33 The Adventure of the Christmas - Agatha Christie by Agatha Christie

Author:Agatha Christie
Language: eng
Format: epub

"Ah vraiment,t" Gladys giggled again.

"Sweet on her straight away he was. Miss Lily is just like a lily, isn't she, sir? So tall and such a lovely shade of gold

hair."

"She should wear a green evening frock," mused Poirot. "There is a certain shade of green "

"She has one, sir," said-Gladys. "Of course, she can't wear it now, being in mourning, but she had it on the very night

Sir Reuben died."

"It should be a light green, not a dark green," said Poirot. "It is a light green, sir. If you wait a minute I'll show it to you. Miss Lily has just gone out with the dogs."

Poirot nodded. He knew that as well as Gladys did. In fact, it was only after seeing 230

Lily safely off the premises that he had gone in search of the housemaid. Gladys hurried away, and returned a few minutes

later with a green evening dress on a

hanger.

"Exquis.t" murmured Poirot, holding up hands of admiration. "Permit me to take it to the light a minute."

He took the dress from Gladys, turned his back on her and hurried to the window. He bent over it, then held it out

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Adventure Of The Christmas Pudding And Other Stories at arm's length.

"It is perfect," he declared. "Perfectly ravishing. A thousand thanks for showing it to me."

"Not at all, sir," said Gladys. "We all know that Frenchmen are interested in ladies' dresse§"

"You are too kind," murmured Poirot. He watched her hurry away again with the dress. Then he looked down at his two

hands and smiled. In the right hand was a

tiny pair of nail scissors, in the left was a

neatly clipped fragment of green chiffon.

"And now," he murmured, "to be heroic."

He returned to his own apartment and SUmmoned George. TAocp,6 231

"On the dressing-table, my good "The

George, you will perceive a good scarf miracle,"

pin."

"Yes,

sir."

"On the washstand is a solution of

carbolic. Immerse, I pray you, the point

of the pin in the carbolic."

George did as he was bid. He had long

ago ceased to wonder at the vagaries of his

master.

"I have done that, sir."

"Tr/s bien! Now approach. I tender to

you my first finger; insert the point of the

pin in it."

"Excuse me, sir, you want me to prick

you, sir?"

"But yes, you have guessed correctly.

You must draw blood, you understand,

but not too much."

George took hold of his master's finger.

Poirot shut his eyes and leaned back. The

valet stabbed at the finger with the scarf

pin, and Poirot uttered a shrill yell.

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Adventure Of The Christmas Pudding And Other Stories "Je vous remercie, George," he said.

"What you have done is ample."

Taking a small piece of green chiffon

from his pocket, he dabbed his finger with

it gingerly.

operation has succeeded to a

he remarked, gazing at the result. "You have no curiosity, George? Now, that is admirable!"

The valet had just taken a discreet look out of the window. "Excuse me, sir," he murmured, "a gentleman has driven up in a large car." "Ah! Ah!" said Poirot. He rose briskly to his feet. "The elusive Mr. Victor Astwell. I go down to make his

acquaintance."

Poirot was destined to hear Mr.

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