Chapter 9 Chapter 8 Roast Beef Piglets

Tulips grew in wooden boxes on the windowsills of the house on Brook Street, and a large pot of pale purple lilacs in the hall sent its scent toward the open front door.The middle-aged butler took Polo's hat and cane, and a servant came to pick them up. The butler said respectfully, "Come this way, please?" Poirot followed him through the hall and down three more flights of stairs.The door was open, and the butler announced the name of the visitor in a correct manner.Then the door closed behind him, and a tall, thin man got up from a chair by the fire and came to him.Baron De Tissan was nearly forty years old. He was not only a landed nobleman, but also a poet.Two of his best poetic plays were staged at high prices and performed with great success.

His forehead was very prominent, his chin was earnest, and his eyes and mouth were surprisingly beautiful. He said: "Sit down, Mr. Poirot." Bo Luo Yiyan sat down and took the cigarette handed by the master.After Baron De Tissan closed the cigarette case and lit the cigarette for Poirot, he also sat down, looked at the guest thoughtfully, and said, "I know you are here to visit my wife." Polo replied: "Mrs. Di Tishan is very kind and agreed to meet me." "Oh," Poirot said, trying his luck after a short silence, "I hope you won't object?"

That thin, dream-like face suddenly and quickly revealed a smile. "Mr. Polo, these days, my wife doesn't take my husband's objection seriously." "So, are you against Luo?" "No, I can't say that, but I have to admit that I am a little worried that this matter will have a bad influence on my wife. Frankly speaking, many years ago, when my wife was a young girl, I suffered a lot. Terrible experience. I hope he has forgotten the pain and believes so. But now that you appear, it is bound to bring back her memories." "What a pity," said Polo politely. "I don't know what the consequences will be."

"I can only promise, Baron Di Tishan, I will try my best to be careful and try not to make Mrs. Di Tishan feel sad. Needless to say, she is very weak and easily nervous." The other party suddenly laughed unexpectedly and said: "Elsa? Elsa is as strong as a horse." "Then---" Polo deliberately didn't go on, because he really didn't understand the current situation. Baron Di Tishan said: "My wife can bear any blow. I don't know if you know why she wants to see you?" Polo replied calmly, "Curious?" There was a look of respect in the other party's eyes, and he said, "Oh, you know?"

Poirot said: "It's inevitable. A woman will definitely meet a private detective. A man will tell the private detective to go away." "Some women tell him to fuck off, too." "That was after the meeting—not before." "Maybe." Baron Di Tissan paused, and then said, "Is there any purpose in this book?" Polo shrugged. "People like to find old songs, old clothes, and old murders." "spit!" "You can say it if you like, but it doesn't change human nature. Murder is a kind of drama, and human nature always craves drama."

Baron De Tissan murmured: "I know—I know . . . " "Therefore," Poirot said, "this book must be written. My duty is to make sure that there are no major mistakes in the book, no misinterpretation of the facts." "I think the facts are already known." "Not bad, but there are different interpretations." "What do you mean, Mr. Poirot?" said Baron De Tissan sharply. "My dear Lord Detisan, we can study a historical fact in many ways. To give an example: There are many books about Mary Queen of Scots. Some say she is a martyr, and some say she is an unprincipled lewd woman. Some people say she is a simple-minded saint, others say she is a murderer, a conspiracy, or a victim of circumstances and fate. It doesn't matter which one chooses."

"What about this case? Currel was murdered by his wife. Of course, there is nothing to dispute about that. During the trial, I felt that his wife suffered some undue slander. Later, he even had to slip away from the court, and public opinion was against him. She's very disadvantaged." said the Baron. "The British are a very moral people." Baron De Tissan said, "Damn them!" Then he stared at Poirot and said, "What about you?" "Me?" said Polo, "I live a rigorous life, but that is not necessarily the same thing as moral values."

Baron De Tissan said: "Sometimes I think, this Mrs. Currier doesn't know what it is like. This hurt lady - I have a feeling that there may be another story behind this incident." "Maybe your honorable lady knows," said Poirot. "The case was never mentioned in my wife's office," said Lord De Tissan. Poirot's interest deepened, and he said: "Oh, I kind of understand—" the other said sharply, "Understand what?" Polo bowed and said: "The poet's creative imagination..." Baron Di Tishan rang the bell and said abruptly: "My wife will be waiting for you."

The door opened. "Sir, do you want me to do something?" "Take Mr. Polo to see his wife." After going up the stairs, the ground was covered with soft and comfortable carpets and soft and beautiful lights.Money, money, expensive things everywhere that cost money, but not very elegant.There is a melancholy and serious atmosphere in Baron Di Tishan's room, but here are all the most extravagant and luxurious things, but not necessarily the most amazing, which seems to lack imagination.Polo muttered to himself, "Roast beef? Yes, roast beef." This room is not big. The large living room is on the second floor, which is the personal living room of the hostess.The mistress was standing by the fire when Poirot entered the room.A sentence suddenly flashed in Polo's mind, and he couldn't get it out for a long time: She died at a young age...

Mrs. Di Tishan --- the former Aisha.Gary -- just give Poirot that feeling. If it wasn't here, he would never have recognized her as the one Meredy had shown him in the painting.It was, after all, a vibrant portrait of a young man.But the person in front of him at this moment did not show any youthful vigor.However, he found something that could not be seen in Anya's painting---Aisha is beautiful.Yes, the woman who came forward to greet him was indeed a beauty, and she was not old at all.how old is she If she had been twenty at the time of the tragedy, she would be only thirty-six now, with her hair neatly and elegantly combed around her beautiful neck, her features remarkably elegant, and her make-up very delicate.

Polo suddenly felt a strange pain, maybe Mr. Jonathan shouldn't have mentioned Juliet... There is no Juliet here—unless one can think of Juliet as a remnant—she can still live without Romeo... Wasn't she doomed to die early when the character of Juliet was created?Elsa survived alone... She said to him in a flat almost monotonous voice: "I am very interested, Mr. Poirot, sit down and tell me, what do you want from me?" In fact, he thought, he wasn't interested at all, and she wasn't interested in anything.Big gray eyes - like a dead lake.Polo looked very surprised. "I'm troubled -- really, I'm troubled," he said. "Because I know it must be very painful for you to bring up things like this...." She showed a happy expression, yes, a really happy expression.She said: "I suppose it was my husband who made you think that way? You met him just now, and of course he doesn't understand anything, never has. I'm not at all the sentimental person he imagined me to be. " You could tell from her voice that she still had fun.She said, "You know, my late father was a miller, and then he started from scratch. If a person is too sensitive, he can't do anything, and neither do I." Polo thought to himself: Yes, if a person is sensitive, he will not live in Kai Ruolin's house. Mrs. Di Tishan said, "What do you want from me?" "Madam, are you sure that the mention of the past will not pain you?" She thought about it for a while, and Polo suddenly discovered unexpectedly that Mrs. Di Tishan was a very frank woman. She might have to lie because of the situation, but she would not take the initiative to choose the way of lying. Elsa said slowly: "No, it won't. Honestly, I'd like to?" "why?" She said impatiently: "It's so stupid to have no feeling for anything..." Polo thought, yes, Elsa.Gregory is indeed dead.Then he said aloud, "At any rate, Mrs. Dittisan, it will make my job much easier." She said happily, "What do you want to know?" "How is your memory, ma'am?" "I think it should be good." "Are you sure that if you think about those days carefully, you won't feel pain?" "Not at all, things are only painful when they first happen." "I know some people are like that." Mrs. Di Tishan said: "My husband Edward just doesn't understand this. He thinks that trial has hit me very hard." "Is not it?" Elsa says: "No, I think it's very interesting." There is a contented tone in her voice, and she adds: "God, that old bastard Dipledge treats me really badly, like a devil , I like to fight against him, and he didn't knock me down." She looked at Polo with a smile. "Hope I didn't spoil your illusions. I thought a twenty-year-old girl should give in easily when humiliated, but I didn't. I don't care what they say to me, I just want one thing." "what?" "Of course I want her to be hanged." Aisha said. He noticed her hands—beautiful hands, but with long, hooked nails, aggressive hands. She said: "Do you think I am too vengeful? Yes, I do want to take revenge on anyone who hurt me. In my heart, that woman is so despicable. She knew Anya loved me and planned to leave her, so she killed him, no Let me have him." She looked at Poirot. "Don't you think that's mean?" "Don't you understand or sympathize with her jealousy?" "No, I don't think I will. To lose is to lose, and if she can't keep her husband, she should let him go beautifully. I can't forgive people who take others." "If you marry him, perhaps you will understand her." "I don't agree with you, we're not—" She smiled at Poirot suddenly, and he found her smile a little scary. "I want to be clear. Don't think that Anya seduced an innocent young girl. That's not the case at all! Of the two of us, I should be responsible. I met him at a banquet and couldn't help it Love at first sight---I know I must possess him---" A joking picture---a ridiculous joking picture, but---'I'll put all my riches at your feet and follow you, Until the ends of the earth, my master' "It doesn't matter if he gets married?" "'Idlers are not allowed to enter, and offenders are strictly punished'? This brand alone can escape reality. If he is unhappy with his wife, but can be happy with me, why not? People only have You can live forever." "But it is said that they are very happy as a couple." Aisha shook her head. "No, they're rowdy all the time, and she's always nagging at him—oh, she's a horrible woman!" She got up and lit a cigarette, smiled and said, "Maybe I'm being unfair to her, but I really think she's so hateful." Polo said slowly, "It was a great tragedy." "Yes, it's a great tragedy." He suddenly turned around and looked at him, a trembling and active expression suddenly appeared on his dull and tired face. "That thing killed me, you know? Killed me. Since then, there's been nothing—nothing." She dropped her voice abruptly. "Everything is empty." She He waved his hand impatiently, "Like a stuffed fish in a glass box." "Anja is really that important to you?" She nodded, a strange little nod -- a strangely sympathetic one."I think I've been very narrow-minded," she said, brooding for a moment gloomily, "I thought—really—that I should probably kill myself—like Juliet. But...but doing that would be tantamount to Admit that I'm doomed—Fate has broken me." "Then what to do?" "Should have everything - it's the same as before - just forget about it. I did get past that and it didn't mean anything to me anymore. I figured I should move on one thing." OK, next thing.Poirot could see her frankly trying to fulfill that primal determination, as if seeing her seduce men with her beautiful, rich, alluring gestures, with her rapacious, predatory hands, filling her empty life, hero worship— -- "Marry a famous pilot --- then an explorer, the great Arnold. Stevenson --" maybe similar in size to Anya --- and finally, back to being creative Next to the artist Di Tishan!Aisha says: "I've never been a hypocrite! There's one of my favorite Spanish proverbs: 'God says, take what you want, just pay for it.' That's what I am. I've taken what I want things --- and are willing to pay the price at any time." Polo said: "But you don't understand, there are some things that money can't buy." She stared at him and said, "I don't mean just money." Polo said: "No, no, I understand what you mean, but not everything in life has a price, some things are 'priceless'!" "nonsense!" He smiled lightly.From her voice, you can hear the arrogance of the miller when he became rich. Polo suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for her. He looked at the ageless smooth face, tired eyes, and thought of the girl in Anya's painting... Aisha said: "Tell me about this book. Some For what purpose? Whose idea?" "Oh, my dear lady, what's the point of frying cold rice?" "So you're not a writer anymore?" "No, I'm a crime expert." "You mean you've been asked about crime books?" "Not necessarily. This time, I was entrusted by someone." "Who?" "I'm... how should I put it?... researching this book on behalf of an interested person." "who?" "Miss Kara Limaqian." "Who is she?" "Anja and Kai Ruolin's daughter." Elsa stares at him for a moment, then says: "Oh, sure, I remember, they have a kid, presumably grown up?" "Yes, twenty-one years old." "What does she look like?" "Tall, dark-haired, and pretty, I suppose. And courageous, with character." Elsa muses: "I want to meet her." "She doesn't necessarily want to see you." Elsa seems surprised. "Why? Oh, I get it, but it's so boring! She can't remember anything, she can't be more than six years old." "She knew her mother was on trial for murdering his father." "She thinks it's my fault?" "It's possible." Elsa shrugged and said, "Stupid! If Caroline was as sensible as a person—" "You have no responsibility at all?" "Why should I be responsible? I have nothing to be ashamed of. I love him and am willing to make him happy." She looked at Polo, with warmth on her face, and suddenly it was hard to believe that the girl in the painting appeared again. look.She said: "If only I could let you see, if only you could see from my point of view, if only you knew—" Poirot leaned forward. "But that's exactly what I wanted, you see, Mr. Philip Black, who was also the party, who promised to write me down everything he remembered. Meredith. Mr. Black, too. If you-- Aisha took a deep breath and said contemptuously, "The two of them! Philip has always been stupid, and Meredith is always clinging to Caroline---but he is very cute. But you don't want to learn from their reports." Get 'any' valuable information." He looked at her, at the life in his eyes, at a lifeless woman coming to life again. She said quickly, almost ferociously, "You want the facts? Oh, not for the book, just for yourself." "If you don't agree, I'm responsible for not publishing it." "I'd like to write down the facts," she said, after a minute or two of consideration. Polo watched as her smooth cheeks quivered, showing youthful lines.When the past came back to her mind, she came back to life. "Revisiting old dreams—write them all down...so you know what she was like—" Her eyes sparkled, her chest heaved. "She killed him, she killed Anya. Anya wants to live, he loves life. Hate should be stronger than love---but her hatred is stronger than love. And my hatred for her--- I hate her -- I hate her -- I hate her..." She walked up to him, bent down and grabbed his sleeve, and said urgently: "You must understand—you must understand—the feeling between me and Anya. There are some things—I must let you know .” Like a gust of wind, she walked across the room and opened a secret little drawer. When she came back, she held a folded letter with faded ink.She stuffed the letter into his hand, and Polo suddenly recalled the scene of a little girl stuffing a beloved thing into his hand---it was a unique shell picked up by the sea, and the young child was just like her now. , took a step back and looked at him, both proud and afraid, worried that he would not accept her collection.He opened the letter. ------Aisha---You wonderful child, there has never been anything in the world as beautiful as you.But I'm worried -- I'm too old -- a middle-aged, curmudgeon, indeterminate devil.Don't take my word for it - I'm not good at all - except for my work.My greatest strength is my paintings.Well, don't say I didn't warn you. Oh dear --- I want to have you forever, I want to go to heaven and earth with you, I want to paint a picture of you, let this stupid world breathe, still!I'm already crazy about you --- I can't eat, I can't sleep. Elsa --- Elsa --- Elsa --- I'll be yours forever --- until death. Anya ------ Sixteen years ago, the ink was faded and the paper was crumbling, but the words were still alive -- still deeply moving... He looked at the woman who kept the letter.However, what he was staring at was no longer the woman in front of him. But a young girl in love. He thought of Juliet again...