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This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. Authors: (1) Terence Blésin, Institute of Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) & Center of Quantum Science and Engineering (EPFL); (2) Wil Kao, Institute of Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) & Center of Quantum Science and Engineering (EPFL); (3) Anat Siddharth, Institute of Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) & Center of Quantum Science and Engineering (EPFL); (4) Alaina Attanasio, OxideMEMS lab, Purdue University; (5) Hao Tian, OxideMEMS lab, Purdue University; (6) Sunil A. Bhave, OxideMEMS lab, Purdue University; (7) Tobias J. Kippenberg, Institute of Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) & Center of Quantum Science and Engineering (EPFL). Table of Links Introduction Results A. Physics and design B. Device characterization C. Bidirectional microwave-optical transduction D. Pulsed transduction Discussion Acknowledgments Appendix A: Theory Appendix B: Fabrication process flow Appendix C: Optical characterization Appendix D: Characterization of acoustic resonances Appendix E: Characterization of bidirectional transduction Appendix F: Optimization of optical extraction efficiency III. DISCUSSION Non-classically correlated microwave-optical photon pairs can be generated through spontaneous parametric down-conversion in our transducer. These correlated photon pairs constitute a key ingredient toward entangling distant quantum processors via the Duan-LukinCirac-Zoller protocol [4, 45]. With the current device parameters, the pair generation rate on chip amounts to 190 Hz, which is well above the thermal decoherence rate for 3.5 GHz at 10 mK as explained in Appendix A 4. However, losses in the measurement setup specific to such an experiment, as well as the gating of the optical pump required to alleviate the effective heat load, are expected to limit further the final heralding rate. Quasi-free-standing structures, such as 1D OMCs, do not readily thermalize and are thus more susceptible to heating effects. Even though our transducer also utilizes a suspended acoustic resonator, it may be feasible to operate at a higher duty cycle than what is presented in Fig. 4. It has been shown that a buffer gas environment can facilitate thermalization of a 1D OMC, at the cost of increased damping of the mechanical breathing mode [46]. On the contrary, the HBAR mode of interest here should be relatively insensitive to such viscous damping, as the acoustic wave propagates predominantly along the longitudinal direction inside the cladding. Therefore, a sample cell affixed to the mixing chamber flange and filled with buffer superfluid helium—an inviscid fluid that is both an excellent thermal conductor and electrical insulator—could potentially improve the heralding rate without hampering the conversion efficiency [47]. The present design is also suited for tasks beyond quantum state transfer. The transducer can be a key component of photonic interconnects for superconducting qubits [7, 8], where laser lights routed through optical fibers are used to encode microwave signals directly inside the dilution refrigerator during qubit readout. It may be challenging for traveling-wave EOMs to attain the requisite half-wave voltage to be competitive in noise performance against conventional all-electrical readout scheme utilizing high-electron-mobility transistor amplifiers [8]. Our triply resonant approach affords a path towards a scalable optically controlled cryogenic waveform generator for both qubit readout and control. The multimode nature of the transducer is particularly suited for frequency-multiplexed dispersive readout. Transduction leveraging multiple HBAR modes is already demonstrated in Fig. 3e. One can additionally utilize line-type instead of point-type dimer coupling for the photonic molecule, which gives rise to a dispersion in the supermode splitting [48]. In combination with the multitude of acoustic overtones, a single transducer can therefore support several spectrally distinguishable triply resonant systems that serve as qubit multiplex channels. Finally, since the transducer requires no superconducting element to function, it may be pertinent for applications in classical microwave photonics. Optimization of design and fabrication should engender further improvement on device performance. The conversion efficiency, proportional to microwave extraction efficiency (Eq. 2), can be improved by replacing AlN with scandium-doped AlN [49], which features a piezoelectric coefficient d33 about five times larger than AlN [50, 51] while preserving CMOS compatibility. There is likewise additional upside on the photonics (Appendix C 1). Bending radiation loss can be significantly reduced by increasing the micro-ring radius r. In particular, intrinsic quality factor exceeding 107 has been demonstrated with an r approximately ten times larger using the same fabrication process [52]. It may be anticipated that the efficiency gain here may be chiefly compensated by the reduction in optomechanical coupling rate g0 ∼ 1/ √ r. Nevertheless, by thinning the waveguide to 200 nm that approaches half of the acoustic wavelength, g0 is expected to remain unchanged. As in the thick-core waveguide fabricated using the photonic Damascene process, such a thin-core waveguide on a subtractive manufacturing platform is expected to exhibit negligible bending loss [53]. Assuming critical coupling conditions (Appendix F), we therefore expect another 1.5- time gain in η tot. Finally, optical insertion loss can be nearly eliminated by employing a spot-size converter to facilitate mode-matching with lensed fiber [54–56]. Combining these improvements, our transducer could achieve a total efficiency η tot = 6 × 10−3 . In conclusion, we have designed, fabricated, and characterized a compact piezo-optomechanical microwaveoptical transducer that integrates wafer-scale, CMOScompatible HBAR and Si3N4 photonic technologies. Free of any superconducting components, this triply resonant transducer attains a bidirectional off-chip photon number conversion efficiency of 1.6 × 10−5 and a bandwidth of 25 MHz, with an input pump power of 21 dBm at room temperature. Multimode transduction leveraging distinct HBAR modes have been demonstrated, suggesting prospects for designing frequency-multiplexed photonic interconnects for superconducting qubits. Realistic design and fabrication improvements may even allow access to experiments in the quantum regime.

Bidirectional Microwave-optical Transduction Based on Integration: Discussion

This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. Authors: (1) Terence Blésin, Institute of Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) & Center of Quantum Science and Engineering (EPFL); (2) Wil Kao, Institute of Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) & Center of Quantum Science and Engineering (EPFL); (3) Anat Siddharth, Institute of Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) & Center of Quantum Science and Engineering (EPFL); (4) Alaina Attanasio, OxideMEMS lab, Purdue University; (5) Hao Tian, OxideMEMS lab, Purdue University; (6) Sunil A. Bhave, OxideMEMS lab, Purdue University; (7) Tobias J. Kippenberg, Institute of Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) & Center of Quantum Science and Engineering (EPFL). Table of Links Introduction Results A. Physics and design B. Device characterization C. Bidirectional microwave-optical transduction D. Pulsed transduction Discussion Acknowledgments Appendix A: Theory Appendix B: Fabrication process flow Appendix C: Optical characterization Appendix D: Characterization of acoustic resonances Appendix E: Characterization of bidirectional transduction Appendix F: Optimization of optical extraction efficiency Coherent interconversion between microwave and optical frequencies can serve as both classical and quantum interfaces for computing, communication, and sensing. Here, we present a compact microwave-optical transducer based on monolithic integration of piezoelectric actuators atop silicon nitride photonic circuits. Such an actuator directly couples microwave signals to a high-overtone bulk acoustic resonator defined by the suspended silica cladding of the optical waveguide core, which leads to enhanced electromechanical and optomechanical couplings. At room temperature, this triply resonant piezo-optomechanical transducer achieves an off-chip photon number conversion efficiency of 1.6 × 10−5 over a bandwidth of 25 MHz at an input pump power of 21 dBm. The approach is scalable in manufacturing and, unlike existing electro-optic transducers, does not rely on superconducting resonators. As the transduction process is bidirectional, we further demonstrate synthesis of microwave pulses from a purely optical input. Combined with the capability of leveraging multiple acoustic modes for transduction, the present platform offers prospects for building frequency-multiplexed qubit interconnects and for microwave photonics at large. I. INTRODUCTION Modern data centers have seen rapidly increasing traffic that motivates an overhaul of existing network infrastructures. As optical fibers support nearly lossless transport and high bandwidths, twisted-pair copper deployment has shrunk in favor of optical interconnects. Energy-efficient optical transceivers [1] and optical network architectures [2] are being explored in parallel to accommodate emerging data- and resource-intensive applications. In an analogous fashion, processing quantum information in superconducting circuits and networking via photonic interconnects has been envisioned as an effective strategy to address the scalability challenges in advancing quantum technologies [3–5]. The scheme, featuring the full universal set of microwave quantum gates [6] with vanishing thermal occupancy and loss of the optical channels, calls for the development of microwaveoptical transducers to bridge the two energy scales that differ by more than four orders of magnitude. Aside from facilitating the networking of remote quantum processors, these transducers may enable fully optical control and readout of microwave qubits [7, 8]. The subsequent replacement of coaxial lines bridging room temperature and cryogenic environments by optical fibers is expected to significantly ease the space and heat load constraints in dilution refrigerators, opening up a path toward upscaling processor units housed in a single fridge. Efficient frequency conversion requires a nonlinear interaction stronger than the coupling to loss channels. The highest conversion efficiency to date has been achieved using an electro-optomechanical approach [9]. There, a silicon nitride membrane interacts with an optical mode of a free-space Fabry-Pérot cavity via radiation pressure and simultaneously serves as the top plate of a capacitor, parametrically coupling the mechanics to the microwave resonator. By virtue of the high resonator quality factors and pump power handling capability, 47% of input photons can be interconverted between optical and microwave domains [10], approaching the 50% efficiency required for attaining finite quantum capacity [11]. This highly efficient transducer has enabled optical dispersive qubit readout with negligible excess backaction [12]. The low-frequency (MHz) mechanical intermediary nevertheless limits the transduction bandwidth and leads to appreciable added noise even at dilution refrigerator temperature. To address these drawbacks, piezo-optomechanical transducers based on optomechanical crystals (OMC) have been developed [13–22], where a tightly confined high-frequency (GHz) mechanical mode and a co-localized optical mode can interact at a vacuum optomechanical coupling rate g0 ∼ 2π × 500 kHz. The trade-off lies instead in the sophistication required for microwave-phonon wave matching that significantly increases design complexity, as well as thermo-optic instability that constrains the intra-cavity photon number. An on-chip efficiency of 5% has recently been reported on such a platform [20]. However, low thermal conductance of these suspended quasi-one-dimensional structures hinders correlated microwave-optical photon pair generation at a practical rate. Cavity electro-optic modulators constitute a conceptually simpler approach where Pockels effect directly mediates microwave-optical interaction [23–25]. On-chip realizations employing planar superconducting microwave resonators, benefited from the deep sub-wavelength mode volume of the vacuum electric field, to reach single photon electro-optic coupling rates g0 ∼ 2π × 1 kHz [26– 29]. However, the material science of χ (2) crystals poses additional challenges. Photorefractive effects—observed, for instance, in LiNbO3 thin films [30]—hamper optical power handling, while piezoelectric loss and scattered optical photons degrade the quality factor of superconducting resonators [31, 32]. The difficulty of producing smooth sidewall surfaces in the workhorse Pockels material, LiNbO3 , through dry etching results in propagation losses an order of magnitude above the absorption limit [33]. As a result, the maximum on-chip efficiency achieved with integrated electro-optic transducers exceeds just 2% [26]. In the spirit of Ref. [9], a bulk transducer comprising a mm-size mechanically polished LiNbO3 whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator coupled to a 3D superconducting microwave cavity has proved competitive, trading g0 for improved power handling and quality factors [34, 35]. Taking one step further with pulsed optical pumping, the system has demonstrated not only a hallmark 14.4% total efficiency but also electro-optic dynamical backaction [36, 37] and microwave-optical quadrature entanglement [38]. With the aforementioned design trade-offs in mind, we present a new piezo-optomechanical transducer based solely on wafer-scale, CMOS-compatible fabrication processes. We utilize a low-loss silicon nitride (Si3N4 ) photonic molecule, as well as multiple GHz high-overtone bulk acoustic resonances (HBAR) parametrically coupled to the optical modes. Endowed with power handling capabilities superior to existing integrated transducers, the device fits compactly within a 100 µm-by-50 µm footprint, in contrast to state-of-the-art bulk designs [10, 36]. In addition, the transduction HBAR modes are more readily coupled to the microwave signal, unlike OMC transducers. We demonstrate bidirectional microwave-optical transduction with a bandwidth of 25 MHz and total efficiency up to 1.6 × 10−5 by pumping with 21 dBm of off-chip optical power in continuous-wave (CW) operation. The device is also characterized with a pulsed optical pump, which constitutes the first step toward optical control and readout of qubits, as well as heralded microwave-optical photon pair generation. The simple design, ease of fabrication, robust operation, and compact form factor anticipate wide applicability in quantum technologies and microwave photonics at large.

Bidirectional Microwave-optical Transduction Based on Integration: Introduction

The world of AI moves fast, and staying on top of the latest breakthroughs can oftentimes feel near-impossible. That's why we decided to bring you a weekly roundup of the most impactful and innovative AI projects to help you keep up with this fast-paced field. In this edition, we present you with an exclusive compilation of the most exciting projects and noteworthy developments from the past week. Join us as we dive into the forefront of the AI revolution with , your one-stop destination for all things AI — absolutely for free! AI AI Hunters And now, let’s get into it: OpenVoice Opens New Phase in Voice Cloning , a collaborative effort by MIT, Tsinghua University, and MyShell, introduces a game-changing AI-based voice cloning tool. Unparalleled in its precision, OpenVoice empowers users with granular control over tone, emotion, accent, rhythm, pauses, and intonation. Addressing the lack of robust open-source voice cloning research, this cost-effective tool promises to revolutionize the field. OpenVoice OnlyBots Launches First Social Network for AI Imagine bot AIs cooperating on problems or keeping each other updated on the latest developments. , the pioneering AI social network, designed its platform as a bot-to-bot interaction, this way fostering innovations and ideas exchange within the AI community. That level of integration between non-human intelligence allows for pushing frontiers of collaboration and problem-solving. OnlyBots Trellus Offers a Real-Time AI Coach to Join Sales Calls leverages AI and machine learning to deliver real-time feedback and training to sales reps. Packed with features such as an embedded Auto Dialer, localized data, call summarization, and an AI-powered assistant, it empowers sales professionals to boost productivity without compromising quality. By analyzing call patterns and outcomes, Trellus can identify strengths and weaknesses and even recommend rebuttals. With an embedded dialer, too, it looks to streamline the sales process from start to close. Trellus Rosebud AI Automates Game Development The makers of are using generative models to create game assets, worlds, and even animated characters - all without human designers. Tools like their conversation AI "Tokkingheads" bring new interactive life to games through avatar animation, breathing life into portraits by seamlessly syncing lip movements with text or audio. As AI-powered content creation scales, indie devs may find new creative space for self-realization. Rosebud AI Coursebox Supercharges Online Learning with AI harnesses the power of AI to streamline the course creation process. With Coursebox, educators and individuals can design course structures and content in minutes, unlocking unprecedented efficiency in online course development. As online learning grows, AI stands to upturn the access to education globally. Coursebox Research and Reports That Are Worth Your Attention Dissecting Chatbots with The Guardian Discover the inner workings of AI chatbots, including ChatGPT and Bard, in this piece by . Delving into the crucial aspects of large language models (LLMs), such as the "transformer" reweighting step and the "attention" principle, the article sheds light on the extensive training required for refined question-and-response skills while filtering out undesirable replies. The Guardian Neural Network Explainer Series Join renowned researcher Andrej Karpathy in his captivating on neural networks. Karpathy introduces insights into the architecture and training process of large language models (LLMs), unraveling the fundamentals behind these powerful AI systems. For those looking to better understand the technical foundations of conversational AI systems, this is a must-watch. video series AI Detects Unknown Artist's Touch on Raphael Painting Witness a as AI researchers analyze Raphael's "Madonna della Rosa”. By training an AI algorithm on Raphael's style, experts meticulously scrutinize every detail, shedding new light on the artist's work and authorship. This breakthrough opens up exciting possibilities for understanding and appreciating art in unprecedented ways. groundbreaking discovery

The Best Of The AI World: Spotlighting 5 Projects and Researches Pushing The Paradigm This Week

WIND INSTRUMENTS.

Realistic Text-to-Speech Voice Synthesis: Comparing Tortoise and Bark

Continuing the Fight 

THE BABY PARTY

THE JELLY-BEAN

The Baltimore Station was hot and crowded

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . FLORA ACKROYD CHAPTER XIX. FLORA ACKROYD As I was returning from my round the following morning, I was hailed by Inspector Raglan. I pulled up, and the inspector mounted on the step. “Good-morning, Dr. Sheppard,” he said. “Well, that alibi is all right enough.” “Charles Kent’s?” “Charles Kent’s. The barmaid at the Dog and Whistle, Sally Jones, she remembers him perfectly. Picked out his photograph from among five others. It was just a quarter to ten when he came into the bar, and the Dog and Whistle is well over a mile from Fernly Park. The girl mentions that he had a lot of money on him—she saw him take a handful of notes out of his pocket. Rather surprised her, it did, seeing the class of fellow he was, with a pair of boots clean dropping off him. That’s where that forty pounds went right enough.” “The man still refuses to give an account of his visit to Fernly?” “Obstinate as a mule he is. I had a chat with Hayes at Liverpool over the wire this morning.” “Hercule Poirot says he knows the reason the man went there that night,” I observed. “Does he?” cried the inspector eagerly. “Yes,” I said maliciously. “He says he went there because he was born in Kent.” I felt a distinct pleasure in passing on my own discomfiture. Raglan stared at me for a moment or two uncomprehendingly. Then a grin overspread his weaselly countenance and he tapped his forehead significantly. “Bit gone here,” he said. “I’ve thought so for some time. Poor old chap, so that’s why he had to give up and come down here. In the family, very likely. He’s got a nephew who’s quite off his crumpet.” “Poirot has?” I said, very surprised. “Yes. Hasn’t he ever mentioned him to you? Quite docile, I believe, and all that, but mad as a hatter, poor lad.” “Who told you that?” Again a grin showed itself on Inspector Raglan’s face. “Your sister, Miss Sheppard, she told me all about it.” Really, Caroline is amazing. She never rests until she knows the last details of everybody’s family secrets. Unfortunately, I have never been able to instill into her the decency of keeping them to herself. “Jump in, inspector,” I said, opening the door of the car. “We’ll go up to The Larches together, and acquaint our Belgian friend with the latest news.” “Might as well, I suppose. After all, even if he is a bit balmy, it was a useful tip he gave me about those fingerprints. He’s got a bee in his bonnet about the man Kent, but who knows—there may be something useful behind it.” Poirot received us with his usual smiling courtesy. He listened to the information we had brought him, nodding his head now and then. “Seems quite O.K., doesn’t it?” said the inspector rather gloomily. “A chap can’t be murdering some one in one place when he’s drinking in the bar in another place a mile away.” “Are you going to release him?” “Don’t see what else we can do. We can’t very well hold him for obtaining money on false pretences. Can’t prove a ruddy thing.” The inspector tossed a match into the grate in a disgruntled fashion. Poirot retrieved it and put it neatly in a little receptacle designed for the purpose. His action was purely mechanical. I could see that his thoughts were on something very different. “If I were you,” he said at last, “I should not release the man Charles Kent yet.” “What do you mean?” Raglan stared at him. “What I say. I should not release him yet.” “You don’t think he can have had anything to do with the murder, do you?” “I think probably not—but one cannot be certain yet.” “But haven’t I just told you——” Poirot raised a hand protestingly. “Mais oui, mais oui. I heard. I am not deaf—nor stupid, thank the good God! But see you, you approach the matter from the wrong—the wrong—premises, is not that the word?” The inspector stared at him heavily. “I don’t see how you make that out. Look here, we know Mr. Ackroyd was alive at a quarter to ten. You admit that, don’t you?” Poirot looked at him for a moment, then shook his head with a quick smile. “I admit nothing that is not— !” proved “Well, we’ve got proof enough of that. We’ve got Miss Flora Ackroyd’s evidence.” “That she said good-night to her uncle? But me—I do not always believe what a young lady tells me—no, not even when she is charming and beautiful.” “But hang it all, man, Parker saw her coming out of the door.” “No.” Poirot’s voice rang out with sudden sharpness. “That is just what he did not see. I satisfied myself of that by a little experiment the other day—you remember, doctor? Parker saw her the door, with her hand on the handle. He did not see her come out of the room.” outside “But—where else could she have been?” “Perhaps on the stairs.” “The stairs?” “That is my little idea—yes.” “But those stairs only lead to Mr. Ackroyd’s bedroom.” “Precisely.” And still the inspector stared. “You think she’d been up to her uncle’s bedroom? Well, why not? Why should she lie about it?” “Ah! that is just the question. It depends on what she was doing there, does it not?” “You mean—the money? Hang it all, you don’t suggest that it was Miss Ackroyd who took that forty pounds?” “I suggest nothing,” said Poirot. “But I will remind you of this. Life was not very easy for that mother and daughter. There were bills—there was constant trouble over small sums of money. Roger Ackroyd was a peculiar man over money matters. The girl might be at her wit’s end for a comparatively small sum. Figure to yourself then what happens. She has taken the money, she descends the little staircase. When she is half-way down she hears the chink of glass from the hall. She has not a doubt of what it is—Parker coming to the study. At all costs she must not be found on the stairs—Parker will not forget it, he will think it odd. If the money is missed, Parker is sure to remember having seen her come down those stairs. She has just time to rush down to the study door—with her hand on the handle to show that she has just come out, when Parker appears in the doorway. She says the first thing that comes into her head, a repetition of Roger Ackroyd’s orders earlier in the evening, and then goes upstairs to her own room.” “Yes, but later,” persisted the inspector, “she must have realized the vital importance of speaking the truth? Why, the whole case hinges on it!” “Afterwards,” said Poirot dryly, “it was a little difficult for Mademoiselle Flora. She is told simply that the police are here and that there has been a robbery. Naturally she jumps to the conclusion that the theft of the money has been discovered. Her one idea is to stick to her story. When she learns that her uncle is dead she is panic-stricken. Young women do not faint nowadays, monsieur, without considerable provocation. Eh bien! there it is. She is bound to stick to her story, or else confess everything. And a young and pretty girl does not like to admit that she is a thief—especially before those whose esteem she is anxious to retain.” Raglan brought his fist down with a thump on the table. “I’ll not believe it,” he said. “It’s—it’s not credible. And you—you’ve known this all along?” “The possibility has been in my mind from the first,” admitted Poirot. “I was always convinced that Mademoiselle Flora was hiding something from us. To satisfy myself, I made the little experiment I told you of. Dr. Sheppard accompanied me.” “A test for Parker, you said it was,” I remarked bitterly. “Mon ami,” said Poirot apologetically, “as I told you at the time, one must say something.” The inspector rose. “There’s only one thing for it,” he declared. “We must tackle the young lady right away. You’ll come up to Fernly with me, M. Poirot?” “Certainly. Dr. Sheppard will drive us up in his car.” I acquiesced willingly. On inquiry for Miss Ackroyd, we were shown into the billiard room. Flora and Major Hector Blunt were sitting on the long window seat. “Good-morning, Miss Ackroyd,” said the inspector. “Can we have a word or two alone with you?” Blunt got up at once and moved to the door. “What is it?” asked Flora nervously. “Don’t go, Major Blunt. He can stay, can’t he?” she asked, turning to the inspector. “That’s as you like,” said the inspector dryly. “There’s a question or two it’s my duty to put to you, miss, but I’d prefer to do so privately, and I dare say you’d prefer it also.” Flora looked keenly at him. I saw her face grow whiter. Then she turned and spoke to Blunt. “I want you to stay—please—yes, I mean it. Whatever the inspector has to say to me, I’d rather you heard it.” Raglan shrugged his shoulders. “Well, if you will have it so, that’s all there is to it. Now, Miss Ackroyd, M. Poirot here has made a certain suggestion to me. He suggests that you weren’t in the study at all last Friday night, that you never saw Mr. Ackroyd to say good-night to him, that instead of being in the study you were on the stairs leading down from your uncle’s bedroom when you heard Parker coming across the hall.” Flora’s gaze shifted to Poirot. He nodded back at her. “Mademoiselle, the other day, when we sat round the table, I implored you to be frank with me. What one does not tell to Papa Poirot he finds out. It was that, was it not? See, I will make it easy for you. You took the money, did you not?” “The money,” said Blunt sharply. There was a silence which lasted for at least a minute. Then Flora drew herself up and spoke. “M. Poirot is right. I took that money. I stole. I am a thief—yes, a common, vulgar little thief. Now you know! I am glad it has come out. It’s been a nightmare, these last few days!” She sat down suddenly and buried her face in her hands. She spoke huskily through her fingers. “You don’t know what my life has been since I came here. Wanting things, scheming for them, lying, cheating, running up bills, promising to pay—oh! I hate myself when I think of it all! That’s what brought us together, Ralph and I. We were both weak! I understood him, and I was sorry—because I’m the same underneath. We’re not strong enough to stand alone, either of us. We’re weak, miserable, despicable things.” She looked at Blunt and suddenly stamped her foot. “Why do you look at me like that—as though you couldn’t believe? I may be a thief—but at any rate I’m real now. I’m not lying any more. I’m not pretending to be the kind of girl you like, young and innocent and simple. I don’t care if you never want to see me again. I hate myself, despise myself—but you’ve got to believe one thing, if speaking the truth would have made things better for Ralph, I would have spoken out. But I’ve seen all along that it wouldn’t be better for Ralph—it makes the case against him blacker than ever. I was not doing him any harm by sticking to my lie.” “Ralph,” said Blunt. “I see—always Ralph.” “You don’t understand,” said Flora hopelessly. “You never will.” She turned to the inspector. “I admit everything; I was at my wit’s end for money. I never saw my uncle that evening after he left the dinner-table. As to the money, you can take what steps you please. Nothing could be worse than it is now!” Suddenly she broke down again, hid her face in her hands, and rushed from the room. “Well,” said the inspector in a flat tone, “so that’s that.” He seemed rather at a loss what to do next. Blunt came forward. “Inspector Raglan,” he said quietly, “that money was given to me by Mr. Ackroyd for a special purpose. Miss Ackroyd never touched it. When she says she did, she is lying with the idea of shielding Captain Paton. The truth is as I said, and I am prepared to go into the witness box and swear to it.” He made a kind of jerky bow, then turning abruptly, he left the room. Poirot was after him in a flash. He caught the other up in the hall. “Monsieur—a moment, I beg of you, if you will be so good.” “Well, sir?” Blunt was obviously impatient. He stood frowning down on Poirot. “It is this,” said Poirot rapidly: “I am not deceived by your little fantasy. No, indeed. It was truly Miss Flora who took the money. All the same it is well imagined what you say—it pleases me. It is very good what you have done there. You are a man quick to think and to act.” “I’m not in the least anxious for your opinion, thank you,” said Blunt coldly. He made once more as though to pass on, but Poirot, not at all offended, laid a detaining hand on his arm. “Ah! but you are to listen to me. I have more to say. The other day I spoke of concealments. Very well, all along have I seen what you are concealing. Mademoiselle Flora, you love her with all your heart. From the first moment you saw her, is it not so? Oh! let us not mind saying these things—why must one in England think it necessary to mention love as though it were some disgraceful secret? You love Mademoiselle Flora. You seek to conceal that fact from all the world. That is very good—that is as it should be. But take the advice of Hercule Poirot—do not conceal it from mademoiselle herself.” Blunt had shown several signs of restlessness whilst Poirot was speaking, but the closing words seemed to rivet his attention. “What d’you mean by that?” he said sharply. “You think that she loves the Capitaine Ralph Paton—but I, Hercule Poirot, tell you that that is not so. Mademoiselle Flora accepted Captain Paton to please her uncle, and because she saw in the marriage a way of escape from her life here which was becoming frankly insupportable to her. She liked him, and there was much sympathy and understanding between them. But love—no! It is not Captain Paton Mademoiselle Flora loves.” “What the devil do you mean?” asked Blunt. I saw the dark flush under his tan. “You have been blind, monsieur. Blind! She is loyal, the little one. Ralph Paton is under a cloud, she is bound in honor to stick by him.” I felt it was time I put in a word to help on the good work. “My sister told me the other night,” I said encouragingly, “that Flora had never cared a penny piece for Ralph Paton, and never would. My sister is always right about these things.” Blunt ignored my well-meant efforts. He spoke to Poirot. “D’you really think——” he began, and stopped. He is one of those inarticulate men who find it hard to put things into words. Poirot knows no such disability. “If you doubt me, ask her yourself, monsieur. But perhaps you no longer care to—the affair of the money——” Blunt gave a sound like an angry laugh. “Think I’d hold that against her? Roger was always a queer chap about money. She got in a mess and didn’t dare tell him. Poor kid. Poor lonely kid.” Poirot looked thoughtfully at the side door. “Mademoiselle Flora went into the garden, I think,” he murmured. “I’ve been every kind of a fool,” said Blunt abruptly. “Rum conversation we’ve been having. Like one of those Danish plays. But you’re a sound fellow, M. Poirot. Thank you.” He took Poirot’s hand and gave it a grip which caused the other to wince in anguish. Then he strode to the side door and passed out into the garden. “Not every kind of a fool,” murmured Poirot, tenderly nursing the injured member. “Only one kind—the fool in love.” About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Agatha Christie (2006). The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/69087/pg69087-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html .

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