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

‘And then?’

‘Miss Arundell asked me if I had done what she had asked me to do, and if I had brought the new will with me for her to sign.

‘I said I had done so. I—er—’ he hesitated for a minute or two, then went on stiffly. ‘I may as well say that, as far as it was proper for me to do so, I remonstrated with Miss Arundell. I pointed out to her that this new will might be regarded as grossly unfair to her family who were, after all, her own flesh and blood.’

‘And her answer?’

‘She asked me if the money was or was not her own to do with as she liked. I replied that certainly that was the case. “Very well then,” she said. I reminded her that she had known this Miss Lawson a very short time, and I asked her if she was quite sure that the injustice she was doing her own family was legitimate. Her reply was, “My dear friend, I know perfectly what I am doing.”’

‘Her manner was excited, you say.’

‘I think I can definitely say that it was, but understand me, M. Poirot, she was in full possession of her faculties. She was in every sense of the word [458] in every sense of the word – во всех смыслах слова fully competent to manage her own affairs. Though my sympathies are entirely with Miss Arundell’s family, I should be obliged to maintain that in any court of law.’

‘That is quite understood. Proceed, I pray you.’

‘Miss Arundell read through her existing will. Then she stretched out her hand for the one I had had drawn up. I may say that I would have preferred to submit a draft first but she had impressed upon me that the will must be brought her ready to sign. That presented no difficulties as its provisions were so simple. She read it through, nodded her head and said she would sign it straightaway. I felt it my duty to enter one last protest. She heard me out patiently, but said that her mind was quite made up [459] to make up one’s mind – принять решение . I called in my clerk and he and the gardener acted as witnesses to her signature. The servants, of course, were ineligible owing to the fact that they were beneficiaries under the will.’

‘And afterwards, did she entrust the will to you for safe keeping?’

‘No, she placed it in a drawer of her desk, which drawer she locked.’

‘What was done with the original will? Did she destroy it?’

‘No, she locked it away with the other.’

‘After her death, where was the will found?’

‘In that same drawer. As executor I had her keys and went through her papers and business documents.’

‘Were both wills in the drawer?’

‘Yes, exactly as she had placed them there.’

‘Did you question her at all as to the motive for this rather surprising action?’

‘I did. But I got no satisfactory answer. She merely assured me that “she knew what she was doing.”’

‘Nevertheless you were surprised at the proceeding?’

‘Very surprised. Miss Arundell, I should say, had always shown herself to have a strong sense of family feeling.’

Poirot was silent a minute, then he asked:

‘You did not, I suppose, have any conversation with Miss Lawson on the subject?’

‘Certainly not. Such a proceeding would have been highly improper.’

Mr Purvis looked scandalized at the mere suggestion.

‘Did Miss Arundell say anything to indicate that Miss Lawson knew that a will was being drawn in her favour?’

‘On the contrary. [460] On the contrary. – Наоборот. I asked her if Miss Lawson was aware of what was being done, and Miss Arundell snapped out that she knew nothing about it.

‘It was advisable, I thought, that Miss Lawson should not be aware of what had happened. I endeavoured to hint as much and Miss Arundell seemed quite of my opinion.’

‘Just why did you stress that point, Mr Purvis?’

The old gentleman returned his glance with dignity.

‘Such things, in my opinion, are better undiscussed. Also it might have led to future disappointment.’

‘Ah,’ Poirot drew a long breath. ‘I take it that you thought it probable that Miss Arundell might change her mind in the near future? ’

The lawyer bowed his head.

‘That is so. I fancied that Miss Arundell had had some violent altercation with her family. I thought it probable that when she cooled down, she would repent of her rash decision.’

‘In which case she would have done—what?’

‘She would have given me instructions to prepare a new will.’

‘She might have taken the simpler course of merely destroying the will lately made, in which case the older will would have been good?’

‘That is a somewhat debatable point. All earlier wills, you understand, had been definitely revoked by the testator.’

‘But Miss Arundell would not have had the legal knowledge [461] legal knowledge – знание права (законов) to appreciate that point. She may have thought that by destroying the latter will, the earlier one would stand.’

‘It is quite possible.’

‘Actually, if she died intestate, her money would pass to her family?’

‘Yes. One half to Mrs Tanios, one half divisible between Charles and Theresa Arundell. But the fact remains, however, that she did not change her mind! She died with her decision unchanged.’

‘But that,’ said Poirot, ‘is where I come in.’

The lawyer looked at him inquiringly.

Poirot leaned forward.

‘Supposing,’ he said, ‘that Miss Arundell, on her deathbed, wished to destroy that will. Supposing that she believed that she had destroyed it—but that, in reality, she only destroyed the first will.’

Mr Purvis shook his head.

‘No, both wills were intact.’

‘Then supposing she destroyed a dummy will— under the impression that she was destroying the genuine document. She was very ill, remember, it would be easy to deceive her.’

‘You would have to bring evidence to that effect,’ said the lawyer sharply.

‘Oh! undoubtedly—undoubtedly…’

‘Is there—may I ask—is there any reason to believe something of that kind happened?’

Poirot drew back a little.

‘I should not like to commit myself [462] to commit oneself – принимать на себя обязательства at this stage—’

‘Naturally, naturally,’ said Mr Purvis, agreeing with a phrase that was familiar to him.

‘But may I say, strictly in confidence, that there are some curious features about this business!’

‘Really? You don’t say so [463] You don’t say so – Не может быть ?’

Mr Purvis rubbed his hands together with a kind of pleasurable anticipation.

‘What I wanted from you and what I have got,’ continued Poirot, ‘is your opinion that Miss Arundell would, sooner or later, have changed her mind and relented towards her family.’

‘That is only my personal opinion, of course,’ the lawyer pointed out.

‘My dear sir, I quite understand. You do not, I believe, act for Miss Lawson?’

‘I advised Miss Lawson to consult an independent solicitor,’ said Mr Purvis.

His tone was wooden.

Poirot shook hands with him, thanking him for his kindness and the information he had given us.

On our way from Harchester to Market Basing, a matter of some ten miles, we discussed the situation.

‘Have you any grounds [464] to have grounds – иметь основания at all, Poirot, for that suggestion you threw out?’