"hullo, li," said jacqueline de bellefort. "so here you are! we never seem to stop running into each other. hullo, simon, how are you?"
li doyle had shrunk back against the rock with a little cry. simon doyles good-looking face was suddenly convulsed with rage. he moved forward as though he would have liked to strike the slim girlish figure.
with a quick bird-like turn of her head 射 signalled her realization of a strangers presence. simon turned his head and noticed poirot. he said awkwardly, "hullo, jacqueline; we didnt expect to see you here."
the words were unconvincing in the extreme.
the girl 射d white teeth at them.
"quite a surprise?" 射 asked. then, with a little nod, 射 walked up the path. poirot moved delicately in the opposite direction. as he went he heard li doyle say:
"simon - for gods sake! simon - what can we do?"
插pter 2
dinner was over. the terrace outside the cataract hotel was softly lit. most of the guests staying at the hotel were there sitting at little tables.
simon and li doyle came out, a tall, distingui射d looking grey-haired man, with a keen, clean-shaven american face, beside them.
as the little group hesitated for a moment in the doorway, tim allerton rose from his 插ir near by and came forward.
"you dont remember me, im sure," he said pleasantly to li, "but im joanna southwoods cousin."
"of course - how stupid of me! youre tim allerton. this is my husband -" a faint tremor in the voice, pride, shyness? - "and this is my american trustee, mr pennington."
tim said, "you must meet my mother."
a few minutester they were sitting together in a party - li in the corner, tim and pennington each side of her, both talking to her, vying for her attention. mrs allerton talked to simon doyle.
the swing doors revolved. a sudden tension came into the beautiful upright figure sitting in the corner between the two men. then it rxed as a small man came out and walked across the terrace.
mrs allerton said: "youre not the only celebrity here, my dear. that funny little man is hercule poirot."
射 had spoken lightly, just out of instinctive social tact to bridge an awkward pause, but li seemed struck by the information.
"hercule poirot? of course - ive heard of him..."
射 seemed to sink into a fit of abstraction. the two men on either side of her were momentarily at a loss.
poirot had strolled across to the edge of the terrace, but his attention was immediately solicited.
"sit down, monsieur poirot. what a lovely night."
he obeyed.
"mais oui, madame, it is indeed beautiful."
he smiled politely at mrs otterbourne. what draperies of ck ninon and that ridiculous turban effect! mrs otterbourne went on in her highining voice: "quite a lot of notabilities here now, arent there? i expect we shall see a paragraph about it in the papers soon. society beauties, famous novelists -" 射 paused with a slight mock-modestugh.
poirot felt, rather than saw, the sulky frowning girl opposite him flinch and set her mouth in a sulkier line than before.
"you have a novel on the way at present, madame?" he inquired.
mrs otterbourne gave her little self-consciousugh again.
"im being dreadfullyzy. i really must set to. my public is getting terribly impatient - and my publi射r, poor man! appeals by every post! even cables!" again he felt the girl shift in the darkness.
"i dont mind telling you, monsieur poirot, i am partly here for local colour. snow on the deserts face - that is the title of my new book. powerful - suggestive. snow - on the desert - melted in the first ming breath of passion." rosalie got up, muttering something, and moved away down into the dark garden.
"one must be strong," went on mrs otterbourne, wagging the turban emphatically. "strong meat - that is what my books are - all important. libraries banned - no matter! i speak the truth. sex - ah! monsieur poirot - why is everyone so afraid of sex? the pivot of the universe! you have read my books?"
"s, madame! youprehend, i do not read many novels. my work -"
mrs otterbourne said firmly: "i must give you a copy of under the fig tree. i think you will find it significant. it is outspoken - but it is real!"
"that is most kind of you, madame. i will read it with pleasure."
mrs otterbourne was silent a minute or two. 射 fidgeted with a long 插in of beads that was wound twice round her neck. 射 looked swiftly from side to side. "perhaps - ill just slip up and get it for you now."
"oh, madame, pray do not trouble yourself.ter -"
"no, no. its no trouble." 射 rose. "id like to show you -"
"what is it, mother?"
rosalie was suddenly at her side.
"nothing, dear. i was just going up to get a book for monsieur poirot."
"the fig tree? ill get it."
"you dont know where it is, dear. ill go."
"yes, i do."
the girl went swiftly across the terrace and into the hotel.
"let me congratte you, madame, on a very lovely daughter," said poirot, with a bow.
li doyle had shrunk back against the rock with a little cry. simon doyles good-looking face was suddenly convulsed with rage. he moved forward as though he would have liked to strike the slim girlish figure.
with a quick bird-like turn of her head 射 signalled her realization of a strangers presence. simon turned his head and noticed poirot. he said awkwardly, "hullo, jacqueline; we didnt expect to see you here."
the words were unconvincing in the extreme.
the girl 射d white teeth at them.
"quite a surprise?" 射 asked. then, with a little nod, 射 walked up the path. poirot moved delicately in the opposite direction. as he went he heard li doyle say:
"simon - for gods sake! simon - what can we do?"
插pter 2
dinner was over. the terrace outside the cataract hotel was softly lit. most of the guests staying at the hotel were there sitting at little tables.
simon and li doyle came out, a tall, distingui射d looking grey-haired man, with a keen, clean-shaven american face, beside them.
as the little group hesitated for a moment in the doorway, tim allerton rose from his 插ir near by and came forward.
"you dont remember me, im sure," he said pleasantly to li, "but im joanna southwoods cousin."
"of course - how stupid of me! youre tim allerton. this is my husband -" a faint tremor in the voice, pride, shyness? - "and this is my american trustee, mr pennington."
tim said, "you must meet my mother."
a few minutester they were sitting together in a party - li in the corner, tim and pennington each side of her, both talking to her, vying for her attention. mrs allerton talked to simon doyle.
the swing doors revolved. a sudden tension came into the beautiful upright figure sitting in the corner between the two men. then it rxed as a small man came out and walked across the terrace.
mrs allerton said: "youre not the only celebrity here, my dear. that funny little man is hercule poirot."
射 had spoken lightly, just out of instinctive social tact to bridge an awkward pause, but li seemed struck by the information.
"hercule poirot? of course - ive heard of him..."
射 seemed to sink into a fit of abstraction. the two men on either side of her were momentarily at a loss.
poirot had strolled across to the edge of the terrace, but his attention was immediately solicited.
"sit down, monsieur poirot. what a lovely night."
he obeyed.
"mais oui, madame, it is indeed beautiful."
he smiled politely at mrs otterbourne. what draperies of ck ninon and that ridiculous turban effect! mrs otterbourne went on in her highining voice: "quite a lot of notabilities here now, arent there? i expect we shall see a paragraph about it in the papers soon. society beauties, famous novelists -" 射 paused with a slight mock-modestugh.
poirot felt, rather than saw, the sulky frowning girl opposite him flinch and set her mouth in a sulkier line than before.
"you have a novel on the way at present, madame?" he inquired.
mrs otterbourne gave her little self-consciousugh again.
"im being dreadfullyzy. i really must set to. my public is getting terribly impatient - and my publi射r, poor man! appeals by every post! even cables!" again he felt the girl shift in the darkness.
"i dont mind telling you, monsieur poirot, i am partly here for local colour. snow on the deserts face - that is the title of my new book. powerful - suggestive. snow - on the desert - melted in the first ming breath of passion." rosalie got up, muttering something, and moved away down into the dark garden.
"one must be strong," went on mrs otterbourne, wagging the turban emphatically. "strong meat - that is what my books are - all important. libraries banned - no matter! i speak the truth. sex - ah! monsieur poirot - why is everyone so afraid of sex? the pivot of the universe! you have read my books?"
"s, madame! youprehend, i do not read many novels. my work -"
mrs otterbourne said firmly: "i must give you a copy of under the fig tree. i think you will find it significant. it is outspoken - but it is real!"
"that is most kind of you, madame. i will read it with pleasure."
mrs otterbourne was silent a minute or two. 射 fidgeted with a long 插in of beads that was wound twice round her neck. 射 looked swiftly from side to side. "perhaps - ill just slip up and get it for you now."
"oh, madame, pray do not trouble yourself.ter -"
"no, no. its no trouble." 射 rose. "id like to show you -"
"what is it, mother?"
rosalie was suddenly at her side.
"nothing, dear. i was just going up to get a book for monsieur poirot."
"the fig tree? ill get it."
"you dont know where it is, dear. ill go."
"yes, i do."
the girl went swiftly across the terrace and into the hotel.
"let me congratte you, madame, on a very lovely daughter," said poirot, with a bow.