Убийство Роджера Экройда

           "Sitdown,mygoodfriend,"hesaid."Thebigchair?Thissmallone?Theroomisnottoohot,no?"Ithoughtitwasstifling,butrefrainedfromsayingso.Thewindowswereclosed,andalargefireburnedinthegrate.

           "TheEnglishpeople,theyhaveamaniaforthefreshair,"declaredPoirot."Thebigair,itisallverywelloutside,whereitbelongs.Whyadmitittothehouse?Butletusnotdiscusssuchbanalities.Youhavesomethingforme,yes?""Twothings,"Isaid."First–this–frommysister."Ihandedoverthepotofmedlarjelly.

           "HowkindofMademoiselleCaroline.Shehasrememberedherpromise.Andthesecondthing?""Information–ofakind."AndItoldhimofmyinterviewwithMrs.Ackroyd.Helistenedwithinterest,butnotmuchexcitement.

           "Itclearstheground,"hesaidthoughtfully."Andithasacertainvalueasconfirmingtheevidenceofthehousekeeper.

           Shesaid,youremember,thatshefoundthesilvertablelidopenandcloseditdowninpassing.""Whataboutherstatementthatshewentintothedrawing-roomtoseeiftheflowerswerefresh?""Ah!wenevertookthatveryseriously,didwe,myfriend?Itwaspatentlyanexcuse,trumpedupinahurry,byawomanwhofeltiturgenttoexplainherpresence–which,bytheway,youwouldprobablyneverhavethoughtofquestioning.Iconsidereditpossiblethatheragitationmightarisefromthefactthatshehadbeentamperingwiththesilvertable,butIthinknowthatwemustlookforanothercause.