3 THE EVIDENCE OF THE VALET
3 男仆的证词
The American was succeeded by the pale Englishman with the inexpressive face whom Poirot had already noticed on the day before. He stood waiting very correctly. Poirot motioned to him to sit down.
继那名美国人之后，进来的是那个苍白的英国人，他那张全无表情的脸孔，白罗在前一天就见过了。白罗指了一个位子请他坐下。
“You are, I understand, the valet of M. Ratchett.”
“据我了解，你是罗嘉德先生的男仆吧？”
“Yes, sir.”
“是的，先生。”
“Your name?”
“你的名字是？”
“Edward Henry Masterman.”
“艾德华·亨利·马斯德曼。”
“Your age?”
“年纪？”
“Thirty-nine.”
“三十九岁。”
“And your home address?”
“住家地址？”
“21 Friar Street, Clerkenwell.”
“克拉肯维尔镇，佛瑞尔街廿一号。”
“You have heard that your master has been murdered?”
“你已听说你主人被谋杀了吧？”
“Yes, sir. A very shocking occurrence.”
“知道了，先生。实在令人震惊。”
“Will you now tell me, please, at what hour you last saw M. Ratchett?”
“请告诉我，你最后见到罗嘉德先生是什么时候？”
The valet considered.
男仆想了半响。
“It must have been about nine o’clock, sir, last night. That or a little after.”
“该是昨晚九时左右，先生。也许稍晚一点。”
“Tell me in your own words exactly what happened.”
“请凭你的记忆，详细说明当时的情形。”
“I went in to Mr. Ratchett as usual, sir, and attended to his wants.”
“我如往常一样，去罗嘉德先生的房里。先生，去伺候。”
“What were your duties exactly?”
“你的职务都是什么？”
“To fold or hang up his clothes, sir, put his dental plate in water and see that he had everything he wanted for the night.”
“将他的衣装整理、挂好，先生；把他的假牙泡好。再看看当晚他还有什么别的吩咐。”
“Was his manner much the same as usual?”
“他那晚的神色与往常一样吗？”
The valet considered a moment.
男仆又想了一想。
“Well, sir, I think he was upset.”
“这——先生，我觉得他有些心烦不安。”
“In what way—upset?”
“什么样的不安？”
“Over a letter he’d been reading. He asked me if it was I who had put it in his compartment. Of course I told him I hadn’t done any such thing, but he swore at me and found fault with everything I did.”
“是为了他看的一封信。他问我是不是把信放在他的房里的，我当然说我没有；但是他跟我发脾气，处处挑剔我的伺候。”
“Was that unusual?”
“这是否很不寻常？”
“Oh, no, sir. He lost his temper easily—as I say, it just depended what had happened to upset him.”
“不，不，先生。他很容易动怒。我说过的，他心情不好，就会如此的。”
“Did your master ever take a sleeping draught?”
“你主人有服安眠药的习惯吗？”
Dr. Constantine leaned forward a little.
康斯丹丁将身子向前移了移。
“Always when travelling by train, sir. He said he couldn’t sleep otherwise.”
“每次乘火车旅行都吃的。他说不吃睡不着觉。”
“Do you know what drug he was in the habit of taking?”
“你知道他平常服哪种安眠药吗？”
“I couldn’t say, I’m sure, sir. There was no name on the bottle—just ‘The Sleeping Draught to be taken at bedtime.’ ”
“先生，我真的不清楚。药瓶上没写药名，只注明‘睡前服用安眠药’。”
“Did he take it last night?”
“他昨晚用了吗？”
“Yes, sir. I poured it into a glass and put it on top of the toilet table ready for him.”
“用了。我把药水倒在玻璃杯里，放在盥洗缸上头的小台架上了。”
“You didn’t actually see him drink it?”
“你没亲眼看他服下吗？”
“No, sir.”
“没有，先生。”
“What happened next?”
“后来呢？”
“I asked if there was anything further, and also asked what time he would like to be called in the morning. He said he didn’t want to be disturbed till he rang.”
“我问他还需要什么，早晨什么时间叫他起床。他说如果他不按铃，不要打扰他。”
“Was that usual?”
“这很平常吗？”
“Quite usual, sir. When he was ready to get up he used to ring the bell for the conductor and then send him for me.”
“是的，他平常都是先按铃叫列车长，然后再请列车长唤我。”
“Was he usually an early or a late riser?”
“通常他是早起还是晚起？”
“It depended, sir, on his mood. Sometimes he’d get up for breakfast, sometimes he wouldn’t get up till just on lunch time.”
“这要看他的心情，先生。有时候他起来用早餐，有时候到午餐之前才起床的。”
“So that you weren’t alarmed when the morning wore on and no summons came?”
“到了上午他还没召唤你，你不觉得奇怪吗？”
“No, sir.”
“是的，先生。”
“Did you know that your master had enemies?”
“你知道你的主人有仇敌吗？”
“Yes, sir.” The man spoke quite unemotionally.
“知道的，先生。”这人毫不动情地说。
“How did you know?”
“你怎么知道的？”
“I had heard him discussing some letters, sir, with Mr. MacQueen.”
“我听见他在与麦昆先生讨论一些信件内容，先生。”
“Had you an affection for your employer, Masterman?”
“你对你的主人有感情吗，马斯德曼先生？”
Masterman’s face became, if possible, even more inexpressive than it was normally.
马斯德曼的面容变得比平常更没有表情了。
“I should hardly like to say that, sir. He was a generous employer.”
“我不愿意那么说，他是个很慷慨的主人。”
“But you didn’t like him?”
“可是你并不喜欢这个人？”
“Shall we put it that I don’t care very much for Americans, sir?”
“我可否说我一向对美国人没什么好感？”
“Have you ever been in America?”
“你去过美国吗？”
“No, sir.”
“没有，先生。”
“Do you remember reading in the paper of the Armstrong kidnapping case?”
“你记得报上看过阿姆斯壮绑票案吗？”
A little colour came into the man’s cheeks.
这人的双颊开始出现了一些红润。
“Yes, indeed, sir. A little baby girl, wasn’t it? A very shocking affair.”
“看过的，先生。一个小女孩，是不？真令人震惊。”
“Did you know that your employer, Mr. Ratchett, was the principal instigator in that affair?”
“你知道你的主人罗嘉德先生正是这个绑票案的幕后主使吗？”
“No, indeed, sir.” The valet’s tone held positive warmth and feeling for the first time. “I can hardly believe it, sir.”
“真的不知道，先生。”他声调中首次流露出一丝温热的情绪：“我简直难以相信，先生。”
“Nevertheless, it is true. Now, to pass to your own movements last night. A matter of routine, you understand. What did you do after leaving your master?”
“这是真的，现在谈谈昨晚你自己的行动。这是例行的问话，相信你是了解的，你离开你主人房间之后做什么了？”
“I told Mr. MacQueen, sir, that the master wanted him. Then I went to my own compartment and read.”
“我去告诉麦昆先生主人有事找他，然后我回自己房间里躺下看书。”
“Your compartment was—”
“你的卧铺房间是——”
“The end second-class one, sir. Next to the dining-car.”
“尽头的那间二等房，先生。就在餐车隔壁。”
Poirot was looking at his plan.
白罗看了看桌上的列车平面图。
“I see—and you had which berth?”
“是的，你睡哪个铺位？”
“The lower one, sir.”
“下铺，先生。”
“That is No. 4?”
“是第四号吧？”
“Yes, sir.”
“是的，先生。”
“Is there anyone in with you?”
“有人跟你同房吗？”
“Yes, sir. A big Italian fellow.”
“有的，一个意大利大汉。”
“Does he speak English?”
“他说英语吗？”
“Well, a kind of English, sir.” The valet’s tone was deprecating. “He’s been in America—Chicago, I understand.”
“呃，可以这么说，先生。”这男仆的口气充满了不屑。“他去过美国，我想是芝加哥吧。”
“Do you and he talk together much?”
“你们两个常聊天吗？”
“No, sir. I prefer to read.”
“不，先生，我比较喜欢看书。”
Poirot smiled. He could visualize the scene—the large, voluble Italian, and the snub direct administered by the gentleman’s gentleman.
白罗会心地展露了笑容。他可以想见——一个滔滔不绝的意大利彪形大汉，另一个不苟言笑的‘绅士中的绅士’。
“And what, may I ask, are you reading?” he inquired.
“可否请问你在看什么书？”他问道。
“At present, sir, I am reading Love’s Captive, by Mrs. Arabella Richardson.”
“现在正在看阿拉贝拉·李查逊夫人写的《爱情的俘虏》。”
“A good story?”
“有意思吗？”
“I find it highly enjoyable, sir.”
“我觉得很好看，先生。”
“Well, let us continue. You returned to your compartment and read Love’s Captive till—when?”
“好，我们再谈谈别的。你回房之后看《爱情的俘虏》，一直看到什么时辰？”
“At about ten thirty, sir, this Italian wanted to go to bed. So the conductor came and made the beds up.”
“看到差不多十点半，先生。这个意大利人要睡觉了，列车长就来铺床了。”
“And then you went to bed and to sleep?”
“你也就上床就寝了？”
“I went to bed, sir, but I didn’t sleep.”
“我安歇了，先生，但是睡不着。”
“Why didn’t you sleep?”
“为什么睡不着呢？”
“I had the toothache, sir.”
“我牙疼，先生。”
“Oh, là-là—that is painful.”
“唉呀呀——很疼的啰？”
“Most painful, sir.”
“很疼的，先生。”
“Did you do anything for it?”
“你怎么办呢？”
“I applied a little oil of cloves, sir, which relieved the pain a little, but I was still not able to get to sleep. I turned the light on above my head and continued to read—to take my mind off, as it were.”
“我上了点丁香油，疼得就好些了，但是还是睡不着。我扭亮了头顶上的小灯又继续看书——想把牙疼忘了。”
“And did you not go to sleep at all?”
“你就一直没睡着吗？”
“Yes, sir, I dropped off about four in the morning.”
“到清晨才睡去的，先生。”
“And your companion?”
“你的同房呢？”
“The Italian fellow? Oh, he just snored.”
“那个意大利大汉？喔，他只一个劲儿打鼾。”
“He did not leave the compartment at all during the night?”
“他整夜都不曾离开过房间吗？”
“No, sir.”
“没有，先生。”
“Did you?”
“你呢？”
“No, sir.”
“没有，先生。”
“Did you hear anything during the night?”
“夜里有没有听到什么动静？”
“I don’t think so, sir. Nothing unusual, I mean. The train being at a standstill made it all very quiet.”
“我想没有，先生。我是说没什么不寻常的。我是说，车停了下来，一切都静得很。”
Poirot was silent a moment or two. Then he spoke.
白罗沉默了半响，又说：
“Well, I think there is very little more to be said. You cannot throw any light upon the tragedy?”
“嗯，我看该问的也都问了。对这桩惨案你也提不出什么线索吗？”
“I’m afraid not. I’m sorry, sir.”
“我怕没有。我很抱歉，先生。”
“As far as you know, was there any quarrel or bad blood between your master and Mr. MacQueen?”
“据你所知，麦昆先生与你主人罗嘉德先生之间有没有什么瓜葛或争吵？”
“Oh! no, sir. Mr. MacQueen was a very pleasant gentleman.”
“喔！绝对没有，先生。麦昆先生是个很好的人。”
“Where were you in service before you came to Mr. Ratchett?”
“你在侍奉罗嘉德先生之前，在哪里服务？”
“With Sir Henry Tomlinson, sir, in Grosvenor Square.”
“在格罗佛纳广场侍奉亨利·汤林逊爵士。”
“Why did you leave him?”
“为什么后来离开了？”
“He was going to East Africa, sir, and did not require my services any longer. But I am sure he will speak for me, sir. I was with him some years.”
“他要去东非，不再需要我的服务了。不过，先生，我相信他一定会替我说话的，先生。我追随他多年了。”
“And you have been with Mr. Ratchett—how long?”
“你侍奉罗嘉德先生有多久了？”
“Just over nine months, sir.”
“刚过了九个月，先生。”
“Thank you, Masterman. By the way, are you a pipe-smoker?”
“谢谢你，马斯德曼。对了，你抽烟斗吗？”
“No, sir. I only smoke cigarettes—gaspers, sir.”
“不抽，先生。我只抽香烟——便宜的。”
“Thank you, that will do.”
“谢谢你，没事了。”
Poirot gave him a nod of dismissal.
白罗点头示意他可以走了。
The valet hesitated a moment.
这男仆迟疑了一下，说：
“You’ll excuse me, sir, but the elderly American lady is in what I might describe as a state, sir. She’s saying she knows all about the murderer. She’s in a very excitable condition, sir.”
“对不起，先生，不过，那位美国老太太好像——我觉得——有些不对劲。她嚷着说她对杀手知道得一清二楚。我看她好像紧张得不得了，先生。”
“In that case,” said Poirot, smiling, “we had better see her next.”
“那么，”白罗笑着说：“我们下一个就问她吧。”
“Shall I tell her, sir? She’s been demanding to see someone in authority for a long time. The conductor’s been trying to pacify her.”
“要我转告她吗，先生？她嚷着要见有关的主管已经很久了。列车长还在劝慰她呢。”
“Send her to us, my friend,” said Poirot. “We will listen to her story now.”
“去请她来吧，朋友，”白罗说：“我们现在就听听她有何事相告。”