Hallowe'en Party / Вечеринка на Хэллоуин. Книга для чтения на английском языке

вода жизни) вид французского фруктового бренди]?’

�I hate water,’ said Mrs Oliver.

Poirot looked surprised.

�I hate it. I’ve never thought about it before. What it can do, and everything.’

�My dear friend,’ said Hercule Poirot, as George extricated her from the flapping folds of watery oilskin. �Come and sit down here. Let George finally relieve you of—what is it you are wearing?’

�I got it in Cornwall,’ said Mrs Oliver.

�Oilskins. A real, proper fisherman’s oilskin.’

�Very useful to him, no doubt,’ said Poirot, �but not, I think, so suitable for you. Heavy to wear. But come—sit down and tell me.’

�I don’t know how,’ said Mrs oliver, sinking into a chair. �Sometimes, you know, I can’t feel it’s really true. But it happened. It really happened.’

�Tell me,’ said Poirot.

�That’s what I’ve come for. But now I’ve got here, it’s so difficult because I don’t know where to begin.

’

�At the beginning?’ suggested Poirot, �or is that too conventional a way of acting?’

�I don’t know when the beginning was. Not really. It could have been a long time ago, you know.’

�Calm yourself,’ said Poirot. �Gather together the various threads of this matter in your mind and tell me. What is it that has so upset you?’

�It would have upset you, too,’ said Mrs Oliver. �At least, I suppose it would.

’ She looked rather doubtful. �One doesn’t know, really, what does upset you. You take so many things with a lot of calm.’

�It is often the best way,’ said Poirot.

�All right,’ said Mrs Oliver. �It began with a party.’

�Ah yes,’ said Poirot, relieved to have something as ordinary and sane as a party presented to him. �A party. You went to a party and something happened.’

�Do you know what a Hallowe’en party is?’ said Mrs Oliver.

�I know what Hallowe’en is,’ said Poirot. �The 31st of October.’ He twinkled slightly as he said, �When witches ride on broomsticks.’

�There were broomsticks,’ said Mrs Oliver. �They gave prizes for them.’

�Prizes?’

�Yes, for who brought the best decorated ones.’

Poirot looked at her rather doubtfully. Originally relieved at the mention of a party, he now again felt slightly doubtful.