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One

THE UNEXPECTED GUEST

I have ; men who can sit calmly in their deck chairs and, on arrival, wait until the boat is ether without fuss and disee this Froet on board I feel that the ti I o down to the saloon for athat the boat may arrive unexpectedly whilst I aacy from one’s short leaves in the hen it seeangway, and to be ast the first to disembark lest one should waste precious minutes of one’s three or five days’ leave

On this particular July , as I stood by the rail and watched the white cliffs of Dover drawing nearer, I ers who could sit calmly in their chairs and never even raise their eyes for the first sight of their native land Yet perhaps their case was different from mine Doubtless many of them had only crossed to Paris for the weekend, whereas I had spent the last year and a half on a ranch in the Argentine I had prospered there, and my wife and I had both enjoyed the free and easy life of the South American continent, nevertheless it ith a lump in my throat that I watched the familiar shore draw nearer and nearer

I had landed in France two days before, transacted some necessary business, and was now en route for London I should be there soh to look up old friends, and one old friend in particular A little reen eyes—Hercule Poirot! I proposed to take hientine had given no hint of e—indeed, that had been decided upon hurriedly as a result of certain business co tome

He, I kneas not likely to be far from his headquarters The tiland to the other was past His faer would he allow one case to absorb all his ti considered a “consulting detective”—as much a specialist as a Harley Street physician He had always scoffed at the popular idea of the huuises to track criminals, and who paused at every footprint to measure it

“No, s,” he would say, “we leave that to Giraud and his friends Hercule Poirot’s rey cells’ Sitting at ease in our own ars that these others overlook, and we do not jump to the conclusion like the worthy Japp”

No; there was little fear of finding Hercule Poirot far afield On arrival in London, I deposited ht on to the old address What poignant reet my old landlady, but hurried up the stairs two at a time and rapped on Poirot’s door

“Enter, then,” cried a familiar voice from within

I strode in Poirot stood facing me In his arms he carried a s me

“Mon as!”

And, rushing forward, he enveloped me in a capacious embrace Our conversation was incoherent and inconsequent Ejaculations, eager questions, incoes from my wife, explanations as to ether

“I suppose there’s someone in my old rooms?” I asked at last, e had calain with you”

Poirot’s face changed with startling suddenness

“Mon Dieu! but what a chance épouvantable Regard around you, my friend”

For the first tiainst the wall stood a vast ark of a trunk of prehistoric design Near to it were placed a nue to small The inference was unmistakable

“You are going away?”

“Yes”

“Where to?”

“South America”

“What?”

“Yes, it is a droll farce, is it not? It is to Rio I go, and every day I say toin s when he beholds me!”

“But when are you going?”

Poirot looked at his watch

“In an hour’s time”

“I thought you always said nothing would induce you to e?”

Poirot closed his eyes and shuddered

“Speak not of it to me, my friend My doctor, he assures me that one dies not of it—and it is for the one time only; you understand, that never—never shall I return”

He pushed me into a chair

“Come, I will tell you how it all came about Do you knoho is the richest man in the world? Richer even than Rockefeller? Abe Ryland”

“The A?”

“Precisely One of his secretaries approached me There is so on in connection with a big coate matters on the spot I refused I told hiive him my expert opinion But that he professed himself unable to do I was to be put in possession of the facts only on my arrival out there Normally, that would have closed the matter To dictate to Hercule Poirot is sheer impertinence But the sum offered was so stupendous that for the first time in my life I was tempted by mere money It was a competence—a fortune! And there was a second attraction—you, my friend For this last year and a half I have been a very lonely oldto weary of this unending solving of foolish problems I have achieved sufficient fame Let me take this money and settle down somewhere near my old friend”

I was quite affected by this token of Poirot’s regard

“So I accepted,” he continued, “and in an hour’s time I must leave to catch the boat train One of life’s little ironies, is it not? But I will ads, that had not the ht have hesitated, for just lately I have begun a little investigation of my own TellFour?’”

“I suppose it had its origin at the Versailles Conference, and then there’s the fa Four’ in the film world, and the term is used by hosts of smaller fry”

“I see,” said Poirot thoughtfully “I have come across the ph

rase, you understand, under certain circumstances where none of those explanations would apply It see of that kind; only—”

“Only what?” I asked, as he hesitated

“Only that I fancy that it is soThe time advances”

“Don’t go,” I urged “Cancel your package and come out on the same boat with me”

Poirot drew hilanced at me reproachfully

“Ah, is it that you don’t understand! I have passedbut a matter of life or death could detain me now”

“And that’s not likely to occur,” I murmured ruefully “Unless at the eleventh hour ‘the door opens and the unexpected guest comes in’”

I quoted the old saith a slight laugh, and then, in the pause that succeeded it, we both started as a sound came from the inner room

“What’s that?” I cried

“Ma foi!” retorted Poirot “It sounds very like your ‘unexpected guest’ in my bedroom”

“But how can anyone be in there? There’s no door except into this room”

“Your s Now for the deductions”

“The ! But it’s a burglar, then? He must have had a stiff climb of it—I should say it was almost impossible”

I had risen toin the direction of the door when the sound of fu at the handle from the other side arrested me

The door swung slowly open Framed in the doorway stood a man He was coated from head to foot with dust and mud; his face was thin and emaciated He stared at us for a moment, and then swayed and fell Poirot hurried to his side, then he looked up and spoke to me

“Brandy—quickly”

I dashed soed to adether we raised him and carried him to the couch In a few minutes he opened his eyes and looked round him with an almost vacant stare

“What is it you want, monsieur?” asked Poirot

The man opened his lips and spoke in a queer mechanical voice

“M Hercule Poirot, 14 Farraway Street”

“Yes, yes; I am he”

The man did not seem to understand, and merely repeated in exactly the same tone: