Chapter 1??A?Theatrical1?Party
The memory of the public is short. Already the intense interest and excitement aroused by the murder of George Alfred St Vincent?Marsh2, fourth?Baron3?Edgware, is a thing past and forgotten. Newer sensations have taken its place.
My friend, Hercule Poirot, was never openly mentioned in connection with the case. This, I may say, was?entirely4?in accordance with his own wishes. He did not choose to appear in it. The credit went elsewhere – and that is how he wished it to be. Moreover, from Poirot’s own?peculiar5?private point of view, the case was one of his failures. He always swears that it was the chance remark of a stranger in the street that put him on the right track.
However that may be, it was his genius that discovered the truth of the affair. But for Hercule Poirot I doubt if the crime would have been brought home to its perpetrator.
I feel therefore that the time has come for me to set down all I know of the affair in black and white. I know the ins and outs of the case?thoroughly6?and I may also mention that I shall be fulfilling the wishes of a very fascinating lady in so doing.
I have often recalled that day in Poirot’s?prim7?neat little?sitting-room8?when, striding up and down a particular strip of carpet, my little friend gave us his masterly and?astounding9?résumé of the case. I am going to begin my?narrative10?where he did on that occasion – at a London theatre in June of last year.
Carlotta Adams was quite the rage in London at that moment. The year before she had given a couple of matinees which had been a wild success. This year she had had a three weeks’ season of which this was the last night but one.
Carlotta Adams was an American girl with the most amazing talent for single-handed?sketches11?unhampered by make-up or scenery. She seemed to speak every language with ease. Her?sketch12?of an evening in a foreign hotel was really wonderful. In turn, American tourists, German tourists, middle-class English families,?questionable13?ladies,?impoverished14?Russian?aristocrats15?and weary?discreet16?waiters all flitted across the scene.
Her sketches went from grave to gay and back again. Her dying Czecho-Slovakian woman in hospital brought a lump to the throat. A minute later we were rocking with laughter as a dentist?plied17?his trade and chatted?amiably18?with his victims.
Her programme closed with what she announced as ‘Some Imitations’.
Here again, she was amazingly clever. Without make-up of any kind, her features seemed to dissolve suddenly and reform themselves into those of a famous politician, or a well-known actress, or a society beauty. In each character she gave a short typical speech. These speeches, by the way, were?remarkably19?clever. They seemed to hit off every weakness of the subject selected.
One of her last impersonations was Jane Wilkinson – a talented young American actress well known in London. It was really very clever.?Inanities20?slipped off her tongue charged with some powerful emotional appeal so that in spite of yourself you felt that each word was uttered with some?potent21?and fundamental meaning. Her voice,?exquisitely22?toned, with a deep husky note in it, was?intoxicating23. The restrained gestures, each strangely significant, the slightly swaying body, the impression even, of strong physical beauty – how she did it, I cannot think!
I had always been an admirer of the beautiful Jane Wilkinson. She had thrilled me in her emotional parts, and I had always maintained in face of those who admitted her beauty but declared she was no actress, that she had considerable histrionic powers.
It was a little uncanny to hear that well-known, slightly husky voice with the fatalistic drop in it that had stirred me so often, and to watch that seemingly?poignant25?gesture of the slowly closing and unclosing hand, and the sudden throw back of the head with the hair shaken back from the face that I realized she always gave at the close of a dramatic scene.
Jane Wilkinson was one of those actresses who had left the stage on her marriage only to return to it a couple of years later.
Three years ago she had married the wealthy but slightly eccentric Lord Edgware.?Rumour26?went that she left him shortly afterwards. At any rate eighteen months after the marriage, she was?acting27?for the films in America, and had this season appeared in a successful play in London.
Watching Carlotta Adams’ clever but perhaps slightly?malicious28?imitation, it occurred to me to wonder how much imitations were regarded by the subject selected. Were they pleased at the notoriety – at the advertisement it afforded? Or were they annoyed at what was, after all, a deliberate exposing of the tricks of their trade? Was not Carlotta Adams in the position of the rival conjurer who says: ‘Oh! this is an old trick! Very simple. I’ll show you how this one’s done!’
I?decided29?that if I were the subject in question, I should be very much annoyed. I should, of course,?conceal30?my vexation, but decidedly I should not like it. One would need great broadmindedness and a distinct sense of humour to appreciate such a merciless exposé.
I had just arrived at these conclusions when the?delightful31?husky laugh from the stage was echoed from behind me.
I turned my head sharply. In the seat immediately behind mine, leaning forward with her lips slightly parted, was the subject of the present imitation – Lady Edgware, better known as Jane Wilkinson.
I realized immediately that my?deductions32?had been all wrong. She was leaning forward, her lips parted, with an expression of delight and excitement in her eyes.
As the ‘imitation’ finished, she applauded loudly, laughing and turning to her companion, a tall extremely good-looking man, of the Greek god type, whose face I recognized as one better known on the screen than on the stage. It was Bryan Martin, the hero of the screen most popular at the moment. He and Jane Wilkinson had been starred together in several screen productions.
‘Marvellous, isn’t she?’ Lady Edgware was saying.
He laughed.
‘Jane – you look all excited.’
‘Well, she really is too wonderful! Heaps better than I thought she’d be.’
I did not catch Bryan Martin’s amused rejoinder. Carlotta Adams had started on a fresh?improvisation33.
What happened later is, I shall always think, a very curious coincidence.
After the theatre, Poirot and I went on to supper at the Savoy.
At the very next table to ours were Lady Edgware, Bryan Martin and two other people whom I did not know. I?pointed34?them out to Poirot and, as I was doing so, another couple came and took their places at the table beyond that again. The woman’s face was familiar and yet strangely enough, for the moment I could not place it.
Then suddenly I realized that it was Carlotta Adams at whom I was staring! The man I did not know. He was well-groomed, with a cheerful, somewhat?vacuous35?face. Not a type that I admire.
Carlotta Adams was dressed very inconspicuously in black. Hers was not a face to command instant attention or recognition. It was one of those mobile sensitive faces that preeminently lend themselves to the art of?mimicry36. It could take on an alien character easily, but it had no very recognizable character of its own.
I imparted these reflections of mine to Poirot. He listened?attentively37, his egg-shaped head cocked slightly to one side whilst he?darted38?a sharp glance at the two tables in question.
‘So that is Lady Edgware? Yes, I remember – I have seen her act. She is?belle39?femme.’
‘And a fine actress too.’
‘Possibly.’
‘You don’t seem convinced.’
‘I think it would depend on the setting, my friend. If she is the centre of the play, if all?revolves40?round her – yes, then she could play her part. I doubt if she could play a small part adequately or even what is called a character part. The play must be written about her and for her. She appears to me of the type of women who are interested only in themselves.’ He paused and then added rather unexpectedly: ‘Such people go through life in great danger.’
‘Danger?’ I said, surprised.
‘I have used a word that surprises you, I see, mon ami. Yes, danger. Because, you see, a woman like that sees only one thing – herself. Such women see nothing of the dangers and hazards that surround them – the million conflicting interests and relationships of life. No, they see only their own forward path. And so – sooner or later – disaster.’
I was interested. I confessed to myself that such a point of view would not have struck me.
‘And the other?’ I asked.
‘Miss Adams?’
His gaze swept to her table.
‘Well?’ he said, smiling. ‘What do you want me to say about her?’
‘Only how she strikes you.’
‘Mon cher, am I tonight the fortune-teller who reads the palm and tells the character?’
‘You could do it better than most,’ I rejoined.
‘It is a very pretty faith that you have in me, Hastings. It touches me. Do you not know, my friend, that each one of us is a dark mystery, a?maze41?of conflicting passions and desires and attitudes? Mais oui, c’est vrai. One makes one’s little?judgments42?– but nine times out of ten one is wrong.’
‘Not Hercule Poirot,’ I said, smiling.
‘Even Hercule Poirot! Oh! I know very well that you have always a little idea that I am?conceited44, but, indeed, I assure you, I am really a very?humble45?person.’
I laughed.
‘You – humble!’
‘It is so. Except – I confess it – that I am a little proud of my moustaches. Nowhere in London have I observed anything to compare with them.’
‘You are quite safe,’ I said dryly. ‘You won’t. So you are not going to risk?judgment43?on Carlotta Adams?’
‘Elle est artiste! ’ said Poirot simply. ‘That covers nearly all, does it not?’
‘Anyway, you don’t consider that she walks through life in?peril46?’
‘We all do that, my friend,’ said Poirot gravely. ‘Misfortune may always be waiting to rush out upon us. But as to your question, Miss Adams, I think, will succeed. She is shrewd and she is something more. You observed without doubt that she is a Jewess?’
I had not. But now that he mentioned it, I saw the faint traces of Semitic?ancestry47. Poirot nodded.
‘It makes for success – that. Though there is still one avenue of danger – since it is of danger we are talking.’
‘You mean?’
‘Love of money. Love of money might lead such a one from the?prudent48?and cautious path.’
‘It might do that to all of us,’ I said.
‘That is true, but at any rate you or I would see the danger involved. We could weigh the?pros49?and?cons24. If you care for money too much, it is only the money you see, everything else is in shadow.’
I laughed at his serious manner.
‘Esmeralda, the gipsy queen, is in good form,’ I remarked teasingly.
‘The?psychology50?of character is interesting,’ returned Poirot unmoved. ‘One cannot be interested in crime without being interested in psychology. It is not the?mere51?act of?killing52, it is what lies behind it that appeals to the expert. You follow me, Hastings?’
I said that I followed him?perfectly53.
‘I have noticed that when we work on a case together, you are always urging me on to physical action, Hastings. You wish me to measure footprints, to analyse cigarette-ash, to?prostrate54?myself on my stomach for the examination of detail. You never realize that by lying back in an arm-chair with the eyes closed one can come nearer to the solution of any problem. One sees then with the eyes of the mind.’
‘I don’t,’ I said. ‘When I lie back in an arm-chair with my eyes closed one thing happens to me and one thing only!’
‘I have noticed it!’ said Poirot. ‘It is strange. At such moments the brain should be working?feverishly55, not sinking into?sluggish56?repose57. The mental activity, it is so interesting, so?stimulating58! The employment of the little grey cells is a mental pleasure. They and they only can be trusted to lead one through fog to the truth . . .’
I am afraid that I have got into the habit of?averting59?my attention whenever Poirot mentions his little grey cells. I have heard it all so often before.
In this instance my attention wandered to the four people sitting at the next table. When Poirot’s?monologue60?drew to a close I remarked with a?chuckle61:
‘You have made a hit, Poirot. The fair Lady Edgware can hardly take her eyes off you.’
‘Doubtless she has been informed of my identity,’ said Poirot, trying to look modest and failing.
‘I think it is the famous moustaches,’ I said. ‘She is carried away by their beauty.’
Poirot?caressed62?them surreptitiously.
‘It is true that they are unique,’ he admitted. ‘Oh, my friend, the “tooth-brush” as you call it, that you wear – it is a horror – an?atrocity63?– a?wilful64?stunting65?of the?bounties66?of nature. Abandon it, my friend, I pray of you.’
‘By Jove,’ I said, disregarding Poirot’s appeal. ‘The lady’s getting up. I believe she’s coming to speak to us. Bryan Martin is protesting, but she won’t listen to him.’
Sure enough, Jane Wilkinson swept impetuously from her seat and came over to our table. Poirot rose to his feet bowing, and I rose also.
‘M. Hercule Poirot, isn’t it?’ said the soft husky voice.
‘At your service.’
‘M. Poirot, I want to talk to you. I must talk to you.’
‘But certainly, Madame, will you not sit down?’
‘No, no, not here. I want to talk to you?privately67. We’ll go right upstairs to my?suite68.’
Bryan Martin had joined her, he?spoke69?now with a deprecating laugh.
‘You must wait a little, Jane. We’re in the middle of supper. So is M. Poirot.’
But Jane Wilkinson was not so easily turned from her purpose.
‘Why, Bryan, what does that matter? We’ll have supper sent up to the suite. Speak to them about it, will you? And, Bryan –’
She went after him as he was turning away and appeared to urge some course upon him. He stood out about it, I gathered, shaking his head and frowning. But she spoke even more emphatically and finally with a?shrug70?of the shoulders he gave way.
Once or twice during her speech to him she had glanced at the table where Carlotta Adams sat, and I wondered if what she were suggesting had anything to do with the American girl.
Her point gained, Jane came back, radiant.
‘We’ll go right up now,’ she said, and included me in a dazzling smile.
The question of our agreeing or not agreeing to her plan didn’t seem to occur to her mind. She swept us off without a shade of apology.
‘It’s the greatest luck just seeing you here this evening, M. Poirot,’ she said as she led the way to the lift. ‘It’s wonderful how everything seems to turn out right for me. I’d just been thinking and wondering what on earth I was going to do and I looked up and there you were at the next table, and I said to myself: “M. Poirot will tell me what to do.”’
She broke off to say ‘Second Floor’ to the lift-boy.
‘If I can be of aid to you –’ began Poirot.
‘I’m sure you can. I’ve heard you’re just the most marvellous man that ever existed. Somebody’s got to get me out of the?tangle71?I’m in and I feel you’re just the man to do it.’
We got out at the second floor and she led the way along the corridor, paused at a door and entered one of the most opulent of the Savoy?suites72.
Casting her white fur wrap on one chair, and her small jewelled bag on the table, the actress sank on to a chair and exclaimed:
‘M. Poirot, somehow or other I’ve just got to get rid of my husband!’

第一章 戲劇表演舞會
公眾的記憶力是短暫的。曾幾何時。埃奇韋爾男爵四世—喬治·艾爾弗雷德·圣文森特·馬什被害一案引起巨大轟動和好奇，而今一切已成舊事，皆被遺忘，取而代之的是更新的轟動一時的消息。
人們談起這案子時從未公開說及我的朋友—赫爾克里·波洛。我得說，這全都是由于他本人的意愿。他自己不想出現(xiàn)在案子里。也正如他本人所希望的，功勞就算到別人頭上。更何況，按照波洛自己獨特的觀點，這案子是他的一個失敗。他總是發(fā)誓說：是在街頭偶然聽到的路人的話使他找到正確線索的。
不論怎樣，正是因為他的天才，案件才得以查得水落石出。要不是赫爾克里·波洛，我真懷疑案子是否能真相大白。兇手是否能找出來。
因此我覺得現(xiàn)在該是我白紙黑字把我知道的一切寫出來的時候了。我知道整個案子的來龍去脈，另外我這樣做將能滿足一位非常迷人的女士的心愿。
我常?；貞浧鹉翘煸诓宓哪情g整潔的客廳里，我這位身材不高的朋友一邊在地毯上踱來踱去，一邊給我們巧妙而又令人驚訝地敘述案件經(jīng)過。我準備從他那次開始敘述的地方說起。那是去年六月，在倫敦的一家劇院里。
那時卡洛塔·亞當斯在倫敦正風靡一時。在前一年她曾連續(xù)演出幾個日場，大獲成功。今年她連續(xù)演了三星期，那天的演出正是倒數(shù)第二個夜場。
卡洛塔·亞當斯是一位美國女子。在獨角戲表演方面有令人驚嘆的才能，她的表演可以不受化裝或布景的限制。她似乎任何語言都講得流暢自如。她的關于《外國旅館一夜》的表演更是妙不可言——美國游人、德國游人、中產(chǎn)階級的英國家庭、行跡可疑的女子、貧窮的俄國貫族以及倦怠少言的侍者，被她一一演來，詡詡如生。
她的表情時而高興，時而悲哀，不斷反復。她所表演的醫(yī)院里瀕臨死亡的捷克斯洛伐克女子令人哽咽。而片刻之后她所表演的一邊給病人拔牙一邊和病人聊天的牙科醫(yī)生又讓我們笑得前仰后合。
她最后是以被她自己叫做“人物模仿表演”的節(jié)目結束她的表演。
她又一次表現(xiàn)出令人驚訝的伶俐。不用任何化裝。她的容貌特征似乎突然消失了，后又突然轉變?yōu)橐粋€著名的政客?；蛘咭粋€出名的演員，者一位交際花的面貌。她在表演每一位人物時都會加人一段簡短且具代表性的講話。這些講話也都是相當聰明的，乎能簡潔明了地表述出所選人物的要害之處。
她最后扮演的人物是簡。威爾金森——一位在倫敦很出名的極有天賦的美國青年女演員。模仿表演的確很絕妙。無意義的話從她的口里說出來便帶有強烈的感染力，你聽后會不由自主地覺得她所說的每一個詞都含有深遠的令人折服的意義。她說話音調精巧，帶有一種低沉沙啞的調子。聽起來令人陶醉。她每一種帶有奇特的意味的矜持的姿態(tài)、她微微搖曳的身姿以及她的健美給人留下的印象等等，真難以想象她是怎樣獲得如此成功的！
我一直是美麗的簡·威爾金森的崇拜者。她感情豐富的表演令我激動。面對那些認為她是美女但不是好演員的人我總是強調她有相當強的表演能力。
聽著她那為人所熟悉的帶有宿命論口氣、略微沙啞的聲音，的感覺是奇妙的。我就是經(jīng)常為此而激動?？粗菢O有力度的手指時而慢慢張開，而合攏，突然一甩。頭發(fā)也隨之滑過面龐，知道表演結束時她總是這樣。
一些女演員結婚了便離開舞臺，過了幾年又回來了，。威爾金森就屬于這一類。
三年之前她嫁給了富有但略微古怪的埃奇韋爾男爵。人們遙傳她很快就離開了他。不管怎么說結婚十八個月后她又開始在美國拍電影了。現(xiàn)在又在倫敦出演一部很成功的戲劇。
看著卡洛塔·亞當斯的伶俐但似乎又略帶惡意的模仿，突然想被模仿者會怎么看。他們對這種揚名和宣傳會開心嗎？或許很惱怒，為畢竟是在有意暴露他們的做事技巧?？逅啴斔闺y道不是在向對手示威：“噢！這是舊把戲！非常簡單。我來露一手給你們看！”
我的結論是，如果我是當事人，我會很生氣。當然我會掩飾一下我的惱怒，但我肯定不喜歡。一個人如果想對這種毫不留情的揭露表示贊賞，真需要寬廣的胸懷和杰出的幽默感。
我剛剛這樣想完，我后面?zhèn)鱽砦枧_上的那種沙啞的笑聲。
我猛一回頭，原來目前的被模仿者——埃奇韋爾夫人（不過簡·威爾金森這名字更為人所知）雙唇微開，身體前傾著，就坐在我后面。
我立刻意識到我的想法完全錯誤。她的眼里透露著喜悅和興奮。
“模仿表演”結束了，她大聲地鼓著掌，笑著轉向他的同伴。她的同伴身材高大，相貌屬希臘美男子型，極為英俊。我認識這面孔，他在電影里比在舞臺上更知名些。
他的名字叫布賴恩·馬丁，是當時最走紅的電影名星。他和簡·威爾金森在好幾部電影里聯(lián)袂出演。
“她真是棒極了，不是嗎？”埃奇韋爾夫人說。
他大笑?！昂啠憧雌饋砗芗??！?br>“是的，她真是太棒了，比我想象的要好得多！”
我沒有聽清布賴恩。馬丁的回答，因為卡洛塔·亞當斯又開始了新的即興表演。
而后發(fā)生的一切，我總是認為，是令人驚異的巧合?？赐陝『蟛搴臀胰ニ_伏依飯店吃飯。
埃奇韋爾夫人、布賴恩·馬丁和另兩位我不認識的人就坐我們鄰座。我把他們指給波洛看，就在這時又有一對走進來坐在他們的鄰座。其中的女士很面善，但在那時我說不出她到底是誰。
突然我意識到我正盯著看的女士是卡洛塔·亞當斯！那位男士我不認識。他穿著得體，表現(xiàn)得很快樂，但面部表情很空洞。他不屬于我喜歡的類型。
卡洛塔·亞當斯穿著極不顯眼的黑色衣服。她的面容不很起眼。不易被立刻認出。正是這種精巧易變的面容更利于她的模仿表演。它可以很容易讓人認為他是外國人，同時隱去自己的特征。
我向波洛講了我的這些想法。他橢圓形的腦袋微微偏到一邊，仔細地聽著我的話，銳利的目光投向這兩桌的人們。
“那就是埃奇韋爾夫人？是的，我看過她的表演。她是一位美人?！?br>“也是一位好演員?！?br>“有可能?！?br>“你似乎不贊同?！?br>“我認為這要取決于背景，我的朋友。如果她是劇的中心人物，是的，如果一切都是圍繞她，她就能演出她的角色。我懷疑她是否能把一個小角色，或者性格型角色，演得恰到好處。劇本必須是圍繞她并為她而寫。給我的感覺是她只對自己感興趣。”他停了停，突然令人出乎意料地加了一句，“這樣的人在生活中很危險?！?br>“危險？”我驚訝地問。
“我明白，我用了一個令你驚訝的詞，我的朋友，是的，危險。你知道，這樣的婦女只能看到一樣東西一她自己。此類婦女對四周潛伏的危機——生活中錯綜復雜的利益關系視而不見。不，她們也能看到些東西，即她們的前進之路。那么終點?；蛟缁蛲恚菫碾y?！?br>我對他的話很感興趣，說實話，我自己是沒有這種見解的。
“那么，另外一個呢？”
“亞當斯小姐？”
他的目光掃向她那桌。
“怎么？”他笑著說?！澳阋艺f她什么？”
“講講她是怎樣打動你的？”
“我親愛的。難道我今晚成了看手相、談他人性格的算命先生嗎？”
“你能比大多數(shù)算命先生算得更準?！蔽一卮鸬?。
“你真是太相信我了，黑斯廷斯。我很感動。我的朋友，你知道我們每一個人都是一團謎——由矛盾復雜的激情、欲望和態(tài)勢構成的迷宮。當然是的，這是真的。我們自己做出的判斷，十有八九是錯的。”
“但不包括赫爾克里·波洛。”我笑著說。
“也包括赫爾克里·波洛。我知道你總覺得我自負，但實際上。我跟你說，我是個很謙虛的人。”
我大笑。
“你——謙虛！”
“是的，除了，我得承認，我對我的胡子是有點自豪。我觀察過了，在倫敦絕找不出可比的?！?br>“你是不用擔心的?！蔽也粍勇暽卣f。“你是不會在倫敦找出第二個長著你這種胡子的。那么你不打算大膽地評價卡洛塔·亞當斯了？”
“她是個藝人！”波洛簡捷地說道?！斑@就差不多概括了一切。是不是？”
“不管怎么說，你不會認為她生存在危險中吧？”
“我的朋友。我們每個人都如此?！辈迩f重地說，“災難總是伺機而入。不過你要是問關于亞當斯小姐，我認為她會發(fā)跡的，因為她很聰明。另外還有重要一點就是。你一定觀察到了。地是猶太人。”
我還真沒注意到，但聽他說了后，我還真能看出她的猶太人的痕跡。波洛點著頭。
“她會發(fā)跡?？杉热晃覀冊谡f危險，她的路仍是一條險途?！?br>“你的意思是……”
“愛錢。對錢的欲望會將這樣的人引人歧途，不再謹慎小心。”
“我們人人都會這樣的。”我回答道。
“是這樣的。但你和我能看出其中的危險。我們會權衡利弊。如果你太愛錢，你的眼睛就只能看到錢，其它的東西就全被遮住了。”
看著他認真的樣子，我大笑起來。
“《巴黎圣母院》中的吉普賽女郎——埃斯美拉達再現(xiàn)了?！蔽议_玩笑地說。
“性格心理學是很有趣的?！辈宀粸樗鶆拥鼗卮鸬馈币粋€人如果對心理學不感興趣），他也不會對犯罪問題感興趣。犯罪問題專家所注意的不僅僅是兇殺行為本身），是問題后面的東西。黑斯廷斯），明白我的話了嗎？”
我回答他，完全聽明白了。
“黑斯廷斯，注意到，當我們一起辦案子時，總是催促我采取行動。你總希望我勘查腳印，析煙灰，在地上檢查細節(jié)。你從末發(fā)現(xiàn)閉著眼睛、仰臥在扶手椅上才更容易解決問題。那時我們是用心靈的眼睛觀察事物?！?br>“我可不行?！蔽艺f，當我躺在扶手椅上，著眼睛想一件事兒，里面就那一件事，他的什么都沒有?！?br>“我曾注意過，波洛說，真是很奇怪，時人的大腦不是陷人懶散的歇息狀態(tài)。而是劇烈地活動起來。大腦的活動是如此有趣、如此刺激！運用大腦的那些小灰細胞是一種大腦的樂趣。只有靠它們我們才能撥開迷霧，到真理?！?br>每當波洛說起灰色的腦細胞，就習慣性地轉移了注意力。因為這個我聽他說很多次了。
這一次我的注意力轉到鄰桌的四位。待波洛的獨白即將結束時我格格笑著說，
“波洛，你大受歡迎啊。漂亮的埃奇韋爾太太的眼睛簡直離不開你了?！?br>“很顯然，有人把我的身份告訴了她?！辈逶囍冻鲋t虛的樣子，但沒成功。
“我猜是因為你的出名的胡子，”我說道，“她為胡子的漂亮傾倒了?！?br>波洛偷偷地捋著他的胡子。
“我的胡子的確很獨特?！彼渤姓J了，“喚，我的朋友，你的自稱為‘牙刷’的胡子真夠可怕、殘忍的了，有意玷污造物主的造化。我的朋友，求你了。把它們剃掉吧?！?br>“??！”我不顧波洛的請求，“那位女士站起來了，我敢肯定她是要和我們說話。布賴恩·馬丁在反對，但她沒聽他的?！?br>一點不錯，簡·威爾金森猛然離開她的座位。徑直走向我們的桌子。波洛站起來鞠躬致意，我也站了起來。
“赫爾克里·波洛先生，是嗎？”她的聲音沙啞但很溫柔。
“愿為您效勞?！?br>“波洛先生。我想和您談談。我一定要和您談談?！?br>“當然可以，女士，您要坐下嗎？”
“不，不，不在這兒。我想單獨和您談談。我們上樓去我的套房吧?！?br>布賴恩·馬丁跟了過來，笑著反對道：
“簡。再等一會吧，我們還沒吃完飯，波洛先生也一樣啊?！?br>但簡·威爾金森不是很容易改變主意的。
“怎么了，馬丁，那又有什么關系呢？我們可以讓人把晚飯送到套房里。你去和他們說。好嗎？還有，馬丁——”
他轉過身去時，她跟著他，好像讓他做什么。我猜測。他好像不同意，搖著頭，皺著眉。她更強調地說著，于是他聳聳肩讓步了。
在她說話過程中，她幾次看了看卡洛塔·亞當斯坐的桌子，我猜她在說什么和那位美國女士有關的事。
簡的目的達到了，便容光煥發(fā)地回來了。
“我們現(xiàn)在就上去?！彼匀说匦χf，示意也包括我。
她好像根本不在意我們是否同意她的計劃。她毫無歉意地帶著我們走了。
“波洛先生，今天晚上能遇見您真是運氣。”她在領我f門走向電梯時說，“我事事都順，真是棒極了。我正想著究竟該怎樣做，一抬頭就看到您坐在鄰座。我就對自己說，‘波洛先生會告訴我該怎樣做的?！?br>她中斷講話對電梯服務生說，“三樓?！?br>“如果我能幫您忙的話——”波洛開始說。
“我肯定您能。我聽說您是一位了不起的人。得有人幫我解圍，您就是那個人?！?br>我們從三樓電梯出來，她領我們走在長廊上，在一個門前停了下來，走進了薩伏依飯店最豪華的套房。
她把白皮披肩丟在椅子上，把她的小珍珠手袋丟在桌上。然后就坐在椅子上大聲說，
“波洛先生，不管怎樣，我得擺脫我丈夫?！?/p>