Убийство Роджера Экройда
The Goose Quill
"Iassureyou,doctor,Iwasbecominganervouswreck.Icouldn’tsleepatnights.Andadreadfulflutteringroundtheheart.
AndthenIgotaletterfromaScotchgentleman–asamatteroffactthereweretwoletters–bothScotchgentlemen.Mr.BruceMacPhersonwasone,andtheotherwasColinMacDonald.Quiteacoincidence.""Hardlythat,"Isaiddrily."TheyareusuallyScotchgentlemen,butIsuspectaSemiticstrainintheirancestry.""Tenpoundstotenthousandonnoteofhandalone,"murmuredMrs.Ackroydreminiscently."Iwrotetooneofthem,butitseemedthereweredifficulties."Shepaused.
Igatheredthatwewerejustcomingtodelicateground.Ihaveneverknownanyonemoredifficulttobringtothepoint.
"Yousee,"murmuredMrs.Ackroyd,"it’sallaquestionofexpectations,"isn’tit?Testamentaryexpectations.Andthough,ofcourse,IexpectedthatRogerwouldprovideforme,Ididn’tknow.IthoughtthatifonlyIcouldglanceoveracopyofhiswill–notinanysenseofvulgarprying–butjustsothatIcouldmakemyownarrangements."Sheglancedsidewaysatme.Thepositionwasnowverydelicateindeed.Fortunatelywords,ingeniouslyused,willservetomasktheuglinessofnakedfacts.
"Icouldonlytellthistoyou,dearDoctorSheppard,"saidMrs.Ackroydrapidly."Icantrustyounottomisjudgeme,andtorepresentthematterintherightlighttoM.Poirot.ItwasonFridayafternoon"Shecametoastopandswalloweduncertainly.
