Chapter 19 Nineteen Meddy and Zili

Are you Miss Houthera?Poirot bowed. Miss Hussela held out her hand, and Poirot judged her to be about fifty years old, rather haughty, with a mind of her own.Determined, shrewd, and nurturing, she is open to life's joys and tribulations. Knowing her name for a long time, Miss Hussela said: You have many friends in Switzerland and France.I don't know how to help.You mentioned in your letter that it was about the past, right?What happened in the past is not exactly what has happened, but is related to it and clues from many years ago.Sit down, please. Well, that chair is comfortable enough. There are drinks and snacks on the table.

Her demeanor is warm and composed, and her manner is amiable. You worked as a governess in a certain family, Poirot said: Remember, Pei Sidongkui? I will never forget the things when I was young.They have a daughter and a brother who is four or five years younger than her. They are very well-behaved. Their father later became a general. The lady also has a sister. Yes, I remember that she was not there when I first arrived at their home. She was not in good health and seemed to be receiving treatment somewhere. Do you remember their Christian names? One was called Margaret, and the other was not well remembered.

Dorothy. Ah, yes, I can't remember the name, they called each other by nicknames, Molly and Dolly.They are twin sisters, they look alike, and they are both very beautiful women. Are they on good terms? It's good to take care of each other.But we're not confused, are we?My student's last name is not Peisi Dongkui.Dorothy.Pace Dongkui is married to a major, I can't remember the last name, Arrow?No, it's Jallow.margaret's husband named Ravenk.said Poirot. right.Strange, I just can't remember the name.Peisi Dongkui is the surname of the previous generation, Margaret.Peisi Dongkui used to study in a boarding school here. After she got married, she wrote to ask the headmaster, Ms. Benoit, to introduce her tutor. The headmaster recommended me to go, so I went.I know this sister because she lived there for a while when I was a tutor.The girl was about six or seven years old, named after Shakespeare, Rosalind or Celia, I think.

It's Celia.said Poirot. The boy is only three or four years old, and his name is Edward. He is naughty and cute, and it is a pleasure to be with them. They also say they are happy to be with you, they love to play with you, and you are nice to them. Moi, Jaime les enfants. (French: I just love children) said Miss Hussela. I heard they call you Meddy. she laughed. Ah, I love this name, it brings back so many memories. Did you know there was a kid named Desmond?Desmond.Burden card? His family lives next door or a little further past.A few neighborhood kids used to play together, his name was Desmond, yes, I remember.

Have you been here long, miss? Not very long, at most three or four years.Later, my family asked me to come back because my mother was seriously ill and I had to come back to take care of her.I knew that she lived shortly, and if she did, she died a year and a half or two years later.Later I opened a small boarding school for older girls and taught them various languages.I have never been to England again, but I will keep in touch with them every one or two years, and my two children will send greeting cards at Christmas. Do you think the Ravenkers are loving? Very affectionate, and they love their children very much.

do they match? They have a complete and happy marriage in my opinion. You said Mrs. Ravenk took good care of her sister, so did her sister take care of her? I don't have many opportunities to judge.Frankly speaking, I think this sister Dolly is a clear mental patient, and once or twice she behaves very strangely and is very jealous.As far as I know, she was engaged or was engaged to be engaged to General Ravenk.It is said that he fell in love with her at first, but then fortunately transferred his feelings to Molly.Molly is emotionally stable and likable, and as for Dolly, I think she sometimes loves her sister and sometimes hates her.She is a very jealous woman. She thinks that her sister's love is taken away by her children.There is one person who knows this better than I do, Miss Mooher, who lives in Lausanne.She came to the Ravenk's a year and a half or two after I left, and lived with the Ravenk for many years, and when Celia went to boarding school she went back to be Mrs Ravenk's companion.

I'm on my way to see her, I have her address.said Poirot. She knows a lot of things that I don't, she's beautiful and reliable.What followed was a terrible tragedy, and she knew how it happened, but she was discreet and kept it to me.I don't know if she is willing to tell you, maybe she will, maybe she won't. Poirot stood for a moment gazing at Miss Mooher. He had been impressed by the beauty of Miss Houthera, and the woman who received him was equally attractive.She was less prim, younger, about ten years younger, and had a completely different charm.Vibrant and charismatic, with piercing eyes, she greets visitors with a look that is gracious without being overly effeminate.Far from ordinary, thought Poirot, very distinguished.

I am Hercule.Poirot. I know, I guess you'll be here in a day or two. did you get my letter No, it must still be at the post office, our post is not very reliable.However, I got a letter from another person. Celia.Did Ravenk send it? No, someone very close to Celia, Desmond.Burden card.He told me you were coming. I see.Clever, wastes no time, and is anxious for me to come see you. I think so.Hearing they're in some trouble, he and Celia are anxious to sort it out, and they think you can help them, don't you? Yes, they thought you could help me too. They love each other and plan to get married.

Yes, but they hit a few snags. It was Desmond's mother, he told me. Certain backgrounds of Celia caused Desmond's mother to be prejudiced against their marriage. Alas, for the tragedy, because it was a tragedy. Yes, because of that tragedy.Celia had a godmother, and Desmond's mother asked her to ask Celia about the suicide. It really doesn't make sense.Miss Mooh held out her hand and said: Please sit down, please sit down!I think we have to talk for a while.Celia had nothing to tell her godmother that she was the novelist Aridan.Olivia?I remember her.Celia could tell her nothing, she knew nothing herself.

Was she not there when the tragedy happened and no one told her what happened? Yes, at the time they all thought it was better to keep her from knowing. Oh, do you agree with this decision? It's hard to say, hard to say, I haven't been sure for years.As far as I know, Celia was never troubled, I mean she never wondered why.She accepts the fait accompli as she accepts a plane crash or a car accident, and believes that some kind of accident killed both parents.She lived in a boarding school abroad for several years. Actually, I know you run this boarding school, Miss Mooh. Yes.I recently retired and my colleagues are now taking over.They sent Celia to me and asked me to find a good place for her to continue her studies, which is how many girls come to Switzerland.I could have recommended several places, but then decided to place her with me.

Did Celia not ask why? No, this was before the tragedy. I do not really get it. Celia was here a few weeks before the tragedy and I was away and I am still with General and Mrs Ravenk.At that time, I was no longer Celia's governess, but Mrs. Ravenk's companion, responsible for her daily life.Celia was studying abroad, and suddenly they asked her to finish her course there and arranged for her to come to Switzerland to study. Was Mrs Ravenk weak? Yes, but nothing serious, not as bad as she feared.She was overwhelmed, frightened and worried. So you stay with her? My sister was in Lausanne. After receiving Celia, she arranged for her to go to a school with only fifteen or six girls. She waited for me to come back while she was in class, and I came back three or four weeks later. But you were at Cliff Villa when it happened. I'm in Cliff Villa.General and Mrs. Ravenk went out for a walk as usual, but they never came home.They were later found to have been shot, with the gun falling next to the pair.The gun belonged to General Ravenk, and was usually kept in a drawer in his study.Both men's fingerprints were on the gun, but it was unclear who held the gun in the end.There's a lot of gossip about them, but it's clear they committed suicide together. Did you find nothing suspicious? As far as I know, the police found nothing suspicious. oh.said Poirot. What did you say?asked Miss Mooh. Nothing, nothing, just a sudden thought. Poirot looked at her, her brown hair not a trace of white, her lips tightly shut, her gray eyes, and her face expressionless.She was calm and unflappable. Don't you have anything else to tell me? Sorry, it's been too long. You remember the situation quite well. Yeah, it's hard to forget such a sad past. Do you think Celia should not be told the reason of the matter? Didn't I tell you that's all there is to say? You lived at Cliff House before the tragedy, didn't you?Four, five or six weeks. Actually longer than that.Although I was Celia's governess at first, I went back to be with Mrs. when she went to school. Mrs. Ravenk's sister lived there too, didn't she? Yes, she was hospitalized several times for special treatment, and then her condition improved, and the hospital believed that she could live with her family and lead a normal family life.Celia had gone away to school anyway, so Mrs Ravenk thought it a good idea to invite her sister. Do the twin sisters like each other? Hard to say.Miss Mooh replied.She frowned, as if Poirot's words had aroused her interest: I have often thought about this question since then.They are twins, they have a bond that makes them depend on and love each other, they are similar in many ways, but they are completely different in many ways. Yeah?Can I ask where it is? Oh, it has nothing to do with tragedy, it's not like that.There must be a physical or mental difference, whatever you want to call it.The current theory is that all mental disorders must have physical causes.I believe it has long been recognized medically that there is a strong bond between twins, that even though they are separated and raised in different environments, the same personalities will emerge and the same things will happen at the same time.Some of the medical examples are quite astonishing.There are two sisters, one lives in Europe, such as France, and the other lives in the UK.They bought the same dog on roughly the same day; they married similar men;However, there are also examples of the opposite. Sisters dislike or even hate each other, so that they are estranged from each other, or a younger brother rejects an older brother, as if to get rid of the similarities, similarities, and things they have in common. This kind of emotion can lead to very strange results. I understand, said Poirot: I have heard such stories, and I have seen one or two instances.Love can easily turn into hate, even faster than indifference. Ah, you know it all!Miss Mooh said. Yes, I have seen more than one instance.Does Mrs. Ravenk's sister look like her? I think the appearance looks similar, but the facial expression is very different.Mrs. Ravenk wasn't as neurotic as her sister, and her sister had a crush on kids, for some reason, maybe she had a miscarriage when she was young, or she wanted to have kids and never got her way, but she just hated kids, she hated them. And because of that, there have been one or two unfortunate incidents, right?asked Poirot. Someone told you? Someone who knew the sisters in the Malay Peninsula told me.When Mrs. Ravenk and her husband lived in the Malay Peninsula, her sister Dolly went to live with them.There was an accident with a child, and it was generally believed that Dolly was to blame. Although there was no evidence to prove it, it was said that Molly's husband sent her back to England, and sent her again to a mental institution. Well, I believe it's true, although I don't know of it. But you know other things. Even so, there is no need to recall it.Now that everyone has accepted the reality, wouldn't it be better to let the past go silent? There were other things that could have happened that day at Cliff House.It could have been a couple's suicide, but it could have been murder, or something else.From what you said just now, I conclude that you know exactly what happened that day, and what happened before that.When Celia came to Switzerland, you were still at Cliff House. I have a question to ask, and I want to know what your answer will be.This is not asking you to give me an answer directly, just asking your personal thoughts.How did General Ravenk feel about the twin sisters? I got you. Her attitude changed for the first time. She was no longer wary, and leaned forward slightly to talk to Poirot, as if she had found a channel of relief. They were beautiful when they were young, she said: many people say so.General Ravenk is in love with his sister Dolly, who is mentally ill.Despite her eccentricity, she's still charming and sexy.He loves her very much, but may have discovered a weakness in her character that disturbs or repulses him.He may have seen signs of mental disorder and potential danger in her, so he transferred his feelings to his sister, fell in love with her, and married her. You mean, he likes both sisters, but he doesn't fall in love with them at the same time, but each time the love is sincere? Yes, he was infatuated with Molly, depended on her, and she depended on him, and he was a lovely man. Pardon my offense, Poirot said: I think you love him too. you!How dare you say that! Yes, dare I say that.I'm not implying there's an affair between you, nothing like that, I'm just saying you love him. That's right, Zili.Moohul said: "I love him.In a way, I still love him, and that's no shame.He trusted me, relied on me, but he never fell in love with me.Loving someone and working hard for him can still be very happy. I don't want more, just trust, sympathize, and believe in me You try to help him when he is in trouble.There are some things you don't want to tell me, but there are some things I want you to know.In fact, I already know the outline from the news I have received from various parties.Before I came to see you, I had heard it mentioned by other people who knew not only Molly but also Dolly.I also got a glimpse of Dolly's tragic life, her sorrows, misfortunes, and hatreds, her sinister tendencies, and the destructive love that circulated in the family.If the man she loved later married her sister, she would naturally hate her, and perhaps never forgive her.But Molly.How does Ravenk feel?Does she like her sister?Does she hate her? Oh no, Miss Mooh said: she loves her sister, she loves her deeply, I know that.Every time she invited her sister to live with her, hoping to help her out of misfortune and danger, because she often relapsed into violent emotions, which terrified Molly.Well, you are very clear about this, you just mentioned Dolly's strange dislike of children. You mean she hates Celia too? No, not Celia, but Edward, the little one.Twice Edward comes near accidents, once when he is hit by a car, and once when Dolly goes berserk.I think Molly was relieved when Edward went back to school.He was very young then, come to think of it, much younger than Celia.He was eight or nine years old, and he was in preparatory school.He was weak, and Molly was terrified of him. Well, said Poirot: quite understandable.Can we talk about the wig thing.Mrs Ravenk had many wigs, and wore as many wigs, four, as few women in those days had so many wigs.I know what they look like, how they fit, and that a French lady went to London to order two more.There was also a dog who had gone for a walk with General Ravenk and his wife on the day of the tragedy.Not long ago, the dog bit its mistress Molly.Ravenk. Dogs are like that.Qi Li.Mooh said: Never trust, I know that. I can tell you what I think happened that day, and what happened shortly before that day. What if I don't listen? you will listen.You can say that what I imagine is wrong, you might say that, but I don't think you will.What I'm trying to say is that I truly believe that facts are needed at this time, not just imagination, not just guesswork.At stake is the happiness of a young man and woman, who love each other but are terrified of the future, fearing that the behavior of their elders will be passed on to their offspring.I am speaking of Celia, a rebellious girl, strong-willed, but wise and kind, capable of joy and courage, and yet like the world she wants to know the truth.They can face the facts without panic, and if fate treats them well, they have the courage to face everything that fate has given them.The boy she loved wanted to know the truth, too, for her sake.Would you like to hear from me? willing.Qi Li.Moohh said: I am listening.You know a lot more than I thought possible.Speak and I will listen.