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Last Monday Mr. Neville St. Clair went into town rather earlier than usual,
上星期一，圣克萊爾先生進城比平時早得多。
remarking before he started that he had two important commissions to perform,
出發前他說過有兩件重要事情要辦，
and that he would bring his little boy home a box of bricks.
還說要給小兒子帶回一盒積木。
Now, by the merest chance, his wife received a telegram upon this same Monday,
說來也巧，在那同一個星期一，他的太太收到一封電報，
very shortly after his departure, to the effect that a small parcel of considerable value
他出門后不久，說有個貴重的小包裹，
which she had been expecting was waiting for her at the offices of the Aberdeen Shipping Company.
她一直等著這包裹--已經寄到亞伯丁運輸公司辦事處等她去取。
Now, if you are well up in your London, you will know that the office of the company is in Fresno Street,
好了，如果你熟悉倫敦的街道，你會知道公司的辦事處是在弗雷斯諾街。
which branches out of Upper Swandam Lane, where you found me to-night.
那條街有一條岔道通向天鵝閘巷，就是今晚你見到我的地方。
Mrs. St. Clair had her lunch, started for the City, did some shopping, proceeded to the company's office, got her packet,
圣克萊爾太太吃過午飯就進城了，在商店買了些東西就到公司辦事處去，取出包裹，
and found herself at exactly 4:35 walking through Swandam Lane on her way back to the station. Have you followed me so far?"
在回車站走過天鵝閘巷時，正好是下午四點三十五分。你明白了嗎？"
"It is very clear."
"聽得很清楚。"
"If you remember, Monday was an exceedingly hot day, and Mrs. St. Clair walked slowly,
"如果你還記得的話，星期一那天天氣十分炎熱，圣克萊爾太太步伐緩慢，
glancing about in the hope of seeing a cab, as she did not like the neighbourhood in which she found herself.
四下張望，希望能雇到一輛小馬車，因為她發覺她不喜歡周圍的那些街道。
While she was walking in this way down Swandam Lane, she suddenly heard an ejaculation or cry,
正當她一路走過天鵝閘巷時，突然聽見一聲喊叫或哭號，
and was struck cold to see her husband looking down at her and, as it seemed to her, beckoning to her from a second-floor window.
看到她的丈夫從三層樓的窗口朝下望著她，好象在向她招手，她嚇得渾身冰涼。
The window was open, and she distinctly saw his face, which she describes as being terribly agitated.
那窗戶是開著的，他的臉她看得很清楚，據她說他那激動的樣子非常可怕。
He waved his hands frantically to her,
他拼命地向她揮手，
and then vanished from the window so suddenly that it seemed to her that he had been plucked back by some irresistible force from behind.
但忽然消失于剎那之間，好象他身后有一種不可抗拒的力量一把將他猛拉回去一樣。
One singular point which struck her quick feminine eye was that although he wore some dark coat,
她那雙女人所具有的敏銳的眼睛猛地看到的一個異常的地方是，他穿的雖然是他進城時的那件黑色上衣，
such as he had started to town in, he had on neither collar nor necktie.
可是他的脖子上沒有硬領，胸前也沒有領帶。
