me?"

187

Ill

Percy Perry, editor of the X-ray News, sat

behind his desk smoking.

He was a small man with a face like a

weasel.

He was saying in a soft, oily voice:

"We'll give 'em the dirt, all right.

Lovely --lovely! Oh boy!53

His second-in-command, a thin, spectacled

youth, said uneasily:

"You're not nervous ?"

"Expecting strong arm stuff? Not them.

Haven't got the nerve. Wouldn't do them

any good, either. Not the way we've got it

farmed out --in this country and on the

Continent and America."

The other said:

"They must be in a pretty good stew.

Won't they do anything ?"

"They'll send someone to talk pretty --"

A buzzer sounded. Percy Perry picked

up a receiver. He said: "Who do you say ?

Right, send him up."

He put the receiver down --grinned.

"They've got that high-toned Belgian

dick on to it. He's coming up now to do his

stuff. Wants to know if we'll play ball."

188

Hercule Poirot came in. He was immaculately

dressed --a white camellia in his

buttonhole.

Percy Perry said:

"Pleased to meet you, M. Poirot. On

your way to the Royal Enclosure at Ascot ?

No? My mistake."

Hercule Poirot said:

"I am flattered. One hopes to present a

good appearance. It is even more important," his eyes roamed innocently over the editor's face and somewhat slovenly attire,

"when one has few natural advantages."

Perry said shortly:

"What do you want to see me about ?"

Poirot leaned forward, tapped him on

the knee, and said with a beaming smile:

"Blackmail."

"What the devil do you mean, blackmail

?"

"I have heard --the little bird has told

me --that on occasions you have been on

the point of publishing certain very damaging

statements in your so spirituel paper

--then, there has been a pleasant little increase in your bank balance --and after all, those statements have not been published."

189

Poirot leaned back and nodded his head

in a satisfied sort of way.

"Do you realise that what you're suggesting

amounts to slander ?"

Poirot smiled confidently.

"I am sure you will not take offence."

"I do take offence! As to blackmail there

is no evidence of my ever having blackmailed

anybody."

"No, no, I am quite sure of that. You

misunderstand me. I was not threatening

you. I was leading up to a simple question. How much ?"

"I don't know what you're talking

about," said Percy Perry.

"A matter of National importance, M.

Perry."

They exchanged a significant glance.

Percy Perry said:

"I'm a reformer, M. Poirot. I want to see

politics cleaned up. I'm opposed to corruption.

Do you know what the state of

politics is in this country? The Augean

Stables, no more, no less."

"Tiens!" said Hercule Poirot. "You,

too, use that phrase."

"And what is needed," went on the

editor, "to cleanse those stables is the

190

great purifying flood of Public Opinion."

Hercule Poirot got up. He said:

"I applaud your sentiments."