Death On The Nile

Chapter Three opens just after dinner in Assuan. Simon and Linnet Doyle have been dining with Andrew Pennington when they run into Tim Allerton, who introduces himself as Joanna Southwood’s cousin and invites the party to meet his mother. Linnet is clearly on edge. When Poirot enters, Linnet recognizes him and takes a clear interest in his presence.

Mrs. Otterbourne also recognizes and attempts to engage Poirot, mentioning that she is a “famous novelist” (64). Poirot questions her about her work in progress and notes that Mrs. Otterbourne’s self-aggrandizing remarks make Rosalie increasingly uncomfortable. Over the course of the conversation, Mrs. Otterbourne belabors the subject of her own novels, repeatedly saying that she will give Poirot a copy of one of them. As she rises to get the novel from her room, Rosalie rushes in and insists that she bring the novel herself. Mrs. Otterbourne complains that Rosalie is unsympathetic to her illness.

While Rosalie is absent, Poirot orders himself a drink and Mrs. Otterbourne, who says she is “practically a teetotaller” (67), a lemon squash. Rosalie returns, and while thanking Mrs. Otterbourne for the book Poirot notices an “eloquent pain” (68) in Rosalie’s eyes.

A few moments later, Jackie de Bellefort enters and seats herself facing Linnet Doyle. Linnet changes her seat to face in the opposite direction, and Jackie changes her seat as well so that she can continue to stare. Fifteen minutes later, Linnet and Simon leave, presumably because Jackie has made them too uncomfortable to stay.

Poirot is sitting alone on the terrace later the same night when Linnet Doyle approaches him to ask for help. Linnet explains that she is “the subject…of an intolerable persecution” (73) and that she wants it to stop.

Jackie de Bellefort, who was previously engaged to Simon Doyle, took his breaking off the engagement “rather hard” (73) and has since threatened to kill both Simon and Linnet. Jackie now persists in following Linnet and Simon everywhere they go, evidently as a form of revenge. She has already followed them from Italy to Palestine and Egypt, and Linnet, who is unnerved and angered by Jackie’s pursuit, fears that she will continue to follow them. Linnet insists that there must be “some kind of legal redress against such a thing” (75).

Poirot asks whether Jackie has made any actual threats in public, used insulting language, or attempted to assault Linnet or Simon. When Linnet responds that Jackie has done none of those things, Poirot tells her there is nothing she can do. He suggests that Linnet’s irritation stems not only from Jackie’s actions, but also from Linnet’s own feelings of guilt for having stolen Jackie’s beloved fiancé after having promised to help Jackie. Poirot likens Linnet to the rich man in the Bible who had many flocks and herds, yet took a poor man’s only lamb.

Linnet reacts angrily, claiming that Simon was not in love with Jackie: “Simon discovers that it is I he loves, not Jackie. What is he to do? Be heroically noble and marry a woman he does not care for[?]” (79). Linnet admits that the end of the engagement was difficult for Jackie but asserts that it was “inevitable” (80).

Poirot responds that although Linnet’s argument is rational, it fails to explain her response to Jackie’s following her: instead of pitying her former friend, Linnet finds her “intolerable” (80). According to Poirot, this is because Linnet deliberately took Simon away from Jackie and has a feeling of guilt as a consequence. Although Jackie is making a fool of herself, says Poirot, even Linnet knows that Jackie has justice on her side. Poirot tells Linnet that, under the circumstances, she must live with the consequences of her actions or else go home to England. Linnet responds that Simon would not agree to run away; he is too furious. Linnet pleads with Poirot to talk with Jackie, and he agrees to do so, but cautions that the talk is unlikely to lead to any change in Jackie’s behavior.