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IV. The Mystery of Hunter’s Lodge
ImaymentionthatinquiriesattheAgencyinLondonboreoutPoirot’sprognostication.Nosuchwomanas“Mrs.Middleton”hadeverbeenontheirbooks.TheyhadreceivedtheHon.Mrs.Havering’sapplicationforahousekeeper,andhadsenthervariousapplicantsforthepost.Whenshesentthemtheengagementfee,sheomittedtomentionwhichwomanshehadselected.
Somewhatcrestfallen,IreturnedtoLondon.IfoundPoirotestablishedinanarm-chairbythefireinagarish,silkdressing-gown.Hegreetedmewithmuchaffection.
“MonamiHastings!ButhowgladIamtoseeyou.VeritablyIhaveforyouagreataffection.Andyouhaveenjoyedyourself?YouhaveruntoandfrowiththegoodJapp?Youhaveinterrogatedandinvestigatedtoyourheart’scontent?”
“Poirot,”Icried,“thething’sadarkmystery!Itwillneverbesolved.”
“Itistruethatwearenotlikelytocoverourselveswithgloryoverit.”
“No,indeed.It’sahardnuttocrack.”
“Oh,asfarasthatgoes,Iamverygoodatcrackingthenuts!Averitablesquirrel!Itisnotthatwhichembarrassesme.IknowwellenoughwhokilledMr.HarringtonPace.”
“Youknow?Howdidyoufindout?”
“Yourilluminatinganswerstomywiressuppliedmewiththetruth.Seehere,Hastings,letusexaminethefactsmethodicallyandinorder.Mr.HarringtonPaceisamanwithaconsiderablefortunewhichathisdeathwilldoubtlesspasstohisnephew.PointNo.1.Hisnephewisknowntobedesperatelyhardup.PointNo.2.Hisnephewisalsoknowntobe—shallwesayamanofratherloosemoralfibre?PointNo.3.
