THE BIG FOUR 163

troduce to you M. Hercule Poirot of whom you may,

perhaps, already have heard."

The Frenchman bowed and shook hands.

"I have indeed heard of M. Hercule Poirot," he said pleasantly. "Who has not?"

"You are too amiable, monsieur," said Poirot, bowing, but his face flushed with pleasure.

"Any word for an old friend?" asked a quiet voice, and a man came forward from a corner by a tall bookcase.

It was our old acquaintance, Mr. Ingles.

Poirot shook him warmly by the hand.

"And now, M. Poirot," said Crowther. "We are at your service. I understood you to say that you had a

communication of the utmost importance to make to

us."

"That is so, monsieur. There is in the world today a vast organisation--an organisation of crime. It is controlled by four individuals, who are known and spoken

of as the Big Four. Number One is a Chinaman, Li

Chang Yen; Number Two is the American multi-millionaire, Abe Ryland; Number Three is a Frenchwoman;

Number Four I have every reason to believe is

an obscure English actor called Claud Darrell. These

four are banded together to destroy the existing social

order, and to replace it with an anarchy in which they

would reign as dictators."

"Incredible," muttered the Frenchman. "Ryland. mixed up with a thing of that kind? Surely the idea is

too fantastic."

"Listen, monsieur, whilst I recount to you some of

the doings of this Big Four."

It was an enthralling narrative which Poirot unfolded.

Familiar as I was with all the details, they

164 Agatha Christie

thrilled me anew as I heard the bald recital of our adventures and escapes.

M. Desjardeaux looked mutely at Mr. Crowther as

Poirot finished. The other answered the look.

"Yes, M. Desjardeaux, I think we must admit the existence of a 'Big Four.' Scotland Yard was inclined to

jeer at first, but they have been forced to admit that M. Poirot was right in many of his claims. The only question is the extent of its aims. I cannot but feel that M.

Poirot--er--exaggerates a little."

For answer Poirot set forth ten salient points. I have

been asked not to give them to the public even now, and

so I refrain from doing so, but they included the extraordinary disasters to submarines which occurred in a

certain month, and also a series of aeroplane accidents

and forced landings. According to Poirot, these were all the work of the Big Four, and bore witness to the fact

that they were in possession of various scientific secrets unknown to the world at large.

This brought us straight to the question which I had

been waiting for the French Premier to ask.

"You say that the third member of this organisation is a Frenchwoman. Have you any idea of her name?"

"It is a well-known name, monsieur. An honoured

name. Number Three is no less than the famous MadameOlivier." At

the mention of the world-famous scientist, successor

to the Curies, M. Desjardeaux positively bounded