博炮作文网

第12部分（第2页）

〃What？〃

〃The　maid　was　left　behind　in　Paris。〃

He　turned　to　Poirot。

〃I　should　like　you　to　hear　the　conductors　story　yourself；〃　he　murmured　confidentially。　〃It　is　very　suggestive。〃

〃Mademoiselle　would　doubtless　like　to　hear　it　also；〃　said　Poirot。　〃You　do　not　object；　Monsieur　le　missaire？〃

〃No；〃　said　the　missary；　who　clearly　did　object　very　much。　〃No；　certainly；　M。　Poirot；　if　you　say　so。　You　have　finished　here？〃

〃I　think　so。　One　little　minute。〃

He　had　been　turning　over　the　rugs；　and　now　he　took　one　to　the　window　and　looked　at　it；　picking　something　off　it　with　his　fingers。

〃What　is　it？〃　demanded　M。　Caux　sharply。

〃Four　auburn　hairs。〃　He　bent　over　the　dead　woman。　〃Yes；　they　are　from　the　head　of　Madame。〃

〃And　what　of　it？　Do　you　attach　importance　to　them？〃

Poirot　let　the　rug　drop　back　on　the　seat。

〃What　is　important？　What　is　not？　One　cannot　say　at　this　stage。　But　we　must　note　each　little　fact　carefully。〃

They　went　back　again　into　the　first　partment；　and　in　a　minute　or　two　the　conductor　of　the　carriage　arrived　to　be　questioned。

〃Your　name　is　Pierre　Michel？〃　said　the　missary。

〃Yes；　Monsieur　le　missaire。〃

〃I　should　like　you　to　repeat　to　this　gentleman　…〃　he　indicated　Poirot　…　〃the　story　that　you　told　me　as　to　what　happened　in　Paris。〃

〃Very　good；　Monsieur　le　missaire。　It　was　after　we　had　left　the　Gare　de　Lyon。　I　came　along　to　make　the　beds；　thinking　that　Madame　would　be　at　dinner；　but　she　had　a　dinner…basket　in　her　partment。　She　said　to　me　that　she　had　been　obliged　to　leave　her　maid　behind　in　Paris；　so　that　I　only　need　make　up　one　berth。　She　took　her　dinner…basket　into　the　adjoining　partment；　and　sat　there　while　I　made　up　the　bed；　then　she　told　me　that　she　did　not　wish　to　be　wakened　early　in　the　morning；　that　she　liked　to　sleep　on。　I　told　her　I　quite　understood；　and　she　wished　me　goodnight。〃

〃You　yourself　did　not　go　into　the　adjoining　partment？〃

〃No；　Monsieur。〃

〃Then　you　did　not　happen　to　notice　if　a　scarlet　morocco　case　was　amongst　the　luggage　there？〃

〃No；　Monsieur；　I　did　not。〃

〃Would　it　have　been　possible　for　a　man　to　have　been　concealed　in　the　adjoining　partment？〃

The　conductor　reflected。

〃The　door　was　half　open；〃　he　said。　〃If　a　man　had　stood　behind　that　door　I　should　not　have　been　able　to　see　him；　but　he　would；　of　course；　have　been　perfectly　visible　to　Madame　when　she　went　in　there。〃

〃Quite　so；〃　said　Poirot；　〃Is　there　anything　more　you　have　to　tell　us？〃

〃I　think　that　is　all；　Monsieur。　I　can　remember　nothing　else。〃

〃And　now　this　morning？〃　prompted　Poirot。

〃As　Madame　had　ordered；　I　did　not　disturb　her。　It　was　not　until　just　before　Cannes　that　I　ventured　to　knock　at　the　door。　Getting　no　reply；　I　opened　it。　The　lady　appeared　to　be　in　her　bed　asleep。　I　took　her　by　the　shoulder　to　rouse　her；　and　then　…〃

〃And　then　you　saw　what　had　happened；〃　volunteered　Poirot。　〃Très　bien。　I　think　I　know　all　I　want　to　know。〃

〃I　hope；　Monsieur　le　missaire；　it　is　not　that　I　have　been　guilty　of　any　negligence；〃　said　the　man　piteously。　〃Such　an　affair　to　happen　on　the　Blue　Train！　It　is　horrible。〃