have been arrested ?55

"Precisely.55

Harold drew a deep breath.

"How marvellous! I never thought of

that.55 He got up. "I must find Mrs. Rice

and Elsie and tell them.55

"They know.55

"Oh good.55 Harold sat down again.

"Tell me just what --55

He broke off.

Coming up the path from the lake were

two figures with flapping cloaks and profiles

like birds.

He exclaimed:

"I thought you said they had been taken

away!55

Hercule Poirot followed his glance.

"Oh, those ladies ? They are very harmless, Polish ladies of good family, as the porter told you. Their appearance is, perhaps, not very pleasing but that is all.55

"But I don't understand^

I 239

"No, you do not understand! It is the other ladies who were wanted by the police

--the resourceful Mrs. Rice and the

lachrymose Mrs. Clayton! It is they who

are well-known birds of prey. Those two, they make their living by blackmail, mon cher"

Harold had a sensation of the world

spinning round him. He said faintly:

"But the man--the man who was

killed ?"

"No one was killed. There was no

man!3'

"But I saw him!53

"Oh no. The tall deep-voiced Mrs. Rice

is a very successful male impersonator.

It was she who played the part of the

husband --without her grey wig and suitably

made up for the part."

He leaned forward and tapped the other

on the knee.

"You must not go through life being too

credulous, my friend. The police of a

country are not so easily bribed--they

are probably not to be bribed at all-certainly not when it is a question of murder! These women trade on the average

Englishman's ignorance of foreign

240

languages. Because she speaks French or

German, it is always this Mrs. Rice who

interviews the manager and takes charge

of the affair. The police arrive and go to

her room, yes! But what actually passes?

You do not know. Perhaps she says she

has lost a brooch—something of that

kind. Any excuse to arrange for the police

to come so that you shall see them. For the

rest, what actually happens ? You wire for

money, a lot of money, and you hand it

over to Mrs. Rice who is in charge of all

the negotiations! And that is that! But they

are greedy, these birds of prey. They have

seen that you have taken an unreasonable

aversion to these two unfortunate Polish

ladies. The ladies in question come and

hold a perfectly innocent conversation

with Mrs. Rice and she cannot resist

repeating the game. She knows you cannot

understand what is being said.

"So you will have to send for more

money which Mrs. Rice will pretend to

distribute to a fresh set of people.M

Harold drew a deep breath. He said:

"And Elsie — Elsie ?"

Hercule Poirot averted his eyes.

"She played her part very well. She

241

always does. A most accomplished little

actress. Everything is very pure--very

innocent. She appeals, not to sex, but to