Chapter 22 Chapter XXII Ursula's Statement

Ursula's statement Ursula looked at Poirot in silence, and presently she could no longer restrain her emotions.She nodded and burst into sobs. Caroline hurried up from behind me, put her arms around her, and patted her lightly on the shoulder. "Now, don't cry, my darling," she said reassuringly. "It's going to be all right. Just wait—everything will be all right." Although Caroline was a curious and communicative A gossip, but she's kind enough.Seeing the girl so devastated, even Poirot's presence did not interest her. In a moment Ursula straightened up and wiped away her tears.

"I'm too fragile, too stupid," she said. "No, that cannot be said, my boy," said Poirot kindly; "the past week has been a severe trial for us all." "A very terrible trial, too," I said. "You already know about the marriage," continued Ursula. "How did you know it? Did Ralph tell you?" Poirot shook his head. "You must know why I am here tonight," she went on. "This—" She produced a crumpled newspaper, and I saw at a glance that it was Poirot who had published the news. newspaper. "It says in the newspaper that Ralph has been arrested. There is nothing I can do now. I don't need to hide it anymore." "Not everything in the newspaper is true, madam," said Poirot with a hint of a smile on his face. Ashamed expression, "Anyway, it will be good for you to tell everything you know, what we need now is the facts." Ursula hesitated for a while, and looked at him suspiciously.

"You don't trust me," said Poirot politely, "and yet you came to me especially, didn't you? And why?" "Because I don't believe Ralph would kill," said the girl in a low voice. said, "I think you are a very clever man, and you will be able to find out the truth. And—" "Go on." "I think you are a very kind man." Poirot nodded frequently. "Well said—yes, well said. I can tell you that I have every confidence in your husband's innocence—but things have turned out against him. If I'm going to save him, you've got to tell the truth Tell me--even the facts that seem more unfavorable to him." "You're a very understanding man," said Ursula.

"So you want to tell me everything, don't you? Then start at the beginning." "I hope you don't throw me out," said Caroline, sitting back in her armchair. "I want to Find out why this kid is dressing up as a parlor maid?" "Dressing up?" I demanded. "Yes, why did you do it, boy? For a bet?" "For a living," said Ursula very crisply. Then she mustered up her courage and began to tell her story.Let me briefly repeat it in my own words. There were seven of Ursula Byrne's family--a poor, upper-class Irish family.After the death of their father, most of the girls in the family had to go out to earn a living.Ursula's eldest sister married Captain Follett.When I saw her that Sunday, she was embarrassed for reasons that are now clear.Ursula was determined to earn her own living, but she did not want to be a nurse--a job any untrained girl could do--she chose the job of parlor-maid.She doesn't want to be seen as a "parlor maid", but wants to be a veritable parlor maid.This work of hers was introduced by her sister.At Fernley Court she was often criticized for avoiding people, but she did a very good job--clean and capable of everything, never dragging her feet.

"I love this job," she explains, "and I have a lot of personal time." She goes on to talk about how she met Ralph Payton, their relationship, and their secret marriage.Ursula was reluctant to do so, but Peyton finally talked her out of it.He said he couldn't let his stepfather know that he was married to a penniless girl.So the best way is to get married secretly and tell him when the time is right. And so it was done, and Ursula Byrne became Ursula Paton.Ralph said he wanted to pay off the debt first and then get a job, and when he was able to support her and was no longer dependent on his stepfather, he would tell him about it.

But for a man like Ralph Paton, it is not easy to turn over a new leaf and start a new life.He wanted to persuade his stepfather to help him pay off his debts and help him make a comeback without his stepfather knowing that he was married.But when Roger Ackroyd learned of the amount of Ralph's debt, he was very angry and refused to help him pay it off.A few months later, Ralph was called home again.Roger Ackroyd had told him bluntly that he really wanted Ralph and Flora to marry.He asked Ralph to seriously consider the matter. In this matter, Ralph Paton's natural weakness was revealed again.As usual, he always went for the simplest and quickest solution.As far as I know, Flora and Ralph are not really in love.For both of them, it was nothing more than a business transaction.Roger Ackroyd dictated his wishes - and they both agreed.For Flora, she was just grabbing this chance of freedom—the money, and the prospects; and for Ralph, it was just playing a different game.He was struggling financially, so he wanted to take this opportunity to pay off his debts and start a new life.Ralph was naturally short-sighted, but he was also vaguely aware that in the not-too-distant future he would be annulling Flora.So Flora negotiated with him to keep the matter secret temporarily, and he tried every means to hide it from Ursula.He knew instinctively that, being strong-willed and decisive, and averse to treachery, she would never consent to such a course of action.

Soon the moment of truth came, when the ever domineering Roger Ackroyd decided to announce his engagement.He didn't tell Ralph what he thought, but talked to Flora, who was very cool but made no objection.The news came like a thunderbolt to Ursula, and she called Ralph back from the city.They met secretly in the woods, and my sister overheard some of their conversation.Ralph begged her to keep it quiet for a while, but Ursula was so determined that she no longer wanted to hide it.She resolved to tell Mr. Ackroyd the truth at once, and begged him not to break up their marriage mercilessly.

Once a decision had been made, Ursula was determined to carry it out.That very afternoon she spoke to Roger Ackroyd and revealed the truth to him.During the conversation they had a violent quarrel--a quarrel that would have been even more violent if Roger Ackroyd himself hadn't been in trouble.Ursula, however, did not achieve her goal.Aykroyd would never easily forgive those who deceived him. His resentment was mainly vented on Ralph, but Ursula was also scolded and regarded as a bad girl who deliberately seduced rich boys. Neither of them forgiving. That same evening Ursula and Ralph agreed to meet at the little summerhouse.She slipped out of the house by a side door to meet Ralph, and their conversation was pure recrimination.Ralph accuses Ursula of irreparably ruining his career by revealing their secret at an inopportune time; Ursula accuses him of fraud.

A little over half an hour after they parted, Roger Aykroyd's body was discovered.Ursula had never seen Ralph again, nor had he heard from him since that evening. After she finished her account, I realized more and more how terrible this series of facts was.If Aykroyd hadn't died he would have amended his will--I knew him well enough to know that the first thing he would do was to amend his will, and his death came at a critical moment for Ralph Paton, No wonder the girl kept her mouth shut and continued to play her parlor-maid role. My contemplation was interrupted by Poirot's voice.It can be seen from his serious tone that he is also aware of the complexity of the situation.

"Miss, I want to ask you a question, and you must answer it truthfully, because this is the key to the whole case: When did you break up with Captain Ralph Paton in the gazebo? Think about it for a while before answering, and your answer must be Be very precise." Ursula gave a grin that could be seen wryly. "Do you think I haven't turned the question over in my mind? It was nine-thirty when I went out to see him. Major Brent was pacing up and down the terrace, and I had to make a detour through the woods, trying to Keep out of his sight. It must have been about nine-thirty-three when I reached the arbor, and Ralph was already waiting for me, and I stayed with him for ten minutes--not beyond that. Because I went back to the house It was a quarter past nine." Now it dawned on me why she kept asking that question the other day: I wish I could find the facts that Ackroyd died before a quarter past nine, not after. .

Then Poirot asked another question, which I understood perfectly well. "Who gets out of the gazebo first?" "Me." "Leaving Ralph Paton alone in the gazebo?" "Yes—but you don't think—" "It doesn't matter what I think, miss. What did you do when you got back to the house?" "To your own room." "How long did you stay?" "Around ten o'clock." "Can anyone prove it." "Prove? You mean to prove that I was In his own room? Oh! No one can prove it. But sure—oh! I see. They might think—they might think—" I read her fear in her eyes. Poirot said for her what she wanted to say. "Think you went into Ackroyd's study through the window and stabbed him as he sat in the chair, didn't you? Yes, they probably thought so." "Only a fool would think that." Rowling said angrily. She patted Ursula on the shoulder. The girl covered her face with her hands. "It's terrible," she murmured, "it's terrible." Caroline shook her very gently. "Don't worry, my darling," she said, "M. Poirot doesn't think so. As for your husband, I can tell you frankly that I don't have a good impression of him, and he's gone off on his own, leaving you Take the blame alone." Ursula shook her head desperately. "Oh no," she cried at the top of her lungs, "that's not the case. Ralph will never run away from it. He probably thinks I did it." "He wouldn't think so," said Caroline. Say. "I was so rough with him that night - too harsh, too sharp. I didn't even listen to his explanation - I thought he wouldn't take anything to heart. I stood there and kept pushing me I got all my opinion of him out, and I used the coldest, most heartless words that came to my mind." "These words won't do him any harm," said Caroline, "you can say anything to a man. , you don't have to worry. They are so proud that even if you scold them, they will think it is not from the heart." Ursula kept twisting her hands, looking very nervous. "I'm very concerned that he hasn't been shown since the murder. Sometimes I think - and then I think he wouldn't do something like that - he won't ... but I hope he To come back and publicly clarify that I had nothing to do with it. I know he likes Dr. Shepard, and I think Dr. Shepard may know where he's hiding." She turned to me. "I told you all I did that day, thinking that if you knew where he was, you would tell him." "I know where he is hiding?" I exclaimed. . "How would James know where he was hiding?" Caroline asked sternly. "I know it's unlikely, too," admitted Ursula, "but Ralph talks about Dr. Shepard a lot, and I know that in King Abbott's place, Dr. Sheppard is probably his best friend." " "My dear little darling," said I, "I have never known where Ralph Paton is until now." "He is telling the truth," said Poirot. "But—" Ursula produced the newspaper clipping in bewilderment. "Ah!" said Poirot with a slight embarrassment on his face. "A piece of paper, madam. Rien du tout (French: useless). I never for a moment believed that Ralph Paton had been arrested." "But—" Ursula said very slowly. Poirot interrupted her. "There's one thing I want to know--was Captain Peyton wearing shoes or boots that night?" Ursula shook her head. "I can't remember." "It's a pity! How could you be so careless?" He tilted his head to one side, smiled at her, and kept wiggling his index finger. "It's all right, stop torturing yourself. Take heart, you can count on Hercule Poirot."