Agatha Christie: The A B C Murders / Убийство по алфавиту. Книга для чтения на английском языке

To James Watts

One of my most sympathetic readers

The A B C Murders © 1936

Agatha Christie Limited.

All rights reserved.

AGATHA CHRISTIE© POIROT and the Agatha Christie Signature are registered trade marks of Agatha Christie Limited in the UK and elsewhere.

© КАРО, 2019

In this narrative of mine I have departed from my usual practice of relating only those incidents and scenes at which I myself was present [2] I myself was present – я лично присутствовал . Certain chapters, therefore, were written in the third person.

Wish to assure my readers that I can vouch for the occurrences related in these chapters. If I have taken a certain poetic licence in describing the thoughts and feelings of various persons, it is because I believe I have set them down with a reasonable amount of accuracy. I may add that they have been “vetted” by my friend Hercule Poirot himself.

In conclusion, I will say that if I have described at too great length some of the secondary personal relationships which arose as a consequence of this strange series of crimes, it is because the human and personal element can never be ignored. Hercule Poirot once taught me in a very dramatic manner that romance can be a by-product of crime.

As to the solving of the ABC mystery, I can only say that in my opinion Poirot showed real genius in the way he tackled a problem entirely unlike any which had previously come his way.

It was in June of 1935 that I came home from my ranch [3] ranch (амер.) – ранчо ( скотоводческое хозяйство ) in South America for a stay of about six months. It had been a difficult time for us out there. Like everyone else, we had suffered from world depression [4] world depression = the Great Depression – Великая депрессия (мировой экономический кризис 1929–1939 гг.) . I had various affairs to see to in England that I felt could only be successful if a personal touch was introduced. My wife remained to manage the ranch.

I need hardly say that one of my first actions on reaching England was to look up my old friend, Hercule Poirot.

I found him installed in one of the newest type of service flats [5] service flat – квартира с гостиничным обслуживанием in London. I accused him (and he admitted the fact) of having chosen this particular building entirely on account of its strictly geometrical appearance and proportions.

‘But yes, my friend, it is of a most pleasing symmetry, do you not find it so?’

I said that I thought there could be too much squareness and, alluding to an old joke, I asked if in this super-modern hostelry they managed to induce hens to lay square eggs.

Poirot laughed heartily.

‘Ah, you remember that? Alas! no—science has not yet induced the hens to conform to modern tastes, they still lay eggs of different sizes and colours!’

I examined my old friend with an affectionate eye. He was looking wonderfully well—hardly a day older than when I had last seen him.

‘You’re looking in fine fettle [6] You’re looking in fine fettle – Вы прекрасно выглядите , Poirot,’ I said. ‘You’ve hardly aged at all. In fact, if it were possible, I should say that you had fewer grey hairs than when I saw you last.’

Poirot beamed on me.

‘And why is that not possible? It is quite true.’

‘Do you mean your hair is turning from grey to black instead of from black to grey?’

‘Precisely.’

‘But surely that’s a scientific impossibility!’

‘Not at all.’

‘But that’s very extraordinary. It seems against nature.’

‘As usual, Hastings, you have the beautiful and unsuspicious mind. Years do not change that in you! You perceive a fact and mention the solution of it in the same breath without noticing that you are doing so!’

I stared at him, puzzled.

Without a word he walked into his bedroom and returned with a bottle in his hand which he handed to me.

I took it, for the moment uncomprehending.

It bore the words:

Revivit. —To bring back the natural tone of the hair. Revivit is not a dye. In five shades, Ash, Chestnut, Titian, Brown, Black.

‘Poirot,’ I cried. ‘You have dyed your hair!’

‘Ah, the comprehension comes to you!’

‘So that’s why your hair looks so much blacker than it did last time I was back.’

‘Exactly.’

‘Dear me [7] Dear me – Боже мой ,’ I said, recovering from the shock. ‘I suppose next time I come home I shall find you wearing false moustaches—or are you doing so now?’

Poirot winced. His moustaches had always been his sensitive point. He was inordinately proud of them. My words touched him on the raw [8] to touch smb. on the raw – задеть за живое .

‘No, no, indeed, mon ami[9] mon ami (фр.) – мой друг . That day, I pray the good God, is still far off. The false moustache! Quelle horreur![10] Quelle horreur! (фр.) – Какой ужас! ‘

He tugged at them vigorously to assure me of their genuine character.

‘Well, they are very luxuriant still,’ I said.

‘N’est ce pas?[11] N’est ce pas? (фр.) – Не правда ли? Never, in the whole of London, have I seen a pair of moustaches to equal mine.’

A good job too, I thought privately. But I would not for the world have hurt Poirot’s feelings by saying so.

Instead I asked if he still practised his profession on occasion.

‘I know,’ I said, ‘that you actually retired years ago—’

‘C’est vrai.[12] C’est vrai. (фр.) – Это правда. To grow the vegetable marrows [13] vegetable marrow – кабачок; тыква ! And immediately a murder occurs—and I send the vegetable marrows to promenade themselves to the devil. And since then—I know very well what you will say—I am like the prima donna who makes positively the farewell performance! That farewell performance, it repeats itself an indefinite number of times!’

I laughed.

‘In truth, it has been very like that. Each time I say: this is the end. But no, something else arises! And I will admit it, my friend, the retirement I care for it not at all. If the little grey cells are not exercised, they grow the rust.’

‘I see,’ I said. ‘You exercise them in moderation.’ ‘Precisely. I pick and choose. For Hercule Poirot nowadays only the cream of crime.’

‘Has there been much cream about?’

‘Pas mal[14] Pas mal (фр.) – Порядочно . Not long ago I had a narrow escape [15] to have a narrow escape – чудом избежать чего-то .’