Reading progress update: I've read 15%.

‘You refuse, then?’
‘Refuse? Certainly not.’
Whatever else Poirot had expected, he had not expected this. It is seldom that I have seen my friend utterly taken aback, but I did on this occasion. His appearance was ludicrous. His mouth fell open, his hands flew out, his eyebrows rose. He looked like a cartoon in a comic paper.
LoL. I love this scene. Poirot being stumped doesn't happen that often. I bet Dame Agatha had fun writing this.