Читать «Dumb Witness / Безмолвный свидетель. Книга для чтения на английском языке» онлайн - страница 2
Агата Кристи
On the Friday before Easter Emily Arundell was standing in the hall of Littlegreen House giving various directions to Miss Lawson.
Emily Arundell had been a handsome girl and she was now a well-preserved handsome old lady with a straight back and a brisk manner. A faint yellowness in her skin was a warning that she could not eat rich food with impunity.
Miss Arundell was saying:
‘Now then, Minnie, where have you put them all?’
‘Well, I thought—I hope I’ve done right—Dr and Mrs Tanios in the Oak room and Theresa in the Blue room and Mr Charles in the Old Nursery—’
Miss Arundell interrupted:
‘Theresa can have the Old Nursery and Charles will have the Blue room.’
‘Oh, yes—I’m sorry—I thought the Old Nursery being rather more inconvenient—’
‘It will do very nicely for Theresa.’
In Miss Arundell’s day, women took second place. Men were the important members of society.
‘I’m so sorry the dear little children aren’t coming,’ murmured Miss Lawson, sentimentally.
She loved children and was quite incapable of managing them.
‘Four visitors will be quite enough,’ said Miss Arundell. ‘In any case Bella spoils her children abominably. They never dream of doing what they are told.’
Minnie Lawson murmured:
‘Mrs Tanios is a very devoted mother.’
Miss Arundell said with grave approval:
‘Bella is a good woman.’
Miss Lawson sighed and said:
‘It must be very hard for her sometimes—living in an outlandish place like Smyrna.’
Emily Arundell replied:
‘She has made her bed and she must lie on it.’
And having uttered this final Victorian pronouncement she went on:
‘I am going to the village now to speak about the orders for the weekend.’
‘Oh, Miss Arundell, do let me. I mean—’
‘Nonsense. I prefer to go myself. Rogers needs a sharp word. The trouble with you is, Minnie, that you’re not
A wire-haired terrier came tearing down the stairs. He circled round and round his mistress uttering short staccato barks of delight and expectation.
Together mistress and dog passed out of the front door and down the short path to the gate.
Miss Lawson stood in the doorway smiling rather foolishly after them, her mouth a little open. Behind her a voice said tartly:
‘Them pillowcases you gave me, miss, isn’t a pair.’
‘What? How stupid of me…’
Minnie Lawson plunged once more into household routine.
Emily Arundell, attended by Bob, made a royal progress down the main street of Market Basing.
It was very much of a royal progress. In each shop she entered the proprietor always hurried forward to attend to her.
She was Miss Arundell of Littlegreen House. She was ‘one of our oldest customers’. She was ‘one of the old school. Not many about like her nowadays’.
‘Good morning, miss. What can I have the pleasure of doing for you—Not tender? Well, I’m sorry to hear that. I thought myself it was as nice a little saddle—Yes, of course, Miss Arundell. If you say so, it is so—No, indeed I wouldn’t think of sending Canterbury to
