12. Poirot Elucidates Certain Points

           “Whydidyoumeasurethatovercoat?”Iasked,withsomecuriosity,aswewalkeddownthehotwhiteroadataleisurelypace.

           “Parbleu!toseehowlongitwas,”repliedmyfriendimperturbably.

           Iwasvexed.Poirot’sincurablehabitofmakingamysteryoutofnothingneverfailedtoirritateme.Irelapsedintosilence,andfollowedatrainofthoughtofmyown.AlthoughIhadnotnoticedthemspeciallyatthetime,certainwordsMrs.Renauldhadaddressedtohersonnowrecurredtome,fraughtwithanewsignificance.“Soyoudidnotsail?”shehadsaid,andthenhadadded:“Afterall,itdoesnotmatter—now.”

           Whathadshemeantbythat?Thewordswereenigmatical—significant.Wasitpossiblethatsheknewmorethanwesupposed?Shehaddeniedallknowledgeofthemysteriousmissionwithwhichherhusbandwastohaveentrustedhisson.Butwasshereallylessignorantthanshepretended?Couldsheenlightenusifshechose,andwashersilencepartofacarefullythoughtoutandpreconceivedplan?

           ThemoreIthoughtaboutit,themoreIwasconvincedthatIwasright.Mrs.Renauldknewmorethanshechosetotell.Inhersurpriseatseeingherson,shehadmomentarilybetrayedherself.Ifeltconvincedthatsheknew,ifnottheassassins,atleastthemotivefortheassassination.Butsomeverypowerfulconsiderationsmustkeephersilent.

           “Youthinkprofoundly,myfriend,”remarkedPoirot,breakinginuponmyreflections.“Whatisitthatintriguesyouso?”

           Itoldhim,sureofmyground,thoughfeelingexpectantthathewouldridiculemysuspicions.Buttomysurprisehenoddedthoughtfully.