无人生还36
时间：2026-03-19 03:05:28
（单词翻译:单击）
III
Dr Armstrong drew a deep breath.
‘And Mrs Rogers?’
Lombard said slowly:
‘I could believe in Anthony’s suicide (with difficulty) if it weren’t for Mrs
Rogers. I could believe in Mrs Rogers’ suicide (easily) if it weren’t for An-
thony Marston. I can believe that Rogers put his wife out of the way—if it
were not for the unexpected death of Anthony Marston. But what we need
is a theory to explain two deaths following rapidly on each other.’
Armstrong said:
‘I can perhaps give you some help towards that theory.’
And he repeated the facts that Rogers had given him about the disap-
pearance of the two little china figures.
Lombard said:
‘Yes, little china figures…There were certainly ten last night at dinner.
And now there are eight, you say?’
Dr Armstrong recited:
‘Ten little soldier boys going out to dine;
One went and choked himself and then there were Nine.
‘Nine little soldier boys sat up very late;
One overslept himself and then there were Eight.’
The two men looked at each other. Philip Lombard grinned and flung
away his cigarette.
‘Fits too damned well to be a coincidence! Anthony Marston dies of as-
phyxiation or choking last night after dinner, and Mother Rogers over-
sleeps herself with a vengeance.’
‘And therefore?’ said Armstrong.
Lombard took him up.
‘And therefore another kind of soldier. The Unknown Soldier! X! Mr
Owen! U. N. Owen! One Unknown Lunatic at Large!’
‘Ah!’ Armstrong breathed a sigh of relief. ‘You agree. But you see what it
involves? Rogers swore that there was no one but ourselves and he and
his wife on the island.’
‘Rogers is wrong! Or possibly Rogers is lying!’
Armstrong shook his head.
‘I don’t think he’s lying. The man’s scared. He’s scared nearly out of his
senses.’
Philip Lombard nodded.
He said:
‘No motor-boat this morning. That fits in. Mr Owen’s little arrangements
again to the fore. Soldier Island is to be isolated until Mr Owen has fin-
ished his job.’
Armstrong had gone pale. He said:
‘You realize—the man must be a raving maniac!’
Philip Lombard said, and there was a new ring in his voice:
‘There’s one thing Mr Owen didn’t realize.’
‘What’s that?’
‘This island’s more or less a bare rock. We shall make short work of
searching it. We’ll soon ferret out U. N. Owen, Esq.’
Dr Armstrong said warningly:
‘He’ll be dangerous.’
Philip Lombard laughed.
‘Dangerous? Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? I’ll be dangerous when I
get hold of him!’
He paused and said:
‘We’d better rope in Blore to help us. He’ll be a good man in a pinch. Bet-
ter not tell the women. As for the others, the General’s ga-ga, I think, and
old Wargrave’s forte is masterly inactivity. The three of us can attend to
this job.’
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