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

‘On my request Miss Theresa Arundell showed me the brooch in question. At the same time she absolutely denied having been on the stairs at the time stated. At first I fancied someone else had borrowed her brooch, but when I looked at the brooch in the glass the truth leaped at me. Miss Lawson waking up had seen a dim figure with the initials T.A. flashing in the light. She had leapt to the conclusion it was Theresa.

‘But if in the glass she had seen the initials T.A.—then the real initials must have been A.T. since the glass naturally reversed the order.

‘Of course! Mrs Tanios’ mother was Arabella Arundell. Bella is only a contraction. A.T. stood for Arabella Tanios. There was nothing odd in Mrs Tanios possessing a similar type of brooch. It had been exclusive last Christmas but by the spring they were all the rage [611] all the rage – (разг.) последний писк моды , and I had already observed that Mrs Tanios copied her cousin Theresa’s hats and clothes as far as she was able with her limited means.

‘In my own mind, at any rate, my case was proved.

‘Now—what was I to do? Obtain a Home Office order for the exhumation of the body? That could doubtless be managed. I might prove that Miss Arundell had been poisoned with phosphorus though there was a little doubt about that. The body had been buried two months, and I understand that there have been cases of phosphorus poisoning where no lesions have been found and where the post mortem [612] post mortem – (лат.) после смерти appearances are very indecisive. Even then, could I connect Mrs Tanios with the purchase or possession of phosphorus? Very doubtful, since she had probably obtained it abroad.

‘At this juncture Mrs Tanios took a decisive action. She left her husband, throwing herself on the pity of Miss Lawson. She also definitely accused her husband of the murder.

‘Unless I acted I felt convinced that he would be her next victim. I took steps to isolate them one from the other on the pretext that it was for her safety. She could not very well contradict that. Really, it was his safety I had in mind. And then—and then—’ He paused—a long pause. His face had gone rather white.

‘But that was only a temporary measure. I had to make sure that the killer would kill no more. I had to assure the safety of the innocent.

‘So I wrote out my construction of the case and gave it to Mrs Tanios.’

There was a long silence.

Dr Tanios cried out:

‘Oh, my God, so that’s why she killed herself.’

Poirot said gently:

‘Was it not the best way? She thought so. There were, you see, the children to consider.’

Dr Tanios buried his face in his hands [613] to bury one’s face in one’s hands – закрыть лицо руками .

Poirot came forward and laid a hand on his shoulder.

‘It had to be. Believe me it was necessary. There would have been more deaths. First yours—then possibly, under certain circumstances, Miss Lawson’s. And so it goes on.’

He paused.

In a broken voice Tanios said:

‘She wanted me—to take a sleeping draught one night… There was something in her face—I threw it away. That was when I began to believe her mind was going…’

‘Think of it that way. It is indeed partly true. But not in the legal meaning of the term. She knew the meaning of her action…’

Dr Tanios said wistfully:

‘She was much too good for me—always.’

A strange epitaph on a self-confessed murderess!

There is very little more to tell.

Theresa married her doctor shortly afterwards. I know them fairly well now and I have learnt to appreciate Donaldson—his clarity of vision and the deep, underlying force and humanity of the man. His manner I may say is just as dry and precise as ever, Theresa often mimics him to his face. She is, I think, amazingly happy and absolutely wrapped up in her husband’s career. He is already making a big name for himself and is an authority on the functions of ductless glands [614] ductless gland – (мед.) железа внутренней секреции .

Miss Lawson, in an acute attack [615] acute attack – острый приступ of conscience, had to be restrained forcibly from denuding herself of every penny. A settlement agreeable to all parties was drawn up by Mr Purvis whereby Miss Arundell’s fortune was shared out between Miss Lawson, the two Arundells and the Tanios children.

Charles went through his share in a little over a year and is now, I believe, in British Columbia.

Just two incidents.

‘You’re a downy fellow, ain’t you?’ said Miss Peabody, stopping us as we emerged from the gate of Littlegreen House one day. ‘Managed to hush everything up! No exhumation. Everything done decently.’

‘There seems to be no doubt that Miss Arundell died of yellow atrophy of the liver,’ said Poirot gently.

‘That’s very satisfactory,’ said Miss Peabody. ‘Bella Tanios took an overdose of sleeping stuff, I hear.’

‘Yes, it was very sad.’

‘She was a miserable kind of woman—always wanting what she hadn’t got. People go a bit queer sometimes when they’re like that. Had a kitchenmaid once. Same thing. Plain girl. Felt it. Started writing anonymous letters. Queer kinks people get. Ah, well, I dare say it’s all for the best.’

‘One hopes so, madame. One hopes so.’

‘Well,’ said Miss Peabody, preparing to resume her walk, ‘I’ll say this for you. You’ve hushed things up nicely. Very nicely indeed.’ She walked on.

There was a plaintive ‘Wuff’ behind me.

I turned and opened the gate.

‘Come on, old man.’

Bob bounced through. There was a ball in his mouth.

‘You can’t take that for a walk.’

Bob sighed, turned and slowly ejected the ball inside the gate. He looked at it anxiously then passed through.

He looked up at me.

‘If you say so, master, I suppose it’s all right.’

I drew a long breath.

‘My word, Poirot, it’s good to have a dog again.’

‘The spoils of war [616] the spoils of war – военная добыча, трофеи ,’ said Poirot. ‘But I would remind you, my friend, that it was to me that Miss Lawson presented Bob, not to you.’

‘Possibly,’ I said. ‘But you’re not really any good with a dog, Poirot. You don’t understand dog psychology! Now Bob and I understand each other perfectly, don’t we?’

‘Woof,’ said Bob in energetic assent.

abate( v ) утихать

abet( v ) содействовать

abode( n ) место жительства

abominably( adv ) отвратительно

accomplice( n ) соучастник

accrue( v ) доставаться

acquit( v ) оправдывать, освобождать

acrimony( n ) язвительность

actuate( v ) побуждать

acutely( adv ) невероятно; резко

adornment( n ) украшение

adroitly( adv ) ловко

adversity( n ) несчастья

affected( adj ) показной

affix( v ) приложить (печать)