Убийство на поле для гольфа
2. An Appeal for Help
”
Poirotwavedhisegg-spooninvigorousrefutationofmyremark.
“Dutout!Ifforanhouroneexperiencessensationsandemotionsofthemostterrible,onehaslivedmanyhours!DoesnotoneofyourEnglishpoetssaythattimeiscounted,notbyhours,butbyheart-beats?”
“IfancyBrowningwasreferringtosomethingmoreromanticthanseasickness,though.”
“BecausehewasanEnglishman,anIslandertowhomlaManchewasnothing.Oh,youEnglish!Withnousautresitisdifferent.FiguretoyourselfthataladyofmyacquaintanceatthebeginningofthewarfledtoOstend.Thereshehadaterriblecrisisofthenerves.Impossibletoescapefurtherexceptbycrossingthesea!Andshehadahorror—maisunehorreur!—ofthesea!Whatwasshetodo?DailylesBochesweredrawingnearer.Imaginetoyourselftheterriblesituation!”
“Whatdidshedo?”Iinquiredcuriously.
“Fortunatelyherhusbandwashommepratique.Hewasalsoverycalm,thecrisesofthenerves,theyaffectedhimnot.Ill’aemportéesimplement!NaturallywhenshereachedEnglandshewasprostrate,butshestillbreathed.”
Poirotshookhisheadseriously.IcomposedmyfaceasbestIcould.
Suddenlyhestiffenedandpointedadramaticfingeratthetoastrack.
“Ah,parexemple,c’esttropfort!”hecried.
“Whatisit?”
“Thispieceoftoast.Youremarkhimnot?”Hewhippedtheoffenderoutoftherack,andhelditupformetoexamine.
“Isitsquare?No.Isitatriangle?Againno.Isitevenround?No.Isitofanyshaperemotelypleasingtotheeye?Whatsymmetryhavewehere?None.
