The
Mysterious
Affair
at
Styles
Agatha
Christie
,
1920
Chapter
I
I
GO
TO
STYLES
The
intense
interest
aroused
in
the
public
by
what
was
known
at
the
time
as
"
The
Styles
Case
"
has
now
somewhat
subsided
.
Nevertheless
,
in
view
of
the
world
-
wide
notoriety
which
attended
it
,
I
have
been
asked
,
both
by
my
friend
Poirot
and
the
family
themselves
,
to
write
an
account
of
the
whole
story
.
This
,
we
trust
,
will
effectually
silence
the
sensational
rumours
which
still
persist
.
I
will
therefore
briefly
set
down
the
circumstances
which
led
to
my
being
connected
with
the
affair
.
I
had
been
invalided
home
from
the
Front
;
and
,
after
spending
some
months
in
a
rather
depressing
Convalescent
Home
,
was
given
a
month's
sick
leave
.
Having
no
near
relations
or
friends
,
I
was
trying
to
make
up
my
mind
what
to
do
,
when
I
ran
across
John
Cavendish
.
I
had
seen
very
little
of
him
for
some
years
.
Indeed
,
I
had
never
known
him
particularly
well
.
He
was
a
good
fifteen
years
my
senior
,
for
one
thing
,
though
he
hardly
looked
his
forty
-
five
years
.
As
a
boy
,
though
,
I
had
often
stayed
at
Styles
,
his
mother's
place
in
Essex
.
We
had
a
good
yarn
about
old
times
,
and
it
ended
in
his
inviting
me
down
to
Styles
to
spend
my
leave
there
.
"
The
mater
will
be
delighted
to
see
you
again
-
-
after
all
those
years
,
"
he
added
.
"
Your
mother
keeps
well
?
"
I
asked
.
"
Oh
,
yes
.
I
suppose
you
know
that
she
has
married
again
?
I
am
afraid
I
showed
my
surprise
rather
plainly
.
Mrs
.
Cavendish
,
who
had
married
John's
father
when
he
was
a
widower
with
two
sons
,
had
been
a
handsome
woman
of
middle
-
age
as
I
remembered
her
.
She
certainly
could
not
be
a
day
less
than
seventy
now
.
I
recalled
her
as
an
energetic
,
autocratic
personality
,
somewhat
inclined
to
charitable
and
social
notoriety
,
with
a
fondness
for
opening
bazaars
and
playing
the
Lady
Bountiful
.
She
was
a
most
generous
woman
,
and
possessed
a
considerable
fortune
of
her
own
.
Their
country
-
place
,
Styles
Court
,
had
been
purchased
by
Mr
.
Cavendish
early
in
their
married
life
.
He
had
been
completely
under
his
wife's
ascendancy
,
so
much
so
that
,
on
dying
,
he
left
the
place
to
her
for
her
lifetime
,
as
well
as
the
larger
part
of
his
income
;
an
arrangement
that
was
distinctly
unfair
to
his
two
sons
.
Their
step
-
mother
,
however
,
had
always
been
most
generous
to
them
;
indeed
,
they
were
so
young
at
the
time
of
their
father's
remarriage
that
they
always
thought
of
her
as
their
own
mother
.
Lawrence
,
the
younger
,
had
been
a
delicate
youth
.
He
had
qualified
as
a
doctor
but
early
relinquished
the
profession
of
medicine
,
and
lived
at
home
while
pursuing
literary
ambitions
;
though
his
verses
never
had
any
marked
success
.
John
practised
for
some
time
as
a
barrister
,
but
had
finally
settled
down
to
the
more
congenial
life
of
a
country
squire
.
He
had
married
two
years
ago
,
and
had
taken
his
wife
to
live
at
Styles
,
though
I
entertained
a
shrewd
suspicion
that
he
would
have
preferred
his
mother
to
increase
his
allowance
,
which
would
have
enabled
him
to
have
a
home
of
his
own
.
Mrs
.
Cavendish
,
however
,
was
a
lady
who
liked
to
make
her
own
plans
,
and
expected
other
people
to
fall
in
with
them
,
and
in
this
case
she
certainly
had
the
whip
hand
,
namely
:
the
purse
strings
.
John
noticed
my
surprise
at
the
news
of
his
mother's
remarriage
and
smiled
rather
ruefully
.
"
Rotten
little
bounder
too
!
"
he
said
savagely
.
"
I
can
tell
you
,
Hastings
,
it's
making
life
jolly
difficult
for
us
.
As
for
Evie
-
-
you
remember
Evie
?
"
"
No
.
"
"
Oh
,
I
suppose
she
was
after
your
time
.
She's
the
mater's
factotum
,
companion
,
Jack
of
all
trades
!
A
great
sport
-
-
old
Evie
!
Not
precisely
young
and
beautiful
,
but
as
game
as
they
make
them
.
"
"
You
were
going
to
say
-
-
?
"
"
Oh
,
this
fellow
!
He
turned
up
from
nowhere
,
on
the
pretext
of
being
a
second
cousin
or
something
of
Evie's
,
though
she
didn't
seem
particularly
keen
to
acknowledge
the
relationship
.
The
fellow
is
an
absolute
outsider
,
anyone
can
see
that
.
He's
got
a
great
black
beard
,
and
wears
patent
leather
boots
in
all
weathers
!
But
the
mater
cottoned
to
him
at
once
,
took
him
on
as
secretary
-
-
you
know
how
she's
always
running
a
hundred
societies
?
"
I
nodded
.
"
Well
,
of
course
the
war
has
turned
the
hundreds
into
thousands
.
No
doubt
the
fellow
was
very
useful
to
her
.
But
you
could
have
knocked
us
all
down
with
a
feather
when
,
three
months
ago
,
she
suddenly
announced
that
she
and
Alfred
were
engaged
!
The
fellow
must
be
at
least
twenty
years
younger
than
she
is
!
It's
simply
bare
-
faced
fortune
hunting
;
but
there
you
are
-
-
she
is
her
own
mistress
,
and
she's
married
him
.
"
"
It
must
be
a
difficult
situation
for
you
all
.
"
"
Difficult
!
It's
damnable
!
"
Thus
it
came
about
that
,
three
days
later
,
I
descended
from
the
train
at
Styles
St
.
Mary
,
an
absurd
little
station
,
with
no
apparent
reason
for
existence
,
perched
up
in
the
midst
of
green
fields
and
country
lanes
.
John
Cavendish
was
waiting
on
the
platform
,
and
piloted
me
out
to
the
car
.
"
Got
a
drop
or
two
of
petrol
still
,
you
see
,
"
he
remarked
.
"
Mainly
owing
to
the
mater's
activities
.
"
The
village
of
Styles
St
.
Mary
was
situated
about
two
miles
from
the
little
station
,
and
Styles
Court
lay
a
mile
the
other
side
of
it
.
It
was
a
still
,
warm
day
in
early
July
.
As
one
looked
out
over
the
flat
Essex
country
,
lying
so
green
and
peaceful
under
the
afternoon
sun
,
it
seemed
almost
impossible
to
believe
that
,
not
so
very
far
away
,
a
great
war
was
running
its
appointed
course
.
I
felt
I
had
suddenly
strayed
into
another
world
.
As
we
turned
in
at
the
lodge
gates
,
John
said
:
"
I'm
afraid
you'll
find
it
very
quiet
down
here
,
Hastings
.
"
"
My
dear
fellow
,
that's
just
what
I
want
.
"
"
Oh
,
it's
pleasant
enough
if
you
want
to
lead
the
idle
life
.
I
drill
with
the
volunteers
twice
a
week
,
and
lend
a
hand
at
the
farms
.
My
wife
works
regularly
`
on
the
land
`
.
She
is
up
at
five
every
morning
to
milk
,
and
keeps
at
it
steadily
until
lunch
-
time
.
It's
a
jolly
good
life
taking
it
all
round
-
-
if
it
weren't
for
that
fellow
Alfred
Inglethorp
!
"
He
checked
the
car
suddenly
,
and
glanced
at
his
watch
.
"
I
wonder
if
we've
time
to
pick
up
Cynthia
.
No
,
she'll
have
started
from
the
hospital
by
now
.
"
"
Cynthia
!
That's
not
your
wife
?
"
"
No
,
Cynthia
is
a
protegee
of
my
mother's
,
the
daughter
of
an
old
schoolfellow
of
hers
,
who
married
a
rascally
solicitor
.
He
came
a
cropper
,
and
the
girl
was
left
an
orphan
and
penniless
.
My
mother
came
to
the
rescue
,
and
Cynthia
has
been
with
us
nearly
two
years
now
.
She
works
in
the
Red
Cross
Hospital
at
Tadminster
,
seven
miles
away
.
"
As
he
spoke
the
last
words
,
we
drew
up
in
front
of
the
fine
old
house
.
A
lady
in
a
stout
tweed
skirt
,
who
was
bending
over
a
flower
bed
,
straightened
herself
at
our
approach
.
"
Hullo
,
Evie
,
here's
our
wounded
hero
!
Mr
.
Hastings
-
-
Miss
Howard
.
"
Miss
Howard
shook
hands
with
a
hearty
,
almost
painful
,
grip
,
I
had
an
impression
of
very
blue
eyes
in
a
sunburnt
face
.
She
was
a
pleasant
-
looking
woman
of
about
forty
,
with
a
deep
voice
,
almost
manly
in
its
stentorian
tones
,
and
had
a
large
sensible
square
body
,
with
feet
to
match
-
-
these
last
encased
in
good
thick
boots
.
Her
conversation
,
I
soon
found
,
was
couched
in
the
telegraphic
style
.
"
Weeds
grow
like
house
afire
.
Can't
keep
even
with
'em
.
Shall
press
you
in
.
Better
be
careful
.
"
"
I'm
sure
I
shall
be
only
too
delighted
to
make
myself
useful
,
"
I
responded
.
"
Don't
say
it
.
Never
does
.
Wish
you
hadn't
later
.
"
"
You're
a
cynic
,
Evie
,
"
said
John
,
laughing
.
"
Where's
tea
to
-
day
-
-
inside
or
out
?
"
"
Out
.
Too
fine
a
day
to
be
cooped
up
in
the
house
.
"
"
Come
on
then
,
you've
done
enough
gardening
for
to
-
day
.
`
The
labourer
is
worthy
of
his
hire
,
`
you
know
.
Come
and
be
refreshed
.
"
"
Well
,
"
said
Miss
Howard
,
drawing
off
her
gardening
gloves
,
"
I'm
inclined
to
agree
with
you
.
"
She
led
the
way
round
the
house
to
where
tea
was
spread
under
the
shade
of
a
large
sycamore
.
A
figure
rose
from
one
of
the
basket
chairs
,
and
came
a
few
steps
to
meet
us
.
"
My
wife
,
Hastings
,
"
said
John
.
I
shall
never
forget
my
first
sight
of
Mary
Cavendish
.
Her
tall
,
slender
form
,
outlined
against
the
bright
light
;
the
vivid
sense
of
slumbering
fire
that
seemed
to
find
expression
only
in
those
wonderful
tawny
eyes
of
hers
,
remarkable
eyes
,
different
from
any
other
woman's
that
I
have
ever
known
;
the
intense
power
of
stillness
she
possessed
,
which
nevertheless
conveyed
the
impression
of
a
wild
untamed
spirit
in
an
exquisitely
civilised
body
-
-
all
these
things
are
burnt
into
my
memory
.
I
shall
never
forget
them
.
She
greeted
me
with
a
few
words
of
pleasant
welcome
in
a
low
clear
voice
,
and
I
sank
into
a
basket
chair
feeling
distinctly
glad
that
I
had
accepted
John's
invitation
.
Mrs
.
Cavendish
gave
me
some
tea
,
and
her
few
quiet
remarks
heightened
my
first
impression
of
her
as
a
thoroughly
fascinating
woman
.
An
appreciative
listener
is
always
stimulating
,
and
I
described
,
in
a
humorous
manner
,
certain
incidents
of
my
Convalescent
Home
,
in
a
way
which
,
I
flatter
myself
,
greatly
amused
my
hostess
.
John
,
of
course
,
good
fellow
though
he
is
,
could
hardly
be
called
a
brilliant
conversationalist
.
At
that
moment
a
well
remembered
voice
floated
through
the
open
French
window
near
at
hand
:
"
Then
you'll
write
to
the
Princess
after
tea
,
Alfred
?
I'll
write
to
Lady
Tadminster
for
the
second
day
,
myself
.
Or
shall
we
wait
until
we
hear
from
the
Princess
?
In
case
of
a
refusal
,
Lady
Tadminster
might
open
it
the
first
day
,
and
Mrs
.
Crosbie
the
second
.
Then
there's
the
Duchess
-
-
about
the
school
fete
.
"
There
was
the
murmur
of
a
man's
voice
,
and
then
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
rose
in
reply
:
"
Yes
,
certainly
.
After
tea
will
do
quite
well
.
You
are
so
thoughtful
,
Alfred
dear
.
"
The
French
window
swung
open
a
little
wider
,
and
a
handsome
white
-
haired
old
lady
,
with
a
somewhat
masterful
cast
of
features
,
stepped
out
of
it
on
to
the
lawn
.
A
man
followed
her
,
a
suggestion
of
deference
in
his
manner
.
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
greeted
me
with
effusion
.
"
Why
,
if
it
isn't
too
delightful
to
see
you
again
,
Mr
.
Hastings
,
after
all
these
years
.
Alfred
,
darling
,
Mr
.
Hastings
-
-
my
husband
.
"
I
looked
with
some
curiosity
at
"
Alfred
darling
"
.
He
certainly
struck
a
rather
alien
note
.
I
did
not
wonder
at
John
objecting
to
his
beard
.
It
was
one
of
the
longest
and
blackest
I
have
ever
seen
.
He
wore
gold
-
rimmed
pince
-
nez
,
and
had
a
curious
impassivity
of
feature
.
It
struck
me
that
he
might
look
natural
on
a
stage
,
but
was
strangely
out
of
place
in
real
life
.
His
voice
was
rather
deep
and
unctuous
.
He
placed
a
wooden
hand
in
mine
and
said
:
"
This
is
a
pleasure
,
Mr
.
Hastings
.
"
Then
,
turning
to
his
wife
:
"
Emily
dearest
,
I
think
that
cushion
is
a
little
damp
.
"
She
beamed
fondly
on
him
,
as
he
substituted
another
with
every
demonstration
of
the
tenderest
care
.
Strange
infatuation
of
an
otherwise
sensible
woman
!
With
the
presence
of
Mr
.
Inglethorp
,
a
sense
of
constraint
and
veiled
hostility
seemed
to
settle
down
upon
the
company
.
Miss
Howard
,
in
particular
,
took
no
pains
to
conceal
her
feelings
.
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
,
however
,
seemed
to
notice
nothing
unusual
.
Her
volubility
,
which
I
remembered
of
old
,
had
lost
nothing
in
the
intervening
years
,
and
she
poured
out
a
steady
flood
of
conversation
,
mainly
on
the
subject
of
the
forthcoming
bazaar
which
she
was
organizing
and
which
was
to
take
place
shortly
.
Occasionally
she
referred
to
her
husband
over
a
question
of
days
or
dates
.
His
watchful
and
attentive
manner
never
varied
.
From
the
very
first
I
took
a
firm
and
rooted
dislike
to
him
,
and
I
flatter
myself
that
my
first
judgments
are
usually
fairly
shrewd
.
Presently
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
turned
to
give
some
instructions
about
letters
to
Evelyn
Howard
,
and
her
husband
addressed
me
in
his
painstaking
voice
:
"
Is
soldiering
your
regular
profession
,
Mr
.
Hastings
?
"
"
No
,
before
the
war
I
was
in
Lloyd's
.
"
"
And
you
will
return
there
after
it
is
over
?
"
"
Perhaps
.
Either
that
or
a
fresh
start
altogether
:
"
Mary
Cavendish
leant
forward
.
"
What
would
you
really
choose
as
a
profession
,
if
you
could
just
consult
your
inclination
?
"
"
Well
,
that
depends
.
"
"
No
secret
hobby
?
"
she
asked
.
"
Tell
me
-
-
you're
drawn
to
something
?
Every
one
is
-
-
usually
something
absurd
.
"
"
You'll
laugh
at
me
.
"
She
smiled
.
"
Perhaps
.
"
"
Well
,
I've
always
had
a
secret
hankering
to
be
a
detective
!
"
"
The
real
thing
-
-
Scotland
Yard
?
Or
Sherlock
Holmes
?
"
"
Oh
,
Sherlock
Holmes
by
all
means
.
But
really
,
seriously
,
I
am
awfully
drawn
to
it
.
I
came
across
a
man
in
Belgium
once
,
a
very
famous
detective
,
and
he
quite
inflamed
me
.
He
was
a
marvellous
little
fellow
.
He
used
to
say
that
all
good
detective
work
was
a
mere
matter
of
method
.
My
system
is
based
on
his
-
-
though
of
course
I
have
progressed
rather
further
.
He
was
a
funny
little
man
,
a
great
dandy
,
but
wonderfully
clever
.
"
"
Like
a
good
detective
story
myself
,
"
remarked
Miss
Howard
.
"
Lots
of
nonsense
written
,
though
.
Criminal
discovered
in
last
chapter
.
Every
one
dumfounded
.
Real
crime
-
-
you'd
know
at
once
.
"
"
There
have
been
a
great
number
of
undiscovered
crimes
,
"
I
argued
.
"
Don't
mean
the
police
,
but
the
people
that
are
right
in
it
.
The
family
.
You
couldn't
really
hoodwink
them
.
They'd
know
.
"
"
Then
,
"
I
said
,
much
amused
,
"
you
think
that
if
you
were
mixed
up
in
a
crime
,
say
a
murder
,
you'd
be
able
to
spot
the
murderer
right
off
?
"
"
Of
course
I
should
.
Mightn't
be
able
to
prove
it
to
a
pack
of
lawyers
.
But
I'm
certain
I'd
know
.
I'd
feel
it
in
my
finger
-
tips
if
he
came
near
me
.
"
"
It
might
be
a
`
she
,
`
"
I
suggested
.
"
Might
.
But
murder's
a
violent
crime
.
Associate
it
more
with
a
man
.
"
"
Not
in
a
case
of
poisoning
.
"
Mrs
.
Cavendish's
clear
voice
startled
me
.
"
Dr
.
Bauerstein
was
saying
yesterday
that
,
owing
to
the
general
ignorance
of
the
more
uncommon
poisons
among
the
medical
profession
,
there
were
probably
countless
cases
of
poisoning
quite
unsuspected
.
"
"
Why
,
Mary
,
what
a
gruesome
conversation
!
"
cried
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
.
"
It
makes
me
feel
as
if
a
goose
were
walking
over
my
grave
.
Oh
,
there's
Cynthia
!
"
A
young
girl
in
V
.
A
.
D
.
uniform
ran
lightly
across
the
lawn
.
"
Why
,
Cynthia
,
you
are
late
to
-
day
.
This
is
Mr
.
Hastings
-
-
Miss
Murdoch
.
"
Cynthia
Murdoch
was
a
fresh
-
looking
young
creature
,
full
of
life
and
vigour
.
She
tossed
off
her
little
V
.
A
.
D
.
cap
,
and
I
admired
the
great
loose
waves
of
her
auburn
hair
,
and
the
smallness
and
whiteness
of
the
hand
she
held
out
to
claim
her
tea
.
With
dark
eyes
and
eyelashes
she
would
have
been
a
beauty
.
She
flung
herself
down
on
the
ground
beside
John
,
and
as
I
handed
her
a
plate
of
sandwiches
she
smiled
up
at
me
.
"
Sit
down
here
on
the
grass
,
do
.
It's
ever
so
much
nicer
.
"
I
dropped
down
obediently
.
"
You
work
at
Tadminster
,
don't
you
,
Miss
Murdoch
?
"
She
nodded
.
"
For
my
sins
.
"
"
Do
they
bully
you
,
then
?
"
I
asked
,
smiling
.
"
I
should
like
to
see
them
!
"
cried
Cynthia
with
dignity
.
"
I
have
got
a
cousin
who
is
nursing
,
"
I
remarked
.
"
And
she
is
terrified
of
`
Sisters
`
.
"
"
I
don't
wonder
.
Sisters
are
,
you
know
,
Mr
.
Hastings
.
They
simply
-
-
are
!
You've
no
idea
!
But
I'm
not
a
nurse
,
thank
heaven
,
I
work
in
the
dispensary
.
"
"
How
many
people
do
you
poison
?
"
I
asked
,
smiling
.
Cynthia
smiled
too
.
"
Oh
,
hundreds
!
"
she
said
.
"
Cynthia
,
"
called
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
,
"
do
you
think
you
could
write
a
few
notes
for
me
?
"
"
Certainly
,
Aunt
Emily
.
"
She
jumped
up
promptly
,
and
something
in
her
manner
reminded
me
that
her
position
was
a
dependent
one
,
and
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
,
kind
as
she
might
be
in
the
main
,
did
not
allow
her
to
forget
it
.
My
hostess
turned
to
me
.
"
John
will
show
you
your
room
.
Supper
is
at
half
-
past
seven
.
We
have
given
up
late
dinner
for
some
time
now
.
Lady
Tadminster
,
our
Member's
wife
-
-
she
was
the
late
Lord
Abbotsbury's
daughter
-
-
does
the
same
.
She
agrees
with
me
that
one
must
set
an
example
of
economy
.
We
are
quite
a
war
household
;
nothing
is
wasted
here
-
-
every
scrap
of
waste
paper
,
even
,
is
saved
and
sent
away
in
sacks
.
"
I
expressed
my
appreciation
,
and
John
took
me
into
the
house
and
up
the
broad
staircase
,
which
forked
right
and
left
half
-
way
to
different
wings
of
the
building
.
My
room
was
in
the
left
wing
,
and
looked
out
over
the
park
.
John
left
me
,
and
a
few
minutes
later
I
saw
him
from
my
window
walking
slowly
across
the
grass
arm
in
arm
with
Cynthia
Murdoch
.
I
heard
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
call
"
Cynthia
"
impatiently
,
and
the
girl
started
and
ran
back
to
the
house
.
At
the
same
moment
,
a
man
stepped
out
from
the
shadow
of
a
tree
and
walked
slowly
in
the
same
direction
.
He
looked
about
forty
,
very
dark
with
a
melancholy
clean
-
shaven
face
.
Some
violent
emotion
seemed
to
be
mastering
him
.
He
looked
up
at
my
window
as
he
passed
,
and
I
recognized
him
,
though
he
had
changed
much
in
the
fifteen
years
that
had
elapsed
since
we
last
met
.
It
was
John's
younger
brother
,
Lawrence
Cavendish
.
I
wondered
what
it
was
that
had
brought
that
singular
expression
to
his
face
.
Then
I
dismissed
him
from
my
mind
,
and
returned
to
the
contemplation
of
my
own
affairs
.
The
evening
passed
pleasantly
enough
;
and
I
dreamed
that
night
of
that
enigmatical
woman
,
Mary
Cavendish
.
The
next
morning
dawned
bright
and
sunny
,
and
I
was
full
of
the
anticipation
of
a
delightful
visit
.
I
did
not
see
Mrs
.
Cavendish
until
lunch
-
time
,
when
she
volunteered
to
take
me
for
a
walk
,
and
we
spent
a
charming
afternoon
roaming
in
the
woods
,
returning
to
the
house
about
five
.
As
we
entered
the
large
hall
,
John
beckoned
us
both
into
the
smoking
-
room
.
I
saw
at
once
by
his
face
that
something
disturbing
had
occurred
.
We
followed
him
in
,
and
he
shut
the
door
after
us
.
"
Look
here
,
Mary
,
there's
the
deuce
of
a
mess
.
Evie's
had
a
row
with
Alfred
Inglethorp
,
and
she's
off
.
"
"
Evie
?
Off
?
"
John
nodded
gloomily
.
"
Yes
;
you
see
she
went
to
the
mater
,
and
-
-
Oh
,
here's
Evie
herself
.
"
Miss
Howard
entered
.
Her
lips
were
set
grimly
together
,
and
she
carried
a
small
suit
-
case
.
She
looked
excited
and
determined
,
and
slightly
on
the
defensive
.
"
At
any
rate
,
"
she
burst
out
,
"
I've
spoken
my
mind
!
"
"
My
dear
Evelyn
,
"
cried
Mrs
.
Cavendish
,
"
this
can't
be
true
!
"
Miss
Howard
nodded
grimly
.
"
True
enough
!
Afraid
I
said
some
things
to
Emily
she
won't
forget
or
forgive
in
a
hurry
.
Don't
mind
if
they've
only
sunk
in
a
bit
.
Probably
water
off
a
duck's
back
,
though
.
I
said
right
out
:
`
You're
an
old
woman
,
Emily
;
and
there's
no
fool
like
an
old
fool
.
The
man's
twenty
years
younger
than
you
,
and
don't
you
fool
yourself
as
to
what
he
married
you
for
.
Money
!
Well
;
don't
let
him
have
too
much
of
it
.
Farmer
Raikes
has
got
a
very
pretty
young
wife
.
Just
ask
your
Alfred
how
much
time
he
spends
over
there
.
`
She
was
very
angry
.
Natural
!
I
went
on
,
`
I'm
going
to
warn
you
,
whether
you
like
it
or
not
.
That
man
would
as
soon
murder
you
in
your
bed
as
look
at
you
.
He's
a
bad
lot
.
You
can
say
what
you
like
to
me
,
but
remember
what
I've
told
you
.
He's
a
bad
lot
!
`
"
"
What
did
she
say
?
"
Miss
Howard
made
an
extremely
expressive
grimace
.
"
`
Darling
Alfred
`
-
-
`
dearest
Alfred
`
-
-
`
wicked
calumnies
`
-
-
`
wicked
lies
`
-
-
`
wicked
woman
`
-
-
to
accuse
her
`
dear
husband
`
!
The
sooner
I
left
her
house
the
better
.
So
I'm
off
.
"
"
But
not
now
?
"
"
This
minute
!
"
For
a
moment
we
sat
and
stared
at
her
.
Finally
John
Cavendish
,
finding
his
persuasions
of
no
avail
,
went
off
to
look
up
the
trains
.
His
wife
followed
him
,
murmuring
something
about
persuading
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
to
think
better
of
it
.
As
she
left
the
room
,
Miss
Howard's
face
changed
.
She
leant
towards
me
eagerly
.
"
Mr
.
Hastings
,
you're
honest
.
I
can
trust
you
?
"
I
was
a
little
startled
.
She
laid
her
hand
on
my
arm
,
and
sank
her
voice
to
a
whisper
.
"
Look
after
her
,
Mr
.
Hastings
.
My
poor
Emily
.
They're
a
lot
of
sharks
-
-
all
of
them
.
Oh
,
I
know
what
I'm
talking
about
.
There
isn't
one
of
them
that's
not
hard
up
and
trying
to
get
money
out
of
her
.
I've
protected
her
as
much
as
I
could
.
Now
I'm
out
of
the
way
,
they'll
impose
upon
her
.
"
"
Of
course
,
Miss
Howard
,
"
I
said
,
"
I'll
do
everything
I
can
,
but
I'm
sure
you're
excited
and
overwrought
.
"
She
interrupted
me
by
slowly
shaking
her
forefinger
.
"
Young
man
,
trust
me
.
I've
lived
in
the
world
rather
longer
than
you
have
.
All
I
ask
you
is
to
keep
your
eyes
open
.
You'll
see
what
I
mean
.
"
The
throb
of
the
motor
came
through
the
open
window
,
and
Miss
Howard
rose
and
moved
to
the
door
.
John's
voice
sounded
outside
.
With
her
hand
on
the
handle
,
she
turned
her
head
over
her
shoulder
,
and
beckoned
to
me
.
"
Above
all
,
Mr
.
Hastings
,
watch
that
devil
-
-
her
husband
!
"
There
was
no
time
for
more
.
Miss
Howard
was
swallowed
up
in
an
eager
chorus
of
protests
and
good
-
byes
.
The
Inglethorps
did
not
appear
.
As
the
motor
drove
away
,
Mrs
.
Cavendish
suddenly
detached
herself
from
the
group
,
and
moved
across
the
drive
to
the
lawn
to
meet
a
tall
bearded
man
who
had
been
evidently
making
for
the
house
.
The
colour
rose
in
her
cheeks
as
she
held
out
her
hand
to
him
.
"
Who
is
that
?
"
I
asked
sharply
,
for
instinctively
I
distrusted
the
man
.
"
That's
Dr
.
Bauerstein
,
"
said
John
shortly
.
"
And
who
is
Dr
.
Bauerstein
?
"
"
He's
staying
in
the
village
doing
a
rest
cure
,
after
a
bad
nervous
breakdown
.
He's
a
London
specialist
;
a
very
clever
man
-
-
one
of
the
greatest
living
experts
on
poisons
,
I
believe
.
"
"
And
he's
a
great
friend
of
Mary's
,
"
put
in
Cynthia
,
the
irrepressible
.
John
Cavendish
frowned
and
changed
the
subject
.
"
Come
for
a
stroll
,
Hastings
.
This
has
been
a
most
rotten
business
.
She
always
had
a
rough
tongue
,
but
there
is
no
stauncher
friend
in
England
than
Evelyn
Howard
.
"
He
took
the
path
through
the
plantation
,
and
we
walked
down
to
the
village
through
the
woods
which
bordered
one
side
of
the
estate
.
As
we
passed
through
one
of
the
gates
on
our
way
home
again
,
a
pretty
young
woman
of
gipsy
type
coming
in
the
opposite
direction
bowed
and
smiled
.
"
That's
a
pretty
girl
;
"
I
remarked
appreciatively
.
John's
face
hardened
.
"
That
is
Mrs
.
Raikes
.
"
"
The
one
that
Miss
Howard
-
-
"
"
Exactly
,
"
said
John
,
with
rather
unnecessary
abruptness
.
I
thought
of
the
white
-
haired
old
lady
in
the
big
house
,
and
that
vivid
wicked
little
face
that
had
just
smiled
into
ours
,
and
a
vague
chill
of
foreboding
crept
over
me
.
I
brushed
it
aside
.
"
Styles
is
really
a
glorious
old
place
,
"
I
said
to
John
.
He
nodded
rather
gloomily
.
"
Yes
,
it's
a
fine
property
.
It'll
be
mine
some
day
-
-
should
be
mine
now
by
rights
,
if
my
father
had
only
made
a
decent
will
.
And
then
I
shouldn't
be
so
damned
hard
up
as
I
am
now
.
"
"
Hard
up
,
are
you
?
"
"
My
dear
Hastings
,
I
don't
mind
telling
you
that
I'm
at
my
wit's
end
for
money
.
"
"
Couldn't
your
brother
help
you
?
"
"
Lawrence
?
He's
gone
through
every
penny
he
ever
had
,
publishing
rotten
verses
in
fancy
bindings
.
No
,
we're
an
impecunious
lot
.
My
mother's
always
been
awfully
good
to
us
,
I
must
say
.
That
is
,
up
to
now
.
Since
her
marriage
,
of
course
-
-
"
he
broke
off
,
frowning
.
For
the
first
time
I
felt
that
,
with
Evelyn
Howard
,
something
indefinable
had
gone
from
the
atmosphere
.
Her
presence
had
spelt
security
.
Now
that
security
was
removed
-
-
and
the
air
seemed
rife
with
suspicion
.
The
sinister
face
of
Dr
.
Bauerstein
recurred
to
me
unpleasantly
.
A
vague
suspicion
of
every
one
and
everything
filled
my
mind
.
Just
for
a
moment
I
had
a
premonition
of
approaching
evil
.
Chapter
II
THE
16TH
AND
17TH
OF
JULY
I
had
arrived
at
Styles
on
the
5th
of
July
.
I
come
now
to
the
events
of
the
l6th
and
l7th
of
that
month
.
For
the
convenience
of
the
reader
I
will
recapitulate
the
incidents
of
those
days
in
as
exact
a
manner
as
possible
.
They
were
elicited
subsequently
at
the
trial
by
a
process
of
long
and
tedious
cross
-
examinations
.
I
received
a
letter
from
Evelyn
Howard
a
couple
of
days
after
her
departure
,
telling
me
she
was
working
as
a
nurse
at
the
big
hospital
in
Middlingham
,
a
manufacturing
town
some
fifteen
miles
away
,
and
begging
me
to
let
her
know
if
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
should
show
any
wish
to
be
reconciled
.
The
only
fly
in
the
ointment
of
my
peaceful
days
was
Mrs
.
Cavendish's
extraordinary
,
and
,
for
my
part
,
unaccountable
preference
for
the
society
of
Dr
.
Bauerstein
.
What
she
saw
in
the
man
I
cannot
imagine
,
but
she
was
always
asking
him
up
to
the
house
,
and
often
went
off
for
long
expeditions
with
him
.
I
must
confess
that
I
was
quite
unable
to
see
his
attraction
.
The
l6th
of
July
fell
on
a
Monday
.
It
was
a
day
of
turmoil
.
The
famous
bazaar
had
taken
place
on
Saturday
,
and
an
entertainment
,
in
connection
with
the
same
charity
,
at
which
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
was
to
recite
a
War
poem
,
was
to
be
held
that
night
.
We
were
all
busy
during
the
morning
arranging
and
decorating
the
Hall
in
the
village
where
it
was
to
take
place
.
We
had
a
late
luncheon
and
spent
the
afternoon
resting
in
the
garden
.
I
noticed
that
John's
manner
was
somewhat
unusual
.
He
seemed
very
excited
and
restless
.
After
tea
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
went
to
lie
down
to
rest
before
her
efforts
in
the
evening
and
I
challenged
Mary
Cavendish
to
a
single
at
tennis
.
About
a
quarter
to
seven
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
called
us
that
we
should
be
late
as
supper
was
early
that
night
.
We
had
rather
a
scramble
to
get
ready
in
time
;
and
before
the
meal
was
over
the
motor
was
waiting
at
the
door
.
The
entertainment
was
a
great
success
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
recitation
receiving
tremendous
applause
.
There
were
also
some
tableaux
in
which
Cynthia
took
part
.
She
did
not
return
with
us
,
having
been
asked
to
a
supper
party
,
and
to
remain
the
night
with
some
friends
who
had
been
acting
with
her
in
the
tableaux
.
The
following
morning
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
stayed
in
bed
to
breakfast
,
as
she
was
rather
overtired
;
but
she
appeared
in
her
briskest
mood
about
12
.
30
,
and
swept
Lawrence
and
myself
off
to
a
luncheon
party
.
"
Such
a
charming
invitation
from
Mrs
.
Rolleston
.
Lady
Tadminster's
sister
,
you
know
.
The
Rollestons
came
over
with
the
Conqueror
-
-
one
of
our
oldest
families
.
"
Mary
had
excused
herself
on
the
plea
of
an
engagement
with
Dr
.
Bauerstein
.
We
had
a
pleasant
luncheon
,
and
as
we
drove
away
Lawrence
suggested
that
we
should
return
by
Tadminster
,
which
was
barely
a
mile
out
of
our
way
,
and
pay
a
visit
to
Cynthia
in
her
dispensary
.
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
replied
that
this
was
an
excellent
idea
,
but
as
she
had
several
letters
to
write
she
would
drop
us
there
,
and
we
could
come
back
with
Cynthia
in
the
pony
-
trap
.
We
were
detained
under
suspicion
by
the
hospital
porter
,
until
Cynthia
appeared
to
vouch
for
us
,
looking
very
cool
and
sweet
in
her
long
white
overall
.
She
took
us
up
to
her
sanctum
,
and
introduced
us
to
her
fellow
dispenser
,
a
rather
awe
-
inspiring
individual
,
whom
Cynthia
cheerily
addressed
as
"
Nibs
.
"
"
What
a
lot
of
bottles
!
"
I
exclaimed
,
as
my
eye
travelled
round
the
small
room
.
"
Do
you
really
know
what's
in
them
all
?
"
"
Say
something
original
,
"
groaned
Cynthia
.
"
Every
single
person
who
comes
up
here
says
that
.
We
are
really
thinking
of
bestowing
a
prize
on
the
first
individual
who
does
not
say
:
`
What
a
lot
of
bottles
!
`
And
I
know
the
next
thing
you're
going
to
say
is
:
`
How
many
people
have
you
poisoned
?
`
"
I
pleaded
guilty
with
a
laugh
.
"
If
you
people
only
knew
how
fatally
easy
it
is
to
poison
some
one
by
mistake
,
you
wouldn't
joke
about
it
.
Come
on
,
let's
have
tea
.
We've
got
all
sorts
of
secret
stories
in
that
cupboard
.
No
,
Lawrence
-
-
that's
the
poison
cupboard
.
The
big
cupboard
-
-
that's
right
.
"
We
had
a
very
cheery
tea
,
and
assisted
Cynthia
to
wash
up
afterwards
.
We
had
just
put
away
the
last
tea
-
spoon
when
a
knock
came
at
the
door
.
The
countenances
of
Cynthia
and
Nibs
were
suddenly
petrified
into
a
stern
and
forbidding
expression
.
"
Come
in
,
"
said
Cynthia
,
in
a
sharp
professional
tone
.
A
young
and
rather
scared
looking
nurse
appeared
with
a
bottle
which
she
proffered
to
Nibs
,
who
waved
her
towards
Cynthia
with
the
somewhat
enigmatical
remark
:
"
I'm
not
really
here
to
-
day
.
"
Cynthia
took
the
bottle
and
examined
it
with
the
severity
of
a
judge
.
"
This
should
have
been
sent
up
this
morning
.
"
"
Sister
is
very
sorry
.
She
forgot
.
"
"
Sister
should
read
the
rules
outside
the
door
.
"
I
gathered
from
the
little
nurse's
expression
that
there
was
not
the
least
likelihood
of
her
having
the
hardihood
to
relate
this
message
to
the
dreaded
"
Sister
"
.
"
So
now
it
can't
be
done
until
to
-
morrow
,
"
finished
Cynthia
.
"
Don't
you
think
you
could
possibly
let
us
have
it
to
-
night
?
"
"
Well
,
"
said
Cynthia
graciously
,
"
we
are
very
busy
,
but
if
we
have
time
it
shall
be
done
.
"
The
little
nurse
withdrew
,
and
Cynthia
promptly
took
a
jar
from
the
shelf
,
refilled
the
bottle
,
and
placed
it
on
the
table
outside
the
door
.
I
laughed
.
"
Discipline
must
be
maintained
?
"
"
Exactly
.
Come
out
on
our
little
balcony
.
You
can
see
all
the
outside
wards
there
.
"
I
followed
Cynthia
and
her
friend
and
they
pointed
out
the
different
wards
to
me
.
Lawrence
remained
behind
,
but
after
a
few
moments
Cynthia
called
to
him
over
her
shoulder
to
come
and
join
us
.
Then
she
looked
at
her
watch
.
"
Nothing
more
to
do
,
Nibs
?
"
"
No
.
"
"
All
right
.
Then
we
can
lock
up
and
go
.
"
I
had
seen
Lawrence
in
quite
a
different
light
that
afternoon
.
Compared
to
John
,
he
was
an
astoundingly
difficult
person
to
get
to
know
.
He
was
the
opposite
of
his
brother
in
almost
every
respect
,
being
unusually
shy
and
reserved
.
Yet
he
had
a
certain
charm
of
manner
,
and
I
fancied
that
,
if
one
really
knew
him
well
,
one
could
have
a
deep
affection
for
him
.
I
had
always
fancied
that
his
manner
to
Cynthia
was
rather
constrained
,
and
that
she
on
her
side
was
inclined
to
be
shy
of
him
.
But
they
were
both
gay
enough
this
afternoon
,
and
chatted
together
like
a
couple
of
children
.
As
we
drove
through
the
village
,
I
remembered
that
I
wanted
some
stamps
,
so
accordingly
we
pulled
up
at
the
post
office
.
As
I
came
out
again
,
I
cannoned
into
a
little
man
who
was
just
entering
.
I
drew
aside
and
apologised
,
when
suddenly
,
with
a
loud
exclamation
,
he
clasped
me
in
his
arms
and
kissed
me
warmly
.
"
Mon
ami
Hastings
!
"
he
cried
.
"
It
is
indeed
mon
ami
Hastings
!
"
"
Poirot
!
"
I
exclaimed
.
I
turned
to
the
pony
-
trap
.
"
This
is
a
very
pleasant
meeting
for
me
,
Miss
Cynthia
.
This
is
my
old
friend
,
Monsieur
Poirot
,
whom
I
have
not
seen
for
years
.
"
"
Oh
,
we
know
Monsieur
Poirot
,
"
said
Cynthia
gaily
.
"
But
I
had
no
idea
he
was
a
friend
of
yours
.
"
"
Yes
,
indeed
,
"
said
Poirot
seriously
.
"
I
know
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
.
It
is
by
the
charity
of
that
good
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
that
I
am
here
.
"
Then
,
as
I
looked
at
him
inquiringly
:
"
Yes
,
my
friend
,
she
had
kindly
extended
hospitality
to
seven
of
my
countrypeople
who
,
alas
,
are
refugees
from
their
native
land
.
We
Belgians
will
always
remember
her
with
gratitude
.
"
Poirot
was
an
extraordinary
looking
little
man
.
He
was
hardly
more
than
five
feet
,
four
inches
,
but
carried
himself
with
great
dignity
.
His
head
was
exactly
the
shape
of
an
egg
,
and
he
always
perched
it
a
little
on
one
side
.
His
moustache
was
very
stiff
and
military
.
The
neatness
of
his
attire
was
almost
incredible
.
I
believe
a
speck
of
dust
would
have
caused
him
more
pain
than
a
bullet
wound
.
Yet
this
quaint
dandyfied
little
man
who
,
I
was
sorry
to
see
,
now
limped
badly
,
had
been
in
his
time
one
of
the
most
celebrated
members
of
the
Belgian
police
.
As
a
detective
,
his
flair
had
been
extraordinary
,
and
he
had
achieved
triumphs
by
unravelling
some
of
the
most
baffling
cases
of
the
day
.
He
pointed
out
to
me
the
little
house
inhabited
by
him
and
his
fellow
Belgians
,
and
I
promised
to
go
and
see
him
at
an
early
date
.
Then
he
raised
his
hat
with
a
flourish
to
Cynthia
,
and
we
drove
away
.
"
He's
a
dear
little
man
,
"
said
Cynthia
.
"
I'd
no
idea
you
knew
him
.
"
"
You've
been
entertaining
a
celebrity
unawares
,
"
I
replied
.
And
,
for
the
rest
of
the
way
home
,
I
recited
to
them
the
various
exploits
and
triumphs
of
Hercule
Poirot
.
We
arrived
back
in
a
very
cheerful
mood
.
As
we
entered
the
hall
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
came
out
of
her
boudoir
.
She
looked
flushed
and
upset
.
"
Oh
,
it's
you
,
"
she
said
.
"
Is
there
anything
the
matter
,
Aunt
Emily
?
"
asked
Cynthia
.
"
Certainly
not
,
"
said
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
sharply
.
"
What
should
there
be
?
"
Then
catching
sight
of
Dorcas
,
the
parlourmaid
,
going
into
the
dining
-
room
,
she
called
to
her
to
bring
some
stamps
into
the
boudoir
.
"
Yes
,
m'm
.
"
The
old
servant
hesitated
,
then
added
diffidently
:
"
Don't
you
think
m'm
,
you'd
better
get
to
bed
?
You're
looking
very
tired
.
"
"
Perhaps
you're
right
,
Dorcas
-
-
yes
-
-
no
-
-
not
now
.
I've
some
letters
I
must
finish
by
post
-
time
.
Have
you
lighted
the
fire
in
my
room
as
I
told
you
?
"
"
Yes
,
m'm
.
"
"
Then
I'll
go
to
bed
directly
after
supper
.
"
She
went
into
the
boudoir
again
,
and
Cynthia
stared
after
her
.
"
Goodness
gracious
!
I
wonder
what's
up
?
"
she
said
to
Lawrence
.
He
did
not
seem
to
have
heard
her
,
for
without
a
word
he
turned
on
his
heel
and
went
out
of
the
house
.
I
suggested
a
quick
game
of
tennis
before
supper
and
,
Cynthia
agreeing
,
I
ran
upstairs
to
fetch
my
racquet
.
Mrs
.
Cavendish
was
coming
down
the
stairs
.
It
may
have
been
my
fancy
,
but
she
,
too
,
was
looking
odd
and
disturbed
.
"
Had
a
good
walk
with
Dr
.
Bauerstein
?
"
I
asked
,
trying
to
appear
as
indifferent
as
I
could
.
"
I
didn't
go
,
"
she
replied
abruptly
.
"
Where
is
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
?
"
"
In
the
boudoir
.
"
Her
hand
clenched
itself
on
the
banisters
,
then
she
seemed
to
nerve
herself
for
some
encounter
,
and
went
rapidly
past
me
down
the
stairs
across
the
hall
to
the
boudoir
,
the
door
of
which
she
shut
behind
her
.
As
I
ran
out
to
the
tennis
court
a
few
moments
later
,
I
had
to
pass
the
open
boudoir
window
,
and
was
unable
to
help
overhearing
the
following
scrap
of
dialogue
.
Mary
Cavendish
was
saying
in
the
voice
of
a
woman
desperately
controlling
herself
:
"
Then
you
won't
show
it
to
me
?
"
To
which
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
replied
:
"
My
dear
Mary
,
it
has
nothing
to
do
with
that
matter
.
"
"
Then
show
it
to
me
.
"
"
I
tell
you
it
is
not
what
you
imagine
.
It
does
not
concern
you
in
the
least
.
"
To
which
Mary
Cavendish
replied
,
with
a
rising
bitterness
:
"
Of
course
,
I
might
have
known
you
would
shield
him
.
"
Cynthia
was
waiting
for
me
,
and
greeted
me
eagerly
with
:
"
I
say
!
There's
been
the
most
awful
row
!
I've
got
it
all
out
of
Dorcas
.
"
"
What
kind
of
a
row
?
"
"
Between
Aunt
Emily
and
him
.
I
do
hope
she's
found
him
out
at
last
!
"
"
Was
Dorcas
there
,
then
?
"
"
Of
course
not
.
She
`
happened
to
be
near
the
door
.
`
It
was
a
real
old
bust
-
up
.
I
do
wish
I
knew
what
it
was
all
about
.
"
I
thought
of
Mrs
.
Raikes's
gipsy
face
,
and
Evelyn
Howard's
warnings
,
but
wisely
decided
to
hold
my
peace
,
whilst
Cynthia
exhausted
every
possible
hypothesis
,
and
cheerfully
hoped
,
"
Aunt
Emily
will
send
him
away
,
and
will
never
speak
to
him
again
.
"
I
was
anxious
to
get
hold
of
John
,
but
he
was
nowhere
to
be
seen
.
Evidently
something
very
momentous
had
occurred
that
afternoon
.
I
tried
to
forget
the
few
words
I
had
overheard
;
but
,
do
what
I
would
,
I
could
not
dismiss
them
altogether
from
my
mind
.
What
was
Mary
Cavendish's
concern
in
the
matter
?
Mr
.
Inglethorp
was
in
the
drawing
-
room
when
I
came
down
to
supper
.
His
face
was
impassive
as
ever
,
and
the
strange
unreality
of
the
man
struck
me
afresh
.
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
came
down
last
.
She
still
looked
agitated
,
and
during
the
meal
there
was
a
somewhat
constrained
silence
.
Inglethorp
was
unusually
quiet
.
As
a
rule
,
he
surrounded
his
wife
with
little
attentions
,
placing
a
cushion
at
her
back
,
and
altogether
playing
the
part
of
the
devoted
husband
.
Immediately
after
supper
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
retired
to
her
boudoir
again
.
"
Send
my
coffee
in
here
,
Mary
,
"
she
called
.
"
I've
just
five
minutes
to
catch
the
post
.
"
Cynthia
and
I
went
and
sat
by
the
open
window
in
the
drawing
-
room
.
Mary
Cavendish
brought
our
coffee
to
us
.
She
seemed
excited
.
"
Do
you
young
people
want
lights
,
or
do
you
enjoy
the
twilight
?
"
she
asked
.
"
Will
you
take
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
her
coffee
,
Cynthia
?
I
will
pour
it
out
.
"
"
Do
not
trouble
,
Mary
,
"
said
Inglethorp
.
"
I
will
take
it
to
Emily
.
"
He
poured
it
out
,
and
went
out
of
the
room
carrying
it
carefully
.
Lawrence
followed
him
,
and
Mrs
.
Cavendish
sat
down
by
us
.
We
three
sat
for
some
time
in
silence
.
It
was
a
glorious
night
,
hot
and
still
.
Mrs
.
Cavendish
fanned
herself
gently
with
a
palm
leaf
.
"
It's
almost
too
hot
,
"
she
murmured
.
"
We
shall
have
a
thunderstorm
.
"
Alas
,
that
these
harmonious
moments
can
never
endure
!
My
paradise
was
rudely
shattered
by
the
sound
of
a
well
known
,
and
heartily
disliked
,
voice
in
the
hall
.
"
Dr
.
Bauerstein
!
"
exclaimed
Cynthia
.
"
What
a
funny
time
to
come
.
"
I
glanced
jealously
at
Mary
Cavendish
,
but
she
seemed
quite
undisturbed
,
the
delicate
pallor
of
her
cheeks
did
not
vary
.
In
a
few
moments
,
Alfred
Inglethorp
had
ushered
the
doctor
in
,
the
latter
laughing
,
and
protesting
that
be
was
in
no
fit
state
for
a
drawing
-
room
.
In
truth
,
he
presented
a
sorry
spectacle
,
being
literally
plastered
with
mud
.
"
What
have
you
been
doing
,
doctor
?
"
cried
Mrs
.
Cavendish
.
"
I
must
make
my
apologies
,
"
said
the
doctor
.
"
I
did
not
really
mean
to
come
in
,
but
Mr
.
Inglethorp
insisted
.
"
"
Well
,
Bauerstein
,
you
are
in
a
plight
,
"
said
John
,
strolling
in
from
the
hall
.
"
Have
some
coffee
,
and
tell
us
what
you
have
been
up
to
.
"
"
Thank
you
,
I
will
.
"
He
laughed
rather
ruefully
,
as
he
described
how
he
had
discovered
a
very
rare
species
of
fern
in
an
inaccessible
place
,
and
in
his
efforts
to
obtain
it
had
lost
his
footing
,
and
slipped
ignominiously
into
a
neighbouring
pond
.
"
The
sun
soon
dried
me
off
;
"
he
added
,
"
but
I'm
afraid
my
appearance
is
very
disreputable
.
"
At
this
juncture
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
called
to
Cynthia
from
the
hall
,
and
the
girl
ran
out
.
"
Just
carry
up
my
despatch
-
case
,
will
you
,
dear
?
I'm
going
to
bed
.
"
The
door
into
the
hall
was
a
wide
one
.
I
had
risen
when
Cynthia
did
,
John
was
close
by
me
.
There
were
therefore
three
witnesses
who
could
swear
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
was
carrying
her
coffee
,
as
yet
untasted
,
in
her
hand
.
My
evening
was
utterly
and
entirely
spoilt
by
the
presence
of
Dr
.
Bauerstein
.
It
seemed
to
me
the
man
would
never
go
.
He
rose
at
last
,
however
,
and
I
breathed
a
sigh
of
relief
.
"
I'll
walk
down
to
the
village
with
you
,
"
said
Mr
.
Inglethorp
.
"
I
must
see
our
agent
over
those
estate
accounts
.
"
He
turned
to
John
.
"
No
one
need
sit
up
.
I
will
take
the
latch
-
key
.
"
Chapter
III
THE
NIGHT
OF
THE
TRAGEDY
To
make
this
part
of
my
story
clear
,
I
append
the
following
plan
of
the
first
floor
of
Styles
.
The
servants'
rooms
are
reached
through
the
door
B
.
They
have
no
communication
with
the
right
wing
,
where
the
Inglethorps'
rooms
were
situated
.
It
seemed
to
be
the
middle
of
the
night
when
I
was
awakened
by
Lawrence
Cavendish
.
He
had
a
candle
in
his
hand
,
and
the
agitation
of
his
face
told
me
at
once
that
something
was
seriously
wrong
.
"
What's
the
matter
?
"
I
asked
,
sitting
up
in
bed
,
and
trying
to
collect
my
scattered
thoughts
.
"
We
are
afraid
my
mother
is
very
ill
.
She
seems
to
be
having
some
kind
of
fit
.
Unfortunately
she
has
locked
herself
in
.
"
"
I'll
come
at
once
.
"
I
sprang
out
of
bed
;
and
,
pulling
on
a
dressing
-
gown
;
followed
Lawrence
along
the
passage
and
the
gallery
to
the
right
wing
of
the
house
.
John
Cavendish
joined
us
,
and
one
or
two
of
the
servants
were
standing
round
in
a
state
of
awe
-
stricken
excitement
.
Lawrence
turned
to
his
brother
.
"
What
do
you
think
we
had
better
do
?
"
Never
,
I
thought
,
had
his
indecision
of
character
been
more
apparent
.
John
rattled
the
handle
of
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
door
violently
,
but
with
no
effect
.
It
was
obviously
locked
or
bolted
on
the
inside
.
The
whole
household
was
aroused
by
now
.
The
most
alarming
sounds
were
audible
from
the
interior
of
the
room
.
Clearly
something
must
be
done
.
"
Try
going
through
Mr
.
Inglethorp's
room
,
sir
,
"
cried
Dorcas
.
"
Oh
,
the
poor
mistress
!
"
Suddenly
I
realized
that
Alfred
Inglethorp
was
not
with
us
-
-
that
he
alone
had
given
no
sign
of
his
presence
.
John
opened
the
door
of
his
room
.
It
was
pitch
dark
,
but
Lawrence
was
following
with
the
candle
,
and
by
its
feeble
light
we
saw
that
the
bed
had
not
been
slept
in
,
and
that
there
was
no
sign
of
the
room
having
been
occupied
.
We
went
straight
to
the
connecting
door
.
That
,
too
,
was
locked
or
bolted
on
the
inside
.
What
was
to
be
done
?
"
Oh
,
dear
,
sir
,
"
cried
Dorcas
,
wringing
her
hands
,
"
what
ever
shall
we
do
?
"
"
We
must
try
and
break
the
door
in
,
I
suppose
.
It'll
be
a
tough
job
,
though
.
Here
,
let
one
of
the
maids
go
down
and
wake
Baily
and
tell
him
to
go
for
Dr
.
Wilkins
at
once
:
Now
then
,
we'll
have
a
try
at
the
door
.
Half
a
moment
,
though
,
isn't
there
a
door
into
Miss
Cynthia's
rooms
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
,
but
that's
always
bolted
.
It's
never
been
undone
.
"
"
Well
,
we
might
just
see
.
"
He
ran
rapidly
down
the
corner
to
Cynthia's
room
.
Mary
Cavendish
was
there
,
shaking
the
girl
who
must
have
been
an
unusually
sound
sleeper
-
-
and
trying
to
wake
her
.
In
a
moment
or
two
he
was
back
.
"
No
good
.
That's
bolted
too
.
We
must
break
in
the
door
.
I
think
this
one
is
a
shade
less
solid
than
the
one
in
the
passage
.
"
We
strained
and
heaved
together
.
The
framework
of
the
door
was
solid
,
and
for
a
long
time
it
resisted
our
efforts
,
but
at
last
we
felt
it
give
beneath
our
weight
,
and
finally
,
with
a
resounding
crash
,
it
was
burst
open
.
We
stumbled
in
together
,
Lawrence
still
holding
his
candle
.
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
was
lying
on
the
bed
,
her
whole
form
agitated
by
violent
convulsions
,
in
one
of
which
she
must
have
overturned
the
table
beside
her
.
As
we
entered
,
however
,
her
limbs
relaxed
,
and
she
fell
back
upon
the
pillows
.
John
strode
across
the
room
,
and
lit
the
gas
.
Turning
to
Annie
,
one
of
the
housemaids
,
he
sent
her
downstairs
to
the
dining
-
room
for
brandy
.
Then
he
went
across
to
his
mother
whilst
I
unbolted
the
door
that
gave
on
the
corridor
.
I
turned
to
Lawrence
,
to
suggest
that
I
had
better
leave
them
now
that
there
was
no
further
need
of
my
services
,
but
the
words
were
frozen
on
my
lips
.
Never
have
I
seen
such
a
ghastly
look
on
any
man's
face
.
He
was
white
as
chalk
,
the
candle
he
held
in
his
shaking
hand
was
sputtering
onto
the
carpet
,
and
his
eyes
,
petrified
with
terror
,
or
some
such
kindred
emotion
,
stared
fixedly
over
my
head
at
a
point
on
the
further
wall
.
It
was
as
though
he
had
seen
something
that
turned
him
to
stone
.
I
instinctively
followed
the
direction
of
his
eyes
,
but
I
could
see
nothing
unusual
.
The
still
feebly
flickering
ashes
in
the
grate
,
and
the
row
of
prim
ornaments
on
the
mantelpiece
,
were
surely
harmless
enough
.
The
violence
of
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
attack
seemed
to
be
passing
.
She
was
able
to
speak
in
short
gasps
.
"
Better
now
-
-
very
sudden
-
-
stupid
of
me
-
-
to
lock
myself
in
.
"
A
shadow
fell
on
the
bed
and
,
looking
up
,
I
saw
Mary
Cavendish
standing
near
the
door
with
her
arm
around
Cynthia
.
She
seemed
to
be
supporting
the
girl
,
who
looked
utterly
dazed
and
unlike
herself
.
Her
face
was
heavily
flushed
,
and
she
yawned
repeatedly
.
"
Poor
Cynthia
is
quite
frightened
,
"
said
Mrs
.
Cavendish
in
a
low
clear
voice
.
She
herself
,
I
noticed
,
was
dressed
in
her
white
land
smock
.
Then
it
must
be
later
than
I
thought
.
I
saw
that
a
faint
streak
of
daylight
was
showing
through
the
curtains
of
the
windows
,
and
that
the
clock
on
the
mantelpiece
pointed
to
close
upon
five
o'clock
.
A
strangled
cry
from
the
bed
startled
me
.
A
fresh
access
of
pain
seized
the
unfortunate
old
lady
.
The
convulsions
were
of
a
violence
terrible
to
behold
.
Everything
was
confusion
.
We
thronged
round
her
,
powerless
to
help
or
alleviate
.
A
final
convulsion
lifted
her
from
the
bed
,
until
she
appeared
to
rest
upon
her
head
and
her
heels
,
with
her
body
arched
in
an
extraordinary
manner
.
In
vain
Mary
and
John
tried
to
administer
more
brandy
.
The
moments
flew
.
Again
the
body
arched
itself
in
that
peculiar
fashion
.
At
that
moment
,
Dr
.
Bauerstein
pushed
his
way
authoritatively
into
the
room
.
For
one
instant
he
stopped
dead
,
staring
at
the
figure
on
the
bed
,
and
,
at
the
same
instant
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
cried
out
in
a
strangled
voice
,
her
eyes
fixed
on
the
doctor
:
"
Alfred
-
-
Alfred
-
-
"
Then
she
fell
back
motionless
on
the
pillows
.
With
a
stride
,
the
doctor
reached
the
bed
,
and
seizing
her
arms
worked
them
energetically
,
applying
what
I
knew
to
be
artificial
respiration
.
He
issued
a
few
short
sharp
orders
to
the
servants
.
An
imperious
wave
of
his
hand
drove
us
all
to
the
door
.
We
watched
him
,
fascinated
,
though
I
think
we
all
knew
in
our
hearts
that
it
was
too
late
,
and
that
nothing
could
be
done
now
.
I
could
see
by
the
expression
on
his
face
that
he
himself
had
little
hope
.
Finally
he
abandoned
his
task
,
shaking
his
bead
gravely
.
At
that
moment
,
we
heard
footsteps
outside
,
and
Dr
.
Wilkins
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
own
doctor
,
a
portly
,
fussy
little
man
,
came
bustling
in
.
In
a
few
words
Dr
.
Bauerstein
explained
how
he
had
happened
to
be
passing
the
lodge
gates
as
the
car
came
out
,
and
had
run
up
to
the
house
as
fast
as
he
could
,
whilst
the
car
went
on
to
fetch
Dr
.
Wilkins
.
With
a
faint
gesture
of
the
hand
,
he
indicated
the
figure
on
the
bed
.
"
Ve
-
-
ry
sad
.
Ve
-
-
ry
sad
,
"
murmured
Dr
.
Wilkins
.
"
Poor
dear
lady
.
Always
did
far
too
much
-
-
far
too
much
-
-
against
my
advice
.
I
warned
her
.
Her
heart
was
far
from
strong
.
`
Take
it
easy
,
`
I
said
to
her
,
`
Take
-
-
it
-
-
easy
.
`
But
no
-
-
her
zeal
for
good
works
was
too
great
.
Nature
rebelled
.
Na
-
-
ture
re
-
-
belled
.
"
Dr
.
Bauerstein
,
I
noticed
,
was
watching
the
local
doctor
narrowly
.
He
still
kept
his
eyes
fixed
on
him
as
he
spoke
.
"
The
convulsions
were
of
a
peculiar
violence
,
Dr
.
Wilkins
.
I
am
sorry
you
were
not
here
in
time
to
witness
them
.
They
were
quite
-
-
titanic
in
character
.
"
"
Ah
!
"
said
Dr
.
Wilkins
wisely
.
"
I
should
like
to
speak
to
you
in
private
,
"
said
Dr
.
Bauerstein
.
He
turned
to
John
.
"
You
do
not
object
?
"
"
Certainly
not
.
"
We
all
trooped
out
into
the
corridor
,
leaving
the
two
doctors
alone
,
and
I
heard
the
key
turned
in
the
lock
behind
us
.
We
went
slowly
down
the
stairs
.
I
was
violently
excited
.
I
have
a
certain
talent
for
deduction
,
and
Dr
.
Bauerstein's
manner
had
started
a
flock
of
wild
surmises
in
my
mind
,
Mary
Cavendish
laid
her
hand
upon
my
arm
.
"
What
is
it
?
Why
did
Dr
.
Bauerstein
seem
so
-
-
peculiar
?
"
I
looked
at
her
.
"
Do
you
know
what
I
think
?
"
"
What
?
"
"
Listen
!
"
I
looked
round
,
the
others
were
out
of
earshot
.
I
lowered
my
voice
to
a
whisper
.
"
I
believe
she
has
been
poisoned
!
I'm
certain
Dr
.
Bauerstein
suspects
it
.
"
"
What
?
"
She
shrank
against
the
wall
,
the
pupils
of
her
eyes
dilating
wildly
.
Then
,
with
a
sudden
cry
that
startled
me
,
she
cried
out
:
"
No
,
no
-
-
not
that
-
-
not
that
!
"
And
breaking
from
me
,
fled
up
the
stairs
.
I
followed
her
,
afraid
that
she
was
going
to
faint
.
I
found
her
leaning
against
the
bannisters
,
deadly
pale
.
She
waved
me
away
impatiently
.
"
No
,
no
-
-
leave
me
.
I'd
rather
be
alone
.
Let
me
just
be
quiet
for
a
minute
or
two
.
Go
down
to
the
others
.
"
I
obeyed
her
reluctantly
.
John
and
Lawrence
were
in
the
dining
-
room
.
I
joined
them
.
We
were
all
silent
,
but
I
suppose
I
voiced
the
thoughts
of
us
all
when
I
at
last
broke
it
by
saying
:
"
Where
is
Mr
.
Inglethorp
?
"
John
shook
his
head
.
"
He's
not
in
the
house
.
"
Our
eyes
met
.
Where
was
Alfred
Inglethorp
?
His
absence
was
strange
and
inexplicable
.
I
remembered
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
dying
words
.
What
lay
beneath
them
?
What
more
could
she
have
told
us
,
if
she
had
had
time
?
At
last
we
heard
the
doctors
descending
the
stairs
.
Dr
.
Wilkins
was
looking
important
and
excited
,
and
trying
to
conceal
an
inward
exultation
under
a
manner
of
decorous
calm
.
Dr
.
Bauerstein
remained
in
the
background
,
his
grave
bearded
face
unchanged
.
Dr
.
Wilkins
was
the
spokesman
for
the
two
.
He
addressed
himself
to
John
:
"
Mr
.
Cavendish
,
I
should
like
your
consent
to
a
post
-
mortem
.
"
"
Is
that
necessary
?
"
asked
John
gravely
.
A
spasm
of
pain
crossed
his
face
.
"
Absolutely
,
"
said
Dr
.
Bauerstein
.
"
You
mean
by
that
-
-
?
"
"
That
neither
Dr
.
Wilkins
nor
myself
could
give
a
death
certificate
under
the
circumstances
.
"
John
bent
his
head
.
"
In
that
case
,
I
have
no
alternative
but
to
agree
.
"
"
Thank
you
,
"
said
Dr
.
Wilkins
briskly
.
"
We
propose
that
it
should
take
place
to
-
morrow
night
-
-
or
rather
to
-
night
.
"
And
he
glanced
at
the
daylight
.
"
Under
the
circumstances
,
I
am
afraid
an
inquest
can
hardly
be
avoided
-
-
these
formalities
are
necessary
,
but
I
beg
that
you
won't
distress
yourselves
.
"
There
was
a
pause
,
and
then
Dr
.
Bauerstein
drew
two
keys
from
his
pocket
,
and
handed
them
to
John
.
"
These
are
the
keys
of
the
two
rooms
.
I
have
locked
them
and
,
in
my
opinion
,
they
would
be
better
kept
locked
for
the
present
.
"
The
doctors
then
departed
.
I
had
been
turning
over
an
idea
in
my
head
,
and
I
felt
that
the
moment
had
now
come
to
broach
it
.
Yet
I
was
a
little
chary
of
doing
so
.
John
,
I
knew
,
had
a
horror
of
any
kind
of
publicity
,
and
was
an
easy
going
optimist
,
who
preferred
never
to
meet
trouble
half
-
way
.
It
might
be
difficult
to
convince
him
of
the
soundness
of
my
plan
.
Lawrence
,
on
the
other
hand
,
being
less
conventional
,
and
having
more
imagination
,
I
felt
I
might
count
upon
as
an
ally
.
There
was
no
doubt
that
the
moment
had
come
for
me
to
take
the
lead
.
"
John
,
"
I
said
,
"
I
am
going
to
ask
you
something
.
"
"
Well
?
"
"
You
remember
my
speaking
of
my
friend
Poirot
?
The
Belgian
who
is
here
?
He
has
been
a
most
famous
detective
.
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
I
want
you
to
let
me
call
him
in
-
-
to
investigate
this
matter
.
"
"
What
-
-
now
?
Before
the
post
-
mortem
?
"
"
Yes
,
time
is
an
advantage
if
-
-
if
-
-
there
has
been
foul
play
.
"
"
Rubbish
!
"
cried
Lawrence
angrily
.
"
In
my
opinion
the
whole
thing
is
a
mare's
nest
of
Bauerstein's
!
Wilkins
hadn't
an
idea
of
such
a
thing
,
until
Bauerstein
put
it
into
his
head
.
But
,
like
all
specialists
,
Bauerstein's
got
a
bee
in
his
bonnet
.
Poisons
are
his
hobby
,
so
of
course
he
sees
them
everywhere
.
"
I
confess
that
I
was
surprised
by
Lawrence's
attitude
.
He
was
so
seldom
vehement
about
anything
.
John
hesitated
.
"
I
can't
feel
as
you
do
,
Lawrence
,
"
he
said
at
last
.
"
I'm
inclined
to
give
Hastings
a
free
hand
,
though
I
should
prefer
to
wait
a
bit
.
We
don't
want
any
unnecessary
scandal
.
"
"
No
,
no
,
"
I
cried
eagerly
,
"
You
need
have
no
fear
of
that
.
Poirot
is
discretion
itself
.
"
"
Very
well
,
then
,
have
it
your
own
way
.
I
leave
it
in
your
hands
.
Though
,
if
it
is
as
we
suspect
,
it
seems
a
clear
enough
case
.
God
forgive
me
if
I
am
wronging
him
!
"
I
looked
at
my
watch
.
it
was
six
o'clock
.
I
determined
to
lose
no
time
.
Five
minutes'
delay
,
however
,
I
allowed
myself
.
I
spent
it
in
ransacking
the
library
until
I
discovered
a
medical
book
which
gave
a
description
of
strychnine
poisoning
.
Chapter
IV
POIROT
INVESTIGATES
The
house
which
the
Belgians
occupied
in
the
village
was
quite
close
to
the
park
gates
.
One
could
save
time
by
taking
a
narrow
path
through
the
long
grass
,
which
cut
off
the
detours
of
the
winding
drive
.
So
I
,
accordingly
,
went
that
way
.
I
had
nearly
reached
the
lodge
,
when
my
attention
was
arrested
by
the
running
figure
of
a
man
approaching
me
.
It
was
Mr
.
Inglethorp
.
Where
had
he
been
?
How
did
he
intend
to
explain
his
absence
?
He
accosted
me
eagerly
.
"
My
God
!
This
is
terrible
!
My
poor
wife
!
I
have
only
just
heard
.
"
"
Where
have
you
been
?
"
I
asked
.
"
Denby
kept
me
late
last
night
.
It
was
one
o'clock
before
we'd
finished
.
Then
I
found
that
I'd
forgotten
the
latch
-
key
after
all
.
I
didn't
want
to
arouse
the
household
,
so
Denby
gave
me
a
bed
.
"
"
How
did
you
hear
the
news
?
"
I
asked
.
"
Wilkins
knocked
Denby
up
to
tell
him
.
My
poor
Emily
!
She
was
so
self
-
sacrificing
-
-
such
a
noble
character
.
She
overtaxed
her
strength
.
"
A
wave
of
revulsion
swept
over
me
.
What
a
consummate
hypocrite
the
man
was
!
"
I
must
hurry
on
,
"
I
said
,
thankful
that
he
did
not
ask
me
whither
I
was
bound
.
In
a
few
minutes
I
was
knocking
at
the
door
of
Leastways
Cottage
.
Getting
no
answer
,
I
repeated
my
summons
impatiently
.
A
window
above
me
was
cautiously
opened
,
and
Poirot
himself
looked
out
.
He
gave
an
exclamation
of
surprise
at
seeing
me
.
In
a
few
brief
words
,
I
explained
the
tragedy
that
had
occurred
,
and
that
I
wanted
his
help
.
"
Wait
,
my
friend
,
I
will
let
you
in
,
and
you
shall
recount
to
me
the
affair
whilst
I
dress
.
"
In
a
few
moments
he
had
unbarred
the
door
,
and
I
followed
him
up
to
his
room
.
There
he
installed
me
in
a
chair
,
and
I
related
the
whole
story
,
keeping
back
nothing
,
and
omitting
no
circumstance
,
however
insignificant
,
whilst
he
himself
made
a
careful
and
deliberate
toilet
.
I
told
him
of
my
awakening
,
of
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
dying
words
,
of
her
husband's
absence
,
of
the
quarrel
the
day
before
,
of
the
scrap
of
conversation
between
Mary
and
her
mother
-
in
-
law
that
I
had
overheard
,
of
the
former
quarrel
between
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
and
Evelyn
Howard
,
and
of
the
latter's
innuendoes
.
I
was
hardly
as
clear
as
I
could
wish
.
I
repeated
myself
several
times
,
and
occasionally
had
to
go
back
to
some
detail
that
I
had
forgotten
.
Poirot
smiled
kindly
on
me
.
"
The
mind
is
confused
?
Is
it
not
so
?
Take
time
,
mon
ami
.
You
are
agitated
;
you
are
excited
-
-
it
is
but
natural
.
Presently
,
when
we
are
calmer
,
we
will
arrange
the
facts
,
neatly
,
each
in
his
proper
place
.
We
will
examine
-
-
and
reject
.
Those
of
importance
we
will
put
on
one
side
;
those
of
no
importance
,
pouf
!
"
-
-
he
screwed
up
his
cherub
-
like
face
,
and
puffed
comically
enough
-
-
"
blow
them
away
!
"
"
That's
all
very
well
,
"
I
objected
,
"
but
how
are
you
going
to
decide
what
is
important
,
and
what
isn't
?
That
always
seems
the
difficulty
to
me
.
"
Poirot
shook
his
head
energetically
.
He
was
now
arranging
his
moustache
with
exquisite
care
.
"
Not
so
.
Voyons
!
One
fact
leads
to
another
-
-
so
we
continue
.
Does
the
next
fit
in
with
that
?
A
merveille
!
Good
!
We
can
proceed
.
This
next
little
fact
-
-
no
!
Ah
,
that
is
curious
!
There
is
something
missing
-
-
a
link
in
the
chain
that
is
not
there
.
We
examine
.
We
search
.
And
that
little
curious
fact
,
that
possibly
paltry
little
detail
that
will
not
tally
,
we
put
it
here
!
"
He
made
an
extravagant
gesture
with
his
hand
.
"
It
is
significant
!
It
is
tremendous
!
"
"
Y
-
es
-
-
"
"
Ah
!
"
Poirot
shook
his
forefinger
so
fiercely
at
me
that
I
quailed
before
it
.
"
Beware
!
Peril
to
the
detective
who
says
:
`
It
is
so
small
-
-
it
does
not
matter
.
It
will
not
agree
.
I
will
forget
it
.
`
That
way
lies
confusion
!
Everything
matters
.
"
"
I
know
.
You
always
told
me
that
.
That's
why
I
have
gone
into
all
the
details
of
this
thing
whether
they
seemed
to
me
relevant
or
not
.
"
"
And
I
am
pleased
with
you
.
You
have
a
good
memory
,
and
you
have
given
me
the
facts
faithfully
.
Of
the
order
in
which
you
present
them
,
I
say
nothing
truly
,
it
is
deplorable
!
But
I
make
allowances
-
-
you
are
upset
.
To
that
I
attribute
the
circumstance
that
you
have
omitted
one
fact
of
paramount
importance
.
"
"
What
is
that
?
"
I
asked
.
"
You
have
not
told
me
if
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
ate
well
last
night
.
"
I
stared
at
him
.
Surely
the
war
had
affected
the
little
man's
brain
.
He
was
carefully
engaged
in
brushing
his
coat
before
putting
it
on
,
and
seemed
wholly
engrossed
in
the
task
.
"
I
don't
remember
,
"
I
said
.
"
And
,
anyway
,
I
don't
see
-
-
"
"
You
do
not
see
?
But
it
is
of
the
first
importance
.
"
"
I
can't
see
why
,
"
I
said
,
rather
nettled
.
"
As
far
as
I
can
remember
,
she
didn't
eat
much
.
She
was
obviously
upset
,
and
it
had
taken
her
appetite
away
.
That
was
only
natural
.
"
"
Yes
,
"
said
Poirot
thoughtfully
,
"
it
was
only
natural
.
"
He
opened
a
drawer
,
and
took
out
a
small
despatch
-
case
,
then
turned
to
me
.
"
Now
I
am
ready
.
We
will
proceed
to
the
chateau
,
and
study
matters
on
the
spot
.
Excuse
me
,
mon
ami
,
you
dressed
in
haste
,
and
your
tie
is
on
one
side
.
Permit
me
.
"
With
a
deft
gesture
,
he
rearranged
it
.
"
Ca
y
est
!
Now
,
shall
we
start
?
"
We
hurried
up
the
village
,
and
turned
in
at
the
lodge
gates
.
Poirot
stopped
for
a
moment
,
and
gazed
sorrowfully
over
the
beautiful
expanse
of
park
,
still
glittering
with
morning
dew
.
"
So
beautiful
,
so
beautiful
,
and
yet
,
the
poor
family
,
plunged
in
sorrow
,
prostrated
with
grief
.
"
He
looked
at
me
keenly
as
he
spoke
,
and
I
was
aware
that
I
reddened
under
his
prolonged
gaze
.
Was
the
family
prostrated
by
grief
?
Was
the
sorrow
at
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
death
so
great
?
I
realized
that
there
was
an
emotional
lack
in
the
atmosphere
.
The
dead
woman
had
not
the
gift
of
commanding
love
.
Her
death
was
a
shock
and
a
distress
,
but
she
would
not
be
passionately
regretted
.
Poirot
seemed
to
follow
my
thoughts
.
He
nodded
his
head
gravely
.
"
No
,
you
are
right
,
"
he
said
,
"
it
is
not
as
though
there
was
a
blood
tie
.
She
has
been
kind
and
generous
to
these
Cavendishes
,
but
she
was
not
their
own
mother
.
Blood
tells
-
-
always
remember
that
-
-
blood
tells
.
"
"
Poirot
,
"
I
said
,
"
I
wish
you
would
tell
me
why
you
wanted
to
know
if
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
ate
well
last
night
?
I
have
been
turning
it
over
in
my
mind
,
but
I
can't
see
how
it
has
anything
to
do
with
the
matter
.
"
He
was
silent
for
a
minute
or
two
as
we
walked
along
,
but
finally
he
said
:
"
I
do
not
mind
telling
you
-
-
though
,
as
you
know
,
it
is
not
my
habit
to
explain
until
the
end
is
reached
.
The
present
contention
is
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
died
of
strychnine
poisoning
,
presumably
administered
in
her
coffee
.
"
"
Yes
?
"
"
Well
,
what
time
was
the
coffee
served
?
"
"
About
eight
o'clock
.
"
"
Therefore
she
drank
it
between
then
and
half
-
past
eight
-
-
certainly
not
much
later
.
Well
,
strychnine
is
a
fairly
rapid
poison
.
Its
effects
would
be
felt
very
soon
,
probably
in
about
an
hour
.
Yet
,
in
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
case
,
the
symptoms
do
not
manifest
themselves
until
five
o'clock
the
next
morning
;
nine
hours
!
But
a
heavy
meal
,
taken
at
about
the
same
time
as
the
poison
,
might
retard
its
effects
,
though
hardly
to
that
extent
.
Still
,
it
is
a
possibility
to
be
taken
into
account
.
But
,
according
to
you
,
she
ate
very
little
for
supper
,
and
yet
the
symptoms
do
not
develop
until
early
the
next
morning
!
Now
that
is
a
curious
circumstance
,
my
friend
.
Something
may
arise
at
the
autopsy
to
explain
it
.
In
the
meantime
,
remember
it
.
"
As
we
neared
the
house
,
John
came
out
and
met
us
.
His
face
looked
weary
and
haggard
.
"
This
is
a
very
dreadful
business
,
Monsieur
Poirot
,
"
he
said
.
"
Hastings
has
explained
to
you
that
we
are
anxious
for
no
publicity
?
"
"
I
comprehend
perfectly
.
"
"
You
see
,
it
is
only
suspicion
so
far
.
We
have
nothing
to
go
upon
.
"
"
Precisely
.
It
is
a
matter
of
precaution
only
.
"
John
turned
to
me
,
taking
out
his
cigarette
-
case
,
and
lighting
a
cigarette
as
he
did
so
.
"
You
know
that
fellow
Inglethorp
is
back
?
"
"
Yes
.
I
met
him
.
"
John
flung
the
match
into
an
adjacent
flower
bed
,
a
proceeding
which
was
too
much
for
Poirot's
feelings
.
He
retrieved
it
,
and
buried
it
neatly
.
"
It's
jolly
difficult
to
know
how
to
treat
him
.
"
"
That
difficulty
will
not
exist
long
,
"
pronounced
Poirot
quietly
.
John
looked
puzzled
,
not
quite
understanding
the
portent
of
this
cryptic
saying
.
He
handed
the
two
keys
which
Dr
.
Bauerstein
had
given
him
to
me
.
"
Show
Monsieur
Poirot
everything
he
wants
to
see
.
"
"
The
rooms
are
locked
?
"
asked
Poirot
.
"
Dr
.
Bauerstein
considered
it
advisable
.
"
Poirot
nodded
thoughtfully
.
"
Then
he
is
very
sure
.
Well
,
that
simplifies
matters
for
us
.
"
We
went
up
together
to
the
room
of
the
tragedy
.
For
convenience
I
append
a
plan
of
the
room
and
the
principal
articles
of
furniture
in
it
.
Poirot
locked
the
door
on
the
inside
,
and
proceeded
to
a
minute
inspection
of
the
room
.
He
darted
from
one
object
to
the
other
with
the
agility
of
a
grasshopper
.
I
remained
by
the
door
,
fearing
to
obliterate
any
clues
.
Poirot
,
however
,
did
not
seem
grateful
to
me
for
my
forbearance
.
"
What
have
you
,
my
friend
?
"
he
cried
,
"
that
you
remain
there
like
-
-
how
do
you
say
it
?
-
-
ah
,
yes
,
the
stuck
pig
?
"
I
explained
that
I
was
afraid
of
obliterating
any
foot
-
marks
.
"
Foot
-
marks
?
But
what
an
idea
!
There
has
already
been
practically
an
army
in
the
room
!
What
foot
-
marks
are
we
likely
to
find
?
No
,
come
here
and
aid
me
in
my
search
.
I
will
put
down
my
little
case
until
I
need
it
.
"
He
did
so
,
on
the
round
table
by
the
window
,
but
it
was
an
ill
-
advised
proceeding
;
for
,
the
top
of
it
being
loose
,
it
tilted
up
,
and
precipitated
the
despatch
-
case
on
the
floor
.
"
En
voila
une
table
!
"
cried
Poirot
.
"
Ah
,
my
friend
,
one
may
live
in
a
big
house
and
yet
have
no
comfort
.
"
After
which
piece
of
moralizing
,
he
resumed
his
search
.
A
small
purple
despatch
-
case
,
with
a
key
in
the
lock
,
on
the
writing
-
table
,
engaged
his
attention
for
some
time
.
He
took
out
the
key
from
the
lock
,
and
passed
it
to
me
to
inspect
.
I
saw
nothing
peculiar
,
however
.
It
was
an
ordinary
key
of
the
Yale
type
,
with
a
bit
of
twisted
wire
through
the
handle
.
Next
,
he
examined
the
framework
of
the
door
we
had
broken
in
,
assuring
himself
that
the
bolt
had
really
been
shot
.
Then
he
went
to
the
door
opposite
leading
into
Cynthia's
room
.
That
door
was
also
bolted
,
as
I
had
stated
.
However
,
he
went
to
the
length
of
unbolting
it
,
and
opening
and
shutting
it
several
times
;
this
he
did
with
the
utmost
precaution
against
making
any
noise
.
Suddenly
something
in
the
bolt
itself
seemed
to
rivet
his
attention
.
He
examined
it
carefully
,
and
then
,
nimbly
whipping
out
a
pair
of
small
forceps
from
his
case
,
he
drew
out
some
minute
particle
which
he
carefully
sealed
up
in
a
tiny
envelope
.
On
the
chest
of
drawers
there
was
a
tray
with
a
spirit
lamp
and
a
small
saucepan
on
it
.
A
small
quantity
of
a
dark
fluid
remained
in
the
saucepan
,
and
an
empty
cup
and
saucer
that
had
been
drunk
out
of
stood
near
it
.
I
wondered
how
I
could
have
been
so
unobservant
as
to
overlook
this
.
Here
was
a
clue
worth
having
.
Poirot
delicately
dipped
his
finger
into
liquid
,
and
tasted
it
gingerly
.
He
made
a
grimace
.
"
Coco
-
-
with
-
-
I
think
-
-
rum
in
it
,
"
He
passed
on
to
the
debris
on
the
floor
,
where
the
table
by
the
bed
had
been
overturned
.
A
reading
-
lamp
,
some
books
,
matches
,
a
bunch
of
keys
,
and
the
crushed
fragments
of
a
coffee
-
cup
lay
scattered
about
.
"
Ah
,
this
is
curious
,
"
said
Poirot
.
"
I
must
confess
that
I
see
nothing
particularly
curious
about
it
.
"
"
You
do
not
?
Observe
the
lamp
-
-
the
chimney
is
broken
in
two
places
;
they
lie
there
as
they
fell
,
But
see
,
the
coffee
-
cup
is
absolutely
smashed
to
powder
.
"
"
Well
,
"
I
said
wearily
,
"
I
suppose
some
one
must
have
stepped
on
it
.
"
"
Exactly
,
"
said
Poirot
,
in
an
odd
voice
.
"
Some
one
stepped
on
it
.
"
He
rose
from
his
knees
,
and
walked
slowly
across
to
the
mantelpiece
,
where
he
stood
abstractedly
fingering
the
ornaments
,
and
straightening
them
-
-
a
trick
of
his
when
he
was
agitated
.
"
Mon
ami
,
"
he
said
,
turning
to
me
,
"
somebody
stepped
on
that
cup
,
grinding
it
to
powder
,
and
the
reason
they
did
so
was
either
because
it
contained
strychnine
or
-
-
which
is
far
more
serious
-
-
because
it
did
not
contain
strychnine
!
"
I
made
no
reply
.
I
was
bewildered
,
but
I
knew
that
it
was
no
good
asking
him
to
explain
.
In
a
moment
or
two
he
roused
himself
,
and
went
on
with
his
investigations
.
He
picked
up
the
bunch
of
keys
from
the
floor
,
and
twirling
them
round
in
his
fingers
finally
selected
one
,
very
bright
and
shining
,
which
he
tried
in
the
lock
of
the
purple
despatch
-
case
.
It
fitted
,
and
he
opened
the
box
,
but
after
a
moment's
hesitation
,
closed
and
relocked
it
,
and
slipped
the
bunch
of
keys
,
as
well
as
the
key
that
had
originally
stood
in
the
lock
,
into
his
own
pocket
.
"
I
have
no
authority
to
go
through
these
papers
.
But
it
should
be
done
-
-
at
once
!
"
He
then
made
a
very
careful
examination
of
the
drawers
of
the
wash
-
stand
.
Crossing
the
room
to
the
left
-
hand
window
,
a
round
stain
,
hardly
visible
on
the
dark
brown
carpet
,
seemed
to
interest
him
particularly
.
He
went
down
on
his
knees
,
examining
it
minutely
-
-
even
going
so
far
as
to
smell
it
.
Finally
,
he
poured
a
few
drops
of
the
coco
into
a
test
tube
,
sealing
it
up
carefully
.
His
next
proceeding
was
to
take
out
a
little
notebook
.
"
We
have
found
in
this
room
,
"
he
said
,
writing
busily
,
"
six
points
of
interest
.
Shall
I
enumerate
them
,
or
will
you
?
"
"
Oh
,
you
,
"
I
replied
hastily
.
"
Very
well
,
then
.
One
,
a
coffee
-
cup
that
has
been
ground
into
powder
;
two
,
a
despatch
-
case
with
a
key
in
the
lock
;
three
,
a
stain
on
the
floor
.
"
"
That
may
have
been
done
some
time
ago
,
"
I
interrupted
.
"
No
,
for
it
is
still
perceptibly
damp
and
smells
of
coffee
.
Four
,
a
fragment
of
some
dark
green
fabric
-
-
only
a
thread
or
two
,
but
recognizable
.
"
"
Ah
!
"
I
cried
.
"
That
was
what
you
sealed
up
in
the
envelope
.
"
"
Yes
.
It
may
turn
out
to
be
a
piece
of
one
of
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
own
dresses
,
and
quite
unimportant
.
We
shall
see
.
Five
,
this
!
"
With
a
dramatic
gesture
,
he
pointed
to
a
large
splash
of
candle
grease
on
the
floor
by
the
writing
-
table
.
"
It
must
have
been
done
since
yesterday
,
otherwise
a
good
housemaid
would
have
at
once
removed
it
with
blotting
-
paper
and
a
hot
iron
.
One
of
my
best
hats
once
-
-
but
that
is
not
to
the
point
.
"
"
It
was
very
likely
done
last
night
.
We
were
very
agitated
.
Or
perhaps
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
herself
dropped
her
candle
.
"
"
You
brought
only
one
candle
into
the
room
?
"
"
Yes
.
Lawrence
Cavendish
was
carrying
it
.
But
he
was
very
upset
.
He
seemed
to
see
something
over
here
"
-
-
I
indicated
the
mantelpiece
-
-
"
that
absolutely
paralysed
him
.
"
"
That
is
interesting
,
"
said
Poirot
quickly
.
"
Yes
,
it
is
suggestive
"
-
-
his
eye
sweeping
the
whole
length
of
the
wall
-
-
"
but
it
was
not
his
candle
that
made
this
great
patch
,
for
you
perceive
that
this
is
white
grease
;
whereas
Monsieur
Lawrence's
candle
,
which
is
still
on
the
dressing
-
table
,
is
pink
.
On
the
other
hand
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
had
no
candle
-
stick
in
the
room
,
only
a
reading
-
lamp
.
"
"
Then
,
"
I
said
,
"
what
do
you
deduce
?
"
To
which
my
friend
only
made
a
rather
irritating
reply
,
urging
me
to
use
my
own
natural
faculties
.
"
And
the
sixth
point
?
"
I
asked
.
"
I
suppose
it
is
the
sample
of
coco
.
"
"
No
,
"
said
Poirot
thoughtfully
.
"
I
might
have
included
that
in
the
six
,
but
I
did
not
.
No
,
the
sixth
point
I
will
keep
to
myself
for
the
present
.
"
He
looked
quickly
round
the
room
.
"
There
is
nothing
more
to
be
done
here
,
I
think
,
unless
"
-
-
he
stared
earnestly
and
long
at
the
dead
ashes
in
the
grate
.
"
The
fire
burns
-
-
and
it
destroys
.
But
by
chance
-
-
there
might
be
-
-
let
us
see
!
"
Deftly
,
on
hands
and
knees
,
he
began
to
sort
the
ashes
from
the
grate
into
the
fender
,
handling
them
with
the
greatest
caution
.
Suddenly
,
he
gave
a
faint
exclamation
.
"
The
forceps
,
Hastings
!
"
I
quickly
handed
them
to
him
,
and
with
skill
he
extracted
a
small
piece
of
half
charred
paper
.
"
There
,
mon
ami
!
"
he
cried
.
"
What
do
you
think
of
that
?
"
I
scrutinized
the
fragment
.
This
is
an
exact
reproduction
of
it
:
-
-
I
was
puzzled
.
It
was
unusually
thick
,
quite
unlike
ordinary
notepaper
.
Suddenly
an
idea
struck
me
.
"
Poirot
!
"
I
cried
.
"
This
is
a
fragment
of
a
will
!
"
"
Exactly
.
"
I
looked
up
at
him
sharply
.
"
You
are
not
surprised
?
"
"
No
,
"
he
said
gravely
,
"
I
expected
it
.
"
I
relinquished
the
piece
of
paper
,
and
watched
him
put
it
away
in
his
case
,
with
the
same
methodical
care
that
he
bestowed
on
everything
.
My
brain
was
in
a
whirl
.
What
was
this
complication
of
a
will
?
Who
had
destroyed
it
?
The
person
who
had
left
the
candle
grease
on
the
floor
?
Obviously
.
But
how
had
anyone
gained
admission
?
All
the
doors
had
been
bolted
on
the
inside
.
"
Now
,
my
friend
,
"
said
Poirot
briskly
,
"
we
will
go
.
I
should
like
to
ask
a
few
questions
of
the
parlourmaid
-
-
Dorcas
,
her
name
is
,
is
it
not
?
"
We
passed
through
Alfred
Inglethorp's
room
,
and
Poirot
delayed
long
enough
to
make
a
brief
but
fairly
comprehensive
examination
of
it
.
We
went
out
through
that
door
,
locking
both
it
and
that
of
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
room
as
before
.
I
took
him
down
to
the
boudoir
which
he
had
expressed
a
wish
to
see
,
and
went
myself
in
search
of
Dorcas
.
When
I
returned
with
her
,
however
,
the
boudoir
was
empty
.
"
Poirot
,
"
I
cried
,
"
where
are
you
?
"
"
I
am
here
,
my
friend
.
"
He
had
stepped
outside
the
French
window
,
and
was
standing
,
apparently
lost
in
admiration
,
before
the
various
shaped
flower
beds
.
"
Admirable
!
"
he
murmured
.
"
Admirable
!
What
symmetry
!
Observe
that
crescent
;
and
those
diamonds
-
-
their
neatness
rejoices
the
eye
.
The
spacing
of
the
plants
,
also
,
is
perfect
.
It
has
been
recently
done
;
is
it
not
so
?
"
"
Yes
,
I
believe
they
were
at
it
yesterday
afternoon
.
But
come
in
-
-
Dorcas
is
here
.
"
"
Eh
bien
,
eh
bien
!
Do
not
grudge
me
a
moment's
satisfaction
of
the
eye
.
"
"
Yes
,
but
this
affair
is
more
important
.
"
"
And
how
do
you
know
that
these
fine
begonias
are
not
of
equal
importance
?
"
I
shrugged
my
shoulders
.
There
was
really
no
arguing
with
him
if
he
chose
to
take
that
line
.
"
You
do
not
agree
?
But
such
things
have
been
.
Well
,
we
will
come
in
and
interview
the
brave
Dorcas
.
"
Dorcas
was
standing
in
the
boudoir
,
her
hands
folded
in
front
of
her
,
and
her
grey
hair
rose
in
stiff
waves
under
her
white
cap
.
She
was
the
very
model
and
picture
of
a
good
old
-
fashioned
servant
.
In
her
attitude
towards
Poirot
,
she
was
inclined
to
be
suspicious
,
but
he
soon
broke
down
her
defences
.
He
drew
forward
a
chair
.
"
Pray
be
seated
,
mademoiselle
.
"
"
Thank
you
,
sir
.
"
"
You
have
been
with
your
mistress
many
years
,
is
it
not
so
?
"
"
Ten
years
,
sir
.
"
"
That
is
a
long
time
,
and
very
faithful
service
.
You
were
much
attached
to
her
,
were
you
not
?
"
"
She
was
a
very
good
mistress
to
me
,
sir
.
"
"
Then
you
will
not
object
to
answering
a
few
questions
.
I
put
them
to
you
with
Mr
.
Cavendish's
full
approval
.
"
"
Oh
,
certainly
,
sir
.
"
"
Then
I
will
begin
by
asking
you
about
the
events
of
yesterday
afternoon
.
Your
mistress
had
a
quarrel
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
.
But
I
don't
know
that
I
ought
-
-
"
Dorcas
hesitated
.
Poirot
looked
at
her
keenly
.
"
My
good
Dorcas
,
it
is
necessary
that
I
should
know
every
detail
of
that
quarrel
as
fully
as
possible
.
Do
not
think
that
you
are
betraying
your
mistress's
secrets
.
Your
mistress
lies
dead
,
and
it
is
necessary
that
we
should
know
all
-
-
if
we
are
to
avenge
her
.
Nothing
can
bring
her
back
to
life
,
but
we
do
hope
,
if
there
has
been
foul
play
,
to
bring
the
murderer
to
justice
.
"
"
Amen
to
that
,
"
said
Dorcas
fiercely
.
"
And
,
naming
no
names
,
there's
one
in
this
house
that
none
of
us
could
ever
abide
!
And
an
ill
day
it
was
when
first
he
darkened
the
threshold
.
"
Poirot
waited
for
her
indignation
to
subside
,
and
then
,
resuming
his
business
-
like
tone
,
he
asked
:
"
Now
,
as
to
this
quarrel
?
What
is
the
first
you
heard
of
it
?
"
"
Well
,
sir
,
I
happened
to
be
going
along
the
hall
outside
yesterday
-
-
"
"
What
time
was
that
?
"
"
I
couldn't
say
exactly
,
sir
,
but
it
wasn't
tea
-
time
by
a
long
way
.
Perhaps
four
o'clock
-
-
or
it
may
have
been
a
bit
later
.
Well
,
sir
,
as
I
said
,
I
happened
to
be
passing
along
,
when
I
heard
voices
very
loud
and
angry
in
here
.
I
didn't
exactly
mean
to
listen
,
but
-
-
well
,
there
it
is
.
I
stopped
.
The
door
was
shut
,
but
the
mistress
was
speaking
very
sharp
and
clear
,
and
I
heard
what
she
said
quite
plainly
.
`
You
have
lied
to
me
,
and
deceived
me
,
`
she
said
.
I
didn't
hear
what
Mr
.
Inglethorp
replied
.
He
spoke
a
good
bit
lower
than
she
did
-
-
but
she
answered
:
`
How
dare
you
?
I
have
kept
you
and
clothed
you
and
fed
you
!
You
owe
everything
to
me
!
And
this
is
how
you
repay
me
!
By
bringing
disgrace
upon
our
name
!
`
Again
I
didn't
hear
what
he
said
,
but
she
went
on
:
`
Nothing
that
you
can
say
will
make
any
difference
.
I
see
my
duty
clearly
.
My
mind
is
made
up
.
You
need
not
think
that
any
fear
of
publicity
,
or
scandal
between
husband
and
wife
will
deter
me
.
`
Then
I
thought
I
heard
them
coming
out
,
so
I
went
off
quickly
.
"
"
You
are
sure
it
was
Mr
.
Inglethorp's
voice
you
heard
?
"
"
Oh
,
yes
,
sir
,
whose
else's
could
it
be
?
"
"
Well
,
what
happened
next
?
"
"
Later
,
I
came
back
to
the
hall
;
but
it
was
all
quiet
.
At
five
o'clock
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
rang
the
bell
and
told
me
to
bring
her
a
cup
of
tea
-
-
nothing
to
eat
-
-
to
the
boudoir
.
She
was
looking
dreadful
-
-
so
white
and
upset
.
`
Dorcas
,
`
she
says
,
`
I've
had
a
great
shock
.
`
`
I'm
sorry
for
that
,
m'm
,
`
I
says
.
`
You'll
feel
better
after
a
nice
hot
cup
of
tea
,
m'm
.
`
She
had
something
in
her
hand
.
I
don't
know
if
it
was
a
letter
,
or
just
a
piece
of
paper
,
but
it
had
writing
on
it
,
and
she
kept
staring
at
it
,
almost
as
if
she
couldn't
believe
what
was
written
there
.
She
whispered
to
herself
,
as
though
she
had
forgotten
I
was
there
:
`
These
few
words
-
-
and
everything's
changed
.
`
And
then
she
says
to
me
:
`
Never
trust
a
man
,
Dorcas
,
They're
not
worth
it
!
`
I
hurried
off
,
and
got
her
a
good
strong
cup
of
tea
,
and
she
thanked
me
,
and
said
she'd
feel
better
when
she'd
drunk
it
.
`
I
don't
know
what
to
do
,
`
she
says
.
`
Scandal
between
husband
and
wife
is
a
dreadful
thing
,
Dorcas
.
I'd
rather
hush
it
up
if
I
could
.
`
Mrs
.
Cavendish
came
in
just
then
,
so
she
didn't
say
any
more
.
"
"
She
still
had
the
letter
,
or
whatever
it
was
,
in
her
hand
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
.
"
"
What
would
she
be
likely
to
do
with
it
afterwards
?
"
"
Well
,
I
don't
know
,
sir
,
I
expect
she
would
lock
it
up
in
that
purple
case
of
hers
.
"
"
Is
that
where
she
usually
kept
important
papers
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
.
She
brought
it
down
with
her
every
morning
and
took
it
up
every
night
.
"
"
When
did
she
lose
the
key
of
it
?
"
"
She
missed
it
yesterday
at
lunch
-
time
,
sir
,
and
told
me
to
look
carefully
for
it
.
She
was
very
much
put
out
about
it
.
"
"
But
she
had
a
duplicate
key
?
"
"
Oh
,
yes
,
sir
.
"
Dorcas
was
looking
very
curiously
at
him
and
,
to
tell
the
truth
,
so
was
I
.
What
was
all
this
about
a
lost
key
?
Poirot
smiled
.
"
Never
mind
,
Dorcas
,
it
is
my
business
to
know
things
.
Is
this
the
key
that
was
lost
?
"
He
drew
from
his
pocket
the
key
that
he
had
found
in
the
lock
of
the
despatch
-
case
upstairs
.
Dorcas's
eyes
looked
as
though
they
would
pop
out
of
her
head
.
"
That's
it
,
sir
,
right
enough
.
But
where
did
you
find
it
?
I
looked
everywhere
for
it
.
"
"
Ah
,
but
you
see
it
was
not
in
the
same
place
yesterday
as
it
was
to
-
day
.
Now
,
to
pass
to
another
subject
,
had
your
mistress
a
dark
green
dress
in
her
wardrobe
?
"
Dorcas
was
rather
startled
by
the
unexpected
question
.
"
No
,
sir
.
"
"
Are
you
quite
sure
?
"
"
Oh
,
yes
,
sir
.
"
"
Has
anyone
else
in
the
house
got
a
green
dress
?
"
Dorcas
reflected
.
"
Mss
Cynthia
has
a
green
evening
dress
.
"
"
Light
or
dark
green
?
"
"
A
light
green
,
sir
;
a
sort
of
chiffong
,
they
call
it
.
"
"
Ah
,
that
is
not
what
I
want
.
And
nobody
else
has
anything
green
?
"
"
No
,
sir
-
-
not
that
I
know
of
.
"
Poirot's
face
did
not
betray
a
trace
of
whether
he
was
disappointed
or
otherwise
.
He
merely
remarked
:
"
Good
,
we
will
leave
that
and
pass
on
.
Have
you
any
reason
to
believe
that
your
mistress
was
likely
to
take
a
sleeping
powder
last
night
?
"
"
Not
last
night
,
sir
,
I
know
she
didn't
.
"
"
Why
do
you
know
so
positively
?
"
"
Because
the
box
was
empty
.
She
took
the
last
one
two
days
ago
,
and
she
didn't
have
any
more
made
up
.
"
"
You
are
quite
sure
of
that
?
"
"
Positive
,
sir
.
"
"
Then
that
is
cleared
up
!
By
the
way
,
your
mistress
didn't
ask
you
to
sign
any
paper
yesterday
?
"
"
To
sign
a
paper
?
No
,
sir
.
"
"
When
Mr
.
Hastings
and
Mr
.
Lawrence
came
in
yesterday
evening
,
they
found
your
mistress
busy
writing
letters
.
I
suppose
you
can
give
me
no
idea
to
whom
these
letters
were
addressed
?
"
"
I'm
afraid
I
couldn't
,
sir
.
I
was
out
in
the
evening
.
Perhaps
Annie
could
tell
you
,
though
she's
a
careless
girl
.
Never
cleared
the
coffee
-
cups
away
last
night
.
That's
what
happens
when
I'm
not
here
to
look
after
things
.
"
Poirot
lifted
his
hand
.
"
Since
they
have
been
left
,
Dorcas
,
leave
them
a
little
longer
,
I
pray
you
.
I
should
like
to
examine
them
.
"
"
Very
well
,
sir
.
"
"
What
time
did
you
go
out
last
evening
?
"
"
About
six
o'clock
,
sir
.
"
"
Thank
you
,
Dorcas
,
that
is
all
I
have
to
ask
you
.
"
He
rose
and
strolled
to
the
window
.
"
I
have
been
admiring
these
flower
beds
.
How
many
gardeners
are
employed
here
,
by
the
way
?
"
"
Only
three
now
,
sir
.
Five
,
we
had
,
before
the
war
,
when
it
was
kept
as
a
gentleman's
place
should
be
.
I
wish
you
could
have
seen
it
then
,
sir
.
A
fair
sight
it
was
.
But
now
there's
only
old
Manning
,
and
young
William
,
and
a
new
-
fashioned
woman
gardener
in
breeches
and
such
-
like
.
Ah
,
these
are
dreadful
times
!
"
"
The
good
times
will
come
again
,
Dorcas
.
At
least
,
we
hope
so
.
Now
,
will
you
send
Annie
to
me
here
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
.
Thank
you
,
sir
.
"
"
How
did
you
know
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
took
sleeping
powders
?
"
I
asked
,
in
lively
curiosity
,
as
Dorcas
left
the
room
.
"
And
about
the
lost
key
and
the
duplicate
?
"
"
One
thing
at
a
time
.
As
to
the
sleeping
powders
,
I
knew
by
this
.
"
He
suddenly
produced
a
small
cardboard
box
,
such
as
chemists
use
for
powders
.
"
Where
did
you
find
it
?
"
"
In
the
wash
-
stand
drawer
in
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
bedroom
.
It
was
Number
Six
of
my
catalogue
.
"
"
But
I
suppose
,
as
the
last
powder
was
taken
two
days
ago
,
it
is
not
of
much
importance
?
"
"
Probably
not
,
but
do
you
notice
anything
that
strikes
you
as
peculiar
about
this
box
?
"
I
examined
it
closely
.
"
No
,
I
can't
say
that
I
do
.
"
"
Look
at
the
label
.
"
I
read
the
label
carefully
:
"
`
One
powder
to
be
taken
at
bedtime
,
if
required
.
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
.
`
No
,
I
see
nothing
unusual
.
"
"
Not
the
fact
that
there
is
no
chemist's
name
?
"
"
Ah
!
"
I
exclaimed
.
"
To
be
sure
,
that
is
odd
!
"
"
Have
you
ever
known
a
chemist
to
send
out
a
box
like
that
,
without
his
printed
name
?
"
"
No
,
I
can't
say
that
I
have
.
"
I
was
becoming
quite
excited
,
but
Poirot
damped
my
ardour
by
remarking
:
"
Yet
the
explanation
is
quite
simple
.
So
do
not
intrigue
yourself
,
my
friend
.
"
An
audible
creaking
proclaimed
the
approach
of
Annie
,
so
I
had
no
time
to
reply
.
Annie
was
a
fine
,
strapping
girl
,
and
was
evidently
labouring
under
intense
excitement
,
mingled
with
a
certain
ghoulish
enjoyment
of
the
tragedy
.
Poirot
came
to
the
point
at
once
,
with
a
business
-
like
briskness
.
"
I
sent
for
you
,
Annie
,
because
I
thought
you
might
be
able
to
tell
me
something
about
the
letters
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
wrote
last
night
.
How
many
were
there
?
And
can
you
tell
me
any
of
the
names
and
addresses
?
"
Annie
considered
.
"
There
were
four
letters
,
sir
.
One
was
to
Miss
Howard
,
and
one
was
to
Mr
.
Wells
,
the
lawyer
,
and
the
other
two
I
don't
think
I
remember
,
sir
-
-
oh
,
yes
,
one
was
to
Ross's
,
the
caterers
in
Tadminster
.
The
other
one
,
I
don't
remember
.
"
"
Think
,
"
urged
Poirot
.
Annie
racked
her
brains
in
vain
.
"
I'm
sorry
,
sir
,
but
it's
clean
gone
.
I
don't
think
I
can
have
noticed
it
.
"
"
It
does
not
matter
,
"
said
Poirot
,
not
betraying
any
sign
of
disappointment
.
"
Now
I
want
to
ask
you
about
something
else
.
There
is
a
saucepan
in
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
room
with
some
coco
in
it
.
Did
she
have
that
every
night
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
,
it
was
put
in
her
room
every
evening
,
and
she
warmed
it
up
in
the
night
-
-
whenever
she
fancied
it
.
"
"
What
was
it
?
Plain
coco
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
,
made
with
milk
,
with
a
teaspoonful
of
sugar
,
and
two
teaspoonfuls
of
rum
in
it
.
"
"
Who
took
it
to
her
room
?
"
"
I
did
,
sir
.
"
"
Always
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
.
"
"
At
what
time
?
"
"
When
I
went
to
draw
the
curtains
,
as
a
rule
,
sir
.
"
"
Did
you
bring
it
straight
up
from
the
kitchen
then
?
"
"
No
,
sir
,
you
see
there's
not
much
room
on
the
gas
stove
,
so
Cook
used
to
make
it
early
,
before
putting
the
vegetables
on
for
supper
.
Then
I
used
to
bring
it
up
,
and
put
it
on
the
table
by
the
swing
door
,
and
take
it
into
her
room
later
.
"
"
The
swing
door
is
in
the
left
wing
,
is
it
not
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
.
"
"
And
the
table
,
is
it
on
this
side
of
the
door
,
or
on
the
farther
-
-
servants'
side
?
"
"
It's
this
side
,
sir
.
"
"
What
time
did
you
bring
it
up
last
night
?
"
"
About
quarter
-
past
seven
,
I
should
say
,
sir
.
"
"
And
when
did
you
take
it
into
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
room
?
"
"
When
I
went
to
shut
up
,
sir
.
About
eight
o'clock
.
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
came
up
to
bed
before
I'd
finished
.
"
"
Then
,
between
7
.
15
and
8
o'clock
the
coco
was
standing
on
the
table
in
the
left
wing
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
.
"
Annie
had
been
growing
redder
and
redder
in
the
face
,
and
now
she
blurted
out
unexpectedly
:
"
And
if
there
was
salt
in
it
,
sir
,
it
wasn't
me
:
I
never
took
the
salt
near
it
.
"
"
What
makes
you
think
there
was
salt
in
it
?
"
asked
Poirot
.
"
Seeing
it
on
the
tray
,
sir
.
"
"
You
saw
some
salt
on
the
tray
?
"
"
Yes
.
Coarse
kitchen
salt
,
it
looked
.
I
never
noticed
it
when
I
took
the
tray
up
,
but
when
I
came
to
take
it
into
the
mistress's
room
I
saw
it
at
once
,
and
I
suppose
I
ought
to
have
taken
it
down
again
,
and
asked
Cook
to
make
some
fresh
.
But
I
was
in
a
hurry
,
because
Dorcas
was
out
,
and
I
thought
maybe
the
coco
itself
was
all
right
,
and
the
salt
had
only
gone
on
the
tray
.
So
I
dusted
it
off
with
my
apron
,
and
took
it
in
.
"
I
had
the
utmost
difficulty
in
controlling
my
excitement
.
Unknown
to
herself
,
Annie
had
provided
us
with
an
important
piece
of
evidence
.
How
she
would
have
gaped
if
she
had
realized
that
her
"
coarse
kitchen
salt
"
was
strychnine
,
one
of
the
most
deadly
poisons
known
to
mankind
.
I
marvelled
at
Poirot's
calm
.
His
self
-
control
was
astonishing
.
I
awaited
his
next
question
with
impatience
,
but
it
disappointed
me
.
"
When
you
went
into
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
room
,
was
the
door
leading
into
Miss
Cynthia's
room
bolted
?
"
"
Oh
!
Yes
,
sir
;
it
always
was
.
It
had
never
been
opened
.
"
"
And
the
door
into
Mr
.
Inglethorp's
room
?
Did
you
notice
if
that
was
bolted
too
?
"
Annie
hesitated
.
"
I
couldn't
rightly
say
,
sir
;
it
was
shut
but
I
couldn't
say
whether
it
was
bolted
or
not
.
"
"
When
you
finally
left
the
room
,
did
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
bolt
the
door
after
you
?
"
"
No
,
sir
,
not
then
,
but
I
expect
she
did
later
.
She
usually
did
lock
it
at
night
.
The
door
into
the
passage
,
that
is
.
"
"
Did
you
notice
any
candle
grease
on
the
floor
when
you
did
the
room
yesterday
?
"
"
Candle
grease
?
Oh
,
no
,
sir
.
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
didn't
have
a
candle
,
only
a
reading
-
lamp
.
"
"
Then
,
if
there
had
been
a
large
patch
of
candle
grease
on
the
floor
,
you
think
you
would
have
been
sure
to
have
seen
it
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
,
and
I
would
have
taken
it
out
with
a
piece
of
blotting
-
paper
and
a
hot
iron
.
"
Then
Poirot
repeated
the
question
he
had
put
to
Dorcas
:
"
Did
your
mistress
ever
have
a
green
dress
?
"
"
No
,
sir
.
"
"
Nor
a
mantle
,
nor
a
cape
,
nor
a
-
-
how
do
you
call
it
?
-
-
a
sports
coat
?
"
"
Not
green
,
sir
.
"
"
Nor
anyone
else
in
the
house
?
"
Annie
reflected
.
"
No
,
sir
.
"
"
You
are
sure
of
that
?
"
"
Quite
sure
.
"
"
Bien
!
That
is
all
I
want
to
know
.
Thank
you
very
much
.
"
With
a
nervous
giggle
,
Annie
took
herself
creakingly
out
of
the
room
.
My
pent
-
up
excitement
burst
forth
.
"
Poirot
,
"
I
cried
,
"
I
congratulate
you
!
This
is
a
great
discovery
.
"
"
What
is
a
great
discovery
?
"
"
Why
,
that
it
was
the
coco
and
not
the
coffee
that
was
poisoned
.
That
explains
everything
!
Of
course
it
did
not
take
effect
until
the
early
morning
,
since
the
coco
was
only
drunk
in
the
middle
of
the
night
.
"
"
So
you
think
that
the
coco
-
-
mark
well
what
I
say
,
Hastings
,
the
coco
-
-
contained
strychnine
?
"
"
Of
course
!
That
salt
on
the
tray
,
what
else
could
it
have
been
?
"
"
It
might
have
been
salt
,
"
replied
Poirot
placidly
.
I
shrugged
my
shoulders
.
If
he
was
going
to
take
the
matter
that
way
,
it
was
no
good
arguing
with
him
.
The
idea
crossed
my
mind
,
not
for
the
first
time
,
that
poor
old
Poirot
was
growing
old
.
Privately
I
thought
it
lucky
that
he
had
associated
with
him
some
one
of
a
more
receptive
type
of
mind
.
Poirot
was
surveying
me
with
quietly
twinkling
eyes
.
"
You
are
not
pleased
with
me
,
mon
ami
?
"
"
My
dear
Poirot
,
"
I
said
coldly
,
"
it
is
not
for
me
to
dictate
to
you
.
You
have
a
right
to
your
own
opinion
,
just
as
I
have
to
mine
.
"
"
A
most
admirable
sentiment
,
"
remarked
Poirot
,
rising
briskly
to
his
feet
.
"
Now
I
have
finished
with
this
room
.
By
the
way
,
whose
is
the
smaller
desk
in
the
corner
?
"
"
Mr
.
Inglethorp's
.
"
"
Ah
!
"
He
tried
the
roll
top
tentatively
.
"
Locked
.
But
perhaps
one
of
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
keys
would
open
it
.
"
He
tried
several
,
twisting
and
turning
them
with
a
practised
hand
,
and
finally
uttering
an
ejaculation
of
satisfaction
.
"
Voila
!
It
is
not
the
key
,
but
it
will
open
it
at
a
pinch
.
"
He
slid
back
the
roll
top
,
and
ran
a
rapid
eye
over
the
neatly
filed
papers
.
To
my
surprise
,
he
did
not
examine
them
,
merely
remarking
approvingly
as
he
relocked
the
desk
:
"
Decidedly
,
he
is
a
man
of
method
,
this
Mr
.
Inglethorp
!
"
A
"
man
of
method
"
was
,
in
Poirot's
estimation
,
the
highest
praise
that
could
be
bestowed
on
any
individual
.
I
felt
that
my
friend
was
not
what
he
had
been
as
he
rambled
on
disconnectedly
:
"
There
were
no
stamps
in
his
desk
,
but
there
might
have
been
,
eh
,
mon
ami
?
There
might
have
been
?
Yes
"
-
-
his
eyes
wandered
round
the
room
-
-
"
this
boudoir
has
nothing
more
to
tell
us
.
It
did
not
yield
much
.
Only
this
.
"
He
pulled
a
crumpled
envelope
out
of
his
pocket
,
and
tossed
it
over
to
me
.
It
was
rather
a
curious
document
.
A
plain
,
dirty
looking
old
envelope
with
a
few
words
scrawled
across
it
,
apparently
at
random
.
The
following
is
a
facsimile
of
it
:
Chapter
V
"
IT
ISN'T
STRYCHNINE
,
IS
IT
?
"
"
Where
did
you
find
this
?
"
I
asked
Poirot
,
in
lively
curiosity
.
"
In
the
waste
-
paper
basket
.
You
recognise
the
handwriting
?
"
"
Yes
,
it
is
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
.
But
what
does
it
mean
?
"
Poirot
shrugged
his
shoulders
.
"
I
cannot
say
-
-
but
it
is
suggestive
.
"
A
wild
idea
flashed
across
me
.
Was
it
possible
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
mind
was
deranged
?
Had
she
some
fantastic
idea
of
demoniacal
possession
?
And
,
if
that
were
so
,
was
it
not
also
possible
that
she
might
have
taken
her
own
life
?
I
was
about
to
expound
these
theories
to
Poirot
,
when
his
own
words
distracted
me
.
"
Come
,
"
he
said
,
"
now
to
examine
the
coffee
-
cups
!
"
"
My
dear
Poirot
!
What
on
earth
is
the
good
of
that
,
now
that
we
know
about
the
coco
?
"
"
Oh
,
la
la
!
That
miserable
coco
!
"
cried
Poirot
flippantly
.
He
laughed
with
apparent
enjoyment
,
raising
his
arms
to
heaven
in
mock
despair
,
in
what
I
could
not
but
consider
the
worst
possible
taste
.
"
And
,
anyway
,
"
I
said
,
with
increasing
coldness
,
"
as
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
took
her
coffee
upstairs
with
her
,
I
do
not
see
what
you
expect
to
find
,
unless
you
consider
it
likely
that
we
shall
discover
a
packet
of
strychnine
on
the
coffee
tray
!
"
Poirot
was
sobered
at
once
.
"
Come
,
come
,
my
friend
,
"
he
said
,
slipping
his
arms
through
mine
;
"
Ne
vous
fachez
pas
!
Allow
me
to
interest
myself
in
my
coffee
-
cups
,
and
I
will
respect
your
coco
.
There
!
Is
it
a
bargain
?
"
He
was
so
quaintly
humorous
that
I
was
forced
to
laugh
;
and
we
went
together
to
the
drawing
-
room
,
where
the
coffee
-
cups
and
tray
remained
undisturbed
as
we
had
left
them
.
Poirot
made
me
recapitulate
the
scene
of
the
night
before
,
listening
very
carefully
,
and
verifying
the
position
of
the
various
cups
.
"
So
Mrs
.
Cavendish
stood
by
the
tray
-
-
and
poured
out
.
Yes
.
Then
she
came
across
to
the
window
where
you
sat
with
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
.
Yes
.
Here
are
the
three
cups
.
And
the
cup
on
the
mantel
-
piece
,
half
drunk
,
that
would
be
Mr
.
Lawrence
Cavendish's
.
And
the
one
on
the
tray
?
"
"
John
Cavendish's
.
I
saw
him
put
it
down
there
.
"
"
Good
.
One
,
two
,
three
,
four
,
five
-
-
but
where
,
then
,
the
cup
of
Mr
.
Inglethorp
?
"
"
He
does
not
take
coffee
.
"
"
Then
all
are
accounted
for
.
One
moment
,
my
friend
.
"
With
infinite
care
,
he
took
a
drop
or
two
from
the
grounds
in
each
cup
,
sealing
them
up
in
separate
test
tubes
,
tasting
each
in
turn
as
he
did
so
.
His
physiognomy
underwent
a
curious
change
.
An
expression
gathered
there
that
I
can
only
describe
as
half
puzzled
,
and
half
relieved
.
"
Bien
!
"
he
said
at
last
.
"
It
is
evident
!
I
had
an
idea
-
-
but
clearly
I
was
mistaken
.
Yes
,
altogether
I
was
mistaken
.
Yet
it
is
strange
.
But
no
matter
!
"
And
,
with
a
characteristic
shrug
,
he
dismissed
whatever
it
was
that
was
worrying
him
from
his
mind
.
I
could
have
told
him
from
the
beginning
that
this
obsession
of
his
over
the
coffee
was
bound
to
end
in
a
blind
alley
,
but
I
restrained
my
tongue
.
After
all
,
though
he
was
old
,
Poirot
had
been
a
great
man
in
his
day
.
"
Breakfast
is
ready
,
"
said
John
Cavendish
,
coming
in
from
the
hall
.
"
You
will
breakfast
with
us
,
Monsieur
Poirot
?
"
Poirot
acquiesced
.
I
observed
John
.
Already
he
was
almost
restored
to
his
normal
self
.
The
shock
of
the
events
of
the
last
night
had
upset
him
temporarily
,
but
his
equable
poise
soon
swung
back
to
the
normal
.
He
was
a
man
of
very
little
imagination
,
in
sharp
contrast
with
his
brother
,
who
had
,
perhaps
,
too
much
.
Ever
since
the
early
hours
of
the
morning
,
John
had
been
hard
at
work
,
sending
telegrams
-
-
one
of
the
first
had
gone
to
Evelyn
Howard
-
-
writing
notices
for
the
papers
,
and
generally
occupying
himself
with
the
melancholy
duties
that
a
death
entails
.
"
May
I
ask
how
things
are
proceeding
?
"
he
said
.
"
Do
your
investigations
point
to
my
mother
having
died
a
natural
death
-
-
or
-
-
or
must
we
prepare
ourselves
for
the
worst
?
"
"
I
think
,
Mr
.
Cavendish
,
"
said
Poirot
gravely
,
"
that
you
would
do
well
not
to
buoy
yourself
up
with
any
false
hopes
.
Can
you
tell
me
the
views
of
the
other
members
of
the
family
?
"
"
My
brother
Lawrence
is
convinced
that
we
are
making
a
fuss
over
nothing
.
He
says
that
everything
points
to
its
being
a
simple
case
of
heart
failure
.
"
"
He
does
,
does
he
?
That
is
very
interesting
very
interesting
,
"
murmured
Poirot
softly
.
"
And
Mrs
.
Cavendish
?
"
A
faint
cloud
passed
over
John's
face
.
"
I
have
not
the
least
idea
what
my
wife's
views
on
the
subject
are
.
"
The
answer
brought
a
momentary
stiffness
in
its
train
.
John
broke
the
rather
awkward
silence
by
saying
with
a
slight
effort
:
"
I
told
you
,
didn't
I
,
that
Mr
.
Inglethorp
has
returned
?
"
Poirot
bent
his
head
.
"
It's
an
awkward
position
for
all
of
us
.
Of
course
one
has
to
treat
him
as
usual
-
-
but
,
hang
it
all
,
one's
gorge
does
rise
at
sitting
down
to
eat
with
a
possible
murderer
!
"
Poirot
nodded
sympathetically
.
"
I
quite
understand
.
It
is
a
very
difficult
situation
for
you
,
Mr
.
Cavendish
.
I
would
like
to
ask
you
one
question
.
Mr
.
Inglethorp's
reason
for
not
returning
last
night
was
,
I
believe
,
that
he
had
forgotten
the
latch
-
key
.
Is
not
that
so
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
I
suppose
you
are
quite
sure
that
the
latch
-
key
was
forgotten
-
-
that
he
did
not
take
it
after
all
?
"
"
I
have
no
idea
.
I
never
thought
of
looking
.
We
always
keep
it
in
the
hall
drawer
.
I'll
go
and
see
if
it's
there
now
.
"
Poirot
held
up
his
hand
with
a
faint
smile
.
"
No
,
no
,
Mr
.
Cavendish
,
it
is
too
late
now
.
I
am
certain
that
you
would
find
it
.
If
Mr
.
Inglethorp
did
take
it
,
he
has
had
ample
time
to
replace
it
by
now
.
"
"
But
do
you
think
-
-
"
"
I
think
nothing
.
If
anyone
had
chanced
to
look
this
morning
before
his
return
,
and
seen
it
there
,
it
would
have
been
a
valuable
point
in
his
favour
.
That
is
all
.
"
John
looked
perplexed
.
"
Do
not
worry
,
"
said
Poirot
smoothly
.
"
I
assure
you
that
you
need
not
let
it
trouble
you
.
Since
you
are
so
kind
,
let
us
go
and
have
some
breakfast
.
"
Every
one
was
assembled
in
the
dining
-
room
.
Under
the
circumstances
,
we
were
naturally
not
a
cheerful
party
.
The
reaction
after
a
shock
is
always
trying
,
and
I
think
we
were
all
suffering
from
it
.
Decorum
and
good
breeding
naturally
enjoined
that
our
demeanour
should
be
much
as
usual
,
yet
I
could
not
help
wondering
if
this
self
-
control
were
really
a
matter
of
great
difficulty
.
There
were
no
red
eyes
,
no
signs
of
secretly
indulged
grief
.
I
felt
that
I
was
right
in
my
opinion
that
Dorcas
was
the
person
most
affected
by
the
personal
side
of
the
tragedy
.
I
pass
over
Alfred
Inglethorp
,
who
acted
the
bereaved
widower
in
a
manner
that
I
felt
to
be
disgusting
in
its
hypocrisy
.
Did
he
know
that
we
suspected
him
,
I
wondered
.
Surely
he
could
not
be
unaware
of
the
fact
,
conceal
it
as
we
would
.
Did
he
feel
some
secret
stirring
of
fear
,
or
was
he
confident
that
his
crime
would
go
unpunished
?
Surely
the
suspicion
in
the
atmosphere
must
warn
him
that
he
was
already
a
marked
man
.
But
did
every
one
suspect
him
?
What
about
Mrs
.
Cavendish
?
I
watched
her
as
she
sat
at
the
head
of
the
table
,
graceful
,
composed
,
enigmatic
.
In
her
soft
grey
frock
,
with
white
ruffles
at
the
wrists
falling
over
her
slender
hands
,
she
looked
very
beautiful
.
When
she
chose
,
however
,
her
face
could
be
sphinx
-
like
in
its
inscrutability
.
She
was
very
silent
,
hardly
opening
her
lips
,
and
yet
in
some
queer
way
I
felt
that
the
great
strength
of
her
personality
was
dominating
us
all
.
And
little
Cynthia
?
Did
she
suspect
?
She
looked
very
tired
and
ill
,
I
thought
.
The
heaviness
and
languor
of
her
manner
were
very
marked
.
I
asked
her
if
she
were
feeling
ill
,
and
she
answered
frankly
:
"
Yes
,
I've
got
the
most
beastly
headache
.
"
"
Have
another
cup
of
coffee
,
mademoiselle
?
"
said
Poirot
solicitously
.
"
It
will
revive
you
.
It
is
unparalleled
for
the
mal
de
tete
.
"
He
jumped
up
and
took
her
cup
.
"
No
sugar
,
"
said
Cynthia
,
watching
him
,
as
he
picked
up
the
sugar
-
tongs
.
"
No
sugar
?
You
abandon
it
in
the
war
-
time
,
eh
?
"
"
No
,
I
never
take
it
in
coffee
.
"
"
Sacre
!
"
murmured
Poirot
to
himself
,
as
he
brought
back
the
replenished
cup
.
Only
I
heard
him
,
and
glancing
up
curiously
at
the
little
man
I
saw
that
his
face
was
working
with
suppressed
excitement
,
and
his
eyes
were
as
green
as
a
cat's
.
He
had
heard
or
seen
something
that
had
affected
him
strongly
-
-
but
what
was
it
?
I
do
not
usually
label
myself
as
dense
,
but
I
must
confess
that
nothing
out
of
the
ordinary
had
attracted
my
attention
.
In
another
moment
,
the
door
opened
and
Dorcas
appeared
.
"
Mr
.
Wells
to
see
you
,
sir
,
"
she
said
to
John
.
I
remembered
the
name
as
being
that
of
the
lawyer
to
whom
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
had
written
the
night
before
.
John
rose
immediately
:
"
Show
him
into
my
study
.
"
Then
he
turned
to
us
.
"
My
mother's
lawyer
,
"
he
explained
.
And
in
a
lower
voice
:
"
He
is
also
Coroner
-
-
you
understand
.
Perhaps
you
would
like
to
come
with
me
?
"
We
acquiesced
and
followed
him
out
of
the
room
.
John
strode
on
ahead
and
I
took
the
opportunity
of
whispering
to
Poirot
:
"
There
will
be
an
inquest
then
?
"
Poirot
nodded
absently
.
He
seemed
absorbed
in
thought
;
so
much
so
that
my
curiosity
was
aroused
.
"
What
is
it
?
You
are
not
attending
to
what
I
say
.
"
"
It
is
true
,
my
friend
.
I
am
much
worried
"
"
Because
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
does
not
take
sugar
in
her
coffee
.
"
"
What
?
You
cannot
be
serious
?
"
"
But
I
am
most
serious
.
Ah
,
there
is
something
there
that
I
do
not
understand
.
My
instinct
was
right
.
"
"
What
instinct
?
"
"
The
instinct
that
led
me
to
insist
on
examining
those
coffee
cups
.
Chut
!
no
more
now
!
"
We
followed
John
into
his
study
,
and
he
closed
the
door
behind
us
.
Mr
.
Wells
was
a
pleasant
man
of
middle
-
age
,
with
keen
eyes
,
and
the
typical
lawyer's
mouth
.
John
introduced
us
both
,
and
explained
the
reason
of
our
presence
.
"
You
will
understand
,
Wells
,
"
he
added
,
"
that
this
is
all
strictly
private
.
We
are
still
hoping
that
there
will
turn
out
to
be
no
need
for
investigation
of
any
kind
.
"
"
Quite
so
,
quite
so
,
"
said
Mr
.
Wells
soothingly
.
"
I
wish
we
could
have
spared
you
the
pain
and
publicity
of
an
inquest
,
but
of
course
it's
quite
unavoidable
in
the
absence
of
a
doctor's
certificate
.
"
"
Yes
,
I
suppose
so
.
"
"
Clever
man
,
Bauerstein
.
Great
authority
on
toxicology
,
I
believe
.
"
"
Indeed
,
"
said
John
with
a
certain
stiffness
in
his
manner
.
Then
he
added
rather
hesitatingly
:
"
Shall
we
have
to
appear
as
witnesses
-
-
all
of
us
,
I
mean
?
"
"
You
,
of
course
-
-
and
ah
-
-
er
-
-
Mr
.
-
-
er
-
-
Inglethorp
.
"
A
slight
pause
ensued
before
the
lawyer
went
on
in
his
soothing
manner
:
"
Any
other
evidence
will
be
simply
confirmatory
,
a
mere
matter
of
form
.
"
"
I
see
.
"
A
faint
expression
of
relief
swept
over
John's
face
.
It
puzzled
me
,
for
I
saw
no
occasion
for
it
.
"
If
you
know
of
nothing
to
the
contrary
,
"
pursued
Mr
.
Wells
,
"
I
had
thought
of
Friday
.
That
will
give
us
plenty
of
time
for
the
doctor's
report
.
The
post
-
mortem
is
to
take
place
to
-
night
,
I
believe
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
Then
that
arrangement
will
suit
you
?
"
"
Perfectly
.
"
"
I
need
not
tell
you
,
my
dear
Cavendish
,
how
distressed
I
am
at
this
most
tragic
affair
.
"
"
Can
you
give
us
no
help
in
solving
it
,
monsieur
?
"
interposed
Poirot
,
speaking
for
the
first
time
since
we
had
entered
the
room
.
"
I
?
"
"
Yes
,
we
heard
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
wrote
to
you
last
night
.
You
should
have
received
the
letter
this
morning
.
"
"
I
did
,
but
it
contains
no
information
.
It
is
merely
a
note
asking
me
to
call
upon
her
this
morning
,
as
she
wanted
my
advice
on
a
matter
of
great
importance
.
"
"
She
gave
you
no
hint
as
to
what
that
matter
might
be
?
"
"
Unfortunately
,
no
.
"
"
That
is
a
pity
,
"
said
John
.
"
A
great
pity
,
"
agreed
Poirot
gravely
.
There
was
silence
.
Poirot
remained
lost
in
thought
for
a
few
minutes
.
Finally
he
turned
to
the
lawyer
again
.
"
Mr
.
Wells
,
there
is
one
thing
I
should
like
to
ask
you
-
-
that
is
,
if
it
is
not
against
professional
etiquette
.
In
the
event
of
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
death
,
who
would
inherit
her
money
?
"
The
lawyer
hesitated
a
moment
,
and
then
replied
:
"
The
knowledge
will
be
public
property
very
soon
,
so
if
Mr
.
Cavendish
does
not
object
-
-
"
"
Not
at
all
,
"
interpolated
John
.
"
I
do
not
see
any
reason
why
I
should
not
answer
your
question
.
By
her
last
will
,
dated
August
of
last
year
,
after
various
unimportant
legacies
to
servants
,
etc
.
,
she
gave
her
entire
fortune
to
her
stepson
,
Mr
.
John
Cavendish
.
"
"
Was
not
that
-
-
pardon
the
question
,
Mr
.
Cavendish
-
-
rather
unfair
to
her
other
stepson
,
Mr
.
Lawrence
Cavendish
?
"
"
No
,
I
do
not
think
so
.
You
see
,
under
the
terms
of
their
father's
will
,
while
John
inherited
the
property
,
Lawrence
,
at
his
stepmother's
death
,
would
come
into
a
considerable
sum
of
money
.
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
left
her
money
to
her
elder
stepson
,
knowing
that
he
would
have
to
keep
up
Styles
.
It
was
,
to
my
mind
,
a
very
fair
and
equitable
distribution
.
"
Poirot
nodded
thoughtfully
.
"
I
see
.
But
I
am
right
in
saying
,
am
I
not
,
that
by
your
English
law
that
will
was
automatically
revoked
when
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
remarried
?
"
Mr
.
Wells
bowed
his
head
.
"
As
I
was
about
to
proceed
,
Monsieur
Poirot
,
that
document
is
now
null
and
void
.
"
"
Hein
!
"
said
Poirot
.
He
reflected
for
a
moment
,
and
then
asked
:
"
Was
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
herself
aware
of
that
fact
?
"
"
I
do
not
know
.
She
may
have
been
.
"
"
She
was
,
"
said
John
unexpectedly
.
"
We
were
discussing
the
matter
of
wills
being
revoked
by
marriage
only
yesterday
.
"
"
Ah
!
One
more
question
,
Mr
.
Wells
.
You
say
`
her
last
will
.
`
Had
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
,
then
,
made
several
former
wills
?
"
"
On
an
average
,
she
made
a
new
will
at
least
once
a
year
,
"
said
Mr
.
Wells
imperturbably
.
"
She
was
given
to
changing
her
mind
as
to
her
testamentary
dispositions
,
now
benefiting
one
,
now
another
member
of
her
family
.
"
"
Suppose
,
"
suggested
Poirot
,
"
that
,
unknown
to
you
,
she
had
made
a
new
will
in
favour
of
some
one
who
was
not
,
in
any
sense
of
the
word
,
a
member
of
the
family
-
-
we
will
say
Miss
Howard
,
for
instance
-
-
would
you
be
surprised
?
"
"
Not
in
the
least
.
"
"
Ah
!
"
Poirot
seemed
to
have
exhausted
his
questions
.
I
drew
close
to
him
,
while
John
and
the
lawyer
were
debating
the
question
of
going
through
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
papers
.
"
Do
you
think
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
made
a
will
leaving
all
her
money
to
Miss
Howard
?
"
I
asked
in
a
low
voice
,
with
some
curiosity
.
Poirot
smiled
.
"
No
.
"
"
Then
why
did
you
ask
?
"
"
Hush
!
"
John
Cavendish
had
turned
to
Poirot
.
"
Will
you
come
with
us
,
Monsieur
Poirot
?
We
are
going
through
my
mother's
papers
.
Mr
.
Inglethorp
is
quite
willing
to
leave
it
entirely
to
Mr
.
Wells
and
myself
.
"
"
Which
simplifies
matters
very
much
,
"
murmured
the
lawyer
.
"
as
technically
,
of
course
,
he
was
entitled
-
-
"
He
did
not
finish
the
sentence
.
"
We
will
look
through
the
desk
in
the
boudoir
first
,
"
explained
John
,
"
and
go
up
to
her
bedroom
afterwards
.
She
kept
her
most
important
papers
in
a
purple
despatch
-
case
,
which
we
must
look
through
carefully
.
"
"
Yes
,
"
said
the
lawyer
,
"
it
is
quite
possible
that
there
may
be
a
later
will
than
the
one
in
my
possession
.
"
"
There
is
a
later
will
.
"
It
was
Poirot
who
spoke
.
"
What
?
"
John
and
the
lawyer
looked
at
him
startled
.
"
Or
,
rather
,
"
pursued
my
friend
imperturbably
,
"
there
was
one
.
"
"
What
do
you
mean
-
-
there
was
one
?
Where
is
it
now
?
"
"
Burnt
!
"
"
Burnt
?
"
"
Yes
.
See
here
.
"
He
took
out
the
charred
fragment
we
had
found
in
the
grate
in
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
room
,
and
handed
it
to
the
lawyer
with
a
brief
explanation
of
when
and
where
he
had
found
it
.
"
But
possibly
this
is
an
old
will
?
"
"
I
do
not
think
so
.
In
fact
I
am
almost
certain
that
it
was
made
no
earlier
than
yesterday
afternoon
.
"
"
What
?
"
"
Impossible
!
"
broke
simultaneously
from
both
men
.
Poirot
turned
to
John
.
"
If
you
will
allow
me
to
send
for
your
gardener
,
I
will
prove
it
to
you
.
"
"
Oh
,
of
course
-
-
but
I
don't
see
-
-
-
-
"
Poirot
raised
his
hand
.
"
Do
as
I
ask
you
.
Afterwards
you
shall
question
as
much
as
you
please
.
"
"
Very
well
.
"
He
rang
the
bell
.
Dorcas
answered
it
in
due
course
.
"
Dorcas
,
will
you
tell
Manning
to
come
round
and
speak
to
me
here
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
.
"
Dorcas
withdrew
.
We
waited
in
a
tense
silence
.
Poirot
alone
seemed
perfectly
at
his
ease
,
and
dusted
a
forgotten
corner
of
the
bookcase
.
The
clumping
of
hobnailed
boots
on
the
gravel
outside
proclaimed
the
approach
of
Manning
.
John
looked
questioningly
at
Poirot
.
The
latter
nodded
.
"
Come
inside
,
Manning
,
"
said
John
,
"
I
want
to
speak
to
you
.
"
Manning
came
slowly
and
hesitatingly
through
the
French
window
,
and
stood
as
near
it
as
he
could
.
He
held
his
cap
in
his
hands
,
twisting
it
very
carefully
round
and
round
.
His
back
was
much
bent
,
though
he
was
probably
not
as
old
as
he
looked
,
but
his
eyes
were
sharp
and
intelligent
,
and
belied
his
slow
and
rather
cautious
speech
.
"
Manning
,
"
said
John
,
"
this
gentleman
will
put
some
questions
to
you
which
I
want
you
to
answer
.
"
"
Yessir
,
"
mumbled
Manning
.
Poirot
stepped
forward
briskly
.
Manning's
eye
swept
over
him
with
a
faint
contempt
.
"
You
were
planting
a
bed
of
begonias
round
by
the
south
side
of
the
house
yesterday
afternoon
,
were
you
not
,
Manning
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
,
me
and
Willum
.
"
"
And
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
came
to
the
window
and
called
you
,
did
she
not
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
,
she
did
.
"
"
Tell
me
in
your
own
words
exactly
what
happened
after
that
.
"
"
Well
,
sir
,
nothing
much
.
She
just
told
Willum
to
go
on
his
bicycle
down
to
the
village
,
and
bring
back
a
form
of
will
,
or
such
-
like
-
-
I
don't
know
what
exactly
-
-
she
wrote
it
down
for
him
.
"
"
Well
?
"
"
Well
,
he
did
,
sir
.
"
"
And
what
happened
next
?
"
"
We
went
on
with
the
begonias
,
sir
.
"
"
Did
not
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
call
you
again
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
,
both
me
and
Willum
,
she
called
.
"
"
And
then
?
"
"
She
made
us
come
right
in
,
and
sign
our
names
at
the
bottom
of
a
long
paper
-
-
under
where
she'd
signed
.
"
"
Did
you
see
anything
of
what
was
written
above
her
signature
?
"
asked
Poirot
sharply
.
"
No
,
sir
,
there
was
a
bit
of
blotting
paper
over
that
part
.
"
"
And
you
signed
where
she
told
you
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
,
first
me
and
then
Willum
.
"
"
What
did
she
do
with
it
afterwards
?
"
"
Well
,
sir
,
she
slipped
it
into
a
long
envelope
,
and
put
it
inside
a
sort
of
purple
box
that
was
standing
on
the
desk
.
"
"
What
time
was
it
when
she
first
called
you
?
"
"
About
four
,
I
should
say
,
sir
.
"
"
Not
earlier
?
Couldn't
it
have
been
about
half
-
past
three
?
"
"
No
,
I
shouldn't
say
so
,
sir
.
It
would
be
more
likely
to
be
a
bit
after
four
-
-
not
before
it
.
"
"
Thank
you
,
Manning
,
that
will
do
,
"
said
Poirot
pleasantly
.
The
gardener
glanced
at
his
master
,
who
nodded
,
whereupon
Manning
lifted
a
finger
to
his
forehead
with
a
low
mumble
,
and
backed
cautiously
out
of
the
window
.
We
all
looked
at
each
other
.
"
Good
heavens
!
"
murmured
John
.
"
What
an
extraordinary
coincidence
.
"
"
How
-
-
a
coincidence
?
"
"
That
my
mother
should
have
made
a
will
on
the
very
day
of
her
death
!
"
Mr
.
Wells
cleared
his
throat
and
remarked
drily
:
"
Are
you
so
sure
it
is
a
coincidence
,
Cavendish
?
"
"
What
do
you
mean
?
"
"
Your
mother
,
you
tell
me
,
had
a
violent
quarrel
with
-
-
some
one
yesterday
afternoon
-
-
"
"
What
do
you
mean
?
"
cried
John
again
.
There
was
a
tremor
in
his
voice
,
and
he
had
gone
very
pale
.
"
In
consequence
of
that
quarrel
,
your
mother
very
suddenly
and
hurriedly
makes
a
new
will
.
The
contents
of
that
will
we
shall
never
know
.
She
told
no
one
of
its
provisions
.
This
morning
,
no
doubt
,
she
would
have
consulted
me
on
the
subject
but
she
had
no
chance
.
The
will
disappears
,
and
she
takes
its
secret
with
her
to
her
grave
.
Cavendish
,
I
much
fear
there
is
no
coincidence
there
.
Monsieur
Poirot
,
I
am
sure
you
agree
with
me
that
the
facts
are
very
suggestive
.
"
"
Suggestive
,
or
not
,
"
interrupted
John
,
"
we
are
most
grateful
to
Monsieur
Poirot
for
elucidating
the
matter
.
But
for
him
,
we
should
never
have
known
of
this
will
.
I
suppose
,
I
may
not
ask
you
,
monsieur
,
what
first
led
you
to
suspect
the
fact
?
"
Poirot
smiled
and
answered
:
"
A
scribbled
over
old
envelope
,
and
a
freshly
planted
bed
of
begonias
.
"
John
,
I
think
,
would
have
pressed
his
questions
further
,
but
at
that
moment
the
loud
purr
of
a
motor
was
audible
,
and
we
all
turned
to
the
window
as
it
swept
past
.
"
Evie
!
"
cried
John
.
"
Excuse
me
,
Wells
.
"
He
went
hurriedly
out
into
the
hall
.
Poirot
looked
inquiringly
at
me
.
"
Miss
Howard
,
"
I
explained
.
"
Ah
,
I
am
glad
she
has
come
.
There
is
a
woman
with
a
head
and
a
heart
too
,
Hastings
.
Though
the
good
God
gave
her
no
beauty
!
"
I
followed
John's
example
,
and
went
out
into
the
hall
,
where
Miss
Howard
was
endeavouring
to
extricate
herself
from
the
voluminous
mass
of
veils
that
enveloped
her
head
.
As
her
eyes
fell
on
me
,
a
sudden
pang
of
guilt
shot
through
me
.
This
was
the
woman
who
had
warned
me
-
-
so
earnestly
,
and
to
whose
warning
I
had
,
alas
,
paid
no
heed
!
How
soon
,
and
how
contemptuously
,
I
had
dismissed
it
from
my
mind
.
Now
that
she
had
been
proved
justified
in
so
tragic
a
manner
,
I
felt
ashamed
.
She
had
known
Alfred
Inglethorp
only
too
well
.
I
wondered
whether
,
if
she
had
remained
at
Styles
,
the
tragedy
would
have
taken
place
,
or
would
the
man
have
feared
her
watchful
eyes
?
I
was
relieved
when
she
shook
me
by
the
hand
,
with
her
well
remembered
painful
grip
.
The
eyes
that
met
mine
were
sad
,
but
not
reproachful
;
that
she
had
been
crying
bitterly
,
I
could
tell
by
the
redness
of
her
eyelids
,
but
her
manner
was
unchanged
from
its
old
gruffness
.
"
Started
the
moment
I
got
the
wire
.
Just
come
off
night
duty
.
Hired
car
.
Quickest
way
to
get
here
.
"
"
Have
you
had
anything
to
eat
this
morning
,
Evie
?
"
asked
John
.
"
No
.
"
"
I
thought
not
.
Come
along
,
breakfast's
not
cleared
away
yet
,
and
they'll
make
you
some
fresh
tea
.
"
He
turned
to
me
.
"
Look
after
her
,
Hastings
,
will
you
?
Wells
is
waiting
for
me
.
Oh
,
here's
Monsieur
Poirot
.
He's
helping
us
,
you
know
,
Evie
.
"
Miss
Howard
shook
hands
with
Poirot
,
but
glanced
suspiciously
over
her
shoulder
at
John
.
"
What
do
you
mean
-
-
helping
us
?
"
"
Helping
us
to
investigate
.
"
"
Nothing
to
investigate
.
Have
they
taken
him
to
prison
yet
?
"
"
Taken
who
to
prison
?
"
"
Who
?
Alfred
Inglethorp
,
of
course
!
"
"
My
dear
Evie
,
do
be
careful
.
Lawrence
is
of
the
opinion
that
my
mother
died
from
heart
seizure
.
"
"
More
fool
,
Lawrence
!
"
retorted
Miss
Howard
.
"
Of
course
Alfred
Inglethorp
murdered
poor
Emily
-
-
as
I
always
told
you
he
would
.
"
"
My
dear
Evie
,
don't
shout
so
.
Whatever
we
may
think
or
suspect
,
it
is
better
to
say
as
little
as
possible
for
the
present
.
The
inquest
isn't
until
Friday
.
"
"
Not
until
fiddlesticks
!
"
The
snort
Miss
Howard
gave
was
truly
magnificent
.
"
You're
all
off
your
heads
.
The
man
will
be
out
of
the
country
by
then
.
If
he's
any
sense
,
he
won't
stay
here
tamely
and
wait
to
be
hanged
.
"
John
Cavendish
looked
at
her
helplessly
.
"
I
know
what
it
is
,
"
she
accused
him
,
"
you've
been
listening
to
the
doctors
.
Never
should
.
What
do
they
know
?
Nothing
at
all
-
-
or
just
enough
to
make
them
dangerous
.
I
ought
to
know
-
-
my
own
father
was
a
doctor
.
That
little
Wilkins
is
about
the
greatest
fool
that
even
I
have
ever
seen
.
Heart
seizure
!
Sort
of
thing
he
would
say
.
Anyone
with
any
sense
could
see
at
once
that
her
husband
had
poisoned
her
.
I
always
said
he'd
murder
her
in
her
bed
,
poor
soul
.
Now
he's
done
it
.
And
all
you
can
do
is
to
murmur
silly
things
about
`
heart
seizure
`
and
`
inquest
on
Friday
.
`
You
ought
to
be
ashamed
of
yourself
,
John
Cavendish
.
"
"
What
do
you
want
me
to
do
?
"
asked
John
,
unable
to
help
a
faint
smile
.
"
Dash
it
all
,
Evie
,
I
can't
haul
him
down
to
the
local
police
station
by
the
scruff
of
his
neck
.
"
"
Well
,
you
might
do
something
.
Find
out
how
he
did
it
.
He's
a
crafty
beggar
.
Dare
say
he
soaked
fly
papers
.
Ask
Cook
if
she's
missed
any
.
"
It
occurred
to
me
very
forcibly
at
that
moment
that
to
harbour
Miss
Howard
and
Alfred
Inglethorp
under
the
same
roof
,
and
keep
the
peace
between
them
,
was
likely
to
prove
a
Herculean
task
,
and
I
did
not
envy
John
.
I
could
see
by
the
expression
of
his
face
that
he
fully
appreciated
the
difficulty
of
the
position
.
For
the
moment
,
he
sought
refuge
in
retreat
,
and
left
the
room
precipitately
.
Dorcas
brought
in
fresh
tea
.
As
she
left
the
room
,
Poirot
came
over
from
the
window
where
he
had
been
standing
,
and
sat
down
facing
Miss
Howard
.
"
Mademoiselle
,
"
he
said
gravely
,
"
I
want
to
ask
you
something
.
"
"
Ask
away
,
"
said
the
lady
,
eyeing
him
with
some
disfavour
.
"
I
want
to
be
able
to
count
upon
your
help
.
"
"
I'll
help
you
to
hang
Alfred
with
pleasure
,
"
she
replied
gruffly
.
"
Hanging's
too
good
for
him
.
Ought
to
be
drawn
and
quartered
,
like
in
good
old
times
.
"
"
We
are
at
one
then
,
"
said
Poirot
,
"
for
I
,
too
,
want
to
hang
the
criminal
.
"
"
Alfred
Inglethorp
?
"
"
Him
,
or
another
.
"
"
No
question
of
another
.
Poor
Emily
was
never
murdered
until
he
came
along
.
I
don't
say
she
wasn't
surrounded
by
sharks
-
-
she
was
.
But
it
was
only
her
purse
they
were
after
.
Her
life
was
safe
enough
.
But
along
comes
Mr
.
Alfred
Inglethorp
-
-
and
within
two
months
-
-
hey
presto
!
"
"
Believe
me
,
Miss
Howard
,
"
said
Poirot
very
earnestly
,
"
if
Mr
.
Inglethorp
is
the
man
,
he
shall
not
escape
me
.
On
my
honour
,
I
will
hang
him
as
high
as
Haman
!
"
"
That's
better
,
"
said
Miss
Howard
more
enthusiastically
.
"
But
I
must
ask
you
to
trust
me
.
Now
your
help
may
be
very
valuable
to
me
.
I
will
tell
you
why
.
Because
,
in
all
this
house
of
mourning
,
yours
are
the
only
eyes
that
have
wept
.
"
Miss
Howard
blinked
,
and
a
new
note
crept
into
the
gruffness
of
her
voice
.
"
If
you
mean
that
I
was
fond
of
her
-
-
yes
,
I
was
.
You
know
,
Emily
was
a
selfish
old
woman
in
her
way
.
She
was
very
generous
,
but
she
always
wanted
a
return
.
She
never
let
people
forget
what
she
had
done
for
them
-
-
and
,
that
way
,
she
missed
love
.
Don't
think
she
ever
realized
it
,
though
,
or
felt
the
lack
of
it
.
Hope
not
,
anyway
.
I
was
on
a
different
footing
.
I
took
my
stand
from
the
first
,
`
So
many
pounds
a
year
I'm
worth
to
you
.
Well
and
good
.
But
not
a
penny
piece
besides
-
-
not
a
pair
of
gloves
,
nor
a
theatre
ticket
.
`
She
didn't
understand
-
-
was
very
offended
sometimes
.
Said
I
was
foolishly
proud
.
It
wasn't
that
-
but
I
couldn't
explain
.
Anyway
,
I
kept
my
self
-
respect
.
And
so
,
out
of
the
whole
bunch
,
I
was
the
only
one
who
could
allow
myself
to
be
fond
of
her
.
I
watched
over
her
.
I
guarded
her
from
the
lot
of
them
,
and
then
a
glib
-
tongued
scoundrel
comes
along
,
and
pooh
!
all
my
years
of
devotion
go
for
nothing
.
"
Poirot
nodded
sympathetically
.
"
I
understand
,
mademoiselle
,
I
understand
all
you
feel
.
It
is
most
natural
.
You
think
that
we
are
lukewarm
-
-
that
we
lack
fire
and
energy
-
-
but
trust
me
it
is
not
so
.
"
John
stuck
his
head
in
at
this
juncture
,
and
invited
us
both
to
come
up
to
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
room
,
as
he
and
Mr
.
Wells
had
finished
looking
through
the
desk
in
the
boudoir
.
As
we
went
up
the
stairs
,
John
looked
back
to
the
dining
-
room
door
,
and
lowered
his
voice
confidentially
:
"
Look
here
,
what's
going
to
happen
when
these
two
meet
?
"
I
shook
my
head
helplessly
.
"
I've
told
Mary
to
keep
them
apart
if
she
can
.
"
"
Will
she
be
able
to
do
so
?
"
"
The
Lord
only
knows
.
There's
one
thing
,
Inglethorp
himself
won't
be
too
keen
on
meeting
her
.
"
"
You've
got
the
keys
still
,
haven't
you
,
Poirot
?
"
I
asked
,
as
we
reached
the
door
of
the
locked
room
.
Taking
the
keys
from
Poirot
,
John
unlocked
it
,
and
we
all
passed
in
.
The
lawyer
went
straight
to
the
desk
,
and
John
followed
him
.
"
My
mother
kept
most
of
her
important
papers
in
this
despatch
-
case
,
I
believe
,
"
he
said
.
Poirot
drew
out
the
small
bunch
of
keys
.
"
Permit
me
.
I
locked
it
,
out
of
precaution
,
this
morning
.
"
But
it's
not
locked
now
.
"
"
Impossible
!
"
"
See
.
"
And
John
lifted
the
lid
as
he
spoke
.
"
Milles
tonnerres
!
"
cried
Poirot
,
dumbfounded
.
"
And
I
-
-
who
have
both
the
keys
in
my
pocket
!
"
He
flung
himself
upon
the
case
.
Suddenly
he
stiffened
.
"
En
voila
une
affaire
!
This
lock
has
been
forced
!
"
"
What
?
"
Poirot
laid
down
the
case
again
.
"
But
who
forced
it
?
Why
should
they
?
When
?
But
the
door
was
locked
?
"
These
exclamations
burst
from
us
disjointly
.
Poirot
answered
them
categorically
-
-
almost
mechanically
.
"
Who
?
That
is
the
question
.
Why
?
Ah
,
if
I
only
knew
.
When
?
Since
I
was
here
an
hour
ago
.
As
to
the
door
being
locked
,
it
is
a
very
ordinary
lock
.
Probably
any
other
of
the
doorkeys
in
this
passage
would
fit
it
.
"
We
stared
at
one
another
blankly
.
Poirot
had
walked
over
to
the
mantelpiece
.
He
was
outwardly
calm
,
but
I
noticed
his
hands
,
which
from
long
force
of
habit
were
mechanically
straightening
the
spill
vases
on
the
mantelpiece
,
were
shaking
violently
.
"
See
here
,
it
was
like
this
,
"
he
said
at
last
.
"
There
was
something
in
that
case
-
-
some
piece
of
evidence
,
slight
in
itself
perhaps
,
but
still
enough
of
a
clue
to
connect
the
murderer
with
the
crime
.
It
was
vital
to
him
that
it
should
be
destroyed
before
it
was
discovered
and
its
significance
appreciated
.
Therefore
,
he
took
the
risk
,
the
great
risk
,
of
coming
in
here
.
Finding
the
case
locked
,
he
was
obliged
to
force
it
,
thus
betraying
his
presence
.
For
him
to
take
that
risk
,
it
must
have
been
something
of
great
importance
.
"
"
But
what
was
it
?
"
"
Ah
!
"
cried
Poirot
,
with
a
gesture
of
anger
.
"
That
,
I
do
not
know
!
A
document
of
some
kind
,
without
doubt
,
possibly
the
scrap
of
paper
Dorcas
saw
in
her
hand
yesterday
afternoon
.
And
I
-
-
"
his
anger
burst
forth
freely
-
-
"
miserable
animal
that
I
am
!
I
guessed
nothing
!
I
have
behaved
like
an
imbecile
!
I
should
never
have
left
that
case
here
.
I
should
have
carried
it
away
with
me
.
Ah
,
triple
pig
!
And
now
it
is
gone
.
It
is
destroyed
-
-
but
is
it
destroyed
?
Is
there
not
yet
a
chance
-
-
we
must
leave
no
stone
unturned
.
"
He
rushed
like
a
madman
from
the
room
,
and
I
followed
him
as
soon
as
I
had
sufficiently
recovered
my
wits
.
But
,
by
the
time
I
had
reached
the
top
of
the
stairs
,
he
was
out
of
sight
.
Mary
Cavendish
was
standing
where
the
staircase
branched
,
staring
down
into
the
hall
in
the
direction
in
which
he
had
disappeared
.
"
What
has
happened
to
your
extraordinary
little
friend
,
Mr
.
Hastings
?
He
has
just
rushed
past
me
like
a
mad
bull
.
"
"
He's
rather
upset
about
something
,
"
I
remarked
feebly
.
I
really
did
not
know
how
much
Poirot
would
wish
me
to
disclose
.
As
I
saw
a
faint
smile
gather
on
Mrs
.
Cavendish's
expressive
mouth
,
I
endeavoured
to
try
and
turn
the
conversation
by
saying
:
"
They
haven't
met
yet
,
have
they
?
"
"
Who
?
"
"
Mr
.
Inglethorp
and
Miss
Howard
.
"
She
looked
at
me
in
rather
a
disconcerting
manner
.
"
Do
you
think
it
would
be
such
a
disaster
if
they
did
meet
?
"
"
Well
,
don't
you
?
"
I
said
,
rather
taken
aback
.
"
No
.
"
She
was
smiling
in
her
quiet
way
.
"
I
should
like
to
see
a
good
flare
up
.
It
would
clear
the
air
.
At
present
we
are
all
thinking
so
much
,
and
saying
so
little
.
"
"
John
doesn't
think
so
,
"
I
remarked
.
"
He's
anxious
to
keep
them
apart
.
"
"
Oh
,
John
!
"
Something
in
her
tone
fired
me
,
and
I
blurted
out
:
"
Old
John's
an
awfully
good
sort
.
"
She
studied
me
curiously
for
a
minute
or
two
,
and
then
said
,
to
my
great
surprise
:
"
You
are
loyal
to
your
friend
.
I
like
you
for
that
.
"
"
Aren't
you
my
friend
too
?
"
"
I
am
a
very
bad
friend
.
"
"
Why
do
you
say
that
?
"
"
Because
it
is
true
.
I
am
charming
to
my
friends
one
day
,
and
forget
all
about
them
the
next
.
"
I
don't
know
what
impelled
me
,
but
I
was
nettled
,
and
I
said
foolishly
and
not
in
the
best
of
taste
:
"
Yet
you
seem
to
be
invariably
charming
to
Dr
.
Bauerstein
!
"
Instantly
I
regretted
my
words
.
Her
face
stiffened
.
I
had
the
impression
of
a
steel
curtain
coming
down
and
blotting
out
the
real
woman
.
Without
a
word
,
she
turned
and
went
swiftly
up
the
stairs
,
whilst
I
stood
like
an
idiot
gaping
after
her
.
I
was
recalled
to
other
matters
by
a
frightful
row
going
on
below
.
I
could
hear
Poirot
shouting
and
expounding
.
I
was
vexed
to
think
that
my
diplomacy
had
been
in
vain
.
The
little
man
appeared
to
be
taking
the
whole
house
into
his
confidence
,
a
proceeding
of
which
I
,
for
one
,
doubted
the
wisdom
.
Once
again
I
could
not
help
regretting
that
my
friend
was
so
prone
to
lose
his
head
in
moments
of
excitement
.
I
stepped
briskly
down
the
stairs
.
The
sight
of
me
calmed
Poirot
almost
immediately
.
I
drew
him
aside
.
"
My
dear
fellow
,
"
I
said
,
"
is
this
wise
?
Surely
you
don't
want
the
whole
house
to
know
of
this
occurrence
?
You
are
actually
playing
into
the
criminal's
hands
.
"
"
You
think
so
,
Hastings
?
"
"
I
am
sure
of
it
.
"
"
Well
,
well
,
my
friend
,
I
will
be
guided
by
you
.
"
Good
.
Although
,
unfortunately
,
it
is
a
little
too
late
now
.
"
"
Sure
.
"
He
looked
so
crestfallen
and
abashed
that
I
felt
quite
sorry
,
though
I
still
thought
my
rebuke
a
just
and
wise
one
.
"
Well
,
"
he
said
at
last
,
"
let
us
go
,
mon
ami
.
"
"
You
have
finished
here
?
"
"
For
the
moment
,
yes
.
You
will
walk
back
with
me
to
the
village
?
"
He
picked
up
his
little
suit
-
case
,
and
we
went
out
through
the
open
window
in
the
drawing
-
room
.
Cynthia
Murdoch
was
just
coming
in
,
and
Poirot
stood
aside
to
let
her
pass
.
"
Excuse
me
,
mademoiselle
,
one
minute
.
"
"
Yes
?
"
she
turned
inquiringly
.
"
Did
you
ever
make
up
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
medicines
?
"
A
slight
flush
rose
in
her
face
,
as
she
answered
rather
constrainedly
:
"
No
.
"
"
Only
her
powders
?
"
The
flush
deepened
as
Cynthia
replied
:
"
Oh
,
yes
,
I
did
make
up
some
sleeping
powders
for
her
once
.
"
"
These
?
"
Poirot
produced
the
empty
box
which
had
contained
powders
.
She
nodded
.
"
Can
you
tell
me
what
they
were
?
Sulphonal
?
Veronal
?
"
"
No
,
they
were
bromide
powders
.
"
"
Ah
!
Thank
you
,
mademoiselle
;
good
morning
.
"
As
we
walked
briskly
away
from
the
house
,
I
glanced
at
him
more
than
once
.
I
had
often
before
noticed
that
,
if
anything
excited
him
,
his
eyes
turned
green
like
a
cat's
.
They
were
shining
like
emeralds
now
.
"
My
friend
,
"
he
broke
out
at
last
,
"
I
have
a
little
idea
,
a
very
strange
and
probably
utterly
impossible
idea
.
And
yet
-
-
it
fits
in
.
"
I
shrugged
my
shoulders
.
I
privately
thought
that
Poirot
was
rather
too
much
given
to
these
fantastic
ideas
.
In
this
case
,
surely
,
the
truth
was
only
too
plain
and
apparent
.
So
that
is
the
explanation
of
the
blank
label
on
the
box
,
"
I
remarked
.
"
Very
simple
,
as
you
said
.
I
really
wonder
that
I
did
not
think
of
it
myself
.
"
Poirot
did
not
appear
to
be
listening
to
me
.
"
They
have
made
one
more
discovery
,
la
-
bas
,
"
he
observed
,
jerking
his
thumb
over
his
shoulder
in
the
direction
of
Styles
.
"
Mr
.
Wells
told
me
as
we
were
going
upstairs
.
"
"
What
was
it
?
"
"
Locked
up
in
the
desk
in
the
boudoir
,
they
found
a
will
of
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
,
dated
before
her
marriage
,
leaving
her
fortune
to
Alfred
Inglethorp
.
It
must
have
been
made
just
at
the
time
they
were
engaged
.
It
came
quite
as
a
surprise
to
Wells
-
-
and
to
John
Cavendish
also
.
It
was
written
on
one
of
those
printed
will
forms
,
and
witnessed
by
two
of
the
servants
-
-
not
Dorcas
.
"
"
Did
Mr
.
Inglethorp
know
of
it
?
"
"
He
says
not
.
"
"
One
might
take
that
with
a
grain
of
salt
,
"
I
remarked
sceptically
.
"
All
these
wills
are
very
confusing
.
Tell
me
,
how
did
those
scribbled
words
on
the
envelope
help
you
to
discover
that
a
will
was
made
yesterday
afternoon
?
"
Poirot
smiled
.
"
Mon
ami
,
have
you
ever
,
when
writing
a
letter
,
been
arrested
by
the
fact
that
you
did
not
know
how
to
spell
a
certain
word
?
"
"
Yes
,
often
.
I
suppose
every
one
has
.
"
"
Exactly
.
And
have
you
not
,
in
such
a
case
,
tried
the
word
once
or
twice
on
the
edge
of
the
blotting
-
paper
,
or
a
spare
scrap
of
paper
,
to
see
if
it
looked
right
?
Well
,
that
is
what
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
did
.
You
will
notice
that
the
word
`
possessed
`
is
spelt
first
with
one
`
s
`
and
subsequently
with
two
-
-
correctly
.
To
make
sure
,
she
had
further
tried
it
in
a
sentence
,
thus
:
`
I
am
possessed
.
`
Now
,
what
did
that
tell
me
?
It
told
me
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
had
been
writing
the
word
`
possessed
`
that
afternoon
,
and
,
having
the
fragment
of
paper
found
in
the
grate
fresh
in
my
mind
,
the
possibility
of
a
will
-
-
(
a
document
almost
certain
to
contain
that
word
)
-
-
occurred
to
me
at
once
.
This
possibility
was
confirmed
by
a
further
circumstance
.
In
the
general
confusion
,
the
boudoir
had
not
been
swept
that
morning
,
and
near
the
desk
were
several
traces
of
brown
mould
and
earth
.
The
weather
had
been
perfectly
fine
for
some
days
,
and
no
ordinary
boots
would
have
left
such
a
heavy
deposit
.
"
I
strolled
to
the
window
,
and
saw
at
once
that
the
begonia
beds
had
been
newly
planted
.
The
mould
in
the
beds
was
exactly
similar
to
that
on
the
floor
of
the
boudoir
,
and
also
I
learnt
from
you
that
they
had
been
planted
yesterday
afternoon
.
I
was
now
sure
that
one
,
or
possibly
both
of
the
gardeners
-
for
there
were
two
sets
of
foot
-
prints
in
the
bed
-
-
had
entered
the
boudoir
,
for
if
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
had
merely
wished
to
speak
to
them
she
would
in
all
probability
have
stood
at
the
window
,
and
they
would
not
have
come
into
the
room
at
all
.
I
was
now
quite
convinced
that
she
had
made
a
fresh
will
,
and
had
called
the
two
gardeners
in
to
witness
her
signature
.
Events
proved
that
I
was
right
in
my
supposition
.
"
"
That
was
very
ingenious
,
"
I
could
not
help
admitting
.
"
I
must
confess
that
the
conclusions
I
drew
from
those
few
scribbled
words
were
quite
erroneous
.
"
He
smiled
.
"
You
gave
too
much
rein
to
your
imagination
.
Imagination
is
a
good
servant
,
and
a
bad
master
.
The
simplest
explanation
is
always
the
most
likely
.
"
"
Another
point
-
-
how
did
you
know
that
the
key
of
the
despatch
-
case
had
been
lost
?
"
"
I
did
not
know
it
.
It
was
a
guess
that
turned
out
to
be
correct
.
You
observed
that
it
had
a
piece
of
twisted
wire
through
the
handle
.
That
suggested
to
me
at
once
that
it
had
possibly
been
wrenched
off
a
flimsy
key
-
ring
.
Now
,
if
it
had
been
lost
and
recovered
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
would
at
once
have
replaced
it
on
her
bunch
;
but
on
her
bunch
I
found
what
was
obviously
the
duplicate
key
,
very
new
and
bright
,
which
led
me
to
the
hypothesis
that
somebody
else
had
inserted
the
original
key
in
the
lock
of
the
despatch
-
case
.
"
"
Yes
,
"
I
said
,
"
Alfred
Inglethorp
,
without
doubt
.
"
Poirot
looked
at
me
curiously
.
"
You
are
very
sure
of
his
guilt
?
"
"
Well
,
naturally
.
Every
fresh
circumstance
seems
to
establish
it
more
clearly
.
"
"
On
the
contrary
,
"
said
Poirot
quietly
,
"
there
are
several
points
in
his
favour
.
"
"
Oh
,
come
now
!
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
I
see
only
one
.
"
"
And
that
?
"
"
That
he
was
not
in
the
house
last
night
.
"
"
`
Bad
shot
!
`
as
you
English
say
!
You
have
chosen
the
one
point
that
to
my
mind
tells
against
him
.
"
"
How
is
that
?
"
"
Because
if
Mr
.
Inglethorp
knew
that
his
wife
would
be
poisoned
last
night
,
he
would
certainly
have
arranged
to
be
away
from
the
house
.
His
excuse
was
an
obviously
trumped
up
one
.
That
leaves
us
two
possibilities
:
either
he
knew
what
was
going
to
happen
or
he
had
a
reason
of
his
own
for
his
absence
.
"
"
And
that
reason
?
"
I
asked
sceptically
.
Poirot
shrugged
his
shoulders
.
"
How
should
I
know
?
Discreditable
,
without
doubt
.
This
Mr
.
Inglethorp
,
I
should
say
,
is
somewhat
of
a
scoundrel
-
-
but
that
does
not
of
necessity
make
him
a
murderer
.
"
I
shook
my
head
,
unconvinced
.
"
We
do
not
agree
,
eh
?
"
said
Poirot
"
Well
,
let
us
leave
it
.
Time
will
show
which
of
us
is
right
.
Now
let
us
turn
to
other
aspects
of
the
case
.
What
do
you
make
of
the
fact
that
all
the
doors
of
the
bedroom
were
bolted
on
the
inside
?
"
"
Well
,
"
I
considered
.
"
One
must
look
at
it
logically
.
"
"
True
.
"
"
I
should
put
it
this
way
.
The
doors
were
bolted
-
-
our
own
eyes
have
told
us
that
-
-
yet
the
presence
of
the
candle
grease
on
the
floor
,
and
the
destruction
of
the
will
,
prove
that
during
the
night
some
one
entered
the
room
.
You
agree
so
far
?
"
"
Perfectly
.
Put
with
admirable
clearness
.
Proceed
.
"
"
Well
,
"
I
said
,
encouraged
,
"
as
the
person
who
entered
did
not
do
so
by
the
window
,
nor
by
miraclous
means
,
it
follows
that
the
door
must
have
been
opened
from
inside
by
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
herself
.
That
strengthens
the
conviction
that
the
person
in
question
was
her
husband
.
She
would
naturally
open
the
door
to
her
own
husband
.
"
Poirot
shook
his
head
.
"
Why
should
she
?
She
had
bolted
the
door
leading
into
his
room
-
-
a
most
unusual
proceeding
on
her
part
-
-
she
had
had
a
most
violent
quarrel
with
him
that
very
afternoon
.
No
,
he
was
the
last
person
she
would
admit
.
"
"
But
you
agree
with
me
that
the
door
must
have
been
opened
by
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
herself
?
"
"
There
is
another
possibility
.
She
may
have
forgotten
to
bolt
the
door
into
the
passage
when
she
went
to
bed
,
and
have
got
up
later
,
towards
morning
,
and
bolted
it
then
.
"
"
Poirot
,
is
that
seriously
your
opinion
?
"
"
No
,
I
do
not
say
it
is
so
,
but
it
might
be
.
Now
,
to
turn
to
another
feature
,
what
do
you
make
of
the
scrap
of
conversation
you
overheard
between
Mrs
.
Cavendish
and
her
mother
-
in
-
law
?
"
"
I
had
forgotten
that
,
"
I
said
thoughtfully
.
"
That
is
as
enigmatical
as
ever
.
It
seems
incredible
that
a
woman
like
Mrs
.
Cavendish
,
proud
and
reticent
to
the
last
degree
,
should
interfere
so
violently
in
what
was
certainly
not
her
affair
.
"
"
Precisely
.
It
was
an
astonishing
thing
for
a
woman
of
her
breeding
to
do
.
"
"
It
is
certainly
curious
,
"
I
agreed
.
"
Still
,
it
is
unimportant
,
and
need
not
be
taken
into
account
.
"
A
groan
burst
from
Poirot
.
"
What
have
I
always
told
you
?
Everything
must
be
taken
into
account
.
If
the
fact
will
not
fit
the
theory
-
-
let
the
theory
go
.
"
"
Well
,
we
shall
see
,
"
I
said
,
nettled
.
"
Yes
,
we
shall
see
.
"
We
had
reached
Leastways
Cottage
,
and
Poirot
ushered
me
upstairs
to
his
own
room
.
He
offered
me
one
of
the
tiny
Russian
cigarettes
he
himself
occasionally
smoked
.
I
was
amused
to
notice
that
he
stowed
away
the
used
matches
most
carefully
in
a
little
china
pot
.
My
momentary
annoyance
vanished
.
Poirot
had
placed
our
two
chairs
in
front
of
the
open
window
which
commanded
a
view
of
the
village
street
.
The
fresh
air
blew
in
warm
and
pleasant
.
It
was
going
to
be
a
hot
day
.
Suddenly
my
attention
was
arrested
by
a
weedy
looking
young
man
rushing
down
the
street
at
a
great
pace
.
It
was
the
expression
on
his
face
that
was
extraordinary
-
-
a
curious
mingling
of
terror
and
agitation
.
"
Look
,
Poirot
!
"
I
said
.
He
leant
forward
.
"
Tiens
!
"
he
said
.
"
It
is
Mr
.
Mace
,
from
the
chemist's
shop
.
He
is
coming
here
.
"
The
young
man
came
to
a
halt
before
Leastways
Cottage
,
and
,
after
hesitating
a
moment
,
pounded
vigorously
at
the
door
.
"
A
little
minute
,
"
cried
Poirot
from
the
window
.
"
I
come
.
"
Motioning
to
me
to
follow
him
,
he
ran
swiftly
down
the
stairs
and
opened
the
door
.
Mr
.
Mace
began
at
once
.
"
Oh
,
Mr
.
Poirot
,
I'm
sorry
for
the
inconvenience
,
but
I
heard
that
you'd
just
come
back
from
the
Hall
?
"
"
Yes
,
we
have
.
"
The
young
man
moistened
his
dry
lips
.
His
face
was
working
curiously
.
"
It's
all
over
the
village
about
old
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
dying
so
suddenly
.
They
do
say
-
-
"
he
lowered
his
voice
cautiously
-
-
"
that
it's
poison
?
"
Poirot's
face
remained
quite
impassive
.
"
Only
the
doctors
can
tell
us
that
,
Mr
.
Mace
.
"
"
Yes
,
exactly
-
-
of
course
-
-
"
The
young
man
hesitated
,
and
then
his
agitation
was
too
much
for
him
.
He
clutched
Poirot
by
the
arm
,
and
sank
his
voice
to
a
whisper
:
"
Just
tell
me
this
,
Mr
.
Poirot
,
it
isn't
-
-
it
isn't
strychnine
,
is
it
?
"
I
hardly
heard
what
Poirot
replied
.
Something
evidently
of
a
noncommittal
nature
.
The
young
man
departed
,
and
as
he
closed
the
door
Poirot's
eyes
met
mine
.
"
Yes
,
"
he
said
nodding
gravely
.
"
He
will
have
evidence
to
give
at
the
inquest
.
"
We
went
slowly
upstairs
again
.
I
was
opening
my
lips
,
when
Poirot
stopped
me
with
a
gesture
of
his
hand
.
"
Not
now
,
not
now
,
mon
ami
.
I
have
need
of
reflection
.
My
mind
is
in
some
disorder
-
-
which
is
not
well
.
"
For
about
ten
minutes
he
sat
in
dead
silence
,
perfectly
still
,
except
for
several
expressive
motions
of
his
eyebrows
,
and
all
the
time
his
eyes
grew
steadily
greener
.
At
last
he
heaved
a
deep
sigh
.
"
It
is
well
.
The
bad
moment
has
passed
.
Now
all
is
arranged
and
classified
.
One
must
never
permit
confusion
.
The
case
is
not
clear
yet
-
-
no
.
For
it
is
of
the
most
complicated
!
It
puzzles
me
.
Me
,
Hercule
Poirot
!
There
are
two
facts
of
significance
.
"
"
And
what
are
they
?
"
"
The
first
is
the
state
of
the
weather
yesterday
.
That
is
very
important
.
"
"
But
it
was
a
glorious
day
!
"
I
interrupted
.
"
Poirot
,
you're
pulling
my
leg
!
"
"
Not
at
all
.
The
thermometer
registered
80
degrees
in
the
shade
.
Do
not
forget
that
,
my
friend
.
It
is
the
key
to
the
whole
riddle
!
"
"
And
the
second
point
?
"
I
asked
.
"
The
important
fact
that
Monsieur
Inglethorp
wears
very
peculiar
clothes
,
has
a
black
beard
,
and
uses
glasses
.
"
"
Poirot
,
I
cannot
believe
you
are
serious
.
"
"
I
am
absolutely
serious
,
my
friend
.
"
"
But
this
is
childish
!
"
"
No
,
it
is
very
momentous
.
"
"
And
supposing
the
Coroner's
jury
returns
a
verdict
of
Wilful
Murder
against
Alfred
Inglethorp
.
What
becomes
of
your
theories
,
then
?
"
"
They
would
not
be
shaken
because
twelve
stupid
men
had
happened
to
make
a
mistake
!
But
that
will
not
occur
.
For
one
thing
,
a
country
jury
is
not
anxious
to
take
responsibility
upon
itself
,
and
Mr
.
Inglethorp
stands
practically
in
the
position
of
local
squire
.
Also
,
"
he
added
placidly
,
"
I
should
not
allow
it
!
"
"
You
would
not
allow
it
?
"
"
No
.
"
I
looked
at
the
extraordinary
little
man
,
divided
between
annoyance
and
amusement
.
He
was
so
tremendously
sure
of
himself
.
As
though
he
read
my
thoughts
,
he
nodded
gently
.
"
Oh
,
yes
,
mon
ami
,
I
would
do
what
I
say
.
"
He
got
up
and
laid
his
hand
on
my
shoulder
.
His
physiognomy
underwent
a
complete
change
.
Tears
came
into
his
eyes
.
"
In
all
this
,
you
see
,
I
think
of
that
poor
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
who
is
dead
.
She
was
not
extravagantly
loved
-
-
no
.
But
she
was
very
good
to
us
Belgians
-
-
I
owe
her
a
debt
.
"
I
endeavoured
to
interrupt
,
but
Poirot
swept
on
.
"
Let
me
tell
you
this
,
Hastings
.
She
would
never
forgive
me
if
I
let
Alfred
Inglethorp
,
her
husband
,
be
arrested
now
when
a
word
from
me
could
save
him
!
"
Chapter
VI
THE
INQUEST
In
the
interval
before
the
inquest
Poirot
was
unfailing
in
his
activity
.
Twice
he
was
closeted
with
Mr
.
Wells
.
He
also
took
long
walks
into
the
country
.
I
rather
resented
his
not
taking
me
into
his
confidence
,
the
more
so
as
I
could
not
in
the
least
guess
what
he
was
driving
at
.
It
occurred
to
me
that
he
might
have
been
making
inquiries
at
Raikes's
farm
;
so
,
finding
him
out
when
I
called
at
Leastways
Cottage
on
Wednesday
evening
,
I
walked
over
there
by
the
fields
,
hoping
to
meet
him
.
But
there
was
no
sign
of
him
,
and
I
hesitated
to
go
right
up
to
the
farm
itself
.
As
I
walked
away
,
I
met
an
aged
rustic
,
who
leered
at
me
cunningly
.
"
You'm
from
the
Hall
,
bain't
you
?
"
he
asked
"
Yes
.
I'm
looking
for
a
friend
of
mine
whom
I
thought
might
have
walked
this
way
.
"
"
A
little
chap
?
As
waves
his
hands
when
he
talks
?
One
of
them
Belgies
from
the
village
?
"
"
Yes
,
"
I
said
eagerly
.
"
He
has
been
here
,
then
?
"
"
Oh
,
ay
,
he's
been
here
,
right
enough
.
More'n
once
too
.
Friend
of
yours
,
is
he
?
Ah
,
you
gentlemen
from
the
Hall
-
-
you'n
a
pretty
lot
!
"
And
he
leered
more
jocosely
than
ever
.
"
Why
,
do
the
gentlemen
from
the
Hall
come
here
often
?
"
I
asked
,
as
carelessly
as
I
could
.
He
winked
at
me
knowingly
.
"
One
does
,
mister
.
Naming
no
names
,
mind
.
And
a
very
liberal
gentleman
too
!
Oh
,
thank
you
,
sir
,
I'm
sure
.
"
I
walked
on
sharply
.
Evelyn
Howard
had
been
right
then
,
and
I
experienced
a
sharp
twinge
of
disgust
,
as
I
thought
of
Alfred
Inglethorp's
liberality
with
another
woman's
money
.
Had
that
piquant
gipsy
face
been
at
the
bottom
of
the
crime
,
or
was
it
the
baser
mainspring
of
money
?
Probably
a
judicious
mixture
of
both
.
On
one
point
,
Poirot
seemed
to
have
a
curious
obsession
.
He
once
or
twice
observed
to
me
that
he
thought
Dorcas
must
have
made
an
error
in
fixing
the
time
of
the
quarrel
.
He
suggested
to
her
repeatedly
that
it
was
4
.
30
,
and
not
4
o'clock
when
she
had
heard
the
voices
.
But
Dorcas
was
unshaken
.
Quite
an
hour
,
or
even
more
,
had
elapsed
between
the
time
when
she
had
heard
the
voices
and
5
o'clock
,
when
she
had
taken
tea
to
her
mistress
.
The
inquest
was
held
on
Friday
at
the
Stylites
Arms
in
the
village
.
Poirot
and
I
sat
together
,
not
being
required
to
give
evidence
.
The
preliminaries
were
gone
through
.
The
jury
viewed
the
body
,
and
John
Cavendish
gave
evidence
of
identification
.
Further
questioned
,
he
described
his
awakening
in
the
early
hours
of
the
morning
,
and
the
circumstances
of
his
mother's
death
.
The
medical
evidence
was
next
taken
.
There
was
a
breathless
hush
,
and
every
eye
was
fixed
on
the
famous
London
specialist
,
who
was
known
to
be
one
of
the
greatest
authorities
of
the
day
on
the
subject
of
toxicology
.
In
a
few
brief
words
,
he
summed
up
the
result
of
the
post
-
mortem
.
Shorn
of
its
medical
phraseology
and
technicalities
,
it
amounted
to
the
fact
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
had
met
her
death
as
the
result
of
strychnine
poisoning
.
Judging
from
the
quantity
recovered
,
she
must
have
taken
not
less
than
three
-
quarters
of
a
grain
of
strychnine
;
but
probably
one
grain
or
slightly
over
.
"
Is
it
possible
that
she
could
have
swallowed
the
poison
by
accident
?
"
asked
the
Coroner
.
"
I
should
consider
it
very
unlikely
.
Strychnine
is
not
used
for
domestic
purposes
,
as
some
poisons
are
,
and
there
are
restrictions
placed
on
its
sale
.
"
"
Does
anything
in
your
examination
lead
you
to
determine
how
the
poison
was
administered
?
"
"
No
.
"
"
You
arrived
at
Styles
before
Dr
.
Wilkins
,
I
believe
?
"
"
That
is
so
.
The
motor
met
me
just
outside
the
lodge
gates
,
and
I
hurried
there
as
fast
as
I
could
.
"
"
Will
you
relate
to
us
exactly
what
happened
next
?
"
"
I
entered
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
room
,
She
was
at
that
moment
in
a
typical
tetanic
convulsion
.
She
turned
towards
me
,
and
gasped
out
:
`
Alfred
-
-
Alfred
-
-
`
"
"
Could
the
strychnine
have
been
administered
in
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
after
-
dinner
coffee
which
was
taken
to
her
by
her
husband
?
"
"
Possibly
,
but
strychnine
is
a
fairly
rapid
drug
in
its
action
.
The
symptoms
appear
from
one
to
two
hours
after
it
has
been
swallowed
.
It
is
retarded
under
certain
conditions
,
none
of
which
,
however
,
appear
to
have
been
present
in
this
case
.
I
presume
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
took
the
coffee
after
dinner
about
eight
o'clock
,
whereas
the
symptoms
did
not
manifest
themselves
until
the
early
hours
of
the
morning
,
which
,
on
the
face
of
it
,
points
to
the
drug
having
been
taken
much
later
in
the
evening
.
"
"
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
was
in
the
habit
of
drinking
a
cup
of
coco
in
the
middle
of
the
night
.
Could
the
strychnine
have
been
administered
in
that
?
"
"
No
,
I
myself
took
a
sample
of
the
coco
remaining
in
the
saucepan
and
had
it
analysed
.
There
was
no
strychnine
present
.
"
I
heard
Poirot
chuckle
softly
beside
me
.
"
How
did
you
know
?
"
I
whispered
.
"
Listen
.
"
"
I
should
say
"
-
-
the
doctor
was
continuing
-
-
"
that
I
would
have
been
considerably
surprised
at
any
other
result
.
"
"
Simply
because
strychnine
has
an
unusually
bitter
taste
.
It
can
be
detected
in
a
solution
of
1
in
70
,
000
,
and
can
only
be
disguised
by
some
strongly
flavoured
substance
.
Coco
would
be
quite
powerless
to
mask
it
.
"
One
of
the
jury
wanted
to
know
if
the
same
objection
applied
to
coffee
.
"
No
.
Coffee
has
a
bitter
taste
of
its
own
which
would
probably
cover
the
taste
of
the
strychnine
.
"
"
Then
you
consider
it
more
likely
that
the
drug
was
administered
in
the
coffee
,
but
that
for
some
unknown
reason
its
action
was
delayed
.
"
"
Yes
,
but
,
the
cup
being
completely
smashed
,
there
is
no
possibility
of
analyzing
its
contents
.
"
This
concluded
Dr
.
Bauerstein's
evidence
.
Dr
.
Wilkins
corroborated
it
on
all
points
.
Sounded
as
to
the
possibility
of
suicide
,
he
repudiated
it
utterly
.
The
deceased
,
he
said
,
suffered
from
a
weak
heart
,
but
otherwise
enjoyed
perfect
health
,
and
was
of
a
cheerful
and
well
-
balanced
disposition
.
She
would
be
one
of
the
last
people
to
take
her
own
life
.
Lawrence
Cavendish
was
next
called
.
His
evidence
was
quite
unimportant
,
being
a
mere
repetition
of
that
of
his
brother
.
Just
as
he
was
about
to
step
down
,
he
paused
,
and
said
rather
hesitatingly
:
"
I
should
like
to
make
a
suggestion
if
I
may
?
"
He
glanced
deprecatingly
at
the
Coroner
,
who
replied
briskly
:
"
Certainly
,
Mr
.
Cavendish
,
we
are
here
to
arrive
at
the
truth
of
this
matter
,
and
welcome
anything
that
may
lead
to
further
elucidation
.
"
"
It
is
just
an
idea
of
mine
,
"
explained
Lawrence
.
"
Of
course
I
may
be
quite
wrong
,
but
it
still
seems
to
me
that
my
mother's
death
might
be
accounted
for
by
natural
means
.
"
"
How
do
you
make
that
out
,
Mr
.
Cavendish
?
"
"
My
mother
,
at
the
time
of
her
death
,
and
for
some
time
before
it
,
was
taking
a
tonic
containing
strychnine
.
"
"
Ah
!
"
said
the
Coroner
.
The
jury
looked
up
,
interested
.
"
I
believe
,
"
continued
Lawrence
,
"
that
there
have
been
cases
where
the
cumulative
effect
of
a
drug
,
administered
for
some
time
,
has
ended
by
causing
death
.
Also
,
is
it
not
possible
that
she
may
have
taken
a
overdose
of
her
medicine
by
accident
?
"
"
This
is
the
first
we
have
heard
of
the
deceased
taking
strychnine
at
the
time
of
her
death
.
We
are
much
obliged
to
you
,
Mr
.
Cavendish
.
"
Dr
.
Wilkins
was
recalled
and
ridiculed
the
idea
.
"
What
Mr
.
Cavendish
suggests
is
quite
impossible
.
Any
doctor
would
tell
you
the
same
.
Strychnine
is
,
in
a
certain
sense
,
a
cumulative
poison
,
but
it
would
be
quite
impossible
for
it
to
result
in
sudden
death
in
this
way
.
There
would
have
to
be
a
long
period
of
chronic
symptoms
which
would
at
once
have
attracted
my
attention
.
The
whole
thing
is
absurd
.
"
"
And
the
second
suggestion
?
That
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
may
have
inadvertently
taken
an
overdose
?
"
"
Three
,
or
even
four
doses
,
would
not
have
resulted
in
death
.
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
always
had
an
extra
large
amount
of
medicine
made
up
at
a
time
,
as
she
dealt
with
Coot's
,
the
Cash
Chemists
in
Tadminster
.
She
would
have
had
to
take
very
nearly
the
whole
bottle
to
account
for
the
amount
of
strychnine
found
at
the
post
-
mortem
.
"
"
Then
you
consider
that
we
may
dismiss
the
tonic
as
not
being
in
any
way
instrumental
in
causing
her
death
?
"
"
Certainly
.
The
supposition
is
ridiculous
.
"
The
same
juryman
who
had
interrupted
before
here
suggested
that
the
chemist
who
made
up
the
medicine
might
have
committed
an
error
.
"
That
,
of
course
,
is
always
possible
,
"
replied
the
doctor
.
But
Dorcas
,
who
was
the
next
witness
called
,
dispelled
even
that
possibility
.
The
medicine
had
not
been
newly
made
up
.
On
the
contrary
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
had
taken
the
last
dose
on
the
day
of
her
death
.
So
the
question
of
the
tonic
was
finally
abandoned
,
and
the
Coroner
proceeded
with
his
task
.
Having
elicited
from
Dorcas
how
she
had
been
awakened
by
the
violent
ringing
of
her
mistress's
bell
,
and
had
subsequently
roused
the
household
,
he
passed
to
the
subject
of
the
quarrel
on
the
preceding
afternoon
.
Dorcas's
evidence
on
this
point
was
substantially
what
Poirot
and
I
had
already
heard
,
so
I
will
not
repeat
it
here
.
The
next
witness
was
Mary
Cavendish
.
She
stood
very
upright
,
and
spoke
in
a
low
,
clear
;
and
perfectly
composed
voice
.
In
answer
to
the
Coroner's
question
,
she
told
how
,
her
alarm
clock
having
aroused
her
at
4
.
30
as
usual
,
she
was
dressing
,
when
she
was
startled
by
the
sound
of
something
heavy
falling
.
"
That
would
have
been
the
table
by
the
bed
?
"
commented
the
Coroner
.
"
I
opened
my
door
,
"
continued
Mary
,
"
and
listened
.
In
a
few
minutes
a
bell
rang
violently
.
Dorcas
came
running
down
and
woke
my
husband
,
and
we
all
went
to
my
mother
-
in
-
law's
room
,
but
it
was
locked
-
-
"
The
Coroner
interrupted
her
.
"
I
really
do
not
think
we
need
trouble
you
further
on
that
point
.
We
know
all
that
can
be
known
of
the
subsequent
happenings
.
But
I
should
be
obliged
if
you
would
tell
us
all
you
overheard
of
the
quarrel
the
day
before
.
"
"
I
?
"
There
was
a
faint
insolence
in
her
voice
:
She
raised
her
hand
and
adjusted
the
rue
of
lace
at
her
neck
,
turning
her
head
a
little
as
she
did
so
.
And
quite
spontaneously
the
thought
flashed
across
my
mind
:
"
She
is
gaining
time
!
"
"
Yes
.
I
understand
,
"
continued
the
Coroner
deliberately
,
"
that
you
were
sitting
reading
on
the
bench
just
outside
the
long
window
of
the
boudoir
.
That
is
so
,
is
it
not
?
"
This
was
news
to
me
and
glancing
sideways
at
Poirot
,
I
fancied
that
it
was
news
to
him
as
well
.
There
was
the
faintest
pause
,
the
mere
hesitation
of
a
moment
,
before
she
answered
:
"
Yes
,
that
is
so
.
"
"
And
the
boudoir
window
was
open
,
was
it
not
?
"
Surely
her
face
grew
a
little
paler
as
she
answered
:
"
Yes
.
"
"
Then
you
cannot
have
failed
to
hear
the
voices
inside
,
especially
as
they
were
raised
in
anger
.
In
fact
,
they
would
be
more
audible
where
you
were
than
in
the
hall
.
"
"
Possibly
.
"
"
Will
you
repeat
to
us
what
you
overheard
of
the
quarrel
?
"
"
I
really
do
not
remember
hearing
anything
.
"
"
Do
you
mean
to
say
you
did
not
hear
voices
?
"
"
Oh
,
yes
,
I
heard
the
voices
,
but
I
did
not
hear
what
they
said
.
"
A
faint
spot
of
colour
came
into
her
cheek
.
"
I
am
not
in
the
habit
of
listening
to
private
conversations
.
"
The
Coroner
persisted
.
"
And
you
remember
nothing
at
all
?
Nothing
,
Mrs
.
Cavendish
?
Not
one
stray
word
or
phrase
to
make
you
realize
that
it
was
a
private
conversation
?
"
She
paused
,
and
seemed
to
reflect
,
still
outwardly
as
calm
as
ever
.
"
Yes
;
I
remember
.
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
said
something
-
-
do
not
remember
exactly
what
-
-
about
causing
scandal
between
husband
and
wife
.
"
"
Ah
!
"
the
Coroner
leant
back
satisfied
.
"
That
corresponds
with
what
Dorcas
heard
.
But
excuse
me
,
Mrs
.
Cavendish
,
although
you
realized
it
was
a
private
conversation
,
you
did
not
move
away
?
You
remained
where
you
were
?
"
I
caught
the
momentary
gleam
of
her
tawny
eyes
as
she
raised
them
.
I
felt
certain
that
at
that
moment
she
would
willingly
have
torn
the
little
lawyer
,
with
his
insinuations
,
into
pieces
,
but
she
replied
quietly
enough
:
"
No
.
I
was
very
comfortable
where
I
was
.
I
fixed
my
mind
on
my
book
.
"
"
And
that
is
all
you
can
tell
us
?
"
"
That
is
all
.
"
The
examination
was
over
,
though
I
doubted
if
the
Coroner
was
entirely
satisfied
with
it
.
I
think
he
suspected
that
Mary
Cavendish
could
tell
more
if
she
chose
.
Amy
Hill
,
shop
assistant
,
was
next
called
,
and
deposed
to
having
sold
a
will
form
on
the
afternoon
of
the
17th
to
William
Earl
,
under
-
gardener
at
Styles
.
William
Earl
and
Manning
succeeded
her
,
and
testified
to
witnessing
a
document
.
Manning
fixed
the
time
at
about
4
.
30
,
William
was
of
the
opinion
that
it
was
rather
earlier
.
Cynthia
Murdoch
came
next
.
She
had
,
however
,
little
to
tell
.
She
had
known
nothing
of
the
tragedy
,
until
awakened
by
Mrs
.
Cavendish
.
"
You
did
not
hear
the
table
fall
?
"
"
No
.
I
was
fast
asleep
.
"
The
Coroner
smiled
.
"
A
good
conscience
makes
a
sound
sleeper
,
"
he
observed
.
"
Thank
you
,
Miss
Murdoch
,
that
is
all
.
"
"
Miss
Howard
.
"
Miss
Howard
produced
the
letter
written
to
her
by
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
on
the
evening
of
the
l7th
.
Poirot
and
I
had
,
of
course
,
already
seen
it
.
It
added
nothing
to
our
knowledge
of
the
tragedy
.
The
following
is
a
facsimile
:
July
17th
Styles
Court
Essex
My
dear
Evelyn
Can
we
not
bury
the
hatchet
?
I
have
found
to
forgive
the
things
you
said
against
my
dear
husband
but
I
am
an
old
woman
and
very
fond
of
you
Yours
affectionately
Emily
Inglethorp
It
was
handed
to
the
jury
who
scrutinized
it
attentively
.
"
I
fear
it
does
not
help
us
much
,
"
said
the
Coroner
,
with
a
sigh
.
"
There
is
no
mention
of
any
of
the
events
of
that
afternoon
.
"
"
Plain
as
a
pikestaff
to
me
,
"
said
Miss
Howard
shortly
.
"
It
shows
clearly
enough
that
my
poor
old
friend
had
just
found
out
she'd
been
made
a
fool
of
!
"
"
It
says
nothing
of
the
kind
in
the
letter
,
"
the
Coroner
pointed
out
.
"
No
,
because
Emily
never
could
bear
to
put
herself
in
the
wrong
.
But
I
know
her
.
She
wanted
me
back
.
But
she
wasn't
going
to
own
that
I'd
been
right
.
She
went
round
about
.
Most
people
do
.
Don't
believe
in
it
myself
.
"
Mr
.
Wells
smiled
faintly
.
So
,
I
noticed
,
did
several
of
the
jury
.
Miss
Howard
was
obviously
quite
a
public
character
.
"
Anyway
,
all
this
tomfoolery
is
a
great
waste
of
time
,
"
continued
the
lady
,
glancing
up
and
down
the
jury
disparagingly
.
"
Talk
-
talk
-
talk
!
When
all
the
time
we
know
perfectly
well
-
-
"
The
Coroner
interrupted
her
in
an
agony
of
apprehension
:
"
Thank
you
,
Miss
Howard
,
that
is
all
.
"
I
fancy
he
breathed
a
sigh
of
relief
when
she
complied
.
Then
came
the
sensation
of
the
day
.
The
Coroner
called
Albert
Mace
,
chemist's
assistant
.
It
was
our
agitated
young
man
of
the
pale
face
.
In
answer
to
the
Coroner's
questions
,
he
explained
that
he
was
a
qualified
pharmacist
,
but
had
only
recently
come
to
this
particular
shop
,
as
the
assistant
formerly
there
had
just
been
called
up
for
the
army
.
These
preliminaries
completed
,
the
Coroner
proceeded
to
business
.
"
Mr
.
Mace
,
have
you
lately
sold
strychnine
to
any
unauthorized
person
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
.
"
"
When
was
this
?
"
"
Last
Monday
night
.
"
"
Monday
?
Not
Tuesday
?
"
"
No
,
sir
,
Monday
,
the
l6th
.
"
"
Will
you
tell
us
to
whom
you
sold
it
?
"
You
could
have
heard
a
pin
drop
.
"
Yes
,
sir
.
It
was
to
Mr
.
Inglethorp
.
"
Every
eye
turned
simultaneously
to
where
Alfred
Inglethorp
was
sitting
,
impassive
and
wooden
.
He
started
slightly
,
as
the
damning
words
fell
from
the
young
man's
lips
.
I
half
thought
he
was
going
to
rise
from
his
chair
,
but
he
remained
seated
,
although
a
remarkably
well
acted
expression
of
astonishment
rose
on
his
face
.
"
You
are
sure
of
what
you
say
?
"
asked
the
Coroner
sternly
.
"
Quite
sure
,
sir
.
"
"
Are
you
in
the
habit
of
selling
strychnine
indiscriminately
over
the
counter
?
"
The
wretched
young
man
wilted
visibly
under
the
Coroner's
frown
.
"
Oh
,
no
,
sir
-
-
of
course
not
.
But
,
seeing
it
was
Mr
.
Inglethorp
of
the
Hall
,
I
thought
there
was
no
harm
in
it
.
He
said
it
was
to
poison
a
dog
.
"
Inwardly
I
sympathized
.
It
was
only
human
nature
to
endeavour
to
please
"
The
Hall
"
-
especially
when
it
might
result
in
custom
being
transferred
from
Coot's
to
the
local
establishment
.
"
Is
it
not
customary
for
anyone
purchasing
poison
to
sign
a
book
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
,
Mr
.
Inglethorp
did
so
.
"
"
Have
you
got
the
book
here
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
.
"
It
was
produced
;
and
,
with
a
few
words
of
stern
censure
,
the
Coroner
dismissed
the
wretched
Mr
.
Mace
.
Then
,
amidst
a
breathless
silence
,
Alfred
Inglethorp
was
called
.
Did
he
realize
,
I
wondered
,
how
closely
the
halter
was
being
drawn
around
his
neck
?
The
Coroner
went
straight
to
the
point
.
"
On
Monday
evening
last
,
did
you
purchase
strychnine
for
the
purpose
of
poisoning
a
dog
?
"
Inglethorp
replied
with
perfect
calmness
:
"
No
,
I
did
not
.
There
is
no
dog
at
Styles
,
except
an
outdoor
sheepdog
,
which
is
in
perfect
health
.
"
"
You
deny
absolutely
having
purchased
strychnine
from
Albert
Mace
on
Monday
last
?
"
"
I
do
.
"
"
Do
you
also
deny
this
?
"
The
Coroner
handed
him
the
register
in
which
his
signature
was
inscribed
.
"
Certainly
I
do
.
The
hand
-
writing
is
quite
different
from
mine
.
I
will
show
you
.
"
He
took
an
old
envelope
out
of
his
pocket
,
and
wrote
his
name
on
it
,
handing
it
to
the
jury
.
it
was
certainly
utterly
dissimilar
.
"
Then
what
is
your
explanation
of
Mr
.
Mace's
statement
?
"
Alfred
Inglethorp
replied
imperturbably
:
"
Mr
.
Mace
must
have
been
mistaken
.
"
The
Coroner
hesitated
for
a
moment
,
and
then
said
:
"
Mr
.
Inglethorp
,
as
a
mere
matter
of
form
,
would
you
mind
telling
us
where
you
were
on
the
evening
of
Monday
,
July
l6th
?
"
"
Really
-
-
I
cannot
remember
.
"
"
That
is
absurd
,
Mr
.
Inglethorp
,
"
said
the
Coroner
sharply
.
"
Think
again
.
"
Inglethorp
shook
his
head
.
"
I
cannot
tell
you
.
I
have
an
idea
that
I
was
out
walking
.
"
"
In
what
direction
?
"
"
I
really
can't
remember
.
"
The
Coroner's
face
grew
graver
.
"
Were
you
in
company
with
anyone
?
"
"
No
.
"
"
Did
you
meet
anyone
on
your
walk
?
"
"
No
.
"
"
That
is
a
pity
"
said
the
Coroner
dryly
.
"
I
am
to
take
it
then
that
you
decline
to
say
where
you
were
at
the
time
that
Mr
.
Mace
positively
recognized
you
as
entering
the
shop
to
purchase
strychnine
?
"
"
If
you
like
to
take
it
that
way
,
yes
.
"
"
Be
careful
,
Mr
.
Inglethorp
.
"
Poirot
was
fidgeting
nervously
.
"
Sacre
!
"
he
murmured
.
"
Does
this
imbecile
of
a
man
want
to
be
arrested
?
"
Inglethorp
was
indeed
creating
a
bad
impression
.
His
futile
denials
would
not
have
convinced
a
child
.
The
Coroner
,
however
,
passed
briskly
to
the
next
point
,
and
Poirot
drew
a
deep
breath
of
relief
.
"
You
had
a
discussion
with
your
wife
on
Tuesday
afternoon
?
"
"
Pardon
me
,
"
interrupted
Alfred
Inglethorp
,
"
you
have
been
misinformed
.
I
had
no
quarrel
with
my
dear
wife
.
The
whole
story
is
absolutely
untrue
.
I
was
absent
from
the
house
the
entire
afternoon
.
"
"
Have
you
anyone
who
can
testify
to
that
?
"
"
You
have
my
word
,
"
said
Inglethorp
haughtily
.
The
Coroner
did
not
trouble
to
reply
.
"
There
are
two
witnesses
who
will
swear
to
having
heard
your
disagreement
with
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
.
"
"
Those
witnesses
were
mistaken
.
"
I
was
puzzled
.
The
man
spoke
with
such
quiet
assurance
that
I
was
staggered
.
I
looked
at
Poirot
.
There
was
an
expression
of
exultation
on
his
face
which
I
could
not
understand
.
Was
he
at
last
convinced
of
Alfred
Inglethorp's
guilt
?
"
Mr
.
Inglethorp
,
"
said
the
Coroner
,
"
you
have
heard
your
wife's
dying
words
repeated
here
.
Can
you
explain
them
in
any
way
?
"
"
Certainly
I
can
.
"
"
You
can
?
"
"
It
seems
to
me
very
simple
.
The
room
was
dimly
lighted
.
Dr
.
Bauerstein
is
much
of
my
height
and
build
,
and
,
like
me
,
wears
a
beard
.
In
the
dim
light
,
and
suffering
as
she
was
,
my
poor
wife
mistook
him
for
me
.
"
"
Ah
!
"
murmured
Poirot
to
himself
.
"
But
it
is
an
idea
,
that
!
"
"
You
think
it
is
true
?
"
I
whispered
.
"
I
do
not
say
that
.
But
it
is
truly
an
ingenious
supposition
.
"
"
You
read
my
wife's
last
words
as
an
accusation
"
-
-
Inglethorp
was
continuing
-
-
"
they
were
,
on
the
contrary
,
an
appeal
to
me
.
"
The
Coroner
reflected
a
moment
,
then
he
said
:
"
I
believe
,
Mr
.
Inglethorp
,
that
you
yourself
poured
out
the
coffee
,
and
took
it
to
your
wife
that
evening
?
"
"
I
poured
it
out
,
yes
.
But
I
did
not
take
it
to
her
.
I
meant
to
do
so
,
but
I
was
told
that
a
friend
was
at
the
hall
door
,
so
I
laid
down
the
coffee
on
the
hall
table
.
When
I
came
through
the
hall
again
a
few
minutes
later
,
it
was
gone
.
"
This
statement
might
,
or
might
not
,
be
true
,
but
it
did
not
seem
to
me
to
improve
matters
much
for
Inglethorp
.
In
any
case
,
he
had
had
ample
time
to
introduce
the
poison
.
At
that
point
,
Poirot
nudged
me
gently
,
indicating
two
men
who
were
sitting
together
near
the
door
.
One
was
a
little
,
sharp
,
dark
,
ferret
-
faced
man
,
the
other
was
tall
and
fair
.
I
questioned
Poirot
mutely
.
He
put
his
lips
to
my
ear
.
"
Do
you
know
who
that
little
man
is
?
"
I
shook
my
head
.
"
That
is
Detective
Inspector
James
Japp
of
Scotland
Yard
-
-
Jimmy
Japp
.
The
other
man
is
from
Scotland
Yard
too
.
Things
are
moving
quickly
,
my
friend
.
"
I
stared
at
the
two
men
intently
.
There
was
certainly
nothing
of
the
policeman
about
them
.
I
should
never
have
suspected
them
of
being
official
personages
.
I
was
still
staring
,
when
I
was
startled
and
recalled
by
the
verdict
being
given
:
"
Wilful
Murder
against
some
person
or
persons
unknown
.
"
Chapter
VII
POIROT
PAYS
HIS
DEBTS
As
we
came
out
of
the
Stylites
Arms
,
Poirot
drew
me
aside
by
a
gentle
pressure
of
the
arm
.
I
understood
his
object
.
He
was
waiting
for
the
Scotland
Yard
men
.
In
a
few
moments
,
they
emerged
,
and
Poirot
at
once
stepped
forward
,
and
accosted
the
shorter
of
the
two
.
I
fear
you
do
not
remember
me
,
Inspector
Japp
.
"
Why
,
if
it
isn't
Mr
.
Poirot
!
"
cried
the
Inspector
.
He
turned
to
the
other
man
.
"
You've
heard
me
speak
of
Mr
.
Poirot
?
It
was
in
1904
he
and
I
worked
together
-
-
the
Abercrombie
forgery
case
-
-
you
remember
,
he
was
run
down
in
Brussels
.
Ah
,
those
were
great
days
;
Moosier
.
Then
,
do
you
remember
`
Baron
`
Altara
?
There
was
a
pretty
rogue
for
you
!
He
eluded
the
clutches
of
half
the
police
in
Europe
.
But
we
nailed
him
in
Antwerp
-
-
thanks
to
Mr
.
Poirot
here
.
"
As
these
friendly
reminiscences
were
being
indulged
in
,
I
drew
nearer
,
and
was
introduced
to
Detective
-
Inspector
Japp
,
who
,
in
his
turn
,
introduced
us
both
to
his
companion
,
Superintendent
Summerhaye
.
"
I
need
hardly
ask
what
you
are
doing
here
,
gentlemen
,
"
remarked
Poirot
.
Japp
closed
one
eye
knowingly
.
"
No
,
indeed
.
Pretty
clear
case
I
should
say
.
"
But
Poirot
answered
gravely
:
"
There
I
differ
from
you
.
"
"
Oh
,
come
!
"
said
Summerhaye
,
opening
his
lips
for
the
first
time
.
"
Surely
the
whole
thing
is
clear
as
daylight
.
The
man's
caught
red
-
handed
.
How
he
could
be
such
a
fool
beats
me
!
"
But
Japp
was
looking
attentively
at
Poirot
.
"
Hold
your
fire
,
Summerhaye
,
"
he
remarked
jocularly
.
"
Me
and
Moosier
here
have
met
before
-
-
and
there's
no
man's
judgment
I'd
sooner
take
than
his
.
If
I'm
not
greatly
mistaken
,
he's
got
something
up
his
sleeve
.
Isn't
that
so
,
Moosier
?
"
Poirot
smiled
.
"
I
have
drawn
certain
conclusions
-
-
yes
.
"
Summerhaye
was
still
looking
rather
sceptical
,
but
Japp
continued
his
scrutiny
of
Poirot
.
"
It's
this
way
,
"
he
said
,
"
so
far
,
we've
only
seen
the
case
from
the
outside
.
That's
where
the
Yard's
at
a
disadvantage
in
a
case
of
this
kind
,
where
the
murder's
only
out
,
so
to
speak
,
after
the
inquest
.
A
lot
depends
on
being
on
the
spot
first
thing
,
and
that's
where
Mr
.
Poirot's
had
the
start
of
us
.
We
shouldn't
have
been
here
as
soon
as
this
even
,
if
it
hadn't
been
for
the
fact
that
there
was
a
smart
doctor
on
the
spot
,
who
gave
us
the
tip
through
the
Coroner
.
But
you've
been
on
the
spot
from
the
first
,
and
you
may
have
picked
up
some
little
hints
.
From
the
evidence
at
the
inquest
,
Mr
.
Inglethorp
murdered
his
wife
as
sure
as
I
stand
here
,
and
if
anyone
but
you
hinted
the
contrary
I'd
laugh
in
his
face
.
I
must
say
I
was
surprised
the
jury
didn't
bring
it
in
Wilful
Murder
against
him
right
off
.
I
think
they
would
have
,
if
it
hadn't
been
for
the
Coroner
-
-
he
seemed
to
be
holding
them
back
.
"
"
Perhaps
,
though
,
you
have
a
warrant
for
his
arrest
in
your
pocket
now
,
"
suggested
Poirot
.
A
kind
of
wooden
shutter
of
officialdom
came
down
over
Japp's
expressive
countenance
.
"
Perhaps
I
have
,
and
perhaps
I
haven't
,
"
he
remarked
dryly
.
Poirot
looked
at
him
thoughtfully
.
"
I
am
very
anxious
,
Messieurs
,
that
he
should
not
be
arrested
.
"
"
I
dare
say
,
"
observed
Summerhaye
sarcastically
.
Japp
was
regarding
Poirot
with
comical
perplexity
.
"
Can't
you
go
a
little
further
,
Mr
.
Poirot
?
A
wink's
as
good
as
a
nod
-
-
from
you
.
You've
been
on
the
spot
-
-
and
the
Yard
doesn't
want
to
make
any
mistakes
,
you
know
.
"
Poirot
nodded
gravely
.
"
That
is
exactly
what
I
thought
.
Well
,
I
will
tell
you
this
.
Use
your
warrant
:
Arrest
Mr
.
Inglethorp
.
But
it
will
bring
you
no
kudos
-
-
the
case
against
him
will
be
dismissed
at
once
!
Comme
a
!
"
And
he
snapped
his
fingers
expressively
.
Japp's
face
grew
grave
,
though
Summerhaye
gave
an
incredulous
snort
.
As
for
me
,
I
was
literally
dumb
with
astonishment
.
I
could
only
conclude
that
Poirot
was
mad
.
Japp
had
taken
out
a
handkerchief
,
and
was
gently
dabbing
his
brow
.
"
I
daren't
do
it
,
Mr
.
Poirot
.
I'd
take
your
word
,
but
there's
others
over
me
who'll
be
asking
what
the
devil
I
mean
by
it
.
Can't
you
give
me
a
little
more
to
go
on
?
"
Poirot
reflected
a
moment
.
"
It
can
be
done
,
"
he
said
at
last
.
"
I
admit
I
do
not
wish
it
.
It
forces
my
hand
.
I
would
have
preferred
to
work
in
the
dark
just
for
the
present
,
but
what
you
say
is
very
just
-
-
the
word
of
a
Belgian
policeman
,
whose
day
is
past
,
is
not
enough
!
And
Alfred
Inglethorp
must
not
be
arrested
.
That
I
have
sworn
,
as
my
friend
Hastings
here
knows
.
See
,
then
,
my
good
Japp
,
you
go
at
once
to
Styles
?
"
"
Well
,
in
about
half
an
hour
.
We're
seeing
the
Coroner
and
the
doctor
first
.
"
"
Good
.
Call
for
me
in
passing
the
last
house
in
the
village
.
I
will
go
with
you
.
At
Styles
,
Mr
.
Inglethorp
will
give
you
,
or
if
he
refuses
-
-
as
is
.
probable
-
-
I
will
give
you
such
proofs
that
shall
satisfy
you
that
the
case
against
him
could
not
possibly
be
sustained
.
Is
that
a
bargain
?
"
"
That's
a
bargain
,
"
said
Japp
heartily
.
"
And
,
on
behalf
of
the
Yard
,
I'm
much
obliged
to
you
,
though
I'm
bound
to
confess
I
can't
at
present
see
the
faintest
possible
loop
-
hole
in
the
evidence
,
but
you
always
were
a
marvel
!
So
long
,
then
,
Moosier
.
"
The
two
detectives
strode
away
,
Summerhaye
with
an
incredulous
grin
on
his
face
.
"
Well
,
my
friend
,
"
cried
Poirot
,
before
I
could
get
in
a
word
,
"
what
do
you
think
?
Mon
Dieu
!
I
had
some
warm
moments
in
that
court
;
I
did
not
figure
to
myself
that
the
man
would
be
so
pig
-
headed
as
to
refuse
to
say
anything
at
all
.
Decidedly
,
it
was
the
policy
of
an
imbecile
.
"
"
H'm
!
There
are
other
explanations
besides
that
of
imbecility
,
"
I
remarked
.
"
For
,
if
the
case
against
him
is
true
,
how
could
he
defend
himself
except
by
silence
?
"
"
Why
,
in
a
thousand
ingenious
ways
,
"
cried
Poirot
.
"
See
;
say
that
it
is
I
who
have
committed
this
murder
,
I
can
think
of
seven
most
plausible
stories
!
Far
more
convincing
than
Mr
.
Inglethorp's
stony
denials
!
"
I
could
not
help
laughing
.
"
My
dear
Poirot
,
I
am
sure
you
are
capable
of
thinking
of
seventy
!
But
,
seriously
,
in
spite
of
what
I
heard
you
say
to
the
detectives
,
you
surely
cannot
still
believe
in
the
possibility
of
Alfred
Inglethorp's
innocence
?
"
"
Why
not
now
as
much
as
before
?
Nothing
has
changed
.
"
"
But
the
evidence
is
so
conclusive
.
"
"
Yes
,
too
conclusive
.
"
We
turned
in
at
the
gate
of
Leastways
Cottage
,
and
proceeded
up
the
now
familiar
stairs
.
"
Yes
,
yes
,
too
conclusive
,
"
continued
Poirot
,
almost
to
himself
.
"
Real
evidence
is
usually
vague
and
unsatisfactory
.
It
has
to
be
examined
-
-
sifted
.
But
here
the
whole
thing
is
cut
and
dried
.
No
,
my
friend
,
this
evidence
has
been
very
cleverly
manufactured
-
-
so
cleverly
that
it
has
defeated
its
own
ends
.
"
"
How
do
you
make
that
out
?
"
"
Because
,
so
long
as
the
evidence
against
him
was
vague
and
intangible
,
it
was
very
hard
to
disprove
.
But
,
in
his
anxiety
,
the
criminal
has
drawn
the
net
so
closely
that
one
cut
will
set
Inglethorp
free
.
"
I
was
silent
.
And
in
a
minute
or
two
,
Poirot
continued
:
"
Let
us
look
at
the
matter
like
this
.
Here
is
a
man
,
let
us
say
,
who
sets
out
to
poison
his
wife
.
He
has
lived
by
his
wits
as
the
saying
goes
.
Presumably
,
therefore
,
he
has
some
wits
.
He
is
not
altogether
a
fool
.
Well
,
how
does
he
set
about
it
?
He
goes
boldly
to
the
village
chemist's
and
purchases
strychnine
under
his
own
name
,
with
a
trumped
up
story
about
a
dog
which
is
bound
to
be
proved
absurd
.
He
does
not
employ
the
poison
that
night
.
No
,
he
waits
until
he
has
had
a
violent
quarrel
with
her
,
of
which
the
whole
household
is
cognisant
,
and
which
naturally
directs
their
suspicions
upon
him
.
He
prepares
no
defence
-
-
no
shadow
of
an
alibi
;
yet
he
knows
the
chemist's
assistant
must
necessarily
come
forward
with
the
facts
.
Bah
!
do
not
ask
me
to
believe
that
any
man
could
be
so
idiotic
!
Only
a
lunatic
,
who
wished
to
commit
suicide
by
causing
himself
to
be
hanged
,
would
act
so
!
"
"
Still
-
-
I
do
not
see
-
-
"
I
began
.
"
Neither
do
I
see
.
I
tell
you
,
mon
ami
,
it
puzzles
me
.
Me
-
Hercule
Poirot
!
"
"
But
if
you
believe
him
innocent
,
how
do
you
explain
his
buying
the
strychnine
?
"
"
Very
simply
.
He
did
not
buy
it
.
"
"
But
Mace
recognized
him
!
"
"
I
beg
your
pardon
,
he
saw
a
man
with
a
black
beard
like
Mr
.
Inglethorp's
,
and
wearing
glasses
like
Mr
.
Inglethorp
,
and
dressed
in
Mr
.
Inglethorp's
rather
noticeable
clothes
.
He
could
not
recognize
a
man
whom
he
had
probably
only
seen
in
the
distance
,
since
,
you
remember
,
he
himself
had
only
been
in
the
village
a
fortnight
,
and
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
dealt
principally
with
Coot's
in
Tadminster
.
"
"
Then
you
think
-
-
"
"
Mon
ami
,
do
you
remember
the
two
points
I
laid
stress
upon
?
Leave
the
first
one
for
the
moment
,
what
was
the
second
?
"
"
The
important
fact
that
Alfred
Inglethorp
wears
peculiar
clothes
,
has
a
black
beard
,
and
uses
glasses
,
"
I
quoted
.
"
Exactly
.
Now
suppose
anyone
wished
to
pass
himself
off
as
John
or
Lawrence
Cavendish
.
Would
it
be
easy
?
"
"
No
,
"
I
said
thoughtfully
.
"
Of
course
an
actor
-
-
"
But
Poirot
cut
me
short
ruthlessly
.
"
And
why
would
it
not
be
easy
?
I
will
tell
you
,
my
friend
:
Because
they
are
both
clean
-
shaven
men
.
To
make
up
successfully
as
one
of
these
two
in
broad
daylight
,
it
would
need
an
actor
of
genius
,
and
a
certain
initial
facial
resemblance
.
But
in
the
case
of
Alfred
Inglethorp
,
all
that
is
changed
.
His
clothes
,
his
beard
,
the
glasses
which
hide
his
eyes
-
-
those
are
the
salient
points
about
his
personal
appearance
.
Now
,
what
is
the
first
instinct
of
the
criminal
?
To
divert
suspicion
from
himself
,
is
it
not
so
?
And
how
can
he
best
do
that
?
By
throwing
it
on
some
one
else
.
In
this
instance
,
there
was
a
man
ready
to
his
hand
.
Everybody
was
predisposed
to
believe
in
Mr
.
Inglethorp's
guilt
.
It
was
a
foregone
conclusion
that
he
would
be
suspected
;
but
,
to
make
it
a
sure
thing
there
must
be
tangible
proof
such
as
the
actual
buying
of
the
poison
,
and
that
,
with
a
man
of
the
peculiar
appearance
of
Mr
.
Inglethorp
,
was
not
difficult
.
Remember
,
this
young
Mace
had
never
actually
spoken
to
Mr
.
Inglethorp
.
How
should
he
doubt
that
the
man
in
his
clothes
,
with
his
beard
and
his
glasses
,
was
not
Alfred
Inglethorp
?
"
"
It
may
be
so
,
"
I
said
,
fascinated
by
Poirot's
eloquence
.
"
But
,
if
that
was
the
case
,
why
does
he
not
say
where
he
was
at
six
o'clock
on
Monday
evening
?
"
"
Ah
,
why
indeed
?
"
said
Poirot
,
calming
down
.
"
If
he
were
arrested
,
he
probably
would
speak
,
but
I
do
not
want
it
to
come
to
that
.
I
must
make
him
see
the
gravity
of
his
position
.
There
is
,
of
course
,
something
discreditable
behind
his
silence
.
If
he
did
not
murder
his
wife
,
he
is
,
nevertheless
,
a
scoundrel
,
and
has
something
of
his
own
to
conceal
,
quite
apart
from
the
murder
.
"
"
What
can
it
be
?
"
I
mused
,
won
over
to
Poirot's
views
for
the
moment
,
although
still
retaining
a
faint
conviction
that
the
obvious
deduction
was
the
correct
one
.
"
Can
you
not
guess
?
"
asked
Poirot
,
smiling
.
"
No
,
can
you
?
"
"
Oh
,
yes
,
I
had
a
little
idea
sometime
ago
-
-
and
it
has
turned
out
to
be
correct
.
"
"
You
never
told
me
,
"
I
said
reproachfully
.
Poirot
spread
out
his
hands
apologetically
.
"
Pardon
me
;
mon
ami
,
you
were
not
precisely
sympathique
.
"
He
turned
to
me
earnestly
.
"
Tell
me
-
-
you
see
now
that
he
must
not
be
arrested
?
"
"
Perhaps
,
"
I
said
doubtfully
,
for
I
was
really
quite
indifferent
to
the
fate
of
Alfred
Inglethorp
,
and
thought
that
a
good
fright
would
do
him
no
harm
.
Poirot
,
who
was
watching
me
intently
,
gave
a
sigh
.
"
Come
,
my
friend
,
"
he
said
,
changing
the
subject
,
"
apart
from
Mr
.
Inglethorp
,
how
did
the
evidence
at
the
inquest
strike
you
?
"
"
Oh
,
pretty
much
what
I
expected
.
"
"
Did
nothing
strike
you
as
peculiar
about
it
?
"
My
thoughts
flew
to
Mary
Cavendish
,
and
I
hedged
:
"
In
what
way
?
"
"
Well
,
Mr
.
Lawrence
Cavendish's
evidence
for
instance
?
"
I
was
relieved
.
"
Oh
,
Lawrence
!
No
,
I
don't
think
so
.
He's
always
a
nervous
chap
.
"
"
His
suggestion
that
his
mother
might
have
been
poisoned
accidentally
by
means
of
the
tonic
she
was
taking
,
that
did
not
strike
you
as
strange
-
hein
?
"
"
No
,
I
can't
say
it
did
.
The
doctors
ridiculed
it
of
course
.
But
it
was
quite
a
natural
suggestion
for
a
layman
to
make
.
"
"
But
Monsieur
Lawrence
is
not
a
layman
.
You
told
me
yourself
that
he
had
started
by
studying
medicine
,
and
that
he
had
taken
his
degree
.
"
"
Yes
,
that's
true
.
I
never
thought
of
that
.
"
I
was
rather
startled
.
"
It
is
odd
.
"
Poirot
nodded
.
"
From
the
first
,
his
behaviour
has
been
peculiar
.
Of
all
the
household
,
he
alone
would
be
likely
to
recognize
the
symptoms
of
strychnine
poisoning
,
and
yet
we
find
him
the
only
member
of
the
family
to
uphold
strenuously
the
theory
of
death
from
natural
causes
.
If
it
had
been
Monsieur
John
,
I
could
have
understood
it
.
He
has
no
technical
knowledge
,
and
is
by
nature
unimaginative
.
But
Monsieur
Lawrence
-
-
no
!
And
now
,
to
-
day
,
he
puts
forward
a
suggestion
that
he
himself
must
have
known
was
ridiculous
.
There
is
food
for
thought
in
this
,
mon
ami
!
"
"
It's
very
confusing
,
"
I
agreed
.
"
Then
there
is
Mrs
.
Cavendish
,
"
continued
Poirot
.
"
That's
another
who
is
not
telling
all
she
knows
!
What
do
you
make
of
her
attitude
?
"
"
I
don't
know
what
to
make
of
it
.
It
seems
inconceivable
that
she
should
be
shielding
Alfred
Inglethorp
.
Yet
that
is
what
it
looks
like
.
"
Poirot
nodded
reflectively
.
"
Yes
,
it
is
queer
.
One
thing
is
certain
,
she
overheard
a
good
deal
more
of
that
private
conversation
than
she
was
willing
to
admit
.
"
"
And
yet
she
is
the
last
person
one
would
accuse
of
stooping
to
eavesdrop
!
"
"
Exactly
.
One
thing
her
evidence
has
shown
me
.
I
made
a
mistake
.
Dorcas
was
quite
right
.
The
quarrel
did
take
place
earlier
in
the
afternoon
,
about
four
o'clock
,
as
she
said
.
"
I
looked
at
him
curiously
.
I
had
never
understood
his
insistence
on
that
point
.
"
Yes
,
a
good
deal
that
was
peculiar
came
out
to
-
day
,
"
continued
Poirot
.
"
Dr
.
Bauerstein
,
now
,
what
was
he
doing
up
and
dressed
at
that
hour
in
the
morning
?
It
is
astonishing
to
me
that
no
one
commented
on
the
fact
.
"
"
He
has
insomnia
,
I
believe
,
"
I
said
doubtfully
.
"
Which
is
a
very
good
,
or
a
very
bad
explanation
,
"
remarked
Poirot
.
"
It
covers
everything
,
and
explains
nothing
.
I
shall
keep
my
eye
on
our
clever
Dr
.
Bauerstein
.
"
"
Any
more
faults
to
find
with
the
evidence
?
"
I
inquired
satirically
.
"
Mon
ami
,
"
replied
Poirot
gravely
,
"
when
you
find
that
people
are
not
telling
you
the
truth
-
look
out
!
Now
,
unless
I
am
much
mistaken
,
at
the
inquest
to
-
day
only
one
-
at
most
,
two
persons
were
speaking
the
truth
without
reservation
or
subterfuge
.
"
"
Oh
,
come
now
,
Poirot
.
I
won't
cite
Lawrence
,
or
Mrs
.
Cavendish
.
But
there's
John
-
and
Miss
Howard
,
surely
they
were
speaking
the
truth
?
"
"
Both
of
them
,
my
friend
?
One
,
I
grant
you
,
but
both
-
-
!
"
His
words
gave
me
an
unpleasant
shock
.
Miss
Howard's
evidence
,
unimportant
as
it
was
,
had
been
given
in
such
a
downright
straightforward
manner
that
it
had
never
occurred
to
me
to
doubt
her
sincerity
.
Still
,
I
had
a
great
respect
for
Poirot's
sagacity
-
-
except
on
the
occasions
when
he
was
what
I
described
to
myself
as
"
foolishly
pigheaded
.
"
"
Do
you
really
think
so
?
"
I
asked
.
"
Miss
Howard
had
always
seemed
to
me
so
essentially
honest
almost
uncomfortably
so
.
"
Poirot
gave
me
a
curious
look
,
which
I
could
not
quite
fathom
.
He
seemed
to
speak
,
and
then
checked
himself
.
"
Miss
Murdoch
too
,
"
I
continued
,
"
there's
nothing
untruthful
about
her
.
"
"
No
.
But
it
was
strange
that
she
never
heard
a
sound
,
sleeping
next
door
;
whereas
Mrs
.
Cavendish
,
in
the
other
wing
of
the
building
,
distinctly
heard
the
table
fall
.
"
"
Well
,
she's
young
.
And
she
sleeps
soundly
.
"
"
Ah
,
yes
,
indeed
!
She
must
be
a
famous
sleeper
,
that
one
!
"
I
did
not
quite
like
the
tone
of
his
voice
,
but
at
that
moment
a
smart
knock
reached
our
ears
,
and
looking
out
of
the
window
we
perceived
the
two
detectives
waiting
for
us
below
.
Poirot
seized
his
hat
,
gave
a
ferocious
twist
to
his
moustache
,
and
,
carefully
brushing
an
imaginary
speck
of
dust
from
his
sleeve
,
motioned
me
to
precede
him
down
the
stairs
;
there
we
joined
the
detectives
and
set
out
for
Styles
.
I
think
the
appearance
of
the
two
Scotland
Yard
men
was
rather
a
shock
-
-
especially
to
John
,
though
of
course
after
the
verdict
,
he
had
realized
that
it
was
only
a
matter
of
time
.
Still
,
the
presence
of
the
detectives
brought
the
truth
home
to
him
more
than
anything
else
could
have
done
.
Poirot
had
conferred
with
Japp
in
a
low
tone
on
the
way
up
,
and
it
was
the
latter
functionary
who
requested
that
the
household
,
with
the
exception
of
the
servants
,
should
be
assembled
together
in
the
drawing
-
room
.
I
realized
the
significance
of
this
.
It
was
up
to
Poirot
to
make
his
boast
good
.
Personally
,
I
was
not
sanguine
.
Poirot
might
have
excellent
reasons
for
his
belief
in
Inglethorp's
innocence
;
but
a
man
of
the
type
of
Summerhaye
would
require
tangible
proofs
,
and
these
I
doubted
if
Poirot
could
supply
:
Before
very
long
we
had
all
trooped
into
the
drawing
-
room
,
the
door
of
which
Japp
closed
.
Poirot
politely
set
chairs
for
every
one
.
The
Scotland
Yard
men
were
the
cynosure
of
all
eyes
.
I
think
that
for
the
first
time
we
realized
that
the
thing
was
not
a
bad
dream
,
but
a
tangible
reality
.
We
had
read
of
such
things
-
now
we
ourselves
were
actors
in
the
drama
.
To
-
morrow
the
daily
papers
,
all
over
England
,
would
blazon
out
the
news
in
staring
headlines
:
"
MYSTERIOUS
TRAGEDY
IN
ESSEX
"
"
WEALTHY
LADY
POISONED
"
There
would
be
pictures
of
Styles
,
snap
-
shots
of
"
The
family
leaving
the
Inquest
"
-
the
village
photographer
had
not
been
idle
!
All
the
things
that
one
had
read
a
hundred
times
-
things
that
happen
to
other
people
,
not
to
oneself
.
And
now
,
in
this
house
,
a
murder
had
been
committed
.
In
front
of
us
were
"
the
detectives
in
charge
of
the
case
.
"
The
well
-
known
glib
phraseology
passed
rapidly
through
my
mind
in
the
interval
before
Poirot
opened
the
proceedings
.
I
think
every
one
was
a
little
surprised
that
it
should
be
he
and
not
one
of
the
official
detectives
who
took
the
initiative
.
"
Mesdames
and
messieurs
,
"
said
Poirot
,
bowing
as
though
he
were
a
celebrity
about
to
deliver
a
lecture
,
"
I
have
asked
you
to
come
here
all
together
,
for
a
certain
object
.
That
object
,
it
concerns
Mr
.
Alfred
Inglethorp
.
"
Inglethorp
was
sitting
a
little
by
himself
I
think
,
unconsciously
,
every
one
had
drawn
his
chair
slightly
away
from
him
-
and
he
gave
a
faint
start
as
Poirot
pronounced
his
name
.
"
Mr
.
Inglethorp
,
"
said
Poirot
,
addressing
him
directly
,
"
a
very
dark
shadow
is
resting
on
this
house
-
the
shadow
of
murder
.
"
Inglethorp
shook
his
head
sadly
.
"
My
poor
wife
,
"
he
murmured
.
"
Poor
Emily
!
It
is
terrible
.
"
"
I
do
not
think
,
monsieur
,
"
said
Poirot
pointedly
,
"
that
you
quite
realize
how
terrible
it
may
be
-
-
for
you
.
"
And
as
Inglethorp
did
not
appear
to
understand
,
he
added
:
"
Mr
.
Inglethorp
,
you
are
standing
in
very
grave
danger
.
"
The
two
detectives
fidgeted
.
I
saw
the
official
caution
"
Anything
you
say
will
be
used
in
evidence
against
you
"
actually
hovering
on
Summerhaye's
lips
.
Poirot
went
on
.
"
Do
you
understand
now
,
monsieur
?
"
"
No
.
What
do
you
mean
?
"
"
I
mean
,
"
said
Poirot
deliberately
,
"
that
you
are
suspected
of
poisoning
your
wife
.
"
A
little
gasp
ran
round
the
circle
at
this
plain
speaking
.
"
Good
heavens
!
"
cried
Inglethorp
,
starting
up
.
"
What
a
monstrous
idea
!
I
-
poison
my
dearest
Emily
!
"
"
I
do
not
think
"
-
Poirot
watched
him
narrowly
-
"
that
you
quite
realize
the
unfavourable
nature
of
your
evidence
at
the
inquest
.
Mr
.
Inglethorp
,
knowing
what
I
have
now
told
you
,
do
you
still
refuse
to
say
where
you
were
at
six
o'clock
on
Monday
afternoon
?
"
With
a
groan
,
Alfred
Inglethorp
sank
down
again
and
buried
his
face
in
his
hands
.
Poirot
approached
and
stood
over
him
.
"
Speak
!
"
he
cried
menacingly
.
With
an
effort
,
Inglethorp
raised
his
face
from
his
hands
.
Then
,
slowly
and
deliberately
,
he
shook
his
head
.
"
You
will
not
speak
?
"
"
No
.
I
do
not
believe
that
anyone
could
be
so
monstrous
as
to
accuse
me
of
what
you
say
.
"
Poirot
nodded
thoughtfully
,
like
a
man
whose
mind
is
made
up
.
"
Soit
!
"
he
said
.
"
Then
I
must
speak
for
you
.
"
Alfred
Inglethorp
sprang
up
again
.
"
You
!
How
can
you
speak
?
You
do
not
know
-
-
"
he
broke
off
abruptly
.
Poirot
turned
to
face
us
.
"
Mesdames
and
messieurs
!
I
speak
!
Listen
!
I
,
Hercule
Poirot
,
affirm
that
the
man
who
entered
the
chemist's
shop
,
and
purchased
strychnine
at
six
o'clock
on
Monday
last
was
not
Mr
.
Inglethorp
,
for
at
six
o'clock
on
that
day
Mr
.
Inglethorp
was
escorting
Mrs
.
Raikes
back
to
her
home
from
a
neighbouring
farm
.
I
can
produce
no
less
than
five
witnesses
to
swear
to
having
seen
them
together
,
either
at
six
or
just
after
and
,
as
you
may
know
,
the
Abbey
Farm
,
Mrs
.
Raikes's
home
,
is
at
least
two
and
a
half
miles
distant
from
the
village
.
There
is
absolutely
no
question
as
to
the
alibi
!
"
Chapter
VIII
FRESH
SUSPICIONS
There
was
a
moment's
stupefied
silence
.
Japp
,
who
was
the
least
surprised
of
any
of
us
,
was
the
first
to
speak
.
"
My
word
,
"
he
cried
,
"
you're
the
goods
!
And
no
mistake
,
Mr
.
Poirot
!
These
witnesses
of
yours
are
all
right
,
I
suppose
?
"
"
Voila
!
I
have
prepared
a
list
of
their
names
and
addresses
.
You
must
see
them
,
of
course
.
But
you
will
find
it
all
right
.
"
"
I'm
sure
of
that
.
"
Japp
lowered
his
voice
.
"
I'm
much
obliged
to
you
.
A
pretty
mare's
nest
arresting
him
would
have
been
.
"
He
turned
to
Inglethorp
.
"
But
,
if
you'll
excuse
me
,
sir
,
why
couldn't
you
say
all
this
at
the
inquest
?
"
"
I
will
tell
you
why
,
"
interrupted
Poirot
.
"
There
was
a
certain
rumour
-
-
"
"
A
most
malicious
and
utterly
untrue
one
,
"
interrupted
Alfred
Inglethorp
in
an
agitated
voice
.
"
And
Mr
.
Inglethorp
was
anxious
to
have
no
scandal
revived
just
at
present
.
Am
I
right
?
"
"
Quite
right
.
"
Inglethorp
nodded
.
"
With
my
poor
Emily
not
yet
buried
,
can
you
wonder
I
was
anxious
that
no
more
lying
rumours
should
be
started
.
"
"
Between
you
and
me
,
sir
,
"
remarked
Japp
,
"
I'd
sooner
have
any
amount
of
rumours
than
be
arrested
for
murder
.
And
I
venture
to
think
your
poor
lady
would
have
felt
the
same
.
And
,
if
it
hadn't
been
for
Mr
.
Poirot
here
,
arrested
you
would
have
been
,
as
sure
as
eggs
is
eggs
!
"
"
I
was
foolish
,
no
doubt
,
"
murmured
Inglethorp
.
"
But
you
do
not
know
,
inspector
,
how
I
have
been
persecuted
and
maligned
.
"
And
he
shot
a
baleful
glance
at
Evelyn
Howard
.
"
Now
,
sir
,
"
said
Japp
,
turning
briskly
to
John
,
"
I
should
like
to
see
the
lady's
bedroom
,
please
,
and
after
that
I'll
have
a
little
chat
with
the
servants
.
Don't
you
bother
about
anything
.
Mr
.
Poirot
,
here
,
will
show
me
the
way
.
"
As
they
all
went
out
of
the
room
,
Poirot
turned
and
made
me
a
sign
to
follow
him
upstairs
.
There
he
caught
me
by
the
arm
,
and
drew
me
aside
.
"
Quick
,
go
to
the
other
wing
.
Stand
there
-
-
just
this
side
of
the
baize
door
.
Do
not
move
till
I
come
.
"
Then
,
turning
rapidly
,
he
rejoined
the
two
detectives
.
I
followed
his
instructions
,
taking
up
my
position
by
the
baize
door
,
and
wondering
what
on
earth
lay
behind
the
request
.
Why
was
I
to
stand
in
this
particular
spot
on
guard
?
I
looked
thoughtfully
down
the
corridor
in
front
of
me
.
An
idea
struck
me
.
With
the
exception
of
Cynthia
Murdoch's
,
every
one's
room
was
in
this
left
wing
.
Had
that
anything
to
do
with
it
?
Was
I
to
report
who
came
or
went
?
I
stood
faithfully
at
my
post
.
The
minutes
passed
.
Nobody
came
.
Nothing
happened
.
It
must
have
been
quite
twenty
minutes
before
Poirot
rejoined
me
.
"
You
have
not
stirred
?
"
"
No
,
I've
stuck
here
like
a
rock
.
Nothing's
happened
.
"
"
Ah
!
"
Was
he
pleased
,
or
disappointed
?
"
You've
seen
nothing
at
all
?
"
"
No
.
"
"
But
you
have
probably
heard
something
?
A
big
bump
-
eh
,
mon
ami
?
"
"
No
.
"
"
Is
it
possible
?
Ah
,
but
I
am
vexed
with
myself
!
I
am
not
usually
clumsy
.
I
made
but
a
slight
gesture
"
-
I
know
Poirot's
gestures
-
"
with
the
left
hand
,
and
over
went
the
table
by
the
bed
!
"
He
looked
so
childishly
vexed
and
crest
-
fallen
that
I
hastened
to
console
him
.
"
Never
mind
,
old
chap
.
What
does
it
matter
?
Your
triumph
downstairs
excited
you
.
I
can
tell
you
,
that
was
a
surprise
to
us
all
.
There
must
be
more
in
this
affair
of
Inglethorp's
with
Mrs
.
Raikes
than
we
thought
,
to
make
him
hold
his
tongue
so
persistently
.
What
are
you
going
to
do
now
?
Where
are
the
Scotland
Yard
fellows
?
"
"
Gone
down
to
interview
the
servants
.
I
showed
them
all
our
exhibits
.
I
am
disappointed
in
Japp
.
He
has
no
method
!
"
"
Hullo
!
"
I
said
,
looking
out
of
the
window
.
"
Here's
Dr
.
Bauerstein
.
I
believe
you're
right
about
that
man
,
Poirot
.
I
don't
like
him
.
"
"
He
is
clever
,
"
observed
Poirot
meditatively
.
"
Oh
,
clever
as
the
devil
!
I
must
say
I
was
overjoyed
to
see
him
in
the
plight
he
was
in
on
Tuesday
.
You
never
saw
such
a
spectacle
!
"
And
I
described
the
doctor's
adventure
.
"
He
looked
a
regular
scarecrow
!
Plastered
with
mud
from
head
to
foot
.
"
"
You
saw
him
,
then
?
"
"
Yes
.
Of
course
,
he
didn't
want
to
come
in
-
-
it
was
just
after
dinner
-
-
but
Mr
.
Inglethorp
insisted
.
"
"
What
?
"
Poirot
caught
me
violently
by
the
shoulders
.
"
Was
Dr
.
Bauerstein
here
on
Tuesday
evening
?
Here
?
And
you
never
told
me
?
Why
did
you
not
tell
me
?
Why
?
Why
?
"
He
appeared
to
be
in
an
absolute
frenzy
.
"
My
dear
Poirot
,
"
I
expostulated
,
"
I
never
thought
it
would
interest
you
.
I
didn't
know
it
was
of
any
importance
.
"
"
Importance
?
It
is
of
the
first
importance
!
So
Dr
.
Bauerstein
was
here
on
`
Tuesday
`
night
-
the
night
of
the
murder
.
Hastings
,
do
you
not
see
?
That
alters
everything
-
-
everything
!
"
I
had
never
seen
him
so
upset
.
Loosening
his
hold
of
me
,
he
mechanically
straightened
a
pair
of
candlesticks
,
still
murmuring
to
himself
:
"
Yes
,
that
alters
everything
-
-
everything
.
"
Suddenly
he
seemed
to
come
to
a
decision
.
"
Allons
!
"
he
said
.
"
We
must
act
at
once
.
Where
is
Mr
.
Cavendish
?
"
John
was
in
the
smoking
room
.
Poirot
went
straight
to
him
.
"
Mr
.
Cavendish
,
I
have
some
important
business
in
Tadminster
.
A
new
clue
.
May
I
take
your
motor
?
"
"
Why
,
of
course
.
Do
you
mean
at
once
?
"
"
If
you
please
.
"
John
rang
the
bell
,
and
ordered
round
the
car
.
in
another
ten
minutes
,
we
were
racing
down
the
park
and
along
the
high
road
to
Tadminster
.
"
Now
,
Poirot
,
"
I
remarked
resignedly
,
"
perhaps
you
will
tell
me
what
all
this
is
about
?
"
"
Well
,
mon
ami
,
a
good
deal
you
can
guess
for
yourself
.
Of
course
you
realize
that
,
now
Mr
.
Inglethorp
is
out
of
it
,
the
whole
position
is
greatly
changed
!
We
are
face
to
face
with
an
entirely
new
problem
.
We
know
now
that
there
is
one
person
who
did
not
buy
the
poison
.
We
have
cleared
away
the
manufactured
clues
.
Now
for
the
real
ones
.
I
have
ascertained
that
anyone
in
the
household
,
with
the
exception
of
Mrs
.
Cavendish
,
who
was
playing
tennis
with
you
,
could
have
personated
Mr
.
Inglethorp
on
Monday
evening
.
In
the
same
way
,
we
have
his
statement
that
he
put
the
coffee
down
in
the
hall
.
No
one
took
much
notice
of
that
at
the
inquest
-
but
now
it
has
a
very
different
significance
.
We
must
find
out
who
did
take
that
coffee
to
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
eventually
,
or
who
passed
through
the
hall
whilst
it
was
standing
there
.
From
your
account
,
there
are
only
two
people
whom
we
can
positively
say
did
not
go
near
the
coffee
-
Mrs
.
Cavendish
,
and
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
.
"
"
Yes
,
that
is
so
.
"
I
felt
an
inexpressible
lightening
of
the
heart
.
Mary
Cavendish
could
certainly
not
rest
under
suspicion
.
"
In
clearing
Alfred
Inglethorp
,
"
continued
Poirot
,
"
I
have
been
obliged
to
show
my
hand
sooner
than
I
intended
.
As
long
as
I
might
be
thought
to
be
pursuing
him
,
the
criminal
would
be
off
his
guard
.
Now
,
he
will
be
doubly
careful
.
Yes
-
doubly
careful
.
"
He
turned
to
me
abruptly
.
"
Tell
me
,
Hastings
,
you
yourself
-
have
you
no
suspicions
of
anybody
?
"
I
hesitated
.
To
tell
the
truth
,
an
idea
,
wild
and
extravagant
in
itself
,
had
once
or
twice
that
morning
flashed
through
my
brain
.
I
had
rejected
it
as
absurd
,
nevertheless
it
persisted
.
"
You
couldn't
call
it
a
suspicion
,
"
I
murmured
.
"
It's
so
utterly
foolish
.
"
"
Come
now
,
"
urged
Poirot
encouragingly
.
"
Do
not
fear
.
Speak
your
mind
.
You
should
always
pay
attention
to
your
instincts
.
"
"
Well
then
,
"
I
blurted
out
,
"
it's
absurd
-
but
I
suspect
Miss
Howard
of
not
telling
all
she
knows
!
"
"
Miss
Howard
?
"
"
Yes
-
you'll
laugh
at
me
-
-
"
"
Not
at
all
.
Why
should
I
?
"
"
I
can't
help
feeling
,
"
I
continued
blunderingly
;
"
that
we've
rather
left
her
out
of
the
possible
suspects
,
simply
on
the
strength
of
her
having
been
away
from
the
place
.
But
,
after
all
,
she
was
only
fifteen
miles
away
.
A
car
would
do
it
in
half
an
hour
.
Can
we
say
positively
that
she
was
away
from
Styles
on
the
night
of
the
murder
?
"
"
Yes
,
my
friend
,
"
said
Poirot
unexpectedly
,
"
we
can
.
One
of
my
first
actions
was
to
ring
up
the
hospital
where
she
was
working
.
"
"
Well
?
,
"
Well
,
I
learnt
that
Miss
Howard
had
been
on
afternoon
duty
on
Tuesday
,
and
that
a
convoy
coming
in
unexpectedly
she
had
kindly
offered
to
remain
on
night
duty
,
which
offer
was
gratefully
accepted
.
That
disposes
of
that
.
"
"
Oh
!
"
I
said
,
rather
nonplussed
.
"
Really
,
"
I
continued
,
"
it's
her
extraordinary
vehemence
against
Inglethorp
that
started
me
off
suspecting
her
.
I
can't
help
feeling
she'd
do
anything
against
him
.
And
I
had
an
idea
she
might
know
something
about
the
destroying
of
the
will
.
She
might
have
burnt
the
new
one
,
mistaking
it
for
the
earlier
one
in
his
favour
.
She
is
so
terribly
bitter
against
him
.
"
"
You
consider
her
vehemence
unnatural
?
"
"
Y
-
es
.
She
is
so
very
violent
.
I
wondered
really
whether
she
is
quite
sane
on
that
point
.
"
Poirot
shook
his
head
energetically
.
"
No
,
no
,
you
are
on
a
wrong
tack
there
.
There
is
nothing
weak
-
minded
or
degenerate
about
Miss
Howard
.
She
is
an
excellent
specimen
of
well
-
balanced
English
beef
and
brawn
.
She
is
sanity
itself
.
"
"
Yet
her
hatred
of
Inglethorp
seems
almost
a
mania
.
My
idea
was
-
-
a
very
ridiculous
one
,
no
doubt
-
-
that
she
had
intended
to
poison
him
-
and
that
,
in
some
way
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
got
hold
of
it
by
mistake
.
But
I
don't
at
all
see
how
it
could
have
been
done
.
The
whole
thing
is
absurd
and
ridiculous
to
the
last
degree
.
"
"
Still
you
are
right
in
one
thing
.
It
is
always
wise
to
suspect
everybody
until
you
can
prove
logically
,
and
to
your
own
satisfaction
,
that
they
are
innocent
.
Now
,
what
reasons
are
there
against
Miss
Howard's
having
deliberately
poisoned
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
?
"
"
Why
,
she
was
devoted
to
her
!
"
I
exclaimed
.
"
Tcha
!
Tcha
!
"
cried
Poirot
irritably
.
"
You
argue
like
a
child
.
If
Miss
Howard
were
capable
of
poisoning
the
old
lady
,
she
would
be
quite
equally
capable
of
simulating
devotion
.
No
,
we
must
look
elsewhere
.
You
are
perfectly
correct
in
your
assumption
that
her
vehemence
against
Alfred
Inglethorp
is
too
violent
to
be
natural
;
but
you
are
quite
wrong
in
the
deduction
you
draw
from
it
.
I
have
drawn
my
own
deductions
,
which
I
believe
to
be
correct
,
but
I
will
not
speak
of
them
at
present
.
"
He
paused
a
minute
,
then
went
on
.
"
Now
,
to
my
way
of
thinking
,
there
is
one
insuperable
objection
to
Miss
Howard's
being
the
murderess
.
"
"
And
that
is
?
"
"
That
in
no
possible
way
could
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
death
benefit
Miss
Howard
.
Now
there
is
no
murder
without
a
motive
.
"
I
reflected
.
"
Could
not
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
have
made
a
will
in
her
favour
?
"
Poirot
shook
his
head
.
"
But
you
yourself
suggested
that
possibility
to
Mr
.
Wells
?
"
Poirot
smiled
.
"
That
was
for
a
reason
.
I
did
not
want
to
mention
the
name
of
the
person
who
was
actually
in
my
mind
.
Miss
Howard
occupied
very
much
the
same
position
,
so
I
used
her
name
instead
.
"
"
Still
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
might
have
done
so
.
Why
,
that
will
,
made
on
the
afternoon
of
her
death
may
-
-
"
But
Poirot's
shake
of
the
head
was
so
energetic
that
I
stopped
.
"
No
,
my
friend
.
I
have
certain
little
ideas
of
my
own
about
that
will
.
But
I
can
tell
you
this
much
-
it
was
not
in
Miss
Howard's
favour
.
"
I
accepted
his
assurance
,
though
I
did
not
really
see
how
he
could
be
so
positive
about
the
matter
.
"
Well
,
"
I
said
,
with
a
sigh
,
"
we
will
acquit
Miss
Howard
,
then
.
It
is
partly
your
fault
that
I
ever
came
to
suspect
her
.
It
was
what
you
said
about
her
evidence
at
the
inquest
that
set
me
off
.
"
Poirot
looked
guzzled
.
"
What
did
I
say
about
her
evidence
at
the
inquest
?
"
"
Don't
you
remember
?
When
I
cited
her
and
John
Cavendish
as
being
above
suspicion
?
"
"
Oh
-
ah
-
yes
.
"
He
seemed
a
little
confused
,
but
recovered
himself
.
"
By
the
way
,
Hastings
,
there
is
something
I
want
you
to
do
for
me
.
"
"
Certainly
.
What
is
it
?
"
"
Next
time
you
happen
to
be
alone
with
Lawrence
Cavendish
,
I
want
you
to
say
this
to
him
.
I
have
a
message
for
you
,
from
Poirot
.
He
says
:
`
Find
the
extra
coffee
-
cup
,
and
you
can
rest
in
peace
!
`
Nothing
more
.
Nothing
less
.
"
"
`
Find
the
extra
coffee
-
cup
,
and
you
can
rest
in
peace
.
`
Is
that
right
?
"
I
asked
,
much
mystified
.
"
Excellent
.
"
"
But
what
does
it
mean
?
"
"
Ah
,
that
I
will
leave
you
to
find
out
.
You
have
access
to
the
facts
.
Just
say
that
to
him
,
and
see
what
he
says
.
"
"
Very
well
-
but
it's
all
extremely
mysterious
.
"
We
were
running
into
Tadminster
now
,
and
Poirot
directed
the
car
to
the
"
Analytical
Chemist
.
"
Poirot
hopped
down
briskly
,
and
went
inside
.
In
a
few
minutes
he
was
back
again
.
"
There
,
"
he
said
.
"
That
is
all
my
business
.
"
"
What
were
you
doing
there
?
"
I
asked
,
in
lively
curiosity
.
"
I
left
something
to
be
analysed
.
"
"
Yes
,
but
what
?
"
"
The
sample
of
coco
I
took
from
the
saucepan
in
the
bedroom
.
"
"
But
that
has
already
been
tested
!
"
I
cried
,
stupefied
.
"
Dr
.
Bauerstein
had
it
tested
,
and
you
yourself
laughed
at
the
possibility
of
there
being
strychnine
in
it
.
"
"
I
know
Dr
.
Bauerstein
had
it
tested
,
"
replied
Poirot
quietly
.
"
Well
,
then
?
"
"
Well
,
I
have
a
fancy
for
having
it
analysed
again
,
that
is
all
.
"
And
not
another
word
on
the
subject
could
I
drag
out
of
him
.
This
proceeding
of
Poirot's
,
in
respect
of
the
coco
,
puzzled
me
intensely
.
I
could
see
neither
rhyme
nor
reason
in
it
.
However
,
my
confidence
in
him
,
which
at
one
time
had
rather
waned
,
was
fully
restored
since
his
belief
in
Alfred
Inglethorp's
innocence
had
been
so
triumphantly
vindicated
.
The
funeral
of
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
took
place
the
following
day
,
and
on
Monday
,
as
I
came
down
to
a
late
breakfast
,
John
drew
me
aside
,
and
informed
me
that
Mr
.
Inglethorp
was
leaving
that
morning
,
to
take
up
his
quarters
at
the
Stylites
Arms
until
he
should
have
completed
his
plans
.
"
And
really
it's
a
great
relief
to
think
he's
going
,
Hastings
,
"
continued
my
honest
friend
.
"
It
was
bad
enough
before
,
when
we
thought
he'd
done
it
,
but
I'm
hanged
if
it
isn't
worse
now
,
when
we
all
feel
guilty
for
having
been
so
down
on
the
fellow
.
The
fact
is
,
we've
treated
him
abominably
.
Of
course
,
things
did
look
black
against
him
.
I
don't
see
how
anyone
could
blame
us
for
jumping
to
the
conclusions
we
did
.
Still
,
there
it
is
,
we
were
in
the
wrong
,
and
now
there's
a
beastly
feeling
that
one
ought
to
make
amends
;
which
is
difficult
,
when
one
doesn't
like
the
fellow
a
bit
better
than
one
did
before
.
The
whole
thing's
damned
awkward
!
And
I'm
thankful
he's
had
the
tact
to
take
himself
off
.
It's
a
good
thing
Styles
wasn't
the
mater's
to
leave
to
him
.
Couldn't
bear
to
think
of
the
fellow
lording
it
here
.
He's
welcome
to
her
money
.
"
"
You'll
be
able
to
keep
up
the
place
all
right
?
"
I
asked
.
"
Oh
,
yes
.
There
are
the
death
duties
,
of
course
,
but
half
my
father's
money
goes
with
the
place
,
and
Lawrence
will
stay
with
us
for
the
present
,
so
there
is
his
share
as
well
.
We
shall
be
pinched
at
first
,
of
course
,
because
,
as
I
once
told
you
,
I
am
in
a
bit
of
a
hole
financially
myself
.
Still
,
the
Johnnies
will
wait
now
.
"
In
the
general
relief
at
Inglethorp's
approaching
departure
,
we
had
the
most
genial
breakfast
we
had
experienced
since
the
tragedy
.
Cynthia
,
whose
young
spirits
were
naturally
buoyant
,
was
looking
quite
her
pretty
self
again
,
and
we
all
,
with
the
exception
of
Lawrence
,
who
seemed
unalterably
gloomy
and
nervous
,
were
quietly
cheerful
,
at
the
opening
of
a
new
and
hopeful
future
.
The
papers
,
of
course
,
had
been
full
of
the
tragedy
.
Glaring
headlines
,
sandwiched
biographies
of
every
member
of
the
household
,
subtle
innuendoes
,
the
usual
familiar
tag
about
the
police
having
a
clue
.
Nothing
was
spared
us
.
It
was
a
slack
time
.
The
war
was
momentarily
inactive
,
and
the
newspapers
seized
with
avidity
on
this
crime
in
fashionable
life
:
"
The
Mysterious
Affair
at
Styles
"
was
the
topic
of
the
moment
.
Naturally
it
was
very
annoying
for
the
Cavendishes
.
The
house
was
constantly
besieged
by
reporters
,
who
were
consistently
denied
admission
,
but
who
continued
to
haunt
the
village
and
the
grounds
,
where
they
lay
in
wait
with
cameras
,
for
any
unwary
members
of
the
household
.
We
all
lived
in
a
blast
of
publicity
.
The
Scotland
Yard
men
came
and
went
,
examining
,
questioning
,
lynx
-
eyed
and
reserved
of
tongue
.
Towards
what
end
they
were
working
,
we
did
not
know
.
Had
they
any
clue
,
or
would
the
whole
thing
remain
in
the
category
of
undiscovered
crimes
?
After
breakfast
,
Dorcas
came
up
to
me
rather
mysteriously
,
and
asked
if
she
might
have
a
few
words
with
me
.
"
Certainly
.
What
is
it
,
Dorcas
?
"
"
Well
,
it's
just
this
,
sir
.
You'll
be
seeing
the
Belgian
gentleman
to
-
day
perhaps
?
"
I
nodded
.
"
Well
,
sir
,
you
know
how
he
asked
me
so
particular
if
the
mistress
,
or
anyone
else
,
had
a
green
dress
?
"
"
Yes
,
yes
.
You
have
found
one
?
"
My
interest
was
aroused
.
"
No
,
not
that
,
sir
.
But
since
then
I've
remembered
what
the
young
gentlemen
"
-
John
and
Lawrence
were
still
the
"
young
gentlemen
"
to
Dorcas
-
"
call
the
dressing
-
up
box
.
It's
up
in
the
front
attic
,
sir
.
A
great
chest
,
full
of
old
clothes
and
fancy
dresses
,
and
what
not
.
And
it
came
to
me
sudden
like
that
there
might
be
a
green
dress
amongst
them
.
So
,
if
you'd
tell
the
Belgian
gentleman
-
-
"
"
I
will
tell
him
,
Dorcas
,
"
I
promised
.
"
Thank
you
very
much
,
sir
.
A
very
nice
gentleman
he
is
,
sir
.
And
quite
a
different
class
from
them
two
detectives
from
London
,
what
goes
prying
about
,
and
asking
questions
.
I
don't
hold
with
foreigners
as
a
rule
,
but
from
what
the
newspapers
say
I
make
out
as
how
these
brave
Belges
isn't
the
ordinary
run
of
foreigners
,
and
certainly
he's
a
most
polite
spoken
gentleman
.
"
Dear
old
Dorcas
!
As
she
stood
there
,
with
her
honest
face
upturned
to
mine
,
I
thought
what
a
fine
specimen
she
was
of
the
old
-
fashioned
servant
that
is
so
fast
dying
out
.
I
thought
I
might
as
well
go
down
to
the
village
at
once
,
and
look
up
Poirot
;
but
I
met
him
half
-
way
,
coming
up
to
the
house
,
and
at
once
gave
him
Dorcas's
message
.
"
Ah
,
the
brave
Dorcas
!
We
will
look
at
the
chest
,
although
-
but
no
matter
we
will
examine
it
all
the
same
.
"
We
entered
the
house
by
one
of
the
windows
.
There
was
no
one
in
the
hall
,
and
we
went
straight
up
to
the
attic
.
Sure
enough
,
there
was
the
chest
,
a
fine
old
piece
,
all
studded
with
brass
nails
,
and
full
to
overflowing
with
every
imaginable
type
of
garment
.
Poirot
bundled
everything
out
on
the
floor
with
scant
ceremony
.
There
were
one
or
two
green
fabrics
of
varying
shades
;
but
Poirot
shook
his
head
over
them
all
.
He
seemed
somewhat
apathetic
in
the
search
,
as
though
he
expected
no
great
results
from
it
.
Suddenly
he
gave
an
exclamation
.
"
What
is
it
?
"
"
Look
!
"
The
chest
was
nearly
empty
,
and
there
,
reposing
right
at
the
bottom
,
was
a
magnificent
black
beard
.
"
Oho
!
"
said
Poirot
.
"
Oho
!
"
He
turned
it
over
in
his
hands
,
examining
it
closely
.
"
New
,
"
he
remarked
.
"
Yes
,
quite
new
.
"
After
a
moment's
hesitation
,
he
replaced
it
in
the
chest
,
heaped
all
the
other
things
on
top
of
it
as
before
,
and
made
his
way
briskly
downstairs
.
He
went
straight
to
the
pantry
,
where
we
found
Dorcas
busily
polishing
her
silver
.
Poirot
wished
her
good
morning
with
Gallic
politeness
,
and
went
on
:
"
We
have
been
looking
through
that
chest
,
Dorcas
.
I
am
much
obliged
to
you
for
mentioning
it
.
There
is
,
indeed
,
a
fine
collection
there
.
Are
they
often
used
,
may
I
ask
?
"
"
Well
,
sir
,
not
very
often
nowadays
,
though
from
time
to
time
we
do
have
what
the
young
gentlemen
call
a
dress
-
up
night
.
And
very
funny
it
is
sometimes
,
sir
.
Mr
.
Lawrence
,
he's
wonderful
.
Most
comic
!
I
shall
never
forget
the
night
he
came
down
as
the
Char
of
Persia
,
I
think
he
called
it
-
a
sort
of
Eastern
King
it
was
.
He
had
the
big
paper
knife
in
his
hand
,
and
`
Mind
,
Dorcas
,
`
he
says
,
`
you'll
have
to
be
very
respectful
.
This
is
my
specially
sharpened
scimitar
,
and
it's
off
with
your
head
if
I'm
at
all
displeased
with
you
!
`
Miss
Cynthia
,
she
was
what
they
call
an
Apache
,
or
some
such
name
-
a
Frenchified
sort
of
cut
-
throat
,
I
take
it
to
be
.
A
real
sight
she
looked
.
You'd
never
have
believed
a
pretty
young
lady
like
that
could
have
made
herself
into
such
a
ruffian
.
Nobody
would
have
known
her
.
"
"
These
evenings
must
have
been
great
fun
,
"
said
Poirot
genially
.
"
I
suppose
Mr
.
Lawrence
wore
that
fine
black
beard
in
the
chest
upstairs
,
when
he
was
Shah
of
Persia
?
"
"
He
did
have
a
beard
,
sir
,
"
replied
Dorcas
,
smiling
.
"
And
well
I
know
it
,
for
he
borrowed
two
skeins
of
my
black
wool
to
make
it
with
!
And
I'm
sure
it
looked
wonderfully
natural
at
a
distance
.
I
didn't
know
as
there
was
a
beard
up
there
at
all
.
It
must
have
been
got
quite
lately
,
I
think
.
There
was
a
red
wig
,
I
know
,
but
nothing
else
in
the
way
of
hair
.
Burnt
corks
they
use
mostly
-
though
'tis
messy
getting
it
off
again
.
Miss
Cynthia
was
a
nigger
once
,
and
,
oh
,
the
trouble
she
had
.
"
"
So
Dorcas
knows
nothing
about
that
black
beard
,
"
said
Poirot
thoughtfully
,
as
we
walked
out
into
the
hall
again
:
"
Do
you
think
it
is
the
one
?
"
I
whispered
eagerly
.
Poirot
nodded
.
"
I
do
.
You
notice
it
had
been
trimmed
?
"
"
No
.
"
"
Yes
.
It
was
cut
exactly
the
shape
of
Mr
.
Inglethorp's
,
and
I
found
one
or
two
snipped
hairs
.
Hastings
,
this
affair
is
very
deep
.
"
"
Who
put
it
in
the
chest
,
I
wonder
?
"
"
Some
one
with
a
good
deal
of
intelligence
,
"
remarked
Poirot
drily
.
"
You
realize
that
he
chose
the
one
place
in
the
house
to
hide
it
where
its
presence
would
not
be
remarked
?
Yes
,
he
is
intelligent
.
But
we
must
be
more
intelligent
.
We
must
be
so
intelligent
that
he
does
not
suspect
us
of
being
intelligent
at
all
.
"
I
acquiesced
.
"
There
,
mon
ami
,
you
will
be
of
great
assistance
to
me
.
"
I
was
pleased
with
the
compliment
.
There
had
been
times
when
I
hardly
thought
that
Poirot
appreciated
me
at
my
true
worth
.
"
Yes
,
"
he
continued
,
staring
at
me
thoughtfully
,
"
you
will
be
invaluable
.
"
This
was
naturally
gratifying
,
but
Poirot's
next
words
were
not
so
welcome
.
"
I
must
have
an
ally
in
the
house
,
"
he
observed
reflectively
.
"
You
have
me
,
"
I
protested
.
"
True
,
but
you
are
not
sufficient
.
"
I
was
hurt
,
and
showed
it
.
Poirot
hurried
to
explain
himself
.
"
You
do
not
quite
take
my
meaning
.
You
are
known
to
be
working
with
me
.
I
want
somebody
who
is
not
associated
with
us
in
any
way
.
"
"
Oh
,
I
see
.
How
about
John
?
"
"
No
,
I
think
not
.
"
"
The
dear
fellow
isn't
perhaps
very
bright
,
"
I
said
thoughtfully
.
"
Here
comes
Miss
Howard
,
"
said
Poirot
suddenly
.
"
She
is
the
very
person
.
But
I
am
in
her
black
books
,
since
I
cleared
Mr
.
Inglethorp
.
Still
,
we
can
but
try
.
"
With
a
nod
that
was
barely
civil
,
Miss
Howard
assented
to
Poirot's
request
for
a
few
minutes'
conversation
.
We
went
into
the
little
morning
-
room
,
and
Poirot
closed
the
door
.
"
Well
,
Monsieur
Poirot
,
"
said
Miss
Howard
impatiently
,
"
what
is
it
?
Out
with
it
.
I'm
busy
.
"
"
Do
you
remember
,
mademoiselle
,
that
I
once
asked
you
to
help
me
?
"
"
Yes
,
I
do
.
"
The
lady
nodded
.
"
And
I
told
you
I'd
help
you
with
pleasure
-
to
hang
Alfred
Inglethorp
.
"
"
Ah
!
"
Poirot
studied
her
seriously
.
"
Miss
Howard
,
I
will
ask
you
one
question
.
I
beg
of
you
to
reply
to
it
truthfully
.
"
"
Never
tell
lies
,
"
replied
Miss
Howard
.
"
It
is
this
.
Do
you
still
believe
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
was
poisoned
by
her
husband
?
"
"
What
do
you
mean
?
"
she
asked
sharply
.
"
You
needn't
think
your
pretty
explanations
influence
me
in
the
slightest
.
I'll
admit
that
it
wasn't
he
who
bought
strychnine
at
the
chemist's
shop
.
What
of
that
?
I
dare
say
he
soaked
fly
paper
,
as
I
told
you
,
at
the
beginning
.
"
"
That
is
arsenic
-
-
not
strychnine
,
"
said
Poirot
mildly
.
"
What
does
that
matter
?
Arsenic
would
put
poor
Emily
out
of
the
way
just
as
well
as
strychnine
.
If
I'm
convinced
he
did
it
,
it
doesn't
matter
a
jot
to
me
how
he
did
it
.
"
"
Exactly
.
If
you
are
convinced
he
did
it
,
"
said
Poirot
quietly
.
"
I
will
put
my
question
in
another
form
.
Did
you
ever
in
your
heart
of
hearts
believe
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
was
poisoned
by
her
husband
?
"
"
Good
heavens
!
"
cried
Miss
Howard
.
"
Haven't
I
always
told
you
the
man
is
a
villain
?
Haven't
I
always
told
you
he
would
murder
her
in
her
bed
?
Haven't
I
always
hated
him
like
poison
?
"
"
Exactly
,
"
said
Poirot
.
"
That
bears
out
my
little
idea
entirely
.
"
"
What
little
idea
?
"
"
Miss
Howard
,
do
you
remember
a
conversation
that
took
place
on
the
day
of
my
friend's
arrival
here
?
He
repeated
it
to
me
,
and
there
is
a
sentence
of
yours
that
has
impressed
me
very
much
.
Do
you
remember
affirming
that
if
a
crime
had
been
committed
,
and
anyone
you
loved
had
been
murdered
,
you
felt
certain
that
you
would
know
by
instinct
who
the
criminal
was
,
even
if
you
were
quite
unable
to
prove
it
?
"
"
Yes
,
I
remember
saying
that
.
I
believe
it
too
.
I
suppose
you
think
it
nonsense
?
"
"
Not
at
all
.
"
"
And
yet
you
will
pay
no
attention
to
my
instinct
against
Alfred
Inglethorp
?
"
"
No
,
"
said
Poirot
curtly
.
"
Because
your
instinct
is
not
against
Mr
.
Inglethorp
.
"
"
What
?
"
"
No
.
You
wish
to
believe
he
committed
the
crime
.
You
believe
him
capable
of
committing
it
.
But
your
instinct
tells
you
he
did
not
commit
it
.
It
tells
you
more
-
shall
I
go
on
?
"
She
was
staring
at
him
,
fascinated
,
and
made
a
slight
affirmative
movement
of
the
hand
.
"
Shall
I
tell
you
why
you
have
been
so
vehement
against
Mr
.
Inglethorp
?
It
is
because
you
have
been
trying
to
believe
what
you
wish
to
believe
.
It
is
because
you
are
trying
to
drown
and
stifle
your
instinct
,
which
tells
you
another
name
-
"
"
No
,
no
,
no
!
"
cried
Miss
Howard
wildly
,
flinging
up
her
hands
.
"
Don't
say
it
!
Oh
,
don't
say
it
!
It
isn't
true
!
It
can't
be
true
.
I
don't
know
what
put
such
a
wild
-
-
such
a
dreadful
-
-
idea
into
my
head
!
"
"
I
am
right
,
am
I
not
?
"
asked
Poirot
.
"
Yes
,
yes
;
you
must
be
a
wizard
to
have
guessed
.
But
it
can't
be
so
-
-
it's
too
monstrous
,
too
impossible
.
It
must
be
Alfred
Inglethorp
.
"
Poirot
shook
his
head
gravely
.
"
Don't
ask
me
about
it
,
"
continued
Miss
Howard
,
"
because
I
shan't
tell
you
.
I
won't
admit
it
,
even
to
myself
.
I
must
be
mad
to
think
of
such
a
thing
.
"
Poirot
nodded
,
as
if
satisfied
.
"
I
will
ask
you
nothing
.
It
is
enough
for
me
that
it
is
as
I
thought
.
And
I
-
I
,
too
,
have
an
instinct
.
We
are
working
together
towards
a
common
end
.
"
"
Don't
ask
me
to
help
you
,
because
I
won't
.
I
wouldn't
lift
a
finger
to
-
to
-
-
"
She
faltered
.
"
You
will
help
me
in
spite
of
yourself
.
I
ask
you
nothing
-
but
you
will
be
my
ally
.
You
will
not
be
able
to
help
yourself
.
You
will
do
the
only
thing
that
I
want
of
you
.
"
"
And
that
is
?
"
"
You
will
watch
!
"
Evelyn
Howard
bowed
her
head
.
"
Yes
,
I
can't
help
doing
that
.
I
am
always
watching
-
-
always
hoping
I
shall
be
proved
wrong
.
"
"
If
we
are
wrong
,
well
and
good
,
"
said
Poirot
.
"
No
one
will
be
more
pleased
than
I
shall
.
But
,
if
we
are
right
?
If
we
are
right
,
Miss
Howard
,
on
whose
side
are
you
then
?
"
"
I
don't
know
,
I
don't
know
-
-
"
"
Come
now
.
"
"
It
could
be
hushed
up
.
"
"
There
must
be
no
hushing
up
.
"
"
But
Emily
herself
-
-
"
She
broke
off
.
"
Miss
Howard
,
"
said
Poirot
gravely
,
"
this
is
unworthy
of
you
.
"
Suddenly
she
took
her
face
from
her
hands
.
"
Yes
,
"
she
said
quietly
,
"
that
was
not
Evelyn
Howard
who
spoke
!
"
She
flung
her
head
up
proudly
.
"
This
is
Evelyn
Howard
!
And
she
is
on
the
side
of
Justice
!
Let
the
cost
be
what
it
may
.
"
And
with
these
words
,
she
walked
firmly
out
of
the
room
.
"
There
,
"
said
Poirot
,
looking
after
her
,
"
goes
a
very
valuable
ally
.
That
woman
,
Hastings
,
has
got
brains
as
well
as
a
heart
.
"
I
did
not
reply
.
"
Instinct
is
a
marvellous
thing
,
"
mused
Poirot
.
"
It
can
neither
be
explained
nor
ignored
.
"
"
You
and
Miss
Howard
seem
to
know
what
you
are
talking
about
,
"
I
observed
coldly
.
"
Perhaps
you
don't
realize
that
I
am
still
in
the
dark
.
"
"
Really
?
Is
that
so
,
mon
ami
?
"
"
Yes
.
Enlighten
me
,
will
you
?
"
Poirot
studied
me
attentively
for
a
moment
or
two
.
Then
,
to
my
intense
surprise
,
he
shook
his
head
decidedly
.
"
No
,
my
friend
.
"
"
Oh
,
look
here
,
why
not
?
"
"
Two
is
enough
for
a
secret
.
"
"
Well
,
I
think
it
is
very
unfair
to
keep
back
facts
from
me
.
"
"
I
am
not
keeping
back
facts
.
Every
fact
that
I
know
is
in
your
possession
.
You
can
draw
your
own
deductions
from
them
.
This
time
it
is
a
question
of
ideas
.
"
"
Still
,
it
would
be
interesting
to
know
.
"
Poirot
looked
at
me
very
earnestly
,
and
again
shook
his
head
.
"
You
see
,
"
he
said
sadly
,
"
you
have
no
instincts
.
"
"
It
was
intelligence
you
were
requiring
just
now
,
"
I
pointed
out
.
"
The
two
often
go
together
,
"
said
Poirot
enigmatically
.
The
remark
seemed
so
utterly
irrelevant
that
I
did
not
even
take
the
trouble
to
answer
it
.
But
I
decided
that
if
I
made
any
interesting
and
important
discoveries
-
as
no
doubt
I
should
-
I
would
keep
them
to
myself
,
and
surprise
Poirot
with
the
ultimate
result
.
There
are
times
when
it
is
one's
duty
to
assert
oneself
.
Chapter
IX
DR
.
BAUERSTEIN
I
had
had
no
opportunity
as
yet
of
passing
on
Poirot's
message
to
Lawrence
.
But
now
,
as
I
strolled
out
on
the
lawn
,
still
nursing
a
grudge
against
my
friend's
high
-
handedness
,
I
saw
Lawrence
on
the
croquet
lawn
,
aimlessly
knocking
a
couple
of
very
ancient
balls
about
,
with
a
still
more
ancient
mallet
.
It
struck
me
that
it
would
be
a
good
opportunity
to
deliver
my
message
.
Otherwise
,
Poirot
himself
might
relieve
me
of
it
.
It
was
true
that
I
did
not
quite
gather
its
purport
,
but
I
flattered
myself
that
by
Lawrence's
reply
,
and
perhaps
a
little
skillful
cross
-
examination
on
my
part
,
I
should
soon
perceive
its
significance
.
Accordingly
I
accosted
him
.
"
I've
been
looking
for
you
,
"
I
remarked
untruthfully
.
"
Have
you
?
"
"
Yes
.
The
truth
is
,
I've
got
a
message
for
you
-
from
Poirot
.
"
"
Yes
?
"
"
He
told
me
to
wait
until
I
was
alone
with
you
,
"
I
said
,
dropping
my
voice
significantly
,
and
watching
him
intently
out
of
the
corner
of
my
eye
.
I
have
always
been
rather
good
at
what
is
called
,
I
believe
,
creating
an
atmosphere
.
"
Well
?
"
There
was
no
change
of
expression
in
the
dark
melancholic
face
.
Had
he
any
idea
of
what
I
was
about
to
say
?
"
This
is
the
message
.
"
I
dropped
my
voice
still
lower
.
`
Find
the
extra
coffee
-
cup
,
and
you
can
rest
in
peace
.
`
"
"
What
on
earth
does
he
mean
?
"
Lawrence
stared
at
me
in
quite
unaffected
astonishment
.
"
Don't
you
know
?
"
"
Not
in
the
least
.
Do
you
?
"
I
was
compelled
to
shake
my
head
.
"
What
extra
coffee
-
cup
?
"
"
I
don't
know
.
"
"
He'd
better
ask
Dorcas
,
or
one
of
the
maids
,
if
he
wants
to
know
about
coffee
-
cups
.
It's
their
business
,
not
mine
.
I
don't
know
anything
about
the
coffee
-
cups
,
except
that
we've
got
some
that
are
never
used
;
which
are
a
perfect
dream
!
Old
Worcester
.
You're
not
a
connoisseur
,
are
you
,
Hastings
?
"
I
shook
my
head
.
"
You
miss
a
lot
.
A
really
perfect
bit
of
old
china
-
-
it's
pure
delight
to
handle
it
,
or
even
to
look
at
it
.
"
"
Well
,
what
am
I
to
tell
Poirot
?
"
"
Tell
him
I
don't
know
what
he's
talking
about
.
It's
double
Dutch
to
me
.
"
"
All
right
.
"
I
was
moving
off
towards
the
house
again
when
he
suddenly
called
me
back
.
"
I
say
,
what
was
the
end
of
that
message
?
Say
it
over
again
,
will
you
?
"
"
`
Find
the
extra
coffee
-
cup
,
and
you
can
rest
in
peace
.
`
Are
you
sure
you
don't
know
what
it
means
?
"
I
asked
him
earnestly
.
He
shook
his
head
.
"
No
,
"
he
said
musingly
,
"
I
don't
.
I
-
I
wish
I
did
.
"
The
boom
of
the
gong
sounded
from
the
house
,
and
we
went
in
together
.
Poirot
had
been
asked
by
John
to
remain
to
lunch
,
and
was
already
seated
at
the
table
.
By
tacit
consent
,
all
mention
of
the
tragedy
was
barred
.
We
conversed
on
the
war
,
and
other
outside
topics
.
But
after
the
cheese
and
biscuits
had
been
handed
round
,
and
Dorcas
had
left
the
room
,
Poirot
suddenly
leant
forward
to
Mrs
.
Cavendish
.
"
Pardon
me
,
madame
,
for
recalling
unpleasant
memories
,
but
I
have
a
little
idea
"
-
Poirot's
"
little
ideas
"
were
becoming
a
perfect
byword
-
"
and
would
like
to
ask
one
or
two
questions
.
"
"
Of
me
?
Certainly
.
"
"
You
are
too
amiable
,
madame
.
What
I
want
to
ask
is
this
:
the
door
leading
into
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
room
from
that
of
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
,
it
was
bolted
,
you
say
?
"
"
Certainly
it
was
bolted
,
"
replied
Mary
Cavendish
,
rather
surprised
.
"
I
said
so
at
the
inquest
.
"
"
Bolted
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
She
looked
perplexed
.
"
I
mean
,
"
explained
Poirot
,
"
you
are
sure
it
was
bolted
,
and
not
merely
locked
?
"
"
Oh
,
I
see
what
you
mean
.
No
,
I
don't
know
.
I
said
bolted
,
meaning
that
it
was
fastened
,
and
I
could
not
open
it
,
but
I
believe
all
the
doors
were
found
bolted
on
the
inside
.
"
"
Still
,
as
far
as
you
are
concerned
,
the
door
might
equally
well
have
been
locked
?
"
"
Oh
,
yes
.
"
"
You
yourself
did
not
happen
to
notice
,
madame
,
when
you
entered
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
room
,
whether
that
door
was
bolted
or
not
?
"
"
I
-
I
believe
it
was
.
"
"
But
you
did
not
see
it
?
"
"
No
.
I
-
never
looked
.
"
"
But
I
did
,
"
interrupted
Lawrence
suddenly
.
"
I
happened
to
notice
that
it
was
bolted
.
"
"
Ah
,
that
settles
it
.
"
And
Poirot
looked
crestfallen
.
I
could
not
help
rejoicing
that
,
for
once
,
one
of
his
"
little
ideas
"
had
come
to
naught
.
After
lunch
Poirot
begged
me
to
accompany
him
home
.
I
consented
rather
stiffly
.
"
You
are
annoyed
,
is
it
not
so
?
"
he
asked
anxiously
,
as
we
walked
through
the
park
.
"
Not
at
all
,
"
I
said
coldly
.
"
That
is
well
.
That
lifts
a
great
load
from
my
mind
.
"
This
was
not
quite
what
I
had
intended
.
I
had
hoped
that
he
would
have
observed
the
stiffness
of
my
manner
.
Still
,
the
fervour
of
his
words
went
towards
the
appeasing
of
my
just
displeasure
.
I
thawed
.
"
I
gave
Lawrence
your
message
,
"
I
said
.
"
And
what
did
he
say
?
He
was
entirely
puzzled
?
"
"
Yes
.
I
am
quite
sure
he
had
no
idea
of
what
you
meant
.
"
I
had
expected
Poirot
to
be
disappointed
;
but
,
to
my
surprise
,
he
replied
that
that
was
as
he
had
thought
,
and
that
he
was
very
glad
.
My
pride
forbade
me
to
ask
any
questions
.
Poirot
switched
off
on
another
tack
.
"
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
was
not
at
lunch
to
-
day
?
How
was
that
?
"
"
She
is
at
the
hospital
again
.
She
resumed
work
to
-
day
.
"
"
Ah
,
she
is
an
industrious
little
demoiselle
.
And
pretty
too
.
She
is
like
pictures
I
have
seen
in
Italy
.
I
would
rather
like
to
see
that
dispensary
of
hers
.
Do
you
think
she
would
show
it
to
me
?
"
"
I
am
sure
she
would
be
delighted
.
It's
an
interesting
little
place
.
"
"
Does
she
go
there
every
day
?
"
"
She
has
all
Wednesdays
off
,
and
comes
back
to
lunch
on
Saturdays
.
Those
are
her
only
times
off
.
"
"
I
will
remember
.
Women
are
doing
great
work
nowadays
,
and
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
is
clever
-
oh
,
yes
,
she
has
brains
,
that
little
one
.
"
"
Yes
.
I
believe
she
has
passed
quite
a
stiff
exam
.
"
"
Without
doubt
.
After
all
,
it
is
very
responsible
work
.
I
suppose
they
have
very
strong
poisons
there
?
"
"
Yes
,
she
showed
them
to
us
.
They
are
kept
locked
up
in
a
little
cupboard
.
I
believe
they
have
to
be
very
careful
.
They
always
take
out
the
key
before
leaving
the
room
.
"
"
Indeed
.
It
is
near
the
window
,
this
cupboard
?
"
"
No
,
right
the
other
side
of
the
room
.
Why
?
"
Poirot
shrugged
his
shoulders
.
"
I
wondered
.
That
is
all
:
Will
you
come
in
?
"
We
had
reached
the
cottage
.
"
No
.
I
think
I'll
be
getting
back
.
I
shall
go
round
the
long
way
through
the
woods
.
"
The
woods
round
Styles
were
very
beautiful
.
After
the
walk
across
the
open
park
,
it
was
pleasant
to
saunter
lazily
through
the
cool
glades
.
There
was
hardly
a
breath
of
wind
,
the
very
chirp
of
the
birds
was
faint
and
subdued
.
I
strolled
on
a
little
way
,
and
finally
flung
myself
down
at
the
foot
of
a
grand
old
beech
-
tree
.
My
thoughts
of
mankind
were
kindly
and
charitable
.
I
even
forgave
Poirot
for
his
absurd
secrecy
.
In
fact
,
I
was
at
peace
with
the
world
.
Then
I
yawned
.
I
thought
about
the
crime
,
and
it
struck
me
as
being
very
unreal
and
far
off
.
I
yawned
again
.
Probably
,
I
thought
,
it
really
never
happened
.
Of
course
,
it
was
all
a
bad
dream
.
The
truth
of
the
matter
was
that
it
was
Lawrence
who
had
murdered
Alfred
Inglethorp
with
a
croquet
mallet
.
But
it
was
absurd
of
John
to
make
such
a
fuss
about
it
,
and
to
go
shouting
out
:
"
I
tell
you
I
won't
have
it
!
"
I
woke
up
with
start
.
At
once
I
realized
that
I
was
in
a
very
awkward
predicament
.
For
,
about
twelve
feet
away
from
me
,
John
and
Mary
Cavendish
were
standing
facing
each
other
,
and
they
were
evidently
quarrelling
.
And
,
quite
as
evidently
,
they
were
unaware
of
my
vicinity
,
for
before
I
could
move
or
speak
John
repeated
the
words
which
had
aroused
me
from
my
dream
.
"
I
tell
you
,
Mary
,
I
won't
have
it
.
"
Mary's
voice
came
,
cool
and
liquid
:
"
Have
you
any
right
to
criticize
my
actions
?
"
"
It
will
be
the
talk
of
the
village
!
My
mother
was
only
buried
on
Saturday
,
and
here
you
are
gadding
about
with
the
fellow
.
"
"
Oh
,
"
she
shrugged
her
shoulders
,
"
if
it
is
only
village
gossip
that
you
mind
!
"
"
But
it
isn't
.
I've
had
enough
of
the
fellow
hanging
about
.
He's
a
Polish
Jew
,
anyway
.
"
"
A
tinge
of
Jewish
blood
is
not
a
bad
thing
.
It
leavens
the
"
-
she
looked
at
him
"
stolid
stupidity
of
the
ordinary
Englishman
.
"
Fire
in
her
eyes
,
ice
in
her
voice
.
I
did
not
wonder
that
the
blood
rose
to
John's
face
in
a
crimson
tide
.
"
Mary
!
"
"
Well
?
"
Her
tone
did
not
change
.
The
pleading
died
out
of
his
voice
.
"
Am
I
to
understand
that
you
will
continue
to
see
Bauerstein
against
my
express
wishes
?
"
"
If
I
choose
.
"
"
You
defy
me
?
"
"
No
,
but
I
deny
your
right
to
criticize
my
actions
.
Have
you
no
friends
of
whom
I
should
disapprove
?
"
John
fell
back
a
pace
.
The
colour
ebbed
slowly
from
his
face
.
"
What
do
you
mean
?
"
he
said
,
in
an
unsteady
voice
.
"
You
see
!
"
said
Mary
quietly
.
"
You
do
see
,
don't
you
,
that
you
have
no
right
to
dictate
to
me
as
to
the
choice
of
my
friends
?
"
John
glanced
at
her
pleadingly
,
a
stricken
look
on
his
face
.
"
No
right
?
Have
I
no
right
,
Mary
?
"
he
said
unsteadily
.
He
stretched
out
his
hands
.
"
Mary
-
-
"
For
a
moment
,
I
thought
she
wavered
.
A
softer
expression
came
over
her
face
,
then
suddenly
she
turned
almost
fiercely
away
.
"
None
!
"
She
was
walking
away
when
John
sprang
after
her
,
and
caught
her
by
the
arm
.
"
Mary
"
-
his
voice
was
very
quiet
now
-
-
"
are
you
in
love
with
this
fellow
Bauerstein
?
"
She
hesitated
,
and
suddenly
there
swept
across
her
face
a
strange
expression
,
old
as
the
hills
,
yet
with
something
eternally
young
about
it
.
So
might
some
Egyptian
sphinx
have
smiled
.
She
freed
herself
quietly
from
his
arm
,
and
spoke
over
her
shoulder
.
"
Perhaps
,
"
she
said
;
and
then
swiftly
passed
out
of
the
little
glade
,
leaving
John
standing
there
as
though
he
had
been
turned
to
stone
.
Rather
ostentatiously
,
I
stepped
forward
,
crackling
some
dead
branches
with
my
feet
as
I
did
so
.
John
turned
.
Luckily
,
he
took
it
for
granted
that
I
had
only
just
come
upon
the
scene
.
"
Hullo
,
Hastings
.
Have
you
seen
the
little
fellow
safely
back
to
his
cottage
?
Quaint
little
chap
!
Is
he
any
good
,
though
,
really
?
"
"
He
was
considered
one
of
the
finest
detectives
of
his
day
.
"
"
Oh
,
well
,
I
suppose
there
must
be
something
in
it
,
then
.
What
a
rotten
world
it
is
,
though
!
"
"
You
find
it
so
?
"
I
asked
.
"
Good
Lord
,
yes
!
There's
this
terrible
business
to
start
with
.
Scotland
Yard
men
in
and
out
of
the
house
like
a
jack
-
in
-
the
-
box
!
Never
know
where
they
won't
turn
up
next
.
Screaming
headlines
in
every
paper
in
the
country
-
-
damn
all
journalists
,
I
say
!
Do
you
know
there
was
a
whole
crowd
staring
in
at
the
lodge
gates
this
morning
.
Sort
of
Madame
Tussaud's
chamber
of
horrors
business
that
can
be
seen
for
nothing
.
Pretty
thick
,
isn't
it
?
"
"
Cheer
up
,
John
!
"
I
said
soothingly
.
"
It
can't
last
for
ever
.
"
"
Can't
it
,
though
?
It
can
last
long
enough
for
us
never
to
be
able
to
hold
up
our
heads
again
.
"
"
No
,
no
,
you're
getting
morbid
on
the
subject
.
"
"
Enough
to
make
a
man
morbid
,
to
be
stalked
by
beastly
journalists
and
stared
at
by
gaping
moon
-
faced
idiots
,
wherever
he
goes
!
But
there's
worse
that
that
.
"
"
What
?
"
John
lowered
his
voice
:
"
Have
you
ever
thought
,
Hastings
-
it's
a
nightmare
to
me
-
who
did
it
?
I
can't
help
feeling
sometimes
it
must
have
been
an
accident
.
Because
-
-
because
-
-
who
could
have
done
it
?
Now
Inglethorp's
out
of
the
way
,
there's
no
one
else
;
no
one
,
I
mean
,
except
-
-
one
of
us
.
Yes
,
indeed
,
that
was
nightmare
enough
for
any
man
!
One
of
us
?
Yes
,
surely
it
must
be
so
,
unless
-
-
A
new
idea
suggested
itself
to
my
mind
.
Rapidly
,
I
considered
it
.
The
light
increased
.
Poirot's
mysterious
doings
,
his
hints
-
they
all
fitted
in
.
Fool
that
I
was
not
to
have
thought
of
this
possibility
before
,
and
what
a
relief
for
us
all
.
"
No
,
John
,
"
I
said
,
"
it
isn't
one
of
us
.
How
could
it
be
?
"
I
know
,
but
,
still
,
who
else
is
there
"
Can't
you
guess
?
"
"
No
.
"
I
looked
cautiously
round
,
and
lowered
my
voice
.
"
Dr
.
Bauerstein
!
"
I
whispered
.
"
Impossible
!
"
"
Not
at
all
.
"
"
But
what
earthly
interest
could
he
have
in
my
mother's
death
?
"
"
That
I
don't
see
,
"
I
confessed
,
"
but
I'll
tell
you
this
:
Poirot
thinks
so
.
"
"
Poirot
?
Does
he
?
How
do
you
know
?
"
I
told
him
of
Poirot's
intense
excitement
on
hearing
that
Dr
.
Bauerstein
had
been
at
Styles
on
the
fatal
night
,
and
added
:
"
He
said
twice
:
`
That
alters
everything
.
`
And
I've
been
thinking
.
You
know
Inglethorp
said
he
had
put
down
the
coffee
in
the
hall
?
Well
,
it
was
just
then
that
Bauerstein
arrived
.
Isn't
it
possible
that
,
as
Inglethorp
brought
him
through
the
hall
,
the
doctor
dropped
something
into
the
coffee
in
passing
?
"
"
H'm
,
"
said
John
.
"
It
would
have
been
very
risky
.
"
"
Yes
,
but
it
was
possible
.
"
"
And
then
,
how
could
he
know
it
was
her
coffee
?
No
,
old
fellow
,
I
don't
think
that
will
wash
.
"
But
I
had
remembered
something
else
.
"
You're
quite
right
.
That
wasn't
how
it
was
done
.
Listen
.
"
And
I
then
told
him
of
the
coco
sample
which
Poirot
had
taken
to
be
analysed
.
John
interrupted
just
as
I
had
done
.
"
But
,
look
here
,
Bauerstein
had
had
it
analysed
already
?
"
"
Yes
,
yes
,
that's
the
point
.
I
didn't
see
it
either
until
now
.
Don't
you
understand
?
Bauerstein
had
it
analysed
-
that's
just
it
!
If
Bauerstein's
the
murderer
,
nothing
could
be
simpler
than
for
him
to
substitute
some
ordinary
coco
for
his
sample
,
and
send
that
to
be
tested
.
And
of
course
they
would
find
no
strychnine
!
But
no
one
would
dream
of
suspecting
Bauerstein
,
or
think
of
taking
another
sample
-
-
except
Poirot
,
"
I
added
,
with
belated
recognition
.
"
Yes
,
but
what
about
the
bitter
taste
that
coco
won't
disguise
?
"
"
Well
,
we've
only
his
word
for
that
.
And
there
are
other
possibilities
.
He's
admittedly
one
of
the
world's
greatest
toxicologists
-
-
"
"
One
of
the
world's
greatest
what
?
Say
it
again
.
"
"
He
knows
more
about
poisons
than
almost
anybody
,
"
I
explained
.
"
Well
,
my
idea
is
,
that
perhaps
he's
found
some
way
of
making
strychnine
tasteless
.
Or
it
may
not
have
been
strychnine
at
all
,
but
some
obscure
drug
no
one
has
ever
heard
of
,
which
produces
much
the
same
symptoms
.
"
"
H'm
,
yes
,
that
might
be
,
"
said
John
.
"
But
look
here
,
how
could
he
have
got
at
the
coco
?
That
wasn't
downstairs
?
"
"
No
,
it
wasn't
,
"
I
admitted
reluctantly
.
And
then
,
suddenly
,
a
dreadful
possibility
flashed
through
my
mind
.
I
hoped
and
prayed
it
would
not
occur
to
John
also
.
I
glanced
sideways
at
him
.
He
was
frowning
perplexedly
,
and
I
drew
a
deep
breath
of
relief
,
for
the
terrible
thought
that
had
flashed
across
my
mind
was
this
:
that
Dr
.
Bauerstein
might
have
had
an
accomplice
.
Yet
surely
it
could
not
be
!
Surely
no
woman
as
beautiful
as
Mary
Cavendish
could
be
a
murderess
.
Yet
beautiful
women
had
been
known
to
poison
.
And
suddenly
I
remembered
that
first
conversation
at
tea
on
the
day
of
my
arrival
,
and
the
gleam
in
her
eyes
as
she
had
said
that
poison
was
a
woman's
weapon
.
How
agitated
she
had
been
on
that
fatal
Tuesday
evening
!
Had
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
discovered
something
between
her
and
Bauerstein
,
and
threatened
to
tell
her
husband
?
Was
it
to
stop
that
denunciation
that
the
crime
had
been
committed
?
Then
I
remembered
that
enigmatical
conversation
between
Poirot
and
Evelyn
Howard
.
Was
this
what
they
had
meant
?
Was
this
the
monstrous
possibility
that
Evelyn
had
tried
not
to
believe
?
Yes
,
it
all
fitted
in
.
No
wonder
Miss
Howard
had
suggested
"
hushing
it
up
.
"
Now
I
understood
that
unfinished
sentence
of
hers
:
"
Emily
herself
-
-
"
And
in
my
heart
I
agreed
with
her
.
Would
not
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
have
preferred
to
go
unavenged
rather
than
have
such
terrible
dishonour
fall
upon
the
name
of
Cavendish
.
"
There's
another
thing
,
"
said
John
suddenly
,
and
the
unexpected
sound
of
his
voice
made
me
start
guiltily
.
"
Something
which
makes
me
doubt
if
what
you
say
can
be
true
.
"
"
What's
that
?
"
I
asked
,
thankful
that
he
had
gone
away
from
the
subject
of
how
the
poison
could
have
been
introduced
into
the
coco
.
"
Why
,
the
fact
that
Bauerstein
demanded
a
post
-
mortem
.
He
needn't
have
done
so
.
Little
Wilkins
would
have
been
quite
content
to
let
it
go
at
heart
disease
.
"
"
Yes
,
"
I
said
doubtfully
.
"
But
we
don't
know
.
Perhaps
he
thought
it
safer
in
the
long
run
.
Some
one
might
have
talked
afterwards
.
Then
the
Home
Office
might
have
ordered
exhumation
.
The
whole
thing
would
have
come
out
,
then
,
and
he
would
have
been
in
an
awkward
position
,
for
no
one
would
have
believed
that
a
man
of
his
reputation
could
have
been
deceived
into
calling
it
heart
disease
.
"
"
Yes
,
that's
possible
,
"
admitted
John
.
"
Still
,
"
he
added
,
"
I'm
blest
if
I
can
see
what
his
motive
could
have
been
,
"
I
trembled
.
"
Look
here
,
"
I
said
,
"
I
may
be
altogether
wrong
.
And
,
remember
,
all
this
is
in
confidence
.
"
"
Oh
,
of
course
-
-
that
goes
without
saying
.
"
We
had
walked
,
as
we
talked
,
and
now
we
passed
through
the
little
gate
into
the
garden
.
Voices
rose
near
at
hand
,
for
tea
was
spread
out
under
the
sycamore
-
tree
,
as
it
had
been
on
the
day
of
my
arrival
.
Cynthia
was
back
from
the
hospital
,
and
I
placed
my
chair
beside
her
,
and
told
her
of
Poirot's
wish
to
visit
the
dispensary
.
"
Of
course
!
I'd
love
him
to
see
it
.
He'd
better
come
to
tea
there
one
day
.
I
must
fix
it
up
with
him
.
He's
such
a
dear
little
man
!
But
he
is
funny
.
He
made
me
take
the
brooch
out
of
my
tie
the
other
day
,
and
put
it
in
again
,
because
he
said
it
wasn't
straight
.
"
I
laughed
.
"
It's
quite
a
mania
with
him
.
"
"
Yes
,
isn't
it
?
"
We
were
silent
for
a
minute
or
two
,
and
then
,
glancing
in
the
direction
of
Mary
Cavendish
,
and
dropping
her
voice
,
Cynthia
said
:
"
Mr
.
Hastings
.
"
"
Yes
?
"
"
After
tea
,
I
want
to
talk
to
you
.
"
Her
glance
at
Mary
had
set
me
thinking
.
I
fancied
that
between
these
two
there
existed
very
little
sympathy
.
For
the
first
time
,
it
occurred
to
me
to
wonder
about
the
girl's
future
.
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
had
made
no
provisions
of
any
kind
for
her
,
but
I
imagined
that
John
and
Mary
would
probably
insist
on
her
making
her
home
with
them
-
-
at
any
rate
until
the
end
of
the
war
.
John
,
I
knew
,
was
very
fond
of
her
,
and
would
be
sorry
to
let
her
go
.
John
,
who
had
gone
into
the
house
,
now
reappeared
.
His
good
-
natured
face
wore
an
unaccustomed
frown
of
anger
.
"
Confound
those
detectives
!
I
can't
think
what
they're
after
!
They've
been
in
every
room
in
the
house
-
-
turning
things
inside
out
,
and
upside
down
.
It
really
is
too
bad
!
I
suppose
they
took
advantage
of
our
all
being
out
.
I
shall
go
for
that
fellow
Japp
,
when
I
next
see
him
!
"
"
Lot
of
Paul
Prys
,
"
grunted
Miss
Howard
.
Lawrence
opined
that
they
had
to
make
a
show
of
doing
something
.
Mary
Cavendish
said
nothing
.
After
tea
,
I
invited
Cynthia
to
come
for
a
walk
,
and
we
sauntered
off
into
the
woods
together
.
"
Well
?
"
I
inquired
,
as
soon
as
we
were
protected
from
prying
eyes
by
the
leafy
screen
.
With
a
sigh
,
Cynthia
flung
herself
down
,
and
tossed
off
her
hat
.
The
sunlight
,
piercing
through
the
branches
,
turned
the
auburn
of
her
hair
to
quivering
gold
.
"
Mr
.
Hastings
-
-
you
are
always
so
kind
,
and
you
know
such
a
lot
.
"
It
struck
me
at
this
moment
that
Cynthia
was
really
a
very
charming
girl
!
Much
more
charming
than
Mary
,
who
never
said
things
of
that
kind
.
"
Well
?
"
I
asked
benignantly
,
as
she
hesitated
.
"
I
want
to
ask
your
advice
.
What
shall
I
do
?
"
"
Yes
.
You
see
,
Aunt
Emily
always
told
me
I
should
be
provided
for
.
I
suppose
she
forgot
,
or
didn't
think
she
was
likely
to
die
-
-
anyway
,
I
am
not
provided
for
!
And
I
don't
know
what
to
do
.
Do
you
think
I
ought
to
go
away
from
here
at
once
?
"
"
Good
heavens
,
no
!
They
don't
want
to
part
with
you
,
I'm
sure
.
"
Cynthia
hesitated
a
moment
,
plucking
up
the
grass
with
her
tiny
hands
.
Then
she
said
:
"
Mrs
.
Cavendish
does
.
She
hates
me
.
"
"
Hates
you
?
"
I
cried
,
astonished
.
Cynthia
nodded
.
"
Yes
.
I
don't
know
why
,
but
she
can't
bear
me
;
and
he
can't
,
either
.
"
"
There
I
know
you're
wrong
,
"
I
said
warmly
.
"
On
the
contrary
,
John
is
very
fond
of
you
.
"
"
Oh
,
yes
-
-
John
.
I
meant
Lawrence
.
Not
,
of
course
,
that
I
care
whether
Lawrence
hates
me
or
not
.
Still
,
it's
rather
horrid
when
no
one
loves
you
,
isn't
it
?
"
"
But
they
do
,
Cynthia
dear
,
"
I
said
earnestly
.
"
I'm
sure
you
are
mistaken
.
Look
,
there
is
John
-
-
and
Miss
Howard
-
-
"
,
Cynthia
nodded
rather
gloomily
.
"
Yes
,
John
likes
me
,
I
think
,
and
of
course
Evie
,
for
all
her
gruff
ways
,
wouldn't
be
unkind
to
a
fly
.
But
Lawrence
never
speaks
to
me
if
he
can
help
it
,
and
Mary
can
hardly
bring
herself
to
be
civil
to
me
.
She
wants
Evie
to
stay
on
,
is
begging
her
to
,
but
she
doesn't
want
me
,
and
-
-
and
-
-
I
don't
know
what
to
do
.
"
Suddenly
the
poor
child
burst
out
crying
.
I
don't
know
what
possessed
me
.
Her
beauty
,
perhaps
,
as
she
sat
there
,
with
the
sunlight
glinting
down
on
her
head
;
perhaps
the
sense
of
relief
at
encountering
someone
who
so
obviously
could
have
no
connection
with
the
tragedy
;
perhaps
honest
pity
for
her
youth
and
loneliness
.
Anyway
,
I
leant
forward
,
and
taking
her
little
hand
,
I
said
awkwardly
:
"
Marry
me
,
Cynthia
.
"
Unwittingly
,
I
had
hit
upon
a
sovereign
remedy
for
her
tears
.
She
sat
up
at
once
,
drew
her
hand
away
,
and
said
,
with
some
asperity
:
"
Don't
be
silly
!
"
I
was
a
little
annoyed
.
"
I'm
not
being
silly
.
I
am
asking
you
to
do
me
the
honour
of
becoming
my
wife
.
"
To
my
intense
surprise
,
Cynthia
burst
out
laughing
,
and
called
me
a
"
funny
dear
"
.
"
It's
perfectly
sweet
of
you
,
"
she
said
,
"
but
you
know
you
don't
want
to
!
"
"
Yes
,
I
do
.
I've
got
-
-
"
"
Never
mind
what
you've
got
.
You
don't
really
want
to
-
-
and
I
don't
either
.
"
"
Well
,
of
course
,
that
settles
it
,
"
I
said
stiffly
.
"
But
I
don't
see
anything
to
laugh
at
.
There's
nothing
funny
about
a
proposal
.
"
"
No
,
indeed
,
"
said
Cynthia
.
"
Somebody
might
accept
you
next
time
.
Good
-
bye
,
you've
cheered
me
up
very
much
.
"
And
,
with
a
final
uncontrollable
burst
of
merriment
,
she
vanished
through
the
trees
.
Thinking
over
the
interview
,
it
struck
me
as
being
profoundly
unsatisfactory
.
It
occurred
to
me
suddenly
that
I
would
go
down
to
the
village
,
and
look
up
Bauerstein
.
Somebody
ought
to
be
keeping
an
eye
on
the
fellow
.
At
the
same
time
,
it
would
be
wise
to
allay
any
suspicions
he
might
have
as
to
his
being
suspected
.
I
remembered
how
Poirot
had
relied
on
my
diplomacy
.
Accordingly
,
I
went
to
the
little
house
with
the
"
Apartments
"
card
inserted
in
the
window
,
where
I
knew
he
lodged
,
and
tapped
on
the
door
.
An
old
woman
came
and
opened
it
.
"
Good
afternoon
,
"
I
said
pleasantly
.
"
Is
Dr
.
Bauerstein
in
?
"
She
stared
at
me
.
"
Haven't
you
heard
?
"
"
Heard
what
?
"
"
About
him
.
"
"
What
about
him
?
"
"
He's
took
.
"
"
Took
?
Dead
?
"
"
No
,
took
by
the
perlice
.
"
"
By
the
police
!
"
I
gasped
.
"
Do
you
mean
they've
arrested
him
?
"
"
Yes
,
that's
it
,
and
-
-
"
I
waited
to
hear
no
more
,
but
tore
up
the
village
to
find
Poirot
.
Chapter
X
THE
ARREST
To
my
extreme
annoyance
,
Poirot
was
not
in
,
and
the
old
Belgian
who
answered
my
knock
informed
me
that
he
believed
he
had
gone
to
London
.
I
was
dumbfounded
.
What
on
earth
could
Poirot
be
doing
in
London
?
Was
it
a
sudden
decision
on
his
part
,
or
had
he
already
made
up
his
mind
when
he
parted
from
me
a
few
hours
earlier
?
I
retraced
my
steps
to
Styles
in
some
annoyance
.
With
Poirot
away
,
I
was
uncertain
how
to
act
.
Had
he
foreseen
this
arrest
?
Had
he
not
,
in
all
probability
,
been
the
cause
of
it
?
Those
questions
I
could
not
resolve
.
But
in
the
meantime
what
was
I
to
do
?
Should
I
announce
the
arrest
openly
at
Styles
,
or
not
?
Though
I
did
not
acknowledge
it
to
myself
,
the
thought
of
Mary
Cavendish
was
weighing
on
me
.
Would
it
not
be
a
terrible
shock
to
her
?
For
the
moment
,
I
set
aside
utterly
any
suspicions
of
her
.
She
could
not
be
implicated
-
-
otherwise
I
should
have
heard
some
hint
of
it
.
Of
course
,
there
was
no
possibility
of
being
able
permanently
to
conceal
Dr
.
Bauerstein's
arrest
from
her
.
It
would
be
announced
in
every
newspaper
on
the
morrow
.
Still
,
I
shrank
from
blurting
it
out
.
If
only
Poirot
had
been
accessible
,
I
could
have
asked
his
advice
.
What
possessed
him
to
go
posting
off
to
London
in
this
unaccountable
way
?
In
spite
of
myself
,
my
opinion
of
his
sagacity
was
immeasurably
heightened
.
I
would
never
have
dreamt
of
suspecting
the
doctor
,
had
not
Poirot
put
it
into
my
head
.
Yes
,
decidedly
,
the
little
man
was
clever
.
After
some
reflecting
,
I
decided
to
take
John
into
my
confidence
,
and
leave
him
to
make
the
matter
public
or
not
,
as
he
thought
fit
.
He
gave
vent
to
a
prodigious
whistle
,
as
I
imparted
the
news
.
"
Great
Scot
!
You
were
right
,
then
.
I
couldn't
believe
it
at
the
time
.
"
"
No
,
it
is
astonishing
until
you
get
used
to
the
idea
,
and
see
how
it
makes
everything
fit
in
.
Now
,
what
are
we
to
do
?
Of
course
,
it
will
be
generally
known
to
-
morrow
.
"
John
reflected
.
"
Never
mind
,
"
he
said
at
last
,
"
we
won't
say
anything
at
present
.
There
is
no
need
.
As
you
say
,
it
will
be
known
soon
enough
.
"
But
to
my
intense
surprise
,
on
getting
down
early
the
next
morning
,
and
eagerly
opening
the
newspapers
,
there
was
not
a
word
about
the
arrest
!
There
was
a
column
of
mere
padding
about
"
The
Styles
Poisoning
Case
"
,
but
nothing
further
.
It
was
rather
inexplicable
,
but
I
supposed
that
,
for
some
reason
or
other
,
Japp
wished
to
keep
it
out
of
the
papers
.
It
worried
me
just
a
little
,
for
it
suggested
the
possibility
that
there
might
be
further
arrests
to
come
.
After
breakfast
,
I
decided
to
go
down
to
the
village
,
and
see
if
Poirot
had
returned
yet
;
but
,
before
I
could
start
,
a
well
-
known
face
blocked
one
of
the
windows
,
and
the
well
-
known
voice
said
:
"
Bon
jour
,
mon
ami
!
"
"
Poirot
,
"
I
exclaimed
,
with
relief
,
and
seizing
him
by
both
hands
,
I
dragged
him
into
the
room
.
"
I
was
never
so
glad
to
see
anyone
.
Listen
,
I
have
said
nothing
to
any
body
but
John
.
Is
that
right
?
"
"
My
friend
,
"
replied
Poirot
,
"
I
do
not
know
what
you
are
talking
about
.
"
"
Dr
.
Bauerstein's
arrest
,
of
course
,
"
I
answered
impatiently
.
"
Is
Bauerstein
arrested
,
then
?
"
"
Did
you
not
know
it
?
"
"
Not
the
least
in
the
world
.
"
But
,
pausing
a
moment
,
he
added
:
"
Still
,
it
does
not
`
surprise
`
me
.
After
all
,
we
are
only
four
miles
from
the
coast
.
"
"
The
coast
?
"
I
asked
,
puzzled
.
"
What
has
that
got
to
do
with
it
?
"
Poirot
shrugged
his
shoulders
.
"
Surely
,
it
is
obvious
!
"
"
Not
to
me
.
No
doubt
I
am
very
dense
,
but
I
cannot
see
what
the
proximity
of
the
coast
has
got
to
do
with
the
murder
of
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
.
"
"
Nothing
at
all
,
of
course
,
"
replied
Poirot
,
smiling
.
"
But
we
were
speaking
of
the
arrest
of
Dr
.
Bauerstein
.
"
"
Well
,
he
is
arrested
for
the
murder
of
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
-
-
"
"
What
?
"
cried
Poirot
,
in
apparently
lively
astonishment
.
"
Dr
.
Bauerstein
arrested
for
the
murder
of
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
Impossible
!
That
would
be
too
good
a
farce
!
Who
told
you
that
,
my
friend
?
"
"
Well
,
no
one
exactly
told
me
,
"
I
confessed
.
"
But
he
is
arrested
.
"
"
Oh
,
yes
,
very
likely
.
But
for
espionage
,
mon
ami
.
"
"
Espionage
?
"
I
gasped
.
"
Precisely
.
"
"
Not
for
poisoning
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
?
"
"
Not
unless
our
friend
Japp
has
taken
leave
of
his
senses
,
"
replied
Poirot
placidly
.
"
But
-
-
but
I
thought
you
thought
so
too
?
"
Poirot
gave
me
one
look
,
which
conveyed
a
wondering
pity
,
and
his
full
sense
of
the
utter
absurdity
of
such
an
idea
.
"
Do
you
mean
to
say
,
"
I
asked
,
slowly
adapting
myself
to
the
new
idea
,
"
that
Dr
.
Bauerstein
is
a
spy
?
"
Poirot
nodded
.
"
Have
you
never
suspected
it
?
"
"
It
never
entered
my
head
.
"
"
It
did
not
strike
you
as
peculiar
that
a
famous
London
doctor
should
bury
himself
in
a
little
village
like
this
,
and
should
be
in
the
habit
of
walking
about
at
all
hours
of
the
night
,
fully
dressed
?
"
"
No
,
"
I
confessed
,
"
I
never
thought
of
such
a
thing
.
"
He
is
,
of
course
,
a
German
by
birth
,
"
said
Poirot
thoughtfully
,
"
though
he
has
practised
so
long
in
this
country
that
nobody
thinks
of
him
as
anything
but
an
Englishman
.
He
was
naturalized
about
fifteen
years
ago
.
A
very
clever
man
-
-
a
Jew
,
of
course
.
"
"
The
blackguard
!
"
I
cried
indignantly
.
"
Not
at
all
.
He
is
,
on
the
contrary
,
a
patriot
.
Think
what
he
stands
to
lose
.
I
admire
the
man
myself
.
"
But
I
could
not
look
at
it
in
Poirot's
philosophical
way
.
"
And
this
is
the
man
with
whom
Mrs
.
Cavendish
has
been
wandering
about
all
over
the
country
!
"
I
cried
indignantly
.
"
Yes
.
I
should
fancy
he
had
found
her
very
useful
,
"
remarked
Poirot
.
"
So
long
as
gossip
busied
itself
in
coupling
their
names
together
,
any
other
vagaries
of
the
doctor's
passed
unobserved
.
"
"
Then
you
think
he
never
really
cared
for
her
?
"
I
asked
eagerly
-
-
rather
too
eagerly
,
perhaps
,
under
the
circumstances
.
"
That
,
of
course
,
I
cannot
say
,
but
-
-
shall
I
tell
you
my
own
private
opinion
,
Hastings
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
Well
,
it
is
this
:
that
Mrs
.
Cavendish
does
not
care
and
never
has
cared
one
little
jot
about
Dr
.
Bauerstein
!
"
"
Do
you
really
think
so
?
"
I
could
not
disguise
my
pleasure
.
"
I
am
quite
sure
of
it
.
And
I
will
tell
you
why
.
"
"
Yes
?
"
"
Because
she
cares
for
some
one
else
,
mon
ami
.
"
"
Oh
!
"
What
did
he
mean
?
In
spite
of
myself
,
an
agreeable
warmth
spread
over
me
.
I
am
not
a
vain
man
where
women
are
concerned
,
but
I
remembered
certain
evidences
,
too
lightly
thought
of
at
the
time
,
perhaps
,
but
which
certainly
seemed
to
indicate
-
-
-
-
My
pleasing
thoughts
were
interrupted
by
the
sudden
entrance
of
Miss
Howard
.
She
glanced
round
hastily
to
make
sure
there
was
no
one
else
in
the
room
,
and
quickly
produced
an
old
sheet
of
brown
paper
.
This
she
handed
to
Poirot
,
murmuring
as
she
did
so
the
cryptic
words
:
"
On
top
of
the
wardrobe
.
"
Then
she
hurriedly
left
the
room
.
Poirot
unfolded
the
sheet
of
paper
eagerly
,
and
uttered
an
exclamation
of
satisfaction
.
He
spread
it
out
on
the
table
.
"
Come
here
,
Hastings
.
Now
tell
me
,
what
is
that
initial
-
-
J
.
or
L
.
?
"
It
was
a
medium
sized
sheet
of
paper
,
rather
dusty
,
as
though
it
had
lain
by
for
some
time
.
But
it
was
the
label
that
was
attracting
Poirot's
attention
.
At
the
top
,
it
bore
the
printed
stamp
of
Messrs
.
Parkson's
,
the
well
-
known
theatrical
costumiers
,
and
it
was
addressed
to
"
-
-
(
the
debatable
initial
)
Cavendish
,
Esq
.
,
Styles
Court
,
Styles
St
.
Mary
,
Essex
.
"
"
It
might
be
T
.
,
or
it
might
be
L
.
,
"
I
said
,
after
studying
the
thing
for
a
minute
or
two
.
"
It
certainly
isn't
a
J
.
"
"
Good
,
"
replied
Poirot
,
folding
up
the
paper
again
.
"
I
,
also
,
am
of
your
way
of
thinking
.
It
is
an
L
.
,
depend
upon
it
!
"
"
Where
did
it
come
from
?
"
I
asked
curiously
.
"
Is
it
important
?
"
"
Moderately
so
.
It
confirms
a
surmise
of
mine
.
Having
deduced
its
existence
,
I
set
Miss
Howard
to
search
for
it
,
and
,
as
you
see
,
she
has
been
successful
.
"
"
What
did
she
mean
by
`
On
the
top
of
the
wardrobe
`
?
"
"
She
meant
,
"
replied
Poirot
promptly
,
"
that
she
found
it
on
top
of
a
wardrobe
.
"
"
A
funny
place
for
a
piece
of
brown
paper
,
"
I
mused
.
"
Not
at
all
.
The
top
of
a
wardrobe
is
an
excellent
place
for
brown
paper
and
cardboard
boxes
.
I
have
kept
them
there
myself
.
Neatly
arranged
,
there
is
nothing
to
offend
the
eye
.
"
"
Poirot
,
"
I
asked
earnestly
,
"
have
you
made
up
your
mind
about
this
crime
?
"
"
Yes
-
-
that
is
to
say
,
I
believe
I
know
how
it
was
committed
.
"
"
Unfortunately
,
I
have
no
proof
beyond
my
surmise
,
unless
-
-
"
With
sudden
energy
,
he
caught
me
by
the
arm
,
and
whirled
me
down
the
hall
,
calling
out
in
French
in
his
excitement
:
"
Mademoiselle
Dorcas
,
Mademoiselle
Dorcas
,
un
moment
,
s'il
vous
plait
!
"
Dorcas
,
quite
flurried
by
the
noise
,
came
hurrying
out
of
the
pantry
.
"
My
good
Dorcas
,
I
have
an
idea
-
-
a
little
idea
-
-
if
it
should
prove
justified
,
what
magnificent
chance
!
Tell
me
,
on
Monday
,
not
Tuesday
,
Dorcas
,
but
Monday
,
the
day
before
the
tragedy
,
did
anything
go
wrong
with
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
bell
?
"
Dorcas
looked
very
surprised
.
"
Yes
,
sir
,
now
you
mention
it
,
it
did
;
though
I
don't
know
how
you
came
to
hear
of
it
.
A
mouse
,
or
some
such
,
must
have
nibbled
the
wire
through
.
The
man
came
and
put
it
right
on
Tuesday
morning
.
"
With
a
long
drawn
exclamation
of
ecstasy
,
Poirot
led
the
way
back
to
the
morning
-
room
.
"
See
you
,
one
should
not
ask
for
outside
proof
-
-
no
,
reason
should
be
enough
.
But
the
flesh
is
weak
,
it
is
consolation
to
find
that
one
is
on
the
right
track
.
Ah
,
my
friend
,
I
am
like
a
giant
refreshed
.
I
run
!
I
leap
!
"
And
,
in
very
truth
,
run
and
leap
he
did
,
gambolling
wildly
down
the
stretch
of
lawn
outside
the
long
window
.
"
What
is
your
remarkable
little
friend
doing
?
"
asked
a
voice
behind
me
,
and
I
turned
to
find
Mary
Cavendish
at
my
elbow
.
She
smiled
,
and
so
did
I
.
"
What
is
it
all
about
?
"
"
Really
,
I
can't
tell
you
.
He
asked
Dorcas
some
question
about
a
bell
,
and
appeared
so
delighted
with
her
answer
that
he
is
capering
about
as
you
see
!
"
Mary
laughed
.
"
How
ridiculous
!
He's
going
out
of
the
gate
.
Isn't
he
coming
back
to
-
day
?
"
"
I
don't
know
.
I've
given
up
trying
to
guess
what
he'll
do
next
.
"
"
Is
he
quite
mad
,
Mr
.
Hastings
?
"
"
I
honestly
don't
know
.
Sometimes
,
I
feel
sure
he
is
as
mad
as
a
hatter
;
and
then
,
just
as
he
is
at
his
maddest
,
I
find
there
is
method
in
his
madness
.
"
"
I
see
.
"
In
spite
of
her
laugh
,
Mary
was
looking
thoughtful
this
morning
.
She
seemed
grave
,
almost
sad
.
It
occurred
to
me
that
it
would
be
a
good
opportunity
to
tackle
her
on
the
subject
of
Cynthia
.
I
began
rather
tactfully
,
I
thought
,
but
I
had
not
gone
far
before
she
stopped
me
authoritatively
.
"
You
are
an
excellent
advocate
,
I
have
no
doubt
,
Mr
.
Hastings
,
but
in
this
case
your
talents
are
quite
thrown
away
.
Cynthia
will
run
no
risk
of
encountering
any
unkindness
from
me
.
I
began
to
stammer
feebly
that
I
hoped
she
hadn't
thought
-
-
But
again
she
stopped
me
,
and
her
words
were
so
unexpected
that
they
quite
drove
Cynthia
,
and
her
troubles
,
out
of
my
mind
.
"
Mr
.
Hastings
,
"
she
said
,
"
do
you
think
I
and
my
husband
are
happy
together
?
"
I
was
considerably
taken
aback
,
and
murmured
something
about
it's
not
being
my
business
to
think
anything
of
the
sort
.
"
Well
,
"
she
said
quietly
,
"
whether
it
is
your
business
or
not
,
I
will
tell
you
that
we
are
not
happy
.
"
I
said
nothing
,
for
I
saw
that
she
had
not
finished
.
She
began
slowly
,
walking
up
and
down
the
room
,
her
head
a
little
bent
,
and
that
slim
,
supple
figure
of
hers
swaying
gently
as
she
walked
.
She
stopped
suddenly
,
and
looked
up
at
me
.
"
You
don't
know
anything
about
me
,
do
you
?
"
she
asked
.
"
Where
I
come
from
,
who
I
was
before
I
married
John
-
-
anything
,
in
fact
?
Well
,
I
will
tell
you
.
I
will
make
a
father
confessor
of
you
.
You
are
kind
,
I
think
-
-
yes
,
I
am
sure
you
are
kind
.
"
Somehow
,
I
was
not
quite
as
elated
as
I
might
have
been
.
I
remembered
that
Cynthia
had
begun
her
confidences
in
much
.
the
same
way
.
Besides
,
a
father
confessor
should
be
elderly
,
it
is
not
at
all
the
role
for
a
young
man
.
"
My
father
was
English
,
"
said
Mrs
.
Cavendish
,
"
but
my
mother
was
a
Russian
.
"
"
Ah
,
"
I
said
,
"
now
I
understand
-
-
"
"
Understand
what
?
"
"
A
hint
of
something
foreign
-
-
different
-
-
that
there
has
always
been
about
you
.
"
"
My
mother
was
very
beautiful
,
I
believe
.
I
don't
know
,
because
I
never
saw
her
.
She
died
when
I
was
quite
a
little
child
.
I
believe
there
was
some
tragedy
connected
with
her
death
-
-
she
took
an
overdose
of
some
sleeping
draught
by
mistake
.
However
that
may
be
,
my
father
was
brokenhearted
.
Shortly
afterwards
,
he
went
into
the
Consular
Service
.
Everywhere
he
went
,
I
went
with
him
.
When
I
was
twenty
-
three
,
I
had
been
nearly
all
over
the
world
.
It
was
a
splendid
life
-
-
I
loved
it
.
"
There
was
a
smile
on
her
face
,
and
her
head
was
thrown
back
.
She
seemed
living
in
the
memory
of
those
old
glad
days
.
"
Then
my
father
died
.
He
left
me
very
badly
off
.
I
had
to
go
and
live
with
some
old
aunts
in
Yorkshire
.
"
She
shuddered
.
"
You
will
understand
me
when
I
say
that
it
was
a
deadly
life
for
a
girl
brought
up
as
I
had
been
.
The
narrowness
,
the
deadly
monotony
of
it
,
almost
drove
me
mad
.
"
She
paused
a
minute
,
and
added
in
a
different
tone
:
"
And
then
I
met
John
Cavendish
.
"
"
Yes
?
"
"
You
can
imagine
that
,
from
my
aunts'
point
of
view
,
it
was
a
very
good
match
for
me
.
But
I
can
honestly
say
it
was
not
this
fact
which
weighed
with
me
.
No
,
he
was
simply
a
way
of
escape
from
the
insufferable
monotony
of
my
life
.
"
I
said
nothing
,
and
after
a
moment
,
she
went
on
:
"
Don't
misunderstand
me
.
I
was
quite
honest
with
him
.
I
told
him
,
what
was
true
,
that
I
liked
him
very
much
,
that
I
hoped
to
come
to
like
him
more
,
but
that
I
was
not
in
any
way
what
the
world
calls
`
in
love
`
with
him
.
He
declared
that
that
satisfied
him
,
and
so
-
-
we
were
married
.
"
She
waited
a
long
time
,
a
little
frown
had
gathered
on
her
forehead
.
She
seemed
to
be
looking
back
earnestly
into
those
past
days
.
"
I
think
-
-
I
am
sure
-
-
he
cared
for
me
at
first
.
But
I
suppose
we
were
not
well
matched
.
Almost
at
once
,
we
drifted
apart
.
He
-
-
it
is
not
a
pleasing
thing
for
my
pride
,
but
it
is
the
truth
-
-
tired
of
me
very
soon
.
"
I
must
have
made
some
murmur
of
dissent
,
for
she
went
on
quickly
:
"
Oh
,
yes
,
he
did
!
Not
that
it
matters
now
-
-
now
that
we've
come
to
the
parting
of
the
ways
.
"
"
What
do
you
mean
?
"
She
answered
quietly
:
"
I
mean
that
I
am
not
going
to
remain
at
Styles
.
"
"
You
and
John
are
not
going
to
live
here
?
"
"
John
may
live
here
,
but
I
shall
not
.
"
"
You
are
going
to
leave
him
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
But
why
?
"
She
paused
a
long
time
,
and
said
at
last
:
"
Perhaps
-
-
because
I
want
to
be
-
-
free
!
"
And
,
as
she
spoke
,
I
had
a
sudden
vision
of
broad
spaces
,
virgin
tracts
of
forests
,
untrodden
lands
-
-
and
a
realization
of
what
freedom
would
mean
to
such
a
nature
as
Mary
Cavendish
.
I
seemed
to
see
her
for
a
moment
as
she
was
,
a
proud
wild
creature
,
as
untamed
by
civilization
as
some
shy
bird
of
the
hills
.
A
little
cry
broke
from
her
lips
:
"
You
don't
know
you
don't
know
,
how
this
hateful
place
has
been
prison
to
me
!
"
"
I
understand
,
"
I
said
,
"
but
-
-
but
don't
do
anything
rash
.
"
"
Oh
,
rash
!
"
Her
voice
mocked
at
my
prudence
.
Then
suddenly
I
said
a
thing
I
could
have
bitten
out
my
tongue
for
:
"
You
know
that
Dr
.
Bauerstein
has
been
arrested
?
"
An
instant
coldness
passed
like
a
mask
over
her
face
,
blotting
out
all
expression
.
"
John
was
so
kind
as
to
break
that
to
me
this
morn
-
-
"
"
Well
,
what
do
you
think
?
"
I
asked
feebly
.
"
Of
what
?
"
"
Of
the
arrest
?
"
"
What
should
I
think
?
Apparently
he
is
a
German
spy
;
so
the
gardener
had
told
John
.
"
Her
face
and
voice
were
absolutely
cold
and
expressionless
.
Did
she
care
,
or
did
she
not
?
She
moved
away
a
step
or
two
,
and
fingered
one
of
the
flower
vases
.
"
These
are
quite
dead
.
I
must
do
them
again
.
Would
you
mind
moving
-
-
thank
you
,
Mr
.
Hastings
.
"
And
she
walked
quietly
past
me
out
of
the
window
,
with
a
cool
little
nod
of
dismissal
.
No
,
surely
she
could
not
care
for
Bauerstein
.
No
woman
could
act
her
part
with
that
icy
unconcern
.
Poirot
did
not
make
his
appearance
the
following
morning
,
and
there
was
no
sign
of
the
Scotland
Yard
men
.
But
,
at
lunch
-
time
,
there
arrived
a
new
piece
of
evidence
-
-
or
rather
lack
of
evidence
.
We
had
vainly
tried
to
trace
the
fourth
letter
,
which
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
had
written
on
the
evening
preceding
her
death
.
Our
efforts
having
been
in
vain
,
we
had
abandoned
the
matter
,
hoping
that
it
might
turn
up
of
itself
one
day
.
And
this
is
just
what
did
happen
,
in
the
shape
of
a
communication
,
which
arrived
by
the
second
post
from
a
firm
of
French
music
publishers
,
acknowledging
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
cheque
,
and
regretting
they
had
been
unable
to
trace
a
certain
series
of
Russian
folksongs
.
So
the
last
hope
of
solving
the
mystery
,
by
means
of
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
correspondence
on
the
fatal
evening
,
had
to
be
abandoned
.
Just
before
tea
,
I
strolled
down
to
tell
Poirot
of
the
new
disappointment
,
but
found
,
to
my
annoyance
,
that
he
was
once
more
out
.
"
Gone
to
London
again
?
"
"
Oh
,
no
,
monsieur
,
he
has
but
taken
the
train
to
Tadminster
.
`
To
see
a
young
lady's
dispensary
,
`
he
said
.
"
"
Silly
ass
!
"
I
ejaculated
.
"
I
told
him
Wednesday
was
the
one
day
she
wasn't
there
!
Well
,
tell
him
to
look
us
up
to
-
morrow
morning
,
will
you
?
"
"
Certainly
,
monsieur
.
"
But
,
on
the
following
day
,
no
sign
of
Poirot
.
I
was
getting
angry
.
He
was
really
treating
us
in
the
most
cavalier
fashion
.
After
lunch
,
Lawrence
drew
me
aside
,
and
asked
if
I
was
going
down
to
see
him
.
"
No
,
I
don't
think
I
shall
.
He
can
come
up
here
if
he
wants
to
see
us
.
"
"
Oh
!
"
Lawrence
looked
indeterminate
.
Something
unusually
nervous
and
excited
in
his
manner
roused
my
curiosity
.
"
What
is
it
?
"
I
asked
.
"
I
could
go
if
there's
anything
special
.
"
"
It's
nothing
much
,
but
-
-
well
,
if
you
are
going
,
will
you
tell
him
-
-
"
he
dropped
his
voice
to
a
whisper
-
-
"
I
think
I've
found
the
extra
coffee
-
cup
!
"
I
had
almost
forgotten
that
enigmatical
message
of
Poirot's
,
but
now
my
curiosity
was
aroused
afresh
.
Lawrence
would
say
no
more
,
so
I
decided
that
I
would
descend
from
my
high
horse
,
and
once
more
seek
out
Poirot
at
Leastways
Cottage
.
This
time
I
was
received
with
a
smile
.
Monsieur
Poirot
was
within
.
Would
I
mount
?
I
mounted
accordingly
.
Poirot
was
sitting
by
the
table
,
his
head
buried
in
his
hands
.
He
sprang
up
at
my
entrance
.
"
What
is
it
?
"
I
asked
solicitously
.
"
You
are
not
ill
,
I
trust
?
"
"
No
,
no
,
not
ill
.
But
I
decide
an
affair
of
great
moment
.
"
"
Whether
to
catch
the
criminal
or
not
?
"
I
asked
facetiously
.
But
,
to
my
great
surprise
,
Poirot
nodded
gravely
.
"
`
To
speak
or
not
to
speak
,
`
as
your
so
great
Shakespeare
says
,
`
that
is
the
question
.
`
"
I
did
not
trouble
to
correct
the
quotation
.
"
You
are
not
serious
,
Poirot
?
"
"
I
am
of
the
most
serious
.
For
the
most
serious
of
all
things
hangs
in
the
balance
.
"
"
And
that
is
?
"
"
A
woman's
happiness
,
mon
ami
,
"
he
said
gravely
.
I
did
not
quite
know
what
to
say
.
"
The
moment
has
come
,
"
said
Poirot
thoughtfully
,
"
and
I
do
not
know
what
to
do
.
For
,
see
you
,
it
is
a
big
stake
for
which
I
play
.
No
one
but
I
,
Hercule
Poirot
,
would
attempt
it
!
And
he
tapped
himself
proudly
on
the
breast
.
After
pausing
a
few
minutes
respectfully
,
so
as
not
to
spoil
his
effect
,
I
gave
him
Lawrence's
message
.
"
Aha
!
"
he
cried
.
"
So
he
has
found
the
extra
coffee
-
cup
.
That
is
good
.
He
has
more
intelligence
than
would
appear
,
this
long
-
faced
Monsieur
Lawrence
of
yours
!
"
I
did
not
myself
think
very
highly
of
Lawrence's
intelligence
;
but
I
forebore
to
contradict
Poirot
,
and
gently
took
him
to
task
for
forgetting
my
instructions
as
to
which
were
Cynthia's
days
off
.
"
It
is
true
.
I
have
the
head
of
a
sieve
.
However
,
the
other
young
lady
was
most
kind
.
She
was
sorry
for
my
disappointment
,
and
showed
me
everything
in
the
kindest
way
.
"
"
Oh
,
well
,
that's
all
right
,
then
,
and
you
must
go
to
tea
with
Cynthia
another
day
.
"
I
told
him
about
the
letter
.
"
I
am
sorry
for
that
,
"
he
said
.
"
I
always
had
hopes
of
that
letter
.
But
no
,
it
was
not
to
be
.
This
affair
must
all
be
unravelled
from
within
.
"
He
tapped
his
forehead
.
"
These
little
grey
cells
.
`
It
is
up
to
them
`
-
-
as
you
say
over
here
.
"
Then
,
suddenly
,
he
asked
:
"
Are
you
a
judge
of
fingermarks
,
my
friend
?
"
"
No
,
"
I
said
,
rather
surprised
,
"
I
know
that
there
are
no
two
finger
-
marks
alike
,
but
that's
as
far
as
my
science
goes
.
"
"
Exactly
.
"
He
unlocked
a
little
drawer
,
and
took
out
some
photographs
which
he
laid
on
the
table
.
"
I
have
numbered
them
,
1
,
2
,
3
.
Will
you
describe
them
to
me
?
"
I
studied
the
proofs
attentively
.
"
All
greatly
magnified
,
I
see
.
No
.
1
,
I
should
say
,
are
a
man's
finger
-
prints
;
thumb
and
first
finger
.
No
.
2
are
a
lady's
;
they
are
much
smaller
,
and
quite
different
in
every
way
.
No
.
3
"
-
-
I
paused
for
some
time
-
-
"
there
seem
to
be
a
lot
of
confused
finger
-
marks
,
but
here
,
very
distinctly
,
are
No
.
1's
.
"
"
Overlapping
the
others
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
You
recognize
them
beyond
fail
?
"
"
Oh
,
yes
;
they
are
identical
.
"
Poirot
nodded
,
and
gently
taking
the
photographs
from
me
locked
them
up
again
.
"
I
suppose
,
"
I
said
,
"
that
as
usual
,
you
are
not
going
to
explain
?
"
"
On
the
contrary
.
No
.
1
were
the
finger
-
prints
of
Monsieur
Lawrence
.
No
.
2
were
those
of
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
.
They
are
not
important
.
I
merely
obtained
them
for
comparison
.
No
.
3
is
a
little
more
complicated
.
"
"
Yes
?
"
"
It
is
,
as
you
see
,
highly
magnified
.
You
may
have
noticed
a
sort
of
blur
extending
all
across
the
picture
.
I
will
not
describe
to
you
the
special
apparatus
,
dusting
powder
,
etc
.
,
which
I
used
.
It
is
a
well
-
known
process
to
the
police
,
and
by
means
of
it
you
can
obtain
a
photograph
of
the
finger
-
prints
of
any
object
in
a
very
short
space
of
time
.
Well
,
my
friend
,
you
have
seen
the
fingermarks
-
-
it
remains
to
tell
you
the
particular
object
on
which
they
had
been
left
.
"
"
Go
on
-
-
I
am
really
excited
.
"
"
Eh
bien
!
Photo
No
.
3
represents
the
highly
magnified
surface
of
a
tiny
bottle
in
the
top
poison
cupboard
of
the
dispensary
in
the
Red
Cross
Hospital
at
Tadminster
-
-
which
sounds
like
the
house
that
Jack
built
!
"
"
Good
heavens
!
"
I
exclaimed
.
"
But
what
were
Lawrence
Cavendish's
finger
-
marks
doing
on
it
?
He
never
went
near
the
poison
cupboard
the
day
we
were
there
!
"
"
Oh
,
yes
,
he
did
!
"
"
Impossible
!
We
were
all
together
the
whole
time
.
"
Poirot
shook
his
head
.
"
No
,
my
friend
,
there
was
a
moment
when
you
were
not
all
together
.
There
was
a
moment
when
you
could
not
have
been
all
together
,
or
it
would
not
have
been
necessary
to
call
to
Monsieur
Lawrence
to
come
and
join
you
on
the
balcony
.
"
"
I'd
forgotten
that
,
"
I
admitted
.
"
But
it
was
only
for
a
moment
.
"
"
Long
enough
.
"
"
Long
enough
for
what
?
"
Poirot's
smile
became
rather
enigmatical
.
"
Long
enough
for
a
gentleman
who
had
once
studied
medicine
to
gratify
a
very
natural
interest
and
curiosity
.
"
Our
eyes
met
.
Poirot's
were
pleasantly
vague
.
He
got
up
and
hummed
a
little
tune
.
I
watched
him
suspiciously
.
"
Poirot
,
"
I
said
,
"
what
was
in
this
particular
little
bottle
?
"
Poirot
looked
out
of
the
window
.
"
Hydro
-
chloride
of
strychnine
,
"
he
said
,
over
his
shoulder
,
continuing
to
hum
.
"
Good
heavens
!
"
I
said
it
quite
quietly
.
I
was
not
surprised
.
I
had
expected
that
answer
.
"
They
use
the
pure
hydro
-
chloride
of
strychnine
very
little
-
-
only
occasionally
for
pills
.
It
is
the
official
solution
,
Liq
.
Strychnine
Hydro
-
clor
.
that
is
used
in
most
medicines
.
That
is
why
the
finger
-
marks
have
remained
undisturbed
since
then
.
"
"
How
did
you
manage
to
take
this
photograph
?
"
"
I
dropped
my
hat
from
the
balcony
,
"
explained
Poirot
simply
.
"
Visitors
were
not
permitted
below
at
that
hour
so
,
in
spite
of
my
many
apologies
,
Mademoiselle
Cynthia's
colleague
had
to
go
down
and
fetch
it
for
me
.
"
"
Then
you
knew
what
you
were
going
to
find
?
"
"
No
,
not
at
all
.
I
merely
realized
that
it
was
possible
,
from
your
story
,
for
Monsieur
Lawrence
to
go
to
the
poison
cupboard
.
The
possibility
had
to
be
confirmed
,
or
eliminated
.
"
"
Poirot
,
"
I
said
,
"
your
gaiety
does
not
deceive
me
.
This
is
a
very
important
discovery
.
"
"
I
do
not
know
,
"
said
Poirot
.
"
But
one
thing
does
strike
me
.
No
doubt
it
has
struck
you
too
.
"
"
What
is
that
?
"
"
Why
,
that
there
is
altogether
too
much
strychnine
about
this
case
.
This
is
the
third
time
we
run
up
against
it
.
There
was
strychnine
in
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
tonic
.
There
is
the
strychnine
sold
across
the
counter
at
Styles
St
.
Mary
by
Mace
.
Now
we
have
more
strychnine
,
handled
by
one
of
the
household
.
It
is
confusing
;
and
,
as
you
know
,
I
do
not
like
confusion
.
"
Before
I
could
reply
,
one
of
the
other
Belgians
opened
the
door
and
stuck
his
head
in
.
"
There
is
a
lady
below
,
asking
for
Mr
.
Hastings
.
"
"
A
lady
?
"
I
jumped
up
.
Poirot
followed
me
down
the
narrow
stairs
.
Mary
Cavendish
was
standing
in
the
doorway
.
"
I
have
been
visiting
an
old
woman
in
the
village
,
"
she
explained
,
"
and
as
Lawrence
told
me
you
were
with
Monsieur
Poirot
I
thought
I
would
call
for
you
.
"
"
Alas
,
madame
,
"
said
Poirot
,
"
I
thought
you
had
come
to
honour
me
with
a
visit
!
"
"
I
will
some
day
,
if
you
ask
me
,
"
she
promised
him
,
smiling
.
"
That
is
well
.
If
you
should
need
a
father
confessor
madame
"
-
-
she
started
ever
so
slightly
-
-
"
remember
,
Papa
Poirot
is
always
at
your
service
.
"
She
stared
at
him
for
a
few
minutes
,
as
though
seeking
to
read
some
deeper
meaning
into
his
words
.
Then
she
turned
abruptly
away
.
"
Come
,
will
you
not
walk
back
with
us
too
,
Monsieur
Poirot
?
"
"
Enchanted
,
madame
.
"
All
the
way
to
Styles
,
Mary
talked
fast
and
feverishly
.
It
struck
me
that
in
some
way
she
was
nervous
of
Poirot's
eyes
.
The
weather
had
broken
,
and
the
sharp
wind
was
almost
autumnal
in
its
shrewishness
.
Mary
shivered
a
little
,
and
buttoned
her
black
sports
coat
closer
.
The
wind
through
the
trees
made
a
mournful
noise
,
like
some
great
giant
sighing
.
We
walked
up
to
the
great
door
of
Styles
,
and
at
once
the
knowledge
came
to
us
that
something
was
wrong
.
Dorcas
came
running
out
to
meet
us
.
She
was
crying
and
wringing
her
hands
.
I
was
aware
of
other
servants
huddled
together
in
the
background
,
all
eyes
and
ears
.
"
Oh
,
m'am
!
Oh
,
m'am
!
I
don't
know
how
to
tell
you
-
-
"
"
What
is
it
,
Dorcas
?
"
I
asked
impatiently
.
"
Tell
us
at
once
.
"
"
It's
those
wicked
detectives
.
They've
arrested
him
-
-
they've
arrested
Mr
.
Cavendish
!
"
"
Arrested
Lawrence
?
"
I
gasped
.
I
saw
a
strange
look
come
into
Dorcas's
eyes
.
"
No
,
sir
.
Not
Mr
.
Lawrence
-
-
Mr
.
John
.
"
Behind
me
,
with
a
wild
cry
,
Mary
Cavendish
fell
heavily
against
me
,
and
as
I
turned
to
catch
her
I
met
the
quiet
triumph
in
Poirot's
eyes
.
Chapter
XI
THE
CASE
FOR
THE
PROSECUTION
The
trial
of
John
Cavendish
for
the
murder
of
his
stepmother
took
place
two
months
later
.
Of
the
intervening
weeks
I
will
say
little
,
but
my
admiration
and
sympathy
went
out
unfeignedly
to
Mary
Cavendish
.
She
ranged
herself
passionately
on
her
husband's
side
,
scorning
the
mere
idea
of
his
guilt
,
and
fought
for
him
tooth
and
nail
.
I
expressed
my
admiration
to
Poirot
,
and
he
nodded
thoughtfully
.
"
Yes
,
she
is
of
those
women
who
show
at
their
best
in
adversity
.
It
brings
out
all
that
is
sweetest
and
truest
in
them
.
Her
pride
and
her
jealousy
have
-
-
"
"
Jealously
?
"
I
queried
.
"
Yes
.
Have
you
not
realized
that
she
is
an
unusually
jealous
woman
?
As
I
was
saying
,
her
pride
and
jealousy
have
been
laid
aside
.
She
thinks
of
nothing
but
her
husband
,
and
the
terrible
fate
that
is
hanging
over
him
.
"
He
spoke
very
feelingly
,
and
I
looked
at
him
earnestly
,
remembering
that
last
afternoon
,
when
he
had
been
deliberating
whether
or
not
to
speak
.
With
his
tenderness
for
"
a
woman's
happiness
,
"
I
felt
glad
that
the
decision
had
been
taken
out
of
his
hands
.
"
Even
now
,
"
I
said
,
"
I
can
hardly
believe
it
.
You
see
,
up
to
the
very
last
minute
,
I
thought
it
was
Lawrence
!
"
Poirot
grinned
.
"
I
know
you
did
.
"
"
But
John
!
My
old
friend
John
!
"
"
Every
murderer
is
probably
somebody's
old
friend
,
"
observed
Poirot
philosophically
.
"
You
cannot
mix
up
sentiment
and
reason
.
"
"
I
must
say
I
think
you
might
have
given
me
a
hint
.
"
"
Perhaps
,
mon
ami
,
I
did
not
do
so
,
just
because
he
was
your
old
friend
.
"
I
was
rather
disconcerted
by
this
,
remembering
how
I
had
busily
passed
on
to
John
what
I
believed
to
be
Poirot's
views
concerning
Bauerstein
.
He
,
by
the
way
,
had
been
acquitted
of
the
charge
brought
against
him
.
Nevertheless
,
although
he
had
been
too
clever
for
them
this
time
,
and
the
charge
of
espionage
could
not
be
brought
home
to
him
,
his
wings
were
pretty
well
-
clipped
for
the
future
.
I
asked
Poirot
whether
he
thought
John
would
be
condemned
.
To
my
intense
surprise
,
he
replied
that
,
on
the
contrary
,
he
was
extremely
likely
to
be
acquitted
.
But
,
Poirot
-
-
"
I
protested
.
"
Oh
,
my
friend
,
have
I
not
said
to
you
all
along
that
I
have
no
proofs
.
It
is
one
thing
to
know
that
a
man
is
guilty
,
it
is
quite
another
matter
to
prove
him
so
.
And
in
this
case
,
there
is
terribly
little
evidence
.
That
is
the
whole
trouble
.
I
,
Hercule
Poirot
,
know
,
but
I
lack
the
last
link
in
my
chain
.
And
unless
I
can
find
that
missing
link
-
-
"
He
shook
his
head
gravely
.
"
When
did
you
first
suspect
John
Cavendish
?
"
I
asked
,
after
a
minute
or
two
.
"
Did
you
not
suspect
him
at
all
?
"
"
No
,
indeed
.
"
"
Not
after
that
fragment
of
conversation
you
overheard
between
Mrs
.
Cavendish
and
her
mother
-
in
-
law
,
and
her
subsequent
lack
of
frankness
at
the
inquest
?
"
"
No
.
"
"
Did
you
not
put
two
and
two
together
,
and
reflect
that
if
it
was
not
Alfred
Inglethorp
who
was
quarrelling
with
his
wife
-
-
and
you
remember
,
he
strenuously
denied
it
at
the
inquest
-
-
it
must
be
either
Lawrence
or
John
.
Now
,
if
it
was
Lawrence
,
Mary
Cavendish's
conduct
was
just
as
inexplicable
.
But
if
,
on
the
other
hand
,
it
was
John
,
the
whole
thing
was
explained
quite
naturally
.
"
"
So
,
"
I
cried
,
a
light
breaking
in
upon
me
,
"
it
was
John
who
quarrelled
with
his
mother
that
afternoon
?
"
"
Exactly
.
"
"
And
you
have
known
this
all
along
?
"
"
Certainly
.
Mrs
.
Cavendish's
behaviour
could
only
be
explained
that
way
.
"
"
And
yet
you
say
he
may
be
acquitted
?
"
Poirot
shrugged
his
shoulders
.
"
Certainly
I
do
.
At
the
police
court
proceedings
,
we
shall
hear
the
case
for
the
prosecution
,
but
in
all
probability
his
solicitors
will
advise
him
to
reserve
his
defence
.
That
will
be
sprung
upon
us
at
the
trial
.
And
-
-
ah
,
by
the
way
,
I
have
a
word
of
caution
to
give
you
,
my
friend
.
I
must
not
appear
in
the
case
.
"
"
What
?
"
"
No
.
Officially
,
I
have
nothing
to
do
with
it
.
Until
I
have
found
that
last
link
in
my
chain
,
I
must
remain
behind
the
scenes
.
Mrs
.
Cavendish
must
think
I
am
working
for
her
husband
,
not
against
him
.
"
"
I
say
,
that's
playing
it
a
bit
low
down
,
"
I
protested
.
"
Not
at
all
.
We
have
to
deal
with
a
most
clever
and
unscrupulous
man
,
and
we
must
use
any
means
in
our
power
-
-
otherwise
he
will
slip
through
our
fingers
.
That
is
why
I
have
been
careful
to
remain
in
the
background
.
All
the
discoveries
have
been
made
by
Japp
,
and
Japp
will
take
all
the
credit
.
If
I
am
called
upon
to
give
evidence
at
all
"
-
-
he
smiled
broadly
-
-
"
it
will
probably
be
as
a
witness
for
the
defence
.
"
I
could
hardly
believe
my
ears
.
"
It
is
quite
en
regle
,
"
continued
Poirot
.
"
Strangely
enough
,
I
can
give
evidence
that
will
demolish
one
contention
of
the
prosecution
.
"
"
Which
one
?
"
"
The
one
that
relates
to
the
destruction
of
the
will
.
John
Cavendish
did
not
destroy
that
will
.
"
Poirot
was
a
true
prophet
.
I
will
not
go
into
the
details
of
the
police
court
proceedings
,
as
it
involves
many
tiresome
repetitions
.
I
will
merely
state
baldly
that
John
Cavendish
reserved
his
defence
,
and
was
duly
committed
for
trial
.
September
found
us
all
in
London
.
Mary
took
a
house
in
Kensington
,
Poirot
being
included
in
the
family
party
.
I
myself
had
been
given
a
job
at
the
War
Office
,
so
was
able
to
see
them
continually
.
As
the
weeks
went
by
,
the
state
of
Poirot's
nerves
grew
worse
and
worse
.
That
"
last
link
"
he
talked
about
was
still
lacking
.
Privately
,
I
hoped
it
might
remain
so
,
for
what
happiness
could
there
be
for
Mary
,
if
John
were
not
acquitted
?
On
September
15th
John
Cavendish
appeared
in
the
dock
at
the
Old
Bailey
,
charged
with
"
The
Wilful
Murder
of
Emily
Agnes
Inglethorp
,
"
and
pleaded
"
Not
Guilty
.
"
Sir
Ernest
Heavywether
,
the
famous
K
.
C
.
,
had
been
engaged
to
defend
him
.
Mr
.
Philips
,
K
.
C
.
,
opened
the
case
for
the
Crown
.
The
murder
,
he
said
,
was
a
most
premeditated
and
coldblooded
one
.
It
was
neither
more
nor
less
than
the
deliberate
poisoning
of
a
fond
and
trusting
woman
by
the
stepson
to
whom
she
had
been
more
than
a
mother
.
Ever
since
his
boyhood
,
she
had
supported
him
.
He
and
his
wife
had
lived
at
Styles
Court
in
every
luxury
,
surrounded
by
her
care
and
attention
.
She
had
been
their
kind
and
generous
benefactress
.
He
proposed
to
call
witnesses
to
show
how
the
prisoner
,
a
profligate
and
spendthrift
,
had
been
at
the
end
of
his
financial
tether
,
and
had
also
been
carrying
on
an
intrigue
with
a
certain
Mrs
.
Raikes
,
a
neighbouring
farmer's
wife
.
This
having
come
to
his
stepmother's
ears
,
she
taxed
him
with
it
on
the
afternoon
before
her
death
,
and
a
quarrel
ensued
,
part
of
which
was
overheard
.
On
the
previous
day
,
the
prisoner
had
purchased
strychnine
at
the
village
chemist's
shop
,
wearing
a
disguise
by
means
of
which
he
hoped
to
throw
the
onus
of
the
crime
upon
another
man
-
-
to
wit
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
husband
,
of
whom
he
had
been
bitterly
jealous
.
Luckily
for
Mr
.
Inglethorp
,
he
had
been
able
to
produce
an
unimpeachable
alibi
.
On
the
afternoon
of
July
l7th
,
continued
Counsel
,
immediately
after
the
quarrel
with
her
son
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
made
a
new
will
.
This
will
was
found
destroyed
in
the
grate
of
her
bedroom
the
following
morning
,
but
evidence
had
come
to
light
which
showed
that
it
had
been
drawn
up
in
favour
of
her
husband
.
Deceased
had
already
made
a
will
in
his
favour
before
her
marriage
,
but
-
-
and
Mr
.
Philips
wagged
an
expressive
forefinger
-
-
the
prisoner
was
not
aware
of
that
.
What
had
induced
the
deceased
to
make
a
fresh
will
,
with
the
old
one
still
extant
,
he
could
not
say
.
She
was
an
old
lady
,
and
might
possibly
have
forgotten
the
former
one
;
or
this
seemed
to
him
more
likely
-
-
she
may
have
had
an
idea
that
it
was
revoked
by
her
marriage
,
as
there
had
been
some
conversation
on
the
subject
.
Ladies
were
not
always
very
well
versed
in
legal
knowledge
.
She
had
,
about
a
year
before
,
executed
a
will
in
favour
of
the
prisoner
.
He
would
call
evidence
to
show
that
it
was
the
prisoner
who
ultimately
handed
his
step
-
mother
her
coffee
on
the
fatal
night
.
Later
in
the
evening
,
he
had
sought
admission
to
her
room
,
on
which
occasion
,
no
doubt
,
he
found
an
opportunity
of
destroying
the
will
which
,
as
far
as
he
knew
,
would
render
the
one
in
his
favour
valid
.
The
prisoner
had
been
arrested
in
consequence
of
the
discovery
,
in
his
room
,
by
Detective
Inspector
Japp
-
-
a
most
brilliant
officer
-
-
of
the
identical
phial
of
strychnine
which
had
been
sold
at
the
village
chemist's
to
the
supposed
Mr
.
Inglethorp
on
the
day
before
the
murder
.
It
would
be
for
the
jury
to
decide
whether
or
not
these
damning
facts
constituted
an
overwhelming
proof
of
the
prisoner's
guilt
.
And
,
subtly
implying
that
a
jury
which
did
not
so
decide
,
was
quite
unthinkable
,
Mr
.
Philips
sat
down
and
wiped
his
forehead
.
The
first
witnesses
for
the
prosecution
were
mostly
those
who
had
been
called
at
the
inquest
,
the
medical
evidence
being
again
taken
first
.
Sir
Ernest
Heavywether
,
who
was
famous
all
over
England
for
the
unscrupulous
manner
in
which
he
bullied
witnesses
,
only
asked
two
questions
.
"
I
take
it
,
Dr
.
Bauerstein
,
that
strychnine
,
as
a
drug
,
acts
quickly
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
And
that
you
are
unable
to
account
for
the
delay
in
this
case
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
Thank
you
.
"
Mr
.
Mace
identified
the
phial
handed
him
by
Counsel
as
that
sold
by
him
to
"
Mr
.
Inglethorp
.
"
Pressed
,
he
admitted
that
he
only
knew
Mr
.
Inglethorp
by
sight
.
He
had
never
spoken
to
him
.
The
witness
was
not
cross
-
examined
.
Alfred
Inglethorp
was
called
,
and
denied
having
purchased
the
poison
.
He
also
denied
having
quarrelled
with
his
wife
.
Various
witnesses
testified
to
the
accuracy
of
these
statements
.
The
gardeners'
evidence
,
as
to
the
witnessing
of
the
will
was
taken
,
and
then
Dorcas
was
called
.
Dorcas
,
faithful
to
her
"
young
gentlemen
,
"
denied
strenuously
that
it
could
have
been
John's
voice
she
heard
,
and
resolutely
declared
,
in
the
teeth
of
everything
,
that
it
was
Mr
.
Inglethorp
who
had
been
in
the
boudoir
with
her
mistress
.
A
rather
wistful
smile
passed
across
the
face
of
the
prisoner
in
the
dock
.
He
knew
only
too
well
how
useless
her
gallant
defiance
was
,
since
it
was
not
the
object
of
the
defence
to
deny
this
point
.
Mrs
.
Cavendish
,
of
course
,
could
not
be
called
upon
to
give
evidence
against
her
husband
.
After
various
questions
on
other
matters
,
Mr
.
Philips
asked
:
"
In
the
month
of
June
last
,
do
you
remember
a
parcel
arriving
for
Mr
.
Lawrence
Cavendish
from
Parkson's
?
"
Dorcas
shook
her
head
.
"
I
don't
remember
,
sir
.
It
may
have
done
,
but
Mr
.
Lawrence
was
away
from
home
part
of
June
.
"
"
In
the
event
of
a
parcel
arriving
for
him
whilst
he
was
away
,
what
would
be
done
with
it
?
"
"
It
would
either
be
put
in
his
room
or
sent
on
after
him
.
"
"
By
you
?
"
"
No
,
sir
,
I
should
leave
it
on
the
hall
table
.
It
would
be
Miss
Howard
who
would
attend
to
anything
like
that
.
"
Evelyn
Howard
was
called
and
,
after
being
examined
on
other
points
,
was
questioned
as
to
the
parcel
.
"
Don't
remember
.
Lots
of
parcels
come
.
Can't
remember
one
special
one
.
"
"
You
do
not
know
if
it
was
sent
after
Mr
.
Lawrence
Cavendish
to
Wales
,
or
whether
it
was
put
in
his
room
?
"
"
Don't
think
it
was
sent
after
him
.
Should
have
remembered
it
if
it
was
.
"
"
Supposing
a
parcel
arrived
addressed
to
Mr
.
Lawrence
Cavendish
,
and
afterwards
it
disappeared
,
should
you
remark
its
absence
?
"
"
No
,
don't
think
so
.
I
should
think
some
one
had
taken
charge
of
it
.
"
"
I
believe
,
Miss
Howard
,
that
it
was
you
who
found
this
sheet
of
brown
paper
?
"
He
held
up
the
same
dusty
piece
which
Poirot
and
I
had
examined
in
the
morning
-
room
at
Styles
.
"
Yes
,
I
did
.
"
"
How
did
you
come
to
look
for
it
?
"
"
The
Belgian
detective
who
was
employed
on
the
case
asked
me
to
search
for
it
.
"
"
Where
did
you
eventually
discover
it
?
"
"
On
the
top
of
-
-
of
-
-
a
wardrobe
.
"
"
On
top
of
the
prisoner's
wardrobe
?
"
"
I
-
-
I
believe
so
.
"
"
Did
you
not
find
it
yourself
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
Then
you
must
know
where
you
found
it
?
"
"
Yes
,
it
was
on
the
prisoner's
wardrobe
.
"
"
That
is
better
.
"
"
An
assistant
from
Parkson's
,
Theatrical
Costumiers
testified
that
on
June
29th
,
they
had
supplied
a
black
beard
to
Mr
.
L
.
Cavendish
,
as
requested
.
It
was
ordered
by
letter
,
and
a
postal
order
was
enclosed
.
No
,
they
had
not
kept
the
letter
.
All
transactions
were
entered
in
their
books
.
They
had
sent
the
beard
,
as
directed
,
to
`
L
.
Cavendish
,
Esq
.
,
Styles
Court
.
`
"
Sir
Ernest
Heavywether
rose
ponderously
.
"
Where
was
the
letter
written
from
?
"
"
From
Styles
Court
.
"
"
The
same
address
to
which
you
sent
the
parcel
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
And
the
letter
came
from
there
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
Like
a
beast
of
prey
,
Heavywether
fell
upon
him
:
"
How
do
you
know
?
"
"
I
-
-
I
don't
understand
.
"
"
How
do
you
know
that
letter
came
from
Styles
?
Did
you
notice
the
postmark
?
"
"
No
-
-
but
-
-
"
"
Ah
,
you
did
not
notice
the
postmark
!
And
yet
you
affirm
so
confidently
that
it
came
from
Styles
.
It
might
,
in
fact
,
have
been
any
postmark
!
"
"
Y
-
es
.
"
"
In
fact
,
the
letter
,
though
written
on
stamped
notepaper
,
might
have
been
posted
from
anywhere
?
From
Wales
,
for
instance
?
"
The
witness
admitted
that
such
might
be
the
case
,
and
Sir
Ernest
signified
that
he
was
satisfied
.
Elizabeth
Wells
,
second
housemaid
at
Styles
,
stated
that
after
she
had
gone
to
bed
she
remembered
that
she
had
bolted
the
front
door
,
instead
of
leaving
it
on
the
latch
as
Mr
.
Inglethorp
had
requested
.
She
had
accordingly
gone
downstairs
again
to
rectify
her
error
.
Hearing
a
slight
noise
in
the
West
wing
,
she
had
peeped
along
the
passage
,
and
had
seen
Mr
.
John
Cavendish
knocking
at
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
door
.
Sir
Ernest
Heavywether
made
short
work
of
her
,
and
under
his
unmerciful
bullying
she
contradicted
herself
hopelessly
,
and
Sir
Ernest
sat
down
again
with
a
satisfied
smile
on
his
face
.
With
the
evidence
of
Annie
,
as
to
the
candle
grease
on
the
floor
,
and
as
to
seeing
the
prisoner
take
the
coffee
into
the
boudoir
,
the
proceedings
were
adjourned
until
the
following
day
.
As
we
went
home
,
Mary
Cavendish
spoke
bitterly
against
the
prosecuting
counsel
.
"
That
hateful
man
!
What
a
net
he
has
drawn
around
my
poor
John
!
How
he
twisted
every
little
fact
until
he
made
it
seem
what
it
wasn't
!
"
"
Well
,
"
I
said
consolingly
,
"
it
will
be
the
other
way
about
to
-
morrow
.
"
"
Yes
,
"
she
said
meditatively
;
then
suddenly
dropped
her
voice
.
"
Mr
.
Hastings
,
you
do
not
think
-
-
surely
it
could
not
have
been
Lawrence
-
-
Oh
,
no
,
that
could
not
be
!
"
But
I
myself
was
puzzled
,
and
as
soon
as
I
was
alone
with
Poirot
I
asked
him
what
he
thought
Sir
Ernest
was
driving
at
.
"
Ah
!
"
said
Poirot
appreciatively
.
"
He
is
a
clever
man
,
that
Sir
Ernest
.
"
"
Do
you
think
he
believes
Lawrence
guilty
?
"
"
I
do
not
think
he
believes
or
cares
anything
!
No
,
what
he
is
trying
for
is
to
create
such
confusion
in
the
minds
of
the
jury
that
they
are
divided
in
their
opinion
as
to
which
brother
did
it
.
He
is
endeavouring
to
make
out
that
there
is
quite
as
much
evidence
against
Lawrence
as
against
John
-
-
and
I
am
not
at
all
sure
that
he
will
not
succeed
.
"
Detective
-
inspector
Japp
was
the
first
witness
called
when
the
trial
was
reopened
,
and
gave
his
evidence
succinctly
and
briefly
.
After
relating
the
earlier
events
,
he
proceeded
:
"
Acting
on
information
received
,
Superintendent
Summerhaye
and
myself
searched
the
prisoner's
room
,
during
his
temporary
absence
from
the
house
.
In
his
chest
of
drawers
,
hidden
beneath
some
underclothing
,
we
found
:
first
,
a
pair
of
gold
-
rimmed
pince
-
nez
similar
to
those
worn
by
Mr
.
Inglethorp
"
-
-
these
were
exhibited
-
-
"
secondly
this
phial
.
"
The
phial
was
that
already
recognized
by
the
chemist's
assistant
,
a
tiny
bottle
of
blue
glass
,
containing
a
few
grains
of
a
white
crystalline
powder
,
and
labelled
:
"
Strychnine
Hydro
-
chloride
.
POISON
.
"
A
fresh
piece
of
evidence
discovered
by
the
detectives
since
the
police
court
proceedings
was
a
long
,
almost
new
piece
of
blotting
-
paper
.
It
had
been
found
in
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
cheque
book
,
and
on
being
reversed
at
a
mirror
showed
clearly
the
words
:
"
.
.
.
erything
of
which
I
die
possessed
I
leave
to
my
beloved
husband
Alfred
Ing
.
.
.
"
This
placed
beyond
question
the
fact
that
the
destroyed
will
had
been
in
favour
of
the
deceased
lady's
husband
.
Japp
then
produced
the
charred
fragment
of
paper
recovered
from
the
grate
,
and
this
,
with
the
discovery
of
the
beard
in
the
attic
,
completed
his
evidence
.
But
Sir
Ernest's
cross
-
examination
was
yet
to
come
.
"
What
day
was
it
when
you
searched
the
prisoner's
room
?
"
"
Tuesday
,
the
24th
of
July
.
"
"
Exactly
a
week
after
the
tragedy
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
You
found
these
two
objects
,
you
say
,
in
the
chest
of
drawers
.
Was
the
drawer
unlocked
?
"
"
He
might
have
stowed
them
there
in
a
hurry
.
"
"
But
you
have
just
said
it
was
a
whole
week
since
the
crime
.
He
would
have
had
ample
time
to
remove
them
and
destroy
them
.
"
"
Perhaps
.
"
"
There
is
no
perhaps
about
it
.
Would
he
,
or
would
he
not
have
had
plenty
of
time
to
remove
and
destroy
them
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
Was
the
pile
of
underclothes
under
which
the
things
were
hidden
heavy
or
light
?
"
"
Heavyish
.
"
"
In
other
words
,
it
was
winter
underclothing
.
Obviously
,
the
prisoner
would
not
be
likely
to
go
to
that
drawer
?
"
"
Perhaps
not
.
"
"
Kindly
answer
my
question
.
Would
the
prisoner
,
in
the
hottest
week
of
a
hot
summer
,
be
likely
to
go
to
a
drawer
containing
winter
underclothing
.
Yes
,
or
no
?
"
"
No
.
"
"
In
that
case
,
is
it
not
possible
that
the
articles
in
question
might
have
been
put
there
by
a
third
person
,
and
that
the
prisoner
was
quite
unaware
of
their
presence
?
"
"
I
should
not
think
it
likely
.
"
"
But
it
is
possible
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
That
is
all
.
"
More
evidence
followed
.
Evidence
as
to
the
financial
difficulties
in
which
the
prisoner
had
found
himself
at
the
end
of
July
.
Evidence
as
to
his
intrigue
with
Mrs
.
Raikes
-
-
poor
Mary
,
that
must
have
been
bitter
hearing
for
a
woman
of
her
pride
.
Evelyn
Howard
had
been
right
in
her
facts
,
though
her
animosity
against
Alfred
Inglethorp
had
caused
her
to
jump
to
the
conclusion
that
he
was
the
person
concerned
.
Lawrence
Cavendish
was
then
put
into
the
box
.
In
a
low
voice
,
in
answer
to
Mr
.
Philips'
questions
,
he
denied
having
ordered
anything
from
Parkson's
in
June
.
In
fact
,
on
June
29th
,
he
had
been
staying
away
,
in
Wales
.
Instantly
,
Sir
Ernest's
chin
was
shooting
pugnaciously
forward
.
"
You
deny
having
ordered
a
black
beard
from
Parkson's
on
June
29th
?
"
"
I
do
.
"
"
Ah
!
In
the
event
of
anything
happening
to
your
brother
,
who
will
inherit
Styles
Court
?
"
The
brutality
of
the
question
called
a
flush
to
Lawrence's
pale
face
.
The
judge
gave
vent
to
a
faint
murmur
of
disapprobation
,
and
the
prisoner
in
the
dock
leant
forward
angrily
.
Heavywether
cared
nothing
for
his
client's
anger
.
"
Answer
my
question
,
if
you
please
.
"
.
"
I
suppose
,
"
said
Lawrence
quietly
,
"
that
I
should
.
"
"
What
do
you
mean
by
you
`
suppose
`
?
Your
brother
has
no
children
.
You
would
inherit
it
,
wouldn't
you
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
Ah
,
that's
better
,
"
said
Heavywether
,
with
ferocious
geniality
.
"
And
you'd
inherit
a
good
slice
of
money
too
,
wouldn't
you
?
"
"
Really
,
Sir
Ernest
,
"
protested
the
judge
,
"
these
questions
are
not
relevant
.
"
Sir
Ernest
bowed
,
and
having
shot
his
arrow
proceeded
.
"
On
Tuesday
,
the
17th
July
,
you
went
,
I
believe
,
with
another
guest
,
to
visit
the
dispensary
at
the
Red
Cross
Hospital
in
Tadminster
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
Did
you
-
-
while
you
happened
to
be
alone
for
a
few
seconds
?
-
-
unlock
the
poison
cupboard
,
and
examine
some
of
the
bottles
?
"
"
I
-
-
I
-
-
may
have
done
so
.
"
"
I
put
it
to
you
that
you
did
do
so
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
Sir
Ernest
fairly
shot
the
next
question
at
him
.
"
Did
you
examine
one
bottle
in
particular
?
"
"
No
,
I
do
not
think
so
.
"
"
Be
careful
,
Mr
.
Cavendish
.
I
am
referring
to
a
little
bottle
of
Hydro
-
chloride
of
Strychnine
.
"
Lawrence
was
turning
a
sickly
greenish
colour
.
"
N
-
o
-
-
I
am
sure
I
didn't
.
"
Then
how
do
you
account
for
the
fact
that
you
left
the
unmistakable
impress
of
your
fingerprints
on
it
?
"
The
bullying
manner
was
highly
efficacious
with
a
nervous
disposition
.
"
I
-
-
I
suppose
I
must
have
taken
up
the
bottle
.
"
"
I
suppose
so
too
!
Did
you
abstract
any
of
the
contents
of
the
bottle
?
"
"
Certainly
not
.
"
"
Then
why
did
you
take
it
up
?
"
"
I
once
studied
to
be
a
doctor
.
Such
things
naturally
interest
me
.
"
Ah
!
So
poisons
naturally
interest
you
,
do
they
?
Still
,
you
waited
to
be
alone
before
gratifying
that
`
interest
`
of
yours
?
"
"
That
was
pure
chance
.
If
the
others
had
been
there
,
I
should
have
done
just
the
same
.
"
"
Still
,
as
it
happens
,
the
others
were
not
there
?
"
"
No
,
but
-
-
"
"
In
fact
,
during
the
whole
afternoon
,
you
were
only
alone
for
a
couple
of
minutes
,
and
it
happened
-
-
I
say
,
it
happened
-
-
to
be
during
those
two
minutes
that
you
displayed
your
natural
interest
in
Hydro
-
chloride
of
Strychnine
?
"
Lawrence
stammered
pitiably
.
"
I
-
-
I
-
-
"
With
a
satisfied
and
expressive
countenance
,
Sir
Ernest
observed
:
"
I
have
nothing
more
to
ask
you
,
Mr
.
Cavendish
.
"
This
bit
of
cross
-
examination
had
caused
great
excitement
in
court
.
The
heads
of
the
many
fashionably
attired
women
present
were
busily
laid
together
,
and
their
whispers
became
so
loud
that
the
judge
angrily
threatened
to
have
the
court
cleared
if
there
was
not
immediate
silence
.
There
was
little
more
evidence
.
The
hand
-
writing
experts
were
called
upon
for
their
opinion
of
the
signature
of
"
Alfred
Inglethorp
"
in
the
chemist's
poison
register
.
They
all
declared
unanimously
that
it
was
certainly
not
his
hand
-
writing
,
and
gave
it
as
their
view
that
it
might
be
that
of
the
prisoner
disguised
.
Cross
-
examined
,
they
admitted
that
it
might
be
the
prisoner's
hand
-
writing
cleverly
counterfeited
.
Sir
Ernest
Heavywether's
speech
in
opening
the
case
for
the
defence
was
not
a
long
one
,
but
it
was
backed
by
the
full
force
of
his
emphatic
manner
.
Never
,
he
said
,
in
the
course
of
his
long
experience
,
had
he
known
a
charge
of
murder
rest
on
slighter
evidence
.
Not
only
was
it
entirely
circumstantial
,
but
the
greater
part
of
it
was
practically
unproved
.
Let
them
take
the
testimony
they
had
heard
and
sift
it
impartially
.
The
strychnine
had
been
found
in
a
drawer
in
the
prisoner's
room
.
That
drawer
was
an
unlocked
one
,
as
he
had
pointed
out
,
and
he
submitted
that
there
was
no
evidence
to
prove
that
it
was
the
prisoner
who
had
concealed
the
poison
there
.
It
was
,
in
fact
,
a
wicked
and
malicious
attempt
on
the
part
of
some
third
person
to
fix
the
crime
on
the
prisoner
.
The
prosecution
had
been
unable
to
produce
a
shred
of
evidence
in
support
of
their
contention
that
it
was
the
prisoner
who
ordered
the
black
beard
from
Parkson's
.
The
quarrel
which
had
taken
place
between
prisoner
and
his
stepmother
was
freely
admitted
,
but
both
it
and
his
financial
embarrassments
had
been
grossly
exaggerated
.
His
learned
friend
-
-
Sir
Ernest
nodded
carelessly
at
Mr
.
Philips
-
-
had
stated
that
if
prisoner
were
an
innocent
man
,
he
would
have
come
forward
at
the
inquest
to
explain
that
it
was
he
,
and
not
Mr
.
Inglethorp
,
who
had
been
the
participator
in
the
quarrel
.
He
thought
the
facts
had
been
misrepresented
.
What
had
actually
occurred
was
this
.
The
prisoner
,
returning
to
the
house
on
Tuesday
evening
,
had
been
authoritatively
told
that
there
had
been
a
violent
quarrel
between
Mr
.
and
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
.
No
suspicion
had
entered
the
prisoner's
head
that
anyone
could
possibly
have
mistaken
his
voice
for
that
of
Mr
.
Inglethorp
.
He
naturally
concluded
that
his
stepmother
had
had
two
quarrels
.
The
prosecution
averred
that
on
Monday
,
July
l6th
,
the
prisoner
had
entered
the
chemist's
shop
in
the
village
,
disguised
as
Mr
.
Inglethorp
.
The
prisoner
,
on
the
contrary
,
was
at
that
time
at
a
lonely
spot
called
Marston's
Spirmey
,
where
he
had
been
summoned
by
an
anonymous
note
,
couched
in
blackmailing
terms
,
and
threatening
to
reveal
certain
matters
to
his
wife
unless
he
complied
with
its
demands
.
The
prisoner
had
,
accordingly
,
gone
to
the
appointed
spot
,
and
after
waiting
there
vainly
for
half
an
hour
had
returned
home
.
Unfortunately
,
he
had
met
with
no
one
on
the
way
there
or
back
who
could
vouch
for
the
truth
of
his
story
,
but
luckily
he
had
kept
the
note
,
and
it
would
be
produced
as
evidence
.
As
for
the
statement
relating
to
the
destruction
of
the
will
,
the
prisoner
had
formerly
practised
at
the
Bar
,
and
was
perfectly
well
aware
that
the
will
made
in
his
favour
a
year
before
was
automatically
revoked
by
his
stepmother's
remarriage
.
He
would
call
evidence
to
show
who
did
destroy
the
will
,
and
it
was
possible
that
that
might
open
up
quite
a
new
view
of
the
case
.
Finally
,
he
would
point
out
to
the
jury
that
there
was
evidence
against
other
people
besides
John
Cavendish
.
He
would
direct
their
attention
to
the
fact
that
the
evidence
against
Mr
.
Lawrence
Cavendish
was
quite
as
strong
,
if
not
stronger
than
that
against
his
brother
.
He
would
now
call
the
prisoner
.
John
acquitted
himself
well
in
the
witness
-
box
.
Under
Sir
Ernest's
skilful
handling
,
he
told
his
tale
credibly
and
well
.
The
anonymous
note
received
by
him
was
produced
,
and
handed
to
the
jury
to
examine
.
The
readiness
with
which
he
admitted
his
financial
difficulties
,
and
the
disagreement
with
his
stepmother
,
lent
value
to
his
denials
.
At
the
close
of
his
examination
,
he
paused
,
and
said
:
"
I
should
like
to
make
one
thing
clear
.
I
utterly
reject
and
disapprove
of
Sir
Ernest
Heavywether's
insinuations
against
my
brother
.
My
brother
,
I
am
convinced
,
had
no
more
to
do
with
the
crime
than
I
have
.
"
Sir
Ernest
merely
smiled
,
and
noted
with
a
sharp
eye
that
John's
protest
had
produced
a
very
favourable
impression
on
the
jury
.
Then
the
cross
-
examination
began
.
"
I
understand
you
to
say
that
it
never
entered
your
head
that
the
witnesses
at
the
inquest
could
possibly
have
mistaken
your
voice
for
that
of
Mr
.
Inglethorp
.
Is
not
that
very
surprising
?
"
"
No
,
I
don't
think
so
.
I
was
told
there
had
been
a
quarrel
between
my
mother
and
Mr
.
Inglethorp
,
and
it
never
occurred
to
me
that
such
was
not
really
the
case
.
"
"
Not
when
the
servant
Dorcas
repeated
certain
fragments
of
the
conversation
-
-
fragments
which
you
must
have
recognized
?
"
"
I
did
not
recognize
them
.
"
"
Your
memory
must
be
unusually
short
!
"
"
No
,
but
we
were
both
angry
,
and
,
I
think
,
said
more
than
we
meant
.
I
paid
very
little
attention
to
my
mother's
actual
words
.
"
Mr
.
Philips'
incredulous
sniff
was
a
triumph
of
forensic
skill
.
He
passed
on
to
the
subject
of
the
note
.
"
You
have
produced
this
note
very
opportunely
.
Tell
me
,
is
there
nothing
familiar
about
the
hand
-
writing
of
it
?
"
"
Not
that
I
know
of
.
"
"
Do
you
not
think
that
it
bears
a
marked
resemblance
to
your
own
hand
-
writing
-
-
carelessly
disguised
?
"
"
No
,
I
do
not
think
so
.
"
"
I
put
it
to
you
that
it
is
your
own
hand
-
writing
!
"
"
No
.
"
"
I
put
it
to
you
that
,
anxious
to
prove
an
alibi
,
you
conceived
the
idea
of
a
fictitious
and
rather
incredible
appointment
,
and
wrote
this
note
yourself
in
order
to
bear
out
your
statement
!
"
"
No
.
"
"
Is
it
not
a
fact
that
,
at
the
time
you
claim
to
have
been
waiting
about
at
a
solitary
and
unfrequented
spot
,
you
were
really
in
the
chemist's
shop
in
Styles
St
.
Mary
,
where
you
purchased
strychnine
in
the
name
of
Alfred
Inglethorp
?
"
"
No
,
that
is
a
lie
.
"
"
I
put
it
to
you
that
,
wearing
a
suit
of
Mr
.
Inglethorp's
clothes
,
with
a
black
beard
trimmed
to
resemble
his
,
you
were
there
-
-
and
signed
the
register
in
his
name
!
"
"
That
is
absolutely
untrue
.
"
"
Then
I
will
leave
the
remarkable
similarity
of
hand
-
writing
between
the
note
,
the
register
,
and
your
own
,
to
the
consideration
of
the
jury
,
"
said
Mr
.
Philips
,
and
sat
After
this
,
as
it
was
growing
late
;
the
case
was
adjourned
till
Monday
.
Poirot
,
I
noticed
,
was
looking
profoundly
discouraged
.
He
had
that
little
frown
between
the
eyes
that
I
knew
so
well
.
"
What
is
it
,
Poirot
?
"
I
inquired
.
"
Ah
,
mon
ami
,
things
are
going
badly
,
badly
.
"
In
spite
of
myself
,
my
heart
gave
a
leap
of
relief
.
Evidently
there
was
a
likelihood
of
John
Cavendish
being
acquitted
.
When
we
reached
the
house
,
my
little
friend
waved
aside
Mary's
offer
of
tea
.
"
No
,
I
thank
you
,
madame
.
I
will
mount
to
my
room
.
"
I
followed
him
.
Still
frowning
,
he
went
across
to
the
desk
and
took
out
a
small
pack
of
patience
cards
.
Then
he
drew
up
a
chair
to
the
table
,
and
,
to
my
utter
amazement
,
began
solemnly
to
build
card
houses
!
My
jaw
dropped
involuntarily
,
and
he
said
at
once
:
"
No
,
mon
ami
,
I
am
not
in
my
second
childhood
!
I
steady
my
nerves
,
that
is
all
.
This
employment
requires
precision
of
the
fingers
.
With
precision
of
the
fingers
goes
precision
of
the
brain
.
And
never
have
I
needed
that
more
than
now
!
"
"
What
is
the
trouble
?
"
I
asked
.
With
a
great
thump
on
the
table
,
Poirot
demolished
his
carefully
built
up
edifice
.
"
It
is
this
,
mon
ami
!
That
I
can
build
card
houses
seven
stories
high
,
but
I
cannot
"
-
-
thump
-
-
"
find
"
-
-
thump
-
-
"
that
last
link
of
which
I
spoke
to
you
.
"
I
could
not
quite
tell
what
to
say
,
so
I
held
my
peace
,
and
he
began
slowly
building
up
the
cards
again
,
speaking
in
jerks
as
he
did
so
.
"
It
is
done
-
-
so
!
By
placing
-
-
one
card
-
on
another
-
-
with
mathematical
-
-
precision
!
"
I
watched
the
card
house
rising
under
his
hands
,
story
by
story
.
He
never
hesitated
or
faltered
.
It
was
really
almost
like
a
conjuring
trick
.
"
What
a
steady
hand
you've
got
,
"
I
remarked
.
"
I
believe
I've
only
seen
your
hand
shake
once
.
"
"
On
an
occasion
when
I
was
enraged
,
without
doubt
,
"
observed
Poirot
,
with
great
placidity
.
"
Yes
indeed
!
You
were
in
a
towering
rage
.
Do
you
remember
?
It
was
when
you
discovered
that
the
lock
of
the
despatch
-
case
in
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
bedroom
had
been
forced
.
You
stood
by
the
mantel
-
piece
,
twiddling
the
things
on
it
in
your
usual
fashion
,
and
your
hand
shook
like
a
leaf
!
I
must
say
-
-
"
But
I
stopped
suddenly
.
For
Poirot
,
uttering
a
hoarse
and
inarticulate
cry
,
again
annihilated
his
masterpiece
of
cards
,
and
putting
his
hands
over
his
eyes
swayed
backwards
and
forwards
,
apparently
suffering
the
keenest
agony
.
"
Good
heavens
,
Poirot
!
"
I
cried
.
"
What
is
the
matter
?
Are
you
taken
ill
?
"
"
No
,
no
,
"
he
gasped
.
"
It
is
-
-
it
is
-
-
that
I
have
an
idea
!
"
"
Oh
!
"
I
exclaimed
,
much
relieved
.
"
One
of
your
little
ideas
?
"
"
Ah
,
ma
foi
,
no
!
"
replied
Poirot
frankly
.
"
This
time
it
is
an
idea
gigantic
!
Stupendous
!
And
you
-
-
you
,
my
friend
,
have
given
it
to
me
!
"
Suddenly
clasping
me
in
his
arms
,
he
kissed
me
warmly
on
both
cheeks
,
and
before
I
had
recovered
from
my
surprise
ran
headlong
from
the
room
.
Mary
Cavendish
entered
at
that
moment
.
"
What
is
the
matter
with
Monsieur
Poirot
?
He
rushed
past
me
crying
out
:
`
A
garage
!
For
the
love
of
Heaven
,
direct
me
to
a
garage
,
madame
!
`
And
,
before
I
could
answer
,
he
had
dashed
out
into
the
street
.
"
I
hurried
to
the
window
.
True
enough
,
there
he
was
,
tearing
down
the
street
,
hatless
,
and
gesticulating
as
he
went
.
I
turned
to
Mary
with
a
gesture
of
despair
.
"
He'll
be
stopped
by
a
policeman
in
another
minute
.
There
he
goes
,
round
the
corner
!
"
Our
eyes
met
,
and
we
stared
helplessly
at
one
another
.
"
What
can
be
the
matter
?
"
I
shook
my
head
.
"
I
don't
know
.
He
was
building
card
houses
,
when
suddenly
he
said
he
had
an
idea
,
and
rushed
off
as
you
saw
.
"
"
Well
,
"
said
Mary
,
"
I
expect
he
will
be
back
before
dinner
.
"
But
night
fell
,
and
Poirot
had
not
returned
.
Chapter
XII
THE
LAST
LINK
Poirot's
abrupt
departure
had
intrigued
us
all
greatly
.
Sunday
morning
wore
away
,
and
still
he
did
not
reappear
.
But
about
three
o'clock
a
ferocious
and
prolonged
hooting
outside
drove
us
to
the
window
,
to
see
Poirot
alighting
from
a
car
,
accompanied
by
Japp
and
Summerhaye
.
The
little
man
was
transformed
.
He
radiated
an
absurd
complacency
.
He
bowed
with
exaggerated
respect
to
Mary
Cavendish
.
"
Madame
,
I
have
your
permission
to
hold
a
little
reunion
in
the
salon
?
It
is
necessary
for
every
one
to
attend
.
"
Mary
smiled
sadly
.
"
You
know
,
Monsieur
Poirot
,
that
you
have
carte
blanche
in
every
way
.
"
"
You
are
too
amiable
,
madame
.
"
Still
beaming
,
Poirot
marshalled
us
all
into
the
drawing
-
room
,
bringing
forward
chairs
as
he
did
so
.
"
Miss
Howard
-
-
here
.
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
.
Monsieur
Lawrence
.
The
good
Dorcas
.
And
Annie
.
Bien
!
We
must
delay
our
proceedings
a
few
minutes
until
Mr
.
Inglethorp
arrives
.
I
have
sent
him
a
note
.
"
Miss
Howard
rose
immediately
from
her
seat
.
"
If
that
man
comes
into
the
house
,
I
leave
it
!
"
"
No
,
no
!
"
Poirot
went
up
to
her
and
pleaded
in
a
low
voice
.
Finally
Miss
Howard
consented
to
return
to
her
chair
.
A
few
minutes
later
Alfred
Inglethorp
entered
the
room
.
The
company
once
assembled
,
Poirot
rose
from
his
seat
with
the
air
of
a
popular
lecturer
,
and
bowed
politely
to
his
audience
.
"
Messieurs
,
mesdames
,
as
you
all
know
,
I
was
called
in
by
Monsieur
John
Cavendish
to
investigate
this
case
.
I
at
once
examined
the
bedroom
of
the
deceased
which
,
by
the
advice
of
the
doctors
,
had
been
kept
locked
,
and
was
consequently
exactly
as
it
had
been
when
the
tragedy
occurred
.
I
found
:
first
,
a
fragment
of
green
material
;
second
,
a
stain
on
the
carpet
near
the
window
,
still
damp
;
thirdly
,
an
empty
box
of
bromide
powders
.
"
To
take
the
fragment
of
green
material
first
,
I
found
it
caught
in
the
bolt
of
the
communicating
door
between
that
room
and
the
adjoining
one
occupied
by
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
.
I
handed
the
fragment
over
to
the
police
who
did
not
consider
it
of
much
importance
.
Nor
did
they
recognize
it
for
what
it
was
-
-
a
piece
torn
from
a
green
land
armlet
.
"
There
was
a
little
stir
of
excitement
.
"
Now
there
was
only
one
person
at
Styles
who
worked
on
the
land
-
-
Mrs
.
Cavendish
.
Therefore
it
must
have
been
Mrs
.
Cavendish
who
entered
deceased's
room
through
the
door
communicating
with
Mademoiselle
Cynthia's
room
.
"
"
But
that
door
was
bolted
on
the
inside
!
"
I
cried
.
"
When
I
examined
the
room
,
yes
.
But
in
the
first
place
we
have
only
her
word
for
it
,
since
it
was
she
who
tried
that
particular
door
and
reported
it
fastened
.
In
the
ensuing
confusion
she
would
have
had
ample
opportunity
to
shoot
the
bolt
across
.
I
took
an
early
opportunity
of
verifying
my
conjectures
.
To
begin
with
,
the
fragment
corresponds
exactly
with
a
tear
in
Mrs
.
Cavendish's
armlet
.
Also
,
at
the
inquest
,
Mrs
.
Cavendish
declared
that
she
had
heard
,
from
her
own
room
,
the
fall
of
the
table
by
the
bed
.
I
took
an
early
opportunity
of
testing
that
statement
by
stationing
my
friend
Monsieur
Hastings
in
the
left
wing
of
the
building
,
just
outside
Mrs
.
Cavendish's
door
.
I
myself
,
in
company
with
the
police
,
went
to
the
deceased's
room
,
and
whilst
there
I
,
apparently
accidentally
,
knocked
over
the
table
in
question
,
but
found
that
,
as
I
had
expected
,
Monsieur
Hastings
had
heard
no
sound
at
all
.
This
confirmed
my
belief
that
Mrs
.
Cavendish
was
not
speaking
the
truth
when
she
declared
that
she
had
been
dressing
in
her
room
at
the
time
of
the
tragedy
.
In
fact
,
I
was
convinced
that
,
far
from
having
been
in
her
own
room
,
Mrs
.
Cavendish
was
actually
in
the
deceased's
room
when
the
alarm
was
given
.
"
I
shot
a
quick
glance
at
Mary
.
She
was
very
pale
,
but
smiling
.
"
I
proceeded
to
reason
on
that
assumption
.
Mrs
.
Cavendish
is
in
her
mother
-
in
-
law's
room
.
We
will
say
that
she
is
seeking
for
something
and
has
not
yet
found
it
.
Suddenly
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
awakens
and
is
seized
with
an
alarming
paroxysm
.
She
flings
out
her
arm
,
overturning
the
bed
table
,
and
then
pulls
desperately
at
the
bell
.
Mrs
.
Cavendish
,
startled
,
drops
her
candle
,
scattering
the
grease
on
the
carpet
.
She
picks
it
up
,
and
retreats
quickly
to
Mademoiselle
Cynthia's
room
,
closing
the
door
behind
her
.
She
hurries
out
into
the
passage
,
for
the
servants
must
not
find
her
where
she
is
.
But
it
is
too
late
!
Already
footsteps
are
echoing
along
the
gallery
which
connects
the
two
wings
.
What
can
she
do
?
Quick
as
thought
,
she
hurries
back
to
the
young
girl's
room
,
and
starts
shaking
her
awake
.
The
hastily
aroused
household
come
trooping
down
the
passage
.
They
are
all
busily
battering
at
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
door
.
It
occurs
to
nobody
that
Mrs
.
Cavendish
has
not
arrived
with
the
rest
,
but
-
-
and
this
is
significant
-
-
I
can
find
no
one
who
saw
her
come
from
the
other
wing
.
"
He
looked
at
Mary
Cavendish
.
"
Am
I
right
,
madame
?
"
She
bowed
her
head
.
"
Quite
right
,
monsieur
.
You
understand
that
,
if
I
had
thought
I
would
do
my
husband
any
good
by
revealing
these
facts
,
I
would
have
done
so
.
But
it
did
not
seem
to
me
to
bear
upon
the
question
of
his
guilt
or
innocence
.
"
"
In
a
sense
,
that
is
correct
,
madame
.
But
it
cleared
my
mind
of
many
misconceptions
,
and
left
me
free
to
see
other
facts
in
their
true
significance
.
"
"
The
will
!
"
cried
Lawrence
.
"
Then
it
was
you
,
Mary
,
who
destroyed
the
will
?
"
She
shook
her
head
,
and
Poirot
shook
his
also
.
"
No
,
"
he
said
quietly
.
"
There
is
only
one
person
who
could
possibly
have
destroyed
that
will
-
-
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
herself
!
"
"
Impossible
!
"
I
exclaimed
.
"
She
had
only
made
it
out
that
very
afternoon
!
"
"
Nevertheless
,
mon
ami
,
it
was
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
.
Because
,
in
no
other
way
can
you
account
for
the
fact
that
,
on
one
of
the
hottest
days
of
the
year
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
ordered
a
fire
to
be
lighted
in
her
room
.
"
I
gave
a
gasp
.
What
idiots
we
had
been
never
to
think
of
that
fire
as
being
incongruous
!
Poirot
was
continuing
:
"
The
temperature
on
that
day
,
messieurs
,
was
80
degrees
in
the
shade
.
Yet
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
ordered
a
fire
!
Why
?
Because
she
wished
to
destroy
something
,
and
could
think
of
no
other
way
.
You
will
remember
that
,
in
consequence
of
the
War
economics
practised
at
Styles
,
no
waste
paper
was
thrown
away
.
There
was
therefore
no
means
of
destroying
a
thick
document
such
as
a
will
.
The
moment
I
heard
of
a
fire
being
lighted
in
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
room
,
I
leaped
to
the
conclusion
that
it
was
to
destroy
some
important
document
-
-
possibly
a
will
.
So
the
discovery
of
the
charred
fragment
in
the
grate
was
no
surprise
to
me
.
I
did
not
,
of
course
,
know
at
the
time
that
the
will
in
question
had
only
been
made
this
afternoon
,
and
I
will
admit
that
,
when
I
learnt
that
fact
,
I
fell
into
a
grievous
error
.
I
came
to
the
conclusion
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
determination
to
destroy
her
will
arose
as
a
direct
consequence
of
the
quarrel
she
had
that
afternoon
,
and
that
therefore
the
quarrel
took
place
after
,
and
not
before
the
making
of
the
will
.
"
Here
,
as
we
know
,
I
was
wrong
,
and
I
was
forced
to
abandon
that
idea
.
I
faced
the
problem
from
a
new
standpoint
.
Now
,
at
4
o'clock
,
Dorcas
overheard
her
mistress
saying
angrily
:
`
You
need
not
think
that
any
fear
of
publicity
,
or
scandal
between
husband
and
wife
will
deter
me
.
`
I
conjectured
,
and
conjectured
rightly
,
that
these
words
were
addressed
,
not
to
her
husband
,
but
to
Mr
.
John
Cavendish
.
At
5
o'clock
,
an
hour
later
,
she
uses
almost
the
same
words
,
but
the
standpoint
is
different
.
She
admits
to
Dorcas
,
`
I
don't
know
what
to
do
;
scandal
between
husband
and
wife
is
a
dreadful
thing
.
`
At
4
o'clock
she
has
been
angry
,
but
completely
mistress
of
herself
.
At
5
o'clock
she
is
in
violent
distress
,
and
speaks
of
having
had
a
great
shock
.
"
Looking
at
the
matter
psychologically
,
I
drew
one
deduction
which
I
was
convinced
was
correct
.
The
second
`
scandal
`
she
spoke
of
was
not
the
same
as
the
first
-
-
and
it
concerned
herself
!
"
Let
us
reconstruct
.
At
4
o'clock
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
quarrels
with
her
son
,
and
threatens
to
denounce
him
to
his
wife
-
-
who
,
by
the
way
,
overheard
the
greater
part
of
the
conversation
.
At
4
.
30
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
,
in
consequence
of
a
conversation
on
the
validity
of
wills
,
makes
a
will
in
favour
of
her
husband
,
which
the
two
gardeners
witness
.
At
5
o'clock
,
Dorcas
finds
her
mistress
in
a
state
of
considerable
agitation
,
with
a
slip
of
paper
-
-
a
letter
Dorcas
thinks
-
-
in
her
hand
,
and
it
is
then
that
she
orders
the
fire
in
her
room
to
be
lighted
.
Presumably
,
then
,
between
4
.
30
and
5
o'clock
,
something
has
occurred
to
occasion
a
complete
revolution
of
feeling
,
since
she
is
now
as
anxious
to
destroy
the
will
,
as
she
was
before
to
make
it
.
What
was
that
something
?
"
As
far
as
we
know
,
she
was
quite
alone
during
that
half
-
hour
.
Nobody
entered
or
left
that
boudoir
.
What
then
occasioned
this
sudden
change
of
sentiment
?
"
One
can
only
guess
,
but
I
believe
my
guess
to
be
correct
.
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
had
no
stamps
in
her
desk
.
We
know
this
,
because
later
she
asked
Dorcas
to
bring
her
some
.
Now
in
the
opposite
corner
of
the
room
stood
her
husband's
desk
-
-
locked
.
She
was
anxious
to
find
some
stamps
,
and
,
according
to
my
theory
,
she
tried
her
own
keys
in
the
desk
.
That
one
of
them
fitted
I
know
.
She
therefore
opened
the
desk
,
and
in
searching
for
the
stamps
she
came
across
something
else
-
-
that
slip
of
paper
which
Dorcas
saw
in
her
hand
,
and
which
assuredly
was
never
meant
for
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
eyes
.
On
the
other
hand
,
Mrs
.
Cavendish
believed
that
the
slip
of
paper
to
which
her
mother
-
in
-
law
clung
so
tenaciously
was
a
written
proof
of
her
own
husband's
infidelity
.
She
demanded
it
from
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
who
assured
her
,
quite
truly
,
that
it
had
nothing
to
do
with
that
matter
.
Mrs
.
Cavendish
did
not
believe
her
.
She
thought
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
was
shielding
her
stepson
.
Now
Mrs
.
Cavendish
is
a
very
resolute
woman
,
and
,
behind
her
mask
of
reserve
,
she
was
madly
jealous
of
her
husband
.
She
determined
to
get
hold
of
that
paper
at
all
costs
,
and
in
this
resolution
chance
came
to
her
aid
.
She
happened
to
pick
up
the
key
of
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
despatch
-
case
,
which
had
been
lost
that
morning
.
She
knew
that
her
mother
-
in
-
law
invariably
kept
all
important
papers
in
this
particular
case
.
"
Mrs
.
Cavendish
,
therefore
,
made
her
plans
as
only
a
woman
driven
desperate
through
jealousy
could
have
done
.
Some
time
in
the
evening
she
unbolted
the
door
leading
into
Mademoiselle
Cynthia's
room
.
Possibly
she
applied
oil
to
the
hinges
,
for
I
found
that
it
opened
quite
noiselessly
when
I
tried
it
.
She
put
off
her
project
until
the
early
hours
of
the
morning
as
being
safer
,
since
the
servants
were
accustomed
to
hearing
her
move
about
her
room
at
that
time
.
She
dressed
completely
in
her
land
kit
,
and
made
her
way
quietly
through
Mademoiselle
Cynthia's
room
into
that
of
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
.
"
He
paused
a
moment
,
and
Cynthia
interrupted
:
"
But
I
should
have
woken
up
if
anyone
had
come
through
my
room
?
"
"
Not
if
you
were
drugged
,
mademoiselle
.
"
"
Drugged
?
"
"
Mais
,
oui
!
"
"
You
remember
"
-
-
he
addressed
us
collectively
again
-
-
"
that
through
all
the
tumult
and
noise
next
door
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
slept
.
That
admitted
of
two
possibilities
.
Either
her
sleep
was
feigned
-
-
which
I
did
not
believe
-
-
or
her
unconsciousness
was
induced
by
artificial
means
.
"
With
this
latter
idea
in
my
mind
,
I
examined
all
the
coffecups
most
carefully
,
remembering
that
it
was
Mrs
.
Cavendish
who
had
brought
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
her
coffee
the
night
before
.
I
took
a
sample
from
each
cup
,
and
had
them
analysed
-
-
with
no
result
.
I
had
counted
the
cups
carefully
,
in
the
event
of
one
having
been
removed
.
Six
persons
had
taken
coffee
,
and
six
cups
were
duly
found
.
I
had
to
confess
myself
mistaken
.
"
Then
I
discovered
that
I
had
been
guilty
of
a
very
grave
oversight
.
Coffee
had
been
brought
in
for
seven
persons
,
not
six
,
for
Dr
.
Bauerstein
had
been
there
that
evening
.
This
changed
the
face
of
the
whole
affair
,
for
there
was
now
one
cup
missing
.
The
servants
noticed
nothing
,
since
Annie
,
the
housemaid
,
who
took
in
the
coffee
,
brought
in
seven
cups
,
not
knowing
that
Mr
.
Inglethorp
never
drank
it
,
whereas
Dorcas
,
who
cleared
them
away
the
following
morning
,
found
six
as
usual
-
-
or
strictly
speaking
she
found
five
,
the
sixth
being
the
one
found
broken
in
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
room
.
"
I
was
confident
that
the
missing
cup
was
that
of
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
.
I
had
an
additional
reason
for
that
belief
in
the
fact
that
all
the
cups
found
contained
sugar
,
which
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
never
took
in
her
coffee
.
My
attention
was
attracted
by
the
story
of
Annie
about
some
salt
on
the
tray
of
coco
which
she
took
every
night
to
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
room
.
I
accordingly
secured
a
sample
of
that
coco
,
and
sent
it
to
be
analysed
.
"
"
But
that
had
already
been
done
by
Dr
.
Bauerstein
,
"
said
Lawrence
quickly
.
"
Not
exactly
.
The
analyst
was
asked
by
him
to
report
whether
strychnine
was
,
or
was
not
,
present
.
He
did
not
have
it
tested
,
as
I
did
,
for
a
narcotic
.
"
"
For
a
narcotic
?
"
"
Yes
.
Here
is
the
analyst's
report
.
Mrs
.
Cavendish
administered
a
safe
,
but
effectual
,
narcotic
to
both
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
and
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
.
And
it
is
possible
that
she
had
a
mauvais
quart
d'heure
in
consequence
!
Imagine
her
feelings
when
her
mother
-
in
-
law
is
suddenly
taken
ill
and
dies
,
and
immediately
after
she
hears
the
word
`
Poison
`
!
She
has
believed
that
the
sleeping
draught
she
administered
was
perfectly
harmless
,
but
there
is
no
doubt
that
for
one
terrible
moment
she
must
have
feared
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
death
lay
at
her
door
.
She
is
seized
with
panic
,
and
under
its
influence
she
hurries
downstairs
,
and
quickly
drops
the
coffee
-
cup
and
saucer
used
by
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
into
a
large
brass
vase
,
where
it
is
discovered
later
by
Monsieur
Lawrence
.
The
remains
of
the
coco
she
dare
not
touch
.
Too
many
eyes
are
upon
her
.
Guess
at
her
relief
when
strychnine
is
mentioned
,
and
she
discovers
that
after
all
the
tragedy
is
not
her
doing
.
"
We
are
now
able
to
account
for
the
symptoms
of
strychnine
poisoning
being
so
long
in
making
their
appearance
.
A
narcotic
taken
with
strychnine
will
delay
the
action
of
the
poison
for
some
hours
.
"
Poirot
paused
.
Mary
looked
up
at
him
,
the
colour
slowly
rising
in
her
face
.
"
All
you
have
said
is
quite
true
,
Monsieur
Poirot
.
It
was
the
most
awful
hour
of
my
life
.
I
shall
never
forget
it
.
But
you
are
wonderful
.
I
understand
now
-
-
"
"
What
I
meant
when
I
told
you
that
you
could
safely
confess
to
Papa
Poirot
,
eh
?
But
you
would
not
trust
me
.
"
"
I
see
everything
now
,
"
said
Lawrence
.
"
The
drugged
coco
,
taken
on
top
of
the
poisoned
coffee
,
amply
accounts
for
the
delay
.
"
"
Exactly
.
But
was
the
coffee
poisoned
,
or
was
it
not
?
We
come
to
a
little
difficulty
here
,
since
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
never
drank
it
.
"
"
What
?
"
The
cry
of
surprise
was
universal
.
"
No
.
You
will
remember
my
speaking
of
a
stain
on
the
carpet
in
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
room
?
There
were
some
peculiar
points
about
that
stain
.
It
was
still
damp
,
it
exhaled
a
strong
odour
of
coffee
,
and
imbedded
in
the
nap
of
the
carpet
I
found
some
little
splinters
of
china
.
What
had
happened
was
plain
to
me
,
for
not
two
minutes
before
I
had
placed
my
little
case
on
the
table
near
the
window
,
and
the
table
,
tilting
up
,
had
deposited
it
upon
the
floor
on
precisely
the
identical
spot
.
In
exactly
the
same
way
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
had
laid
down
her
cup
of
coffee
on
reaching
her
room
the
night
before
,
and
The
treacherous
table
had
played
her
the
same
trick
.
"
What
happened
next
is
mere
guess
work
on
my
part
,
but
I
should
say
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
picked
up
the
broken
cup
and
placed
it
on
the
table
by
the
bed
.
Feeling
in
need
of
a
stimulant
of
some
kind
,
she
heated
up
her
coco
,
and
drank
it
off
then
and
there
.
Now
we
are
faced
with
a
new
problem
.
We
know
the
coco
contained
no
strychnine
.
The
coffee
was
never
drunk
.
Yet
the
strychnine
must
have
been
administered
between
seven
and
nine
o'clock
that
evening
.
What
third
medium
was
there
-
-
a
medium
so
suitable
for
disguising
the
taste
of
strychnine
that
it
is
extraordinary
no
one
has
thought
of
it
?
"
Poirot
looked
round
the
room
,
and
then
answered
himself
impressively
.
"
Her
medicine
!
"
"
Do
you
mean
that
the
murderer
introduced
the
strychnine
into
her
tonic
?
"
I
cried
.
"
There
was
no
need
to
introduce
it
.
It
was
already
there
-
-
in
the
mixture
.
The
strychnine
that
killed
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
was
the
identical
strychnine
prescribed
by
Mr
.
Wilkins
.
To
make
that
clear
to
you
,
I
will
read
you
an
extract
from
a
book
on
dispensing
which
I
found
in
the
Dispensary
of
the
Red
Cross
Hospital
at
Tadminster
:
"
The
following
prescription
has
become
famous
in
text
books
:
Strychninae
Sulph
Potasa
Bromide
Aqua
ad
Fiat
Mistura
This
solution
deposits
in
a
few
hours
the
greater
part
of
the
strychnine
salt
as
an
insoluble
bromide
in
transparent
crystals
.
A
lady
in
England
lost
her
life
by
taking
a
similar
mixture
:
the
precipitated
strychnine
collected
at
the
bottom
,
and
in
taking
the
last
dose
she
swallowed
nearly
all
of
it
!
"
"
Now
there
was
,
of
course
,
no
bromide
in
Dr
.
Wilkins'
prescription
,
but
you
will
remember
that
I
mentioned
an
empty
box
of
bromide
powders
.
One
or
two
of
those
powders
introduced
into
the
full
bottle
of
medicine
would
effectually
precipitate
the
strychnine
,
as
the
book
describes
,
and
cause
it
to
be
taken
in
the
last
dose
.
You
will
learn
later
that
the
person
who
usually
poured
out
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
medicine
was
always
extremely
careful
not
to
shake
the
bottle
,
but
to
leave
the
sediment
at
the
bottom
of
it
undisturbed
.
"
Throughout
the
case
,
there
have
been
evidences
that
the
tragedy
was
intended
to
take
place
on
Monday
evening
.
On
that
day
,
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
bell
wire
was
neatly
cut
,
and
on
Monday
evening
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
was
spending
the
night
with
friends
,
so
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
would
have
been
quite
alone
in
the
right
wing
,
completely
shut
off
from
help
of
any
kind
,
and
would
have
died
,
in
all
probability
,
before
medical
aid
could
have
been
summoned
.
But
in
her
hurry
to
be
in
time
for
the
village
entertainment
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
forgot
to
take
her
medicine
,
and
the
next
day
she
lunched
away
from
home
,
so
that
the
last
-
-
and
fatal
-
-
dose
was
actually
taken
twenty
-
four
hours
later
than
had
been
anticipated
by
the
murderer
;
and
it
is
owing
to
that
delay
that
the
final
proof
-
-
the
last
link
of
the
chain
-
-
is
now
in
my
hands
.
"
Amid
breathless
excitement
,
he
held
out
three
thin
strips
of
paper
.
"
A
letter
in
the
murderer's
own
hand
-
writing
,
mes
amis
!
Had
it
been
a
little
clearer
in
its
terms
,
it
is
possible
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
,
warned
in
time
,
would
have
escaped
.
As
it
was
,
she
realized
her
danger
,
but
not
the
manner
of
it
.
"
In
the
deathly
silence
,
Poirot
pieced
together
the
slips
of
paper
and
,
clearing
his
throat
,
read
:
"
Dearest
Evelyn
:
You
will
be
anxious
at
hearing
nothing
.
It
is
all
right
-
-
only
it
will
be
to
-
night
instead
of
last
night
.
You
understand
.
There's
a
good
time
coming
once
the
old
woman
is
dead
and
out
of
the
way
.
No
one
can
possibly
bring
home
the
crime
to
me
.
That
idea
of
yours
about
the
bromides
was
a
stroke
of
genius
!
But
we
must
be
very
circumspect
.
A
false
step
-
-
"
"
Here
,
my
friends
,
the
letter
breaks
off
.
Doubtless
the
writer
was
interrupted
;
but
there
can
be
no
question
as
to
his
identity
.
We
all
know
this
hand
-
writing
and
-
-
"
A
howl
that
was
almost
a
scream
broke
the
silence
.
"
You
devil
!
How
did
you
get
it
?
"
A
chair
was
overturned
.
Poirot
skipped
nimbly
aside
.
A
quick
movement
on
his
part
,
and
his
assailant
fell
with
a
crash
.
"
Messieurs
,
mesdames
,
"
said
Poirot
,
with
a
flourish
let
me
introduce
you
to
the
murderer
,
Mr
.
Alfred
Inglethorp
!
"
Chapter
XIII
POIROT
EXPLAINS
"
Poirot
,
you
old
villain
,
"
I
said
,
"
I've
half
a
mind
to
strangle
you
!
What
do
you
mean
by
deceiving
me
as
you
have
done
?
"
We
were
sitting
in
the
library
.
Several
hectic
days
lay
behind
us
.
In
the
room
below
,
John
and
Mary
were
together
once
more
,
while
Alfred
Inglethorp
and
Miss
Howard
were
in
custody
.
Now
at
last
,
I
had
Poirot
to
myself
,
and
could
relieve
my
still
burning
curiosity
.
Poirot
did
not
answer
me
for
a
moment
,
but
at
last
he
said
:
"
I
did
not
deceive
you
,
mon
ami
.
At
most
,
I
permitted
you
to
deceive
yourself
.
"
"
Yes
,
but
why
?
"
"
Well
,
it
is
difficult
to
explain
.
You
see
,
my
friend
,
you
have
a
nature
so
honest
,
and
a
countenance
so
transparent
,
that
-
-
en
fin
,
to
conceal
your
feelings
is
impossible
!
If
I
had
told
you
my
ideas
,
the
very
first
time
you
saw
Mr
.
Alfred
Inglethorp
that
astute
gentleman
would
have
-
-
in
your
so
expressive
idiom
-
-
`
smelt
a
rat
`
!
And
then
,
bon
jour
to
our
chances
of
catching
him
!
"
"
I
think
that
I
have
more
diplomacy
than
you
give
me
credit
for
.
"
"
My
friend
,
"
besought
Poirot
,
"
I
implore
you
,
do
not
enrage
yourself
!
Your
help
has
been
of
the
most
invaluable
.
It
is
but
the
extremely
beautiful
nature
that
you
have
,
which
made
me
pause
.
"
"
Well
,
"
I
grumbled
,
a
little
mollified
.
"
I
still
think
you
might
have
given
me
a
hint
.
"
"
But
I
did
,
my
friend
.
Several
hints
.
You
would
not
take
them
.
Think
now
,
did
I
ever
say
to
you
that
I
believed
John
Cavendish
guilty
?
Did
I
not
,
on
the
contrary
,
tell
you
that
he
would
almost
certainly
be
acquitted
?
"
"
Yes
,
but
-
-
"
"
And
did
I
not
immediately
afterwards
speak
of
the
difficulty
of
bringing
the
murderer
to
justice
?
Was
it
not
plain
to
you
that
I
was
speaking
of
two
entirely
different
persons
?
"
"
No
,
"
I
said
,
"
it
was
not
plain
to
me
!
"
"
Then
again
,
"
continued
Poirot
,
"
at
the
beginning
,
did
I
not
repeat
to
you
several
times
that
I
didn't
want
Mr
.
Inglethorp
arrested
now
?
That
should
have
conveyed
something
to
you
.
"
"
Do
you
mean
to
say
you
suspected
him
as
long
ago
as
that
?
"
"
Yes
.
To
begin
with
,
whoever
else
might
benefit
by
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
death
,
her
husband
would
benefit
the
most
.
There
was
no
getting
away
from
that
.
When
I
went
up
to
Styles
with
you
that
first
day
,
I
had
no
idea
as
to
how
the
crime
had
been
committed
,
but
from
what
I
knew
of
Mr
.
Inglethorp
I
fancied
that
it
would
be
very
hard
to
find
anything
to
connect
him
with
it
.
When
I
arrived
at
the
chateau
,
I
realized
at
once
that
it
was
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
who
had
burnt
the
will
;
and
there
,
by
the
way
,
you
cannot
complain
,
my
friend
,
for
I
tried
my
best
to
force
on
you
the
significance
of
that
bedroom
fire
in
midsummer
.
"
"
Yes
,
yes
,
"
I
said
impatiently
.
"
Go
on
.
"
"
Well
,
my
friend
,
as
I
say
,
my
views
as
to
Mr
.
Inglethorp's
guilt
were
very
much
shaken
.
There
was
,
in
fact
,
so
much
evidence
against
him
that
I
was
inclined
to
believe
that
he
had
not
done
it
.
"
"
When
did
you
change
your
mind
?
"
"
When
I
found
that
the
more
efforts
I
made
to
clear
him
,
the
more
efforts
he
made
to
get
himself
arrested
.
Then
,
when
I
discovered
that
Inglethorp
had
nothing
to
do
with
Mrs
.
Raikes
and
that
in
fact
it
was
John
Cavendish
who
was
interested
in
that
quarter
,
I
was
quite
sure
.
"
"
But
why
?
"
"
Simply
this
.
If
it
had
been
Inglethorp
who
was
carrying
on
an
intrigue
with
Mrs
.
Raikes
,
his
silence
was
perfectly
comprehensible
.
But
,
when
I
discovered
that
it
was
known
all
over
the
village
that
it
was
John
who
was
attracted
by
the
farmer's
pretty
wife
,
his
silence
bore
quite
a
different
interpretation
.
It
was
nonsense
to
pretend
that
he
was
afraid
of
the
scandal
,
as
no
possible
scandal
could
.
attach
to
him
.
This
attitude
of
his
gave
me
furiously
to
think
,
and
I
was
slowly
forced
to
the
conclusion
that
Alfred
Inglethorp
wanted
to
be
arrested
.
Eh
bien
!
from
that
moment
,
I
was
equally
determined
that
he
should
not
be
arrested
.
"
"
Wait
a
moment
.
I
don't
see
why
he
wished
to
be
arrested
?
"
"
Because
,
mon
ami
,
it
is
the
law
of
your
country
that
a
man
once
acquitted
can
never
be
tried
again
for
the
same
offence
.
Aha
!
but
it
was
clever
-
-
his
idea
!
Assuredly
,
he
is
a
man
of
method
.
See
here
,
he
knew
that
in
his
position
he
was
bound
to
be
suspected
,
so
he
conceived
the
exceedingly
clever
idea
of
preparing
a
lot
of
manufactured
evidence
against
himself
.
He
wished
to
be
arrested
.
He
would
then
produce
his
irreproachable
alibi
-
-
and
,
hey
presto
,
he
was
safe
for
life
!
"
"
But
I
still
don't
see
how
he
managed
to
prove
his
alibi
,
and
yet
go
to
the
chemist's
shop
?
"
Poirot
stared
at
me
in
surprise
.
"
Is
it
possible
?
My
poor
friend
!
You
have
not
yet
realized
that
it
was
Miss
Howard
who
went
to
the
chemist's
shop
?
"
"
Miss
Howard
?
"
"
But
,
certainly
.
Who
else
?
It
was
most
easy
for
her
.
She
is
of
a
good
height
,
her
voice
is
deep
and
manly
;
moreover
,
remember
,
she
and
Inglethorp
are
cousins
,
and
there
is
a
distinct
resemblance
between
them
,
especially
in
their
gait
and
bearing
.
It
was
simplicity
itself
.
They
are
a
clever
pair
!
"
"
I
am
still
a
little
fogged
as
to
how
exactly
the
bromide
business
was
done
,
"
I
remarked
.
"
Bon
!
I
will
reconstruct
for
you
as
far
as
possible
.
I
am
inclined
to
think
that
Miss
Howard
was
the
master
mind
in
that
affair
.
You
remember
her
once
mentioning
that
her
father
was
a
doctor
?
Possibly
she
dispensed
his
medicines
for
him
,
or
she
may
have
taken
the
idea
from
one
of
the
many
books
lying
about
when
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
was
studying
for
her
exam
.
Anyway
,
she
was
familiar
with
the
fact
that
the
addition
of
a
bromide
to
a
mixture
containing
strychnine
would
cause
the
precipitation
of
the
latter
.
Probably
the
idea
came
to
her
quite
suddenly
.
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
had
a
box
of
bromide
powders
,
which
she
occasionally
took
at
night
.
What
could
be
easier
than
quietly
to
dissolve
one
or
more
of
those
powders
in
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
large
sized
bottle
of
medicine
when
it
came
from
Coot's
?
The
risk
is
practically
nil
.
The
tragedy
will
not
take
place
until
nearly
a
fortnight
later
.
If
anyone
has
seen
either
of
them
touching
the
medicine
,
they
will
have
forgotten
it
by
that
time
.
Miss
Howard
will
have
engineered
her
quarrel
,
and
departed
from
the
house
.
The
lapse
of
time
,
and
her
absence
,
will
defeat
all
suspicion
.
Yes
,
it
was
a
clever
idea
!
If
they
had
left
it
alone
,
it
is
possible
the
crime
might
never
have
been
brought
home
to
them
.
But
they
were
not
satisfied
.
They
tried
to
be
too
clever
-
-
and
that
was
their
undoing
.
"
Poirot
puffed
at
his
tiny
cigarette
,
his
eyes
fixed
on
the
ceiling
.
"
They
arranged
a
plan
to
throw
suspicion
on
John
Cavendish
,
by
buying
strychnine
at
the
village
chemist's
,
and
signing
the
register
in
his
hand
-
writing
.
"
On
Monday
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
will
take
the
last
dose
of
her
medicine
.
On
Monday
,
therefore
,
at
six
o'clock
,
Alfred
Inglethorp
arranges
to
be
seen
by
a
number
of
people
at
a
spot
far
removed
from
the
village
.
Miss
Howard
has
previously
made
up
a
cock
and
bull
story
about
him
and
Mrs
.
Raikes
to
account
for
his
holding
his
tongue
afterwards
.
At
six
o'clock
,
Miss
Howard
,
disguised
as
Alfred
Inglethorp
,
enters
the
chemist's
shop
,
with
her
story
about
a
dog
,
obtains
the
strychnine
,
and
writes
the
name
of
Alfred
Inglethorp
in
John's
hand
-
writing
,
which
she
had
previously
studied
carefully
.
"
But
,
as
it
will
never
do
if
John
,
too
,
can
prove
an
alibi
,
she
writes
him
an
anonymous
note
-
-
still
copying
his
hand
-
writing
-
-
which
takes
him
to
a
remote
spot
where
it
is
exceedingly
unlikely
that
anyone
will
see
him
.
"
So
far
,
all
goes
well
.
Miss
Howard
goes
back
to
Middlingham
.
Alfred
Inglethorp
returns
to
Styles
.
There
is
nothing
that
can
compromise
him
in
any
way
since
it
is
Miss
Howard
who
has
the
strychnine
,
which
,
after
all
,
is
only
wanted
as
a
blind
to
throw
suspicion
on
John
Cavendish
.
"
But
now
a
hitch
occurs
.
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
does
not
take
her
medicine
that
night
.
The
broken
bell
,
Cynthia's
absence
-
-
arranged
by
Inglethorp
through
his
wife
-
-
all
these
are
wasted
.
And
then
-
-
he
makes
his
slip
.
"
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
is
out
,
and
he
sits
down
to
write
to
his
accomplice
,
who
,
he
fears
,
may
be
in
a
panic
at
the
nonsuccess
of
their
plan
.
It
is
probable
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
returned
earlier
than
he
expected
.
Caught
in
the
act
,
and
somewhat
flurried
he
hastily
shuts
and
locks
his
desk
.
He
fears
that
if
he
remains
in
the
room
he
may
have
to
open
it
again
,
and
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
might
catch
sight
of
the
letter
before
he
could
snatch
it
up
.
So
he
goes
out
and
walks
in
the
woods
,
little
dreaming
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
will
open
his
desk
,
and
discover
the
incriminating
document
.
"
But
this
,
as
we
know
,
is
what
happened
.
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
reads
it
,
and
becomes
aware
of
the
perfidy
of
her
husband
and
Evelyn
Howard
,
though
,
unfortunately
,
the
sentence
about
the
bromides
conveys
no
warning
to
her
mind
.
She
knows
that
she
is
in
danger
-
-
but
is
ignorant
of
where
the
danger
lies
.
She
decides
to
say
nothing
to
her
husband
,
but
sits
down
and
writes
to
her
solicitor
,
asking
him
to
come
on
the
morrow
,
and
she
also
determines
to
destroy
immediately
the
will
which
she
has
just
made
.
She
keeps
the
fatal
letter
.
"
"
It
was
to
discover
that
letter
,
then
,
that
her
husband
forced
the
lock
of
the
despatch
-
case
?
"
"
Yes
,
and
from
the
enormous
risk
he
ran
we
can
see
how
fully
he
realized
its
importance
.
That
letter
excepted
,
there
was
absolutely
nothing
to
connect
him
with
the
crime
.
"
"
There's
only
one
thing
I
can't
make
out
,
why
didn't
he
destroy
it
at
once
when
he
got
hold
of
it
?
"
"
Because
he
did
not
dare
take
the
biggest
risk
of
all
-
-
that
of
keeping
it
on
his
own
person
.
"
"
I
don't
understand
.
"
"
Look
at
it
from
his
point
of
view
.
I
have
discovered
that
there
were
only
five
short
minutes
in
which
he
could
have
taken
it
-
-
the
five
minutes
immediately
before
our
own
arrival
on
the
scene
,
for
before
that
time
Annie
was
brushing
the
stairs
,
and
would
have
seen
anyone
who
passed
going
to
the
right
wing
.
Figure
to
yourself
the
scene
!
He
enters
the
room
,
unlocking
the
door
by
means
of
one
of
the
other
doorkeys
-
-
they
were
all
much
alike
.
He
hurries
to
the
despatch
-
case
-
-
it
is
locked
,
and
the
keys
are
nowhere
to
be
seen
.
That
is
a
terrible
blow
to
him
,
for
it
means
that
his
presence
in
the
room
cannot
be
concealed
as
he
had
hoped
.
But
he
sees
clearly
that
everything
must
be
risked
for
the
sake
of
that
damning
piece
of
evidence
.
Quickly
,
he
forces
the
lock
with
a
penknife
,
and
turns
over
the
papers
until
he
finds
what
he
is
looking
for
.
"
But
now
a
fresh
dilemma
arises
:
he
dare
not
keep
that
piece
of
paper
on
him
.
He
may
be
seen
leaving
the
room
he
may
be
searched
.
If
the
paper
is
found
on
him
,
it
is
certain
doom
.
Probably
,
at
this
minute
,
too
,
he
hears
the
sounds
below
of
Mr
.
Wells
and
John
leaving
the
boudoir
.
He
must
act
quickly
.
Where
can
he
hide
this
terrible
slip
of
paper
?
The
contents
of
the
waste
-
paper
-
basket
are
kept
and
in
any
case
,
are
sure
to
be
examined
.
There
are
no
means
of
destroying
it
;
and
he
dare
not
keep
it
.
He
looks
round
,
and
he
sees
-
-
what
do
you
think
,
mon
ami
?
"
I
shook
my
head
.
"
In
a
moment
,
he
has
torn
the
letter
into
long
thin
strips
,
and
rolling
them
up
into
spills
he
thrusts
them
hurriedly
in
amongst
the
other
spills
in
the
vase
on
the
mantelpiece
.
"
I
uttered
an
exclamation
.
"
No
one
would
think
of
looking
there
,
"
Poirot
continued
.
"
And
he
will
be
able
,
at
his
leisure
,
to
come
back
and
destroy
this
solitary
piece
of
evidence
against
him
.
"
"
Then
,
all
the
time
,
it
was
in
the
spill
vase
in
Mrs
.
Inglethorp's
bedroom
,
under
our
very
noses
?
"
I
cried
.
Poirot
nodded
.
"
Yes
,
my
friend
.
That
is
where
I
discovered
my
last
link
,
and
I
owe
that
very
fortunate
discovery
to
you
.
"
"
To
me
?
"
"
Yes
.
Do
you
remember
telling
me
that
my
hand
shook
as
I
was
straightening
the
ornaments
on
the
mantel
-
piece
?
"
"
Yes
,
but
I
don't
see
-
-
"
"
No
,
but
I
saw
.
Do
you
know
,
my
friend
,
I
remembered
that
earlier
in
the
morning
,
when
we
had
been
there
together
,
I
had
straightened
all
the
objects
on
the
mantelpiece
.
And
,
if
they
were
already
straightened
,
there
would
be
no
need
to
straighten
them
again
,
unless
,
in
the
meantime
,
some
one
else
had
touched
them
.
"
"
Dear
me
,
"
I
murmured
,
"
so
that
is
the
explanation
of
your
extraordinary
behaviour
.
You
rushed
down
to
Styles
,
and
found
it
still
there
?
"
"
Yes
,
and
it
was
a
race
for
time
.
"
"
But
I
still
can't
understand
why
Inglethorp
was
such
a
fool
as
to
leave
it
there
when
he
had
plenty
of
opportunity
to
destroy
it
.
"
"
Ah
,
but
he
had
no
opportunity
.
I
saw
to
that
.
"
"
You
?
"
"
Yes
.
Do
you
remember
reproving
me
for
taking
the
household
into
my
confidence
on
the
subject
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
Well
,
my
friend
,
I
saw
there
was
just
one
chance
.
I
was
not
sure
then
if
Inglethorp
was
the
criminal
or
not
,
but
if
he
was
I
reasoned
that
he
would
not
have
the
paper
on
him
,
but
would
have
hidden
it
somewhere
,
and
by
enlisting
the
sympathy
of
the
household
I
could
effectually
prevent
his
destroying
it
.
He
was
already
under
suspicion
,
and
by
making
the
matter
public
I
secured
the
services
of
about
ten
amateur
detectives
,
who
would
be
watching
him
unceasingly
,
and
being
himself
aware
of
their
watchfulness
he
would
not
dare
seek
further
to
destroy
the
document
.
He
was
therefore
forced
to
depart
from
the
house
,
leaving
it
in
the
spill
vase
.
"
"
But
surely
Miss
Howard
had
ample
opportunities
of
aiding
him
.
"
"
Yes
,
but
Miss
Howard
did
not
know
of
the
paper's
existence
.
In
accordance
with
their
prearranged
plan
,
she
never
spoke
to
Alfred
Inglethorp
.
They
were
supposed
to
be
deadly
enemies
,
and
until
John
Cavendish
was
safely
convicted
they
neither
of
them
dared
risk
a
meeting
.
Of
course
I
had
a
watch
kept
on
Mr
.
Inglethorp
,
hoping
that
sooner
or
later
he
would
lead
me
to
the
hiding
-
place
.
But
he
was
too
clever
to
take
any
chances
.
The
paper
was
safe
where
it
was
;
since
no
one
had
thought
of
looking
there
in
the
first
week
,
it
was
not
likely
they
would
do
so
afterwards
.
But
for
your
lucky
remark
,
we
might
never
have
been
able
to
bring
him
to
justice
.
"
"
I
understand
that
now
;
but
when
did
you
first
begin
to
suspect
Miss
Howard
?
"
"
When
I
discovered
that
she
had
told
a
lie
at
the
inquest
about
the
letter
she
had
received
from
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
.
"
"
Why
,
what
was
there
to
lie
about
?
"
"
You
saw
that
letter
?
Do
you
recall
its
general
appearance
?
"
"
Yes
-
-
more
or
less
.
"
"
You
will
recollect
,
then
,
that
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
wrote
a
very
distinctive
hand
,
and
left
large
clear
spaces
between
her
words
.
But
if
you
look
at
the
date
at
the
top
of
the
letter
you
will
notice
that
July
l7th
is
quite
different
in
this
respect
.
Do
you
see
what
I
mean
?
"
"
No
,
"
I
confessed
,
"
I
don't
.
"
"
You
do
not
see
that
that
letter
was
not
written
on
the
l7th
,
but
on
the
7th
-
-
the
day
after
Miss
Howard's
departure
?
The
`
1
`
was
written
in
before
the
`
7
`
to
turn
it
into
the
17th
.
"
"
But
why
?
"
"
That
is
exactly
what
I
asked
myself
.
Why
does
Miss
Howard
suppress
the
letter
written
on
the
l7th
,
and
produce
this
faked
one
instead
?
Because
she
did
not
wish
to
show
the
letter
of
the
l7th
.
Why
,
again
?
And
at
once
a
suspicion
dawned
in
my
mind
.
You
will
remember
my
saying
that
it
was
wise
to
beware
of
people
who
were
not
telling
you
the
truth
.
"
"
And
yet
,
"
I
cried
indignantly
,
"
after
that
,
you
gave
me
two
reasons
why
Miss
Howard
could
not
have
committed
the
crime
!
"
"
And
very
good
reasons
too
,
"
replied
Poirot
.
"
For
a
long
time
they
were
a
stumbling
-
block
to
me
until
I
remembered
a
very
significant
fact
:
that
she
and
Alfred
Inglethorp
were
cousins
.
She
could
not
have
committed
the
crime
single
-
handed
,
but
the
reasons
against
that
did
not
debar
her
from
being
an
accomplice
.
And
,
then
,
there
was
that
rather
over
-
vehement
hatred
of
hers
!
It
concealed
a
very
opposite
emotion
.
There
was
,
undoubtedly
,
a
tie
of
passion
between
them
long
before
he
came
to
Styles
.
They
had
already
arranged
their
infamous
plot
-
-
that
he
should
marry
this
rich
,
but
rather
foolish
old
lady
,
induce
her
to
make
a
will
leaving
her
money
to
him
,
and
then
gain
their
ends
by
a
very
cleverly
conceived
crime
.
If
all
had
gone
as
they
planned
,
they
would
probably
have
left
England
,
and
lived
together
on
their
poor
victim's
money
.
"
They
are
a
very
astute
and
unscrupulous
pair
.
While
suspicion
was
to
be
directed
against
him
,
she
would
be
making
quiet
preparations
for
a
very
different
denouement
.
She
arrives
from
Middlingham
with
all
the
compromising
items
in
her
possession
.
No
suspicion
attaches
to
her
.
No
notice
is
paid
to
her
coming
and
going
in
the
house
.
She
hides
the
strychnine
and
glasses
in
John's
room
.
She
puts
the
beard
in
the
attic
.
She
will
see
to
it
that
sooner
or
later
they
are
duly
discovered
.
"
"
I
don't
quite
see
why
they
tried
to
fix
the
blame
on
John
,
"
I
remarked
.
"
It
would
have
been
much
easier
for
them
to
bring
the
crime
home
to
Lawrence
.
"
"
Yes
,
but
that
was
mere
chance
.
All
the
evidence
against
him
arose
out
of
pure
accident
.
It
must
,
in
fact
,
have
been
distinctly
annoying
to
the
pair
of
schemers
.
"
"
His
manner
was
unfortunate
,
"
I
observed
thoughtfully
.
"
Yes
.
You
realize
,
of
course
,
what
was
at
the
back
of
that
?
"
"
No
.
"
"
You
did
not
understand
that
he
believed
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
guilty
of
the
crime
?
"
"
No
,
"
I
exclaimed
,
astonished
.
"
Impossible
!
"
"
Not
at
all
.
I
myself
nearly
had
the
same
idea
.
It
was
in
my
mind
when
I
asked
Mr
.
Wells
that
first
question
about
the
will
.
Then
there
were
the
bromide
powders
which
she
had
made
up
,
and
her
clever
male
impersonations
,
as
Dorcas
recounted
them
to
us
.
There
was
really
more
evidence
against
her
than
anyone
else
.
"
"
You
are
joking
,
Poirot
!
"
"
No
.
Shall
I
tell
you
what
made
Monsieur
Lawrence
turn
so
pale
when
he
first
entered
his
mother's
room
on
the
fatal
night
?
It
was
because
,
whilst
his
mother
lay
there
,
obviously
poisoned
,
he
saw
,
over
your
shoulder
,
that
the
door
into
Mademoiselle
Cynthia's
room
was
unbolted
.
"
"
But
he
declared
that
he
saw
it
bolted
!
"
I
cried
.
"
Exactly
,
"
said
Poirot
dryly
.
"
And
that
was
just
what
confirmed
my
suspicion
that
it
was
not
.
He
was
shielding
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
.
"
"
But
why
should
he
shield
her
?
"
"
Because
he
is
in
love
with
her
.
"
I
laughed
.
"
There
,
Poirot
,
you
are
quite
wrong
!
I
happen
to
know
for
a
fact
that
,
far
from
being
in
love
with
her
,
he
positively
dislikes
her
.
"
"
Who
told
you
that
,
mon
ami
?
"
"
Cynthia
herself
.
"
"
La
pauvre
petite
!
And
she
was
concerned
?
"
"
She
said
that
she
did
not
mind
at
all
.
"
"
Then
she
certainly
did
mind
very
much
,
"
remarked
Poirot
.
"
They
are
like
that
-
-
les
femmes
!
"
"
What
you
say
about
Lawrence
is
a
great
surprise
to
me
,
"
I
said
.
"
But
why
?
It
was
most
obvious
.
Did
not
Monsieur
Lawrence
make
the
sour
face
every
time
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
spoke
and
laughed
with
his
brother
?
He
had
taken
it
into
his
long
head
that
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
was
in
love
with
Monsieur
John
.
When
he
entered
his
mother's
room
and
saw
her
obviously
poisoned
,
he
jumped
to
the
conclusion
that
Mademoiselle
Cynthia
knew
something
about
the
matter
.
He
was
nearly
driven
desperate
.
First
he
crushed
the
coffee
-
cup
to
powder
under
his
feet
,
remembering
that
she
had
gone
up
with
his
mother
the
night
before
,
and
he
determined
that
there
should
be
no
chance
of
testing
its
contents
.
Thenceforward
,
he
strenuously
,
and
quite
uselessly
,
upheld
the
theory
of
`
Death
from
natural
causes
.
`
"
"
And
what
about
the
extra
coffee
-
cup
?
"
"
I
was
fairly
certain
that
it
was
Mrs
.
Cavendish
who
had
hidden
it
,
but
I
had
to
make
sure
.
Monsieur
Lawrence
did
not
know
at
all
what
I
meant
;
but
,
on
reflection
,
he
came
to
the
conclusion
that
if
he
could
find
an
extra
coffee
-
cup
anywhere
his
lady
love
would
be
cleared
of
suspicion
.
And
he
was
perfectly
right
.
"
"
One
thing
more
.
What
did
Mrs
.
Inglethorp
mean
by
her
dying
words
?
"
"
They
were
,
of
course
,
an
accusation
against
her
husband
.
"
"
Dear
me
,
Poirot
,
"
I
said
with
a
sigh
,
"
I
think
you
have
explained
everything
.
I
am
glad
it
has
all
ended
so
happily
.
Even
John
and
his
wife
are
reconciled
.
"
"
Thanks
to
me
.
"
"
How
do
you
mean
-
-
thanks
to
you
?
"
"
My
dear
friend
,
do
you
not
realize
that
it
was
simply
and
solely
the
trial
which
has
brought
them
together
again
?
That
John
Cavendish
still
loved
his
wife
,
I
was
convinced
.
Also
,
that
she
was
equally
in
love
with
him
.
But
they
had
drifted
very
far
apart
.
It
all
arose
from
a
misunderstanding
.
She
married
him
without
love
.
He
knew
it
.
He
is
a
sensitive
man
in
his
way
,
he
would
not
force
himself
upon
her
if
she
did
not
want
him
.
And
,
as
he
withdrew
,
her
love
awoke
.
But
they
are
both
unusually
proud
,
and
their
pride
held
them
inexorably
apart
.
He
drifted
into
an
entanglement
with
Mrs
.
Raikes
,
and
she
deliberately
cultivated
the
friendship
of
Dr
.
Bauerstein
.
Do
you
remember
the
day
of
John
Cavendish's
arrest
,
when
you
found
me
deliberating
over
a
big
decision
?
"
"
Yes
,
I
quite
understood
your
distress
.
"
"
Pardon
me
,
mon
ami
,
but
you
did
not
understand
it
in
the
least
.
I
was
trying
to
decide
whether
or
not
I
would
clear
John
Cavendish
at
once
.
I
could
have
cleared
him
-
-
though
it
might
have
meant
a
failure
to
convict
the
real
criminals
.
They
were
entirely
in
the
dark
as
to
my
real
attitude
up
to
the
very
last
moment
-
-
which
partly
accounts
for
my
success
.
"
"
Do
you
mean
that
you
could
have
saved
John
Cavendish
from
being
brought
to
trial
?
"
"
Yes
,
my
friend
.
But
I
eventually
decided
in
favour
of
`
a
woman's
happiness
.
`
Nothing
but
the
great
danger
through
which
they
have
passed
could
have
brought
these
two
proud
souls
together
again
.
"
I
looked
at
Poirot
in
silent
amazement
.
The
colossal
cheek
of
the
little
man
!
Who
on
earth
but
Poirot
would
have
thought
of
a
trial
for
murder
as
a
restorer
of
conjugal
happiness
!
"
I
perceive
your
thoughts
,
mon
ami
,
"
said
Poirot
,
smiling
at
me
.
"
No
one
but
Hercule
Poirot
would
have
attempted
such
a
thing
!
And
you
are
wrong
in
condemning
it
.
The
happiness
of
one
man
and
one
woman
is
the
greatest
thing
in
all
the
world
.
"
His
words
took
me
back
to
earlier
events
.
I
remembered
Mary
as
she
lay
white
and
exhausted
on
the
sofa
,
listening
,
listening
.
There
had
come
the
sound
of
the
bell
below
.
She
had
started
up
.
Poirot
had
opened
the
door
,
and
meeting
her
agonized
eyes
had
nodded
gently
.
"
Yes
,
madame
,
"
he
said
.
"
I
have
brought
him
back
to
you
.
"
He
had
stood
aside
,
and
as
I
went
out
I
had
seen
the
look
in
Mary's
eyes
,
as
John
Cavendish
had
caught
his
wife
in
his
arms
.
"
Perhaps
you
are
right
,
Poirot
,
"
I
said
gently
.
"
Yes
,
it
is
the
greatest
thing
in
the
world
.
"
Suddenly
,
there
was
a
tap
at
the
door
,
and
Cynthia
peeped
in
.
"
I
-
-
I
only
-
-
"
"
Come
in
,
"
I
said
,
springing
up
.
She
came
in
,
but
did
not
sit
down
.
"
I
-
-
only
wanted
to
tell
you
something
-
-
"
"
Yes
?
"
Cynthia
fidgeted
with
a
little
tassel
for
some
moments
,
then
,
suddenly
exclaiming
:
"
You
dears
!
,
"
kissed
first
me
and
then
Poirot
,
and
rushed
out
of
the
room
again
.
"
What
on
earth
does
this
mean
?
"
I
asked
,
surprised
.
It
was
very
nice
to
be
kissed
by
Cynthia
,
but
the
publicity
of
the
salute
rather
impaired
the
pleasure
.
"
It
means
that
she
has
discovered
Monsieur
Lawrence
does
not
dislike
her
as
much
as
she
thought
,
"
replied
Poirot
philosophically
.
"
But
-
-
"
"
Here
he
is
.
"
Lawrence
at
that
moment
passed
the
door
.
"
Eh
!
Monsieur
Lawrence
,
"
called
Poirot
.
"
We
must
congratulate
you
,
is
it
not
so
?
"
Lawrence
blushed
,
and
then
smiled
awkwardly
.
A
man
in
love
is
a
sorry
spectacle
.
Now
Cynthia
had
looked
charming
.
I
sighed
.
"
What
is
it
,
mon
ami
?
"
"
Nothing
,
"
I
said
sadly
.
"
They
are
two
delightful
women
!
"
"
And
neither
of
them
is
for
you
?
"
finished
Poirot
.
"
Never
mind
.
Console
yourself
,
my
friend
.
We
may
hunt
together
again
,
who
knows
?
And
then
-
-
"