Hercule Poirot's Casebook

'But (pardon me if I am impertinent) you are not on the same

terms of intimacy with her?'

'I don't really see wheat my personal relationships to people

has to do with the matter in hand, M. Poirot.'

36

'But I think, Lord Mayfield, that they may have a good deal

to do with it. You agreed, did you not, that my theory of

someone in the drawing-room was a possible one?'

'Yes. In fact, I agree with you that that is what must have

happened.'

'We will not say "must." That is too self-confident a word.

But if that theory of mine is true, who do you think the person

in the drawing-room could have been?'

. 'Obviously Mrs Vanderlyn. She had been back there once

for a book. She could have come back for another book, or a

handbag, or a dropped handkerchief- one of a dozen feminine

excuses. She arranges with her maid to scream and get Carlile

away from the study. Then she slips in and out by the windows

as you said.'

'You forget it could not have been Mrs Vanderlyn. Carlile

heard her call the maid from upstairs while he was talking to the

girl.'

Lord Mayfield bit his lip.

'True. I forgot that.' He looked thoroughly annoyed.

'You see,' said Poirot gently. 'We progress. We have first the

simple explanation of a thief who comes from outs/de and

makes off with the booty. A very convenient theory as I said at

the time, too convenient to be readily accepted. We have

disposed of that. Then we come to the theory of the foreign

agent, Mrs Vanderlyn, and that again seems to fit together

beautifully up to a certain point. But now it looks as though

that, too, was too easy - too convenient - to be accepted.'

'You'd wash Mrs Vanderlyn out of it altogether?'

'It was not Mrs Vanderlyn in the drawing-room. It may have

been an ally of Mrs Vanderlyn's who committed the theft, but

it is just possible that it was committed by another person

altogether. If so, we have to consider the question of motive.'

'Isn't this rather far-fetched, M. Po[rot?'

'I do not think so. Now what motives could there be? There

is the motive of money. The papers may have been stolen with

the object of turning them into cash. That is the simplest

37

motive to consider. But the motive might possibly be something

quite different.'

'Such as -'

Poirot said slowly:

'It might have been done definitely with the idea or

damaging someone.'

'Who.>'

'Possibly Mr Carlile. He would be the obvious suspect. Bm

there might be more to it than that. The men who control the

destiny of a country, Lord Mayfield, are particularly vulnera-.

hie to displays of popular feeling.'

'Meaning that the theft was aimed at damaging me?'

Poirot nodded.

'I think I am correct in saying, Lord Mayfield, that about

five years ago you passed through a somewhat trying time. You

were suspected of friendship with a European Power at that

time bitterly unpopular with the electorate of this country.'

'Quite true, M. Poirot.'

'A statesman in these days has a difficult task. He has to

pursue the policy he deems advantageous to his country, but he

has at the same time to recognize the force of popular feeling.

Popular feeling is very often sentimental, muddle-headed, and

eminently unsound, but it cannot be disregarded for all that.'

'How well you express it! That is exactly the curse of a

politician's life He has to bow to the country's feeling, however

dangerous and foolhardy he knows it to be.'

'That was your dilemma, I think. There were rumours that

you had concluded an agreement with the country in question.

This country and the newspapers were up in arms about it.

Fortunately the Prime Minister was able categorically to deny

the story, and you repudiated it, though s611 making no secret

of the way your sympathies lay.'

'All this is quite tree, M. Poirot, but why rake up past

history?'

'Because I consider it possible that an enemy, disappointed

in the way you surmounted that crisis, might endeavour to

stage a further dilemma. You soon regained public confidence.

38

Those particular circumstances have passed away, you

now, deservedly, one of the most popular figures in politica

life. You are spoken of freely as the next Prime Minister whe

Mr Hunberly retires.'

'You think this is an attempt to discredit me? Nonsense!' 'Tout de mme, Lord Mayfield, it would not look well if i

were known that the plans of Britain's new bomber had beet

stolen during a weekend when a certain very charming lady ha¢

been your guest. Little hints in the newspapers as to you

relationship with that lady would create a feeling of distrust ix you.'

'Such a thing could not really be taken seriously.'

'My dear Lord Mayfield, you know perfectly well it could!

It takes so little to undermine public confidence in a man.'

'Yes, that's true,' said Lord Mayfield. He looked suddenlj

very worried. 'God! how desperately complicated this busines:

is becoming. Do you really think - but it's impossible impossible.'

'You know of nobody who is - iealous of you?'

'Absurd!'

'At any rate you will admit that my questions about yotn

personal relationships with the members of this house-part

are not totally irrelevant.'