A note had been brought by special messenger. Poirot read it, and a gleam of excitement andinterest came into his eyes as he did so.
He dismissed the man with a few curt1 words and then turned to me.
'Pack a bag with all haste, my friend. We're going down to Sharpies.'
I started at the mention of the famous country place of Lord Alloway. Head of the newly formedMinistry of Defence, Lord Alloway was a prominent member of the Cabinet. As Sir Ralph Curtis,head of a great engineering firm, he had made his mark in the House of Commons, and he wasnow freely spoken of as the coming man, and the one most likely to be asked to form a ministryshould the turnouts as to Mr David MacAdam's health prove well founded.
A big Rolls-Royce car was waiting for us below, and as we glided3 off into the darkness, I pliedPoirot with questions.
'What on earth can they want us for at this time of night?' I demanded. It was past eleven.
Poirot shook his head. 'Something of the most urgent, without doubt.'
'I remember,' I said, 'that some years ago there was some rather ugly scandal about Ralph Curtis,as he then was - some jugglery4 with shares, I believe. In the end, he was completely exonerated5;but perhaps something of the kind has arisen again?'
'It would hardly be necessary for him to send for me in the middle of the night, my friend.'
I was forced to agree, and the remainder of the journey was passed in silence. Once out of London,the powerful car forged rapidly ahead, and we arrived at Sharples in a little under the hour.
A pontifical6 butler conducted us at once to a small study where Lord Alloway was awaiting us. Hesprang up to greet us - a tall,
spare man who seemed actually to radiate power and vitality7.
'M. Poirot, I am delighted to see you. It is the second time the Government has demanded yourservices. I remember only too well what you did for us during the war, when the Prime Mini-sterwas kidnapped in that astounding8 fashion. Your masterly deductions9 - and may I add, yourdiscretion? - saved the situ-ation.'
Poirot's eyes twinkled a little.
'Do I gather then, milor', that this is another case for - dis-cretion?'
'Most emphatically. Sir Harry10 and I - oh, let me introduce you - Admiral Sir Harry Weardale, ourFirst Sea Lord - M. Poirot and - let me see, Captain - '
'Hastings,' I supplied.
'I've often heard of you, M. Poirot,' said Sir Harry, shaking hands. 'This is a most unaccountablebusiness, and if you can solve it, we'll be extremely grateful to you.'
I liked the First Sea Lord immediately, a square, bluff11 sailor of the good old-fashioned type.
Poirot looked inquiringly at them both, and Alloway took up the tale.
'Of course, you understand that all this is in confidence, M.
Poirot. We have had a most serious loss. The plans of the new g type of submarine have beenstolen.'
'When was that?'
'Tonight - less than three hours ago. You can appreciate perhaps, M. Poirot,,.the magnitude of thedisaster. It is essential that the loss should not be made public. I will give you the facts as briefly12 aspossible. My guests over the week-end were the Admiral, here, his wife and son, and a MrsConrad, a lady well known in London society. The ladies retired13 to bed early - about ten o'clock;so did Mr Leonard Weardale. Sir Harry is down here partly for the purpose of discussing theconstruction of this new type of submarine with me. Accordingly, I asked Mr Fitzroy, mysecretary, to get out the plans from the safe in the corner there, and to arrange them ready for me,as well as various other documents that bore upon the subject in hand. While he was doing this,the
Admiral and I strolled up and down the terrace, smoking cigars and enjoying the warm June air.
We finished our smoke and our chat, and decided14 to get down to business. Just as we turned at thefar end of the terrace, I fancied I saw a shadow slip out of the french window here, cross theterrace, and disappear. I paid very little attention, however. I knew Fitzroy to be in this room, andit never entered my head that anything might be amiss. There, of course, I am to blame. Well, weretraced our steps along the terrace and entered this room by the window just as Fitzroy entered itfrom the hall.
' "Got everything out we are likely to need, Fitzroy?" I asked.
' "I think so, Lord Alloway. The papers are all on your desk," he answered. And then he wished usboth goodnight.
' "Just wait a minute," I said, going to the desk. "I may want something I haven't mentioned."'I looked quickly through the papers that were lying there.
' "You've forgotten the most important of the lot, Fitzroy," I said. "The actual plans of thesubmarine!"
' "The plans are right on top, Lord Alloway."' "Oh no, they're not," I said, turning over the papers.
' "But I put them there not a minute ago?' ' "Well, they're not here now," I said.
'Fitzroy advanced with a bewildered expression on his face.
The thing seemed incredible. We turned over the papers on the desk; we hunted through the safe;but at last we had to make up our minds to it'that the papers were gone - and gone within the shortspace of about three minutes while Fitzroy was absent from the room.'
'Why did he leave the room?' asked Poirot quickly.
'Just what I asked him,' exclaimed Sir Harry.
'It appears,' said Lord Alloway, 'that just when he had finished arranging the papers on my desk, hewas startled by hearing a woman scream. He dashed out into the hall. On the stairs he discoveredMrs Conrad's French maid. The girl looked very white and upset, and declared that she had seen aghost - a tall figure dressed all in white that moved without a sound. Fitzroy laughed at her fearsand told her, in more or less polite language, not to be a fool. Then he returned to this room just aswe entered from the window.' 'It all seems very clear,' said Poirot thoughtfully. 'The only questionis, was the maid an accomplice15? Did she scream by arrangement with her confederate lurkingoutside, or was he merely waiting there in the hope of an opportunity presenting itself? It was aman, I suppose - not a woman you saw?' 'I can't tell you, M. Poirot. It was just a - shadow.' TheAdmiral gave such a peculiar16 snort that it could not fail to attract attention.
'M. l'Amiral has something to say, I think,' said Poirot quietly, with a slight smile. 'You saw thisshadow, Sir Harry?' 'No, I didn't,' returned the other. 'And neither did Alloway.
The branch of a tree flapped, or something, and then afterwards, when we discovered the theft, heleaped to the conclusion that he had seen someone pass across the terrace. His imagination playeda trick on him; that's all.' 'I am not usually credited with having much imagination,' said LordAlloway with a slight smile.
'Nonsense, we've all got imagination. We can all work ourselves up to believe that we've seenmore than we have. I've had a lifetime of experience at sea, and I'll back my eyes against those ofany landsman. I was looking right down the terrace, and I'd have seen the same if there wasanything to see.' He was quite excited over the matter. Poirot rose and stepped quickly to thewindow.
'You permit?' he asked. 'We must settle this point if possible.' He went out upon the terrace, andwe followed him. He had taken an electric torch from his pocket, and was playing the light alongthe edge of the grass that bordered the terrace.
'Where did he cross the terrace, milor'?' he asked.
'About opposite the window, I should say.' Poirot continued to play the torch for some minuteslonger, walking the entire length of the terrace and back. Then he shut it off and straightenedhimself up.
'Sir Harry is right - and you are wrong, milor',' he said quietly.
'It rained heavily earlier this evening. Anyone who passed overthat grass could not avoid leaving footmarks. But there are none none at all.' His eyes went fromone man's face to the other's. Lord Alloway looked bewildered and unconvinced; the Admiralexpressed a noisy gratification.
'Knew I couldn't be wrong,' he declared. 'Trust my eyes anywhere.' He was such a picture of anhonest old sea-dog that I could not help smiling.
'So that brings us to the people in the house,' said Poirot smoothly17. 'Let us come inside again.
Now, milor', while Mr Fitzroy was speaking to the maid on the stairs, could anyone have seizedthe opportunity to enter the study from the hall?' Lord Alloway shook his head.
'Quite impossible - they would have had to pass him in order to do so.' 'And Mr Fitzroy himself -you are sure of him, eh?' Lord Alloway flushed.
'Absolutely, M. Poirot. I will answer confidently for my secretary. It is quite impossible that heshould be concerned in the matter in any way.' 'Everything seems to be impossible,' remarkedPoirot rather drily. 'Possibly the plans attached to themselves a little pair of wings, and flew away -comme fa!' He blew his lips out like a comical cherub18.
'The whole thing is impossible,' declared Lord Alloway impatiently. 'But I beg, M. Poirot, that youwill not dream of suspecting Fitzroy. Consider for one moment - had he wished to take the plans,what could have been easier for him than to take a tracing of them without going to the trouble ofstealing them?' 'There, milor',' said Poirot with approval, 'you make a remark &n juste - I see thatyou have a mind orderly and methodical. L'Angleterre is happy in possessing you.' Lord Allowaylooked rather embarrassed by this sudden burst of praise. Poirot returned to the matter in hand.
'The room in which you had been sitting all the evening - ' 'The drawing-room? Yes?'
'That also has a window on the terrace, since I remember your saying you went out that way.
Would it not be possible for someone to come out by the drawing-room window and in by this onewhile Mr Fitzroy was out of the room, and return the same way?' 'But we'd have seen them,'
objected the Admiral.
'Not if you had your backs turned, walking the other way.'
'Fitzroy was only out of the room a few minutes, the time it would take us to walk to the end andback.'
'No matter - it is a possibility - in fact, the only one as things stand.'
'But there was no one in the drawing-room when we went out,' said the Admiral.
'They may have come there afterwards.'
'You mean,' said Lord Alloway slowly, 'that when Fitzroy heard the maid scream and went out,someone was already con-cealed in the drawing-room, that they darted19 in and out through thewindows, and only left the drawing-room when Fitzroy had returned to this room?'
'The methodical mind again,' said Poirot, bowing.
'You express the matter perfectly20.' 'One of the servants, perhaps?'
'Or a guest. It was Mrs Conrad's maid who screamed. What exactly can you tell me of MrsConrad?'
Lord Alloway considered for a minute.
'I told you that she is a lady well known in society. That is true in the sense that she gives largeparties, and goes everywhere.
But very little is known as to where she really comes from, and what her past life has been. She isa lady who frequents diplomatic and Foreign Office circles as much as possible. The SecretService is inclined to ask - why?'
'I see,' said Poirot. 'And she was asked here this week-end - ' 'So that - shall we say? - we mightobserve her at close quarter.'
'Parfaitemenfl It is possible that she has turned the tables on you rather neatly21.'
Lord Alloway looked discomfited22, and Poirot continued: 'Tell me, milor', was any reference madein her hearing to the subjects you and the Admiral were going to discuss together?' that grass couldnot avoid leaving footmarks. But there are none none at all.' His eyes went from one man's face tothe other's. Lord Alloway looked bewildered and unconvinced; the Admiral expressed a noisygratification.
'Knew I couldn't be wrong,' he declared. 'Trust my eyes anywhere.' He was such a picture of anhonest old sea-dog that I could not help smiling.
'So that brings us to the people in the house,' said Poirot smoothly. 'Let us come inside again.
Now, milor', while Mr Fitzroy was speaking to the maid on the stairs, could anyone have seizedthe opportunity to enter the study from the hall?' Lord Alloway shook his head.
'Quite impossible - they would have had to pass him in order to do so.' 'And Mr Fitzroy himself -you are sure of him, eh?' Lord Alloway flushed.
'Absolutely, M. Poirot. I will answer confidently for my secretary. It is quite impossible that heshould be concerned in the matter in any way.' 'Everything seems to be impossible,' remarkedPoirot rather drily. 'Possibly the plans attached to themselves a little pair of wings, and flew away -comme la!' He blew his lips out like a comical cherub.
'The whole thing is impossible,' declared Lord Alloway impatiently. 'But I beg, M. Poirot, that youwill not dream of suspecting Fitzroy. Consider for one moment - had he wished to take the plans,what could have been easier for him than to take a tracing of them without going to the trouble ofstealing them?' 'There, milor',' said Poirot with approval, 'you make a remark bn juste - I see thatyou have a mind orderly and methodical. L',dngleterre is happy in possessing you.' Lord Allowaylooked rather embarrassed by this sudden burst of praise. Poirot returned to the matter in hand.
'The room in which you had been sitting all the evening - ' 'The drawing-room? Yes?'
'That also has a window on the terrace, since I remember your aying you went out that way.
Would it not be possible for someone to come out by the drawing-room window and irt by thisone while Mr Fitzroy was out of the room, and return the same way?' 'But we'd have seen them,'
objected the Admiral.
'Not if you had your backs turned, walking the other way.' 'Fitzroy was only out of the room a fewminutes, the time it would take us to walk to the end and back.' 'No matter - it is a possibility - infact, the only one as thing stand.' 'But there was no one in the drawing-room when we went out,'
said the Admiral.
'They may have come there afterwards.' 'You mean,' said Lord Alloway slowly, 'that when Fitzroyheard the maid scream and went out, someone was already concealed23 in the drawing-room, thatthey darted in and out through the windows, and only left the drawing-room when Fitzroy hadreturned to this room?' 'The methodical mind again,' said Poirot, bowing.
'You express the matter perfectly.' 'One of the servants, perhaps?' 'Or a guest. It was Mrs Conrad'smaid who screamed. What exactly can you tell me of Mrs Conrad?' Lord Alloway considered for aminute.
'I told you that she is a lady well known in society. Thst is true in the sense that she gives largeparties, and goes everywhere.
But very little is known as to where she really comes from, and what her past life has been. She isa lady who frequents diplomatic and Foreign Oce circles as much as possible. The Secret Serviceis inclined to ask - why?' 'I see,' said Poirot. 'And she was asked here this week-end - ' '$o that -shall we say? - we might observe her at close quarters.' 'ParfaitemenH It is possible that she hasturned the tables on you rathe neatly.' Lord Alloway looked discomfited, and Poirot continued:
'Tell me, tailor', was any reference made in her hearing to the subjects you and the Admiral weregoing to discuss together?'
'Yes,' admitted the other. 'Sir Harry said: "And now for our submarinel To workl" or something ofthat sort. The others had left the room, but she had come back for a book.'
'I see,' said Poirot thoughtfully. 'Milor', it is very late - but this is an urgent affair. I would like toquestion the members of this house-party at once if it is possible.'
'It can be managed, of course,' said Lord Ailoway. 'The awk-ward thing is, we don't want to let itget about more than can be helped. Of course, Lady Juliet Weardale and young Leonard are allright - but Mrs Conrad, if she is not guilty, is rather a different proposition. Perhaps you could juststate that an important paper is missing, without specifying24 what it is, or going into any of thecircumstances of the disappearance25?'
'Exactly what I was about to propose myself,' said Poirot, beaming. 'In fact, in all three cases.
Monsieur the Admiral will pardon me, but even the best of wives - '
'No offence,' said Sir Harry. 'All women talk, bless 'em! I wish Juliet would talk a little more andplay bridge a little less. But women are like that nowadays, never happy unless they're dancing orgambling. I'll get Juliet and Leonard up, shall I, Ailoway?'
'Thank you. I'll call the French maid. M. Poirot will want to see her, and she can rouse hermistress. I'll attend to it now. In the meantime, I'll send Fitzroy along.'
Mr Fitzroy was a pale, thin young man with pince-nez and a frigid26 expression. His statement waspractically word for word what Lord Alloway had already told us.
'What is your own theory, Mr Fitzroy?'
Mr Fitzroy shrugged27 his shoulders.
'Undoubtedly28 someone who knew the hang of things was waiting his chance outside. He could seewhat went on through the window, and he slipped in when I left the room. It's a pity Lord Ailowaydidn't give chase then and there when he saw the fellow leave.'
Poirot did not undeceive him. Instead he asked: 'Do you believe the story of the French maid - thatshe had seen a ghost?'
'Well, hardly, M. Poirotl'
'I mean - that she really thought so?' 'Oh, as to that, I can't say. She certainly seemed rather upset.
She had her hands to her head.' 'Ahal' cried Poirot with the air of one who has made a discovery.
'Is that so indeed - and she was without doubt a pretty girl?' 'I didn't notice particularly,' said MrFitzroy in a repressive voice.
'You did not see her mistress, I suppose?' 'As a matter of fact, I did. She was in the gallery at thetop o! the steps and was calling her - "Loniel" Then she saw me - and of course retired.' 'Upstairs,'
said Poirot, frowning.
'Of course, I realize that all this is very unpleasant for me - or rather would have been, if LordAlloway had not chanced to see the man actually leaving. In any case, I should be glad if youwould make a point of searching my room - and myself.' 'You really wish that?' 'Certainly I do.'
What Poirot would have replied I do not know, but at that moment Lord Alloway reappeared andinformed us that the two ladies and Mr Leonard Weardale were in the drawing- room.
The women were in becoming negligees. Mrs Conrad wa a beautiful woman of thirty-five, withgolden hair and a slight tendency to embonpoint. Lady Juliet Weardale must have been forty, talland dark, very thin, still beautiful, with exquisitehand and feet, and a resfiess, haggard manner.
Her son was rather an effeminate-looking young man, as great a contrast to his bluff, hearty29 fatheras could well be imagined.
Poirot gave forth30 the LITTLE rigmarole we had agreed upon, and then explained that he wasanxious to know if anyone had heard or seen anything that night which might assist us.
Turning to Mrs Conrad first, he asked her if she would be o kind as to inform him exactly what hermovement had been.
'Let me see... I went upstairs. I rang for my maid. Then, a she did not put in an appearance, I cameout and called her. I could hear her talking on the stairs. After she had brushed my hair, I sent heraway - she was in a very curious nervous state..
I read awhile and then went to bed.'
'And you, Lady Juliet?'
'I went straight upstairs and to bed. I was very tired.'
'What about your book, dear?' asked Mrs Conrad with a swe smile.
'My book?' Lady Juliet flushed.
'Yes, you know, when I sent Ldonie away, you were coming up the stairs. You had been down tothe drawing-room for a books you said.'
'Oh yes, I did go down. I - I forgot.'
Lady Juliet clasped her hands nervously31 together.
'Did you hear Mrs Conrad's maid scream, milady?' 'No - no, I didn't.'
'How curious - because you must have been in the drawing-room at the time.'
'I heard nothing,' said Lady Juliet in a firmer voice.
Poirot turned to young Leonard.
'Monsieur?'
'Nothing doing. I went straight upstairs and turned in.' Poirot stroked his chin.
'Alas32, I fear there is nothing to help me here. Mesdames and monsieur, I regret - I regret infinitelyto have deranged33 you from your slumbers34 for so little. Accept my apologies, I pray of you.'
Gesticulating and apologizing, he marshalled them out. He returned with the French maid, apretty, impudent-looking girl Alloway and Weardale had gone out with the ladies.
'Now, mademoiselle,' said Poirot in a brisk tone, 'let us have the truth. Recount to me no histories.
Why did you scream on stairs?'
'Ah, monsieur, I saw a tall figure - all in white - '
Poirot arrested her with an energetic shake of his forefinger35.
'Did I not say, recount to me no histories? I will make a guess. He kissed you, did he not? M.
Leonard Weardale, I mean?'
'Eh b/n, mom'/eur, and after all, what is a kiss?'
'Under the circumstances, it is most natural,' replied Poiro gallantly36. 'I myself, or Hastings here -but tell me just what occurred.' 'He came up behind me, and caught me. I was startled, and Iscreamed. If I had known, I would not have screamed - but he came upon me like a cat. Thencame M./e secrtaire. M. Leonard flew up the stairs. And what could I say? Especially to a jeunehomme comme fa - tellement comme il faut? Ma foi, I invent a ghost.' 'And all is explained,' criedPoirot genially37.'You then mounted to the chamber38 of Madame your mistress. Which is her room,by the way?' 'It is at the end, monsieur. That way.' 'Directly over the study, then. B/ eh,mademoiselle, I will detain you no longer. And la prochainefois, do not scream.' Handing her out,he came back to me with a smile.
'An interesting case, is it not, Hastings? I begin to have a few little ideas. Et vous?' 'What wasLeonard Weardale doing on the stairs? I don't like that young man, Poirot. He's a thorough youngrake, I should say.' 'I agree with you, mon am?' 'Fitzroy seems an honest fellow.' 'Lord Alloway iscertainly insistent39 on that point.' 'And yet there is something in his manner - ' 'That is almost toogood to be true? I felt it myself. On the other hand, our friend Mrs Conrad is certainly not good atall.' 'And her room is over the study,' I said musingly40, and keeping a sharp eye on Poirot.
He shook his head with a slight smile.
'No, mort ami, I cannot bring myself seriously to believe that that immaculate lady swarmed41 downthe chimney, or let herself down from the balcony.' As he spoke2, the door opened, and to my greatsurprise, Lady Juliet Weardale flitted in.
'M. Poirot,' she said somewhat breathlessly, 'can I speak to you alone?' 'Milady, Captain Hastingsis as my other self. You can speak before him as though he were a thing of no account, not there atall. Be seated, I pray you.'
She sat down, still keeping her eyes fixed42 on Poirot.
'What I have to say is - rather difficult. You are in charge of this case. If the - papers were to bereturned, would that end the matter? I mean, could it be done without questions being asked?'
Poirot stared hard at her.
'Let me understand you, madame. They are to be placed in my hands - is that right? And I am toreturn them to Lord Alloway on the condition that he asks no questions as to where I got them?'
She bowed her head. 'That is what I mean. But I must be sure there will be no - publicity43.'
'I do not think Lord Alloway is particularly anxious for publicity,' said Poirot grimly.
'You accept then?' she cried eagerly in response.
'A little moment, milady. It depends on how soon you can place those papers in my hands.'
'Almost immediately.'
Poirot glanced up at the clock.
'How soon, exactly?'
'Say - ten minutes,' she whispered.
'I accept, milady.'
She hurried from the room. I pursed my mouth up for a whistle.
'Can you sum up the situation for me, Hastings?' 'Bridge,' I replied succinctly44.
'Ah, you remember the careless words of Monsieur the Admirall What a memoryl I felicitate you,Hastings.'
We said no more, for Lord Alloway came in, and looked inquiringly at Poirot.
'Have you any further ideas, M. Poirot? I am afraid the answer to your questions have been ratherdisappointing.'
'Not at all, milor'. They have been quite sufficiently45 illuminat-ing.
It will be unnecessary for me to stay here any longer, and o, with your permission, I will return atonce to London.'
Lord Alloway seemed dumbfounded.
'But - but what have you discovered? Do you know who took the plans?'
'Yes, milor', I do. Tell me - in the case of the papers being returned to you anonymously46, youwould prosecute47 no further inquiry48?' Lord Alloway stared at him.
'Do you mean on payment of a sum of money?' 'No, milor', returned unconditionally49.' 'Of course,the recovery of the plans is the great thing,' said Lord Alloway slowly. He still looked puzzled anduncomprehending.
'Then I should seriously recommend you to adopt that course.
Only you, the Admiral and your secretary know of the loss. Only they need know of therestitution. And you may count on me to support you in every way - lay the mystery on myshoulders.
You asked me to restore the papers - I have done so. You know no more.' He rose and held out hishand. 'Milor', I am glad to have met you. I have faith in you - and your devotion to England.
You will guide her destinies with a strong, sure hand.' 'M. Poirot - I swear to you that I will do mybest. It may be a fauk, or it may be a virtue50 - but I believe in myself.' 'So does every great man.
Me, I am the same!' said Poirot grandiloquently51.
The car came round to the door in a few minutes, and Lord Alloway bade us farewell on the stepswith renewed cordiality.
'That is a great man, Hastings,' said Poirot as we drove off.
'He has brains, resource, power. He is the strong man that England needs to guide her throughthese difficult days of reconstruction52.' 'I'm quite ready to agree with all you say, Poirot - but whatabout Lady Juliet? Ishe to return the papers straight to Alloway?
What will she think when she finds you have gone off without a word?' 'Hastings, I will ask you alittle question. Why, when she was talking with me, did she not hand me the plans then and there?'
'She hadn't got them with her.' 'Perfectly. How long would it take her to fetch them from herroom? Or from any hiding-place in the house? You need not answer. I will tell you. Probablyabout two minutes and a haiti
Yet she asks for ten minutes. Why? Clearly she has to obtain them from some other person, and toreason or argue with that person before they give them up. Now, what person could that be? NotMrs Conrad, clearly, but a member of her own family, her husband or son. Which is it likely tobe? Leonard Weardale said he went straight to bed. We know that to be untrue. Supposing hismother went to his room and found it empty; supposing she came down filled with a namelessdread - he is no beauty that son of hers[ She does not find him, but later she hears him deny that heever left his room. She leaps to the conclusion that he is the thief.
Hence her interview with me.
'But, mon ami, we know sometling that Lady Juliet does not.
We know that her son could not have been in the study, because he was on the stairs, making loveto the pretty French maid.
Although she does not know it, Leonard Weardale has an alibi53.' 'Well, then, who did steal thepapers? We seem to have eliminated everybody - Lady Juliet, her son, Mrs Conrad, the Frenchmaid ' 'Exactly. Use your little grey cells, my friend. The solution stares you in the face.' I shookmy head blankly.
'But yes! If you would only persevere54! See, then, Fitzroy goes out of the study; he leaves thepapers on the desk. A few minutes later Lord Alloway enters the room, goes to the desk, and thepapers are gone. Only two things are possible: either Fitzroy did not leave the papers on the desk,but put them in his pocket - and that is not reasonable, because, as Alloway pointed55 out, he couldhave taken a tracing at his own convenience any time - or else the papers were still on the deskwhen Lord Alloway went to it - in which case they went into his pocket.' 'Lord Alloway the thief,'
I said, dumbfounded. 'But why?
Why?' 'Did you not tell me of some scandal in the past? He was exonerated, you said. Butsuppose, after all, it had been true? In English public life there must be no scandal. If this wereraked up and proved against him now - goodbye to his political career.
We will suppose that he was being blackmailed56, and the price asked was the submarine plans.'
'But the man's a black traitorl' I cried.
'Oh no, he is not. He is clever and resourceful. Supposing, my friend, that he copied those plans,making - for he is a clever engineer - a slight alteration57 in each part which will render them quiteimpracticable. He hands the faked plans to the enemy's agent - Mrs Conrad, I fancy; but in orderthat no suspicion of their genuineness may arise, the plans must seem to be stolen.
He does his best to throw no suspicion on anyone in the house, by pretending to see a man leavingthe window. But there he ran up against the obstinacy58 of the Admiral. So his next anxiety is thatno suspicion shall fall on Fitzroy.'
'This is all guesswork on your part, Poirot,' I objected.
'It is psychology59, mon ami. A man who had handed over the real plans would not beoverscrupulous as to who was likely to fall under suspicion. And why was he so anxious that nodetails of the robbery should be given to Mrs Conrad? Because he had handed over the faked plansearlier in the evening, and did not want her to know that the theft could only have taken placelater.' 'I wonder if you are right,' I said.
'Of course, I am right. I spoke to Alloway as one great man to another - and he understoodperfectly. You will see.'
One thing is quite certain. On the day when Lord Alloway became Prime Minister, a cheque and asigned photograph arrived; on the photograph were the words: ' To my discreet60 friend, HerculePoirot-from Alhnoay.'
I believe that the Z type of submarine is causing great exultation61 in naval62 circles. They say it willrevolutionize modern naval warfare63. I have heard that a certain foreign power essayed to constructsomething of the same kind and the result was a dismal64 failure. But I still consider that Poirot wasguessing. He will do it once too often one of these days.
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curt
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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jugglery
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| n.杂耍，把戏 | |
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exonerated
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| v.使免罪，免除( exonerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pontifical
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| adj.自以为是的，武断的 | |
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vitality
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| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
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astounding
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| adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
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deductions
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| 扣除( deduction的名词复数 )； 结论； 扣除的量； 推演 | |
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harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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accomplice
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| n.从犯，帮凶，同谋 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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cherub
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| n.小天使，胖娃娃 | |
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darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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discomfited
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| v.使为难( discomfit的过去式和过去分词)；使狼狈；使挫折；挫败 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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specifying
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| v.指定( specify的现在分词 )；详述；提出…的条件；使具有特性 | |
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disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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frigid
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| adj.寒冷的，凛冽的；冷淡的；拘禁的 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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deranged
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| adj.疯狂的 | |
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slumbers
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| 睡眠，安眠( slumber的名词复数 ) | |
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forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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genially
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| adv.亲切地，和蔼地；快活地 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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insistent
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| adj.迫切的，坚持的 | |
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musingly
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| adv.沉思地，冥想地 | |
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swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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succinctly
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| adv.简洁地；简洁地，简便地 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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anonymously
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| ad.用匿名的方式 | |
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prosecute
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| vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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unconditionally
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| adv.无条件地 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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grandiloquently
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reconstruction
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| n.重建，再现，复原 | |
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alibi
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| n.某人当时不在犯罪现场的申辩或证明；借口 | |
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persevere
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| v.坚持，坚忍，不屈不挠 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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blackmailed
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| 胁迫，尤指以透露他人不体面行为相威胁以勒索钱财( blackmail的过去式 ) | |
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alteration
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| n.变更，改变；蚀变 | |
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obstinacy
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| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
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psychology
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| n.心理，心理学，心理状态 | |
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discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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