The Big Four 87

The countess shrugged her shoulders—magnificent shoulders, and a magnificent gesture.

伯爵夫人は肩をすくめた。立派な肩で、立派な身振りだ。

"For my part, I think that, too, stupid. I would leave you here to play about happily. But the chiefs, you see, are fearful that some word of yours may give great help to those more intelligent than yourself. Hence—you are to be banished."

「私も、愚かだと思ってるわ。あなたをここで楽しそうにさせておけばいい。でも、上司は、あなたよりずっと賢い人たちに、あなたが何か言って大きな助けになると困るのよね。だから、あなたは消えるべきなの。」

The countess appeared to have a flattering idea of my abilities. I concealed my annoyance. Doubtless this attitude of hers was assumed expressly to annoy me and to give me the idea that I was unimportant.

伯爵夫人は私の能力についてお世辞を言っているようだ。私は嫌がる気持ちを隠した。間違いなく、彼女はうるさく言って、私など重要でないと思わせたいようだ。

"It would, of course, be quite easy to—remove you," she continued, "but I am quite sentimental sometimes. I pleaded for you. You have a nice little wife somewhere, have you not? And it would please the poor little man who is dead to know that you were not to be killed. I always liked him, you know. He was clever—but clever! Had it not been a case of four against one I honestly believe he might have been too much for us. I confess it frankly—he was my master! I sent a wreath to the funeral as a token of my admiration—an enormous one of crimson roses. Crimson roses express my temperament."

「もちろん、あなたを追い出すことは簡単なのよ。」彼女は続けた。「でも私って、時々感傷的になるの。お願いだから。あなたは可愛い小さな奥さんがいるんでしょう？ それに、かわいそうに死んでしまった小男さんも、あなたが殺されなければ喜ぶでしょう。私、彼が好きだったわ。賢いし・・とても賢いんだもの！ 彼は私たち４人を敵に回しても強すぎるのじゃないかと思うほどではないにしても。正直に言うけど、彼は私の先生だったの！ 私、お葬式の時、私の敬愛を込めてリースを送ったわ。真紅のバラの大きなリースよ。真紅のバラは私の気性を表してるの。」

I listened in silence and a growing distaste.

"You have the look of a mule when it puts its ears back and kicks. Well, I have delivered my warning. Remember this, the third warning will come by the hand of the Destroyer—"

私は黙って聴きながら距離を広げていった。

「あなたって、耳を伏せて蹴るラバに似てるわね。ま、私の忠告は伝えたわよ。忘れないで。３度目の忠告は、破壊者の手によってもたらされるわよ。」

She made a sign, and the car whirled away rapidly. I noted the number mechanically, but without the hope that it would lead to anything. The Big Four were not apt to be careless in details.

彼女の合図で、車は素早く去っていった。私は機械的に番号を覚えたが、それが何になるとも思えなかった。ビッグ４は些細なことも疎かにしない。

I went home a little sobered. One fact had emerged from the countess's flood of volubility. I was in real danger of my life. Though I had no intention of abandoning the struggle, I saw that it behoved me to walk warily and adopt every possible precaution.

家に着いた頃には少し落ち着いていた。伯爵の流暢なおしゃべりから得たことは、ただ一つ、私は命の危機に面している。私はあがくことをやめる気はなかったが、あらゆることを想定して気をつけて歩かなければならないと悟った。

Whilst I was reviewing all these facts and seeking for the best line of action, the telephone bell rang. I crossed the room and picked up the receiver.

これらのことを考慮に入れながら、次にどうしたらいいのか考えていると、電話が鳴っり、私は部屋を横切って受話器を取った。

"Yes. Hallo. Who's speaking?"

A crisp voice answered me.

「はい、もしもし。どなたですか？」

はきはきした声が答えた。

"This is St. Giles' Hospital. We have a Chinaman here, knifed in the street and brought in. He can't last long. We rang you up because we found in his pocket a piece of paper with your name and address on it."

「セント・ジャイルズ病院です。中国人男性がナイフで刺されてここに運ばれてきました。もう長くはもたないということです。彼のポケットにあなたの名前と住所が書かれた紙があったので、電話をいたしました。」

I was very much astonished. Nevertheless, after a moment's reflection I said that I would come down at once. St. Giles' Hospital was, I knew, down by the docks, and it occurred to me that the Chinaman might have just come off some ship.

これには大変驚いた。とにかく、少し考えた後、私はすぐ行くと伝えた。セント・ジャイルズ病院は、港の近くだ。中国人は船から上陸したばかりではないかと思った。

It was on my way down there that a sudden suspicion shot into my mind. Was the whole thing a trap? Wherever a Chinaman was, there might be the hand of Li Chang Yen. I remembered the adventure of the Baited Trap. Was the whole thing a ruse on the part of my enemies?

向かっている途中で、疑惑が湧き上がってきた。これは罠か？ 中国人のいるところ、リー・チャン・イェンがいる。誘き出された罠を思い出した。敵による策略だろうか？

A little reflection convinced me that at any rate a visit to the hospital would do no harm. It was probable that the thing was not so much a plot as what is vulgarly known as a "plant." The dying Chinaman would make some revelation to me upon which I should act, and which would have the result of leading me into the hands of the Big Four. The thing to do was to preserve an open mind, and whilst feigning credulity be secretly on my guard.

少し考えたが、ともかく病院を訪れるぐらいは大丈夫だろう。『陰謀』と言われているほどのことではないかもしれない。死にかけている中国人は私に何か打ち明ける気かもしれない。それによって私はどうすべきかわかり、またビッグ４の元へと導くかもしれない。すべきことは、心を開いて信じたふりをして、密かに警戒だ。

On arriving at St. Giles' Hospital, and making my business known, I was taken at once to the accident ward, to the bedside of the man in question. He lay absolutely still, his eyelids closed, and only a very faint movement of the chest showed that he still breathed. A doctor stood by the bed, his fingers on the Chinaman's pulse.

セント・ジャイルズ病院に着いて用件を伝えると、すぐに事故病棟の男のもとに案内された。彼は動かず、瞼を閉じて、わずかな胸の動きだけが、まだ息をしている証だった。医師がそばに立って、彼の脈をとっていた。

"He's almost gone," he whispered to me. "You know him, eh?"

I shook my head.

"I've never seen him before."

「もう危ないです。」彼は私に囁いた。「彼をご存じなのですね？」

私は首を振った。

「会ったことはありません。」

 

The Big Four 86

"You devil," I said, choking with rage, "you incarnate devil!"

「悪魔め！」私は言ったが怒りで息が詰まってしまった。「悪魔の化身だな！」

"Heated—just a trifle heated. Your late lamented friend would have told you that a man who keeps calm has always a great advantage."

「怒ったね。ちょっと怒ったね。君の亡き友人も、冷静さを保つことが何より有利だと言っていただろう。」

"You dare to speak of him," I cried. "The man you murdered so foully. And you come here—"

He interrupted me.

「彼のことを口にするな」私は叫んだ。「卑怯な手で彼を殺しておいて。そしてここへ来て・・」

彼が私を遮って言った。

"I came here for an excellent and peaceful purpose. To advise you to return at once to South America. If you do so, that is the end of the matter as far as the Big Four are concerned. You and yours will not be molested in any way. I give you my word as to that."

「私はここへ素晴らしくそして平和な目的のために来たんだ。南アメリカへすぐ帰るようにとね。そうすれば、ビッグ４に関しては何もかも終わる。君と家族は何も心配することはない。それは約束する。」

I laughed scornfully.

"And if I refuse to obey your autocratic command?"

私は彼を馬鹿にして笑った。

「君のその勝手な命令を断ったら？」

"It is hardly a command. Shall we say that it is—a warning?"

There was a cold menace in his tone.

「命令ではないよ。そうだね、忠告と言っておこうか？」

彼の声には冷たい脅威が含まれていた。

"The first warning," he said softly. "You will be well advised not to disregard it."

「最初の忠告です。」彼はそっと言った。「無視しない方がいいですよ。」

Then, before I had any hint of his intention, he rose and slipped quickly away towards the door. I sprang to my feet and was after him in a second, but by bad luck I cannoned straight into an enormously fat man who blocked the way between me and the next table. By the time I had disentangled myself, my quarry was just passing through the doorway, and the next delay was from a waiter carrying a huge pile of plates who crashed into me without the least warning. By the time I got to the door there was no sign of the thin man with the dark beard.

それから、何の前触れもなく彼は立ち上がってドアへと滑るように行ってしまった。私も跳び上がって後を追おうとしたが、テーブルとの間で運悪く巨大な太った男にまっすぐぶつかってしまいった。そこを離れた時には、男はもうドアを通り抜けており、次に突然、重ねた大皿を持ったウェイターが私に突っ込んできた。ドアへ行き着いた時には、髭を生やした男の姿はどこにもなかった。

The waiter was fulsome in apologies, the fat man was sitting placidly at a table ordering his lunch. There was nothing to show that both occurrences had not been a pure accident. Nevertheless, I had my own opinion as to that. I knew well enough that the agents of the Big Four were everywhere.

ウェイターは大袈裟に謝ってき、太った男は穏やかにテーブルについて昼食を頼んでいた。それが単なる事故でなかったという証拠は何もない。それでも、私はこれに関して、ビッグ４のエージェントだらけだと思った。

Needless to say, I paid no heed to the warning given me. I would do or die in the good cause. I received in all only two answers to the advertisements. Neither of them gave me any information of value. They were both from actors who had played with Claud Darrell at one time or another. Neither of them knew him at all intimately, and no new light was thrown upon the problem of his identity and present whereabouts.

言うまでもなく、あの忠告は全く気にかけなかった。やるか、正当な理由で死ぬかだ。広告に対して返事があったのは２件あったが、価値ある情報はなかった。双方とも、クロード・ダレルと共に演じたことがあると言う役者だった。どちらも、彼を詳しくは知らず、彼が何者であるか、どこにいるかについては一筋の光もなかった。

No further sign came from the Big Four until about ten days later. I was crossing Hyde Park, lost in thought, when a voice, rich with a persuasive foreign inflection, hailed me.

"Captain Hastings, is it not?"

ビッグ４関係の何かが起きたのは、10日後だった。考え込みながらハイド・パークを横切っていた時、外国訛りで口の達者そうなふくよかな声が私をとめたのだ。

「ヘイスティングス大尉ですか？」

A big limousine had just drawn up by the pavement. A woman was leaning out. Exquisitely dressed in black, with wonderful pearls, I recognised the lady first known to us as Countess Vera Rossakoff, and afterwards under a different alias as an agent of the Big Four. Poirot, for some reason or other, had always had a sneaking fondness for the countess.

大きなリムジンが歩道へと寄ってきて、女性が窓から乗り出している。黒いドレスをパールで飾って美しく着こなした女性で、すぐにヴェラ・ロサコフ伯爵夫人、ビッグ４では違う名前で働く女性だと気づいた。ポアロはこっそりと彼女を気に入っていた。

Something in her very flamboyance attracted the little man. She was, he was wont to declare in moments of enthusiasm, a woman in a thousand. That she was arrayed against us, on the side of our bitterest enemies, never seemed to weigh in his judgment. "Ah, do not pass on!" said the countess. "I have something most important to say to you.

あの華麗さが彼を惹きつけたのだ。彼女は千人に一人の女性だと、彼はよく熱心に言ったものだ。彼女は最もひどい敵について私たちに相対していても、彼のその気持ちは変わらなかった。「あぁ、行ってしまわないで！」 夫人は言った。「とても重要な話があるの。

And do not try to have me arrested either, for that would be stupid. You were always a little stupid—yes, yes, it is so. You are stupid now, when you persist in disregarding the warning we sent you. It is the second warning I bring you. Leave England at once. You can do no good here—I tell you that frankly. You will never accomplish anything."

逮捕しようとしないでね。そんなの馬鹿馬鹿しいから。あなたいつもちょっと馬鹿だから。ええ、ええ、そうよ。今もあなたは愚かだわ。私たちの警告を無視するなんて。これは２度目の警告よ。すぐにイギリスを離れなさい。ここでは役に立たないわ、はっきり言うけど。あなたには何もできないから。」

"In that case," I said stiffly, "it seems rather extraordinary that you are all so anxious to get me out of the country."

「そういうことなら」私は頑固に言った。「私を国から追い出したくてしようがないのが異常に思えるね。」

 

The Big Four 85

With that cold comfort I was forced to be satisfied. Mr. Crowther ended the interview by urging me to return to South America. I found the whole thing profoundly unsatisfactory.

私はそれだけで満足しなければならなかった。クラウサー氏は南アメリカへ早く帰るように言って、会見を終わらせてしまい、私の納得できるところは全くなかった。

I should, I suppose, in its proper place, have described Poirot's funeral. It was a solemn and moving ceremony, and the extraordinary number of floral tributes passed belief. They came from high and low alike, and bore striking testimony to the place my friend had made for himself in the country of his adoption. For myself, I was frankly overcome by emotion as I stood by the grave side and thought of all our varied experiences and the happy days we had passed together.

適した折にポアロの葬儀の様子を伝えなければならないだろう。厳かで悲しい儀式だった。信じられないほど多くの花が手向けられた。地位の高い人からもそうでない人からも、それは、彼がその仕事においてどれほど知られていたかの驚くべき証明だった。私はといえば、私たちの様々な経験や、ともに過ごした楽しい日々を墓の前で思い出しながら、悲しみに浸っていた。

By the beginning of May I had mapped out a plan of campaign. I felt that I could not do better than keep Poirot's scheme of advertising for any information respecting Claud Darrell. I had an advertisement to this effect inserted in a number of morning newspapers, and I was sitting in a small restaurant in Soho, and judging of the effect of the advertisement, when a small paragraph in another part of the paper gave me a nasty shock.

５月の初め、私は運動の緻密な計画を立て始めた。クロード・ダレルに関する情報を集めるポアロの手法を続けていくのが私にできるすべてだった。あらゆる朝刊にその広告を載せた私は、ソーホーの小さなレストランで、その効果のほどについて考えていたが、その新聞の小さな文面に行きあたりひどい衝撃を受けた。

Very briefly, it reported the mysterious disappearance of Mr. John Ingles from the S.S. Shanghai shortly after the latter had left Marseilles. Although the weather was perfectly smooth, it was feared that the unfortunate gentleman must have fallen overboard. The paragraph ended with a brief reference to Mr. Ingles's long and distinguished service in China.

それは、ジョン・イングルス氏が、マルセイユを発ってからまもなく、上海便の船上から姿を消したというものだった。天気はよかったにもかかわらず、不運にも船から落ちたのではないかということで、あとはイングルス氏の中国での長い素晴らしい貢献について簡単に触れて記事は終わっていた。

The news was unpleasant. I read into Ingles's death a sinister motive. Not for one moment did I believe the theory of an accident. Ingles had been murdered, and his death was only too clearly the handiwork of that accursed Big Four.

恐ろしいニュースだ。邪悪な動機が背後にある。事故だなどと全く思えるものではない。イングルスは殺されたのだ。そしてそれは明らかにビッグ４の手による死なのだ。

As I sat there, stunned by the blow, and turning the whole matter over in my mind, I was startled by the remarkable behaviour of the man sitting opposite me. So far I had not paid much attention to him. He was a thin, dark man of middle age, sallow of complexion, with a small pointed beard. He had sat down opposite me so quietly that I had hardly noticed his arrival.

この衝撃に打ちのめされた私の心に、これまでのあらゆることが去来していたが、突如、向こうに座っていた男の不思議な動きに驚いた。これまで気に留めていなかっのだが、痩せて色黒で血色悪く、尖った髭を生やした中年男だ。いつの間にか私の向かいに座っていて、静かで全く気づかなかった。

But his actions now were decidedly peculiar, to say the least of them. Leaning forward, he deliberately helped me to salt, putting it in four little heaps round the edge of my plate.

しかし今や、彼の行動は全くおかしなものだった。前屈みになり、ゆっくり丁寧に私の皿の縁に塩で４つの山を作ったのだ。

"You will excuse me," he said, in a melancholy voice. "To help a stranger to salt is to help them to sorrow, they say. That may be an unavoidable necessity. I hope not, though. I hope that you will be reasonable."

「失礼しますよ」彼は鬱々とした声で言った。「知らない人にお塩をかけて差し上げるのは、その人の悲しむのをお手伝いすることになると言いますのでね。避けられない必要事かもしれませんがね。そうでないことを祈りますがね。あなたが物分かりの良い人であらんことを。」

Then, with a certain significance, he repeated his operations with the salt on his own plate. The symbol 4 was too plain to be missed. I looked at him searchingly. In no way that I could see did he resemble young Templeton, or James the footman, or any other of the various personalities we had come across. Nevertheless, I was convinced that I had to do with no less than the redoubtable Number Four himself. In his voice there was certainly a faint resemblance to the buttoned-up-stranger who had called upon us in Paris.

そして、いかにも重大そうに、彼は先ほどの動作を彼の皿で繰り返た。４という象徴は見逃しようもない。私は彼を探るように見た。若いテンプルトン、従僕のジェームス、私の出会った他の誰とも似ていると言えなかった。それでも、私はあの恐るべき彼自身、No.４とやり合っているのだと思った。彼の声には、微かに、パリで訪ねてきた、あのボタンを首までとめた男と似たものがあった。

I looked round, undecided as to my course of action. Reading my thoughts, he smiled and gently shook his head.

私は次の行動を決めかねて、周りを見回した。私の考えを読んで、彼は微笑み、静かに首を振った。

"I should not advise it," he remarked. "Remember what came of your hasty action in Paris. Let me assure you that my way of retreat is well assured. Your ideas are inclined to be a little crude, Captain Hastings, if I may say so."

「それはお勧めできませんね。」彼は言った。「パリで慌てて行動した時のことを思い出しなさい。私が立ち去る道は用意してあります。こう申し上げてはなんですが、あなたの考えはちょっと未熟ですね、ヘイスティングス大尉。」

 

 

The Big Four 84

16. THE DYING CHINAMAN

16. 死にゆく中国人

Even now I can hardly bear to write of those days in March.

あの３月の日々について書くことは、今も辛い。

Poirot—the unique, the inimitable Hercule Poirot—dead! There was a particularly diabolical touch in the disarranged match-box, which was certain to catch his eye, and which he would hasten to rearrange—and thereby touch off the explosion. That, as a matter of fact, it was I who actually precipitated the catastrophe never ceased to fill me with unavailing remorse. It was, as Doctor Ridgeway said, a perfect miracle that I had not been killed, but had escaped with a slight concussion.

ポアロ・・個性的な、独特なポアロ・・死んだ！ 乱れた置き方のマッチ箱には、残酷な仕組みがあった。彼の目にとまり、並べ直すだろう。だからこそ、触ると爆発したのだ。それが実際、私が惨劇を早めてしまった。何の役にも立たない良心の呵責が私を満たす。リッジウェイ医師は、私が死なずに軽い脳震盪で済んだのはとんでもない奇跡だと言う。

Although it had seemed to me as though I regained consciousness almost immediately, it was in reality over twenty-four hours before I came back to life. It was not until the evening of the day following that I was able to stagger feebly into an adjoining room, and view with deep emotion the plain elm coffin which held the remains of one of the most marvellous men this world has ever known.

私はすぐ意識を回復したように思えたが、実際は24時間経っていた。翌日の夕方ようやく、私はよろめきながら隣の部屋に行き、深い悲しみの中、この世に知られた最も素晴らしい男の残した体を納めたニレ材の棺を見たのだった。

From the very first moment of regaining consciousness I had only one purpose in mind—to avenge Poirot's death, and to hunt down the Big Four remorselessly.

意識が回復した瞬間から、私はたった一つの目的を持っていた。ポアロの死の報復だ。ビッグ４を無慈悲に追い詰めるのだ。

I had thought that Ridgeway would have been of one mind with me about this, but to my surprise the good doctor seemed unaccountably lukewarm.

リッジウェイも私と同じだと思ったが、驚いたことに彼は妙に気乗りしない様子だった。

"Get back to South America" was his advice, tendered on every occasion. Why attempt the impossible? Put as delicately as possible, his opinion amounted to this:—If Poirot, the unique Poirot, had failed, was it likely that I should succeed?

「南アメリカに帰るんだ。」それが彼の繰り返すアドバイスだった。なぜ不可能なことをしようとするのだ？ できるだけ優しく言うと、彼の意見はこうだった。ポアロが、あの特別なポアロが失敗したのに、どうして私が成功しようか？

But I was obstinate. Putting aside any question as to whether I had the necessary qualifications for the task (and I may say in passing that I did not entirely agree with his views on this point), I had worked so long with Poirot that I knew his methods by heart, and felt fully capable of taking up the work where he had laid it down; it was, with me, a question of feeling. My friend had been foully murdered. Was I to go tamely back to South America without an effort to bring his murderers to justice?

しかし私は譲らなかった。私がこの任務に必要な知識を持たないとしても（この点について私は彼の見方に賛成するわけではない）私はポアロとずっとこの件に取り組んできて、ポアロのやり方を心得ており、彼の残して言った仕事をやり遂げる自信があった。これは、気持ちの問題だった。私の友人が悪辣に殺されたのだ。私に、彼の殺人者に対して正義を貫くことなくおとなしく南アメリカへ帰れというのか？

I said all this and more to Ridgeway, who listened attentively enough.

私はそれ以上にリッジウェイに言い、彼はしっかり聞いてくれた。

"All the same," he said when I had finished, "my advice does not vary. I am earnestly convinced that Poirot himself, if he were here, would urge you to return. In his name, I beg of you, Hastings, abandon these wild ideas and go back to your ranch."

「それでも」私が言い終えると彼は言った。「私の忠告は変わらないよ。ポアロがここにいたら、君に戻れと絶対言うと信じている。彼の名のもとに、頼むよ、ヘイスティングス、その無謀な考えを捨てて、君の牧場へ帰るんだ。」

To that only one answer was possible, and, shaking his head sadly, he said no more.

それに対して私に返せる返事は一つだ。彼は悲しげに首を振って、もう何も言わなかった。

It was a month before I was fully restored to health. Towards the end of April, I sought, and obtained, an interview with the Home Secretary.

私が完全に回復したのは一ヶ月後だった。４月の終わりに向け、私は求め、ようやく内務大臣との会談にこぎつけた。

Mr. Crowther's manner was reminiscent of that of Dr. Ridgeway. It was soothing and negative. Whilst appreciating the offer of my services, he gently and considerately declined them. The papers referred to by Poirot had passed into his keeping, and he assured me that all possible steps were being taken to deal with the approaching menace.

クラウサー氏の対応はリッジウェイ医師と同じだった。宥め、否定した。私の申し出を有難いとしつつ、彼は優しく思いやり深く退けた。ポアロが提示した書類は彼が保管しており、彼は可能な限りの手を使って、近づく脅威に備えていると、私を納得させようとした。