藍色特快上的秘密-藍色列車之謎-藍色列車(英文版)

第6部分 (第4/7頁)

e　me；　dear　Miss　Grey；　yours　cordially；

Mary　Anne　Harfield。〃

Katherine　Grey　read　the　letter　through；　smiled　a　little；　and　read　it　a　second　time。　Her　face　as　she　laid　the　letter　down　after　the　second　reading　was　distinctly　amused。　Then　she　took　up　the　second　letter。　After　one　brief　perusal　she　laid　it　down　and　stared　very　straight　in　front　of　her。　This　time　she　did　not　smile。　Indeed；　it　would　have　been　hard　for　anyone　watching　her　to　guess　what　emotions　lay　behind　that　quiet；　reflective　gaze。

Katherine　Grey　was　thirty…three。　She　came　of　good　family；　but　her　father　had　lost　all　his　money；　and　Katherine　had　had　to　work　for　her　living　from　an　early　age。　She　had　been　just　twenty…three　when　she　had　e　to　old　Mrs　Harfield　as　panion。

It　was　generally　recognized　that　old　Mrs　Harfield　was　〃difficult。〃　panions　came　and　went　with　startling　rapidity。　They　arrived　full　of　hope　and　they　usually　left　in　tears。　But　from　the　moment　Katherine　Grey　set　foot　in　Little　Crampton；　ten　years　ago；　perfect　peace　had　reigned。　No　one　knows　how　these　things　e　about。　Snake…charmers；　they　say；　are　born；　not　made。　Katherine　Grey　was　born　with　the　power　of　managing　old　ladies；　dogs　and　small　boys；　and　she　did　it　without　any　apparent　sense　of　strain。

At　twenty…three　she　had　been　a　quiet　girl　with　beautiful　eyes。　At　thirty…three　she　an；　with　those　same　grey　eyes；　shining　steadily　out　on　the　world　with　a　kind　of　happy　serenity　that　nothing　could　shake。

Moreover；　she　had　been　born　with；　and　still　possessed；　a　sense　of　humour。

As　she　sat　at　the　breakfast…table；　staring　in　front　of　her；　there　was　a　ring　at　the　bell；　acpanied　by　a　very　energetic　rat…a…tat…tat　at　the　knocker。　In　another　minute　the　little　maid…servant　opened　the　door　and　announced　rather　breathlessl