Agatha Christie The Hollow Chapter I At 6:13 a.m. ... - bzelbublive.info

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with a little catch in her voice: "It's a lovely ring, Edward." "I wish you'd keep it.Midge. I'd like you to have it." She shook her head. "I couldn't do that."He said, with a faint humorous twist ofthe lips: "I shan't give it to anyone else, you know." It was all quite friendly.He didn't know --he would never know--just what she was feeling. . . Heaven on aplate--and the plate was broken and Heaven had slipped between her fingers orhad, perhaps, never been there. That afternoon, Poirot received his third visitor.He had been visited by Henrietta Savernake and by Veronica Cray. This time it wasLady Angkatell. She came floating up the path with her usual appearance ofinsubstantiality. He opened the door and she stood smiling at him."I have come to see you," she announced. So might a fairy confer a favour on a meremortal. "I am enchanted, Madame." He led the way into the sitting room. Shesat down on the sofa and once more, she smiled. Hercule Poirot thought: "She isold--her hair is grey--there are lines in her face. Yet she has magic--she will alwayshave magic " ア\^ Lady Angkatell said softly: "I want you to dosomething for me." "Yes, Madame?" "To begin with, I must talk to you--aboutJohn Christow.""About Dr. Christow?" "Yes. It seems to me that the only thing to do is to put afull stop to the whole thing. You understand what I mean, don't you?" "I am notsure that I do know what you mean. Lady Angkatell." She gave him her lovelydazzling smile again and she put one long white hand on his sleeve. "Dear M.Poirot, you know perfectly. The police will have to hunt about for the owner ofthose finger-prints and they won't find him and in the end they'll have to let thewhole thing drop. But I'm afraid, you know, that you won't let it drop." "No, Ishall not let it drop," said Hercule Poirot. "That is just what I thought. . . And thatis why I came. It's the truth you want, isn't it?" "Certainly I want the truth.""I see I haven't explained myself very well. I'm trying to find out just why youwon't let things drop. It isn't because of your prestige—or because you want to hang amurderer (such an unpleasant kind of death, I've always thought—so medieval). It'sjust, I think, that you want to know. You do see what I mean, don't you? If youwere to know the truth—if you were to be told the truth, I think—I think perhapsthat might satisfy you? Would it satisfy you, M. Poirot?" "You are offering to tellme the truth, Lady Angkatell?" She nodded:"You yourself know the truth, then?" Her eyes opened very wide. "Oh, yes, I'veknown for a long time. I'd like to tell you. And then we could agree that--well, thatit was all over and done with." She smiled at him. "Is it a bargain, M.Poirot?" It was quite an effort for Hercule Poirot to say: "No, Madame, it isnot a bargain." He wanted--he wanted, very badly, to let the whole thing drop . . .simply because Lucy Angkatell asked him to do so. Lady Angkatell sat very stillfor a moment. Then she raised her eyebrows. "I wonder," she said. ... "I wonder ifyou really know what you are doing?"
Chapter XXVIIImidge, lying dry eyed and awake in the darkness, turned restlessly on her pillows.She heard a door unlatch, a footstep in the corridor outside passing her door . . . Itwas Edward's door and Edward's step . . . She switched on the lamp by her bed andlooked at the clock that stood by the lamp on the table. It was ten minutes to three.Edward passing her door and going down the stairs at this hour in the morning. It wasodd. They had all gone to bed early, at half past ten. She herself had not slept, hadlain there with burning eyelids and with a dry achingmisery racking her feverishly. She had heard the clock strike downstairs--hadheard owls hoot outside her bedroom window. Had felt that depression that reaches^s nadir at 2:00 a.m. Had thought to herself "i can't bear it--1 can't bear it.Tomorrow coming--another day . . . Day after day to be got through." Banis^d byêr own act from Ainswick --from ^11 ê loveliness and dearness of Amswic^which might have been her very own possession. But b^ner banishment, betterloneliness, better a âb and uninteresting life, than life with Edward and Henrietta'sghost. Until that day ^ ê wood she had not known her own capîty for bitterjealousy. And after all, Edward had never told herthat he l^yed her. Affection, kindliness, he had nev^ pretended to more than that. Shehad accepted the limitation, and not until she had realized what it would mean to liveat close quarters with an Edward whose mind and heart had Henrietta as a permanentgu^t, did she know that for her Edward s affection was not enough-. Edwardwalking past her door, down the front sta^s It was odd--very odd--where was hegoing? Uneasiness grew upon her. It was all part and parc^ of the uneasiness thatThe Hollow gave her nowadays. What was Edward doing downstairs in the small
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Agatha ChristieThe HollowChapter IA
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couldn't think of how to make thing
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wouldn't be called for hours. She w
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wasn't going to give it back!" "No,
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it, yes--but she'd got something el
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Chapter IIIjohn christow sat in his
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"You are always willing to say anyt
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oom. A tiresome woman, a woman with
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Gerda shook her head.Carve the mutt
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was able to laugh at him . . .He wa
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esentment became subordinated to hi
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Angkatells were always so far ahead
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unfair. Henrietta seldom talked of
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Chapter VImidge hardcastle came dow
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if Lucy does them. What is it, I wo
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you've been there." "I know. ..." W
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Chapter VIIAs they got into the car
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point of changing up just when you'
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firing revolvers. Henry Angkatell's
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Henry? How do you know what they fe
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have assured success.It worried Hen
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Chapter IXjohn christow came out fr
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Angkatell. And to Lucy Angkatell, t
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giving much more poignancy to her e
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go to Henrietta and tell her-- He l
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the Angkatells to invite guests for
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her fingers. She was standing by th
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glasses and a decanter of sherry. "
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Angkatell looked surprised, murmure
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and quiet pessimism. "Never like th
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Chapter XIIIthey had the cold ducks
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said Henrietta thoughtfully. "I sup
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of relief from tension. Midge said,
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evolver in her hand. The revolver s
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no need, actually, for her to earn
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here to brood upon his position. Th
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feel is really nice and probably a
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and Lady Angkatell are important--t
Page 77 and 78: oken down then, becoming hysterical
Page 79 and 80: instrument to him. "Hullo, Grange h
Page 81 and 82: The thing was remarkable--and beyon
Page 83 and 84: Chapter XVIIIhercule poirot looked
Page 85 and 86: You--are very anxious on this point
Page 87 and 88: had 10the toothache."Henrietta said
Page 89 and 90: sharply to look at him. He felt her
Page 91 and 92: simple as that? He thought of his c
Page 93 and 94: drink." "I see. I imagined your con
Page 95 and 96: in her hand the gun she had just us
Page 97 and 98: murder scene, set and staged to dec
Page 99 and 100: told the Inspector and he quite und
Page 101 and 102: "just a bit batty," to describe a f
Page 103 and 104: and the whole thing will die out."
Page 105 and 106: She accepted the homage smilingly,
Page 107 and 108: Chapter XXIIIthe inquest was over.
Page 109 and 110: has managed to keep its distance, a
Page 111 and 112: For some minutes she stood abstract
Page 113 and 114: shoulders and walked in. He was ins
Page 115 and 116: said to the driver, "Go to the Berk
Page 117 and 118: the whole thing would be far more i
Page 119 and 120: complex--that is to say, we were co
Page 121 and 122: He said, "The adjourned inquest's t
Page 123 and 124: it." Grange stared at him. He said:
Page 125 and 126: Angkatell, clasping Gerda's hand, m
Page 127: thought—she and Edward, linked, a
Page 131 and 132: understand. It was because of Henri
Page 133 and 134: Chapter XXIXgerda rolled over to th
Page 135 and 136: guessed at and brought to life, car
Page 137 and 138: word. He was asking me to protect G
Page 139 and 140: Chapter XXXAs she drove towards Lon
Page 141 and 142: Mrs. Crabtree looked at her for a m
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