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people from London, an excellent field to

market the goods. And who would suspect

four lively, attractive, young girls? If

anything comes out, they will be considered

as victims — that for a certainty !39

"What was your idea exactly when you

went to see the old devil? Did you want

to put the wind up him ?33

"Yes. I wanted to see what would happen.

I had not long to wait. The girls had their

orders. Anthony Hawker, actually one

of their victims, was to be the scapegoat.

Sheila was to tell me about the flask in the

hall. She nearly could not bring herself

to do so—but the other girl rapped out

an angry 'Sheila' at her and she just

faltered it out."

Michael Stoddart got up and paced up

and down. He said:

"You know, I'm not going to lose sight

of that girl. I've got a pretty sound theory

about those adolescent criminal tendencies.

If you look into the home life, you nearly

always find — "

Poirot interrupted him.

He said:

^Mon cher, I have the deepest respect

for your science. I have no doubt that your

323

theories will work admirably where Miss

Sheila Kelly is concerned."

"The others, too.33

"The others, perhaps. It may be. The

only one I am sure about is the little

Sheila. You will tame her, not a doubt

of it! In truth, she eats out of your hand

already. . . .w

Flushing, Michael Stoddart said:

"What nonsense you talk, Poirot."

324

9

THE GIRDLE OF HYPPOLITA

NE thing leads to another, as

Hercule Poirot is fond of saying

without much originality.

0

He adds that this was never more clearly

evidenced than in the case of the stolen

Rubens.

He was never much interested in the

Rubens. For one thing Rubens is not a

painter he admires, and then the circumstances

of the theft were quite ordinary.

He took it up to oblige Alexander Simpson

who was by the way of being a friend

of his and for a certain private reason

of his own not unconnected with the

classics!

After the theft, Alexander Simpson sent

for Poirot and poured out all his woes.

The Rubens was a recent discovery, a

hitherto unknown masterpiece, but there

325

was no doubt of its authenticity. It had

been placed on display at Simpson's

Galleries and it had been stolen in broad

daylight. It was at the time when the

unemployed were pursuing their tactics of

lying down on the street crossings and

penetrating into the Ritz. A small body

of them had entered Simpson's Galleries

and lain down with the slogan displayed

of "Art is a Luxury. Feed the Hungry."

The police had been sent for, everyone had

crowded round in eager curiosity, and it was

not till the demonstrators had been forcibly

removed by the arm of the law that it was

noticed that the new Rubens had been

neatly cut out of its frame and removed