Poirot smiled, and taking up the neat little letter opener with which he opened his correspondence he slit the tops of the several envelopes that lay by his plate.

'A bill. Another bill. It is that I grow extravagant in my old age. Aha! A note from Japp.'

'Yes?' I pricked up my ears. The Scotland Yard Inspector had more than once introduced us to an interesting case.

'He merely thanks me (in his fashion) for a little point in the Aberystwyth Case on which I was able to set him right. I am delighted to have been of service to him.'

Poirot continued to read his correspondence placidly.

'A suggestion that I should give a lecture to our local Boy Scouts. The Countess of Forfanock will be obliged if I will call and see her. Another lapdog without doubt! And now for the last. Ah-'

I looked up, quick to notice the change of tone. Poirot was reading attentively. In a minute he tossed the sheet over to me.

'This is out of the ordinary, mon vieux. Read for yourself.'

The letter was written on a foreign type of paper, in a bold characteristic hand:

[Unreadable]

MERLINVILLE SUR-MER 

FRANCE.

DEAR SIR, I am in need of the services of a detective and for reasons which I will give you later, do not wish to call in the official police. I have heard of you from several quarters, and all reports go to show that you are not only a man of decided ability, but one who also knows how to be discreet. I do not wish to trust details to the post, but, on account of a secret I possess, I go in daily fear of my life. I am convinced that the danger is imminent, and therefore I beg that you will lose no time in crossing to France. I will send a car to meet you at Calais, if you will wire me when you are arriving. I shall be obliged if you will drop all cases you have on hand, and devote yourself solely to my interests. I am prepared to pay any compensation necessary. I shall probably need your services for a considerable period of time, as it may be necessary for you to go out to Santiago where I spent several years of my life. I shall be content for you to name your own fee.