Dumb Witness / Безмолвный свидетель. Книга для чтения на английском языке. Агата Кристи

the young woman vaguely. ‘Littlegreen House, did you say?’

      ‘That is what I said.’

      ‘Littlegreen House,’ said the young woman, making a tremendous mental effort. ‘Oh, well, I expect Mr Gabler would know about that.’

      ‘Can I see Mr Gabler?’

      ‘He’s out,’ said the young woman with a kind of faint, anaemic satisfaction as of one who says, ‘A point to me.’

      ‘Do you know when he will be in?’

      ‘I couldn’t say, I’m sure,’ said the young woman.

      ‘You comprehend, I am looking for a house in this neighbourhood,’ said Poirot.

      ‘Oh, yes,’ said the young woman, uninterested.

      ‘And Littlegreen House seems to me just what I am looking for. Can you give me particulars?’

      ‘Particulars?’ The young woman seemed startled.

      ‘Particulars of Littlegreen House.’

      Unwillingly she opened a drawer and took out an untidy file of papers.

      Then she called, ‘John.’

      A lanky youth sitting in a corner looked up.

      ‘Yes, miss.’

      ‘Have we got any particulars of—what did you say?’

      ‘Littlegreen House,’ said Poirot distinctly.

      ‘You’ve got a large bill of it here,’ I remarked, pointing to the wall.

      She looked at me coldly. Two to one, she seemed to think, was an unfair way of playing the game. She called up her own reinforcements.

      ‘You don’t know anything about Littlegreen House, do you, John?’

      ‘No, miss. Should be in the file.’

      ‘I’m sorry,’ said the young woman without looking so in the least[122]. ‘I rather fancy we must have sent all the particulars out.’

      ‘C’est dommage.’[123]

      ‘Pardon?’

      ‘A pity.’

      ‘We’ve a nice bungalow at Hemel End, two bed., one sitt.’[124]

      She spoke without enthusiasm, but with the air of one willing to do her duty by her employer.

      ‘I thank you, no.’

      ‘And a semi-detached[125] with small conservatory. I could give you particulars of that.’

      ‘No, thank you. I desired to know what rent you were asking for Littlegreen House.’

      ‘It’s not to be rented,’ said the young woman, abandoning her position of complete ignorance of anything to do with Littlegreen House in the pleasure of scoring a point. ‘Only to be sold outright.’

      ‘The board says, “To be Let or Sold.”’

      ‘I couldn’t say as to that, but it’s for sale only.’

      At this stage in the battle the door opened and a greyhaired, middle-aged man entered with a rush. His eye, a militant one, swept over us with a gleam. His eyebrows asked a question of his employee.

      ‘This is Mr Gabler,’ said the young woman.

      Mr Gabler opened the door of an inner sanctum with a flourish[126].

      ‘Step in here, gentlemen.’ He ushered us in, an ample gesture swept us into chairs and he himself was facing us across a flat-topped desk.

      ‘And now what can I do for you?’

      Poirot began again perseveringly.

      ‘I desired a few particulars of Littlegreen House—’

      He got no further. Mr Gabler took command[127].

      ‘Ah! Littlegreen House—there’s a property! An absolute bargain. Only just come into the market. I can tell you gentlemen, we don’t often get a house of that class going at the price. Taste’s swinging round. People are fed up with[128] jerry-building[129]. They want sound stuff. Good, honest building. A beautiful property—character—feeling—Georgian[130] throughout. That’s what people want nowadays—there’s a feeling for period houses[131] if you understand what I mean. Ah, yes, Littlegreen House won’t be long in the market. It’ll be snapped up[132]. Snapped up! A member of Parliament came to look at it only last Saturday. Liked it so much he’s coming down again this weekend. And there’s a stock exchange[133] gentleman after it too. People want quiet nowadays when they come to the country, want to be well away from main roads. That’s all very well for some people, but we attract class here. And that’s what that house has got. Class! You’ve got to admit, they knew how to build for gentlemen in those days. Yes, we shan’t have Littlegreen long on our books.’

      Mr Gabler, who, it occurred to me, lived up to his name[134] very happily, paused for breath.

      ‘Has it changed hands often in the last few years?’ inquired Poirot.

      ‘On the contrary. Been in one family over fifty years. Name of Arundell. Very much respected in the town. Ladies of the old school.’

      He shot up, opened the door and called:

      ‘Particulars of Littlegreen House, Miss Jenkins. Quickly now.’

      He returned to the desk.

      ‘I require a house about this distance from London,’ said Poirot. ‘In the country, but not in the dead country, if you understand me—’

      ‘Perfectly—perfectly. Too much in the country doesn’t do. Servants don’t like it for one thing. Here, you have the advantages of the country but not the disadvantages.’ Miss Jenkins flitted in with a typewritten sheet of paper which she placed in front of her employer who dismissed her with a nod.

      ‘Here we are,’ said Mr Gabler, reading with practised rapidity. ‘Period House of character: four recep.[135], eight bed and dressing, usual offices, commodious kitchen premises, ample outbuildings, stables, etc. Main water, old-world gardens, inexpensive upkeep[136], amounting in all to three acres[137], two summer-houses, etc., etc. Pricse £2,850 or near offer[138].’

      ‘You can give me an order to view?’

      ‘Certainly, my dear sir.’ Mr Gabler began writing in a flourishing fashion. ‘Your name and address?’

      Slightly to my surprise, Poirot gave his name as Mr Parotti.

      ‘We have one or two other properties on our books which might interest you,’ Mr Gabler went on.

      Poirot allowed him to add two further additions.

      ‘Littlegreen House can be viewed any time?’ he inquired.

      ‘Certainly, my dear sir. There are servants in residence. I might perhaps ring up to make certain. You will be going there immediately? Or after lunch?’

      ‘Perhaps after lunch would be better.’

      ‘Certainly—certainly. I’ll ring up and tell them to expect you about two o’clock—eh?

122

not in the least – ни в малейшей степени

123

C’est dommage. – (фр.) Жаль.

124

two bed., one sitt. = two bedrooms, one sitting-room

125

semi-detached (house) – сблокированный дом (дом на одну семью, имеющий общую стену с соседним домом)

126

with a flourish – широким жестом

127

to take command – (зд.) перенять инициативу

128

to be fed up with smth – пресытиться ч.-л.

129

jerry-building – возведение непрочных построек из плохого материала

130

Georgian – георгианский стиль (английский архитектурный стиль XVIII – начала XIX вв.)

131

period house – старинный дом

132

to snap up – перехватить

133

stock exchange – фондовая биржа

134

lived up to his name — был достоин своего имени (gabler – врун)

135

four recep. = four receptions – четыре гостиных

136

Main water, old-world gardens, inexpensive upkeep – Водопровод, старинный сад, недорогой в эксплуатации

137

acre — акр (земельная мера); 1 акр = 4046,86 м2

138

or near offer – торг уместен