前言

秘方简介

常用词列表

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

CHAPTER IX. DR. BAUERSTEIN

I HAD had no opportunity as yet of passing on Poirot's message to Lawrence. But now, as I strolled 漫步 out on the lawn 草坪, still nursing 护士 a grudge 怨恨 against my friend's high-handedness, I saw Lawrence on the croquet lawn 草坪, aimlessly knocking 敲 a couple of very ancient balls about, with a still more ancient mallet.

It struck strike me that it would be a good opportunity to deliver my message. Otherwise, Poirot himself might relieve 解除 me of it. It was true that I did not quite gather its purport 旨趣, but I flattered 奉承 myself 我 that by Lawrence's reply, and perhaps a little skillful 熟练 cross-examination 检查 on my part, I should soon perceive 认为 its significance 重要性. 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 you—from Poirot."

"Yes?"

"He told me to wait until I was alone with you," I said, dropping my voice significantly 显著, and watching him intently 意图 out of the corner of my eye. I have always been rather good at what is called, I believe, creating an atmosphere 大气层.

"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 额外的 coffee-cup, and you can rest in peace.'"

"What on earth does he mean?" Lawrence stared at me in quite unaffected 未受影响 astonishment 惊愕.

"Don't you know?"

"Not in the least. Do you?"

I was compelled 迫使 to shake my head.

"What extra coffee-cup?"

"I don't know."

"He'd better ask Dorcas, or one of the maids 女佣, 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 shake my head.

"You miss a lot. A really perfect bit 一点 of old china 中国—it'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 ear‧nest 热心的.

He shook his head.

"No," he said musingly, "I don't. I—I wish I did."

The boom 繁荣 of the gong sounded from the house, and we went in together. Poirot had been asked by John to remain to lunch 午餐, and was already seated at the table.

By tacit 默 consent 同意, all mention of the tragedy 悲剧 was barred. We con‧verse 交谈 on the war, and other outside topics 话题. But after the cheese 奶酪 and biscuits 饼干 had been handed round, and Dorcas had left the room, Poirot suddenly leant lean forward to Mrs. Cavendish.

" Pardon 宽恕；说啥？ me, madame, for recalling 召回 unpleasant 不愉快 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 可亲, madame. What I want to ask is this: the door leading into Mrs. Inglethorp's room from that of Mademoiselle Cynthia, it was bolted 螺栓, you say?"

"Certainly it was bolted 螺栓," replied Mary Cavendish, rather surprised. "I said so at the inquest."

"Bolted?"

"Yes." She looked perplexed 困扰.

"I mean," explained Poirot, "you are sure it was bolted 螺栓, and not merely locked?"

"Oh, I see what you mean. No, I don't know. I said bolted 螺栓, meaning that it was fastened 系牢, and I could not open it, but I believe all the doors were found bolted 螺栓 on the inside."

"Still, as far as you are concerned, the door might equally well have been locked?"

"Oh, yes."

"You your‧self 你自己 did not happen to notice, madame, when you entered Mrs. Inglethorp's room, whether that door was bolted 螺栓 or not?"

"I—I believe it was."

"But you did not see it?"

"No. I—never looked."

"But I did," interrupted 打断 Lawrence suddenly. "I happened to notice that it was bolted 螺栓."

"Ah, that settles it." And Poirot looked crestfallen.

I could not help rejoicing 欢庆 that, for once, one of his "little ideas" had come to naught 零.

After lunch 午餐 Poirot begged 乞讨 me to accompany 陪 him home. I consented 同意 rather stiffly 严厉的.

"You are annoyed 打扰, is it not so?" he asked anxiously 焦急的, 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 解冻.

"I gave Lawrence your message," I said.

"And what did he say? He was entirely puzzled 使迷惑?"

"Yes. I am quite sure he had no idea of what you meant."

I had expected Poirot to be disappointed 使失望; but, to my surprise, he replied that that was as he had thought, and that he was very glad 高兴的. My pride 自尊 forbade 禁止:forbid me to ask any questions.

Poirot switched 开关 off on another tack 钉.

"Mademoiselle Cynthia was not at lunch 午餐 to-day? How was that?"

"She is at the hospital again. She resumed 恢复 work to-day."

"Ah, she is an industrious little demoiselle. And pretty too. She is like pictures I have seen in Italy. I would rather like to see that dispensary of hers. Do you think she would show it to me?"

"I am sure she would be delighted. It's an interesting little place."

"Does she go there every day?"

"She has all Wednesdays off, and comes back to lunch 3 on Saturdays. Those are her only times off."

"I will remember. Women are doing great work nowadays 现在, and Mademoiselle Cynthia is clever 聪明的—oh, yes, she has brains, that little one."

"Yes. I believe she has passed quite a stiff 严厉的 exam 考试."

"Without doubt. After all, it is very responsible work. I suppose they have very strong poisons 毒药 there?"

"Yes, she showed them to us. They are kept locked up in a little cup‧board 橱柜. I believe they have to be very careful 小心. They always take out the key before leaving the room."

"Indeed. It is near the window, this cupboard?"

"No, right the other side of the room. Why?"

Poirot shrugged 耸 his shoulders.

"I wondered. That is all. Will you come in?"

We had reached the cottage 小屋.

"No. I think I'll be getting back. I shall go round the long way through the woods."

The woods round Styles were very beautiful 美丽. After the walk across the open park, it was pleasant to saunter lazily 懒惰的 through the cool glades 高兴的. There was hardly a breath of wind, the very chirp of the birds was faint 微弱的 and subdued 征服. I strolled 漫步 on a little way, and finally flung myself 我 down at the foot of a grand 宏大的 old beech-tree. My thoughts of man‧kind 人类 were kindly and charitable 慈善. I even forgave 原谅:forgive Poirot for his absurd 荒诞 secrecy 保密. In fact, I was at peace with the world. Then I yawned 打哈欠.

I thought about the crime 罪行, and it struck me as being very unreal 虚幻 and far off.

I yawned 打哈欠 again.

Probably, I thought, it really never happened. Of course, it was all a bad dream. The truth of the matter was that it was Lawrence who had murdered Alfred Inglethorp with a croquet mallet. But it was absurd 荒诞 of John to make such a fuss 小题大作 about it, and to go shouting out: "I tell you I won win't have it!"

I woke 醒:wake up with a start.

At once I realized that I was in a very awkward 难堪 predicament 困境. For, about twelve 十二 feet away from me, John and Mary Cavendish were standing facing each other, and they were evidently 明显地 quarrelling 争吵. And, quite as evidently 明显地, they were unaware 不知道 of my vicinity 附近, for before I could move or speak John repeated the words which had aroused 引起 me from my dream.

"I tell you, Mary, I won't have it."

Mary's voice came, cool and liquid 液体:

"Have you any right to criticize 批评，批判；指责 my actions?"

"It will be the talk of the village! My mother was only buried 埋葬 on Saturday, and here you are gadding about with the fellow."

"Oh," she shrugged 耸 her shoulders, "if it is only village gossip 八卦 that you mind!"

"But it isn't. I've had enough of the fellow hanging about. He's a Polish 擦光 Jew, anyway 无论如何."

"A tinge of Jewish blood is not a bad thing. It leavens the"—she looked at him—"stolid stupidity 糊涂事 of the ordinary Englishman."

Fire in her eyes, ice 冰 in her voice. I did not wonder that the blood rose rise to John's face in a crimson tide 潮汐.

"Mary!"

"Well?" Her tone 音 did not change.

The pleading 求情 died out of his voice.

"Am I to understand that you will continue to see Bauerstein against my express wishes?"

"If I choose."

"You defy 违抗 me?"

"No, but I deny 拒绝 your right to criticize 批评，批判；指责 my actions. Have you no friends of whom 谁 I should disapprove 不赞成?"

John fell fall back a pace 步伐，速度. The colour ebbed 落潮 slowly from his face.

"What do you mean?" he said, in an unsteady voice.

"You see!" said Mary quietly. "You do see, don't you, that you have no right to dictate 听写 to me as to the choice of my friends?"

John glanced 一瞥 at her pleadingly, a stricken look on his face.

"No right? Have I no right, Mary?" he said unsteadily. He stretched out his hands. "Mary——"

For a moment, I thought she wavered 动摇. A softer expression came over her face, then suddenly she turned almost fiercely 凶猛的 away.

"None!"

She was walking away when John sprang after her, and caught catch her by the arm.

"Mary"—his voice was very quiet now—"are you in love with this fellow Bauerstein?"

She hesitated 犹豫, and suddenly there swept sweep across her face a strange expression, old as the hills, yet with something eternally 永恒 young about it. So might some Egyptian sphinx have smiled.

She freed her‧self 她自己 quietly from his arm, and spoke speak over her shoulder.

"Perhaps," she said; and then swiftly 如飞 passed out of the little glade, leaving John standing there as though he had been turned to stone.

Rather ostentatiously, I stepped forward, crackling 裂纹 some dead branches with my feet as I did so. John turned. Luckily, he took it for granted 发放 that I had only just come upon the scene.

"Hullo, Hastings. Have you seen the little fellow safely back to his cottage 小屋? Quaint little chap 皴裂! Is he any good, though, really?"

"He was considered one of the finest detectives 侦探 of his day."

"Oh, well, I suppose there must be something in it, then. What a rotten 腐烂的 world it is, though!"

"You find it so?" I asked.

"Good Lord, yes! There's this terrible business to start with. Scotland Yard men in and out of the house like a jack 插口-in-the-box! Never know where they won't turn up next. Screaming head‧line 标题 in every paper in the country—damn 该死的 all journalists 记者, I say! Do you know there was a whole crowd staring in at the lodge 存放 gates 门 this morning. Sort of Madame Tussaud's chamber 室 of horrors 恐怖 business that can be seen for nothing. Pretty thick, isn't it?"

" Cheer 欢呼 up, John!" I said soothingly. "It can't last for ever."

"Can't it, though? It can last long enough for us never to be able to hold up our heads again."

"No, no, you're getting morbid on the subject."

"Enough to make a man morbid, to be stalked 茎 by beastly 野兽 journalists 记者 and stared at by gaping 盱；目瞪口呆 moon-faced idiots 白痴, wherever 随地 he goes! But there's worse than that."

"What?"

John lowered his voice:

"Have you ever thought, Hastings—it's a night‧mare 恶梦 to me—who did it? I can't help feeling sometimes it must have been an accident 意外事件. Because—because—who could have done it? Now Inglethorp's out of the way, there's no one else; no one, I mean, except—one of us."

Yes, indeed, that was night‧mare 恶梦 enough for any man! One of us? Yes, surely it must be so, unless——-

A new idea suggested itself 本身 to my mind. Rapidly, I considered it. The light increased. Poirot's mysterious 神秘 doings, his hints 暗示—they all fitted in. Fool that I was not to have thought of this possibility 可能性 before, and what a relief for us all.

"No, John," I said, "it isn't one of us. How could it be?"

"I know, but, still, who else is there?"

"Can't you guess?"

"No."

I looked cautiously 小心的 round, and lowered my voice.

"Dr. Bauerstein!" I whispered 低声说.

"Impossible!"

"Not at all."

"But what earthly interest could he have in my mother's death?"

"That I don't see," I confessed 供认, "but I'll tell you this: Poirot thinks so."

"Poirot? Does he? How do you know?"

I told him of Poirot's intense 强烈的，极度的 excitement 激动 on hearing that Dr. Bauerstein had been at Styles on the fatal 致命 night, and added:

"He said twice 两次: 'That alters 改变 everything.' And I've been thinking. You know Inglethorp said he had put down the coffee in the hall? Well, it was just then that Bauerstein arrived. Isn't it possible that, as Inglethorp brought him through the hall, the doctor dropped something into the coffee in passing?"

"H'm," said John. "It would have been very risky 有风险."

"Yes, but it was possible."

"And then, how could he know it was her coffee? No, old fellow, I don't think that will wash."

But I had remembered something else.

"You're quite right. That wasn't how it was done. Listen." And I then told him of the cocoa 可可 sample which Poirot had taken to be analysed.

John interrupted just as I had done.

"But, look here, Bauerstein had had it analysed already?"

"Yes, yes, that's the point. I didn't see it either until now. Don't you understand? Bauerstein had it analysed—that's just it! If Bauerstein's the murderer, nothing could be simpler than for him to substitute 替代 some ordinary cocoa 可可 for his sample, and send that to be tested. And of course they would find no strychnine! But no one would dream of suspecting 怀疑；嫌疑犯 Bauerstein, or think of taking another sample—except Poirot," I added, with belated recognition 认识.

"Yes, but what about the bitter taste that cocoa 可可 won't disguise 伪装?"

"Well, we've only his word for that. And there are other possibilities 可能性. He's admittedly 固然 one of the world's greatest toxicologists——"

"One of the world's greatest what? Say it again."

"He knows more about poisons than almost any‧body 任何人," I explained. "Well, my idea is, that perhaps he's found some way of making strychnine taste‧less 品尝‧少. Or it may not have been strychnine at all, but some obscure 朦胧 drug 药物 no one has ever heard of, which produces much the same symptoms 症状."

"H'm, yes, that might be," said John. "But look here, how could he have got at the cocoa 可可? That wasn't downstairs 楼下?"

"No, it wasn't," I admitted reluctantly 勉强.

And then, suddenly, a dreadful 可怕 possibility 可能性 flashed 使闪光 through my mind. I hoped and prayed it would not occur 发生 to John also. I glanced 一瞥 sideways 侧身 at him. He was frowning 皱眉 perplexedly, and I drew draw a deep breath of relief, for the terrible thought that had flashed across my mind was this: that Dr. Bauerstein might have had an accomplice.

Yet surely it could not be! Surely no woman as beautiful 美丽 as Mary Cavendish could be a murderess. Yet beautiful 美丽 women had been known to poison 毒药.

And suddenly I remembered that first conversation at tea 茶水 on the day of my arrival 到达, and the gleam 闪光 in her eyes as she had said that poison was a woman's weapon. How agitated 激荡 she had been on that fatal 致命 Tuesday evening! Had Mrs. Inglethorp discovered something between her and Bauerstein, and threatened to tell her husband? Was it to stop that denunciation that the crime 罪行 had been committed 承诺?

Then I remembered that enigmatical conversation between Poirot and Evelyn Howard. Was this what they had meant? Was this the monstrous 滔天 possibility 可能性 that Evelyn had tried not to believe?

Yes, it all fitted in.

No wonder Miss Howard had suggested "hushing 嘘 it up." Now I understood understand that unfinished 未完成 sentence 句子 of hers: "Emily her‧self 她自己——" And in my heart I agreed with her. Would not Mrs. Inglethorp have preferred to go unavenged rather than have such terrible dishonour fall upon the name of Cavendish.

"There's another thing," said John suddenly, and the unexpected 意外 sound of his voice made me start guiltily 有罪的；内疚的. "Something which makes me doubt if what you say can be true."

"What's that?" I asked, thankful 感谢 that he had gone away from the subject of how the poison 毒药 could have been introduced into the cocoa 可可.

"Why, the fact that Bauerstein demanded a post-mortem. He needn't have done so. Little Wilkins would have been quite content to let it go at heart disease."

"Yes," I said doubtfully 疑. "But we don't know. Perhaps he thought it safer in the long run. Someone might have talked after‧ward 之后. Then the Home Office might have ordered exhumation. The whole thing would have come out, then, and he would have been in an awkward 难堪 position, for no one would have believed that a man of his reputation 名气 could have been deceived 欺诈 into calling it heart disease."

"Yes, that's possible," admitted John. "Still," he added, "I'm blest if I can see what his motive 动机 could have been."

I trembled 发抖.

"Look here," I said, "I may be altogether 全部地 wrong. And, remember, all this is in confidence 信心."

"Oh, of course—that goes without saying."

We had walked, as we talked, and now we passed through the little gate 门 into the garden. Voices rose near at hand, for tea was spread out under the sycamore-tree, as it had been on the day of my arrival 到达.

Cynthia was back from the hospital, and I placed my chair beside her, and told her of Poirot's wish to visit the dispensary.

"Of course! I'd love him to see it. He'd better come to tea there one day. I must fix it up with him. He's such a dear little man! But he is funny 有趣的. He made me take the brooch out of my tie the other day, and put it in again, because he said it wasn't straight."

I laughed.

"It's quite a mania 狂躁 with him."

"Yes, isn't it?"

We were silent for a minute or two, and then, glancing 一瞥 in the direction of Mary Cavendish, and dropping her voice, Cynthia said:

"Mr. Hastings."

"Yes?"

"After tea, I want to talk to you."

Her glance 一瞥 at Mary had set me thinking. I fancied 想像 that between these two there existed very little sympathy 同情. For the first time, it occurred 发生 to me to wonder about the girl's future. Mrs. Inglethorp had made no provisions 规定 of any kind for her, but I imagined that John and Mary would probably insist 咬定 on her making her home with them—at any rate until the end of the war. John, I knew, was very fond 喜欢的 of her, and would be sorry 对不起的 to let her go.

John, who had gone into the house, now reappeared 再现. His good-natured face wore wear an unaccustomed frown 皱眉 of anger 生气.

"Confound those detectives 侦探! I can't think what they're after! They've been in every room in the house—turning things inside out, and upside 上边 down. It really is too bad! I suppose they took advantage of our all being out. I shall go for that fellow Japp, when I next see him!"

"Lot of Paul Prys," grunted 咕噜 Miss Howard.

Lawrence opined that they had to make a show of doing something.

Mary Cavendish said nothing.

After tea, I invited Cynthia to come for a walk, and we sauntered off into the woods together.

"Well?" I inquired 打听, as soon as we were protected from prying 撬 eyes by the leafy screen.

With a sigh 叹, Cynthia flung her‧self 她自己 down, and tossed 折腾 off her hat. The sun‧light 阳光, piercing 刺穿 through the branches, turned the auburn of her hair to quivering 颤动 gold 金.

"Mr. Hastings—you are always so kind, and you know such a lot."

It struck me at this moment that Cynthia was really a very charming 魔力；使陶醉 girl! Much more charming than Mary, who never said things of that kind.

"Well?" I asked benignantly, as she hesitated.

"I want to ask your advice 劝告. What shall I do?"

"Do?"

"Yes. You see, Aunt 阿姨 Emily always told me I should be provided for. I suppose she forgot forget, or didn't think she was likely to die— anyway 无论如何, I am not provided for! And I don't know what to do. Do you think I ought to go away from here at once?"

"Good heavens 天, no! They don't want to part with you, I'm sure."

Cynthia hesitated a moment, plucking 采摘 up the grass 草 with her tiny 小 hands. Then she said: "Mrs. Cavendish does. She hates me."

"Hates you?" I cried, astonished 使惊讶.

Cynthia nodded 点头.

"Yes. I don't know why, but she can't bear me; and he can't, either."

"There I know you're wrong," I said warmly. "On the contrary 相反, John is very fond 喜欢的 of you."

"Oh, yes—John. I meant Lawrence. Not, of course, that I care whether Lawrence hates me or not. Still, it's rather horrid when no one loves you, isn't it?"

"But they do, Cynthia dear," I said earnestly. "I'm sure you are mistaken 错误. Look, there is John—and Miss Howard—"

Cynthia nodded 点头 rather gloomily 阴沉. "Yes, John likes me, I think, and of course Evie, for all her gruff ways, wouldn't be unkind to a fly. But Lawrence never speaks to me if he can help it, and Mary can hardly bring her‧self 她自己 to be civil 国内 to me. She wants Evie to stay on, is begging 乞讨 her to, but she doesn't want me, and—and—I don't know what to do." Suddenly the poor child burst 爆裂 out crying.

I don't know what possessed 拥有 me. Her beauty, perhaps, as she sat sit there, with the sun‧light 阳光 glinting down on her head; perhaps the sense of relief at encountering 遭遇 someone who so obviously 明显 could have no connection with the tragedy 悲剧; perhaps honest 诚实的 pity 怜悯 for her youth and loneliness 孤单. Anyway, I leant forward, and taking her little hand, I said awkwardly 难堪:

"Marry me, Cynthia."

Unwittingly, I had hit upon a sovereign 君主 remedy 治疗法 for her tears. She sat up at once, drew her hand away, and said, with some asperity:

"Don't be silly 愚蠢!"

I was a little annoyed.

"I'm not being silly 愚蠢. I am asking you to do me the honour of becoming my wife."

To my intense 强烈的，极度的 surprise, Cynthia burst 爆裂 out laughing, and called me a " funny 有趣的 dear."

"It's perfectly sweet of you," she said, "but you know you don't want to!"

"Yes, I do. I've got—"

"Never mind what you've got. You don't really want to—and I don't either."

"Well, of course, that settles it," I said stiffly. "But I don't see anything to laugh at. There's nothing funny about a proposal."

"No, indeed," said Cynthia. "Somebody might accept you next time. Good-bye 再见, you've cheered 欢呼 me up very much."

And, with a final 最后 uncontrollable burst of merriment, she vanished 消失 through the trees.

Thinking over the interview 访问, it struck me as being profoundly 深深 unsatisfactory 不满意.

It occurred 发生 to me suddenly that I would go down to the village, and look up Bauerstein. Somebody ought to be keeping an eye on the fellow. At the same time, it would be wise 明智的；聪明的 to allay any suspicions 怀疑 he might have as to his being suspected 怀疑；嫌疑犯. I remembered how Poirot had relied 依靠 on my diplomacy 外交. Accordingly, I went to the little house with the "Apartments" card inserted 插 in the window, where I knew he lodged 存放, and tapped 敲；龙头；汲取（液体） on the door.

An old woman came and opened it.

"Good afternoon," I said pleasantly. "Is Dr. Bauerstein in?"

She stared at me.

"Haven't you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"About him."

"What about him?"

"He's took."

"Took? Dead?"

"No, took by the perlice."

"By the police!" I gasped 喘气. "Do you mean they've arrested 逮捕 him?"

"Yes, that's it, and—"

I waited to hear no more, but tore tear up the village to find Poirot.

CHAPTER X. THE ARREST

To my extreme annoyance 恼怒, Poirot was not in, and the old Belgian who answered my knock 敲 informed me that he believed he had gone to London.

I was dumbfounded. What on earth could Poirot be doing in London! Was it a sudden decision on his part, or had he already made up his mind when he parted from me a few hours earlier?

I retraced my steps to Styles in some annoyance 恼怒. With Poirot away, I was uncertain 不确定 how to act. Had he foreseen this arrest 逮捕? Had he not, in all probability 可能性, been the cause of it? Those questions I could not resolve 解决. But in the mean‧time 其时 what was I to do? Should I announce 宣布 the arrest openly at Styles, or not? Though I did not acknowledge 确认 it to myself 我, the thought of Mary Cavendish was weighing 称重 on me. Would it not be a terrible shock to her? For the moment, I set aside utterly 完全 any suspicions of her. She could not be implicated 连累—otherwise I should have heard some hint 暗示 of it.

Of course, there was no possibility 可能性 of being able permanently 永久 to conceal 隐藏 Dr. Bauerstein's arrest from her. It would be announced 宣布 in every newspaper on the morrow. Still, I shrank from blurting it out. If only Poirot had been accessible 无障碍, I could have asked his advice 劝告. What possessed him to go posting off to London in this unaccountable way?

In spite 恶意 of myself 我, my opinion of his saga‧city 冒险故事‧城市 was immeasurably heightened 变高. I would never have dreamt dream of suspecting the doctor, had not Poirot put it into my head. Yes, decidedly 果断地, the little man was clever 聪明的.

After some reflecting, I decided to take John into my confidence 信心, and leave him to make the matter public or not, as he thought fit.

He gave vent 发泄 to a prodigious whistle 吹口哨, as I imparted 传授 the news.

"Great Scot! You were right, then. I couldn't believe it at the time."

"No, it is astonishing 使惊讶 until you get used to the idea, and see how it makes everything fit in. Now, what are we to do? Of course, it will be generally known to-morrow."

John reflected.

"Never mind," he said at last, "we won't say anything at present. There is no need. As you say, it will be known soon enough."

But to my intense 强烈的，极度的 surprise, on getting down early the next morning, and eagerly 渴望的 opening the newspapers, there was not a word about the arrest! There was a column 柱 of mere padding 垫 about "The Styles Poisoning Case," but nothing further. It was rather inexplicable, but I supposed that, for some reason or other, Japp wished to keep it out of the papers. It worried me just a little, for it suggested the possibility 可能性 that there might be further arrests 逮捕 to come.

After break‧fast 早餐, I decided to go down to the village, and see if Poirot had returned yet; but, before I could start, a well-known face blocked one of the windows, and the well-known voice said:

"Bonjour, mon ami!"

"Poirot," I exclaimed 喊叫, with relief, and seizing 抓住 him by both hands, I dragged 拖拽 him into the room. "I was never so glad 高兴的 to see anyone. Listen, I have said nothing to any‧body 任何人 but John. Is that right?"

"My friend," replied Poirot, "I do not know what you are talking about."

"Dr. Bauerstein's arrest, of course," I answered impatiently 不耐烦.

"Is Bauerstein arrested, then?"

"Did you not know it?"

"Not the least in the world." But, pausing 暂停 a moment, he added: "Still, it does not surprise me. After all, we are only four miles from the coast."

"The coast?" I asked, puzzled. "What has that got to do with it?"

Poirot shrugged 耸 his shoulders.

"Surely, it is obvious 明显!"

"Not to me. No doubt I am very dense 稠密, but I cannot see what the proximity 接近 of the coast has got to do with the murder of Mrs. Inglethorp."

"Nothing at all, of course," replied Poirot, smiling. "But we were speaking of the arrest of Dr. Bauerstein."

"Well, he is arrested for the murder of Mrs. Inglethorp——"

"What?" cried Poirot, in apparently 据…所知；看来；据说；听说 lively astonishment 惊愕. "Dr. Bauerstein arrested for the murder of Mrs. Inglethorp?"

"Yes."

"Impossible! That would be too good a farce 闹剧! Who told you that, my friend?"

"Well, no one exactly told me," I confessed. "But he is arrested."

"Oh, yes, very likely. But for espionage 间谍, mon ami."

"Espionage?" I gasped 喘气.

" Precisely 精确地."

"Not for poisoning 毒药 Mrs. Inglethorp?"

"Not unless our friend Japp has taken leave of his senses," replied Poirot placidly.

"But—but I thought you thought so too?"

Poirot gave me one look, which conveyed 传达 a wondering pity 怜悯, and his full sense of the utter 说出 absurdity of such an idea.

"Do you mean to say," I asked, slowly adapting 改变；适应于 myself 我 to the new idea, "that Dr. Bauerstein is a spy 间谍?"

Poirot nodded 点头.

"Have you never suspected it?"

"It never entered my head."

"It did not strike you as peculiar 奇怪的 that a famous 著名 London doctor should bury 埋葬 himself in a little village like this, and should be in the habit 习惯 of walking about at all hours of the night, fully 充分 dressed?"

"No," I confessed, "I never thought of such a thing."

"He is, of course, a German by birth," said Poirot thoughtfully 沉思地, "though he has practiced so long in this country that nobody thinks of him as anything but an Englishman. He was naturalized about fifteen 十五 years ago. A very clever 聪明的 man—a Jew, of course."

"The black‧guard 黑色‧警卫!" I cried indignantly.

"Not at all. He is, on the contrary 相反, a patriot 爱国者. Think what he stands to lose. I admire the man myself 我."

But I could not look at it in Poirot's philosophical 哲学上 way.

"And this is the man with whom 谁 Mrs. Cavendish has been wandering 漫步 about all over the country!" I cried indignantly.

"Yes. I should fancy 想像 he had found her very useful 有用," remarked Poirot. "So long as gossip 八卦 busied itself 本身 in coupling their names together, any other vagaries of the doctor's passed unobserved."

"Then you think he never really cared for her?" I asked eagerly—rather too eagerly, perhaps, under the circumstances 环境.

"That, of course, I cannot say, but—shall I tell you my own private opinion, Hastings?"

"Yes."

"Well, it is this: that Mrs. Cavendish does not care, and never has cared one little jot about Dr. Bauerstein!"

"Do you really think so?" I could not disguise 伪装 my pleasure.

"I am quite sure of it. And I will tell you why."

"Yes?"

"Because she cares for someone else, mon ami."

"Oh!" What did he mean? In spite 恶意 of myself 我, an agree‧able 合适的 warmth 温暖 spread over me. I am not a vain 徒劳的 man where women are concerned, but I remembered certain evidences 证据, too lightly thought of at the time, perhaps, but which certainly seemed to indicate 表明——

My pleasing thoughts were interrupted by the sudden entrance 入口 of Miss Howard. She glanced 一瞥 round hastily 草草 to make sure there was no one else in the room, and quickly produced an old sheet of brown paper. This she handed to Poirot, murmuring 私语 as she did so the cryptic words:

"On top of the wardrobe 衣柜." Then she hurriedly left the room.

Poirot unfolded 展开 the sheet of paper eagerly, and uttered 说出 an exclamation of satisfaction 满足. He spread it out on the table.

"Come here, Hastings. Now tell me, what is that initial 初始—J. or L.?"

It was a medium 中 sized sheet of paper, rather dusty 尘土飞扬, as though it had lain lie by for some time. But it was the label 标签 that was attracting 吸引 Poirot's attention. At the top, it bore bear the printed stamp 邮票 of Messrs. Parkson's, the well-known theatrical 戏剧的 costumiers, and it was addressed to "—(the debatable initial 初始) Cavendish, Esq., Styles Court, Styles St. Mary, Essex."

"It might be T., or it might be L.," I said, after studying the thing for a minute or two. "It certainly isn't a J."

"Good," replied Poirot, folding 折叠 up the paper again. "I, also, am of your way of thinking. It is an L., depend upon it!"

"Where did it come from?" I asked curiously. "Is it important?"

"Moderately so. It confirms 确认 a surmise of mine. Having deduced 推断 its existence, I set Miss Howard to search for it, and, as you see, she has been successful 成功."

"What did she mean by 'On the top of the wardrobe 衣柜'?"

"She meant," replied Poirot promptly 敏捷的, "that she found it on top of a wardrobe 衣柜."

"A funny place for a piece of brown paper," I mused 沉思.

"Not at all. The top of a wardrobe 衣柜 is an excellent place for brown paper and card‧board 纸板 boxes. I have kept them there myself 我. Neatly arranged, there is nothing to offend 触怒 the eye."

"Poirot," I asked earnestly, "have you made up your mind about this crime?"

"Yes—that is to say, I believe I know how it was committed 承诺."

"Ah!"

"Unfortunately 不幸, I have no proof 证明 beyond my surmise, unless——" With sudden energy 能源, he caught me by the arm, and whirled 旋转 me down the hall, calling out in French in his excitement 激动: "Mademoiselle Dorcas, Mademoiselle Dorcas, un moment, s'il vous plaît!"

Dorcas, quite flurried 慌张 by the noise 噪音, came hurrying out of the pantry.

"My good Dorcas, I have an idea—a little idea—if it should prove justified 为…辩护；证明…正当；是…的正当理由, what magnificent 华丽的 chance! Tell me, on Monday, not Tuesday, Dorcas, but Monday, the day before the tragedy 悲剧, did anything go wrong with Mrs. Inglethorp's bell 钟?"

Dorcas looked very surprised.

"Yes, sir 先生, now you mention it, it did; though I don't know how you came to hear of it. A mouse 老鼠, or some such, must have nibbled the wire through. The man came and put it right on Tuesday morning."

With a long drawn draw exclamation of ecstasy 狂喜, Poirot led the way back to the morning-room.

"See you, one should not ask for outside proof 证明—no, reason should be enough. But the flesh 肉 is weak, it is consolation 安慰 to find that one is on the right track 小路. Ah, my friend, I am like a giant 巨人 refreshed 使恢复. I run! I leap 飞跃!"

And, in very truth, run and leap 飞跃 he did, gambolling wildly down the stretch of lawn 草坪 outside the long window.

"What is your remark‧able 非凡的；奇异的；引人注目的 little friend doing?" asked a voice behind me, and I turned to find Mary Cavendish at my elbow 弯头. She smiled, and so did I. "What is it all about?"

"Really, I can't tell you. He asked Dorcas some question about a bell 钟, and appeared so delighted with her answer that he is cape‧ring 海角；斗篷‧戒指；打电话 about as you see!"

Mary laughed.

"How ridiculous 荒谬! He's going out of the gate 门. Isn't he coming back to-day?"

"I don't know. I've given up trying to guess what he'll do next."

"Is he quite mad 疯狂的, Mr. Hastings?"

"I honestly 诚实的 don't know. Sometimes, I feel sure he is as mad as a hatter; and then, just as he is at his maddest 疯狂的, I find there is method 方法 in his madness 疯狂."

"I see."

In spite of her laugh, Mary was looking thoughtful 周到 this morning. She seemed grave 坟墓；严重的, almost sad 悲哀的.

It occurred 发生 to me that it would be a good opportunity to tackle 滑车 her on the subject of Cynthia. I began rather tactfully, I thought, but I had not gone far before she stopped me authoritatively 权威性.

"You are an excellent advocate 主张；拥护；支持；提倡, I have no doubt, Mr. Hastings, but in this case your talents 天赋 are quite thrown throw away. Cynthia will run no risk of encountering 遭遇 any unkindness from me."

I began to stammer feebly 微弱 that I hoped she hadn't thought—But again she stopped me, and her words were so unexpected 意外 that they quite drove drive Cynthia, and her troubles, out of my mind.

"Mr. Hastings," she said, "do you think I and my husband are happy together?"

I was consider‧able 相当 taken aback 吓了一跳, and murmured 私语 something about it's not being my business to think anything of the sort.

"Well," she said quietly, "whether it is your business or not, I will tell you that we are not happy."

I said nothing, for I saw that she had not finished.

She began slowly, walking up and down the room, her head a little bent bend, and that slim 瘦, supple figure of hers swaying 摇摆 gently as she walked. She stopped suddenly, and looked up at me.

"You don't know anything about me, do you?" she asked. "Where I come from, who I was before I married John—anything, in fact? Well, I will tell you. I will make a father confessor of you. You are kind, I think—yes, I am sure you are kind."

Somehow, I was not quite as elated as I might have been. I remembered that Cynthia had begun her confidences 信心 in much the same way. Besides, a father confessor should be elderly 年老的；上了年纪的, it is not at all the role for a young man.

"My father was English," said Mrs. Cavendish, "but my mother was a Russian."

"Ah," I said, "now I understand—"

"Understand what?"

"A hint 暗示 of something foreign—different—that there has always been about you."

"My mother was very beautiful 美丽, I believe. I don't know, because I never saw her. She died when I was quite a little child. I believe there was some tragedy 悲剧 connected 连接 with her death—she took an over‧dose 过量 of some sleeping draught by mistake. However that may be, my father was broken break-hearted. Shortly after‧ward 之后, he went into the Consular Service. Everywhere 到处 he went, I went with him. When I was twenty 二十-three, I had been nearly all over the world. It was a splendid 壮观的 life—I loved it."

There was a smile on her face, and her head was thrown back. She seemed living in the memory of those old glad days.

"Then my father died. He left me very badly 很糟地 off. I had to go and live with some old aunts 阿姨 in Yorkshire." She shuddered 不寒而栗. "You will understand me when I say that it was a deadly life for a girl brought up as I had been. The narrowness, the deadly monotony of it, almost drove me mad." She paused 暂停 a minute, and added in a different tone 音: "And then I met John Cavendish."

"Yes?"

"You can imagine that, from my aunts' point of view, it was a very good match for me. But I can honestly say it was not this fact which weighed 称重 with me. No, he was simply a way of escape from the insufferable monotony of my life."

I said nothing, and after a moment, she went on:

"Don't misunderstand 误解 me. I was quite honest 诚实的 with him. I told him, what was true, that I liked him very much, that I hoped to come to like him more, but that I was not in any way what the world calls 'in love' with him. He declared that that satisfied him, and so—we were married."

She waited a long time, a little frown 皱眉 had gathered on her fore‧head 前额. She seemed to be looking back earnestly into those past days.

"I think—I am sure—he cared for me at first. But I suppose we were not well matched. Almost at once, we drifted 漂移 apart 相隔. He—it is not a pleasing thing for my pride 自尊, but it is the truth—tired of me very soon." I must have made some murmur 私语 of dissent 异议, for she went on quickly: "Oh, yes, he did! Not that it matters now—now that we've come to the parting of the ways."

"What do you mean?"

She answered quietly:

"I mean that I am not going to remain at Styles."

"You and John are not going to live here?"

"John may live here, but I shall not."

"You are going to leave him?"

"Yes."

"But why?"

She paused a long time, and said at last:

"Perhaps—because I want to be—free!"

And, as she spoke, I had a sudden vision 视力 of broad spaces, virgin 处女 tracts 管道 of forests, untrodden lands—and a realization 实现 of what freedom would mean to such a nature as Mary Cavendish. I seemed to see her for a moment as she was, a proud wild creature 动物；生物, as untamed by civilization 文明 as some shy 害羞 bird of the hills. A little cry broke break from her lips:

"You don't know, you don't know, how this hateful place has been prison to me!"

"I understand," I said, "but—but don't do anything rash 皮疹."

"Oh, rash 皮疹!" Her voice mocked 嘲笑 at my prudence.

Then suddenly I said a thing I could have bitten 咬 out my tongue 舌头 for:

"You know that Dr. Bauerstein has been arrested?"

An instant 瞬间 coldness passed like a mask 面具 over her face, blotting 斑点 out all expression.

"John was so kind as to break that to me this morning."

"Well, what do you think?" I asked feebly 微弱.

"Of what?"

"Of the arrest?"

"What should I think? Apparently he is a German spy 间谍; so the gardener had told John."

Her face and voice were absolutely cold and expression‧less 表现‧少. Did she care, or did she not?

She moved away a step or two, and fingered one of the flower vases 花瓶.

"These are quite dead. I must do them again. Would you mind moving—thank you, Mr. Hastings." And she walked quietly past me out of the window, with a cool little nod of dismissal 解雇.

No, surely she could not care for Bauerstein. No woman could act her part with that icy 冷冰冰 unconcern.

Poirot did not make his appearance the following morning, and there was no sign of the Scotland Yard men.

But, at lunch-time, there arrived a new piece of evidence 证据—or rather lack of evidence 证据. We had vainly 徒劳的 tried to trace 跟踪 the fourth letter, which Mrs. Inglethorp had written on the evening preceding 优于 her death. Our efforts having been in vain 徒劳的, we had abandoned 放弃 the matter, hoping that it might turn up of itself 本身 one day. And this is just what did happen, in the shape of a communication 通讯, which arrived by the second post from a firm of French music publishers 出版者, acknowledging 确认 Mrs. Inglethorp's cheque 查, and regretting 后悔 they had been unable 无法 to trace 跟踪 a certain series 系列 of Russian folksongs. So the last hope of solving 解决 the mystery, by means of Mrs. Inglethorp's correspondence 对应 on the fatal 致命 evening, had to be abandoned 放弃.

Just before tea, I strolled 漫步 down to tell Poirot of the new disappointment 失望, but found, to my annoyance 恼怒, that he was once more out.

"Gone to London again?"

"Oh, no, monsieur, he has but taken the train to Tadminster. 'To see a young lady's dispensary,' he said."

"Silly ass!" I ejaculated. "I told him Wednesday was the one day she wasn't there! Well, tell him to look us up to-morrow morning, will you?"

"Certainly, monsieur."

But, on the following day, no sign of Poirot. I was getting angry 生气的. He was really treating us in the most cavalier fashion.

After lunch, Lawrence drew me aside, and asked if I was going down to see him.

"No, I don't think I shall. He can come up here if he wants to see us."

"Oh!" Lawrence looked indeterminate. Something unusually 异常 nervous 担心的 and excited in his manner roused 唤醒 my curiosity 好奇心.

"What is it?" I asked. "I could go if there's anything special."

"It's nothing much, but—well, if you are going, will you tell him—" he dropped his voice to a whisper 低声说—"I think I've found the extra coffee-cup!"

I had almost forgotten forget that enigmatical message of Poirot's, but now my curiosity 好奇心 was aroused 引起 afresh.

Lawrence would say no more, so I decided that I would descend 下来 from my high horse, and once more seek 寻求 out Poirot at Leastways Cottage 小屋.

This time I was received with a smile. Monsieur Poirot was within. Would I mount 增加? I mounted 增加 accordingly 于是.

Poirot was sitting by the table, his head buried in his hands. He sprang up at my entrance 入口.

"What is it?" I asked solicitously. "You are not ill 生病, I trust?"

"No, no, not ill. But I decide an affair of great moment."

"Whether to catch the criminal 罪犯 or not?" I asked facetiously.

But, to my great surprise, Poirot nodded 点头 gravely 坟墓；严重的.

"'To speak or not to speak,' as your so great Shakespeare says, 'that is the question.'"

I did not trouble to correct the quotation 行情.

"You are not serious, Poirot?"

"I am of the most serious. For the most serious of all things hangs in the balance."

"And that is?"

"A woman's happiness 幸福, mon ami," he said gravely.

I did not quite know what to say.

"The moment has come," said Poirot thoughtfully 沉思地, "and I do not know what to do. For, see you, it is a big stake 赌注 for which I play. No one but I, Hercule Poirot, would attempt it!" And he tapped himself proudly on the breast 乳房.

After pausing a few minutes respectfully 尊敬, so as not to spoil 损坏；变质 his effect, I gave him Lawrence's message.

"Aha!" he cried. "So he has found the extra coffee-cup. That is good. He has more intelligence 情报 than would appear, this long-faced Monsieur Lawrence of yours!"

I did not myself 我 think very highly of Lawrence's intelligence 情报; but I fore‧bore 前面‧厌倦；厌烦；生 to contradict 顶撞 Poirot, and gently took him to task 任务 for forgetting my instructions 指令 as to which were Cynthia's days off.

"It is true. I have the head of a sieve. However, the other young lady was most kind. She was sorry 对不起的 for my disappointment 失望, and showed me everything in the kindest way."

"Oh, well, that's all right, then, and you must go to tea with Cynthia another day."

I told him about the letter.

"I am sorry for that," he said. "I always had hopes of that letter. But no, it was not to be. This affair must all be unravelled 绎 from within." He tapped his fore‧head 前额. "These little grey 灰色:gray cells 细胞. It is 'up to them'—as you say over here." Then, suddenly, he asked: "Are you a judge of finger-marks, my friend?"

"No," I said, rather surprised, "I know that there are no two finger-marks alike 同样的, but that's as far as my science goes."

"Exactly."

He unlocked 开锁 a little drawer 抽屉, and took out some photographs 照片 which he laid on the table.

"I have numbered them, 1, 2, 3. Will you describe them to me?"

I studied the proofs 证明 attentively 注意的.

"All greatly magnified 放大, I see. No. 1, I should say, are a man's finger-prints; thumb 拇指 and first finger. No. 2 are a lady's; they are much smaller, and quite different in every way. No. 3"—I paused for some time—"there seem to be a lot of confused 使困窘 finger-marks, but here, very distinctly 历历, are No. 1's."

"Overlapping the others?"

"Yes."

"You recognize them beyond fail?"

"Oh, yes; they are identical 相同."

Poirot nodded 点头, and gently taking the photographs from me locked them up again.

"I suppose," I said, "that as usual, you are not going to explain?"

"On the contrary 相反. No. 1 were the finger-prints of Monsieur Lawrence. No. 2 were those of Mademoiselle Cynthia. They are not important. I merely obtained 获得 them for comparison 比较. No. 3 is a little more complicated 使复杂化."

"Yes?"

"It is, as you see, highly magnified 放大. You may have noticed a sort of blur 模糊 extending all across the picture. I will not describe to you the special apparatus 仪器, dusting powder 粉, etc., which I used. It is a well-known process to the police, and by means of it you can obtain 获得 a photograph 照片 of the finger-prints of any object in a very short space of time. Well, my friend, you have seen the finger-marks—it remains to tell you the particular object on which they had been left."

"Go on—I am really excited."

"Eh bien! Photo 照片，像片 No. 3 represents the highly magnified 放大 surface of a tiny 小 bottle in the top poison 3 cup‧board 橱柜 of the dispensary in the Red Cross Hospital at Tadminster—which sounds like the house that Jack built!"

"Good heavens!" I exclaimed 喊叫. "But what were Lawrence Cavendish's finger-marks doing on it? He never went near the poison cupboard the day we were there!"

"Oh, yes, he did!"

"Impossible! We were all together the whole time."

Poirot shook his head.

"No, my friend, there was a moment when you were not all together. There was a moment when you could not have been all together, or it would not have been necessary to call to Monsieur Lawrence to come and join you on the balcony 阳台."

"I'd forgotten that," I admitted. "But it was only for a moment."

"Long enough."

"Long enough for what?"

Poirot's smile became rather enigmatical.

"Long enough for a gentle‧man 先生 who had once studied medicine 医学 to gratify 取悦 a very natural 自然 interest and curiosity 好奇心."

Our eyes met. Poirot's were pleasantly vague 模糊. He got up and hummed 哼 a little tune 曲调. I watched him suspiciously 可疑的.

"Poirot," I said, "what was in this particular little bottle?"

Poirot looked out of the window.

"Hydro-chloride 氯化物 of strychnine," he said, over his shoulder, continuing to hum 哼.

"Good heavens!" I said it quite quietly. I was not surprised. I had expected that answer.

"They use the pure hydro-chloride 氯化物 of strychnine very little—only occasionally 偶尔，间或；有时 for pills 丸. It is the official solution, Liq. Strychnine Hydro-clor. that is used in most medicines 医学. That is why the finger-marks have remained undisturbed since then."

"How did you manage to take this photograph 照片?"

"I dropped my hat from the balcony 阳台," explained Poirot simply. "Visitors were not permitted below at that hour, so, in spite of my many apologies 道歉认错, Mademoiselle Cynthia's colleague 同事 had to go down and fetch 取 it for me."

"Then you knew what you were going to find?"

"No, not at all. I merely realized that it was possible, from your story, for Monsieur Lawrence to go to the poison cupboard 4. The possibility 可能性 had to be confirmed 确认, or eliminated 排除；消除；清除."

"Poirot," I said, "your gaiety 快乐 does not deceive 欺诈 me. This is a very important discovery 发现."

"I do not know," said Poirot. "But one thing does strike me. No doubt it has struck you too."

"What is that?"

"Why, that there is altogether 全部地 too much strychnine about this case. This is the third time we run up against it. There was strychnine in Mrs. Inglethorp's tonic 补品. There is the strychnine sold sell across the counter at Styles St. Mary by Mace. Now we have more strychnine, handled by one of the house‧hold 家庭. It is confusing 使困窘; and, as you know, I do not like confusion 混乱."

Before I could reply, one of the other Belgians opened the door and stuck stick his head in.

"There is a lady below, asking for Mr Hastings."

"A lady?"

I jumped up. Poirot followed me down the narrow stairs 楼梯. Mary Cavendish was standing in the door‧way 门口.

"I have been visiting an old woman in the village," she explained, "and as Lawrence told me you were with Monsieur Poirot I thought I would call for you."

"Alas, madame," said Poirot, "I thought you had come to honour me with a visit!"

"I will some day, if you ask me," she promised him, smiling.

"That is well. If you should need a father confessor, madame" —she started ever so slightly—"remember, Papa Poirot is always at your service."

She stared at him for a few minutes, as though seeking 寻求 to read some deeper meaning into his words. Then she turned abruptly 突然 away.

"Come, will you not walk back with us too, Monsieur Poirot?"

"Enchanted, madame."

All the way to Styles, Mary talked fast and feverishly. It struck me that in some way she was nervous 担心的 of Poirot's eyes.

The weather had broken, and the sharp wind was almost autumnal in its shrewishness. Mary shivered 发抖 a little, and buttoned 按钮 her black sports coat closer. The wind through the trees made a mournful noise 噪音, like some great giant 巨人 sighing 叹.

We walked up to the great door of Styles, and at once the knowledge came to us that something was wrong.

Dorcas came running out to meet us. She was crying and wringing 拧 her hands. I was aware 知道的 of other servants 仆人 huddled 乱堆 together in the back‧ground 背景, all eyes and ears.

"Oh, m'am! Oh, m'am! I don't know how to tell you—"

"What is it, Dorcas?" I asked impatiently 不耐烦. "Tell us at once."

"It's those wicked 邪恶的 detectives 侦探. They've arrested him—they've arrested Mr. Cavendish!"

"Arrested Lawrence?" I gasped 喘气.

I saw a strange look come into Dorcas's eyes.

"No, sir 先生. Not Mr. Lawrence—Mr. John."

Behind me, with a wild cry, Mary Cavendish fell heavily 很大，沉重地 against me, and as I turned to catch her I met the quiet triumph 胜利 in Poirot's eyes.

CHAPTER XI. THE CASE FOR THE PROSECUTION

The trial of John Cavendish for the murder of his step‧mother 步；走‧母亲 took place two months later.

Of the intervening 干预 weeks I will say little, but my admiration 钦佩 and sympathy 同情 went out unfeignedly to Mary Cavendish. She ranged her‧self 她自己 passionately 热情 on her husband's side, scorning 鄙视 the mere idea of his guilt, and fought fight for him tooth and nail 钉子.

I expressed my admiration 钦佩 to Poirot, and he nodded 点头 thoughtfully 沉思地.

"Yes, she is of those women who show at their best in adversity 逆境. It brings out all that is sweetest and truest in them. Her pride and her jealousy 妒忌 have—"

" Jealousy?" I queried 询问.

"Yes. Have you not realized that she is an unusually 异常 jealous 妒忌的 woman? As I was saying, her pride and jealousy have been laid aside. She thinks of nothing but her husband, and the terrible fate 命运 that is hanging over him."

He spoke very feelingly, and I looked at him earnestly, remembering that last afternoon, when he had been deliberating 商榷 whether or not to speak. With his tenderness 压痛 for "a woman's happiness 幸福," I felt glad that the decision had been taken out of his hands.

"Even now," I said, "I can hardly believe it. You see, up to the very last minute, I thought it was Lawrence!"

Poirot grinned 微笑.

"I know you did."

"But John! My old friend John!"

"Every murderer is probably somebody's old friend," observed Poirot philosophically 哲学上. "You cannot mix up sentiment 情绪 and reason."

"I must say I think you might have given me a hint 暗示."

"Perhaps, mon ami, I did not do so, just because he was your old friend."

I was rather disconcerted 搅乱 by this, remembering how I had busily passed on to John what I believed to be Poirot's views concerning Bauerstein. He, by the way, had been acquitted 开释 of the charge brought against him. Nevertheless 虽然, although he had been too clever 3 for them this time, and the charge of espionage 间谍 could not be brought home to him, his wings 翅膀 were pretty well clipped 夹 for the future.

I asked Poirot whether he thought John would be condemned 谴责. To my intense 强烈的，极度的 surprise, he replied that, on the contrary 相反, he was extremely likely to be acquitted 开释.

"But, Poirot—" I protested 抗议.

"Oh, my friend, have I not said to you all along that I have no proofs. It is one thing to know that a man is guilty 有罪的；内疚的, it is quite another matter to prove him so. And, in this case, there is terribly little evidence 证据. That is the whole trouble. I, Hercule Poirot, know, but I lack the last link 链接 in my chain. And unless I can find that missing link 链接—" He shook his head gravely.

"When did you first suspect 怀疑；嫌疑犯 John Cavendish?" I asked, after a minute or two.

"Did you not suspect him at all?"

"No, indeed."

"Not after that fragment 分段 of conversation you over‧hear 偷听 between Mrs. Cavendish and her mother-in-law, and her subsequent 随后的，接着的 lack of frankness at the inquest?"

"No."

"Did you not put two and two together, and reflect that if it was not Alfred Inglethorp who was quarrelling with his wife—and you remember, he strenuously 费劲 denied 拒绝 it at the inquest—it must be either Lawrence or John. Now, if it was Lawrence, Mary Cavendish's conduct 进行 was just as inexplicable. But if, on the other hand, it was John, the whole thing was explained quite naturally 自然地."

"So," I cried, a light breaking in upon me, "it was John who quarrelled 争吵 with his mother that afternoon?"

"Exactly."

"And you have known this all along?"

"Certainly. Mrs. Cavendish's behaviour could only be explained that way."

"And yet you say he may be acquitted 开释?"

Poirot shrugged 耸 his shoulders.

"Certainly I do. At the police court proceedings 继续, we shall hear the case for the prosecution 检察官, but in all probability 可能性 his solicitors 律师 will advise him to reserve his defence. That will be sprung upon us at the trial. And—ah, by the way, I have a word of caution 小心 to give you, my friend. I must not appear in the case."

"What?"

"No. Officially, I have nothing to do with it. Until I have found that last link 链接 in my chain, I must remain behind the scenes. Mrs. Cavendish must think I am working for her husband, not against him."

"I say, that's playing it a bit 一点 low down," I protested 抗议.

"Not at all. We have to deal with a most clever and unscrupulous man, and we must use any means in our power—otherwise he will slip through our fingers. That is why I have been careful 小心 to remain in the back‧ground 背景. All the discoveries 发现 have been made by Japp, and Japp will take all the credit 信用. If I am called upon to give evidence 证据 at all"—he smiled broadly—"it will probably be as a witness for the defence."

I could hardly believe my ears.

"It is quite en 恩 règle," continued Poirot. "Strangely enough, I can give evidence 证据 that will demolish 拆除 one content‧ion 争夺 of the prosecution 检察官."

"Which one?"

"The one that relates to the destruction 破坏 of the will. John Cavendish did not destroy that will."

Poirot was a true prophet 预言家. I will not go into the details of the police court proceedings 继续, as it involves many tire‧some 使…疲惫‧一些 repetitions 重复. I will merely state baldly 秃 that John Cavendish reserved his defence, and was duly 适时地 committed 承诺 for trial.

September found us all in London. Mary took a house in Kensington, Poirot being included in the family party.

I myself 我 had been given a job at the War Office, so was able to see them continually 不断.

As the weeks went by, the state of Poirot's nerves 神经 grew grow worse and worse. That "last link 链接" he talked about was still lacking. Privately, I hoped it might remain so, for what happiness 幸福 could there be for Mary, if John were not acquitted 开释?

On September 15th John Cavendish appeared in the dock 码头 at the Old Bailey, charged with "The Wilful Murder of Emily Agnes Inglethorp," and pleaded 求情 "Not Guilty 有罪的；内疚的."

Sir 先生 Ernest Heavywether, the famous 著名 K. C., had been engaged 从事 to defend him.

Mr. Philips, K. C., opened the case for the Crown 王冠.

The murder, he said, was a most premeditated and cold-blooded one. It was neither more nor less than the deliberate 商榷 poisoning of a fond 喜欢的 and trusting woman by the step‧son 步；走‧儿子 to whom 谁 she had been more than a mother. Ever since his boy‧hood 男孩‧引擎罩, she had supported him. He and his wife had lived at Styles Court in every luxury 豪华, surrounded by her care and attention. She had been their kind and generous 慷慨的 benefactress.

He proposed to call witnesses to show how the prisoner 犯人，囚犯, a profligate and spendthrift, had been at the end of his financial 金融 tether, and had also been carrying on an intrigue 诡计 with a certain Mrs. Raikes, a neighbouring farmer's wife. This having come to his step‧mother 步；走‧母亲's ears, she taxed him with it on the afternoon before her death, and a quarrel 争吵 ensued 接踵而至, part of which was over‧hear 偷听. On the previous 以前 day, the prisoner 犯人，囚犯 had purchased 采购 strychnine at the village chemist 化学家's shop, wearing a disguise 伪装 by means of which he hoped to throw the onus of the crime upon another man—to wit 风趣, Mrs. Inglethorp's husband, of whom 谁 he had been bitterly jealous 妒忌的. Luckily for Mr. Inglethorp, he had been able to produce an unimpeachable alibi.

On the afternoon of July 17th, continued Counsel 法律顾问, immediately after the quarrel 争吵 with her son, Mrs. Inglethorp made a new will. This will was found destroyed in the grate 炉排 of her bed‧room 卧室 the following morning, but evidence 证据 had come to light which showed that it had been drawn up in favour of her husband. Deceased had already made a will in his favour before her marriage, but—and Mr. Philips wagged 摇摆 an expressive 表现的 fore‧finger 前面‧手指—the prisoner 犯人，囚犯 was not aware 知道的 of that. What had induced 促使 the deceased 死亡 to make a fresh will, with the old one still extant, he could not say. She was an old lady, and might possibly have forgotten the former one; or—this seemed to him more likely—she may have had an idea that it was revoked 撤消 by her marriage, as there had been some conversation on the subject. Ladies were not always very well versed 诗 in legal 法律 knowledge. She had, about a year before, executed 执行 a will in favour of the prisoner 犯人，囚犯. He would call evidence 证据 to show that it was the prisoner 4 who ultimately 最终 handed his step‧mother 步；走‧母亲 her coffee on the fatal 致命 night. Later in the evening, he had sought admission 准许进入 to her room, on which occasion, no doubt, he found an opportunity of destroying the will which, as far as he knew, would render 给予 the one in his favour valid 有效.

The prisoner 5 had been arrested in consequence 后果 of the discovery 发现, in his room, by Detective Inspector Japp—a most brilliant 出色的 officer—of the identical 相同 phial of strychnine which had been sold at the village chemist 化学家's to the supposed Mr. Inglethorp on the day before the murder. It would be for the jury 陪审团 to decide whether or not these damning 该死的 facts constituted 构成，组成，被视作 an overwhelming 压倒 proof 证明 of the prisoner's guilt.

And, subtly 巧妙的 implying 意味着 that a jury 陪审团 which did not so decide, was quite unthinkable 不可思议的, Mr. Philips sat down and wiped 擦 his fore‧head 前额.

The first witnesses for the prosecution 检察官 were mostly those who had been called at the inquest, the medical evidence 证据 being again taken first.

Sir 3 Ernest Heavywether, who was famous 著名 all over England for the unscrupulous manner in which he bullied 欺负 witnesses, only asked two questions.

"I take it, Dr. Bauerstein, that strychnine, as a drug 药物, acts quickly?"

"Yes."

"And that you are unable 无法 to account for the delay 延迟 in this case?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

Mr. Mace identified 鉴定 the phial handed him by Counsel 法律顾问 as that sold by him to "Mr. Inglethorp." Pressed, he admitted that he only knew Mr. Inglethorp by sight. He had never spoken speak to him. The witness was not cross-examined.

Alfred Inglethorp was called, and denied 拒绝 having purchased 采购 the poison. He also denied 拒绝 having quarrelled with his wife. Various witnesses testified 作证 to the accuracy 准确性 of these statements 声明.

The gardeners 园丁' evidence 证据, as to the witnessing of the will was taken, and then Dorcas was called.

Dorcas, faithful 可信 to her "young gentlemen," denied 拒绝 strenuously 费劲 that it could have been John's voice she heard, and resolutely declared, in the teeth of everything, that it was Mr. Inglethorp who had been in the boudoir with her mistress 情妇. A rather wistful smile passed across the face of the prisoner in the dock 码头. He knew only too well how use‧less 无用 her gallant defiance 蔑视 was, since it was not the object of the defence to deny 拒绝 this point. Mrs. Cavendish, of course, could not be called upon to give evidence 证据 against her husband.

After various questions on other matters, Mr. Philips asked:

"In the month of June last, do you remember a parcel 包袱 arriving for Mr. Lawrence Cavendish from Parkson's?"

Dorcas shook her head.

"I don't remember, sir. It may have done, but Mr. Lawrence was away from home part of June."

"In the event of a parcel arriving for him whilst 同时 he was away, what would be done with it?"

"It would either be put in his room or sent send on after him."

"By you?"

"No, sir, I should leave it on the hall table. It would be Miss Howard who would attend to anything like that."

Evelyn Howard was called and, after being examined on other points, was questioned as to the parcel 包袱.

"Don't remember. Lots of parcels 包袱 come. Can't remember one special one."

"You do not know if it was sent after Mr. Lawrence Cavendish to Wales, or whether it was put in his room?"

"Don't think it was sent after him. Should have remembered it if it was."

"Supposing a parcel arrived addressed to Mr. Lawrence Cavendish, and after‧ward 之后 it disappeared 不见, should you remark its absence 缺席?"

"No, don't think so. I should think someone had taken charge of it."

"I believe, Miss Howard, that it was you who found this sheet of brown paper?" He held up the same dusty 尘土飞扬 piece which Poirot and I had examined in the morning-room at Styles.

"Yes, I did."

"How did you come to look for it?"

"The Belgian detective 侦探 who was employed on the case asked me to search for it."

"Where did you eventually 终于 discover it?"

"On the top of—of—a wardrobe 衣柜."

"On top of the prisoner's wardrobe 衣柜?"

"I—I believe so."

"Did you not find it your‧self 你自己?"

"Yes."

"Then you must know where you found it?"

"Yes, it was on the prisoner's wardrobe 衣柜."

"That is better."

An assistant 助理 from Parkson's, Theatrical 戏剧的 Costumiers, testified 作证 that on June 29th, they had supplied a black beard 胡须 to Mr. L. Cavendish, as requested. It was ordered by letter, and a postal 邮政 order was enclosed 围起来. No, they had not kept the letter. All trans‧action 交易 were entered in their books. They had sent the beard, as directed, to "L. Cavendish, Esq., Styles Court."

Sir Ernest Heavywether rose ponderously.

"Where was the letter written from?"

"From Styles Court."

"The same address to which you sent the parcel 4?"

"Yes."

"And the letter came from there?"

"Yes."

Like a beast 野兽 of prey 猎物, Heavywether fell upon him:

"How do you know?"

"I—I don't understand."

"How do you know that letter came from Styles? Did you notice the post‧mark 邮件‧斑点；标注?"

"No—but—"

"Ah, you did not notice the post‧mark 邮件‧斑点；标注! And yet you affirm 确认 so confidently 确信的 that it came from Styles. It might, in fact, have been any post‧mark 邮件‧斑点；标注?"

"Y—es ES."

"In fact, the letter, though written on stamped 邮票 note‧paper 笔记‧纸；报纸, might have been posted from any‧where 任何地方? From Wales, for instance 例?"

The witness admitted that such might be the case, and Sir Ernest signified 表示 that he was satisfied.

Elizabeth Wells, second house‧maid 房屋‧女佣 at Styles, stated that after she had gone to bed she remembered that she had bolted 螺栓 the front door, instead of leaving it on the latch 闩 as Mr. Inglethorp had requested. She had accordingly 于是 gone downstairs 楼下 again to rectify 纠正 her error 错误. Hearing a slight noise in the West wing 翅膀, she had peeped 窥视 along the passage, and had seen Mr. John Cavendish knocking at Mrs. Inglethorp's door.

Sir Ernest Heavywether made short work of her, and under his unmerciful bullying 欺负 she contradicted 顶撞 her‧self 她自己 hope‧less 绝望地, and Sir Ernest sat down again with a satisfied smile on his face.

With the evidence 证据 of Annie, as to the candle 蜡烛 grease 油脂 on the floor, and as to seeing the prisoner take the coffee into the boudoir, the proceedings 继续 were adjourned 休会 until the following day.

As we went home, Mary Cavendish spoke bitterly against the prosecuting 起诉 counsel 法律顾问.

"That hateful man! What a net 网 he has drawn around my poor John! How he twisted 扭成一束 every little fact until he made it seem what it wasn't!"

"Well," I said consolingly, "it will be the other way about to-morrow."

"Yes," she said meditatively; then suddenly dropped her voice. "Mr. Hastings, you do not think—surely it could not have been Lawrence—Oh, no, that could not be!"

But I myself 我 was puzzled, and as soon as I was alone with Poirot I asked him what he thought Sir Ernest was driving at.

"Ah!" said Poirot appreciatively. "He is a clever man, that Sir Ernest."

"Do you think he believes Lawrence guilty 有罪的；内疚的?"

"I do not think he believes or cares anything! No, what he is trying for is to create such confusion 混乱 in the minds of the jury 陪审团 that they are divided in their opinion as to which brother did it. He is endeavouring to make out that there is quite as much evidence 证据 against Lawrence as against John—and I am not at all sure that he will not succeed."

Detective-inspector 检查员 Japp was the first witness called when the trial was reopened 重开, and gave his evidence 证据 succinctly and briefly 短时间地. After relating the earlier events, he proceeded 继续:

"Acting on information received, Superintendent Summerhaye and myself 我 searched the prisoner's room, during his temporary 临时 absence 缺席 from the house. In his chest 胸部 of drawers 抽屉, hidden hide beneath 之下 some under‧clothing 在…下面‧衣服；服装, we found: first, a pair of gold 金-rimmed 轮缘 pince-nez similar 类似 to those worn wear by Mr. Inglethorp"—these were exhibited 展示—"secondly, this phial."

The phial was that already recognized by the chemist 化学家's assistant 助理, a tiny 小 bottle of blue glass, containing a few grains 谷物 of a white crystal‧line 水晶‧线条；做衬里 powder 粉, and labelled 标签: "Strychnine Hydrochloride. POISON."

A fresh piece of evidence 证据 discovered by the detectives 侦探 since the police court proceedings 继续 was a long, almost new piece of blotting 斑点-paper. It had been found in Mrs. Inglethorp's cheque 查 book, and on being reversed 反向；倒转 at a mirror 镜子, showed clearly the words: ". . . erything of which I die possessed I leave to my beloved 心爱 husband Alfred Ing..." This placed beyond question the fact that the destroyed will had been in favour of the deceased 死亡 lady's husband. Japp then produced the charred 烧焦 fragment 分段 of paper recovered 恢复 from the grate 炉排, and this, with the discovery of the beard 胡须 in the attic 阁楼, completed his evidence 证据.

But Sir Ernest's cross-examination 检查 was yet to come.

"What day was it when you searched the prisoner's room?"

"Tuesday, the 24th of July."

"Exactly a week after the tragedy 悲剧?"

"Yes."

"You found these two objects, you say, in the chest 胸部 of drawers. Was the drawer 抽屉 unlocked 开锁?"

"Yes."

"Does it not strike you as unlikely 不会 that a man who had committed 承诺 a crime should keep the evidence 证据 of it in an unlocked 开锁 drawer for anyone to find?"

"He might have stowed them there in a hurry."

"But you have just said it was a whole week since the crime. He would have had ample 充足 time to remove 去掉 them and destroy them."

"Perhaps."

"There is no perhaps about it. Would he, or would he not have had plenty of time to remove 去掉 and destroy them?"

"Yes."

"Was the pile 堆 of under‧clothes 在…下面‧衣服，衣物 under which the things were hidden hide heavy or light?"

"Heavyish."

"In other words, it was winter under‧clothing 在…下面‧衣服；服装. Obviously 明显, the prisoner would not be likely to go to that drawer 抽屉?"

"Perhaps not."

"Kindly answer my question. Would the prisoner, in the hottest week of a hot summer, be likely to go to a drawer 4 containing winter under‧clothing 在…下面‧衣服；服装. Yes, or no?"

"No."

"In that case, is it not possible that the articles in question might have been put there by a third person, and that the prisoner was quite unaware 不知道 of their presence?"

"I should not think it likely."

"But it is possible?"

"Yes."

"That is all."

More evidence 证据 followed. Evidence 证据 as to the financial 金融 difficulties in which the prisoner had found himself at the end of July. Evidence 证据 as to his intrigue 诡计 with Mrs. Raikes—poor Mary, that must have been bitter hearing for a woman of her pride. Evelyn Howard had been right in her facts, though her animosity 敌意 against Alfred Inglethorp had caused her to jump to the conclusion 结论 that he was the person concerned.

Lawrence Cavendish was then put into the box. In a low voice, in answer to Mr. Philips' questions, he denied 拒绝 having ordered anything from Parkson's in June. In fact, on June 29th, he had been staying away, in Wales.

Instantly, Sir Ernest's chin 下巴 was shooting pugnaciously forward.

"You deny 拒绝 having ordered a black beard 3 from Parkson's on June 29th?"

"I do."

"Ah! In the event of anything happening to your brother, who will inherit 继承 Styles Court?"

The brutality 残酷 of the question called a flush 红晕 to Lawrence's pale face. The judge gave vent 发泄 to a faint 微弱的 murmur 私语 of disapprobation, and the prisoner in the dock 码头 leant forward angrily 生气的.

Heavywether cared nothing for his client 客户's anger 生气.

"Answer my question, if you please."

"I suppose," said Lawrence quietly, "that I should."

"What do you mean by you 'suppose'? Your brother has no children. You would inherit 继承 it, wouldn't you?"

"Yes."

"Ah, that's better," said Heavywether, with ferocious 凶猛 geniality. "And you'd inherit 继承 a good slice 片 of money too, wouldn't you?"

"Really, Sir Ernest," protested 抗议 the judge, "these questions are not relevant 相应."

Sir Ernest bowed 弓, and having shot shoot his arrow 箭头；矢 proceeded 继续.

"On Tuesday, the 17th July, you went, I believe, with another guest, to visit the dispensary at the Red Cross Hospital in Tadminster?"

"Yes."

"Did you—while you happened to be alone for a few seconds—unlock 开锁 the poison cupboard 5, and examine some of the bottles?"

"I—I—may have done so."

"I put it to you that you did do so?"

"Yes."

Sir Ernest fairly shot the next question at him.

"Did you examine one bottle in particular?"

"No, I do not think so."

"Be careful 小心, Mr. Cavendish. I am referring to a little bottle of Hydro-chloride 氯化物 of Strychnine."

Lawrence was turning a sickly greenish colour.

"N—o—I am sure I didn't."

"Then how do you account for the fact that you left the unmistakable 明白的 impress 给…留下深刻印象；使钦佩 of your finger-prints on it?"

The bullying 欺负 manner was highly efficacious with a nervous 担心的 disposition 性格.

"I—I suppose I must have taken up the bottle."

"I suppose so too! Did you abstract 抽象 any of the contents of the bottle?"

"Certainly not."

"Then why did you take it up?"

"I once studied to be a doctor. Such things naturally 自然地 interest me."

"Ah! So poisons ' naturally interest' you, do they? Still, you waited to be alone before gratifying 取悦 that 'interest' of yours?"

"That was pure chance. If the others had been there, I should have done just the same."

"Still, as it happens, the others were not there?"

"No, but——"

"In fact, during the whole afternoon, you were only alone for a couple of minutes, and it happened—I say, it happened—to be during those two minutes that you displayed 显示 your 'natural 自然 interest' in Hydro-chloride 氯化物 of Strychnine?"

Lawrence stammered pitiably.

"I—I——"

With a satisfied and expressive 表现的 countenance 面容, Sir Ernest observed:

"I have nothing more to ask you, Mr. Cavendish."

This bit of cross-examination 检查 had caused great excitement 激动 in court. The heads of the many fashion‧able 时髦 attired 服装 women present were busily laid together, and their whispers 低声说 became so loud 响亮的 that the judge angrily threatened to have the court cleared if there was not immediate silence.

There was little more evidence 证据. The hand-writing experts 专家 were called upon for their opinion of the signature 签名 of "Alfred Inglethorp" in the chemist 化学家's poison register 寄存器. They all declared unanimously 一致 that it was certainly not his hand-writing, and gave it as their view that it might be that of the prisoner disguised 伪装. Cross-examined, they admitted that it might be the prisoner's hand-writing cleverly 聪明的 counterfeited 伪造.

Sir Ernest Heavywether's speech in opening the case for the defence was not a long one, but it was backed by the full force of his emphatic manner. Never, he said, in the course of his long experience, had he known a charge of murder rest on slighter evidence 证据. Not only was it entirely circumstantial, but the greater part of it was practically unproved. Let them take the testimony 见证 they had heard and sift 筛 it impartially 公正. The strychnine had been found in a drawer 5 in the prisoner's room. That drawer was an unlocked 开锁 one, as he had pointed out, and he submitted 给 that there was no evidence 证据 to prove that it was the prisoner who had concealed 隐藏 the poison there. It was, in fact, a wicked 邪恶的 and malicious 恶毒 attempt on the part of some third person to fix the crime on the prisoner. The prosecution 检察官 had been unable 无法 to produce a shred 撕碎 of evidence 证据 in support of their content‧ion 争夺 that it was the prisoner who ordered the black beard from Parkson's. The quarrel 争吵 which had taken place between prisoner and his step‧mother 步；走‧母亲 was freely admitted, but both it and his financial 金融 embarrassments 困窘 had been grossly 非常 exaggerated 夸大.

His learned learn friend—Sir Ernest nodded 点头 care‧less 粗心 at Mr. Philips—had stated that if the prisoner were an innocent 无辜 man, he would have come forward at the inquest to explain that it was he, and not Mr. Inglethorp, who had been the participator in the quarrel 3. He thought the facts had been misrepresented. What had actually occurred 发生 was this. The prisoner, returning to the house on Tuesday evening, had been authoritatively 权威性 told that there had been a violent 猛烈 quarrel between Mr. and Mrs. Inglethorp. No suspicion 怀疑 had entered the prisoner's head that anyone could possibly have mistaken 错误 his voice for that of Mr. Inglethorp. He naturally 自然地 concluded 得出结论 that his step‧mother 步；走‧母亲 had had two quarrels 争吵.

The prosecution 检察官 averred that on Monday, July 16th, the prisoner had entered the chemist 化学家's shop in the village, disguised 伪装 as Mr. Inglethorp. The prisoner, on the contrary 相反, was at that time at a lonely 孤独的 spot called Marston's Spinney, where he had been summoned 召唤 by an anonymous 匿名 note, couched 长椅 in black‧mail 勒索 terms, and threatening to reveal 揭示 certain matters to his wife unless he complied 执行 with its demands. The prisoner had, accordingly 于是, gone to the appointed spot, and after waiting there vainly for half an hour had returned home. Unfortunately 不幸, he had met with no one on the way there or back who could vouch for the truth of his story, but luckily 幸 he had kept the note, and it would be produced as evidence 证据.

As for the statement 声明 relating to the destruction 破坏 of the will, the prisoner had formerly practiced at the Bar, and was perfectly well aware 知道的 that the will made in his favour a year before was automatically 自动 revoked 撤消 by his step‧mother 步；走‧母亲's remarriage. He would call evidence 证据 to show who did destroy the will, and it was possible that that might open up quite a new view of the case.

Finally, he would point out to the jury 陪审团 that there was evidence 证据 against other people besides John Cavendish. He would direct their attention to the fact that the evidence 证据 against Mr. Lawrence Cavendish was quite as strong, if not stronger than that against his brother.

He would now call the prisoner.

John acquitted 开释 himself well in the witness-box. Under Sir Ernest's skilful handling, he told his tale 故事，不实之词 credibly 可信的 and well. The anonymous 匿名 note received by him was produced, and handed to the jury 陪审团 to examine. The readiness 准备就绪 with which he admitted his financial 金融 difficulties, and the disagreement 异议 with his step‧mother 步；走‧母亲, lent 把…借给:lend value to his denials 否认.

At the close of his examination 检查, he paused, and said:

"I should like to make one thing clear. I utterly 完全 reject 拒绝 and disapprove 不赞成 of Sir Ernest Heavywether's insinuations against my brother. My brother, I am convinced 说服, had no more to do with the crime than I have."

Sir Ernest merely smiled, and noted with a sharp eye that John's protest 抗议 had produced a very favourable impression 印象 on the jury 陪审团.

Then the cross-examination 检查 began.

"I understand you to say that it never entered your head that the witnesses at the inquest could possibly have mistaken 错误 your voice for that of Mr. Inglethorp. Is not that very surprising?"

"No, I don't think so. I was told there had been a quarrel between my mother and Mr. Inglethorp, and it never occurred 发生 to me that such was not really the case."

"Not when the servant 仆人 Dorcas repeated certain fragments 分段 of the conversation—fragments 分段 which you must have recognized?"

"I did not recognize them."

"Your memory must be unusually 异常 short!"

"No, but we were both angry 生气的, and, I think, said more than we meant. I paid very little attention to my mother's actual words."

Mr. Philips' incredulous sniff 吸气 was a triumph 胜利 of forensic 法庭的 skill. He passed on to the subject of the note.

"You have produced this note very opportunely. Tell me, is there nothing familiar about the hand-writing of it?"

"Not that I know of."

"Do you not think that it bears a marked resemblance 相似 to your own hand-writing—care‧less 粗心 disguised 伪装?"

"No, I do not think so."

"I put it to you that it is your own hand-writing!"

"No."

"I put it to you that, anxious 焦急的 to prove an alibi, you conceived 构想 the idea of a fictitious and rather incredible 难以置信 appointment 约定, and wrote this note your‧self 你自己 in order to bear out your statement 声明!"

"No."

"Is it not a fact that, at the time you claim to have been waiting about at a solitary 孤 and unfrequented spot, you were really in the chemist 化学家's shop in Styles St. Mary, where you purchased 采购 strychnine in the name of Alfred Inglethorp?"

"No, that is a lie."

"I put it to you that, wearing a suit of Mr. Inglethorp's clothes, with a black beard trimmed 修剪 to resemble 类似 his, you were there—and signed the register 寄存器 in his name!"

"That is absolutely untrue 不确实."

"Then I will leave the remark‧able 非凡的；奇异的；引人注目的 similarity 相似 of hand-writing between the note, the register 寄存器, and your own, to the consideration 考虑 of the jury 陪审团," said Mr. Philips, and sat down with the air of a man who has done his duty, but who was nevertheless 虽然 horrified 惊吓 by such deliberate 商榷 per‧jury 伪证.

After this, as it was growing late, the case was adjourned 休会 till 到 Monday.

Poirot, I noticed, was looking profoundly 深深 discouraged 不鼓励. He had that little frown 皱眉 between the eyes that I knew so well.

"What is it, Poirot?" I inquired.

"Ah, mon ami, things are going badly 很糟地, badly."

In spite of myself 我, my heart gave a leap 飞跃 of relief. Evidently there was a likelihood 可能性 of John Cavendish being acquitted 开释.

When we reached the house, my little friend waved aside Mary's offer of tea.

"No, I thank you, madame. I will mount to my room."

I followed him. Still frowning 皱眉, he went across to the desk and took out a small pack of patience 耐心 cards. Then he drew up a chair to the table, and, to my utter 说出 amazement 惊愕, began solemnly 庄严的 to build card houses!

My jaw 下巴 dropped involuntarily 非自愿, and he said at once:

"No, mon ami, I am not in my second childhood 童年! I steady my nerves 神经, that is all. This employment 雇用 requires precision 精确 of the fingers. With precision 精确 of the fingers goes precision 精确 of the brain. And never have I needed that more than now!"

"What is the trouble?" I asked.

With a great thump 扑通 on the table, Poirot demolished 拆除 his carefully 小心 built up edifice.

"It is this, mon ami! That I can build card houses seven 七 stories high, but I cannot"—thump 扑通—"find"—thump 扑通—"that last link 链接 of which I spoke to you."

I could not quite tell what to say, so I held my peace, and he began slowly building up the cards again, speaking in jerks 混蛋 as he did so.

"It is done—so! By placing—one card—on another—with mathematical 数学的—precision 精确!"

I watched the card house rising under his hands, story by story. He never hesitated or faltered 衰退. It was really almost like a conjuring 变戏法 trick 哄骗；诀窍.

"What a steady hand you've got," I remarked. "I believe I've only seen your hand shake once."

"On an occasion when I was enraged, without doubt," observed Poirot, with great placidity.

"Yes indeed! You were in a towering 塔 rage 愤怒. Do you remember? It was when you discovered that the lock of the despatch-case in Mrs. Inglethorp's bed‧room 卧室 had been forced. You stood by the mantel-piece, twiddling the things on it in your usual fashion, and your hand shook like a leaf 叶子! I must say——"

But I stopped suddenly. For Poirot, uttering 说出 a hoarse and inarticulate cry, again annihilated his master‧piece 杰作 of cards, and putting his hands over his eyes swayed 摇摆 backwards 向后的 and forwards, apparently suffering the keenest 热切的 agony 痛苦.

"Good heavens, Poirot!" I cried. "What is the matter? Are you taken ill?"

"No, no," he gasped 喘气. "It is—it is—that I have an idea!"

"Oh!" I exclaimed 喊叫, much relieved 解除. "One of your 'little ideas'?"

"Ah, ma 嘛 foi, no!" replied Poirot frankly 坦率地说. "This time it is an idea gigantic 巨大! Stupendous! And you—you, my friend, have given it to me!"

Suddenly clasping 钩 me in his arms, he kissed 接吻 me warmly on both cheeks 脸颊, and before I had recovered 恢复 from my surprise ran head‧long 头；上端‧长的 from the room.

Mary Cavendish entered at that moment.

"What is the matter with Monsieur Poirot? He rushed 仓促 past me crying out: 'A garage 车库! For the love of Heaven 天, direct me to a garage, madame!' And, before I could answer, he had dashed 短跑 out into the street."

I hurried to the window. True enough, there he was, tearing down the street, hat‧less 帽子‧少, and gesticulating as he went. I turned to Mary with a gesture 手势 of despair 绝望.

"He'll be stopped by a police‧man 警察 in another minute. There he goes, round the corner!"

Our eyes met, and we stared help‧less 无助 at one another.

"What can be the matter?"

I shook my head.

"I don't know. He was building card houses, when suddenly he said he had an idea, and rushed off as you saw."

"Well," said Mary, "I expect he will be back before dinner."

But night fell, and Poirot had not returned.

CHAPTER XII. THE LAST LINK

POIROT'S abrupt 突兀 departure 离开 had intrigued 诡计 us all greatly. Sunday morning wore away, and still he did not reappear 再现. But about three o' clock 钟 a ferocious 凶猛 and pro‧long 延长 hooting outside drove us to the window, to see Poirot alighting 落 from a car, accompanied 陪 by Japp and Summerhaye. The little man was transformed 使彻底改观；使大变样. He radiated 辐射 an absurd 荒诞 complacency 自满. He bowed with exaggerated 夸大 respect to Mary Cavendish.

"Madame, I have your per‧mission 允许 to hold a little réunion in the salon 沙龙? It is necessary for every one to attend."

Mary smiled sadly 悲哀的.

"You know, Monsieur Poirot, that you have carte blanche in every way."

"You are too amiable 可亲, madame."

Still beaming 梁, Poirot marshalled 元帅 us all into the drawing-room, bringing forward chairs as he did so.

"Miss Howard—here. Mademoiselle Cynthia. Monsieur Lawrence. The good Dorcas. And Annie. Bien! We must delay 延迟 our proceedings 继续 a few minutes until Mr. Inglethorp arrives. I have sent him a note."

Miss Howard rose immediately from her seat.

"If that man comes into the house, I leave it!"

"No, no!" Poirot went up to her and pleaded 求情 in a low voice.

Finally Miss Howard consented 同意 to return to her chair. A few minutes later Alfred Inglethorp entered the room.

The company once assembled 集合, Poirot rose from his seat with the air of a popular lecturer 讲座，课, and bowed politely 有礼貌的 to his audience.

"Messieurs, mesdames, as you all know, I was called in by Monsieur John Cavendish to investigate 调查 this case. I at once examined the bedroom of the deceased 死亡 which, by the advice of the doctors, had been kept locked, and was consequently 所以 exactly as it had been when the tragedy 悲剧 occurred 发生. I found: first, a fragment 分段 of green material; second, a stain on the carpet 地毯 near the window, still damp 微湿的; thirdly 第三, an empty box of bromide powders 粉.

"To take the fragment 分段 of green material first, I found it caught in the bolt 螺栓 of the communicating 通信 door between that room and the adjoining 毗 one occupied 占据 by Mademoiselle Cynthia. I handed the fragment 分段 over to the police who did not consider it of much importance. Nor did they recognize it for what it was—a piece torn tear from a green land armlet."

There was a little stir 搅动 of excitement 激动.

"Now there was only one person at Styles who worked on the land—Mrs. Cavendish. Therefore it must have been Mrs. Cavendish who entered the deceased 死亡's room through the door communicating 通信 with Mademoiselle Cynthia's room."

"But that door was bolted 螺栓 on the inside!" I cried.

"When I examined the room, yes. But in the first place we have only her word for it, since it was she who tried that particular door and reported it fastened. In the ensuing 接踵而至 confusion she would have had ample 充足 opportunity to shoot the bolt 螺栓 across. I took an early opportunity of verifying 校验 my conjectures 推测. To begin with, the fragment 分段 corresponds 对应 exactly with a tear in Mrs. Cavendish's armlet. Also, at the inquest, Mrs. Cavendish declared that she had heard, from her own room, the fall of the table by the bed. I took an early opportunity of testing that statement 声明 by stationing my friend Monsieur Hastings in the left wing 翅膀 of the building, just outside Mrs. Cavendish's door. I myself 我, in company with the police, went to the deceased 死亡's room, and whilst 同时 there I, apparently accidentally 偶然, knocked 敲 over the table in question, but found that, as I had expected, Monsieur Hastings had heard no sound at all. This confirmed 确认 my belief that Mrs. Cavendish was not speaking the truth when she declared that she had been dressing in her room at the time of the tragedy 悲剧. In fact, I was convinced 说服 that, far from having been in her own room, Mrs. Cavendish was actually in the deceased 死亡's room when the alarm 警告 was given."

I shot a quick glance 一瞥 at Mary. She was very pale, but smiling.

"I proceeded 继续 to reason on that assumption 假设. Mrs. Cavendish is in her mother-in-law's room. We will say that she is seeking 寻求 for something and has not yet found it. Suddenly Mrs. Inglethorp awakens 憬 and is seized 抓住 with an alarming 警告 paroxysm. She flings 一扔 out her arm, over‧turn 颠覆 the bed table, and then pulls desperately 拼命 at the bell 钟. Mrs. Cavendish, startled 惊吓, drops her candle 蜡烛, scattering 散落 the grease 油脂 on the carpet 地毯. She picks it up, and retreats 撤退 quickly to Mademoiselle Cynthia's room, closing the door behind her. She hurries out into the passage, for the servants must not find her where she is. But it is too late! Already foot‧step 脚步 are echoing 回声 along the gallery 画廊 which connects 连接 the two wings. What can she do? Quick as thought, she hurries back to the young girl's room, and starts shaking her awake 醒着的. The hastily 草草 aroused 引起 house‧hold 家庭 come trooping 部队 down the passage. They are all busily battering 面糊 at Mrs. Inglethorp's door. It occurs 发生 to nobody that Mrs. Cavendish has not arrived with the rest, but—and this is significant 重大—I can find no one who saw her come from the other wing." He looked at Mary Cavendish. "Am I right, madame?"

She bowed her head.

"Quite right, monsieur. You understand that, if I had thought I would do my husband any good by revealing 揭示 these facts, I would have done so. But it did not seem to me to bear upon the question of his guilt or innocence 无辜."

"In a sense, that is correct, madame. But it cleared my mind of many misconceptions 误解, and left me free to see other facts in their true significance 重要性."

"The will!" cried Lawrence. "Then it was you, Mary, who destroyed the will?"

She shook her head, and Poirot shook his also.

"No," he said quietly. "There is only one person who could possibly have destroyed that will—Mrs. Inglethorp her‧self 她自己!"

"Impossible!" I exclaimed 喊叫. "She had only made it out that very afternoon!"

"Nevertheless 虽然, mon ami, it was Mrs. Inglethorp. Because, in no other way can you account for the fact that, on one of the hottest days of the year, Mrs. Inglethorp ordered a fire to be lighted in her room."

I gave a gasp 喘气. What idiots 白痴 we had been never to think of that fire as being incongruous! Poirot was continuing:

"The temperature on that day, messieurs, was 80 degrees in the shade 遮阳；阴. Yet Mrs. Inglethorp ordered a fire! Why? Because she wished to destroy something, and could think of no other way. You will remember that, in consequence 后果 of the War economics practiced at Styles, no waste paper was thrown away. There was therefore no means of destroying a thick document 文件 such as a will. The moment I heard of a fire being lighted in Mrs. Inglethorp's room, I leaped 飞跃 to the conclusion 结论 that it was to destroy some important document 文件—possibly a will. So the discovery of the charred 烧焦 fragment 分段 in the grate 炉排 was no surprise to me. I did not, of course, know at the time that the will in question had only been made this afternoon, and I will admit that, when I learnt learn that fact, I fell into a grievous error 错误. I came to the conclusion 结论 that Mrs. Inglethorp's determination 决心 to destroy her will arose arise as a direct consequence 后果 of the quarrel she had that afternoon, and that therefore the quarrel took place after, and not before the making of the will.

"Here, as we know, I was wrong, and I was forced to abandon 放弃 that idea. I faced the problem from a new stand‧point 立场. Now, at 4 o' clock 钟, Dorcas over‧hear 偷听 her mistress 情妇 saying angrily: 'You need not think that any fear of publicity 公开, or scandal 丑闻 between husband and wife will deter 阻止 me." I conjectured 推测, and conjectured 推测 rightly, that these words were addressed, not to her husband, but to Mr. John Cavendish. At 5 o' clock, an hour later, she uses almost the same words, but the stand‧point 立场 is different. She admits to Dorcas, 'I don't know what to do; scandal 丑闻 between husband and wife is a dreadful 可怕 thing.' At 4 o'clock 3 she has been angry, but completely mistress 情妇 of her‧self 她自己. At 5 o'clock she is in violent 猛烈 distress 苦难, and speaks of having had a great shock.

"Looking at the matter psychologically 心理的；心理学的, I drew one deduction 扣除 which I was convinced 说服 was correct. The second 'scandal 丑闻' she spoke of was not the same as the first—and it concerned her‧self 她自己!

"Let us reconstruct 重建. At 4 o'clock, Mrs. Inglethorp quarrels with her son, and threatens to den‧ounce 声讨 him to his wife—who, by the way, over‧hear 偷听 the greater part of the conversation. At 4.30, Mrs. Inglethorp, in consequence 后果 of a conversation on the validity 合法性 of wills, makes a will in favour of her husband, which the two gardeners 园丁 witness. At 5 o'clock, Dorcas finds her mistress 情妇 in a state of consider‧able 大量 agitation 搅动, with a slip of paper—'a letter,' Dorcas thinks—in her hand, and it is then that she orders the fire in her room to be lighted. Presumably, then, between 4.30 and 5 o'clock, something has occurred 发生 to occasion a complete revolution 革命 of feeling, since she is now as anxious 焦急的 to destroy the will, as she was before to make it. What was that something?

"As far as we know, she was quite alone during that half-hour. Nobody entered or left that boudoir. What then occasioned this sudden change of sentiment 情绪?

"One can only guess, but I believe my guess to be correct. Mrs. Inglethorp had no stamps 邮票 in her desk. We know this, because later she asked Dorcas to bring her some. Now in the opposite corner of the room stood her husband's desk—locked. She was anxious 焦急的 to find some stamps, and, according to my theory 理论, she tried her own keys in the desk. That one of them fitted I know. She therefore opened the desk, and in searching for the stamps she came across something else—that slip of paper which Dorcas saw in her hand, and which assuredly was never meant for Mrs. Inglethorp's eyes. On the other hand, Mrs. Cavendish believed that the slip of paper to which her mother-in-law clung so tenaciously was a written proof 3 of her own husband's infidelity. She demanded it from Mrs. Inglethorp who assured 向…保证；肯定地说 her, quite truly 真, that it had nothing to do with that matter. Mrs. Cavendish did not believe her. She thought that Mrs. Inglethorp was shielding 盾 her step‧son 步；走‧儿子. Now Mrs. Cavendish is a very resolute woman, and, behind her mask 面具 of reserve, she was madly 疯狂的 jealous 妒忌的 of her husband. She determined to get hold of that paper at all costs, and in this resolution 解析度 chance came to her aid 援助. She happened to pick up the key of Mrs. Inglethorp's despatch-case, which had been lost that morning. She knew that her mother-in-law invariably 不变地 kept all important papers in this particular case.

"Mrs. Cavendish, therefore, made her plans as only a woman driven drive desperate 殊死 through jealousy 妒忌 could have done. Some time in the evening she unbolted the door leading into Mademoiselle Cynthia's room. Possibly she applied oil to the hinges 合页, for I found that it opened quite noiselessly when I tried it. She put off her project 项目 until the early hours of the morning as being safer, since the servants were accustomed 使习惯 to hearing her move about her room at that time. She dressed completely in her land kit 套件, and made her way quietly through Mademoiselle Cynthia's room into that of Mrs. Inglethorp."

He paused a moment, and Cynthia interrupted:

"But I should have woken 醒:wake up if anyone had come through my room?"

"Not if you were drugged 药物, mademoiselle."

"Drugged?"

"Mais, oui!"

"You remember"—he addressed us collectively 统 again—"that through all the tumult and noise next door Mademoiselle Cynthia slept sleep. That admitted of two possibilities 可能性. Either her sleep was feigned—which I did not believe—or her unconsciousness was indeed by artificial 人造的 means.

"With this latter idea in my mind, I examined all the coffee-cups most carefully 小心, remembering that it was Mrs. Cavendish who had brought Mademoiselle Cynthia her coffee the night before. I took a sample from each cup, and had them analysed—with no result. I had counted the cups carefully 小心, in the event of one having been removed 去掉. Six persons had taken coffee, and six cups were duly 适时地 found. I had to confess 供认 myself 我 mistaken 错误.

"Then I discovered that I had been guilty 3 of a very grave 坟墓；严重的 over‧sight 疏忽. Coffee had been brought in for seven 七 persons, not six, for Dr. Bauerstein had been there that evening. This changed the face of the whole affair, for there was now one cup missing. The servants noticed nothing, since Annie, the house‧maid 房屋‧女佣, who took in the coffee, brought in seven 七 cups, not knowing that Mr. Inglethorp never drank drink it, whereas 而 Dorcas, who cleared them away the following morning, found six as usual—or strictly 严格的 speaking she found five, the sixth being the one found broken in Mrs. Inglethorp's room.

"I was confident 确信的 that the missing cup was that of Mademoiselle Cynthia. I had an additional 额外 reason for that belief in the fact that all the cups found contained sugar 食糖, which Mademoiselle Cynthia never took in her coffee. My attention was attracted 吸引 by the story of Annie about some 'salt' on the tray 盘子 of cocoa 可可 which she took every night to Mrs. Inglethorp's room. I accordingly 于是 secured 安全 a sample of that cocoa 可可, and sent it to be analysed."

"But that had already been done by Dr. Bauerstein," said Lawrence quickly.

"Not exactly. The analyst 分析者；化验员 was asked by him to report whether strychnine was, or was not, present. He did not have it tested, as I did, for a narcotic."

"For a narcotic?"

"Yes. Here is the analyst's report. Mrs. Cavendish administered 管理 a safe, but effectual, narcotic to both Mrs. Inglethorp and Mademoiselle Cynthia. And it is possible that she had a mauvais quart 一大杯 d'heure in consequence 后果! Imagine her feelings when her mother-in-law is suddenly taken ill and dies, and immediately after she hears the word 'Poison'! She has believed that the sleeping draught she administered 管理 was perfectly harm‧less 无害, but there is no doubt that for one terrible moment she must have feared that Mrs. Inglethorp's death lay lie at her door. She is seized with panic 恐慌, and under its influence she hurries downstairs 楼下, and quickly drops the coffee-cup and saucer 茶杯托 used by Mademoiselle Cynthia into a large brass 黄铜 vase 花瓶, where it is discovered later by Monsieur Lawrence. The remains of the cocoa 可可 she dare 敢 not touch. Too many eyes are upon her. Guess at her relief when strychnine is mentioned, and she discovers that after all the tragedy 悲剧 is not her doing.

"We are now able to account for the symptoms of strychnine poisoning being so long in making their appearance. A narcotic taken with strychnine will delay the action of the poison for some hours."

Poirot paused. Mary looked up at him, the colour slowly rising in her face.

"All you have said is quite true, Monsieur Poirot. It was the most awful 糟糕的 hour of my life. I shall never forget it. But you are wonderful 精彩. I understand now——"

"What I meant when I told you that you could safely confess 供认 to Papa Poirot, eh? But you would not trust me."

"I see everything now," said Lawrence. "The drugged 药物 cocoa 可可, taken on top of the poisoned 毒药 coffee, amply 功放 accounts for the delay."

"Exactly. But was the coffee poisoned, or was it not? We come to a little difficulty here, since Mrs. Inglethorp never drank it."

"What?" The cry of surprise was universal 普遍的.

"No. You will remember my speaking of a stain on the carpet 地毯 in Mrs. Inglethorp's room? There were some peculiar 奇怪的 points about that stain. It was still damp 微湿的, it exhaled a strong odour of coffee, and imbedded in the nap 小憩 of the carpet 地毯 I found some little splinters 碎片 of china 中国. What had happened was plain to me, for not two minutes before I had placed my little case on the table near the window, and the table, tilting 倾斜 up, had deposited 留下 it upon the floor on precisely 精确地 the identical 相同 spot. In exactly the same way, Mrs. Inglethorp had laid down her cup of coffee on reaching her room the night before, and the treacherous 奸诈 table had played her the same trick 哄骗；诀窍.

"What happened next is mere guess work on my part, but I should say that Mrs. Inglethorp picked up the broken cup and placed it on the table by the bed. Feeling in need of a stimulant of some kind, she heated up her cocoa 可可, and drank it off then and there. Now we are faced with a new problem. We know the cocoa 可可 contained no strychnine. The coffee was never drunk drink. Yet the strychnine must have been administered 管理 between seven 七 and nine 九 o'clock that evening. What third medium 中 was there—a medium 中 so suit‧able 适当 for disguising 伪装 the taste of strychnine that it is extra‧ordinary 非凡的 no one has thought of it?" Poirot looked round the room, and then answered himself impressively 有声有色. "Her medicine 医学!"

"Do you mean that the murderer introduced the strychnine into her tonic 补品?" I cried.

"There was no need to introduce it. It was already there—in the mixture 混合. The strychnine that killed Mrs. Inglethorp was the identical 相同 strychnine prescribed 规定 by Dr. Wilkins. To make that clear to you, I will read you an extract 提取 from a book on dispensing 发放 which I found in the Dispensary of the Red Cross Hospital at Tadminster:

"'The following prescription 处方 has become famous 著名 in text 文本 books:

Strychninae Sulph. . . . . . gr.I

Potass Bromide . . . . . . . 3vi

Aqua ad. . . . . . . . . . . 3viii

Fiat Mistura

This solution deposits 留下 in a few hours the greater part of the strychnine salt as an insoluble bromide in trans‧parent 透明 crystals 水晶. A lady in England lost her life by taking a similar 类似 mixture 混合: the precipitated 沉淀 strychnine collected at the bottom, and in taking the last dose 剂量 she swallowed 吞 nearly all of it!"

"Now there was, of course, no bromide in Dr. Wilkins' prescription 处方, but you will remember that I mentioned an empty box of bromide powders. One or two of those powders introduced into the full bottle of medicine 医学 would effectually precipitate 沉淀 the strychnine, as the book describes, and cause it to be taken in the last dose 剂量. You will learn later that the person who usually poured 淋；倒 out Mrs. Inglethorp's medicine 3 was always extremely careful 小心 not to shake the bottle, but to leave the sediment 沉淀 at the bottom of it undisturbed.

"Through‧out 始终 the case, there have been evidences 证据 that the tragedy 悲剧 was intended to take place on Monday evening. On that day, Mrs. Inglethorp's bell 3 wire was neatly 整洁的 cut, and on Monday evening Mademoiselle Cynthia was spending 用钱；消磨时间 the night with friends, so that Mrs. Inglethorp would have been quite alone in the right wing, completely shut 关闭 off from help of any kind, and would have died, in all probability 可能性, before medical aid 援助 could have been summoned 召唤. But in her hurry to be in time for the village entertainment 娱乐 Mrs. Inglethorp forgot to take her medicine, and the next day she lunched 午餐 away from home, so that the last—and fatal 致命—dose 剂量 was actually taken twenty 二十-four hours later than had been anticipated 预期 by the murderer; and it is owing 欠…债 to that delay that the final 最后 proof—the last link 链接 of the chain—is now in my hands."

Amid breath‧less 咋舌 excitement 激动, he held out three thin strips of paper.

"A letter in the murderer's own hand-writing, mes amis! Had it been a little clearer in its terms, it is possible that Mrs. Inglethorp, warned in time, would have escaped. As it was, she realized her danger, but not the manner of it."

In the deathly silence, Poirot pieced together the slips of paper and, clearing his throat, read:

"'Dearest Evelyn:

'You will be anxious 3 at hearing nothing. It is all right—only it will be to-night instead of last night. You understand. There's a good time coming once the old woman is dead and out of the way. No one can possibly bring home the crime to me. That idea of yours about the bromides was a stroke 一击;轻抚 of genius 天才! But we must be very circumspect. A false 虚伪的 step——'

"Here, my friends, the letter breaks off. Doubtless the writer was interrupted; but there can be no question as to his identity 身分. We all know this hand-writing and——"

A howl 嗥 that was almost a scream 叫喊 broke the silence.

"You devil 魔鬼! How did you get it?"

A chair was over‧turn 颠覆. Poirot skipped 跳跃 nimbly aside. A quick movement 运动 on his part, and his assailant fell with a crash 碰撞.

"Messieurs, mesdames," said Poirot, with a flourish 繁荣, "let me introduce you to the murderer, Mr. Alfred Inglethorp!"

CHAPTER XIII. POIROT EXPLAINS

"Poirot, you old villain 恶棍," I said, "I've half a mind to strangle 扼杀 you! What do you mean by deceiving 欺诈 me as you have done?"

We were sitting in the library. Several hectic 忙碌 days lay behind us. In the room below, John and Mary were together once more, while Alfred Inglethorp and Miss Howard were in custody 保管. Now at last, I had Poirot to myself 我, and could relieve 解除 my still burning curiosity 好奇心.

Poirot did not answer me for a moment, but at last he said:

"I did not deceive 欺诈 you, mon ami. At most, I permitted you to deceive your‧self 你自己."

"Yes, but why?"

"Well, it is difficult to explain. You see, my friend, you have a nature so honest, and a countenance 面容 so trans‧parent 透明, that— enfin, to conceal 隐藏 your feelings is impossible! If I had told you my ideas, the very first time you saw Mr. Alfred Inglethorp that astute gentle‧man 先生 would have—in your so expressive 表现的 idiom 成语—'smelt smell a rat 鼠'! And then, bonjour to our chances of catching him!"

"I think that I have more diplomacy 外交 than you give me credit 信用 for."

"My friend," besought Poirot, "I implore you, do not enrage your‧self 你自己! Your help has been of the most invaluable 无价. It is but the extremely beautiful 美丽 nature that you have, which made me pause 暂停."

"Well," I grumbled 叽, a little mollified. "I still think you might have given me a hint 暗示."

"But I did, my friend. Several hints 暗示. You would not take them. Think now, did I ever say to you that I believed John Cavendish guilty? Did I not, on the contrary 相反, tell you that he would almost certainly be acquitted 开释?"

"Yes, but——"

"And did I not immediately after‧ward 之后 speak of the difficulty of bringing the murderer to justice? Was it not plain to you that I was speaking of two entirely different persons?"

"No," I said, "it was not plain to me!"

"Then again," continued Poirot, "at the beginning, did I not repeat to you several times that I didn't want Mr. Inglethorp arrested now? That should have conveyed 传达 something to you."

"Do you mean to say you suspected him as long ago as that?"

"Yes. To begin with, who‧ever 无论谁 else might benefit 效益 by Mrs. Inglethorp's death, her husband would benefit 效益 the most. There was no getting away from that. When I went up to Styles with you that first day, I had no idea as to how the crime had been committed 承诺, but from what I knew of Mr. Inglethorp I fancied that it would be very hard to find anything to connect 连接 him with it. When I arrived at the chateau, I realized at once that it was Mrs. Inglethorp who had burnt burn the will; and there, by the way, you cannot complain 抱怨, my friend, for I tried my best to force on you the significance 重要性 of that bedroom fire in mid‧summer 中‧夏."

"Yes, yes," I said impatiently 不耐烦. "Go on."

"Well, my friend, as I say, my views as to Mr. Inglethorp's guilt were very much shaken shake. There was, in fact, so much evidence 证据 against him that I was inclined 倾斜 to believe that he had not done it."

"When did you change your mind?"

"When I found that the more efforts I made to clear him, the more efforts he made to get himself arrested. Then, when I discovered that Inglethorp had nothing to do with Mrs. Raikes and that in fact it was John Cavendish who was interested in that quarter, I was quite sure."

"But why?"

"Simply this. If it had been Inglethorp who was carrying on an intrigue 诡计 with Mrs. Raikes, his silence was perfectly comprehensible. But, when I discovered that it was known all over the village that it was John who was attracted by the farmer's pretty wife, his silence bore quite a different interpretation 解释. It was non‧sense 废话 to pretend 假装 that he was afraid of the scandal 丑闻, as no possible scandal 丑闻 could attach 连接 to him. This attitude 态度 of his gave me furiously 疯狂 to think, and I was slowly forced to the conclusion 结论 that Alfred Inglethorp wanted to be arrested. Eh bien! from that moment, I was equally determined that he should not be arrested."

"Wait a minute. I don't see why he wished to be arrested?"

"Because, mon ami, it is the law of your country that a man once acquitted 开释 can never be tried again for the same offence. Aha! but it was clever—his idea! Assuredly, he is a man of method 方法. See here, he knew that in his position he was bound 必定；跳 to be suspected, so he conceived 构想 the exceedingly 非常 clever idea of preparing a lot of manufactured evidence 证据 against himself. He wished to be arrested. He would then produce his irreproachable alibi—and, hey 嘿 presto, he was safe for life!"

"But I still don't see how he managed to prove his alibi, and yet go to the chemist 化学家's shop?"

Poirot stared at me in surprise.

"Is it possible? My poor friend! You have not yet realized that it was Miss Howard who went to the chemist 化学家's shop?"

"Miss Howard?"

"But, certainly. Who else? It was most easy for her. She is of a good height 高度, her voice is deep and manly; moreover, remember, she and Inglethorp are cousins, and there is a distinct 不同 resemblance 相似 between them, especially in their gait and bearing. It was simplicity 简单 itself 本身. They are a clever pair!"

"I am still a little fogged 多雾路段 as to how exactly the bromide business was done," I remarked.

"Bon! I will reconstruct 重建 for you as far as possible. I am inclined 倾斜 to think that Miss Howard was the master mind in that affair. You remember her once mentioning that her father was a doctor? Possibly she dispensed 发放 his medicines for him, or she may have taken the idea from one of the many books lying about when Mademoiselle Cynthia was studying for her exam. Anyway, she was familiar with the fact that the addition 加成 of a bromide to a mixture 混合 containing strychnine would cause the precipitation 沉淀 of the latter. Probably the idea came to her quite suddenly. Mrs. Inglethorp had a box of bromide powders, which she occasionally 偶尔，间或；有时 took at night. What could be easier than quietly to dissolve 溶解 one or more of those powders in Mrs. Inglethorp's large sized bottle of medicine when it came from Coot's? The risk is practically nil 零. The tragedy 悲剧 will not take place until nearly a fort‧night 两星期 later. If anyone has seen either of them touching the medicine, they will have forgotten it by that time. Miss Howard will have engineered her quarrel, and departed 离开 from the house. The lapse 失误 of time, and her absence, will defeat 击败 all suspicion 怀疑. Yes, it was a clever idea! If they had left it alone, it is possible the crime might never have been brought home to them. But they were not satisfied. They tried to be too clever—and that was their undoing 解开."

Poirot puffed 噗 at his tiny 小 cigarette 香烟，纸烟, his eyes fixed on the ceiling 天花板.

"They arranged a plan to throw suspicion on John Cavendish, by buying strychnine at the village chemist 化学家's, and signing the register 寄存器 in his hand-writing.

"On Monday Mrs. Inglethorp will take the last dose 剂量 of her medicine. On Monday, therefore, at six o'clock, Alfred Inglethorp arranges to be seen by a number of people at a spot far removed 去掉 from the village. Miss Howard has previously 先前 made up a cock 公鸡 and bull 公牛 story about him and Mrs. Raikes to account for his holding his tongue 舌头 after‧ward 之后. At six o'clock, Miss Howard, disguised 伪装 as Alfred Inglethorp, enters the chemist 化学家's shop, with her story about a dog, obtains 获得 the strychnine, and writes the name of Alfred Inglethorp in John's hand‧write 书法, which she had previously 先前 studied carefully 小心.

"But, as it will never do if John, too, can prove an alibi, she writes him an anonymous 匿名 note—still copying his hand-writing—which takes him to a remote 远程 spot where it is exceedingly 非常 unlikely 不会 that anyone will see him.

"So far, all goes well. Miss Howard goes back to Middlingham. Alfred Inglethorp returns to Styles. There is nothing that can compromise 妥协 him in any way, since it is Miss Howard who has the strychnine, which, after all, is only wanted as a blind to throw suspicion 3 on John Cavendish.

"But now a hitch 拴住 occurs 发生. Mrs. Inglethorp does not take her medicine that night. The broken bell, Cynthia's absence—arranged by Inglethorp through his wife—all these are wasted. And then—he makes his slip.

"Mrs. Inglethorp is out, and he sits down to write to his accomplice, who, he fears, may be in a panic 恐慌 at the non‧success 非‧成功 of their plan. It is probable that Mrs. Inglethorp returned earlier than he expected. Caught in the act, and some‧what 有些 flurried 慌张 he hastily 草草 shuts 关闭 and locks his desk. He fears that if he remains in the room he may have to open it again, and that Mrs. Inglethorp might catch sight of the letter before he could snatch 抢夺 it up. So he goes out and walks in the woods, little dreaming that Mrs. Inglethorp will open his desk, and discover the incriminating document 文件.

"But this, as we know, is what happened. Mrs. Inglethorp reads it, and becomes aware 知道的 of the perfidy of her husband and Evelyn Howard, though, unfortunately 不幸, the sentence 句子 about the bromides conveys 传达 no warning to her mind. She knows that she is in danger—but is ignorant 愚昧 of where the danger lies. She decides to say nothing to her husband, but sits down and writes to her solicitor 律师, asking him to come on the morrow, and she also determines to destroy immediately the will which she has just made. She keeps the fatal 致命 letter."

"It was to discover that letter, then, that her husband forced the lock of the despatch-case?"

"Yes, and from the enormous 巨大 risk he ran we can see how fully 充分 he realized its importance. That letter excepted, there was absolutely nothing to connect 连接 him with the crime."

"There's only one thing I can't make out, why didn't he destroy it at once when he got hold of it?"

"Because he did not dare 敢 take the biggest risk of all—that of keeping it on his own person."

"I don't understand."

"Look at it from his point of view. I have discovered that there were only five short minutes in which he could have taken it—the five minutes immediately before our own arrival 到达 on the scene, for before that time Annie was brushing the stairs, and would have seen anyone who passed going to the right wing. Figure to your‧self 你自己 the scene! He enters the room, unlocking 开锁 the door by means of one of the other doorkeys—they were all much alike 同样的. He hurries to the despatch-case—it is locked, and the keys are now‧here 无处 to be seen. That is a terrible blow to him, for it means that his presence in the room cannot be concealed 隐藏 as he had hoped. But he sees clearly that everything must be risked for the sake 缘故 of that damning 该死的 piece of evidence 证据. Quickly, he forces the lock with a pen‧knife 笔‧刀, and turns over the papers until he finds what he is looking for.

"But now a fresh dilemma 困境 arises: he dare not keep that piece of paper on him. He may be seen leaving the room—he may be searched. If the paper is found on him, it is certain doom 厄运. Probably, at this minute, too, he hears the sounds below of Mr. Wells and John leaving the boudoir. He must act quickly. Where can he hide this terrible slip of paper? The contents of the waste-paper-basket 篮 are kept and in any case, are sure to be examined. There are no means of destroying it; and he dare not keep it. He looks round, and he sees—what do you think, mon ami?"

I shook my head.

"In a moment, he has torn the letter into long thin strips, and rolling them up into spills 溢出 he thrusts 推力 them hurriedly in amongst 之中 the other spills in the vase 花瓶 on the mantle 披风-piece."

I uttered 说出 an exclamation.

"No one would think of looking there," Poirot continued. "And he will be able, at his leisure 闲暇, to come back and destroy this solitary 孤 piece of evidence 证据 against him."

"Then, all the time, it was in the spill 溢出 vase 花瓶 in Mrs. Inglethorp's bedroom, under our very noses?" I cried.

Poirot nodded 点头.

"Yes, my friend. That is where I discovered my 'last link 链接,' and I owe 欠…债 that very fortunate 侥幸的 discovery to you."

"To me?"

"Yes. Do you remember telling me that my hand shook as I was straightening 变直 the ornaments 装饰 on the mantel-piece?"

"Yes, but I don't see——"

"No, but I saw. Do you know, my friend, I remembered that earlier in the morning, when we had been there together, I had straightened 变直 all the objects on the mantel-piece. And, if they were already straightened, there would be no need to straighten 变直 them again, unless, in the mean‧time 其时, someone else had touched them."

"Dear me," I murmured 私语, "so that is the explanation 说明 of your extra‧ordinary 非凡的 behaviour. You rushed down to Styles, and found it still there?"

"Yes, and it was a race for time."

"But I still can't understand why Inglethorp was such a fool as to leave it there when he had plenty of opportunity to destroy it."

"Ah, but he had no opportunity. I saw to that."

"You?"

"Yes. Do you remember reproving me for taking the house‧hold 家庭 into my confidence on the subject?"

"Yes."

"Well, my friend, I saw there was just one chance. I was not sure then if Inglethorp was the criminal 罪犯 or not, but if he was I reasoned that he would not have the paper on him, but would have hidden hide it somewhere, and by enlisting 招募 the sympathy of the house‧hold 家庭 I could effectually prevent his destroying it. He was already under suspicion, and by making the matter public I secured 安全 the services of about ten 十 amateur 业余 detectives 侦探, who would be watching him unceasingly, and being himself aware 知道的 of their watchfulness he would not dare seek 寻求 further to destroy the document 文件. He was therefore forced to depart 离开 from the house, leaving it in the spill 溢出 vase 花瓶."

"But surely Miss Howard had ample 充足 opportunities of aiding 助手 him."

"Yes, but Miss Howard did not know of the paper's existence. In accordance 按照 with their prearranged plan, she never spoke to Alfred Inglethorp. They were supposed to be deadly enemies, and until John Cavendish was safely convicted 定罪 they neither of them dared 敢 risk a meeting. Of course I had a watch kept on Mr. Inglethorp, hoping that sooner or later he would lead me to the hiding-place. But he was too clever to take any chances. The paper was safe where it was; since no one had thought of looking there in the first week, it was not likely they would do so after‧ward 之后. But for your lucky 幸运 remark, we might never have been able to bring him to justice."

"I understand that now; but when did you first begin to suspect Miss Howard?"

"When I discovered that she had told a lie at the inquest about the letter she had received from Mrs. Inglethorp."

"Why, what was there to lie about?"

"You saw that letter? Do you recall 召回 its general appearance?"

"Yes—more or less."

"You will recollect, then, that Mrs. Inglethorp wrote a very distinctive 独特 hand, and left large clear spaces between her words. But if you look at the date at the top of the letter you will notice that 'July 17th' is quite different in this respect. Do you see what I mean?"

"No," I confessed, "I don't."

"You do not see that that letter was not written on the 17th, but on the 7th—the day after Miss Howard's departure 离开? The '1' was written in before the '7' to turn it into the '17th'."

"But why?"

"That is exactly what I asked myself 我. Why does Miss Howard sup‧press 压制 the letter written on the 17th, and produce this faked 假 one instead? Because she did not wish to show the letter of the 17th. Why, again? And at once a suspicion dawned 黎明 in my mind. You will remember my saying that it was wise 明智的；聪明的 to beware 谨防 of people who were not telling you the truth."

"And yet," I cried indignantly, "after that, you gave me two reasons why Miss Howard could not have committed 承诺 the crime!"

"And very good reasons too," replied Poirot. "For a long time they were a stumbling 绊倒-block to me until I remembered a very significant 重大 fact: that she and Alfred Inglethorp were cousins. She could not have committed 承诺 the crime single-handed, but the reasons against that did not debar her from being an accomplice. And, then, there was that rather over-vehement hatred 仇恨 of hers! It concealed 隐藏 a very opposite emotion 情感. There was, undoubtedly 无疑, a tie of passion 激情，热情；强烈情感 between them long before he came to Styles. They had already arranged their infamous 臭名昭著 plot 情节—that he should marry this rich, but rather foolish 傻 old lady, induce 促使 her to make a will leaving her money to him, and then gain their ends by a very cleverly conceived 构想 crime. If all had gone as they planned, they would probably have left England, and lived together on their poor victim 受害者's money.

"They are a very astute and unscrupulous pair. While suspicion was to be directed against him, she would be making quiet preparations 制备 for a very different dénouement. She arrives from Middlingham with all the compromising 妥协 items 项目 in her possession 所有物. No suspicion attaches 连接 to her. No notice is paid to her coming and going in the house. She hides the strychnine and glasses in John's room. She puts the beard in the attic 阁楼. She will see to it that sooner or later they are duly 适时地 discovered."

"I don't quite see why they tried to fix the blame 指责 on John," I remarked. "It would have been much easier for them to bring the crime home to Lawrence."

"Yes, but that was mere chance. All the evidence 证据 against him arose out of pure accident 意外事件. It must, in fact, have been distinctly 历历 annoying 打扰 to the pair of schemers."

"His manner was unfortunate 不幸的," I observed thoughtfully 沉思地.

"Yes. You realize, of course, what was at the back of that?"

"No."

"You did not understand that he believed Mademoiselle Cynthia guilty of the crime?"

"No," I exclaimed 喊叫, astonished. "Impossible!"

"Not at all. I myself 我 nearly had the same idea. It was in my mind when I asked Mr. Wells that first question about the will. Then there were the bromide powders which she had made up, and her clever male 男性的 impersonations, as Dorcas recounted 叙事 them to us. There was really more evidence 证据 against her than anyone else."

"You are joking 笑话, Poirot!"

"No. Shall I tell you what made Monsieur Lawrence turn so pale when he first entered his mother's room on the fatal 致命 night? It was because, whilst 同时 his mother lay there, obviously 明显 poisoned, he saw, over your shoulder, that the door into Mademoiselle Cynthia's room was unbolted."

"But he declared that he saw it bolted 螺栓!" I cried.

"Exactly," said Poirot dryly. "And that was just what confirmed 确认 my suspicion that it was not. He was shielding Mademoiselle Cynthia."

"But why should he shield 盾 her?"

"Because he is in love with her."

I laughed.

"There, Poirot, you are quite wrong! I happen to know for a fact that, far from being in love with her, he positively 积极 dislikes 反感 her."

"Who told you that, mon ami?"

"Cynthia her‧self 她自己."

"La pauvre petite! And she was concerned?"

"She said that she did not mind at all."

"Then she certainly did mind very much," remarked Poirot. "They are like that—les femmes!"

"What you say about Lawrence is a great surprise to me," I said.

"But why? It was most obvious 明显. Did not Monsieur Lawrence make the sour 有酸味的 face every time Mademoiselle Cynthia spoke and laughed with his brother? He had taken it into his long head that Mademoiselle Cynthia was in love with Monsieur John. When he entered his mother's room, and saw her obviously 明显 poisoned, he jumped to the conclusion 结论 that Mademoiselle Cynthia knew something about the matter. He was nearly driven desperate 殊死. First he crushed 压破 the coffee-cup to powder under his feet, remembering that she had gone up with his mother the night before, and he determined that there should be no chance of testing its contents. Thenceforward, he strenuously 费劲, and quite use‧less 无用, upheld the theory 理论 of 'Death from natural 自然 causes'."

"And what about the 'extra coffee-cup'?"

"I was fairly certain that it was Mrs. Cavendish who had hidden hide it, but I had to make sure. Monsieur Lawrence did not know at all what I meant; but, on reflection 反映, he came to the conclusion 结论 that if he could find an extra coffee-cup any‧where 任何地方 his lady love would be cleared of suspicion. And he was perfectly right."

"One thing more. What did Mrs. Inglethorp mean by her dying words?"

"They were, of course, an accusation 指控 against her husband."

"Dear me, Poirot," I said with a sigh 叹, "I think you have explained everything. I am glad it has all ended so happily. Even John and his wife are reconciled 调和."

"Thanks to me."

"How do you mean—thanks to you?"

"My dear friend, do you not realize that it was simply and solely 独自 the trial which has brought them together again? That John Cavendish still loved his wife, I was convinced 说服. Also, that she was equally in love with him. But they had drifted 漂移 very far apart 相隔. It all arose from a misunderstanding 误解. She married him without love. He knew it. He is a sensitive man in his way, he would not force himself upon her if she did not want him. And, as he withdrew, her love awoke 醒着的:awake. But they are both unusually 异常 proud, and their pride held them inexorably apart. He drifted 漂移 into an entanglement with Mrs. Raikes, and she deliberately 故意 cultivated 耕作 the friend‧ship 友情 of Dr. Bauerstein. Do you remember the day of John Cavendish's arrest, when you found me deliberating 商榷 over a big decision?"

"Yes, I quite understood your distress 苦难."

" Pardon 宽恕；说啥？ me, mon ami, but you did not understand it in the least. I was trying to decide whether or not I would clear John Cavendish at once. I could have cleared him—though it might have meant a failure to convict 定罪 the real criminals 罪犯. They were entirely in the dark as to my real attitude 态度 up to the very last moment—which partly accounts for my success."

"Do you mean that you could have saved John Cavendish from being brought to trial?"

"Yes, my friend. But I eventually 终于 decided in favour of 'a woman's happiness 幸福'. Nothing but the great danger through which they have passed could have brought these two proud souls together again."

I looked at Poirot in silent amazement 惊愕. The colossal 庞大 cheek 脸颊 of the little man! Who on earth but Poirot would have thought of a trial for murder as a restorer 修复；使复位；使复职 of conjugal happiness 幸福!

"I perceive 认为 your thoughts, mon ami," said Poirot, smiling at me. "No one but Hercule Poirot would have attempted such a thing! And you are wrong in condemning 谴责 it. The happiness 幸福 of one man and one woman is the greatest thing in all the world."

His words took me back to earlier events. I remembered Mary as she lay white and exhausted 排气 on the sofa 沙发, listening, listening. There had come the sound of the bell below. She had started up. Poirot had opened the door, and meeting her agonized 烦恼 eyes had nodded 点头 gently. "Yes, madame," he said. "I have brought him back to you." He had stood aside, and as I went out I had seen the look in Mary's eyes, as John Cavendish had caught his wife in his arms.

"Perhaps you are right, Poirot," I said gently. "Yes, it is the greatest thing in the world."

Suddenly, there was a tap 敲；龙头；汲取（液体） at the door, and Cynthia peeped 窥视 in.

"I—I only——"

"Come in," I said, springing up.

She came in, but did not sit down.

"I—only wanted to tell you something——"

"Yes?"

Cynthia fidgeted with a little tassel for some moments, then, suddenly exclaiming 喊叫: "You dears!" kissed first me and then Poirot, and rushed out of the room again.

"What on earth does this mean?" I asked, surprised.

It was very nice to be kissed by Cynthia, but the publicity 公开 of the salute 礼炮 rather impaired 妨害 the pleasure.

"It means that she has discovered Monsieur Lawrence does not dislike 反感 her as much as she thought," replied Poirot philosophically 哲学上.

"But——"

"Here he is."

Lawrence at that moment passed the door.

"Eh! Monsieur Lawrence," called Poirot. "We must congratulate 祝贺 you, is it not so?"

Lawrence blushed 脸红, and then smiled awkwardly. A man in love is a sorry spectacle 场面；眼镜. Now Cynthia had looked charming.

I sighed 叹.

"What is it, mon ami?"

"Nothing," I said sadly. "They are two delightful 愉快 women!"

"And neither of them is for you?" finished Poirot. "Never mind. Console your‧self 你自己, my friend. We may hunt together again, who knows? And then——"

THE END