6 THE EVIDENCE OF THE RUSSIAN PRINCESS

6 俄国郡主的证词

“Let us hear what Pierre Michel has to say about this button,” he said. The Wagon Lit conductor was recalled. He looked at them inquiringly.

“我们听听皮耶·麦寇对这枚钮扣有什么话说。”他说。卧车列车长又被叫了进来，他满脸不解地看着他们。波克先生清了清喉咙。

M. Bouc cleared his throat. “Michel,” he said, “here is a button from your tunic. It was found in the American lady’s compartment. What have you to say for yourself about it?”

“麦寇，”他说：“这是你制服上的扣了，在那位美国太太的房间里找到的。你有什么话说？”

The conductor’s hand went automatically to his tunic.

列车长立即摸了摸身上的制服。

“I have lost no button, Monsieur,” he said. “There must be some mistake.”

“我没有掉钮扣呀，先生，”他说：“一定是搞错了。”

“That is very odd.”

“这就怪了。”

“I cannot account for it, Monsieur.” The man seemed astonished, but not in anyway guilty or confused.

“我也不懂，先生。”列车长有些惊愕，但语气并不带任何心虚或慌张。

M. Bouc said meaningly: “Owing to the circumstances in which it was found, it seems fairly certain that this button was dropped by the man who was in Mrs. Hubbard’s compartment last night when she rang the bell.”

波克先生正色地说：“基于这枚钮扣是在侯伯太太房中拣到的，按理该是昨晚闯入侯伯太太房间那人的身上掉落的。”

“But, Monsieur, there was no one there. The lady must have imagined it.”

“可是，她房里真的没有别人。那位太太一定是胡思乱想的。”

“She did not imagine it, Michel. The assassin of M. Ratchett passed that way— and dropped that button.”

“她并没有胡思乱想，麦寇。谋杀罗嘉德先生的凶手的确经过了她的房间——而且掉了这枚钮扣的。”

As the significance of M. Bouc’s words became plain to him, Pierre Michel flew into a violent state of agitation.

皮耶·麦寇听出波克先生的语调显然是认真起来，自己也禁不住恼羞成怒。

“It is not true, Monsieur; it is not true!” he cried. “You are accusing me of the crime. Me, I am innocent. I am absolutely innocent! Why should I want to kill a Monsieur whom I have never seen before?”

“这绝不是真的，先生，不是真的！”他大叫道：“您现在是怀疑我了。我？我是无辜的，完全无辜的！我怎么会杀害一个从不认识的人呢？“

“Where were you when Mrs. Hubbard’s bell rang?”

“侯伯太太按铃的时候，你人在哪里？”

“I told you, Monsieur, in the next coach talking to my colleague.”

“我跟您报告过的，我在隔壁车厢与同事谈话呢。”

“We will send for him.”

“我们会叫他来对质的。”

“Do so, Monsieur, I implore you, do so.”

“您去叫，先生，这再好没有了。”

The conductor of the next coach was summoned. He immediately confirmed Pierre Michel’s statement. He added that the conductor from the Bucharest coach had also been there. The three of them had been discussing the situation caused by the snow. They had been talking some ten minutes when Michel fancied he heard a bell. As he opened the doors connecting the two coaches, they had all heard it plainly—a bell ringing repeatedly. Michel had run post-haste to answer it.

隔壁列车列车长被传来之后，立刻肯定了麦寇的证词。他并且指出自布加勒斯特挂上的列车，列车长当时也在场。他们三人谈大雪的情况，谈了近十分钟的时间，麦寇觉得好像听见有按铃的声间。当他拉开两节车厢之间的通门时，他们也都听得清清楚楚——铃声不停地响。麦寇奔了过去应铃。

“So you see, Monsieur, I am not guilty,” cried Michel anxiously.

“您看，先生，这证明我是无辜的。”麦寇焦躁地喊着。

“And this button from a Wagon Lit tunic, how do you explain it?”

“但是这枚卧车长制服上的钮扣，你又怎么解释？”

“I cannot, Monsieur. It is a mystery to me. All my buttons are intact.”

“我没法子解释，先生。我也搞不懂。我只晓得自己制服上的钮扣一枚也没掉。”

Both of the other conductors also declared that they had not lost a button; also that they had not been inside Mrs. Hubbard’s compartment at any time.

另外两名列车长也表示他们也没掉钮扣，而且在任何时间都没进过侯伯太太的房间。

“Calm yourself, Michel,” said M. Bouc, “and cast your mind back to the moment when you ran to answer Mrs. Hubbard’s bell. Did you meet anyone at all in the corridor?”

“冷静一点，麦寇，”波克先生说：“好好想想：你跑去应侯伯太太的铃声时，有没有在过道上碰到任何人？”

“No, Monsieur.”

“没有，先生。”

“Did you see anyone going away from you down the corridor in the other direction?”

“有没有人在你前头，反方向朝过道另一头走去？”

“Again, no, Monsieur.”

“也没有，先生。”

“Odd,” said M. Bouc.

“真怪了。”波克先生说。

“Not so very,” said Poirot. “It is a question of time. Mrs. Hubbard wakes to find someone in her compartment. For a minute or two she lies paralysed, her eyes shut. Probably it was then that the man slipped out into the corridor. Then she starts ringing the bell. But the conductor does not come at once. It is only the third or fourth peal that he hears. I should say myself that there was ample time—”

“不见得。”白罗说：“这是时间问题。侯伯太太醒来，发现房里有人。她可能一两分钟之内吓昏了，闭起了眼睛。也许那人就在这一刹那之间溜到了过道上。然后，她才开始按铃，但是列车长并未立刻赶到，因为他可能在铃声响了三四次之后才听到，而这个空档时间已经足够——”

“For what? For what, mon cher! Remember, there are thick drifts of snow all round the train.”

“足够什么？足够什么，老兄？你别忘了外头大雪纷飞，早把列车封得严严的了。”

“There are two courses open to our mysterious assassin,” said Poirot slowly. “He could retreat into either of the toilets or—he could disappear into one of the compartments.”

“但是我们这位神秘凶手，却有两条出路可循。“白罗缓缓地说：”他可以溜进车厢两头的厕所之一，要不，他可能溜进任何一间卧铺房间。“

“But they were all occupied.”

“可是每间房里都有旅客呵？”

“Yes.”

“不错。”

“You mean that he could retreat into his own compartment?”

“喔，你是说他可以溜回自己的房间？”

Poirot nodded.

白罗点了点头。

“It fits—it fits;’ murmured M. Bouc. “During that ten minutes’ absence of the conductor, the murderer comes from his own compartment, goes into Ratchett’s, kills him, locks and chains the door on the inside, goes out through Mrs. Hubbard’s compartment, and is back safely in his own compartment by the time the conductor arrives.”

“那就对了，这就说得通了，”波克喃喃自语地说：“就在列车长离开车厢的十分钟内，凶手从自己房间溜进罗嘉德的房里，杀了他，自里头把房间反锁，拴上锁链；穿过侯伯太太的房间，溜入过道，等列车长赶来车厢时，他已经安安稳稳地回到了自己的房里。”

Poirot murmured: “It is not quite so simple as that, my friend. Our friend the doctor here will tell you so.”

白罗轻声说：“恐怕没这么简单吧，老朋友。我们这位医师朋友可以给你解释一下。”

With a gesture M. Bouc signified that the three conductors might depart.

波克先生向三名列车长挥手示意：他们可以离去。

“We have still to see eight passengers,” said Poirot. “Five first-class passengers—Princess Dragomiroff, Count and Countess Andrenyi, Colonel Arbuthnot, and Mr. Hardman. Three second-class passengers—Miss Debenham, Antonio Foscarelli, and the lady’s-maid, Fr.ulein Schmidt.”

“我们还有八名旅客要盘问呢，”白罗说：“五名头等卧铺旅客——德瑞格米罗夫郡主、安君业伯爵夫妇、阿伯斯诺上校与哈德曼先生。两名三等卧铺旅客是：戴本瀚小姐、安东尼奥·佛斯卡瑞里和那名德籍女仆希尔格·施密德。”

“Whom will you see first—the Italian?”

“你预备先问谁呢——那名意大利大汉吗？”

“How you harp on your Italian! No, we will start at the top of the tree. Perhaps Madame la Princesse will be so good as to spare us a few moments of her time. Convey that message to her, Michel.”

“你怎么这么放不过你的意大利大汉呢？不要，我们刻从身份高的人问起。也许郡主夫人可以抽空来一下。麦寇去请她吧。”

“Oui, Monsieur,” said the conductor, who was just leaving the car.

“是，先生。”列车长应着就朝车门走去。

“Tell her we can wait on her in her compartment if she does not wish to put herself to the trouble of coming here,” called M. Bouc.

“告诉她，如果她不愿意过来，我们可以在她的房间等候她。”波克先生又嘱咐了一句。

But Princess Dragomiroff declined to take this course. She appeared in the dining-car, inclined her head slightly and sat down opposite Poirot.

然而，德瑞格米罗夫郡主显然并不介意自己来一趟。不多时，她就在餐车门口出现，略微低了一下头，径自在白罗对面落了座。

Her small toad-like face looked even yellower than the day before. She was certainly ugly, and yet, like the toad, she had eyes like jewels, dark and imperious, revealing latent energy and an intellectual force that could be felt at once.

她那瘦小蛤蟆般的脸孔甚至比前一天更为焦黄了。她实在是丑陋，然而恰如蛤蟆一般，她那对宝石般深黑、慑人的眼睛，却流露着过人的精力与明澈的智慧。

Her voice was deep, very distinct, with a slight grating quality in it.

她的声调低沉，非常清晰，只是稍嫌刺耳。

She cut short a flowery phrase of apology from M. Bouc.

她打断了波克先生的客套话与歉语。

“You need not offer apologies, Messieurs. I understand a murder has taken place. Naturally you must interview all the passengers. I shall be glad to give you all the assistance in my power.”

“各位先生，你们不必道歉。我知道车上出了人命案，自然你们必须询问每一名旅客。我会尽一切所能协助你们。”

“You are most amiable, Madame,” said Poirot.

“谢谢您的善意，夫人。”白罗说。

“Not at all. It is a duty. What do you wish to know?”

“没什么，这是义务。你们想要知道些什么？”

“Your full Christian names and address, Madame. Perhaps you would prefer to write them yourself?”

“您的全名与地址。也许您愿意自己写下来吧？”

Poirot proffered a sheet of paper and pencil, but the Princess waved them aside.

白罗随即给了她纸笔，却被她推了回去。

“You can write it,” she said. “There is nothing difficult. Natalia Dragomiroff, 17 Avenue Kléber, Paris.”

“你可以写，”她说：“并不难。娜塔丽亚·德瑞格米罗夫。巴黎，克莱勃大道十七号。”

“You are travelling home from Constantinople, Madame?”

“您是从康士丹丁堡搭车返回居留地的，是吗？”

“Yes. I have been staying at the Austrian Embassy. My maid is with me.”

“是的，我曾在当地奥地利大使馆小住。是由我的女仆陪同的。”

“Would you be so good as to give me a brief account of your movements last night from dinner onwards?”

“您可否简单地将您昨晚晚餐后的行动告诉我们一下？”

“Willingly. I directed the conductor to make up my bed whilst I was in the dining-car. I retired to bed immediately after dinner. I read until the hour of eleven, when I turned out my light. I was unable to sleep owing to certain rheumatic pains from which I suffer. At about a quarter to one I rang for my maid. She massaged me and then read aloud till I felt sleepy. I cannot say exactly, when she left me. It may have been half an hour afterward, it may have been later.”

“很好。在餐车中，我告诉列车长为我把床铺铺好，晚餐后我立刻返回房间就寝，阅读到十一时才熄灯。因为关节有此疼痛，我无法入睡。在一点差一刻的光景，我按铃叫来了我的女仆。她为我按摩，并念书给我听，直到我入睡。我不知道她是什么时候离开我的房间的，也许大约半小时之后，或更晚一点。”

“The train had stopped then?”

“那时火车已经停了吗？”

“The train had stopped.”

“车已停下了。”

“You heard nothing—nothing unusual during the time, Madame?”

“您没听见什么不寻常的声响吗，夫人？”

“I heard nothing unusual.”

“没什么不寻常的。”

“What is your maids name?”

“您的女仆姓名是什么？”

“Hildegarde Schmidt.”

“希尔格·施密德。”

“She has been with you long?”

“她追随您很久了吗？”

“Fifteen years.”

“十五年了。”

“You consider her trustworthy?”

“您认为她忠实可靠吗？”

“Absolutely. Her people come from an estate of my late husband’s in Germany.”

“绝对忠诚。她们家的人是在我丈夫德国田产上工作的。”

“You have been in America, I presume, Madame?”

“我想，您去过美国吧，夫人？”

The abrupt change of subject made the old lady raise her eyebrows. “Many times.”

白罗突然转变话题，使老夫人扬起了眉毛。“很多次。”

“Were you at any time acquainted with a family of the name of Armstrong—a family in which a tragedy occurred?”

“您可曾认识遭遇惨剧的阿姆斯壮那家人？”

With some emotion in her voice the old lady said: “You speak of friends of mine, Monsieur.”

老夫人有些激动地回答：“你谈起了我的朋友。”

“You knew Colonel Armstrong well, then?”

“那么，您认识阿姆斯壮上校了？”

“I knew him slightly, but his wife, Sonia Armstrong, was my god-daughter. I was on terms of friendship with her mother, the actress, Linda Arden. Linda Arden was a great genius, one of the greatest tragic actresses in the world. As Lady Macbeth, as Magda, there was no one to touch her. I was not only an admirer of her art, I was a personal friend.”

“交情不深，不过，他的太太宋妮雅·阿姆斯壮是我的干女儿。我跟她的母亲琳达·艾登是好朋友。琳达·艾登是位伟大的天才，世界上最伟大的悲剧演员。她演的麦克伯司夫人，玛嘉达，是无人可以伦比的。我不只倾慕她的艺术造诣，也是她的挚友。”

“She is dead?”

“她已经故世了吧？”

“No, no, she is alive, but she lives in complete retirement. Her health is very delicate, and she has to lie on a sofa most of the time.”

“不，没有，她还健在。但是已完全退出舞台，而且身体非常孱弱，成天只能躺在沙发上。”

“There was, I think, a second daughter?”

“她好像另外还有一个女儿？”

“Yes, much younger than Mrs. Armstrong.”

“是的，比阿姆斯壮夫人年轻得多。”

“And she is alive?”

“她仍健在？”

“Certainly.”

“当然。”

“Where is she?”

“她现在何方？”

The old woman bent an acute glance at him.

老夫人盯视了他好一阵子。

“I must ask you the reason for these questions. What have they to do with the matter in hand—the murder on this train?”

“我得问你：问我这些问题是什么原因？这与你手头的案子——这桩谋杀案又有什么关系？”

“They are connected in this way, Madame: the man who was murdered was the man responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Mrs. Armstrong’s child.”

“夫人，是因为有这样的关连：在车上被谋杀的这个人就是绑架阿姆斯壮小孩的主谋。”

“Ah!”

“啊！”

The straight brows came together. Princess Dragomiroff drew herself a little more erect.

两道剑眉紧皱在一起，德瑞格米罗夫郡主的腰板也挺直了一些。

“In my view, then, this murder is an entirely admirable happening! You will pardon my slightly biased point of view.”

“依我看，这次的谋杀真可说是上天有眼！我想你会谅解我如此偏袒的直言吧？”

“It is most natural, Madame. And now to return to the question you did not answer. Where is the younger daughter of Linda Arden, the sister of Mrs. Armstrong?”

“这自然是难怪的，夫人。现在我们还是谈刚才您没回答的问题。琳达·艾登的小女儿，也就是阿姆斯壮夫人的妹妹，她如今在哪里？”

“I honestly cannot tell you, Monsieur. I have lost touch with the younger generation. I believe she married an Englishman some years ago and went to England, but at the moment I cannot recollect the name.”

“我实在无法告诉你，先生。我早已与青年人脱节了。我相信她数年前嫁了一个英国人，到英国去住了，但我一时记不起她夫家的姓名了。”

She paused a minute and then said:

她歇了一下，又说：

“Is there anything further you want to ask me, gentlemen?”

“两位先生还有其他的问题要我回答吗？”

“Only one thing, Madame, a somewhat personal question. The colour of your dressing-gown.”

“只有一项，夫人，是有关您私人的问题，我想问您，您的睡袍是什么颜色。”

She raised her eyebrows slightly. “I must suppose you have a reason for such a question. My dressing-gown is of black satin.”

她轻轻扬了扬眉毛，说：“我想你问这问题该是有原因的。我的睡袍是黑缎子的。”

“There is nothing more, Madame. I am much obliged to you for answering my questions so promptly.”

“没有其他的问题了，夫人。非常感激您如此直截地回答我们的问题。”

She made a slight gesture with her heavily beringed hand. Then as she rose, and the others rose with her, she stopped.

她满戴戒指的手轻轻摆了摆，就站起身来。其他的人也随着站了起来，然而她却站住了。

“You will excuse me, Monsieur,” she said, “but may I ask your name? Your face is somehow familiar to me.”

“对不起，先生，”她说：“可以请教尊姓大名吗？你的脸孔好熟。”

“My name, Madame, is Hercule Poirot—at your service.”

“鄙人是赫邱里·白罗，请夫人指教。”

She was silent a minute, then: “Hercule Poirot,” she said. “Yes. I remember now. This is Destiny.”

她沉默了片刻，才说：“赫邱里·白罗。是的，我记起来了，真是缘份。”

She walked away, very erect, a little stiff in her movements.

她腰挺得直直地，近乎僵硬地走了出去。

“Voilà une grande dame,” said M. Bouc. “What do you think of her, my friend?”

“好一位不可一世的贵妇人，”波克先生说：“你觉得她怎么样，老兄？”

But Hercule Poirot merely shook his head.

赫邱里·白罗却只摇了摇头。

“I am wondering,” he said, “what she meant by Destiny.”

“我在想，”白罗说：“她说的缘份是指的什么呢？”