弱者的愤怒2

"She really is an awfully¹ good sort, and frightfully kind, but she isn't - how can I put it? She isn'tan educated woman. You know she was an actress when Sir Reuben married her, and she has allsorts of prejudices and superstitions². If she says a thing, it must be so, and she simply won't listento reason. The Inspector³ was not very tactful with her, and it put her back up. She says it isnonsense to suspect Mr Leverson and just the sort of stupid, pigheaded mistake the police wouldmake, and that, of course, dear Charles did not do it.""But she has no reasons, eh?""None whatever."

"Ha! Is that so? Really, now."

"I told her," said Lily, "that it would be no good coming to you with a mere⁴ statement like that andnothing to go on.""You told her that," said Poirot, "did you really? That is interesting."His eyes swept over Lily Margrave in a quick comprehensive survey, taking in the details of herneat black tailor-made, the touch of white at her throat, an expensive crêpe de Chine blouseshowing dainty tucks, and the smart little black felt hat. He saw the elegance⁵ of her, the pretty facewith its slightly pointed⁶ chin, and the dark blue long-lashed eyes. Insensibly his attitude changed;he was interested now, not so much in the case as in the girl sitting opposite him.

"Lady Astwell is, I should imagine, Mademoiselle, just a trifle inclined to be unbalanced andhysterical?"Lily Margrave nodded eagerly.

"That describes her exactly. She is, as I told you, very kind, but it is impossible to argue with heror to make her see things logically.""Possibly she suspects someone on her own account," suggested Poirot, "someone quite absurd.""That is exactly what she does do," cried Lily. "She has taken great dislike to Sir Reuben'ssecretary, poor man. She says she knows he did it, and yet it has been proved quite conclusivelythat poor Mr Owen Trefusis cannot possibly have done it.

"And she has no reasons?"

"Of course not; it is all intuition with her."Lily Margrave's voice was very scornful.

"I perceive, Mademoiselle, said Poirot, smiling, "that you do not believe in intuition?""I think it is nonsense," replied Lily.

Poirot leaned back in his chair.

"Les femmes," he murmured, "they like to think that it is a special weapon that the good God hasgiven them, and for every once that it shows them the truth, at least nine times it leads themastray.""I know," said Lily, "but I have told you what Lady Astwell is like. You simply cannot argue withher.""So you, Mademoiselle, being wise and discreet⁷, came along to me as you were bidden, and havemanaged to put me au courant of the situation."Something in the tone of his voice made the girl look up sharply.

"Of course, I know," said Lily apologetically, "how very valuable your time is.""You are too flattering, Mademoiselle," said Poirot, "but indeed - yes, it is true, at this present timeI have many cases of moment on hand.""I was afraid that might be so," said Lily, rising. "I will tell Lady Astwell -"But Poirot did not rise also. Instead he lay back in his chair and looked steadily⁸ up at the girl.

"You are in haste to be gone, Mademoiselle? Sit down one more little moment, I pray of you."He saw the color flood into her face and ebb⁹ out again. She sat down once more slowly andunwillingly.

"Mademoiselle is quick and decisive," said Poirot. "She must make allowances for an old man likemyself, who comes to his decisions slowly. You mistook me, Mademoiselle. I did not say that Iwould not go down to Lady Astwell.""You will come, then?"

The girl's tone was flat. She did not look at Poirot, but down at the ground, and so was unaware¹⁰ ofthe keen scrutiny¹¹ with which he regarded her.

"Tell Lady Astwell, Mademoiselle, that I am entirely¹² at her service. I will be at - Mon Repos, is itnot? - this afternoon."He rose. The girl followed suit.

"I - I will tell her. It is very good of you to come, M. Poirot. I am afraid, though, you will find youhave been brought on a wild goose chase.""Very likely, but - who knows?"

He saw her out with punctilious¹³ courtesy to the door. Then he returned to the sitting- room,frowning, deep in thought. Once or twice he nodded his head, then he opened the door and calledto his valet.

"My good George, prepare me, I pray of you, a little valise. I go down to the country thisafternoon.""Very good, sir," said George.

He was an extremely English-looking person. Tall, cadaverous and unemotional.

"A young girl is a very interesting phenomenon, George," said Poirot, as he dropped once moreinto his armchair and lighted a tiny cigarette. "Especially, you understand, when she has brains. Toask someone to do a thing and at the same time to put them against doing it, that is a delicateoperation. It requires finesse¹⁴. She was very adroit¹⁵ - oh, very adroit - but Hercule Poirot, my goodGeorge, is of a cleverness quite exceptional.""I have heard you say so, sir.""It is not the secretary she has in mind," mused¹⁶ Poirot. "Lady Astwell's accusation¹⁷ of him shetreats with contempt. Just the same she is anxious that no one should disturb the sleeping dogs. I,my good George, I go to disturb them, I go to make the dogs fight! There is a drama there, at MonRepos. A human drama, and it excites me. She was adroit, the little one, but not adroit enough. Iwonder - I wonder what I shall find there?"Into the dramatic pause which succeeded these words George's voice broke apologetically:

"Shall I pack dress clothes, sir?"

Poirot looked at him sadly.

"Always the concentration, the attention to your own job. You are very good for me, George."When the 4:55 drew up at Abbots Cross station, there descended¹⁸ from it M. Hercule Poirot, veryneatly and foppishly attired¹⁹, his mustaches waxed to a stiff point. He gave up his ticket, passedthrough the barrier, and was accosted²⁰ by a tall chauffeur²¹.

"Mr Poirot?"

The little man beamed upon him.

"That is my name."

"This way, sir, if you please."

He held open the door of the big Rolls Royce limousine²².

The house was a bare three minutes from the station.

The chauffeur descended once more and opened the door of the car, and Poirot stepped out. Thebutler was already holding the front door open.

Poirot gave the outside of the house a swift appraising²³ glance before passing through the opendoor. It was a big, solidly built red brick mansion²⁴, with no pretensions²⁵ to beauty, but with an air ofsolid comfort.

 

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