第29部分(第2/7 页)

his　shoulders　…　〃it　is　awkward。〃

〃Only　a　very　little　while；〃　pleaded　the　other。　〃Ah！　but　you　must！　A　week　…　ten　days　…　that　is　all　I　ask。　You　can　be　sure　of　your　affair。　The　money　will　be　forthing。〃

Papopolous　shifted　a　little　and　looked　round　him　uneasily　…　to　find　Poirot　almost　at　his　elbow　with　a　beaming　innocent　face。

〃Ah！　vous　voilà；　M。　Papopolous。　I　have　been　looking　for　you。　It　is　permitted　that　I　take　Mademoiselle　Zia　for　a　little　turn　in　the　gardens？　Good　evening；　Mademoiselle。〃　He　bowed　very　low　to　Mirelle。　〃A　thousand　pardons　that　I　did　not　see　you　immediately。〃

The　dancer　accepted　his　greetings　rather　impatiently。　She　was　clearly　annoyed　at　the　interruption　of　her　tête…а…tête。　Poirot　was　quick　to　take　the　hint。　Papopolous　had　already　murmured：　〃Certainly　…　but　certainly；〃　and　Poirot　withdrew　forthwith。　He　fetched　Zia's　cloak；　and　together　they　strolled　out　into　the　gardens。

〃This　is　where　the　suicides　take　place；〃　said　Zia。

Poirot　shrugged　his　shoulders。　〃So　it　is　said。　Men　are　foolish；　are　they　not；　Mademoiselle？　To　eat；　to　drink；　to　breathe　the　good　air；　it　is　a　very　pleasant　thing；　Mademoiselle。　One　is　foolish　to　leave　all　that　simply　because　one　has　no　money　…　or　because　the　heart　aches。　L'amour；　it　causes　many　fatalities；　does　it　not？〃

Zia　laughed。

〃You　should　not　laugh　at　love；　Mademoiselle；〃　said　Poirot；　shaking　an　energetic　forefinger　at　her。　〃You　who　are　young　and　beautiful。〃

〃Hardly　that；〃　said　Zia；　〃you　forget　that　I　am　thirty…three；　M。　Poirot。　I　am　frank　with　you；　because　it　is　no　good　being　otherwise。　As　you　told　my　father；　it　is　exactly　seventeen　years　since　you　aided　us　in　Paris　that　time。〃

〃When　I　look　at　you；　it　seems　much　less；〃　said　Poirot　gallantly。　〃You　were　then　very