第16部分(第1/7 页)

〃Madame　is　surprised　to　see　him；　but　she　deals　with　the　situation　promptly。　Mason　is　got　out　of　the　way；　a　dinner　basket　is　ordered。

We　know　from　the　conductor　that　he　made　up　the　berth　for　the　first　partment；　that　he　did　not　go　into　the　second　partment；　and　that　a　man　could　quite　well　have　been　concealed　from　him。　So　far　the　te　would　have　been　hidden　to　a　marvel。　No　one　knows　of　his　presence　on　the　train　except　Madame；　he　has　been　careful　that　the　maid　did　not　see　his　face。　All　that　she　could　say　is　that　he　was　tall　and　dark。　It　is　all　most　conveniently　vague。　They　are　alone　…　and　the　train　rushes　through　the　night。　There　would　be　no　outcry；　no　struggle；　for　the　man　is；　so　she　thinks；　her　lover。〃

He　turned　gently　to　Van　Aldin。

〃Death；　Monsieur；　must　have　been　almost　instantaneous。　We　te　takes　the　jewel…case　which　lies　ready　to　his　hand。　Shortly　afterwards　the　train　draws　into　Lyons。〃

M。　Carrege　nodded　his　approval。

〃Precisely。　The　conductor　descends。　It　would　be　easy　for　our　man　to　leave　the　train　unseen；　it　would　be　easy　to　catch　a　train　back　to　Paris　or　anywhere　he　pleases。　And　the　crime　would　be　put　down　as　an　ordinary　train　robbery。　But　for　the　letter　found　in　Madame's　bag；　the　te　would　not　have　been　mentioned。〃

〃It　was　an　oversight　on　his　part　not　to　search　that　bag；〃　declared　the　missary。

〃Without　doubt　he　thought　she　had　destroyed　that　letter。　It　was　…　pardon　me；　Monsieur　…　it　was　an　indiscretion　of　the　first　water　to　keep　it。〃

〃And　yet；〃　murmured　Poirot；　〃it　was　an　indiscretion　the　te　might　have　foreseen。〃

〃You　mean？〃

〃I　mean　we　are　all　agreed　on　one　point；　and　that　is　that　the　te　de　la　Roche　knows　one　subject　à　fond：　Women。　How　was　it　that；　knowing　women　as　he　does；　he　did　not　foresee　th