸡尾酒？”
“Tea?” Mona McClane asked politely, “or cocktails.”
只有洛特斯要了茶。
Only Lotus took tea.
“年轻的罗斯·麦克劳林怎么样了？”伊迪莎·文宁问道。她的声音里有一种微弱的、颤抖的音调。
“How is young Ross McLaurin getting along?” Editha Venning asked. There was a faint, fluttering overtone in her voice.
“他在好转。”马龙告诉她，“我希望他是最后一个。这里似乎出现了一种流行病。”
“He’s improving,” Malone told her. “I hope he’s the last. There seems to have been something of an epidemic.”
就是现在，海伦告诉自己。她想知道每个人怎么能如此平静。该死的杰克，在这之前还没到。
This is it, Helene told herself. She wondered how everyone could be so calm. Damn Jake, for not getting here before this.
“阻止流行病的唯一方法，”马龙非常平静地补充道，“是追踪感染源并将其清除。”
“The only way to stop an epidemic,” Malone added very quietly, “is to trace the carrier of the infection and remove it.”
没有人说话。
No one spoke.
突然，他重重地放下鸡尾酒杯，站起来，踢了一下木柴。
Suddenly he set his cocktail glass down hard, rose, and kicked at the firelog.
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“我不知道我到底在做什么。”他几乎生气地说，“这不是我的角色。当我阻止一场犯罪时，我是在违背自己的利益。我的工作是等到犯罪发生，警察完成他们的工作。然后我就有了一个客户、一场审判、一次无罪释放和一笔费用。这才是应该的运作方式。”他转过身面对他们。“尽管如此，我必须阻止这场犯罪。我不能让她这么做。”他紧紧地盯着迈克尔·文宁。“你当然知道她计划杀了你，不是吗？”
“I don’t know what the devil I’m doing this for,” he said almost angrily. “This isn’t my role. I’m going against my own interests when I prevent a crime. My business is to wait until the crime has been mitted and the police have done their work. Then I have myself a client, a trial, an acquittal, and a fee. That’s how it’s supposed to work.” He wheeled around to face them. “Just the same, I’ve got to prevent this crime. I can’t let her do it.” He looked hard at Michael Venning. “You know, of course, that she’s planned to kill you, don’t you?”
迈克尔·文宁跳了起来，把杯子弄掉了。“我不相信。”
Michael Venning jumped up, dropping his glass. “I don’t believe it.”
“是真的。”马龙疲倦地说。他向那个大个子做了个手势，那个人又坐了下来，笔直地坐在椅子边上。“她计划这么做，但不能以这种方式发生。”
“It’s true,” Malone said wearily. He gestured at the big man who sat down again, sitting very straight on the edge of his chair. “She planned to, but it can’t happen this way.”
伊迪莎·文宁用嘶哑、紧张的声音说：“你一定是疯了！”然后突然安静了下来。
Editha Venning said. “You must be insane!” in a hoarse, strained voice, and suddenly was quiet.
马龙似乎没有听到她的话。他还没来得及再说一句话，彭德利·泰德韦尔就跑下楼梯，在门口停了下来，手里拿着一小条照片。
Malone didn’t seem to have heard her. Before he could say another word, Pendley Tidewell came racing down the stairs and paused in the doorway, a small strip of pictures in his hand.
“我拿到了！”他叫道，“成功了！伊迪莎阿姨，这显示……”他停了下来。“大家到底是怎么了？”
“I’ve got it!” he exclaimed. “It worked! Aunt Editha, it shows—” he paused. “What the hell is the matter with everybody?”
“我想我知道那些照片显示了什么。”马龙平静地说，“先拿着它们等一会儿。”他又说，“你一定是用紫外线拍的。”
“I think I know what those pictures show,” Malone said calmly. “Just hold on to them for a minute.” He added, “You must have taken them with an ultra-violet light.”
小主，
“我是用紫外线拍的。”彭德利说，“但你怎么知道的？”