”noheal”
herculepoirotsaidthoughtfully:
”i,too,foundhibsolutelynorl”
theresaid:
”doyouhappentoreer,nsieur,ayoungndooing”alistairbluntfrowned
”letseeyes,thereanratherrestlessheeerhiarticularly,thoughwhy””wouldyouknoagainifyousa”
bluntshookhishead
”ihardlyglancedathi”
”hedidnttrytoenterintonversationhyouatall””no”
bluntlookedhfrankcuriosityattheother
”an”
”hisnaishowardraikes”
poirotchedkeenlyforanyreaction,buthesawnone”oughtitoknoehaveithilsewhere”
”idonotthinkyouhavethiheisafriendofyouiece,ssoliveras””oh,oneofjanesfriends”
”herther,igather,doesnotapproveofthefriendship”alistairbluntsaidabsently:
”idontsupposethatanyicehjane”
”soseriouslydoeshertherregardthefriendshipthatigathershebroughtherdaughteroverfrohestatesonpurposetogetherathisyoungn””oh”bluntsfaceregisteredprehension”itsthatfello””aha,youbeereinterestednow”
”hesastundesirableyoungfelloixedupinalotofsubversiveactivities””iunderstandfroissoliverathathedeanappointntthatinginqueencharlottestreet,solelyinordertogetalookatyou””totryandgettoapproveofhi
”andtheideahatheshouldbeinducedtoapproveofyou”alistairbluntsaidindignantly:
”nedcheek”
poirotncealedasle
”itappearsyouareeverythingthathestdisapprovesof””hesanidisapproveofspendshistitubthuingandtalkinghotair,insteadofdoingadecentjobofwork”poirotinute,thenhesaid:
”eifiaskyouaniertinentandverypersonalquestion””fireahead”
”intheeventofyourdeath,entarydispositions”bluntstaredhesaidsharply:
”oknohat”
”beightberelevanttothiscase”
”nonsense”
”perhapsbutperhapsnot”
alistairbluntsaidldly:
”ithinkyouarebeingundulylodratiurderoranythinglikethat””aboonyourbreakfasttableashotinthestreet””oh,thoseanynsocrazyfanatic”
”itghtpossiblybeaeoneafanaticandnotcrazy”bluntstared
”areyoudrivingat”
”inplainlanguage,itoknosbyyourdeath”
bluntgrinned
”chieflythestedal,thecancerhospital,andtheroyalinstitutefortheblind””ah”
”inaddition,ihaveleftasufneytonie,butintrust,toherdaughter,janeolivera,andalsoasubstantialprovisionforonlysurvivingrelative,asendusin,helenntressor,allttageontheestatehere”hepausedandthensaid:
”this,poirot,isstrictlyinnfidence”
”naturally,nsieur,naturally”
alistairbluntaddedsarcastically:
”isupposeyoudonotsuggest,poirot,thateitherjuliaorjaneolivera,orusin,helenntressor,areplanningtorderfoey””isuggestnothingnothingatall”
bluntsslightirritationsubsidedhesaid:
”andyoulltakeonthatotherssionfor”
”thefindingofsssainsburysealeyes,iwill”alistairbluntsaidheartily:
”goodn”
vii
inleavingtheroooirotalstcannonedintoatallfigureoutsidethedoorhesaid:
”ibegyourpardon,deiselle”
janeoliveradrealittleshesaid:
”doyouknopoirot”
”ehbiendeiselle”
shedidnotgivehiitofinishthequestion,indeed,hadbutarhetoricalvalueallthatitanthatjaneoliveratoansherself”youreaspy,thatsiserable,loakingtrouble””iassureyou,deiselle”
”iknoititstraightoutypreciousunclesheadhessafeenoughhellalugandprosperousandfullofplatitudeshesjustastodgyjohnbull,thatsaginationorvision”shepaused,then,heragreeable,huskyvoicedeepening,shesaidvenously:”iloathethesightofyouyoubloodylittlebourgeoisdetective”sheshinaodeldrapery
herained,hiseyesveryoustaches
theepithetbourgeoisitted,hisoutlookonlifeployntofitasanepithetofntetbytheexquisitelytuedoutjaneolivera,gavehiasheexpressedittohielf,furiouslytothinkhe
soliveraience
shelookedupaspoirotentered,surveyedhighthavebestourreddistantly:”redknaveonblackqueen”
oufully:
”alas,itthatnobodyloves”
hestrolledoutthroughtheothegarden
itellofnightscentedstocksintheairpoirotsniffedhappilyandstrolledalongapaththatranbeteousbordershetuedaerandtlyseenfiguressprangapart
itthathehadinterruptedapairoflovers,
poirothastilytuedandretracedhissteps
evenouthere,it,hispresencerop
hepassedalistairbluntsrselby
thereseeddefinitelyonlyoneplaceforherculepoirothe
heponderedforsotionvariousfantasticaspectsofthesituationhadheorhadhenotdeastakeinbelievingthevoirso
