HP39-Curtain-Poirot'sLastCase

AgathaChristie

Chapter1

Who is there who has not felt a sudden startled pang at reliving an old experience or feeling an old
emotion?

"Ihavedonethisbefore..."

Whydothosewordsalwaysmoveonesoprofoundly?

ThatwasthequestionIaskedmyselfasIsatinthetrainwatchingtheflatEssexlandscapeoutside.

HowlongagowasitthatIhadtakenthisself-samejourney?Hadfelt(ridiculously)thatthebestoflife
wasoverforme!Woundedinthatwarthatformewouldalwaysbethewar-thewarthatwaswipedout
nowbyasecondandamoredesperatewar.

Ithadseemedin1916toyoungArthurHastingsthathewasalreadyoldandmature.HowlittlehadI
realizedthat,forme,lifewasonlythenbeginning.

Ihadbeenjourneying,thoughIdidnotknowit,tomeetthemanwhoseinfluenceovermewastoshape
and mould my life. Actually I had been going to stay with my old friend John Cavendish, whose
mother, recently remarried, had a country house named "Styles." A pleasant renewing of old
acquaintanceships,thatwasallIhadthoughtit,notforeseeingthatIwasshortlytoplungeintoallthe
darkembroilmentsofamysteriousmurder.

It was at Styles that I had met again that strange little man, Hercule Poirot, whom I had first come
acrossinBelgium.

HowwellIrememberedmyamazementwhenIhadseenthelimpingfigurewiththelargemoustache
comingupthevillagestreet.

HerculePoirot!Sincethosedayshehadbeenmydearestfriend;hisinfluencehadmouldedmylife.In
company with him, in the hunting down of yet another murderer, I had met my wife, the truest and
sweetestcompanionanymancouldhavehad.

She lay now in Argentine soil, dying as she would have wished, with no long-drawn-out suffering or
feeblenessofoldage.Butshehadleftaverylonelyandunhappymanbehindher.

Ah!If I could go back - livelife all over again. If this could havebeen that day in 1916 when I first
travelled to Styles... What changes had taken place since then! What gaps among the familiar faces.
StylesitselfhadbeensoldbytheCavendishes.JohnCavendishwasdead,thoughhiswifeMary(that
fascinating, enigmatical creature) was still alive, living in Devonshire. Lawrence was living with his
wifeandchildreninSouthAfrica.Changes-changeseverywhere.

Butonething,strangelyenough,wasthesame.IwasgoingtoStylestomeetHerculePoirot.

HowstupefiedIhadbeentoreceivehisletter,withitsheadingStylesCourt,Styles,Essex.

I had not seen my old friend for nearly a year. The last time I had seen him I had been shocked and
saddened.Hewasnowaveryoldman,andalmostcrippledwitharthritis.HehadgonetoEgyptinthe
hopes of improving his health, but had returned, so his letter told me, rather worse than better.
Nevertheless,hewrotecheerfully...

"Anddoesitnotintrigueyou,myfriend,toseetheaddressfromwhichIwrite?Itrecallsoldmemories,
doesitnot?Yes,Iamhere,atStyles.Figuretoyourself,itisnowwhattheycallaguesthouse.Runby
oneofyoursoBritisholdcolonels-very'oldschooltie'and'Poona.'Itishiswife,bienentendu,who
makes it pay. She is a good manager. hat one, but the tongue like vinegar, and the poor Colonel, he
suffersmuchfromit.Ifitwereme,Iwouldtakeahatchettoher!

"Isawtheiradvertisementinthepaper,andthefancytookmetogoonceagaintotheplacewhichfirst
wasmyhomeinthiscountry.Atmyageoneenjoysrelivingthepast.

"Then, figure to yourself, I find here a gentleman, a baronet who is a friend of the employer of your
daughter.(Thatphrase,itsoundsalittleliketheFrenchexercise,doesitnot?)

"ImmediatelyIconceiveaplan.HewishestoinducetheFranklinstocomehereforthesummer.Iinmy
turn will persuade you, and we shall be all together, en famille. It will be most agreeable. Therefore,
moncherHastings,dépêchezvous,arrivewiththeutmostcelerity.Ihavecommandedforyouaroom
withbath(itismodernizednow,youcomprehend,thedearold'Styles')anddisputedthepricewithMrs

ColonelLuttrelluntilIhavemadeanarrangementtrèsbonmarche.

"TheFranklinsandyourcharmingJudithhavebeenhereforsomedays.Itisallarranged,somakeno
histories.Abientôt.Yoursalways,HerculePoirot."

Theprospectwasalluring,andIfellinwithmyoldfriend'swisheswithoutdemur.Ihadnotiesandno
settledhome.Ofmychildren,oneboywasintheNavy,theothermarriedandrunningtheranchinthe
Argentine.MydaughterGracewasmarriedtoasoldierandwasatpresentinIndia.Myremainingchild,
Judith, was the one whom secretly I had always loved best, although I had never for one moment
understoodher.Aqueer,dark,secretivechild,withapassionforkeepingherowncounsel,whichhad
sometimesaffrontedanddistressedme.Mywifehadbeenmoreunderstanding.Itwas,sheassuredme,
nolackoftrustorconfidenceonJudith'spart,butakindoffiercecompulsion.Butshe,likemyself,was
sometimesworriedaboutthechild.Judith'sfeelings,shesaid,weretoointense,tooconcentrated,and
her instinctive reserve deprived her of any safety valve. She had queer fits of brooding silence and a
fierce,almostbitterpowerofpartisanship.Herbrainswerethebestofthefamilyandwegladlyfellin
withherwishforauniversityeducation.ShehadtakenherB.Sc.aboutayearago,andhadthentaken
thepostofsecretarytoadoctorwhowasengagedinresearchworkconnectedwithtropicaldisease.His
wifewassomewhatofaninvalid.

I had occasionally had qualms as to whether Judith's absorption in her work and devotion to her
employer were not signs that she might be losing her heart, but the businesslike footing of their
relationshipassuredme.

Judith was, I believed, fond of me, but she was very undemonstrative by nature, and she was often
scornful and impatient of what she called my sentimental and outworn ideas. I was, frankly, a little
nervousofmydaughter!

AtthispointmymeditationswereinterruptedbythetraindrawingupatthestationofStylesStMary.
Thatatleasthadnotchanged.Timehadpasseditby.Itwasstillperchedupinthemidstoffields,with
apparentlynoreasonforexistence.

As my taxi passed through the village, though, I realized the passage of years. Styles St Mary was
alteredoutofallrecognition.Petrolstations,acinema,twomoreinnsandrowsofcouncilhouses.

Presently we turned in at the gate of the Styles. Here we seemed to recede again from modern times.
TheparkwasmuchasIrememberedit,butthedrivewasbadlykeptandmuchovergrownwithweeds-
growingupoverthegravel.Weturnedacornerandcameinviewofthehouse.Itwasunalteredfrom
theoutsideandbadlyneededacoatofpaint.

Asonmyarrivalallthoseyearsago,therewasawoman'sfigurestoopingoveroneofthegardenbeds.
Myheartmissedabeat.Thenthefigurestraightenedupandcametowardsme,andIlaughedatmyself.
NogreatercontrasttotherobustEvelynHowardcouldhavebeenimagined.

Thiswasafrailelderlyladywithanabundanceofcurlywhitehair,pinkcheeks,andapairofcoldpale
blueeyesthatwerewidelyatvariancewiththeeasygenialityofhermanner,whichwasfranklyashade
toogushingformytaste.

"It'llbeCaptainHastingsnow,won'tit?"shedemanded."Andmewithmyhandsalloverdirtandnot
able to shake hands. We're delighted to see you here - the amount we've heard about you! I must
introduce myself. I'm Mrs Luttrell. My husband and I bought this place in a fit of madness and have
been trying to make a paying concern of it. I never thought the day would come when I'd be a
hotelkeeper!ButI'llwarnyou,CaptainHastings,I'maverybusinesslikewoman.Ipileuptheextrasall
Iknowhow."

Webothlaughedasthoughatanexcellentjoke,butitoccurredtomethatwhatMrsLuttrellhadjust
saidwasinallprobabilitytheliteraltruth.Behindtheveneerofhercharmingold-ladymanner,Icaught
aglimpseofflintlikehardness.

Although Mrs Luttrell occasionally affected a faint brogue, she had no Irish blood. It was a mere
affectation.

Iinquiredaftermyfriend.

"Ah,poorlittleM.Poirot.Thewayhe'sbeenlookingforwardtoyourcoming.Itwouldmeltaheartof
stone.TerriblysorryIamforhim,sufferingthewayhedoes."

Wewerewalkingtowardsthehouseandshewaspeelingoffhergardeninggloves.

"And your pretty daughter, too," she went on. "What a lovely girl she is. We all admire her
tremendously.ButI'mold-fashioned,youknow,anditseemstomeashameandasinthatagirllike
that, that ought to be going to parties and dancing with young men, should spend her time cutting up
rabbitsandbendingoveramicroscopeallday.Leavethatsortofthingtothefrumps,Isay."

"WhereisJudith?"Iasked."Isshesomewhereabout?"

MrsLuttrellmadewhatchildrencall"aface."

"Ah,thepoorgirl!She'scoopedupinthatstudioplacedownatthebottomofthegarden.DrFranklin
rentsitfrommeandhe'shaditallfittedup.Hutchesofguineapigshe'sgotthere,thepoorcreatures,
andmiceandrabbits.I'mnotsurethatIlikeallthisscience,CaptainHastings.Ah,here'smyhusband."

Colonel Luttrell had just come round the corner of the house. He was a very tall, attenuated old man
withacadaverousface,mildblueeyesandahabitofirresolutelytuggingathislittlewhitemoustache.

Hehadavague,rathernervousmanner.

"Ah,George,here'sCaptainHastingsarrived."

ColonelLuttrellshookhands."Youcamebythefive-er-forty,eh?"

"Whatelseshouldhehavecomeby?"saidMrsLuttrellsharply."Andwhatdoesitmatteranyway?Take
himupandshowhimhisroom,George.Andthenmaybehe'dliketogostraighttoM.Poirot-orwould
youratherhaveteafirst?"

IassuredherthatIdidnotwantteaandwouldprefertogoandgreetmyfriend.

ColonelLuttrellsaid,"Right.Comealong.Iexpect-er-they'llhavetakenyourthingsupalready-eh,
Daisy?"

MrsLuttrellsaidtartly,"That'syourbusiness,George,I'vebeengardening.Ican'tseetoeverything."

"No,no,ofcoursenot.I-I'llseetoit,mydear."

Ifollowedhimupthefrontsteps.Inthedoorwayweencounteredagrey-hairedman,slightlybuilt,who
washurryingoutwithapairoffieldglasses.Helimped,andhadaboyish,eagerface.

Hesaid,stammeringslightly,"There'sapairofn-nestingbirdsdownbythesycamore."

Aswewentintothehall,Luttrellsaid,"That'sStephenNorton.Nicefellow.Crazyaboutbirds."

Inthehallitself,averybigmanwasstandingbythetable.Hehadobviouslyjustfinishedtelephoning.
Lookingup,hesaid,"I'dliketohang,drawandquarterallcontractorsandbuilders.Nevergetanything
doneright,curse'em."

Hiswrathwassocomicalandsoruefulthatwebothlaughed.Ifeltattractedatoncetowardstheman.
He was very good-looking, though a man well over fifty, with a deeply tanned face. He looked as
thoughhehadledanout-of-doorlife,andhelooked,too,thetypeofmanthatisbecomingmoreand
morerare-anEnglishmanoftheoldschool,straightforward,fondofout-of-doorlife,andthekindof
manwhocancommand.

IwashardlysurprisedwhenColonelLuttrellintroducedhimasSirWilliamBoydCarrington.Hehad
been, I knew, governor of a province in India, where he had been a signal success. He was also
renownedasafirst-classshotandbiggamehunter.Thesortofman,Ireflectedsadly,thatwenolonger
seemedtobreedinthesedegeneratedays.

"Aha,"hesaid,"I'mgladtomeetinthefleshthatfamouspersonagemonamiHastings."Helaughed.
"The dear old Belgian fellow talks about you a lot, you know. And then, of course, we've got your
daughterhere.She'safinegirl."

"Idon'tsupposeJudithtalksaboutmemuch,"Isaid,smiling.

"No,no,fartoomodern.Thesegirlsnowadaysalwaysseemembarrassedathavingtoadmittoafather
ormotheratall."

"Parents,"Isaid,"arepracticallyadisgrace."

Helaughed."Oh,well-Idon'tsufferthatway.I'venochildren,worseluck.YourJudithisaverygood-
looking wench, but terribly highbrow. I find it rather alarming." He picked up the telephone receiver
again."Hopeyoudon'tmind,Luttrell,ifIstartdamningyourexchangetohell.I'mnotapatientman."

"Do'emgood,"saidLuttrell.

HeledthewayupstairsandIfollowedhim.Hetookmealongtheleftwingofthehousetoadooratthe
end,andIrealizedthatPoirothadchosenformetheroomIhadoccupiedbefore.

Therewerechangeshere.AsIwalkedalongthecorridor,someofthedoorswereopenandIsawthat
theold-fashionedlargebedroomshadbeenpartitionedoffsoastomakeseveralsmallerones.

Myownroom,whichhadnotbeenlarge,wasunalteredsavefortheinstallationofhotandcoldwater,
andpartofithadbeenpartitionedofftomakeasmallbathroom.Itwasfurnishedinacheapmodern
style which rather disappointed me. I should have preferred a style more nearly approximating the
architectureofthehouseitself.

MyluggagewasinmyroomandtheColonelexplainedthatPoirot'sroomwasexactlyopposite.Hewas
abouttotakemetherewhenasharpcryof"George"echoedupfromthehallbelow.

ColonelLuttrellstartedlikeanervoushorse.Hishandwenttohislips.

"I-I-sureyou'reallright?Ringforwhatyouwant-"

"George."

"Coming,mydear,coming."

Hehurriedoffdownthecorridor.Istoodforamomentlookingafterhim.Then,withmyheartbeating
slightlyfaster,IcrossedthecorridorandrappedonthedoorofPoirot'sroom.

Chapter2

Nothingissosad,inmyopinion,asthedevastationwroughtbyage.

Mypoorfriend.Ihavedescribedhimmanytimes.Nowtoconveytoyouthedifference.Crippledwith
arthritis,hepropelledhimselfaboutinawheelchair.Hisonceplumpframehadfallenin.Hewasathin
littlemannow.Hisfacewaslinedandwrinkled.Hismoustacheandhair,itistrue,werestillofajet-
blackcolour,butcandidly,thoughIwouldnotfortheworldhavehurthisfeelingsbysayingsotohim,
thiswasamistake.Therecomesamomentwhenhairdyeisonlytoopainfullyobvious.Therehadbeen
atimewhenIhadbeensurprisedtolearnthattheblacknessofPoirot'shaircameoutofabottle.But
now the theatricality was apparent and merely created the impression that he wore a wig and had
adornedhisupperliptoamusethechildren!

Onlyhiseyeswerethesameasever,shrewdandtwinkling,andnow-yes,undoubtedly-softenedwith
emotion:

"Ah,monamiHastings-monamiHastings..."

Ibentmyheadand,aswashiscustom,heembracedmewarmly.

"MonamiHastings!"

Heleanedback,surveyingmewithhisheadalittleononeside.

"Yes, just the same - the straight back, the broad shoulders, the grey of the hair - très distingué. You
know,myfriend,youhavewornwell.Lesfemmes,theystilltakeaninterestinyou?Yes?"

"Really,Poirot,"Iprotested."Mustyou-"

"ButIassureyou,myfriend,itisatest-itisthetest.Whentheveryyounggirlscomeandtalktoyou
kindly,oh,sokindly-itistheend!'Thepooroldman,'theysay;'wemustbenicetohim.Itmustbeso
awful to be like that.' But you, Hastings - vous êtes encore jeune. For you there are still possibilities.
Thatisright,twistyourmoustache,hunchyourshoulders-IseeitisasIsay-youwouldnotlookso
self-consciousotherwise."

Iburstoutlaughing.

"Youreallyarethelimit,Poirot.Andhowareyouyourself?"

"Me,"saidPoirotwithagrimace."Iamawreck.Iamaruin.Icannotwalk,Iamcrippledandtwisted.
MercifullyIcanstillfeedmyself,butotherwiseIhavetobeattendedtolikeababy.Puttobed,washed
anddressed.Enfin,itisnotamusing,that.Mercifully,thoughtheoutsidedecays,thecoreisstillsound."

"Yes,indeed.Thebestheartintheworld."

"Theheart?Perhaps.Iwasnotreferringtotheheart.Thebrain,moncher,iswhatImeanbythecore.
Mybrain,itstillfunctionsmagnificently."

Icouldatleastperceiveclearlythatnodeteriorationofthebraininthedirectionofmodestyhadtaken
place.

"Andyoulikeithere?"Iasked.

Poirotshruggedhisshoulders.

"Itsuffices.Itisnot,youcomprehend,theRitz.No,indeed.TheroomIwasinwhenIfirstcamehere
was both small and inadequately furnished. I moved to this one with no increase of price. Then, the
cooking,itisEnglishatitsworst.ThoseBrusselssproutssoenormous,sohard,thattheEnglishlikeso
much.Thepotatoesboiledandeitherhardorfallingtopieces.Thevegetablesthattasteofwater,water,
andagainwater.Thecompleteabsenceofthesaltandpepperinanydish-"Hepausedexpressively.

"Itsoundsterrible,"Isaid,

"I do not complain," said Poirot, and proceeded to do so. "And there is also the modernization, so
called.Thebathrooms,thetapseverywhere,andwhatcomesoutofthem?Lukewarmwater,monami,
atmosthoursoftheday.Andthetowels,sothin,someagre!"

"Thereissomethingtobesaidfortheolddays,"Isaidthoughtfully.Irememberedthecloudsofsteam
whichhadgushedfromthehottapoftheonebathroomStyleshadoriginallypossessed,oneofthose
bathrooms in which an immense bath with mahogany sides had reposed proudly in the middle of the
bathroom floor. Remembered, too, the immense bath towels, and the frequent shining brass cans of
boilinghotwaterthatstoodinone'sold-fashionedbasin.

"Butonemustnotcomplain,"saidPoirotagain."Iamcontenttosuffer-foragoodcause."

Asuddenthoughtstruckme.

"Isay,Poirot,you'renot-er-hardup,areyou?Iknowthewarhitinvestmentsverybadly-"

Poirotreassuredmequickly.

"No,no,myfriend.Iaminmostcomfortablecircumstances.Indeed,Iamrich.Itisnottheeconomy
thatbringsmehere."

"Thenthat'sallright,"Isaid.

Iwenton:

"I think I can understand your feeling. As one gets on, one tends more and more to revert to the old
days.Onetriestorecaptureoldemotions.Ifinditpainfultobehere,inaway,andyetitbringsbackto
meahundredoldthoughtsandemotionsthatI'dquiteforgottenIeverfelt.Idaresayyoufeelthesame."

"Notintheleast.Idonotfeellikethatatall."

"Theyweregooddays,"Isaidsadly.

"Youmayspeakforyourself,Hastings.Forme,myarrivalatStylesStMarywasasadandpainfultime.
Iwasarefugee,wounded,exiledfromhomeandcountry,existingbycharityinaforeignland.No,it
was not gay. I did not know then that England would come to be my home and that I should find
happinesshere."

"Ihadforgottenthat,"Iadmitted.

"Precisely. You attribute always to others the sentiments that you yourself experience. Hastings was
happy-everybodywashappy!"

"No,no,"Iprotested,laughing.

"Andinanycaseitisnottrue,"continuedPoirot;"youlookback,yousay,thetearsrisinginyoureyes,
'Oh, the happy days. Then I was young.' But indeed, my friend, you were not so happy as you think.
Youhadrecentlybeenseverelywounded,youwerefrettingatbeingnolongerfitforactiveservice,you
hadjustbeendepressedbeyondwordsbyyoursojourninadrearyconvalescenthome,andasfarasI
remember,youproceededtocomplicatemattersbyfallinginlovewithtwowomenatthesametime."

Ilaughedandflushed.

"Whatamemoryyouhave,Poirot."

"Tatata-Iremembernowthemelancholysighyouheavedasyoumurmuredfatuitiesabouttwolovely
women."

"Do you remember what you said? You said, 'And neither of them is for you! Never mind. Console
yourself,monami.Wemayhunttogetheragainandthen-'"

I stopped. For Poirot and I had gone hunting again to France and it was there that I had met the one
woman...

Gentlymyfriendpattedmyarm.

"Iknow,Hastings,Iknow.Thewoundisstillfresh.Butdonotdwellonit,donotlookback.Instead
lookforward."

Imadeagestureofdisgust.

"Lookforward?Whatistheretolookforwardto?"

"Ehbien,myfriend,thereisworktobedone."

"Work?Where?"

"Here."

Istaredathim.

"Justnow,"saidPoirot,"youaskedmewhyIhadcomehere.YoumaynothaveobservedthatIgave
younoanswer.Iwillgiveyoutheanswernow.Iamheretohuntdownamurderer."

Istaredathimwithevenmoreastonishment.ForamomentIthoughthewasrambling.

"Youreallymeanthat?"

"ButcertainlyImeanit.ForwhatotherreasondidIurgeyoutojoinme?Mylimbs,theyarenolonger
active,butmybrain,asItoldyou,isunimpaired.Myrule,remember,hasbeenalwaysthesame-sit
backandthink.ThatIstillcando.Infact,itistheonlythingpossibletome.Forthemoreactivesideof
thecampaignIshallhavewithmemyinvaluableHastings."

"Youreallymeanit?"Igasped.

"OfcourseImeanit.YouandI,Hastings,aregoinghuntingonceagain."

IttookmesomeminutestograspthatPoirotwasreallyinearnest.

Fantasticthoughhisstatementsounded,Ihadnoreasontodoubthisjudgment.

Withaslightsmilehesaid,"Atlastyouareconvinced.Atfirstyouimagined,didyounot,thatIhadthe
softeningofthebrain?"

"No,no,"Isaidhastily."Onlythisseemssuchanunlikelyplace."

"Ah,youthinkso?"

"OfcourseIhaven'tseenallthepeopleyet-"

"Whomhaveyouseen?"

"JusttheLuttrellsandamancalledNorton,seemsaninoffensivechap,andBoydCarrington-Imust
sayItookthegreatestfancytohim."

Poirotnodded.

"Well,Hastings,Iwilltellyouthis.Whenyouhaveseentherestofthehousehold,mystatementwill
seemtoyoujustasimpossibleasitisnow."

"Whoelseisthere?"

"TheFranklins-DoctorandMrs-thehospitalnursewhoattendstoMrsFranklin,yourdaughterJudith.
Then there is a man called Allerton, something of a lady-killer, and a Miss Cole, a woman of about
thirty-five.Theyareall,letmetellyou,verynicepeople."

"Andoneofthemisamurderer?"

"Andoneofthemisamurderer."

"Butwhy-how-whyshouldyouthink-?"

Ifoundithardtoframemyquestions;theytumbledovereachother.

"Calmyourself,Hastings.Letusbeginfromthebeginning.Reachme,Iprayyou,thatsmallboxfrom
thebureau.Bien.Andnowthekey-so-"

Unlockingthedispatchcase,hetookfromitamassoftypescriptandnewspaperclippings.

"Youcanstudytheseatyourleisure,Hastings.ForthemomentIshouldnotbotherwiththenewspaper
cuttings. They are merely the press accounts of various tragedies, occasionally inaccurate, sometimes
suggestive.Togiveyouanideaofthecases,IsuggestthatyoushouldreadthroughtheprécisIhave
made."

Deeplyinterested,Istartedreading.

CaseA.Etherington

LeonardEtherington.Unpleasanthabits-tookdrugsandalsodrank.Apeculiarandsadisticcharacter.
Wife young and attractive. Desperately unhappy with him. Etherington died, apparently of food
poisoning. Doctor not satisfied. As a result of autopsy, death discovered to be due to arsenical
poisoning. Supply of weed killer in the house, but ordered a long time previously. Mrs Etherington
arrestedandchargedwithmurder.ShehadrecentlybeenfriendswithamaninCivilServicereturning
toIndia.Nosuggestionofactualinfidelity,butevidenceofdeepsympathybetweenthem.Youngman
hadsincebecomeengagedtobemarriedtogirlhemetonvoyageout.Somedoubtastowhetherletter
tellingMrsEtheringtonofthisfactwasreceivedbyherafterorbeforeherhusband'sdeath.Sheherself
saysbefore.Evidenceagainsthermainlycircumstantial,absenceofanotherlikelysuspectandaccident
highlyunlikely.Greatsympathyfeltwithherattrialowingtohusband'scharacterandthebadtreatment
she had received from him. Judge's summing up was in her favour, stressing that verdict must be
beyondanyreasonabledoubt.

MrsEtheringtonwasacquitted.Generalopinion,however,wasthatshewasguilty.Herlifeafterwards

verydifficultowingtofriends,etc.,cold-shoulderingher.Shediedasaresultoftakinganoverdoseof
sleepingdraughttwoyearsafterthetrial.Verdictofaccidentaldeathreturnedatinquest.

CaseB.Sharples

Elderly spinster. An invalid. Difficult, suffering much pain. She was looked after by her niece, Freda
Clay. Miss Sharples died as a result of an overdose of morphia. Freda Clay admitted an error, saying
thatheraunt'ssufferingsweresobadthatshecouldnotstanditandgavehermoremorphiatoeasethe
pain.Opinionofpolicethatactwasdeliberate,notamistake,buttheyconsideredevidenceinsufficient
onwhichtoprosecute.

CaseC.Riggs

EdwardRiggs,agriculturallabourer.Suspectedhiswifeofinfidelitywiththeirlodger,BenCraig.Craig
andMrsRiggsfoundshot.ShotsprovedtobefromRiggs'sgun.Riggsgavehimselfuptothepolice,
said he supposed he must have done it, but couldn't remember. His mind went blank, he said. Riggs
sentencedtodeath,sentenceafterwardscommutedtopenalservitudeforlife.

CaseD.Bradley

DerekBradley.Wascarryingonanintriguewithagirl.Hiswifediscoveredthis;shethreatenedtokill
him. Bradley died of potassium cyanide administered in his beer. Mrs Bradley arrested and tried for
murder.Brokedownundercross-examination.Convictedandhanged.

CaseE.Litchfield

Elderly tyrant, Matthew Litchfield. Four daughters at home, not allowed any pleasures or money to
spend.Oneeveningonreturninghome,hewasattackedoutsidehissidedoorandkilledbyablowon
thehead.Later,afterpoliceinvestigation,hiseldestdaughter,Margaret,walkedintothepolicestation
andgaveherselfupforherfather'smurder.Shedidit,shesaid,inorderthatheryoungersistersmight
be able to have a life of their own before it was too late. Litchfield left a large fortune. Margaret
LitchfieldwasadjudgedinsaneandcommittedtoBroadmoor,butdiedshortlyafterwards.

Ireadcarefully,butwithagrowingbewilderment.FinallyIputthepaperdownandlookedinquiringly
atPoirot.

"Well,monami?"

"IremembertheBradleycase,"Isaidslowly."Ireadaboutitatthetime.Shewasaverygood-looking
woman."

Poirotnodded.

"Butyoumustenlightenme.Whatisallthisabout?"

"Tellmefirstwhatitamountstoinyoureyes."

Iwasratherpuzzled.

"Whatyougavemewasanaccountoffivedifferentmurders.Theyalloccurredindifferentplacesand
amongstdifferentclassesofpeople.Moreover,thereseemsnosuperficialresemblancebetweenthem.
Thatistosay,onewasacaseofjealousy,onewasanunhappywifeseekingtogetridofherhusband,
anotherhadmoneyforamotive,anotherwas,youmightsay,unselfishinaimsincethemurdererdid
nottrytoescapepunishment,andthefifthwasfranklybrutal,probablycommittedundertheinfluence
ofdrink."

Ipausedandsaiddoubtfully:

"IstheresomethingincommonbetweenthemallthatIhavemissed?"

"No, no, you have been very accurate in your summing up. The only point that you might have
mentionedbutdidnot,wasthefactthatinnoneofthosecasesdidanyrealdoubtexist."

"Idon'tthinkIunderstand?"

"Mrs Etherington, for instance, was acquitted. But everybody, nevertheless, was quite certain that she
didit.FredaClaywasnotopenlyaccused,butnoonethoughtofanyalternativesolutionofthecrime.
Riggsstatedthathedidnotrememberkillinghiswifeandherlover,buttherewasneveranyquestionof
anybodyelsehavingdoneso.MargaretLitchfieldconfessed.Ineachcase,yousee,Hastings,therewas
oneclearsuspectandnoother."

Iwrinkledmybrow.

"Yes,thatistrue-butIdon'tseewhatparticularinferencesyoudrawfromthat."

"Ah,butyousee,Iamcomingtoafactthatyoudonotknowasyet.Supposing,Hastings,thatineach
ofthesecasesthatIhaveoutlined,therewasonealiennotecommontothemall?"

"Whatdoyoumean?"

Poirotsaidslowly:

"Iintend,Hastings,tobeverycarefulinwhatIsay.Letmeputitthisway.Thereisacertainperson-X.
InnoneofthesecasesdidX(apparently)haveanymotiveindoingawaywiththevictim.Inonecase,
as far as I have been able to find out, X was actually two hundred miles away when the crime was
committed.Nevertheless,Iwilltellyouthis.XwasonintimatetermswithEtherington,Xlivedfora
timeinthesamevillageasRiggs,XwasacquaintedwithMrsBradley.IhaveasnapofXandFreda
Claywalkingtogetherinthestreet,andXwasnearthehousewhenoldMatthewLitchfielddied.What
doyousaytothat?"

Istaredathim.Isaidslowly:

"Yes,it'sabittoomuch.Coincidencemightaccountfortwocases,oreventhree,butfiveisabittoo
thick.Theremust,unlikelyasitseems,besomeconnectionbetweenthesedifferentmurders."

"Youassume,then,whatIhaveassumed?"

"ThatXisthemurderer?Yes."

"Inthatcase,Hastings,youwillbewillingtogowithmeonestepfurther.Letmetellyouthis.Xisin
thishouse."

"Here?AtStyles?"

"AtStyles.Whatisthelogicalinferencetobedrawnfromthat?"

IknewwhatwascomingasIsaid:

"Goon-sayit."

HerculePoirotsaidgravely:

"Amurderwillshortlybecommittedhere-here."

Chapter3

ForamomentortwoIstaredatPoirotindismay,thenIreacted.

"No,itwon't,"Isaid."You'llpreventthat."

Poirotthrewmeanaffectionateglance.

"Myloyalfriend.HowmuchIappreciateyourfaithinme.Toutdemême,Iamnotsureifitisjustified
inthiscase."

"Nonsense.Ofcourseyoucanstopit."

Poirot'svoicewasgraveashesaid:

"Reflect a minute, Hastings. One can catch a murderer, yes. But how does one proceed to stop a
murder?"

"Well,you-you-well,Imean-ifyouknowbeforehand-"

Ipausedratherfeebly-forsuddenlyIsawthedifficulties.

Poirotsaid:

"Yousee?Itisnotsosimple.Thereare,infact,onlythreemethods.Thefirstistowarnthevictim.To

put the victim on his or her guard. That does not always succeed, for it is unbelievably difficult to
convince some people that they are in grave danger - possibly from someone near and dear to them.
Theyareindignantandrefusetobelieve.Thesecondcourseistowarnthemurderer.Tosay,inlanguage
thatisonlyslightlyveiled:'Iknowyourintentions.Ifso-and-sodies,myfriend,youwillmostsurely
hang.'Thatsucceedsmoreoftenthanthefirstmethod,buteventhereitislikelytofail.Foramurderer,
my friend, is more conceited than any creature on this earth. A murderer is always more clever than
anyoneelse-noonewilleversuspecthimorher-thepolicewillbeutterlybaffled,etcetera.Therefore
he (or she) goes ahead just the same, and all you can have is the satisfaction of hanging them
afterwards."Hepausedandsaidthoughtfully:

"TwiceinmylifeIhavewarnedamurderer-onceinEgypt,onceelsewhere.Ineachcase,thecriminal
wasdeterminedtokill...Itmaybesohere."

"Yousaidtherewasathirdmethod,"Iremindedhim.

"Ahyes.Forthatoneneedstheutmostingenuity.Youhavetoguessexactlyhowandwhentheblowis
timedtofallandyouhavetobereadytostepinattheexactpsychologicalmoment.Youhavetocatch
themurderer,ifnotquitered-handed,thenguiltyoftheintentionbeyondanypossibledoubt.

"And that, my friend," went on Poirot, "is, I can assure you, a matter of great difficulty and delicacy,
andIwouldnotforamomentguaranteeitssuccess!Imaybeconceited,butIamnotsoconceitedas
that."

"Whichmethoddoyouproposetotryhere?"

"Possiblyallthree.Thefirstisthemostdifficult."

"Why?Ishouldhavethoughtittheeasiest."

"Yes, if you know the intended victim. But do you not realize, Hastings, that here I do not know the
victim?"

"What?"

Igaveventtotheexclamationwithoutreflecting.Thenthedifficultiesofthepositionbegantodawnon
me.Therewas,theremustbe,somelinkconnectingthisseriesofcrimes,butwedidnotknowwhatthat
linkwas.Themotive,thevitallyimportantmotive,wasmissing.Andwithoutknowingthat,wecould

nottellwhowasthreatened.

PoirotnoddedashesawbymyfacethatIwasrealizingthedifficultiesofthesituation.

"Yousee,myfriend,itisnotsoeasy."

"No,"Isaid."Iseethat.Youhavesofarbeenabletofindnoconnectionbetweenthesevaryingcases?"

Poirotshookhishead.

"Nothing."

Ireflectedagain.IntheA.B.C.crimes,wehadtodealwithwhatpurportedtobeanalphabeticalseries,
thoughinactualityithadturnedouttobesomethingverydifferent.

Iasked:

"Thereis,youarequitesure,nofar-fetchedfinancialmotive-nothing,forinstance,likeyoufoundin
thecaseofEvelynCarlisle?"

"No.Youmaybequitesure,mydearHastings,thatfinancialgainisthefirstthingforwhichIlook."

Thatwastrueenough.Poirothasalwaysbeencompletelycynicalaboutmoney.

Ithoughtagain.Avendettaofsomekind?Thatwasmoreinaccordancewiththefacts.Buteventhere,
there seemed a lack of any connecting link. I recalled a story I had read of a series of purposeless
murders-thecluebeingthatthevictimshadhappenedtoserveasmembersofajury,andthecrimes
had been committed by a man whom they had condemned. It struck me that something of that kind
would meet this case. I am ashamed to say that I kept the idea to myself. It would have been such a
featherinmycapifIcouldgotoPoirotwiththesolution.

InsteadIasked:

"Andnowtellme,whoisX?"

TomyintenseannoyancePoirotshookhisheadverydecidedly.

"That,myfriend,Idonottell."

"Nonsense.Whynot?"

Poirot'seyestwinkled.

"Because,moncher,youarestillthesameoldHastings.Youhavestillthespeakingcountenance.Ido
not wish, you see, that you should sit staring at X with your mouth hanging open, your face saying
plainly:'This-thisthatIamlookingatisamurderer.'"

"Youmightgivemecreditforalittledissimulationatneed."

"Whenyoutrytodissimulate,itisworse.No,no,monami,wemustbeveryincognito,youandI.Then,
whenwepounce,wepounce."

"Youobstinateolddevil,"Isaid."I'veagoodmindto-"

Ibrokeoffastherewasataponthedoor.Poirotcalled,"Comein,"andmydaughterJudithentered.

IshouldliketodescribeJudith,butI'vealwaysbeenapoorhandatdescriptions.

Judithistall,sheholdsherheadhigh,shehasleveldarkbrowsandaverylovelylineofcheekandjaw-
severeinitsausterity.Sheisgraveandslightlyscornful,andtomymindtherehasalwayshungabout
herasuggestionoftragedy.

Judithdidn'tcomeandkissme-sheisnotthatkind.Shejustsmiledatmeandsaid,"Hullo,Father."

Hersmilewasshyandalittleembarrassed,butitmademefeelthatinspiteofherundemonstrativeness
shewaspleasedtoseeme.

"Well,"Isaid,feelingfoolishasIsooftendowiththeyoungergeneration,"I'vegothere."

"Verycleverofyou,darling,"saidJudith.

"Idescribetohim,"saidPoirot,"thecooking."

"Isitverybad?"askedJudith.

"You should not have to ask that, my child. Is it that you think of nothing but the test tubes and the
microscopes? Your middle finger, it is stained with methylene blue. It is not a good thing for your
husbandifyoutakenointerestinhisstomach."

"IdaresayIshan'thaveahusband."

"Certainlyyouwillhaveahusband.WhatdidthebonDieucreateyoufor?"

"Manythings,Ihope,"saidJudith.

"Lemariagefirstofall."

"Very well," said Judith. "You shall find me a nice husband and I will look after his stomach very
carefully."

"Shelaughsatme,"saidPoirot."Somedayshewillknowhowwiseoldmenare."

TherewasanothertaponthedoorandDrFranklinentered.Hewasatall,angularyoungmanofthirty-
five,withadecidedjaw,reddishhair,andbrightblueeyes.HewasthemostungainlymanIhadever
known,andwasalwaysknockingintothingsinanabsent-mindedway.

He cannoned into the screen round Poirot's chair and half turning his head murmured "I beg your
pardon"toitautomatically.

Iwantedtolaugh,butJudith,Inoted,remainedquitegrave.Isupposeshewasquiteusedtothatsortof
thing.

"Youremembermyfather,"saidJudith.

Dr Franklin started, shied nervously, screwed up his eyes and peered at me, then stuck out a hand,
sayingawkwardly:

"Ofcourse,ofcourse,howareyou?Iheardyouwerecomingdown."

HeturnedtoJudith.

"Isay,doyouthinkweneedchange?Ifnot,wemightgoonabitafterdinner.Ifwegotafewmoreof
thoseslidesprepared-"

"No,"saidJudith."Iwanttotalktomyfather."

"Ohyes.Oh,ofcourse."Suddenlyhesmiled,anapologeticboyishsmile."Iamsorry-Igetsoawfully
wrappedupinathing.It'squiteunpardonable-makesmesoselfish.Doforgiveme."

TheclockstruckandFranklinglancedatithurriedly.

"GoodLord,isitaslateasthat?Ishallgetintotrouble.PromisedBarbaraI'dreadtoherbeforedinner."

Hegrinnedatusbothandhurriedout,collidingwiththedoorpostashewentout.

"HowisMrsFranklin?"Iasked.

"Thesameandrathermoreso,"saidJudith.

"It'sverysadherbeingsuchaninvalid,"Isaid.

"It'smaddeningforadoctor,"saidJudith."Doctorslikehealthypeople."

"Howhardyouyoungpeopleare!"Iexclaimed.

Judithsaidcoldly:

"Iwasjuststatingafact."

"Nevertheless,"saidPoirot,"thegooddoctorhurriestoreadtoher."

"Verystupid,"saidJudith."Thatnurseofherscanreadtoherperfectlywellifshewantstobereadto.
PersonallyIshouldloatheanyonereadingaloudtome."

"Well,well,tastesdiffer,"Isaid.

"She'saverystupidwoman,"saidJudith.

"Nowthere,monenfant,"saidPoirot,"Idonotagreewithyou."

"Sheneverreadsanythingbutthecheapestkindofnovel.Shetakesnointerestinhiswork.Shedoesn't
keepabreastofcurrentthought.Shejusttalksaboutherhealthtoeveryonewhowilllisten."

"I still maintain," said Poirot, "that she uses her grey cells in ways that you, my child, know nothing
about."

"She'saveryfemininesortofwoman,"saidJudith."Shecoosandpurrs.Iexpectyoulike'emlikethat,
UncleHercule."

"Notatall,"Isaid."HelikesthemlargeandflamboyantandRussianforchoice."

"Sothatishowyougivemeaway,Hastings?Yourfather,Judith,hasalwayshadapenchantforauburn
hair.Ithaslandedhimintroublemanyatime."

Judithsmiledatusbothindulgently.Shesaid:

"Whatafunnycoupleyouare."

SheturnedawayandIrose.

"Imustgetunpacked,andImighthaveabathbeforedinner."

Poirotpressedalittlebellwithinreachofhishandandaminuteortwolaterhisvaletattendantentered.
Iwassurprisedtofindthatthemanwasastranger.

"Why!Where'sGeorges?"

Poirot'svalet,Georges,hadbeenwithhimformanyyears.

"Georgeshasreturnedtohisfamily.Hisfatherisill.Ihopehewillcomebacktomesometime.Inthe
meantime,"hesmiledatthenewvalet,"Curtisslooksafterme."

Curtisssmiledbackrespectfully.Hewasabigmanwithabovineratherstupidface.

AsIwentoutofthedoor,InotedthatPoirotwascarefullylockingupthedispatchcasewiththepapers
insideit.

Mymindinawhirl,Icrossedthepassagetomyownroom.

Chapter4

Iwentdowntodinnerthatnightfeelingthatthewholeoflifehadbecomesuddenlyunreal.

Once or twice, while dressing, I had asked myself if possibly Poirot had imagined the whole thing.
Afterall,thedearoldchapwasanoldmannowandsadlybrokeninhealth.Hehimselfmightdeclare
hisbrainwasassoundasever-butinpointoffact,wasit?Hiswholelifehadbeenspentintracking
downcrime.Woulditreallybesurprisingif,intheend,hewastofancycrimeswherenocrimeswere?
His enforced inaction must have fretted him sorely. What more likely than that he should invent for
himselfanewmanhunt?Wishfulthinking-aperfectlyreasonableneurosis.Hehadselectedanumber
of publicly reported happenings, and had read into them something that was not there - a shadowy
figure behind them - a mad mass murderer. In all probability Mrs Etherington had really killed her
husband,thelabourerhadshothiswife,ayoungwomanhadgivenheroldauntanoverdoseofmorphia,
ajealouswifehadpolishedoffherhusbandasshehadthreatenedtodo,andacrazyspinsterhadreally

committed the murder for which she had subsequently given herself up. In fact these crimes were
exactlywhattheyseemed!

Against that view (surely the common-sense one) I could only set my own inherent belief in Poirot's
acumen.

Poirotsaidthatamurderhadbeenarranged.ForthesecondtimeStyleswastohouseacrime.

Time would prove or disprove that assertion, but if it were true, it behooved us to forestall that
happening.

AndPoirotknewtheidentityofthemurderer,whichIdidnot.

The more I thought about that, the more annoyed I became! Really, frankly, it was damned cheek of
Poirot!Hewantedmycooperationandyetherefusedtotakemeintohisconfidence!

Why?Therewasthereasonhegave-surelyamostinadequateone!Iwastiredofthissillyjokingabout
my"speakingcountenance."Icouldkeepasecretaswellasanyone.Poirothasalwayspersistedinthe
humiliating belief that I am a transparent character and that anyone can read what is passing in my
mind. He tries to soften the blow sometimes by attributing it to my beautiful and honest character,
which abhors all form of deceit! Of course, I reflected, if the whole thing was a chimera of Poirot's
imagination,hisreticencewaseasilyexplained.

I had come to no conclusion by the time the gong sounded, and I went down to dinner with an open
mind,butwithanalerteye,forthedetectionofPoirot'smythicalX.

For the moment I would accept everything that Poirot had said as gospel truth. There was a person
underthisroofwhohadalreadykilledfivetimesandwhowaspreparingtokillagain.Whowasit?

InthedrawingroombeforewewentintodinnerIwasintroducedtoMissColeandMajorAllerton.The
formerwasatall,stillhandsomewomanofthirty-threeor-four.MajorAllertonIinstinctivelydisliked.
Hewasagood-lookingmanintheearlyforties,broad-shouldered,bronzedofface,withaneasywayof
talking, most of what he said holding a double implication. He had the pouches under his eyes that
comewithadissipatedwayoflife.Isuspectedhimofracketingaround,ofgambling,ofdrinkinghard,
andofbeingfirstandlastawomanizer.

OldColonelLuttrell,Isaw,didnotmuchlikehimeither,andBoydCarringtonwasalsoratherstiffin

hismannertowardshim.Allerton'ssuccesswaswiththewomenoftheparty.MrsLuttrelltwitteredto
him delightedly, while he flattered her lazily and with a hardly concealed impertinence. I was also
annoyed to see that Judith, too, seemed to enjoy his company and was exerting herself far more than
usual to talk to him. Why the worst type of man can always be relied upon to please and interest the
nicestofwomenhaslongbeenaproblembeyondme.IknewinstinctivelythatAllertonwasarotter-
andninemenoutoftenwouldhaveagreedwithme.Whereasninewomenorpossiblythewholeten
wouldhavefallenforhimimmediately.

As we sat down at the dinner table and plates of white gluey liquid were set before us, I let my eyes
roveroundthetablewhileIsummedupthepossibilities.

IfPoirotwererightandretainedhisclearnessofbrainunimpaired,oneofthesepeoplewasadangerous
murderer-andprobablyalunaticaswell.

Poirothadnotactuallysaidso,butIpresumedthatXwasprobablyaman.Whichofthesemenwasit
likelytobe?

SurelynotoldColonelLuttrell,withhisindecisionandhisgeneralairoffeebleness.Norton,theman
whomIhadmetrushingoutofthehousewithfieldglasses?Itseemedunlikely.Heappearedtobea
pleasantfellow,ratherineffectiveandlackinginvitality.Ofcourse,Itoldmyself,manymurderershave
beensmallinsignificantmen-driventoassertthemselvesbycrimeforthatveryreason.Theyresented
beingpassedoverandignored.Nortonmightbeamurdererofthistype.Buttherewashisfondnessfor
birds.Ihavealwaysbelievedthataloveofnaturewasessentiallyahealthysigninaman.

BoydCarrington?Outofthequestion.Amanwithanameknownallovertheworld.Afinesportsman,
anadministrator,amanuniversallylikedandlookedupto.FranklinIalsodismissed.IknewhowJudith
respectedandadmiredhim.

MajorAllertonnow.Idweltonhimappraisingly.AnastyfellowifIeversawone!Thesortoffellow
whowouldskinhisgrandmother.Andallglossedoverwiththissuperficialcharmofmanner.Hewas
talking now - telling a story of his own discomfiture and making everybody laugh with his rueful
appreciationofajokeathisexpense.

IfAllertonwasX,Idecided,hiscrimeshadbeencommittedforprofitinsomeway.

ItwastruethatPoirothadnotdefinitelysaidthatXwasaman.IconsideredMissColeasapossibility.
Hermovementswererestlessandjerky-obviouslyawomanofnerves.Handsomeinahag-riddenkind
of way. Still, she looked normal enough. She, Mrs Luttrell and Judith were the only women at the
dinnertable.MrsFranklinwashavingdinnerupstairsinherroom,andthenursewhoattendedtoher

hadhermealsafterus.

AfterdinnerIwasstandingbythedrawing-roomwindowlookingoutintothegardenandthinkingback
tothetimewhenIhadseenCynthiaMurdoch,ayounggirlwithauburnhair,runacrossthatlawn.How
charmingshehadlookedinherwhiteoverall...

Lostinthoughtsofthepast,IstartedwhenJudithpassedherarmthroughmineandimpelledmewith
heroutofthewindowontotheterrace.

Shesaidabruptly,"What'sthematter?"

Iwasstartled."Thematter?Whatdoyoumean?"

"You'vebeensoqueerallthroughtheevening.Whywereyoustaringateveryoneatdinner?"

Iwasannoyed.IhadhadnoideaIhadallowedmythoughtssomuchswayoverme.

"WasI?IsupposeIwasthinkingofthepast.Seeingghostsperhaps."

"Ohyes,ofcourseyoustayedhere,didn'tyou,whenyouwereayoungman?Anoldladywasmurdered
here,orsomething?"

"Poisonedwithstrychnine."

"Whatwasshelike?Niceornasty?"

Iconsideredthequestion.

"Shewasaverykindwoman,"Isaidslowly."Generous.Gavealottocharity."

"Oh,thatkindofgenerosity."

Judith'svoicesoundedfaintlyscornful.Thensheaskedacuriousquestion:

"Werepeople-happyhere?"

No,theyhadnotbeenhappy.That,atleastIknew.Isaidslowly:

"No."

"Whynot?"

"Becausetheyfeltlikeprisoners.MrsInglethorp,yousee,hadallthemoney-and-anddoleditout.
Herstepchildrencouldhavenolifeoftheirown."

IheardJudithtakeasharpbreath.Thehandonmyarmtightened.

"That's wicked - wicked. An abuse of power. It shouldn't be allowed. Old people, sick people, they
shouldn'thavethepowertoholdupthelivesoftheyoungandstrong.Tokeepthemtieddown,fretting,
wastingtheirpowerandenergythatcouldbeused-that'sneeded.It'sjustselfishness."

"Theold,"Isaiddrily,"havenotgotamonopolyofthatquality."

"Oh,Iknow,Father,youthinktheyoungareselfish.Soweare,perhaps,butit'sacleanselfishness.At
leastweonlywanttodowhatwewantourselves,wedon'twanteverybodyelsetodowhatwewant,we
don'twanttomakeslavesofotherpeople."

"No,youjusttramplethemdowniftheyhappentobeinyourway."

Judithsqueezedmyarm.Shesaid:

"Don'tbesobitter!Idon'treallydomuchtrampling-andyou'venevertriedtodictateourlivestoany
ofus.Wearegratefulforthat."

"I'mafraid,"Isaidhonestly,"thatI'dhavelikedto,though.Itwasyourmotherwhoinsistedyoushould
beallowedtomakeyourownmistakes."

Judithgavemyarmanotherquicksqueeze.Shesaid:

"Iknow.You'dhavelikedtofussoveruslikeahen!Idohatefuss.Iwon'tstandit.Butyoudoagree
withme,don'tyou,aboutusefullivesbeingsacrificedtouselessones?"

"Itdoessometimeshappen,"Iadmitted."Butthere'snoneedfordrasticmeasures...It'suptoanybody
justtowalkout,youknow."

"Yes,butisit?Isit?"

Her tone was so vehement that I looked at her in some astonishment. It was too dark to see her face
clearly,Shewenton,hervoicelowandtroubled.

"There'ssomuch-it'ssodifficult-financialconsiderations,asenseofresponsibility,reluctancetohurt
someoneyou'vebeenfondof-allthosethings,andsomepeoplearesounscrupulous-theyknowjust
howtoplayonallthosefeelings,Somepeople-somepeoplearelikeleeches!"

"MydearJudith,"Iexclaimed,takenabackbythepositivefuryofhertone.

She seemed to realize that she had been overvehement, for she laughed and withdrew her arm from
mine.

"WasIsoundingveryintense?It'samatterIfeelratherhotlyabout.Yousee,I'veknownacase...Anold
brute.Andwhensomeonewasbraveenoughto-tocuttheknotandsetthepeopleshelovedfree,they
calledhermad.Mad?Itwasthesanestthinganyonecoulddo-andthebravest!"

Ahorriblequalmpassedoverme.Where,notlongago,hadIheardsomethinglikethat?

"Judith,"Isaidsharply."Ofwhatcaseareyoutalking?"

"Oh,nobodyyouknow.SomefriendsoftheFranklins.OldmancalledLitchfield.Hewasquiterichand
practicallystarvedhiswretcheddaughters-neverletthemseeanyone,orgoout.Hewasmad,really,
butnotsufficientlysointhemedicalsense."

"Andtheeldestdaughtermurderedhim,"Isaid.

"Oh,Iexpectyoureadaboutit?Isupposeyouwouldcallitmurder-butitwasn'tdonefrompersonal
motives.MargaretLitchfieldwentstraighttothepoliceandgaveherselfup.Ithinkshewasverybrave.
Iwouldn'thavehadthecourage."

"Thecouragetogiveyourselfuporthecouragetocommitmurder?"

"Both."

"I'mverygladtohearit,"Isaidseverely,"andIdon'tliketohearyoutalkingofmurderasjustifiedin
certaincases."Ipausedandadded:"WhatdidDrFranklinthink?"

"Thoughtitservedhimright,"saidJudith."Youknow,Father,somepeoplereallyasktobemurdered."

"Iwon'thaveyoutalkinglikethis,Judith.Who'sbeenputtingtheseideasintoyourhead?"

"Nobody."

"Well,letmetellyouthatit'sallperniciousnonsense."

"Isee.We'llleaveitatthat."Shepaused."IcamereallytogiveyouamessagefromMrsFranklin.She'd
liketoseeyouifyoudon'tmindcominguptoherbedroom."

"Ishallbedelighted.I'msosorryshewasfeelingtooilltocomedowntodinner."

"She'sallright,"saidJudithunfeelingly,"Shejustlikesmakingafuss."

Theyoungareveryunsympathetic.

Chapter5

IhadonlymetMrsFranklinoncebefore.Shewasawomanaboutthirty-ofwhatIshoulddescribeas
the Madonna type. Big brown eyes, hair parted in the centre, and a long gentle face. She was very
slenderandherskinhadatransparentfragility.

Shewaslyingonadaybed,proppedupwithpillows,andwearingaverydaintynegligeeofwhiteand
paleblue.

Franklin and Boyd Carrington were there drinking coffee. Mrs Franklin welcomed me with an
outstretchedhandandasmile.

"HowgladIamyou'vecome,CaptainHastings.ItwillbesoniceforJudith.Thechildhasreallybeen
workingfartoohard."

"Shelooksverywellonit,"IsaidasItookthefragilelittlehandinmine.

BarbaraFranklinsighed.

"Yes,she'slucky.HowIenvyher.Idon'tbelievereallythatsheknowswhatillhealthis.Whatdoyou
think,Nurse?Oh!Letmeintroduceyou.ThisisNurseCraven,who'ssoterribly,terriblygoodtome.I
don'tknowwhatIshoulddowithouther.Shetreatsmejustlikeababy."

NurseCravenwasatallgood-lookingyoungwomanwithafinecolourandahandsomeheadofauburn
hair.Inoticedherhands,whichwerelongandwhite-verydifferentfromthehandsofsomanyhospital
nurses.Shewasinsomerespectsataciturngirl,andsometimesdidnotanswer,Shedidnotnow,merely
inclinedherhead.

"Butreally,"wentonMrsFranklin,"Johnhasbeenworkingthatwretchedgirlofyourstoohard.He's
suchaslavedriver.Youareaslavedriver,aren'tyou,John?"

Herhusbandwasstandinglookingoutofthewindow.Hewaswhistlingtohimselfandjinglingsome
loosechangeinhispocket.Hestartedslightlyathiswife'squestion.

"What'sthat,Barbara?"

"IwassayingthatyouoverworkpoorJudithHastingsshamefully.NowCaptainHastingsishere,heand
Iaregoingtoputourheadstogetherandwe'renotgoingtoallowit."

Persiflage was not Dr Franklin's strong point. He looked vaguely worried and turned to Judith

inquiringly.Hemumbled:

"YoumustletmeknowifIoverdoit."

Judithsaid:

"They're just trying to be funny. Talking of work, I wanted to ask you about that stain for the second
slide-youknow,theonethat-"

Heturnedtohereagerlyandbrokein.

"Yes,yes.Isay,ifyoudon'tmind,let'sgodowntothelab.I'dliketobequitesure-"

Stilltalking,theywentoutoftheroomtogether.

Barbara Franklin lay back on her pillows. She sighed. Nurse Craven said suddenly and rather
disagreeably:

"It'sMissHastingswho'stheslavedriver,Ithink!"

AgainMrsFranklinsighed.Shemurmured:

"I feel so inadequate. I ought, I know, to take more interest in John's work, but I just can't do it. I
daresayit'ssomethingwronginme,but-"

ShewasinterruptedbyasnortfromBoydCarrington,whowasstandingbythefireplace.

"Nonsense,Babs,"hesaid."You'reallright.Don'tworryyourself."

"Oh,but,Billdear,Idoworry.Igetsodiscouragedaboutmyself.It'sall-Ican'thelpfeelingit-it'sall
sonasty.Theguineapigsandtheratsandeverything.Ugh!"Sheshuddered."Iknowit'sstupid,butI'm
suchafool.Itmakesmefeelquitesick.Ijustwanttothinkofallthelovelyhappythings-birdsand
flowers,andchildrenplaying.Youknow,Bill."

Hecameoverandtookthehandsheheldouttohimsopleadingly.Hisfaceashelookeddownather
was changed, as gentle as any woman's. It was, somehow, impressive - for Boyd Carrington was so
essentiallyamanlyman.

"You've not changed much since you were seventeen, Babs," he said. "Do you remember that garden
houseofyoursandthebirdbath,andthecocoanuts?"

Heturnedhisheadtome.

"BarbaraandIareoldplaymates,"hesaid.

"Oh!Playmates!"sheprotested.

"Oh,I'mnotdenyingthatyou'reoverfifteenyearsyoungerthanIam.ButIplayedwithyouasatinytot
when I was a young man. Gave you pickabacks, my dear. And then later, I came home to find you a
beautiful young lady - just on the point of making your debut in the world - and I did my share by
takingyououtonthegolflinksandteachingyoutoplaygolf.Doyouremember?"

"Oh,Bill,doyouthinkI'dforget?"

"Mypeopleusedtoliveinthispartoftheworld,"sheexplainedtome."AndBillusedtocomeandstay
withhisolduncle,SirEverard,atKnatton."

"And what a mausoleum it was - and is," said Boyd Carrington. "Sometimes I despair of getting the
placelivable."

"Oh,Bill,itcouldbemademarvellous-quitemarvellous!"

"Yes,Babs,butthetroubleisI'vegotnoideas.Bathsandsomereallycomfortablechairs-that'sallI
canthinkof.Itneedsawoman."

"I'vetoldyouI'llcomeandhelp.Imeanit.Really."

SirWilliamlookeddoubtfullytowardsNurseCraven.

"Ifyou'restrongenough,Icoulddriveyouover.Whatdoyouthink,Nurse?"

"Oh yes, Sir William. I really think it would do Mrs Franklin good - if she's careful not to over-tire
herself,ofcourse."

"That's a date, then," said Boyd Carrington. "And now you have a good night's sleep. Get into good
fettlefortomorrow."

WebothwishedMrsFranklin"Goodnight"andwentouttogether.Aswewentdownthestairs,Boyd
Carringtonsaidgruffly:

"You'venoideawhatalovelycreatureshewasatseventeen.IwashomefromBurma-mywifedied
out there, you know. Don't mind telling you I completely lost my heart to her. She married Franklin
threeorfouryearsafterwards.Don'tthinkit'sbeenahappymarriage.It'smyideathatthat'swhatliesat
the bottom of her ill health. Fellow doesn't understand her or appreciate her, And she's the sensitive
kind.I'veanideathatthisdelicacyofhersispartlynervous.Takeheroutofherself,amuseher,interest
her,andshelooksadifferentcreature!Butthatdamnedsawbonesonlytakesaninterestintesttubesand
WestAfricannativesandcultures."

Hesnortedangrily.

Ithoughtthattherewas,perhaps,somethinginwhathesaid.YetitsurprisedmethatBoydCarrington
should be attracted by Mrs Franklin who, when all was said and done, was a sickly creature though
prettyinafrailchocolateboxway.ButBoydCarringtonhimselfwassofullofvitalityandlifethatI
shouldhavethoughthewouldmerelyhavebeenimpatientwiththeneurotictypeofinvalid.However,
Barbara Franklin must have been quite lovely as a girl, and with many men, especially those of the
idealistictypesuchasIjudgedBoydCarringtontobe,earlyimpressionsdiehard.

Downstairs Mrs Luttrell pounced upon us and suggested bridge. I excused myself on the plea of
wantingtojoinPoirot.

Ifoundmyfriendinbed.Curtisswasmovingaroundtheroomtidyingup,buthepresentlywentout,
shuttingthedoorbehindhim.

"Confoundyou,Poirot,"Isaid."Youandyourinfernalhabitofkeepingthingsupyoursleeve.I'vespent
thewholeeveningtryingtospotX."

"That must have made you somewhat distrait," observed my friend. "Did nobody comment on your
abstractionandaskyouwhatwasthematter?"

Ireddenedslightly,rememberingJudith'squestions.Poirot,Ithink,observedmydiscomfiture.Inoticed
asmallmalicioussmileonhislips.Hemerelysaid,however:

"Andwhatconclusionhaveyoucometoonthatpoint?"

"WouldyoutellmeifIwasright?"

"Certainlynot."

Iwatchedhisfaceclosely.

"IhadconsideredNorton-"

Poirot'sfacedidnotchange.

"Not,"Isaid,"thatI'veanythingtogoupon.Hejuststruckmeasperhapslessunlikelythananyoneelse.
Andthenhe's-well-inconspicuous.Ishouldimaginethekindofmurdererwe'reafterwouldhaveto
beinconspicuous."

"Thatistrue.Buttherearemorewaysthanyouthinkofbeinginconspicuous."

"Whatdoyoumean?"

"Supposing,totakeahypotheticalcase,thatifasinisterstrangerarrivestheresomeweeksbeforethe
murder, for no apparent reason, he will be noticeable. It would be better, would it not, if the stranger
weretobeanegligiblepersonality,engagedinsomeharmlesssportlikefishing?"

"Orwatchingbirds,"Iagreed."Yes,butthat'sjustwhatIwassaying."

"On the other hand," said Poirot, "it might be better still if the murderer were already a prominent

personality-thatistosay,hemightbethebutcher.Thatwouldhavethefurtheradvantagethatnoone
noticesbloodstainsonabutcher!"

"You'rejustbeingridiculous.Everyonewouldknowifthebutcherhadquarrelledwiththebaker."

"Notifthebutcherhadbecomeabutchersimplyinordertohaveachanceofmurderingthebaker.One
mustalwayslookonestepbehind,myfriend."

Ilookedathimclosely,tryingtodecideifahintlayconcealedinthosewords.Iftheymeantanything
definite, they would seem to point to Colonel Luttrell. Had he deliberately opened a guest house in
ordertohaveanopportunityofmurderingoneoftheguests?

Poirotverygentlyshookhishead.Hesaid:

"Itisnotfrommyfacethatyouwillgettheanswer."

"Youreallyareamaddeningfellow,Poirot,"Isaidwithasigh."Anyway,Nortonisn'tmyonlysuspect.
WhataboutthisfellowAllerton?"

Poirot,hisfacestillimpassive,inquired:

"Youdonotlikehim?"

"No,Idon't."

"Ah.Whatyoucallthenastybitofgoods.Thatisright,isitnot?"

"Definitely.Don'tyouthinkso?"

"Certainly.Heisaman,"saidPoirotslowly,"veryattractivetowomen."

Imadeanexclamationofcontempt.

"Howwomencanbesofoolish.Whatdotheyseeinafellowlikethat?"

"Whocansay?Butitisalwaysso.Themauvaissujet-alwayswomenareattractedtohim."

"Butwhy?"

Poirotshruggedhisshoulders.

"Theyseesomething,perhaps,thatwedonot."

"Butwhat?"

"Danger, possibly... Everyone, my friend, demands a spice of danger in their lives. Some get it
vicariously-asinbullfights.Somereadaboutit.Somefinditatthecinema.ButIamsureofthis-too
muchsafetyisabhorrenttothenatureofahumanbeing.Menfinddangerinmanyways-womenare
reducedtofindingtheirdangermostlyinaffairsofsex.Thatiswhy,perhaps,theywelcomethehintof
thetiger-thesheathedclaws-thetreacherousspring.Theexcellentfellowwhowillmakeagoodand
kindhusband-theypasshimby."

Iconsideredthisgloomilyinsilenceforsomeminutes.ThenIrevertedtotheprevioustheme.

"Youknow,Poirot,"Isaid."ItwillbeeasyenoughreallyformetofindoutwhoXis.I'veonlygotto
pokeaboutandfindwhowasacquaintedwithallthepeople.Imeanthepeopleofyourfivecases."

Ibroughtthisouttriumphantly,butPoirotmerelygavemealookofscorn.

"I have not demanded your presence here, Hastings, in order to watch you clumsily and laboriously
followingthewayIhavealreadytrodden.Andletmetellyouitisnotquitesosimpleasyouthink.Four
of those cases took place in this county. The people assembled under this roof are not a collection of
strangerswhohavearrivedhereindependently.Thisisnotahotelintheusualsenseoftheword.The
Luttrellscomefromthispartoftheworld;theywerebadlyoffandboughtthisplaceandstarteditasa
venture. The people who come here are their friends, or friends recommended by their friends. Sir
WilliampersuadedtheFranklinstocome.TheyinturnsuggestedittoNorton,and,Ibelieve,toMiss
Cole-andsoon.Whichistosaythatthereisaveryfairchanceofacertainpersonwhoisknowntoone
ofthesepeoplebeingknowntoallofthesepeople.ItisalsoopentoXtolurewhereverthefactsare
bestknown.TakethecaseofthelabourerRiggs.Thevillagewherethattragedyoccurredisnotfarfrom
thehouseofBoydCarrington'suncle.MrsFranklin'speople,also,livednear.Theinninthevillageis

much frequented by tourists. Some of Mrs Franklin's family's friends used to put up there. Franklin
himselfhasstayedthere.NortonandMissColemayhavestayedthereandprobablyhave.

"No,no,myfriend.IbegthatyouwillnotmaketheseclumsyattemptstounravelasecretthatIrefuse
torevealtoyou."

"It'ssodamnedsilly.AsthoughIshouldbelikelytogiveitaway.Itellyou,Poirot,I'mtiredofthese
jokesaboutmyspeakingcountenance.It'snotfunny."

Poirotsaidquietly:

"Areyousosurethatistheonlyreason?Doyounotrealize,myfriend,thatsuchknowledgemaybe
dangerous?DoyounotseethatIconcernmyselfwithyoursafety?"

Istaredathimopen-mouthed.UptillthatminuteIhadnotappreciatedthataspectofthematter.Butit
was,ofcourse,trueenough.Ifacleverandresourcefulmurdererwhohadalreadygotawaywithfive
crimes-unsuspected,ashethought-onceawoketothefactthatsomeonewasonhistrail,thenindeed
therewasdangerforthoseonhistrack.

Isaidsharply:

"Butthenyou-youyourselfareindanger,Poirot?"

Poirot,asfarashewasabletoinhiscrippledstate,madeagestureofsupremedisdain.

"Iamaccustomedtothat;Icanprotectmyself.Andsee,haveInotheremyfaithfuldogtoprotectme
also?MyexcellentandloyalHastings!"

Chapter6

Poirot was supposed to keep early hours. I left him therefore to go to sleep and went downstairs,
pausingtohaveafewwordswiththeattendantCurtissontheway.

Ifoundhimastolidindividual,slowintheuptake,buttrustworthyandcompetent.Hehadbeenwith
Poirot since the latter's return from Egypt. His master's health, he told me, was fairly good, but he

occasionally had alarming heart attacks, and his heart was much weakened in the last few months. It
wasacaseoftheengineslowlyfailing.

Oh,well,ithadbeenagoodlife!Neverthelessmyheartwaswrungformyoldfriendwhowasfighting
sogallantlyeverystepofthedownwardway.Evennow,crippledandweak,hisindomitablespiritwas
stillleadinghimtoplythecraftatwhichhewassoexpert.

Iwentdownstairssadatheart.IcouldhardlyimaginelifewithoutPoirot...

Arubberwasjustfinishinginthedrawingroom,andIwasinvitedtocutin.Ithoughtitmightserveto
distractmymindandIaccepted.BoydCarringtonwastheonetocutout,andIsatdownwithNorton
andColonelandMrsLuttrell.

"Whatdoyousaynow,MrNorton,"saidMrsLuttrell."ShallyouandItaketheothertwoon?Ourlate
partnership'sbeenverysuccessful."

Nortonsmiledpleasantly,butmurmured"thatperhaps,really,theyoughttocut-what?"

MrsLuttrellassented,butwithratheranillgrace,Ithought.

NortonandIcuttogetheragainsttheLuttrells.InoticedthatMrsLuttrellwasdefinitelydispleasedby
this.Shebitherlip,andhercharmandIrishbroguedisappearedcompletelyforthemoment.

Isoonfoundoutwhy.IplayedonmanyfutureoccasionswithColonelLuttrell,andhewasnotreally
suchaverybadplayer.HewaswhatIshoulddescribeasamoderateplayer,butinclinedtobeforgetful.
Everynowandthenhewouldmakesomereallybadmistakeowingtothis.Butplayingwithhiswife,
hemademistakeaftermistakewithoutceasing.Hewasobviouslynervousofher,andthiscausedhimto
play about three times as badly as was normal. Mrs Luttrell herself was a very good player indeed,
though a rather unpleasant one to play with. She snatched every conceivable advantage, ignored the
rulesifheradversarywasunawareofthem,andenforcedthemimmediatelywhentheyservedher.She
was also extremely adept at a quick sideways glance into her opponent's hand. In other words, she
playedtowin.

AndIunderstoodsoonenoughwhatPoirothadmeantbyvinegar.Atcardsherself-restraintfailed,and
hertonguelashedeverymistakeherwretchedhusbandmade.Itwasreallymostuncomfortableforboth
Nortonandmyself,andIwasthankfulwhentherubbercametoanend.

Webothexcusedourselvesfromplayinganotheronthescoreofthelatenessofthehour.

Aswemovedaway,Nortonratherincautiouslygavewaytohisfeelings.

"Isay,Hastings,thatwasprettyghastly.Itgetsmybackuptoseethatpooroldboybulliedlikethat.
Andthemeekwayhetakesit!Poorchap.Notmuchofthepeppery-tonguedIndiancolonelabouthim."

"Ssh," I warned, for Norton's voice had been raised and I was afraid old Colonel Luttrell would
overhear.

"No,butitistoobad."

Isaidwithfeeling:

"Ishallunderstanditifheevertakesahatchettoher."

Nortonshookhishead.

"Hewon't.Theiron'senteredintohissoul.He'llgoon:'Yes,m'dear,no,m'dear,sorry,m'dear,'pullingat
hismoustacheandbleatingmeeklyuntilhe'sputinhiscoffin.Hecouldn'tasserthimselfifhetried!"

Ishookmyheadsadly,forIwasafraidNortonwasright.

WepausedinthehallandInoticedthatthesidedoortothegardenwasopenandthewindblowingin.

"Oughtwetoshutthat?"Iasked.

Nortonhesitatedaminutebeforesaying:

"Well-er-Idon'tthinkeverybody'sinyet."

Asuddensuspiciondartedthroughmymind.

"Who'sout?"

"Yourdaughter,Ithink-and-er-Allerton."

He tried to make his voice extra casual, but the information coming on top of my conversation with
Poirotmademefeelsuddenlyuneasy.

Judith-andAllerton.SurelyJudith,myclever,coolJudith,wouldnotbetakeninbyamanofthattype?
Surely she would see through him? I told myself that repeatedly as I undressed, but the vague
uneasinesspersisted.Icouldnotsleepandlaytossingfromsidetoside.

Asisthewaywithnightworries,everythinggetsexaggerated.Afreshsenseofdespairandlossswept
overme.Ifonlymydearwifewerealive.SheonwhosewisejudgmentIhadreliedforsomanyyears.
Shehadalwaysbeenwiseandunderstandingaboutthechildren.

Without her, I felt miserably inadequate. The responsibility for their safety and happiness was mine.
WouldIbeequaltothattask?Iwasnot,Heavenhelpme,acleverman.Iblundered-mademistakes.If
Judithwastoruinherchancesofhappiness,ifsheweretosuffer-

DesperatelyIswitchedthelightonandsatup.

It was no good going on like this. I must get some sleep. Getting out of bed, I walked over to the
washbasinandlookeddoubtfullyatabottleofaspirintablets.

No, I needed something stronger than aspirin. I reflected that Poirot, probably, would have some
sleepingstuffofsomekind.Icrossedthepassagetohisroomandstoodhesitatingaminuteoutsidethe
door.Ratherashametowaketheoldboyup.

AsIhesitated,Iheardafootfallandlookedround.Allertonwascoiningalongthecorridortowardsme.
ItwasdimlylitanduntilhecamenearIcouldnotseehisface,andwonderedforaminutewhoitwas.
ThenIsaw,andstiffenedallover.Forthemanwassmilingtohimself,andIdislikedthatsmilevery
much.

Helookedupandraisedhiseyebrows.

"Hullo,Hastings,stillabout?"

"Icouldn'tsleep,"Isaidshortly.

"Isthatall?I'llsoonfixyouup.Comewithme."

Ifollowedhimintohisroom,whichwasthenextonetomine.Astrangefascinationdrovemetostudy
thismanascloselyasIcould.

"Youkeeplatehoursyourself,"Iremarked.

"I'veneverbeenanearlybed-goer.Notwhenthere'ssportabroad.Thesefineeveningsaren'tmadetobe
wasted."

Helaughed-andIdislikedthelaugh.

Ifollowedhimintothebathroom.Heopenedalittlecupboardandtookoutabottleoftablets.

"Hereyouare.Thisistherealdope.You'llsleeplikealog-andhavepleasantdreams,too.Wonderful
stuffSlumberyl-that'sthepatentnameforit."

Theenthusiasminhisvoicegavemeaslightshock.Washeadrugtakeraswell?Isaiddoubtfully:

"Itisn't-dangerous?"

"'Itisifyoutaketoomuchofit.It'soneofthebarbiturates-whosetoxicdoseisveryneartheeffective
one."Hesmiled,thecornersofhismouthslidinguphisfaceinanunpleasantway.

"Ishouldn'thavethoughtyoucouldgetitwithoutadoctor'sprescription,"Isaid.

"Youcan't,oldboy.Anyway,quiteliterally,youcan't.I'vegotapullinthatline."

Isupposeitwasfoolishofme,butIgettheseimpulses.Isaid:

"YouknewEtherington,Ithink?"

AtonceIknewthatIhadstruckanoteofsomekind.Hiseyesgrewhardandwary.Hesaid-andhis
voicehadchanged-itwaslightandartificial:

"Oh yes - I knew Etherington. Poor chap." Then, as I did not speak, he went on: "Etherington took
drugs,ofcourse-butheoverdidit.One'sgottoknowwhentostop.Hedidn't.Badbusiness.Thatwife
ofhiswaslucky.Ifthesympathyofthejuryhadn'tbeenwithher,she'dhavehanged."

Hepassedmeoveracoupleofthetablets.Thenhesaidcasually:

"DidyouknowEtheringtonwell?"

Iansweredwiththetruth.

"No."

Heseemedforamomentatalosshowtoproceed.Thenheturneditoffwithalightlaugh:

"Funnychap.NotexactlyaSundayschoolcharacter,buthewasgoodcompanysometimes."

Ithankedhimforthetabletsandwentbacktomyroom.

AsIlaydownagainandturnedoffthelights,IwonderedifIhadbeenfoolish.

For it came to me very strongly that Allerton was almost certainly X. And I had let him see that I
suspectedthefact.

Chapter7

MynarrativeofthedaysspentatStylesmustnecessarilybesomewhatrambling.Inmyrecollectionof
it, it presents itself to me as a series of conversations - of suggestive words and phrases that etched
themselvesintomyconsciousness.

Firstofall,andveryearlyon,therecametherealizationofHerculePoirot'sinfirmityandhelplessness.I
did believe, as he had said, that his brain still functioned with all its old keenness, but the physical
envelopehadwornsothinthatIrealizedatoncethatmypartwasdestinedtobeafarmoreactiveone
thanusual.Ihadtobe,asitwere,Poirot'seyesandears.

True,everyfinedayCurtisswouldpickuphismasterandcarryhimcarefullydownstairstowherehis
chairhadbeencarrieddownbeforehandandwasawaitinghim.ThenhewouldwheelPoirotoutintothe
garden and select a spot that was free from draughts. On other days, when the weather was not
propitious,hewouldbecarriedtothedrawingroom.

Whereverhemightbe,someoneorotherwassuretocomeandsitwithhimandtalk,butthiswasnot
the same thing as if Poirot could have selected for himself his partner in the tête-à-tête. He could no
longersingleoutthepersonhewantedtotalkto.

OnthedayaftermyarrivalIwastakenbyFranklintoanoldstudiointhegardenwhichhadbeenfitted
upinarough-and-readyfashionforscientificpurposes.

Let me make clear here and now that I myself have not got the scientific mind. In my account of Dr
Franklin's work I shall probably use all the wrong terms and arouse the scorn of those properly
instructedinsuchmatters.

AsfarasI,amerelayman,couldmakeout,Franklinwasexperimentingwithvariousalkaloidsderived
from the Calabar bean, Physostigma venenosum. I understood more after a conversation which took
placeonedaybetweenFranklinandPoirot.Judith,whotriedtoinstructme,was,asiscustomarywith
theearnestyoung,almostimpossiblytechnical.Shereferredlearnedlytothealkaloidsphysostigmine,
eserine, physovenine, and geneserine, and then proceeded to a most impossible-sounding substance,
prostigmin or the demethylcarbonic ester of 3-hydroxyphenyl trimethyl lammonum, etc., etc., and a
good deal more which, it appeared, was the same thing, only differently arrived at! It was all, at any
rate,doubleDutchtome,andIarousedJudith'scontemptbyaskingwhatgoodallthiswaslikelytodo
to mankind? There is no question that annoys your true scientist more. Judith at once threw me a
scornful glance and embarked on another lengthy and learned explanation. The upshot of it was, so I
gathered, that certain obscure tribes of West African natives had shown a remarkable immunity to an
equallyobscure,thoughdeadlydisease-called,asfarasIremember,Jordanitis-acertainenthusiastic
DrJordanhavingoriginallytrackeditdown.Itwasanextremelyraretropicalailment,whichhadbeen,
ononeortwooccasions,contractedbywhitepeople,withfatalresults.

I risked inflaming Judith's rage by remarking that it would be more sensible to find some drug that
wouldcounteracttheaftereffectsofmeasles!WithpityandscornJudithmadeitcleartomethatitwas
notthebenefactionofthehumanrace,buttheenlargementofhumanknowledge,thatwastheonlygoal

worthyofattainment.

I looked at some slides through the microscope, studied some photographs of West African natives
(reallyquiteentertaining!),caughttheeyeofasoporificratinacageandhurriedoutagainintotheair.

AsIsay,anyinterestIcouldfeelwaskindledbyFranklin'sconversationwithPoirot.

Hesaid:

"You know, Poirot, the stuff's really more up your street than mine. It's the ordeal bean - supposed to
proveinnocenceorguilt.TheseWestAfricantribesbelieveitimplicitly-ordiddoso-they'regetting
sophisticated nowadays. They'll solemnly chew it up quite confident that it will kill them if they're
guiltyandnotharmthemifthey'reinnocent."

"Andso,alas,theydie?"

"No, they don't all die. That's what has always been overlooked up to now. There's a lot behind the
whole thing - a medicine man ramp, I rather fancy. There are two distinct species of this bean - only
they look so much alike that you can hardly spot the difference. But there is a difference. They both
containphysostigmineandgeneserineandtherestofit,butinthesecondspeciesyoucanisolate,orI
think I can, yet another alkaloid - and the action of that alkaloid neutralizes the effect of the others.
What'smore,thatsecondspeciesisregularlyeatenbyakindofinnerringinasecretritual-andthe
people who eat it never go down with Jordanitis. This third substance has a remarkable effect on the
muscularsystem-withoutdeleteriouseffects.It'sdamnedinteresting.Unfortunatelythepurealkaloidis
veryunstable.Still,I'mgettingresults.Butwhat'swantedisalotmoreresearchoutthereonthespot.
It'sworkthatoughttobedone!Yes,byheck,itis...I'dsellmysoulto-"

Hebrokeoffabruptly.Thegrincameagain.

"Forgivetheshop.Igettoohetupoverthesethings!"

"Asyousay,"saidPoirotplacidly,"itwouldcertainlymakemyprofessionmucheasierifIcouldtest
guilt and innocence so easily. Ah, if there were a substance that could do what is claimed for the
Calabarbean!"

Franklinsaid:

"Ah,butyourtroubleswouldn'tendthere!Afterall,whatisguiltorinnocence?"

"Ishouldn'tthinktherecouldbeanydoubtaboutthat,"Iremarked.

Heturnedtome.

"Whatisevil?Whatisgood?Ideasonthemvaryfromcenturytocentury.Whatyouwouldbetesting
wouldprobablybeasenseofguiltorasenseofinnocence.Infactnovalueasatestatall."

"Idon'tseehowyoumakethatout."

"My dear fellow, suppose a man thinks he has a divine right to kill a dictator or a moneylender or a
pimporwhateverarouseshismoralindignation.Hecommitswhatyouconsideraguiltydeed-butwhat
heconsidersisaninnocentone.Whatisyourpoorordealbeantodoaboutit?"

"Surely,"Isaid,"theremustalwaysbeafeelingofguiltwithmurder?"

"LotsofpeopleI'dliketokill,"saidDrFranklincheerfully."Don'tbelievemyconsciencewouldkeep
meawakeatnightafterwards.It'sanideaofmine,youknow,thatabouteightypercentofthehuman
raceoughttobeeliminated.We'dgetonmuchbetterwithoutthem."

Hegotupandstrolledaway,whistlingcheerfullytohimself.

Ilookedafterhimdoubtfully.AlowchucklefromPoirotrecalledme.

"You look, my friend, like one who has envisaged a nest of serpents. Let us hope that our friend the
doctordoesnotpracticewhathepreaches."

"Ah,"Isaid."Butsupposinghedoes?"

II

AftersomehesitationsIdecidedthatIoughttosoundJudithonthesubjectofAllerton.IfeltthatImust

knowwhatherreactionswere.Shewas,Iknew,alevel-headedgirl,wellabletotakecareofherself,
andIdidnotthinkthatshewouldreallybetakeninbythecheapattractionofamanlikeAllerton.I
suppose,actually,thatItackledheronthesubjectbecauseIwantedtobereassuredonthatpoint.

Unfortunately I did not get what I wanted... I went about it clumsily, I daresay. There is nothing that
youngpeopleresentsomuchasadvicefromtheirelders.Itriedtomakemywordsquitecarelessand
debonair.IsupposethatIfailed.

Judithbristledatonce.

"What'sthis?"shesaid."Aparentalwarningagainstthebigbadwolf?"

"No,no,Judith,ofcoursenot."

"Igatheryoudon'tlikeMajorAllerton?"

"Frankly,Idon't.ActuallyIdon'tsupposeyoudoeither."

"Whynot?"

"Well-er-heisn'tyourtype,ishe?"

"Whatdoyouconsiderismytype,Father?"

Judith can always flurry me. I boggled rather badly. She stood looking at me, her mouth curving
upwardsinaslightlyscornfulsmile.

"Ofcourseyoudon'tlikehim,"shesaid."Ido.Ithinkhe'sveryamusing."

"Oh,amusing-perhaps."Iendeavouredtopassitoff.

Judithsaiddeliberately:

"He'sveryattractive.Anywomanwouldthinkso.Men,ofcourse,wouldn'tseeit."

"Theycertainlywouldn't."Iwenton,ratherclumsily:

"Youwereoutwithhimverylatetheothernight-"

Iwasnotallowedtofinish.Thestormbroke.

"Really,Father,you'rebeingtooidiotic.Don'tyourealizethatatmyageI'mcapableofmanagingmy
ownaffairs.You'venoearthlyrighttocontrolwhatIdoorwhomIchoosetomakeafriendof.It'sthis
senselessinterferenceintheirchildren'slivesthatissoinfuriatingaboutfathersandmothers.I'mvery
fond of you - but I'm an adult woman and my life is my own. Don't start making a Mr Barrett of
yourself."

I was so hurt by this extremely unkind remark that I was quite incapable of replying and Judith went
quicklyaway.

IwasleftwiththedismayedfeelingthatIhaddonemoreharmthangood.

IwasstandinglostinmythoughtswhenIwasrousedbythevoiceofMrsFranklin'snurseexclaiming
archly:

"Apennyforyourthoughts,CaptainHastings!"

Iturnedgladlytowelcometheinterruption.

Nurse Craven was really a very good-looking young woman. Her manner was perhaps a little on the
archandsprightlyside,butshewaspleasantandintelligent.

Shehadjustcomefromestablishingherpatientinasunnyspotnotfarfromtheimprovisedlaboratory.

"IsMrsFranklininterestedinherhusband'swork?"Iasked.

NurseCraventossedherheadcontemptuously.

"Oh,it'sagooddealtootechnicalforher.She'snotatallacleverwoman,youknow,CaptainHastings."

"No,Isupposenot."

"Dr Franklin's work, of course, can only be appreciated by someone who knows something about
medicine.He'saveryclevermanindeed,youknow.Brilliant.Poorman,Ifeelsosorryforhim."

"Sorryforhim?"

"Yes.I'veseenithappensooften.Marryingthewrongtypeofwoman,Imean."

"Youthinkshe'sthewrongtypeforhim?"

"Well,don'tyou?They'venothingatallincommon."

"Heseemsveryfondofher,"Isaid."Veryattentivetoherwishesandallthat."

NurseCravenlaughedratherdisagreeably.

"Sheseestothat,allright!"

"Youthinkshetradesonher-onherillhealth?"Iaskeddoubtfully.

NurseCravenlaughed.

"There isn't much you could teach her about getting her own way. Whatever her ladyship wants
happens.Somewomenarelikethat-cleverasabarrelfullofmonkeys.Ifanyoneopposesthem,they
just lie back and shut their eyes and look ill and pathetic, or else they have a nerve storm - but Mrs
Franklin'sthepathetictype.Doesn'tsleepallnightandisallwhiteandexhaustedinthemorning."

"Butsheisreallyaninvalid,isn'tshe?"Iasked,ratherstartled.

NurseCravengavemearatherpeculiarglance.Shesaiddrily:

"Oh,ofcourse,"andthenturnedthesubjectratherabruptly.

SheaskedmeifitwastruethatIhadbeenherelongago,inthefirstwar.

"Yes,that'squitetrue."

Sheloweredhervoice.

"Therewasamurderhere,wasn'tthere?Sooneofthemaidswastellingme.Anoldlady?"

"Yes."

"Andyouwerethereatthetime?"

"Iwas."

Shegaveaslightshiver.Shesaid:

"Thatexplainsit,doesn'tit?"

"Explainswhat?"

Shegavemeaquicksidewaysglance.

"The - the atmosphere of the place. Don't you feel it? I do. Something wrong, if you know what I
mean?"

I was silent a moment considering. Was it true what she had just said? Did the fact that death by
violence-bymaliceaforethought-hadtakenplaceinacertainspotleaveitsimpressiononthatspotso
strongly that it was perceptible after many years? Psychic people said so. Did Styles definitely bear
tracesofthateventthathadoccurredsolongago?Here,withinthesewalls,inthesegardens,thoughts

ofmurderhadlingeredandgrownstrongerandhadatlastcometofruitioninthefinalact.Didtheystill
tainttheair?

NurseCravenbrokeinonmythoughtsbysayingabruptly:

"Iwasinahousewheretherewasamurdercaseonce.I'veneverforgottenit.Onedoesn't,youknow.
One of my patients. I had to give evidence and everything. Made me feel quite queer. It's a nasty
experienceforagirl."

"Itmustbe.Iknowmyself-"

IbrokeoffasBoydCarringtoncamestridingroundthecomerofthehouse.

Asusual,hisbigbuoyantpersonalityseemedtosweepawayshadowsandintangibleworries.Hewasso
large,sosane,sooutofdoors-oneofthoselovable,forcefulpersonalitiesthatradiatecheerfulnessand
commonsense.

"Morning,Hastings;morning,Nurse.Where'sMrsFranklin?"

"Goodmorning,SirWilliam.MrsFranklin'sdownatthebottomofthegardenunderthebeechtreenear
thelaboratory."

"AndFranklin,Isuppose,isinsidethelaboratory?"

"Yes,SirWilliam-withMissHastings."

"Wretched girl. Fancy being cooped up doing stinks on a morning like this! You ought to protest,
Hastings."

NurseCravensaidquickly:

"Oh,MissHastingsisquitehappy.Shelikesit,youknow,andthedoctorcouldn'tdowithouther,I'm
sure."

"Miserablefellow,"saidBoydCarrington."IfIhadaprettygirllikeyourJudithasasecretary,I'dbe
lookingatherinsteadofatguineapigs,ehwhat?"

It was the kind of joke that Judith would particularly have disliked, but it went down quite well with
NurseCraven,wholaughedagooddeal.

"Oh,SirWilliam,"sheexclaimed."Youreallymustn'tsaythingslikethat.I'msureweallknowwhat
you'dbelike!ButpoorDrFranklinissoserious-quitewrappedupinhiswork."

BoydCarringtonsaidcheerfully:

"Well, his wife seems to have taken up her position where she can keep her eye on her husband. I
believeshe'sjealous."

"Youknowfartoomuch,SirWilliam!"

NurseCravenseemeddelightedwiththisbadinage.Shesaidreluctantly:

"Well,IsupposeIoughttobegoingtoseeaboutMrsFranklin'smaltedmilk."

ShemovedawayslowlyandBoydCarringtonstoodlookingafterher.

"Good-lookinggirl,"heremarked."Lovelyhairandteeth.Finespecimenofwomanhood.Mustbeadull
lifeonthewholealwayslookingaftersickpeople.Agirllikethatdeservesabetterfate."

"Oh,well,"Isaid."Isupposeshe'llmarryoneday."

"Iexpectso."

Hesighed-anditoccurredtomethathewasthinkingofhisdeadwife.Thenhesaid:

"LiketocomeoverwithmetoKnattonandseetheplace?"

"Rather.I'dliketo.I'lljustseefirstifPoirotneedsme."

IfoundPoirotsittingontheverandah,wellmuffledup.Heencouragedmetogo.

"Butcertainlygo,Hastings,go.Itis,Ibelieve,amosthandsomeproperty.Youshouldcertainlyseeit."

"I'dliketo.ButIdidn'twanttodesertyou."

"Myfaithfulfriend!No,no,gowithSirWilliam.Acharmingman,ishenot?"

"Firstclass,"Isaidwithenthusiasm,

Poirotsmiled.

"Ahyes.Ithoughthewasyourtype."

III

Ienjoyedmyexpeditionenormously.

Notonlywastheweatherfine-areallylovelysummer'sday-butIenjoyedthecompanionshipofthe
man.

BoydCarringtonhadthatpersonalmagnetism,thatwideexperienceoflifeandofplacesthatmadehim
excellent company. He told me stories of his administrative days in India, some intriguing details of
EastAfricantriballoreandwasaltogethersointerestingthatIwasquitetakenoutofmyselfandforgot
myworriesaboutJudithandthedeepanxietiesthatPoirot'srevelationshadgivenme.

Iliked,too,thewayBoydCarringtonspokeofmyfriend.Hehadadeeprespectforhim-bothforhis
workandhischaracter.SadthoughPoirot'spresentconditionofillhealthwas,BoydCarringtonuttered
nofacilewordsofpity.HeseemedtothinkthatalifetimespentasPoirot'shadbeenwasinitselfarich
rewardandthatinhismemoriesmyfriendcouldfindsatisfactionandself-respect.

"Moreover,"hesaid,"I'dwagerhisbrainisaskeenaseveritwas."

"Itis;indeeditis,"Iassentedeagerly.

"Nogreatermistakethantothinkthatbecauseaman'stiedbythelegitaffectshisbrainpan.Notabit
ofit.AnnoDominiaffectsheadworkmuchlessthanyou'dthink.ByJove,Iwouldn'tcaretoundertake
tocommitamurderunderHerculePoirot'snose-evenatthistimeofday."

"He'dgetyouifyoudid,"Isaid,grinning.

"Ibethewould.Not,"headdedruefully,"thatIshouldbemuchgoodatdoingamurderanyway.Ican't
planthings,youknow.Tooimpatient.IfIdidamurder,itwouldbedoneonthespurofthemoment."

"Thatmightbethemostdifficultcrimetospot."

"Ihardlythinkso.I'dprobablyleavecluestrailingalongbehindmeineverydirection.Well,it'sluckyI
haven'tgotacriminalmind.OnlykindofmanIcanimaginemyselfkillingisablackmailer.Thatisa
foulthing,ifyoulike.I'vealwaysthoughtablackmaileroughttobeshot.Whatdoyousay?"

Iconfessedtosomesympathywithhispointofview.

Thenwepassedontoanexaminationoftheworkdoneonthehouseasayoungarchitectcameforward
tomeetus.

KnattonwasmainlyofTudordatewithawingaddedlater.Ithadnotbeenmodernizedoralteredsince
theinstallationoftwoprimitivebathroomsintheeighteen-fortiesorthereabouts.

BoydCarringtonexplainedthathisunclehadbeenmoreorlessofahermit,dislikingpeopleandliving
inacornerofthevasthouse.BoydCarringtonandhisbrotherhadbeentolerated,andhadspenttheir
holidays there as schoolboys before Sir Everard had become as much of a recluse as he afterwards
became.

Theoldmanhadnevermarried,andhadspentonlyatenthofhislargeincome,sothatevenafterdeath
dutieshadbeenpaid,thepresentbaronethadfoundhimselfaveryrichman.

"Butaverylonelyone."hesaid,sighing.

I was silent. My sympathy was too acute to be put into words. For I, too, was a lonely man. Since
Cindershaddied,Ifeltmyselftobeonlyhalfahumanbeing.

Presently,alittlehaltingly,IexpressedalittleofwhatIfelt.

"Ahyes,Hastings,butyou'vehadsomethingIneverhad."

Hepausedamomentandthen-ratherjerkilyhegavemeanoutlineofhisowntragedy.

Of the beautiful young wife, a lovely creature full of charm and accomplishments but with a tainted
heritage.Herfamilyhadnearlyalldiedofdrink,andsheherselffellavictimtothesamecurse.Barelya
yearaftertheirmarriageshehadsuccumbedandhaddiedadipsomaniac'sdeath.Hedidnotblameher.
Herealizedthatheredityhadbeentoostrongforher.

After her death he had settled down to lead a lonely life. He had determined, saddened by his
experience,nottomarryagain.

"Onefeels,"hesaidsimply,"saferalone."

"Yes,Icanunderstandyourfeelinglikethat-atanyrateatfirst."

"Thewholethingwassuchatragedy.Itleftmeprematurelyagedandembittered."Hepaused."It'strue
- I was once very much tempted. But she was so young - I didn't feel it would be fair to tie her to a
disillusionedman.Iwastoooldforher-shewassuchachild-sopretty-socompletelyuntouched."

Hebrokeoff,shakinghishead.

"Wasn'tthatforhertojudge?"

"I don't know, Hastings. I thought not. She - she seemed to like me. But then, as I say, she was so
young.IshallalwaysrememberherasIsawherthelastdayofthatleave.Herheadalittleononeside-
thatslightlybewilderedlook-herlittlehand-"

He stopped. The words conjured up a picture that seemed vaguely familiar, though I could not think

why.

BoydCarrington'svoice,suddenlyharsh,brokeintomythoughts.

"Iwasafool,"hesaid."Anymanisafoolwholetsopportunityslipbyhim.Anyway,hereIam,witha
greatmansionofahousefartoobigforme,andnograciouspresencetositattheheadofmytable."

Tometherewasacharminhisslightlyold-fashionedwayofputtingthings.Itconjuredupapictureof
old-worldcharmandease.

"Whereistheladynow?"Iasked.

"Oh-married."Heturneditoffbriefly."Factis,Hastings,I'mcutoutnowforabachelorexistence.I've
gotmylittleways.Comeandlookatthegardens.They'vebeenbadlyneglected,butthey'reveryfinein
theirway."

WewalkedroundtheplaceandIwasmuchimpressedwithallIsaw.Knattonwasundoubtedlyavery
fineestateandIdidnotwonderthatBoydCarringtonwasproudofit.Heknewtheneighbourhoodwell
andmostofthepeopleroundabout,thoughofcoursetherehadbeennewcomerssincehistime.

HehadknownColonelLuttrellintheolddaysandexpressedhisearnesthopethattheStylesventure
wasgoingtopay.

"PooroldTobyLuttrell'sveryhardup,youknow,"hesaid."Nicefellow.Goodsoldiertooandavery
fine shot. Went on safari with him in Africa once. Ah, those were the days! He was married then, of
course,buthismissusdidn'tcomealong,thankgoodness.Prettywomanshewas-butalwaysabitofa
Tartar.Funnythethingsamanwillstandfromawoman.OldTobyLuttrellwhousedtomakesubalterns
shakeintheirshoes,hewassuchasternmartinet!Andthereheis,henpeckedandbulliedandmeekas
theymake'em!Nodoubtaboutit,thatwoman'sgotatonguelikevinegar.Still,she'sgotaheadonher.
Ifanyonecanmaketheplacepay,shewill.Luttrellneverhadmuchofaheadforbusiness-butMrs
Tobywouldskinhergrandmother!"

"She'ssogushingwithitall,"Icomplained.

BoydCarringtonlookedamused.

"Iknow.Allsweetness.Buthaveyouplayedbridgewiththem?"

IrepliedfeelinglythatIhad.

"OnthewholeIsteerclearofwomenbridgeplayers,"saidBoydCarrington."Andifyoutakemytip,
you'lldothesame."

ItoldhimhowuncomfortableNortonandmyselfhadfeltonthefirsteveningofmyarrival.

"Exactly.Onedoesn'tknowwheretolook!"

Headded:

"Nicefellow,Norton.Veryquietthough.Alwayslookingatbirdsandthings.Doesn'tcareforshooting
them,hetoldme.Extraordinary!Nofeelingforsport.Itoldhimhemissedalot.Can'tseemyselfwhat
excitementtherecanbestalkingaboutthroughcoldwoodspeeringatbirdsthroughglasses."

HowlittlewerealizedthenthatNorton'shobbymighthaveanimportantparttoplayintheeventsthat
weretocome.

Chapter8

Thedayspassed.Itwasanunsatisfactorytime-withitsuneasyfeelingofwaitingforsomething.

Nothing, if I may put it in such a way, actually happened. Yet there were incidents, scraps of odd
conversations,sidelightsuponthevariousinmatesofStyles,elucidatingremarks.Theyallmountedup
and,ifproperlypiecedtogether,couldhavedonealottowardsenlighteningme.

It was Poirot who, with a few forceful words showed me something to which I had been criminally
blind.

Iwascomplaining,fortheumpteenthtime,ofhiswilfulrefusaltoadmitmetohisconfidence.Itwas
notfair,Itoldhim.AlwaysheandIhadhadequalknowledge-evenifIhadbeendenseandhehad
beenastuteindrawingtherightconclusionsfromthatknowledge.

Hewavedanimpatienthand.

"Quiteso,myfriend.Itisnotfair!Itisnotsporting!Itisnotplayingthegame!Admitallthatandpass
fromit.Thisisnotagame-itisnotlesport.Foryou,youoccupyyourselfinguessingwildlyatthe
identityofX.ItisnotforthatthatIaskedyoutocomehere.Unnecessaryforyoutooccupyyourself
with that. I know the answer to that question. But what I do not know and what I must know is this:
'Whoisgoingtodie-verysoon?'Itisaquestion,monvieux,notofyouplayingaguessinggame,but
ofpreventingahumanbeingfromdying."

Iwasstartled.

"Of course," I said slowly. "I - well, I did know that you practically said so once, but I haven't quite
realizedit."

"Thenrealizeitnow-immediately."

"Yes,yes,Iwill-Imean,Ido."

"Bien!Thentellme,Hastings,whoisitwhoisgoingtodie?"

Istaredathimblankly.

"Ihavereallynoidea!"

"Thenyoushouldhaveanidea!Whatelseareyouherefor?"

"Surely,"Isaid,goingbackovermymeditationsonthesubject,"theremustbeaconnectionbetween
thevictimandXsothatifyoutoldmewhoXwas-"

Poirotshookhisheadwithsomuchvigourthatitwasquitepainfultowatch.

"HaveInottoldyouthatthatistheessenceofX'stechnique?TherewillbenothingconnectingXwith
thedeath.Thatiscertain."

"Theconnectionwillbehidden,youmean?"

"ItwillbesowellhiddenthatneitheryounorIwillfindit."

"ButsurelybystudyingX'spast-"

"Itellyou,no.Certainlynotinthetime.Murdermayhappenanymoment,youcomprehend?"

"Tosomeoneinthishouse?"

"Tosomeoneinthishouse."

"Andyoureallydonotknowwho,orhow?"

"Ah,ifIdid,Ishouldnotbeurgingyoutofindoutforme!"

"YousimplybaseyourassumptiononthepresenceofX?"

Isoundedalittledoubtful.Poirot,whoseself-controlhadlessenedashislimbswereperforceimmobile,
fairlyhowledatme.

"Ah,mafoi,howmanytimesamItogooverallthis?Ifalotofwarcorrespondentsarrivesuddenlyina
certain spot of Europe, it means what? It means war! If doctors come from all over the world to a
certaincity-itshowswhat?Thatthereistobeamedicalconference.Whereyouseeavulturehovering,
therewillbeacarcass.Ifyouseebeaterswalkingupamoor,there.willbeashoot.Ifyouseeaman
stopsuddenly,tearoffhiscoatandplungeintothesea,itmeansthatthere,therewillbearescuefrom
drowning.

"Ifyouseeladiesofmiddleageandrespectableappearancepeeringthroughahedge,youmaydeduce
that there is an impropriety of some kind! And finally, if you smell a succulent smell and observe
severalpeopleallwalkingalongacorridorinthesamedirection,youmaysafelyassumethatamealis
abouttobeserved!"

Iconsideredtheseanalogiesforaminuteortwo,thenIsaid,takingthefirstone:

"Allthesame,onewarcorrespondentdoesnotmakeawar!"

"Certainly not. And one swallow does not make a summer. But one murderer, Hastings, does make a
murder."

That, of course, was undeniable. But it still occurred to me, as it did not seem to have occurred to
Poirot,thatevenamurdererhashisofftimes.XmightbeatStylessimplyforaholidaywithnolethal
intent.Poirotwassoworkedup,however,thatIdarednotpropoundthissuggestion.Imerelysaidthat
thewholethingseemedtomehopeless.Wemustwait-

"Andsee,"finishedPoirot."LikeyourMrAsquithinthe-lastwar.That,moncher,isjustwhatwemust
notdo.Idonotsay,markyou,thatweshallsucceed,forasIhavetoldyoubefore,whenakillerhas
determinedtokill,itisnoteasytocircumventhim.Butwecanatleasttry.Figuretoyourself,Hastings,
thatyouhaveherethebridgeprobleminthepaper.Youcanseeallthecards.Whatyouareaskedtodo
is'Forecasttheresultofthedeal.'"

Ishookmyhead.

"It'snogood,Poirot.Ihaven'ttheleastidea.IfIknewwhoXwas-"

Poirothowledatmeagain.HehowledsoloudthatCurtisscamerunninginfromthenextroomlooking
quitefrightened.Poirotwavedhimawayandwhenhehadgoneoutagain,myfriendspokeinamore
controlledmanner.

"Come,Hastings,youarenotsostupidasyouliketopretend.YouhavestudiedthosecasesIgaveyou
toread.YoumaynotknowwhoXis,butyouknowX'stechniqueforcommittingacrime."

"Oh,"Isaid."Isee."

"Of course you see. The trouble with you is that you are mentally lazy. You like to play games and
guess.Youdonotliketoworkwithyourhead.WhatistheessentialelementofX'stechnique?Isitnot
thatthecrime,whencommitted,iscomplete?Thatistosay,thereisamotiveforthecrime,thereisan
opportunity, there is means and there is, last and most important, the guilty person all ready for the
dock."

AtonceIgraspedtheessentialpointandrealizedwhatafoolIhadbeennottoseeitsooner.

"I see," I said. "I've got to look round for somebody who - who answers to those requirements - the
potentialvictim."

Poirotleanedbackwithasigh.

"Enfin!Iamverytired.SendCurtisstome.Youunderstandyourjobnow.Youareactive,youcanget
about, you can follow people about, talk to them, spy upon them unobserved -" (I nearly uttered an
indignantprotest,butquelledit.Itwastoooldanargument.)"Youcanlistentoconversations,youhave
kneesthatwillstillbendandpermityoutokneelandlookthroughkeyholes-"

"Iwillnotlookthroughkeyholes,"Iinterruptedhotly.

Poirotclosedhiseyes.

"Very well, then. You will not look through keyholes. You will remain the English gentleman and
someonewillbekilled.Itdoesnotmatter,that.HonourcomesfirstwithanEnglishman.Yourhonouris
moreimportantthansomebodyelse'slife.Bien!Itisunderstood."

"No,butdashitall,Poirot-"

Poirotsaidcoldly:

"Send Curtiss to me. Go away. You are obstinate and extremely stupid and I wish that there were
someoneelsewhomIcouldtrust,butIsupposeIshallhavetoputupwithyouandyourabsurdideasof
fairplay.Sinceyoucannotuseyourgreycellsasyoudonotpossessthem,atanyrateuseyoureyes,
yourearsandyournoseifneedbeinsofarasthedictatesofhonourallow."

II

ItwasonthefollowingdaythatIventuredtobroachanideawhichhadcomeintomymindmorethan
once.Ididsoalittledubiously,foroneneverknowshowPoirotmayreact!

Isaid:

"I'vebeenthinking,Poirot.IknowI'mnotmuchofafellow.You'vesaidI'mstupid.Well,inawayit's
true.AndI'monlyhalfthemanIwas.SinceCinders'death-"

Istopped.Poirotmadeagruffnoiseindicativeofsympathy.

Iwenton:

"But there is a man here who could help us - just the kind of man we need. Brains, imagination,
resource-usedtomakingdecisionsandamanofwideexperience.I'mtalkingofBoydCarrington.He's
themanwewant,Poirot.Takehimintoyourconfidence.Putthewholethingbeforehim."

Poirotopenedhiseyesandsaidwithimmensedecision:

"Certainlynot."

"Butwhynot?Youcan'tdenythathe'sclever-agooddealclevererthanIam."

"That,"saidPoirotwithbitingsarcasm,"wouldbeeasy.Butdismisstheideafromyourmind,Hastings.
Wetakenooneintoourconfidence.Thatisunderstood-hein?Youcomprehend,Iforbidyoutospeak
ofthismatter."

"Allright,ifyousayso,butreallyBoydCarrington-"

"Ahtata!BoydCarrington.WhyareyousoobsessedwithBoydCarrington?Whatisbe,afterall?A
bigmanwhoispompousandpleasedwithhimselfbecausepeoplehavecalledhim'YourExcellency.'A
manwith-yes,acertainamountoftactandcharmofmanner.Butheisnotsowonderful,yourBoyd
Carrington.Herepeatshimself,hetellsthesamestorytwice-andwhatismore,hismemoryissobad
thathetellsbacktoyouthestorythatyouhavetoldtohim(Amanofoutstandingability?Notatall.An
oldbore-awindbag-enfin-thestuffedshirt!"

"Oh,"Isaidasenlightenmentcametome.

It was quite true that Boyd Carrington's memory was not good. And he had actually been guilty of a
gaffewhichInowsawhadannoyedPoirotagooddeal.Poirothadtoldhimastoryofhispolicedaysin
Belgium,andonlyacoupleofdaysafterwards,whenseveralofuswereassembledinthegarden,Boyd
Carrington had in bland forgetfulness told the same story back again to Poirot, prefacing it with the

remark:"IremembertheChefdelaSûrétéinParistellingme-"

Inowperceivedthatthishadrankled!

Tactfully,Isaidnomoreandwithdrew.

III

Iwandereddownstairsandoutintothegarden.TherewasnooneaboutandIscrolledthroughagrove
oftreesanduptoagrassyknollwhichwassurmountedbyasomewhatearwiggysummerhouseinan
advancedstageofdecrepitude.HereIsatdown,litmypipe,andsettleddowntothinkthingsout.

WhowasthereatStyleswhohadafairlydefinitemotiveformurderingsomebodyelse-orwhomight
bemadeouttohaveone?

PuttingasidethesomewhatobviouscaseofColonelLuttrellwho,Iwasafraid,washardlylikelytotake
ahatchettohiswifeinthemiddleofarubber,justifiablethoughthatcoursemightbe,Icouldnotatfirst
thinkofanyone.

ThetroublewasthatIdidnotreallyknowenoughaboutthesepeople.Norton,forinstance,andMiss
Cole?Whatweretheusualmotivesformurder?Money?BoydCarringtonwas,Ifancied,theonlyrich
manoftheparty.Ifbedied,whowouldinheritthatmoney?Anyoneatpresentinthehouse?Ihardly
thought so, but it was a point that might bear inquiry. He might, for instance, have left his money to
research,makingFranklinatrustee.That,withthedoctor'sratherinjudiciousremarksonthesubjectof
eliminating80percentofthehumanrace,mightmakeoutafairlydamningcaseagainstthered-haired
doctor. Or possibly Norton or Miss Cole might be a distant relative and would inherit automatically.
Far-fetched but possible. Would Colonel Luttrell, who was an old friend, benefit under Boyd
Carrington's will? These possibilities seemed to exhaust the money angle. I turned to more romantic
possibilities. The Franklins. Mrs Franklin was an invalid. Was it possible that she was being slowly
poisoned-andwouldtheresponsibilityforherdeathbelaidatherhusband'sdoor?Hewasadoctor;he
hadopportunityandmeans,nodoubt.Whataboutmotive?Anunpleasantqualmshotacrossmymind
asitoccurredtomethatJudithmightbeinvolved.Ihadgoodreasontoknowhowbusinessliketheir
relations were - but would the general public believe that? Would a cynical police officer believe it?
Judithwasaverybeautifulyoungwoman.Anattractivesecretaryorassistanthadbeenthemotivefor
manycrimes.Thepossibilitydismayedme.

IconsideredAllertonnext.CouldtherebeanyreasonfordoingawaywithAllerton?Ifwehadtohavea
murder,IwouldprefertoseeAllertonthevictim!Oneoughttobeabletofindmotiveseasilyfordoing
awaywithhim.MissCole,thoughnotyoung,wasstillagood-lookingwoman.Shemight,conceivably,

beactuatedbyjealousyifsheandAllertonhadeverbeenonintimateterms,thoughIhadnoreasonto
believethatthatwasthecase.Besides,ifAllertonwasX-

Ishookmyheadimpatiently.Allthiswasgettingmenowhere.Afootsteponthegravelbelowattracted
my attention. It was Franklin walking rapidly towards the house, his hands in his pockets, his head
thrustforward.Hiswholeattitudewasoneofdejection.Seeinghimthus,offguard,Iwasstruckbythe
factthathelookedathoroughlyunhappyman.

IwassobusystaringathimthatIdidnothearafootfallnearerathandandturnedwithastartwhen
MissColespoketome.

"Ididn'thearyoucoming,"IexplainedapologeticallyasIsprangup.

Shewasexaminingthesummerhouse.

"WhataVictorianrelic!"

"Isn'tit?It'sratherspidery,I'mafraid.Dositdown.I'lldusttheseatforyou."

For it occurred to me that here was a chance to get to know one of my fellow guests a little better. I
studiedMissColecovertlyasIbrushedawaycobwebs.

Shewasawomanofbetweenthirtyandforty,slightlyhaggard,withaclear-cutprofileandreallyvery
beautifuleyes.Therewasaboutheranairofreserve,more-ofsuspicion.Itcametomesuddenlythat
thiswasawomanwhohadsufferedandwhowas,inconsequence,deeplydistrustfuloflife.IfeltthatI
wouldliketoknowmoreaboutElizabethCole.

"There,"Isaidwithafinalflickofthehandkerchief,"that'sthebestIcando."

"Thank you." She smiled and sat down. I sat down beside her. The seat creaked ominously, but no
catastropheoccurred.

MissColesaid:

"Dotellme,whatwereyouthinkingaboutwhenIcameuptoyou?Youseemedquitesunkinthought."

Isaidslowly:

"IwaswatchingDrFranklin."

"Yes?"

Isawnoreasonfornotrepeatingwhathadbeeninmymind.

"Itstruckmethathelookedaveryunhappyman."

Thewomanbesidemesaidquietly:

"Butofcourseheis.Youmusthaverealizedthat."

IthinkIshowedmysurprise.Isaid,stammeringslightly:

"No-no-Ihaven't.I'vealwaysthoughtofhimasabsolutelywrappedupinhiswork."

"Soheis."

"Doyoucallthatunhappiness?Ishouldhavesaiditwasthehappieststateimaginable."

"Ohyes,I'mnotdisputingit-butnotifyou'rehamperedfromdoingwhatyoufeelit'sinyoutodo.If
youcan't,thatistosay,produceyourbest."

Ilookedather,feelingratherpuzzled.Shewentontoexplain.

"Last autumn, Dr Franklin was offered the chance of going out to Africa and continuing his research
work there. He's tremendously keen, as you know, and has really done first-class work already in the
realmoftropicalmedicine."

"Andhedidn'tgo?"

"No.Hiswifeprotested.Sheherselfwasn'twellenoughtostandtheclimateandshekickedagainstthe
idea of being left behind, especially as it would have meant very economical living for her. The pay
offeredwasnothigh."

"Oh,"Isaid.Iwentonslowly:"Isupposehefeltthatinherstateofhealthhecouldn'tleaveher."

"Doyouknowmuchaboutherstateofhealth,CaptainHastings?"

"Well,I-no-Butsheisaninvalid,isn'tshe?"

"Shecertainlyenjoysbadhealth,"saidMissColedrily.Ilookedatherdoubtfully.Itwaseasytoseethat
hersympathieswereentirelywiththehusband.

"Isuppose,"Isaidslowly,"thatwomenwhoare-delicateareapttobeselfish?"

"Yes,Ithinkinvalids-chronicinvalids-usuallyareveryselfish.Onecan'tblamethemperhaps.It'sso
easy."

"Youdon'tthinkthatthere'sreallyverymuchthematterwithMrsFranklin?"

"Oh,Ishouldn'tliketosaythat.It'sjustasuspicion.Shealwaysseemsabletodoanythingshewantsto
do."

Ireflectedinsilenceforaminuteortwo.ItstruckmethatMissColeseemedverywellacquaintedwith
theramificationsoftheFranklinmenage.Iaskedwithsomecuriosity:

"YouknowDrFranklinwell,Isuppose?"

Sheshookherhead.

"Ohno.Ihadonlymetthemonceortwicebeforewemethere."

"Buthehastalkedtoyouabouthimself,Isuppose?"

Againsheshookherhead.

"No,whatIhavejusttoldyouIlearntfromyourdaughterJudith."

Judith,Ireflectedwithamoment'sbitterness,talkedtoeveryoneexceptme.

MissColewenton:

"Judithisterrificallyloyaltoheremployerandverymuchupinarmsonhisbehalf.Hercondemnation
ofMrsFranklin'sselfishnessissweeping."

"You,too,thinksheisselfish?"

"Yes, but I can see her point of view. I - I - understand invalids. I can understand, too, Dr Franklin's
givingwaytoher.Judith,ofcourse,thinksheshouldparkhiswifeanywhereandgetonwiththejob.
Yourdaughter'saveryenthusiasticscientificworker."

"Iknow,"Isaidratherdisconsolately."Itworriesmesometimes.Itdoesn'tseemnatural,ifyouknow
whatImean.Ifeelsheoughttobe-morehuman-morekeenonhavingagoodtime.Amuseherself-
fallinlovewithaniceboyortwo.Afterall,youthisthetimetohaveone'sfling-nottositporingover
test tubes. It isn't natural. In our young days we were having fun - flirting - enjoying ourselves - you
know."

Therewasamoment'ssilence.ThenMissColesaidinaqueercoldvoice:

"Idon'tknow."

Iwasinstantlyhorrified.UnconsciouslyIhadspokenasthoughsheandIwerecontemporaries-butI
realizedsuddenlythatshewaswellovertenyearsmyjuniorandthatIhadbeenunwittinglyextremely
tactless.

IapologizedasbestIcould.Shecutintomystammeringphrases.

"No,no,Ididn'tmeanthat.Pleasedon'tapologize.ImeantjustsimplywhatIsaid.Idon'tknow.Iwas
neverwhatyoumeanby'young.'Ineverhadwhatiscalled'agoodtime.'"

Somethinginhervoice,abitterness,adeepresentment,leftmeataloss.Isaidratherlamelybutwith
sincerity:

"I'msorry."

Shesmiled.

"Oh,well,itdoesn'tmatter.Don'tlooksoupset.Let'stalkaboutsomethingelse."

Iobeyed.

"Tellmesomethingabouttheotherpeoplehere,"Isaid."Unlessthey'reallstrangerstoyou."

"I'veknowntheLuttrellsallmylife.It'srathersadthattheyshouldhavetodothis-especiallyforhim.
He'sratheradear.Andshe'snicerthanyou'dthink.It'shavinghadtopinchandscrapeallherlifethat
hasmadeherrather-well-predatory.Ifyou'realwaysonthemake,itdoestellintheend.Theonly
thingIdoratherdislikeaboutheristhatgushingmanner."

"TellmesomethingaboutMrNorton."

"There isn't really much to tell. He's very nice - rather shy - just a little stupid, perhaps. He's always
been rather delicate. He's lived with his mother - rather a peevish, stupid woman. She bossed him a
gooddeal,Ithink.Shediedafewyearsago.He'skeenonbirdsandflowersandthingslikethat.He'sa
verykindperson-andhe'sthesortofpersonwhoseesalot."

"Throughhisglasses,youmean?"

MissColesmiled.

"Well, I wasn't meaning it quite so literally as that. I meant more that he notices a good deal. Those
quiet people often do. He's unselfish - and very considerate for a man, but he's rather - ineffectual, if

youknowwhatImean."

Inodded.

"Ohyes,Iknow."

ElizabethColesaidsuddenly,andoncemorethedeepbitternotewasinhervoice:

"That'sthedepressingpartofplaceslikethis.Guesthousesrunbybroken-downgentlepeople.They're
fulloffailures-ofpeoplewhohavenevergotanywhereandneverwillgetanywhere,ofpeoplewho-
whohavebeendefeatedandbrokenbylife,ofpeoplewhoareoldandtiredandfinished."

Hervoicediedaway.Adeepandspreadingsadnesspermeatedme.Howtrueitwas!Herewewere,a
collection of twilit people. Grey heads, grey hearts, grey dreams. Myself, sad and lonely, the woman
besidemealsoabitteranddisillusionedcreature.DrFranklin,hisambitionscurbedandthwarted,his
wife a prey to ill health. Quiet little Norton limping about looking at birds. Even Poirot, the once
brilliantPoirot,nowabroken,crippledoldman.

Howdifferentithadbeenintheolddays-thedayswhenIhadfirstcometoStyles.Thethoughtwas
toomuchforme-astifledexclamationofpainandregretcametomylips.

Mycompanionsaidquickly:

"Whatisit?"

"Nothing.Iwasjuststruckbythecontrast-Iwashere,youknow,manyyearsago,asayoungman.I
wasthinkingofthedifferencebetweenthenandnow."

"Isee.Itwasahappyhousethen?Everyonewashappyhere?"

Curious,sometimes,howone'sthoughtsseemedtoswinginakaleidoscope.Ithappenedtomenow.A
bewildering shuffling and reshuffling of memories, of events. Then the mosaic settled into its true
pattern.

Myregrethadbeenforthepastasthepast,notforthereality.Foreventhen,inthatfar-offtime,there

had been no happiness at Styles. I remembered dispassionately the real facts. My friend John and his
wife, both unhappy and chafing at the life they were forced to lead. Lawrence Cavendish, sunk in
melancholy.Cynthia,hergirlishbrightnessdampenedbyherdependentposition.Inglethorpmarriedto
a rich woman for her money. No, none of them had been happy. And now, again, no one here was
happy.Styleswasnotaluckyhouse.

IsaidtoMissCole:

"I've been indulging in false sentiment. This was never a happy house. It isn't now. Everyone here is
unhappy."

"No,no.Yourdaughter-"

"Judith'snothappy."

Isaiditwiththecertaintyofsuddenknowledge.No,Judithwasn'thappy.

"BoydCarrington,"Isaiddoubtfully."Hewassayingtheotherdaythathewaslonely-butforallthatI
thinkhe'senjoyinghimselfquiteagooddeal-whatwithhishouseandonethingandanother."

MissColesaidsharply:

"Ohyes,butthenSirWilliamisdifferent.Hedoesn'tbelonghereliketherestofusdo.He'sfromthe
outsideworld-theworldofsuccessandindependence.He'smadeasuccessofhislifeandheknowsit.
He'snotoneof-ofthemaimed."

Itwasacuriouswordtochoose.Iturnedandstaredather.

"Willyoutellme,"Iasked,"whyyouusedthatparticularexpression?"

"Because," she said with a sudden fierce energy, "it's the truth. The truth about me, at any rate. I am
maimed."

"Icansee,"Isaidgently,"thatyouhavebeenveryunhappy."

Shesaidquietly:

"Youdon'tknowwhoIam,doyou?"

"Er-Iknowyourname-"

"Coleisn'tmyname-thatistosay,itwasmymother'sname.Itookit-afterwards."

"After?"

"MyrealnameisLitchfield."

Foraminuteortwoitdidn'tsinkin-itwasjustanamevaguelyfamiliar.ThenIremembered.

"MatthewLitchfield."

Shenodded.

"Iseeyouknowaboutit.ThatwaswhatImeantjustnow.Myfatherwasaninvalidandatyrant.He
forbadeusanykindofnormallife.Wecouldn'taskfriendstothehouse.Hekeptusshortofmoney.We
were-inprison."

Shepaused,hereyes,thosebeautifuleyes,wideanddark.

"Andthenmysister-mysister-"

Shestopped.

"Pleasedon't-don'tgoon.Itistoopainfulforyou.Iknowaboutit.Thereisnoneedtotellme."

"Butyoudon'tknow.Youcan't.Maggie.It'sinconceivable-unbelievable.Iknowthatshewenttothe
police,thatshegaveherselfup,thatsheconfessed.ButIstillsometimescan'tbelieveit!Ifeelsomehow

thatitwasn'ttrue-thatitdidn't-thatitcouldn'thavehappenedlikeshesaiditdid."

"Youmean-"Ihesitated-"thatthefactswereat-atvariance-"

Shecutmeshort.

"No,no.Notthat.No,it'sMaggieherself.Itwasn'tlikeher.Itwasn't-itwasn'tMaggie!"

Wordstrembledonmylips,butIdidnotsaythem.ThetimehadnotyetcomewhenIcouldsaytoher:

"Youareright.Itwasn'tMaggie..."

Chapter9

Itmusthavebeenaboutsixo'clockwhenColonelLuttrellcamealongthepath.Hehadarookriflewith
himandwascarryingacoupleofdeadwoodpigeons.

HestartedwhenIhailedhimandseemedsurprisedtoseeus.

"Hullo,whatareyoutwodoingthere?Thattumbledownoldplaceisn'tverysafe,youknow.It'sfalling
topieces.Probablybreakupaboutyourears.Afraidyou'llgetdirtythere,Elizabeth."

"Oh,that'sallright.CaptainHastingshassacrificedapockethandkerchiefinthegoodcauseofkeeping
mydressclean."

TheColonelmurmuredvaguely:

"Oh,really?Ohwell,that'sallright."

Hestoodtherepullingathislipandwegotupandjoinedhim.

Hismindseemedfarawaythisevening.Herousedhimselftosay:

"Beentryingtogetsomeofthesecursedwoodpigeons.Doalotofdamage,youknow."

"You'reaveryfineshot,Ihear,"Itoldhim.

"Eh?Whotoldyouthat?Oh,BoydCarrington.Usedtobe-usedtobe.Bitrustynowadays.Agewill
tell."

"Eyesight,"Isuggested.

Henegativedthesuggestionimmediately.

"Nonsense.Eyesight'sasgoodaseveritwas.Thatis-havetowearglassesforreading,ofcourse.But
farsight'sallright."

Herepeatedaminuteortwolater:

"Yes-allright.Notthatitmatters..."

Hisvoicetailedoffintoanabsent-mindedmutter.

MissColesaid,lookinground:

"Whatabeautifuleveningitis."

Shewasquiteright.Thesunwasdrawingtothewestandthelightwasarichgolden,bringingoutthe
deepershadesofgreeninthetreesinadeep,glowingeffect.Itwasanevening,stillandcalm,andvery
English,suchasonerememberswheninfar-offtropicalcountries.Isaidasmuch.

ColonelLuttrellagreedeagerly.

"Yes,yes,oftenusedtothinkofeveningslikethis-outinIndia,youknow.Makesyoulookforwardto
retiringandsettlingdown-what?"

Inodded.Hewenton,hisvoicechanging:

"Yes,settlingdown-cominghome-nothing'severquitewhatyoupictureit-no-no."

I thought that that was probably particularly true in his case. He had not pictured himself running a
guesthouse,tryingtomakeitpay,withanaggingwifeforeversnappingathimandcomplaining.

Wewalkedslowlytowardsthehouse.NortonandBoydCarringtonweresittingontheverandahandthe
ColonelandIjoinedthemwhileMissColewentonintothehouse.

Wechattedforafewminutes.ColonelLuttrellseemedtohavebrightenedup.Hemadeajokeortwo
andseemedfarmorecheerfulandwide-awakethanusual.

"Beenahotday,"saidNorton.I'mthirsty."

"Haveadrink,youfellows.Onthehouse,what?"TheColonelsoundedeagerandhappy.

Wethankedhimandaccepted.Hegotupandwentin.

The part of the terrace where we were sitting was just outside the dining-room window, and that
windowwasopen.

We heard the Colonel inside - opening a cupboard, then heard the squeak of a corkscrew and the
subduedpopasthecorkofthebottlecameout.

Andthen,sharpandhighcametheunofficialvoiceofMrsColonelLuttrell!

"Whatareyoudoing,George?"

TheColonel'svoicewassubduedtoamutter.

Weonlyheardamumbledwordhereandthere-fellowsoutside-drink-

Thesharp,irritatingvoiceburstoutindignantly:

"You'lldonosuchthing,George.Theideanow.Howdoyouthinkwe'llevermakethisplacepayifyou
go round standing everybody drinks? Drinks here will be paid for. I've got a business head if you
haven't.Why,you'dbebankrupttomorrowifitwasn'tforme!I'vegottolookafteryoulikeachild.Yes,
justlikeachild.You'vegotnosenseatall.Givemethatbottle.Giveitme,Isay."

Againtherewasanagonizedlowprotestingmumble.

MrsLuttrellansweredsnappishly:

"Idon'tcarewhethertheydoortheydon't.Thebottle'sgoingbackinthecupboard,andI'mgoingto
lockthecupboardtoo."

Therewasthesoundofakeybeingturnedinthelock.

"Therenow.That'sthewayofit."

ThistimetheColonel'svoicecamemoreclearly:

"You'regoingtoofar,Daisy.Iwon'thaveit."

"Youwon'thaveit?Andwhoareyou,I'dliketoknow?Whorunsthishouse?Ido.Anddon'tyouforget
it."

TherewasafaintswishofdraperiesandMrsLuttrellevidentlyflouncedoutoftheroom.

It was some few moments before the Colonel reappeared. He looked in those few moments to have
grownmucholderandfeebler.

There was not one of us who did not feel deeply sorry for him and who would not willingly have
murderedMrsLuttrell.

"Awfully sorry, you chaps," he said, his voice sounding stiff and unnatural. "Seem to have run out of

whisky."

He must have realized that we could not have helped overhearing what had passed. If he had not
realized it, our manner would soon have told him. We were all miserably uncomfortable, and Norton
quitelosthishead,hurriedlysayingfirstthathedidn'treallywantadrink-tooneardinner,wasn'tit,
andthenelaboratelychangingthesubjectandmakingaseriesofthemostunconnectedremarks.Itwas
indeedabadmoment.ImyselffeltparalyzedandBoydCarrington,whowastheonlyoneofuswho
mightconceivablyhavemanagedtopassitoff,gotnoopportunitywithNorton'sbabble.

Out of the tail of my eye I saw Mrs Luttrell stalking away down one of the paths equipped with
gardening gloves and a dandelion weeder. She was certainly an efficient woman, but I felt bitterly
towardsherjustthen.Nohumanbeinghasarighttohumiliateanotherhumanbeing.

Norton was still talking feverishly. He had picked up a wood pigeon and from first telling us how he
hadbeenlaughedatathisprepschoolforbeingsickwhenhesawarabbitkilled,hadgoneontothe
subject of grouse moors, telling a long and rather pointless story of an accident that had occurred in
Scotlandwhenabeaterhadbeenshot.Wetalkedofvariousshootingaccidentswehadknown,andthen
BoydCarringtonclearedhisthroatandsaid:

"Ratheranamusingthinghappenedoncewithabatmanofmine.Irishchap.Hehadaholidayandwent
offtoIrelandforit.Whenhecameback,Iaskedhimifhehadhadagoodholiday.

"'Ahshure,yourHonour,bestholidayI'veeverhadinmylife!'

"'I'mgladofthat,'Isaid,rathersurprisedathisenthusiasm.

"'Ahyes,shure,itwasagrandholiday!Ishotmybrother.'

"'Youshotyourbrother!'Iexclaimed.

"'Ahyes,indade.It'syearsnowthatI'vebeenwantingtodoit.AndthereIwasonaroofinDublinand
whoshouldIseecomingdownthestreetbutmybrotherandItherewitharifleinmyhand.Alovely
shotitwas,thoughIsayitmyself.Pickedhimoffascleanasabird.Ah!Itwasafoinemoment,that,
andI'llneverforgetit!'"

Boyd Carrington told a story well, with exaggerated dramatic emphasis, and we all laughed and felt
easier. When he got up and strolled off saying he must get a bath before dinner, Norton voiced our

feelingbysayingwithenthusiasm:

"Whatasplendidchapheis!"

Iagreed,andLuttrellsaid:"Yes,yes,agoodfellow."

"Alwaysbeenasuccesseverywhere,soIunderstand,"saidNorton."Everythinghe'sturnedhishandto
has succeeded. Clear-headed, knows his own mind - essentially a man of action. The true successful
man."

Luttrellsaidslowly:

"Some men are like that. Everything they turn their hand to succeeds. They can't go wrong. Some
people-havealltheluck."

Nortongaveaquickshakeofthehead.

"No,no,sir.Notluck,"Hequotedwithmeaning."Notinourstars,dearBrutus-butinourselves."

Luttrellsaid:"Perhapsyou'reright."

Isaidquickly:

"Atanyratehe'sluckytohaveinheritedKnatton.Whataplace!Buthecertainlyoughttomarry.He'll
belonelytherebyhimself."

Nortonlaughed."Marryandsettledown?Andsupposehiswifebullieshim-"

It was the purest bad luck. The sort of remark that anyone could make. But it was unfortunate in the
circumstances,andNortonrealizeditjustatthemomentthatthewordscameout.Hetriedtocatchthem
back,hesitated,stammered,andstoppedawkwardly.Itmadethewholethingworse.

BothheandIbegantospeakatonce.Imadesomeidioticremarkabouttheeveninglight.Nortonsaid
somethingabouthavingsomebridgeafterdinner.

ColonelLuttrelltooknonoticeofeitherofus.Hesaidinaqueer,inexpressivevoice:

"No, Boyd Carrington won't get bullied by his wife. He's not the sort of man who lets himself get
bullied.He'sallright.He'saman!"

It was very awkward. Norton began babbling about bridge again. In the middle of it a large wood
pigeoncameflappingoverourheadsandsettledonthebranchofatreenotfaraway.

ColonelLuttrellpickeduphisgun.

"There'soneoftheblighters,"hesaid.

Butbeforehecouldtakeaimthebirdhadflownoffagainthroughthetreeswhereitwasimpossibleto
getashotatit.

Atthesamemoment,however,theColonel'sattentionwasdivertedbyamovementonthefarslope.

"Damme,there'sarabbitnibblingthebarkofthoseyoungfruittrees.ThoughtI'dwiredtheplace."

Heraisedtherifleandfired,andasIsaw-

Therecameascreaminawoman'svoice.Itdiedinakindofhorriblegurgle.

TheriflefellfromtheColonel'shand,hisbodysagged-hecaughthislip.

"MyGod-it'sDaisy."

Iwasalreadyrunningacrossthelawn.Nortoncamebehindme.Ireachedthespotandkneltdown.It
wasMrsLuttrell.Shehadbeenkneeling,tyingastakeagainstoneofthesmallfruittrees.Thegrasswas
long there so that I realized how it was that the Colonel had not seen her clearly and had only
distinguished movement in the grass. The light, too, was confusing. She had been shot through the
shoulderandthebloodwasgushingout.

IbenttoexaminethewoundandlookedupatNorton.Hewasleaningagainstatreeandwaslooking
greenandasthoughheweregoingtobesick.Hesaidapologetically:

"Ican'tstandblood."

Isaidsharply:

"GetholdofFranklin-atonce.Orthenurse."

Henoddedandranoff.

ItwasNurseCravenwhoappearedfirstuponthescene.Shewasthereinanincrediblyshorttimeandat
once set about in a businesslike way to stop the bleeding. Franklin arrived at a run soon afterwards.
Between them they got Mrs Luttrell into the house and to bed. Franklin dressed and bandaged the
woundandsentforherowndoctorandNurseCravenstayedwithher.

IranacrossFranklinjustasheleftthetelephone.

"Howisshe?"

"Oh!She'llpullthroughallright.Itmissedanyvitalspotluckily.Howdidithappen?"

Itoldhim.Hesaid:

"Isee.Where'stheoldboy?He'llbefeelingknockedout.Ishouldn'twonder.Probablyneedsattention
morethanshedoes.Ishouldn'tsayhisheartisanytoogood."

We found Colonel Luttrell in the smoking room. He was a blue colour round the mouth and looked
completelydazed.Hesaidbrokenly:

"Daisy?Isshe-howisshe?"

Franklinsaidquickly:

"She'llbeallright,sir.Youneedn'tworry."

"I-thought-rabbit-nibblingthebark-don'tknowhowIcametomakesuchamistake.Lightinmy
eyes."

"These things happen," said Franklin drily. "I've seen one or two of them in my time. Look here, sir,
you'dbetterletmegiveyouapick-me-up.You'renotfeelingtoogood."

"I'mallright.CanI-canIgotoher?"

"Notjustnow.NurseCraveniswithher.Butyoudon'tneedtoworry.She'sallright.DrOliverwillbe
herepresentlyandhe'lltellyouthesame."

Ileftthetwoofthemtogetherandwentoutintotheeveningsunshine.JudithandAllertonwerecoming
alongthepathtowardsme.Hisheadwasbenttohersandtheywerebothlaughing.

Coming on top of the tragedy that had just happened, it made me feel very angry. I called sharply to
Judithandshelookedupsurprised.InafewwordsItoldthemwhathadoccurred.

"Whatanextraordinarythingtohappen,"wasmydaughter's'comment.

Shedidnotseemnearlyasperturbedassheshouldhavedone,Ithought.

Allerton'smannerwasoutrageous.Heseemedtotakethewholethingasagoodjoke.

"Servestheoldharridandamnwellright,"heobserved."Thinktheoldboydiditonpurpose."

"Certainlynot,"Isaidsharply."Itwasanaccident."

"Yes, but I know these accidents. Damned convenient sometimes. My word, if the old boy shot her
deliberately,Itakeoffmyhattohim."

"Itwasnothingofthekind,"Isaidangrily.

"Don'tbetoosure.I'veknowntwomenwhoshottheirwives.Cleaninghisrevolveronewas.Theother
firedpoint-blankatherasajoke,hesaid.Didn'tknowthethingwasloaded.Gotawaywithit,bothof
them.Damnedgoodrelease,Ishouldsaymyself."

"ColonelLuttrell,"Isaidcoldly,"isn'tthattypeofman."

"Well, you couldn't say it wouldn't be a blessed release, could you?" demanded Allerton pertinently.
"Theyhadn'tjusthadaroworanything,hadthey?"

Iturnedawayangrily,atthesametimetryingtohideacertainperturbation.Allertonhadcomealittle
toonearthemark.Forthefirsttimeadoubtcreptintomymind.

It was not bettered by meeting Boyd Carrington. He had been for a stroll down towards the lake, he
explained.WhenItoldhimthenews,hesaidatonce:

"Youdon'tthinkhemeanttoshoother,doyou,Hastings?"

"Mydearman."

"Sorry,sorry.Ishouldn'thavesaidthat.Itwasonly,forthemoment,onewondered...She-shegavehim
abitofprovocation,youknow."

Wewerebothsilentforamomentaswerememberedthescenewehadsounwillinglyoverheard.

IwentupstairsfeelingunhappyandworriedandrappedonPoirot'sdoor.

HehadalreadyheardthroughCurtissofwhathadoccurred,buthewaseagerforfulldetails.Sincemy
arrivalatStylesIhadgotintothewayofreportingmostofmydailyencountersandconversationsin
fulldetail.InthiswayIfeltthatthedearoldfellowfeltlesscutoff.Itgavehimtheillusionofactually
participatingineverythingthatwenton.Ihavealwayshadagoodandaccuratememoryandfoundita
simplemattertorepeatconversationsverbatim.

Poirotlistenedveryattentively.Iwashopingthathewouldbeabledefinitelytopooh-poohthedreadful
suggestionthathadbynowtakenuneasycontrolofmymind,butbeforehehadachanceoftellingme
whathethought,therecamealighttaponthedoor.

ItwasNurseCraven.Sheapologizedfordisturbingus.

"I'msosorry,butIthoughtDoctorwashere.Theoldladyisconsciousnowandshe'sworryingabout
herhusband.She'dliketoseehim.Doyouknowwhereheis,CaptainHastings?Idon'twanttoleave
mypatient."

Ivolunteeredtogoandlookforhim.PoirotnoddedapprovalandNurseCraventhankedmewarmly.

IfoundColonelLuttrellinalittlemorningroomthatwasseldomused.Hewasstandingbythewindow
lookingout.

HeturnedsharplyasIcamein.Hiseyesaskedaquestion.Helooked,Ithought,afraid.

"Yourwifeisconscious,ColonelLuttrell,andisaskingforyou."

"Oh."ThecoloursurgedupinhischeeksandIrealizedthenhowverywhitehehadbeenbefore.He
saidslowly,fumblingly,likeanold,oldman:

"She-she-isaskingforme?I'll-I'llcome-atonce."

HewassounsteadyashebeganshufflingtowardsthedoorthatIcameandhelpedhim.Heleanedon
meheavilyaswewentupthestairs.Hisbreathingwascomingwithdifficulty.Theshock,asFranklin
hadprophesied,wassevere.

Wecametothedoorofthesickroom.ItappedandNurseCraven'sbrisk,efficientvoicecalled"Come
in."

Stillsupportingtheoldman,Iwentwithhimintotheroom.Therewasascreenroundthebed.Wecame
roundthecornerofit.

MrsLuttrellwaslookingveryill-whiteandfrail,hereyesclosed.Sheopenedthemaswecameround
thecornerofthescreen.

Shesaidinasmallbreathlessvoice:

"George-George-"

"Daisy-mydear..."

Oneofherarmswasbandagedandsupported.Theother,thefreeone,movedunsteadilytowardshim.
Hetookastepforwardandclaspedherfraillittlehandinhis.Hesaidagain:

"Daisy..."Andthen,gruffly,"ThankGod,you'reallright."

And looking up at him, seeing his eyes slightly misty, and the deep love and anxiety in them, I felt
bitterlyashamedofallourghoulishimaginings.

I crept quietly out of the room. Camouflaged accident indeed! There was no disguising that heartfelt
noteofthankfulness.Ifeltimmeasurablyrelieved.

ThesoundofthegongstartledmeasIwentalongthepassage.Ihadcompletelyforgottenthepassage
oftime.Theaccidenthadupseteverything.Onlythecookhadgoneonasusualandproduceddinnerat
theusualtime.

Most of us had not changed and Colonel Luttrell did not appear. But Mrs Franklin, looking quite
attractiveinapalepinkeveningdress,wasdownstairsforonceandseemedingoodhealthandspirits.
Franklin,Ithought,wasmoodyandabsorbed.

Afterdinner,tomyannoyance,AllertonandJudithdisappearedintothegardentogether.Isatarounda
while, listening to Franklin and Norton discussing tropical diseases. Norton was a sympathetic and
interestedlistener,evenifheknewlittleofthesubjectunderdiscussion.

MrsFranklinandBoydCarringtonweretalkingattheotherendoftheroom.Hewasshowinghersome
patternsofcurtainsorcretonnes.

ElizabethColehadabookandseemeddeeplyabsorbedinit.Ifanciedthatshewasslightlyembarrassed
andillateasewithme.Perhapsnotunnaturallysoafterherconfidencesoftheafternoon.Iwassorry
aboutit,allthesame,andhopedshedidnotregretallshehadtoldme.Ishouldhavelikedtohavemade
itcleartoherthatIshouldrespectherconfidenceandnotrepeatit.However,shegavemenochance.

AfterawhileIwentuptoPoirot.

I found Colonel Luttrell sitting in the circle of light thrown by the one small electric lamp that was
turnedon.

HewastalkingandPoirotwaslistening.IthinktheColonelwasspeakingtohimselfratherthantohis
listener.

"Iremembersowell-yes,itwasatahuntball.Sheworewhitestuff,calledtulle,Ithinkitwas.Floated
allroundher.Suchaprettygirl-bowledmeoverthenandthere.Isaidtomyself,'That'sthegirlI'm
goingtomarry.'AndbyJove,Ibroughtitoff.Awfullyprettywayshehadwithher-saucy,youknow,
plentyofbackchat.Alwaysgaveasgoodasshegot,blessher."

Hechuckled.

Isawthesceneinmymind'seye.IcouldimagineDaisyLuttrellwithayoungsaucyfaceandthatsmart
tongue-socharmingthen,soapttoturnshrewishwiththeyears.

Butitwasasthatyounggirl,hisfirstreallove,thatColonelLuttrellwasthinkingofhertonight.His
Daisy.

AndagainIfeltashamedofwhatwehadsaidsuchafewhourspreviously.

Ofcourse,whenColonelLuttrellhadatlasttakenhimselfofftobed,Iblurtedoutthewholethingto
Poirot.

Helistenedveryquietly.Icouldmakenothingoftheexpressiononhisface.

"Sothatiswhatyouthought,Hastings-thattheshotwasfiredonpurpose?"

"Yes.Ifeelashamednow-"

Poirotwavedasidemypresentfeelings.

"Didthethoughtoccurtoyouofyourownaccord,ordidsomeoneelsesuggestittoyou?"

"Allertonsaidsomethingofthekind,"Isaidresentfully."Hewould,ofcourse."

"Anyoneelse?"

"BoydCarringtonsuggestedit."

"Ah!BoydCarrington."

"Andafterall,he'samanoftheworldandhasexperienceofthesethings."

"Oh,quiteso,quiteso.Hedidnotseethethinghappen,though?"

"No,be'dgoneforawalk.Bitofexercisebeforechangingfordinner."

"Isee."

Isaiduneasily:

"Idon'tthinkIreallybelievedthattheory,Itwasonly-"

Poirotinterruptedme.

"Youneednotbesoremorsefulaboutyoursuspicions,Hastings.Itwasanideaquitelikelytooccurto
anyonegiventhecircumstances.Ohyes,itwasallquitenatural."

TherewassomethinginPoirot'smannerIdidnotquiteunderstand.Areserve.Hiseyeswerewatching
mewithacuriousexpression.

Isaidslowly:

"Perhaps.Butseeingnowhowdevotedhereallyistoher-"

Poirotnodded.

"Exactly. That is often the case, remember. Underneath the quarrels, the misunderstandings, the
apparenthostilityofeverydaylife,arealandtrueaffectioncanexist."

Iagreed.Irememberedthegentle,affectionatelookinlittleMrsLuttrell'seyesasshelookedupather
husbandstoopingoverherbed.Nomorevinegar,noimpatience,noilltemper.

Marriedlife,Imused,asIwenttobed,wasacuriousthing.

That something in Poirot's manner still worried me. That curious watchful look - as though he were
waitingformetosee-what?

Iwasjustgettingintobedwhenitcametome.Hitmebangbetweentheeyes.

IfMrsLuttrellhadbeenkilled,itwouldhavebeenacaselikethoseothercases.ColonelLuttrellwould,
apparently,havekilledhiswife.Itwouldhavebeenaccountedanaccident,yetatthesametimenobody
would have been sure that it was an accident, or whether it had been done on purpose. Insufficient
evidencetoshowitasmurder,butquiteenoughevidenceformurdertobesuspected.

Butthatmeant-thatmeant-

Whatdiditmean?

Itmeant-ifanythingatallwastomakesense-thatitwasnotColonelLuttrellwhoshotMrsLuttrell,
butX.

Andthatwasclearlyimpossible.Ihadseenthewholething.ItwasColonelLuttrellwhohadfiredthe
shot.Noothershothadbeenfired.

Unless-Butsurelythatwouldbeimpossible.No,perhapsnotimpossible-merelyhighlyimprobable.
Butpossible,yes...Supposingthatsomeoneelsehadwaitedhismomentand,attheexactinstantwhen

Colonel Luttrell had fired (at a rabbit), this other person had fired at Mrs Luttrell. Then only the one
shot would have been heard. Or, even with a slight discrepancy, it would have been put down as an
echo.(NowIcometothinkofit,therehadbeenanecho,surely.)

But no, that was absurd. There were ways of deciding exactly what weapon a bullet had been fired
from.Themarksonthebulletmustagreewiththeriflingofthebarrel.

Butthat,Iremembered,wasonlywhenthepolicewereanxioustoestablishwhatweaponhadfiredthe
shot.Therewouldhavebeennoenquiryinthisbusiness.ForColonelLuttrellwouldhavebeenquiteas
certainaseveryoneelsethatitwashewhohadfiredthefatalshot.Thatfactwouldhavebeenadmitted,
acceptedwithoutquestion,therewouldhavebeennoquestionoftests.Theonlydoubtwouldhavebeen
whethertheshotwasfiredaccidentallyorwithcriminalintent-aquestionthatcouldneverberesolved.

Andthereforethecasefellintolineexactlywiththoseothercases-withthecaseofthelabourerRiggs,
whodidn'trememberbutsupposedhemusthavedoneit;withMaggieLitchfield,whowentoutofher
mindandgaveherselfup-foracrimeshehadnotcommitted.

Yes,thiscasefellintolinewiththerestandIknewnowthemeaningofPoirot'smanner.Hewaswaiting
formetoappreciatethefact.

Chapter10

I opened the subject with Poirot the following morning. His face lighted up and he wagged his head
appreciatively.

"Excellent, Hastings. I wondered if you would see the similarity. I did not want to prompt you, you
understand."

"ThenIamright.ThisisanotherXcase?"

"Undeniably."

"Butwhy,Poirot?Whatisthemotive?"

Poirotshookhishead.

"Don'tyouknow?Haven'tyouanyidea?"

Poirotsaidslowly:

"Ihaveanidea,yes."

"You'vegottheconnectionbetweenallthesedifferentcases?"

"Ithinkso."

"Well,then."

Icouldhardlyrestrainmyimpatience.

"No,Hastings."

"ButI'vegottoknow."

"Itismuchbetterthatyoushouldnot."

"Why?"

"Youmusttakeitfrommethatitisso."

"Youareincorrigible,"Isaid."Twistedupwitharthritis.Sittingherehelpless.Andstilltryingtoplaya
'lonehand.'"

"DonotfiguretoyourselfthatIamplayingalonehand.Notatall.Youare,onthecontrary,verymuch
inthepicture,Hastings.Youaremyeyesandmyears.Ionlyrefusetogiveyouinformationthatmight
bedangerous."

"Tome?"

"Tothemurderer."

"Youwanthim,"Isaidslowly,"nottosuspectthatyouareonhistrack?Thatisit,Isuppose.Orelse
youthinkthatIcannottakecareofmyself."

"Youshouldatleastknowonething,Hastings.Amanwhohaskilledoncewillkillagain-andagain
andagainandagain."

"At any rate," I said grimly, "there hasn't been another murder this time. One bullet at least has gone
wide."

"Yes,thatwasveryfortunate-veryfortunateindeed.AsItoldyou,thesethingsaredifficulttoforesee."

Hesighed.Hisfacetookonaworriedexpression.

Iwentawayquietly,realizingsadlyhowunfitPoirotwasnowforanysustainedeffort.Hisbrainwas
stillkeen,buthewasasickandtiredman.

PoirothadwarnedmenottotrytopenetratethepersonalityofX.InmyownmindIstillclungtomy
belief that I had penetrated that personality. There was only one person at Styles who struck me as
definitely evil. By a simple question, however, I could make sure of one thing. The test would be a
negativeone,butwouldneverthelesshaveacertainvalue.

ItackledJudithafterbreakfast.

"WherehadyoubeenyesterdayeveningwhenImetyou,youandMajorAllerton?"

Thetroubleisthatwhenyouareintentononeaspectofathing,youtendtoignoreallotheraspects.I
wasquitestartledwhenJudithflaredoutatme.

"Really,Father,Idon'tseewhatbusinessitisofyours."

Istaredather,rathertakenaback.

"I-Ionlyasked."

"Yes,butwhy?Whydoyouhavetobecontinuallyaskingquestions?WhatwasIdoing?WheredidI
go?WhowasIwith?It'sreallyintolerable!"

Thefunnypartofitwas,ofcourse,thatthistimeIwasnotreallyaskingatallwhereJudithwas.Itwas
AllertonIwasinterestedin.

Itriedtopacifyher.

"Really,Judith,Idon'tseewhyIcan'taskasimplequestion."

"Idon'tseewhyyouwanttoknow."

"I don't particularly. I mean, I just wondered why neither of you - er - seemed to know what had
happened."

"Abouttheaccident,doyoumean?I'dbeendowntothevillage,ifyoumustknow,togetsomestamps."

Ipouncedonthepersonalpronoun.

"Allertonwasn'twithyouthen?"

Judithgaveanexasperatedgasp.

"No,hewasnot,"shesaidintonesofcoldfury."Actuallywe'dmetjustnearthehouseandonlyabout
twominutesbeforewemetyou.Ihopeyou'resatisfiednow.ButI'djustliketosaythatifI'dspentthe
whole day walking around with Major Allerton, it's really not your business. I'm twenty-one and
earningmyownlivingandhowIspendmytimeisentirelymyownbusiness."

"Entirely,"Isaidquickly,tryingtostemthetide.

"I'mgladyouagree."Judithlookedmollified.Shegavearuefulhalfsmile."Oh,dearest,dotryandnot

come the heavy father quite so much. You don't know how maddening it is. If you just wouldn't fuss
so."

"Iwon't-Ireallywon'tinfuture,"Ipromisedher.

Franklincamestridingalongatthisminute.

"Hullo,Judith.Comealong.We'relaterthanusual."

Hismannerwascurtandreallyhardlypolite.InspiteofmyselfIfeltannoyed.IknewthatFranklinwas
Judith'semployer,thathehadacalluponhertimeandthat,sincehepaidforit,hewasentitledtogive
her orders. Nevertheless I did not see why he could not behave with common courtesy. His manners
were not what one would call polished to anyone, but he did at least behave to most people with a
certainamountofeverydaypoliteness.ButtoJudith,especiallyoflate,hismannerwasalwayscurtand
dictatorialintheextreme.Hehardlylookedatherwhenhespokeandmerelybarkedoutorders.Judith
never appeared to resent this, but I did on her behalf. It crossed my mind that it was especially
unfortunate since it contrasted in such a very marked way with Allerton's exaggerated attention. No
doubt John Franklin was a ten times better man than Allerton, but he compared very badly with him
fromthepointofviewofattraction.

I watched Franklin as he strode along the path towards the laboratory, his ungainly walk, his angular
build,thejuttingbonesofhisfaceandhead,hisredhairandhisfreckles.Anuglymanandanungainly
man.Noneofthemoreobviousqualities.Agoodbrain,yes,butwomenseldomfallforbrainsalone.I
reflected with dismay that Judith, owing to the circumstances of her job, practically never came into
contactwithothermen.Shehadnoopportunityofsizingupvariousattractivemen.Comparedwiththe
gruffandunattractiveFranklin,Allerton'smeretriciouscharmsstoodoutwithalltheforceofcontrast.
Mypoorgirlhadnochanceofappraisinghimathistrueworth.

Supposingthatsheshouldcomeseriouslytoloseherhearttohim?Theirritabilityshehadshownjust
nowwasadisquietingsign.Allerton,Iknew,wasarealbadlot.Hewaspossiblysomethingmore.If
AllertonwereX-?

Hecouldbe.Atthetimethattheshotwasfired,hehadnotbeenwithJudith.

Butwhatwasthemotiveofalltheseseeminglypurposelesscrimes?Therewas,Ifeltsure,nothingof
themadmanaboutAllerton.Hewassane-altogethersane-andutterlyunprincipled.

AndJudith-myJudith-wasseeingaltogethertoomuchofhim.

II

Uptothistime,thoughIhadbeenfaintlyworriedaboutmydaughter,mypreoccupationoverXandthe
possibilityofacrimeoccurringatanymomenthadsuccessfullydrivenmorepersonalproblemstothe
backofmymind.

Nowthattheblowhadfallen,thatacrimehadbeenattemptedandhadmercifullyfailed,Iwasfreeto
reflectonthesethings.AndthemoreIdidso,themoreanxiousIbecame.Achancewordspokenone
dayrevealedtomethefactthatAllertonwasamarriedman.

Boyd Carrington, who knew all about everyone, enlightened me further. Allerton's wife was a devout
Roman Catholic. She had left him a short time after their marriage. Owing to her religion there had
neverbeenanyquestionofdivorce.

"And if you ask me," said Boyd Carrington frankly, "it suits the blighter down to the ground. His
intentionsarealwaysdishonourable,andawifeinthebackgroundsuitsthebookverywell."

Pleasanthearingforafather!

Thedaysaftertheshootingaccidentpasseduneventfullyenoughonthesurface,buttheyaccompanieda
growingundercurrentofunrestonmypart.

Colonel Luttrell spent much time in his wife's bedroom. A nurse had arrived to take charge of the
patientandNurseCravenwasabletoresumeherministrationstoMrsFranklin.

Without wishing to be ill-natured, I must admit that I had observed signs on Mrs Franklin's part of
irritation at not being the invalid en chef. The fuss and attention that centred round Mrs Luttrell was
clearlyverydispleasingtothelittleladywhowasaccustomedtoherownhealthbeingthemaintopicof
theday.

Shelayaboutinahammockchair,herhandtoherside,complainingofpalpitations.Nofoodthatwas
servedwassuitableforher,andallherexactionsweremaskedbyaveneerofpatientendurance.

"I do so hate making a fuss," she murmured plaintively to Poirot. "I feel so ashamed of my wretched
health.It'sso-sohumiliatingalwaystohavetoaskpeopletobedoingthingsforme.Isometimesthink
illhealthisreallyacrime.Ifoneisn'thealthyandinsensitive,oneisn'tfitforthisworldandoneshould

justbeputquietlyaway."

"Ahno,madame."Poirot,asalways,wasgallant."Thedelicateexoticflowerhastohavetheshelterof
thegreenhouse-itcannotendurethecoldwinds.Itisthecommonweedthatthrivesinthewintryair-
butitisnottobeprizedhigheronthataccount.Considermycase-cramped,twisted,unabletomove,
butI-Idonotthinkofquittinglife.IenjoystillwhatIcan-thefood,thedrink,thepleasuresofthe
intellect."

MrsFranklinsighedandmurmured:

"Ah,butit'sdifferentforyou.Youhavenoonebutyourselftoconsider.Inmycase,thereismypoor
John.IfeelacutelywhataburdenIamtohim.Asicklyuselesswife.Amillstonehungroundhisneck."

"Hehasneversaidthatyouarethat,Iamsure."

"Oh not said so. Of course not. But men are so transparent, poor dears. And John isn't any good at
concealinghisfeelings.Hedoesn'tmean,ofcourse,tobeunkind,buthe's-well,mercifullyforhimself
he's a very insensitive sort of person. He's no feelings and so he doesn't expect anyone else to have
them.It'ssoterriblyluckytobebornthick-skinned."

"IshouldnotdescribeDrFranklinasthick-skinned."

"Wouldn'tyou?Oh,butyoudon'tknowhimaswellasIdo.OfcourseIknowthatifitwasn'tforme,he
would be much freer. Sometimes, you know, I get so terribly depressed that I think what a relief it
wouldbetoenditall."

"Oh,come,madame."

"Afterall,whatuseamItoanybody?TogooutofitallintotheGreatUnknown-"Sheshookherhead.
"AndthenJohnwouldbefree."

"Greatfiddlesticks,"saidNurseCravenwhenIrepeatedthisconversationtoher."Shewon'tdoanything
ofthekind.Don'tyouworry,CaptainHastings.Theseonesthattalkabout'endingitall'inadyingduck
voicehaven'tthefaintestintentionofdoinganythingofthekind."

And I must say that once the excitement aroused by Mrs Luttrell's injury had died down and Nurse

Cravenwasoncemoreinattendance,MrsFranklin'sspiritsimprovedverymuch.

OnaparticularlyfinemorningCurtisshadtakenPoirotdowntothecornerbelowthebeechtreesnear
thelaboratory.Thiswasafavouritespotofhis.Itwasshelteredfromanyeastwindandinfacthardly
any breeze could ever be felt there. This suited Poirot, who abhorred draughts and was always
suspiciousofthefreshair.Actually,Ithink,hemuchpreferredtobeindoorsbuthadgrowntotolerate
theouterairwhenmuffledinrugs.

Istrolleddowntojoinhimthere,andjustasIgotthere,MrsFranklincameoutofthelaboratory.

Shewasmostbecominglydressedandlookedremarkablycheerful.Sheexplainedthatshewasdriving
overwithBoydCarringtontoseethehouseandtogiveexpertadviceonchoosingcretonnes.

"IleftmyhandbaginthelabyesterdaywhenIwastalkingtoJohn,"sheexplained."PoorJohn,heand
JudithhavedrivenintoTadcaster-theywereshortofsomechemicalreagentorother."

ShesankdownonaseatnearPoirotandshookherheadwithacomicalexpression."Poordears-I'mso
gladIhaven'tgotthescientificmind.Onalovelydaylikethis-it-allseemssopuerile."

"Youmustnotletscientistshearyousaythat,madame."

"No,ofcoursenot."Herfacechanged.Itgrewserious.Shesaidquietly:

"Youmustn'tthink,M.Poirot,thatIdon'tadmiremyhusband.Ido.Ithinkthewayhejustlivesforhis
workisreally-tremendous."

Therewasalittletremorinhervoice.

AsuspicioncrossedmymindthatMrsFranklinratherlikedplayingdifferentroles.Atthismomentshe
wasbeingtheloyalandhero-worshippingwife.

Sheleanedforward,placinganearnesthandonPoirot'sknee.

"John,"shesaid,"isreallya-akindofsaint.Itmakesmequitefrightenedsometimes."

TocallFranklinasaintwassomewhatoverstatingthecase,Ithought,butBarbaraFranklinwenton,her
eyesshining:

"He'll do anything - take any risk - just to advance the sum of human knowledge. That is pretty fine,
don'tyouthink?"

"Assuredly,assuredly,"saidPoirotquickly.

"Butsometimes,youknow,"wentonMrsFranklin,"I'mreallynervousabouthim.Thelengthstowhich
he'll go, I mean. This horrid bean thing he's experimenting with now. I'm so afraid that he'll start
experimentingonhimself."

"He'dtakeeveryprecaution,surely,"Isaid.

Sheshookherheadwithaslight,ruefulsmile.

"Youdon'tknowJohn.Didyoueverhearaboutwhathedidwiththatnewgas?"

Ishookmyhead.

"Itwassomenewgastheywantedtofindoutabout.Johnvolunteeredtotestit.Hewasshutupina
tankforsomethinglikethirty-sixhours-takinghispulseandtemperatureandrespiration-toseewhat
theaftereffectswereandiftheywerethesameformenasforanimals.Itwasafrightfulrisk,sooneof
the professors told me afterwards. He might easily have passed out altogether. But that's the sort of
personJohnis-absolutelyobliviousofhisownsafety.Ithinkit'sratherwonderful,don'tyou,tobelike
that?Ishouldneverbebraveenough."

"Itneeds,indeed,highcourage,"saidPoirot,"todothesethingsincoldblood."

BarbaraFranklinsaid:

"Yes,itdoes.I'mawfullyproudofhim,youknow,butatthesametimeitmakesmerathernervous,too.
Because,yousee,guineapigsandfrogsarenogoodafteracertainpoint.Youwantthehumanreaction.
That's why I feel so terrified that John will go and dose himself with this nasty ordeal bean and that
somethingawfulmighthappen."Shesighedandshookherhead."Butheonlylaughsatmyfears.He

reallyisasortofsaint,youknow."

AtthismomentBoydCarringtoncametowardsus.

"Hullo,Babs,ready?"

"Yes,Bill,waitingforyou."

"Idohopeitwon'ttireyoutoomuch."

"Ofcourseitwon't.IfeelbettertodaythanIhaveforages."

Shegotup,smiledprettilyatusboth,andwalkedupthelawnwithhertallescort.

"DrFranklin-themodernsaint-h'm,"saidPoirot.

"Ratherachangeofattitude,"Isaid."ButIthinktheladyislikethat."

"Likewhat?"

"Giventodramatizingherselfinvariousroles.Onedaythemisunderstoodneglectedwife,thentheself-
sacrificing suffering woman who hates to be a burden on the man she loves. Today it's the hero-
worshippinghelpmate.Thetroubleisthatalltherolesareslightlyoverdone."

Poirotsaidthoughtfully:

"YouthinkMrsFranklin,doyounot,ratherafool?"

"Well,Iwouldn'tsaythat-yes,perhapsnotaverybrilliantintellect."

"Ah,sheisnotyourtype."

"Whoismytype?"Isnapped.

Poirotrepliedunexpectedly:

"Openyourmouthandshutyoureyesandseewhatthefairieswillsendyou-"

IwaspreventedfromreplyingbecauseNurseCravencametrippinghastilyacrossthegrass.Shegaveus
asmilewithabrilliantflashofteeth,unlockedthedoorofthelab,passedinsideandreappearedwitha
pairofgloves.

"Firstahankyandnowgloves,alwayssomethingleftbehind,"sheobservedasshespedbackwiththem
towhereBarbaraFranklinandBoydCarringtonwerewaiting.

MrsFranklin,Ireflected,wasthatratherfecklesstypeofwomanwhoalwaysdidleavethingsbehind,
sheddingherpossessionsandexpectingeverybodytoretrievethemasamatterofcourse,andeven,I
fancied,wasratherproudofherselfforsodoing.Ihadheardhermorethanoncemurmurcomplacently:

"OfcourseI'vegotaheadlikeasieve."

IsatlookingafterNurseCravenassheranacrossthelawnandoutofsight.Sheranwell,herbodywas
vigorousandwellbalanced.Isaidimpulsively:

"Ishouldthinkagirlmustgetfedupwiththatsortoflife.Imeanwhenthereisn'tmuchnursingtobe
done-whenit'sjustfetchandcarry.Idon'tsupposeMrsFranklinisparticularlyconsiderateorkindly."

Poirot'sresponsewasdistinctlyannoying.Fornoreasonwhatever,heclosedhiseyesandmurmured:

"Auburnhair."

Undoubtedly Nurse Craven had auburn hair - but I did not see why Poirot should choose just this
minutetocommentuponit.

Imadenoreply.

Chapter11

It was, I think, on the following morning before lunch that a conversation took place which left me
vaguelydisquieted.

Therewerefourofus-Judith,myself,BoydCarringtonandNorton.

Exactly how the subject started, I am not sure, but we were talking of euthanasia - the case for and
againstit.

Boyd Carrington, as was natural, did most of the talking, Norton putting in a word or two here and
there,andJudithsittingsilentbutcloselyattentive.

Imyselfhadconfessedthatthoughthereseemed,onthefaceofit,everyreasontosupportthepractice,
yetinactualityIfeltasentimentalshrinkingfromit.Besides,Isaid,Ithoughtitwouldputtoomuch
powerinthehandsofrelatives.

Nortonagreedwithme.Headdedthathethoughtitshouldonlybedonebythewishandconsentofthe
patienthimselfwheredeathafterprolongedsufferingwascertain.

BoydCarringtonsaid:

"Ah,butthat'sthecuriousthing.Doesthepersonmostconcernedeverwishto'puthimselfoutofhis
misery,'aswesay?"

Hethentoldastory,whichhesaidwasauthentic,ofamaninterriblepainfrominoperablecancer.This
manhadbeggedthedoctorinattendanceto"givehimsomethingthatwouldfinishitall."Thedoctor
had replied: "I can't do that, old man." Later, on leaving, he had placed by the patient some morphia
tablets, telling him carefully how many he could safely take and what dose would be dangerous.
Althoughthesewereleftinthepatient'schargeandhecouldeasilyhavetakenafatalquantity,hedid
not do so, "thus proving," said Boyd Carrington, "that, in spite of his words, the man preferred his
sufferingtoaswiftandmercifulrelease."

ItwasthenthatJudithspokeforthefirsttime,spokewithvigourandabruptly:

"Ofcoursehewould,"shesaid."Itshouldn'thavebeenlefttohimtodecide."

BoydCarringtonaskedwhatshemeant.

"Imeanthatanyonewho'sweak-inpainandill-hasn'tgotthestrengthtomakeadecision.Theycan't.
Itmustbedoneforthem.It'sthedutyofsomeonewholovesthemtomakethedecision."

"Duty?"Iquerieddubiously.

Judithturnedonme.

"Yes,duty.Someonewhosemindisclearandwhowilltaketheresponsibility."

BoydCarringtonshookhishead.

"Andenduponthedockchargedwithmurder?"

"Notnecessarily.Anyway,ifyoulovesomeone,youwouldtaketherisk."

"Butlookhere,Judith,"saidNorton."Whatyou'resuggestingissimplyaterrificresponsibilitytotake."

"I don't think it is. People are too afraid of responsibility. They'll take responsibility where a dog is
concerned-whynotwithahumanbeing?"

"Well-it'sratherdifferent,isn'tit?"

Judithsaid:

"Yes,it'smoreimportant."

Nortonmurmured:

"Youtakemybreathaway."

BoydCarringtonaskedcuriously:

"Soyou'dtaketherisk,wouldyou?"

"Ithinkso,"saidJudith."I'mnotafraidoftakingrisks."

BoydCarringtonshookhishead.

"Itwouldn'tdo,youknow.Youcan'thavepeoplehere,there,andeverywheretakingthelawintotheir
ownhands.Decidingmattersoflifeanddeath."

Nortonsaid:

"Actually,youknow,BoydCarrington,mostpeoplewouldn'thavethenervetotaketheresponsibility."

HesmiledfaintlyashelookedatJudith.

"Don'tbelieveyouwouldifitcametothepoint."

Judithsaidcomposedly:

"Onecan'tbesure,ofcourse.IthinkIshould."

Nortonsaidwithaslighttwinkle:

"Notunlessyouhadanaxeofyourowntogrind."

Judithflushedhotly.Shesaidsharply:

"Thatjustshowsyoudon'tunderstandatall.IfIhada-apersonalmotive,Icouldn'tdoanything.Don't
you see?" she appealed to us all. "It's got to be absolutely impersonal. You could only take the
responsibilityof-ofendingalifeifyouwerequitesureofyourmotive.Itmustbeabsolutelyselfless."

"Allthesame,"saidNorton,"youwouldn'tdoit."

Judithinsisted:

"Iwould.TobeginwithIdon'tholdlifeassacredasallyoupeopledo.Unfitlives,uselesslives-they
should be got out of the way. There's so much mess about. Only people who can make a decent
contributiontothecommunityoughttobeallowedtolive.Theothersoughttobeputpainlesslyaway,"

SheappealedsuddenlytoBoydCarrington.

"Youagreewithme,don'tyou?"

Hesaidslowly:

"Inprinciple,yes.Onlytheworthwhileshouldsurvive."

"Wouldn'tyoutakethelawintoyourownhandsifitwasnecessary?"

BoydCarringtonsaidslowly:

"Perhaps.Idon'tknow..."

Nortonsaidquietly:

"Alotofpeoplewouldagreewithyouintheory.Butpracticeisadifferentmatter."

"That'snotlogical."

Nortonsaidimpatiently:

"Ofcourseit'snot.It'sreallyaquestionofcourage.Onejusthasn'tgottheguts-toputitvulgarly."

Judithwassilent.Nortonwenton:

"Frankly, you know, Judith, you'd be just the same yourself. You wouldn't have the courage when it
cametoit."

"Don'tyouthinkso?"

"I'msureofit."

"I think you're wrong, Norton," said Boyd Carrington. "I think Judith has any amount of courage.
Fortunatelytheissuedoesn'toftenpresentitself."

Thegongsoundedfromthehouse.

Judithgotup.

ShesaidverydistinctlytoNorton:

"You'rewrong,youknow.I'vegotmore-moregutsthanyouthink."

Shewentswiftlytowardsthehouse.BoydCarringtonfollowedher,saying:

"Hey,waitforme,Judith."

Ifollowed,feelingforsomereasonratherdismayed.Norton,whowasalwaysquicktosenseamood,
endeavouredtoconsoleme.

"Shedoesn'tmeanit,youknow,"hesaid."It'sthesortofhalf-bakedideaonehaswhenoneisyoung-
butfortunatelyonedoesn'tcarryitout.Itremainsjusttalk."

IthinkJudithoverheard,forshecastafuriousglanceoverhershoulder.

Nortondroppedhisvoice.

"Theoriesneedn'tworryanybody,"hesaid."Butlookhere,Hastings-"

"Yes?"

Nortonseemedratherembarrassed.Hesaid:

"Idon'twanttobuttin,butwhatdoyouknowofAllerton?"

"OfAllerton?"

"Yes,sorryifI'mbeingaNosyParker,butfrankly-ifIwereyou,Ishouldn'tletthatgirlofyourssee
toomuchofhim.He's-well,hisreputationisn'tverygood."

"Icanseeformyselfthesortofrotterheis,"Isaidbitterly."Butit'snotsoeasyinthesedays."

"Oh, I know. Girls can look after themselves, as the saying goes. Most of them can, too. But - well -
Allertonhasratheraspecialtechniqueinthatline."

Hehesitated,thensaid:

"Look here, I feel I ought to tell you. Don't let it go further, of course - but I do happen to know
somethingprettyfoulabouthim."

Hetolditmethenandthere-andIwasabletoverifyitineverydetaillater.Itwasarevoltingtale.The
story of a girl, sure of herself, modern, independent. Allerton had brought all his "technique" to bear
uponher.Laterhadcometheothersideofthepicture-thestoryendedwithadesperategirltakingher

ownlifewithanoverdoseofVeronal.

And the horrible part was that the girl in question had been of much the same type as Judith - the
independent highbrow kind. The kind of girl who when she does lose her heart, loses it with a
desperationandanabandonmentthatthesillylittlefluffytypecanneverknow.

Iwentintolunchwithahorriblesenseofforeboding.

Chapter12

"Isanythingworryingyou,monami?"askedPoirotthatafternoon.

Ididnotanswer,merelyshookmyhead.IfeltthatIhadnorighttoburdenPoirotwiththis,mypurely
personalproblem.Itwasnotasthoughhecouldhelpinanyway.

Judith would have treated any remonstrances on his part with the smiling detachment of the young
towardstheboringcounselsoftheold.

Judith,myJudith...

ItishardnowtodescribejustwhatIwentthroughthatday.Afterwards,thinkingitover,Iaminclined
toputsomethingdowntotheatmosphereofStylesitself.Evilimaginingscameeasilytothemindthere.
Therewas,too,notonlythepast,butasinisterpresent.Theshadowofmurderandamurdererhaunted
thehouse.

AndtothebestofmybeliefthemurdererwasAllerton,andJudithwaslosingherhearttohim!Itwas
allunbelievable-monstrous-andIdidn'tknowwhattodo.

ItwasafterlunchthatBoydCarringtondrewmeaside.Hehemmedandhawedabitbeforecomingto
thepoint.Atlasthesaidratherjerkily:

"Don't think I'm interfering, but I think you ought to speak to that girl of yours. Give her a word of
warning-eh?YouknowthisfellowAllerton-reputation'sprettybad,andshe-well,itlooksratherlike
acase."

Soeasyforthesemenwithoutchildrentospeaklikethat!Giveherawordofwarning?

Woulditbeanyuse?Woulditmakethingsworse?

IfonlyCinderswerehere.Shewouldknowwhattodo-whattosay.

I was tempted, I admit, to hold my peace and say nothing. But I reflected after a while that this was
reallyonlycowardice.IshrankfromtheunpleasantnessofhavingthingsoutwithJudith.Iwas,yousee,
afraidofmytall,beautifuldaughter.

Ipacedupanddownthegardensinincreasingagitationofmind.Myfootstepsledmeatlasttotherose
garden,andthere,asitwere,thedecisionwastakenoutofmyhands,forJudithwassittingonaseat
alone,andinallmylifeIhaveneverseenanexpressionofgreaterunhappinessonanywoman'sface.

Themaskwasoff.Indecisionanddeepunhappinessshowedonlytooplainly.

Itookmycourageinmyhands.Iwenttoher.ShedidnothearmeuntilIwasbesideher.

"Judith,"Isaid."ForGod'ssake,Judith,don'tmindsomuch."

Sheturnedonme,startled.

"Father?Ididn'thearyou."

I went on, knowing that it would be fatal if she managed to turn me back to normal everyday
conversation.

"Oh,mydearestchild,don'tthinkIdon'tknow,thatIcan'tsee.Heisn'tworthit-oh,dobelieveme,he
isn'tworthit."

Herface,troubled,alarmed,wasturnedtowardsme.Shesaidquietly:

"Doyouthinkyoureallyknowwhatyouaretalkingabout?"

"Idoknow.Youcareaboutthisman,But,mydear,it'snogood."

Shesmiledsombrely.Aheartbreakingsmile.

"PerhapsIknowthataswellasyoudo."

"Youdon't.Youcan't.Oh,Judith,whatcancomeofitall?He'samarriedman.Therecanbenofuture
thereforyou-onlysorrowandshame-andallendinginbitterself-loathing."

Hersmilegrewwider-evenmoresorrowful.

"Howfluentlyyoutalk,don'tyou?"

"Giveitup,Judith-giveitallup."

"No!"

"He'snotworthit,mydear."

Shesaidveryquietlyandslowly:

"He'swortheverythingintheworldtome."

"No,no.Judith,Ibegofyou-"

Thesmilevanished.Sheturnedonmelikeanavengingfury.

"Howdareyou?Howdareyouinterfere?Iwon'tstandit.Youarenevertospeaktomeofthisagain.I
hateyou-Ihateyou.It'snobusinessofyours.It'smylife-myownsecretinsidelife!"

Shegotup.Withonefirmhandshepushedmeasideandwentpastme.Likeanavengingfury.Istared
afterher-dismayed.

II

Iwasstillthere,dazedandhelpless,unabletothinkoutmynextcourseofaction,somequarterofan
hourlater.

IwastherewhenElizabethColeandNortonfoundme.

Theywere,Irealizedlater,verykindtome.Theysaw,theymusthaveseen,thatIwasinastateofgreat
mentalperturbation.Buttactfullyenoughtheymadenoslightestallusiontomystateofmind.Instead
theytookmewiththemonaramblingwalk.Theywerebothnaturelovers.ElizabethColepointedout
wildflowerstome,Nortonshowedmebirdsthroughhisfieldglasses.

Theirtalkwasgentle,soothing,concernedonlywithfeatheredbeingsandwithwoodlandflora.Little
bylittleIcamebacktonormalalthoughunderneathIwasstillinastateoftheutmostperturbation.

MoreoverIwas,aspeopleare,convincedthatanyhappeningthatoccurredwasconnectedwithmyown
particularperplexity.

So, therefore, when Norton, his glasses to his eyes, exclaimed: "Hullo, if that isn't a speckled
woodpecker. I never -" and then broke off suddenly, I immediately leapt to suspicion. I held out my
handfortheglasses.

"Letmesee."

Myvoicewasperemptory.

Nortonfumbledwiththeglasses.Hesaidinacurioushesitatingvoice:

"I-I-madeamistake-it'sflownaway-atleast,asamatteroffact,itwasquiteacommonbird."

Hisfacewaswhiteandtroubled.Heavoidedlookingatus.Heseemedbothbewilderedanddistressed.

EvennowIcannotthinkIwasaltogetherunreasonableinjumpingtotheconclusionthathehadseen
throughthoseglassesofhissomethingthathewasdeterminedtopreventmyseeing.

Whateveritwasthathehadseen,hewassothoroughlytakenabackbyitthatitwasnoticeabletoboth
ofus.

Hisglasseshadbeentrainedonadistantbeltofwoodland.Whathadheseenthere?

Isaidperemptorily:

"Letmelook."

Isnatchedattheglasses.Irememberhetriedtodefendthemfromme,buthediditclumsily.Iseized
themroughly.

Nortonsaidweakly:

"Itwasn'treally-Imean,thebird'sgone...Iwish-"

Myhandsshakingalittle,Iadjustedtheglassestomyeyes.Theywerepowerfulglasses.Itrainedthem
asnearlyasIcouldonthespotwhereIthoughtNortonhadbeenlooking.

ButIsawnothing-nothingbutagleamofwhite(agirl'swhitedress?)disappearingintothetrees.

Iloweredtheglasses.WithoutawordIhandedthembacktoNorton.Hedidnotmeetmyeyes.Hewas
lookingworriedandperplexed.

WewalkedbacktothehouseinsilenceandIrememberthatNortonwasverysilentalltheway.

III

MrsFranklinandBoydCarringtoncameinshortlyafterwegotbacktothehouse.Hehadtakenherin
hiscartoTadminsterbecauseshewantedtodosomeshopping.

She had done it, I gather, pretty thoroughly. Lots of parcels came out of the car and she was looking

quiteanimated,talkingandlaughingandwithquiteacolourinhercheeks.

She sent Boyd Carrington up with a particularly fragile purchase and I gallantly received a further
consignment.

Hertalkwasquickerandmorenervousthanusual.

"Frightfully hot, isn't it? I think there's going to be a storm. This weather must break soon. They say,
youknow,there'squiteawatershortage.Theworstdroughtthere'sbeenforyears."

Shewenton,turningtoElizabethCole:

"Whathaveyouallbeendoingwithyourselves?Where'sJohn?Hesaidhe'dgotaheadacheandwas
going to walk it off. Very unlike him to have a headache. I think, you know, he's worried about his
experiments.Theyaren'tgoingrightorsomething.Iwishhe'dtalkmoreaboutthings."

ShepausedandthenaddressedNorton:

"You'reverysilent,MrNorton.Isanythingthematter?Youlook-youlookscared.Youhaven'tseenthe
ghostofoldMrsWhoever-it-was?"

Nortonstarted.

"No,no.Ihaven'tseenanyghosts.I-Iwasjustthinkingofsomething."

ItwasatthatmomentthatCurtisscamethroughthedoorwaywheelingPoirotinhisinvalidchair.

Hestoppedwithitinthehall,preparatorytotakinghismasteroutandcarryinghimupthestairs.

Poirot,hiseyessuddenlyalert,lookedfromonetotheotherofus.

Hesaidsharply:

"Whatisit?Isanythingthematter?"

Noneofusansweredforaminute,thenBarbaraFranklinsaidwithalittleartificiallaugh:

"No, of course not. What should be the matter? It's just - perhaps thunder coming? I - oh, dear - I'm
terriblytired.Bringthosethingsup,willyou,CaptainHastings.Thankyousomuch."

Ifollowedherupthestairsandalongtheeastwing.Herroomwastheendoneonthatside.

MrsFranklinopenedthedoor.Iwasbehindher,myarmsfullofparcels.

Shestoppedabruptlyinthedoorway.BythewindowBoydCarringtonwashavinghispalmexamined
byNurseCraven.

Helookedupandlaughedalittlesheepishly.

"Hullo,I'mhavingmyfortunetold.Nurseisnoendofahandreader."

"Really?Ihadnoideaofthat."BarbaraFranklin'svoicewassharp.Ihadanideathatshewasannoyed
withNurseCraven."Pleasetakethesethings,Nurse,willyou?Andyoumightmixmeaneggflip.Ifeel
verytired.Ahotwaterbottle,too,please.I'llgettobedassoonaspossible."

"Certainly,MrsFranklin."

NurseCravenmovedforward.Sheshowednosignsofanythingbutprofessionalconcern.

MrsFranklinsaid:

"Pleasego,Bill,I'mterriblytired."

BoydCarringtonlookedveryconcerned.

"Oh,Isay,Babs,hasitbeentoomuchforyou?Iamsorry.WhatathoughtlessfoolIam.Ishouldn't

haveletyouovertireyourself."

MrsFranklingavehimherangelicmartyr'ssmile.

"Ididn'twanttosayanything.Idohatebeingtiresome."

Wetwomenwentoutoftheroomsomewhatabashedandleftthetwowomentogether.

BoydCarringtonsaidcontritely:

"WhatadamnedfoolIam.BarbaraseemedsobrightandgayIforgotallabouttiringher.Hopeshe's
notknockedherselfout."

Isaidmechanically:

"Oh,Iexpectshe'llbeallrightafteranight'srest."

He went down the stairs. I hesitated and then went along the other wing towards my own room, and
Poirot's.Thelittlemanwouldbeexpectingme.ForthefirsttimeIwasreluctanttogotohim.Ihadso
muchtooccupymythoughts,andIstillhadthatdullsickfeelingatthepitofmystomach.

Iwentslowlyalongthecorridor.

FrominsideAllerton'sroomIheardvoices.Idon'tthinkImeantconsciouslytolisten,thoughIstopped
for a minute automatically outside his door. Then, suddenly, the door opened and my daughter Judith
cameout.

Shestoppeddeadwhenshesawme.Icaughtherbythearmandhustledheralongintomyroom.Iwas
suddenlyintenselyangry.

"Whatdoyoumeanbygoingtothatfellow'sroom?"

Shelookedatmesteadily.Sheshowednoangernow,onlycompletecoldness.Forsomefewseconds
shedidnotreply.

Ishookherbythearm.

"Iwon'thaveit,Itellyou.Youdon'tknowwhatyouaredoing."

Shesaidtheninalow,bitingvoice:

"Ithinkyouhaveaperfectlyfilthymind."

Isaid:

"IdaresayIhave.It'sareproachyourgenerationisfondoflevellingatmine.Wehave,atleast,certain
standards.Understandthis,Judith,Iforbidyouabsolutelytohaveanythingmoretodowiththatman."

Shelookedatmesteadily.Thenshesaidquietly:

"Isee.Sothat'sit."

"Doyoudenythatyou'reinlovewithhim?"

"No."

"Butyoudon'tknowwhatheis.Youcan'tknow."

Deliberately,withoutmincingmylanguage,IrepeatedtoherthestoryIhadheardaboutAllerton.

"Yousee,"IsaidwhenIhadfinished."That'sthekindoffoulbruteheis."

Sheseemedquiteunmoved.Herlipcurledupwardsscornfully.

"Ineverthoughthewasasaint,Icanassureyou."

"Doesn'tthismakeanydifferencetoyou?Judith,youcan'tbeutterlydepraved."

"Callitthatifyoulike."

"Judith,youhaven't-youaren't-"

Icouldnotputmymeaningintowords.Sheshookherarmfreefrommydetaininghand.

"Now,listen,Father.IdowhatIchoose.Youcan'tbullyme.Andit'snogoodranting.Ishalldoexactly
asIpleasewithmylife,andyoucan'tstopme."

Inanotherinstantshewasoutoftheroom.

Ifoundmykneestrembling.

Isankdownontoachair.Itwasworse-muchworsethanIthought.Thechildwasutterlyinfatuated.
TherewasnoonetowhomIcouldappeal.Hermother,theonlypersonshemighthavelistenedto,was
dead.Italldependedonme.

Idonotthinkthateitherbeforeorsince,IhaveeversufferedasIsufferedthen...

IV

PresentlyIrousedmyself.Iwashedandshavedandchanged.Iwentdowntodinner.Ibehaved,Ifancy,
inquiteanormalmanner.Nobodyseemedtonoticeanythingamiss.

OnceortwiceIsawJudithflashacuriousglanceatme.Shemusthavebeenpuzzled,Ithink,bythe
wayIwasabletoappearquitelikemyusualself.

Andallthetime,underneath,Iwasgrowingmoreandmoredetermined.

AllthatIneededwascourage-courageandbrains.

After dinner we went outside, looked up at the sky, commented on the closeness of the atmosphere,
prophesiedrain-thunder-astorm.

Out of the tail of my eye I saw Judith disappear round the corner of the house. Presently Allerton
strolledinthesamedirection.

IfinishedwhatIwassayingtoBoydCarringtonandwanderedthatwaymyself.

Norton,Ithink,triedtostopme.Hetookmyarm.Hetried,Ithink,tosuggestwalkinguptotherose
garden.Itooknonotice.

HewasstillwithmeasIturnedthecornerofthehouse.

Theywerethere.IsawJudith'supturnedface,sawAllerton'sbentdownoverit-sawhowhetookherin
hisarmsandthekissthatfollowed.

Thentheybrokeawayquickly.Itookastepforward.Almostbymainforce,Nortonhauledmebackand
roundthecorner.Hesaid:

"Lookhere,youcan't-"

Iinterruptedhim.Isaidforcefully:

"Ican.AndIwill."

"It'snogood,mydearfellow.It'sallverydistressing,butallitcomestoisthatthere'snothingyoucan
do."

Iwassilent.Hemightthinkthatthatwasso,butIknewbetter.

Nortonwenton:

"Iknowhowineffectualandmaddenedonefeels,buttheonlythingtodoistoadmitdefeat.Acceptit,
man!"

Ididn'tcontradicthim.Iwaited,allowinghimtotalk.ThenIwentfirmlyroundthecornerofthehouse
again.

The two of them had disappeared now, but I had a shrewd idea of where they might be. There was a
summerhouseconcealedinagroveoflilactreesnotfaraway.

Iwenttowardsit.IthinkNortonwasstillwithme,butI'mnotsure.

AsIgotnearer,Iheardvoicesandstopped.ItwasAllerton'svoiceIheard.

"Well,then,mydeargirl,that'ssettled.Don'tmakeanymoreobjections.Yougouptotowntomorrow.
I'llsayI'mrunningovertoIpswichtostaywithapalforanightortwo.YouwirefromLondonthatyou
can'tgetback.Andwho'stoknowofthatcharminglittledinneratmyflat?Youwon'tregretit,Ican
promiseyou."

IfeltNortontuggingatme,andsuddenly,meekly,Iturned.Ialmostlaughedatthesightofhisworried,
anxiousface.Ilethimdragmebacktothehouse.IpretendedtogiveinbecauseIknew,atthatmoment,
exactlywhatIwasgoingtodo...

Isaidtohimclearlyanddistinctly:

"Don't worry, old chap. It's all no good - I see that now. You can't control your children's lives. I'm
through."

Hewasridiculouslyrelieved.

Shortlyafterwards,ItoldhimIwasgoingtobedearly.I'dgotabitofaheadache,Isaid.

HehadnosuspicionsatallofwhatIwasgoingtodo.

V

Ipausedforamomentinthecorridor.Itwasquitequiet.Therewasnooneabout.Thebedshadbeenall
turneddownreadyforthenight.Norton,whohadaroomonthisside,Ihadleftdownstairs.Elizabeth

Cole was playing bridge. Curtiss, I knew, would be downstairs having his supper. I had the place to
myself.

I flatter myself that I have not worked with Poirot for so many years in vain. I knew just what
precautionstotake.

AllertonwasnotgoingtomeetJudithinLondontomorrow.

Allertonwasnotgoinganywheretomorrow...

Thewholethingwasreallysoridiculouslysimple.

Iwenttomyownroomandpickedupmybottleofaspirins.ThenIwentintoAllerton'sroomandinto
thebathroom.ThetabletsofSlumberylwereinthecupboard.Eight,Iconsidered,oughttodothetrick.
Oneortwowasthestateddose.Eight,therefore,oughttobeample.Allertonhimselfhadsaidthetoxic
dosewasnothigh.Ireadthelabel:"Itisdangeroustoexceedtheprescribeddose."

Ismiledtomyself.

I wrapped a silk handkerchief round my hand and unscrewed the bottle carefully. There must be no
fingerprintsonit.

Iemptiedoutthetablets.Yes,theywerealmostexactlythesamesizeastheaspirins.Iputeightaspirins
in the bottle, then filled up with the Slumberyls, leaving out eight of them. The bottle now looked
exactlyasithadbefore.Allertonwouldnoticenodifference.

Iwentbacktomyroom.Ihadabottleofwhiskythere-mostofushadatStyles.Igotouttwoglasses
and a siphon. I'd never known Allerton refuse a drink yet. When he came up, I'd ask him in for a
nightcap.

Itriedthetabletsinalittleofthespirit.Theydissolvedeasilyenough.Itastedthemixturegingerly.A
shadebitterperhaps,buthardlynoticeable.Ihadmyplan.Ishouldbejustpouringmyselfoutadrink
when Allerton came up. I would hand that to him and pour myself out another. All quite easy and
natural.

He could have no idea of my feelings - unless of course Judith had told him. I considered this for a

moment,butdecidedthatIwasquitesafehere.Judithnevertoldanyoneanything.

Hewouldprobablybelievemetobequiteunsuspiciousoftheirplans.

Ihadnothingtodobuttowait.Itwouldbealongtime,probablyanhourortwobeforeAllertoncame
uptobed.Hewasalwaysalatebird.

Isattherequietlywaiting.

Asuddenknockonthedoormademestart.ItwasonlyCurtiss,however.Poirotwasaskingforme.

I came to myself with a shock. Poirot! I had never once thought of him all evening. He must have
wonderedwhathadbecomeofme.Itworriedmealittle.FirstofallbecauseIwasashamedofnever
having been near him, and secondly I did not want him to suspect that anything out of the way had
happened.

IfollowedCurtissacrossthepassage.

"Ehbien,"exclaimedPoirot."Soyoudesertme,hein?"

Iforcedayawnandanapologeticsmile.

"Awfullysorry,oldboy,"Isaid."Buttotellthetruth,I'vegotsuchablindingheadacheIcanhardlysee
outofmyeyes.It'sthethunderintheair,Isuppose.Ireallyhavebeenfeelingquitemuzzywithit-in
factsomuchso,IentirelyforgotIhadn'tbeenintosaygoodnighttoyou."

AsIhadhoped,Poirotwasimmediatelysolicitous.Heofferedremedies.Hefussed.Heaccusedmeof
havingsataboutintheopenairinadraught.(Onthehottestdayofthesummer!)Irefusedaspirinon
thegroundsthatIhadalreadytakensome,butIwasnotabletoavoidbeinggivenacupofsweetand
whollydisgustingchocolate!

"Itnourishesthenerves,youcomprehend,"Poirotexplained.

Idrankittoavoidargumentandthen,withPoirot'sanxiousandaffectionateexclamationsstillringing
inmyears,Ibadehimgoodnight.

Ireturnedtomyownroomandshutthedoorostentatiously.Later,Iopeneditacrackwiththeutmost
caution.IcouldnotfailnowtohearAllertonwhenhecame.Butitwouldbesometimeyet.

Isattherewaiting.Ithoughtofmydeadwife.Once,undermybreath,Imurmured:

"Youunderstand,darling,I'mgoingtosaveher."

ShehadleftJudithinmycare.Iwasnotgoingtofailher.

InthequietandthestillnessIsuddenlyfeltthatCinderswasveryneartome.

Ifeltalmostasthoughshewereintheroom.

AndstillIsaton,grimlywaiting.

Chapter13

Thereissomethingaboutwritingdownananti-climaxincoldbloodthatissomewhatshatteringtoone's
self-esteem.

Forthetruthofthematteris,yousee,thatIsattherewaitingforAllertonandthatIfellasleep!

"Notsosurprising,really,Isuppose.Ihadsleptverybadlythenightbefore.Ihadbeenoutintheairthe
wholeday.IwaswornoutwithworryandthestrainofnervingmyselffordoingwhatIhaddecidedto
do.Ontopofallthatwastheheavythunderyweather.PossiblyeventhefierceeffortofconcentrationI
wasmakinghelped.

Anyway,ithappened.Ifellasleepthereinmychair,andwhenIwoke,birdsweretwitteringoutside,the
sunwasupandtherewasIcrampedanduncomfortable,slippeddowninmychairinmyeveningdress,
withafoultasteinthemouthandasplittinghead.

Iwasbewildered,incredulous,disgusted,andfinallyimmeasurablyandoverwhelminglyrelieved.

Whowasitwhowrote:"Thedarkestday(Livetilltomorrow)willhavepass'daway"?Andhowtrueit
is.Isawnow,clearlyandsanely,howoverwroughtandwrong-headedIhadbeen.Melodramatic,lostto
allsenseofproportion.Ihadactuallymadeupmymindtokillanotherhumanbeing.

Atthismomentmyeyesfellontheglassofwhiskyinfrontofme.WithashudderIgotup,drewthe
curtainsandpoureditoutofthewindow.Imusthavebeenmadlastnight!

I shaved, had a bath and dressed. Then, feeling very much better, I went across to Poirot. He always
wokeveryearly,Iknew.Isatdownandmadeacleanbreastofthewholethingtohim.

Imaysayitwasagreatrelief.

Heshookhisheadgentlyatme.

"Ah,butwhatfolliesitisyoucontemplate.Iamgladyoucametoconfessyoursinstome.Butwhy,my
dearfriend,didyounotcometomelastnightandtellmewhatwasinyourmind?"

Isaidshamefacedly:

"Iwasafraid,Isuppose,thatyouwouldhavetriedtostopme."

"AssuredlyIwouldhavestoppedyou.Ah,that,certainly.DoyouthinkIwanttoseeyouhangedbythe
neck,allonaccountofaveryunpleasantscoundrelcalledMajorAllerton?"

"Ishouldn'thavebeencaught,"Isaid."I'dtakeneveryprecaution."

"Thatiswhatallmurderersthink.Youhadthetruementality!Butletmetellyou,monami,youwere
notascleverasyouthoughtyourself."

"Itookeveryprecaution.Iwipedmyfingerprintsoffthebottle."

"Exactly.YoualsowipedAllerton'sfingerprintsoff.Andwhenheisfounddead-whathappens?They
perform the autopsy and it is established that he died of an overdose of Slumberyl. Did he take it by
accident or intention? Tiens, his fingerprints are not on the bottle. But why not? Whether accident or
suicide,hewouldhavenoreasontowipethemoff.Andthentheyanalyzetheremainingtabletsandfind

nearlyhalfofthemhavebeenreplacedbyaspirin."

"Well,practicallyeveryonehasaspirintablets,"Imurmuredweakly.

"Yes, but it is not everyone who has a daughter whom Allerton is pursuing with dishonourable
intentions - to use an old-fashioned melodramatic phrase. And you have had a quarrel with your
daughter on the subject the day before. Two people, Boyd Carrington and Norton, can swear to your
violent feeling against the man. No, Hastings, it would not have looked too good. Attention would
immediatelyhavebeenfocusseduponyou,andbythattimeyouwouldprobablyhavebeeninsucha
stateoffear-orevenremorse,thatsomegoodsolidinspectorofpolicewouldhavemadeuphismind
quite definitely that you were the guilty party. It is quite possible, even, that someone may have seen
youtamperingwiththetablets."

"Theycouldn't.Therewasnooneabout."

"Thereisabalconyoutsidethewindow.Somebodymighthavebeenthere,peepingin.Or,whoknows,
someonemighthavebeenlookingthroughthekeyhole."

"You'vegotkeyholesonthebrain,Poirot.Peopledon'treallyspendtheirtimelookingthroughkeyholes
asmuchasyouseemtothink."

PoirothalfclosedhiseyesandremarkedthatIhadalwayshadtootrustinganature.

"Andletmetellyou,veryfunnythingshappenwithkeysinthishouse.Me,Iliketofeelthatmydooris
lockedontheinside,evenifthegoodCurtissisintheadjoiningroom.SoonafterIamhere,mykey
disappears-butentirely!Ihavetohaveanotheronemade."

"Well, anyway," I said with a deep breath of relief, my mind still laden up with my own troubles, "it
didn'tcomeoff.It'sawfultothinkonecangetworkeduplikethat."Iloweredmyvoice."Poirot,you
don'tthinkthatbecause-becauseofthatmurderlongagothere'sasortofinfectionintheair?"

"Avirusofmurder,youmean?Well,itisaninterestingsuggestion."

"Housesdohaveanatmosphere,"Isaidthoughtfully."Thishousehasabadhistory."

Poirotnodded.

"Yes.Therehavebeenpeoplehere-severalofthem-whodesireddeeplythatsomeoneelseshoulddie.
Thatistrueenough,"

"I believe it gets hold of one in some way. But now, Poirot, tell me, what am I to do about all this -
JudithandAllerton,Imean?It'sgottobestoppedsomehow.WhatdoyouthinkI'dbetterdo?"

"Donothing,"saidPoirotwithemphasis.

"Oh,but-"

"Believeme,youwilldoleastharmbynotinterfering.""IfIweretotackleAllerton-"

"Whatcanyousayordo?Judithistwenty-oneandherownmistress."

"ButIfeelIoughttobeable-"

Poirotinterruptedme.

"No,Hastings.Donotimaginethatyouarecleverenough,forcefulenough,orevencunningenoughto
imposeyourpersonalityoneitherofthosetwopeople.Allertonisaccustomedtodealingwithangryand
impotent fathers, and probably enjoys it as a good joke. Judith is not the sort of creature who can be
browbeaten.Iwouldadviseyou-ifIadvisedyouatall-todosomethingverydifferent.Iwouldtrust
her,ifIwereyou."

Istaredathim.

"Judith,"saidHerculePoirot,"ismadeofveryfinestuff.Iadmireherverymuch."

Isaid,myvoiceunsteady:

"Iadmireher,too.ButI'mafraidforher."

Poirotnoddedhisheadwithsuddenenergy.

"Itooamafraidforher,"hesaid."Butnotinthewayyouare.Iamterriblyafraid.AndIampowerless-
ornearlyso.Andthedaysgoby.Thereisdanger,Hastings,anditisveryclose."

II

I knew as well as Poirot that the danger was very close. I had more reason to know it than he had,
becauseofwhatIhadactuallyoverheardthepreviousnight.

NeverthelessIponderedonthatphraseofPoirot'sasIwentdowntobreakfast."IwouldtrustherifI
wereyou."

Ithadcomeunexpectedly-butithadgivenmeanoddsenseofcomfort.Andalmostimmediately,the
truthofitwasjustified.ForJudithhadobviouslychangedhermindaboutgoinguptoLondonthatday.

InsteadshewentoffwithFranklintothelabasusualdirectlyafterbreakfast,anditwasclearthatthey
weretohaveanarduousandbusydaythere.

Afeelingofintensethanksgivingrushedoverme.Howmad,howdespairingIhadbeenlastnight.Ihad
assumed-assumedquitecertainlythatJudithhadyieldedtoAllerton'sspeciousproposals.Butitwas
true, I reflected now, that I had never heard her actually assent. No, she was too fine, too essentially
goodandtrue,togivein.Shehadrefusedtherendezvous.

Allertonhadbreakfastearly,Ifound,andgoneofftoIpswich.He,then,hadkepttotheplanandmust
assumethatJudithwasgoinguptoLondonasarranged.

Well,Ithoughtgrimly,hewouldgetadisappointment.

BoydCarringtoncamealongandremarkedrathergrumpilythatIlookedverycheerfulthismorning.

"Yes,"Isaid."I'vehadsomegoodnews."

He said that it was more than he had. He'd had a tiresome telephone call from the architect, some
buildingdifficulty-alocalsurveyorcuttinguprough.Alsoworryingletters.Andhewasafraidhe'dlet
MrsFranklinoverdoherselfthedaybefore.

Mrs Franklin was certainly making up for her recent bout of good health and spirits. She was, so I
gatheredfromNurseCraven,makingherselfquiteimpossible.

NurseCravenhadhadtogiveupherdayoffwhichhadbeenpromisedhertogoandmeetsomefriends,
andshewasdecidedlysouraboutit.SinceearlymorningMrsFranklinhadbeencallingforsalvolatile,
hotwaterbottles,variouspatentfoodsanddrinks,andwasunwillingtoletNurseleavetheroom.She
hadneuralgia,apainroundtheheart,crampsinherfeetandlegs,coldshiversandIdon'tknowwhat
else.

ImaysayhereandnowthatneitherInoranyoneelsewasinclinedtobereallyalarmed.Weallputit
downaspartofMrsFranklin'shypochondriacaltendencies.

ThiswastrueofNurseCravenandDrFranklinaswell.

Thelatterwasfetchedfromthelaboratory,helistenedtohiswife'scomplaints,askedherifshewould
like the local doctor called in (violently negatived by Mrs Franklin), he then mixed her a sedative,
soothedherasbesthecouldandwentoffbacktoworkagain.

NurseCravensaidtome:

"Heknows,ofcourse,she'sjustplayingup."

"Youdon'treallythinkthere'sanythingmuchthematter?"

"Hertemperatureisnormal,andherpulseisperfectlygood.Justfuss,ifyouaskme."

Shewasannoyedandspokeoutmoreimprudentlythanusual.

"Shelikestointerferewithanyoneelseenjoyingthemselves.She'dlikeherhusbandallworkedup,and
me running round after her, and even Sir William has got to be made to feel a brute because he
'overtiredheryesterday.'She'soneofthatkind."

NurseCravenwasclearlyfindingherpatientalmostimpossibletoday.IgatheredthatMrsFranklinhad
beenreallyextremelyrudetoher.Shewasthekindofwomanwhomnursesandservantsinstinctively
disliked-notonlybecauseofthetroubleshegave,butbecauseofhermannerofdoingso.

So,asIsay,noneofustookherindispositionseriously.

TheonlyexceptionwasBoydCarrington,whowanderedroundlookingratherpatheticallylikeasmall
boywhohasbeenscolded.

How many times since then have I gone over and over the events of that day, trying to remember
somethingsofarunheeded-sometinyforgottenincident,strivingtorememberexactlythemannerof
everybody.Howfartheywerenormal,orshowedexcitement.

Letme,oncemore,putdownexactlywhatIrememberofeverybody.

BoydCarrington,asIhavesaid,lookeduncomfortableandratherguilty.Heseemedtothinkthathehad
beenratheroverexuberantthedaybeforeandhadbeenselfishinnotthinkingmoreofthefrailhealthof
his companion. He had been up once or twice to inquire about Barbara Franklin, and Nurse Craven,
herselfnotinthebestoftempers,hadbeentartandsnappishwithhim.Hehadevenbeentothevillage
andpurchasedaboxofchocolates.Thishadbeensentdown."MrsFranklincouldn'tbearchocolates."

Rather disconsolately, he opened the box in the smoking room and Norton and I and he all solemnly
helpedourselves.

Norton, I now think, had definitely something on his mind that morning. He was abstracted; once or
twicehisbrowsdrewtogetherasthoughhewerepuzzlingoversomething.

Hewasfondofchocolates,andateagoodmanyinanabstractedfashion.

Outsidetheweatherbadbroken.Sinceteno'clocktherainhadbeenpouringdown.

Ithadnotthemelancholythatsometimesaccompaniesawetday.Actuallyitwasarelieftousall.

Poirot had been brought down by Curtiss about midday and ensconced in the drawing room. Here
ElizabethColehadjoinedhimandwasplayingthepianotohim.Shehadapleasanttouch,andplayed
BachandMozart-bothfavouritecomposersofmyfriend's.

FranklinandJudithcameupfromthegardenaboutaquartertoone.Judithlookedwhiteandstrained.

Shewasverysilent,lookedvaguelyaboutherasthoughlostinadream,andthenwentaway.Franklin
satdownwithus.He,too,lookedtiredandabsorbed,andhehad,too,theairofamanverymuchon
edge.

Isaid,Iremember,somethingabouttherainbeingarelief,andhesaidquickly:

"Yes.Therearetimes-whensomething'sgottobreak-"

Andsomehow-Igottheimpressionthatitwasnotmerelyoftheweatherthat'hespoke.Awkwardas
always in his movements, he jerked against the table and upset half the chocolates. With his usual
startledair,heapologized-apparentlytothebox:

"Oh,sorry."

Itoughttohavebeenfunny,butsomehowitwasn't.Hebentquicklyandpickedupthespiltchocolates.

Nortonaskedhimifhehadhadatiringmorning.

Hissmileflashedoutthen-eager,boyish,verymuchalive.

"No - no - just realized, suddenly, I've been on the wrong track. Much simpler process altogether is
what'sneeded.Cantakeashortcutnow."

Hestoodswayingslightlytoandfroonhisfeet,hiseyesabsentyetresolved.

"Yes,shortcut.Muchthebestway."

III

If we were all nervy and aimless in the morning, the afternoon was unexpectedly pleasant. The sun
cameout,thetemperaturewascoolandfresh.MrsLuttrellwasbroughtdownandsatontheverandah.
She was in excellent form - exercising her charm and manner with less gush than usual, and with no
latenthintofvinegarinreserve.Shechaffedherhusband,butgentlyandwithakindofaffection,and
hebeamedather.Itwasreallydelightfultoseethemonsuchgoodterms.

Poirotpermittedhimselftobewheeledoutalso,andhewasingoodspiritstoo.Ithinkhelikedseeing
the Luttrells on such a friendly footing with each other, The Colonel was looking years younger. His
mannerseemedlessvacillating,hetuggedlessathismoustache.Heevensuggestedthattheremightbe
somebridgethatevening.

"Daisyheremissesherbridge."

"IndeedIdo,"saidMrsLuttrell.

Nortonsuggesteditwouldbetiringforher.

"I'llplayonerubber,"saidMrs,Luttrell,andaddedwithatwinkle:"AndI'llbehavemyselfandnotbite
poorGeorge'sheadoff."

"Mydear,"protestedherhusband,"IknowI'mashockingplayer."

"Andwhatofthat?"saidMrsLuttrell."Doesn'titgivemegrandpleasurebadgeringandbullyingyou
aboutit?"

Itmadeusalllaugh.MrsLuttrellwenton:

"Oh,Iknowmyfaults,butI'mnotgoingtogivethemupatmytimeoflife.Georgehasjustgottoput
upwithme."

ColonelLuttrelllookedatherquitefatuously.

Ithinkitwasseeingthembothonsuchgoodtermsthatledtoadiscussiononmarriageanddivorcethat
tookplacelaterintheday.

Weremenandwomenactuallyhappierbyreasonofthegreaterfacilitiesaffordedfordivorce,orwasit
oftenthecasethatatemporaryperiodofirritationandestrangement-ortroubleoverathirdperson-
gavewayafterawhiletoaresumptionofaffectionandfriendliness?

Itisoddsometimestoseehowmuchatvariancepeople'sideasarewiththeirownpersonalexperiences.

Myownmarriagehadbeenunbelievablyhappyandsuccessful,andIamessentiallyanold-fashioned
person,yetIwasonthesideofdivorce-ofcuttingone'slossesandstartingafresh.BoydCarrington,
whose marriage had been unhappy, yet held for an indissoluble marriage bond. He had, he said, the
utmostreverencefortheinstitutionofmarriage.Itwasthefoundationofthestate.

Norton,withnotiesandnopersonalangle,wasofmywayofthinking.Franklin,themodernscientific
thinker,was,strangelyenough,resolutelyopposedtodivorce.Itoffended,apparently,hisidealofclear-
cut thinking and action. One assumed certain responsibilities. Those must be carried through and not
shirked or set aside. A contract, he said, is a contract. One enters upon it of one's own free will, and
mustabidebyit.Anythingelseresultedinwhathecalledamess.Looseends,half-dissolvedties.

Leaningbackinhischair,hislonglegskickingvaguelyatatable,hesaid:

"Amanchooseshiswife.She'shisresponsibilityuntilshedies-orhedoes."

Nortonsaidrathercomically:

"Andsometimes-oh,blesseddeath,eh?"

Welaughed,andBoydCarringtonsaid:

"Youneedn'ttalk,mylad;you'veneverbeenmarried."

Shakinghishead,Nortonsaid:

"AndnowI'veleftittoolate."

"Haveyou?"BoydCarrington'sglancewasquizzical."Sureofthat?"

ItwasjustatthatmomentthatElizabethColejoinedus.ShehadbeenupwithMrsFranklin.

Iwonderedifitwasmyfancy,ordidBoydCarringtonlookmeaninglyfromhertoNorton,andwasit
possiblethatNortonblushed?

ItputanewideaintomyheadandIlookedsearchinglyatElizabethCole.Itwastruethatshewasstilla
comparatively young woman. Moreover, she was quite a handsome one. In fact a very charming and
sympatheticpersonwhowascapableofmakinganymanhappy.AndsheandNortonhadspentagood
deal of time together of late. In their hunts for wild flowers and birds, they had become friends; I
rememberedhowshehadspokenofNortonbeingsuchakindperson.

Well,ifso,Iwasgladforhersake.Herstarvedandbarrengirlhoodwouldnotstandinthewayofher
ultimate happiness. The tragedy that had shattered her life would not have been enacted in vain. I
thought,lookingather,thatshecertainlylookedmuchhappierand-yes,gayer,thanwhenIhadfirst
cometoStyles.

Elizabeth Cole and Norton - yes, it might be. And suddenly, from nowhere, a vague feeling of
uneasiness and disquiet assailed me. It was not safe - it was not right - to plan happiness here. There
wassomethingmalignantabouttheairofStyles.Ifeltitnow-thisminute.Feltsuddenlyoldandtired-
yes,andafraid.

Aminutelaterthefeelinghadpassed.Nobodyhadnoticedit,Ithink,exceptBoydCarrington.Hesaid
tomeinanundertoneafewminuteslater:

"Anythingthematter,Hastings?"

"No,why?"

"Well-youlooked-Ican'tquiteexplainit."

"Justafeeling-apprehension."

"Apremonitionofevil?"

"Yes,ifyouliketoputitthatway.Afeelingthat-thatsomethingwasgoingtohappen."

"Funny.I'vefeltthatonceortwice.Anyideawhat?"

Hewaswatchingmenarrowly.

Ishookmyhead.ForindeedIhadhadnodefiniteapprehensionofanyparticularthing.Ithadonlybeen
awaveofdeepdepressionandfear.

Then Judith had come out of the house. She had come slowly, her head held high, her lips pressed
together,herfacegraveandbeautiful.

IthoughthowunlikeshewastoeithermeorCinders.Shelookedlikesomeyoungpriestess.Nortonfelt
somethingofthattoo.Hesaidtoher:

"YoulooklikeyournamesakemighthavelookedbeforeshecutofftheheadofHolofernes."

Judithsmiledandraisedhereyebrowsalittle.

"Ican'tremembernowwhyshewantedto."

"Oh,strictlyonthehighestmoralgroundsforthegoodofthecommunity!"

ThelightbanterinhistonesannoyedJudith.SheflushedandwentpasthimtositbyFranklin.Shesaid:

"Mrs Franklin is feeling much better. She wants us all to come up and have coffee with her this
evening."

IV

Mrs Franklin was certainly a creature of moods I thought as we trooped upstairs after dinner. Having
madeeveryone'slifeunbearableallday,shewasnowsweetnessitselftoeverybody.

Shewasdressedinanegligeeofpaleeau-de-Nilandwaslyingonherchaiselongue.Besideherwasa
smallrevolvingbookcase-tablewiththecoffeeapparatussetout.Herfingers,deftandwhite,dealtwith
the ritual of coffee making with some slight aid from Nurse Craven. We were all there with the
exception of Poirot, who always retired before dinner; Allerton, who had not returned from Ipswich;
andMrsandColonelLuttrell,whohadremaineddownstairs.

The aroma of coffee came to our noses - a delicious smell. The coffee at Styles was an uninteresting

muddyfluid,sowealllookedforwardtoMrsFranklin'sbrewwithfreshlygroundberries.

Franklinsatontheothersideofthetablehandingthecupsasshefilledthem.BoydCarringtonstoodby
the foot of the sofa. Elizabeth Cole and Norton were by the window. Nurse Craven had retired to the
backgroundbytheheadofthebed.IwassittinginanarmchairwrestlingwiththeTimescrosswordand
readingouttheclues.

"Evenlove-orthirdpartyrisk?"Ireadout."Eightletters."

"Probablyananagram,"saidFranklin.

Wethoughtforaminute.Iwenton:

"Thechapsbetweenthehillsareunkind."

"Tormentor,"saidBoydCarringtonquickly.

"Quotation:'AndEchowhate'erisaskedheranswers-'blank.Tennyson.Fiveletters."

"Where,"suggestedMrsFranklin."Surelythat'sright.'AndEchoanswerswhere'?"

Iwasdoubtful.

"Itwouldmakeawordendin'w.'"

"Well,lotsofwordsendin'w.'Howandnowandsnow."

ElizabethColesaidfromthewindow:

"TheTennysonquotationis:'AndEchowhate'erisaskedheranswersDeath.'"

I heard a quick sharp intake of breath behind me. I looked up. It was Judith. She went past us to the
windowandoutuponthebalcony.

Isaid,asIwrotethelastcluein:"Evenlovecan'tbeananagram.Thesecondletternowis'A.'"

"What'stheclueagain?"

"Evenloveorthirdpartyrisk.BlankAandsixblanks."

"Paramour,"saidBoydCarrington.

IheardtheteaspoonrattleonBarbaraFranklin'ssaucer.Iwentontothenextclue.

"'Jealousyisagreen-eyedmonster,'thispersonsaid."

"Shakespeare,"saidBoydCarrington.

"WasitOthelloorEmilia?"saidMrsFranklin.

"Alltoolong.Theclueisonlyfiveletters."

"Iago."

"I'msureitwasOthello."

"Itwasn'tinOthelloatall.RomeosaidittoJuliet."

Weallvoicedouropinions.SuddenlyfromthebalconyJudithcriedout:

"Look,ashootingstar.Oh,there'sanother."

Boyd Carrington said: "Where? We must wish." He went out on the balcony, joining Elizabeth Cole,
Norton and Judith. Nurse Craven went out too. Franklin got up and joined them. They stood there
exclaiming,gazingoutintothenight.

Iremainedwithmyheadbentoverthecrossword.WhyshouldIwishtoseeafallingstar?Ihadnothing
towishfor...

SuddenlyBoydCarringtonwheeledbackintotheroom.

"Barbara,youmustcomeout."

MrsFranklinsaidsharply:

"No,Ican't.I'mtootired."

"Nonsense,Babs.Youmustcomeandwish!"Helaughed."Nowdon'tprotest.I'llcarryyou."

Andsuddenlystooping,hepickedherupinhisarms.Shelaughedandprotested:

"Bill,putmedown-don'tbesosilly,"

"Littlegirlshavegottocomeandwish."Hecarriedherthroughthewindowandsetherdownonthe
balcony.

I bent closer over the paper. For I was remembering... A clear tropical night - frogs croaking... and a
shootingstar.Iwasstandingtherebythewindow,andIhadturnedandpickedupCindersandcarried
heroutinmyarmstoseethestarsandwish...

Thelinesofthecrosswordranandblurredbeforemyeyes.

Afiguredetacheditselffromthebalconyandcameintotheroom-Judith.

Judith must never catch me with tears in my eyes. It would never do. Hastily I swung round the
bookcase and pretended to be looking for a book. I remembered having seen an old edition of
Shakespearethere.Yes,hereitwas.IlookedthroughOthello.

"Whatareyoudoing,Father?"

Imumbledsomethingabouttheclue,myfingersturningoverthepages.Yes,itwasIago.

"O,beware,mylord,ofjealousy;

Itisthegreen-eyedmonsterwhichdothmock

Themeatitfeedson."

Judithwentonwithsomeotherlines:

"Notpoppy,normandragora,

Norallthedrowsysyrupsoftheworld,

Shallevermedicinetheetothatsweetsleep

Whichthouowedstyesterday."

Hervoicerangout,beautifulanddeep.

The others were coming back, laughing and talking. Mrs Franklin resumed her place on the chaise
longue. Franklin came back to his seat and stirred his coffee. Norton and Elizabeth Cole finished
drinkingtheirsandexcusedthemselves,astheyhadpromisedtoplaybridgewiththeLuttrells.

Mrs Franklin drank her coffee and then demanded her "drops." Judith got them for her from the
bathroom,asNurseCravenhadjustgoneout.

Franklin was wandering aimlessly round the room. He stumbled over a small table. His wife said
sharply:

"Don'tbesoclumsy,John."

"Sorry,Barbara.Iwasthinkingofsomething."

MrsFranklinsaidratheraffectedly:

"Suchagreatbear,aren'tyou,darling?"

Helookedatherratherabstractedly.Thenhesaid:

"Nicenight;thinkI'lltakeastroll."

Hewentout.

MrsFranklinsaid:

"Heisagenius,youknow.Youcantellitfromhismanner.Ireallydoadmirehimterrifically.Sucha
passionforhiswork."

"Yes,yes,cleverfellow."saidBoydCarrington-ratherperfunctorily.

Judithlefttheroomabruptly,nearlycollidingwithNurseCraveninthedoorway.

BoydCarringtonsaid:

"Whataboutagameofpicquet,Babs?"

"Oh,lovely.Canyougetholdofsomecards,Nurse?"

NurseCravenwenttogetcards,andIwishedMrsFranklingoodnightandthankedherforthecoffee.

OutsideIovertookFranklinandJudith.Theywerestandinglookingoutofthepassagewindow.They
werenotspeaking.Juststandingsidebyside.

FranklinlookedoverhisshoulderasIapproached.Hemovedasteportwo,hesitatedandsaid:

"Comingoutforastroll,Judith?"

Mydaughtershookherhead.

"Nottonight,"Sheaddedabruptly,"I'mgoingtobed.Goodnight."

IwentdownstairswithFranklin.Hewaswhistlingsoftlytohimselfandsmiling.

Iremarkedrathercrossly,forIwasfeelingdepressedmyself:

"Youseempleasedwithyourselftonight."

Headmittedit.

"Yes.I'vedonesomethingthatI'vebeenmeaningtodoforalongtime.Verysatisfactory,that."

I parted from him downstairs and looked in on the bridge players for a minute. Norton winked at me
whenMrsLuttrellwasn'tlooking.Therubberseemedtobeprogressingwithunusualharmony.

Allerton had still not come back. It seemed to me that the house was happier and less oppressive
withouthim.

IwentuptoPoirot'sroom.IfoundJudithsittingwithhim.ShesmiledatmewhenIcameinanddidnot
speak.

"Shehasforgivenyou,monami,"saidPoirot-anoutrageousremark.

"Really,"Ispluttered."Ihardlythink-"

Judithgotup.Sheputanarmroundmyneckandkissedme.Shesaid:

"PoorFather.UncleHerculeshallnotattackyourdignity.Iamtheonetobeforgiven.Soforgiveme
andsaygoodnight."

Idon'tquiteknowwhy,butIsaid:

"I'msorry,Judith.I'mverysorry.Ididn'tmean-"

Shestoppedme.

"That'sallright.Let'sforgetit.Everything'sallrightnow."Shesmiledaslowfar-awaysmile.Shesaid
again:"Everything'sallrightnow..."andquietlylefttheroom.

Whenshehadgone,Poirotlookedatme.

"Well,"hedemanded,"whathasbeenhappeningthisevening?"

Ispreadoutmyhands.

"Nothinghashappenedorislikelytohappen,"Itoldhim.

Actually I was very wide of the mark. For something did happen that night. Mrs Franklin was taken
violentlyill.Twomoredoctorsweresentfor,butinvain.Shediedthefollowingmorning.

It was not until twenty-four hours later that we learned that her death was due to poisoning by
physostigmine.

Chapter14

Theinquesttookplacetwodayslater.ItwasthesecondtimeIhadattendedaninquestinthispartofthe
world.

Thecoronerwasanablemiddle-agedmanwithashrewdglanceandadrymannerofspeech.

Themedicalevidencewastakenfirst.Itestablishedthefactthatdeathwastheresultofpoisoningby
physostigmine, and that other alkaloids of the Calabar bean were also present. The poison must have
beentakensometimeontheprecedingeveningbetweenseveno'clockandmidnight.Thepolicesurgeon
andhiscolleaguerefusedtobemoreprecise.

ThenextwitnesswasDrFranklin.Hecreatedonthewholeagoodimpression.Hisevidencewasclear
and simple. After his wife's death he had checked over his solutions in the laboratory. He had
discovered that a certain bottle which should have contained a strong solution of alkaloids of the
Calabarbean,withwhichhehadbeenconductingexperiments,hadbeenfilledupwithordinarywater
inwhichonlyatraceoftheoriginalcontentswaspresent.Hecouldnotsaywithcertaintywhenthishad
beendone,ashehadnotusedthatparticularpreparationforsomedays.

Thequestionofaccesstothelaboratorywasthengoneinto.DrFranklinagreedthatthelaboratorywas
usually kept locked and that he usually had the key in his pocket. His assistant, Miss Hastings, had a
duplicatekey.Anyonewhowishedtogointothestudiohadtogetthekeyfromherorfromhimself.His
wife had borrowed it occasionally, when she had left things belonging to her in the laboratory. He
himself had never brought a solution of physostigmine into the house or into his wife's room and he
thoughtthatbynopossibilitycouldshehavetakenitaccidentally.

Questionedfurtherbythecoroner,hesaidthathiswifehadforsometimebeeninalowandnervous
stateofhealth.Therewasnoorganicdisease.Shesufferedfromdepressionandfromarapidalternation
ofmoods.

Oflate,hesaid,shehadbeencheerfulandhehadconsideredherimprovedinhealthandspirits.There
hadbeennoquarrelbetweenthemandtheyhadbeenongoodterms.Onthelasteveninghiswifehad
seemedingoodspiritsandnotmelancholy.

Hesaidthathiswifehadoccasionallyspokenofendingherlifebutthathehadnottakenherremarks
seriously.Askedthequestiondefinitely,herepliedthatinhisopinionhiswifehadnotbeenasuicidal
type.Thatwashismedicalopinionaswellashispersonalone.

HewasfollowedbyNurseCraven.Shelookedsmartandefficientinhertrimuniform,andherreplies
were crisp and professional. She had been in attendance on Mrs Franklin for over two months. Mrs
Franklinsufferedbadlyfromdepression.Witnesshadheardhersayatleastthreetimesthatshe"wanted
toenditall,"thatherlifewasuselessandthatshewasamillstoneroundherhusband'sneck.

"Whydidshesaythat?Hadtherebeenanyaltercationbetweenthem?"

"Ohno,butshewasawarethatherhusbandhadrecentlybeenofferedanappointmentabroad.Hehad

refusedthatinordernottoleaveher."

"Andsometimesshefeltmorbidlyaboutthefact?"

"Yes.Shewouldblamehermiserablehealth,andgetallworkedup."

"DidDrFranklinknowaboutthis?"

"Idonotthinksheoftensaidsotohim."

"Butshewassubjecttofitsofdepression?"

"Oh,definitely."

"Didsheeverspecificallymentioncommittingsuicide?"

"Ithink'Iwanttoenditall'wasthephrasesheused."

"Sheneversuggestedanyparticularmethodoftakingherownlife?"

"No.Shewasquitevague."

"Hadtherebeenanythingespeciallytodepressheroflate?"

"No.Shehadbeeninreasonablygoodspirits."

"DoyouagreewithDrFranklinthatshewasingoodspiritsonthenightofherdeath?"

NurseCravenhesitated.

"Well-shewasexcited.She'dhadabadday-complainedofpainandgiddiness.Shehadseemedbetter
intheevening-buthergoodspiritswereabitunnatural.Sheseemedfeverishandratherartificial."

"Didyouseeanythingofabottle,oranythingthatmighthavecontainedthepoison?"

"No."

"Whatdidsheeatanddrink?"

"Shehadsoup,acutlet,greenpeasandmashedpotatoes,andcherrytart.ShehadaglassofBurgundy
withit."

"WheredidtheBurgundycomefrom?"

"There was a bottle in her room. There was some left afterwards, but I believe it was examined and
foundtobequiteallright."

"Couldshehaveputthedruginherglasswithoutyourseeing?"

"Ohyes,easily.Iwastoandfrointheroom,tidyingupandarrangingthings.Iwasnotwatchingher.
She had a little despatch case beside her and also a handbag. She could have put anything in the
Burgundy,orlaterinthecoffee,orinthehotmilkshehadlastthing."

"Haveyouanyideaastowhatshecouldhavedonewiththebottleorcontainerifso?"

NurseCravenconsidered.

"Well,Isupposeshecouldhavethrownitoutofthewindowlater.Orputitinthewastepaperbasket,or
even have washed it out in the bathroom and put it back in the medicine cupboard. There are several
emptybottlesthere.Isavethembecausetheycomeinhandy."

"WhendidyoulastseeMrsFranklin?"

"Atten-thirty.Isettledherforthenight.Shehadhotmilkandshesaidshe'dlikeanaspirin."

"Howwasshethen?"

The witness considered a minute. "Well, really, just as usual... No, I'd say she was perhaps just a bit
overexcited."

"Notdepressed?"

"Well,no,morestrung-up,sotospeak.Butifit'ssuicideyou'rethinkingof,itmightmakeherthatway.
Shemightfeelnobleorexaltedaboutit."

"Doyouconsidershewasalikelypersontotakeherownlife?"

Therewasapause.NurseCravenseemedtobestrugglingtomakeuphermind.

"Well,"shesaidatlast,"IdoandIdon't.I-yes,onthewholeIdo.Shewasveryunbalanced."

SirWilliamBoydCarringtoncamenext.Heseemedgenuinelyupset,butgavehisevidenceclearly.

He had played picquet with the deceased on the night of her death. He had not noticed any signs of
depressionthen,butinaconversationsomedayspreviously,MrsFranklinhadmentionedthesubjectof
taking her own life. She was a very unselfish woman, and deeply distressed at feeling that she was
hamperingherhusband'scareer.Shewasdevotedtoherhusbandandveryambitiousforhim.Shewas
sometimesverydepressedaboutherownhealth.

Judithwascalled,buthadlittletosay.

She knew nothing about the removal of the physostigmine from the laboratory. On the night of the
tragedy Mrs Franklin had seemed to her much as usual, though perhaps overexcited. She had never
heardMrsFranklinmentionsuicide.

The last witness was Hercule Poirot. His evidence was given with much emphasis and caused a
considerableimpression.HedescribedaconversationhehadhadwithMrsFranklinonthedayprevious
toherdecease.Shehadbeenverydepressedandhadexpressedseveraltimesawishtobeoutofitall.
Shewasworriedaboutherhealthandhadconfidedinhimthatshehadfitsofdeepmelancholywhen
lifedidnotseemworthliving.Shesaidthatsometimesshefeltitwouldbewonderfultogotosleepand
neverwakeup.

Hisnextreplycausedanevengreatersensation.

"OnthemorningofJunetenthyouweresittingoutsidethelaboratorydoor?"

"Yes."

"DidyouseeMrsFranklincomeoutofthelaboratory?"

"Idid."

"Didshehaveanythinginherhand?"

"Shehadasmallbottleclaspedinherrighthand."

"Youarequitesureofthat?"

"Yes."

"Didsheshowanyconfusionatseeingyou?"

"Shelookedstartled,thatisall."

Thecoronerproceededtohissumming-up.Theymustmakeuptheirminds,hesaid,howthedeceased
cametoherdeath.Theywouldhavenodifficultyinassigningthecauseofdeath,themedicalevidence
had told them that. Deceased was poisoned by physostigmine sulphate. All they had to decide was
whether she took it accidentally or by intent, or if it was administered, to her by some other person.
Theyhadheardthatdeceasedhadfitsofmelancholy,thatshewasinpoorhealth,andthatwhilethere
wasnoorganicdisease,shewasinabadnervouscondition.M.HerculePoirot,awitnesswhosename
must carry weight, had asserted positively that he had seen Mrs Franklin come out of the laboratory
with a small bottle in her hand and that she had seemed startled to see him. They might come to the
conclusion that she had taken the poison from the laboratory with the intention of doing away with
herself.Sheseemedtobesufferingfromanobsessionthatshewasstandinginherhusband'slightand
obstructing his career. It was only fair to Dr Franklin to say that he seemed to have been a kind and
affectionatehusband,andthathehadneverexpressedannoyanceatherdelicacy,orcomplainedthatshe
hinderedhiscareer.Theideaseemedtobeentirelyherown.Womeninacertainconditionofnervous

collapsedidgetthesepersistentideas.Therewasnoevidencetoshowatwhattime,orinwhatvehicle
the poison was taken. It was, perhaps, a little unusual that the bottle which originally contained the
poison had not been found, but it was possible that, as Nurse Craven suggested, Mrs Franklin had
washeditandputitawayinthebathroomcupboardfromwhereshemayhaveoriginallytakenit.Itwas
forthejurytomaketheirowndecision.

Theverdictwasarrivedatafteronlyashortdelay.

ThejuryfoundthatMrsFranklintookherownlifewhiletemporarilyofunsoundmind.

II

HalfanhourlaterIwasinPoirot'sroom.Hewaslookingveryexhausted.Curtisshadputhimtobed
andwasrevivinghimwithastimulant.

Iwasdyingtotalk,butIhadtocontainmyselfuntilthevalethadfinishedandlefttheroom.

ThenIburstout:

"Wasthattrue,Poirot,whatyousaid?ThatyousawabottleinMrsFranklin'shandwhenshecameout
ofthelaboratory?"

AveryfaintsmilecreptoverPoirot'sbluish-tingedlips.Hemurmured:

"Didnotyouseeit,myfriend?"

"No,Ididnot."

"Butyoumightnothavenoticed,hein?"

"No,perhapsnot.Icertainlycan'tswearshedidn'thaveit."Ilookedathimdoubtfully."Thequestionis,
areyouspeakingthetruth?"

"DoyouthinkIwouldlie,myfriend?"

"Iwouldn'tputitpastyou."

"Hastings,youshockandsurpriseme.Whereisnowyoursimplefaith?"

"Well,"Iconceded,"Idon'tsupposeyouwouldreallycommitperjury."

Poirotsaidmildly:

"Itwouldnotbeperjury.Itwasnotonoath."

"Thenitwasalie?"

Poirotwavedhishandautomatically.

"WhatIhavesaid,monami,issaid.Itisunnecessarytodiscussit."

"Isimplydon'tunderstandyou,"Icried.

"Whatdon'tyouunderstand?"

"Yourevidence-allthataboutMrsFranklin'shavingtalkedaboutcommittingsuicide-aboutherbeing
depressed."

"Enfin,youheardhersaysuchthingsyourself."

"Yes.Butitwasonlyoneofmanymoods.Youdidn'tmakethatclear."

"PerhapsIdidnotwantto."

Istaredathim.

"Youwantedtheverdicttobesuicide?"

Poirotpausedbeforereplying.Thenhesaid:

"Ithink,Hastings,thatyoudonotappreciatethegravityofthesituation.Yes,ifyoulike,Iwantedthe
verdicttobesuicide..."

"Butyoudon'tthink-yourself-thatshedidcommitsuicide?"

SlowlyPoirotshookhishead.

Isaid:

"Youthink-thatshewasmurdered?"

"Yes,Hastings,shewasmurdered."

"Thenwhytrytohushitup-tohaveitlabelledandputasideassuicide?Thatstopsallenquiry."

"Precisely."

"Youwantthat?"

"Yes."

"Butwhy?"

"Isitconceivablethatyoudonotsee?Nevermind-letusnotgointothat.Youmusttakemywordforit
that it was murder - deliberate, preconceived murder. I told you, Hastings, that a crime would be
committedhere,andthatitwasunlikelyweshouldbeabletopreventit-forthekillerisbothruthless
anddetermined."

Ishivered.Isaid:

"Andwhathappensnext?"

Poirotsmiled.

"The case is solved - labelled and put away as suicide. But you and I, Hastings, go on, working
undergroundlikemoles.And,soonerorlater,wegetX."

Isaid:

"Andsupposingthat-meanwhile-someoneelseiskilled?"

Poirotshookhishead.

"Idonotthinkso.Unless,thatis,somebodysawsomethingorknowssomething-butifso,surely,they
wouldhavecomeforwardtosayso...?"

Chapter15

My memory is a little vague about the events of the days immediately following the inquest on Mrs
Franklin. There was, of course, the funeral, which I may say was attended by a large number of the
curiousofStylesStMary.ItwasonthatoccasionthatIwasaddressedbyanoldwomanwithrheumy
eyesandanunpleasantlyghoulishmanner.

Sheaccostedmejustaswewerefilingoutofthecemetery.

"Rememberyou,sir,don'tI?"

"Well-er,possibly-"

Shewenton,hardlylisteningtowhatIsaid.

"Twentyyearsagoandover.WhentheoldladydiedupattheCourt.Thatwasthefirstmurderwehad
toStyles.Won'tbethelast,Isay.OldMrsInglethorp,herhusbanddoneherin,soweallsaid.Sureofit,

wewas."Sheleeredatmecunningly."Maybeit'sthehusbandthistime."

"Whatdoyoumean?"Isaidsharply."Didn'tyouheartheverdictwassuicide?"

"That'swhatthecoronersaid.Buthemightbewrong,don'tyouthink?"Shenudgedme."Doctors,they
knowhowtodoawaywiththeirwives.Andshewasn'tmuchgoodtohimseemingly."

Iturnedonherangrilyandsheslunkaway,murmuringshehadn'tmeantanything,onlyitseemedodd-
like, didn't it, happening a second time? "And it's queer you should be there both times, sir, isn't it
now?"

For one fantastic moment I wondered if she suspected me of having really committed both crimes. It
wasmostdisturbing.Itcertainlymademerealizewhataqueer,hauntingthinglocalsuspicionis.

Anditwasnot,afterall,sofarwrong.ForsomebodyhadkilledMrsFranklin.

As I say, I remember very little of those days. Poirot's health, for one thing, was giving me grave
concern.CurtisscametomewithhiswoodenfaceslightlydisturbedandreportedthatPoirothadhada
somewhatalarmingheartattack.

"Seemstome,sir,heoughttoseeadoctor."

I went posthaste to Poirot, who negatived the suggestion most vigorously. It was, I thought, a little
unlikehim.Hehadalwaysbeen,inmyopinion,extremelyfussyabouthishealth.Distrustingdraughts,
wrapping up his neck in silk and wool, showing a horror of getting his feet damp, and taking his
temperature and retiring to bed at the least suspicion of a chill - "for otherwise it may be for me a
fluxiondepoitrine!"Inmostlittleailmentshehad,Iknew,alwaysconsultedadoctorimmediately.

Now,whenhewasreallyill,thepositionseemedreversed.

Yetperhapsthatwastherealreason.Thoseotherailmentshadbeentrifling.Now,whenhewasindeeda
sick man, he feared, perhaps, admitting the reality of his illness. He made light of it because he was
afraid.

Heansweredmyprotestswithenergyandbitterness.

"Ah,butIhaveconsulteddoctors-notone,butmany!IhavebeentoBlankandtoDash(henamedtwo
specialists)andtheydowhat?-theysendmetoEgyptwhereimmediatelyIamrenderedmuchworse.I
havebeen,too,toR."

R.was,Iknew,aheartspecialist.Iaskedquickly:

"Whatdidhesay?"

Poirotgavemeasuddenquicksidelongglance-andmyheartgaveasuddenagonizedleap.

Hesaidquietly:

"Hehasdoneformeallthatcanbedone.Ihavemytreatments,myremedies,allcloseathand.Beyond
that-thereisnothing.Soyousee,Hastings,tocallinmoredoctorswouldbeofnoavail.Themachine,
monami,wearsout.Onecannot,alas,installthenewengineandcontinuetorunasbeforelikeamotor
car."

"Butlookhere,Poirot,surelythere'ssomething.Curtiss-"

Poirotsaidsharply:"Curtiss?"

"Yes,hecametome.Hewasworried-Youhadanattack-"

Poirotnoddedgently.

"Yes,yes.Theyare,sometimes,theseattacks,painfultowitness.Curtiss,Ithink,isnotusedtothese
attacksoftheheart."

"Won'tyoureallyseeadoctor?"

"Itisofnoavail,myfriend."

Hespokeverygentlybutwithfinality.Andagainmyheartfeltapainfulconstriction.Poirotsmiledat

me.Hesaid:

"This,Hastings,willbemylastcase.Itwillbe,too,mymostinterestingcase-andmymostinteresting
criminal.ForinXwehaveatechniquesuperb,magnificent-thatarousesadmirationinspiteofoneself.
Sofar,moncher,thisXhasoperatedwithsomuchabilitythathehasdefeatedme-HerculePoirot!He
hasdevelopedtheattacktowhichIcanfindnoanswer."

"Ifyouhadyourhealth-"Ibegansoothingly.

Butapparentlythatwasnottherightthingtosay.HerculePoirotimmediatelyflewintoarage.

"Ah!HaveIgottotellyouthirty-sixtimes,andthenagainthirty-six,thatthereisnoneedofphysical
effort?Oneneedsonly-tothink."

"Well-ofcourse-yes,youcandothatallright."

"Allright?Icandoitsuperlatively.Mylimbstheyareparalyzed,myheartitplaysmethetricks,butmy
brain,Hastings-mybrainitfunctionswithoutimpairmentofanykind.Itisstillofthefirstexcellence,
mybrain."

"That,"Isaidsoothingly,"issplendid."

ButasIwentslowlydownstairs,IthoughttomyselfthatPoirot'sbrainwasnotgettingonwiththingsas
fastasitmightdo.FirstthenarrowescapeofMrsLuttrellandnowthedeathofMrsFranklin.Andwhat
werewedoingaboutit?Practicallynothing.

II

ItwasthefollowingdaythatPoirotsaidtome:

"Yousuggested,Hastings,thatIshouldseeadoctor."

"Yes,"Isaideagerly."I'dfeelmuchhappierifyouwould."

"Ehbien,Iwillconsent.IwillseeFranklin."

"Franklin?"Ilookeddoubtful.

"Well,heisadoctor,ishenot?"

"Yes,but-hismainlineisresearch,isitnot?"

"Undoubtedly.Hewouldnotsucceed,Ifancy,asageneralpractitioner.Hehasnotsufficientlywhatyou
callthe'sideofthebedmanner.'Buthehasthequalifications.InfactIshouldsaythat,asthefilmssay,
'heknowshisstuffbetterthanmost.'"

Iwasstillnotentirelysatisfied.AlthoughIdidnotdoubtFranklin'sability,hehadalwaysstruckmeasa
man who was impatient of and uninterested in human ailments. Possibly an admirable attitude for
researchwork,butnotsogoodforanysickpersonshemightattend.

However, for Poirot to go so far was a concession, and as Poirot had no local medical attendant,
Franklinreadilyagreedtotakealookathim.Butheexplainedthatifregularmedicalattendancewas
needed,alocalpractitionermustbecalledin.Hecouldnotattendthecase.

Franklinspentalongtimewithhim.

Whenhecameoutfinally,Iwaswaitingforhim.Idrewhimintomyroomandshutthedoor.

"Well?"Idemandedanxiously.

Franklinsaidthoughtfully:

"He'saveryremarkableman."

"Oh!That,yes-"Ibrushedasidethisself-evidentfact."Buthishealth?"

"Oh! His health?" Franklin seemed quite surprised - as though I had mentioned something of no
importanceatall."Oh!Hishealth'srotten,ofcourse."

Itwasnot,Ifelt,atallaprofessionalwayofputtingit.AndyetIhadheard-fromJudith-thatFranklin
hadbeenoneofthemostbrilliantstudentsofhistime.

"Howbadishe?"Idemandedanxiously.

Heshotmealook.

"D'youwanttoknow?"

"Ofcourse."

Whatdidthefoolthink?

Healmostimmediatelytoldme:

"Most people," he said, "don't want to know. They want soothing syrup. They want hope. They want
reassuranceladledoutindriblets.Andofcourseamazingrecoveriesdooccur.Buttheywon'tinPoirot's
case."

"Doyoumean-"Againthatcoldhandclosedroundmyheart.

Franklinnodded,

"Ohyes,he'sforit,allright.Andprettysoon,Ishouldsay.Ishouldn'ttellyousoifhehadn'tauthorized
metodoso."

"Then-heknows."

Franklinsaid:

"Heknows,allright.Thatheartofhismaygoout-phut-anymoment.Onecan'tsay,ofcourse,exactly
when."

Hepaused,thenhesaidslowly:

"Fromwhathesays,Igatherhe'sworryingaboutgettingsomethingfinished,somethingthat-asheputs
it-he'sundertaken.D'youknowaboutthat?"

"Yes,"Isaid."Iknow."

Franklinshotmeaninterestedglance.

"Hewantstobesureoffinishingoffthejob."

"Isee."

IwonderedifJohnFranklinhadanyideaofwhatthatjobwas!

Hesaidslowly:

"Ihopehe'llmanageit.Fromwhathesaid,itmeansalottohim."Hepausedandadded:"He'sgota
methodicalmind."

Iaskedanxiously:

"Isn'ttheresomethingthatcanbedone-somethinginthewayoftreatment-"

Heshookhishead.

"Nothingdoing.He'sgotampoulesofamylnitritetousewhenhefeelsanattackiscomingon."

Thenhesaidarathercuriousthing.

"Gotaverygreatrespectforhumanlife,hasn'the?"

"Yes-Isupposehehas."

How often had I not heard Poirot say: "I do not approve of murder." That understatement, made so
primly,hadalwaystickledmyfancy.

Franklinwasgoingon:

"That'sthedifferencebetweenus.Ihaven't...!"

Ilookedathimcuriously.Heinclinedhisheadwithafaintsmile.

"Quitetrue,"hesaid."Sincedeathcomesanyway,whatdoesitmatterifitcomesearlyorlate?There's
solittledifference."

"Then what on earth made you become a doctor if you feel like that?" I demanded with some
indignation.

"Oh, my dear fellow - doctoring isn't just a matter of dodging the ultimate end - it's a lot more - it's
improvingliving.Ifahealthymandies,itdoesn'tmatter-much.Ifanimbecile-acretin-dies,it'sa
good thing - but if by the discovery of administering the correct gland you turn your cretin into a
healthy,normalindividualbycorrectinghisthyroiddeficiency,that,tomymind,mattersagooddeal."

Ilookedathimwithmoreinterest.IstillfeltthatitwouldnotbeDrFranklinIshouldcallinifIhadthe
influenza,butIhadtopaytributetoakindofwhite-hotsincerityandaveryrealforceintheman.Ihad
noticed a change in him since his wife's death. He had displayed few of the conventional signs of
mourning.Onthecontraryheseemedmorealive,lessabsent-minded,andfullofanewenergyandfire.

Hesaidabruptly,breakingintomythoughts:

"YouandJuditharen'tmuchalike,areyou?"

"No,Isupposewe'renot."

"Isshelikehermother?"

Ireflected,thenslowlyshookmyhead.

"Notreally.Mywifewasamerry,laughingcreature.Shewouldn'ttakeanythingseriously-andtriedto
makemethesame,withoutmuchsuccess,I'mafraid."

Hesmiledfaintly.

"No, you're rather the heavy father, aren't you? So Judith says. Judith doesn't laugh much - serious
youngwoman.Toomuchwork,Iexpect.Myfault."

Hewentintoabrownstudy.Isaidconventionally:

"Yourworkmustbeveryinteresting."

"Eh?"

"Isaidyourworkmustbeinteresting."

"Only to about half a dozen people, To everybody else it's darned dull - and they're probably right.
Anyway-"heflunghisheadback,hisshoulderssquaredthemselves,hesuddenlylookedwhathewas,
apowerfulandvirileman-"I'vegotmychancenow!God,Icouldshoutaloud.TheMinisterInstitute
peopleletmeknowtoday.Thejob'sstillopenandI'vegotit.Istartintendays'time."

"ForAfrica?"

"Yes.It'sgrand."

"Sosoon,"Ifeltslightlyshocked.

Hestaredatme.

"What do you mean - soon? Oh." His brow cleared. "You mean after Barbara's death? Why on earth

not?It'snogoodpretending,isit,thatherdeathwasn'tthegreatestrelieftome?"

Heseemedamusedbytheexpressiononmyface.

"I'venottime,I'mafraid,forconventionalattitudes.IfellinlovewithBarbara-shewasaverypretty
girl-marriedherandfelloutoflovewithheragaininaboutayear,Idon'tthinkitlastedevenaslong
as that with her, I was a disappointment to her, of course, She thought she could influence me. She
couldn't,I'maselfish,pigheadedsortofbrute,andIdowhatIwanttodo."

"ButyoudidrefusethisjobinAfricaonheraccount,"Iremindedhim.

"Yes. That was purely financial, though, I'd undertaken to support Barbara in the way of life she was
accustomed to. If I'd gone, it would have meant leaving her very short. But now -" he smiled a
completelyfrankboyishsmile-"it'sturnedoutamazinglyluckyforme."

Iwasrevolted.Itistrue,Isuppose,thatmanymenwhosewivesdiearenotpreciselyheartbrokenand
everyonemoreorlessknowsthefact.Butthiswassoblatant.

Hesawmyface,butdidnotseemputout.

"Truth,"hesaid,"isseldomappreciated.Andyetitsavesalotoftimeandalotofinaccuratespeech."

Isaidsharply:

"Anditdoesn'tworryyouatallthatyourwifecommittedsuicide?"

Hesaidthoughtfully:

"Idon'treallybelieveshedidcommitsuicide.Mostunlikely-"

"Butthen,whatdoyouthinkhappened?"

Hecaughtmeup.

"Idon'tknow.Idon'tthinkI-wanttoknow.Understand?"

Istaredathim.Hiseyeswerehardandcold.

Hesaidagain:

"Idon'twanttoknow.I'mnot-interested.See?"

Ididsee-butIdidn'tlikeit.

III

Idon'tknowwhenitwasthatInoticedthatStephenNortonhadsomethingonhismind.Hehadbeen
verysilentaftertheinquest,andafterthatandthefuneralwereover,hestillwalkedabout,hiseyeson
thegroundandhisforeheadpuckered.Hehadahabitofrunninghishandsthroughhisshortgreyhair
until it stuck up on end like Strumel Peter. It was comical but quite unconscious and denoted some
perplexity of his mind. He returned absent-minded answers when you spoke to him, and it did at last
dawnuponmethathewasdefinitelyworriedaboutsomething.Iaskedhimtentativelyifhehadhadbad
newsofanykind,whichhepromptlynegatived.Thatclosedthesubjectforthetimebeing.

But a little later he seemed to be trying to get an opinion from me on some matter in a clumsy,
roundaboutway.

Stammeringalittle,ashealwaysdidwhenhewasseriousaboutathing,heembarkedonaninvolved
storycenteringonapointofethics.

"Youknow,Hastings,itshouldbeawfullysimpletosaywhenathing'srightorwrong-butreally,when
it comes to it, it isn't quite such plain sailing. I mean one may come across something - the kind of
thing,yousee,thatisn'tmeantforyou-it'sallakindofaccident,andit'sthesortofthingyoucouldn't
takeadvantageof,andyetitmightbemostfrightfullyimportant.DoyouseewhatImean?"

"Notverywell,I'mafraid,"Iconfessed.

Norton'sbrowfurrowedagain.Heranhishandsupthroughhishairagainsothatitstooduprightinits
usualcomicalmanner.

"It'ssohardtoexplain.WhatImeanis,supposeyoujusthappenedtoseesomethinginaprivateletter-
one opened by mistake, that sort of thing - a letter meant for someone else and you began reading it
because you thought it was written to you and so you actually read something you weren't meant to
beforeyourealized.Thatcouldhappen,youknow."

"Ohyes,ofcourseitcould."

"Well,Imean,whatwouldonedo?"

"Well-"Igavemymindtotheproblem."Isupposeyou'dgotothepersonandsay:'I'mawfullysorry,
butIopenedthisbymistake.'"

Nortonsighed.Hesaiditwasn'tquitesosimpleasthat.

"Yousee-youmighthavereadsomethingratherembarrassing,Hastings."

"Thatwouldembarrasstheotherperson,youmean?Isupposeyou'dhavetopretendyouhadn'tactually
readanything-thatyou'ddiscoveredyourmistakeintime."

"Yes." Norton said it after a moment's pause, and he did not seem to feel that be had yet arrived at a
satisfactorysolution.

Hesaidratherwistfully:

"IwishIdidknowwhatIoughttodo."

IsaidthatIcouldn'tseethattherewasanythingelsehecoulddo.

Nortonsaid,theperplexedfrownstillonhisforehead:

"Yousee,Hastings,there'srathermoretoitthanthat.Supposingthatwhatyoureadwas-well,rather
importanttosomeoneelseagain,Imean."

Ilostpatience.

"Really,Norton,Idon'tseewhatyoudomean,Youcan'tgoaboutreadingotherpeople'sprivateletters,
canyou-"

"Nonoofcoursenot.Ididn'tmeanthat.Andanyway,itwasn'taletteratall.Ionlysaidthattotryand
explain the sort of thing. Naturally anything you saw or heard or read - by accident - you'd keep to
yourself,unless-"

"Unlesswhat?"

Nortonsaidslowly:

"Unlessitwassomethingyououghttospeakabout."

Ilookedathimwithsuddenlyawakenedinterest.Hewenton:

"Lookhere,thinkofitthisway-supposingyousawsomethingthrougha-akeyhole-"

KeyholesmademethinkofPoirot!Nortonwasstumblingon:

"WhatImeanis,you'dgotaperfectlygoodreasonforlookingthroughthekeyhole-thekeymighthave
stuckandyoujustlookedtoseeifitwasclear-or-orsomequitegoodreason-andyouneverforone
minuteexpectedtoseewhatyoudidsee..."

ForamomentortwoIlostthethreadofhisstumblingsentences,forenlightenmenthadcometome.I
rememberedadayonagrassyknollandNortonswinginguphisglassestoseeaspeckledwoodpecker,I
remembered his immediate distress and embarrassment, his endeavours to prevent me from looking
throughtheglassesinmyturn,AtthemomentIhadleapedtotheconclusionthatwhathehadseenwas
somethingtodowithme-infactthatitwasAllertonandJudith.Butsupposingthatthatwasnotthe
case? That he had seen something quite different? I had assumed that it was something to do with
AllertonandJudithbecauseIwassoobsessedbythematthattimethatIcouldthinkofnothingelse.

Isaidabruptly:

"Wasitsomethingyousawthroughthoseglassesofyours?"

Nortonwasbothstartledandrelieved.

"Isay,Hastings,howdidyouguess?"

"ItwasthatdaywhenyouandIandElizabethColewereuponthatknoll,wasn'tit?"

"Yes,that'sright."

"Andyoudidn'twantmetosee?"

"No.Itwasn't-well,Imeanitwasn'tmeantforanyofustosee."

"Whatwasit?"

Nortonfrownedagain.

"That'sjustit.OughtItosay?Imeanitwas-well,itwasspying.IsawsomethingIwasn'tmeanttosee.
I wasn't looking for it - there really was a speckled woodpecker - a lovely fellow, and then I saw the
otherthing."

Hestopped.Iwascurious,intenselycurious,yetIrespectedhisscruples.

Iasked:

"Wasit-somethingthatmattered?"

Hesaidslowly:

"Itmightmatter.That'sjustit.Idon'tknow."

Iaskedthen:

"HasitsomethingtodowithMrsFranklin'sdeath?"

Hestarted.

"It'squeeryoushouldsaythat."

"Thenithas?"

"No-no,notdirectly.Butitmighthave."Hesaidslowly:"Itwouldthrowadifferentlighton,certain
things.Itwouldmeanthat-Oh,damnitall,Idon'tknowwhattodo!"

Iwasinadilemma.Iwasagogwithcuriosity,yetIfeltthatNortonwasveryreluctanttosaywhathe
hadseen.Icouldunderstandthat.Ishouldhavefeltthesamemyself.Itisalwaysunpleasanttocome
into possession of a piece of information that has been acquired in what the outside world would
consideradubiousmanner.

Thenanideastruckme.

"WhynotconsultPoirot?"

"Poirot?"Nortonseemedalittledoubtful.

"Yes,askhisadvice."

"Well," said Norton slowly, "it's an idea. Only, of course, he's a foreigner -" He stopped, rather
embarrassed.

I knew what he meant. Poirot's scathing remarks on the subject of "playing the game" were only too
familiar to me. I only wondered that Poirot had never thought of taking to bird glasses himself! He
wouldhavedoneitifhehadthoughtofit.

"He'drespectyourconfidence,"Iurged."Andyouneedn'tactuponhisadviceifyoudon'tlikeit."

"That'strue,"saidNorton,hisbrowclearing."Youknow,Hastings,Ithinkthat'sjustwhatIwilldo."

IV

IwasastonishedatPoirot'sinstantreactiontomypieceofinformation.

"Whatisthatyousay,Hastings?"

Hedroppedthepieceofthintoasthehadbeenraisingtohislips.Hepokedhisheadforward.

"Tellme.Tellmequickly."

Irepeatedthestory.

"Hesawsomethingthroughtheglassesthatday,"repeatedPoirotthoughtfully."Somethingthathewill
nottellyou."Hishandshotoutandgrippedmyarm."Hehasnottoldanyoneelseofthis?"

"Idon'tthinkso.No,I'msurehehasn't."

"Beverycareful,Hastings.ItisurgentthatBeshouldnottellanyone-hemustnotevenhint.Todoso
mightbedangerous."

"Dangerous?"

"Verydangerous."

Poirot'sfacewasgrave.

"Arrangewithhim,monami,tocomeupandseemethisevening.Justanordinaryfriendlylittlevisit,
youunderstand.Donotletanyoneelsesuspectthatthereisanyspecialreasonforhiscoming.Andbe
careful,Hastings;bevery,verycareful.Whoelsedidyousaywaswithyouatthetime?"

"ElizabethCole."

"Didshenoticeanythingoddabouthismanner?"

Itriedtorecollect.

"Idon'tknow.Shemayhave.ShallIaskherif-"

"Youwillsaynothing,Hastings-absolutelynothing."

Chapter16

IgaveNortonPoirot'smessage.

"I'llgoupandseehim,certainly.I'dliketo.Butyouknow,Hastings,I'mrathersorryImentionedthe
mattereventoyou."

"Bytheway,"Isaid."Youhaven'tsaidanythingtoanyoneelseaboutit,haveyou?"

"No-atleast-no,ofcoursenot."

"You'requitesure?"

"No,no,Ihaven'tsaidanything."

"Well,don't.Notuntilafteryou'veseenPoirot."

Ihadnoticedtheslighthesitationinhistonewhenhefirstanswered,buthissecondassurancewasquite
firm.Iwastorememberthatslighthesitationafterwards,though.

II

I went up again to the grassy knoll where we had been on that day. Someone else was there already.
ElizabethCole.SheturnedherheadasIcameuptheslope.

Shesaid:

"Youlookveryexcited,CaptainHastings.Isanythingthematter?"

Itriedtocalmmyself.

"No,no,nothingatall.I'mjustoutofbreathwithwalkingfast."Iaddedinaneverydaycommonplace
voice:

"It'sgoingtorain."

Shelookedupatthesky.

"Yes,Ithinkitis."

We stood there silent for a minute or two. There was something about this woman that I found very
sympathetic.Eversinceshehadtoldmewhoshereallywas,andthetragedythathadruinedherlife,I
hadtakenaninterestinher.Twopeoplewhohavesufferedunhappinesshaveagreatbondincommon.
Yetforhertherewas,orsoIsuspected,asecondspring.Isaidnowimpulsively:

"Farfrombeingexcited,I'mdepressedtoday.I'vehadbadnewsaboutmydearoldfriend."

"AboutM.Poirot?"

Hersympatheticinterestledmetounburdenmyself.

WhenIhadfinished,shesaidsoftly:

"Isee.So-theendmightcomeanytime?"

Inodded,unabletospeak.

AfteraminuteortwoIsaid:

"Whenhe'sgone,Ishallindeedbealoneintheworld."

"Ohno,you'vegotJudith-andyourotherchildren."

"They'rescatteredovertheworld,andJudith-well,she'sgotherwork.Shedoesn'tneedme."

"Isuspectthatchildrendon'teverneedtheirparentsuntiltheyareintroubleofsomekind.Youshould
makeupyourmindtothatastosomefundamentallaw.I'mfarmorelonelythanyouare.Mytwosisters
arefaraway-oneinAmericaandoneinItaly."

"Mydeargirl,"Isaid."Yourlife'sbeginning."

"Atthirty-five?"

"What'sthirty-five?IwishIwerethirty-five."Iaddedmaliciously:"I'mnotquiteblind,youknow."

Sheturnedanenquiringglanceonme,thenblushed.

"Youdon'tthink-oh!StephenNortonandIareonlyfriends.We'vegotagooddealincommon-"

"Allthebetter."

"He's-he'sjustawfullykind."

"Oh,mydear,"Isaid."Don'tbelieveit'sallkindness.Wemenaren'tmadethatway."

ButElizabethColehadturnedsuddenlywhite.Shesaidinalow,strainedvoice:

"You're cruel - blind! How can I ever think of - of marriage? With my history. With my sister a
murderess-orifnotthat,insane.Idon'tknowwhichisworse."

Isaidstrongly:

"Don'tletthatpreyonyourmind.Remember,itmaynotbetrue."

"Whatdoyoumean?Itistrue."

"Don'tyouremembersayingtomeonce:'Itwasn'tMaggie'?"

Shecaughtherbreath.

"Onefeelslikethat."

"Whatonefeelsisoften-true."

Shestaredatme.

"Whatdoyoumean?"

"Yoursister,"Isaid,"didnotkillherfather."

Herhandcreptuptohermouth.Hereyes,wideandscared,lookedintomine.

"You'remad,"shesaid."Youmustbemad.Whotoldyouthat?"

"Nevermind,"Isaid."It'strue.SomedayI'llproveittoyou."

III

NearthehouseIranintoBoydCarrington.

"Thisismylastevening,"hetoldme."Imoveouttomorrow."

"ToKnatton?"

"Yes."

"That'sveryexcitingforyou."

"Isit?Isupposeitis."Hegaveasigh."Anyway,Hastings,Idon'tmindtellingyou,Ishallbegladto
leavehere."

"Thefoodiscertainlyprettybadandtheserviceisn'tgood."

"Idon'tmeanthat.Afterall,it'scheap,andyoucan'texpectmuchfromthesepayingguestplaces.No,
Hastings,Imeanmorethandiscomfort.Idon'tlikethishouse-there'ssomemaligninfluenceaboutit.
Thingshappenhere."

"Theycertainlydo."

"I don't know what it is. Perhaps a house that has once had a murder in it is never quite the same
afterwards...ButIdon'tlikeit.FirsttherewasthataccidenttoMrsLuttrell-adamnedunluckythingto
happen.AndthentherewaspoorlittleBarbara."

Hepaused.

"Themostunlikelypersonintheworldtohavecommittedsuicide,Ishouldhavesaid."

Ihesitated.

"Well,Idon'tknowthatI'dgoasfarasthat-"

Heinterruptedme.

"Well,Iwould.Hangitall,Iwaswithhermostofthedaybefore.Shewasingoodspirits-enjoyedour
outing.TheonlythingshewasworryingaboutwaswhetherJohnwasn'tgettingtoomuchwrappedup
inhisexperimentsandmightoverdothingsortrysomeofhismessesuponhimself.Doyouknowwhat
Ithink,Hastings?"

"No."

"That husband of hers is the one who's responsible for her death. Nagged at her, I expect. She was
alwayshappyenoughwhenshewaswithme.Heletherseethatshehandicappedhispreciouscareer
(I'dgivehimacareer!)anditbrokeherup.Damnedcallous,thatfellow,hasn'tturnedahair.Toldmeas
coolasanythinghewasofftoAfricanow.Really,youknow,Hastings,Ishouldn'tbesurprisedifhe'd
actuallymurderedher."

"Youdon'tmeanthat,"Isaidsharply.

"No - no, I don't really. Though, mind you, mainly because I can see that if he murdered her, he
wouldn'tdoitthatway.Imeanhewasknowntobeworkingonthisstuff-physostigmine-soitstands
toreasonifhe'ddoneherin,hewouldn'thaveusedthat.Butallthesame,Hastings,I'mnottheonlyone
tothinkthatFranklin'sasuspiciouscharacter.Ihadthetipfromsomeonewhooughttoknow."

"Whowasthat?"Iaskedsharply.

BoydCarringtonloweredhisvoice.

"NurseCraven."

"What?"Iwasintenselysurprised.

"Hush.Don'tshout.Yes,NurseCravenputtheideaintomyhead.She'sasmartgirl,youknow,gother
witsabouther.Shedoesn'tlikeFranklin-hasn'tlikedhimallalong."

Iwondered.IshouldhavesaidthatitwasherownpatientwhomNurseCravenhaddisliked.Itoccurred
tomesuddenlythatNurseCravenmustknowagooddealabouttheFranklinmenage.

"She'sstayingheretonight,"saidBoydCarrington.

"What?"Iwasratherstartled.NurseCravenhadleftimmediatelyafterthefuneral.

"Justforanightbetweencases,"explainedBoydCarrington.

"Isee."

I was vaguely disquieted by Nurse Craven's return, yet I could hardly have said why, Was there, I
wondered,anyreasonforhercomingback?Shedidn'tlikeFranklin,BoydCarringtonhadsaid...

Reassuringmyself,Isaidwithsuddenvehemence:

"She's no right to hint things about Franklin. After all, it was her evidence that helped to establish
suicide.That,andPoirot'sseeingMrsFranklincomingoutofthestudiowithabottleinherhand."

BoydCarringtonsnapped:

"What'sabottle?Womenarealwayscarryingbottles-scentbottles,hairlotion,nailpolish.Thatwench
ofyourswasrunningaboutwithabottleinherhandthatevening-itdoesn'tmeanshewasthinkingof
suicide,doesit?Nonsense!"

HebrokeoffasAllertoncameuptous.Mostappropriately,inmelodramaticfashion,therewasalow
rumbleofthunderinthedistance.Ireflected,asIhadreflectedbefore,thatAllertonwascertainlycast
forthepartofthevillain.

But he had been away from the house on the night of Barbara Franklin's death. And besides, what
possiblemotivecouldhehavehad?

Butthen,Ireflected,Xneverhadamotive.Thatwasthestrengthofhisposition.Itwasthat,andthat
only,thatwasholdingusup.Andyet,atanyminute,thattinyflashofilluminationmightcome.

IV

IthinkthathereandnowIshouldliketoplaceonrecordthatIhadnever,allthrough,consideredfor

onemomentthatPoirotmightfail.IntheconflictbetweenPoirotandX,Ihadnevercontemplatedthe
possibilitythatXmightcomeoutvictor.InspiteofPoirot'sfeeblenessandillhealth,Ihadfaithinhim
aspotentiallythestrongerofthetwo.Iwasused,yousee,toPoirot'ssucceeding.

ItwasPoirothimselfwhofirstputadoubtintomyhead.

I went in to see him on my way down to dinner. I forget now exactly what led to it, but he suddenly
usedthephrase"ifanythinghappenstome."

Iprotestedimmediatelyandloudly.Nothingwouldhappen-nothingcouldhappen.

"Ehbien,thenyouhavenotlistenedcarefullytowhatDrFranklintoldyou."

"Franklindoesn'tknow.You'regoodformanyalongyearyet,Poirot."

"It is possible, my friend, though extremely unlikely. But I speak now in the particular and not the
generalsense.ThoughImaydieverysoon,itmaystillbenotsoonenoughtosuitourfriendX."

"What?"Myfaceshowedmyshockedreaction.

Poirotnodded.

"Butyes,Hastings.Xis,afterall,intelligent.Infact,mostintelligent.AndXcannotfailtoperceivethat
myelimination,evenifitwereonlytoprecedenaturaldeceasebyafewdays,mightbeofinestimable
advantage."

"Butthen-butthen-whatwouldhappen?"

Iwasbewildered.

"Whenthecolonelfalls,monami,thesecondincommandtakesover.Youwillcontinue."

"HowcanI?I'mentirelyinthedark."

"I have arranged for that. If anything happens to me, my friend, you will find here -" he patted the
locked dispatch case by his side - "all the clues you need. I have arranged, you see, for every
eventuality."

"Thereisreallynoneedtobeclever.Justtellmenoweverythingthereistoknow."

"No.myfriend.ThefactthatyoudonotknowwhatIknowisavaluableasset."

"Youhaveleftmeaclearlywrittenaccountofthings?"

"Certainlynot.Xmightgetholdofit."

"Thenwhathaveyouleft?"

"Indicationsinkind.TheywillmeannothingtoX-beassuredofthat-buttheywillleadyoutothe
discoveryofthetruth."

"I'm not so sure of that. Why must you have such a tortuous mind, Poirot? You always like making
everythingdifficult.Youalwayshave!"

"And it is now with me a passion? Is that what you would say? Perhaps. But rest assured, my
indicationswillleadyoutothetruth."Hepaused.Thenhesaid:"Andperhaps,then,youwouldwish
thattheyhadnotledyousofar.Youwouldsayinstead:'Ringdownthecurtain.'"

SomethinginhisvoicestartedagainthatvagueunformulateddreadthatIhadonceortwicefeltspasms
ofalready.Itwasasthoughsomewhere,justoutofsight,wasafactthatIdidnotwanttosee-thatI
couldnotbeartoacknowledge.Somethingthatalready,deepdown,Iknew...

Ishookthefeelingoffandwentdowntodinner.

Chapter17

Dinnerwasareasonablycheerfulmeal.MrsLuttrellwasdownagainandinherbestveinofartificial
Irishgaiety.FranklinwasmoreanimatedandcheerfulthanIhadyetseenhim.NurseCravenIsawfor

thefirsttimeinmuftiinsteadofhernurse'suniform.Shewascertainlyaveryattractiveyoungwoman
nowthatshehadcastoffherprofessionalreserve.

AfterdinnerMrsLuttrellsuggestedbridge,butintheendsomeroundgameswerestarted.Abouthalf-
pastnineNortondeclaredhisintentionofgoinguptoseePoirot.

"Goodidea."saidBoydCarrington."Sorryhe'sbeenundertheweatherlately.I'llcomeuptoo."

Ihadtoactquickly.

"Look here." I said. "do you mind - it really tires him too much to talk to more than one person at a
time."

Nortontookthecueandsaidquickly:

"Ipromisedtolendhimabookonbirds."

BoydCarringtonsaid:

"Allright.Youcomingbackagain,Hastings?"

"Yes."

IwentupwithNorton.Poirotwaswaiting.AfterawordortwoIcamedownagain.Webeganplaying
rummy.

BoydCarrington,Ithink,resentedthecarefreeatmosphereofStylestonight.Hethought,perhaps,thatit
wastoosoonafterthetragedyforeveryonetoforget.Hewasabsent-minded,forgotfrequentlywhathe
wasdoing,andatlastexcusedhimselffromfurtherplay.

Hewenttothewindowandopenedit.Thesoundofthundercouldbeheardinthedistance.Therewasa
stormabout,althoughithadnotyetreachedus.Heclosedthewindowagainandcameback.Hestood
foraminuteortwowatchingusplay.Thenhewentoutoftheroom.

Iwentuptobedataquartertoeleven.IdidnotgointoPoirot.Hemightbeasleep.MoreoverIfelta
reluctancetothinkanymoreaboutStylesanditsproblems.Iwantedtosleep-tosleepandforget.

I was just dropping off when a sound wakened me. I thought it might have been a tap on my door. I
called"Comein,"butastherewasnoresponse,Iswitchedthelightonand,gettingup,lookedoutinto
thecorridor.

IsawNortonjustcomingfromthebathroomandgoingintohisownroom.Heworeacheckeddressing
gownofparticularlyhideouscolouringandhishairwasstickinguponendasusual.Hewentintohis
roomandshutthedoor,andimmediatelyafterwardsIheardhimturnthekeyinthelock.

Overheadtherewasalowrumblingofthunder.Thestormwascomingnearer.

Iwentbacktobedwithaslightlyuneasyfeelinginducedbythesoundofthatturningkey.

Itsuggested,veryfaintly,sinisterpossibilities.DidNortonusuallylockhisdooratnight?Iwondered.
Had Poirot warned him to do so? I remembered with sudden uneasiness how Poirot's door key had
mysteriouslydisappeared.

Ilayinbedandmyuneasinessgrewwhilethestormoverheadaddedtomyfeelingofnerviness.Igot
upatlastandlockedmyowndoor.ThenIwentbacktobedandslept.

II

IwentintoPoirotbeforegoingdowntobreakfast.

HewasinbedandIwasstruckagainbyhowillhelooked.Deeplinesofwearinessandfatiguewereon
hisface.

"Howareyou,oldboy?"

Hesmiledpatientlyatme.

"Iexist,myfriend.Istillexist."

"Notinpain?"

"No-justtired,"hesighed,"verytired."

Inodded.

"Whataboutlastnight?DidNortontellyouwhathesawthatday?"

"Hetoldme,yes."

"Whatwasit?"

Poirotlookedatmelongandthoughtfullybeforehereplied:

"Iamnotsure,Hastings,thatIhadbettertellyou.Youmightmisunderstand."

"Whatareyoutalkingabout?"

"Norton,"saidPoirot,"tellsmehesawtwopeople-"

"JudithandAllerton,"Icried."Ithoughtsoatthetime."

"Ehbien,non.NotJudithandAllerton.DidInottellyouyouwouldmisunderstand?Youareamanof
oneidea!"

"Sorry,"Isaid,alittleabashed."Tellme."

"Iwilltellyoutomorrow.IhavemuchonwhichIwishtoreflect."

"Doesit-doesithelpwiththecase?"

Poirotnodded.Heclosedhiseyes,leaningbackinhispillows.

"Thecaseisended.Yes,itisended.Thereareonlysomelooseendstobetied.Godowntobreakfast,
myfriend.Andasyougo,sendCurtisstome."

Ididsoandwentdownstairs.IwantedtoseeNorton.Iwasdeeplycurioustoknowwhatitwasthathe,
hadtoldPoirot.

Subconsciously I was still not happy. The lack of elation in Poirot's manner struck me disagreeably.
Whythispersistentsecrecy?Whythatdeepinexplicablesadness?Whatwasthetruthofallthis?

Nortonwasnotatbreakfast.

Istrolledoutintothegardenafterwards.Theairwasfreshandcoolafterthestorm.Inoticedthatithad
rainedheavily.BoydCarringtonwasonthelawn.IfeltpleasedtoseehimandwishedthatIcouldtake
himintomyconfidence.Ihadwantedtoallalong.Iwasverytemptedtodosonow.Poirotwasreally
unfittocarryonbyhimself.

This morning Boyd Carrington looked so vital, so sure of himself, that I felt a wave of warmth and
reassurance.

"You'reuplatethismorning,"hesaid.

Inodded.

"Isleptlate."

"Bitofathunderstormlastnight.Hearit?"

IrememberednowthatIhadbeenconsciousoftherollingofthunderthroughmysleep.

"Ifeltabitundertheweatherlastnight,"saidBoydCarrington."Ifeelalotbettertoday."Hestretched
hisarmsoutandyawned.

"Where'sNorton?"Iasked.

"Don'tthinkhe'supyet.Lazydevil."

Withcommonaccordweraisedoureyes.Wherewewerestanding,thewindowsofNorton'sroomwere
justaboveus.Istarted.Foraloneinthefaçadeofwindows,Norton'swerestillshuttered.

Isaid:"That'sodd.Doyouthinkthey'veforgottentocallhim?"

"Funny.Hopehe'snotill.Let'sgoupandsee."

We went up together. The housemaid, a rather stupid-looking girl, was in the passage. In answer to a
questionsherepliedthatMrNortonhadn'tansweredwhensheknocked.She'dknockedonceortwice
buthehadn'tseemedtohear.Hisdoorwaslocked,

Anastyforebodingsweptoverme.Irappedloudlyonthedoor,callingasIdidso:

"Norton-Norton.Wakeup!"

Andagainwithgrowinguneasiness:

"Wakeup..."

III

When it was apparent that there was going to be no answer, we went and found Colonel Luttrell. He
listened to us with a vague alarm showing in his faded blue eyes. He pulled uncertainly at his
moustache.

MrsLuttrell,alwaystheoneforpromptdecisions,madenobonesaboutit.

"You'llhavetogetthatdooropensomehow.There'snothingelseforit."

Forthesecondtimeinmylife,IsawadoorbrokenopenatStyles.Behindthatdoorwaswhatbadbeen
behindalockeddooronthefirstoccasion.Deathbyviolence.

Nortonwaslyingonhisbedinhisdressinggown.Thekeyofthedoorwasinthepocket.Inhishand
wasasmallpistol,ameretoy,butcapableofdoingitswork.Therewasasmallholeintheexactcentre
ofhisforehead.

ForamomentortwoIcouldnotthinkofwhatIwasreminded.Something,surelyveryold...

Iwastootiredtoremember.

IV

AsIcameintoPoirot'sroom,besawmyface.

Hesaidquickly:

"Whathashappened?Norton?"

"Dead!"

"How?When?"

BrieflyItoldhim.

Iendedwearily:

"Theysayit'ssuicide.Whatelsecantheysay?Thedoorwaslocked.Thewindowswereshuttered.The
keywasinhispocketWhy!Iactuallysawhimgoinandheardhimlockthedoor."

"Yousawhim,Hastings?"

"Yes,lastnight."

Iexplained:

"You'resureitwasNorton?"

"Ofcourse.I'dknowthatawfulolddressinggownanywhere."

ForamomentPoirotbecamehisoldself.

"Ah! But it is a man you are identifying, not a dressing gown. Ma foi! Anyone can wear a dressing
gown."

"It'strue,"Isaidslowly,"thatIdidn'tseehisface.Butitwashishair,allright,andthatslightlimp-"

"Anyonecouldlimp,monDieu!"

Ilookedathim,startled.

"Doyoumeantosuggest,Poirot,thatitwasn'tNortonthatIsaw?"

"Iamnotsuggestinganythingofthekind.Iammerelyannoyedbytheunscientificreasonsyougivefor
saying it was Norton. No, no, I do not for one minute suggest that it was not Norton. It would be
difficultforittobeanyoneelse,foreverymanhereistall-verymuchtallerthanhewas-andenfin,
youcannotdisguiseheight-that,no.Nortonwasonlyfivefootfive,Ishouldsay.Toutdemême,itis
likeaconjuringtrick,isitnot?Hegoesintohisroom,locksthedoor,putsthekeyinhispocket,andis
foundshotwiththepistolinhishandandthekeystillinhispocket."

"Thenyoudon'tbelieve,"Isaid,"thatheshothimself?"

SlowlyPoirotshookhishead.

"No,"hesaid."Nortondidnotshoothimself.Hewasdeliberatelykilled."

V

Iwentdownstairsinamaze.ThethingwassoinexplicableImaybeforgiven,Ihope,fornotseeingthe
nextinevitablestep.Iwasdazed.Mymindwasnotworkingproperly.

Andyetitwassological.Nortonhadbeenkilled-why?Toprevent,orsoIbelieved,histellingwhathe
hadseen.

Buthehadconfidedthatknowledgetooneotherperson.

Sothatperson,too,wasindanger...

Andwasnotonlyindanger,butwashelpless.

Ishouldhaveknown.

Ishouldhaveforeseen...

"Cherami!"PoirothadsaidtomeasIlefttheroom.

TheywerethelastwordsIwasevertohearhimsay.ForwhenCurtisscametoattendtohismaster,he
foundthatmasterdead...

Chapter18

Idon'twanttowriteaboutitatall.

I want, you see, to think about it as little as possible. Hercule Poirot was dead - and with him died a
goodpartofArthurHastings.

Iwillgiveyouthebarefactswithoutembroidery.ItisallIcanbeartodo.

Hedied,theysaid,ofnaturalcauses.Thatistosay,hediedofaheartattack.Itwastheway,soFranklin
said,thathehadexpectedhimtogo.DoubtlesstheshockofNorton'sdeathbroughtoneon.Bysome

oversight,itseems,theamylnitriteampouleswerenotbyhisbed.

Was it an oversight? Did someone deliberately remove them? No, it must have been something more
thanthat.XcouldnotcountonPoirot'shavingaheartattack.

Foryousee,IrefusetobelievethatPoirot'sdeathwasnatural.Hewaskilled,asNortonwaskilled,as
Barbara Franklin was killed. And I don't know why they were killed - and I don't know who killed
them!

There was an inquest on Norton and a verdict of suicide. The only point of doubt was raised by the
surgeon,whosaiditwasunusualforamantoshoothimselfintheexactcentreofhisforehead.Butthat
wastheonlyshadowofadoubt.Thewholethingwassoplain.Thedoorlockedontheinside,thekeyin
thedeadman'spocket,thewindowscloselyshuttered-thepistolinhishand.Nortonhadcomplainedof
headaches, it seemed, and some of his investments had been doing badly lately. Hardly reasons for
suicide,buttheyhadtoputforwardsomething.

Thepistolwasapparentlyhisown.Ithadbeenseenlyingonhisdressingtabletwicebythehousemaid
duringhisstayatStyles.Sothatwasthat.Anothercrimebeautifullystage-managedandasusualwith
noalternativesolution.

IntheduelbetweenPoirotandX,Xhadwon.

Itwasnowuptome.

IwenttoPoirot'sroomandtookawaythedispatchbox.

Iknewthathehadmademehisexecutor,soIhadaperfectrighttodoso.Thekeywasroundhisneck.

InmyownroomIopenedthebox.

AndatonceIhadashock.ThedossiersofX'scasesweregone.Ihadseenthemthereonlyadayortwo
previouslywhenPoirotunlockedit.Thatwasproof,ifIhadbeenneedingit,thatXhadbeenatwork.
EitherPoirothaddestroyedthosepapershimself(mostunlikely)orelseXhaddoneso.

X.X.ThatdamnedfiendX.

Butthecasewasnotempty.IrememberedPoirot'spromisethatIshouldfindotherindicationswhichX
wouldnotknowabout.

Werethesetheindications?

TherewasacopyofoneofShakespeare'splays,Othello,inasmallcheapedition.Theotherbookwas
theplayJohnFergusonbyStJohnErvine.Therewasamarkerinitatthethirdact.

Istaredatthetwobooksblankly.

HerewerethecluesthatPoirothadleftforme-andtheymeantnothingtomeatall!

Whatcouldtheymean?

TheonlythingIcouldthinkofwasacodeofsomekind.Awordcodebasedontheplays.

Butifso,howwasItogetatit?

Therewerenowords,noletters,underlinedanywhere.Itriedgentleheatwithnoresult.

IreadthethirdactofJohnFergusoncarefullythrough.Amostadmirableandthrillingscenewherethe
"wanting"ClutieJohnsitsandtalksandwhichendswiththeyoungerFergusongoingouttoseekforthe
manwhohaswrongedhissister.Masterlycharacterdrawing-butIcouldhardlythinkthatPoirothad
leftthemtoimprovemytasteinliterature!

And then, as I turned the leaves of the book over, a slip of paper fell out. It bore a phrase in Poirot's
handwriting:

"TalktomyvaletGeorges."

Well, here was something. Possibly the key to the code, if code it was, had been left with Georges. I
mustgetholdofhisaddressandgotoseehim.

Butfirsttherewasthesadbusinessofburyingmydearfriend.

Herewasthespotwherehehadlivedwhenhefirstcametothiscountry.Hewastoliehereatthelast.

Judithwasverykindtomeinthesedays.

She spent a lot of time with me and helped to make all the arrangements. She was gentle and
sympathetic.ElizabethColeandBoydCarringtonwereverykind,too.

ElizabethColewaslessaffectedbyNorton'sdeaththanIshouldhavethought.Ifshefeltanydeepgrief,
shekeptittoherself.

Andsoitwasallended...

II

Yes,Imustputitdown.

Itmustbesaid.

Thefuneralwasover.IwassittingwithJudith,tryingtomakeafewsketchyplansforthefuture.

Shesaidthen:

"Butyousee,dear,Ishan'tbehere."

"Nothere?"

"Ishan'tbeinEngland."

Istaredather.

"Ihaven'tlikedtotellyoubefore,Father.Ididn'twanttomakethingsworseforyou.Butyou'vegotto
knownow.Ihopeyouwon'tmindtoomuch.I'mgoingtoAfrica,yousee,withDrFranklin."

Iburstoutatthat.Itwasimpossible.Shecouldn'tdoathinglikethat.Everyonewouldbeboundtotalk.
TobeanassistanttohiminEnglandandespeciallywhenhiswifewasalivewasonething,buttogo
abroadwithhimtoAfricawasanother.ItwasimpossibleandIwasgoingtoforbiditabsolutely.Judith
mustnotdosuchathing!

Shedidn'tinterrupt.Sheletmefinish.Shesmiledveryfaintly.

"But,dearest,"shesaid,"I'mnotgoingashisassistant.I'mgoingashiswife."

Ithitmebetweentheeyes.

Isaid-orratherstammered-"Al-Allerton?"

Shelookedfaintlyamused.

"Therewasneveranythinginthat.Iwouldhavetoldyousoifyouhadn'tmademesoangry.Besides,I
wantedyoutothink,well-whatyoudidthink.Ididn'twantyoutoknowitwas-John."

"ButIsawhimkissyouonenight-ontheterrace."

Shesaidimpatiently:

"Oh,Idaresay.Iwasmiserablethatnight.Thesethingshappen.Surelyyouknowthat?"

Isaid:

"Youcan'tmarryFranklinyet-sosoon."

"Yes,Ican.Iwanttogooutwithhim,andyou'vejustsaidyourselfit'seasier.We'venothingtowaitfor
-now."

JudithandFranklin.FranklinandJudith.

Doyouunderstandthethoughtsthatcameintomymind-thethoughtsthathadlainunderthesurface
forsometime?

Judith with a bottle in her hand, Judith with her young, passionate voice declaring that useless lives
shouldgotomakewayforusefulones.JudithwhomIlovedandwhomPoirotalsohadloved.Those
twopeoplethatNortonhadseen-hadtheybeenJudithandFranklin?Butifso-ifso-No,thatcouldn't
be true. Not Judith. Franklin, perhaps - a strange man, a ruthless man, a man who, if he made up his
mindtomurder,mightmurderagainandagain.

PoirothadbeenwillingtoconsultFranklin.

Why?Whathadhesaidtohimthatmorning?

ButnotJudith.Notmylovely,graveyoungJudith.

AndyethowstrangePoirothadlooked.Howthosewordshadrungout:"Youmayprefertosay:'Ring
downthecurtain'..."

Andsuddenlyafreshideastruckme.Monstrous!Impossible!WasthewholestoryofXafabrication?
HadPoirotcometoStylesbecausehefearedatragedyintheFranklinmenage?Hadhecometowatch
over Judith? Was that why he had resolutely told me nothing? Because the whole story of X was a
fabrication,asmokescreen?

WasthewholeheartofthetragedyJudith,mydaughter?

Othello!ItwasOthelloIhadtakenfromthebookcasethatnightwhenMrsFranklinhaddied.Wasthat
theclue?

Judith that night looking, so someone had said, like her namesake before she cut off the head of
Holofernes.Judith-withdeathinherheart?

Chapter19

IamwritingthisinEastbourne.

IcametoEastbournetoseeGeorges,formerlyPoirot'svalet.

GeorgeshadbeenwithPoirotmanyyears.Hewasacompetent,matter-of-factman,withabsolutelyno
imagination.Healwaysstatedthingsliterallyandtookthemattheirfacevalue.

Well,Iwenttoseehim.ItoldhimaboutPoirot'sdeath,andGeorgesreactedasGeorgeswouldreact.He
wasdistressedandgrievedandmanagedverynearlytoconcealthefact.

ThenIsaid:

"Heleftwithyou,didhenot,amessageforme?"

Georgessaidatonce:

"Foryou,sir?No,notthatIamawareof."

Iwassurprised.Ipressedhim,buthewasquitedefinite.

Isaidatlast:

"Mymistake,Isuppose.Well,that'sthat.Iwishyouhadbeenwithhimattheend."

"Iwishso,too,sir."

"StillIsupposeifyourfatherwasill,youhadtocometohim."

Georgeslookedatmeinaverycuriousmanner.Hesaid:

"Ibegyourpardon,sir.Idon'tquiteunderstandyou."

"Youhadtoleaveinordertolookafteryourfather,isn'tthatright?"

"Ididn'twishtoleave,sir.M.Poirotsentmeaway."

"Sentyouaway?"Istared.

"Idon'tmean,sir,thathedischargedme.TheunderstandingwasthatIwastoreturntohisservicelater.
ButIleftbyhiswish,andhearrangedforsuitableremunerationwhileIwasherewithmyoldfather."

"Butwhy,Georges,why?"

"Ireallycouldn'tsay,sir."

"Didn'tyouask?"

"No, sir. I didn't think it was my place to do so. M. Poirot always had his ideas, sir. A very clever
gentleman,Ialwaysunderstood,sir,andverymuchrespected."

"Yes,yes,"Imurmuredabstractedly.

"Veryparticularabouthisclothes,hewas-thoughgiventohavingthemratherforeignandfancy,ifyou
knowwhatImean.Butthat,ofcourse,isunderstandable,ashewasaforeigngentleman.Hishair,too,
andhismoustache."

"Ah!Thosefamousmoustaches."IfeltatwingeofpainasIrememberedhisprideinthem.

"Very particular about his moustache, he was," went on Georges. "Not very fashionable the way he
woreit,butitsuitedhim,sir,ifyouknowwhatImean."

IsaidIdidknow.ThenImurmureddelicately:

"Isupposehedyeditaswellashishair?"

"Hedid-er-touchuphismoustachealittle-butnothishair-notoflateyears."

"Nonsense,"Isaid."Itwasasblackasaraven-lookedquitelikeawig,itwassounnatural."

Georgescoughedapologetically.

"Excuseme,sir,itwasawig.M.Poirot'shaircameoutagooddeallately,sohetooktoawig."

Ithoughthowodditwasthatavaletknewmoreaboutamanthanhisclosestfrienddid.

Iwentbacktothequestionthatpuzzledme.

"ButhaveyoureallynoideawhyM.Poirotsentyouawayashedid?Think,man,think."

Georgesendeavouredtodoso,buthewasclearlynotverygoodatthinking.

"Icanonlysuggest,sir,"hesaidatlast,"thathedischargedmebecausehewantedtoengageCurtiss."

"Curtiss?WhyshouldhewanttoengageCurtiss."

Georgescoughedagain.

"Well,sir,Ireallycannotsay.Hedidnotseemtome,whenIsawhim,asa-excuseme-particularly
brightspecimen,sir.Hewasstrongphysically,ofcourse,butIshouldhardlyhavethoughtthathewas
quitetheclassM.Poirotwouldhaveliked.He'dbeenassistantinamentalhomeatonetime,Ibelieve."

IstaredatGeorges.

Curtiss!

Was that the reason why Poirot had insisted on telling me so little? Curtiss, the one man I had never
considered!Yes,andPoirotwascontenttohaveitso,tohavemecombingtheguestsatStylesforthe
mysteriousX.ButXwasnotaguest.

Curtiss!

One-timeassistantinamentalhome.Andhadn'tIreadsomewherethatpeoplewhohavebeenpatients
inmentalhomesandasylumssometimesremainorgobackthereasassistants?

Aqueer,dumb,stupid-lookingman-amanwhomightkillforsomestrangewarpedreasonofhisown...

Andifso-ifso...

Why,thenagreatcloudwouldrollawayfromme!

Curtiss-?

Postscript

(NotebyCaptainArthurHastings:

The following manuscript came into my possession four months after the death of my friend Hercule
Poirot.Ireceivedacommunicationfromafirmoflawyersaskingmetocallattheiroffice.There,"in
accordance with the instructions of their client, the late M. Hercule Poirot," they handed me a sealed
packet.Ireproduceitscontentshere.)

ManuscriptwrittenbyHerculePoirot:

Moncherami,

Ishallhavebeendeadfourmonthswhenyoureadthesewords.Ihavedebatedlongwhetherornotto
writedownwhatiswrittenhere,andIhavedecidedthatitisnecessaryforsomeonetoknowthetruth
about the second "Affaire Styles." Also I hazard a conjecture that by the time you read this you will
haveevolvedthemostpreposteroustheories-andpossiblymaybegivingpaintoyourself.

Butletmesaythis:Youshould,monami,haveeasilybeenabletoarriveatthetruth.Isawtoitthatyou
hadeveryindication.Ifyouhavenot,itisbecause,asalways,youhavefartoobeautifulandtrustinga
nature.Alafincommeaucommencement.

But you should know, at least, who killed Norton - even if you are still in the dark as to who killed
BarbaraFranklin.Thelattermaybeashocktoyou.

Tobeginwith,asyouknow,Isentforyou.ItoldyouthatIneededyou.Thatwastrue.ItoldyouthatI
wanted you to be my ears and my eyes. That again was true, very true - if not in the sense that you
understoodit!YouweretoseewhatIwantedyoutoseeandhearwhatIwantedyoutohear.

You complained, cher ami, that I was "unfair" in my presentation of this case. I withheld from you
knowledgethatIhadmyself.Thatistosay,IrefusedtotellyoutheidentityofX.Thatisquitetrue.I
hadtodoso-thoughnotforthereasonsthatIadvanced.Youwillseethereasonpresently.

AndnowletusexaminethismatterofX.Ishowedyoutherésuméofthevariouscases.Ipointedoutto
youthatineachseparatecaseitseemedquiteclearthatthepersonaccused,orsuspected,hadactually
committed the crimes in question, that there was no alternate solution. And I then proceeded to the
secondimportantfact-thatineachcaseXhadbeeneitheronthesceneorcloselyinvolved.Youthen
jumpedtoadeductionthatwas,paradoxically,bothtrueandfalse.YousaidthatXhadcommittedall
themurders.

But,myfriend,thecircumstancesweresuchthatineachcase(orverynearly)onlytheaccusedperson
couldhavedonethecrime.Ontheotherhand,ifso,howaccountforX?Apartfromapersonconnected
withthepoliceforceorwith,say,afirmofcriminallawyers,itisnotreasonableforanymanorwoman
tobeinvolvedinfivemurdercases.Itdoesnot,youcomprehend,happen!Never,neverdoesitoccur
thatsomeonesaysconfidentially:"Well,asamatteroffact,I'veactuallyknownfivemurderers"!No,
no,monami,itisnotpossible,that.Sowegetthecuriousresultthatwehavehereacaseofcatalysis-a
reaction between two substances that takes place only in the presence of a third substance, that third
substance apparently taking no part in the reaction and remaining unchanged. That is the position. It
meansthatwhereXwaspresent,crimestookplace-butXdidnotactivelytakepartinthesecrimes.

An extraordinary, an abnormal situation! And I saw that I had come across at last, at the end of my
career, the perfect criminal, the criminal who had invented such a technique that he could never he
convictedofcrime.

Itwasamazing.Butitwasnotnew.Therewereparallels.Andherecomesinthefirstofthe"clues"I
leftyou.TheplayofOthello.Forthere,magnificentlydelineated,wehavetheoriginalofX.Iagoisthe
perfect murderer. The deaths of Desdemona, of Cassia - indeed of Othello himself - are all Iago's
crimes,plannedbyhim,carriedoutbyhim.Andheremainsoutsidethecircle,untouchedbysuspicion-
or could have done so. For your great Shakespeare, my friend, had to deal with the dilemma that his
own art had brought about. To unmask Iago, he had to resort to the clumsiest of devices - the
handkerchief - a piece of work not at all in keeping with Iago's general technique and a blunder of

whichonefeelscertainhewouldnothavebeenguilty.

Yes,thereistheretheperfectionoftheartofmurder.Notevenawordofdirectsuggestion.Heisalways
holdingbackothersfromviolence,refutingwithhorrorsuspicionsthathavenotbeenentertaineduntil
hementionsthem!

And the same technique is seen in the brilliant third act of John Ferguson - where the "half-witted"
ClutieJohninducesotherstokillthemanthathehimselfhates.Itisawonderfulpieceofpsychological
suggestion.

Nowyoumustrealizethis,Hastings.Everyoneisapotentialmurderer-ineveryonetherearisesfrom
timetotimethewishtokill-thoughnotthewilltokill.Howoftenhaveyounotfeltorheardothers
say:"ShemademesofuriousIfeltIcouldhavekilledher!""IcouldhavekilledB.forsayingso-and-
so!""IwassoangryIcouldhavemurderedhim!"Andallthosestatementsareliterallytrue.Yourmind
atsuchmomentsisquiteclear.Youwouldliketokillso-and-so.Butyoudonotdoit.Yourwillhasto
assent to your desire. In young children, the brake is as yet acting imperfectly. I have known a child,
annoyedbyitskitten,say:"KeepstillorI'llhityouontheheadandkillyou"andactuallydoso-tobe
stunnedandhorrifiedamomentlaterwhenitrealizesthatthekitten'slifewillnotreturn-because,you
see,reallythechildlovesthatkittendearly.Sothen,weareallpotentialmurderers.AndtheartofX
was this: not to suggest the desire, but to break down the normal decent resistance. It was an art
perfectedbylongpractice.Xknewtheexactword,theexactphrase,theintonationeventosuggestand
to bring cumulative pressure on a weak spot! It could be done. It was done without the victim ever
suspecting.Itwasnothypnotism-hypnotismwouldnothavebeensuccessful.Itwassomethingmore
insidious,moredeadly.Itwasamarshallingoftheforcesofahumanbeingtowidenabreachinsteadof
repairingit.Itcalledonthebestinamanandsetitinalliancewiththeworst.

Youshouldknow,Hastings-forithappenedtoyou...

So now, perhaps, you begin to see what some of my remarks that annoyed and confused you really
meant.WhenIspokeofacrimetobecommitted,Iwasnotalwaysreferringtothesamecrime.Itold
youthatIwasatStylesforapurpose.Iwasthere,Isaid,becauseacrimewasgoingtobecommitted.
Youweresurprisedatmycertaintyonthatpoint.ButIwasabletobecertain-forthecrime,yousee,
wastobecommittedbymyself...

Yes,myfriend,itisodd-andlaughable-andterrible!I,whodonotapproveofmurder-I,whovalue
humanlife-haveendedmycareerbycommittingmurder.PerhapsitisbecauseIhavebeentooself-
righteous, too conscious of rectitude - that this terrible dilemma had to come to me. For you see,
Hastings,therearetwosidestoit.Itismyworkinlifetosavetheinnocent-topreventmurder-and
this-thisistheonlywayIcandoit!Makenomistake.Xcouldnotbetouchedbythelaw.Hewassafe.
BynoingenuitythatIcouldthinkofcouldhebedefeatedanyotherway.

Andyet,myfriend-Iwasreluctant.Isawwhathadtobedone-butIcouldnotbringmyselftodoit.I
waslikeHamlet-eternallyputtingofftheevilday...Andthenthenextattempthappened-theattempt
onMrsLuttrell.

Ihadbeencurious,Hastings,toseeifyourwell-knownflairfortheobviouswouldwork.Itdid.Your
veryfirstreactionwasamildsuspicionofNorton.Andyouwerequiteright.Nortonwastheman.You
hadnoreasonforyourbelief-excepttheperfectlysoundifslightlyhalf-heartedsuggestionthathewas
insignificant.There,Ithink,youcameveryclosetothetruth.

Ihaveconsideredhislifehistorywithsomecare.Hewastheonlysonofamasterfulandbossywoman.
Heseemstohavehadatnotimeanygiftforassertinghimselforforimpressinghispersonalityonother
people.Hehasalwaysbeenslightlylameandwasunabletotakepartingamesatschool.

Oneofthemostsignificantthingsyoutoldmewasaremarkabouthimhavingbeenlaughedatatschool
for nearly being sick when seeing a dead rabbit. There, I think, was an incident that may have left a
deep impression on him. He disliked blood and violence and his prestige suffered in consequence.
Subconsciously,Ishouldsay,hehaswaitedtoredeemhimselfbybeingboldandruthless.

Ishouldimaginethathebegantodiscoverquiteyounghisownpowerforinfluencingpeople.Heisa
good listener, he has a quiet, sympathetic personality. People liked him without, at the same time,
noticing him very much. He resented this - and then made use of it. He discovered how ridiculously
easy it was, by using the correct words and supplying the correct stimuli, to influence his fellow
creatures. The only thing necessary was to understand them - to penetrate their thoughts, their secret
reactionsandwishes.

Can you realize, Hastings, that such a discovery might feed a sense of power? Here was he, Stephen
Norton,whomeveryonelikedanddespised-andhecouldmakepeopledothingstheydidn'twanttodo
-or(markthis)thoughttheydidnotwanttodo.

I can visualize him developing this hobby of his... And little by little developing a morbid taste for
violenceatsecondhand.Theviolenceforwhichhelackedphysicalstaminaandforthelackofwhich
hehadbeenderided.

Yes,hishobbygrowsandgrowsuntilitcomestobeapassion,anecessity!Itwasadrug,Hastings-a
drugthatinducedcravingassurelyasopiumorcocainemighthavedone.

Norton,thegentle-naturedlovingman,wasasecretsadist.Hewasanaddictofpain,ofmentaltorture.
Therehasbeenanepidemicofthatintheworldoflateyears-L'appétitvientenmangeant.

It fed two lusts - the lust of the sadist and the lust of power. He, Norton, had the keys of life and of
death.

Likeanyotherdrugslave,hehadtohavehissupplyofthedrug.Hefoundvictimaftervictim.Ihaveno
doubttherehavebeenmorecasesthanthefiveIactuallytrackeddown.Ineachofthoseheplayedthe
samepart.HeknewEtherington,hestayedonesummerinthevillagewhereRiggslivedanddrankwith
Riggsinthelocalpub.OnacruisehemetthegirlFredaClayandencouragedandplayeduponherhalf-
formedconvictionthatifheroldauntdieditwouldbereallyagoodthing-areleaseforAuntieanda
life of financial ease and pleasure for herself. He was a friend of the Litchfields and when talking to
him, Margaret Litchfield saw herself in the light of a heroine delivering her sisters from their life
sentence of imprisonment. But I do not believe, Hastings, that any of these people would have done
whattheydid-butforNorton'sinfluence.

And now we come to the events at Styles. I had been on Norton's track for some time. He became
acquaintedwiththeFranklinsandatonceIscenteddanger.YoumustunderstandthatevenNortonhas
tohaveanucleusonwhichtowork.Youcanonlydevelopathingofwhichtheseedisalreadypresent.
InOthello,forinstance,IhavealwaysbeenofthebeliefthatalreadypresentinOthello'smindwasthe
conviction (possibly correct) that Desdemona's love for him was the passionate unbalanced hero
worshipofayounggirlforafamouswarriorandnotthebalancedloveofawomanforOthellotheman.
HemayhaverealizedthatCassiowashertruemateandthatintimeshewouldcometorealizethefact.

TheFranklinspresentedamostagreeableprospecttoourNorton.Allkindsofpossibilities!Youhave
doubtlessrealizedbynow,Hastings(whatanyoneofsensecouldhaveseenperfectlyplainlyallalong),
thatFranklinwasinlovewithJudithandshewithhim.Hisbrusqueness,hishabitofneverlookingat
her,offorsakinganyattemptatcourtesy,oughttohavetoldyouthatthemanwasheadoverearsinlove
withher.ButFranklinisamanofgreatstrengthofcharacterandalsoofgreatrectitude.Hisspeechis
brutallyunsentimental,butheisamanofverydefinitestandards.Inhiscodeamanstickstothewifehe
haschosen.

Judith,asIshouldhavethoughtevenyoucouldhaveseen,wasdeeplyandunhappilyinlovewithhim.
She thought you had grasped the fact that day you found her in the rose garden. Hence her furious
outburst.Characterslikeherscannotstandanyexpressionofpityorsympathy.Itwasliketouchinga
rawwound.

Then she discovered that you thought it was Allerton she cared for. She let you think so, thereby
shielding herself from clumsy sympathy and from a further probing of the wound. She flirted with
Allertonasakindofdesperatesolace.Sheknewexactlythetypeofmanhewas.Heamusedherand
distractedher,butsheneverhadtheleastfeelingforhim.

Norton,ofcourse,knewexactlyhowthewindlay.HesawpossibilitiesintheFranklintrio.Imaysay

thathestartedfirstonFranklin,butdrewacompleteblank.Franklinistheonetypeofmanwhoisquite
immune from Norton's kind of insidious suggestion. Franklin has a clear-cut, black and white mind,
withanexactknowledgeofhisownfeeling-andacompletedisregardforoutsidepressure.Moreover,
thegreatpassionofhislifeishiswork.Hisabsorptioninitmakeshimfarlessvulnerable.

WithJudith,Nortonwasfarmoresuccessful.Heplayedverycleverlyonthethemeofuselesslives.It
wasanarticleoffaithwithJudith-andthefactthathersecretdesireswereinaccordancewithitwasa
factthatsheignoredstridentlywhileNortonknewittobeanally.Hewasverycleveraboutit-taking
himselftheoppositepointofview,gentlyridiculingtheideathatshewouldeverhavethenervetodo
such a decisive action. "It is the kind of thing that all young people say - but never do!" Such an old
cheapjibe-andhowoftenitworks,Hastings!Sovulnerabletheyare,thesechildren!Soready,though
theydonotrecognizeitthatway,totakeadare!

And with the useless Barbara out of the way, then the road is clear for Franklin and Judith. That was
neversaid-thatwasneverallowedtocomeintotheopen.Itwasstressedthatthepersonalanglehad
nothingtodowithit-nothingatall.ForifJudithoncerecognizedthatithad,shewouldhavereacted
violently. But with a murder addict so far advanced as Norton, one iron in the fire is not enough. He
seesopportunitiesforpleasureeverywhere.HefoundoneintheLuttrells.

Castyourmindback,Hastings.Remembertheveryfirsteveningyouplayedbridge.Norton'sremarks
toyouafterwards,utteredsoloudthatyouwereafraidColonelLuttrellwouldhear.Ofcourse!Norton
meanthimtohear!Heneverlostanopportunityofunderliningit-rubbingitin.

Andfinallyhiseffortsculminatedinsuccess.Ithappenedunderyournose,Hastings,andyouneversaw
howitwasdone.Thefoundationswerealreadylaid-theincreasingsenseofaburdenborne,ofshame
atthefigurehecutinfrontofothermen,inadeepgrowingresentmentagainsthiswife.

Rememberexactlywhathappened.Nortonsaysheisthirsty.(DidheknowMrsLuttrellisinthehouse
andwillcomeuponthescene?)TheColonelreactsimmediatelyastheopen-handedhostwhichheisby
nature.Heoffersdrinks.Hegoestogetthem.Youareallsittingoutsidethewindow.Hiswifearrives-
there is the inevitable scene - which he knows is being overheard. He comes out. It might have been
glossedoverbyagoodpretence-BoydCarringtoncouldhavedoneitwell.(Hehasacertainamountof
worldly wisdom and a tactful manner - though otherwise he is one of the most pompous and boring
individualsthatIhaveevercomeacross!Justthesortofmanyouwouldadmire!)Youyourselfcould
haveacquittedyourselfnottoobadly.ButNortonrushesintospeech,heavily,fatuously,underliningtact
until it screams to heaven and makes things much worse. He babbles of bridge (more recalled
humiliations), talks aimlessly of shooting accidents. And prompt on his cue, just as Norton intended,
thatoldwoolly-headedassBoydCarringtoncomesoutwithhisstoryofanIrishbatmanwhoshothis
brother - a story, Hastings, that Norton told to Boyd Carrington, knowing quite well that the old fool
would bring it out as his own whenever suitably prompted. You see, the supreme suggestion will not
comefromNorton.MonDieu,non!

Itisallset,then.Thecumulativeeffect.Thebreakingpoint.Affrontedinhisinstinctsasahost-shamed
beforehisfellowmen,writhingundertheknowledgethattheyarequiteconvincedhehasnotgotthe
gutstodoanythingbutsubmitmeeklytobullying-andthenthekeywordsofescape.Therookrifle,
accidents - man who shot his brother - and suddenly, bobbing up, his wife's head... "Quite safe - an
accident...I'llshowthem...I'llshowher...damnher!Iwishshewasdead...Sheshallbedead!"

Hedidnotkillher,Hastings.Myself,Ithinkthat,evenashefired,instinctivelyhemissedbecausehe
wantedtomiss.Andafterwards-afterwardstheevilspellwasbroken.Shewashiswife,thewomanhe
lovedinspiteofeverything.

OneofNorton'scrimesthatdidnotquitecomeoff.

Ah,buthisnextattempt!Doyourealize,Hastings,thatitwasyouwhocamenext?Throwyourmind
back - recall everything. You, my honest, kindly Hastings! He found every weak spot in your mind -
yes,andeverydecentandconscientiousone,too.

Allertonisthetypeofmanyouinstinctivelydislikeandfear.Heisthetypeofmanthatyouthinkought
tobeabolished.Andeverythingyouheardabouthimandthoughtabouthimwastrue.Nortontellsyou
a certain story about him - an entirely true story as far as the facts go. (Though actually the girl
concernedwasaneurotictypeandcameofpoorstock.)

It appeals to your conventional and somewhat old-fashioned instincts. This man is the villain, the
seducer,themanwhoruinsgirlsanddrivesthemtosuicide!NortoninducesBoydCarringtontotackle
youalso.Youareimpelledto"speaktoJudith."Judith,ascouldbepredicted,immediatelyrespondsby
sayingshewilldoasshechooseswithherlife.Thatmakesyoubelievetheworst.

SeenowthedifferentstepsonwhichNortonplays.Yourloveforyourchild.Theintenseold-fashioned
sense of responsibility that a man like you feels for his children. The slight self-importance of your
nature."Imustdosomething.Italldependsonme."Yourfeelingofhelplessnessowingtothelackof
your wife's wise judgment. Your loyalty - I must not fail her. And, on the baser side, your vanity -
throughassociationwithmeyouhavelearnedallthetricksofthetrade!Andlastly,thatinnerfeeling
which most men have about their daughters - a father's unreasoning jealousy and dislike for the man
whotakeshisdaughterawayfromhim.Nortonplayed,Hastings,likeavirtuosoonallthesetunes.And
youresponded.

Youacceptthingstooeasilyattheirfacevalue.Youalwayshavedone.Youacceptedquiteeasilythe
factthatitwasJudithtowhomAllertonwastalkinginthesummerhouse.Yetyoudidnotseeher,you
didnotevenhearherspeak.Andincredibly,eventhenextmorning,youstillthoughtitwasJudith.You
rejoicedbecauseshehad"changedhermind."

Butifyouhadtakenthetroubletoexaminethefacts,youwouldhavediscoveredatoncethattherehad
neverbeenanyquestionofJudithgoinguptoLondonthatday!Andyoufailedtomakeanothermost
obvious inference. There was someone who was going off for the day - and who was furious at not
being able to do so. Nurse Craven. Allerton is not a man who confines himself to the pursuit of one
woman! His affair with Nurse Craven had progressed much further than the mere flirtation he was
havingwithJudith.

No,stagemanagementagainbyNorton.

YousawAllertonandJudithkiss.ThenNortonshovesyoubackroundthecorner.Hedoubtlessknows
quitewellthatAllertonisgoingtomeetNurseCraveninthesummerhouse.Afteralittleargumenthe
letsyougobutstillaccompaniesyou.ThesentenceyouoverhearAllertonspeakingismagnificentfor
hispurposeandheswiftlydragsyouawaybeforeyouhaveachancetodiscoverthatthewomanisnot
Judith!

Yes,thevirtuoso!Andyourreactionisimmediate,completeonallthosethemes!Youresponded.You
madeupyourmindtodomurder.

Butfortunately,Hastings,youhadafriendwhosebrainstillfunctioned.Andnotonlyhisbrain!

Isaidatthebeginningofthisthatifyouhavenotarrivedatthetruth,itisbecauseyouhavetootrusting
anature.Youbelievewhatissaidtoyou.YoubelievedwhatIsaidtoyou...

Yetitwasallveryeasyforyoutodiscoverthetruth.IhadsentGeorgesaway-why?Ihadreplacedhim
with a less experienced and clearly much less intelligent man - why? I was not being attended by a
doctor-I,whohavealwaysbeencarefulaboutmyhealth-Iwouldnothearofseeingone-why?

DoyouseenowwhyyouwerenecessarytomeatStyles?IhadtohavesomeonewhoacceptedwhatI
saidwithoutquestion.YouacceptedmystatementthatIcamebackfromEgyptmuchworsethanwhenI
went.Ididnot.Icamebackverymuchbetter!Youcouldhavefoundoutthefactifyouhadtakenthe
trouble.Butno,youbelieved.IsentawayGeorgesbecauseIcouldnothavesucceededinmakinghim
think that I had suddenly lost all power in my limbs. Georges is extremely intelligent about what he
sees.HewouldhaveknownthatIwasshamming.

Doyouunderstand,Hastings?AllthetimethatIwaspretendingtobehelplessanddeceivingCurtiss,I
wasnothelplessatall.Icouldwalk-withalimp.

Iheardyoucomeupthatevening.IheardyouhesitateandthengointoAllerton'sroom.AndatonceI
wasonthealert.Iwasalreadymuchexercisedaboutyourstateofmind.

Ididnotdelay.Iwasalone.Curtisshadgonedowntosupper.Islippedoutofmyroomandacrossthe
passage. I heard you in Allerton's bathroom. And promptly, my friend, in the manner you so much
deplore,IdroppedtomykneesandIlookedthroughthekeyholeofthebathroomdoor.Onecouldsee
throughit,fortunately,asthereisaboltandnotakeyontheinside.

Iperceivedyourmanipulationswiththesleepingtablets.Irealizedwhatyourideawas.

Andso,myfriend,Iacted.Iwentbacktomyroom.Imademypreparations.WhenCurtisscameup,I
senthimtofetchyou.Youcame,yawningandexplainingthatyouhadaheadache.Imadeatoncethe
bigfuss-urgedremediesonyou.Forthesakeofpeaceyouconsentedtodrinkacupofchocolate.You
gulpeditdownquicklysoastogetawayquicker.ButI,too,myfriend,havesomesleepingtablets.

Andso,youslept-sleptuntilmorning,whenyouawokeyourownsaneselfandwerehorrifiedatwhat
youhadsonearlydone.

Youweresafenow-onedoesnotattemptthesethingstwice-notwhenonehasrelapsedintosanity.

Butitdecidedme,Hastings!ForwhateverImightnotknowaboutotherpeopledidnotapplytoyou.
Youarenotamurderer,Hastings!Butyoumighthavebeenhangedforone-foramurdercommittedby
anothermanwhointheeyesofthelawwouldbeguiltless.

You,mygood,myhonest,myoh-so-honourableHastings-sokindly,soconscientious-soinnocent!

Yes,Imustact.Iknewthatmytimewasshort-andforthatIwasglad.Fortheworstpartofmurder,
Hastings, is its effect on the murderer. I, Hercule Poirot, might come to believe myself divinely
appointed to deal out death to all and sundry... But mercifully, there would not be time for that to
happen.Theendwouldcomesoon.AndIwasafraidthatNortonmightsucceedwithsomeonewhowas
unutterablydeartousboth.Iamtalkingofyourdaughter...

And now we come to the death of Barbara Franklin. Whatever your ideas may be on the subject,
Hastings,Idonotthinkyouhaveoncesuspectedthetruth.

Foryousee,Hastings,youkilledBarbaraFranklin.

Maisoui,youdid!

Therewas,yousee,yetanotherangletothetriangle.OnethatIdidnotfullytakeintoaccount.Asit
happened,Norton'stacticstherewereunseenandunheardbyeitherofus.ButIhavenodoubtthathe
employedthem...

Diditeverenteryourmindtowonder,Hastings,whyMrsFranklinwaswillingtocometoStyles?Itis
not,whenyouthinkofit,atallherlineofcountry.Shelikescomfort,goodfoodandaboveallsocial
contacts.Stylesisnotgay-itisnotwellrun-itisinthedeadcountry.AndyetitwasMrsFranklinwho
insistedonspendingthesummerthere.

Yes,therewasathirdangle-BoydCarrington.MrsFranklinwasadisappointedwoman.Thatwasat
therootofherneuroticillness.Shewasambitiousbothsociallyandfinancially.ShemarriedFranklin
becausesheexpectedhimtohaveabrilliantcareer.

He was brilliant, but not in her way. His brilliance would never bring him newspaper notoriety or a
Harley Street reputation. He would be known to half a dozen men of his own profession and would
publisharticlesinlearnedjournals.Theoutsideworldwouldnothearofhim-andhewouldcertainly
notmakemoney.

AndhereisBoydCarrington-homefromtheEast-justcomeintoabaronetcyandmoney,andBoyd
Carrington has always felt tenderly sentimental towards the pretty seventeen-year-old girl he nearly
askedtomarryhim.HeisgoingtoStyles,hesuggeststheFranklinscometoo-andBarbaracomes.

Howmaddeningitisforher!Obviouslyshehaslostnoneofheroldcharmforthisrich,attractiveman-
butheisold-fashioned-notthetypeofmantosuggestdivorce.AndJohnFranklin,too,hasnousefor
divorce. If John Franklin were to die - then she could be Lady Boyd Carrington - and oh, what a
wonderfullifethatwouldbe!

Norton,Ithink,foundheronlytooreadyatool.

It was all too obvious, Hastings, when you come to think of it. Those first few tentative attempts at
establishinghowfondshewasofherhusband.Sheoverdiditalittle-murmuringabout"endingitall"
becauseshewasadragonhim.

Andthenanentirelynewline.HerfearsthatFranklinmightexperimentuponhimself.

It ought to have been so obvious to us, Hastings! She was preparing us for John Franklin to die of
physostigmine poisoning. No question, you see, of anyone trying to poison him - oh no - just pure
scientificresearch.Hetakestheharmlessalkaloid,anditturnsouttobeharmfulafterall.

The only thing was it was a little too swift. You told me that she was not pleased to find Boyd
CarringtonhavinghisfortunetoldbyNurseCraven.NurseCravenwasanattractiveyoungwomanwith
akeeneyeformen.ShehadhadatryatDrFranklinandhadnotmetwithsuccess.(Henceherdislike
forJudith.)SheiscarryingonwithAllerton-butsheknowsquitewellheisnotserious.Inevitablethat
sheshouldcasthereyeontherichandstillattractiveSirWilliam.AndSirWilliamwas,perhaps,only
tooreadytobeattracted.HehadalreadynoticedNurseCravenasahealthy,good-lookinggirl.

BarbaraFranklinhasafrightanddecidestoactquickly.Thesoonersheisapathetic,charmingandnot
inconsolablewidow,thebetter.

Andso,afteramorningofnerves,shesetsthescene.

Do you know, mon ami, I have some respect for the Calabar bean. This time, you see, it worked. It
sparedtheinnocentandslewtheguilty.

MrsFranklinasksyoualluptoherroom.Shemakescoffeewithmuchfussanddisplay.Asyoutellme,
herowncoffeeisbesideher,herhusband'sontheothersideofthebookcasetable.

Andthentherearetheshootingstarsandeveryonegoesoutandonlyyou,myfriend,areleft-youand
yourcrosswordpuzzleandyourmemories-andtohideemotion,youswingroundthebookcasetofind
aquotationinShakespeare.

AndsotheycomebackandMrsFranklindrinksthecoffeefulloftheCalabarbeanalkaloidsthatwere
meantfordearscientificJohn,andJohnFranklindrinkstheniceplaincupofcoffeethatwasmeantfor
cleverMrsFranklin.

Butyouwillsee,Hastings,ifyouthinkaminute,thatalthoughIrealizedwhathadhappened,Isawthat
therewasonlyonethingtobedone.Icouldnotprovewhathadhappened.AndifMrsFranklin'sdeath
wasthoughttobeanythingbutsuicide,suspicionwouldinevitablyfalloneitherFranklinorJudith.On
twopeoplewhowereutterlyandcompletelyinnocent.SoIdidwhatIhadaperfectrighttodo-laid
stresson,andputconvictioninto,myrepetitionofMrsFranklin'sextremelyunconvincingremarkson
thesubjectofputtinganendtoherself.

Icoulddoit-andIwasprobablytheonlypersonwhocould.Foryouseemystatementcarriedweight.I

amamanexperiencedinthematterofcommittingmurder.IfIamconvinceditissuicide,wellthen,it
willbeacceptedassuicide.

It puzzled you, I could see, and you were not pleased. But mercifully you did not suspect the true
danger.

ButwillyouthinkofitafterIamgone?Willitcomeintoyourmind,lyingtherelikesomedarkserpent
thatnowandthenraisesitsheadandsays:"SupposeJudith...?"

Itmaydo.AndthereforeIamwritingthis.Youmustknowthetruth.

Therewasonepersonwhomtheverdictofsuicidedidnotsatisfy.Norton.Hewasbalked,yousee,of
hispoundofflesh.AsIsay,heisasadist.Hewantsthewholegamutofemotion,suspicion,fear,the
coilsofthelaw.Hewasdeprivedofallthat.Themurderhehadarrangedhadgoneawry.

But presently he saw what one may call a way of recouping himself. He began to throw out hints.
Earlieronhehadpretendedtoseesomethingthroughhisglasses.Actuallyheintendedtoconveythe
exactimpressionthathedidconvey-namely,thathesawAllertonandJudithinsomecompromising
attitude.Butnothavingsaidanythingdefinite,hecouldusethatincidentinadifferentway.

Supposing,forinstance,thathesayshesawFranklinandJudith.Thatwillopenupaninterestingnew
angleofthesuicidecase!Itmay,perhaps,throwdoubtsonwhetheritwassuicide...

So,monami,Idecidedthatwhathadtobedonemustbedoneatonce.Iarrangedthatyoushouldbring
himtomyroomthatnight...

Iwilltellyounowexactlywhathappened.Norton,nodoubt,wouldhavebeendelightedtotellmehis
arrangedstory.Igavehimnotime.Itoldhim,clearlyanddefinitely,allthatIknewabouthim.

Hedidnotdenyit.No,monami,hesatbackinhischairandsmirked.Maisoui,thereisnootherword
forit-hesmirked.HeaskedmewhatIthoughtIwasgoingtodoaboutthisamusingideaofmine.I
toldhimthatIproposedtoexecutehim.

"Ah,"hesaid,"Isee.Thedaggerorthecupofpoison?"

Wewereabouttohavechocolatetogetheratthetime.Hehasasweettooth,M.Norton.

"Thesimplest,"Isaid,"wouldbethecupofpoison."

AndIhandedhimthecupofchocolateIhadjustpouredout.

"Inthatcase,"hesaid,"wouldyoumindmydrinkingfromyourcupinsteadoffrommine?"

Isaid:"Notatall."Ineffect,itwasquiteimmaterial.AsIhavesaid,I,too,takethesleepingtablets.The
onlythingisthatsinceIhavebeentakingthemeverynightforaconsiderableperiod,Ihaveacquireda
certaintolerance,andadosethatwouldsendM.Nortontosleepwouldhaveverylittleeffectuponme.
Thedosewasinthechocolateitself.Webothhadthesame.Hisportiontookeffectinduecourse,mine
hadlittleeffectuponme,especiallywhencounteractedwithadoseofmystrychninetonic.

Andsotothelastchapter.WhenNortonwasasleep,Igothimintomywheelchair-fairlyeasy,ithas
many types of mechanism - and wheeled him back in it to its usual place in the window embrasure
behindthecurtains.

Curtissthen"putmetobed."Wheneverythingwasquiet,IwheeledNortontohisroom.Itremained,
then,toavailmyselfoftheeyesandearsofmyexcellentfriendHastings.

Youmaynothaverealizedit,butIwearawig,Hastings.YouwillrealizeevenlessthatIwearafalse
moustache. (Even Georges does not know that!) I pretended to burn it by accident soon after Curtiss
came,andatoncehadmyhairdressermakemeareplica.

I put on Norton's dressing gown, ruffled up my grey hair on end, and came down the passage and
rappedonyourdoor.Presentlyyoucameandlookedwithsleepyeyesintothepassage.YousawNorton
leavethebathroomandlimpacrossthepassageintohisownroom.Youheardhimturnthekeyinthe
lockontheinside.

IthenreplacedthedressinggownonNorton,laidhimonhisbed,andshothimwithasmallpistolthatI
acquired abroad and which I have kept carefully locked up except for two occasions when (nobody
being about) I have put it ostentatiously on Norton's dressing table, he himself being well away
somewherethosemornings.

ThenIlefttheroomafterputtingthekeyinNorton'spocket.Imyselflockedthedoorfromtheoutside
withtheduplicatekeywhichIhavepossessedforsometime.Iwheeledthechairbacktomyroom.

SincethenIhavebeenwritingthisexplanation.

Iamverytired-andtheexertionsIhavebeenthroughhavestrainedmeagooddeal.Itwillnot,Ithink,
belongbefore...

ThereareoneortwothingsIwouldliketostress.

Norton'sweretheperfectcrimes.

Minewasnot.Itwasnotintendedtobe.

Theeasiestwayandthebestwayformetohavekilledhimwastohavedonesoquiteopenly-tohave
had, shall we say, an accident with my little pistol. I should have professed dismay, regret - a most
unfortunateaccident.Theywouldhavesaid:"Oldga-gadidn'trealizeitwasloaded-cepauvrevieux."

Ididnotchoosetodothat.

Iwilltellyouwhy.

Itisbecause,Hastings,Ichosetobe"sporting."

Maisoui,sporting!Iamdoingallthethingsthatsooftenyouhavereproachedmewithnotdoing.Iam
playingfairwithyou.Iamgivingyouarunforyourmoney.Iamplayingthegame.Youhaveevery
chancetodiscoverthetruth.

Incaseyoudisbelieveme,letmeenumeratealltheclues.

Thekeys.

Youknow,forIhavetoldyouso,thatNortonarrivedhereafterIdid.Youknow,foryouhavebeentold,
thatIchangedmyroomafterIgothere.Youknow,foragainithasbeentoldtoyou,thatsinceIhave
beenatStyles,thekeyofmyroomdisappearedandIhadanothermade.

Thereforewhenyouaskyourself:WhocouldhavekilledNorton?Whocouldhaveshotandstillhave

left the room (apparently) locked on the inside since the key is in Norton's pocket? The answer is:
"HerculePoirot,whosincehehasbeenherehaspossessedduplicatekeysofoneoftherooms."

Themanyousawinthepassage.

ImyselfaskedyouifyouweresurethemanyousawinthepassagewasNorton.Youwerestartled.You
askedmeifIintendedtosuggestitwasnotNorton.'Ireplied,truthfully,thatIdidnotatallintendto
suggestitwasnotNorton.(Naturally,sinceIhadtakenagooddealoftroubletosuggestitwasNorton.)
Ithenbroughtupthequestionofheight.Allthemen,Isaid,weremuchtallerthanNorton.Butthere
wasamanwhowasshorterthanNorton-HerculePoirot.Anditiscomparativelyeasywithraisedheels
orelevatorsintheshoestoaddtoone'sheight.

YouwereundertheimpressionthatIwasahelplessinvalid.Butwhy?OnlybecauseIsaidso.AndI
hadsentawayGeorges.Thatwasmylastindicationtoyou,"GoandtalktoGeorges."

OthelloandClutieJohnshowyouthatXwasNorton.

ThenwhocouldhavekilledNorton?

OnlyHerculePoirot.

Andonceyoususpectedthat,everythingwouldhavefallenintoplace-thethingsIhadsaidanddone,
myinexplicablereticence.EvidencefromthedoctorsinEgypt,frommyowndoctorinLondon,thatI
wasnotincapableofwalkingabout.TheevidenceofGeorgesastomywearingawig.ThefactwhichI
wasunabletodisguise,andwhichyououghttohavenoticed,thatIlimpmuchmorethanNortondoes.

And last of all, the pistol shot. My one weakness. I should, I am aware, have shot him through the
temple. I could not bring myself to produce an effect so lopsided, so haphazard. No, I shot him
symmetrically,intheexactcentreoftheforehead...

Oh,Hastings,Hastings!Thatshouldhavetoldyouthetruth.

Butperhaps,afterall,youhavesuspectedthetruth?Perhapswhenyoureadthis,youalreadyknow.

ButsomehowIdonotthinkso...

No,youaretootrusting...

Youhavetoobeautifulanature...

WhatshallIsaymoretoyou?BothFranklinandJudith,Ithinkyouwillfind,knewthetruthalthough
they will not have told it to you. They will be happy together, those two. They will be poor, and
innumerabletropicalinsectswillbitethemandstrangefeverswillattackthem-butweallhaveourown
ideasoftheperfectlife,havewenot?

Andyou,mypoorlonelyHastings?Ah,myheartbleedsforyou,dearfriend.Willyou,forthelasttime,
taketheadviceofyouroldPoirot?

Afteryouhavereadthis,takeatrainoracaroraseriesofbusesandgotofindElizabethCole,whois
alsoElizabethLitchfield.Letherreadthis,ortellherwhatisinit.Tellherthatyou,too,mighthave
donewhathersisterMargaretdid-onlyforMargaretLitchfieldtherewasnowatchfulPoirotathand.
Takethenightmareawayfromher,showherthatherfatherwaskilled,notbyhisdaughter,butbythat
kindsympatheticfamilyfriend,that"honestIago,"StephenNorton.

For it is not right, my friend, that a woman like that, still young, still attractive, should refuse life
because she believes herself to be tainted. No, it is not right. Tell her so, you, my friend, who are
yourselfstillnotunattractivetowomen...

Eh bien, I have no more now to say. I do not know, Hastings, if what I have done is justified or not
justified.No-Idonotknow.Idonotbelievethatamanshouldtakethelawintohisownhands...

Butontheotherhand,Iamthelaw!AsayoungmanintheBelgianpoliceforceIshotdownadesperate
criminalwhosatonaroofandfiredatpeoplebelow.Inastateofemergencymartiallawisproclaimed.

BytakingNorton'slife,Ihavesavedotherlives-innocentlives.ButstillIdonotknow...Itisperhaps
rightthatIshouldnotknow.Ihavealwaysbeensosure-toosure...

ButnowIamveryhumbleandIsaylikealittlechild:"Idonotknow..."

Good-bye,cherami.Ihavemovedtheamylnitriteampoulesawayfrombesidemybed.Iprefertoleave
myselfinthehandsofthebonDieu.Mayhispunishment,orhismercy,beswift!

Weshallnothunttogetheragain,myfriend.

Ourfirsthuntwashere-andourlast...

Theyweregooddays.

Yes,theyhavebeengooddays...

EndofHerculePoirot'smanuscript.

(FinalnotebyCaptainArthurHastings:

Ihavefinishedreading...Ican'tbelieveitallyet...Butheisright.Ishouldhaveknown.Ishouldhave
knownwhenIsawthebulletholesosymmetricallyinthemiddleoftheforehead.

Queer-it'sjustcometome-thethoughtinthebackofmymindthatmorning.

ThemarkonNorton'sforehead-itwaslikethebrandofCain...)