24. “Save Him!”

           WecrossedfromEnglandbytheeveningboat,andthefollowingmorningsawusinSaint-Omer,whitherJackRenauldhadbeentaken.PoirotlostnotimeinvisitingM.Hautet.Ashedidnotseemdisposedtomakeanyobjectionstomyaccompanyinghim,Iborehimcompany.

           Aftervariousformalitiesandpreliminaries,wewereconductedtotheexaminingmagistrate’sroom.Hegreeteduscordially.

           “IwastoldthatyouhadreturnedtoEngland,M.Poirot.Iamgladtofindthatsuchisnotthecase.”

           “ItistruethatIwentthere,M.lejuge,butitwasonlyforaflyingvisit.Asideissue,butonethatIfanciedmightrepayinvestigation.”

           “Anditdid—eh?”

           Poirotshruggedhisshoulders.M.Hautetnodded,sighing.

           “Wemustresignourselves,Ifear.ThatanimalGiraud,hismannersareabominable,butheisundoubtedlyclever!Notmuchchanceofthatonemakingamistake.”

           “Youthinknot,M.lejuge?”

           Itwastheexaminingmagistrate’sturntoshrughisshoulders.

           “Ehbien,speakingfrankly—inconfidence,c’estentendu—canyoucometoanyotherconclusion?”

           “Frankly,M.lejuge,thereseemtometobemanypointsthatareobscure.”

           “Suchas—?”

           ButPoirotwasnottobedrawn.

           “Ihavenotyettabulatedthem,”heremarked.“ItwasageneralreflectionthatIwasmaking.Ilikedtheyoungman,andshouldbesorrytobelievehimguiltyofsuchahideouscrime.Bytheway,whathashetosayforhimselfonthematter?”

           Themagistratefrowned.

           “Icannotunderstandhim.Heseemsincapableofputtingupanysortofdefence.Ithasbeenmostdifficulttogethimtoanswerquestions.