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1、CARDSONTHETABLEAgathaChristieChapter1MR.SHAITANA"MydearMonsieurPoirot!"Itwasasoftpurringvoice-avoiceuseddeliberatelyasaninstrument-nothingimpulsiveorunpremeditatedaboutit.HerculePoirotswunground.Hebowed.Heshookhandsceremoniously.Therewassomethinginhiseyeth
2、atwasunusual.Onewouldhavesaidthatthischanceencounterawakenedinhimanemotionthatheseldomhadoccasiontofeel."MydearMr.Shaitana,"hesaid.Theybothpaused.Theywerelikeduelistsengarde.Aroundthemawell-dressedlanguidLondoncrowdeddiedmildly.Voicesdrawledormurmured."Dar
3、ling-exquisite!""Simplydivine,aren'tthey,mydear?"ItwastheExhibitionofSnuffboxesatWessexHouse.AdmissiononeguineainaidoftheLondonhospitals."Mydearman,"saidMr.Shaitana,"hownicetoseeyou!Nothangingorguillotiningmuchjustatpresent?Slackseasoninthecriminalworld?Or
4、istheretobearobberyherethisafternoon?Thatwouldbetoodelicious.""Alas,monsieur,"saidPoirot,"Iamhereinapurelyprivatecapacity."Mr.ShaitanawasdivertedforamomentbyaLovelyYoungThingwithtightpoodlecurlsuponesideofherheadandthreecornucopiasinblackstrawontheother.He
5、said,"Mydear-whydidn'tyoucometomyparty?Itreallywasamarvelousparty!Quitealotofpeopleactuallyspoketome!Onewomanevensaid'Howdoyoudo'and'Good-by'and'Thankyousomuch'-butofcourseshecamefromaGardenCity,poordear!"WhiletheLovelyYoungThingmadeasuitablereply,Poirotal
6、lowedhimselfagoodstudyofthehirsuteadornmentonMr.Shaitana'supperlip.Afinemustache-averyfinemustache-theonlymustacheinLondon,perhaps,thatcouldcompetewiththatofMonsieurHerculePoirot."Butitisnotsoluxuriant,"hemurmuredtohimself."No,decidedlyitisinferiorineveryr
7、espect.Toutdemкme,itcatchestheeye."ThewholeofMr.Shaitana'spersoncaughttheeye-itwasdesignedtodoso.HedeliberatelyattemptedaMephistopheleaneffect.Hewastallandthin;hisfacewaslongandmelancholy;hiseyebrowswereheavilyaccentedandjetblack;heworeamustachewithstiffwa
8、xedendsandatinyblackimperial.Hisclotheswereworksofart-ofexquisitecut-butwithasuggestionofthebizarre.EveryhealthyEnglishmanwhosawhimlongedearnestlyandferventlytokickhim!Theysaid,withasingularlackoforiginality,
