The Hollow. Agatha Christie

Читать онлайн.
Название The Hollow
Автор произведения Agatha Christie
Жанр Ужасы и Мистика
Серия Poirot
Издательство Ужасы и Мистика
Год выпуска 0
isbn 9780007422395



Скачать книгу

      ‘I’m sorry, dear. I can’t think why that should happen. It’s my fault. Give me the top and you take the underneath.’

      The pudding was burnt because he, John Christow, had stayed sitting in his consulting-room for a quarter of an hour after he need, thinking about Henrietta and Mrs Crabtree and letting ridiculous nostalgic feelings about San Miguel sweep over him. The fault was his. It was idiotic of Gerda to try and take the blame, maddening of her to try and eat the burnt part herself. Why did she always have to make a martyr of herself ? Why did Terence stare at him in that slow, interested way? Why, oh why, did Zena have to sniff so continually? Why were they all so damned irritating?

      His wrath fell on Zena.

      ‘Why on earth don’t you blow your nose?’

      ‘She’s got a little cold, I think, dear.’

      ‘No, she hasn’t. You’re always thinking they have colds! She’s all right.’

      Gerda sighed. She had never been able to understand why a doctor, who spent his time treating the ailments of others, could be so indifferent to the health of his own family. He always ridiculed any suggestions of illness.

      ‘I sneezed eight times before lunch,’ said Zena importantly.

      ‘Heat sneeze!’ said John.

      ‘It’s not hot,’ said Terence. ‘The thermometer in the hall is 55.’

      John got up. ‘Have we finished? Good, let’s get on. Ready to start, Gerda?’

      ‘In a minute, John. I’ve just a few things to put in.’

      ‘Surely you could have done that before. What have you been doing all the morning?’

      He went out of the dining-room fuming. Gerda had hurried off into her bedroom. Her anxiety to be quick would make her much slower. But why couldn’t she have been ready? His own suitcase was packed and in the hall. Why on earth—

      Zena was advancing on him, clasping some rather sticky cards.

      ‘Can I tell your fortune, Daddy? I know how. I’ve told Mother’s and Terry’s and Lewis’s and Jane’s and Cook’s.’

      ‘All right.’

      He wondered how long Gerda was going to be. He wanted to get away from this horrible house and this horrible street and this city full of ailing, sniffling, diseased people. He wanted to get to woods and wet leaves—and the graceful aloofness of Lucy Angkatell, who always gave you the impression she hadn’t even got a body.

      Zena was importantly dealing out cards.

      ‘That’s you in the middle, Father, the King of Hearts. The person whose fortune’s told is always the King of Hearts. And then I deal the others face down. Two on the left of you and two on the right of you and one over your head—that has power over you, and one under your feet—you have power over it. And this one—covers you!

      ‘Now.’ Zena drew a deep breath. ‘We turn them over. On the right of you is the Queen of Diamonds—quite close.’

      ‘Henrietta,’ he thought, momentarily diverted and amused by Zena’s solemnity.

      ‘And the next one is the knave of clubs—he’s some quiet young man.

      ‘On the left of you is the eight of spades—that’s a secret enemy. Have you got a secret enemy, Father?’

      ‘Not that I know of.’

      ‘And beyond is the Queen of Spades—that’s a much older lady.’

      ‘Lady Angkatell,’ he said.

      ‘Now this is what’s over your head and has power over you—the Queen of Hearts.’

      ‘Veronica,’ he thought. ‘Veronica!’ And then, ‘What a fool I am! Veronica doesn’t mean a thing to me now.’

      ‘And this is under your feet and you have power over it—the Queen of Clubs.’

      Gerda hurried into the room.

      ‘I’m quite ready now, John.’

      ‘Oh, wait, Mother, wait, I’m telling Daddy’s fortune. Just the last card, Daddy—the most important of all. The one that covers you.’

      Zena’s small sticky fingers turned it over. She gave a gasp.

      ‘Oh—it’s the Ace of Spades! That’s usually a death—but—’

      ‘Your mother,’ said John, ‘is going to run over someone on the way out of London. Come on, Gerda. Goodbye, you two. Try and behave.’

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QPPaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcFJpZ2h0cz0iaHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3JpZ2h0cy8iIHhtbG5z OnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0iaHR0 cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1wPSJo dHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bXBSaWdodHM6TWFya2VkPSJGYWxzZSIgeG1w TU06T3JpZ2luYWxEb2N1bWVudElEPSJ1dWlkOjZFNDExQ0VDNzQ5NURDMTE5NUQxRENFMTQxMjY1 NTEwIiB4bXBNTTpEb2N1bWVudElEPSJ4bXAuZGlkOjUzREZBMDNCM0MzMDExRTk5OUMwRUQwOUIy NkY2OTQ2IiB4bXBNTTpJbnN0YW5jZUlEPSJ4bXAuaWlkOjUzREZBMDNBM0MzMDExRTk5OUMwRUQw OUIyNkY2OTQ2IiB4bXA6Q3JlYXRvclRvb2w9IkFkb2JlIFBob3Rvc2hvcCBDUzUuMSBNYWNpbnRv c2giPiA8eG1wTU06RGVyaXZlZEZyb20gc3RSZWY6aW5zdGFuY2VJRD0ieG1wLmlpZDozNTE1RDY1 NjFGMjA2ODExOTJCMEMyMUIyMjgxMTdDQSIgc3RSZWY6ZG9jdW1lbnRJRD0iYWRvYmU6ZG9jaWQ6 cGhvdG9zaG9wOmFiMTljYjAwLWFhZDktMTE3Yi1hM2UxLWFmNDk2MGJlMGMyNiIvPiA8L3JkZjpE ZXNjcmlwdGlvbj4gPC9yZGY6UkRGPiA8L3g6eG1wbWV0YT4gPD94cGFja2V0IGVuZD0iciI/Pv/i DFhJQ0NfUFJPRklMRQABAQAADEhMaW5vAhAAAG1udHJSR0IgWFlaIAfOAAIACQAGADEAAGFjc3BN U0ZUAAAAAElFQyBzUkdCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAD21gABAAAAANMtSFAgIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEWNwcnQAAAFQAAAAM2Rlc2MAAAGEAAAA bHd0cHQAAAHwAAAAFGJrcHQAAAIEAAAAFHJYWVoAAAIYAAAAFGdYWVoAAAIsAAAAFGJYWVoAAAJA AAAAFGRtbmQAAAJUAAAAcGRtZGQAAALEAAAAiHZ1ZWQAAANMAAAAhnZpZXcAAAPUAAAAJGx1bWkA AAP4AAAAFG1lYXMAAAQMAAAAJHRlY2gAAAQwAAAADHJUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDGdUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDGJU UkMAAAQ8AAAIDHRleHQAAAAAQ29weXJpZ2h0IChjKSAxOTk4IEhld2xldHQtUGFja2FyZCBDb21w YW55AABkZXNjAAAAAAAAABJzUkdCIElFQzYxOTY2LTIuMQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEnNSR0IgSUVDNjE5 NjYtMi4xAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABY WVogAAAAAAAA81EAAQAAAAEWzFhZWiAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWFlaIAAAAAAAAG+iAAA49QAA A5BYWVogAAAAAAAAYpkAALeFAAAY2lhZWiAAAAAAAAAkoAAAD4QAALbPZGVzYwAAAAAAAAAWSUVD IGh0dHA6Ly93d3cuaWVjLmNoAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWSUVDIGh0dHA6Ly93d3cuaWVjLmNoAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGRlc2MAAAAAAAAALklFQyA2 MTk2Ni0yLjEgRGVmYXVsdCBSR0IgY29sb3VyIHNwYWNlIC0gc1JHQgAAAAAAAAAAAAAALklFQyA2 MTk2Ni0yLjEgRGVmYXVsdCBSR0IgY29sb3VyIHNwYWNlIC0gc1JHQgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAABkZXNjAAAAAAAAACxSZWZlcmVuY2UgVmlld2luZyBDb25kaXRpb24gaW4gSUVDNjE5NjYt Mi4xAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAsUmVmZXJlbmNlIFZpZXdpbmcgQ29uZGl0aW9uI