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Five Little Pigs :: Christie Agatha
Страница: 36 из 147’
And although that derisive patronizing attitude was exactly the one which Hercule Poirot had aimed at inducing, nevertheless he found himself annoyed by it.
This man, this successful man of affairs, was unimpressed by Hercule Poirot! It was a scandal.
‘I am gratified,’ said Poirot untruly, ‘that I am so well known to you. My success, let me tell you, has been founded on the psychology-the eternalwhy? of human behaviour. That, M. Blake, is what interests the world in crime today. It used to be romance. Famous crimes were retold from one angle only-the love-story connected with them. Nowadays it is very different. People read with interest that Dr Crippen murdered his wife because she was a big bouncing woman and he was little and insignificant and therefore she made him feel inferior. They read of some famous woman criminal that she killed because she’d been snubbed by her father when she was three years old. It is, as I say, thewhy of crime that interests nowadays.’
Philip Blake said, with a slight yawn:
‘The why of most crimes is obvious enough, I should say. Usually money.’
Poirot cried:
‘Ah, but my dear sir, the why must never be obvious. That is the whole point!’
‘And that’s whereyou come in?’
‘And that, as you say, is where I come in! It is proposed to rewrite the stories of certain bygone crimes-from the psychological angle. Psychology in crime, it is my speciality. I have accepted the commission.’
Philip Blake grinned.
‘Pretty lucrative, I suppose?’
‘I hope so-I certainly hope so.’
‘Congratulations. Now, perhaps, you’ll tell me whereI come in?’
‘Most certainly. The Crale case, Monsieur.’
Phillip Blake did not look startled. But he looked thoughtful. He said:
‘Yes, of course, the Crale case…’
Hercule Poirot said anxiously:
‘It is not displeasing to you, Mr Blake?’
‘Oh, as to that.’ Philip Blake shrugged his shoulders. ‘It’s no use resenting a thing that you’ve no power to stop. The trial of Caroline Crale is public property. Any one can go ahead and write it up. It’s no usemy objecting. In a way-I don’t mind telling you-I do dislike it a good deal. Amyas Crale was one of my best friends. I’m sorry the whole unsavoury business has to be raked up again. But these things happen.’
‘You are a philosopher, Mr Blake.’
‘No, no. I just know enough not to start kicking against the pricks. I dare say you’ll do it less offensively than many others.’
‘I hope, at least, to write with delicacy and good taste,’ said Poirot.
And although that derisive patronizing attitude was exactly the one which Hercule Poirot had aimed at inducing, nevertheless he found himself annoyed by it.
This man, this successful man of affairs, was unimpressed by Hercule Poirot! It was a scandal.
‘I am gratified,’ said Poirot untruly, ‘that I am so well known to you. My success, let me tell you, has been founded on the psychology-the eternalwhy? of human behaviour. That, M. Blake, is what interests the world in crime today. It used to be romance. Famous crimes were retold from one angle only-the love-story connected with them. Nowadays it is very different. People read with interest that Dr Crippen murdered his wife because she was a big bouncing woman and he was little and insignificant and therefore she made him feel inferior. They read of some famous woman criminal that she killed because she’d been snubbed by her father when she was three years old. It is, as I say, thewhy of crime that interests nowadays.’
Philip Blake said, with a slight yawn:
‘The why of most crimes is obvious enough, I should say. Usually money.’
Poirot cried:
‘Ah, but my dear sir, the why must never be obvious. That is the whole point!’
‘And that’s whereyou come in?’
‘And that, as you say, is where I come in! It is proposed to rewrite the stories of certain bygone crimes-from the psychological angle. Psychology in crime, it is my speciality. I have accepted the commission.’
Philip Blake grinned.
‘Pretty lucrative, I suppose?’
‘I hope so-I certainly hope so.’
‘Congratulations. Now, perhaps, you’ll tell me whereI come in?’
‘Most certainly. The Crale case, Monsieur.’
Phillip Blake did not look startled. But he looked thoughtful. He said:
‘Yes, of course, the Crale case…’
Hercule Poirot said anxiously:
‘It is not displeasing to you, Mr Blake?’
‘Oh, as to that.’ Philip Blake shrugged his shoulders. ‘It’s no use resenting a thing that you’ve no power to stop. The trial of Caroline Crale is public property. Any one can go ahead and write it up. It’s no usemy objecting. In a way-I don’t mind telling you-I do dislike it a good deal. Amyas Crale was one of my best friends. I’m sorry the whole unsavoury business has to be raked up again. But these things happen.’
‘You are a philosopher, Mr Blake.’
‘No, no. I just know enough not to start kicking against the pricks. I dare say you’ll do it less offensively than many others.’
‘I hope, at least, to write with delicacy and good taste,’ said Poirot.