2 THE EVIDENCE OF THE SECRETARY

2 秘书的证词

For a minute or two Poirot remained lost, in thought.

白罗有一两分钟的时间陷入了沉思。

“I think,” he said at last, “that it would be well to have a further word with Mr. MacQueen, in view of what we now know.”

“我认为，”他终于开口说道：“以我们目前的所知来衡量，最好再与麦昆先生谈谈。”

The young American appeared promptly.

那位年轻的美国人立刻被请了进来。

“Well,” he said, “how are things going?”

“怎么样？”他说：“事情如何了？”

“Not too badly. Since our last conversation, I have learnt something—the identity of Mr. Ratchett.”

“还不错。上次与你谈完之后，至少我已经知道罗嘉德先生真正是谁了。”

Hector MacQueen leaned forward interestedly. “Yes?” he said.

海洛特·麦昆极感兴趣地探身问道：“是谁？”

“ ‘Ratchett,’ as you suspected, was merely an alias. The man ‘Ratchett’ was Cassetti, who ran the celebrated kidnapping stunts—including the famous affair of little Daisy Armstrong.”

“‘罗嘉德’正如你所猜测的，是他的假姓。他的真姓是卡赛提，就是那个专搞绑票的黑社会人物。著名的小黛西·阿姆斯壮绑票案，就是他主谋的。”

An expression of utter astonishment appeared on MacQueen’s face. Then it darkened. “The damned skunk!” he exclaimed.

麦昆的脸上先是一阵惊愕，接着蒙上了一层愁云。“这混帐的无赖！”他骂了一声。

“You had no idea of this, Mr. MacQueen?”

“这事你一点也不晓得吗，麦昆先生？”

“No, sir,” said the young American decidedly. “If I had, I’d have cut off my right hand before it had a chance to do secretarial work for him!”

“不知道，先生，”这年轻人斩钉截铁地回答：“要是我知道，我把右手砍断也不会做他的秘书！”

“You feel strongly about the matter, Mr. MacQueen?”

“你好像很激动嘛，麦昆先生。”

“I have a particular reason for doing so. My father was the district attorney who handled the case, Mr. Poirot. I saw Mrs. Armstrong more than once—she was a lovely woman. So gentle and heartbroken.” His face darkened. “If ever a man deserved what he got, Ratchett—or Cassetti—is the man. I’m rejoiced at his end. Such a man wasn’t fit to live!”

“我有特殊的理由，我父亲正是办那个案子的地方检察官。我本人也见过阿姆斯壮夫人几次——她是位美丽可亲的女士。那么温婉，又是那么伤恸。”他的脸色又沉了下来。“罗嘉德也好，卡赛提也罢，这是他罪有应得的报应。我真高兴看到他有这样的下场，这样的人根本不配活着！”

“You almost feel as though you would have been willing to do the good deed yourself?”

“你好像也恨不得是你杀的，是吗？”

“I do. I—” He paused, then added rather guiltily, “Seems I’m kind of incriminating myself.”

“可不是吗！我——”他停了下来，略显不安地说：“这不是给自己找麻烦吗？”

“I should be more inclined to suspect you, Mr. MacQueen, if you displayed an inordinate sorrow at your employer’s decease.”

“如果你对你老板的死表现得过度的悲伤，我反倒会怀疑你了，麦昆先生。”

“I don’t think I could do that even to save myself from the chair,” said MacQueen grimly. Then he added: “If I’m not being unduly curious, just how did you figure this out? Cassetti’s identity, I mean.”

“我想就是把我送上电椅，我也不会那么做的。”麦昆恨恨地说。他又说：“请原谅我的过份好奇，你是怎么发现的？我指的是卡赛提的身份背景。”

“By a fragment of a letter found in his compartment.”

“是在他房间里找到的一封信的碎角上发现的。”

“But surely—I mean—that was rather careless of the old man?”

“呵，真的——我是说——这老家伙也未免太大意了。”

“That depends,” said Poirot, “on the point of view.”

“这得看，”白罗说：“从什么立场来看了。”

The young man seemed to find this remark rather baffling. He stared at Poirot as though trying to make him out.

这年轻人似乎不太明白白罗话里的含意。他瞪着白罗，好像在等着他回答。

“The task before me,” said Poirot, “is to make sure of the movements of every one on the train. No offence need be taken, you understand. It is only a matter of routine.”

“我眼前的案子，”白罗说：“是要把车上每名旅客的一举一动都得摸清楚。你了解，我这是对事不对人。也是例行的事。”

“Sure. Get right on with it and let me clear my character if I can.”

“当然，请便。先让我把自己澄清一下。”

“I need hardly ask you the number of your compartment,” said Poirot, smiling, “since I shared it with you for a night. It is the second-class compartment Nos. 6 and 7, and after my departure you had it to yourself.”

“我看我是不必问你的卧铺房间号码了，”白罗笑着说：“因为我与你一起共度过一晚，是二等房间，第六与第七号卧铺，我搬开之后，就是你一个人睡了。”

“That’s right.”

“对的。”

“Now, Mr. MacQueen, I want you to describe your movements last night from the time of leaving the dining-car.”

“那么，麦昆先生，我现在就请你把昨晚离开餐车之后的一切行动说一下吧。”

“That’s quite easy. I went back to my compartment, read a bit, got out on the platform at Belgrade, decided it was too cold, and got in again. I talked for a while to a young English lady who is in the compartment next to mine. Then I fell into conversation with that Englishman, Colonel Arbuthnot—as a matter of fact I think you passed us as we were talking. Then I went in to Mr. Ratchett and, as I told you, took down some memoranda of letters he wanted written. I said good tight to him and left him. Colonel Arbuthnot was still standing in the corridor. His compartment was already made up for the night, so I suggested that he should come along to mine. I ordered a couple of drinks and we got right down to it. Discussed world politics and the Government of India and our own troubles with Prohibition and the Wall Street crisis. I don’t as a rule cotton to Britishers—they’re a stiff-necked lot—but I liked this one.”

“这很容易。我回到自己房间，看了一会儿书，在贝尔格莱德月台上走了走，觉得太冷，又回到了车上。与隔壁房间的英国小姐谈了谈。后来与那位英国上校阿伯斯诺聊了起来——我想，那时你还打我们身边穿了过去呢。后来我告诉过你的，我去罗嘉德房间替他记几封信稿，道了晚安出来，见阿伯斯诺上校仍站在过道上。他的卧铺已经铺好了，所以我就请他到我房里去。我们叫了两杯酒，又谈了起来。讨论世界政治局势，印度的政府，还有我们国内禁酒与华尔街的经济危机。一向我对英国人是不抱好感的——太傲气——，不过，这人不错。”

“Do you know what time it was when he left you?”

“你知道他是什么时候离开你的房间里的吗？”

“Pretty late. Nearly two o’clock, I should say.”

“相当晚了，我看总得快两点了。”

“You noticed that the train had stopped?”

“你注意到火车停下来了吗？“

‘Oh, yes. We wondered a bit. Looked out and saw the snow lying very thick, but we didn’t think it was serious.”

“注意到了，觉得有点奇怪。我们看窗外雪下得很猛，但也没想到会那么严重。”

“What happened when Colonel Arbuthnot finally said good night?”

“你与阿伯斯诺上校分手之后呢？”

“He went along to his compartment and I called to the conductor to make up my bed.”

“他回他的房间去了，我就叫列车长来给我铺床。”

“Where were you whilst he was making it?”

“他铺床时，你在哪儿？”

“Standing just outside the door in the corridor smoking a cigarette.”

“就站在门外过道上抽烟。”

“And then?”

“后来呢？”

“And then I went to bed and slept till morning.”

“上床睡觉，直到天亮。”

“During the evening did you leave the train at all?”

“你夜里可曾下过火车？”

“Arbuthnot and I thought we’d get out at—what was the name of the place?— Vincovci—to stretch our legs a bit. But it was bitterly cold—a blizzard on. We soon hopped back again.”

“阿伯斯诺跟我打算在那个——叫什么站的？——对了——温可齐站，下车伸伸腰腿。可是太冷了，又下大雪，我们就又跳上火车了。”

“By which door did you leave the train?”

“你们是从哪个门下去的？”

“By the one nearest to our compartment.”

“紧靠我们房间的那个车门。”

“The one next to the dining-car?”

“就是靠餐车那个门？”

“Yes.”

“是呵。”

“Do you remember if it was bolted?”

“你记得门是拴上的吗？”

MacQueen considered.

麦昆想了想。

“Why, yes, I seem to remember it was. At least there was a kind of bar that fitted across the handle. Is that what you mean?”

“呃，是的，我记得好像是拴上的。至少门的把手上有个铁棍是插上的。”

“Yes. On getting back into the train did you replace that bar?”

“你们上车之后，有没有把车门拴好？”

“Why, no—I don’t think I did. I got in last. No, I don’t seem to remember doing so.” He added suddenly, “Is that an important point?”

“嗯，没有——好像没有。我是后上车的，我记得没拴。”他突然又问：“怎么？这很重要吗？”

“It may be. Now, I presume, Monsieur, that while you and Colonel Arbuthnot were sitting talking the door of your compartment into the corridor was open?”

“也许。请问，你与阿伯斯诺上校在房里谈天时，你的房间是开着的吧？”

Hector MacQueen nodded.

海洛特·麦昆点了点头。

“I want you, if you can, to tell me if anyone passed along that corridor after the train left Vincovci up to the time you parted company for the night.”

“现在，请尽可能地告诉我，自火车开出温可齐站到你与阿伯斯诺上校互道晚安之前，你可曾看见有人打过道上走过？”

MacQueen drew his brows together.

麦昆皱着眉头想了片刻。

“I think the conductor passed along once,” he said, “coming from the direction of the dining-car. And a woman passed the other way, going towards it.”

“我想，列车长过去了一次，”他说：“他是从餐车那头来的。另有一个女人从另一头来，是往餐车那头去的。”

“Which woman?”

“哪个女人？”

“I couldn’t say. I didn’t really notice. You see I was arguing a point with Arbuthnot. I just seem to remember a glimpse of some scarlet silk affair passing the door. I didn’t look, and anyway I wouldn’t have seen the person’s face. As you know, my carriage faces the dining-car end of the train, so a woman going along the corridor in that direction would have her back to me as soon as she’d passed.”

“很难说，我也没怎么注意。我那时正与阿伯斯诺辩论，只记得好像有个穿红色丝睡袍的打门前穿了过去，我也没看。再说，我也看不见那人的脸部。你知道，我的房间是对着餐车那头的，因此有女人朝那个方向过去，她一走过去，我要看也只能瞧见一个背影。”

Poirot nodded. “She was going to the toilet, I presume?”

白罗点头说道：“她该是去洗手间的吧？”

“I suppose so.”

“应该是的。”

“And you saw her return?”

“你看见她走回来吗？”

“Well, no, now that you mention it, I didn’t notice her returning but I suppose she must have done so.”

“没有。你现在这么一提起，我虽然没有注意到，但按理说，她该是走回去的了。”

“One more question. Do you smoke a pipe, Mr. MacQueen?”

“还有一个问题。你抽烟斗吗，麦昆先生？”

“No, sir, I do not.”

“不，我不抽。”

Poirot paused a moment. “I think that is all at present. I should now like to see the valet of Mr. Ratchett. By the way, did both you and he always travel secondclass?”

白罗想了想，说：“目前，就到此为止。烦你请罗嘉德先生的男仆过来一下吧。喔，对了，你跟他通常都是乘二等车厢吗？”

“He did. But I usually went first—if possible in the compartment adjoining Mr. Ratchett’s. Then he had most of his baggage put in my compartment and yet could get at both it and me easily whenever he chose. But on this occasion all the firstclass berths were booked except the one that he took.”

“他坐二等。但是我平常都坐头等，可能的话，总是睡罗嘉德先生的隔壁。他多半把他的行李堆在我房间里，这样他使唤起来，一切方便。可是这次，除了他睡的那间头等卧铺房之外，都订光了。”

“I comprehend. Thank you, Mr. MacQueen.”

“我明白。谢谢你，麦昆先生。”