"But Poirot--whyf"

"A ruse de guerre, my friend, a ruse de guerre. All is now ready for our grand coup."

"But you might have told me!"

"No, Hastings, I could not. Never, never, in a thousand years, could you have acted the part at the funeral.

THE BIG FOUR 191

As it was, it was perfect. It could not fail to carry conviction to the Big Four."

"But what I've been through--"

"Do not think me too unfeeling. I carried out the

deception partly for your sake. I was willing to risk my own life, but I had qualms about continually risking

yours. So, after the explosion, I have an idea of great

brilliancy. The good Ridgeway, he enables me to carry it out. I am dead, you will return to South America. But, man ami, that is just what you would not do. In the end

I have to arrange a solicitor's letter, and a long rigmarole. But, at all events, here you are--that is the great

thing. And now we lie here--perdu--till the moment

comes for the last grand coup--the final overthrowing

of the Big Four."

^^-^ ^^h

I?

dumber Tour Wins a ^Trick

From our quiet retreat in the Ardennes we watched the

progress of affairs in the great world. We were plentifully supplied with newspapers, and every day Poirot

received a bulky envelope, evidently containing some

kind of report. He never showed these reports to me,

but I could usually tell from his manner whether its contents had been satisfactory or otherwise. He never wavered

in his belief that our present plan was the only one

likely to be crowned by success.

"As a minor point, Hastings," he remarked one day,

"I was in continual fear of your death lying at my door. And that rendered me nervous--like a cat upon the

jumps, as you say. But now I am well satisfied. Even if

they discover that the Captain Hastings who landed in

South America is an imposter (and I do not think they

will discover it, they are not likely to send an agent out there who knows you personally), they will only believe

193

194 Agatha Christie

that you are trying to circumvent them in some clever

manner of your own, and will pay no serious attention

to discovering your whereabouts. Of the one vital fact,

my supposed death, they are thoroughly convinced.

They will go ahead and mature their plans."

"And then?" I asked eagerly.

"And then, mon ami, grand resurrection of Hercule

Poirot! At the eleventh hour I reappear, throw all into

confusion, and achieve the supreme victory in my own

unique manner!"

I realised that Poirot's vanity was of the casehardened

variety which could withstand all attacks. I reminded

him that once or twice the honours of the game

had lain with our adversaries. But I might have known

that it was impossible to diminish Hercule Poirot's en|

|| thusiasm for his own methods.

"See you, Hastings, it is like the little trick that you play with the cards. You have seen it without doubt?