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I. The Adventure of “The Western Star”
Itranasfollows:
“Thegreatdiamondwhichisthelefteyeofthegodmustreturnwhenceitcame.”
Thesecondletterwascouchedinpreciselythesameterms,butthethirdwasmoreexplicit:
“Youhavebeenwarned.Youhavenotobeyed.Nowthediamondwillbetakenfromyou.Atthefullofthemoon,thetwodiamondswhicharetheleftandrighteyeofthegodshallreturn.Soitiswritten.”
“ThefirstletterItreatedasajoke,”explainedMissMarvell.“WhenIgotthesecond,Ibegantowonder.Thethirdonecameyesterday,anditseemedtomethat,afterall,themattermightbemoreseriousthanIhadimagined.”
“Iseetheydidnotcomebypost,theseletters.”
“No;theywereleftbyhand—byaChinaman.Thatiswhatfrightensme.”
“Why?”
“BecauseitwasfromaChinkinSanFranciscothatGregoryboughtthestonethreeyearsago.”
“Isee,madame,thatyoubelievethediamondreferredtotobe——”
“‘TheWesternStar,’”finishedMissMarvell.“That’sso.Atthetime,Gregoryremembersthattherewassomestoryattachedtothestone,buttheChinkwasn’thandingoutanyinformation.Gregorysaysheseemedjustscaredtodeath,andinamortalhurrytogetridofthething.Heonlyaskedaboutatenthofitsvalue.ItwasGreg’sweddingpresenttome.”
Poirotnoddedthoughtfully.
“Thestoryseemsofanalmostunbelievableromanticism.Andyet—whoknows?Iprayofyou,Hastings,handmemylittlealmanac.”
Icomplied.
“Voyons!”saidPoirot,turningtheleaves.
“Whenisthedateofthefullmoon?Ah,Fridaynext.Thatisinthreedays’time.
