死者的镜子02

II,A duchess greeted M. Hercule Poirot in fulsome ¹ tones.,“So you could manage to come after all, M. Poirot! Why, that’s splendid.”,“The pleasure is mine, madame, ” murmured Poirot, bowing.,He escaped from several important and splendid beings—a famous diplomat ², an equallyfamous actress and a well-known sporting peer—and found at last the person he had come to seek,that invariably “also present
” guest, Mr.?Satterthwaite.,Mr.?Satterthwaite twittered amiably ³.,Mr.?Satterthwaite’s conversation was apt to be unduly ⁴ burdened by mentions of his titledacquaintances. It is possible that he may sometimes have found pleasure in the company ofMessrs. Jones, Brown or Robinson, but, if so, he did not mention the fact. And yet, to describeMr.?Satterthwaite as a mere ⁵ snob ⁶ and leave it at that would have been to do him an injustice ⁷. Hewas a keen observer of human nature, and if it is true that the looker-on knows most of the game,Mr.?Satterthwaite knew a,good deal.,“You know, my dear fellow, it is really ages since I saw you. I always feel myself privilegedto have seen you work at close quarters in the Crow’s Nest business. I feel since then that I am inthe know, so to speak. I saw Lady Mary only last week, by the way. A charming creature—potpourri and lavender!”,After passing lightly on one or two scandals of the moment—the indiscretions of an earl’sdaughter, and the lamentable ⁸ conduct of a viscount—Poirot succeeded in introducing the name ofGervase Chevenix-Gore.,Mr.?Satterthwaite responded immediately.,Newspapers have been fulsome in their praise of the former president.报纸上对前总统都是些溢美之词 。,The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话 ，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来
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