Десять негритят / And Then There Were None

Receiving an assent to this, the curtains were drawn and the lamps turned on. The room grew more cheerful. A little of the shadow lifted. Surely, by tomorrow, the storm would be over and some one would come – a boat would arrive…

Vera Claythorne said: «Will you pour out tea, Miss Brent?»

The elder woman replied:

«No, you do it, dear. That tea-pot is so heavy. And I have lost two skeins of my grey knitting-wool. So annoying.»

Vera moved to the tea-table. There was a cheerful rattle and clink of china. Normality returned.

Tea! Blessed ordinary everyday afternoon tea! Philip Lombard made a cheery remark. Blore responded. Dr. Armstrong told a humorous story. Mr. Justice Wargrave, who ordinarily hated tea, sipped approvingly.

Into this relaxed atmosphere came Rogers. And Rogers was upset. He said nervously and at random:

«Excuse me, sir, but does any one know what’s become of the bathroom curtain?»

Lombard’s head went up with a jerk.

«The bathroom curtain? What the devil do you mean, Rogers?»

«It’s gone, sir, clean vanished. I was going round drawing all the curtains and the one in the lav – bathroom wasn’t there any longer.»

Mr. Justice Wargrave asked: «Was it there this morning?»

«Oh, yes, sir.»

Blore said: «What kind of a curtain was it?»

«Scarlet oilsilk, sir. It went with the scarlet tiles.»

Lombard said: «And it’s gone?»

«Gone, sir.»

They stared at each other.

Blore said heavily: «Well – after all – what of it? It’s mad – but so’s everything else. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. You can’t kill anybody with an oilsilk curtain. Forget about it.»

Rogers said: «Yes, sir, thank you, sir.» He went out, shutting the door behind him.

Inside the room, the pall of fear had fallen anew. Again, surreptitiously, they watched each other.

VI

Dinner came, was eaten, and cleared away. A simple meal, mostly out of tins.

Afterwards, in the living-room, the strain was almost too great to be borne.

At nine o’clock, Emily Brent rose to her feet. She said:

«I’m going to bed.»

Vera said: «I’ll go to bed too.»

The two women went up the stairs and Lombard and Blore went with them. Standing at the top of the stairs, the two men watched the women go into their respective rooms and shut the doors. They heard the sound of two bolts being shot and the turning of two keys.

Blore said with a grin: «No need to tell ‘em to lock their doors!»

Lombard said: «Well, they’re all right for the night, at any rate!»

He went down again and the other followed him.

VII

The four men went to bed an hour later. They went up together. Rogers, from the dining-room where he was setting the table for breakfast, saw them go up. He heard them pause on the landing above.

Then the judge’s voice spoke:

«I need hardly advise you, gentlemen, to lock your doors.»

Blore said: «And, what’s more, put a chair under the handle. There are ways of turning locks from the outside.»

Lombard murmured: «My dear Blore, the trouble with you is you know too much!»

The judge said gravely: «Good-night, gentlemen. May we all meet safely in the morning!»

Rogers came out of the dining-room and slipped halfway up the stairs. He saw four figures pass through four doors and heard the turning of four locks and the shooting of four bolts.

He nodded his head. «That’s all right,» he muttered.

He went back into the dining-room. Yes, everything was ready for the morning. His eye lingered on the centre plaque of looking-glass and the seven little china figures.

A sudden grin transformed his face. He murmured:

«I’ll see no one plays tricks tonight, at any rate.»

Crossing the room he locked the door to the pantry. Then going through the other door to the hall he pulled the door to, locked it and slipped the key into his pocket. Then, extinguishing the lights, he hurried up the stairs and into his new bedroom.

There was only one possible hiding-place in it, the tall wardrobe, and he looked into that immediately. Then, locking and bolting the door, he prepared for bed. He said to himself:

«No more Soldier tricks tonight I’ve seen to that…»

Chapter 11

I

Philip Lombard had the habit of waking at daybreak. He did so on this particular morning. He raised himself on an elbow and listened. The wind had somewhat abated but was still blowing. He could hear no sound of rain…

At eight o’clock the wind was blowing more strongly, but Lombard did not hear it. He was asleep again.

At nine-thirty he was sitting on the edge of his bed looking at his watch. He put it to his ear. Then his lips drew back from his teeth in that curious wolf-like smile characteristic of the man. He said very softly:

«I think the time has come to do something about this.»

At twenty-five minutes to ten he was tapping on the closed door of Blore’s room.

The latter opened it cautiously. His hair was tousled and his eyes were still dim with sleep.

Philip Lombard said affably:

«Sleeping the clock round? Well, shows you’ve got an easy conscience.»

Blore said shortly: «What’s the matter?»

Lombard answered: «Anybody called you – or brought you any tea? Do you know what time it is?»