1、CHAPTER ONECOPPLESTONE COURT, the elegant, eighteenth-century country home of Henry and Clarissa Hailsham-Brown, set in gently undulating hilly country in Kent, looked especially attractive in the moonlight which illuminated its facade on a clear, chilly evening in March. Inside the house, in a tast
2、efully furnished ground-floor drawing-room whose French windows overlooked the garden, two men stood near a console table on which there was a tray with three glasses of port, each marked with a sticky label, one, two and three. Also on the table were a pencil and sheet of paper.Sir Rowland Delahaye
3、, a distinguished-looking man in his early fifties with a charming and cultivated manner, moved away to sit on the arm of a comfortable chair, and allowed his companion, Hugo Birch, to blindfold him. Birch, a man of about sixty and inclined to be somewhat irascible in manner, then placed in Sir Rowl
4、ands hand one of the glasses from the table. Raising the glass to his lips, Sir Rowland sipped, considered for a moment, and then said, I should think yes definitely yes, this is the Dow forty-two.Taking the glass from him, Hugo replaced it on the table, murmured, Dow forty-two as he jotted down on
5、the piece of paper Sir Rowlands opinion, and then handed him the next glass. Again Sir Rowland sipped the wine. He paused, took another sip, and then nodded affirmatively. Ah, yes, he declared with conviction. Now, this is a very fine port indeed. He took another sip. No doubt about it. Cockburn twe
6、nty-seven.He handed the glass back to Hugo as he continued, Fancy Clarissa wasting a bottle of Cockburn twenty-seven on a silly experiment like this. Its positively sacrilegious. But then women just dont understand port at all.Hugo took the glass from him, noted his opinion of the wine on the piece
7、of paper on the table, and handed him the third glass. After a quick sip, Sir Rowlands reaction was immediate and violent. Ugh! he exclaimed in disgust. Rich ruby-port-type wine. I cant imagine why Clarissa has such a thing in the house.His opinion was duly noted, after which he removed his blindfol
8、d and put it on the back of the armchair. Now its your turn, he told Hugo.Removing the horn-rimmed spectacles he habitually wore, Hugo allowed Sir Rowland to blindfold him. Well, I imagine Clarissa uses the cheap port for jugged hare or for flavouring soup, he suggested. I dont imagine Henry would a
9、llow her to offer it to guests.There you are, Hugo, Sir Rowland declared as he finished tying the blindfold over his companions eyes. Perhaps I ought to turn you around three times like they do in blind-mans buff, he added as he led Hugo to the armchair and turned him around to sit in it.Here, stead
10、y on, Hugo protested. He felt behind him for the chair.Got it? asked Sir Rowland. Yes, replied Hugo as he sat. Then Ill swivel the glasses around instead, Sir Rowland said as he moved the glasses on the table slightly.Theres no need to, Hugo told him. Do you think Im likely to be influenced by what
11、you said? Im as good a judge of port as you are any day, Roly, my boy.Dont be too sure of that. In any case, one cant be too careful, Sir Rowland insisted.Just as he was about to bring one of the glasses across to Hugo, the third of the Hailsham-Browns guests entered the room by the French windows.
12、Jeremy Warrender, an attractive young man in his twenties, was wearing a raincoat over his suit. Panting, and obviously out of breath, he headed for the sofa and was about to flop into it when he noticed what was going on. What on earth are you two up to? he asked, as he removed his raincoat and jac
13、ket. The three-card trick with glasses?Whats that? the blindfolded Hugo wanted to know. It sounds as though someones brought a dog into the room. Its only young Warrender, Sir Rowland assured him Behave yourself.Oh, I thought it sounded like a dog thats been chasing a rabbit, Hugo declared.Ive been
14、three times to the lodge gates and back, wearing a mackintosh over my clothes, Jeremy explained as he fell heavily onto the sofa. Apparently the Herzoslovakian Minister did it in four minutes fifty-three seconds, weighed down by his mackintosh. I went all out, but I couldnt do any better than six mi
15、nutes ten seconds. And I dont believe he did, either. Only Chris Chataway himself could do it in that time, with or without a mackintosh.Who told you that about the Herzoslovakian Minister? Sir Rowland inquired.Clarissa, Jeremy replied.Clarissa! exclaimed Sir Rowland, chuckling.Oh, Clarissa, Hugo sn
16、orted. You shouldnt pay any attention to what Clarissa tells you.Still chuckling, Sir Rowland continued, Im afraid you dont know your hostess very well, Warrender. Shes a young lady with a very vivid imagination.Jeremy rose to his feet. Do you mean she made the whole thing up? he asked indignantly.W
17、ell, I wouldnt put it past her, Sir Rowland answered as he handed one of the three glasses to the still blindfolded Hugo. And it certainly sounds like her idea of a joke.Does it, indeed? You just wait till I see that young woman, Jeremy promised. Ill certainly have something to say to her. Gosh, Im
18、exhausted. He got up, walked across to a door leading to the hall, went out momentarily to put his raincoat on the staircase in the hallway, and came back into the room.Stop puffing like a walrus, Hugo complained. Im trying to concentrate. Theres a fiver at stake. Roly and I have got a bet on.Oh, wh
19、at is it? Jeremy enquired as he went to sit on an arm of the sofa.Its to decide whos the best judge of port, Hugo told him. Weve got Cockburn twenty-seven, Dow forty-two, and the local grocers special. Quiet now. This is important. He sipped from the glass he was holding, and then murmured rather no
20、n-committally, Mmm-ah.Well? Sir Roland queried. Have you decided what the first one is?Dont hustle me, Roly, Hugo exclaimed. Im not going to rush my fences. Wheres the next one?He still held one glass in his right hand as he was handed another, which he took in his left hand. He sipped from it, and
21、then announced, Yes, Im pretty sure about those two. He sniffed at both glasses again. This first ones the Dow, he decided as he handed one glass to Sir Rowland. The second was the Cockburn, he continued, handing the other glass back to Sir Rowland, who repeated, Number three glass the Dow, number o
22、ne the Cockburn as he wrote them down.Well, its hardly necessary to taste the third, Hugo declared, but I suppose Id better go through with it.Here you are, said Sir Rowland, handing over the final glass.After sipping from it, Hugo made an exclamation of extreme distaste. Tschah! Ugh! What unspeakab
23、le muck. He returned the glass to Sir Rowland, then took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his lips to get rid of the offending taste. Itll take me an hour to get the taste of that stuff out of my mouth, he complained. Get me out of this, Roly.Here, Ill do it, Jeremy offered, rising and movin
24、g behind Hugo to remove his blindfold while Sir Rowland thoughtfully sipped the last of the three glasses before putting it back on the table.So thats what you think, Hugo, is it? Glass number two grocers special? He shook his head. Rubbish! Thats the Dow forty-two, not a doubt of it.Hugo put the bl
25、indfold in his pocket. Pah! Youve lost your palate, Roly, he declared.Let me try, Jeremy suggested. Going to the table, he took a quick sip from each glass. He paused for a moment, sipped each of them again, and then admitted, Well, they all taste the same to me.You young people! Hugo admonished him
26、. Its all this confounded gin you keep on drinking. Completely ruins your palate. Its not just women who dont appreciate port. Nowadays, no man under forty does, either.Before Jeremy had a chance to reply to this, the door leading to the library opened, and Clarissa Hailsham-Brown, a beautiful dark-
27、haired woman in her late twenties, entered. Hello, my darlings, she greeted Sir Rowland and Hugo. Have you settled it yet?Yes, Clarissa, Sir Rowland assured her. Were ready for you.I know Im right, said Hugo. Number ones the Cockburn, number twos the port-type stuff, and threes the Dow. Right?Nonsen
28、se, Sir Rowland exclaimed before Clarissa could answer. Number ones the port-type stuff, twos the Dow, and threes the Cockburn. Im right, arent I?Darlings! was Clarissas only immediate response. She kissed first Hugo and then Sir Rowland, and continued, Now one of you take the tray back to the dinin
29、g-room. Youll find the decanter on the sideboard. Smiling to herself, she took a chocolate from a box on an occasional table, and went across to the sofa.Sir Rowland had picked up the tray with the glasses on it, and was about to leave with them. He stopped. The decanter? he asked warily.Clarissa sa
30、t on one end of the sofa. Yes, she replied. Just one decanter. She put her feet up. Its all the same port, you know, she told them, laughing.CHAPTER TWOCLARISSAS ANNOUNCEMENT produced a different reaction from each of her hearers. Jeremy burst into hoots of laughter, went across to his hostess and k
31、issed her, while Sir Rowland stood gaping with astonishment, and Hugo seemed undecided what attitude to adopt to her having made fools of them both.When Sir Rowland finally found words, they were Clarissa, you unprincipled humbug. But his tone was affectionate.Well, Clarissa responded, its been such
32、 a wet afternoon, and you werent able to play golf. You must have some fun, and you have had fun over this, darlings, havent you?Upon my soul, Sir Rowland exclaimed as he carried the tray and glasses to the door. You ought to be ashamed of yourself, showing up your elders and betters. It turns out t
33、hat only young Warrender here guessed they were all the same.Hugo, who by now was laughing, accompanied him to the door. Who was it? he asked, putting an arm around Sir Rowlands shoulder. Who was it who said that hed know Cockburn twenty-seven anywhere?Never mind, Hugo, Sir Rowland replied resignedl
34、y, lets have some more of it, whatever it is. Talking as they went, the two men left by the door leading to the hall, Hugo closing the door behind them.Jeremy moved away from Clarissa on her sofa, and then turned to face her accusingly. Now then, Clarissa, he said, whats all this about the Herzoslov
35、akian Minister?Clarissa looked at him innocently. What about him? she asked.Pointing a finger at her, Jeremy spoke clearly and slowly. Did he ever run to the lodge gates and back, in a mackintosh, three times in four minutes fifty-three seconds?Clarissa smiled sweetly as she replied, The Herzoslovak
36、ian Minister is a dear, but hes well over sixty, and I doubt very much if hes run anywhere for years.So you did make the whole thing up. They told me you probably did. But why? Jeremy wanted to know.Well, Clarissa suggested, her smile even sweeter than before, youd been complaining all day about not
37、 getting enough exercise. So I thought the only friendly thing to do was to help you get some. It would have been no good my ordering you to go for a brisk run through the woods, but I knew youd respond to a challenge. So I invented someone for you to challenge.Jeremy gave a comical groan of exasper
38、ation. Clarissa, he asked her, do you ever speak the truth?Of course I do sometimes, Clarissa admitted. But when I am speaking the truth, nobody ever seems to believe me. Its very odd. She thought for a moment, and then continued. I suppose when youre making things up, you get carried away and that
39、makes it sound more convincing. She rose from the sofa and went across to the French windows.I might have broken a blood vessel, Jeremy complained. A fat lot youd have cared about that.Clarissa laughed. Opening the window and looking out into the garden, she observed, I do believe its cleared up. It
40、s going to be a lovely evening. How delicious the garden smells after rain. She sniffed. Narcissus.As she closed the window again, Jeremy came over to join her. Do you really like living down here in the country? he asked.I love it, Clarissa told him.But you must get bored to death, he exclaimed. It
41、s all so incongruous for you, Clarissa. You must miss the theatre terribly. I hear you were passionate about it when you were younger.Yes, I was. But I manage to create my own theatre right here, said Clarissa with a laugh.But you ought to lead an exciting life in London.Clarissa laughed again. What
42、 parties and nightclubs? she asked.Parties, yes. Youd make a brilliant hostess, Jeremy told her, laughing.She turned to face him. It sounds like an Edwardian novel, she said. Anyway, diplomatic parties are terribly dull.But its such a waste, your being tucked away down here, Jeremy persisted, moving
43、 close to her and attempting to take her hand in his.A waste of me? asked Clarissa, withdrawing her hand.Yes, Jeremy responded fervently. Then theres Henry.What about Henry? Clarissa asked as she moved away to pat a cushion on an easy chair.Jeremy looked at her steadily. I cant imagine why you ever
44、married him, he replied, plucking up his courage. Hes years older than you, with a daughter whos a school-kid. He leaned on the armchair, still observing her closely. Hes an excellent man, I have no doubt, but really, of all the pompous stuffed shirts. Going about looking like a boiled owl. He pause
45、d, waiting for a reaction from Clarissa. When none came, he continued, Hes as dull as ditch-water.Again Clarissa said nothing. Jeremy tried again. And he has no sense of humour, he muttered somewhat petulantly.Clarissa looked at Jeremy, smiled, but said nothing.Oh, I suppose you think I oughtnt to s
46、ay these things, Jeremy exclaimed.Clarissa sat on one end of a stool. Oh, I dont mind, she told him. Say anything you like.Jeremy went over to sit beside her on the stool. So you do realize that youve made a mistake? he asked eagerly.But I havent made a mistake, was Clarissas softly uttered response
47、. Then, teasingly, she added, Are you making immoral advances to me, Jeremy?Definitely, was his prompt reply.How lovely, exclaimed Clarissa. She nudged him with her elbow. Do go on.I think you know how I feel about you, Clarissa, Jeremy responded somewhat moodily. But youre just playing with me, arent you? Flirting. Its another one of your games. Darling, cant you be serious just for once?Serious? Whats so good about serious? Clarissa
