Убийство Роджера Экройда

           Onelittleminute"–asFloraraisedherheadtospeak–"saynothingtillyouhavewellreflected.

           Mademoiselle,hispositiongrowsdailymoredangerous.Ifhehadcomeforwardatonce,nomatterhowdamningthefacts,hemighthavehadachanceofexplainingthemaway.

           Butthissilence–thisflight–whatcanitmean?Surelyonlyonething,knowledgeofguilt.Mademoiselle,ifyoureallybelieveinhisinnocence,persuadehimtocomeforwardbeforeitistoolate."Flora’sfacehadgoneverywhite.

           "Toolate!"sherepeated,verylow.

           Poirotleantforward,lookingather.

           "Seenow,mademoiselle,"hesaidverygently,"itisPapaPoirotwhoasksyouthis.TheoldPapaPoirotwhohasmuchknowledgeandmuchexperience.Iwouldnotseektoentrapyou,mademoiselle.Willyounottrustme–andtellmewhereRalphPatonishiding?"Thegirlroseandstoodfacinghim.

           "M.Poirot,"shesaidinaclearvoice,"Isweartoyouswearsolemnly–thatIhavenoideawhereRalphis,andthatIhaveneitherseenhimnorheardfromhimeitheronthedayof-ofthemurder,orsince."Shesatdownagain.Poirotgazedatherinsilenceforaminuteortwo,thenhebroughthishanddownonthetablewithasharprap.

           "Bien!Thatisthat,"hesaid.Hisfacehardened."NowIappealtotheseotherswhositroundthistable,Mrs.Ackroyd,MajorBlunt,DrSheppard,Mr.Raymond.Youareallfriendsandintimatesofthemissingman.