the mysterious affair at styles(斯代尔斯的怪事)-第33节
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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 his shoulders。
〃Surely； it is obvious！〃
〃Not to me。 No doubt I am very dense； but I cannot see what the
proximity 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〃
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〃What？〃 cried Poirot； in apparently lively astonishment。 〃Dr。
Bauerstein arrested for the murder of Mrs。 Inglethorp？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Impossible！ That would be too good a farce！ 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； mon ami。〃
〃Espionage？〃 I gasped。
〃Precisely。〃
〃Not for poisoning Mrs。 Inglethorp？〃
〃Not unless our friend Japp has taken leave of his senses；〃 replied
Poirot placidly。
〃Butbut I thought you thought so too？〃
Poirot gave me one look； which conveyed a wondering pity； and his
full sense of the utter absurdity of such an idea。
〃Do you mean to say；〃 I asked； slowly adapting myself to the new idea；
〃that Dr。 Bauerstein is a spy？〃
Poirot nodded。
〃Have you never suspected it？〃
〃It never entered my head。〃
〃It did not strike you as peculiar that a famous London doctor should
bury himself in a little village like this； and should be in the habit of
walking about at all hours of the night； fully dressed？〃
〃No；〃 I confessed； 〃I never thought of such a thing。〃
〃He is； of course； a German by birth；〃 said Poirot thoughtfully；
〃though he has practiced so long in this country that nobody thinks of him
as anything but an Englishman。 He was naturalized about fifteen years
ago。 A very clever mana Jew； of course。〃
〃The blackguard！〃 I cried indignantly。
〃Not at all。 He is； on the contrary； a patriot。 Think what he stands
to lose。 I admire the man myself。〃
But I could not look at it in Poirot's philosophical way。
〃And this is the man with whom Mrs。 Cavendish has been wandering
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about all over the country！〃 I cried indignantly。
〃Yes。 I should fancy he had found her very useful；〃 remarked Poirot。
〃So long as gossip busied itself 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 eagerlyrather
too eagerly； perhaps； under the circumstances。
〃That； of course； I cannot say； butshall 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 my pleasure。
〃I am quite sure of it。 And I will tell you why。〃
〃Yes？〃
〃Because she cares for some one else； mon ami。〃
〃Oh！〃 What did he mean？ In spite of myself； an agreeable warmth
spread over me。 I am not a vain man where women are concerned； but I
remembered certain evidences； too lightly thought of at the time； perhaps；
but which certainly seemed to indicate
My pleasing thoughts were interrupted by the sudden entrance of Miss
Howard。 She glanced round hastily 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 as she did so the cryptic words：
〃On top of the wardrobe。〃 Then she hurriedly left the room。
Poirot unfolded the sheet of paper eagerly； and uttered an exclamation
of satisfaction。 He spread it out on the table。
〃Come here； Hastings。 Now tell me； what is that initialJ。 or L。？〃
It was a medium sized sheet of paper； rather dusty； as though it had
lain by for some time。 But it was the label that was attracting Poirot's
attention。 At the top； it bore the printed stamp of Messrs。 Parkson's； the
well…known theatrical costumiers； and it was addressed to 〃（the
debatable initial） 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
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minute or two。 〃It certainly isn't a J。〃
〃Good；〃 replied Poirot； folding 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 a surmise of mine。 Having deduced its
existence； I set Miss Howard to search for it； and； as you see； she has been
successful。〃
〃What did she mean by 'On the top of the wardrobe'？〃
〃She meant；〃 replied Poirot promptly； 〃that she found it on top of a
wardrobe。〃
〃A funny place for a piece of brown paper；〃 I mused。
〃Not at all。 The top of a wardrobe is an excellent place for brown
paper and cardboard boxes。 I have kept them there myself。 Neatly
arranged； there is nothing to offend the eye。〃
〃Poirot；〃 I asked earnestly； 〃have you made up your mind about this
crime？〃
〃Yesthat is to say； I believe I know how it was committed。〃
〃Ah！〃
〃Unfortunately； I have no proof beyond my surmise； unless〃 With
sudden energy； he caught me by the arm； and whirled me down the hall；
calling out in French in his excitement： 〃Mademoiselle Dorcas；
Mademoiselle Dorcas； un moment； s'il vous plait！〃
Dorcas； quite flurried by the noise； came hurrying out of the pantry。
〃My good Dorcas； I have an ideaa little ideaif it should prove
justified； what magnificent chance！ Tell me； on Monday； not Tuesday；
Dorcas； but Monday； the day before the tragedy； did anything go wrong
with Mrs。 Inglethorp's bell？〃
Dorcas looked very surprised。
〃Yes； sir； now you mention it； it did； though I don't know how you
came to hear of it。 A mouse； or some such； must have nibbled the wire
through。 The man came and put it right on Tuesday morning。〃
With a long drawn exclamation of ecstasy； Poirot led the way back to
the morning…room。
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〃See you； one should not ask for outside proofno； reason should be
enough。 But the flesh is weak； it is consolation to find that one is on the
right track。 Ah； my friend； I am like a giant refreshed。 I run！ I leap！〃
And； in very truth； run and leap he did； gambolling wildly down the
stretch of lawn outside the long window。
〃What is your remarkable little friend doing？〃 asked a voice behind
me； and I turned to find Mary Cavendish at my elbow。 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；
and appeared so delighted with her answer that he is capering about as you
see！〃
Mary laughed。
〃How ridiculous！ He's going out of the gate。 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； Mr。 Hastings？〃
〃I honestly don't know。 Sometimes； I feel sure he is as mad as a
hatter； and then； just as he is at his maddest； I find there is method in his
madness。〃
〃I see。〃
In spite of her laugh； Mary was looking thoughtful this morning。 She
seemed grave； almost sad。
It occurred to me that it would be a good opportunity to tackle her on
the subject of Cynthia。 I began rather tactfully； I thought； but I had not
gone far before she stopped me authoritatively。
〃You are an e
