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have been necessary to call to Monsieur Lawrence to come and join you on
the balcony."
"
"
"
I'd forgotten that," I admitted. "But it was only for a moment."
Long enough."
Long enough for what?"
Poirot's smile became rather enigmatical.
Long enough for a gentleman who had once studied medicine to gratify a
"
very natural interest and curiosity."
Our eyes met. Poirot's were pleasantly vague. He got up and hummed a little
tune. I watched him suspiciously.
"Poirot," I said, "what was in this particular little bottle?"
Poirot looked out of the window.
"Hydro-chloride of strychnine," he said, over his shoulder, continuing to
hum.
"
Good heavens!" I said it quite quietly. I was not surprised. I had expected
that answer.
"
They use the pure hydro-chloride of strychnine very little--only occasionally
for pills. It is the official solution, Liq. Strychnine Hydro-clor. that is used in
most medicines. That is why the finger-marks have remained undisturbed
since then."
"
How did you manage to take this photograph?"
"I dropped my hat from the balcony," explained Poirot simply. "Visitors were
not permitted below at that hour, so, in spite of my many apologies,
Mademoiselle Cynthia's colleague had to go down and fetch it for me."
"
"
Then you knew what you were going to find?"
No, not at all. I merely realized that it was possible, from your story, for
Monsieur Lawrence to go to the poison cupboard. The possibility had to be
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