Убийство Роджера Экройда
An Evening at Mah Jong
MissGannettdrankcoffeewhilstCarolinegotouttheMahJongboxandpouredoutthetilesuponthetable.
"Washingthetiles,"saidthecolonelfacetiously."That’sright–washingthetiles,asweusedtosayintheShanghaiClub."ItistheprivateopinionofbothCarolineandmyselfthatColonelCarterhasneverbeenintheShanghaiClubinhislife.More,thathehasneverbeenfarthereastthanIndia,wherehejuggledwithtinsofbullybeefandplumandapplejamduringtheGreatWar.Butthecolonelisdeterminedlymilitary,andinKing’sAbbotwepermitpeopletoindulgetheirlittleidiosyncrasiesfreely.
"Shallwebegin?"saidCaroline.
Wesatroundthetable.Forsomefiveminutestherewascompletesilence,owingtothefactthatthereistremendoussecretcompetitionamongstusastowhocanbuildtheirwallquickest.
"Goon,James,"saidCarolineatlast."You’reEastWind."Idiscardedatile.Aroundortwoproceeded,brokenbythemonotonousremarksof"ThreeBamboos,""TwoCircles,""Pung,"andfrequentlyfromMissGannett"Unpung,"owingtothatlady’shabitoftoohastilyclaimingtilestowhichshehadnoright.
"IsawFloraAckroydthismorning,"saidMissGannett.
"Pung–no–Unpung.Imadeamistake.""FourCircles,"saidCaroline."Wheredidyouseeher?""Shedidn’tseeme,"saidMissGannett,withthattremendoussignificanceonlytobemetwithinsmallvillages.
"Ah!"saidCarolineinterestedly.
