Загадочное происшествие в Стайлзе

           “Foot-marks?Butwhatanidea!Therehasalreadybeenpracticallyanarmyintheroom!Whatfoot-marksarewelikelytofind?No,comehereandaidmeinmysearch.IwillputdownmylittlecaseuntilIneedit.”

           Hedidso,ontheroundtablebythewindow,butitwasanill-advisedproceeding;for,thetopofitbeingloose,ittiltedup,andprecipitatedthedespatch-caseonthefloor.

           “Ehvoilàunetable!”criedPoirot.“Ah,myfriend,onemayliveinabighouseandyethavenocomfort.”

           Afterwhichpieceofmoralizing,heresumedhissearch.

           Asmallpurpledespatch-case,withakeyinthelock,onthewriting-table,engagedhisattentionforsometime.Hetookoutthekeyfromthelock,andpassedittometoinspect.Isawnothingpeculiar,however.ItwasanordinarykeyoftheYaletype,withabitoftwistedwirethroughthehandle.

           Next,heexaminedtheframeworkofthedoorwehadbrokenin,assuringhimselfthatthebolthadreallybeenshot.ThenhewenttothedooroppositeleadingintoCynthia’sroom.Thatdoorwasalsobolted,asIhadstated.However,hewenttothelengthofunboltingit,andopeningandshuttingitseveraltimes;thishedidwiththeutmostprecautionagainstmakinganynoise.Suddenlysomethingintheboltitselfseemedtorivethisattention.Heexamineditcarefully,andthen,nimblywhippingoutapairofsmallforcepsfromhiscase,hedrewoutsomeminuteparticlewhichhecarefullysealedupinatinyenvelope.

           Onthechestofdrawerstherewasatraywithaspiritlampandasmallsaucepanonit.