Burton-Cox. “Children always know everything. And she’d tell you. I’m sure she’d tell you.” “You’d better ask her yourself, I should think,” said Mrs.
Oliver.
“I don’t think I could really do that,” said Mrs. BurtonCox.
“I don’t think, you know, that Desmond would like it.
You know he’s rather–well, he’s rather touchy where Celia is concerned, and I really don’t think that–no–I’m sure she’d tell you.” “I really shouldn’t dream of asking her,” said Mrs. Oliver.
She made a pretence of looking at her watch, “Oh, dear,” she said, “what a long time we’ve been over this delightful lunch, I must run now. I have a very important appointment. Goodbye, Mrs.–er–Bedley-Cox, so sorry I can’t help you, but these things are rather delicate and–does it really make any difference anyway, from your point of view?” “Oh, I think it makes all the difference.” At that moment, a literary figure whom Mrs. Oliver knew well drifted past. Mrs. Oliver jumped up to catch her by the arm.
“Louise, my dear, how lovely to see you. I hadn’t noticed you were here.” “Oh, Ariadne, it’s a long time since I’ve seen you. You’ve grown a lot thinner, haven’t you?” “What nice things you always say to me,” said Mrs. Oliver, engaging her friend by the arm and retreating from the settee.
“I’m rushing away because I’ve got an appointment.” “I suppose you got tied up with that awful woman, didn’t you?” said her friend, looking over her shoulder at Mrs.
Burton-Cox.
“She was asking me the most extraordinary questions,” said Mrs. Oliver.
“Oh. Didn’t you know how to answer them?” “No. They weren’t any of my business anyway. I didn’t know anything about them. Anyway, I wouldn’t have wanted to answer them.” “Was it about anything interesting?” “I suppose,” said Mrs. Oliver, letting a new idea come into her head, “I suppose it might be interesting, only–” “She’s getting up to chase you,” said her friend. “Come along. I’ll see you get out and give you a lift to anywhere you want to go if you haven’t got your car here.” “I never take my car about in London, it’s so awful to park.” “I know it is. Absolutely deadly.” Mrs. Oliver made the proper good-byes. Thanks, words of greatly expressed pleasure, and presently was being driven round a London square.
“Eaton Terrace, isn’t it?” said the kindly friend.
“Yes,” said Mrs. Oliver, “but where I’ve got to go now is–I think it’s Whitefriars Mansions. I can’t quite remember the name of it, but I know where it is.” “Oh, flats. Rather modern ones. Very square and geometrical.”
“That’s right,” said Mrs. Oliver.
CHAPTER II First Mention Of Elephants
Having failed to find her friend Hercule Poirot at home, Mrs. Oliver had to resort to a telephone inquiry.
“Are you by any chance going to be at home this evening?” asked Mrs. Oliver.
She sat by her telephone, her fingers tapping rather nervously on the table.
“Would that be–?” “Ariadne Oliver,” said Mrs. Oliver, who was always surprised to find she had to give her name because she always expected all her friends to know her voice as soon as they heard it.
“Yes, I shall be at home all this evening. Does that mean that I may have the pleasure of a visit from you?” “It’s very nice of you to put it that way,” said Mrs. Oliver.
“I don’t know that it will be such a pleasure.” “It is always a pleasure to see you, chere madame.” “I don’t know,” said Mrs. Oliver. “I might be going to– well, bother you rather. Ask things. I want to know what you think about something.” “That I am always ready to tell anyone,” said Poirot.
“Something’s come up,” said Mrs. Oliver. “Something tiresome and I don’t know what to do about it.” “And so you will come and see me. I am flattered. Highly flattered.” “What time would suit you?” said Mrs. Oliver.
“Nine o’clock? We will drink coffee together, perhaps, unless you prefer a grenadine or a Sirop de Cassis. But no, you do not like that. I remember.” “George,” said Poirot to his invaluable manservant, “we are to receive tonight the pleasure of a visit from Mrs. Oliver.