Quand tout cela était fini, composée expressément pour nous, mais dédiée plus spécialement à mon père qui était amateur, une crème au chocolat, inspiration, attention personnelle de Françoise, nous était offerte, fugitive et légère comme une œuvre de circonstance où elle avait mis tout son talent. Celui qui eût refusé d’en goûter en disant: «J’ai fini, je n’ai plus faim», se serait immédiatement ravalé au rang de ces goujats qui, même dans le présent qu’un artiste leur fait d’une de ses œuvres, regardent au poids et à la matière alors que n’y valent que l’intention et la signature. Même en laisser une seule goutte dans le plat eût témoigné de la même impolitesse que se lever avant la fin du morceau au nez du compositeur.

 

(And when all these had been eaten, a work composed expressly for ourselves, but dedicated more particularly to my father, who had a fondness for such things, a cream of chocolate, inspired in the mind and created by the hand of Françoise, would be laid before us, light and fleeting as an 'occasional piece' of music, into which she had poured the whole of her talent. Anyone who refused to partake of it, saying: "No, thank you, I have finished; I am not hungry," would at once have been lowered to the level of the Philistines who, when an artist makes them a present of one of his works, examine its weight and material, whereas what is of value is the creator's intention and his signature. To have left even the tiniest morsel in the dish would have shown as much discourtesy as to rise and leave a concert hall under the composer's very eyes while the 'piece' was still being played.)

 

Ma mère d'ailleurs n'avait pas attendu ce verdict de Bergotte pour me dire que je pouvais inviter Gilberte à goûter quand j'aurais des amis. Mais je n'osais pas le faire pour deux raisons. La première est que chez Gilberte, on ne servait jamais que du thé. A la maison au contraire, maman tenait à ce qu'à côté du thé il y eût du chocolat. J'avais peur que Gilberte ne trouvât cela commun et n'en conçût un grand mépris pour nous.

 

(My mother had not, indeed, awaited this verdict from Bergotte before telling me that I might ask Gilberte to tea whenever I had friends coming. But I dared not do so for two reasons. The first was that at Gilberte’s there was never anything else to drink but tea. By contrast at home, Mamma insisted on there being a pot of chocolate as well as the tea. I was afraid that Gilberte might regard this as ‘common’; and so conceive a great contempt for us.)

 

Poirot finished the last sip of chocolate. He pushed aside his cup and rose to his feet. He walked to the fireplace and adjusted his moustaches carefully in the mirror over the chine piece. Satisfied, he returned to his chair and awaited the arrival of his visitor. He did not know exactly what to expect...

 

 

The chocolate was duly ordered and brought, and Georges set it at the little table at his master’s elbow.

 

 

 

                                        - Forrest Gump

 

                                        - Spanish proverb

 

                                        - Spanish proverb