# ■ 3 The Photograph

I worked in the garden for the first two days．The weather was hot and sunny．I liked working with Mr Duncan，and he was pleased with my work．

‘You're a good gardener，’he said．

‘I've always liked gardening，’I said．‘But I'm studying at college to be a farmer．’

Sometimes I saw Greta Ross．

‘She likes to be alone，’I thought．Once or twice I saw Greta go out with her painting things．She went up on the hills or down to the beach．

Mr Duncan took me to the farm and I met Dan and Stella Parks．They were very friendly．

‘You can work on the farm for the next three days，'said Day Parks．‘Mr Duncan says you're a good gardener．Are you a good farmer，too？’

I smiled at him．‘I am，’I said．

He smiled back．

So I worked on the farm with Mr and Mrs Parks．They were nice people．I helped with the cows and the chickens，and went up on the hills with Mr Parks and his dog to look after the sheep．

One afternoon I went out riding． Smoke was a big， lazy，friendly horse．I enjoyed riding and Smoke knew his way around the island very well．I learned new places to go to．

I rode along the cliff top and then in between some trees．When we came out of the trees， I saw the house from the other side．I tried to find the window of my room．Which one was it？

Suddenly，I saw a face at one of the windows．The face was looking at me．It was there for just a second or two，then it moved away quickly．

‘Who was thst？’I thought．‘Was it Mr Ross？And which room was it？’

I didn't see my mother very much that first week．She worked all day and in the evenings．She wrote letters to South America，Japan，Canada and Australia． Sometimes，she worked after I was in bed．

‘Mr Ross works hard，'she told me．‘He invests money in many companies and countries．But it's not his money．’

‘It's not？’I was surprised by this．

‘No，it's his wife's money．And she bought the island．It's her island，her house，her farm．Everything belongs to her．’

‘How strange！But why does Mr Ross always look sad？And why does he never leave the island？’I asked．

‘I don't know，'said my mother．‘He says he likes it here and likes working on his farm．It's strange，I know．’

Sometimes，when I finished work，I walked along the beaches or the cliffs．Or I went swimming in the sea．I liked swimming．Greta Ross often came to the beach to swim，but Mr Ross never came．

‘Stay away from the rocks，Carol，’Greta Ross told me．‘They're very dangerous．’

‘I will，’I said．

Sometimes I took my camera to the beach and took photographs of some of the boats that went by．I took photographs of the birds on the cliffs．

There were other small islands near our island， and boats with tourists stopped at them．But no boats stopped at our island．They kept away from the dangerous rocks．Tony was right．The island did not have visitors．

One day，I was walking back to the house，and had my camera with me．I stopped and looked at the big house．Mr Duncan was working in the garden in front of it．At first，he didn't see me．

‘I'm going to take a photograph of the house，’I thought．‘The sun is in just the right place， and it will make a good picture．’

I looked at the building through my camera，and took the photograph．Mr Ross was coming out of a door．He was in my picture，too，and he looked angry．

‘That's all right，’I thought．‘It's still a good photograph．’

But Mr Duncan was running across the grass．He came quickly up to me and said，‘Give me your camera．’He looked very worried．

‘Wbat's wrong？’I asked in surprise．I gave him the camera．

‘Never take photographs of Mr Ross，’he said．And then he opened the back of my camera and took out the film．

‘Hey！What are you doing？’I said．‘You'll spoil my film！’

But he didn't stop．‘Sorry，’he said， and he put the film into his pocket．‘But no pictures of Mr Ross． He doesn't like people to take pictures of him．’

Mr Ross was watching us．He saw the camera and he saw Mr Duncan take out the film，but he said nothing．Then he turned and went back into the house．

Later，I told my mother about Mr Duncan and the camera．‘He spoiled my film，’I said．

‘I don't understand，'she said．‘Why did he do that？’

‘I don't know，’I said，‘but there's something strange about Mr Ross．’

About a week later，I finished work early one day and came back to the house．My mother was working in her small room，next to Mr Ross's office． Mrs Duncan was in the kitchen．Greta Ross was painting in her room upstairs．

I went to my room and began reading a book．I was sitting beside the window．After half an hour，I got tired of reading．I looked out at the rain，and the grey sea and rocks between the trees．

‘My book isn't very interesting，’I thought．

I got up and went out of my room．I walked along the passage and turned a corner．Then I saw the door at the end of the passage．There was a large plant in a plant pot outside the door．

‘Where dogs that door go？’I thought．‘I haven't seen it before．’I remembered the face at the window in my first week on the island．‘Perhaps it's the door to that room，’I thought．

I walked along to the door and turned the handle．The door didn't move．It was locked．

‘What are you doing？'said a voice behind me．

I turned round quickly and saw Greta Ross．She looked angry．

‘That room is private，'she said．

‘I'm sorry，’I said．‘I didn't—’

‘Stay away from there，'she told me．

I told my mother about the locked door．

‘What's behind it？’I said．‘Is it a secret？’

‘I don't know，'said my mother．‘It doesn't matter．Mr Ross can have locked rooms if he wants them．’

‘I think he does have secrets，’I said．‘There's something strange about him There's something strange about this island．Somebody isn't telling us something．Something important．’

My mother laughed．‘Stop playing detective，Carol，'she said．

■ 3 照片

頭兩天我在園子裡幹活。天氣晴朗而炎熱。我很喜歡與鄧肯先生一塊兒幹活，他對我乾的活也很滿意。

“你是個好園丁，”他說。

“我一向喜歡園藝。”我說，“但我現在正上大學，以便當個農夫。”

我有時見到格里塔·羅斯。

“她喜歡一個人獨處，”我想。有一兩次我看見格里塔帶著畫具出去了。她到山上或到海灘去。

鄧肯先生帶我到農場去，我見到了丹·帕克斯和斯特拉·帕克斯。他們非常友好。

“接下來的這三天你可以在農場幹活。”丹·帕克斯說，“鄧肯先生說你是個好園丁。你也是個好農夫嗎？”

我朝他笑了笑。“是的，”我說。

他回笑了笑。

這樣我就和帕克斯夫婦一起在農場幹活了。他們是好人。我幫著照看奶牛和小母雞，還和帕克斯先生及他的狗一起上山去照看羊群。

一天下午，我騎馬出去。“煙”是一匹懶散而友善的大馬。我喜歡騎馬，“煙”對島上的路很熟。我知道了些新的去處。

我騎馬沿著峭壁頂部走，然後在樹林中間穿行。當我們從樹林中出來時，我看到了那幢房子的另一面。我想找出我房間的窗子。是哪一扇呢？

突然我看見一扇窗子旁有一張臉。那人正看著我。那人只在那兒呆了一瞬間，接著很快就挪開了。

“那是誰？”我想，“是羅斯先生嗎？又是哪個房間呢？”

第一個星期我沒怎麼見到媽媽。她整個白天還有晚上都在工作。她給南非、日本、加拿大和澳大利亞寫信。有時我睡了之後她還在工作。

“羅斯先生工作很努力。”她告訴我，“他給很多公司和國家投資。可那不是他的錢。”

“不是他的錢？”對此我很驚訝。

“不是他的，是他妻子的錢。並且是她買了這個島。這是她的島嶼，她的房子，她的農場。所有的東西都屬於她。”

“多奇怪呀！可為什麼羅斯先生總顯得那麼憂鬱呢？為什麼他從不離開這個島呢？”我問道。

“我不知道。”媽媽說，“他說他喜歡這兒，喜歡在他的農場裡幹活。我知道，這的確有點兒怪。”

有時幹完活以後，我就沿著海灘或峭壁散步，或者去海里游泳。我喜歡游泳。格里塔·羅斯常到海邊去游泳，但羅斯先生從來不去。

“離礁石遠些，卡羅爾。”格里塔·羅斯告訴我，“它們很危險。”

“好吧，”我說。

有時我將照相機帶到海邊，照照過往的船隻，照照峭壁上的鳥兒。

我們這個島附近還有些其他的小島，載著旅客的遊船停靠在那裡。但沒有船在我們這個島邊停靠。船隻都遠離那些危險的礁石。託尼說的對：這個島上沒有客人來。

有一天，我正朝房子走回去，隨身帶著照相機。我停下來，看著這幢大房子。鄧肯先生正在房子前面的園子裡幹活。起初，他沒看見我。

“我來給這幢房子拍一個照吧。”我想，“太陽正在合適的位置，拍出來會挺不錯的。”

我把鏡頭對準了房子，拍了一張。羅斯先生正好從門裡出來。他也被拍了進來，他看上去一副生氣的樣子。

“那也沒什麼。”我想，“仍然是張好照片。”

但鄧肯先生從草地上跑過來。他很快跑到我跟前說：“把相機給我。”他看起來很著急。

“怎麼了？”我驚奇地問道。我把相機交給了他。

“決不許給羅斯先生拍照，”他說。然後他打開相機後蓋，把膠捲取出來。

“嘿！你幹什麼呀？”我說，“你會毀了我的膠捲的！”

可他不停手。“對不起，”他說，並把膠捲裝進了他自己的衣袋裡。“可不許給羅斯先生拍照。他不喜歡別人給他照相。”

羅斯先生正看著我們。他看見了照相機，也看見了鄧肯先生把膠捲取出來的過程，可是他什麼也沒說。然後他轉過身就回到房子裡去了。

過後，我把鄧肯先生和照相機的事情告訴了媽媽。“他毀了我的膠捲，”我說。

“我不明白。”她說，“他為什麼要那樣做呢？”

“我不知道。”我說，“可羅斯先生這個人真有點兒古怪。”

大約一週之後，有一天我很早就幹完活兒，回房子裡去了。我母親正在羅斯先生辦公室旁邊的她那個小房間裡工作。鄧肯太太在廚房。格里塔·羅斯在樓上她的房間裡畫畫。

我去了自己的房間，開始讀書。我坐在窗子旁。半個小時後，我讀膩了。我向外望去，看外面的雨，看隱蔽在樹木之間的灰濛濛的大海和岩石。

“我的書不很有趣，”我想。

我站起來走出房間。我順著走廊走，拐了一個彎。然後我看見走廊盡頭有一扇門。門外的花盆裡有一株很大的植物。

“這門通哪兒呢？”我想。“我先前沒見過它。”我記起了我到島上的第一週看到的、那扇窗子旁的那張臉。“可能這就是通向那個房間的那扇門，”我想。

我一直走到房門前，轉了轉門把手。門沒動，是鎖著的。

“你在幹什麼？”身後有人問我。

我趕緊轉過臉，看到了格里塔·羅斯。她顯得生氣了。

“那是私人專用房間，”她說。

“對不起。”我說，“我不——”

“離那兒遠點，”她對我說。

我把那扇鎖著的門的事情告訴了我媽媽。

“那扇門後有什麼？”我說，“是祕密嗎？”

“我不知道。”我媽媽說，“那沒什麼關係。羅斯先生要是想的話，當然可以有鎖起來的房間。”

“我想他一定有祕密。”我說，“他這個人有些古怪。這座島有些奇怪。有人有什麼事情瞞著咱們。是重要的事情。”

我媽媽笑了。“別玩偵探遊戲了，卡羅爾，”她說。