CHAPTER 30. The Last Word

There is very little more to tell.

Theresa married her doctor shortly afterwards. I know them fairly well now and I have learnt to appreciate Donaldson—his clarity of vision and the deep, underlying force and humanity of the man. His manner I may say is just as dry and precise as ever, Theresa often mimics him to his face. She is, I think, amazingly happy and absolutely wrapped up in her husband’s career. He is already making a big name for himself and is an authority on the functions of ductless glands.

Miss Lawson, in an acute attack of conscience, had to be restrained forcibly from denuding herself of every penny. A settlement agreeable to all parties was drawn up by Mr Purvis whereby Miss Arundell’s fortune was shared out between Miss Lawson, the two Arundells and the Tanios children.

Charles went through his share in a little over a year and is now, I believe, in British Columbia.

Just two incidents.

‘You’re a downy fellow, ain’t you?’ said Miss Peabody, stopping us as we emerged from the gate of Littlegreen House one day. ‘Managed to hush everything up! No exhumation. Everything done decently.’

‘There seems to be no doubt that Miss Arundell died of yellow atrophy of the liver,’ said Poirot gently.

‘That’s very satisfactory,’ said Miss Peabody. ‘Bella Tanios took an overdose of sleeping stuff, I hear.’

‘Yes, it was very sad.’

‘She was a miserable kind of woman—always wanting what she hadn’t got. People go a bit queer sometimes when they’re like that. Had a kitchenmaid once. Same thing. Plain girl. Felt it. Started writing anonymous letters. Queer kinks people get. Ah, well, I dare say it’s all for the best.’

‘One hopes so, madame. One hopes so.’

‘Well,’ said Miss Peabody, preparing to resume her walk, ‘I’ll say this for you. You’ve hushed things up nicely. Very nicely indeed.’ She walked on.

There was a plaintive ‘Wuff’ behind me.

I turned and opened the gate.

‘Come on, old man.’

Bob bounced through. There was a ball in his mouth.

‘You can’t take that for a walk.’

Bob sighed, turned and slowly ejected the ball inside the gate. He looked at it anxiously then passed through.

He looked up at me.

‘If you say so, master, I suppose it’s all right.’

I drew a long breath.

‘My word, Poirot, it’s good to have a dog again.’

‘The spoils of war,’ said Poirot. ‘But I would remind you, my friend, that it was to me that Miss Lawson presented Bob, not to you.’

‘Possibly,’ I said. ‘But you’re not really any good with a dog, Poirot. You don’t understand dog psychology! Now Bob and I understand each other perfectly, don’t we?’

‘Woof,’ said Bob in energetic assent.

VOCABULARY

A

abate (v) утихать

abet (v) содействовать

abode (n) место жительства

abominably (adv) отвратительно

accomplice (n) соучастник

accrue (v) доставаться

acquit (v) оправдывать, освобождать

acrimony (n) язвительность

actuate (v) побуждать

acutely (adv) невероятно; резко

adornment (n) украшение

adroitly (adv) ловко

adversity (n) несчастья

affected (adj) показной

affix (v) приложить (печать)

aggrieved (adj) ущемленный

ail (v) болеть

ajar (adj) приоткрытый

alas (interj) увы

alleviate (v) облегчать

allowance (n) содержание

ally (n) союзник

almanac (n) календарь

aloof (adj) отчужденный, равнодушный

alter (v) менять

alteration (n) изменение

altercation (n) ссора

ample (adj) обширный

anguish (n) страдание

apprehension (n) опасение

apt (adj) склонный

arsenic (n) мышьяк

ascendency (n) влияние

assumption (n) предположение

attain (v) достигнуть

averse (adj) нерасположенный

avert (v) отводить (глаза)

awry (adj) кривой, косой

B

batty (adj) (разг.) спятивший

beckon (v) подзывать к себе

beef-tea (n) крепкий бульон

bequest (n) наследство

betrayal (n) измена

bewhiskered (adj) усатый

bewildered (adj) сбитый с толку

biliary (n) желчь

bizarre (adj) причудливый

blackmail (n) шантаж

blithering (adj) законченный

blotter (n) журнал для записей

booty (n) добыча

brass (n) медная мемориальная доска

break in (v) вмешиваться в разговор

bulb (n) лампочка

bulk (n) объем

bully (v) задирать

bungle (v) портить

bunt (v) ударять

burly (adj) дородный

burrow (n) нора

butler (n) дворецкий

buxom (adj) пышная (о женщине)

C

callous (adj) бессердечный

cannon-ball (n) пушечное ядро

cede (v) уступать

chambermaid (n) горничная

charge (n) заряд

charred (adj) обугленный

chuckle (v) хихикать

circumstantial (adj) обстоятельный

coherency (n) связность

commission (n) поручение

commodious (adj) просторный

complexion (n) цвет лица

compulsion (n) принуждение

conceited (adj) самонадеянный

conceivably (adv) предположительно

concession (n) уступка

condemn (v) порицать

congealed (adj) замороженный

conjure up (v) вызывать в памяти

connive (v) потворствовать

conscientious (adj) добросовестный

consent (v) давать согласие

constrained (adj) скованный

contempt (n) презрение

contingency (n) непредвиденное обстоятельство

conviction (n) убежденность

countenance (n) выражение лица

credential (n) верительные грамоты

creed (n) кредо

crestfallen (adj) удрученный

crook (n) проходимец

crotchety (adj) своенравный

crowd (n) (разг.) компания

curate (n) викарий

curtly (adv) отрывисто-грубо

custard (n) заварной крем

cut (n) (зд.) покрой