the mysterious affair at styles(斯代尔斯的怪事)-第29节
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〃You will watch！〃
Evelyn Howard bowed her head。
〃Yes； I can't help doing that。 I am always watchingalways hoping I
shall be proved wrong。〃
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〃If we are wrong； well and good；〃 said Poirot。 〃No one will be more
pleased than I shall。 But； if we are right？ If we are right； Miss Howard；
on whose side are you then？〃
〃I don't know； I don't know〃
〃Come now。〃
〃It could be hushed up。〃
〃There must be no hushing up。〃
〃But Emily herself〃 She broke off。
〃Miss Howard；〃 said Poirot gravely； 〃this is unworthy of you。〃
Suddenly she took her face from her hands。
〃Yes；〃 she said quietly； 〃that was not Evelyn Howard who spoke！〃 She
flung her head up proudly。 〃*THIS is Evelyn Howard！ And she is on the
side of Justice！ Let the cost be what it may。〃 And with these words； she
walked firmly out of the room。
〃There；〃 said Poirot； looking after her； 〃goes a very valuable ally。
That woman； Hastings； has got brains as well as a heart。〃
I did not reply。 〃Instinct is a marvellous thing；〃 mused Poirot。 〃It
can neither be explained nor ignored。〃
〃You and Miss Howard seem to know what you are talking about；〃 I
observed coldly。 〃Perhaps you don't realize that I am still in the dark。〃
〃Really？ Is that so； mon ami？〃
〃Yes。 Enlighten me； will you？〃
Poirot studied me attentively for a moment or two。 Then； to my
intense surprise； he shook his head decidedly。
〃No； my friend。〃
〃Oh； look here； why not？〃
〃Two is enough for a secret。〃
〃Well； I think it is very unfair to keep back facts from me。〃
〃I am not keeping back facts。 Every fact that I know is in your
possession。 You can draw your own deductions from them。 This time it
is a question of ideas。〃
〃Still； it would be interesting to know。〃
Poirot looked at me very earnestly； and again shook his head。
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〃You see；〃 he said sadly； 〃*YOU have no instincts。〃
〃It was intelligence you were requiring just now；〃 I pointed out。
〃The two often go together；〃 said Poirot enigmatically。
The remark seemed so utterly irrelevant that I did not even take the
trouble to answer it。 But I decided that if I made any interesting and
important discoveriesas no doubt I shouldI would keep them to myself；
and surprise Poirot with the ultimate result。
There are times when it is one's duty to assert oneself。
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THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES
CHAPTER IX Dr。 BAUERSTEIN
I HAD had no opportunity as yet of passing on Poirot's message to
Lawrence。 But now； as I strolled out on the lawn； still nursing a grudge
against my friend's high…handedness； I saw Lawrence on the croquet lawn；
aimlessly knocking a couple of very ancient balls about； with a still more
ancient mallet。
It struck me that it would be a good opportunity to deliver my message。
Otherwise； Poirot himself might relieve me of it。 It was true that I did
not quite gather its purport； but I flattered myself that by Lawrence's reply；
and perhaps a little skillful cross…examination on my part； I should soon
perceive its significance。 Accordingly I accosted him。
〃I've been looking for you；〃 I remarked untruthfully。
〃Have you？〃
〃Yes。 The truth is； I've got a message for youfrom Poirot。〃
〃Yes？〃
〃He told me to wait until I was alone with you；〃 I said； dropping my
voice significantly； and watching him intently out of the corner of my eye。
I have always been rather good at what is called； I believe； creating an
atmosphere。
〃Well？〃
There was no change of expression in the dark melancholic face。
Had he any idea of what I was about to say？
〃This is the message。〃 I dropped my voice still lower。 〃 'Find the
extra coffee…cup； and you can rest in peace。' 〃
〃What on earth does he mean？〃 Lawrence stared at me in quite
unaffected astonishment。
〃Don't you know？〃
〃Not in the least。 Do you？〃
I was compelled to shake my head。
〃What extra coffee…cup？〃
〃I don't know。〃
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〃He'd better ask Dorcas； or one of the maids； if he wants to know
about coffee…cups。 It's their business； not mine。 I don't know anything
about the coffee…cups； except that we've got some that are never used；
which are a perfect dream！ Old Worcester。 You're not a connoisseur； are
you； Hastings？〃
I shook my head。
〃You miss a lot。 A really perfect bit of old chinait's pure delight to
handle it； or even to look at it。〃
〃Well； what am I to tell Poirot？〃
〃Tell him I don't know what he's talking about。 It's double Dutch to
me。〃
〃All right。〃
I was moving off towards the house again when he suddenly called me
back。
〃I say； what was the end of that message？ Say it over again； will you？〃
〃 'Find the extra coffee…cup； and you can rest in peace。' Are you sure
you don't know what it means？〃 I asked him earnestly。
He shook his head。
〃No；〃 he said musingly； 〃I don't。 II wish I did。〃
The boom of the gong sounded from the house； and we went in
together。 Poirot had been asked by John to remain to lunch； and was
already seated at the table。
By tacit consent； all mention of the tragedy was barred。 We
conversed on the war； and other outside topics。 But after the cheese and
biscuits had been handed round； and Dorcas had left the room； Poirot
suddenly leant forward to Mrs。 Cavendish。
〃Pardon me； madame； for recalling unpleasant memories； but I have a
little idea〃Poirot's 〃little ideas〃 were becoming a perfect byword〃and
would like to ask one or two questions。〃
〃Of me？ Certainly。〃
〃You are too amiable； madame。 What I want to ask is this： the door
leading into Mrs。 Inglethorp's room from that of Mademoiselle Cynthia； it
was bolted； you say？〃
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〃Certainly it was bolted；〃 replied Mary Cavendish； rather surprised。
〃I said so at the inquest。〃
〃Bolted？〃
〃Yes。〃 She looked perplexed。
〃I mean；〃 explained Poirot； 〃you are sure it was bolted； and not merely
locked？〃
〃Oh； I see what you mean。 No； I don't know。 I said bolted； meaning
that it was fastened； and I could not open it； but I believe all the doors
were found bolted on the inside。〃
〃Still； as far as you are concerned； the door might equally well have
been locked？〃
〃Oh； yes。〃
〃You yourself did not happen to notice； madame； when you entered
Mrs。 Inglethorp's room； whether that door was bolted or not？〃
〃II believe it was。〃
〃But you did not see it？〃
〃No。 Inever looked。〃
〃But I did；〃 interrupted Lawrence suddenly。 〃I happened to notice
that it *WAS bolted。〃
〃Ah； that settles it。〃 And Poirot looked crestfallen。
I could not help rejoicing that； for once； one of his 〃little ideas〃 had
come to naught。
After lunch Poirot begged me to accompany him home。 I consented
rather stiffly。
〃You are annoyed； is it not so？〃 he asked anxiously； as we walked
through the park。
〃Not at all；〃 I said coldly。
〃That is well。 That lifts a great load from my mind。〃
This was not quite what I had intended。 I had hoped that he would
have observed the stiffness of my manner。 Still； the fervour of his words
went towards the appeasing of my just displeasure。 I thawed。
〃I gave Lawrence your message；〃 I said。
〃And what did he say？ He was entirely puzzled？〃
