《蓝色特快上的秘密-蓝色列车之谜-蓝色列车(英文版)》蓝色列车之谜-蓝色列车(英文版)-第26章

〃I　am　pressed　for　time；　Goby。　Got　anything　important　to　tell　me？〃　
Mr　Goby　coughed。　
〃The　movements　of　Mr　Kettering；　sir。　You　wished　them　reported　to　you。〃　
〃Yes　…　well？〃　
〃Mr　Kettering；　sir；　left　London　for　the　Riviera　yesterday　morning。〃　
〃What？〃　
Something　in　his　voice　must　have　startled　Mr　Goby。　That　worthy　gentleman　departed　from　his　usual　practice　of　never　looking　at　a　person　to　whom　he　was　talking；　and　stole　a　fleeting　glance　at　the　millionaire。　
〃What　train　did　he　go　on？〃　demanded　Van　Aldin。　
〃The　Blue　Train；　sir。〃　
Mr　Goby　coughed　again　and　spoke　to　the　clock　on　the　mantelpiece。　
〃Mademoiselle　Mirelle；　the　dancer　from　the　Parthenon；　went　by　the　same　train。〃
Chapter　14　
ADA　MASON"S　STORY
〃I　cannot　repeat　to　you　often　enough；　Monsieur；　our　horror；　our　consternation；　and　the　deep　sympathy　we　feel　for　you。〃　
Thus　M。　Carrege；　the　Juge　d"Instruction；　addressed　Van　Aldin。　M。　Caux；　the　missary；　made　sympathetic　noises　in　his　throat。　Van　Aldin　brushed　away　horror；　consternation　and　sympathy　with　an　abrupt　gesture。　The　scene　was　the　Examining　Magistrate"s　room　at　Nice。　Besides　M。　Carrege；　the　missary；　and　Van　Aldin；　there　was　a　further　person　in　the　room。　It　was　that　person　who　now　spoke。　
〃M。　Van　Aldin；〃　he　said；　〃desires　action　…　swift　action。〃　
〃Ah！〃　cried　the　missary；　〃I　have　not　yet　presented　you。　M。　Van　Aldin；　this　is　M。　Hercule　Poirot；　you　have　doubtless　heard　of　him。　Although　he　has　retired　from　his　profession　for　some　years　now；　his　name　is　still　a　household　word　as　one　of　the　greatest　living　detectives。〃　
〃Pleased　to　meet　you；　M。　Poirot；〃　said　Van　Aldin；　falling　back　mechanically　on　a　formula　that　he　had　discarded　some　years　ago。　〃You　have　retired　from　your　profession？〃　
〃That　is　so；　Monsieur。　Now　I　enjoy　the　world。〃　
The　little　man　made　a　grandiloquent　gesture。　
〃M。　Poirot　happened　to　be　travelling　on　the　Blue　Train；〃　explained　the　missary；　〃and　he　has　been　so　kind　as　to　assist　us　out　of　his　vast　experience。〃　
The　millionaire　looked　at　Poirot　keenly。　Then　he　said　unexpectedly：　
〃I　am　a　very　rich　man；　M。　Poirot。　It　is　usually　said　that　a　rich　man　labours　under　the　belief　that　he　can　buy　everything　and　everyone。　That　is　not　true。　I　am　a　big　man　in　my　way；　and　one　big　man　can　ask　a　favour　from　another　big　man。〃　
Poirot　nodded　a　quick　appreciation。　
〃That　is　very　well　said；　M。　Van　Aldin。　I　place　myself　entirely　at　your　service。〃　
〃Thank　you；〃　said　Van　Aldin。　〃I　can　only　say：　call　upon　me　at　any　time；　and　you　will　not　find　me　ungrateful。　And　now；　gentlemen；　to　business。〃　
〃I　propose；〃　said　M。　Carrege；　〃to　interrogate　the　maid；　Ada　Mason。　You　have　her　here；　I　understand？〃　
〃Yes；〃　said　Van　Aldin。　〃We　picked　her　up　in　Paris　in　passing　through。　She　was　very　upset　to　hear　of　her　mistress"s　death；　but　she　tells　her　story　coherently　enough。〃　
〃We　will　have　her　in；　then；〃　said　M。　Carrege。　
He　rang　the　bell　on　his　desk；　and　in　a　few　minutes　Ada　Mason　entered　the　room。　
She　was　very　neatly　dressed　in　black；　and　the　tip　of　her　nose　was　red。　She　had　exchanged　her　grey　travelling　gloves　for　a　pair　of　black　suede　ones。　She　cast　a　look　round　the　Examining　Magistrate"s　office　in　some　trepidation；　and　seemed　relieved　at　the　presence　of　her　mistress"s　father。　The　Examining　Magistrate　prided　himself　on　his　geniality　of　manner；　and　did　his　best　to　put　her　at　her　ease。　He　was　helped　in　this　by　Poirot；　who　acted　as　interpreter；　and　whose　friendly　manner　was　reassuring　to　the　Englishman。　
〃Your　name　is　Ada　Mason；　is　that　right？〃　
〃Ada　Beatrice　I　was　christened；　sir；〃　said　Mason　primly。　
〃Just　so。　And　we　can　understand；　Mason；　that　this　has　all　been　very　distressing。〃　
〃Oh；　indeed　it　has；　sir。　I　have　been　with　many　ladies　and　always　given　satisfaction；　I　hope；　and　I　never　dreamt　of　anything　of　this　kind　happening　in　any　situation　where　I　was。〃　
〃No；　no；〃　said　M。　Carrege。　
〃Naturally　I　have　read　of　such　things；　of　course；　in　the　Sunday　papers。　And　then　I　always　have　understood　that　those　foreign　trains　…〃　She　suddenly　checked　her　flow；　remembering　that　the　gentlemen　who　were　speaking　to　her　were　of　the　same　nationality　as　the　trains。　
〃Now　let　us　talk　this　affair　over；〃　said　M。　Carrege。　〃There　was；　I　understand；　no　question　of　your　staying　in　Paris　when　you　started　from　London？〃　
〃Oh　no；　sir。　We　were　to　go　straight　through　to　Nice。〃　
〃Have　you　ever　been　abroad　with　your　mistress　before？〃　
〃No；　sir。　I　had　only　been　with　her　two　months；　you　see。〃　
〃Did　she　seem　quite　as　usual　when　starting　on　this　journey？〃　
〃She　was　worried　like　and　a　bit　upset；　and　she　was　rather　irritable　and　difficult　to　please。〃　
M。　Carrege　nodded。　
〃Now　then；　Mason；　what　was　the　first　you　heard　of　your　stopping　in　Paris？〃　
〃It　was　at　the　place　they　call　the　Gare　de　Lyon；　sir。　My　mistress　was　thinking　of　getting　out　and　walking　up　and　down　the　platform。　She　was　just　going　out　into　the　corridor　when　she　gave　a　sudden　exclamation；　and　came　back　into　her　partment　with　a　gentleman。　She　shut　the　door　between　her　carriage　and　mine；　so　that　I　didn"t　see　or　hear　anything；　till　she　suddenly　opened　it　again　and　told　me　that　she　had　changed　her　plans。　She　gave　me　some　money　and　told　me　to　get　out　and　go　to　the　Ritz。　They　knew　her　well　there；　she　said；　and　would　give　me　a　room。　I　was　to　wait　there　until　I　heard　from　her；　she　would　wire　me　what　she　wanted　me　to　do。　I　had　just　time　to　get　my　things　together　and　jump　out　of　the　train　before　it　started　off。　It　was　a　rush。〃　
〃While　Mrs　Kettering　was　telling　you　this；　where　was　the　gentleman？〃　
〃He　was　standing　in　the　other　partment；　sir；　looking　out　of　the　window。〃　
〃Can　you　describe　him　to　us？〃　
〃Well；　you　see；　sir；　I　hardly　saw　him。　He　had　his　back　to　me　most　of　the　time。　He　was　a　tall　gentleman　and　dark；　that"s　all　I　can　say。　He　was　dressed　very　like　any　other　gentleman　in　a　dark　blue　overcoat　and　a　grey　hat。〃　
〃Was　he　one　of　the　passengers　on　the　train？〃　
〃I　don"t　think　so；　sir；　I　took　it　that　he　had　e　to　the　station　to　see　Mrs　Kettering　in　passing　through。　Of　course　he　might　have　been　one　of　the　passengers；　I　never　thought　of　that。〃　
Mason　seemed　a　little　flurried　by　the　suggestion。