弱者的愤怒15

"You have just come in, eh, Monsieur?"

Astwell nodded.

"Beastly day outside," he said, breathing hard, "cold and blowy.""Ah," said Poirot, "I shall not promenade¹ myself today - me, I am like a cat, I sit by the fire andkeep myself warm.""?a marche, George," he said that evening to the faithful valet, rubbing his hands as he spoke,"they are on the tenterhooks² - the jump! It is hard, George, to play the game of the cat, the waitinggame, but it answers, yes, it answers wonderfully. Tomorrow we make a further effect."On the following day, Trefusis was obliged to go up to town. He went up by the same train asVictor Astwell. No sooner had they left the house than Poirot was galvanized into a fever ofactivity.

"Come, George, let us hurry to work. If the housemaid should approach these rooms, you mustdelay her. Speak to her sweet nothings, George, and keep her in the corridor."He went first to the secretary's room, and began a thorough search. Not a drawer or a shelf was leftuninspected. Then he replaced everything hurriedly, and declared his quest finished. George, onguard in the doorway³, gave way to a deferential⁴ cough.

"If you will excuse me, sir?"

"Yes, my good George?"

"The shoes, sir. The two pairs of brown shoes were on the second shelf, and the patent-leatherones were on the shelf underneath⁵. In replacing them you have reversed the order.""Marvelous!" cried Poirot, holding up his hands. "But let us not distress⁶ ourselves over that. It is ofno importance, I assure you, George. Never will M. Trefusis notice such a trifling⁷ matter.""As you think, sir," said George.

"It is your business to notice such things," said Poirot encouragingly as he clapped the other on theshoulder. "It reflects credit upon you."The valet did not reply, and when, later in the day, the proceeding⁸ was repeated in the room ofVictor Astwell, he made no comment on the fact that Mr Astwell's underclothing was not returnedto its drawers strictly⁹ according to plan. Yet, in the second case at least, events proved the valet tobe right and Poirot wrong. Victor Astwell came storming into the drawing-room that evening.

"Now, look here, you blasted little Belgian jackanapes, what do you mean by searching my room?

What the devil do you think you are going to find there? I won't have it, do you hear? That's whatcomes of having a ferreting little spy in the house."Poirot's hands spread themselves out eloquently¹⁰ as his words tumbled one over the other. Heoffered a hundred apologies, a thousand, a million. He had been maladroit¹¹, officious, he wasconfused. He had taken an unwarranted liberty. In the end the infuriated gentleman was forced tosubside, still growling¹². And again that evening, sipping¹³ his tisane, Poirot murmured to George: "Itmarches, my good George, yet - it marches.""Friday," observed Hercule Poirot thoughtfully, "is my lucky day.""Indeed, sir.""You are not superstitious¹⁴, perhaps, my good George?""I prefer not to sit down thirteen at table, sir, and I am adverse¹⁵ to passing under ladders. I have nosuperstitions about a Friday, sir.""That is well," said Poirot, "for, see you, today we make our Waterloo.""Really, sir.""You have such enthusiasm, my good George, you do not even ask what I propose to do.""And what is that, sir?""Today, George, I make a final thorough search of the Tower room."True enough, after breakfast, Poirot, with the permission of Lady Astwell, went to the scene of thecrime. There, at various times of the morning, members of the household saw him crawling abouton all fours, examining minutely the black velvet¹⁶ curtains and standing¹⁷ on high chairs to examinethe picture frames on the wall. Lady Astwell for the first time displayed uneasiness.

"I have to admit it," she said. "He is getting on my nerves at last. He has something up his sleeve,and I don't know what it is. And the way he is crawling about on the floor up there like a dogmakes me downright shivery. What is he looking for, I'd like to know? Lily, my dear, I wish youwould go up and see what he is up to now. No, on the whole, I'd rather you stayed with me.""Shall I go, Lady Astwell?" asked the secretary, rising from the desk.

"If you would, Mr Trefusis."

Owen Trefusis left the room and mounted the stairs to the Tower room. At first glance, he thoughtthe room was empty, there was certainly no sign of Hercule Poirot there. He was just turning to godown again when a sound caught his ears; he then saw the little man halfway¹⁸ down the spiralstaircase that led to the bedroom above.

He was on his hands and knees; in his left hand was a little pocket lens, and through this he wasexamining minutely something on the woodwork beside the stair carpet.

As the secretary watched him, he uttered a sudden grunt¹⁹, and slipped the lens into his pocket. Hethen rose to his feet, holding something between his finger and thumb. At that moment he becameaware of the secretary's presence.

"Ah, hah! M. Trefusis, I didn't hear you enter."He was in that moment a different man. Triumph and exultation²⁰ beamed all over his face. Trefusisstared at him in surprise.

"What is the matter, M. Poirot? You look very pleased."The little man puffed²¹ out his chest.

"Yes, indeed. See you I have at last found that which I have been looking for from the beginning. Ihave here between my finger and thumb the one thing necessary to convict the criminal.""Then," the secretary raised his eyebrows²², "it was not Charles Leverson?""It was not Charles Leverson," said Poirot. "Until this moment, though I know the criminal, I amnot sure of his name but at last all is clear."He stepped down the stairs and tapped the secretary on the shoulder.

"I am obliged to go to London immediately. Speak to Lady Astwell for me. Will you request ofher that everyone should be assembled in the Tower room this evening at nine o'clock? I shall bethere then, and I shall reveal the truth. Ah, me, but I am well content."And breaking into a fantastic little dance, he skipped from the Tower room. Trefusis was leftstaring after him.

A few minutes later Poirot appeared in the library, demanding if anyone could supply him with alittle cardboard box.

"Unfortunately, I have not such a thing with me," he explained, "and there is something of greatvalue that it is necessary for me to put inside."From one of the drawers in the desk Trefusis produced a small box, and Poirot professed²³ himselfhighly delighted with it.

He hurried upstairs with his treasure-trove; meeting George on the landing, he handed the box tohim.

"There is something of great importance inside," he explained. "Place it, my good George, in thesecond drawer of my dressing-table, beside the jewel-case that contains my pearl studs.""Very good, sir," said George.

"Do not break it." said Poirot. "Be very careful. Inside that box is something that will hang acriminal.""You don't say, sir," said George.

Poirot hurried down the stairs again and, seizing his hat, departed from the house at a brisk run.

 

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