悬崖山庄奇案9

Chapter 9 – A. to J.,I doubt if I shall ever forget the night that followed. Poirot was a prey to such an agony of self-reproach that I was really alarmed. Ceaselessly he strode up and down the room heaping anathemas on his own head and deaf to my well-meant remonstrances.,'What it is to have too good an opinion of oneself. I am punished-yes, I am punished. I, Hercule Poirot. I was too sure of myself.','No, no,' I interpolated.,'But who would imagine-who could imagine-such unparalleled audacity? I had taken, as I thought, all possible precautions. I had warned the murderer-','Warned the murderer?','Only he doesn't,' I reminded him.,'That is the chance only! From my point of view, it is the same. A human life has been taken, Hastings-whose life is non-essential.','Of course,' I said. 'I didn't mean that.','But on the other hand, what you say is true. And that makes it worse-ten times worse. For the murderer is still as far as ever from achieving his object. Do you understand, my friend? The position is changed-for the worse. It may mean that not one life-but two-will be sacrificed.','Not while you're about,' I said stoutly.,