“很容易。”马龙说。他把毯子铺在雪地上，从中间对折起来，在杰克的帮助下，把罗斯·麦克劳林挪到毯子上。然后他把两件大衣盖在那个一动不动的身体上，说：“你拿两个角，我拿两个角，就像抬担架一样。我就知道我在童子军训练中学到的东西会有用处。”他把手电筒和瓶子递给海伦，又说：“看在上帝的份上，别被什么东西绊倒了。那瓶黑麦威士忌是我们仅有的酒了。”
“Easy,” Malone said. He spread the blanket out on the snow, folded down the middle, and, with Jake’s help, slid Ross McLaurin onto it. Then he spread the two overcoats over the still form and said, “You take two corners, and I’ll take two, just like a stretcher. I always knew I’d get some good out of that Boy Scout training.” He handed the flashlight and the bottle to Helene, adding, “For the love of Mike, don’t trip over anything. That bottle of rye is all the liquor we’ve got.”
他们抬着失去知觉的罗斯·麦克劳林，轻松地穿过树林里怪异的黑暗，走过宽阔的白色草坪，来到小门边。
They carried the unconscious Ross McLaurin back through the eerie darkness of the woods, across the broad, white expanse of lawn, and up to the little gate, by easy stages.
他们在那里停下来，等着哈里·科瓦尔克和他的灵车到来。马龙利用这个间歇点了一支雪茄，又拿回了那瓶黑麦威士忌。
There they paused, waiting for the arrival of Harry Kowalke and his hearse. Malone took advantage of the pause to light a cigar and retrieve the bottle of rye.
“当然，”海伦说，“我们来这里是为了监视伊迪莎·文宁。也许马龙应该留在这里保持警惕，而我们把罗斯送回芝加哥。”
“Of course,” Helene said, “we came out here to watch for Editha Venning. Maybe Malone ought to stay out here and keep his eyes open, while we take Ross back to Chicago.”
幸运的是，马龙的回答没有被听到。
Fortunately Malone’s reply was lost.
罗斯·麦克劳林微微动了一下，喃喃地说着：“苍白的手，指尖粉红，像漂浮在……我们曾经居住的芬芳水域上的莲花苞……”然后又陷入了昏迷。
Ross McLaurin stirred faintly and murmured something about, “Pale hands, pink-tipped, like lotus buds that floated—on scented waters where we used to dwell—” and lapsed into unconsciousness again.
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“他在说他的女朋友。”海伦温柔地说。
“He’s talking about his girl friend,” Helene said gently.
“如果他活下来，”马龙严峻地说，“等他苏醒过来，他会告诉我们他发生了什么事。他会知道是谁刺伤了他。然后，谢天谢地，这个案子就差不多结了。”他把黑麦威士忌递给杰克。
“If he lives,” Malone said grimly, “when he es to, he’ll tell us what happened to him. He’ll know who knifed him. Then, heaven be praised, the case will be practically closed.” He handed the rye to Jake.
“他不仅要活下来。”杰克严峻地说，“他还要活下来并且记得。你忘了莱昂纳多·亨尼西医生了吗？”
“He’s got to do better than live,” Jake said grimly. “He’s got to live and remember. Have you forgotten Dr. Leonardo Hennessey?”
几分钟后，一辆长长的黑色灵车悄无声息地、没有开灯地驶到了门口。一个高个子、瘦长、脸色苍白的男人穿着一件黑色的切斯特菲尔德大衣，戴着一顶圆顶礼帽走了出来。马龙把剩下的大部分黑麦威士忌给了他，而杰克从灵车后面抬起担架。没过几分钟，罗斯·麦克劳林就安全舒适地被抬上了车。
A few minutes later a long, black hearse, moving quietly and without lights, slid up to the gate. A tall, thin, pale-faced man in a black Chesterfield overcoat and a derby hat emerged. Malone gave him most of the remaining rye while Jake lifted the stretcher from the back of the conveyance. It was only a matter of minutes before Ross McLaurin was safely and fortably on board.
“我们很着急。”海伦说，“我来开车。”
“We’re in a hurry,” Helene said. “I’ll drive.”
哈里·科瓦尔克怀疑地看着她。
Harry Kowalke looked at her skeptically.
“她是对的。”杰克说，“别和她争。”
“She’s right,” Jake said. “Don’t argue with her.”
“好吧，伙计。”科瓦尔克说，打开一根口香糖。“我去后面陪病人。我们去哪儿？”
“O. K., pal,” Kowalke said, unwrapping a stick of chewing gum. “I’ll get in back with the patient. Where are we going?”
“去芝加哥里面的第一家医院……不，等一下。”马龙开始说。
“The first hospital inside Chicago—” Malone began. “No, wait a minute.”
“你不能那么做。”杰克说，“警察会问你为什么不叫他们，却叫了这个人。”
“You can’t do that,” Jake said. “The police are going to ask why the hell you didn’t call them, instead of this guy.”
“对。往芝加哥开。在我们到那儿之前我会想出办法的。”马龙说。他看了看瓶子。“如果能找到一家通宵营业的酒类商店，你最好停一下。这快空了。”他和车主以及昏迷的麦克劳林一起爬上了灵车的后部。
“That’s right. Go on toward Chicago I’ll think of something before we get there,” Malone said. He glanced at the bottle. “You’d better pause at an all-night liquor store if you can find one. This is damn-near empty.” He climbed into the back of the hearse with its owner and the unconscious McLaurin.
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海伦慢慢地开了两个街区，没开灯，然后把灯全打开。“让他们见识下！”哈里·科瓦尔克从后面喊道，她踩下了油门。
Helene drove two blocks slowly and with the lights off, then switched them on full. “Let ’em rip!” came Harry Kowalke’s voice from the back, and she stepped on the gas.
回芝加哥的旅程有一种噩梦般的感觉。傍晚早些时候的交通把雪压实在了弯曲的道路上，雪在这里那里融化了，然后又冻成了一片片危险的冰。有一次，灵车疯狂地滑行了半个街区，转了半圈，最后停在了一个受惊的市民的车道上。
The ride back to Chicago had a nightmarish quality about it. The snow, packed down on curving roads by the early evening traffic, had melted here and there, and then frozen into patches of treacherous ice. Once the hearse skidded insanely for half a block, turned halfway around, and came to rest in the driveway of a startled citizen.
在埃文斯顿的边界处，海伦发现，作为一辆辅助救护车，这辆车可以使用警笛。这个发现带来了一场真正精彩的表演。
At the border of Evanston, Helene discovered that, as an auxiliary ambulance, the vehicle was permitted to carry a siren. The discovery brought out a really inspired performance.