《蓝色特快上的秘密-蓝色列车之谜-蓝色列车(英文版)》蓝色列车之谜-蓝色列车(英文版)-第59章

〃Let　me　see。　Three　years　ago。　And　she　has　been　a　loss　…　let　me　tell　you　that。〃　
〃She　was　clever？〃　
〃Clever　as　a　cartload　of　monkeys。〃　
〃You　don"t　know　the　name　of　the　man　she　became　friends　with　in　Paris？〃　
〃He　was　a　swell；　I　know　that。　A　Count　…　or　e　to　think　of　it；　I　believe　it　was　a　Marquis。〃　
〃And　you　know　nothing　about　her　since？〃　
〃Nothing。　Never　even　run　across　her　accidentally　like。　I　bet　she　is　tooling　it　round　some　of　these　foreign　resorts。　Being　a　Marquise　to　the　life。　You　couldn"t　put　one　over　on　Kitty。　She　would　give　as　good　as　she　got　any　day。〃　
〃I　see；〃　said　Poirot　thoughtfully。　
〃I　am　sorry　I　can"t　tell　you　more；　Monsieur　Poirot；〃　said　the　other。　〃I　would　like　to　be　of　use　to　you　if　I　could。　You　did　me　a　good　turn　once。〃　
〃Ah；　but　we　are　quits　on　that；　you；　too；　did　me　a　good　turn。〃　
〃One　good　turn　deserves　another。　Ha；　ha！〃　said　Mr　Aarons。　
〃Your　profession　must　be　a　very　interesting　one；〃　said　Poirot。　
〃So…so；〃　said　Mr　Aarons　nonmittally。　〃Taking　the　rough　with　the　smooth；　it　is　all　right。　I　don"t　do　so　badly　at　it；　all　things　considered；　but　you　have　to　keep　your　eyes　skinned。　Never　know　what　the　public　will　jump　for　next。〃　
〃Dancing　has　e　very　much　to　the　fore　in　the　last　few　years；〃　murmured　Poirot　reflectively。　
〃I　never　saw　anything　in　this　Russian　ballet；　but　people　like　it。　Too　highbrow　for　me。〃　
〃I　met　one　dancer　out　on　the　Riviera　…　Mademoiselle　Mirelle。〃　
〃Mirelle？　She　is　hot　stuff；　by　all　accounts。　There　is　always　money　going　to　back　her　…　though；　so　far　as　that　goes；　the　girl　can　dance；　I　have　seen　her；　and　I　know　what　I　am　talking　about。　I　never　had　much　to　do　with　her　myself；　but　I　hear　she　is　a　terror　to　deal　with。　Tempers　and　tantrums　all　the　time。〃　
〃Yes；〃　said　Poirot　thoughtfully；　〃yes；　so　I　should　imagine。〃　
〃Temperament！〃　said　Mr　Aarons；　〃temperament！　That　is　what　they　call　it　themselves。　My　missus　was　a　dancer　before　she　married　me；　but　I　am　thankful　to　say　she　never　had　any　temperament。　You　don"t　want　temperament　in　the　home；　Monsieur　Poirot。〃　
〃I　agree　with　you；　my　friend；　it　is　out　of　place　there。〃　
〃A　woman　should　be　calm　and　sympathetic；　and　a　good　cook；〃　said　Mr　Aarons。　
〃Mirelle　has　not　been　long　before　the　public；　has　she？〃　asked　Poirot。　
〃About　two　and　a　half　years；　that　is　all；〃　said　Mr　Aarons。　〃Some　French　Duke　started　her。　I　hear　now　that　she　has　taken　up　with　the　ex…Prime　Minister　of　Greece。　These　are　the　chaps　who　manage　to　put　money　away　quietly。〃　
〃That　is　news　to　me；〃　said　Poirot。　
〃Oh；　she"s　not　one　to　let　the　grass　grow　under　her　feet。　They　say　that　young　Kettering　murdered　his　wife　on　her　account。　I　don"t　know；　I　am　sure。　Anyway；　he　is　in　prison；　and　she　had　to　look　round　for　herself；　and　pretty　smart　she　has　been　about　it。　They　say　she　is　wearing　a　ruby　the　size　of　a　pigeon"s　egg　…　not　that　I　have　ever　seen　a　pigeon"s　egg　myself；　but　that　is　what　they　always　call　it　in　works　of　fiction。〃　
〃A　ruby　the　size　of　a　pigeon"s　egg！〃　said　Poirot。　His　eyes　were　green　and　catlike。　〃How　interesting！〃　
〃I　had　it　from　a　friend　of　mine；〃　said　Mr　Aarons。　〃But；　for　all　I　know；　it　may　be　coloured　glass。　They　are　all　the　same；　these　women　…　they　never　stop　telling　tall　stories　about　their　jewels。　Mirelle　goes　about　bragging　that　it　has　got　a　curse　on　it。　"Heart　of　Fire；"　I　think　she　calls　it。〃　
〃But　if　I　remember　rightly；〃　said　Poirot；　〃the　ruby　that　is　named　"Heart　of　Fire"　is　the　centre　stone　in　a　necklace。〃　
〃There　you　are！　Didn"t　I　tell　you　there　is　no　end　to　the　lies　women　will　tell　about　their　jewellery？　This　is　a　single　stone；　hung　on　a　platinum　chain　round　her　neck；　but；　as　I　said　before；　ten　to　one　it　is　a　bit　of　coloured　glass。〃　
〃No；〃　said　Poirot　gently；　〃no　…　somehow　I　do　not　think　it　is　coloured　glass。〃
Chapter　32　
KATHERINE　AND　POIROT　PARE　NOTES
〃You　have　changed；　Mademoiselle；〃　said　Poirot　suddenly。　He　and　Katherine　were　seated　opposite　each　other　at　a　small　table　at　the　Savoy。　
〃Yes；　you　have　changed；〃　he　continued。　
〃In　what　way？〃　
〃Mademoiselle；　these　nuances　are　difficult　to　express。〃　
〃I　am　older。〃　
〃Yes；　you　are　older。　And　by　that　I　do　not　mean　that　the　wrinkles　and　the　crows"　feet　are　ing。　When　I　first　saw　you；　Mademoiselle；　you　were　a　looker…on　at　life。　You　had　the　quiet；　amused　look　of　one　who　sits　back　in　the　stalls　and　watches　the　play。〃　
〃And　now？〃　
〃Now；　you　no　longer　watch。　It　is　an　absurd　thing；　perhaps；　that　I　say　here；　but　you　have　the　wary　look　of　a　fighter　who　is　playing　a　difficult　game。〃　
〃My　old　lady　is　difficult　sometimes；〃　said　Katherine；　with　a　smile；　〃but　I　can　assure　you　that　I　don"t　engage　in　deadly　contests　with　her。　You　must　go　down　and　see　her　some　day；　Monsieur　Poirot。　I　think　you　are　one　of　the　people　who　would　appreciate　her　pluck　and　her　spirit。〃　
There　was　a　silence　while　the　waiter　deftly　served　them　with　chicken　en　casserole。　When　he　had　departed；　Poirot　said：　
〃You　have　heard　me　speak　of　my　friend　Hastings？　…　he　who　said　that　I　was　a　human　oyster。　Eh　bien；　Mademoiselle；　I　have　met　my　match　in　you。　You；　far　more　than　I；　play　a　lone　hand。〃　
〃Nonsense；〃　said　Katherine　lightly。　
〃Never　does　Hercule　Poirot　talk　nonsense。　It　is　as　I　say。〃　
Again　there　was　a　silence。　Poirot　broke　it　by　inquiring：　
〃Have　you　seen　any　of　our　Riviera　friends　since　you　have　been　back；　Mademoiselle？〃　
〃I　have　seen　something　of　Major　Knighton。〃　
〃A…ha！　Is　that　so？〃　
Something　in　Poirot"s　twinkling　eyes　made　Katherine　lower　hers。　
〃So　Mr　Van　Aldin　remains　in　London？〃　
〃Yes。〃　
〃I　must　try　to　see　him　tomorrow　or　the　next　day。〃　
〃You　have　news　for　him？〃　
〃What　makes　you　think　that？〃　
〃I　…　wondered；　that　is　all。〃　
Poirot　looked　across　at　her　with　twinkling　eyes。　
〃And　now；　Mademoiselle；　there　is　much　that　you　wish　to　ask　me；　I　can　see　that。　And　why　not？　Is　not　the　affair　of　the　Blue　Train　our　own　"Roman　Policier"？〃　
〃Yes；　there　are　things　I　should　like　to　ask　you。〃　
〃Eh　bien？〃　
Katherine　looked　up　with　a　sudden　air　of　resolution。　
〃What　were　you　doing　in　Paris；　Monsieur　Poirot？〃　
Poirot　smiled　slightly。　
〃I　made　a　call　at　the　Russian　Embassy。〃　
〃Oh。〃　
〃I　see　that　that　tells