the otterbournes cab ca next here, aga, poirot ade a very ticulo search, but with no result

the next cab was bessners sion doyle lay with an untasted tray of food beside hi

&ot;off y feed,&ot; he said apolotically

he was lookg feverish and very uch worse than earlier the day poirot appreciated bessners anxiety to t hi as swiftly as possible to hospital and skilled appliances

the little belgian expned what the o of the were dog, and sion nodded approval on learng that the pearls had been restored by iss bowers, but proved to be rely iitation, he expressed the ost plete astonishnt

&ot;you are ite sure, onsieur doyle, that your wife did not have an iitation strg which 射 brought abroad with her stead of the real ones?&ot;

sion shook his head decisively

&ot;oh, no i ite sure of that l loved those pearls and 射 wore e everywhere they were sured agast every possible risk, i thk that ade her a bit careless&ot;

&ot;then we t ntue our search&ot;

he started openg drawers race attacked a suitcase

sion stared &ot;look here, you surely dont spect old bessner pched the?&ot; poirot shrugd his shoulders

&ot;it ight be after all, what do we know of dr bessner? only what he hiself gives out&ot;

&ot;but he uldnt have hidden the here - id seen hi&ot;

&ot;he uld not have hidden anythg today without your havg seen hi but we do not know when the substitution took place he ay have effected the ex插n days