Агата Кристи - Dumb Witness / Безмолвный свидетель. Книга для чтения на английском языке

Poirot addressed himself to me with some slight irritation.

‘Control, I pray of you, your beautiful and upright nature, Hastings. I demand pardon for my friend, mademoiselle. He is, as you have perceived, honest. But he is also faithful. His loyalty to myself is absolute. In any case, let me emphasize this point’—he looked at her very hard—‘whatever we are about to do will be strictly within the law.’

She raised her eyebrows slightly.

‘The law,’ said Poirot thoughtfully, ‘has a lot of latitude.’

‘I see,’ she smiled faintly. ‘All right, we’ll let that be understood. Do you want to discuss your share of the booty—if there turns out to be any booty?’

‘That, also, can be understood. Some nice little pickings— that is all I ask?’

‘Done,’ said Theresa.

Poirot leant forward.

‘Now listen, mademoiselle, usually—in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred cases, shall we say, I am on the side of the law. The hundredth—well, the hundredth is different. For one thing, it is usually much more lucrative… But it has to be done very quietly, you understand—very, very quietly. My reputation, it must not suffer. I have to be careful.’

Theresa Arundell nodded.

‘And I must have all the facts of the case! I must have the truth! You comprehend that once one knows the truth it is an easier matter to know just what lies to tell!’

‘That seems eminently reasonable.’

‘Very well then. Now, on what date was this will made?’

‘On April 21st.’

‘And the previous will?’

‘Aunt Emily made a will five years ago.’

‘Its provisions being—?’

‘After a legacy to Ellen and one to a former cook, all her property was to be divided between the children of her brother Thomas and the children of her sister Arabella.’

‘Was this money left in trust [348] in trust – в руках или власти опекуна ?’

‘No, it was left to us absolutely.’

‘Now, be careful. Did you all know the provisions of this will?’

‘Oh, yes. Charles and I knew—and Bella knew too. Aunt Emily made no secret of it. In fact, if any of us asked for a loan she would usually say, “You’ll have all my money when I’m dead and gone. Be content with that fact.”’

‘Would she have refused a loan if there had been a case of illness or any dire necessity [349] dire necessity – жесткая необходимость ?’

‘No, I don’t think she would,’ said Theresa slowly.

‘But she considered you all had enough to live on?’

‘She considered so—yes.’

There was bitterness in that voice.

‘But you—did not?’

Theresa waited a minute or two before speaking. Then she said:

‘My father left us thirty thousand pounds each. The interest on that, safely invested, amounts to about twelve hundred a year. Income-tax takes another wedge off it. A nice little income on which one can manage very prettily. But I—’ her voice changed, her slim body straightened, her head went back—all that wonderful aliveness I had sensed in her came to the fore—‘but I want something better than that out of life! I want the best! The best food, the best clothes—something with line to it—beauty—not just suitable covering in the prevailing fashion. I want to live and enjoy—to go to the Mediterranean [350] the Mediterranean – Средиземное море and lie in the warm summer sea—to sit round a table and play with exciting wads of money—to give parties—wild, absurd, extravagant parties—I want everything that’s going in this rotten world—and I don’t want it some day—I want it now!’

Her voice was wonderfully exciting, warm, exhilarating, intoxicating.

Poirot was studying her intently.

‘And you have, I fancy, had it now?’

‘Yes, Hercule—I’ve had it!’

‘And how much of the thirty thousand is left?’

She laughed suddenly.

‘Two hundred and twenty-one pounds, fourteen and seven-pence. That’s the exact balance. So you see, little man [351] little man – человечек , you’ve got to be paid by results. No results—no fees.’

‘In that case,’ said Poirot in a matter of fact manner, ‘there will certainly be results.’

‘You’re a great little man, Hercule. I’m glad we got together.’

Poirot went on in a business-like way:

‘There are a few things that are actually necessary that I should know. Do you drug?’

‘No, never.’

‘Drink?’

‘Quite heavily—but not for the love of it. My crowd drinks and I drink with them, but I could give it up tomorrow.’

‘That is very satisfactory.’

She laughed.

‘I shan’t give the show away [352] to give the show away – проболтаться in my cups [353] in cups – спьяна , Hercule.’

Poirot proceeded:

‘Love affairs?’

‘Plenty in the past.’

‘And the present?’

‘Only Rex.’

‘That is Dr Donaldson?’

‘Yes.’

‘He seems, somehow, very alien from the life you mention.’

‘Oh, he is.’

‘And yet you care for him. Why, I wonder?’

‘Oh, what are reasons? Why did Juliet fall for [354] to fall for smb – влюбляться в к.-л. Romeo?’

‘Well for one thing, with all due deference to Shakespeare, he happened to be the first man she had seen.’

Theresa said slowly:

‘Rex wasn’t the first man I saw—not by a long way [355] not by a long way – далеко не .’ She added in a lower voice, ‘But I think—I feel—he’ll be the last man I’ll ever see.’

‘And he is a poor man, mademoiselle.’

She nodded.

‘And he, too, needs money?’

‘Desperately. Oh, not for the reasons I did. He doesn’t want luxury—or beauty—or excitement—or any of these things. He’d wear the same suit until it went into holes— and eat a congealed chop every day for lunch quite happily, and wash in a cracked tin bath. If he had money it would all go on test-tubes and a laboratory and all the rest of it. He’s ambitious. His profession means everything to him. It means more to him than—I do.’

‘He knew that you would come into money [356] to come into money – получать наследство when Miss Arundell died?’

‘I told him so. Oh! after we were engaged. He isn’t really marrying me for my money if that is what you are getting at.’

‘You are still engaged?’

‘Of course we are.’

Poirot did not reply. His silence seemed to disquiet her.

‘Of course we are,’ she repeated sharply. And then she added, ‘You—have you seen him?’

‘I saw him yesterday—at Market Basing.’

‘Why? What did you say to him?’

‘I said nothing. I only asked him for your brother’s address.’

‘Charles?’ Her voice was sharp again. ‘What did you want with Charles?’

‘Charles? Who wants Charles?’

It was a new voice—a delightful, man’s voice.

A bronze-faced young man with an agreeable grin strolled into the room.

‘Who is talking about me?’ he asked. ‘I heard my name in the hall, but I didn’t eavesdrop. They were very particular about eavesdropping at Borstal [357] Borstal – борстал (тип колоний для несовершеннолетних преступников в Англии) . Now then, Theresa my girl, what’s all this? Spill the beans. [358] Spill the beans. – Рассказывай. ’