“我在找我丈夫的坟墓。”“我四点要在卢普区和我丈夫碰面。”

“I’m looking for my husband’s grave.” “I’m meeting my husband down in the Loop at four.”

坟墓就在那里，而伊迪莎?文宁看起来很理智，比杰克此刻感觉的还要理智。

The grave had been there, and Editha Venning appeared sane, more sane than Jake felt at the moment.

他想知道自己是否应该回去把这件事告诉安迪?阿赫恩。这在他的管辖范围内。但那也没什么用。在地上挖个洞并不违法，即使那个洞是个坟墓的形状。

He wondered if he ought to go back and tell Andy Ahearn about it. This was in his jurisdiction. But that wouldn’t do any good. There was no law against digging a hole in the ground, even if that hole was in the shape of a grave.

也许应该告诉的人是迈克尔?文宁本人。不过，这将是一个相当微妙的话题。“听着，老兄，你知道你的坟墓被挖了吗？” 不管怎样，那又有什么用呢？除非文宁可能想出去再把土铲回去。没错，这个人应该得到警告，但是要警告他什么，又该怎么警告呢？有那么一瞬间，杰克疯狂地考虑寄一封匿名信，署名 “你的朋友” 或者 “好心人”。内容可以是：“亲爱的文宁先生。你的坟墓正在等着你……” 文宁无疑会认为这是一封怪信。也难怪，杰克想。像文宁这么有钱的人总是会收到警告信。

Perhaps the person to tell would be Michael Venning himself. Still, it would be a rather delicate subject to broach. “Look here, old man, did you know your grave had been dug?” Anyway, what good would that do? Unless Venning might want to go out and shovel the dirt back again. True, the man ought to be warned, but of what, and how? For a mad moment Jake considered sending an anonymous note, signed “Your Friend,” or “Well-wisher.” Something like: “Dear Mr. Venning. Your grave is waiting for you—” Venning would undoubtedly think it was a crank letter. And no wonder, Jake decided. Men as wealthy as Venning were always getting warning notes.

杰克决定在和马龙商量之前什么也不做。

Jake decided to do nothing until he had talked it over with Malone.

然而，在离开枫树公园之前，有一件事他想做。他想再看一眼树林里的那些脚印。

Before he left Maple Park, however, there was one thing he wanted to do. He wanted to take one more look at those footprints in the woods.

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杰克把香烟扔在雪地上，再次绕着文宁家的老房子走，然后穿过草坪向树林走去。一阵冷风从湖面吹来，开始下起几滴雨来。有那么一会儿，他考虑放弃然后回去。哦，好吧，要弄清楚这些脚印通向哪里也花不了多长时间。

Jake dropped his cigarette in the snow, again walked around the old Venning house, and crossed the lawn leading to the woods. A cold wind had e up from the lake, and a few drops of rain were beginning to fall. For a moment he considered giving it up and turning back. Oh well, it wouldn’t take long to find out where those footprints led.

他沿着小路走到脚印第一次出现的地方。从这里开始，脚印通向隐藏在灌木丛中的那个敞开的坟墓。这些脚印是在雪后留下的，但至少已经有好几天了，而且经历了几场断断续续的雨。

He followed the path to the point where the footprints first appeared. From this point on, they led to the open grave that was hidden in the bushes. They had been made since the snowfall, but they had been there several days at least, and through several of the intermittent rains.

他弯下腰仔细查看那些脚印。是男人的脚印，很大，是某种厚重的鞋子留下的，可能是运动鞋。杰克想，一条猎犬能从这些脚印中看出更多东西，但他还是仔细地观察着。这些脚印很深，显然是个很重的人留下的。如果从脚的大小来判断，这个人也很高。

He bent down and examined them. They were a man’s prints, large ones, made by some kind of heavy shoe, probably a sports shoe. A bloodhound could make a lot more out of them than he could, Jake thought, but he looked at them closely. They were deep prints, evidently a heavy man. Tall, too, if the size of his feet were any indication.

现在，要找出它们通向哪里。他站起来，拍掉膝盖上的雪，环顾四周。在这时候在树林里迷路可就糟了。有条小路通向草坪，还有那些脚印，加上伊迪莎?文宁和他自己的脚印，通向那个敞开的坟墓。从这里开始，那些神秘的脚印沿着另一条小路走，这条小路沿着把这里和麦克莱恩庄园隔开的墙延伸。

Now, to find out where they led. He stood up, brushing the snow from his knees, anl looked around him. This would be a hell of a time to get lost in the woods. There was the path, leading back toward the lawn, and there were the footprints, plus Editha Venning’s and his own, leading toward the open grave. From this point on the mysterious footprints had traveled on another path, leading along the wall that separated this from the McClane estate.

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杰克生气地问自己，他到底指望从这些脚印中发现什么呢。很可能它们通向大路，或者一扇门，或者其他什么地方，但这些都不会告诉他任何事情。如果它们通向一所房子、一个车库，或者某个停过车的地方，他还是一无所知。此外，他的鞋子里不舒服地塞满了雪，他冷得要命。他厌倦了自己玩这种游戏。

Jake asked himself crossly just what the devil he expected to find out from those footprints anyway. Probably they led to the main road, or to a gate, or to some other place that wouldn’t tell him a thing. If they did lead to a house, or a garage, or some spot where a car had been parked, he would still be in the dark. Besides, his shoes were unfortably full of snow, and he was getting damnably cold. He was sick of playing games by himself.

不，他已经走了这么远，不妨继续走下去。他讨厌以这样一个没有结论的结果放弃。

No, he’d e this far, he might as well go on. He hated to quit on such an inconclusive note.

这条小路比刚才那条更窄，也没那么干净。一丛丛野草和荆棘半埋在雪里，绊住了他的脚踝；湿漉漉的树枝拂过他的脸。一根特别讨厌的树枝，显然对他有个人成见，把他的帽子从头上扯了下来，杰克从雪地里捡起帽子，气愤地咒骂着。不管留下那些脚印的人是谁，杰克都不喜欢他。

This path was narrower than the other had been and not so well cleared. Clumps of weed and bramble, half buried in the snow, caught at his ankles; wet branches brushed against his face. One particularly obnoxious branch, evidently taking a personal dislike to him, snatched the hat from his head, and Jake picked it out of the snow, swearing indignantly. Whoever the guy was who had made those footprints, Jake didn't like him.

也许他会看不到脚印，在树林里迷路。有时候人们确实会这样。文宁庄园的树林只有大概半平方英里，但这也足够了，因为树林荒草丛生、杂乱无章。他可能会走到树林中央的某个地方，然后开始绕圈走。过一会儿天就会黑下来，会更冷。他会在树林里转上好几个小时，试图找到出去的路，最后他会躺在雪地里睡觉，然后在那里冻死。他想知道知更鸟会不会飞来用树叶把他盖上。不，现在不是知更鸟出现的季节。它们会在春天发现他，就在他睡着的地方。

Perhaps he'd lose sight of the footprints and get lost in the woods. People did, sometimes. The woods on the Venning estate were only about a half-mile square, but that would be enough, neglected and tangled as they were. He might get somewhere in the center of them and begin going around in a circle. It would get dark after a while, and colder. He'd wander around for hours, trying to find his way out, and at last he'd lie down in the snow to go to sleep, and freeze there. He wondered if the robins would e and cover him over with leaves. No, it was the wrong season for robins. They'd find him in the spring, right where he'd gone to sleep.

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他想知道海伦会不会难过。不过，她会是个美丽的寡妇。他难过地想，是前妻寡妇。

He wondered if Helene would be sorry. She'd make a beautiful widow, though. Ex-widow, he thought sadly.

小路沿着墙走了很长一段路。只要他能看到那堵墙，杰克告诉自己，他就不会有事。接着，又一丛灌木丛挡住了他的路，当他把灌木丛推开时，他发现小路把他引到了墙上的一个小缺口处。

The path followed the wall for a long way. As long as he kept sight of that wall, Jake told himself, he was all right. Then another cluster of bushes barred his way, and when he had pushed it aside he found that the path had led him to a little opening in the wall.

他穿过缺口，发现自己又回到了麦克莱恩的庄园。墙的这一边还有更多的树林，缺口就在树林的边缘。一方面，可能是菜园一直延伸到围着麦克莱恩庄园的高高的铁栅栏处；越过菜园，他能看到房子本身。另一方面，树林朝着湖边的方向延伸，比墙另一边的树林养护得更好，但仍然阴暗、茂密且神秘。脚印通向那里。