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Chapter IV. Poirot Investigates
Thisnextlittlefact—no!Ah,thatiscurious!Thereissomethingmissing—alinkinthechainthatisnotthere.Weexamine.Wesearch.Andthatlittlecuriousfact,thatpossiblypaltrylittledetailthatwillnottally,weputithere!”Hemadeanextravagantgesturewithhishand.“Itissignificant!Itistremendous!”
“Y—es——”
“Ah!”PoirotshookhisforefingersofiercelyatmethatIquailedbeforeit.“Beware!Periltothedetectivewhosays:‘Itissosmall—itdoesnotmatter.Itwillnotagree.Iwillforgetit.’Thatwayliesconfusion!Everythingmatters.”
“Iknow.Youalwaystoldmethat.That’swhyIhavegoneintoallthedetailsofthisthingwhethertheyseemedtomerelevantornot.”
“AndIampleasedwithyou.Youhaveagoodmemory,andyouhavegivenmethefactsfaithfully.Oftheorderinwhichyoupresentthem,Isaynothing—truly,itisdeplorable!ButImakeallowances—youareupset.TothatIattributethecircumstancethatyouhaveomittedonefactofparamountimportance.”
“Whatisthat?”Iasked.
“YouhavenottoldmeifMrs.Inglethorpatewelllastnight.”
Istaredathim.Surelythewarhadaffectedthelittleman’sbrain.Hewascarefullyengagedinbrushinghiscoatbeforeputtingiton,andseemedwhollyengrossedinthetask.
“Idon’tremember,”Isaid.“And,anyway,Idon’tsee——”
“Youdonotsee?Butitisofthefirstimportance.”
“Ican’tseewhy,”Isaid,rathernettled.“AsfarasIcanremember,shedidn’teatmuch.
