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Text B The Companion（第2页）

“ThefollowingdayIhadarraogoforapiiefrieoracrosstheisland，takingourlunch，toaplacecalled（asfarasIremember—itissolongago）LasNieves，awell-shelteredbaywherewecouldbatheifwefeltihisprogrammewedulycarriedout，exceptthathatlateinstarting，sothatwestoppedontheiigontoLaserwardsforabathebeforetea.”

“Asroachedthebeach，wewereatoremendousotion.Thewholepopulationofthesmallvillageseemedtobegatheredontheshore.Assoonastheysawustheyrushedtowardsthedbeganexplaiedly.OurSpanishnotbeingverygood，ittookmeafewmiouand，butatlastIgotit.”

“TwoofthemadEnglishladieshadgoobathe，andonehadswumouttotintodifficulties.Theoerherandhadtriedtherihinturnhadfailedaoowouldhavedrowamainabhtinresdrescued—thelatterbeyondhelp.”

“AssoonasIgotthehangofthingsIpushedthecrowdasideahebeawowomen.Theplumpfigureioeagreehingcapawokenochnitionasshelookedupanxiously.Shewaskhebodyofherfriend，makieurishattemptsatartificialrespiratiooldherthatIwasadaveasighofrelief，andIorderedheroffatohecottagesforarubdownanddryg.Oheladiesinmypartywentwithher.Imyselfworkedunavailinglyonthebodyofthedrownedwoman.LifewasonlytooclearlyextintheendIhadrelutlytogivein.”

&heothersinthesmallfisherman’sdthereIhadtobreakthesadhesurvivorwasattirednowinherownclothes，aelyreizedherasowoarrivalsofthenightbefore.Shereceivedthesadnewsfairlyditwasevidentlythehorrorofthewholethingthatstruckhermorethapersonalfeeling.”

“PoorAmy，”

shesaid.“Poor，poorAmy.Shehadbeenlookingforwardtothebathingheresomudshewasagoodswimmertoo.Iderstandit.Whatdoyouthinkithavebeen，doctor?”

“Possiblycramp.Willyoutellmeexactlyened?”

&hbeenswimmingaboutforsometime—twentyminutes，Ishouldsay.ThenIthoughtIwouldgoin，butAmysaidshewasgoingtoswimoutoncemore.Shedidso，andsuddenlyIheardherdrealizedshewasgforhelp.IswamoutasfastasIcould.ShewasstillafloatwhenIgottoher，butsheclutchedatmewildlyahwehadhatmaningoutwithhisboatIshouldhavebeeoo.”

“Thathashappenedfairlyoften，”

Isaid.“Tosaveanyonefrisnotaneasyaffair.”

“Itseemssoawful，”

issBarton.“Weoerday，andweresodelightinginthesunshineandourlittleholiday.Andnowthis—thisterribletragedyoccurs.”

“IaskedherthenforparticularsaboutthedeadlainingthatIwoulddIcouldforher，butthattheSpanishauthoritieswouldrequirefullinformation.Thisshegavemereadilyenough.”

“Thedeadwoman，MissAmyDurrant，washerpanionandhadetoheraboutfivemoheyhadgotoher，butMissDurranthadspokeleaboutherpeople.Shehadbeeanorphanatanearlyageaupbyanundhadearnedherownlivingsiwenty-one.”

“Andsothatwasthat，”

weor.Hepausedandsaidagain，butthistimewithafinalityinhisvoidsothat>

“Idoand，”

saidJahatall?Imearagic.Isuppose，butitisisn’ty.”

“Ithiofollow，”

saidSirHenry.

“Yes，”

saidDr.Lloyd，“there’smoretofollow.Yhtattherimetherewas.OfcourseIaskedquestionsofthefishermeowhatthey’dseen.Theywereeye-witnesses.Andonewomanhadratherafunnystory.Ididn’tpayaoitatthetime，butitcamebaeafterwards.Sheinsisted，yousee，thatMissDurrantwasn’tindifficultieswhenshecalledout.Theotherswamouttoherand，agtothiswomaelyheldMissDurrant’sheaduer.Ididn’t，asIsay，paymution.Itwassutasticstory，ahingslooksodifferentlyfromtheshore.MissBartonmighthavetriedtomakeherfriendloseess，realizingthatthelatter’spanigwoulddrowh.Yousee，agtotheSpanishwoman’sstory，itlookedasthough—well，asthoughMissBartoelytryingtodrownherpanion.

“AsIsay，Ipaidverylittleattentiontothisstoryatthetime.Itcamebaelater.reatdifficultywastofindoutanythingaboutthiswoman，AmyDurraseemtohaveaions.MissBartohrstogether.Wefoundoneaddressahere，butitprovedtobesimplyaroomshehadtakeninwhichts.Thelahing，hadonlyseeooktheroom.MissDurrathetimethatshealwayslikedtohaveoneplaceshecouldcallherowntowhichshecouldreturnataherewereowonicepiecesofoldfurnitureandsomeboundnumbersofAcademypidatrunkfullofpieaterialboughtatsales，butnopersonalbeloiohelandladythatherfatherandmotherhaddiedinIndiawhenshewasadthatshehadbeenbroughtupbyanunclewhowasa，butshedidnotsayifhewasherfather’sorhermother’sbrother，sothenamewasnoguide.”

“Itwaslymysterious，itwasjustunsatisfactory.Theremustbemanylonelywomen，prouda，injustthatposition.ThereleofphotographsamingsinLasPalmas—ratheroldaheyhadbeencuttofittheframestheywerein，sothattherehotographer’shem，andtherewasanolddaguerreotypewhichmighthavebeeherormoreprrandmother.

“MissBartonhadhadtworeferehher.Oneshehadfottehernamesherecollectedafteraprovedtobethatofaladyabroad，haviralia.Shewaswrittento.Heranswer，ofcourse，wasalongtimeining，andImaysaythatwhenitdidarrivetherearticularhelptobegai.ShesaidMissDurrahheraspanionaeffidthatshewasaverygwoman，butthatshekhieaffairsorrelations.”

“Sothereitwas—asIsay，nothinguwasjustthetwothiarousedmyuhisAmyDurrantofwhomhing，andtheSpanishwomaory.Yes，andI’lladdathirdthing:WhenIwasfirstbehebodyandMissBartonaytowardsthehuts，shelookedback.LookedbaexpressiohatIlydescribeasoneofpoigy—akindofaaintythatimpriselfonmybrain.

“Itdidn’tstrikemeasanythingunusualatthetime.Iputitdowerribledistressoverherfriend.But，yousee，laterIrealizedthattheyweren’toherewasatbetweeerriblegrief.MissBartonwasfondofAmyDurrantandshockedbyherdeath—that>

“But，then，whythatterriblepoigwasthequestioingbae.Ihadakeninthatlook.Andalmostagainstmywill，aoshapeitselfinmymind.SupposingtheSpanishwoman’sstoryweretrue;supposingthatMaryBartonwilfullyandincoldbloodtriedtodrownAmyDurrant.Shesuholdingherupretendingtobesavingher.Sheisrescuedbyaboat.Theyareonalonelybeaahehelastthis.AdodanEnglishdoctor!SheknowswellenoughthatpeoplewhohavebeeerfarlohanAmyDurranthavebeeificialrespiratiooplayherpart—togooffleavingmealoim.Aurloyshowsinherface.WillAmyDurraolifeasheknows?”

“Oh!”

saidJahrillednow.”

&hataspectthewholebusinessseemedmoresihepersonalityofAmyDurrantbeysterious.WhowasAmyDurrant?Whyshouldshe，aninsignifitpaidurderedbyheremployer?WhatstorylaybehindthatfatalbathiioeredMaryBartoohsbefore.MaryBarththerabroad，andtheverydayaftertheylaragedyhadodtheywerebothnionplaedEhewholethingwasfantastidItoldmyselfso.Ihadbeeingmyimaginationrunawaywithme.”

“Youdidn’tdoanything，then?”

askedMissHelier.