《福尔摩斯探案集·斑点带子案》第15节
“Two years have passed since then, and my life has been until lately lonelier than ever. A month ago, however, a dear friend, whom I have known for many years, has done me the honour to ask my hand in marriage. His name is Armitage—Percy Armitage—the second son of Mr. Armitage, of Crane Water, near Reading. My stepfather has offered no opposition to the match, and we are to be married in the course of the spring. Two days ago some repairs were started in the west wing of the building, and my bedroom wall has been pierced, so that I have had to move into the chamber in which my sister died, and to sleep in the very bed in which she slept. Imagine, then, my thrill of terror when last night, as I lay awake, thinking over her terrible fate, I suddenly heard in the silence of the night the low whistle which had been the herald of her own death. I sprang up and lit the lamp, but nothing was to be seen in the room. I was too shaken to go to bed again, however, so I dressed, and as soon as it was daylight I slipped down, got a dog-cart at the Crown Inn, which is opposite, and drove to Leatherhead, from whence I have come on this morning with the one object of seeing you and asking your advice.” “You have done wisely,” said my friend. “But have you told me all?”
注释摘要
这段叙述是海伦·斯通纳故事的下半场，也是她来访的直接起因。时间从两年前她姐姐茱莉亚的死，跳到了现在。她先交代了自己近况的变化：姐姐死后，生活比从前更孤独，直到一个月前，一位相识多年的朋友向她求婚。她给出了未婚夫的完整姓名与社会坐标——珀西·阿米蒂奇，家住雷丁附近克莱恩沃特的阿米蒂奇先生之次子。在维多利亚时代英格兰，这不仅是恋爱消息，更是一份社会身份声明：有…