{"id":2497,"date":"2026-01-03T22:32:59","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T22:32:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/third-girl-christie-agatha\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T22:32:59","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T22:32:59","slug":"third-girl-christie-agatha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/third-girl-christie-agatha\/","title":{"rendered":"Third Girl – Christie, Agatha"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Book Preview<\/h3>\n
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One<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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H<\/span><\/span>ercule Poirot was sitting at the breakfast table. At his right hand was a steaming cup of chocolate. He had always had a sweet tooth. To accompany the chocolate was a brioche.<\/span> It went agreeably with chocolate. He nodded his approval. This was from the fourth shop he had tried. It was a Danish p\u00e2tisserie<\/span> but infinitely superior to the so-called French one nearby. That had been nothing less than a fraud.<\/p>\n

He was satisfied gastronomically. His stomach was at peace. His mind also was at peace, perhaps somewhat too much so. He had finished his Magnum Opus,<\/span> an analysis of great writers of detective fiction. He had dared to speak scathingly of Edgar Allen Poe, he had complained of the lack of method or order in the romantic outpourings of Wilkie Collins, had lauded to the skies two American authors who were practically unknown, and had in various other ways given honour where honour was due and sternly withheld it where he considered it was not. He had seen the volume through the press, had looked upon the results and, apart from a really incredible number of printer\u2019s errors, pronounced that it was good. He had enjoyed this literary achievement and enjoyed the vast amount of reading he had had to do, had enjoyed snorting with disgust as he flung a book across the floor (though always remembering to rise, pick it up and dispose of it tidily in the wastepaper basket) and had enjoyed appreciatively nodding his head on the rare occasions when such approval was justified.<\/p>\n

And now? He had had a pleasant interlude of relaxation, very necessary after his intellectual labour. But one could not relax forever, one had to go on to the next thing. Unfortunately he had no idea what the next thing might be. Some further literary accomplishment? He thought not. Do a thing well then leave it alone. That was his maxim. The truth of the matter was, he was bored. All this strenuous mental activity in which he had been indulging\u2014there had been too much of it. It had got him into bad habits, it had made him restless\u2026.<\/p>\n

Vexatious! He shook his head and took another sip of chocolate.<\/p>\n

The door opened and his well-trained servant, George, entered. His manner was deferential and slightly apologetic. He coughed and murmured, \u201cA\u2014\u201d he paused, \u201c\u2014a\u2014young lady has called.\u201d<\/p>\n

Poirot looked at him with surprise and mild distaste.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not see people at this hour,\u201d he said reprovingly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir,\u201d agreed George.<\/p>\n

Master and servant looked at each other. Communication was sometimes fraught with difficulties for them. By inflexion or innuendo or a certain choice of words George would signify that there was something that might be elicited if the right question was asked. Poirot considered what the right question in this case might be.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe is good-looking, this young lady?\u201d he inquired carefully.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my view\u2014no, sir, but there is no accounting for tastes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Poirot considered his reply. He remembered the slight pause that George had made before the phrase\u2014young lady. George was a delicate social recorder. He had been uncertain of the visitor\u2019s status but had given her the benefit of the doubt.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are of the opinion that she is a young lady rather than, let us say, a young person?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think so, sir, though it is not always easy to tell nowadays.\u201d George spoke with genuine regret.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid she give a reason for wishing to see me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said\u2014\u201d George pronounced the words with some reluctance, apologising for them in advance as it were, \u201cthat she wanted to consult you about a murder she might have committed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hercule Poirot stared. His eyebrows rose. \u201cMight<\/span> have committed? Does she not know?<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is what she said, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnsatisfactory, but possibly interesting,\u201d said Poirot.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt might\u2014have been a joke, sir,\u201d said George, dubiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything is possible, I suppose,\u201d conceded Poirot, \u201cbut one would hardly think\u2014\u201d He lifted his cup. \u201cShow her in after five minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u201d George withdrew.<\/p>\n

Poirot finished the last sip of chocolate. He pushed aside his cup and rose to his feet. He walked to the fireplace and adjusted his moustaches carefully in the mirror over the chimneypiece. Satisfied, he returned to his chair and awaited the arrival of his visitor. He did not know exactly what to expect\u2026.<\/p>\n

He had hoped perhaps for something nearer to his own estimate of female attraction. The outworn phrase \u201cbeauty in distress\u201d had occurred to him. He was disappointed when George returned ushering in the visitor; inwardly he shook his head and sighed. Here was no beauty\u2014and no noticeable distress either. Mild perplexity would seem nearer the mark.<\/p>\n

\u201cPha!\u201d thought Poirot disgustedly. \u201cThese girls! Do they not even try to make something of themselves? Well made-up, attractively dressed, hair that has been arranged by a good hairdresser, then perhaps she might pass. But now!\u201d<\/p>\n

His visitor was a girl of perhaps twenty-odd. Long straggly hair of indeterminate colour strayed over her shoulders. Her eyes, which were large, bore a vacant expression and were of a greenish blue. She wore what were presumably the chosen clothes of her generation. Black high leather boots, white openwork woollen stockings of doubtful cleanliness, a skimpy skirt, and a long and sloppy pullover of heavy wool. Anyone of Poirot\u2019s age and generation would have had only one desire. To drop the girl into a bath as soon as possible. He had often felt this same reaction walking along the streets. There were hundreds of girls looking exactly the same. They all looked dirty. And yet\u2014a contradiction in terms\u2014this one had the look of having been recently drowned and pulled out of a river. Such girls, he reflected, were not perhaps really dirty. They merely took enormous care and pains to look so.<\/p>\n

He rose with his usual politeness, shook hands, drew out a chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou demanded to see me, mademoiselle? Sit down, I pray of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d said the girl, in a slightly breathless voice. She stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cEh bien?\u201d<\/span> said Poirot.<\/p>\n

She hesitated. \u201cI think I\u2019d\u2014rather stand.\u201d The large eyes continued to stare doubtfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you please.\u201d Poirot resumed his seat and looked at her. He waited. The girl shuffled her feet. She looked down on them then up again at Poirot.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2014you are<\/span> Hercule Poirot?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAssuredly. In what way can I be of use to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, well, it\u2019s rather difficult. I mean\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Poirot felt that she might need perhaps a little assistance. He said helpfully, \u201cMy manservant told me that you wanted to consult me because you thought you \u2018might have committed a murder.\u2019 Is that correct?\u201d<\/p>\n

The girl nodded. \u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSurely that is not a matter that admits of any doubt. You must know yourself whether you have committed a murder or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I don\u2019t know quite how to put it. I mean\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome now,\u201d said Poirot kindly. \u201cSit down. Relax the muscles. Tell me all about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think\u2014oh dear, I don\u2019t know how to\u2014You see, it\u2019s all so difficult. I\u2019ve\u2014I\u2019ve changed my mind. I don\u2019t want to be rude but\u2014well, I think I\u2019d better go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome now. Courage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I can\u2019t. I thought I could come and\u2014and ask you, ask you what I ought to do\u2014but I can\u2019t, you see. It\u2019s all so different from\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m awfully sorry and I really don\u2019t want to be rude, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

She breathed an enormous sigh, looked at Poirot, looked away, and suddenly blurted out, \u201cYou\u2019re too old.<\/span> Nobody told me you were so old. I really don\u2019t want to be rude but\u2014there it is. You\u2019re too old.<\/span> I\u2019m really very sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

She turned abruptly and blundered out of the room, rather like a desperate moth in lamplight.<\/p>\n

Poirot, his mouth open, heard the bang of the front door.<\/p>\n

He ejaculated: \u201cNom d\u2019un nom d\u2019un nom\u2026.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Book Preview One Hercule Poirot was sitting at the breakfast table. At his right hand was a steaming cup of chocolate. He had always had a sweet tooth. To accompany the chocolate was a brioche. It went agreeably with chocolate. He nodded his approval. This was from the fourth shop he had tried. It was … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2496,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[142],"class_list":["post-2497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-agatha-christie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2497"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2497\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}