第24部分(第4/8 頁)

udden　wide　smile。　〃I　have　lived　in　the　world　long　enough；　M。　Poirot；　to　know　that　all　women　are　pretty　much　alike。〃　His　face　softened　suddenly。　〃All　save　one。〃

He　met　Poirot's　gaze　defiantly。　A　look　of　alertness　crept　into　his　eyes；　then　faded　again。　〃That　one；〃　he　said；　and　jerked　his　head　in　the　direction　of　Cap　Martin。

〃Ah！〃　said　Poirot。

This　quiescence　was　well　calculated　to　provoke　the　impetuous　temperament　of　the　other。

〃I　know　what　you　are　going　to　say；〃　said　Derek　rapidly；　〃the　kind　of　life　I　have　led；　the　fact　that　I　am　not　worthy　of　her。　You　will　say　that　I　have　no　right　to　think　even　of　such　a　thing。　You　will　say　that　it　is　not　a　case　of　giving　a　dog　a　bad　name　…　I　know　that　it　is　not　decent　to　be　speaking　like　this　with　my　wife　dead　only　a　few　days；　and　murdered　at　that。〃

He　paused　for　breath；　and　Poirot　took　advantage　of　the　pause　to　remark　in　his　plaintive　tone。

〃But；　indeed；　I　have　not　said　anything　at　all。〃

〃But　you　will。〃

〃Eh？〃　said　Poirot。

〃You　will　say　that　I　have　no　earthly　chance　of　marrying　Katherine。〃

〃No；〃　said　Poirot；　〃I　would　not　say　that。　Your　reputation　is　bad；　yes；　but　with　women　…　never　does　that　deter　them。　If　you　were　a　man　of　excellent　character；　of　strict　morality　who　had　done　nothing　that　he　should　not　do；　and　…　possibly　everything　that　he　should　do　…　eh　bien！　then　I　should　have　grave　doubts　of　your　success。　Moral　worth；　you　understand；　it　is　not　romantic。　It　is　appreciate