"One of my father's most valued possessions, from the reign of the Pharaoh Rameses." "Some more." "Yes, your highness." "And some coffee for the woman." "Very good, your highness." "Where are you going?" "Just going to powder my nose." "Won't be a minute." "He wants another bottle of fizz." "He's been through two already, him and the tart." "Where is she?" "Beg your pardon, your highness?" "The woman, where is she?" "I couldn't say, your highness." "She's got my ruby!" "Iris!" "Aah!" "Iris!" "Iris." "You can't come in here, your highness." "I do apologize, ladies." "Your lady friend left, your highness." "She got a taxi and left." "Get Scotland Yard." "Now!" "Merci." "Magnifique." "Oh!" "Thank you." "On your own for Christmas, Mr. Poirot?" "Yes, indeed." "Miss Lemon, she visits an aunt at Torquay." "Ah." "And Captain Hastings?" "En Écosse." "Oh, pardon." "He is in Scotland." "So, yes, I am quite alone." "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Poirot." "No, no, no, no, no, no." "Not at all." "A week of the complete peace and repose, the demi-kilo of your chocolates most excellent, is for Poirot the Christmas parfait." "Thank you." "And a happy Christmas." "Merci." "Are you Mr. Hercule Poirot?" "Yes, who are you?" "Would you get in the car, please, Mr. Poirot?" "Mr. Jesmond wants a word with you." "Why?" "Just get in the car, please, Mr. Poirot." "He was most insistent, sir." "Did M. Jesmond say what he wanted me for?" "Only that it's a matter of national importance." "I am not empowered to say anything more, Mr. Poirot." "Why should this concern Poirot?" "Why should this concern you?" "This foolish young prince whom you will not name, he comes to London to collect from Asprey's the priceless ruby which has been remounted." "Yes." "Foolishly, he becomes acquainted with a young lady." "Well..." "And continuing his foolishness, he permits this young lady to wear the jewel in a restaurant while they have dinner together." "I think, um " "No, no, no, no, no, no, M. Jesmond, if you please, I have listened, you must now do likewise." "This fool, this young prince, isn't surprised when this young lady disappears with his jewel into the night." "No, no, no, no, no." "No, this is a matter I think not for Hercule Poirot." "This is a matter, I think, for the commissioners in lunacy." "I like this fellow." "He's funny." "You are the prince." "Prince Farouk." "Heir to King Fuad of Egypt." "If it gets out, the Wafd nationalists will use the scandal, Poirot." "The Wafd want the British out of Egypt completely." "They want total Egyptian control of the Suez Canal now." "My father cannot live for long." "When he dies, I inherit the throne." "Then I will show them." "Now, I am tired." "I am going back to the hotel." "No..." "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, and again, no." "Poirot has squandered his talents before." "Many times he has assisted fools in their folly." "But this royal, rude, arrogant fool, no." "Poirot draws a line." "It is imperative to British interests, M. Poirot, that the prince should succeed to the throne." "And what about the interests of the Egyptians?" "You think he will be a ruler that is wise and just?" "M. Poirot, I beg of you." "The prince is still young." "How young is he?" "19." "Did anyone else know about the ruby?" "No one." "You did not talk about it to anyone?" "No." "Well, I may have done." "Perhaps when I was at Kings Lacey." "But Colonel Lacey is an old friend of my father's." "An Egyptologist." "He is one of England's most famous archeologists," "M. Poirot." "Kings Lacey is a magnet for all sorts of people with interests in Egypt." "Then perhaps it is at Kings Lacey that the answer is found." "Was anyone else present?" "Am I a criminal?" "Am I to be questioned like this?" "Iris Moffat took the ruby." "We all know this." "Find Iris Moffat, you will find the thief." "No, no, no, no, I think not." "This robbery, it has been planned with the utmost care." "One person alone could not have carried it out." "Tell me, your highness, was anyone else present when you talked about the jewel to Colonel Lacey?" "No!" "I don't know." "Maybe." "Yes, there were children..." "and a man with two names." "The Laceys are good friends of mine, M. Poirot." "I may be able to concoct a story that will enable you to spend Christmas there." "Christmas?" "I seem to remember my wife telling me they were concerned about their granddaughter's choice of men friends." "No, no, no, no, M. Jesmond," "I have made other arrangements." "You see, I have my books, my radio." "My demi-kilo of excellent hand-made chocolates from Dupres." "My radiators that are nice and warm." "The Laceys are very hospitable people," "M. Poirot, and they have an excellent central heating system." "You might do better at auction, you know, Colonel Lacey." "Oh, no, no, no, it's too public." "Em mustn't know about this." "Imagine the fuss she'd make." "I don't want to sell anything, David." "I wish we had one item which would cover the whole amount." "Something small she wouldn't notice." "Haven't you still got that little footstool from the Amenhotep tomb?" "Oh, I don't want to part with that." "That was almost the first thing to come out of my first dig." "Well, what do you suggest, then?" "Oh, I don't know." "I don't want to part with any of it." "Tell you what, come and spend Christmas with us." "Have a good look at everything." "I don't like to impose on Mrs. Lacey at such short notice." "Oh, nonsense!" "She will be delighted." "Sarah is going to be there, too." "And that Lee-Wortley fellow, I suppose." "Lee-Wortley, good chap." "Knows a lot about Egypt." "You'll have lots of things to talk about." "You're keen on Sarah, aren't you?" "Well, yes." "But I think your granddaughter is rather keener on Lee-Wortley." "Really?" "Well, there you are, then." "You got three days to get her to see reason." "Come down Christmas Eve." "Peverill takes ages to get to the door." "Peverill?" "The butler." "He's 90, at least." "Who are you?" "I am Hercule Poirot." "And you, monsieur?" "Colin." "I'm Bridget." "He's my cousin." "You haven't seen Michael anywhere, have you?" "Batty-looking chap with glasses." "No." "Good afternoon, sir." "Good afternoon to you, M. Peverill." "Come on, Bridget." "This way, please, sir." "Mr. Hercule Poirot, madame." "Mr. Poirot, how very nice to meet you." "Mme. Lacey." "You have a most beautiful house." "Yes, isn't it?" "It's this tree" "I'm worried about at the moment." "Is it vulgar enough yet, do you think?" "So good of you to come, Mr. Poirot." "Oh, do please sit down." "Thank you, madame." "Edwina Jesmond tells me that you were very helpful to some friends of hers in a case very like ours." "But perhaps you don't know what I am talking about." "I understand that this is a matter rather unfortunate concerning the infatuation of a young girl." "Yes, my granddaughter, Sarah." "She's got herself mixed up with this dreadful man." "He calls himself Desmond Lee-Wortley." "And this man, he has not a good reputation?" "Oh, indeed, he has not, but it's no good telling Sarah that." "Never any good telling young girls that a man has a bad reputation, is it?" "It is often, I believe, an added attraction." "Yes, well, anyway," "Edwina Jesmond tells me that you might be able to find out something, how shall I put it?" "Something useful about this Desmond Lee-Wortley." "How long do I have to do this for?" "Oh, you give it a good old stir, sir." "Go on, Desmond, don't be lazy." "The longer you stir, sir, the better your luck will be." "Why do you have two?" "Well, the big one's for Christmas Day, and the small one's for New Year, silly." "Ah." "Oh, yes." "Oh, Mr. Poirot, you must have a stir, too." "Sarah won't let anyone else have a go." "I need all the luck I can get." "This is Sarah, my granddaughter, Mr. Poirot." "How do you do?" "Mlle. Sarah." "And Mr. Lee-Wortley." "M. Lee-Wortley." "Desmond." "Desmond." "And Gloria Lee-Wortley, his sister." "Enchanté, mademoiselle." "How do you do?" "This is our maid, Annie." "Mlle. Annie." "And I'm David Welwyn." "Ah, M. Welwyn." "How do you do?" "And who, may I ask, is responsible for these puddings most magnificent?" "Oh, that would be me, I reckon, sir." "This is Mrs. Ross, our cook." "Hello, Mme. Ross, you are truly the artist." "Oh, thank you very much, sir!" "Oh, no, no, no." "Pas de tous." "The whole house, it is redolent with the... nutmeg, the ginger, the allspice, the..." "The brandy." "C'est true, c'est magnifique." "Oh, thank you." "Are you going to have a good old stir, sir?" "It is permitted?" "You just go right ahead, sir." "Go on, Mr. Poirot." "Merci beaucoup." "Bravo." "What do you think of the glass vase?" "The blue one?" "I noticed it." "18th dynasty?" "Yeah." "Horace, you're looking very furtive." "Stop it." "No, my dear, not at all." "Ah, Mr. Poirot." "Horace, come and meet Mr. Hercule Poirot." "Not the Hercule Poirot?" "There is but one Hercule Poirot, and I am he." "The great detective?" "The same." "Let me see..." "You are Michael." "How do you do, M. Poirot?" "I am Horace Lacey." "Ah, I am indeed honored to meet you, Colonel." "Ah, mangoes." "Look damn delicious, don't they?" "Indeed, they do, monsieur." "Don't be fooled." "They are absolutely impossible to eat." "Indeed?" "They come out of India." "Impossible to get the stone out." "I spent the best years of my life trying to hack the stone out of mangoes." "Ah." "If I might demonstrate?" "Oh." "Thank you." "Now, let me see." "With the tip of a sharp knife." "We insert it here until we feel the pip." "Then we cut around the mango, comme ça, feeling the stone all the time with the tip of the knife." "Then with a spoon," "we insert it here and go over and across the stone, all the way around," "until the fruit half, it separates." "Then with a knife, un, deux, trois." "Et voilà." "Good God above, did you see that, Em?" "There's an absolute marvel with a mango." "Where did you learn that?" "A duke taught me." "Shh!" "Just the women." "Oh." "What's he doing here?" "Why did they invite a detective?" "I don't know." "He's dangerous, Desmond." "He's got to be dealt with." "Yeah, I know." "Where did you put it?" "Why don't we put on a show for that old Poirot fellow?" ""There's but one Hercule Poirot, and I am it."" "What sort of a show?" "We will arrange ze murder." "Ze bodies, still and cold, ze young, so beautiful girl." "Moi, naturellement." "When shall we do it?" "Come on, let's go inside and talk about it." ""Do not eat none of the plum pudding." "One as wishes you well."" "Oh, let me have a go!" "I haven't even tried it yet!" "Happy Christmas, Mr. Poirot." "Happy Christmas, Michael." "Merry Christmas." "Merry Christmas, Colin." "What do you think you're doing?" "It's ruined, completely ruined." "Oh, look at that." "Get off with you." "Come along." "Everyone has got to make a wish before the flames go out." "Well done, Peverill." "Didn't get scorched this year, eh?" "Lots for me, please." "And me." "I'm so full." "For Mr. Poirot." "Merci, madame." "You don't like Christmas pudding, Mr. Poirot." "Au contraire," "I am inordinately fond of the plum pudding." "Aww, I got the thimble." "Old maid." "I've got the pig." "There you are, there's justice for you." "I've got something, bit of damned glass." "How did that get in there?" "I could have broken my damned tooth." "You will permit me, madame?" "Perhaps it's a ruby." "If it was a ruby, it would be worth thousands." "No, it is not a ruby, it is simply glass." "I've got a sixpence!" "Mme. Ross?" "Yes, sir?" "Oh, no, no, no, please to be seated." "It is permitted that I congratulate the cook on a luncheon delicieux." "Oh, just plain English cooking, sir." "There is none better." "You will allow me?" "Thank you very much, sir." "And the pudding, oh." "Well, thank you, sir." "As a matter of fact, I served the wrong pudding today." "How is that, Mme. Ross?" "Well, I usually make two, one for New Year's Day." "There was a bit of an accident this morning." "One of the boys ran straight in here and into Annie as she was just putting it into the steamer." "Quel désastre." "Oh, you should have seen the mess, sir." "So, anyway," "I served the New Year's pudding instead." "Ah." "I have the pleasure to inform your highness that I have been successful." "Where is the thief?" "The thief?" "No, no, no, no, no, Poirot." "M. Poirot has done a magnificent job, your highness." "You're supposed to catch the thief!" "I'm afraid we do need to know the real identity of the thief." "We suspect there is a cell of Wafd sympathizers " "The Wafd are animals." "My father is too soft with them." "Who are supporting the Wafd financially." "We must neutralize them." "Neuter them." "I was not informed of this." "I am sorry." "We assumed that when you retrieved the ruby, you would also apprehend the culprit." "Then we will neutralize her, also." "It is in this country's interest, too, M. Poirot." "You really have only completed half the task." "Very well." "What are you doing?" "If I am to catch the thief," "I will need the ruby as bait." "Okay." "Thank you." "I must apologize for the prince, M. Poirot." "He is " "Young?" "One is never too young to learn the manners." "Indeed, indeed." "Unfortunately, the prince has never seen any reason to do so." "Why not?" "Look, you said the 23rd." "You could have milled the part yourself in less time." "Are you quite sure about that?" "Well, yes, of course we'll be there!" "Still not ready?" "Tomorrow." "It seems he had some sort of problem " " Ah, good morning." "Good morning." "Em?" "Yes, dear." "That detective fellow." "Uh-huh." "I think he's foreign or something." "I'll tell you why." "When he went up to bed last night, he said "bon soir, "" "instead of "good night," that is." "That's "good night" in French." "Well, at first, I thought he's being facetious." "Then I thought back " "Very amusing, Horace." "Bonjour, mademoiselle." "Oh, hello, Mr. Poirot." "You haven't seen Desmond anywhere, have you?" "Yes, he was in the drawing room with his sister, mademoiselle." "I've looked there." "You still won't part with the Amenhotep footstool?" "No, no, I can't." "What about the blue vase?" "Absolutely not." "It's just not on." "The painted coffin?" "No." "Colonel Lacey, I know this is difficult for you." "But you asked me down here to look at your collection with a view to purchasing one " "I know, I know." "Listen to me, David, perhaps I don't really have to sell anything after all." "What?" "Circumstances change, you know." "Oh, Desmond!" "I've been looking for you everywhere." "Do you want to come and see the obelisk?" "Can't wait." "Yeah, that would be nice." "Gloria, you don't have to come." "It will be lunch soon, anyway." "Obelisks always give me an appetite." "Lead on." "Who's next?" "Grandma, it's your turn." "No, no, no, it's for you children." "Now, Bridget, what about you?" "I know you've got a good one." "Come on, come on." "Now, then, what is it?" "Is it a book?" "No, film -- oops!" "Did I ever tell you that I used to be a waiter at the Savoy?" "Oh, careful, careful!" "It's all right, it's all right." "You'd be very unpopular if you dropped it." "Yes, but not with you, though." "No, not with me." "It's a book." "Two words." "First word." "Nuts." "Bowl." "Berry?" "Holly." "You're not supposed to use objects." "Second syllable." "Jacket." "Frock, holly frock." "Coat?" "Collar!" "Necklace." "Fur." "Holly fur?" "What's that meant to mean?" "I must say, David," "I don't think you've quite grasped the rudiments of this game." "Ring?" "Second word." "Turn." "Rinse." "Strangle." "Washing." "Screw." "Drive." "Holly, fir, screw?" "No, no, no, no." "It is, I think," ""Oliver Twist"?" "Right." "Holly, fur, twist." "Well done, Mr. Poirot, you win again." "Now it's your turn." "No, no, no, no, please forgive me." "All of a sudden, I am tired." "I will, I think, retire." "But it's only 10:00." "It is perhaps the Christmas pudding that affects me." "I am not used to such Lucullian fare." "I thank you for a most enjoyable Christmas, and I wish you all good night." "Good night." "Well, come on, Michael, it's your go." "No, no, I'm no good." "Mr. Poirot!" "Mr. Poirot!" "Bonjour." "Mr. Poirot, can you help us?" "Something awful has happened." "Oh, mon Dieu!" "This is horrible." "It is like something in the theater!" "Well, that's how we found her, Mr. Poirot." "You boys, you have touched nothing?" "No, we haven't been near her." "There are footprints." "The footprints of a man." "They arrive with the girl..." "But they depart alone." "You are amused?" "It's all right, Bridget, you can get up now." "I do not understand." "It's all a joke, Mr. Poirot." "This is no joke, mes amis." "The young lady, she has no pulse." "Bridget!" "Help!" "Someone help!" "Grandma!" "Grandma!" "Something terrible has happened!" "Help, help!" "What's going on?" "Good God." "The boys, they planned a comedy." "It has turned into a tragedy." "She's dead?" "I think there can be no doubt." "I can detect no pulse." "You try." "No, no " "No, please, just for me." "My hands are very cold." "The pulse, it might be very faint." "Well..." "No, nothing." "Not even a slight flutter?" "No." "Look, I think someone had better get the police, all right?" "I'll go." "You stay here." "Very well, mon ami." "But hurry, the miscreant may try to run away." "I'll be as quick as I can." "Horace?" "Horace!" "Horace!" "Sarah?" "Sarah!" "Sarah?" "Sa" "I can't wake him, so I went along to find Sarah and she's not in her bedroom." "Now, where is she?" "Have you seen her?" "Bridget's dead." "What?" "Mr. Poirot says she hasn't got a pulse." "What do you mean?" "Poirot, what on earth is going on?" "What's happened to Bridget?" "Well, tell her, Mr. Poirot." "Tell her what?" "Bridget!" "We thought you were dead!" "You played a trick on us?" "A trick, yes, but not on you." "You all right, Mlle. Bridget?" "I'm fine." "But my husband, I can't wake him." "And I can't find Sarah!" "If M. Desmond Lee-Wortley intended to leave this country in haste, where might he go?" "He's got his own private airplane." "Where does he keep it?" "At the aerodrome, near Elstree." "M. Welwyn, you have a car?" "Yes." "Bon." "On y va." "But where is Sarah?" "I must see Sarah!" "So, when you were making off with Farouk's family jewels in London," "I was 50 miles away, down here." "The perfect alibi." "We've done it." "Paris by lunchtime, a New Year's wedding in Cairo." "A new life." "How far is it to Elstree Aerodrome?" "About 12 miles." "You care for Mlle. Sarah, yes?" "That's why I came down here, really." "There was no other reason?" "Yes, all right." "Colonel Lacey's taken a crash on the stock market." "He's having to sell some of his artworks." "But he doesn't want anyone else to know." "Ah." "Not even Mrs. Lacey." "I comprehend, M. Welwyn." "Poirot shall be discretion himself." "I only came down here really to see Sarah." "I can't make her out, Mr. Poirot." "Can't think why she's run off with this Lee-Wortley fellow." "She's just infatuated." "You have not lost her yet, mon ami." "But now we must make haste if we are to catch them." "Not far now." "Hold it." "Oh, mon Dieu!" "Back off a bit, sir, give us some room." "Thank you." "Come on." "That's it." "Steady." "Don't worry, I've got an idea." "Where is it you are going?" "Hold tight." "Oi, you can't do that!" "What's your hurry?" "Put your backs into it, lads." "The lady and gentleman are in a hurry." "Here we are." "We've made it." "Let us hope so, mon ami." "There, look." "We're too late." "I think not." "You'll hit them, Desmond!" "Keep quiet!" "Right!" "Hang on!" "Quick, constable!" "You know what to do." "Right, constable." "Hold it right there, sir." "You have something that does not belong to you," "M. Lee-Wortley." "So you finally caught up with me, Jesmond, have you?" "Well, you're not going to be fomenting trouble for a few years." "Do you think I'm the only person fighting to free Egypt?" "I'm a very small cog, I can assure you." "Yes, I'm sure you are." "Thank you, M. Lee-Wortley." "Take him away." "Come and give me a hand." "Sarah's trapped." "It's his sister!" "Where's Sarah?" "How in the hell should I know?" "And I'm not his sister." "All right, madame, come along." "That's her!" "That's Iris Moffat." "Strumpet!" "You steal my jewels, eh?" "Harlot!" "And you, fatty." "Fatty?" "I " "Dignity, your highness." "Ah, yes, yes." "Dignity." "Daughter of a licentious camel!" "Ah, Poirot." "These girls, eh?" "Do you still have the ruby?" "We can hardly thank you enough, M. Poirot." "Quite, quite." "We will give you an honor." "Would you like the Order of the Golden Snake?" "Your highness is too kind." "Yes, I will see my father about it." "Mr. Poirot, where is Sarah?" "I mean, if she's not with Lee-Wortley, then " "I'm afraid that I misled you, M. Welwyn." "Earlier this morning," "I sent Mlle. Sarah to warn his highness." "She is a good-looking woman, eh?" "Eh voilà, the ruby." "I am afraid, Mlle. Sarah, that it is evident to me that the flirtations with you of M. Desmond Lee-Wortley had been most carefully planned." "Just a camouflage, you mean?" "Oui, I regret." "He was in need of an alibi." "He must not be seen in London while the woman that you knew only as his sister stole the jewel." "He then had to wait for her to bring it to him here." "Why didn't he just buzz off as soon as they got it?" "Well, that had been their intention, Colonel Lacey, but unfortunately for them, the airplane developed the engine trouble, they had to wait for it to be mended." "Why not?" "You said the 23rd." "Yes, well, you could have milled the part yourself in less time." "Once I discovered the ruby in the otherwise most excellent Christmas pudding..." "You will permit me, madame?" "Perhaps it's a ruby." "I strongly suspected M. Lee-Wortley, but I had no proof." "So you set a cunning trap." "As you say, M. Michael, I set a cunning trap." "I used to be a waiter at the Savoy." "Careful!" "It's all right, it's all right." "You would be very unpopular if you drop it." "He knew that I had the jewel, and it was essential to his plan that he retrieve it." "No, not with me." "But unfortunately for him," "I was, by chance, witness to a scene between himself and Mlle. Sarah in which he tried to ensure that I could no longer hinder him by drugging my coffee." "Thus forewarned," "I was able to substitute my coffee for that of Colonel Lacey." "I don't think you've a grasp of the rudiments of this game." "Horace." "Horace?" "Horace!" "You see, that's why I couldn't wake you up." "Please accept my sincere apologies, Colonel, but it was necessary to confirm my suspicions." "While I pretended to be asleep," "M. Lee-Wortley searched my room." "Believing me to be in a drugged stupor, he had no fear of being apprehended." "Of course, he found nothing, because the ruby, it was in my hand." "So, what did you do then?" "He came to see me." "I had heard Colin and Michael making a plot, so I arranged a little counter-plot of my own." "Why don't we put on a show for that old Poirot fellow?" "What sort of a show?" "We will arrange ze murder." "Ze body, still and cold." "I turned their deception into a deception of my own." "I thought I'd bust holding my breath." "I knew she wasn't dead." "No, you didn't." "No, but it was enough that M. Lee-Wortley was persuaded of the fact." "He saw his chance to take the ruby and run." "As soon as he ran, I had my proof." "The rest you know." "Hold on, well, you still haven't told us how this jewel came to be in the pudding in the first place." "Ah, M. Lee-Wortley and his "sister"" "were in the kitchen, stirring the pudding." "Enchanté." "They recognized my name and assumed that I was there in pursuit of the jewel." "And, of course, they panicked." "And hid it in the pudding." "The New Year Day pudding, yes." "But when the Christmas Day pudding was dropped, the New Year Day pudding was served instead." "Yes, sir." "And the ruby discovered." "Would've broken my tooth." "But there is one thing that Poirot does not understand." "This note, it was placed in my bed," "and still I do not know who wrote it." "I, Hercule Poirot, whose business it is to know everything." ""Do not eat none of the plum pudding." "One as wishes you well."" "Annie?" "Excuse me, sir," "I couldn't help but overhear you." "It was me." "But why?" "I heard them, sir." "That Mr. Wortley and his sister." "Mr. Lee-Wortley and his sister were standing behind me in church." "I couldn't help but hear them talking." "What's he doing here?" "Why did they invite a detective?" "I don't know." "He's dangerous, Desmond." "He's got to be dealt with." "Yeah, I know." "Where did you put it?" "In the pudding." "I thought they meant to poison you, sir." "In the plum pudding." "I didn't know what to do." "I couldn't tell Mrs. Ross." "She wouldn't listen to the likes of me." "So you left the note." "Yes, sir." "Mlle. Annie you have the gratitude most sincere of Hercule Poirot." "Thank you, sir." "Thank you very much, sir." "Goodbye, Mr. Poirot." "Au revoir." "Goodbye, sir." "Au revoir, au revoir." "Colonel Lacey." "Dear Mr. Poirot, you really have made this a most memorable Christmas for us all." "And, perhaps, madame, your own little problem is also solved, n'est-ce pas?" "It certainly seems so." "Such a nice young man, don't you think?" "Yes, indeed." "Au revoir, Mme. Lacey." "Thank you, M. Peverill." "Goodbye!" "Au revoir!"