Chapter 6

ChAPTER SiX Madame Maude's carriage was like a life-sized jewellery box. Everything was plush and glittering, and the dickety-clack of the train was muffled by thick lavender carpets and heavy curtains. There was no time to lose. Kate knew there were three places where people hide their secret things. Number one: under the bed. But no, there was nothing there but a few empty cans of Fishy-Delishy.

第六章 莫德夫人的车厢就像个等比例大小的珠宝盒。 所有东西都软乎乎亮晶晶的，火车咔哒咔哒的声响被厚厚的薰衣草色地毯和厚重的窗帘消去了大半。 时间紧迫，半分也耽误不得。 凯特知道人们藏私密物件的地方一共有三处。 第一处：床底下。 可没有，那儿除了几个空的“美味鱼食”罐头之外什么都没有。

Number two was the underwear drawer, but again, nothing there other than a few pairs of pants. I wonder why they're so tattered, thought Kate. It's not like she can't afford new knickers... The third place people hide things: in plain sight. Kate looked around the room. It was so obvious! On the top of the dresser was a silver box. Kate crept closer. It was old and unpolished, but she could make out two whisks shaped like an X engraved on the top. Kate lifted the lid, her heart in her mouth. She was

第二处是内衣抽屉，可同样，除了几条内裤之外什么都没有。 这些内裤怎么破破烂烂的呀，凯特心里纳闷。 又不是买不起新的贴身内裤…… 人们藏东西的第三处：放在显眼的地方，反而不容易被发现。 凯特环顾了一圈房间。 太明显了！ 梳妆台的台面上放着一个银盒子。 凯特蹑手蹑脚地靠了过去。 盒子旧旧的，也没擦得发亮，可她还是能辨认出盒盖上刻着两个交叉成X形的搅拌器图案。 凯特屏住呼吸，掀开了盒盖。 她

certain she was about to discover Something Very Important. Inside lay a stack of old yellowing papers. Newspaper clippings! But there was no time to read them now. She quickly stuffed the box down her jumper and ran out of the carriage, fast.

确信自己马上就要发现一桩非常重要的秘密了。 盒子里放着一叠泛黄的旧文件。 是剪报！ 可现在没时间读这些东西了。 她赶紧把盒子塞进套头衫里，飞快地跑出了车厢。

The corridors were quiet and empty. Where was Rupert? Kate hurried through the luggage car, past the sleeping compartments and into the conservatory. Dad was snoozing in an armchair. The twins were playing an aggressively silent game of Scrabble. Miss Bonbon was reading Hobbies for High-Functioning Adrenaline-Seekers. And there was no sign of Master Mimkins, Madame Maude or- gulp- Rupert. "Psssst! Up here!" Kate's heart leaped. "Roo?" He was perched high up on a curtain pole, but slid down the velvet fabric with a whoosh, straight into Kate's open hands. "What happened? Why is everything so calm?"

走廊里安安静静的，一个人都没有。 鲁伯特去哪儿了？ 凯特快步穿过行李车厢，经过卧铺隔间，走进了暖房。 爸爸正窝在扶手椅里打盹。 双胞胎正玩着拼字游戏，安静得仿佛在较劲似的。 邦邦小姐正在读《高功能肾上腺素爱好者的爱好指南》。 既看不到明金斯先生、莫德夫人，也——唔——看不到鲁伯特的影子。 “嘘！ 上面这儿呢！” 凯特的心一下子提了起来。 “鲁鲁？” 他正高高蹲在窗帘杆上，接着嗖的一下顺着天鹅绒帘布滑了下来，正好落进凯特张开的手里。 “刚才怎么回事呀？ 怎么这会儿一切都安安静静的？”

"It turns out Master Mimkins can't tell the difference between a real mouse and the reflection of one. He thought I was hiding inside an urn and dived straight into it!" "Brilliant!" Kate snorted. "Where's Madame Maude?"

“原来明金斯先生分不出来真老鼠和镜子里的老鼠倒影呀。 他以为我躲在一个骨灰瓮里，直接一头扎进去了！” “太棒了！” 凯特扑哧一声笑了出来。 “莫德夫人去哪儿了？”

"She's with Simon, making him squeeze Master Mimkins out. Anyway, what did you find?" "I'm not entirely sure," Kate replied. "All I know is we've got some reading to do."

“她和西蒙在一起，正让西蒙把明金斯先生从瓮里挤出来呢。 对了，你找到什么了？” “我还不太确定，”凯特回答说。 “我只知道咱们有东西要读啦。”