“What is it, Mademoiselle?” She had turned her head and was staring into the shadows.
“Some one standing over there. He’s gone now.”
Hercule Poirot looked round sharply.
The place seemed quite deserted.
“There seems no one here but outselves, Mademoiselle.” He got up.
“In any case I have said all I came to say. I wish you goodnight.”
Jacqueline got up too. She said almost pleadingly: “You do understand that I can’t do what you ask me to do?” Poirot shook his head.
“No–for you could do it! There is always a moment! Your friend Linnet–there was a moment too, in which she could have held her hand …. She let it pass by. And if one does that, then one is committed to the enterprise and there comes no second chance.” “No second chance . . .’ said Jacqueline de Bellefort.
She stood brooding for a moment, then she lifted her head defiantly.
“Good-night, M. Poirot.” He shook his head sadly and followed her up the path to the hotel.
CHAPTER 5
On the following morning Simon Doyle joined Hercule Poirot as the latter was leaving the hotel to walk down to the town.
“Good-morning, M. Poirot.” “Good-morning, M. Doyle.” “You going to the town? Mind if I stroll along with you?” “But certainly. I shall be delighted.” The two men walked side by side, passed out through the gateway and turned into the cool shade of the gardens. Then Simon removed his pipe from his mouth and said: “I understand, M. Poirot, that my wife had a talk with you last night?” “That is so.” Simon Doyle was frowning a little. He belonged to that type of men of action who find it difficult to put thoughts into words and who have trouble in expressing themselves clearly.
“I’m glad of one thing,” he said. “You’ve made her realise that we’re more or less powerless in the matter.” “There is clearly no legal redress,” agreed Poirot.
“Exactly. Linnet didn’t seem to understand that.” He gave a faint smile.
“Linnet’s been brought up to believe that every annoyance can automatically be referred to the police.” “It would be pleasant if such were the case,’ said Poirot.
There was a pause. Then Simon said suddenly, his face going very red as he spoke: “It’s–it’s infamous that she should be victimised like this! She’s done nothing!
If any one likes to say I behaved like a cad they’re welcome to say so! I suppose I did. But I won’t have the whole thing visited on Linnet. She had nothing whatever to do with it.” Poirot bowed his head gravely but said nothing.
“Did you—er have you–talked to JackieMiss de Bellefort?” “Yes, I have spoken with her.” “Did you get her to see sense?” “I’m afraid not.” Simon broke out irritably.
“Can’t she see what an ass she’s making of herself?. Doesn’t she realise that no decent woman would behave as she is doing? Hasn’t she got any pride or self-respect?” Poirot shrugged his shoulders.
“She has only a sense of—injury, shall we say?” he replied.
“Yes, but damn it all, man, decent girls don’t behave like this! I admit I was entirely to blame. I treated her damned badly and all that. I should quite understand her being thoroughly fed up with me and never wishing to see me again. But this following me round it’s–it’s indecent.t Making a show of herselfi What the devil does she hope to get out of it?” “Perhaps–revenge!’!
“Idiotic! I’d really understand better if she’d tried to do something melodramaticlike taking a pot shot at me.” “You think that would be more like her–yes?” “Frankly I do. She’s hot-blooded and she’s got an ungovernable temper. I shouldn’t be surprised at her doing anything while she was in a white-hot rage. But this spying business–” he shook his head.
“It is more subtleyes! It is intelligent!” Doyle stared at him.
“You don’t understand. It’s playing hell with Linnet’s nerves.” “And yours?” Simon looked at him with momentary surprise.
“Me? I’d like to wring the little devil’s neck.” “There is nothing, then, of the old feeling left?” “My dear M. Poirot–how can I put it? It’s like the moon when the sun comes out. You don’t know it’s there any more. When once I’d met Linnet–Jackie didn’t exist.” “Tiens, c’est dr$le fa!” muttered Poirot.