The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories (Hercule Poirot 21)

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THE DREAM

153

He was an elderly man. The second was a young

man of the modern school. He assured me that it

all hinged on a certain event that took place in in-fancy

at that particular time of day--three twenty-eight.

I am so determined, he says, not to remem-ber

that event, that I

symbolize it by destroying

myself. That is his explanation."

"And the third doctor?" asked Poirot.

Benedict Farley's voice rose in shrill anger.

"He's a young man too. He has a preposterous

theory! He asserts that I, myself, am tired of life,

that my life is so unbearable to me that I deliber-ately

want to end it! But since to acknowledge that

fact would be to acknowledge that essentially I am

a failure, I refuse in my waking moments to face

the truth. But when I am asleep, all inhibitions are

removed, and I proceed to do that which I really

wish to do. I put an end to myself."

"His view is that you really wish, unknown to

yourself, to commit suicide?" said Poirot.

Benedict Farley cried shrilly:

"And that's impossible--impossible! I'm per-fectly

happy! I've got everything I wantmeverything

money can buy! It's fantastic--unbelievable

even to suggest a thing like that!"

Poirot looked at him with interest. Perhaps