Twelve CELIA MEETS HERCULE POIROT
“Well, madame,” said Poirot, “and how did you fare with Sir Hugo Foster¹?”
“To begin with his name wasn’t Foster—it was Fothergill. Trust Julia to get a name wrong.
She’s always doing it.”
“So elephants are not always reliable in the names they remember?”
“Don’t talk of elephants—I’ve finished with elephants.”
“And your War Horse?”
“Quite an old pet—but useless as a source of information. Obsessed² by some people calledBarnet who did have a child killed in an accident in Malaya. But nothing to do with theRavenscrofts. I tell you I’ve finished with elephants—”
“Madame, you have been most persevering³, most noble.”
“Celia is coming along in about half an hour’s time. You wanted to meet her, didn’t you? I’vetold her that you are—well, helping⁴ me in this matter. Or would you rather she came to see you?”
“No,” said Poirot, “I think I should like her to come in the way you have arranged.”
“I don’t suppose she’ll stay very long. If we get rid of her in about an hour, that would be allright, just to think over things a bit, and then Mrs. Burton-Cox is coming.”
“Ah yes. That will be interesting. Yes, that will be very interesting.”
Mrs. Oliver sighed. “Oh dear, it’s a pity, though, isn’t it?” She said again, “We do have toomuch material, don’t we?”
“Yes,” said Poirot. “We do not know what we are looking for. All we know of still is, in allprobability, the double suicide⁵ of a married couple who lived quiet and happy lives together. Andwhat have we got to show for cause, for reason? We’ve gone forward and back to the right, to theleft, to the west, to the east.”
“Quite right,” said Mrs. Oliver. “Everywhere. We haven’t been to the North Pole yet,” sheadded.
“Nor to the South Pole,” said Poirot.
“So what is there, when it all comes to it?”
“Various things,” said Poirot. “I have made here a list. Do you want to read it?”

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