《Blackmail》是一篇常用于高中或大学英语教材中的经典短篇小说节选，通常出自英国作家 Arthur Hailey 的作品。课文围绕一起发生在豪华酒店的敲诈事件展开，情节紧张，语言地道，是训练阅读理解与批判性思维的优秀材料。
Q1: Why did the Duke and Duchess come to the hotel secretly?
A: They came secretly because the Duchess had lost a valuable necklace, and they didn’t want the incident to become public, which could damage their reputation.
Q2: How did Ogilvie discover the truth?
A: Ogilvie found out by carefully observing the guests’ behavior and connecting clues, such as the Duchess’s nervousness and the unusual request for a private room.
Q3: What moral dilemma does the manager face?
A: The manager must choose between protecting the hotel’s reputation by covering up the incident or doing what is ethically right by reporting the crime.
课文中多处使用了虚拟语气和间接引语，例如：
“If I were you, I wouldn’t mention this to anyone.” — 表达建议与假设。
此类结构有助于表达委婉、推测或非真实情境。