The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories

strings. Ha ha!" Two girls burst into the smoking-room. One had a round face with freckles and dark hair streaming out in a windswept confusion, the other had freckles and curly chestnut hair. "A rescue--a rescue!" cried Kitty Mooney. "Pam and I are going to rescue Colonel Clapper-ton." "From his wife," gasped Pamela Cregan. "We think he's a pet .... " "And she's just awful--she won't let him do anything," the two girls exclaimed. "And if he isn't with her, he's usually grabbed by the Henderson woman .... " "Who's quite nice. But terribly old .... " They ran out, gasping in between giggles: "A rescue--a rescue..."

That the rescue of Colonel Clapperton was no isolated sally, but a fixed project was made clear that same evening when the eighteen-year-old Pam Cregan came up to Hercule Poirot, and murmured: "Watch us, M. Poirot. He's going to be cut out from under her nose and taken to walk in the moonlight on the boat deck." It was just at that moment that Colonel Clap-perton was saying: "I grant you the price of a Rolls Royce. But it's practically good for a lifetime.

Now my car--"

"My car, I think, John." Mrs. Clapperton's

voice was shrill and penetrating. He showed no annoyance at her ungracious PROBLEM AT SEA 201

ness. Either he was used to it by this time, or

else-

"Or else?" thought Poirot and let himself

'. speculate.

"Certainly, my dear, your car," Clapperton

bowed to his wife and finished what he had been

saying, perfectly unruffled.

"You ce qu'on appeile !e pukka sahib," thought Poirot. "But the General Forbes says that

Clapperton is no gentleman at all. I wonder now."

There was a suggestion of bridge. Mrs. Clapper-ton,

General Forbes and a hawk-eyed couple sat

down to it. Miss Henderson had excused herself

and gone out on deck.

"What about your husband?" asked General

Forbes, hesitating.

"John won't play," said Mrs. Clapperton.

"Most tiresome of him."

The four bridge players began shuffling the

cards.

Pam and Kitty advanced on Colonel Clapper-ton. Each one took an arm. "You're coming with us!" said Pam. "To the boat deck. There's a moon." "Don't be foolish, John," said Mrs. Clapper-ton. "You'll catch a chill." "Not with us, he won't," said Kitty. "We're hot stuff!" He went with them, laughing. Poirot noticed that Mrs. Clapperton said No Bid to her initial bid of Two Clubs. He strolled out onto the promenade deck. Miss Henderson was standing by the rail. She looked round expectantly as he came to stand beside her

202 Agatha Christie

and he saw the drop in her expression.

They chatted for a while. Then presently as he fell silent she asked: "What are you thinking about?"

Poirot replied: "I am wondering about my knowledge of English. Mrs. Clapperton said: 'John won't play bridge.' Is not 'can't play' the usual term?"

"She takes it as a personal insult that he doesn't, I suppose," said lllie drily. "The man was a fool ever to have married her."

In the darkness Poirot smiled. "You don't think it's just possible that the marriage may be a

success?" he asked diffidently.

"With a woman like that?"

Poirot shrugged his shoulders. "Many odious women have devoted husbands. An enigma of Nature. You will admit that nothing she says or does appears to gall him."

Miss Henderson was considering her reply when Mrs. Clapperton's voice floated out through the smoking-room window.

"No--I don't think I will play another rubber. So stuffy. I think I'll go up and get some air on the boat deck."

"Good-night," said Miss Henderson. "I'm going to bed." She disappeared abruptly.

Poirot strolled forward to the lounge--deserted save for Colonel Clapperton and the two girls. He was doing card tricks for them, and noting the dexterity of his shuffling and handling of the cards, Poirot remembered the General's story of a career on the music hall stage.

"I see you enjoy the cards even though you do

PROBLEM AT SEA 203

not play bridge,'' he remarked. "I've my reasons for not playing bridge," said Clapperton, his charming smile breaking out. "I'll show you. We'll play one hand." He dealt the cards rapidly. "Pick up your

hands. Well, what about it?" He laughed at the

bewildered expression on Kitty's face. He laid down his hand and the others followed suit. Kitty held the entire club suit, M. Poirot the hearts, Pam the diamonds and Colonel Clapperton the spades. "You see?" he said. "A man who can deal his partner and his adversaries any hand he pleases had better stand aloof from a friendly game! If the luck goes too much his way, ill-natured things might be said." "Oh!" gasped Kitty. "How could you do that? · It all looked perfectly ordinary." "The quickness of the hand deceives the eye," said Poirot sententiously--and caught the sudden change in the C6lonel's expression. It was as though he realized that he had been off his guard for a moment or two. Poirot smiled. The conjuror had shown himself through the mask of the pukka sahib.