The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman: A Hercule Poirot Short Story

The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman

A Short Story

by Agatha Christie

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Copyright © 1999 Agatha Christie Ltd.

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Ebook Edition © MAY 2013 ISBN: 9780007526468

Version: 2017-04-13

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright 

The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman 

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The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman

‘The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman’ was first published in

The Sketch

, 24 October 1923.

Poirot and I had many friends and acquaintances of an informal nature. Amongst these was to be numbered Dr Hawker, a near neighbour of ours, and a member of the medical profession. It was the genial doctor’s habit to drop in sometimes of an evening and have a chat with Poirot, of whose genius he was an ardent admirer. The doctor himself, frank and unsuspicious to the last degree, admired the talents so far removed from his own.

On one particular evening in early June, he arrived about half past eight and settled down to a comfortable discussion on the cheery topic of the prevalence of arsenical poisoning in crimes. It must have been about a quarter of an hour later when the door of our sitting room flew open, and a distracted female precipitated herself into the room.

‘Oh, doctor, you’re wanted! Such a terrible voice. It gave me a turn, it did indeed.’

I recognized in our new visitor Dr Hawker’s housekeeper, Miss Rider. The doctor was a bachelor, and lived in a gloomy old house a few streets away. The usually placid Miss Rider was now in a state bordering on incoherence.

‘What terrible voice? Who is it, and what’s the trouble?’

‘It was the tel