Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1941-11-21
CHAPTER FIFTEEN

long, sensitive face of Roderick We'll
man.
Roddy's nerves were in pitiable
condition. His hands twitched, his
eyes were bloodshot, his voice was
husky and irritable. He said, looking
down at the card: "Of course, know
your name, M. Poirot. But I don't
see what DIR. Lord thinks you can do
in this matter! And, anyway, what
business is it of his? He attended
my aunt, but otherwise he's COM
plete stranger. Elinor and I had not
even met him until we went down
there this June. Surely it is Seddon's
business to attend to all this sort of
thing?"
Hercule Poirot said: Technically
that is correct"
Roddy went on unhappily: "Not
that Seddon gives me much conf
dence. He's so confoundedly gloomy"
''It is a habit, that, of lawyers"
"Still," said Roddy, cheering up a
little, "we've briefed Bulmer. He's
supposed to be pretty well at the top
of the tree, isn't he?"
Hercule Poirot said: "He has re-
putation for leading forlorn hopes"
Roddy WINGED palpably.
Poirot said: "It does not displease
you, 1 hope, that 1 should endeavor
to be of assistance to Miss Elinor
Carlisle?"
"No, no, of course not. But"
''But what can I do? 1t is that,
that you would ask?"
A quick smile flashed across Rod
dy's worried face-a smile so sudden
ly charming that Hercule Poirot un-
derstood that subtle attraction of the
man.
Roddy said apolegitically: "It
sounds LATHE rude, put like that.
But, really, of course, that is the
point. I won't beat about the bush.
What can you do, M. Poirot?"
Poirot said: "I can search for the
truth"
EYES," Roddy sounded a little
doubtful.
Poirot said: 81 might discover
facts that would be helpful to the ac-
cused."
Roddy sighed. eff you only could!"
Hercule Poirot went on: "It is my
earnest desire to be helpful. Will you
assist me by telling me just exactly
what you think of the whole busi-
ness?"
Rody got up and walked restlessly
up and down. "What can I say? The
whole things so absurd-so fantas-
tic! The mere idea of Elinor-Elinor,
whom I've known since she was a
Enthusiastically doing such a melo-
dramatic thing as poisoning some
one. It's quite laughable, of course!
But how on earth explain that to a
.-jury?"
Poirot asked Rody: "You consider
1T quite impossible that Miss Carlisle
should have done such thing?"
'Oh quite! That goes without say
ing! Elinor's an exquisite creature
beautifully poised and balanced-no
violence in her nature. She's intellec-
tual, sensitive and altogether devoid
of animal passions. But get twelve
fat-headed fools in a jury box, and
Lord knows what they can be made
to believe! After all, let's be reason
able: they're not there to Judge char
acter; they're there to sift evidence.
Facts-facts-facts! And the facts
are unfortunate!"
Hercule Poirot nodded thoughtful
ly. He said: "You are person, Mr..
Welman, of sensibility and intelli-
gence. The facts condemn Miss Car
isle. Your knowledge of her acquits
her. What, then, really happened?
What could have happened?"
Roddy spread out his hands in ex-
asperation. "That's the devil of it
all! I suppose the nurse couldn't have
done it,"
"She was never near the sandwich
es-oh, have made the inquiries
very minutely-and she could not
have poisoned the tea without poison
ing herself as well. I have made
quite sure of that. Moreover, why
should she wish to kill Mary Ger
rard?"
Roddy cried out: "Why should any
one wish to kill Mary Gerrard?"
"That," said Poirot, "seems to be
the unanswerable question in this
case. No one wished to kill Mary Ger.
rard." (He added in his own mind
Except Elinor Carlisle.") "There
f0ro kha OaYt ctnO 1OuicallU xuOulf