Page:The Big Four (Christie).pdf/172

 Poirot nodded gently.

“Just as I thought. You are a staunch friend, Hastings. It is to serve me that you remain on here. And your wife—little Cinderella as you call her, what does she say?”

“I haven’t gone into details, of course, but she understands. She'd be the last one to wish me to turn my back on a pal.”

“Yes, yes, she, too, is a loyal friend. But it is going to be a long business, perhaps.”

I nodded, rather discouraged.

“Six months already,” I mused, “and where are we? You know, Poirot, I can’t help thinking that we ought to—well, to do something.”

“Always so energetic, Hastings! And what precisely would you have me do?”

This was somewhat of a poser, but I was not going to withdraw from my position.

“We ought to take the offensive,” I urged. “What have we done all this time?”

“More than you think, my friend. After all, we have established the identity of Number Two and Number Three, and we have learnt more than a little about the ways and methods of Number Four.”

I brightened up a little. As Poirot put it, things didn’t sound so bad.

“Oh! Yes, Hastings, we have done a great deal. It is true that I am not in a position to