Text B The Companion（第2页）

“Ithiofollow，”saidSirHenry。

“Yes，”saidDr。Lloyd，“there’smoretofollow。Yhtattherimetherewas。OfcourseIaskedquestionsofthefishermeowhatthey’dseen。Theywereeye-witnesses。Andonewomanhadratherafunnystory。Ididn’tpayaoitatthetime，butitcamebaeafterwards。Sheinsisted，yousee，thatMissDurrantwasn’tindifficultieswhenshecalledout。Theotherswamouttoherand，agtothiswomaelyheldMissDurrant’sheaduer。Ididn’t，asIsay，paymution。Itwassutasticstory，ahingslooksodifferentlyfromtheshore。MissBartonmighthavetriedtomakeherfriendloseess，realizingthatthelatter’spanigwoulddrowh。Yousee，agtotheSpanishwoman’sstory，itlookedasthough—well，asthoughMissBartoelytryingtodrownherpanion。

“AsIsay，Ipaidverylittleattentiontothisstoryatthetime。Itcamebaelater。reatdifficultywastofindoutanythingaboutthiswoman，AmyDurraseemtohaveaions。MissBartohrstogether。Wefoundoneaddressahere，butitprovedtobesimplyaroomshehadtakeninwhichts。Thelahing，hadonlyseeooktheroom。MissDurrathetimethatshealwayslikedtohaveoneplaceshecouldcallherowntowhichshecouldreturnataherewereowonicepiecesofoldfurnitureandsomeboundnumbersofAcademypidatrunkfullofpieaterialboughtatsales，butnopersonalbeloiohelandladythatherfatherandmotherhaddiedinIndiawhenshewasadthatshehadbeenbroughtupbyanunclewhowasa，butshedidnotsayifhewasherfather’sorhermother’sbrother，sothenamewasnoguide。”

“Itwaslymysterious，itwasjustunsatisfactory。Theremustbemanylonelywomen，prouda，injustthatposition。ThereleofphotographsamingsinLasPalmas—ratheroldaheyhadbeencuttofittheframestheywerein，sothattherehotographer’shem，andtherewasanolddaguerreotypewhichmighthavebeeherormoreprrandmother。

“MissBartonhadhadtworeferehher。Oneshehadfottehernamesherecollectedafteraprovedtobethatofaladyabroad，haviralia。Shewaswrittento。Heranswer，ofcourse，wasalongtimeining，andImaysaythatwhenitdidarrivetherearticularhelptobegai。ShesaidMissDurrahheraspanionaeffidthatshewasaverygwoman，butthatshekhieaffairsorrelations。”

“Sothereitwas—asIsay，nothinguwasjustthetwothiarousedmyuhisAmyDurrantofwhomhing，andtheSpanishwomaory。Yes，andI’lladdathirdthing:WhenIwasfirstbehebodyandMissBartonaytowardsthehuts，shelookedback。LookedbaexpressiohatIlydescribeasoneofpoigy—akindofaaintythatimpriselfonmybrain。

“Itdidn’tstrikemeasanythingunusualatthetime。Iputitdowerribledistressoverherfriend。But，yousee，laterIrealizedthattheyweren’toherewasatbetweeerriblegrief。MissBartonwasfondofAmyDurrantandshockedbyherdeath—that>

“But，then，whythatterriblepoigwasthequestioingbae。Ihadakeninthatlook。Andalmostagainstmywill，aoshapeitselfinmymind。SupposingtheSpanishwoman’sstoryweretrue;supposingthatMaryBartonwilfullyandincoldbloodtriedtodrownAmyDurrant。Shesuholdingherupretendingtobesavingher。Sheisrescuedbyaboat。Theyareonalonelybeaahehelastthis。AdodanEnglishdoctor!SheknowswellenoughthatpeoplewhohavebeeerfarlohanAmyDurranthavebeeificialrespiratiooplayherpart—togooffleavingmealoim。Aurloyshowsinherface。WillAmyDurraolifeasheknows?”

“Oh!”saidJahrillednow。”

&hataspectthewholebusinessseemedmoresihepersonalityofAmyDurrantbeysterious。WhowasAmyDurrant?Whyshouldshe，aninsignifitpaidurderedbyheremployer?WhatstorylaybehindthatfatalbathiioeredMaryBartoohsbefore。MaryBarththerabroad，andtheverydayaftertheylaragedyhadodtheywerebothnionplaedEhewholethingwasfantastidItoldmyselfso。Ihadbeeingmyimaginationrunawaywithme。”

“Youdidn’tdoanything，then?”askedMissHelier。

“Mydearyounglady，whatcouldIdo?Therewashemajorityoftheeye-withesamestoryasMissBarton。IhadbuiltupmyownsuspisoutofafleetingexpressionwhichImightpossiblyhaveimagihingIddiddowastoseethatthewidestinquiriesweremadefortherelationsofAmyDurraimeIwasinEandsawthelandladyofherroom，withtheresultsIhavetoldyou。”

“Butyoufelttherewassomethingwrong，”saidMissMarple。

Dr。Lloydnodded。

“HalfthetimeIwasashamedofmyselffso。WhowasItogosuspegthis-manneredEnglishladyofafoulande?IdidmybesttobeascordialaspossiblettheshorttimeshestayedontheislahtheSpanishauthorities。IdideverythingIcoulddoasanEnglishmantohelpapatriotiry;aIamcedthatsheknewIsuspeddislikedher。”

“Howlothere?”askedMissMarple。

“Ithinkitwasabht。MissDurrantwasburiedthere，anditmusthavebeenabouttendayslaterwheookaboatbagland。Theshockhadupsethersomuchthatshefeltshe’tspehereasshehadpla’swhatshesaid。”

“Diditseemtohaveupsether?”askedMissMarple。

&orhesitated。

“Well，Idon’tknowthatitaffectedherappearaall，”hesaidcautiously。

&，forinstance，growfatter?”askedMissMarple。

“Doyouknow—it’sacuriousthingythat。hinkback，Ibelieveyht。She—yes，shedidseem，ifanythii。”

“Howhorrible，”saidJahashudder。“It’slike—it’slikefatteningonyourvictim’sblood。”

“A，inanotherway，ImaybedoingheranionDrLloyd。“Shelysaidsomethi，whitediirelydiffereheremaybe，Ithinkthereare，ceswhichworkveryslowly—whietoawakeyofthedeeditted。”

“Itwastheeveningbeforeherdeparturefromthearies。Shehadaskedmetogoandseeher，andhadthankedmeverywarmlyforallIhaddoohelpher。I，ofadelightofthematter，saidIhadowasnaturaluandsoon。Thereauseafterthat，andthenshesuddenlyaskedmeaquestion。

‘Doyouthink，’sheasked，‘thatoifiedintakioone’so>

&hatthatwasratheradifficultquestion，butthatonthewhole，Ithoughtnot。Thelawwasthelaw，aoabidebyit。’

&ispowerless?’

‘Idoand。’

‘It’sdifficulttoexplaidosomethingthatissidereddefinitelywrong–thatissideredacrime，even，foodandsuffitreason。’

Ireplieddrylythatpossiblyseveralalshadthoughtthatiime，andsheshrankback。

‘Butthat’shorrible，’shemurmured。‘Horrible。’

Ahageoftonesheaskedmetogivehersomethingtomakehersleep。Shehadosleepproperlysied—sierribleshock。

‘You’resureitisthat?Thereisnyou?Nothingonyourmind?’

‘Onmymind?Whatshouldbeonmymind?’

Shespokefierdsuspiciously。

‘Worryisacauseofsleeplessimes，’Isaidlightly。

&obroodforamoment。