The Mysterious Affair at Styles Agatha Christie (romance novel chinese novels txt) đ
- Author: Agatha Christie
Book online «The Mysterious Affair at Styles Agatha Christie (romance novel chinese novels txt) đ». Author Agatha Christie
âYes, sir, but thatâs always bolted. Itâs never been undone.â
âWell, we might just see.â
He ran rapidly down the corridor to Cynthiaâs room. Mary Cavendish was there, shaking the girlâ âwho must have been an unusually sound sleeperâ âand trying to wake her.
In a moment or two he was back.
âNo good. Thatâs bolted too. We must break in the door. I think this one is a shade less solid than the one in the passage.â
We strained and heaved together. The framework of the door was solid, and for a long time it resisted our efforts, but at last we felt it give beneath our weight, and finally, with a resounding crash, it was burst open.
We stumbled in together, Lawrence still holding his candle. Mrs. Inglethorp was lying on the bed, her whole form agitated by violent convulsions, in one of which she must have overturned the table beside her. As we entered, however, her limbs relaxed, and she fell back upon the pillows.
John strode across the room, and lit the gas. Turning to Annie, one of the housemaids, he sent her downstairs to the dining-room for brandy. Then he went across to his mother whilst I unbolted the door that gave on the corridor.
I turned to Lawrence, to suggest that I had better leave them now that there was no further need of my services, but the words were frozen on my lips. Never have I seen such a ghastly look on any manâs face. He was white as chalk, the candle he held in his shaking hand was sputtering onto the carpet, and his eyes, petrified with terror, or some such kindred emotion, stared fixedly over my head at a point on the further wall. It was as though he had seen something that turned him to stone. I instinctively followed the direction of his eyes, but I could see nothing unusual. The still feebly flickering ashes in the grate, and the row of prim ornaments on the mantelpiece, were surely harmless enough.
The violence of Mrs. Inglethorpâs attack seemed to be passing. She was able to speak in short gasps.
âBetter nowâ âvery suddenâ âstupid of meâ âto lock myself in.â
A shadow fell on the bed and, looking up, I saw Mary Cavendish standing near the door with her arm around Cynthia. She seemed to be supporting the girl, who looked utterly dazed and unlike herself. Her face was heavily flushed, and she yawned repeatedly.
âPoor Cynthia is quite frightened,â said Mrs. Cavendish in a low clear voice. She herself, I noticed, was dressed in her white land smock. Then it must be later than I thought. I saw that a faint streak of daylight was showing through the curtains of the windows, and that the clock on the mantelpiece pointed to close upon five oâclock.
A strangled cry from the bed startled me. A fresh access of pain seized the unfortunate old lady. The convulsions were of a violence terrible to behold. Everything was confusion. We thronged round her, powerless to help or alleviate. A final convulsion lifted her from the bed, until she appeared to rest upon her head and her heels, with her body arched in an extraordinary manner. In vain Mary and John tried to administer more brandy. The moments flew. Again the body arched itself in that peculiar fashion.
At that moment, Dr. Bauerstein pushed his way authoritatively into the room. For one instant he stopped dead, staring at the figure on the bed, and, at the same instant, Mrs. Inglethorp cried out in a strangled voice, her eyes fixed on the doctor:
âAlfredâ âAlfredâ ââ Then she fell back motionless on the pillows.
With a stride, the doctor reached the bed, and seizing her arms worked them energetically, applying what I knew to be artificial respiration. He issued a few short sharp orders to the servants. An imperious wave of his hand drove us all to the door. We watched him, fascinated, though I think we all knew in our hearts that it was too late, and that nothing could be done now. I could see by the expression on his face that he himself had little hope.
Finally he abandoned his task, shaking his head gravely. At that moment, we heard footsteps outside, and Dr. Wilkins, Mrs. Inglethorpâs own doctor, a portly, fussy little man, came bustling in.
In a few words Dr. Bauerstein explained how he had happened to be passing the lodge gates as the car came out, and had run up to the house as fast as he could, whilst the car went on to fetch Dr. Wilkins. With a faint gesture of the hand, he indicated the figure on the bed.
âVe-ry sad. Ve-ry sad,â murmured Dr. Wilkins. âPoor dear lady. Always did far too muchâ âfar too muchâ âagainst my advice. I warned her. Her heart was far from strong. âTake it easy,â I said to her, âTakeâ âitâ âeasy.â But noâ âher zeal for good works was too great. Nature rebelled. Na-ture re-belled.â
Dr. Bauerstein, I noticed, was watching the local doctor narrowly. He still kept his eyes fixed on him as he spoke.
âThe convulsions were of a peculiar violence, Dr. Wilkins. I am sorry you were not here in time to witness them. They were quiteâ âtetanic in character.â
âAh!â said Dr. Wilkins wisely.
âI should like to speak to you in private,â said Dr. Bauerstein. He turned to John. âYou do not object?â
âCertainly not.â
We all trooped out into the corridor, leaving the two doctors alone, and I heard the key turned in the lock behind us.
We went slowly down the stairs. I was violently excited. I have a certain talent for deduction, and Dr. Bauersteinâs manner had started a flock of wild surmises in my mind. Mary Cavendish laid her hand upon my arm.
âWhat is it? Why did Dr. Bauerstein seem soâ âpeculiar?â
I looked at her.
âDo you know what I think?â
âWhat?â
âListen!â I looked round, the others were out of earshot. I lowered my voice to a whisper. âI believe she has been poisoned! Iâm certain Dr. Bauerstein suspects it.â
âWhat?â She shrank against the wall, the pupils of her eyes dilating wildly.
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