# ■ 4 The Locked Room

Two days 1ater there was a storm in the middle of the night．

I was hot and I couldn't sleep．I got out of bed，went across to the window and looked out at the night．Black clouds hur ried across the sky，and the trees moved wildly in the wind．The rain made a loud noise on the window．

I opened my window and put my head out into the wind and the rain．I looked at the other windows in the house．Most of them were dark．But one window had a light in it．‘Somebody isn't sleeping，’I thought．‘Which room is that？’

There were six windows between my window and the room with the light．

‘And there are six doors between my room and the locked door！’I thought．‘That light is in the locked room．Somebody's in there！’

I put on my dressing－gown and went out of my room．The house was dark，and at first I couldn't see very well．I walked along the passage and turned the corner．

There it was， the locked room．And there was a light under the door！

I went nearer and heard noises．

‘Somebody's moving about in the locked room’，I thought．‘Who is it？’

Then the light went off and the door opened．

I was afraid to move．

Somebody came out of the room， and into the dark passage．Lightning suddenly lit up the house，and I saw who it was．

‘It's Mr Ross！’I thought．‘What was he doing in that room in the middle of the night？’

I didn't move and he didn't see me． He locked the door of the room carefully．He didn't put the key in his pocket，but hid it in the plant pot next to the door．

‘He's coming along here，’I thought．‘I must get back to my room．’

And I ran back along the passage．

Mr Ross heard me.‘Who's that？’he called．

I didn't answer，but ran into my room and closed the door．

He came along the passage and stopped outside my door．Then he walked past and went on down the stairs．

I took off my dressing－gown and went back to bed． I was shaking because I was afraid．

‘Now I know how to get into the locked room，’I thought．‘But what's in there？’

There was no storm in the morning，but it was still raining．I got up early and worked on the farm．There were eggs from the chickens and I put them in boxes．I helped to milk the cows and then took them out to the field．

Later，I went back into the house for breakfast．‘Did you sleep all right last night？’asked Mrs Duncan．‘Or did the storm wake you up？’

‘I… slept all right，’I said．I didn't want to tell her about the light in the locked room，or about Mr Ross．

After breakfast，I went back upstairs．Mr Ross was talking on the telephone in his office．My mother was working at her desk．I knew that Mrs Duncan was in the kitchen and that Mr Duncan was working in the garden．

‘Where's Mrs Ross？’I thought．

Then I looked out of the window and saw her with Tony Duncan．They were walking to the boat．

‘He's taking her out in the boat，’I thought．‘Perhaps she's going to Edinburgh．’

The boat moved away from the island and I waited until it was out at sea．Then I opened the door of my room．

There was nobody in the passage and I ran along to the locked room．The key was still in the plant pot and I took it out．My hand was shaking．

Then I unlocked the door．

■ 4 鎖著的房間

兩天後半夜裡來了一場暴風雨。

我很熱，睡不著。我下了床，走到窗邊，望著窗外的夜色。烏雲在天空中匆匆飄過，樹在狂風中猛烈地搖擺。雨打在窗子上弄出了很大的響聲。

我打開窗子，把頭伸在風雨中。我看了看這幢房子的其他窗子。絕大部分窗子是黑的。但有一扇窗子裡有燈光。“有人沒睡。”我想，“那是哪個房間呢？”

我這個和亮著燈的那個房間之間隔六個窗子。

“而且我這個房間和鎖著門的那個之間隔六扇門！”我思考著。“那個亮著的燈就在那個鎖著的房間。那裡面有人！”

我穿上晨衣，從我屋裡走了出來。這座房子裡很暗，起初我也看得不怎麼清楚。我順著走廊走，拐了一個彎。

那兒就是那個鎖著的房間。而且門下面露出了燈光！

我走近了些，聽到了動靜。

“有人在這個鎖著的房間裡走動。”我思考著。“是誰呢？”

接著燈熄了，門開了。

我沒敢動。

一個人從屋裡走出來，到了黑暗的走廊裡。忽然一道閃電照亮了這幢房子，我看清了這個人是誰。

“是羅斯先生！”我想。“他半夜在那個房間裡幹什麼呢？”

我沒動，他也沒看見我。他小心地鎖上了門。他沒把鑰匙放入他的衣袋裡，卻把它藏在門旁的花盆裡。

“他正往這兒來了。”我想，“我必須回我的房間去。”

於是我就順著走廊往回跑。

羅斯先生聽見我了。“誰？”他叫喊著。

我沒回答，卻跑進自己的房間，關上了門。

他順著走廊過來了，在我的門外停了下來。然後他就走過去了，往前下了樓。

我脫下晨衣，回到了床上。我因害怕而直髮抖。

“現在我知道怎麼進入那鎖著的房間了。”我想，“但那裡有什麼呢？”

早晨風暴停了，但雨還在下。我很早就起了床，在農場裡幹活。那兒有小母雞下的一些蛋，我把蛋放在箱子裡。我幫著給奶牛擠奶，然後把它們帶到了外面的田野。

後來我回房子裡去吃早飯。“昨天晚上你睡得好嗎？”鄧肯太太問道。“還是暴風雨把你吵醒了？”

“我……睡得很好，”我說。我不想把鎖著的那個房間裡亮著燈的事或羅斯先生的事告訴她。

早飯後，我回到樓上。羅斯先生正在他的辦公室裡打電話。我媽媽正坐在她辦公桌旁工作。我知道鄧肯太太在廚房裡而鄧肯先生在園子裡幹活。

“羅斯夫人在哪兒呢？”我想。

接著我從窗子向外望去，並看見她和託尼·鄧肯在一起。他們正向一條船走去。

“他要用船送她出島。”我想，“她可能去愛丁堡。”

船離開了這座島；我一直等著，直到它出海了。然後我打開了我房間的門。

走廊裡沒有人，我順著路跑到那個鎖著的房間前。鑰匙還在花盆裡，我把它拿了出來。我的手在顫抖。

然後我打開了門。