But, to my great surprise, Poirot nodded gravely.
” ‘To speak or not to speak,’ as your so great Shakespeare says, ‘that is the question.’ “
I did not trouble to correct the quotation.
“You are not serious, Poirot?”
“I am of the most serious. For the most serious of all things hangs in the balance.”
“And that is?”
“A woman’s happiness, mon ami,” he said gravely.
I did not quite know what to say.
“The moment has come,” said Poirot thoughtfully, “and I do not know what to do. For, see you,
He took an old envelope out of his pocket, and wrote his name on it, handing it to the jury. It was certainly utterly dissimilar.
“Then what is your explanation of Mr. Mace’s statement?”
Alfred Inglethorp replied imperturbably:
“Mr. Mace must have been mistaken.”
The Coroner hesitated for a moment, and then said: