there was a pausea very long pause.
the room was growing dark. the firelight leaped and flickered.
mrs. lorrimer and hercule poirot looked not at each other, but at the fire. it was as though time was momentarily in abeyance.
then hercule poirot sighed and stirred.
"so it was that--all the time .... why did you kill him, madame?"
"i think you know why, m. poirot."
"because he knew something about you--something that had happened long ago?"
"yes."
"and that something wasanother death, madame?" she bowed her head. poirot said gently:
"why did you tell me? what made you send for me today?" "you told me once that i should do so some day." "yes--that is, i hoped .... i knew, madame, that there was only one way of learning the truth as far as you were concerned and that was by your own free will. if you did not choose to speak, you would not do so, and you would never give yourself away. but there was a chance that you yourself might w/sh to speak." mrs. lorrimer nodded. "it was clever of you to foresee that--the weariness--the loneliness " her voice died away.
poirot looked at her curiously. "so it has been like that? yes, i can understand it might be .... " "alonequite alone," said mrs. lorrimer. "no one knows what that means unless they have lived, as i have lived, with the knowledge of what one has done." poirot said gently: "is it an impertinence, madame, or may i be permitted to offer my sympathy?' she bent her head a little. "thank you, m. poirot." there was another pause, then poirot said, speaking in a slightly brisker tone: "am i to understand, madame, that you took the words mr. shaitana spoke at dinner as a direct menace aimed at you?" she nodded. "i realised at once that he was speaking so that one person should understand him. that person was myself. the reference to a woman's weapon being poison was meant for me. he knew. i had suspected it once before. he had brought the conversation round to a certain famous trial, and i saw his eyes watching me. there was a kind of uncanny knowledge in them. but, of course, that night i was quite sure." "and you were sure, too, of his future intentions?" mrs. lorrimer said dryly: "it was hardly likely that the presence of superintendent battle and yourself was an accident. i took it that shaitana was going to advertise his own cleverness by pointing out to you both that he had discovered something that no one else had suspected." "how soon did you make up your mind to act, madame?" mrs. lorrimer hesitated a little. "it is difficult to remember exactly when the idea came into my mind," she said. "i had noticed the dagger before going in to dinner. when we returned to the drawing-room i picked it up and slipped it into my sleeve. no one saw me do it. i made sure of that." "it would be dexterously done, i have no doubt, madame." "i made up my mind then exactly what i was going to do. i had only to carry it out. it was risky, perhaps, but i considered that it was worth trying.' "that is your coolness, your successful weighing of chances, coming into play. yes, i see that." "we started to play bridge," continued mrs. lorrimer. her voice was cool and unemotional. "at last an opportunity arose. i was dummy. i strolled across the room to the fireplace. shaitana had dozed off to sleep. i looked over at the others. they were all intent on the game. i leant over and--and did it " her voice shook just a little, but instantly it regained its cool aloofness. "i spoke to him. it came into my head that that would make a kind of alibi for "i really believe you are mad, m. poirot. if i am willing to admit i committed the crime, i should not be likely to lie about the way i did it. what would be the point of such a thing?" poirot got up again and took one turn round the room. when he came back to his seat his manner had changed. he was gentle and kindly. "you did not kill shaitana," he said softly. "i see that now. i see everything. harley street. and little anne meredith standing forlorn on the pavement. i see, too, another girl--a very long time ago, a girl who has gone through life always alone--terribly alone. yes, i see all that. but one thing i do not see--why are you so certain that anne meredith did it?" "really, m. poirot " "absolutely useless to protest--to lie further to me, madame. i tell you, i know the truth. i know the very emotions that swept over you that day in harley street. you would not have done it for major despard, non plus. you would not have done it for dr. roberts--oh, no! but anne meredith is different. you have compassion for her, because she has done what you once did. you do not know even--or so i imaginewhat reason she had for the crime. but you are quite sure she did it. you were sure that first evening--the evening it happened--when superintendent battle invited you to give your views on the case. yes, i know it all, you see. it is quite useless to lie further to me. you see that, do you not?" he paused for an answer, but none came. he nodded his head in satisfaction. "yes, you are sensible. that is good. it is a very noble action that you perform there, madame, to take the blame on yourself and to let this child escape." "you forget," said mrs. lorrimer in a dry voice, "i am not an innocent woman. years ago, m. poirot, i killed my husband " there was a moment's silence. "i see," said poirot. "it is justice. after all, only justice. you have the logical mind. you are willing to suffer for the act you committed. murder is murder--it does not matter who the victim is. madame, you have courage, and you have clearsightedness. but i ask of you once more: how can you be so sure? how do you know that it was anne meredith who killed mr. shaitana?' a deep sigh broke from mrs. lorrimer. her last resistance had gone down before poirot's insistence. she answered his question quite simply like a child. "because," she said, "i saw her."
