3. Poirot Refuses a Case

           M.HerculePoirotwasalittlelateinenteringtheluncheon-caronthefollowingday.Hehadrisenearly,breakfastedalmostalone,andhadspentthemorninggoingoverthenotesofthecasethatwasrecallinghimtoLondon.Hehadseenlittleofhistravellingcompanion.

           M.Bouc,whowasalreadyseated,gesticulatedagreetingandsummonedhisfriendtotheemptyplaceoppositehim.Poirotsatdownandsoonfoundhimselfinthefavouredpositionofthetablewhichwasservedfirstandwiththechoicestmorsels.Thefood,too,wasunusuallygood.

           ItwasnottilltheywereeatingadelicatecreamcheesethatM.Boucallowedhisattentiontowandertomattersotherthannourishment.Hewasatthestageofamealwhenonebecomesphilosophic.

           “Ah!”hesighed.“IfIhadbutthepenofaBalzac!Iwoulddepictthisscene.”

           Hewavedhishand.

           “Itisanidea,that,”saidPoirot.

           “Ah,youagree?Ithasnotbeendone,Ithink?Andyet—itlendsitselftoromance,myfriend.Allaroundusarepeople,ofallclasses,ofallnationalities,ofallages.Forthreedaysthesepeople,thesestrangerstooneanother,arebroughttogether.Theysleepandeatunderoneroof,theycannotgetawayfromeachother.Attheendofthreedaystheypart,theygotheirseveralways,never,perhaps,toseeeachotheragain.”

           “Andyet,”saidPoirot,“supposeanaccident—”

           “Ahno,myfriend—”

           “Fromyourpointofviewitwouldberegrettable,Iagree.Butneverthelessletusjustforonemomentsupposeit.Then,perhaps,alltheseherearelinkedtogether—bydeath.”

           “Somemorewine,”saidM.