the mysterious affair at styles(斯代尔斯的怪事)-第39部分
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for the village entertainment Mrs。 Inglethorp forgot to take her medicine；
and the next day she lunched away from home； so that the lastand fatal
dose was actually taken twenty…four hours later than had been anticipated
by the murderer； and it is owing to that delay that the final proof the last
link of the chainis now in my hands。〃
Amid breathless excitement； he held out three thin strips of paper。
〃A letter in the murderer's own hand…writing； mes amis！ Had it been a
little clearer in its terms； it is possible that Mrs。 Inglethorp； warned in time；
would have escaped。 As it was； she realized her danger； but not the
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manner of it。〃
In the deathly silence； Poirot pieced together the slips of paper and；
clearing his throat； read：
〃 'Dearest Evelyn：
'You will be anxious at hearing nothing。 It is all rightonly it will be
to…night instead of last night。 You understand。 There's a good time
coming once the old woman is dead and out of the way。 No one can
possibly bring home the crime to me。 That idea of yours about the
bromides was a stroke of genius！ But we must be very circumspect。 A
false step'
〃Here； my friends； the letter breaks off。 Doubtless the writer was
interrupted； but there can be no question as to his identity。 We all know
this hand…writing and〃
A howl that was almost a scream broke the silence。
〃You devil！ How did you get it？〃
A chair was overturned。 Poirot skipped nimbly aside。 A quick
movement on his part； and his assailant fell with a crash。
〃Messieurs； mesdames；〃 said Poirot； with a flourish； 〃let me introduce
you to the murderer； Mr。 Alfred Inglethorp！〃
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CHAPTER XIII。 POIROT
EXPLAINS
〃Poirot； you old villain；〃 I said； 〃I've half a mind to strangle you！
What do you mean by deceiving me as you have done？〃
We were sitting in the library。 Several hectic days lay behind us。 In
the room below； John and Mary were together once more； while Alfred
Inglethorp and Miss Howard were in custody。 Now at last； I had Poirot
to myself； and could relieve my still burning curiosity。
Poirot did not answer me for a moment； but at last he said：
〃I did not deceive you； mon ami。 At most； I permitted you to deceive
yourself。〃
〃Yes； but why？〃
〃Well； it is difficult to explain。 You see； my friend； you have a nature
so honest； and a countenance so transparent； thatenfin； to conceal your
feelings is impossible！ If I had told you my ideas； the very first time you
saw Mr。 Alfred Inglethorp that astute gentleman would havein your so
expressive idiom'smelt a rat'！ And then； bon jour to our chances of
catching him！〃
〃I think that I have more diplomacy than you give me credit for。〃
〃My friend；〃 besought Poirot； 〃I implore you； do not enrage yourself！
Your help has been of the most invaluable。 It is but the extremely
beautiful nature that you have； which made me pause。〃
〃Well；〃 I grumbled； a little mollified。 〃I still think you might have
given me a hint。〃
〃But I did； my friend。 Several hints。 You would not take them。
Think now； did I ever say to you that I believed John Cavendish guilty？
Did I not； on the contrary； tell you that he would almost certainly be
acquitted？〃
〃Yes； but〃
〃And did I not immediately afterwards speak of the difficulty of
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bringing the murderer to justice？ Was it not plain to you that I was
speaking of two entirely different persons？〃
〃No；〃 I said； 〃it was not plain to me！〃
〃Then again；〃 continued Poirot； 〃at the beginning； did I not repeat to
you several times that I didn't want Mr。 Inglethorp arrested *NOW？ That
should have conveyed something to you。〃
〃Do you mean to say you suspected him as long ago as that？〃
〃Yes。 To begin with； whoever else might benefit by Mrs。 Inglethorp's
death； her husband would benefit the most。 There was no getting away
from that。 When I went up to Styles with you that first day； I had no idea
as to how the crime had been committed； but from what I knew of Mr。
Inglethorp I fancied that it would be very hard to find anything to connect
him with it。 When I arrived at the chateau； I realized at once that it was
Mrs。 Inglethorp who had burnt the will； and there； by the way； you cannot
complain； my friend； for I tried my best to force on you the significance of
that bedroom fire in midsummer。〃
〃Yes； yes；〃 I said impatiently。 〃Go on。〃
〃Well； my friend； as I say； my views as to Mr。 Inglethorp's guilt were
very much shaken。 There was； in fact； so much evidence against him that
I was inclined to believe that he had not done it。〃
〃When did you change your mind？〃
〃When I found that the more efforts I made to clear him； the more
efforts he made to get himself arrested。 Then； when I discovered that
Inglethorp had nothing to do with Mrs。 Raikes and that in fact it was John
Cavendish who was interested in that quarter； I was quite sure。〃
〃But why？〃
〃Simply this。 If it had been Inglethorp who was carrying on an
intrigue with Mrs。 Raikes； his silence was perfectly comprehensible。 But；
when I discovered that it was known all over the village that it was John
who was attracted by the farmer's pretty wife； his silence bore quite a
different interpretation。 It was nonsense to pretend that he was afraid of
the scandal； as no possible scandal could attach to him。 This attitude of
his gave me furiously to think； and I was slowly forced to the conclusion
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that Alfred Inglethorp wanted to be arrested。 Eh bien！ from that moment；
I was equally determined that he should not be arrested。〃
〃Wait a minute。 I don't see why he wished to be arrested？〃
〃Because； mon ami； it is the law of your country that a man once
acquitted can never be tried again for the same offence。 Aha！ but it was
cleverhis idea！ Assuredly； he is a man of method。 See here； he knew
that in his position he was bound to be suspected； so he conceived the
exceedingly clever idea of preparing a lot of manufactured evidence
against himself。 He wished to be arrested。 He would then produce his
irreproachable alibiand； hey presto； he was safe for life！〃
〃But I still don't see how he managed to prove his alibi； and yet go to
the chemist's shop？〃
Poirot stared at me in surprise。
〃Is it possible？ My poor friend！ You have not yet realized that it was
Miss Howard who went to the chemist's shop？〃
〃Miss Howard？〃
〃But； certainly。 Who else？ It was most easy for her。 She is of a
good height； her voice is deep and manly； moreover； remember； she and
Inglethorp are cousins； and there is a distinct resemblance between them；
especially in their gait and bearing。 It was simplicity itself。 They are a
clever pair！〃
〃I am still a little fogged as to how exactly the bromide business was
done；〃 I remarked。
〃Bon！ I will reconstruct for you as far as possible。 I am inclined to
think that Miss Howard was the master mind in that affair。 You
remember her once mentioning that her father was a doctor？ Possibly she
dispensed his medicines for him； or she may have taken the idea from one
of the many books lying about when Mademoiselle Cynthia was studying
for her exam。 Anyway； she was familiar with the fact that the addition of
a bromide to a mixture containing strychnine would cause the precipitation
of the latter。 Probably the idea came to her quite suddenly。 Mrs。
Inglethorp had a box of bromide powders； which she occasionally took at
night。 What could be easier than quietly to dissolve one or more of those
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powders in Mrs。 Inglethorp's large sized bottle of medicine when it came
from Coot's？ The risk is practically nil。 The tragedy will not take place
until nearly a fortnight later。 If anyone has seen either of them touching
the medicine； they will have forgotten it by that time。 Miss Howard will
have engineered her quarrel； and departed from the house。 The lapse of
time； and her absence； will defeat all suspicion。 Yes； it was a clever idea！
If they had left it alone； it is possible the crime might never have been
brought home to them。 But the
