Убийство Роджера Экройда
An Evening at Mah Jong
She’salwaysbeenaqueergirl–she’snotfriendswithanyofthegirlsroundhere.Shegoesoffbyherselfonherdaysoutveryunnatural,Icallit,andmostsuspicious.IaskedheroncetocometoourFriendlyGirls"Evenings,butsherefused,andthenIaskedherafewquestionsaboutherhomeandherfamily–allthatsortofthing,andI’mboundtosayIconsideredhermannermostimpertinent.Outwardlyveryrespectful–butsheshutmeupinthemostbarefacedway."MissGannettstoppedforbreath,andthecolonel,whowastotallyuninterestedintheservantquestion,remarkedthatintheShanghaiClubbriskplaywastheinvariablerule.
Wehadaroundofbriskplay.
"ThatMissRussell,"saidCaroline."ShecameherepretendingtoconsultJamesonFridaymorning.It’smyopinionshewantedtoseewherethepoisonswerekept.FiveCharacters.""Chow,"saidMissGannett."Whatanextraordinaryidea!
Iwonderifyoucanberight.""Talkingofpoisons,"saidthecolonel."Eh–what?
Haven’tIdiscarded?Oh!EightBamboos.""MahJong!"saidMissGannett.
Carolinewasverymuchannoyed.
"OneRedDragon,"shesaidregretfully,"andIshouldhavehadahandofthreedoubles.""I’vehadtwoRedDragonsallthetime,"Imentioned.
"Soexactlylikeyou,James,"saidCarolinereproachfully.
"You’venoconceptionofthespiritofthegame."ImyselfthoughtIhadplayedrathercleverly.
