Agatha Christie – Death On The Nile

“You want beads, sir? Very good, sir. Very cheap ”

“Lady, you want scarab. Look—great queen–very lucky .”

“You look, sir–real lapis. Very good, very cheap .

“You want ride donkey, sir? This very good donkey. This donkey Whisky and Soda, sir …. ‘ “You want to go granite’ quarries, sir? This very good donkey. Other donkey very bad, sir, that donkey fall down …. ” “You want postcard–very cheap–very nice …. ”

“Look, lady …. Only ten piastres–very cheap–lapis–this ivory …. ”

“This very good fly whisk—this all amber …. ”

“You go out in boat, sir? I got very good boat, sir ”

“You ride back to hotel, lady? This first-class donkey ” Hercule Poirot made vague gestures to rid himself of this human cluster of flies. Rosalie stalked through them like a sleep walker.

“It’s best to pretend to be deaf and blind,” she remarked.

The infantile riff-raft ran alongside murmuring plaintively.

“Bakshish? Bakshish? Hip, hip, hurrah–very good, very nice …. ” Their gaily coloured rags trailed picturesquely and the flies lay in clusters on their eyelids.

They were the most persistent. The others fell back and launched a fresh attack on the next corner. Now Poirot and Rosalie only ran the gauntlet of the shops–suave persuasive accents here .

“You visit my shop to-day, sir?” “You want that ivory crocodile, sir?” “You not been in my shop yet, sir? I show you very beautiful things.” They turned into the fifth shop and Rosalie handed over several rolls of films–the object of the walk.

Then they came out again and walked towards the river’s edge.

One of the Nile steamers was just mooring. Poirot and Rosalie looked interestedly at the passengers.

“Quite a lot, aren’t there?” commented Rosalie.

She turned her head as Tim Allerton came up and joined them. He was a little out of breath as though he had been walking fast.

They stood there for a moment or two and then Tim spoke: “An awful crowd as usual, I suppose,” he remarked disparagingly, indicating the disembarking passengers.

“They’re usually quite terrible,” agreed Rosalie.

All three wore the air of superiority assumed by people who are already in a place when studying new arrivals.

“Hallo!” said Tim, his voice suddenly excited. “I’m damned if that isn’t Linnet Ridgeway.” If the information left Poirot unmoved, it stirred Rosalie’s interest. She leaned forward and her sulkiness quite dropped from her as she asked: “Where? That one in white?” “Yes, there with the tall man. They’re coming ashore now. He’s the new husband, I suppose. Can’t remember her name now” “Doyle,” said Rosalie. “Simon Doyle. It was in all the newspapers. She’s simply rolling, isn’t she?” “Only about the richest girl in England,” said Tim cheerfully.

The three lookers-on were silent watching the passengers come ashore. Poirot gazed with interest at the subject of the remarks of his companions. He murmured: “She is beautiful.” “Some people have got everything,” said Rosalie bitterly.

There was a queer grudging expression on her face as she watched the other girl come up the gangplank.

Linnet Doyle was looking as perfectly turned out as if she was stepping on the centre of the stage in a Revue. She had something too of the assurance of a famous actress. She was used to being looked at, to being admired, to being the centre of the stage wherever she went.

She was aware of the keen glances bent upon her–and at the same time almost unaware of them, such tributes were part of her life.

She came ashore playing a r61e, even though she played it unconsciously. The rich, beautiful society bride on her honeymoon. She turned with a little smile and a light remark to the tall man by her side. He answered and the sound of his voice seemed to interest Hercule Poirot. His eyes lit up and he drew his brows together.

The couple passed close to him. He heard Simon Doyle say: “We’ll try and make time for it, darling. We can easily stay a week or two if you like it here.” His face was turned towards her, eager, adoring, a little humble.

Poirot’s eyes ran over him thoughtfully–the square shoulders, the bronzed face, the dark blue eyes, the rather childlike simplicity of the smile.