Убийство в Восточном экспрессе
3. Poirot Refuses a Case
Shewasspeakingnowtotherestaurantattendantinaclear,courteousbutcompletelyautocratictone.
“Youwillbesufficientlyamiabletoplaceinmycompartmentabottleofmineralwaterandalargeglassoforangejuice.YouwillarrangethatIshallhavechickencookedwithoutsaucesfordinnerthisevening—alsosomeboiledfish.”
Theattendantrepliedrespectfullythatitshouldbedone.
Shegaveaslightgraciousnodoftheheadandrose.HerglancecaughtPoirot’sandsweptoverhimwiththenonchalanceoftheuninterestedaristocrat.
“ThatisPrincessDragomiroff,”saidM.Boucinalowtone.“SheisaRussian.HerhusbandrealizedallthismoneybeforetheRevolutionandinvesteditabroad.Sheisextremelyrich.Acosmopolitan.”
Poirotnodded.HehadheardofPrincessDragomiroff.
“Sheisapersonality,”saidM.Bouc.“Uglyassin,butshemakesherselffelt.Youagree?”
Poirotagreed.
AtanotherofthelargetablesMaryDebenhamwassittingwithtwootherwomen.Oneofthemwasatallmiddle-agedwomaninaplaidblouseandtweedskirt.Shehadamassoffadedyellowhairunbecominglyarrangedinalargebun,woreglasses,andhadalong,mild,amiablefaceratherlikeasheep.Shewaslisteningtothethirdwoman,astout,pleasant-faced,elderlywomanwhowastalkinginaslowclearmonotonewhichshowednosignsofpausingforbreathorcomingtoastop.
“…Andsomydaughtersaid,‘Why,’shesaid‘youjustcan’tapplyAmurricanmethodsinthiscountry.It’sjustnaturaltothefolksheretobeindolent,’shesaid.‘Theyjusthaven’tgotanyhustleinthem.
