Dog of Death By Agatha Christie

The Fourth #2

“He's so graceful, isn't he, Felicie? So elegant, so delicate. She's like a princess in disguise, ha. ha..”.

“At least my father and mother are married, unlike your parents,” Felicie will growl furiously.

“Yes, and your father killed your mother. Very good, being a killer child.”

“Your own father left your mother to die,” Felicie replied.

“Ah! Yes.” Annette pondered about it. “Pauvre maman, poor mom. People must be strong and healthy. Strong and healthy is very important.”

“I'm strong like a horse,” Felicie boasts.

“And indeed he was strong like a horse. Her power is twice that of any girl in the house. And he never got sick.”

“But he's a fool, a fool like a beast. I often wonder why she follows Annette everywhere. He's like fascinated. Sometimes I think she actually hates Annette, and indeed Annette is mean to her. He likes to mock Felicie's inaction and stupidity, and likes to lure her in front of other children. I've seen Felicie pale with rage. I sometimes thought she would clutch her fingers around Annette's neck and strangle Annette to death. He's not smart enough to answer Annette's taunts, but he's learned to respond with one word that always strikes. It is by mentioning his health and strength. She finally realized (while I myself had known for a long time) that Annette was envious of her strong physique, and she instinctively attacked her opponent's weak point.”

“One day Annette came to me with great joy. ‘Raoul,' said.' Today we're gonna have some fun with that idiot Felicie. We're gonna die laughing.' ‘... What are you gonna do?' ‘... Let's go to that little barn, I'll tell you." Apparently Annette found a book. Some of the contents he did not understand, and indeed the contents of the book were too heavy for him.

It's an old book about hypnosis.

“The bright object, according to this book. The brass buttons on my bed can spin. I had Felicie look at him last night. ‘Pandangi continues.' I said. 'Don't take your eyes away from it ' And I turned it around. Raoul, I'm so scared. Both of his eyes looked very strange. Felisie, you will always obey my orders, I said. 'I will always obey your orders, Annette, ' he replied. Then I said, 'Tomorrow you will bring a candle to the playing field at twelve o'clock in the afternoon, and start eating it. If anyone asks, you'd say that candle is the tastiest gazette you've ever tasted.' Oho! Raoul, imagine it!"

"... But he wouldn't want to do that" I said.

“In the book it says so. I don't really believe it myself, but, oh! Raoul, if what the book says is true, then,

we can laugh all out today.”

“I also find the idea very funny. We spread the news to the other kids, and at twelve o'clock in the afternoon, we all gathered on the playing field. Just in time for the minutes, Felicie came out with a piece of wax in her hand. Can you believe it, Messieurs, he began to bite the candle with reverence? We all laughed out loud! Every now and then one of the children would approach him and say with reverence, 'Daughter, yes, what are you doing, Felisie?' And he'll answer 'Yes, this is the most delicious gazette I've ever tasted.' Then we all laughed again."

We laughed so hard, that

it made Felicie aware of what she was doing. He blinked his eyes in confusion, looked at the candle, then looked at us. He put his hand on his forehead.

“What am I doing here?' muttered.

“You're eating candles, ' we shouted.

“I told you, I told you to." cried Annette while dancing.

“At a moment Felicie was stunned. Then slowly he approached Annette. ‘... So you're apparently you're the one who made me make fun of

a burger? I seem to remember. Uh! I'll kill you later.''

“He spoke very slowly, but suddenly Annate ran to hide behind me. ‘Please me, Raoul! I'm afraid of Felicie. It was a joke, Felicie. Just jokes.'

‘I don't like these jokes.’ Felicie said. 'You understand? I hate you guys. I hate all of you.''

“Suddenly she cried and ran away. I think Annette was afraid of the results of the experiment and didn't try to repeat it. But, from that day on, his influence on Felicie seemed to be growing stronger. Now I'm sure Felicie used to hate Annette, but she can't be far from Annette. She always follows Annette everywhere, like a dog.”

“Not long after that, gentlemen, I got a job, and I came home only occasionally, on vacation. Annette's desire to become a dancer was not taken seriously, but as she grew up she had a very beautiful voice when singing, and Miss Slater agreed she got training as a singer.”

“Annette is not lazy at all. He trained hard, without rest. Miss Slater felt the need to prevent her from training so hard. He talked to me about Annette. ‘Since you liked Annette, ' he said. 'Try to persuade him not to work too hard. Lately he likes to cough a little, his cough is not good."'

“Tak long after my job made me travel a lot. At first I still received one or two letters from Annette, but then stopped altogether. For five years later, I was abroad.”

“Because, when I returned to Paris, my attention was drawn to a poster about the performance by Annette Ravelli, along with a picture of her on it. I recognized him immediately. That night I was watching in the theater mentioned on the poster. Annette sings in French and Italian. He was great on stage. After the show I met him in the dressing room. He was ready to accept my arrival. ‘Ah, Raoul, ' he exclaimed as he stretched out his two white hands at me. ‘Really fun. Where have you been all this time?’

I wanted to tell him, but he didn't really want to listen. ‘You see, I almost reached my ideals!''

He made a triumphant move with his hands, pointing at the room full of bouquets of flowers. ‘... That good Miss Slater must be proud of your success.'

‘The old one? No. gabe. She directed me to be a Conservatoric singer. An elegant concert singer. But I'm an artist. It is on this mixed stage that I can express myself.'

At that moment, a middle-aged handsome man walked in. His appearance is very dignified. From her attitude, I immediately understood that she was Annette's protector. She glanced at me, and Annette explained. ‘... This is my childhood friend. He was passing through Paris, and saw my photo on the poster... et voila!’ After that, the man became very friendly and polite. In front of me she took out a bracelet inlaid with rubies and diamonds, and put it on Annette's wrist. When I got up to leave, Annette threw a triumphant look at me, and whispered, ‘I did it, didn't I? Yousee? The whole world was before me.' But when I came out of the room, I heard him coughing; a sharp dry cough. I know what that cough means. Her mother's self-inheritance suffered from pneumonia. I met him again two years later.

She's back with Miss Slater. His career has been ruined. His lung inflammation has reached an advanced stage, and doctors

he said there was nothing he could do to cure it. Uh! I will never forget how he was then! He was lying in some kind of shelter in the garden. He deliberately put it outside day and night. Both of her cheeks were sunken and red, her eyes were gleaming with fever, and she coughed many times.

He greeted me with a kind of desperate attitude that left me aghast.

"It's good to see you again, Raoul. You know what they say that I won't heal? They said it behind my back, you know? In front of me they showed a comforting and calming demeanor. But that's not true, Raoul. That's not true! I'm not gonna let myself die. Die up! While a beautiful life unfolds before me? What matters is the determination to live. That's what great doctors are saying right now. I'm not the kind of weak person who's gonna die anyway. Right now my shoulders are feeling a lot better.... Much better, you hear me?"

He propped his body up at one elbow, to affirm his words earlier, but then fell down by a coughing attack that shook his thin body.

"This cough is nothing" he said.

"And the bleeding did not frighten me. I'll surprise the doctors, it's the determination of life that matters. Remember, Raoul, I'll stay alive."

It's sad, very sad. At that moment

Felicie Bault came in carrying a tray, with a glass of hot milk. She gave it to Annette and watched Annette drink it, with an expression I could not understand.

A kind of smug and arrogant expression.

“Annette caught Felicie's gaze. He threw the glass furiously, until it broke into pieces. ‘See him? That's how he always looks at me. He's glad I'm gonna die! Yeah, he's very happy. Because he himself is healthy and strong. Let's see him. Never hurt a day! What the hell

what good is his health. What use is that strong body? Can he use it?" Felicie bent down and picked up the broken glass.

"I don't mind his words," he said in a melodious voice.

"What's important? I'm a good girl. She herself. Soon she will feel the burning in the Wash Flame. I'm a good Christian, I won't say anything."

"You hate me" cried Annette.

"Since you hated me."

"ah! But I can still charm you. I can make you do my orders. Now look, if

I ask you to kneel on the grass, in front of me."

"Your talk makes no sense" Felicie said agitatedly.

"Yes, you're gonna do it. You're gonna do it. To make me happy. Get on your knees, I'm asking you to kneel. Me, me,

Annette's. Kneel down, Felicie."

Either because of the evocative pleading tone in Annette's voice, or because of deeper motives, Felicie obeyed him.

He knelt down slowly, his arms stretched wide, his face blank and stupid. Annette laughed heartily.

"Let's see him, with his stupid face! How silly his expression was. You can stand up now, Felicie, thank you! No need to pout that way at me. I'm your employer. You must obey my orders."

...

Then Annette lay back on her pillow, exhausted. Felicie lifted her tray and left slowly. One time he turned his head, and the very look of hatred in his eyes made me aghast.

I wasn't there when Annette died. But it seems like the situation is very sad. He fought to defend

her life. He fought against death, like a mad woman.

Many times he said with a sigh,

"I'm not going to die. You hear that? I'm not gonna die. I will live..."

Miss Slater told me all about it when I came to see her six months later.

"Poor Ralph" he said kindly.

You loved her. Aren't you?"

so full of life's burning spirit..."

Miss Slater is a sympathetic woman. He switched the conversation on other things. He was very worried about Felicie, he said.

The girl had licked up some sort of strange neural collapse, and from then on her behavior was also very strange.

"You know that he's learning piano?" miss Slater said after hesitating for a moment.

"I didn't know it, and was very surprised to hear it. Felicie.. learn to play the piano! I dare state that the girl could not distinguish the tone at all. ‘They said, she's talented," Miss Slater continued.

"I don't understand. I thought of him long ago... Raoul, you know for yourself since he was stupid, right?"

I nodded.

"Sometimes the behavior is so strange. I really don't understand."

A few minutes later, I stepped into the Salle de Lecture. Felicie is playing the piano. He brought me the notes I had heard Annette sing in Paris.

"You certainly understand, gentlemen, if I'm so surprised."

Hearing me coming, he stopped playing suddenly, and twisted his body looking at me, his eyes full of ridicule and intelligence. For a moment I thought. ah, I won't tell you. What comes to my mind.

"Yourd!" said.

"So, you're apparently Monsieur Raoul."

I can't describe the way he said it. Annette used to call me Raoul. But Felicie, ever since we met as adults, always called me Monsieur Raoul. But the way he said it was different, as if the word Monsieur sounded very funny, with a little pressure.

"Well, Felicie," I said stammeringly

"You look very different

today.’'

"O yeah?" tanyanya while contemplating.

"That's weird. But don't be so serious, Raoul. I'm calling you Raoul. Didn't we ever become playmates when we were kids? Life must be filled with laughter. Let's talk about poor Annette who's dead and buried. Was he in the Washout Fire? Or where?"

Then he mumbled a piece of the song. The tone is not very good. But his words caught my attention.

"Felicie!" I exclaimed

"You can speak Italian."

"Why not, Raoul? Maybe I'm not as stupid as I pretend to be." He laughed at my confusion.

"I don't understand" I began.

"... I'll tell you. I'm a great actress, even though no one knows that. I can play a lot of roles very well."

He laughed again and ran out of the room before I could stop him. I met him again before leaving. He was asleep in a chair, snoring very loudly. I stood looking at him. Enchanted. But also with a feeling of disgust. Suddenly he woke up in shock. His two empty, non-luminous eyes met my eyes.

"Monsieur Raoul" he muttered automatically.

"Yes, Felicie, I'm leaving now. Will you play the piano again for me before I leave."

"I? Playing piano? You're making fun of me, Monsieur Raoul." He shook his head.

"I play the piano? How could a stupid girl like me play the piano?" He was silent for a moment, like he was thinking, then he called me closer.

"Monsieur Raoul, there are strange events happening in this house! They intentionally played me. Stop the hours here. Yeah, yeah, I know exactly what I'm saying. And all this is his work."

"Who are you?" ask me, surprised.

"Let's Annette. That evil one. When he was alive, he always tortured me. Now, even after death, he came from the world of the dead to torment me."

I stared at Felicie. I could see that she was really scared, both her eyes bulging wide.

"He is evil. Yeah, he's evil. He will take bread from your mouth, clothes from your back, soul from your body…"

All of a sudden he grabbed me.

"I'm afraid. I heard his voice, not in my ears no, not in my ears. Here, in my head..." He knocked

his forehead.

"He'll drive me away, drive me away

completely, then what.what should I do, what will happen to me?" His voice was high, almost shrill.

His eyes shone with the fear of a ferocious beast that was being cornered...

All of a sudden she smiled, a sly, sweet smile. There was something that made me creep in that smile of hers.

"If I had to, Monsieur Raoul, these two hands are very strong, very very strong."

I never looked at his hand before. At that time I noticed it, and inevitably I got goosebumps.

His square fingers looked brutal, and as Felicie said, very strong. It must be with both hands like that that his father used to strangle his mother...

That was the last time I saw Felicie Bault. Shortly after, I left for overseas, for South America. I came back two years after his death.

Because of the news I read in the papers about his life and his sudden death. Tonight I have heard more complete details from you, gentlemen. Felicie 3 and Felicie 4. I was wondering. She's a great actress, you know?”

The train is constantly reducing speed. The man in the fourth corner sat up straight and buttoned his coat more

the meetings.

“What is your theory?” sir George asked as he leaned forward.

“I barely make it...” Canon Parfitt started, but then fell silent.

The doctor said nothing. He looked at Raoul Letardeau sharply.

“Clothes from your back, and soul from inside your body,” said the Frenchman in a light tone.

Then he stood up from his seat.

“In my opinion, Messiuers, Felicie Bault's life history is also the life history of Annette Ravel. You don't know him, gentlemen. But I know you. She loves life so much..”

With one hand on the door.ready to jump out, he turned around abruptly, and bowed while knocking on Canon Parfitt's chest.

“M. le docteur there, earlier he said that all this” his hand swept the stomach of the Canon and the Canon squeaked.

“only a residential place. Say, If you find a thief in your house, what do you do? Shoot him, right?”

“No,” exclaims the Canon.

“No, of course I mean no

in the country.” But he spoke, on a mere empty air.

The gate slammed open. The Canon, the lawyer, and the doctor are just three.

The fourth corner was empty.

Note :

In the original book there are a lot of punctuation marks that are a little random, so you readers will be a little confused by punctuation. While the author here obviously can not be too changed entirely, because it is not my personal work.