HP20-HerculePoirot'sChristmas

AgathaChristie

"Yetwhowouldhavethoughttheoldman

tohavesomuchbloodinhim?"

(Macbeth)

PARTI-December22nd

I

Stephenpulledupthecollarofhiscoatashewalkedbrisklyalongtheplatform.Overheadadimfog
cloudedthestation.Largeengineshissedsuperbly,throwingoffcloudsofsteamintothecoldrawair.
Everythingwasdirtyandsmoke-grimed.

Stephenthoughtwithrevulsion:"Whatafoulcountry-whatafoulcity!"

His first excited reaction to London, its shops, its restaurants, its well-dressed, attractive women, had
faded.Hesawitnowasaglitteringrhinestonesetinadingysetting.

SupposinghewerebackinSouthAfricanow...Hefeltaquickpangofhomesickness.Sunshine-blue
skies-gardensofflowers-coolblueflowers-hedgesofplumbago-blueconvolvulusclingingtoevery
littleshanty.

Andhere-dirt,grime,andendless,incessantcrowds-moving,hurrying-jostling.Busyantsrunning
industriouslyabouttheirant-hill.

Foramomenthethought,"IwishIhadn'tcome..."

Thenherememberedhispurposeandhislipssetbackinagrimline.No,byhell,he'dgoonwithit!
He'dplannedthisforyears.He'dalwaysmeanttodo-whathewasgoingtodo.Yes,he'dgoonwithit!

Thatmomentaryreluctance,thatsuddenquestioningofhimself:"Why?Isitworthit?Whydwellonthe
past?Whynotwipeoutthewholething?"-allthatwasonlyweakness.Hewasnotaboy-tobeturned
thiswayandthatbythewhimofthemoment.Hewasamanofforty,assured,purposeful.Hewouldgo
onwithit.HewoulddowhathehadcometoEnglandtodo.

Hegotonthetrainandpassedalongthecorridorlookingforaplace.Hehadwavedasideaporterand
wascarryinghisownraw-hidesuitcase.Helookedintocarriageaftercarriage.Thetrainwasfull.Itwas
onlythreedaysbeforeChristmas.StephenFarrlookeddistastefullyatthecrowdedcarriages.

People!Incessant,innumerablepeople!Andallso-so-whatwastheword-sodrablooking!Soalike,
sohorriblyalike!Thosethathadn'tgotfaceslikesheephadfaceslikerabbits,hethought.Someofthem
chattered and fussed. Some, heavily middle-aged men, grunted. More like pigs, those. Even the girls,
slender,egg-faced,scarlet-lipped,wereofadepressinguniformity.

Hethoughtwithasuddenlongingofopenveldt,sun-bakedandlonely...

And then, suddenly, he caught his breath, looking into a carriage. This girl was different. Black hair,
rich creamy pallor - eyes with the depth and darkness of night in them. The sad proud eyes of the
South... It was all wrong that this girl should be sitting in this train among these dull, drab-looking
people-allwrongthatsheshouldbegoingintothedrearymidlandsofEngland.Sheshouldhavebeen
on a balcony, a rose between her lips, a piece of black lace draping her proud head, and there should
havebeendustandheatandthesmellofblood-thesmellofthebull-ring-intheair...Sheshouldbein
abeautifulplace,notinathirdclasscompartment.

Hewasanobservingman.Hecouldn'thelpnoticingthecheapnessofherblackcoatandskirt,thecheap
cloth gloves, and the touch of challenge in the flaming-red purse. Even so, she was splendorous,
beautiful,exotic...

Whatthehellwasshedoinginthiscountryoffogandcoldandbusyrunningants?

Hethought,"Ihavetofindoutwhosheisandwhatsheisdoinghere...Ihaveto..."

II

Pilarwasseatedpressedagainstthewindow,thinkingofhowweirdthesmelloftheEnglishwas...Until
nowitwasthestongestfeatureshehadnoticedintheEnglish-thedifferentsmell.Therewasnogarlic,
no dust and very little perfume. Now, in this wagon, she felt the smell of cold, choked things - the
sulphursmelloftrains,thesmellofsoapandanotherreallyunpleasantthatshethoughtcamefromher

neighbour'sfur-coat.Pilartriednottoinhalethefragranceofnaftaline.Itwasfunnysomeonechoosing
thissmelltowear,shethought.

Therewasawhistle,astrongvoiceyelledsomethingandthetrainstartedtomoveslowly.Theywere
off.Shewasonherway...

Herheartstartedtobeatalittlefaster.Woulditworkout?Wouldsherealizewhatshehadsetouttodo?
Ofcourse-ofcourse-shehadplanneditallsocarefully...Shewaspreparedforeveryeventuality.Oh
yes,shewouldcomethrough-shehadto...

Pilar'sredmouthturnedupwards.Itbecamesuddenlycruel.Cruelandgreedy-likethemouthofachild
orakitten-amouththatonlyknewofitsowndesiresandhadn'tlearnedyettopity.

Shelookedroundherwiththefrankcuriosityofachild.Allthesepeople-sevenatall-howfunnythe
English were! All seemed so prosper, so rich - their clothes - their shoes - yes, England was a rich
countryasshehadalwaysheard.Buttheywerenotatallgay-no,decidedlynotgay.

Thatwasahandsomemanstandinginthecorridor...Pilarthoughthewasveryhandsome.Shelikedhis
deeplybronzedfaceandhishigh-bridgednoseandhissquareshoulders.MorequicklythananyEnglish
girl, Pilar had seen that the man admired her. She had not looked at him once directly, but she knew
perfectlyhowoftenhehadlookedatherandexactlyhowhehadlooked.

Sheregisteredthefactswithoutmuchinterestoremotion.Shecamefromacountrywheremenlooked
at women, as a matter of course and did not disguise the fact unduly. She wondered if he was an
Englishmananddecidedthathewasnot.

"He is too alive, too real, to be English," Pilar decided. "And yet he is fair. He may be perhaps
Americano."Hewas,shethought,ratherliketheactorsshehadseeninWildWestfilms.

Anattendantpushedhiswayalongthecorridor.

"Firstlunch,please.Firstlunch.Takeyourseatsforfirstlunch."

ThesevenoccupantsofPilar'scarriageallheldticketsforthefirstlunch.Theyroseinabodyandthe
carriagewassuddenlydesertedandpeaceful.

Pilarquicklypulledupthewindowwhichhadbeenletdownacoupleofinchesatthetopbyamilitant-
looking,grey-hairedladyintheoppositecorner.

Thenshesprawledcomfortablybackonherseatandpeeredoutofthewindowatthenorthernsuburbs
of London. She did not turn her head at the sound of the door sliding back. It was the man from the
corridor,andPilarknew,ofcourse,thathehadenteredthecarriageonpurposetotalktoher.

Shecontinuedtolookpensivelyoutofthewindow.

StephenFarrsaid:

"Wouldyoulikethewindowdownatall?"

Pilarreplieddemurely:

"Onthecontrary.Ihavejustshutit."

ShespokeEnglishperfectly,butwithaslightaccent.

Duringthepausethatensued,Stephenthought:"Adeliciousvoice.Ithasthesuninit...Itiswarmlikea
summernight..."

Pilarthought:"Ilikehisvoice.Itisbigandstrong.Heisattractive-yes,heisattractive."

Stephensaid:"Thetrainisveryfull."

"Oh,yes,indeed.ThepeoplegoawayfromLondon,Isuppose,becauseitissoblackthere."

Pilarhadnotbeenbroughtuptobelievethatitwasacrimetotalktostrangemenintrains.Shecould
takecareofherselfaswellasanygirl,butshehadnorigidtaboos.

IfStephenhadbeenbroughtupinEnglandhemighthavefeltillateaseatenteringintoconversation
withayounggirl.ButStephenwasafriendlysoulwhofounditperfectlynaturaltotalktoanyoneifhe
feltlikeit.

Hesmiledwithoutanyself-consciousnessandsaid:"London'sratheraterribleplace,isn'tit?"

"Oh,yes.Idonotlikeitatall."

"NomoredoI."

Pilarsaid:"YouarenotEnglish,no?"

"I'mBritish,butIcomefromSouthAfrica."

"Oh,Isee,thatexplainsit."

"Haveyoujustcomefromabroad?"

Pilarnodded."IcomefromSpain."

Stephenwasinterested.

"FromSpain,doyou?You'reSpanish,then?"

"IamhalfSpanish.MymotherwasEnglish.ThatiswhyItalkEnglishsowell."

"Whataboutthiswarbusiness?"askedStephen.

"Itisveryterrible,yes-verysad.Therehasbeendamagedone,quitealot-yes."

"Whichsideareyouon?"

Pilar'spoliticsseemedtoberathervague.Inthevillagewhereshecamefrom,sheexplained,nobody
hadpaidverymuchattentiontothewar."Ithasnotbeennearus,youunderstand.TheMayor,heis,of
course,anofficeroftheGovernment,soheisfortheGovernment,andthepriestisforGeneralFranco-
but most of the people are busy with the vines and the land, they have not time to go into these

questions."

"Sotherewasn'tanyfightingroundyou?"

Pilarsaidthattherehadnotbeen."ButthenIdroveinacar,"sheexplained,"allacrossthecountryand
therewasmuchdestruction.AndIsawabombdropanditblewupacar-yes,andanotherdestroyeda
house.Itwasveryexciting!"

StephenFarrsmiledafaintlytwistedsmile.

"Sothat'showitseemedtoyou?"

"Itwasanuisance,too,"explainedPilar."BecauseIwantedtogeton,andthedriverofmycar,hewas
killed."

Stephensaid,watchingher:"Thatdidn'tupsetyou?"

Pilar'sgreatdarkeyesopenedverywide.

"Everyonemustdie!Thatisso,isitnot?Ifitcomesquicklyfromthesky-bouff-likethat,itisaswell
as any other way. One is alive for a time - yes, and then one is dead. That is what happens in this
world."

StephenFarrlaughed.

"Idon'tthinkyouareapacifist."

"YoudonotthinkIamwhat?"Pilarseemedpuzzledbyawordwhichhadnotpreviouslyenteredher
vocabulary.

"Doyouforgiveyourenemies,señorita?"

Pilarshookherhead.

"Ihavenoenemies.ButifIhad-"

"Well?"

Hewaswatchingher,fascinatedanewbythesweet,cruelupward-curvingmouth.

Pilar said gravely: "If I had an enemy - if anyone hated me and I hated them - then I would cut my
enemy'sthroatlikethis..."

Shemadeagraphicgesture.

ItwassoswiftandsocrudethatStephenFarrwasmomentarilytakenaback.Hesaid:"Youareablood-
thirstyyoungwoman!"

Pilaraskedinamatter-of-facttone:"Whatwouldyoudotoyourenemy?"

Hestarted-staredather,thenlaughedaloud.

"Iwonder-"hesaid."Iwonder!"

Pilarsaiddisapprovingly:"Butsurely-youknow."

Hecheckedhislaughter,drewinhisbreathandsaidinalowvoice:"Yes,Iknow..."

Then,witharapidchangeofmanner,heasked:"WhatmadeyoucometoEngland?"

Pilarrepliedwithacertaindemureness.

"Iamgoingtostaywithmyrelations-withmyEnglishrelations."

"Isee."

Heleanedbackinhisseat,studyingher-wonderingwhattheseEnglishrelationsofwhomshespoke
werelike-wonderingwhattheywouldmakeofthisSpanishstranger...tryingtopictureherinthemidst
ofsomesoberBritishfamilyatChristmas-time.

Pilarasked:"Isitnice,SouthAfrica,yes?"

HebegantotalktoheraboutSouthAfrica.Shelistenedwiththepleasedattentionofachildhearinga
story.Heenjoyedhernaivebutshrewdquestionsandamusedhimselfbymakingakindofexaggerated
fairystoryofitall.

Thereturnoftheproperoccupantsofthecarriageputanendtothisdiversion.Herose,smiledintoher
eyes,andmadehiswayoutagainintothecorridor.

Ashestoodbackforaminuteinthedoorway,toallowanelderlyladytocomein,hiseyesfellonthe
labelofPilar'sobviouslyforeignstrawcase.Hereadthenamewithinterest-MissPilarEstravados-
then as his eye caught the address it widened to incredulity and some other feeling - Gorston Hall,
Longdale,Addlesfield.

Hehalfturned,staringatthegirlwithanewexpression-puzzled,resentful,suspicious...Hewentout
intothecorridorandstoodtheresmokingacigaretteandfrowningtohimself...

III

Inthebigblueandgolddrawing-roomatGorstonHallAlfredLeeandLydia,hiswife,satdiscussing
their plans for Christmas. Alfred was a squarely-built man of middle-age with a gentle face and mild
browneyes.Hisvoicewhenhespokewasquietandprecisewithaveryclearenunciation.Hisheadwas
sunkintohisshouldersandhegaveacuriousimpressionofinertia.Lydia,hiswife,wasanenergetic,
leangreyhoundofawoman.Shewasamazinglythin,butallhermovementshadaswift,startledgrace
aboutthem.

Therewasnobeautyinhercareless,haggardface,butithaddistinction.Hervoicewascharming.

Alfredsaid:"Fatherinsists!There'snothingelsetoit."

Lydiacontrolledasuddenimpatientmovement.Shesaid:"Mustyoualwaysgiveintohim?"

"He'saveryoldman,mydear-"

"Oh,Iknow-Iknow!"

"Heexpectstohavehisownway."

Lydiasaiddryly:"Naturally,sincehehasalwayshadit!Butsometimeorother,Alfred,youwillhave
tomakeastand."

"Whatdoyoumean,Lydia?"

Hestaredather,sopalpablyupsetandstartled,thatforamomentshebitherlipandseemeddoubtful
whethertogoon.

AlfredLeerepeated:"Whatdoyoumean,Lydia?"

Sheshruggedherthin,gracefulshoulders.

Shesaid,tryingtochooseherwordscautiously:"Yourfatheris-inclinedtobe-tyrannical-"

"He'sold."

"And will grow older. And consequently more tyrannical. Where will it end? Already he dictates our
livestouscompletely.Wecan'tmakeaplanofourown!Ifwedo,itisalwaysliabletobeupset."

Alfredsaid:

"Fatherexpectstocomefirst.Heisverygoodtous,remember."

"Oh!goodtous!"

"Verygoodtous."

Alfredspokewithatraceofsternness.

Lydiasaidcalmly:"Youmeanfinancially?"

"Yes.Hisownwantsareverysimple.Buthenevergrudgesusmoney.Youcanspendwhatyoulikeon
dressandonthishouse,andthebillsarepaidwithoutamurmur.Hegaveusanewcaronlylastweek."

"Asfarasmoneygoes,yourfatherisverygenerous,Iadmit,"saidLydia."Butinreturnheexpectsusto
behavelikeslaves."

"Slaves?"

"That'sthewordIused.Youarehisslave,Alfred.Ifwehaveplannedtogoawayandfathersuddenly
wishesusnottogo,youcancelthearrangementsandremainwithoutamurmur!Ifthewhimtakeshim
tosendusaway,wego...Wehavenolivesofourown-noindependence."

Herhusbandsaiddistressfully:"Iwishyouwouldn'ttalklikethis,Lydia.Itisveryungrateful.Myfather
hasdoneeverythingforus..."

Shebitoffaretortthatwasonherlips.Sheshruggedthosethin,gracefulshouldersoncemore.

Alfredsaid:"Youknow,Lydia,theoldmanisveryfondofyou-"

Hiswifesaidclearlyanddistinctly:"Iamnotatallfondofhim."

"Lydia,itdistressesmetohearyousaythingslikethat.Itissounkind-"

"Perhaps.Butsometimesacompulsioncomesoveronetospeakthetruth."

"IfFatherguessed-"

"YourfatherknowsperfectlywellthatIdonotlikehim!Itamuseshim,Ithink."

"Really,Lydia,Iamsureyouarewrongthere.Hehasoftentoldmehowcharmingyourmannertohim
is."

"Naturally I've always been polite. I always shall be. I'm just letting you know what my real feelings
are.Idislikeyourfather,Alfred.Ithinkheisamaliciousandtyrannicaloldman.Hebulliesyouand
presumesonyouraffectionforhim.Yououghttohavestooduptohimyearsago."

Alfredsaidsharply:"Thatwilldo,Lydia.Pleasedon'tsayanymore."

Shesighed.

"I'msorry.PerhapsIwaswrong...Let'stalkofourChristmasarrangements.Doyouthinkyourbrother
Davidwillreallycome?"

"Whynot?"

Sheshookherheaddoubtfully.

"David is - queer. He's not been inside the house for years, remember. He was so devoted to your
mother-he'sgotsomefeelingaboutthisplace."

"DavidalwaysgotonFather'snerves,"saidAlfred,"withhismusicandhisdreamyways.Fatherwas,
perhaps,abithardonhimsometimes.ButIthinkDavidandHildawillcomeallright.Christmastime,
youknow."

"Peace and goodwill," said Lydia. Her delicate mouth curved ironically. "I wonder! George and
Magdalenearecoming.Theysaidtheywouldprobablyarrivetomorrow.I'mafraidMagdalenewillbe
frightfullybored."

Alfred said with some slight annoyance: "Why my brother George ever married a girl twenty years
youngerthanhimselfIcan'tthink!Georgewasalwaysafool!"

"He'sverysuccessfulinhiscareer,"saidLydia."Hisconstituentslikehim.IbelieveMagdaleneworks
quitehardpoliticallyforhim."

Alfredsaidslowly:"Idon'tthinkIlikeherverymuch.Sheisverygood-looking-butIsometimesthink
sheislikeoneofthosebeautifulpearsonegets-theyhavearosyflushandaratherwaxenappearance-
"Heshookhishead.

"Andthey'rebadinside?"saidLydia."Howfunnyyoushouldsaythat,Alfred!"

"Whyfunny?"

She answered: "Because - usually - you are such a gentle soul. You hardly ever say an unkind thing
aboutanyone.Igetannoyedwithyousometimesbecauseyou'renotsufficiently-oh,whatshallIsay-
sufficientlysuspicious-notnearlyenough!"

Herhusbandsmiled."Theworld,Ialwaysthink,isasyouyourselfmakeit."

Lydiasaidsharply:"No!Evilisnotonlyinone'smind.Evilexists!Youseemtohavenoconsciousness
oftheevilintheworld.Ihave.Icanfeelit.I'vealwaysfeltit-hereinthishouse-"Shebitherlipsand
turnedaway.

Alfredsaid,"Lydia-"

But she raised a quick admonitory hand, her eyes looking past him at something over his shoulder.
Alfredturned.

Adarkmanwithasmoothfacewasstandingtheredeferentially.

Lydiasaidsharply:"Whatisit,Horbury?"

Horbury'svoicewaslow,ameredeferentialmurmur.

"It's Mr Lee, madam. He asked me to tell you that there would be two more guests arriving for
Christmas,andwouldyouhaveroomspreparedforthem."

Lydiasaid,"Twomoreguests?"

Horburysaidsmoothly,"Yes,madam,anothergentlemanandayounglady."

Alfredsaidwonderingly:"Ayounglady?"

"That'swhatMrLeesaid,sir."

Lydiasaidquickly:"Iwillgoupandseehim-"

Horburymadeonelittlestep,itwasamereghostofamovementbutitstoppedLydia'srapidprogress
automatically.

"Excuseme,madam,butMrLeeishavinghisafternoonsleep.Heaskedspeciallythatheshouldnotbe
disturbed."

"Isee,"saidAlfred."Ofcoursewewon'tdisturbhim."

"Thankyou,sir."Horburywithdrew.

Lydiasaidvehemently:"HowIdislikethatman!Hecreepsaboutthehouselikeacat!Oneneverhears
himgoingorcoming."

"I don't like him very much either. But he knows his job. It's not so easy to get a good male nurse
attendant.AndFatherlikeshim,that'sthemainthing."

"Yes,that'sthemainthing,asyousay.Alfred,whatisthisaboutayounglady?Whatyounglady?"

Herhusbandshookhishead.

"Ican'timagine.Ican'teventhinkofanyoneitmightbelikelytobe."

Theystaredateachother.ThenLydiasaid,withasuddentwistofherexpressivemouth:"Doyouknow
whatIthink,Alfred?"

"What?"

"Ithinkyourfatherhasbeenboredlately.IthinkheisplanningalittleChristmasdiversionforhimself."

"Byintroducingtwostrangersintoafamilygathering?"

"Oh!Idon'tknowwhatthedetailsare-butIdofancythatyourfatherispreparingto-amusehimself."

"I hope he will get some pleasure out of it," said Alfred gravely. "Poor old chap, tied by the leg, an
invalid-aftertheadventurouslifehehasled."

Lydiasaidslowly:"Afterthe-adventurouslifehehasled."

The pause she made before the adjective gave it some special though obscure significance. Alfred
seemedtofeelit.Heflushedandlookedunhappy.

Shecriedoutsuddenly:"Howheeverhadasonlikeyou,Ican'timagine!Youtwoarepolesapart.And
hefascinatesyou-yousimplyworshiphim!"

Alfredsaidwithatraceofvexation:"Aren'tyougoingalittlefar,Lydia?It'snatural,Ishouldsay,fora
sontolovehisfather.Itwouldbeveryunnaturalnottodoso."

Lydia said: "In that case, most of the members of this family are - unnatural! Oh, don't let's argue! I
apologise.I'vehurtyourfeelings,Iknow.Believeme,Alfred,Ireallydidn'tmeantodothat.Iadmire
youenormouslyforyour-your-fidelity.Loyaltyissuchararevirtueinthesedays.Letussay,shall
we, that I am jealous? Women are supposed to be jealous of their mothers-in-law - why not, then, of
theirfathers-in-law?"

Heputagentlearmroundher.

"Yourtonguerunsawaywithyou,Lydia.There'snoreasonforyoutobejealous."

Shegavehimaquickremorsefulkiss,adelicatecaressonthetipofhisear.

"Iknow.Allthesame,Alfred,Idon'tbelieveIshouldhavebeenintheleastjealousofyourmother.I
wishI'dknownher."

Hesighed.

"Shewasapoorcreature,"hesaid.

Hiswifelookedathiminterestedly.

"Sothat'showshestruckyou...asapoorcreature...That'sinteresting."

Hesaiddreamily:"Irememberherasnearlyalwaysill...Oftenintears..."Heshookhishead."Shehad
nospirit."

Stillstaringathim,shemurmuredverysoftly:"Howodd..."

Butasheturnedaquestioningglanceonher,sheshookherheadquicklyandchangedthesubject.

"SincewearenotallowedtoknowwhoourmysteriousguestsareIshallgooutandfinishmygarden."

"It'sverycold,mydear,abitingwind."

"I'llwrapupwarmly."

She left the room. Alfred Lee, left alone, stood for some minutes motionless, frowning a little to
himself,thenhewalkedovertothebigwindowattheendoftheroom.Outsidewasaterracerunning
thewholelengthofthehouse.Here,afteraminuteortwo,hesawLydiaemerge,carryingaflatbasket.
Shewaswearingabigblanketcoat.Shesetdownthebasketandbegantoworkatasquarestonesink
slightlyraisedabovegroundlevel.

Her husband watched for some time. At last he went out of the room, fetched himself a coat and
muffler,andemergedontotheterracebyasidedoor.Ashewalkedalonghepassedvariousotherstone
sinksarrangedasminiaturegardens,alltheproductsofLydia'sagilefingers.

Onerepresentedadesertscenewithsmoothyellowsand,alittleclumpofgreenpalmtreesincoloured
tin,andaprocessionofcamelswithoneortwolittleArabfigures.Someprimitivemudhouseshadbeen
constructed of plasticine. There was an Italian garden with terraces and formal beds with flowers in
colouredsealing-wax.Therewasanarcticone,too,withclumpsofgreenglassforicebergs,andalittle
clusterofpenguins.NextcameaJapanesegardenwithacoupleofbeautifullittlestuntedtrees,looking-
glassarrangedforwater,andbridgesmodelledoutofplasticine.

Hecameatlasttostandbesideherwhereshewasatwork.Shehadlaiddownbluepaperandcoveredit
over with glass. Round this were lumps of rock piled up. At the moment she was pouring out coarse
pebblesfromalittlebagandformingthemintoabeach.Betweentherocksweresomesmallcactuses.

Lydiawasmurmuringtoherself:"Yes,that'sexactlyright-exactlywhatIwant."

Alfredsaid:"What'sthislatestworkofart?"

Shestarted,forshehadnotheardhimcomeup.

"This?Oh,it'stheDeadSea,Alfred.Doyoulikeit?"

Hesaid,"It'sratherarid,isn'tit?Oughtn'ttheretobemorevegetation?"

Sheshookherhead.

"It'smyideaoftheDeadSea.Itisdead,yousee-"

"It'snotsoattractiveassomeoftheothers."

"It'snotmeanttobespeciallyattractive."

Footsteps sounded on the terrace. An elderly butler, white-haired and slightly bowed, was coming
towardsthem.

"MrsGeorgeLeeonthetelephone,madam.ShesayswillitbeconvenientifsheandMrGeorgearrive
bythefive-twentytomorrow?"

"Yes,tellherthatwillbequiteallright."

"Thankyou,madam."

Thebutlerhurriedaway.Lydialookedafterhimwithasoftenedexpressiononherface.

"DearoldTressilian.Whatastand-byheis!Ican'timaginewhatweshoulddowithouthim."

Alfredagreed.

"He'soneoftheoldschool.He'sbeenwithusnearlyfortyyears.He'sdevotedtousall."

Lydianodded.

"Yes. He's like the faithful old retainers of fiction. I believe he'd lie himself blue in the face if it was
necessarytoprotectoneofthefamily!"

Alfredsaid:"Ibelievehewould...Yes,Ibelievehewould."

Lydiasmoothedoverthelastbitofhershingle.

"There,"shesaid."That'sready."

"Ready?"Alfredlookedpuzzled.

Shelaughed.

"ForChristmas,silly!ForthissentimentalfamilyChristmaswe'regoingtohave."

IV

David was reading the letter. Once he screwed it up into a ball and thrust it away from him. Then,
reachingforit,hesmootheditoutandreaditagain.

Quietly,withoutsayinganything,hiswife,Hilda,watchedhim.Shenotedthejerkingmuscle(orwasit
anerve?)inhistemple,theslighttremorofthelongdelicatehands,thenervousspasmodicmovements
ofhiswholebody.Whenhepushedasidethelockoffairhairthatalwaystendedtostraydownoverhis
foreheadandlookedacrossatherwithappealingblueeyesshewasready.

"Hilda,whatshallwedoaboutit?"

Hilda hesitated a minute before speaking. She had heard the appeal in his voice. She knew how
dependenthewasuponher-hadalwaysbeeneversincetheirmarriage-knewthatshecouldprobably
influence his decision finally and decisively. But for just that reason she was wary of pronouncing
anythingtoofinal.

Shesaid,andhervoicehadthecalm,soothingqualitythatcanbeheardinthevoiceofanexperienced
nannieinanursery:"Itdependsonhowyoufeelaboutit,David."

A broad woman, Hilda, not beautiful, but with a certain magnetic quality. Something about her like a
Dutchpicture.Somethingwarmingandendearinginthesoundofhervoice.Somethingstrongabouther
- the vital hidden strength that appeals to weakness. An over-stout dumpy middle-aged woman - not
clever-notbrilliant-butwithsomethingaboutherthatyoucouldn'tpassover.Force!HildaLeehad
force!

David got up and began pacing up and down. His hair was practically untouched by grey. He was
strangelyboyish-looking.HisfacehadthemildqualityofaBurneJonesknight.Itwas,somehow,not
veryreal...

Hesaid,andhisvoicewaswistful:"YouknowhowIfeelaboutit,Hilda.Youmust."

"I'mnotsure."

"ButI'vetoldyou-I'vetoldyouagainandagain!HowIhateitall-thehouseandthecountryround
and everything! It brings back nothing but misery. I hated every moment that I spent there! When I
thinkofit-ofallthatshesuffered-mymother..."

Hiswifenoddedsympathetically.

"Shewassosweet,Hilda,andsopatient.Lyingthere,ofteninpain,butbearingit-enduringeverything.
AndwhenIthinkofmyfather-"hisfacedarkened-"bringingallthatmiseryintoherlife-humiliating
her-boastingofhisloveaffairs-constantlyunfaithfultoherandnevertroublingtoconcealit."

HildaLeesaid:"Sheshouldnothaveputupwithit.Sheshouldhavelefthim."

Hesaidwithatouchofreproof:"Shewastoogoodtodothat.Shethoughtitwasherdutytoremain.
Besides,itwasherhome-whereelseshouldshego?"

"Shecouldhavemadealifeofherown."

Davidsaidfretfully:"Notinthosedays!Youdon'tunderstand.Womendidn'tbehavelikethat.Theyput
up with things. They endured patiently. She had us to consider. Even if she divorced my father, what
wouldhavehappened?Hewouldprobablyhavemarriedagain.Theremighthavebeenasecondfamily.
Ourinterestsmighthavegonetothewall.Shehadtothinkofallthoseconsiderations."

Hildadidnotanswer.

Davidwenton:"No,shedidright.Shewasasaint!Sheenduredtotheend-uncomplainingly."

Hildasaid,"Notquiteuncomplaininglyoryouwouldnotknowsomuch,David!"

Hesaidsoftly,hisfacelightingup:"Yes-shetoldmethings...SheknewhowIlovedher.Whenshe
died-"

Hestopped.Heranhishandsthroughhishair.

"Hilda, it was awful - horrible! The desolation! She was quite young still, she needn't have died. He
killedher-myfather!Hewasresponsibleforherdying.Hebrokeherheart.IdecidedthenthatI'dnot
goonlivingunderhisroof.Ibrokeaway-gotawayfromitall."

Hildanodded.

"Youwereverywise,"shesaid."Itwastherightthingtodo."

Davidsaid:"Fatherwantedmetogointotheworks.Thatwouldhavemeantlivingathome.Icouldn't
havestoodthat.Ican'tthinkhowAlfredstandsit-howhehasstooditalltheseyears?"

"Didheneverrebelagainstit?"askedHildawithsomeinterest."Ithoughtyoutoldmesomethingabout
hishavinggivenupsomeothercareer."

Davidnodded.

"Alfredwasgoingintothearmy.Fatherarrangeditall.Alfred,theeldest,wastogointosomecavalry
regiment.Harrywastogointotheworks,sowasI.Georgewastoenterpolitics."

"Anditdidn'tworkoutlikethat?"

Davidshookhishead.

"Harrybrokeallthatup!Hewasalwaysfrightfullywild.Gotintodebt-andallsortsofothertroubles.
Finally he went off one day with several hundred pounds that didn't belong to him, leaving a note
behindhimsayinganofficestooldidn'tsuithimandhewasgoingtoseetheworld."

"Andyouneverheardanymoreofhim?"

"Oh,yes,wedid!"Davidlaughed."Weheardquiteoften!Hewasalwayscablingformoneyfromall
overtheworld.Heusuallygotittoo!"

"AndAlfred?"

"Fathermadehimchuckupthearmyandcomebackandgointotheworks."

"Didhemind?"

"Verymuchtobeginwith.Hehatedit.ButFathercouldalwaystwistAlfredroundhislittlefinger.He's
absolutelyunderFather'sthumbstill,Ibelieve."

"Andyou-escaped!"saidHilda.

"Yes.IwenttoLondonandstudiedpainting.FathertoldmeplainlythatifIwentoffonafool'serrand
likethatI'dgetasmallallowancefromhimduringhislifetimeandnothingwhenhedied.IsaidIdidn't
care.Hecalledmeayoungfool,andthatwasthat!I'veneverseenhimsince."

Hildasaidgently:"Andyouhaven'tregrettedit?"

"No,indeed.IrealiseIshan'tevergetanywherewithmyart.Ishallneverbeagreatartist-butwe're
happyenoughinthiscottage-we'vegoteverythingwewant-alltheessentials.AndifIdie,well,my
life'sinsuredforyou."

Hepausedandthensaid:"Andnow-this!"

Hestrucktheletterwithhisopenhand.

"Iamsorryyourfathereverwrotethatletter,ifitupsetsyousomuch,"saidHilda.

Davidwentonasthoughhehadnotheardher.

"Asking me to bring my wife for Christmas, expressing a hope that we may be all together for
Christmas;aunitedfamily!Whatcanitmean?"

Hildasaid:"Needitmeananythingmorethanitsays?"

Helookedatherquestioningly.

"Imean,"shesaid,smiling,"thatyourfatherisgrowingold.He'sbeginningtofeelsentimentalabout
familyties.Thatdoeshappen,youknow."

"Isupposeitdoes,"saidDavidslowly."He'sanoldmanandhe'slonely."

Hegaveheraquicklook.

"Youwantmetogo,don'tyou,Hilda?"

Shesaidslowly:"Itseemsapity-nottoansweranappeal.I'mold-fashioned,Idaresay,butwhynot
havepeaceandgoodwillatChristmas-time?"

"AfterallI'vetoldyou?"

"Iknow,dear,Iknow.Butallthat'sinthepast.It'salldoneandfinishedwith."

"Notforme."

"No,becauseyouwon'tletitdie.Youkeepthepastaliveinyourownmind."

"Ican'tforget."

"Youwon'tforget-that'swhatyoumean,David."

Hismouthsetinafirmline.

"We'relikethat,weLees.Werememberthingsforyears-broodaboutthem,keepmemorygreen."

Hildasaidwithatouchofimpatience:"Isthatanythingtobeproudof?Idonotthinkso!"

Helookedthoughtfullyather,atouchofreserveinhismanner.

Hesaid:"Youdon'tattachmuchvaluetoloyalty,then-loyaltytoamemory?"

Hildasaid:"Ibelievethepresentmatters-notthepast!Thepastmustgo.Ifweseektokeepthepast
alive,weend,Ithink,bydistortingit.Weseeitinexaggeratedterms-afalseperspective."

"Icanremembereverywordandeveryincidentofthosedaysperfectly,"saidDavidpassionately.

"Yes, but you shouldn't, my dear! It isn't natural to do so! You're applying the judgment of a boy to
thosedaysinsteadoflookingbackonthemwiththemoretemperateoutlookofaman."

"Whatdifferencewouldthatmake?"demandedDavid.

Hildahesitated.Shewasawareofunwisdomingoingon,andyettherewerethingsshebadlywantedto
say.

"I think," she said, "that you're seeing your father as a boogy. You're exalting him into a kind of
personificationofevil.Probably,ifyouweretoseehimnow,youwouldrealisethathewasonlyavery
ordinary man; a man, perhaps, whose passions ran away with him, a man whose life was far from
blameless,butneverthelessmerelyaman-notakindofinhumanmonster!"

"Youdon'tunderstand!Histreatmentofmymother-"

Hildasaidgravely:"Thereisacertainkindofmeekness-ofsubmission-bringsouttheworstinaman
-whereasthatsameman,facedbyspiritanddetermination,mightbeadifferentcreature!"

"Soyousayitwasherfault-"

Hildainterruptedhim.

"No,ofcourseIdon't!I'venodoubtyourfathertreatedyourmotherverybadlyindeed,butmarriageis
an extraordinary thing - and I doubt if any outsider - even a child of the marriage - has the right to
judge.Besides,allthisresentmentonyourpartnowcannothelpyourmother.Itisallgone-itisbehind
you!Whatisleftnowisanoldman,infeeblehealth,askinghissontocomehomeforChristmas."

"Andyouwantmetogo?"

Hildahesitated,thenshesuddenlymadeuphermind."Yes,"shesaid,"Ido.Iwantyoutogoandlay
theboogyonceandforall."

V

GeorgeLee,MPforWesteringham,wasasomewhatcorpulentgentlemanofforty-one.

Hiseyeswerepaleblueandslightlyprominentwithasuspiciousexpression,hehadaheavyjowl,anda
slowpedanticutterance.

Hesaidnowinaweightymanner:"Ihavetoldyou,Magdalene,thatIthinkitmydutytogo."

Hiswifeshruggedhershouldersimpatiently.

She was a slender creature, a platinum blonde with plucked eyebrows and a smooth egg-like face. It
could,onoccasions,lookquiteblankanddevoidofanyexpressionwhatever.Shewaslookinglikethat
now.

"Darling,"shesaid,"itwillbeperfectlygrim,Iamsureofit."

"Moreover,"saidGeorgeLee,andhisfacelitupasanattractiveideaoccurredtohim,"itwillenableus
tosaveconsiderably.Christmasisalwaysanexpensivetime.Wecanputtheservantsonboardwages."

"Oh,well!"saidMagdalene."Afterall,Christmasisprettygrimanywhere!"

"I suppose," said George, pursuing his own line of thought, "they will expect to have a Christmas
dinner?Anicepieceofbeef,perhaps,insteadofaturkey."

"Who?Theservants?Oh,George,don'tfussso.You'realwaysworryingaboutmoney."

"Somebodyhastoworry,"saidGeorge.

"Yes,butit'sabsurdtopinchandscrapeinalltheselittleways.Whydon'tyoumakeyourfathergive
yousomemoremoney?"

"Healreadygivesmeaveryhandsomeallowance."

"It's awful to be completely dependent on your father, as you are! He ought to settle some money on
yououtright."

"That'snothiswayofdoingthings."

Magdalene looked at him. Her hazel eyes were suddenly sharp and keen. The expressionless egg-like
faceshowedsuddenmeaning.

"He'sfrightfullyrich,isn'the,George?Akindofmillionaire,isn'the?"

"Amillionairetwiceover,Ibelieve."

Magdalenegaveanenvioussigh."Howdidhemakeitall?SouthAfrica,wasn'tit?"

"Yes,hemadeabigfortunethereinhisearlydays.Mainlydiamonds."

"Thrilling!"saidMagdalene.

"ThenhecametoEnglandandstartedinbusinessandhisfortunehasactuallydoubledortrebleditself,I
believe."

"Whatwillhappenwhenhedies?"askedMagdalene.

"Father'sneversaidmuchonthesubject.Ofcourseonecan'texactlyask.Ishouldimaginethatthebulk
ofhismoneywillgotoAlfredandmyself.Alfred,ofcourse,willgetthelargershare."

"You'vegototherbrothers,haven'tyou?"

"Yes,there'smybrotherDavid.Idon'tfancyhewillgetmuch.Hewentofftodoartorsometomfoolery
ofthatkind.IbelieveFatherwarnedhimthathewouldcuthimoutofhiswillandDavidsaidhedidn't
care."

"Howsilly!"saidMagdalenewithscorn.

"There was my sister Jennifer too. She went off with a foreigner - a Spanish artist - one of David's
friends. But she died just over a year ago. She left a daughter, I believe. Father might leave a little

moneytoher,butnothingmuch.Andofcoursethere'sHarry-"

Hestopped,slightlyembarrassed.

"Harry?"saidMagdalenesurprised."WhoisHarry?"

"Ah-er-mybrother."

"Ineverknewyouhadanotherbrother."

"Mydear,hewasn'tagreat-er-credit-tous.Wedon'tmentionhim.Hisbehaviourwasdisgraceful.
Wehaven'theardanythingofhimforsomeyearsnow.He'sprobablydead."

Magdalenelaughedsuddenly.

"Whatisit?Whatareyoulaughingat?"

Magdalene said: "I was only thinking how funny it was that you - you, George, should have a
disreputablebrother!You'resoveryrespectable."

"Ishouldhopeso,"saidGeorgecoldly.Hereyesnarrowed.

"Yourfatherisn't-veryrespectable,George?"

"Really,Magdalene!"

"Sometimesthethingshesaysmakemefeelquiteuncomfortable."

Georgesaid:"Really,Magdalene,yousurpriseme.Does-er-doesLydiafeelthesame?"

"Hedoesn't say thesame kind ofthings to Lydia," saidMagdalene. She addedangrily, "No, he never
saysthemtoher.Ican'tthinkwhynot."

Georgeglancedatherquicklyandthenglancedaway.

"Oh,well,"hesaidvaguely."Onemustmakeallowances.AtFather'sage-andwithhishealthbeingso
bad-"

Hepaused.Hiswifeasked:"Ishereally-prettyill?"

"Oh,Iwouldn'tsaythat.He'sremarkablytough.Allthesame,sincehewantstohavehisfamilyround
himatChristmas,Ithinkwearequiterighttogo.ItmaybehislastChristmas."

Shesaidsharply:"Yousaythat,George,butreally,Isuppose,hemayliveforyears?"

Slightlytakenaback,herhusbandstammered,"Yes-yes,ofcoursehemay."

Magdaleneturnedaway.

"Oh,well,"shesaid."Isupposewe'redoingtherightthingbygoing."

"Ihavenodoubtaboutit."

"ButIhateit!Alfred'ssodull,andLydiasnubsme."

"Nonsense."

"Shedoes.AndIhatethatbeastlymanservant."

"OldTressilian?"

"No,Horbury.Sneakingroundlikeacatandsmirking."

"Really,Magdalene,Ican'tseethatHorburycanaffectyouinanyway!"

"Hejustgetsonmynerves,that'sall.Butdon'tlet'sbother.We'vegottogo,Icanseethat.Won'tdoto
offendtheoldman."

"No-no,that'sjustthepoint.Abouttheservants'Christmasdinner-"

"Notnow,George,someothertime.I'lljustringupLydiaandtellherthatwe'llcomebythefive-twenty
tomorrow."

Magdalenelefttheroomprecipitately.Aftertelephoningshewentuptoherownroomandsatdownin
front of the desk. She let down the flap and rummaged in its various pigeon-holes. Cascades of bills
came tumbling out. Magdalene sorted through them, trying to arrange them in some kind of order.
Finally,withanimpatientsigh,shebundledthemupandthrustthembackwhencetheyhadcome.She
passedahandoverhersmoothplatinumhead.

"WhatonearthamItodo?"shemurmured.

VI

OnthefirstfloorofGorstonHallalongpassageledtoabigroomoverlookingthefrontdrive.Itwasa
roomfurnishedinthemoreflamboyantofold-fashionedstyles.Ithadheavybrocadedwallpaper,rich
leather arm-chairs, large vases embossed with dragons, sculptures in bronze... Everything in it was
magnificent,costlyandsolid.

Inabiggrandfatherarm-chair,thebiggestandmostimposingofallthechairs,satthethin,shrivelled
figure of an old man. His long claw-like hands rested on the arms of the chair. A gold-mounted stick
wasbyhisside.Heworeanoldshabbybluedressing-gown.Onhisfeetwerecarpetslippers.Hishair
waswhiteandtheskinofhisfacewasyellow.

Ashabby,insignificantfigure,onemighthavethought.Butthenose,aquilineandproud,andtheeyes,
darkandintenselyalive,mightcauseanobservertoalterhisopinion.Herewasfireandlifeandvigour.

OldSimeonLeecackledtohimself,asudden,highcackleofamusement.

Hesaid:"YougavemymessagetoMrsAlfred,hey?"

Horburywasstandingbesidehischair.

Herepliedinhissoftdeferentialvoice:"Yes,sir."

"ExactlyinthewordsItoldyou?Exactly,mind?"

"Yes,sir.Ididn'tmakeamistake,sir."

"No-youdon'tmakemistakes.You'dbetternotmakemistakeseither-oryou'llregretit!Andwhatdid
shesay,Horbury?WhatdidMrAlfredsay?"

Quietly,unemotionally,Horburyrepeatedwhathadpassed.Theoldmancackledagainandrubbedhis
handstogether.

"Splendid...Firstrate...They'llhavebeenthinkingandwondering-alltheafternoon!Splendid!I'llhave
'emupnow.Goandgetthem."

"Yes,sir."

Horburywalkednoiselesslyacrosstheroomandwentout.

"And,Horbury-"

Theoldmanlookedround,thencursedtohimself.

"Fellowmoveslikeacat.Neverknowwhereheis."

Hesatquitestillinhischair,hisfingerscaressinghischintilltherewasataponthedoor,andAlfred
andLydiacamein.

"Ah,thereyouare,thereyouare.Sithere,Lydia,mydear,byme.Whatanicecolouryou'vegot."

"I'vebeenoutinthecold.Itmakesone'scheeksburnafterwards."

Alfredsaid:"Howareyou,Father,didyouhaveagoodrestthisafternoon?"

"Firstrate-firstrate.Dreamtabouttheolddays!ThatwasbeforeIsettleddownandbecameapillarof
society."

Hecackledwithsuddenlaughter.Hisdaughter-in-lawsatsilentlysmilingwithpoliteattention.

Alfredsaid:"What'sthis,Father,abouttwoextrabeingexpectedforChristmas?"

"Ah,that!Yes,Imusttellyouaboutthat.It'sgoingtobeagrandChristmasformethisyear-agrand
Christmas.Letmesee,GeorgeiscomingandMagdalene-"

Lydiasaid:"Yes,theyarearrivingtomorrowbythefive-twenty."

OldSimeonsaid:"Poorstick,George!Nothingbutagasbag!Still,heismyson."

Alfredsaid:"Hisconstituentslikehim."

Simeoncackledagain.

"Theyprobablythinkhe'shonest.Honest!ThereneverwasaLeewhowashonestyet."

"Oh,comenow,Father."

"Iexceptyou,myboy.Iexceptyou."

"AndDavid?"askedLydia.

"Davidnow.I'mcurioustoseetheboyafteralltheseyears.Hewasanamby-pambyyoungster.Wonder
whathiswifeislike?Atanyratehehasn'tmarriedagirltwentyyearsyoungerthanhimself,likethat
foolGeorge!"

"Hildawroteaveryniceletter,"saidLydia."I'vejusthadawirefromherconfirmingitandsayingthey

aredefinitelyarrivingtomorrow."

Herfather-in-lawlookedather,akeen,penetratingglance.Helaughed.

"InevergetanychangeoutofLydia,"hesaid."I'llsaythisforyou,Lydia,you'reawell-bredwoman.
Breedingtells.Iknowthatwellenough.Afunnything,though,heredity.There'sonlyoneofyouthat's
takenafterme-onlyoneoutofallthelitter."

Hiseyesdanced.

"Nowguesswho'scomingforChristmas.I'llgiveyouthreeguessesandI'llbetyouariveryouwon't
gettheanswer."

Helookedfromonefacetotheother.

Alfredsaidfrowning:"Horburysaidyouexpectedayounglady."

"Thatintriguedyou-yes,Idaresayitdid.Pilarwillbearrivinganyminutenow.Igaveordersforthe
cartogoandmeether."

Alfredsaidsharply:"Pilar?"

Simeonsaid:"PilarEstravados.Jennifer'sgirl.Mygranddaughter.Iwonderwhatshe'llbelike."

Alfredcriedout:"Goodheavens,Father,younevertoldme..."

Theoldmanwasgrinning.

"No,IthoughtI'dkeepitasecret!GotCharltontowriteoutandfixthings."

Alfredrepeated,histonehurtandreproachful:"Younevertoldme..."

Hisfathersaid,stillgrinningwickedly:"Itwouldhavespoiltthesurprise!Wonderwhatitwillbeliketo

haveyoungbloodunderthisroofagain?IneversawEstravados.Wonderwhichthegirltakesafter-her
motherorherfather?"

"Doyoureallythinkit'swise.Father,"beganAlfred."Takingeverythingintoconsideration-"

Theoldmaninterruptedhim.

"Safety - safety - you play for safety too much, Alfred! Always have! That hasn't been my way! Do
what you want and be damned to it! That's what I say! The girl's my granddaughter - the only
grandchildinthefamily!Idon'tcarewhatherfatherwasorwhathedid!She'smyfleshandblood!And
she'scomingtolivehereinmyhouse."

Lydiasaidsharply:"She'scomingtolivehere?"

Hedartedaquicklookather."Doyouobject?"

Sheshookherhead.Shesaidsmiling:"Icouldn'tverywellobjecttoyouraskingsomeonetoyourown
house,couldI?No,Iwaswonderingabout-her."

"Abouther-whatd'youmean?"

"Whethershewouldbehappyhere."

OldSimeonflunguphishead.

"She'snotgotapennyintheworld.Sheoughttobethankful!"

Lydiashruggedhershoulders.

SimeonturnedtoAlfred:"Yousee?It'sgoingtobeagrandChristmas!Allmychildrenroundme.All
mychildren!There,Alfred,there'syourclue.Nowguesswhotheothervisitoris."

Alfredstaredathim.

"Allmychildren!Guess,boy!Harry,ofcourse!YourbrotherHarry!"

Alfredhadgoneverypale.Hestammered:"Harry-notHarry-"

"Harryhimself!"

"Butwethoughthewasdead!"

"Nothe!"

"You-youarehavinghimbackhere?Aftereverything?"

"Theprodigalson,eh?You'reright.Thefattedcalf!Wemustkillthefattedcalf,Alfred.Wemustgive
himagrandwelcome."

Alfredsaid:"Hetreatedyou-allofus-disgracefully.He-"

"No need to recite his crimes! It's a long list. But Christmas, you'll remember, is the season of
forgiveness!We'llwelcometheprodigalhome."

Alfredrose.Hemurmured:"Thishasbeen-ratherashock.IneverdreamtthatHarrywouldevercome
insidethesewallsagain."

Simeonleanedforward.

"YouneverlikedHarry,didyou?"hesaidsoftly.

"Afterthewayhebehavedtoyou-"

Simeon cackled. He said: "Ah, but bygones must be bygones. That's the spirit for Christmas, isn't it,
Lydia?"

Lydia,too,hadgonepale.Shesaiddryly:"IseethatyouhavethoughtagooddealaboutChristmasthis
year."

"Iwantmyfamilyroundme.Peaceandgoodwill.I'manoldman.Areyougoing,mydear?"

Alfredhadhurriedout.Lydiapausedamomentbeforefollowinghim.

Simeonnoddedhisheadaftertheretreatingfigure.

"It'supsethim.HeandHarrynevergoton.HarryusedtojeeratAlfred.CalledhimoldSlowandSure."

Lydia's lips parted. She was about to speak, then, as she saw the old man's eager expression, she
checkedherself.Herself-control,shesaw,disappointedhim.Theperceptionofthatfactenabledherto
say:"Thehareandthetortoise.Ah,well,thetortoisewinstherace."

"Notalways,"saidSimeon."Notalways,mydearLydia."

Shesaid,stillsmiling:"Excuseme,ImustgoafterAlfred.Suddenexcitementsalwaysupsethim."

Simeoncackled.

"Yes,Alfreddoesn'tlikechanges.Healwayswasaregularsober-sides."

Lydiasaid:"Alfredisverydevotedtoyou."

"Thatseemsoddtoyou,doesn'tit?"

"Sometimes,"saidLydia,"itdoes."

Shelefttheroom.Simeonlookedafterher.

Hechuckledsoftlyandrubbedhispalmstogether.

"Lotsoffun,"hesaid."Lotsoffunstill.I'mgoingtoenjoythisChristmas."

Withanefforthepulledhimselfupright,andwiththehelpofhisstick,shuffledacrosstheroom.

Hewenttoabigsafethatstoodatthecorneroftheroom.Hetwirledthehandleofthecombination.The
doorcameopenand,withshakingfingers,hefeltinside.

Heliftedoutasmallwash-leatherbag,andopeningit,letastreamofuncutdiamondspassthroughhis
fingers.

"Well, my beauties, well... Still the same - still my old friends. Those were good days - good days...
Theyshan'tcarveyouandcutyouabout,myfriends.Youshan'thangroundthenecksofwomenorsit
ontheirfingersorhangontheirears.You'remine!Myoldfriends!Weknowathingortwo,youandI.
I'mold,theysay,andill,butI'mnotdonefor!Lotsoflifeintheolddogyet.Andthere'sstillsomefun
tobegotoutoflife.Stillsomefun-"

PARTII-December23rd

I

Tressilian went to answer the doorbell. It had been an unusually aggressive peal, and now, before he
couldmakehisslowwayacrossthehall,itpealedoutagain.

Tressilianflushed.Anill-mannered,impatientwayofringingthebellatagentleman'shouse!Ifitwasa
freshlotofthosecarolsingershe'dgivethemapieceofhismind.

Throughthefrostedglassoftheupperhalfofthedoorhesawasilhouette-abigmaninaslouchhat.
Heopenedthedoor.

As he had thought - a cheap, flashy stranger - nasty pattern of suit he was wearing - loud! Some
impudentbeggingfellow!

"Blessedifitisn'tTressilian,"saidthestranger."Howareyou,Tressilian?"

Tressilianstared-tookadeepbreath-staredagain.Thatboldarrogantjaw,thehigh-bridgednose,the
rollickingeye.Yes,theyhadallbeentherethreeyearsago.

Moresubduedthen...

Hesaidwithagasp:"MrHarry!"

HarryLeelaughed.

"LooksasthoughI'dgivenyouquiteashock.Why?I'mexpected,aren'tI?"

"Yes,indeed,sir.Certainly,sir."

"Thenwhythesurpriseact?"Harrysteppedbackafootortwoandlookedupatthehouse-agoodsolid
massofredbrick,unimaginativebutsolid.

"Justthesameuglyoldmansion,"heremarked."Stillstanding,though,that'sthemainthing.How'smy
father,Tressilian?"

"He'ssomewhatofaninvalid,sir.Keepstohisroom,andcan'tgetaboutmuch.Buthe'swonderfully
well,considering."

"Theoldsinner!"

HarryLeecameinside,letTressilianremovehisscarfandtakethesomewhattheatricalhat.

"How'smydearbrotherAlfred,Tressilian?"

"He'sverywell,sir."

Harrygrinned.

"Lookingforwardtoseeingme?Eh?"

"Iexpectso,sir."

"Idon't!Quitethecontrary.Ibetit'sgivenhimanastyjolt,myturningup!AlfredandIneverdidget
on.EverreadyourBible,Tressilian?"

"Why,yes,sir,sometimes,sir."

"Rememberthetaleoftheprodigal'sreturn?Thegoodbrotherdidn'tlikeit,remember?Didn'tlikeitat
all!Goodoldstay-at-homeAlfreddoesn'tlikeiteither,Ibet."

Tressilianremainedsilentlookingdownhisnose.Hisstiffenedbackexpressedprotest.Harryclapped
himontheshoulder.

"Leadon,oldson,"hesaid."Thefattedcalfawaitsme!Leadmerighttoit."

Tressilianmurmured:"Ifyouwillcomethiswayintothedrawing-room,sir.Iamnotquitesurewhere
everyoneis...Theywereunabletosendtomeetyou,sir,notknowingthetimeofyourarrival."

Harrynodded.HefollowedTressilianalongthehall,turninghisheadtolookabouthimashewent.

"Alltheoldexhibitsintheirplace,Isee,"heremarked."Idon'tbelieveanythinghaschangedsinceI
wentawaytwentyyearsago."

HefollowedTressilianintothedrawing-room.Theoldmanmurmured:"IwillseeifIcanfindMror
MrsAlfred,"andhurriedout.

HarryLeehadmarchedintotheroomandhadthenstopped,staringatthefigurewhowasseatedonone
ofthewindow-sills.Hiseyesroamedincredulouslyovertheblackhairandthecreamyexoticpallor.

"Goodlord!"hesaid."Areyoumyfathersseventhandmostbeautifulwife?"

Pilarslippeddownandcametowardshim.

"IamPilarEstravados,"sheannounced."AndyoumustbemyUncleHarry,mymother'sbrother."

Harrysaid,staring:"Sothat'swhoyouare!Jenny'sdaughter."

Pilarsaid:"WhydidyouaskmeifIwasyourfather'sseventhwife?Hashereallyhadsixwives?"

Harrylaughed.

"No,Ibelievehe'sonlyhadoneofficialone.Well-Pil-what'syourname?"

"Pilar,yes."

"Well,Pilar,itreallygivesmequiteaturntoseesomethinglikeyoubloominginthismausoleum."

"This-maus-please?"

"Thismuseumofstuffeddummies!Ialwaysthoughtthishousewaslousy!NowIseeitagainIthinkit's
lousierthanever!"

Pilarsaidinashockedvoice:"Oh,no,itisveryhandsomehere!Thefurnitureisgoodandthecarpets-
thick carpets everywhere - and there are lots of ornaments. Everything is very good quality and very,
veryrich!"

"You'rerightthere,"saidHarry,grinning.

Helookedatherwithamusement.

"Youknow,Ican'thelpgettingakickoutofseeingyouinthemidst-"

HebrokeoffasLydiacamerapidlyintotheroom.

Shecamestraighttohim.

"Howd'youdo,Harry?I'mLydia-Alfred'swife."

"Howdoyoudo,Lydia."Heshookhands,examiningherintelligentmobilefaceinaswiftglanceand
approvingmentallyofthewayshewalked-veryfewwomenmovedwell.

Lydiainherturntookquickstockofhim.

Shethought:"Helooksafrightfultough-attractive,though.Iwouldn'ttrusthimaninch..."

Shesaidsmiling:"Howdoesitlookafteralltheseyears?Quitedifferent,orverymuchthesame?"

"Prettymuchthesame."Helookedroundhim."Thisroom'sbeendoneover."

"Oh,manytimes."

Hesaid:"Imeantbyyou.You'vemadeit-different."

"Yes,Iexpectso..."

Hegrinnedather,asuddenimpishgrinthatremindedherwithastartoftheoldmanupstairs.

"It'sgotmoreclassaboutitnow!IrememberhearingthatoldAlfredhadmarriedagirlwhosepeople
cameoverwiththeConqueror."

Lydiasmiled.Shesaid:"Ibelievetheydid.Butthey'veratherruntoseedsincethosedays."

Harrysaid:"How'soldAlfred?Justthesameblessedoldstick-in-the-mudasever?"

"I'venoideawhetheryouwillfindhimchangedornot."

"Howaretheothers?ScatteredalloverEngland?"

"No-they'reallhereforChristmas,youknow."

Harry'seyesopened.

"RegularChristmasfamilyreunion?What'sthematterwiththeoldman?Heusednottogiveadamnfor
sentiment.Don'trememberhiscaringmuchforhisfamily,either.Hemusthavechanged!"

"Perhaps."Lydia'svoicewasdry.

Pilarwasstaring,herbigeyeswideandinterested.

Harrysaid:"How'soldGeorge?Stillthesameskinflint?Howheusedtohowlifhehadtopartwitha
half-pennyofhispocket-money!"

Lydiasaid:"GeorgeisinParliament.He'smemberforWesteringham."

"What?PopeyeinParliament?Lord,that'sgood."

Harry threw back his head and laughed. It was rich stentorian laughter - it sounded uncontrolled and
brutalintheconfinedspaceoftheroom.Pilardrewinherbreathwithagasp.Lydiaflinchedalittle.

Then, at a movement behind him, Harry broke off his laugh and turned sharply. He had not heard
anyone coming in, but Alfred was standing there quietly. He was looking at Harry with an odd
expressiononhisface.

Harrystoodaminute,thenaslowsmilecrepttohislips.Headvancedastep.

"Why,"hesaid,"it'sAlfred!"

Alfrednodded.

"Hallo,Harry,"hesaid.

Theystoodstaringateachother.Lydiacaughtherbreath.Shethought:"Howabsurd!Liketwodogs-
lookingateachother..."

Pilar'sgazewidenedevenfurther.Shethoughttoherself:"Howsillytheylookstandingthere...Whydo
theynotembrace?No,ofcoursetheEnglishdonotdothat.Buttheymightsaysomething.Whydothey
justlook?"

Harrysaidatlast:"Well,well.Feelsfunnytobehereagain!"

"Iexpectso-yes.Agoodmanyyearssinceyou-gotout."

Harrythrewuphishead.Hedrewhisfingeralongthelineofhisjaw.Itwasagesturethatwashabitual
withhim.Itexpressedbelligerence.

"Yes," he said. "I'm glad I have come -" he paused to bring out the word with greater significance -
"home..."

II

"I'vebeen,Isuppose,averywickedman,"saidSimeonLee.

He was leaning back in his chair. His chin was raised and with one finger he was stroking his jaw
reflectively.Infrontofhimabigfireglowedanddanced.BesideitsatPilar,alittlescreenofpapier-
machêheldinherhand.Withitsheshieldedherfacefromtheblaze.Occasionallyshefannedherself
withit,usingherwristinasupplegesture.Simeonlookedatherwithsatisfaction.

Hewentontalking,perhapsmoretohimselfthantothegirl,andstimulatedbythefactofherpresence.

"Yes,"hesaid."I'vebeenawickedman.Whatdoyousaytothat,Pilar?"

Pilarshruggedhershoulders.Shesaid:"Allmenarewicked.Thenunssayso.Thatiswhyonehasto
prayforthem."

"Ah,butI'vebeenmorewickedthanmost."Simeonlaughed."Idon'tregretit,youknow.No,Idon't
regret anything. I've enjoyed myself... every minute! They say you repent when you get old. That's

bunkum.Idon'trepent.And,asItellyou,I'vedonemostthings...allthegoodoldsins!I'vecheatedand
stolen and lied... lord, yes! And women - always women! Someone told me the other day of an Arab
chief who had a bodyguard of forty of his sons - all roughly the same age! Aha! Forty! I don't know
aboutforty,butIbetIcouldproduceaveryfairbodyguardifIwentaboutlookingforthebrats!Hey,
Pilar,whatdoyouthinkofthat?Shocked?"

Pilarstared.

"No, why should I be shocked? Men always desire women. My father, too. That is why wives are so
oftenunhappy,andwhytheygotochurchandpray."

OldSimeonwasfrowning.

"ImadeAdelaideunhappy,"hesaid.

Hespokealmostunderhisbreath,tohimself."Lord,whatawoman!Pinkandwhiteandprettyasthey
make 'em when I married her! And afterwards? Always wailing and weeping. It rouses the devil in a
manwhenhiswifeisalwayscrying...She'dnoguts,that'swhatwasthematterwithAdelaide.Ifshe'd
stooduptome!Butsheneverdid-notonce.IbelievedwhenImarriedherthatIwasgoingtobeable
tosettle,downraiseafamily-cutloosefromtheoldlife..."

Hisvoicediedaway.Hestared-staredintotheglowingheartofthefire.

"Raiseafamily...God,whatafamily!"Hegaveasuddenshrillpipeofangrylaughter."Lookat'em-
lookat'em!Notachildamongthem-tocarryon!What'sthematterwiththem?Haven'ttheygotanyof
mybloodintheirveins?Notasonamong'em,legitimateorillegitimate.Alfred,forinstance-heavens
above, how bored I get with Alfred! Looking at me with his dog's eyes. Ready to do anything I ask.
Lord,whatafool!Hiswife,now-Lydia-IlikeLydia.She'sgotspirit.Shedoesn'tlikeme,though.No,
shedoesn'tlikeme.ButshehastoputupwithmeforthatnincompoopAlfred'ssake."Helookedover
atthegirlbythefire."Pilar-remember-nothingissoboringasdevotion."Shesmiledathim.Hewent
on,warmedbythepresenceofheryouthandstrongfemininity.

"George?What'sGeorge?Astick!Astuffedcodfish!Apompouswindbagwithnobrainsandnoguts-
andmeanaboutmoneyaswell!David?Davidalwayswasafool-afoolandadreamer.Hismother's
boy,thatwasalwaysDavid.Onlysensiblethingheeverdidwastomarrythatsolidcomfortable-looking
woman."Hebroughtdownhishandwithabangontheedgeofhischair."Harry'sthebestof'em!Poor
oldHarry,thewrong'un!Butatanyratehe'salive."

Pilaragreed.

"Yes,heisnice.Helaughs-laughsoutloud-andthrowshisheadback.Oh,yes,Ilikehimverymuch."

Theoldmanlookedather.

"You do, do you, Pilar? Harry always had a way with the girls. Takes after me there." He began to
laugh,aslowwheezychuckle."I'vehadagoodlife-averygoodlife.Plentyofeverything."

Pilarsaid:"InSpainwehaveaproverb.Itislikethis:'Takewhatyoulikeandpayforit,saysGod.'"

Simeonbeatanappreciativehandonthearmofhischair.

"That'sgood.That'sthestuff.Takewhatyoulike...I'vedonethat-allmylife-takenwhatIwanted..."

Pilarsaid,hervoicehighandclear,andsuddenlyarresting:"Andyouhavepaidforit?"

Simeonstoppedlaughingtohimself.Hesatupandstaredather.Hesaid,"What'sthatyousay?"

"Isaid,haveyoupaidforit,Grandfather?"

SimeonLeesaidslowly:"I-don'tknow..."

Then,beatinghisfistonthearmofthechair,hecriedoutwithsuddenanger:"Whatmakesyousaythat,
girl?Whatmakesyousaythat?"

Pilarsaid:"I-wondered."

Her hand, holding the screen, was arrested. Her eyes were dark and mysterious. She sat, her head
thrownback,consciousofherself,ofherwomanhood.

Simeonsaid:"Youdevil'sbrat..."

Shesaidsoftly:"Butyoulikeme,Grandfather.Youlikemetositherewithyou."

Simeonsaid:"Yes,Ilikeit.It'salongtimesinceI'veseenanythingsoyoungandbeautiful...Itdoesme
good,warmsmyoldbones...Andyou'remyownfleshandblood...GoodforJennifer,sheturnedoutto
bethebestofthebunchafterall!"

Pilarsattheresmiling.

"Mind you, you don't fool me," said Simeon. "I know why you sit here so patiently and listen to me
droningon.It'smoney-it'sallmoney...Ordoyoupretendyouloveyouroldgrandfather?"

Pilarsaid:"No,Idonotloveyou.ButIlikeyou.Ilikeyouverymuch.Youmustbelievethat,foritis
true.Ithinkyouhavebeenwicked,butIlikethattoo.Youaremorerealthantheotherpeopleinthis
house.Andyouhaveinterestingthingstosay.Youhavetravelledandyouhaveledalifeofadventure.
IfIwereamanIwouldbelikethat,too."

Simeonnodded.

"Yes,Ibelieveyouwould...We'vegipsybloodinus,soit'salwaysbeensaid.Ithasn'tshownmuchin
my children - except Harry - but I think it's come out in you. I can be patient, mind you, when it's
necessary.Iwaitedoncefifteenyearstogetevenwithamanwho'ddonemeaninjury.That'sanother
characteristicoftheLees-theydon'tforget!They'llavengeawrongiftheyhavetowaityearstodoit.
A man swindled me. I waited fifteen years till I saw my chance - and then I struck. I ruined him.
Cleanedhimrightout!"

Helaughedsoftly.

Pilarsaid:"ThatwasinSouthAfrica?"

"Yes.Agrandcountry."

"Youhavebeenbackthere,yes?"

"IwentbacklastfiveyearsafterImarried.Thatwasthelasttime."

"Butbeforethat?Youwerethereformanyyears?"

"Yes."

"Tellmeaboutit."

Hebegantotalk.Pilar,shieldingherface,listened.

Hisvoiceslowed,wearied.Hesaid:"Wait,I'llshowyousomething."

He pulled himself carefully to his feet. Then, with his stick, he limped slowly across the room. He
openedthebigsafe.Turning,hebeckonedhertohim.

"There,lookatthese.Feelthem,letthemrunthroughyourfingers."

Helookedintoherwonderingfaceandlaughed.

"Doyouknowwhattheyare?Diamonds,child,diamonds."

Pilar'seyesopened.Shesaidasshebentover:"Buttheyarelittlepebbles,thatisall."

Simeonlaughed.

"Theyareuncutdiamonds.Thatishowtheyarefound-likethis."

Pilaraskedincredulously:"Andiftheywerecuttheywouldberealdiamonds?"

"Certainly."

"Theywouldflashandsparkle?"

"Flashandsparkle."

Pilarsaidchildishly:"O-o-o,Icannotbelieveit!"

Hewasamused.

"It'squitetrue."

"Theyarevaluable?"

"Fairlyvaluable.Difficulttosaybeforetheyarecut.Anyway,thislittlelotisworthseveralthousandsof
pounds."

Pilarsaidwithaspacebetweeneachword:"Several-thousands-of-pounds?"

"Saynineortenthousands-they'rebiggishstones,yousee."

Pilarasked,hereyesopening:"Butwhydoyounotsellthem,then?"

"BecauseIliketohavethemhere."

"Butallthatmoney?"

"Idon'tneedthemoney."

"Oh-Isee."Pilarlookedimpressed.

Shesaid:"Butwhydoyounothavethemcutandmadebeautiful?"

"BecauseIpreferthemlikethis."Hisfacewassetinagrimline.Heturnedawayandbeganspeakingto
himself. "They take me back - the touch of them, the feel of them through my fingers... It all comes
backtome,thesunshine,andthesmelloftheveldt,theoxen-oldEb-alltheboys-theevenings..."

Therewasasofttaponthedoor.

Simeonsaid:"Put'embackinthesafeandbangitto."

Thenhecalled:"Comein."

Horburycamein,softanddeferential.

Hesaid:"Teaisreadydownstairs."

III

Hildasaid:"Sothereyouare,David.I'vebeenlookingforyoueverywhere.Don'tlet'sstayinthisroom,
it'ssofrightfullycold."

David did not answer for a minute. He was standing looking at a chair, a low chair with faded satin
upholstery.Hesaidabruptly:"That'sherchair...thechairshealwayssatin...justthesame-it'sjustthe
same.Onlyfaded,ofcourse."

AlittlefrowncreasedHilda'sforehead.

Shesaid:"Isee.Dolet'scomeoutofhere,David.It'sfrightfullycold."

Davidtooknonotice.Lookinground,hesaid:"Shesatinheremostly.Iremembersittingonthatstool
therewhileshereadtome.JacktheGiantKiller-thatwasit-JacktheGiantKiller.Imusthavebeen
sixyearsoldthen."

Hildaputafirmhandthroughhisarm.

"Comebacktothedrawingroom,dear.There'snoheatinginthisroom."

Heturnedobediently,butshefeltalittleshivergothroughhim.

"Justthesame,"hemurmured."Justthesame.Asthoughtimehadstoodstill."

Hildalookedworried.Shesaidinacheerfuldeterminedvoice:"Iwonderwheretheothersare?Itmust
benearlytea-time."

Daviddisengagedhisarmandopenedanotherdoor.

"Thereusedtobeapianoinhere...Oh,yes,hereitis!Iwonderifit'sintune."

Hesatdownandopenedthelid,runninghishandslightlyoverthekeys.

"Yes,it'sevidentlykepttuned."

Hebegantoplay.Histouchwasgood,themelodyflowedoutfromunderhisfingers.

Hildaasked:"Whatisthat?Iseemtoknowit,andIcan'tquiteremember."

He said: "I haven't played it for years. She used to play it. One of Mendelssohn's Songs Without
Words."

Thesweet,over-sweet,melodyfilledtheroom.Hildasaid:"PlaysomeMozart,do."

Davidshookhishead.HebegananotherMendelssohn.

Then suddenly he brought his hands down upon the keys in a harsh discord. He got up. He was
tremblingallover.

Hildawenttohim.

Shesaid:"David-David."

Hesaid:"It'snothing-it'snothing..."

IV

Thebellpealedaggressively.Tressilianrosefromhisseatinthepantryandwentslowlyoutandalong
tothedoor.

Thebellpealedagain.Tressilianfrowned.Throughthefrostedglassofthedoorhesawthesilhouetteof
amanwearingaslouchhat.

Tressilian passed a hand over his forehead. Something worried him. It was as though everything was
happeningtwice.

Surelythishadhappenedbefore.Surely-

Hedrewbackthelatchandopenedthedoor.

Thenthespellbroke.Themanstandingtheresaid:"IsthiswhereMrSimeonLeelives?"

"Yes,sir."

"I'dliketoseehim,please."

AfaintechoofmemoryawokeinTressilian.Itwasanintonationofvoicethatherememberedfromthe
olddayswhenMrLeewasfirstinEngland.

Tressilianshookhisheaddubiously.

"MrLeeisaninvalid,sir.Hedoesn'tseemanypeoplenow.Ifyou-"

Thestrangerinterrupted.Hedrewoutanenvelopeandhandedittothebutler.

"PleasegivethistoMrLee."

"Yes,sir."

V

SimeonLeetooktheenvelope.Hedrewoutthesinglesheetofpaperitheld.Helookedsurprised.His
eyebrowsrose,buthesmiled.

"Byallthat'swonderful!"hesaid.

Thentothebutler:"ShowMrFarruphere,Tressilian."

"Yes,sir."

Simeonsaid:"IwasjustthinkingofoldEbenezerFarr.HewasmypartneroutthereinKimberley.Now
here'shissoncomealong!"

Tressilianreappeared.Heannounced:"MrFarr."

StephenFarrcameinwithatraceofnervousness.Hedisguiseditbyputtingonalittleextraswagger.
Hesaid-andjustforthemomenthisSouthAfricanaccentwasmoremarkedthanusual:"MrLee?"

"I'mgladtoseeyou.Soyou'reEb'sboy?"

StephenFarrgrinnedrathersheepishly.

Hesaid:"Myfirstvisittotheoldcountry.FatheralwaystoldmetolookyouupifIdidcome."

"Quiteright."Theoldmanlookedround."Thisismygranddaughter,PilarEstravados."

"Howdoyoudo?"saidPilardemurely.

StephenFarrthoughtwithatouchofadmiration:"Coollittledevil.Shewassurprisedtoseeme,butit
onlyshowedforaflash."

Hesaid,ratherheavily:"I'mverypleasedtomakeyouracquaintance,MissEstravados."

"Thankyou,"saidPilar.

SimeonLeesaid:"Sitdownandtellmeallaboutyourself.AreyouinEnglandforlong?"

"Oh,Ishan'thurrymyselfnowI'vereallygothere!"

Helaughed,throwinghisheadback.

SimeonLeesaid:"Quiteright.Youmuststayherewithusforawhile."

"Oh,lookhere,sir.Ican'tbuttinlikethat.It'sonlytwodaystoChristmas."

"YoumustspendChristmaswithus-unlessyou'vegototherplans?"

"Well,no,Ihaven't,butIdon'tlike-"

Simeonsaid:"That'ssettled."Heturnedhishead."Pilar?"

"Yes,Grandfather."

"GoandtellLydiaweshallhaveanotherguest.Askhertocomeuphere."

Pilarlefttheroom.Stephen'seyesfollowedher.Simeonnotedthefactwithamusement.

Hesaid:"You'vecomestraightherefromSouthAfrica?"

"Prettywell."

Theybegantotalkofthatcountry.

Lydiaenteredafewminuteslater.

Simeonsaid:"ThisisStephenFarr,sonofmyoldfriendandpartner,EbenezerFarr.He'sgoingtobe
withusforChristmasifyoucanfindroomforhim."

Lydiasmiled.

"Ofcourse." Her eyestook in thestranger's appearance. His bronzedface and blueeyes and the easy
backwardtiltofhishead.

"Mydaughter-in-law,"saidSimeon.

Stephensaid:"Ifeelratherembarrassed-buttinginonafamilypartylikethis."

"You'reoneofthefamily,myboy,"saidSimeon."Thinkofyourselfasthat."

"You'retookind,sir."

Pilarre-enteredtheroom.Shesatdownquietlybythefireandpickedupthehand-screen.Sheuseditas
afan,slowlytiltingherwristtoandfro.Hereyesweredemureanddowncast.

PARTIII-December24th

I

"Doyoureallywantmetostayonhere,Father?"askedHarry.Hetiltedhisheadback."I'mstirringup
ratherahornets'nest,youknow."

"Whatdoyoumean?"askedSimeonsharply.

"BrotherAlfred,"saidHarry."GoodbrotherAlfred!He,ifImaysayso,resentsmypresencehere."

"Thedevilhedoes!"snappedSimeon."I'mmasterinthishouse."

"Allthesame,sir,Iexpectyou'reprettydependentonAlfred.Idon'twanttoupset-"

"You'lldoasItellyou,"snappedhisfather.

Harryyawned.

"Don'tknowthatIshallbeabletostickastay-at-homelife.Prettystiflingtoafellowwho'sknocked
abouttheworld."

Hisfathersaid:"You'dbettermarryandsettledown."

Harrysaid:"WhoshallImarry?Pityonecan'tmarryone'sniece.YoungPilarisdevilishattractive."

"You'venoticedthat?"

"Talkingofsettlingdown,fatGeorgehasdonewellforhimselfasfaraslooksgo.Whowasshe?"

Simeonshruggedhisshoulders.

"HowshouldIknow?Georgepickedherupatamannequinparade,Ibelieve.Shesaysherfatherwasa
retirednavalofficer."

Harrysaid:"Probablyasecondmateofacoastingsteamer.Georgewillhaveabitoftroublewithherif
he'snotcareful."

"George,"saidSimeonLee,"isafool."

Harrysaid:"Whatdidshemarryhimfor-hismoney?"

Simeonshruggedhisshoulders.

Harrysaid:"Well,youthinkthatyoucansquareAlfredallright?"

"We'llsoonsettlethat,"saidSimeongrimly.

Hetouchedabellthatstoodonatablenearhim.

Horburyappearedpromptly.Simeonsaid:"AskMrAlfredtocomehere."

HorburywentoutandHarrydrawled:"Thatfellowlistensatdoors!"

Simeonshruggedhisshoulders.

"Probably."

Alfredhurriedin.Hisfacetwitchedwhenhesawhisbrother.IgnoringHarry,hesaidpointedly:"You
wantedme,Father?"

"Yes,sitdown.Iwasjustthinkingwemustreorganizethingsabitnowthatwehavetwomorepeople
livinginthehouse."

"Two?"

"Pilarwillmakeherhomehere,naturally.AndHarryishomeforgood."

Alfredsaid:"Harryiscomingtolivehere?"

"Whynot,oldboy?"saidHarry.

Alfredturnedsharplytohim.

"Ishouldthinkthatyouyourselfwouldseethat!"

"Well,sorry-butIdon't."

"Aftereverythingthathashappened?Thedisgracefulwayyoubehaved.Thescandal-"

Harrywavedaneasyhand.

"Allthat'sinthepast,oldboy."

"YoubehavedabominablytoFather,afterallhe'sdoneforyou."

"Lookhere,Alfred,itstrikesmethat'sFather'sbusiness,notyours.Ifhe'swillingtoforgiveandforget-
"

"I'mwilling,"saidSimeon."Harry'smyson,afterall,youknow,Alfred."

"Yes,but-Iresentit-forFather'ssake."

Simeonsaid:"Harry'scominghere!Iwishit."Helaidahandgentlyonthelatter'sshoulder."I'mvery
fondofHarry."

Alfredgotupandlefttheroom.Hisfacewaswhite.Harryrosetooandwentafterhim,laughing.

Simeonsatchucklingtohimself.Thenhestartedandlookedround."Whothedevil'sthat?Oh,it'syou,
Horbury.Don'tcreepaboutthatway."

"Ibegyourpardon,sir."

"Never mind. Listen, I've got some orders for you. I want everybody to come up here after lunch -
everybody."

"Yes,sir."

"There'ssomethingelse.Whentheycome,youcomewiththem.Andwhenyougethalf-wayalongthe
passageraiseyourvoicesothatIcanhear.Anypretextwilldo.Understand?"

"Yes,sir."

Horburywentdownstairs.HesaidtoTressilian:

"Ifyouaskme,wearegoingtohaveaMerryChristmas."

Tressiliansaidsharply:"Whatd'youmean?"

"Youwaitandsee,MrTressilian.It'sChristmasEvetoday,andaniceChristmasspiritabroad-Idon't
think!"

II

Theycameintotheroomandpausedatthedoorway.

Simeonwasspeakingintothetelephone.Hewavedahandtothem.

"Sitdown,allofyou.Ishan'tbeaminute."

Hewentonspeakingintothetelephone.

"IsthatCharlton,Hodgkins&Bruce?Isthatyou,Charlton?SimeonLeespeaking.Yes,isn'tit?...Yes...
No, I wanted you to make a new will for me... Yes, it's some time since I made the other...
Circumstanceshavealtered...Ohno,nohurry.Don'twantyoutospoilyourChristmas.SayBoxingDay
or the day after. Come along, and I'll tell you what I want done. No, that's quite all right. I shan't be
dyingjustyet."

Hereplacedthereceiver,thenlookedroundattheeightmembersofhisfamily.

Hecackledandsaid:"You'realllookingveryglum.Whatisthematter?"

Alfredsaid:"Yousentforus..."

Simeonsaidquickly:"Oh,sorry-nothingportentousaboutit.Didyouthinkitwasafamilycouncil?
No,I'mjustrathertiredtoday,that'sall.Noneofyouneedcomeupafterdinner.Ishallgotobed.Iwant
tobefreshforChristmasDay."

Hegrinnedatthem.Georgesaidearnestly:"Ofcourse...ofcourse..."

Simeon said: "Grand old institution, Christmas. Promotes solidarity of family feeling. What do you
think,Magdalene,mydear?"

MagdaleneLeejumped.Herrathersillylittlemouthflewopenandthenshutitself.

Shesaid:"Oh-oh,yes!"

Simeon said: "Let me see, you lived with a retired naval officer -" he paused - "your father. Don't
supposeyoumademuchofChristmas.Itneedsabigfamilyforthat!"

"Well-well-yes,perhapsitdoes."

Simeon'seyesslidpasther.

"Don'twanttotalkofanythingunpleasantatthistimeofyear,butyouknow,George,I'mafraidI'llhave
tocutdownyourallowanceabit.Myestablishmenthereisgoingtocostmeabitmoretoruninfuture."

Georgegotveryred.

"Butlookhere,Father,youcan'tdothat!"

Simeonsaidsoftly:"Oh,can'tI!"

"Myexpensesareveryheavyalready.Veryheavy.Asitis,Idon'tknowhowImakebothendsmeet.It
needsthemostrigorouseconomy."

"Let your wife do a bit more of it," said Simeon. "Women are good at that sort of thing. They often
thinkofeconomieswhereamanwouldneverhavedreamtofthem.Andacleverwomancanmakeher
ownclothes.Mywife,Iremember,wascleverwithherneedle.Aboutallshewascleverwith-agood
womanbutdeadlydull-"

Davidsprangup.Hisfathersaid:"Sitdown,boy,you'llknocksomethingover-"

Davidsaid:"Mymother-"

Simeonsaid:"Yourmotherhadthebrainsofalouse!Anditseemstomeshe'stransmittedthosebrains
toherchildren."

He raised himself up suddenly. A red spot appeared in each cheek. His voice came high and shrill.
"You'renotworthapennypiece,anyofyou!I'msickofyouall!You'renotmen!You'reweaklings-a
setofnamby-pambyweaklings.Pilar'sworthanytwoofyouputtogether!I'llsweartoheavenI'vegota
bettersonsomewhereintheworldthananyofyou,evenifyouareborntherightsideoftheblanket!"

"Here,Father,holdon,"criedHarry.

Hehadjumpedupandstoodthere,afrownonhisusuallygood-humouredface.

Simeonsnapped:"Thesamegoesforyou!Whathaveyoueverdone?Whinedtomeformoneyfromall
overtheworld!ItellyouI'msickofthesightofyouall!Getout!"

Heleanedbackinhischair,pantingalittle.

Slowly,onebyone,hisfamilywentout.Georgewasredandindignant.Magdalenelookedfrightened.
David was pale and quivering. Harry blustered out of the room. Alfred went like a man in a dream.
Lydiafollowedhimwithherheadheldhigh.OnlyHildapausedinthedoorwayandcameslowlyback.

Shestoodoverhim,andhestartedwhenheopenedhiseyesandfoundherstandingthere.Therewas
somethingmenacinginthesolidwayshestoodtherequiteimmovably.

Hesaidirritably:"Whatisit?"

Hildasaid:"WhenyourlettercameIbelievedwhatyousaid-thatyouwantedyourfamilyroundyou
forChristmas,IpersuadedDavidtocome."

Hildasaidslowly:"Youdidwantyourfamilyroundyou-butnotforthepurposeyousaid!Youwanted
themthere,didn'tyou,inordertosetthemallbytheears?Godhelpyou,it'syourideaoffun!"

Simeon chuckled. He said: "I always had rather a specialised sense of humour. I don't expect anyone
elsetoappreciatethejoke.I'menjoyingit!"

Shesaidnothing.AvaguefeelingofapprehensioncameoverSimeonLee.Hesaidsharply:"Whatare
youthinkingabout?"

HildaLeesaidslowly:"I'mafraid..."

Simeonsaid:"You'reafraid-ofme?"

Hildasaid:"Notofyou.I'mafraid-foryou!"

Likeajudgewhohasdeliveredsentence,sheturnedaway.Shemarched,slowlyandheavily,outofthe
room...

Simeonsatstaringatthedoor.

Then he got to his feet and made his way over to the safe. He murmured: "Let's have a look at my
beauties."

III

Thedoorbellrangaboutaquartertoeight.

Tressilianwenttoanswerit.HereturnedtohispantrytofindHorburythere,pickingupthecoffee-cups
offthetrayandlookingatthemarkonthem.

"Whowasit?"saidHorbury.

"SuperintendentofPolice-MrSugden-mindwhatyou'redoing!"

Horburyhaddroppedoneofthecupswithacrash.

"Lookatthatnow,"lamentedTressilian."ElevenyearsI'vehadthewashingupofthoseandneverone
broken,andnowyoucomealongtouchingthingsyou'venobusinesstotouch,andlookwhathappens!"

"I'msorry,MrTressilian.Iamindeed,"theotherapologised.Hisfacewascoveredwithperspiration."I
don'tknowhowithappened.DidyousayaSuperintendentofPolicehadcalled?"

"Yes-MrSugden."

Thevaletpassedatongueoverpalelips.

"What-whatdidhewant?"

"CollectingforthePoliceOrphanage."

"Oh!"Thevaletstraightenedhisshoulders.Inamorenaturalvoicehesaid:"Didhegetanything?"

"ItookupthebooktooldMrLeeandhetoldmetofetchthesuperintendentupandtoputthesherryon
thetable."

"Nothing but begging, this time of year," said Horbury. "The old devil's generous, I will say that for
him,inspiteofhisotherfailings."

Tressiliansaidwithdignity:"MrLeehasalwaysbeenanopen-handedgentleman."

Horburynodded.

"It'sthebestthingabouthim!Well,I'llbeoffnow."

"Goingtothepictures?"

"Iexpectso.Ta-ta,MrTressilian."

HewentthroughthedoorthatledtotheServants'hall.

Tressilianlookedupattheclockhangingonthewall.

Hewentintothedining-roomandlaidtherollsinthenapkins.

Then,afterassuringhimselfthateverythingwasasitshouldbe,hesoundedthegonginthehall.

Asthelastnotediedawaythepolicesuperintendentcamedownthestairs.

Superintendent Sugden was a large handsome man. He wore a tightly-buttoned blue suit and moved
withasenseofhisownimportance.

He said affably: "I rather think we shall have a frost tonight. Good thing: the weather's been very
unseasonablelately."

Tressiliansaid,shakinghishead:"Thedampaffectsmyrheumatism."

Thesuperintendentsaidthatrheumatismwasapainfulcomplaint,andTressilianlethimoutbythefront
door.

Theoldbutlerrefastenedthedoorandcamebackslowlyintothehall.Hepassedhishandoverhiseyes
andsighed.ThenhestraightenedhisbackashesawLydiapassintothedrawing-room.GeorgeLeewas
justcomingdownthestairs.

Tressilianhoveredready.Whenthelastguest,Magdalene,hadenteredthedrawing-room,hemadehis
ownappearance,murmuring:"Dinnerisserved."

InhiswayTressilianwasaconnoisseurofladies'dress.Healwaysnotedandcriticisedthegownsofthe
ladiesashecircledroundthetable,decanterinhand.

MrsAlfred,henoted,hadgotonhernewfloweredblackandwhitetaffeta.Abolddesign,verystriking,
butshecouldcarryitoff,thoughmanyladiescouldn't.

ThedressMrsGeorgehadonwasamodel,hewasprettysureofthat.Musthavecostaprettypenny.He
wonderedhowMrGeorgewouldlikepayingforit!

MrGeorgedidn'tlikespendingmoney-heneverhad.MrsDavidnow:anicelady,butdidn'thaveany
ideaofhowtodress.Forherfigure,plainblackvelvetwouldhavebeenthebest.Figuredvelvet,and
crimsonatthat,wasabadchoice.MissPilar,now,itdidn'tmatterwhatshewore,withherfigureand
her hair she looked well in anything. A flimsy cheap little white gown it was, though. Still, Mr Lee
wouldsoonseetothat!Takentoher,wonderful,hehad.Alwayswasthesamewaywhenagentleman
waselderly.Ayoungfacecoulddoanythingwithhim!

"Hockorclaret?"murmuredTressilianinadeferentialwhisperinMrsGeorge'sear.Outofthetailof
hiseyehenotedthatWalter,thefootman,washandingthevegetablesbeforethegravyagain-afterall
hehadbeentold!

Tressilianwentroundwiththesoufflé.Itstruckhim,nowthathisinterestintheladies'toilettesandhis
misgivingsoverWalter'sdeficiencieswereathingofthepast,thateveryonewasverysilenttonight.At
least,notexactlysilent:MrHarrywastalkingenoughfortwenty-no,notMrHarry,theSouthAfrican
gentleman.Andtheothersweretalkingtoo,butonly,asitwere,inspasms.Therewassomethingalittle
-queeraboutthem.

Mr Alfred, for instance, he looked downright ill. As though he had had a shock or something. Quite
dazed he looked and just turning over the food on his plate without eating it. The mistress, she was
worriedabouthim.Tressiliancouldseethat.Keptlookingdownthetabletowardshim-notnoticeably,
ofcourse,justquietly.MrGeorgewasveryredintheface-gobblinghisfood,hewas,withouttasting
it.He'dgetastrokeonedayifhewasn'tcareful.MrsGeorgewasn'teating.Slimming,aslikelyasnot.

Miss Pilar seemed to be enjoying her food all right and talking and laughing up at the South African
gentleman.Properlytakenwithher,hewas.Didn'tseemtobeanythingontheirminds!

Mr David? Tressilian felt worried about Mr David. Just like his mother, he was, to look at. And
remarkablyyoung-lookingstill.Butnervy;there,he'dknockedoverhisglass.

Tresilian whisked it away, mopped up the stream deftly. It was all over. Mr David hardly seemed to
noticewhathehaddone,justsatstaringinfrontofhimwithawhiteface.

Thinkingofwhitefaces,funnythewayHorburyhadlookedinthepantryjustnowwhenhe'dhearda
policeofficerhadcometothehouse...almostasthough-

Tressilian'smindstoppedwithajerk.Walterhaddroppedapearoffthedishhewashanding.Footmen
werenogoodnowadays!Theymightbestable-boys,thewaytheywenton!

Hewentroundwiththeport.MrHarryseemedabitdistraittonight.KeptlookingatMrAlfred.Never
hadbeenanylovelostbetweenthosetwo,notevenasboys.MrHarry,ofcourse,hadalwaysbeenhis
father'sfavourite,andthathadrankledwithMrAlfred.MrLeehadnevercaredforMrAlfredmuch.A
pity,whenMrAlfredalwaysseemedsodevotedtohisfather.

There,MrsAlfredwasgettingupnow.Shesweptroundthetable.Verynicethatdesignonthetaffeta;
thatcapesuitedher.Averygracefullady.

Hewentouttothepantry,closingthedining-roomdooronthegentlemenwiththeirport.

Hetookthecoffee-trayintothedrawing-room.Thefourladiesweresittingthereratheruncomfortably,
hethought.

Theywerenottalking.Hehandedroundthecoffeeinsilence.

Hewentoutagain.Ashewentintohispantryheheardthedining-roomdooropen.DavidLeecameout
andwentalongthehalltothedrawing-room.

Tressilian went back into his pantry. He read the riot act to Walter. Walter was nearly, if not quite,
impertinent!

Tressilian,aloneinhispantry,satdownratherwearily.

Hehadafeelingofdepression.

ChristmasEve,andallthisstrainandtension...Hedidn'tlikeit!

Withaneffortherousedhimself.Hewenttothedrawing-roomandcollectedthecoffee-cups.Theroom
wasemptyexceptforLydia,whowasstandinghalfconcealedbythewindowcurtainatthefarendof
theroom.Shewasstandingtherelookingoutintothenight.

Fromnextdoorthepianosounded.MrDavidwasplaying.Butwhy,Tressilianaskedhimself,didMr
Davidplaythe"DeadMarch"?Forthat'swhatitwas.

Oh,indeedthingswereverywrong.Hewentslowlyalongthehallandbackintohispantry.

Itwasthenhefirstheardthenoisefromoverhead:acrashingofchina,theoverthrowingoffurniture,a
seriesofcracksandbumps.

"Goodgracious!"thoughtTressilian."Whateveristhemasterdoing?What'shappeningupthere?"

Andthen,clearandhigh,cameascream-ahorriblehighwailingscreamthatdiedawayinachokeor
gurgle.

Tressilian stood there a moment paralysed, then he ran out into the hall and up the broad staircase.
Otherswerewithhim.

Thatscreamhadbeenheardalloverthehouse.

Theyracedupthestairsandroundthebend,pastarecesswithstatuesgleamingwhiteandeerie,and
along the straight passage to Simeon Lee's door. Mr Farr was there already and Mrs David. She was
leaningbackagainstthewallandhewastwistingatthedoorhandle.

"Thedoor'slocked,"hewassaying."Thedoor'slocked!"

HarryLeepushedpastandwresteditfromhim.He,too,turnedandtwistedatthehandle.

"Father,"heshouted."Father,letusin."

Hehelduphishandandinthesilencetheyalllistened.Therewasnoanswer.Nosoundfrominsidethe
room.

Thefrontdoorbellrang,butnoonepaidanyattentiontoit.

StephenFarrsaid:"We'vegottobreakthedoordown.It'stheonlyway."

Harrysaid:"That'sgoingtobeatoughjob.Thesedoorsaregoodsolidstuff.Comeon,Alfred."

Theyheavedandstrained.Finallytheywentandgotanoakbenchanduseditasabattering-ram.The
doorgaveatlast.Itshingessplinteredandthedoorsankshudderingfromitsframe.

For a minute they stood there huddled together looking in. What they saw was a sight that no one of
themeverforgot...

Therehadclearlybeenaterrificstruggle.Heavyfurniturewasoverturned.Chinavaseslaysplinteredon
thefloor.InthemiddleofthehearthruginfrontoftheblazingfirelaySimeonLeeinagreatpoolof
blood...Bloodwassplashedallround.Theplacewaslikeashambles.

Therewasalongshudderingsigh,andthentwovoicesspokeinturn.Strangelyenough,thewordsthey
utteredwerebothquotations.

DavidLeesaid:"ThemillsofGodgrindslowly..."

Lydia's voice came like a fluttering whisper: "Who would have thought the old man to have had so
muchbloodinhim?..."

IV

Superintendent Sugden had rung the bell three times. Finally, in desperation, he pounded on the
knocker.

AscaredWalteratlengthopenedthedoor.

"Oo-er,"hesaid.Alookofreliefcameoverhisface."Iwasjustringingupthepolice."

"Whatfor?"saidSuperintendentSugdensharply."What'sgoingonhere?"

Walterwhispered:"It'soldMrLee.He'sbeendonein."

Thesuperintendentpushedpasthimandranupthestairs.Hecameintotheroomwithoutanyonebeing
awareofhisentrance.AsheenteredhesawPilarbendforwardandpickupsomethingfromthefloor.
HesawDavidLeestandingwithhishandsoverhiseyes.

Hesawtheothershuddledintoalittlegroup.AlfredLeealonehadsteppednearhisfather'sbody.He
stoodnowquiteclose,lookingdown.Hisfacewasblank.GeorgeLeewassayingimportantly:"Nothing
mustbetouched-rememberthat-nothing-tillthepolicearrive.Thatismostimportant!"

"Excuseme,"saidSugden.

Hepushedhiswayforward,gentlythrustingtheladiesaside.

AlfredLeerecognisedhim.

"Ah,"hesaid."It'syou,SuperintendentSugden.You'vegothereveryquickly."

"Yes,MrLee."SuperintendentSugdendidnotwastetimeonexplanations."What'sallthis?"

"Myfather,"saidAlfredLee,"hasbeenkilled-murdered..."

Hisvoicebroke.

Magdalenebegansuddenlytosobhysterically.

Superintendent Sugden held up a large official hand. He said authoritatively: "Will everybody kindly
leavetheroomexceptMrLeeand-er-MrGeorgeLee?..."

Theymovedslowlytowardsthedoor,reluctantly,likesheep.SuperintendentSugdeninterceptedPilar
suddenly.

"Excuseme,miss,"hesaidpleasantly."Nothingmustbetouchedordisturbed."

Shestaredathim.StephenFarrsaidimpatiently:"Ofcoursenot.Sheunderstandsthat."

SuperintendentSugdensaid,stillinthesamepleasantmanner:"Youpickedupsomethingfromthefloor
justnow?"

Pilar'seyesopened.Shestaredandsaidincredulously:"Idid?"

SuperintendentSugdenwasstillpleasant.Hisvoicewasjustalittlefirmer.

"Yes,Isawyou..."

"Oh!"

"Sopleasegiveittome.It'sinyourhandnow."

Slowly Pilar unclosed her hand. There lay in it a wisp of rubber and a small object made of wood.
Superintendent Sugden took them, enclosed them in an envelope and put them away in his breast
pocket.

Hesaid:"Thankyou."

Heturnedaway.JustforaminuteStephenFarr'seyesshowedastartledrespect.Itwasasthoughhehad
underestimatedthelargehandsomesuperintendent.

Theywentslowlyoutoftheroom.

Behindthemtheyheardthesuperintendent'svoicesayingofficially:"Andnow,ifyouplease..."

V

"Nothing like a wood fire," said Colonel Johnson as he threw on an additional log and then drew his
chair nearer to the blaze. "Help yourself," he added, hospitably calling attention to the decanter and
siphonthatstoodnearhisguest'selbow.

Theguestraisedapolitehandinnegation.Cautiouslyheedgedhisownchairnearertotheblazinglogs,
though he was of the opinion that the opportunity for roasting the soles of one's feet (like some
mediaevaltorture)didnotoffsetthecolddraughtthatswirledroundthebackoftheshoulders.

Colonel Johnson, Chief Constable of Middleshire, might be of the opinion that nothing could beat a
woodfire,butHerculePoirotwasoftheopinionthatcentralheatingcouldanddideverytime!

"Amazingbusiness,thatCartwrightcase,"remarkedthehostreminiscently."Amazingman!Enormous
charmofmanner.Why,whenhecameherewithyou,hehadusalleatingoutofhishand."

Heshookhishead.

"We'llneverhaveanythinglikethatcase!"hesaid."Nicotinepoisoningisrare,fortunately."

"There was a time when you would have considered all poisoning un-English," suggested Hercule
Poirot."Adeviceofforeigners!Unsportsmanlike!?'

"Ihardlythinkwecouldsaythat,"saidthechiefconstable."Plentyofpoisoningbyarsenic-probablya
gooddealmorethanhaseverbeensuspected."

"Possibly,yes."

"Alwaysanawkwardbusiness,apoisoningcase,"saidJohnson."Conflictingtestimonyoftheexperts-
thendoctorsareusuallysoextremelycautiousinwhattheysay.Alwaysadifficultcasetotaketoajury.
No,ifonemusthavemurder(whichheavenforbid!)givemeastraightforwardcase.Somethingwhere
there'snoambiguityaboutthecauseofdeath."

Poirotnodded.

"Thebulletwound,thecutthroat,thecrushed-inskull?Itisthereyourpreferencelies?"

"Oh,don'tcallitapreference,mydearfellow.Don'tharbourtheideathatIlikemurdercases!HopeI
neverhaveanother.Anyway,weoughttobesafeenoughduringyourvisit."

Poirotbeganmodestly:"Myreputation-"

ButJohnsonhadgoneon.

"Christmastime,"hesaid."Peace,goodwill-andallthatkindofthing.Goodwillallround."

HerculePoirotleanedbackinhischair.Hejoinedhisfingertips.Hestudiedhishostthoughtfully.

Hemurmured:"Itis,then,youropinionthatChristmastimeisanunlikelyseasonforcrime?"

"That'swhatIsaid."

"Why?"

"Why?"Johnsonwasthrownslightlyoutofhisstride."Well,asI'vejustsaid-seasonofgoodcheer,
andallthat!"

HerculePoirotmurmured:"TheBritish,theyaresosentimental!"

Johnsonsaidstoutly:"Whatifweare?Whatifwedoliketheoldways,theoldtraditionalfestivities?
What'stheharm?"

"Thereisnoharm.Itisallmostcharming!Butletusforamomentexaminefacts.Youhavesaidthat
Christmasisaseasonofgoodcheer.Thatmeans,doesitnot,alotofeatinganddrinking?Itmeans,in
fact, the overeating! And with the overeating there comes the indigestion! And with the indigestion
therecomestheirritability!"

"Crimes,"saidColonelJohnson,"arenotcommittedfromirritability."

"Iamnotsosure!Takeanotherpoint.Thereis,atChristmas,aspiritofgoodwill.Itis,asyousay,'the
thingtodo.'Oldquarrelsarepatchedup,thosewhohavedisagreedconsenttoagreeoncemore,evenif
itisonlytemporarily."

Johnsonnodded.

"Burythehatchet,that'sright."

Poirot pursued his theme: "And families now, families who have been separated throughout the year,
assemble once more together. Now under these conditions, my friend, you must admit that there will
occuragreatamountofstrain.Peoplewhodonotfeelamiableareputtinggreatpressureonthemselves
to appear amiable! There is at Christmas time a great deal of hypocrisy, honourable hypocrisy,
hypocrisyundertakenpourlebonmotif,c'estentendu,butneverthelesshypocrisy!"

"Well,Ishouldn'tputitquitelikethatmyself,"saidColonelJohnsondoubtfully.

Poirotbeameduponhim.

"No,no.ItisIwhoamputtingitlikethat,notyou.Iampointingouttoyouthatundertheseconditions
-mentalstrain,physicalmalaise-itishighlyprobablethatdislikesthatwerebeforemerelymildand
disagreements that were trivial might suddenly assume a more serious character. The result of
pretendingtobeamoreamiable,amoreforgiving,amorehigh-mindedpersonthanonereallyis,has
sooner or later, the effect of causing one to behave as a more disagreeable, a more ruthless and an
altogethermoreunpleasantpersonthanisactuallythecase!Ifyoudamthestreamofnaturalbehaviour,
monami,soonerorlaterthedamburstsandacataclysmoccurs!"

ColonelJohnsonlookedathimdoubtfully.

"Neverknowwhenyou'reseriousandwhenyou'repullingmyleg,"hegrumbled.

Poirotsmiledathim.

"I am not serious! Not in the least am I serious! But all the same, it is true what I say - artificial
conditionsbringabouttheirnaturalreaction."

ColonelJohnson'smanservantenteredtheroom.

"SuperintendentSugdenonthephone,sir."

"Right.I'llcome."

Withawordofapologythechiefconstablelefttheroom.

Hereturnedsomethreeminuteslater.Hisfacewasgraveandperturbed.

"Damnitall!"hesaid."Caseofmurder!OnChristmasEve,too!"

Poirot'seyebrowsrose.

"Itisthatdefinitely-murder,Imean?"

"Eh?Oh,noothersolutionpossible!Perfectlyclearcase.Murder-andabrutalmurderatthat!"

"Whoisthevictim?"

"OldSimeonLee.Oneoftherichestmenwe'vegot!MadehismoneyinSouthAfricaoriginally.Gold-
no, diamonds, I believe. He sunk an immense fortune in manufacturing some particular gadget of
miningmachinery.Hisowninvention,Ibelieve.Anyway,it'spaidhimhandoverfist!Theysayhe'sa
millionairetwiceover."

Poirotsaid:"Hewaswellliked,yes?"

Johnsonsaidslowly:"Don'tthinkanyonelikedhim.Queersortofchap.He'sbeenaninvalidforsome
yearsnow.Idon'tknowverymuchabouthimmyself.Butofcourseheisoneofthebigfiguresofthe
county."

"Sothiscase,itwillmakeabigstir?"

"Yes.ImustgetovertoLongdaleasfastasIcan."

Hehesitated,lookingathisguest.

Poirotansweredtheunspokenquestion:"YouwouldlikethatIshouldaccompanyyou?"

Johnson said awkwardly: "Seems a shame to ask you. But, well, you know how it is! Superintendent
Sugden is a good man, none better, painstaking, careful, thoroughly sound - but - well, he's not an
imaginativechapinanyway.Shouldlikeverymuch,asyouarehere,benefitofyouradvice."

He halted a little over the end part of his speech, making it somewhat telegraphic in style. Poirot
respondedquickly.

"Ishallbedelighted.YoucancountonmetoassistyouinanywayIcan.Wemustnothurtthefeelings
ofthegoodsuperintendent.Itwillbehiscase-notmine.Iamonlytheunofficialconsultant."

ColonelJohnsonsaidwarmly:"You'reagoodfellow,Poirot."

Withthosewordsofcommendation,thetwomenstartedout.

VI

Itwasaconstablewhoopenedthefrontdoortothemandsaluted.Behindhim,SuperintendentSugden
advanceddownthehallandsaid:

"Gladyou'vegothere,sir.Shallwecomeintothisroomhereontheleft-MrLee'sstudy?I'dliketorun
overthemainoutlines.Thewholething'sarumbusiness."

Heusheredthemintoasmallroomontheleftofthehall.Therewasatelephonethereandabigdesk
coveredwithpapers.Thewallswerelinedwithbookcases.

Thechiefconstablesaid:"Sugden,thisisM.HerculePoirot.Youmayhaveheardofhim.Justhappened
tobestayingwithme.SuperintendentSugden."

Poirotmadealittlebowandlookedtheothermanover.Hesawatallmanwithsquareshouldersanda
militarybearingwhohadanaquilinenose,apugnaciousjawandalargenourishingchestnut-coloured
moustache.SugdenstaredhardatHerculePoirotafteracknowledgingtheintroduction.HerculePoirot
staredhardatSuperintendentSugden'smoustache.Itsluxurianceseemedtofascinatehim.

Thesuperintendentsaid:"OfcourseIhaveheardofyou,MrPoirot.Youwereinthispartoftheworld
someyearsago,ifIrememberrightly.DeathofSirBartholomewStrange.Poisoningcase.Nicotine.Not
mydistrict,butofcourseIheardallaboutit."

ColonelJohnsonsaidimpatiently:"Now,then,Sugden,let'shavethefacts.Aclearcase,yousaid."

"Yes,sir,it'smurderrightenough-notadoubtofthat.MrLee'sthroatwascut-jugularveinsevered,I
understandfromthedoctor.Butthere'ssomethingveryoddaboutthewholematter."

"Youmean-?"

"I'dlikeyoutohearmystoryfirst,sir.Thesearethecircumstances:Thisafternoon,aboutfiveo'clock,I
wasrungupbyMrLeeatAddlesfieldpolicestation.Hesoundedabitoddoverthephone-askedmeto
come and see him at eight o'clock this evening - made a special point of the time. Moreover, he
instructedmetosaytothebutlerthatIwascollectingsubscriptionsforsomepolicecharity."

Thechiefconstablelookedupsharply.

"Wantedsomeplausiblepretexttogetyouintothehouse?"

"That'sright,sir.Well,naturally,MrLeeisanimportantperson,andIaccededtohisrequest.Igothere
alittlebeforeeighto'clock,andrepresentedmyselfasseekingsubscriptionsforthePoliceOrphanage.

ThebutlerwentawayandreturnedtotellmethatMrLeewouldseeme.Thereuponheshowedmeupto
MrLee'sroom,whichissituatedonthefirstfloor,immediatelyoverthedining-room."

SuperintendentSugdenpaused,drewabreathandthenproceededinasomewhatofficialmannerwith
hisreport.

"MrLeewasseatedinachairbythefireplace.Hewaswearingadressing-gown.Whenthebutlerhad
lefttheroomandclosedthedoor,MrLeeaskedmetositnearhim.Hethensaidratherhesitatinglythat
hewantedtogivemeparticularsofarobbery.Iaskedhimwhathadbeentaken.Herepliedthathehad
reason to believe that diamonds (uncut diamonds, I think he said) to the value of several thousand
poundshadbeenstolenfromhissafe."

"Diamonds,eh?"saidthechiefconstable.

"Yes,sir.Iaskedhimvariousroutinequestions,buthismannerwasveryuncertainandhisreplieswere
somewhat vague in character. At last he said, 'You must understand. Superintendent, that I may be
mistakeninthismatter.'Isaid,'Idonotquiteunderstand,sir.Eitherthediamondsaremissingorthey
arenotmissing-oneortheother."

He replied, "The diamonds are certainly missing, but it is just possible, Superintendent, that their
disappearancemaybesimplyaratherfoolishkindofpracticaljoke.'Well,thatseemedoddtome,butI
saidnothing.Hewenton:'Itisdifficultformetoexplainindetail,butwhatitamountstoisthis:Sofar
asIcansee,onlytwopersonscanpossiblyhavethestones.Oneofthosepersonsmighthavedoneitas
ajoke.Iftheotherpersontookthem,thentheyhavedefinitelybeenstolen.'Isaid,'Whatexactlydoyou
wantmetodo,sir?'Hesaidquickly,'Iwantyou,Superintendent,toreturnhereinaboutanhour-no,
makeitalittlemorethanthat-saynine-fifteen.AtthattimeIshallbeabletotellyoudefinitelywhether
Ihavebeenrobbedornot.'Iwasalittlemystified,butIagreedandwentaway."

ColonelJohnsoncommented:"Curious-verycurious.Whatdoyousay,Poirot?"

HerculePoirotsaid:"MayIask,Superintendent,whatconclusionsyouyourselfdrew?"

Thesuperintendentstrokedhisjawasherepliedcarefully:"Well,variousideasoccurredtome,buton
thewhole,Ifigureditoutthisway.Therewasnoquestionofanypracticaljoke.Thediamondshadbeen
stolenallright.Buttheoldgentlemanwasn'tsurewho'ddoneit.It'smyopinionthathewasspeaking
thetruthwhenhesaidthatitmighthavebeenoneoftwopeople-andofthosetwopeopleonewasa
servantandtheotherwasamemberofthefamily."

Poirotnoddedappreciatively.

"Trèsbien.Yes,thatexplainshisattitudeverywell."

"Hence his desire that I should return later. In the interval he meant to have an interview with the
personsinquestion.Hewouldtellthemthathehadalreadyspokenofthemattertothepolicebutthat,if
restitutionwerepromptlymade,hecouldhushthematterup."

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Andifthesuspectdidn'trespond?"

"Inthatcase,hemeanttoplacetheinvestigationinourhands."

ColonelJohnsonfrownedandtwistedhismoustache.Hedemurred.

"Whynottakethatcoursebeforecallingyouin?"

"No,no,sir."Thesuperintendentshookhishead."Don'tyousee,ifhehaddonethat,itmighthavebeen
bluff.It wouldn't havebeen half soconvincing. The person mightsay to himself,'The old man won't
callthepolicein,nomatterwhathesuspects!'Butiftheoldgentlemansaystohim,'I'vealreadyspoken
to the police, the superintendent has only just left.' Then the thief asks the butler, say, and the butler
confirmsthat.Hesays,'Yes,thesuperintendentwasherejustbeforedinner.'Thenthethiefisconvinced
theoldgentlemanmeansbusinessanditsuptohimtocoughupthestones."

"H'm,yes,Iseethat,"saidColonelJohnson."Anyidea,Sugden,whothis'memberofthefamily'might
be?"

"No,sir."

"Noindicationwhatsoever?"

"None."

Johnsonshookhishead.Thenhesaid:"Well,let'sgetonwithit."

SuperintendentSugdenresumedhisofficialmanner.

"Ireturnedtothehouse,sir,atnine-fifteenprecisely.JustasIwasabouttoringthefrontdoorbell,I
heardascreamfrominsidethehouse,andthenaconfusedsoundofshoutsandageneralcommotion.I
rang several times and also used the knocker. It was three or four minutes before the door was
answered.WhenthefootmanatlastopeneditIcouldseethatsomethingmomentoushadoccurred.He
wasshakingalloverandlookedasthoughhewasabouttofaint.HegaspedoutthatMrLeehadbeen
murdered.Iranhastilyupstairs.IfoundMrLee'sroominastateofwildconfusion.Therehadevidently
been a severe struggle. Mr Lee himself was lying in front of the fire with his throat cut in a pool of
blood."

Thechiefconstablesaidsharply:"Hecouldn'thavedoneithimself?"

Sugdenshookhishead.

"Impossible,sir.Foronething,therewerethechairsandtablesoverturned,andthebrokencrockeryand
ornaments,andthentherewasnosignoftherazororknifewithwhichthecrimehadbeencommitted."

Thechiefconstablesaidthoughtfully:"Yes,thatseemsconclusive.Anyoneintheroom?"

"Mostofthefamilywerethere,sir.Juststandinground."

ColonelJohnsonsaidsharply:"Anyideas,Sugden?"

Thesuperintendentsaidslowly:"It'sabadbusiness,sir.Itlookstomeasthoughoneofthemmusthave
doneit.Idon'tseehowanyonefromoutsidecouldhavedoneitandgotawayintime."

"Whataboutthewindow?Closedoropen?"

"Therearetwowindowsintheroom,sir.Onewasclosedandlocked.Theotherwasopenafewinches
atthebottom-butitwasfixedinthatpositionbyaburglarscrew,andmoreover,I'vetrieditandit's
stuck fast - hasn't been opened for years, I should say. Also the wall outside is quite smooth and
unbroken-noivyorcreepers.Idon'tseehowanyonecouldhaveleftthatway."

"Howmanydoorsintheroom?"

"Justone.Theroomisattheendofapassage.Thatdoorwaslockedontheinside.Whentheyheardthe
noiseofthestruggleandtheoldman'sdyingscream,andrushedupstairs,theyhadtobreakdownthe
doortogetin."

Johnsonsaidsharply:"Andwhowasintheroom?"

SuperintendentSugdenrepliedgravely:"Nobodywasintheroom,sir,excepttheoldmanwhohadbeen
killednomorethanafewminutespreviously."

VII

Colonel Johnson stared at Sugden for some minutes before he spluttered: "Do you mean to tell me,
Superintendent,thatthisisoneofthosedamnedcasesyougetindetectivestorieswhereamaniskilled
inalockedroombysomeapparentlysupernaturalagency?"

A very faint smile agitated the superintendent's moustache as he replied gravely: "I do not think it's
quiteasbadasthat,sir."

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Suicide.Itmustbesuicide!"

"Where'stheweapon,ifso?No,sir,suicidewon'tdo."

"Thenhowdidthemurdererescape?Bythewindow?"

Sugdenshookhishead.

"I'lltakemyoathhedidn'tdothat."

"Butthedoorwaslocked,yousay,ontheinside."

Thesuperintendentnodded.Hedrewakeyfromhispocketandlaiditonthetable.

"Nofingerprints,"heannounced."Butjustlookatthatkey,sir.Takealookatitwiththatmagnifying

glassthere."

Poirot bent forward. He and Johnson examined the key together. The chief constable uttered an
exclamation.

"Byjove,Igetyou.Thosefaintscratchesontheendofthebarrel.Yousee'em,Poirot?"

"Butyes,Isee.Thatmeans,doesitnot,thatthekeywasturnedfromoutsidethedoor-turnedbymeans
ofaspecialimplementthatwentthroughthekeyholeandgrippedthebarrel-possiblyanordinarypair
ofplierswoulddoit."

Thesuperintendentnodded.

"Itcanbedoneallright."

Poirot said: "The idea being, then, that the death would be thought to be suicide, since the door was
lockedandnoonewasintheroom?"

"Thatwastheidea,MrPoirot,notadoubtofit,Ishouldsay."

Poirotshookhisheaddoubtfully.

"But the disorder in the room! As you say, that by itself wiped out the idea of suicide. Surely the
murdererwouldfirstofallhavesettheroomtorights."

Superintendent Sugden said: "But he hadn't time, Mr Poirot. That's the whole point. He hadn't time.
Let'ssayhecountedoncatchingtheoldgentlemanunawares.Well,thatdidn'tcomeoff.Therewasa
struggle-astruggleheardplainlyintheroomunderneath;and,what'smore,theoldgentlemancalled
outforhelp.Everyonecamerushingup.Themurderer'sonlygottimetonipoutoftheroomandturn
thekeyfromtheoutside."

"Thatistrue,"Poirotadmitted."Yourmurderer,hemayhavemadethebungle.Butwhy,ohwhy,didhe
not at least leave the weapon? For naturally, if there is no weapon, it cannot be suicide! That was an
errormostgrave."

SuperintendentSugdensaidstolidly:"Criminalsusuallymakemistakes.That'sourexperience."

Poirotgavealightsigh.Hemurmured:"Butallthesame,inspiteofhismistakes,hehasescaped,this
criminal."

"Idon'tthinkhehasexactlyescaped."

"Youmeanheisinthehousestill?"

"Idon'tseewhereelsehecanbe.Itwasaninsidejob."

"But,toutdemême,"Poirotpointedoutgently,"hehasescapedtothisextent:Youdonotknowwhohe
is."

SuperintendentSugdensaidgentlybutfirmly:"Iratherfancythatwesoonshall.Wehaven'tdoneany
questioningofthehouseholdyet."

ColonelJohnsoncutin:"Lookhere,Sugden,onethingstrikesme.Whoeverturnedthatkeyfromthe
outside must have had some knowledge of the job. That's to say, he probably had had criminal
experience.Thesesortoftoolsaren'teasytomanage."

"Youmeanitwasaprofessionaljob,sir?"

"That'swhatImean."

"It does seem like it," the other admitted. "Following that up, it looks as though there were a
professional thief among the servants. That would explain the diamonds being taken and the murder
wouldfollowonlogicallyfromthat."

"Well,anythingwrongwiththattheory?"

"It'swhatIthoughtmyselftobeginwith.Butit'sdifficult.Thereareeightservantsinthehouse;sixof
themarewomen,andofthosesix,fivehavebeenhereforfouryearsandmore.Thenthere'sthebutler
andthefootman.Thebutlerhasbeenhereforcloseonfortyyears-bitofarecordthat,Ishouldsay.
The footman's local, son of the gardener, and brought up here. Don't see very well how he can be a

professional.TheonlyotherpersonisMrLee'svaletattendant.He'scomparativelynew,buthewasout
ofthehouse-stillis-wentoutjustbeforeeighto'clock."

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Haveyougotalistofjustwhoexactlywasinthehouse?"

"Yes,sir.Igotitfromthebutler."Hetookouthisnote-book."ShallIreadittoyou?"

"Please,Sugden."

"MrandMrsAlfredLee.MrGeorgeLee,MP.,andhiswife.MrHenryLee.MrandMrsDavidLee.
Miss-"thesuperintendentpausedalittle,takingthewordscarefully-"Pilar-"hepronounceditlikea
pieceofarchitecture-"Estravados.MrStephenFarr.Thenfortheservants:EdwardTressilian,butler.
Walter Champion, footman. Emily Reeves, cook. Queenie Jones, kitchenmaid. Gladys Spent, head
housemaid. Grace Best, second housemaid. Beatrice Moscombe, third housemaid. Joan Kench,
between-maid.SydneyHorbury,valetattendant."

"That'sthelot,eh?"

"That'sthelot,sir."

"Anyideawhereeverybodywasatthetimeofthemurder?"

"Onlyroughly.AsItoldyou,Ihaven'tquestionedanybodyyet.AccordingtoTressilian,thegentlemen
were in the dining-room still. The ladies had gone to the drawing-room. Tressilian had served coffee.
According to his statement, he had just got back to his pantry when he heard a noise upstairs. It was
followedbyascream.Heranoutintothehallandupstairsinthewakeoftheothers."

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Howmanyofthefamilyliveinthehouse,andwhoarejuststayinghere?"

"MrandMrsAlfredLeelivehere.Theothersarejustvisiting."

Johnsonnodded.

"Wherearetheyall?"

"Iaskedthemtostayinthedrawing-roomuntilIwasreadytotaketheirstatements."

"Isee.Well,we'dbettergoupstairsandtakealookatthedoings."

Thesuperintendentledthewayupthebroadstairsandalongthepassage.

Asheenteredtheroomwherethecrimehadtakenplace,Johnsondrewadeepbreath.

"Prettyhorrible,"hecommented.

He stood for a minute studying the overturned chairs, the smashed china, and the blood-bespattered
debris.

Athinelderlymanstoodupfromwherehehadbeenkneelingbythebodyandgaveanod.

"Evening,Johnson,"hesaid."Bitofashambles,eh?"

"Ishouldsayitwas.Gotanythingforus,doctor?"

Thedoctorshruggedhisshoulders.Hegrinned.

"I'llletyouhavethescientificlanguageattheinquest!Nothingcomplicatedaboutit.Throatcutlikea
pig.Hebledtodeathinlessthanaminute.Nosignoftheweapon."

Poirotwentacrosstheroomtothewindows.Asthesuperintendenthadsaid,onewasshutandbolted.
Theotherwasopenaboutfourinchesatthebottom.Athickpatentscrewofthekindknownmanyyears
agoasananti-burglarscrewsecureditinthatposition.

Sugdensaid:"Accordingtothebutler,thatwindowwasnevershut,wetorfine.There'salinoleummat
underneathitincaserainbeatin,butitdidn'tmuch,astheoverhangingroofprotectsit."

Poirotnodded.

Hecamebacktothebodyandstareddownattheoldman.

Thelipsweredrawnbackfromthebloodlessgumsinsomethingthatlookedlikeasnarl.Thefingers
werecurvedlikeclaws.

Poirotsaid:"Hedoesnotseemastrongman,no."

Thedoctorsaid:"Hewasprettytough,Ibelieve.He'dsurvivedseveralprettybadillnessesthatwould
havekilledmostmen."

Poirotsaid:"Idonotmeanthat.Imean,hewasnotbig,notstrongphysically."

"No,he'sfrailenough."

Poirot turned from the dead man. He bent to examine an overturned chair, a big chair of mahogany.
Besideitwasaroundmahoganytableandthefragmentsofabigchinalamp.Twoothersmallerchairs
laynearby,alsothesmashedfragmentsofadecanterandtwoglasses,aheavyglasspaperweightwas
unbroken,somemiscellaneousbooks,abigJapanesevasesmashedinpieces,andabronzestatuetteofa
nakedgirlcompletedthedebris.

Poirot bent over all these exhibits, studying them gravely, but without touching them. He frowned to
himselfasthoughperplexed.

Thechiefconstablesaid:"Anythingstrikeyou,Poirot?"

HerculePoirotsighed.Hemurmured:"Suchafrailshrunkenoldman-andyet-allthis."

Johnson looked puzzled. He turned away and said to the sergeant, who was busy at his work: "What
aboutprints?"

"Plentyofthem,sir,allovertheroom."

"Whataboutthesafe?"

"Nogood.Onlyprintsonthatarethoseoftheoldgentlemanhimself."

Johnsonturnedtothedoctor.

"Whataboutbloodstains?"heasked."Surelywhoeverkilledhimmusthavegotbloodonhim."

Thedoctorsaiddoubtfully:"Notnecessarily.Bleedingwasalmostentirelyfromthejugularvein.That
wouldn'tspoutlikeanartery."

"No,no.Still,thereseemsalotofbloodabout."

Poirotsaid:"Yes,thereisalotofblood-itstrikesone,that.Alotofblood."

SuperintendentSugdensaidrespectfully:"Doyou-er-doesthatsuggestanythingtoyou,MrPoirot?"

Poirotlookedabouthim.Heshookhisheadperplexedly.

Hesaid:"Thereissomethinghere-someviolence..."Hestoppedaminute,thenwenton:"Yes,thatisit
-violence...Andblood-aninsistenceonblood...Thereis-howshallIputit?-thereistoomuchblood.
Blood on the chairs, on the tables, on the carpet... The blood ritual? Sacrificial blood? Is that it?
Perhaps. Such a frail old man, so thin, so shrivelled, so dried up - and yet - in his death - so much
blood..."

Hisvoicediedaway.SuperintendentSugden,staringathimwithround,startledeyes,saidinanawed
voice:"Funny-that'swhatshesaid-thelady..."

Poirotsaidsharply:"Whatlady?Whatwasitshesaid?"

Sugdenanswered:"MrsLee-MrsAlfred.Stoodovertherebythedoorandhalfwhisperedit.Itdidn't
makesensetome."

"Whatdidshesay?"

"Somethingaboutwhowouldhavethoughttheoldgentlemanhadsomuchbloodinhim..."

Poirot said softly: "'Who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?' The
wordsofLadyMacbeth.Shesaidthat...Ah,thatisinteresting..."

VIII

AlfredLeeandhiswifecameintothesmallstudywherePoirot,Sugdenandthechiefconstablewere
standingwaiting.ColonelJohnsoncameforward.

"Howdoyoudo,MrLee?We'veneveractuallymet,butasyouknow,I'mchiefconstableofthecounty.
Johnson'smyname.Ican'ttellyouhowdistressedIambythis."

Alfred, his brown eyes like those of a suffering dog, said hoarsely: "Thank you. It's terrible - quite
terrible.I-thisismywife."

Lydiasaidinherquietvoice:"Ithasbeenafrightfulshocktomyhusband-toallofus-butparticularly
tohim."

Herhandwasonherhusband'sshoulder.

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Won'tyousitdown,MrsLee?LetmeintroduceM.HerculePoirot."

HerculePoirotbowed.Hiseyeswentinterestedlyfromhusbandtowife.

Lydia'shandspressedgentlyonAlfred'sshoulder.

"Sitdown,Alfred."

Alfredsat.Hemurmured:"HerculePoirot.Now,who-who-?"

Hepassedhishandinadazedfashionoverhisforehead.

LydiaLeesaid:"ColonelJohnsonwillwanttoaskyoualotofquestions,Alfred."

Thechiefconstablelookedatherwithapproval.HewasthankfulthatMrsAlfredLeewasturningout
tobesuchasensibleandcompetentwoman.

Alfredsaid:"Ofcourse.Ofcourse..."

Johnsonsaidtohimself:"Shockseemstohaveknockedhimoutcompletely.Hopehecanpullhimself
togetherabit."

Aloudhesaid:"I'vegotalisthereofeverybodywhowasinthehousetonight.Perhapsyou'lltellme,
MrLee,ifitiscorrect."

HemadeaslightgesturetoSugdenandthelatterpulledouthisnote-bookandoncemorerecitedthelist
ofnames.

The businesslike procedure seemed to restore Alfred Lee to something more like his normal self. He
hadregainedcommandofhimself,hiseyesnolongerlookeddazedandstaring.WhenSugdenfinished,
henoddedinagreement.

"That'squiteright,"hesaid.

"Do you mind telling me a little more about your guests? Mr and Mrs George Lee and Mr and Mrs
DavidLeeare,Igather,relatives?"

"Theyaremytwoyoungerbrothersandtheirwives."

"Theyarestayinghereonly?"

"Yes,theycametousforChristmas."

"MrHenryLeeisalsoabrother?"

"Yes."

"Andyourtwootherguests?MissEstravadosandMrFarr?"

"MissEstravadosismyniece.MrFarristhesonofmyfather'sone-timepartnerinSouthAfrica."

"Ah,anoldfriend."

Lydiaintervened.

"No,actuallywehaveneverseenhimbefore."

"Isee.ButyouinvitedhimtostaywithyouforChristmas?"

Alfredhesitated,thenlookedtowardshiswife.Shesaidclearly:"MrFarrturnedupquiteunexpectedly
yesterday.Hehappenedtobeintheneighbourhoodandcametocalluponmyfather-in-law.Whenmy
father-in-lawfoundhewasthesonofhisoldfriendandpartner,heinsistedonhisremainingwithusfor
Christmas."

Colonel Johnson said: "I see. That explains the household. As regards the servants, Mrs Lee, do you
considerthemalltrustworthy?"

Lydia considered for a moment before replying. Then she said: "Yes. I am quite sure they are all
thoroughlyreliable.Theyhavemostlybeenwithusformanyyears.Tressilian,thebutler,hasbeenhere
sincemyhusbandwasayoungchild.Theonlynewcomersarethebetween-maid,Joan,andthenurse-
valetwhoattendedonmyfather-in-law."

"Whataboutthem?"

"Joan is rather a silly little thing. That is the worst that can be said of her. I know very little about
Horbury. He has been here just over a year. He was quite competent at his job and my father-in-law
seemedsatisfiedwithhim."

Poirotsaidacutely:"Butyou,madame,werenotsosatisfied?"

Lydiashruggedhershouldersslightly.

"Itwasnothingtodowithme."

"Butyouarethemistressofthehouse,madame.Theservantsareyourconcern?"

"Ohyes,ofcourse.ButHorburywasmyfather-in-law'spersonalattendant.Hedidnotcomeundermy
jurisdiction."

"Isee."

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Wecomenowtotheeventsoftonight.I'mafraidthiswillbepainfulforyou,Mr
Lee,butIwouldlikeyouraccountofwhathappened."

Alfredsaidinalowvoice:"Ofcourse."

ColonelJohnsonsaid,promptinghim:"When,forinstance,didyoulastseeyourfather?"

AslightspasmofpaincrossedAlfred'sfaceasherepliedinalowvoice:"Itwasaftertea.Iwaswith
himforashorttime.FinallyIsaidgood-nighttohimandlefthimat-letmesee-aboutaquarterto
six."

Poirotobserved:"Yousaidgoodnighttohim?Youdidnotthenexpecttoseehimagainthatevening?"

"No. My father's supper, a light meal, was always brought to him at seven. After that he sometimes
went to bed early or sometimes sat up in his chair, but he did not expect to see any members of the
familyagainunlesshespeciallysentforthem."

"Didheoftensendforthem?"

"Sometimes.Ifhefeltlikeit."

"Butitwasnottheordinaryprocedure?"

"No."

"Goon,please,MrLee."

Alfred continued: "We had our dinner at eight o'clock. Dinner was over and my wife and the other
ladieshadgoneintothedrawing-room."

Hisvoicefaltered.Hiseyesbegantostareagain."Weweresittingthere-atthetable...Suddenlythere
was the most astounding noise overhead. Chairs overturning, furniture crashing, breaking glass and
china,andthen-Oh,God-"heshuddered-"Icanhearitstill-myfatherscreamed-ahorrible,long-
drawnscream-thescreamofamaninmortalagony..."

Heraisedshakinghandstocoverhisface.Lydiastretchedoutherhandandtouchedhissleeve.Colonel
Johnsonsaidgently:"Andthen?"

Alfred said in a broken voice: "I think - just for a moment we were stunned. Then we sprang up and
wentoutofthedoorandupthestairstomyfather'sroom.Thedoorwaslocked.Wecouldn'tgetin.It
hadtobebrokenopen.Then,whenwedidgetin,wesaw-"

Hisvoicediedaway.

Johnsonsaidquickly:"There'snoneedtogointothatpartofit,MrLee.Togobackalittle,tothetime
youwereinthedining-room.Whowastherewithyouwhenyouheardthecry?"

"Whowasthere?Why,wewereall-No,letmesee.Mybrotherwasthere-mybrotherHarry."

"Nobodyelse?"

"Nooneelse."

"Whereweretheothergentlemen?"

Alfredsighedandfrownedinaneffortofremembrance.

"Letmesee-itseemssolongago-yes,likeyears-whatdidhappen?Oh,ofcourse,Georgehadgone
totelephone.Thenwebegantotalkoffamilymatters,andStephenFarrsaidsomethingaboutseeingwe

wantedtodiscussthings,andhetookhimselfoff.Hediditverynicelyandtactfully."

"AndyourbrotherDavid?"

Alfredfrowned.

"David?Wasn'thethere?No,ofcourse,hewasn't.Idon'tquiteknowwhenheslippedaway."

Poirotsaidgently:"Soyouhadthefamilymatterstodiscuss?"

"Er-yes."

"Thatistosay,youhadmatterstodiscusswithonememberofyourfamily?"

Lydiasaid:"Whatdoyoumean,M.Poirot?"

Heturnedquicklytoher.

"Madame, your husband says that Mr Farr left them because he saw they had affairs of the family to
discuss.Butitwasnotaconseildefamille,sinceM.DavidwasnotthereandM.Georgewasnotthere.
Itwas,then,adiscussionbetweentwomembersofthefamilyonly."

Lydiasaid:"Mybrother-in-law.Harry,hadbeenabroadforagreatnumberofyears.Itwasnaturalthat
heandmyhusbandshouldhavethingstotalkover."

"Ah!Isee.Itwaslikethat."

Sheshothimaquickglance,thenturnedhereyesaway.

Johnsonsaid: "Well, thatseems clear enough.Did you notice anyoneelse as youran upstairs to your
father'sroom?"

"I-reallyIdon'tknow.Ithinkso.Weallcamefromdifferentdirections.ButI'mafraidIdidn'tnotice-I

wassoalarmed.Thatterriblecry..."

ColonelJohnsonpassedquicklytoanothersubject.

"Thank you, Mr Lee. Now, there is another point. I understand that your father had some valuable
diamondsinhispossession."

Alfredlookedrathersurprised.

"Yes,"hesaid."Thatisso."

"Wheredidhekeepthem?"

"Inthesafeinhisroom."

"Canyoudescribethematall?"

"Theywereroughdiamonds-thatis,uncutstones."

"Whydidyourfatherhavethemthere?"

"Itwasawhimofhis.TheywerestoneshehadbroughtwithhimfromSouthAfrica.Heneverhadthem
cut.Hejustlikedkeepingtheminhispossession.AsIsay,itwasawhimofhis."

"Isee,"saidthechiefconstable.Fromhistoneitwasplainthathedidnotsee.Hewenton:"Werethey
ofmuchvalue?"

"Myfatherestimatedtheirvalueatabouttenthousandpounds."

"Infact,theywereveryvaluablestones?"

"Yes."

"Itseemsacuriousideatokeepsuchstonesinabedroomsafe."

Lydiainterposed.

"Myfather-in-law,ColonelJohnson,wasasomewhatcuriousman.Hisideaswerenottheconventional
ones.Itdefinitelygavehimpleasuretohandlethosestones."

"Theyrecalled,perhaps,thepasttohim,"saidPoirot.

Shegavehimaquickappreciativelook.

"Yes,"shesaid."Ithinktheydid."

"Weretheyinsured?"askedthechiefconstable.

"Ithinknot."

Johnsonleanedforward.Heaskedquietly:"Didyouknow,MrLee,thatthosestoneshadbeenstolen?"

"What?"AlfredLeestaredathim.

"Yourfathersaidnothingtoyouoftheirdisappearance?"

"Notaword."

"YoudidnotknowthathehadsentforSuperintendentSugdenhereandhadreportedthelosstohim?"

"Ihadn'tthefaintestideaofsuchathing!"

Thechiefconstabletransferredhisgaze.

"Whataboutyou,MrsLee?"

Lydiashookherhead.

"Iheardnothingaboutit."

"Asfarasyouknew,thestoneswerestillinthesafe?"

"Yes."

Shehesitatedandthenasked:"Isthatwhyhewaskilled?Forthesakeofthosestones?"

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Thatiswhatwearegoingtofindout!"

Hewenton:"Haveyouanyidea,MrsLee,whocouldhaveengineeredsuchatheft?"

Sheshookherhead.

"No,indeed.Iamsuretheservantsareallhonest.Inanycase,itwouldbeverydifficultforthemtoget
atthesafe.Myfather-in-lawwasalwaysinhisroom.Henevercamedownstairs."

"Whoattendedtotheroom?"

"Horbury.Hemadethebedanddusted.Thesecondhousemaidwentintodothegrateandlaythefire
everymorning,otherwiseHorburydideverything."

Poirotsaid:"SoHorburywouldbethepersonwiththebestopportunity?"

"Yes."

"Doyouthinkthatitwashewhostolethediamonds,then?"

"Itispossible.Isuppose...Hehadthebestopportunity.Oh!Idon'tknowwhattothink."

ColonelJohnson said: "Yourhusband has givenus his account ofthe evening. Willyou do the same,
MrsLee?Whendidyoulastseeyourfather-in-law?"

"Wewereallupinhisroomthisafternoon-beforetea.ThatwasthelasttimeIsawhim."

"Youdidnotseehimlatertobidhimgoodnight?"

"No."

Poirotsaid:"Doyouusuallygoandsaygoodnighttohim?"

Lydiasaidsharply:"No."

Thechiefconstablewenton:"Wherewereyouwhenthecrimetookplace?"

"Inthedrawing-room."

"Youheardthenoiseofthestruggle?"

"IthinkIheardsomethingheavyfall.Ofcoursemyfather-in-law'sroomisoverthedining-room,not
thedrawing-room,soIshouldn'thearsomuch."

"Butyouheardthecry?"

Lydiashuddered.

"Yes, I heard that... It was horrible - like - like a soul in hell. I knew at once something dreadful had
happened.IhurriedoutandfollowedmyhusbandandHarryupthestairs."

"Whoelsewasinthedrawing-roomatthetime?"

Lydiafrowned.

"Really-Ican'tremember.Davidwasnextdoorinthemusic-room,playingMendelssohn.IthinkHilda
hadgonetojoinhim."

"Andtheothertwoladies?"

Lydiasaidslowly:"Magdalenewenttotelephone.Ican'trememberwhethershehadcomebackornot.I
don'tknowwherePilarwas."

Poirotsaidgently:"Infact,youmayhavebeenquitealoneinthedrawing-room?"

"Yes-yes-asamatteroffact,IbelieveIwas."

Colonel Johnson said: "About these diamonds. We ought, I think, to make quite sure about them. Do
you know the combination of your father's safe, Mr Lee? I see it is of a somewhat old-fashioned
pattern."

"Youwillfinditwrittendowninasmallnote-bookhecarriedinthepocketofhisdressing-gown."

"Good.Wewillgoandlookpresently.Itwillbebetter,perhaps,ifweinterviewtheothermembersof
thehouse-partyfirst.Theladiesmaywanttogettobed."

Lydiastoodup.

"Come,Alfred."Sheturnedtothem."ShallIsendthemintoyou?"

"Onebyone,ifyouwouldn'tmind,MrsLee."

"Certainly."

Shemovedtowardsthedoor.Alfredfollowedher.

Suddenly,atthelastmoment,heswunground.

"Ofcourse,"hesaid.HecamequicklybacktoPoirot."YouareHerculePoirot!Idon'tknowwheremy
witshavebeen.Ishouldhaverealisedatonce."

Hespokequickly,inalow,excitedvoice.

"It'sanabsolutegodsendyourbeinghere!Youmustfindoutthetruth,M.Poirot.Sparenoexpense!I
willberesponsibleforanyexpense.Butfindout...Mypoorfather-killedbysomeone-killedwiththe
utmostbrutality!Youmustfindout,M.Poirot.Myfatherhasgottobeavenged."

Poirotansweredquietly:"Icanassureyou,M.Lee,thatIampreparedtodomyutmosttoassistColonel
JohnsonandSuperintendentSugden."

AlfredLeesaid:"Iwantyoutoworkforme.Myfatherhasgottobeavenged."

He began to tremble violently. Lydia had come back. She went up to him and drew his arm through
hers.

"Come,Alfred,"shesaid."Wemustgettheothers."

HereyesmetPoirot's.Theywereeyesthatkepttheirownsecrets.Theydidnotwaver.

Poirotsaidsoftly:"Whowouldhavethoughttheoldman-"

Sheinterruptedhim:"Stop!Don'tsaythat!"

Poirotmurmured:"Yousaidit,madame."

Shebreathedsoftly:"Iknow...Iremember...Itwas-sohorrible."

Thenshewentabruptlyoutoftheroom,herhusbandbesideher.

IX

GeorgeLeewassolemnandcorrect.

"Aterriblebusiness,"hesaid,shakinghishead."Aterrible,terriblebusiness.Icanonlybelievethatit
must-er-havebeentheworkofalunatic!"

ColonelJohnsonsaidpolitely:"Thatisyourtheory?"

"Yes.Yes,indeed.Ahomicidalmaniac.Escaped,perhaps,fromsomementalhomeinthevicinity."

Superintendent Sugden put in: "And how do you suggest this - er - lunatic gained admittance to the
house,MrLee?Andhowdidheleaveit?"

Georgeshookhishead.

"That,"hesaidfirmly,"isforthepolicetodiscover."

Sugdensaid:"Wemadetheroundofthehouseatonce.Allwindowswereclosedandbarred.Theside
doorwaslocked,sowasthefrontdoor.Nobodycouldhaveleftbythekitchenpremiseswithoutbeing
seenbythekitchenstaff."

GeorgeLeecried:"Butthat'sabsurd!You'llbesayingnextthatmyfatherwasnevermurderedatall!"

"Hewasmurderedallright,"saidSuperintendentSugden."There'snodoubtaboutthat."

Thechiefconstableclearedhisthroatandtookupthequestioning.

"Justwherewereyou,MrLee,atthetimeofthecrime?"

"Iwasinthedining-room.Itwasjustafterdinner.No,Iwas,Ithink,inthisroom.Ihadjustfinished
telephoning."

"Youhadbeentelephoning?"

"Yes. I had put a call through to the Conservative agent in Westeringham - my constituency. Some
urgentmatters."

"Anditwasafterthatthatyouheardthescream?"

GeorgeLeegaveaslightshiver.

"Yes,veryunpleasant.It-er-frozemymarrow.Itdiedawayinakindofchokeorgurgle."

Hetookoutahandkerchiefandwipedhisforeheadwheretheperspirationhadbrokenout.

"Terriblebusiness,"hemuttered.

"Andthenyouhurriedupstairs?"

"Yes."

"Didyouseeyourbrothers,MrAlfredandMrHarryLee?"

"No,theymusthavegoneupjustaheadofme,Ithink."

"Whendidyoulastseeyourfather,MrLee?"

"Thisafternoon.Wewereallupthere."

"Youdidnotseehimafterthat?"

"No."

Thechiefconstablepaused,thenhesaid:

"Were you aware that your father kept a quantity of valuable uncut diamonds in the safe in his
bedroom?"

GeorgeLeenodded.

"Amostunwiseprocedure,"hesaidpompously."Ioftentoldhimso.Hemighthavebeenmurderedfor
them-Imean-thatistosay-"

ColonelJohnsoncutin:"Areyouawarethatthesestoneshavedisappeared?"

George'sjawdropped.Hisprotuberanteyesstared.

"Thenhewasmurderedforthem?"

Thechiefconstablesaidslowly:"Hewasawareoftheirlossandreportedittothepolicesomehours
beforehisdeath."

Georgesaid:"But,then-Idon'tunderstand-I-"

HerculePoirotsaidgently:"We,too,donotunderstand..."

X

HarryLeecameintotheroomwithaswagger.ForamomentPoirotstaredathim,frowning.Hehada
feelingthatsomewherehehadseenthismanbefore.Henotedthefeatures:thehigh-bridgednose,the
arrogantpoiseofthehead,thelineofthejaw;andherealisedthatthoughHarrywasabigmanandhis
fatherhadbeenamanofmerelymiddleheight,yettherehadbeenagooddealofresemblancebetween
them.

Henotedsomethingelse,too.Forallhisswagger.HarryLeewasnervous.Hewascarryingitoffwitha
swing,buttheanxietyunderneathwasrealenough.

"Well,gentlemen,"hesaid."WhatcanItellyou?"

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Weshallbegladofanylightyoucanthrowontheeventsofthisevening."

HarryLeeshookhishead.

"Idon'tknowanythingatall.It'sallprettyhorribleandutterlyunexpected."

Poirotsaid:"Youhaverecentlyreturnedfromabroad,Ithink,MrLee?"

Harryturnedtohimquickly."Yes.LandedinEnglandaweekago."

Poirotsaid:"Youhadbeenawayalongtime?"

HarryLeelifteduphischinandlaughed.

"Youmightaswellhearstraightaway-someonewillsoontellyou!I'mtheprodigalson,gentlemen!
It'snearlytwentyyearssinceIlastsetfootinthishouse."

"Butyoureturned-now.Willyoutelluswhy?"askedPoirot.

WiththesameappearanceoffranknessHarryansweredreadilyenough.

"It'sthegoodoldparablestill.Igottiredofthehusksthattheswinedoeat-ordon'teat,Iforgetwhich.
I thought to myself that the fatted calf would be a welcome exchange. I had a letter from my father
suggestingthatIcomehome.Iobeyedthesummonsandcame.That'sall."

Poirotsaid:"Youcameforashortvisit-oralongone?"

Harrysaid:"Icamehome-forgood!"

"Yourfatherwaswilling?"

"The old man was delighted." He laughed again. The corners of his eyes crinkled engagingly. "Pretty

boringfortheoldmanlivingherewithAlfred!Alfred'sadullstick-veryworthyandallthat,butpoor
company.Myfatherhadbeenabitofaripinhistime.Hewaslookingforwardtomycompany."

"Andyourbrotherandhiswife,weretheypleasedthatyouweretolivehere?"

Poirotaskedthequestionwithaslightliftingofhiseyebrows.

"Alfred? Alfred was livid with rage. Don't know about Lydia. She was probably annoyed on Alfred's
behalf. But I've no doubt she'd be quite pleased in the end. I like Lydia. She's a delightful woman. I
shouldhavegotonwithLydia.ButAlfredwasquiteanotherpairofshoes."Helaughedagain."Alfred's
alwaysbeenasjealousashellofme.He'salwaysbeenthegooddutifulstay-at-homestick-in-the-mud
son.Andwhatwashegoingtogetforitintheend?-whatthegoodboyofthefamilyalwaysgets-a
kickinthepants.Takeitfromme,gentlemen,virtuedoesn'tpay."Helookedfromonefacetoanother.

"Hopeyou'renotshockedbymyfrankness.Butafterall,it'sthetruthyou'reafter.You'lldragoutallthe
familydirtylinenintothelightofdayintheend.Imightaswelldisplayminestraightaway.I'mnot
particularlybroken-heartedbymyfather'sdeath-afterall,Ihadn'tseentheolddevilsinceIwasaboy-
butneverthelesshewasmyfatherandhewasmurdered.I'malloutforrevengeonthemurderer."He
strokedhisjawbone,watchingthem."We'reratherhotonrevengeinourfamily.NoneoftheLeesforget
easily.Imeantomakesurethatmyfather'smurdereriscaughtandhanged."

"Ithinkyoucantrustustodoourbestinthatline,MrLee,"saidSugden.

"Ifyoudon'tIshalltakethelawintomyownhands,"saidHarryLee.

Thechiefconstablesaidsharply:"Haveyouanyideasonthesubjectofthemurderer'sidentity,then,Mr
Lee?"

Harryshookhishead.

"No,"hesaidslowly."No-Ihaven't.Youknowit'sratherajolt.BecauseI'vebeenthinkingaboutit-
andIdon'tseethatitcanhavebeenanoutsidejob..."

"Ah,"saidSugden,noddinghishead.

"Andifso,"saidHarryLee,"thensomeonehereinthehousekilledhim...Butwhothedevilcouldhave

done it? Can't suspect the servants. Tressilian has been here since the year one. The half-witted
footman?Notonyourlife.Horbury,now,he'sacoolcustomer,butTressiliantellsmehewasoutatthe
pictures.Sowhatdoyoucometo?PassingoverStephenFarr(andwhythedevilshouldStephenFarr
comeallthewayfromSouthAfricaandmurderatotalstranger?)there'sonlythefamily.Andforthe
life of me I can't see one of us doing it. Alfred? He adored Father. George? He hasn't got the guts.
David? David's always been a moon dreamer. He'd faint if he saw his own finger bleed. The wives?
Womendon'tgoandslitaman'sthroatincoldblood.Sowhodid?BlessedifIknow.Butit'sdamned
disturbing."

Colonel Johnson cleared his throat - an official habit of his - and said: "When did you last see your
fatherthisevening?"

"After tea. He'd just had a row with Alfred - about your humble servant. The old man was no end
buckedwithhimself.Healwayslikedstirringuptrouble.Inmyopinion,that'swhyhekeptmyarrival
darkfromtheothers.WantedtoseethefurflywhenIblewinunexpectedly!That'swhyhetalkedabout
alteringhiswill,too."

Poirotstirredsoftly.Hemurmured:"Soyourfathermentionedhiswill?"

"Yes-infrontofthewholelotofus,watchinguslikeacattoseehowwereacted.Justtoldthelawyer
chaptocomeoverandseehimaboutitafterChristmas."

Poirotasked:"Whatchangesdidhecontemplatemaking?"

HarryLeegrinned:"Hedidn'ttellusthat!Trusttheoldfox!Iimagine-orshallwesayIhoped-that
the change was to the advantage of your humble servant! I should imagine I'd been cut out of any
formerwills.Now,Iratherfancy,Iwastogoback.Nastyblowfortheothers.Pilar,too-he'dtakena
fancytoher.Shewasinforsomethinggood,Ishouldimagine.Youhaven'tseenheryet?MySpanish
niece. She's a beautiful creature, Pilar - with the lovely warmth of the South - and its cruelty. Wish I
wasn'tamereuncle!"

"Yousayyourfathertooktoher?"

Harrynodded.

"Sheknewhowtogetroundtheoldman.Satuptherewithhimagooddeal.Ibetsheknewjustwhat
she was after! Well, he's dead now. No wills can be altered in Pilar's favour - nor mine either, worse
luck."

Hefrowned,pausedaminute,andthenwentonwithachangeoftone.

"ButI'mwanderingfromthepoint.YouwantedtoknowwhatwasthelasttimeIsawmyfather?AsI've
toldyou,itwasaftertea-mighthavebeenalittlepastsix.Theoldmanwasingoodspiritsthen-abit
tired,perhaps.IwentawayandlefthimwithHorbury.Ineversawhimagain."

"Wherewereyouatthetimeofhisdeath?"

"In the dining-room with brother Alfred. Not a very harmonious after-dinner session. We were in the
middleofaprettysharpargumentwhenweheardthenoiseoverhead.Soundedasthoughtenmenwere
wrestling up there. And then poor old Father screamed. It was like killing a pig. The sound of it
paralysedAlfred.Hejustsattherewithhisjawdropping.Ifairlyshookhimbacktolife,andwestarted
offupstairs.Thedoorwaslocked.Hadtobreakitopen.Tooksomedoing,too.Howthedevilthatdoor
cametobelocked,Ican'timagine!TherewasnooneintheroombutFather,andI'mdamnedifanyone
couldhavegotawaythroughthewindows."

SuperintendentSugdensaid:"Thedoorwaslockedfromtheoutside."

"What?"Harrystared."ButI'llswearthekeywasontheinside."

Poirotmurmured:"Soyounoticedthat?"

HarryLeesaidsharply:"Idonoticethings.It'sahabitofmine."

Helookedsharplyfromonefacetotheother.

"Isthereanythingmoreyouwanttoknow,gentlemen?"

Johnsonshookhishead.

"Thankyou,MrLee,notforthemoment.Perhapsyouwillaskthenextmemberofthefamilytocome
along?"

"CertainlyIwill."

Hewalkedtothedoorandwentoutwithoutlookingback.

Thethreemenlookedateachother.

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Whataboutit,Sugden?"

Thesuperintendentshookhisheaddoubtfully.Hesaid:"He'safraidofsomething.Iwonderwhy?..."

XI

Magdalene Lee paused effectively in the doorway. One long slender hand touched the burnished
platinumsheenofherhair.Theleaf-greenvelvetfrocksheworeclungtothedelicatelinesofherfigure.
Shelookedveryyoungandalittlefrightened.

The three men were arrested for a moment looking at her. Johnson's eyes showed a sudden surprised
admiration.

SuperintendentSugden'sshowednoanimation,merelytheimpatienceofamananxioustogetonwith
hisjob.HerculePoirot'seyesweredeeplyappreciative(asshesaw)buttheappreciationwasnotforher
beauty,butfortheeffectiveuseshemadeofit.Shedidnotknowthathewasthinkingtohimself:"Jolie
mannequin,lapetite.Maisellealesyeuxdurs."

ColonelJohnsonwasthinking:"Damnedgood-lookinggirl.GeorgeLeewillhavetroublewithherifhe
doesn'tlookout.Gotaneyeforamanallright."

Superintendent Sugden was thinking: "Empty-headed vain piece of goods. Hope we get through with
herquickly."

"Willyousitdown,MrsLee?Letmesee,youare-?"

"MrsGeorgeLee."

Sheacceptedthechairwithawarmsmileofthanks."Afterall,"theglanceseemedtosay,"althoughyou

areamanandapoliceman,youarenotsodreadfulafterall."

Thetail-endofthesmileincludedPoirot.Foreignersweresosusceptiblewherewomenwereconcerned.
AboutSuperintendentSugdenshedidnotbother.

Shemurmured,twistingherhandstogetherinaprettydistress:"It'sallsoterrible.Ifeelsofrightened."

"Come,come,MrsLee,"saidColonelJohnsonkindlybutbriskly."It'sbeenashock,Iknow,butit'sall
overnow.Wejustwantanaccountfromyouofwhathappenedthisevening."

Shecriedout:"ButIdon'tknowanythingaboutit-Idon'tindeed."

Foramomentthechiefconstable'seyesnarrowed.Hesaidgently:"No,ofcoursenot."

"Weonlyarrivedhereyesterday.GeorgewouldmakemecomehereforChristmas!Iwishwehadn't.
I'msureIshallneverfeelthesameagain!"

"Veryupsetting-yes."

"IhardlyknowGeorge'sfamily,yousee.I'veonlyseenMrLeeonceortwice-atourweddingandonce
since.OfcourseI'veseenAlfredandLydiamoreoften,butthey'rereallyallquitestrangerstome."

Againthewide-eyedfrightenedchildlook.AgainHerculePoirot'seyeswereappreciative-andagain
thoughttohimself:"Ellejouetrèsbienlacomédie,cettepetite..."

"Yes,yes,"saidColonelJohnson."Nowjusttellmeaboutthelasttimeyousawyourfather-in-law-Mr
Lee-alive."

"Oh,that!Thatwasthisafternoon.Itwasdreadful!"

Johnsonsaidquickly:"Dreadful?Why?"

"Theyweresoangry!"

"Whowasangry?"

"Oh,allofthem...Idon'tmeanGeorge.Hisfatherdidn'tsayanythingtohim.Butalltheothers."

"Whathappenedexactly?"

"Well,whenwegotthere-heaskedforallofus-hewasspeakingintothetelephone-tohislawyers
about his will. And then he told Alfred he was looking very glum. I think that was because of Harry
cominghometolive.Alfredwasveryupsetaboutthat,Ibelieve.Yousee,Harrydidsomethingquite
dreadful.Andthenhesaidsomethingabouthiswife-she'sdeadlongago-butshehadthebrainsofa
louse,hesaid,andDavidsprangupandlookedasthoughhe'dliketomurderhim-Oh!"Shestopped
suddenly,hereyesalarmed."Ididn'tmeanthat-Ididn'tmeanitatall!"

ColonelJohnsonsaidsoothingly:"Quite-quite,figureofspeech,thatwasall."

"Hilda,that'sDavid'swife,quietedhimdownand-well,Ithinkthat'sall.MrLeesaidhedidn'twantto
seeanyoneagainthatevening.Soweallwentaway."

"Andthatwasthelasttimeyousawhim?"

"Yes.Until-until-"

Sheshivered.

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Yes,quiteso.Now,wherewereyouatthetimeofthecrime?"

"Oh-letmesee,IthinkIwasinthedrawing-room."

"Aren'tyousure?"

Magdalene'seyesflickeredalittle,thelidsdroopedoverthem.

Shesaid:"Ofcourse!Howstupidofme...I'dgonetotelephone.Onegetssomixedup."

"Youweretelephoning,yousay.Inthisroom?"

"Yes,that'stheonlytelephoneexcepttheoneupstairsinmyfather-in-law'sroom."

SuperintendentSugdensaid:"Wasanybodyelseintheroomwithyou?"

Hereyeswidened.

"Oh,no,Iwasquitealone."

"Hadyoubeenherelong?"

"Well-alittletime.Ittakessometimetoputacallthroughintheevening."

"Itwasatrunkcall,then?"

"Yes-toWesteringham."

"Isee."

"Andthen?"

"Andthentherewasthatawfulscream-andeverybodyrunning-andthedoorbeinglockedandhaving
tobreakitdown.Oh!Itwaslikeanightmare!Ishallalwaysrememberit!"

"No,no,"ColonelJohnson'stonewasmechanicallykind.Hewenton:"Didyouknowthatyourfather-
in-lawkeptaquantityofvaluablediamondsinhissafe?"

"No,didhe?"Hertonewasquitefranklythrilled."Realdiamonds?"

HerculePoirotsaid:"Diamondsworthabouttenthousandpounds."

"Oh!"Itwasasoftgaspingsound-holdingitintheessenceoffemininecupidity.

"Well,"saidColonelJohnson,"Ithinkthat'sallforthepresent.Weneedn'tbotheryouanyfurther,Mrs
Lee."

"Oh,thankyou."

She stood up - smiled from Johnson to Poirot - the smile of a grateful little girl, then she went out
walkingwithherheadheldhighandherpalmsalittleturnedoutwards.

ColonelJohnsoncalled:"Willyouaskyourbrother-in-law,MrDavidLee,tocomehere?"Closingthe
doorafterher,hecamebacktothetable.

"Well,"hesaid,"whatdoyouthink?We'regettingatsomeofitnow!Younoticeonething:GeorgeLee
wastelephoningwhenheheardthescream!Hiswifewastelephoningwhensheheardit!Thatdoesn'tfit
-itdoesn'tfitatall."

Headded:"Whatdoyouthink,Sugden?"

The superintendent said slowly: "I don't want to speak offensively of the lady, but I should say that
thoughshe'sthekindwhowouldbefirstclassatgettingmoneyoutofagentleman,Idon'tthinkshe's
thekindwho'dcutagentleman'sthroat.Thatwouldn'tbeherlineatall."

"Ah,butoneneverknows,monvieux,"murmuredPoirot.

Thechiefconstableturnedroundonhim.

"Andyou,Poirot,whatdoyouthink?"

HerculePoirotleanedforward.Hestraightenedtheblotterinfrontofhimandnickedaminutespeckof
dustfromacandlestick.Heanswered:"IwouldsaythatthecharacterofthelateMrSimeonLeebegins
toemergeforus.Itisthere,Ithink,thatthewholeimportanceofthecaselies...inthecharacterofthe
deadman."

SuperintendentSugdenturnedapuzzledfacetohim.

"I don't quite get you, Mr Poirot," he said. "What exactly has the character of the deceased got to do
withhismurder?"

Poirotsaiddreamily:"Thecharacterofthevictimhasalwayssomethingtodowithhisorhermurder.
ThefrankandunsuspiciousmindofDesdemonawasthedirectcauseofherdeath.Amoresuspicious
womanwouldhaveseenIago'smachinationsandcircumventedthemmuchearlier.Theuncleannessof
Marat directly invited his end in a bath. From the temper of Mercutio's mind came his death at the
sword'spoint."

ColonelJohnsonpulledhismoustache.

"Whatexactlyareyougettingat,Poirot?"

"IamtellingyouthatbecauseSimeonLeewasacertainkindofman,hesetinmotioncertainforces,
whichforcesintheendbroughtabouthisdeath."

"Youdon'tthinkthediamondshadanythingtodowithit,then?"

PoirotsmiledatthehonestperplexityinJohnson'sface.

"Mon cher," he said. "It was because of Simeon Lee's peculiar character that he kept ten thousand
poundsworthofuncutdiamondsinhissafe!Youhavenottheretheactionofeveryman."

"That'sverytrue,MrPoirot,"saidSuperintendentSugden,noddinghisheadwiththeairofamanwho
atlastseeswhatafellow-conversationalistisdrivingat.

"He was a queer one, Mr Lee was. He kept those stones there so he could take them out and handle
themandgetthefeelingofthepastback.Dependuponit,that'swhyheneverhadthemcut."

Poirotnoddedenergetically.

"Precisely-precisely.Iseeyouhavegreatacumen.Superintendent."

The superintendent looked a little doubtful at the compliment, but Colonel Johnson cut in: "There's
somethingelse,Poirot.Idon'tknowwhetherithasstruckyou-"

"Maisoui,"saidPoirot."Iknowwhatyoumean.MrsGeorgeLee,sheletthecatoutofthebagmore
than she knew! She gave us a pretty impression of that last family meeting. She indicates - oh! so
naïvely-thatAlfredwasangrywithhisfather-andthatDavidlookedas'thoughhecouldmurderhim.'
BoththosestatementsIthinkweretrue.Butfromthemwecandrawourownreconstruction.Whatdid
SimeonLeeassemblehisfamilyfor?Whyshouldtheyhavearrivedintimetohearhimtelephoningto
hislawyer?Parbleu,itwasnoerror,that.Hewantedthemtohearit!Thepooroldone,hesitsinhis
chairandhehaslostthediversionsofhisyoungerdays.Soheinventsanewdiversionforhimself.He
amuseshimselfbyplayinguponthecupidityandthegreedofhumannature-yes,andonitsemotions
anditspassions,too!Butfromthatarisesonefurtherdeduction.Inhisgameofrousingthegreedand
emotionofhischildren,hewouldnotomitanyone.Hemust,logicallyandnecessarily,havehadhisdig
atMrGeorgeLeeaswellasattheothers!Hiswifeiscarefullysilentaboutthat.Ather,too,hemay
haveshotapoisonedarrowortwo.Weshallfindout,Ithink,fromothers,whatSimeonLeehastosay
toGeorgeLeeandGeorgeLee'swife-"

Hebrokeoff.ThedooropenedandDavidLeecamein.

XII

DavidLeehadhimselfwellinhand.Hisdemeanourwascalm-almostunnaturallyso.Hecameupto
them,drewachairforwardandsatdown,lookingwithgraveinterrogationatColonelJohnson.

Theelectriclighttouchedthefairpeakofhairthatgrewonhisforeheadandshowedupthesensitive
modellingofthecheekbones.Helookedabsurdlyyoungtobethesonofthatshrivelledoldmanwho
laydeadupstairs.

"Yes,gentlemen,"hesaid,"whatcanItellyou?"

Colonel Johnson said: "I understand, Mr Lee, that there was a kind of family meeting held in your
father'sroomthisafternoon?"

"Therewas.Butitwasquiteinformal.Imean,itwasnotafamilycounciloranythingofthatkind."

"Whattookplacethere?"

DavidLeeansweredcalmly:"Myfatherwasinadifficultmood.Hewasanoldmanandaninvalid,of
course,onehadtomakeallowancesforhim.Heseemedtohaveassembledusthereinorderto-well-
venthisspiteuponus."

"Canyourememberwhathesaid?"

David said quietly: "It was really all rather foolish. He said we were no use - any of us - that there
wasn'tasinglemaninthefamily!HesaidPilar(thatismySpanishniece)wasworthtwoofanyofus.
Hesaid-"Davidstopped.

Poirotsaid:"Please,MrLee,theexactwords,ifyoucan."

Davidsaidreluctantly:"Hespokerathercoarsely-saidhehopedthatsomewhereintheworldhehad
bettersons-eveniftheywerebornthewrongsideoftheblanket..."

His sensitive face showed distaste for the words he was repeating. Superintendent Sugden looked up,
suddenlyalert.

Leaningforward,hesaid:"Didyourfathersayanythinginparticulartoyourbrother,MrGeorgeLee?"

"ToGeorge?Idon'tremember.Oh,yes,Ibelievehetoldhimhewouldhavetocutdownexpensesin
future, he'd have to reduce his allowance. George was very upset, got as red as a turkey cock. He
splutteredandsaidhecouldn'tpossiblymanagewithless.Myfathersaidquitecoollythathe'dhaveto.
He said he'd better get his wife to help him economise. Rather a nasty dig, that - George has always
beentheeconomicalone-savesandstintsoneverypenny.Magdalene,Ifancy,isabitofaspender-
shehasextravaganttastes."

Poirotsaid:"Sothatshe,too,wasannoyed?"

"Yes.Besides,myfatherwordedsomethingelserathercrudely-mentionedherashavinglivedwitha
naval officer. Of course he really meant her father, but it sounded rather dubious. Magdalene went
scarlet.Idon'tblameher."

Poirotsaid:"Didyourfathermentionhislatewife,yourmother?"

TheredbloodraninwavesupDavid'stemples.Hishandsclenchedthemselvesonthetableinfrontof

him,tremblingslightly.

Hesaidinalowchokedvoice:"Yes,hedid.Heinsultedher."

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Whatdidhesay?"

Davidsaidabruptly:"Idon'tremember.Justsomeslightingreference."

Poirotsaidsoftly:"Yourmotherhasbeendeadsomeyears?"

Davidsaidshortly:"ShediedwhenIwasaboy."

"Shewasnot-perhaps-veryhappyinherlifehere?"

Davidgaveascornfullaugh:"Whocouldbehappywithamanlikemyfather?Mymotherwasasaint.
Shediedabroken-heartedwoman."

Poirotwenton:"Yourfatherwas,perhaps,distressedbyherdeath?"

Davidsaidabruptly:"Idon'tknow.Ilefthome."

Hepausedandthensaid:"PerhapsyoumaynotbeawareofthefactthatwhenIcameonthisvisitIhad
notseenmyfatherfornearlytwentyyears.SoyouseeIcan'ttellyouverymuchabouthishabitsorhis
enemiesorwhatwentonhere."

ColonelJohnsonasked:"Didyouknowthatyourfatherkeptalotofvaluablediamondsinthesafein
hisbedroom?"

Davidsaidindifferently:"Didhe?Seemsafoolishsortofthingtodo."

Johnsonsaid:"Willyoudescribebrieflyyourownmovementslastnight?"

"Mine?Oh,Iwentawayfromthedinner-tablefairlyquickly.Itboresme,thissittingroundoverport.

Besides,IcouldseethatAlfredandHarrywereworkingupforaquarrel.Ihaterows.Islippedaway
andwenttothemusic-roomandplayedthepiano."

Poirotasked:"Themusic-room,itisnexttothedrawing-room,isitnot?"

"Yes.Iplayedthereforsometime-till-tillthethinghappened."

"Whatdidyouhearexactly?"

"Oh!Afar-offnoiseoffurniturebeingoverturnedsomewhereupstairs.Andthenaprettyghastlycry."
Heclenchedhishandsagain."Likeasoulinhell.God,itwasawful!"

Johnsonsaid:"Wereyoualoneinthemusic-room?"

"Eh?No,mywife,Hilda,wasthere.She'dcomeinfromthedrawing-room.We-wewentupwiththe
others."

Headdedquicklyandnervously:"Youdon'twantme,doyou,todescribewhat-whatIsawthere?"

Colonel Johnson said: "No, quite unnecessary. Thank you, Mr Lee, there's nothing more. You can't
imagine,Isuppose,whowouldbelikelytowanttomurderyourfather?"

DavidLeesaidrecklessly:"Ishouldthink-quitealotofpeople!Idon'tknowofanyonedefinite."

Hewentoutrapidly,shuttingthedoorloudlybehindhim.

XIII

ColonelJohnsonhadhadnotimetodomorethanclearhisthroatwhenthedooropenedagainandHilda
Leecamein.

Hercule Poirot looked at her with interest. He had to admit to himself that the wives these Lees had
marriedwereaninterestingstudy.TheswiftintelligenceandgreyhoundgraceofLydia,themeretricious
airs and graces of Magdalene, and now, the solid comfortable strength of Hilda. She was, he saw,
younger than her rather dowdy style of hairdressing and unfashionable clothes made her appear. Her
mouse-brownhairwasunfleckedwithgreyandhersteadyhazeleyessetintheratherpodgyfaceshone
outlikebeaconsofkindliness.Shewas,hethought,anicewoman.

ColonelJohnsonwastalkinginhiskindliesttone.

"...Agreatstrainonallofyou,"hewassaying."Igatherfromyourhusband,MrsLee,thatthisisthe
firsttimeyouhavebeentoGorstonHall?"

Shebowedherhead.

"Wereyoupreviouslyacquaintedwithyourfather-in-law,MrLee?"

Hilda replied in her pleasant voice: "No. We were married soon after David left home. He always
wantedtohavenothingtodowithhisfamily.Untilnowwehavenotseenanyofthem."

"How,then,didthisvisitcomeabout?"

"Myfather-in-lawwrotetoDavid.Hestressedhisageandhisdesirethatallhischildrenshouldbewith
himthisChristmas."

"Andyourhusbandrespondedtothisappeal?"

Hildasaid:"Hisacceptancewas,Iamafraid,allmydoing.I-misunderstoodthesituation."

Poirotinterposed.Hesaid:"Willyoubesokindastoexplainyourselfalittlemoreclearly,madame?I
thinkwhatyoucantellusmaybeofvalue."

Sheturnedtohimimmediately.

She said: "At that time I had never seen my father-in-law. I had no idea what his real motive was. I
assumedthathewasoldandlonelyandthathereallywantedtobereconciledtoallhischildren."

"Andwhatwashisrealmotive,inyouropinion,madame?"

Hilda hesitated a moment. Then she said slowly: "I have no doubt - no doubt at all - that what my
father-in-lawreallywantedwasnottopromotepeacebuttostirupstrife."

"Inwhatway?"

Hildasaidinalowvoice:"Itamusedhimto-toappealtotheworstinstinctsinhumannature.There
was-howcanIputit?-akindofdiabolicalimpishnessabouthim.Hewishedtoseteverymemberof
thefamilyatloggerheadswithoneanother."

Johnsonsaidsharply:"Anddidhesucceed?"

"Oh,yes,"saidHildaLee."Hesucceeded."

Poirotsaid:"Wehavebeentold,madame,ofascenethattookplacethisafternoon.Itwas,Ithink,rather
aviolentscene."

Shebowedherhead.

"Willyoudescribeittous-astruthfullyaspossible,ifyouplease."

Shereflectedaminute.

"Whenwewentinmyfather-in-lawwastelephoning."

"Tohislawyer,Iunderstand?"

"Yes, he was suggesting that Mr - was it Charlton? - I don't quite remember the name - should come
overashe,myfather-in-law,wantedtomakeanewwill.Hisoldone,hesaid,wasquiteoutofdate."

Poirot said: "Think carefully, madame; in your opinion did your father-in-law deliberately ensure that
youshouldalloverhearthisconversation,orwasitjustbychancethatyouoverheardit?"

HildaLeesaid:"Iamalmostsurethathemeantustooverhear."

"Withtheobjectoffomentingdoubtandsuspicionsamongyou?"

"Yes."

"Sothat,really,hemaynothavemeanttoalterhiswillatall?"

Shedemurred.

"No,Ithinkthatpartofitwasquitegenuine.Heprobablydidwishtomakeanewwill-butheenjoyed
underliningthefact."

"Madame,"saidPoirot,"Ihavenoofficialstandingandmyquestions,youunderstand,arenotperhaps
those that an English officer of the law would ask. But I have a great desire to know what form you
thinkthatnewwillwouldhavetaken.Iamasking,youperceive,notforyourknowledge,butsimplyfor
youropinion.Lesfemmes,theyareneverslowtoformanopinion,Dieumerci."

HildaLeesmiledalittle.

"I don't mind saying what I think. My husband's sister Jennifer married a Spaniard, Juan Estravados.
Her daughter, Pilar, has just arrived here. She is a very lovely girl - and she is, of course, the only
grandchildinthefamily.OldMrLeewasdelightedwithher.Hetookatremendousfancytoher.Inmy
opinion, he wished to leave her a considerable sum in his new will. Probably he had only left her a
smallportionorevennothingatallinanoldone."

"Didyouknowyoursister-in-lawatall?"

"No, I never met her. Her Spanish husband died in tragic circumstances, I believe, soon after the

marriage.Jenniferherselfdiedayearago.Pilarwasleftanorphan.ThisiswhyMrLeesentforherto
comeandlivewithhiminEngland."

"Andtheothermembersofthefamily,didtheywelcomehercoming?"

Hildasaidquietly:"Ithinktheyalllikedher.Itwasverypleasanttohavesomeoneyoungandalivein
thehouse."

"Andshe,didsheseemtolikebeinghere?"

Hildasaidslowly:"Idon'tknow.ItmustseemcoldandstrangetoagirlbroughtupintheSouth-in
Spain."

Johnson said: "Can't be very pleasant being in Spain just at present. Now, Mrs Lee, we'd like to hear
youraccountoftheconversationthisafternoon."

Poirotmurmured:"Iapologise.Ihavemadethedigressions."

HildaLeesaid:"Aftermyfather-in-lawfinishedtelephoning,helookedroundatusandlaughed,and
said we all looked very glum. Then he said he was tired and should go to bed early. Nobody was to
comeupandseehimthisevening.HesaidhewantedtobeingoodformforChristmasDay.Something
likethat."

"Then -" Her brows knit in an effort of remembrance. "I think he said something about its being
necessarytobeoneofalargefamilytoappreciateChristmas,andthenhewentontospeakofmoney.
Hesaiditwouldcosthimmoretorunthishouseinfuture.HetoldGeorgeandMagdalenetheywould
have to economise. Told her she ought to make her own clothes. Rather an old-fashioned idea, I'm
afraid.Idon'twonderitannoyedher.Hesaidhisownwifehadbeencleverwithherneedle."

Poirotsaidgently:"Isthatallthathesaidabouther?"

Hildaflushed.

"He made a slighting reference to her brains. My husband was very devoted to his mother, and that
upsethimverymuch.Andthen,suddenlyMrLeebeganshoutingatusall.Heworkedhimselfupabout
it.Icanunderstand,ofcourse,howhefelt-"

Poirotsaidgently,interruptingher:"Howdidhefeel?"

Sheturnedhertranquileyesuponhim.

"Hewasdisappointed,ofcourse,"shesaid."Becausetherearenograndchildren-noboys,Imean-no
Leestocarryon.Icanseethatthatmusthavefesteredforalongtime.Andsuddenlyhecouldn'tkeepit
inanylongerandventedhisrageagainsthissons-sayingtheywerealotofnamby-pambyoldwomen
-somethinglikethat.Ifeltsorryforhim,then,becauseIrealisedhowhispridewashurtbyit."

"Andthen?"

"Andthen,"saidHildaslowly,"weallwentaway."

"Thatwasthelastyousawofhim?"

Shebowedherhead.

"Wherewereyouatthetimethecrimeoccurred?"

"Iwaswithmyhusbandinthemusic-room.Hewasplayingtome."

"Andthen?"

"Weheardtablesandchairsoverturnedupstairs,andchinabeingbroken-someterriblestruggle.And
thenthatawfulscreamashisthroatwascut..."

Poirotsaid:"Wasitsuchanawfulscream?Wasit-"hepaused-"likeasoulinhell?"

HildaLeesaid:"Itwasworsethanthat!"

"Whatdoyoumean,madame?"

"Itwaslikesomeonewhohadnosoul...Itwasinhumanlikeabeast..."

Poirotsaidgravely:"So-youhavejudgedhim,madame?"

Sheraisedahandinsuddendistress.Hereyesfellandshestareddownatthefloor.

XIV

Pilar came into the room with the wariness of an animal who suspects a trap. Her eyes went quickly
fromsidetoside.Shelookednotsomuchafraidasdeeplysuspicious.

ColonelJohnsonroseandputachairforher.Thenhesaid:"YouunderstandEnglish,Isuppose,Miss
Estravados?"

Pilar's eyes opened wide. She said: "Of course. My mother was English. I am really very English
indeed."

AfaintsmilecametoColonelJohnson'slips,ashiseyestookintheblackglossofhair,theprouddark
eyes,andthecurlingredlips.VeryEnglish!AnincongruoustermtoapplytoPilarEstravados.

He said: "Mr Lee was your grandfather. He sent for you to come from Spain. And you arrived a few
daysago.Isthatright?"

Pilarnodded.

"Thatisright.Ihad-oh!alotofadventuresgettingoutofSpain-therewasabombfromtheairandthe
chauffeurhewaskilled-wherehisheadhadbeentherewasallblood.AndIcouldnotdriveacar,so
foralongwayIhadtowalk-andIdonotlikewalking.Ineverwalk.Myfeetweresore-butsore-"

ColonelJohnsonsmiled.Hesaid:"Atanyrateyouarrivedhere.Hadyourmotherspokentoyouofyour
grandfathermuch?"

Pilarnoddedcheerfully.

"Oh,yes,shesaidhewasanolddevil."

HerculePoirotsmiled.Hesaid:"Andwhatdidyouthinkofhimwhenyouarrived,mademoiselle?"

Pilarsaid:"Ofcoursehewasvery,veryold.Hehadtositinachair-andhisfacewasalldriedup.ButI
liked him all the same. I think that when he was a young man, he must have been handsome - very
handsome, like you," said Pilar to Superintendent Sugden. Her eyes dwelt with naïve pleasure on his
handsomeface,whichhadturnedbrick-redatthecompliment.

Colonel Johnson stifled a chuckle. It was one of the few occasions when he had seen the stolid
superintendenttakenaback.

"Butofcourse,"Pilarcontinuedregretfully,"hecouldneverhavebeensobigasyou."

HerculePoirotsighed.

"Youlike,then,bigmen,señorita?"heinquired.

Pilaragreedenthusiastically.

"Oh,yes,Ilikeamantobeverybig,tall,andtheshouldersbroad,andvery,verystrong."

ColonelJohnsonsaidsharply:"Didyouseemuchofyourgrandfatherwhenyouarrivedhere?"

Pilarsaid:"Oh,yes.Iwenttositwithhim.Hetoldmethings-thathehadbeenaverywickedman,and
allthethingshedidinSouthAfrica."

"Didheevertellyouthathehaddiamondsinthesafeinhisroom?"

"Yes,heshowedthemtome.Buttheywerenotlikediamonds-theywerejustlikepebbles-veryugly-
veryuglyindeed."

SuperintendentSugdensaidshortly:"Soheshowedthemtoyou,didhe?"

"Yes."

"Hedidn'tgiveyouanyofthem?"

Pilarshookherhead.

"No,hedidnot.Ithoughtthatperhapsonedayhewould-ifIwereverynicetohimandcameoftento
sitwithhim.Becauseoldgentlementheylikeverymuchyounggirls."

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Doyouknowthatthosediamondshavebeenstolen?"

Pilaropenedhereyesverywide.

"Stolen?"

"Yes,haveyouanyideawhomighthavetakenthem."

Pilarnoddedherhead.

"Oh,yes,"shesaid."ItwouldbeHorbury."

"Horbury?Youmeanthevalet?"

"Yes."

"Whydoyouthinkthat?"

"Because he has the face of a thief. His eyes go so, from side to side, he walks softly and listens at
doors.Heislikeacat.Andallcatsarethieves."

"H'm," said Colonel Johnson. "We'll leave it at that. Now I understand that all the family were up in
yourgrandfather'sroomthisafternoon,andthatsome-er-angrywordspassed."

Pilarnoddedandsmiled.

"Yes,"shesaid."Itwasgreatfun.Grandfathermadethemoh!soangry!"

"Oh,youenjoyedit,didyou?"

"Yes.Iliketoseepeoplegetangry.Ilikeitverymuch.ButhereinEnglandtheydonotgetangrylike
they do in Spain. In Spain they take out their knives and they curse and shout. In England they do
nothing,justgetveryredinthefaceandshutuptheirmouthstight."

"Doyourememberwhatwassaid?"

Pilarseemedratherdoubtful.

"Iamnotsure.Grandfathersaidtheywerenogood-thattheyhadnotgotanychildren.HesaidIwas
betterthananyofthem.Helikedme,verymuch."

"Didhesayanythingaboutmoneyorawill?"

"Awill-no,Idon'tthinkso.Idon'tremember."

"Whathappened?"

"Theyallwentaway-exceptHilda-thefatone,David'swife,shestayedbehind."

"Oh,shedid,didshe?"

"Yes.Davidlookedveryfunny.Hewasallshakingandoh!sowhite.Helookedasthoughhemightbe
sick."

"Andwhatthen?"

"ThenIwentandfoundStephen.Wedancedtothegramophone."

"StephenFarr?"

"Yes.HeisfromSouthAfrica-heisthesonofgrandfather'spartner.Heisveryhandsometoo.Very
brownandbig,andhehasniceeyes."

Johnsonasked:"Wherewereyouwhenthecrimeoccurred?"

"YouaskwhereIwas?"

"Yes."

"Ihadgoneintothedrawing-roomwithLydia.AndthenIwentuptomyroomanddidmyface.Iwas
goingtodanceagainwithStephen.Andthen,faraway,Iheardascreamandeveryonewasrunning,soI
wenttoo.Andtheyweretryingtobreakdowngrandfather'sdoor.HarrydiditwithStephen,theyare
bothbigstrongmen."

"Yes?"

"And then - crash - down it went - and we all looked in. Oh, such a sight - everything smashed and
knockedoverandgrandfatherlyinginalotofblood,andhisthroatwascutlikethis-"shemadeavivid
dramaticgestureatherownneck-"rightupunderhisear."

Shepaused,havingobviouslyenjoyedhernarrative.

Johnsonsaid:"Theblooddidn'tmakeyoufeelill?"

Shestared.

"No, why should it? There is usually blood when people are killed. There was, oh! so much blood
everywhere!"

Poirotsaid:"Didanyonesayanything?"

Pilarsaid:"Davidsaidsuchafunnything-whatwasit?Oh,yes.ThemillsofGod-thatiswhathesaid
-"sherepeateditwithemphasisoneachword-"Themills-of-God-Whatdoesthatmean?Millsare
whatmakeflour,aretheynot?"

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Well,Idon'tthinkthereisanythingmorejustnow,MissEstravados."

Pilargotupobediently.Sheflashedaquickcharmingsmileateachmaninturn.

"Iwillgonow,then."Shewentout.

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"ThemillsofGodgrindslowly,buttheygrindexceedingsmall.AndDavidLee
saidthat!"

XV

Asthedooropenedoncemore.ColonelJohnsonlookedup.Foramomenthetooktheenteringfigureto
bethatofHarryLee,butasStephenFarradvancedintotheroomhesawhiserror.

"Sitdown,MrFarr,"hesaid.

Stephensat.Hiseyes,cool,intelligenteyes,wentfromonetotheotherofthethreemen.Hesaid:"I'm
afraid I shan't be much use to you. But please ask me anything that you think may help. Perhaps I'd
better explain, to start with, who I am. My father, Ebenezer Farr, was Simeon Lee's partner in South
Africaintheolddays.I'mtalkingofoverfortyyearsago."

Hepaused.

"My dad talked to me a lot about Simeon Lee - what a personality he was. He and dad cleaned up a
goodbittogether.SimeonLeewenthomewithafortuneandmyfatherdidn'tdobadlyeither.Myfather
alwaystoldmethatwhenIcametothiscountryIwastolookupMrLee.Isaidoncethatitwasalong
timeagoandthathe'dprobablynotknowwhoIwas,butDadscoffedattheidea.Hesaid,'Whentwo
men have been through what Simeon and I went through, they don't forget.' Well, my father died a
coupleofyearsago.ThisyearIcameovertoEnglandforthefirsttime,andIthoughtI'dactonDad's
adviceandlookupMrLee."

Withaslightsmilehewenton:"IwasjustalittlenervouswhenIcamealonghere,butIneedn'thave
been.MrLeegavemeawarmwelcomeandabsolutelyinsistedthatIshouldstaywiththefamilyover
Christmas.IwasafraidIwasbuttingin,buthewouldn'thearofarefusal."

He added rather shyly: "They were all very nice to me - Mr and Mrs Alfred Lee couldn't have been
nicer.I'mterriblysorryforthemthatallthisshouldcomeuponthem."

"Howlonghaveyoubeenhere,MrFarr?"

"Sinceyesterday."

"DidyouseeMrLeetodayatall?"

"Yes,Ihadachatwithhimthismorning.Hewasingoodspiritsthenandanxioustohearaboutalotof
peopleandplaces."

"Thatwasthelasttimeyousawhim?"

"Yes."

"Didhementiontoyouthathekeptaquantityofuncutdiamondsinhissafe?"

"No."

Headdedbeforetheothercouldspeak:"Doyoumeanthatthisbusinesswasmurderandrobbery?"

"We'renotsureyet,"saidJohnson."Nowtocometotheeventsofthisevening,willyoutellme,inyour
ownwords,whatyouweredoing?"

"Certainly.Aftertheladiesleftthedining-roomIstayedandhadaglassofport.ThenIrealisedthatthe
Lees had family business they wanted to discuss and that my being there was hampering them so I
excusedmyselfandleftthem."

"Andwhatdidyoudothen?"

StephenFarrleanedbackinhischair.

His forefinger caressed his jaw. He said rather woodenly: "I - er - went along to a big room with a
parquet floor - kind of ballroom, I fancy. There's a gramophone there and dance records. I put some
recordson."

Poirotsaid:"Itwaspossible,perhaps,thatsomeonemightjoinyouthere?"

AveryfaintsmilecurvedStephenFarr'slips.Heanswered:"Itwaspossible,yes.Onealwayshopes."

Andhegrinnedoutright.

Poirotsaid:"SeñoritaEstravadosisverybeautiful."

Stephenanswered:"She'seasilythebestthingtolookatthatI'veseensinceIcametoEngland."

"DidMissEstravadosjoinyou?"askedColonelJohnson.

Stephenshookhishead.

"IwasstilltherewhenIheardtherumpus.Icameoutintothehallandranhellforleathertoseewhat
wasthematter.IhelpedHarryLeetobreakthedoordown."

"Andthat'sallyouhavetotellus?"

"Absolutelyall,I'mafraid."

HerculePoirotleanedforward.Hesaidsoftly:"ButIthink,MonsieurFarr,thatyoucouldtellusagood
dealifyouliked."

Farrsaidsharply:"Whatd'youmean?"

"Youcantellussomethingthatisveryimportantinthiscase-thecharacterofMrLee.Yousaythat
yourfathertalkedmuchofhimtoyou.Whatmannerofamanwasitthathedescribedtoyou?"

StephenFarrsaidslowly:"IthinkIseewhatyou'redrivingat.WhatwasSimeonLeelikeinhisyoung
days?Well-youwantmetobefrank,Isuppose?"

"Ifyouplease."

"Well,tobeginwith,Idon'tthinkthatSimeonLeewasahighlymoralmemberofsociety.Idon'tmean
thathewasexactlyacrook,buthesailedprettynearthewind.Hismoralswerenothingtoboastabout
anyway. He had charm, though, a good deal of it. And he was fantastically generous. No one with a
hard-luck story ever appealed to him in vain. He drank a bit, but not over-much, was attractive to
women,andhadasenseofhumour.Allthesame,hehadaqueerrevengefulstreakinhim.Talkofthe
elephant never forgets and you talk of Simeon Lee. My father told me of several cases where Lee
waitedyearstogetevenwithsomeonewho'ddonehimanastyturn."

SuperintendentSugdensaid:"Twomightplayatthatgame.You'venoknowledge,Isuppose,MrFarr,
ofanyonewhoSimeonLeehaddoneabadturntooutthere?Nothingoutofthepastthatcouldexplain
thecrimecommittedherethisevening?"

StephenFarrshookhishead.

"He had enemies, of course, must have had, being the man he was. But I know of no specific case.
Besides,"hiseyesnarrowed,"Iunderstand(asamatteroffact,I'vebeenquestioningTressilian)there
havebeennostrangersinornearthehousethisevening."

HerculePoirotsaid:"Withtheexceptionofyourself,M.Farr."

StephenFarrswungrounduponhim.

"Oh,sothat'sit?Suspiciousstrangerwithinthegates!Well,youwon'tfindanythingofthatkind.No
backhistoryofSimeonLeedoingEbenezerFarrdown,andEb'ssoncomingovertorevengehisdad!
No,"heshookhishead."SimeonandEbenezerhadnothingagainsteachother.Icamehere,asI'vetold
you, out of sheer curiosity. And moreover, I should imagine a gramophone is as good an alibi as
anything else. I never stopped putting on records - somebody must have heard them. One record
wouldn'tgivemetimetoraceawayupstairs-thesepassagesareamilelong,anyway-slitanoldman's
throat,washofftheblood,andgetbackagainbeforetheotherscamerushingup.Theidea'sfarcical!"

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"We'renotmakinganyinsinuationsagainstyou,MrFarr."

StephenFarrsaid:"Ididn'tcaremuchforthetoneofMrHerculePoirot'svoice."

"That,"saidHerculePoirot,"isunfortunate!"

Hesmiledbenignlyattheother.StephenFarrlookedangrilyathim.

ColonelJohnsoninterposedquickly:"Thankyou,MrFarr.Thatwillbeallforthepresent.Youwill,of
course,notleavethishouse."

StephenFarrnodded.Hegotupandlefttheroom,walkingwithafreelyswingingstride.

As the door closed behind him, Johnson said: "There goes X, the unknown quantity. His story seems
straightforward enough. All the same, he's the dark horse. He might have pinched those diamonds -
might have come here with a bogus story just to gain admittance. You'd better get his fingerprints,
Sugden,andseeifhe'sknown."

"I'vealreadygotthem,"saidthesuperintendentwithadrysmile.

"Goodman.Youdon'toverlookmuch.Isupposeyou'reontoalltheobviouslines?"

SuperintendentSugdencheckedoffonhisfingers.

"Checkuponthosetelephonecalls-times,etc.CheckuponHorbury.Whattimeheleft,whosawhim
go. Check up all entrances and exits. Check up on staff generally. Check up financial position of
membersoffamily.Getontothelawyersandcheckuponwill.Searchhousefortheweaponandfor
bloodstainsonclothing-alsopossiblydiamondshiddensomewhere."

"That covers everything, I think," said Colonel Johnson approvingly. "Can you suggest anything, Mr
Poirot?"

Poirotshookhishead.Hesaid:"Ifindthesuperintendentadmirablythorough."

Sugden said gloomily: "It won't be any joke looking through this house for the missing diamonds.
Neversawsomanyornamentsandknick-knacksinmylife."

"Thehiding-placesarecertainlyabundant,"Poirotagreed.

"Andthere'sreallynothingyouwouldsuggest,Poirot?"

Thechiefconstablelookedalittledisappointed-ratherlikeamanwhosedoghasrefusedtodoitstrick.

Poirotsaid:"YouwillpermitthatItakealineofmyown?"

"Certainly - certainly," said Johnson at the same moment as Superintendent Sugden said rather
suspiciously:"Whatline?"

"Iwouldlike,"saidHerculePoirot,"toconverse-veryoften-veryfrequently-withmembersofthe
family."

"Youmeanyou'dliketohaveanothershotatquestioningthem?"askedthecolonel,alittlepuzzled.

"No,no,nottoquestion-toconverse!"

"Why?"askedSugden.

HerculePoirotwavedanemphatichand.

"Inconversation,pointsarise!Ifahumanbeingconversesmuch,itisimpossibleforhimtoavoidthe
truth!"

Sugdensaid:"Thenyouthinksomeoneislying?"

Poirotsighed.

"Mon cher, everyone lies - in parts like the egg of the English curate. It is profitable to separate the

harmlessliesfromthevitalones."

ColonelJohnsonsaidsharply:"Allthesame,it'sincredible,youknow.Here'saparticularlycrudeand
brutal murder - and whom have we as suspects? Alfred Lee and his wife - both charming, well-bred,
quiet people. George Lee, who's a Member of Parliament and the essence of respectability. His wife?
She's just an ordinary modern lovely. David Lee seems a gentle creature and we've got his brother
Harry'swordforitthathecan'tstandthesightofblood.Hiswifeseemsanicesensiblewoman-quite
commonplace. Remains the Spanish niece and the man from South Africa. Spanish beauties have hot
tempers,but I don'tsee that attractivecreature slitting the oldman's neck incold blood, especially as
fromwhathascomeoutandshehadeveryreasontokeephimalive-atanyrateuntilhehadsigneda
newwill.StephenFarr'sapossibility-thatistosay,hemaybeaprofessionalcrookandhavecomehere
after the diamonds. The old man discovered the loss and Farr slit his throat to keep him quiet. That
couldhavebeenso-thatgramophonealibiisn'ttoogood."

Poirotshookhishead.

"My dear friend," he said. "Compare the physique of M. Stephen Farr and old Simeon Lee. If Farr
decidedtokilltheoldmanhecouldhavedoneitinaminute-SimeonLeecouldn'tpossiblyhaveputup
that fight against him. Can one believe that that frail old man and that magnificent specimen of
humanitystruggledforsomeminutesoverturningchairsandbreakingchina?Toimaginesuchathingis
fantastic!"

ColonelJohnson'seyesnarrowed.

"Youmean,"hesaid,"thatitwasaweakmanwhokilledSimeonLee?"

"Orawoman!"saidthesuperintendent.

XVI

ColonelJohnsonlookedathiswatch.

"NothingmuchmorethatIcandohere.You'vegotthingswellinhand,Sugden.Oh,justonething.We
oughttoseethebutlerfellow.Iknowyou'vequestionedhim,butweknowabitmoreaboutthingsnow.
It'simportanttogetconfirmationofjustwhereeverybodysayshewasatthetimeofthemurder."

Tressiliancameinslowly.Thechiefconstabletoldhimtositdown.

"Thankyou,sir.Iwill,ifyoudon'tmind.I'vebeenfeelingveryqueer-veryqueerindeed.Mylegs,sir,
andmyhead."

Poirotsaidgently:"Youhavehadtheshock,yes."

The butler shuddered. "Such - such a violent thing to happen. In this house! Where everything has
alwaysgoneonsoquietly."

Poirotsaid:"Itwasawell-orderedhouse,yes?Butnotahappyone?"

"Iwouldn'tliketosaythat,sir."

"Intheolddayswhenallthefamilywasathome,itwashappythen?"

Tressiliansaidslowly:"Itwasn'tperhapswhatonewouldcallveryharmonious,sir."

"ThelateMrsLeewassomewhatofaninvalid,wasshenot?"

"Yes,sir,verypoorlyshewas."

"Wereherchildrenfondofher?"

"MrDavid,hewasdevotedtoher.Morelikeadaughterthanason.Andaftershediedhebrokeaway,
couldn'tfacelivinghereanylonger."

Poirotsaid:"AndMrHarry?Whatwashelike?"

"Always rather a wild young gentleman, sir, but good-hearted. Oh, dear, gave me quite a turn, it did,
whenthebellrang-andthenagain,soimpatientlike,andIopenedthedoorandtherewasastrange
man,andthenMrHarry'svoicesaid,'Hallo,Tressilian.Stillhere,eh?'Justthesameasever."

Poirotsaidsympathetically:"Itmusthavebeenthestrangefeeling,yes,indeed."

Tressiliansaid,alittlepinkflushshowinginhischeek:"Itseemssometimes,sir,asthoughthepastisn't
thepast!Ibelievethere'sbeenaplayoninLondonaboutsomethinglikethat.There'ssomethinginit,
sir-therereallyis.There'safeelingcomesoveryou-asthoughyou'ddoneeverythingbefore.Itjust
seemstomeasthoughthebellringsandIgotoansweritandthere'sMrHarry-evenifitshouldbeMr
Farrorsomeotherperson-I'mjustsayingtomyself-butI'vedonethisbefore..."

Poirotsaid:"Thatisveryinteresting-veryinteresting."

Tressilianlookedathimgratefully.Johnson,somewhatimpatient,clearedhisthroatandtookchargeof
theconversation.

"Just want to get various times checked correctly," he said. "Now, when the noise upstairs started, I
understandthatonlyMrAlfredLeeandMrHarryLeewereinthedining-room.Isthatso?"

"I really couldn't tell you, sir. All the gentlemen were there when I served coffee to them - but that
wouldbeaboutaquarterofanhourearlier."

"MrGeorgeLeewastelephoning.Canyouconfirmthat?"

"I think somebody did telephone, sir. The bell rings in my pantry, and when anybody takes off the
receivertocallanumber,there'sjustafaintnoiseonthebell.Idorememberhearingthat,butIdidn't
payattentiontoit."

"Youdon'tknowexactlywhenitwas?"

"Icouldn'tsay,sir.ItwasafterIhadtakencoffeetothegentlemen,thatisallIcansay."

"DoyouknowwhereanyoftheladieswereatthetimeImentioned?"

"MrsAlfredwasinthedrawing-room,sir,whenIwentforthecoffeetray.Thatwasjustaminuteortwo
beforeIheardthecryupstairs."

Poirotasked:"Whatwasshedoing?"

"Shewasstandingbythefarwindow,sir.Shewasholdingthecurtainalittlebackandlookingout."

"Andnoneoftheotherladieswereintheroom?"

"No,sir."

"Doyouknowwheretheywere?"

"Icouldn'tsayatall,sir."

"Youdon'tknowwhereanyoneelsewas?"

"MrDavid,Ithink,wasplayinginthemusic-roomnextdoortothedrawing-room."

"Youheardhimplaying?"

"Yes,sir."Againtheoldmanshivered.

"Itwaslikeasign,sir,soIfeltafterwards.Itwasthe'DeadMarch'hewasplaying.Evenatthetime,I
remember,itgavemethecreeps."

"Itiscurious,yes,"saidPoirot.

"Now,aboutthisfellow,Horbury,thevalet,"saidthechiefconstable."Areyoudefinitelypreparedto
swearthathewasoutofthehousebyeighto'clock?"

"Ohyes,sir.ItwasjustafterMrSugdenherearrived.Irememberparticularbecausehebrokeacoffee-
cup."

Poirotsaid:"Horburybrokeacoffee-cup?"

"Yes,sir-oneoftheoldWorcesterones.ElevenyearsI'vewashedthemupandneveronebrokentill
thisevening."

Poirotsaid:"WhatwasHorburydoingwiththecoffee-cups?"

"Well,ofcourse,sir,he'dnobusinesstohavebeenhandlingthematall.Hewasjustholdingoneup,
admiringitlike,andIhappenedtomentionthatMrSugdenhadcalled,andhedroppedit."

Poirotsaid:"Didyousay'MrSugden'ordidyoumentionthewordpolice?"

Tressilianlookedalittlestartled.

"NowIcometothinkofit,sir,Imentionedthatthepolicesuperintendenthadcalled."

"AndHorburydroppedthecoffeecup,"saidPoirot.

"Seems suggestive, that," said the chief constable. "Did Horbury ask any questions about the
superintendent'svisit?"

"Yes,sir,askedwhathewantedhere.Isaidhe'dcomecollectingforthePoliceOrphanageandhadgone
uptoMrLee."

"DidHorburyseemrelievedwhenyousaidthat?"

"Doyouknow,sir,nowyoumentionit,hecertainlydid.Hismannerchangedatonce.SaidMrLeewas
agoodoldchapandfreewithhismoney-ratherdisrespectfullyhespoke-andthenhewentoff."

"Whichway?"

"Outthroughthedoortotheservants'hall."

Sugden interposed: "All that's OK, sir. He passed through the kitchen, where the cook and the
kitchenmaidsawhim,andoutthroughthebackdoor."

"Nowlisten,Tressilian,andthinkcarefully.IsthereanymeansbywhichHorburycouldreturntothe
housewithoutanyoneseeinghim?"

Theoldmanshookhishead.

"Idon'tseehowhecouldhavedoneso,sir.Allthedoorsarelockedontheinside."

"Supposinghehadhadakey?"

"Thedoorsareboltedaswell."

"Howdoeshegetinwhenhecomes?"

"Hehasakeyofthebackdoor,sir.Alltheservantscomeinthatway."

"Hecouldhavereturnedthatway,then?"

"Notwithoutpassingthroughthekitchen,sir.Andthekitchenwouldbeoccupiedtillwellafterhalf-past
nineoraquartertoten."

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Thatseemsconclusive.Thankyou,Tressilian."

Theoldmangotupandwithabowlefttheroom.Hereturned,however,aminuteortwolater.

"Horburyhasjustreturned,sir.Wouldyouliketoseehimnow?"

"Yes,please,sendhiminatonce."

XVII

Sydney Horbury did not present a very prepossessing appearance. He came into the room and stood
rubbing his hands together and darting quick looks from one person to another. His manner was
unctuous.

Johnsonsaid:"You'reSydneyHorbury?"

"Yes,sir."

"ValetattendanttothelateMrLee?"

"Yes, sir. It's terrible, isn't it? You could have knocked me down with a feather when I heard from
Gladys.Pooroldgentleman-"

Johnsoncuthimshort.

"Justanswermyquestions,please."

"Yes,sir,certainly,sir."

"Whattimedidyougoouttonight,andwherehaveyoubeen?"

"Ileftthehousejustbeforeeight,sir.IwenttotheSuperb,sir,justfiveminutes'walkaway.LoveinOld
Sevillewasthepicture,sir."

"Anyonewhosawyouthere?"

"Theyoungladyintheboxoffice,sir,sheknowsme.Andthecommissionaireatthedoor,heknowsme
too.And-er-asamatteroffact,Iwaswithayounglady,sir.Imethertherebyappointment."

"Oh,youdid,didyou?What'shername?"

"DorisBuckle,sir.SheworksintheCombinedDairies,sir,23,MarkhamRoad."

"Good.We'lllookintothat.Didyoucomestraighthome?"

"I saw my young lady home first, sir. Then I came straight back. You'll find it's quite all right, sir. I
didn'thaveanythingtodowiththis.Iwas-"

ColonelJohnsonsaidcurtly:"Nobody'saccusingyouofhavinganythingtodowithit."

"No,sir,ofcoursenot,sir.Butit'snotverypleasantwhenamurderhappensinahouse."

"Nobodysaiditwas.Now,then,howlonghadyoubeeninMrLee'sservice?"

"Justoverayear,sir."

"Didyoulikeyourplacehere?"

"Yes,sir.Iwasquitesatisfied.Thepaywasgood.MrLeewasratherdifficultsometimes,butofcourse
I'musedtoattendingoninvalids."

"You'vehadpreviousexperience?"

"Oh,yes,sir.IwaswithMajorWestandwiththeHonourableJasperFinch-"

"YoucangiveallthoseparticularstoSugdenlater.WhatIwanttoknowisthis:Atwhattimedidyou
lastseeMrLeethisevening?"

"It was about half-past seven, sir. Mr Lee had a light supper brought to him every evening at seven
o'clock.Ithenpreparedhimforbed.Afterthathewouldsitinfrontofthefireinhisdressing-gowntill
hefeltlikegoingtobed,"

"Whattimewasthatusually?"

"Itvaried,sir.Sometimeshewouldgotobedasearlyaseighto'clock-that'sifhefelttired.Sometimes
hewouldsituptillelevenorafter."

"Whatdidhedowhenhedidwanttogotobed?"

"Usuallyherangforme,sir."

"Andyouassistedhimtobed?"

"Yes,sir."

"Butthiswasyoureveningout.DidyoualwayshaveFridays?"

"Yes,sir.Fridaywasmyregularday."

"WhathappenedthenwhenMrLeewantedtogotobed?"

"HewouldringhisbellandeitherTressilianorWalterwouldseetohim."

"Hewasnothelpless?Hecouldmoveabout?"

"Yes,sir,butnotveryeasily.Rheumatoidarthritiswaswhathesufferedfrom,sir.Hewasworsesome
daysthanothers."

"Didhenevergointoanotherroominthedaytime?"

"No,sir.Hepreferredtobeinjusttheoneroom.MrLeewasn'tluxuriousinhistastes.Itwasabigroom
withplentyofairandlightinit."

"MrLeehadhissupperatseven,yousay?"

"Yes,sir.Itookthetrayawayandputoutthesherryandtwoglassesonthebureau."

"Whydidyoudothat?"

"MrLee'sorders."

"Wasthatusual?"

"Sometimes.ItwastherulethatnoneofthefamilycametoseeMrLeeintheeveningunlessheinvited
them.Someeveningshelikedtobealone.Othereveningshe'dsenddownandaskMrAlfred,orMrs
Alfred,orbothofthem,tocomeupafterdinner."

"But,asfarasyouknow,hehadnotdonesoonthisoccasion?Thatis,hehadnotsentamessagetoany
memberofthefamilyrequestingtheirpresence?"

"Hehadn'tsentanymessagebyme,sir."

"Sothathewasn'texpectinganyofthefamily?"

"Hemighthaveaskedoneofthempersonally,sir."

"Ofcourse."

Horburycontinued:"Isawthateverythingwasinorder,wishedMrLeegoodnightandlefttheroom."

Poirotasked:"Didyoumakeupthefirebeforeyoulefttheroom?"

Thevalethesitated.

"Itwasn'tnecessary,sir.Itwaswellbuiltup."

"CouldMrLeehavedonethathimself?"

"Ohno,sir.IexpectMrHarryLeehaddoneit."

"MrHarryLeewaswithhimwhenyoucameinbeforesupper?"

"Yes,sir.HewentawaywhenIcame."

"Whatwastherelationshipbetweenthetwoasfarasyoucouldjudge?"

"MrHarryLeeseemedinverygoodspirits,sir.Throwingbackhisheadandlaughingagooddeal."

"AndMrLee?"

"Hewasquietandratherthoughtful."

"Isee.Now,there'ssomethingmoreIwanttoknow,Horbury:Whatcanyoutellmeaboutthediamonds
MrLeekeptinhissafe?"

"Diamonds,sir?Ineversawanydiamonds."

"MrLeekeptaquantityofuncutstonesthere.Youmusthaveseenhimhandlingthem."

"Thosefunnylittlepebbles,sir?Yes,Ididseehimwiththemonceortwice.ButIdidn'tknowtheywere
diamonds.Hewasshowingthemtotheforeignyoungladyonlyyesterday-orwasitthedaybefore?"

ColonelJohnsonsaidabruptly:"Thesestoneshavebeenstolen."

Horburycriedout:"Ihopeyoudon'tthink,sir,thatIhadanythingtodowithit!"

"I'mnotmakinganyaccusations,"saidJohnson."Nowthen,isthereanythingyoucantellusthathas
anybearingonthismatter?"

"Thediamonds,sir?Orthemurder?"

"Both."

Horburyconsidered.Hepassedhistongueoverhispalelips.Atlasthelookedupwitheyesthatwerea
shadefurtive.

"Idon'tthinkthere'sanything,sir."

Poirot said softly: "Nothing you've overheard, say, in the course of your duties, which might be
helpful?"

Thevalet'seyelidsflickeredalittle.

"No,sir,Idon'tthinkso,sir.TherewasalittleawkwardnessbetweenMrLeeand-andsomemembers
ofhisfamily."

"Whichmembers?"

"IgatheredtherewasalittletroubleoverMrHarryLee'sreturn.MrAlfredLeeresentedit.Iunderstand
heandhisfatherhadafewwordsaboutit-butthatwasalltherewastoit.MrLeedidn'taccusehimfor
aminuteofhavingtakenanydiamonds.AndI'msureMrAlfredwouldn'tdosuchathing."

Poirot said quickly: "His interview with Mr Alfred was after he had discovered the loss of the
diamonds,wasitnot,though?"

"Yes,sir."

Poirotleanedforward.

"I thought, Horbury," he said softly, "that you did not know of the theft of the diamonds until we
informedyouofitjustnow.How,then,doyouknowthatMrLeehaddiscoveredhislossbeforehehad
thisconversationwithhisson?"

Horburyturnedbrickred.

"Nouselying.Outwithit,"saidSugden."Whendidyouknow?"

Horburysaidsullenly:"Iheardhimtelephoningtosomeoneaboutit."

"Youweren'tintheroom?"

"No,outsidethedoor.Couldn'thearmuch-onlyawordortwo."

"Whatdidyouhearexactly?"askedPoirotsweetly.

"I heard the words robbery and diamonds, and I heard him say, 'I don't know who to suspect' - and I
heardhimsaysomethingaboutthiseveningateighto'clock."

SuperintendentSugdennodded."Thatwastomehewasspeaking,mylad.Aboutfive-ten,wasit?"

"That'sright,sir."

"Andwhenyouwentintohisroomafterwards,didhelookupset?"

"Justabit,sir.Seemedabsent-mindedandworried."

"Somuchsothatyougotthewindup-eh?"

"Lookhere,MrSugden,Iwon'thaveyousayingthingslikethat.Nevertouchedanydiamonds,Ididn't,
andyoucan'tproveIdid.I'mnotathief."

SuperintendentSugden,unimpressed,said:"Thatremainstobeseen."

Heglancedquestioninglyatthechiefconstable,receivedanod,andwenton:"That'lldoforyou,my
lad.Shan'twantyouagaintonight."

Horburywentoutgratefullyinhaste.

Sugdensaidappreciatively:"Prettybitofwork,M.Poirot.YoutrappedhimasneatlyasI'veeverseenit
done.Hemaybeathieforhemaynot,buthe'scertainlyafirst-classliar!"

"Anunprepossessingperson,"saidPoirot.

"Nastybitofgoods,"agreedJohnson."Questionis,whatdowethinkofhisevidence?"

Sugdensummarisedthepositionneatly.

"Seemstometherearethreepossibilities:

(1)Horbury'sathiefandamurderer.

(2)Horbury'sathief,butnotamurderer.

(3)Horbury'saninnocentman.

Certain amount of evidence for (1). He overheard telephone call and knew the theft had been
discovered.Gatheredfromoldman'smannerthathewassuspected.Madehisplansaccordingly.Went
out ostentatiously at eight o'clock and cooked up an alibi. Easy enough to slip out of a cinema and
returnthereunnoticed.He'dhavetobeprettysureofthegirl,though,thatshewouldn'tgivehimaway.
I'llseewhatIcangetoutofhertomorrow."

"How,then,didhemanagetoreenterthehouse?"askedPoirot.

"That's more difficult," Sugden admitted. "But there might be ways. Say one of the women servants
unlockedasidedoorforhim."

Poirotraisedhiseyebrowsquizzically.

"Heplaces,then,hislifeatthemercyoftwowomen?Withonewomanitwouldbetakingabigrisk;
withtwo-ehbien,Ifindtheriskfantastic!"

Sugdensaid:"Somecriminalsthinktheycangetawaywithanything!"

Hewenton:"Let'stake(2).Horburypinchedthosediamonds.Hetook'emoutofthehousetonightand
has possibly passed them on to some accomplice. That's quite easy going and highly probable. Now
we'vegottoadmitthatsomebodyelsechosethisnighttomurderMrLee.Thatsomebodybeingquite
unawareofthediamondcomplication.It'spossible,ofcourse,butit'sabitofacoincidence.

"Possibility (3) - Horbury's innocent. Somebody else both took the diamonds and murdered the old

gentleman.Thereitis;it'suptoustogetatthetruth."

ColonelJohnsonyawned.Helookedagainathiswatchandgotup.

"Well,"hesaid,"Ithinkwe'llcallitanight,eh?Betterjusthavealookinthesafebeforewego.Odd
thingsifthosewretcheddiamondswerethereallthetime."

Butthediamondswerenotinthesafe.TheyfoundthecombinationwhereAlfredLeehadtoldthem,in
the small notebook taken from the dressing-gown pocket of the dead man. In the safe they found an
emptychamoisleatherbag.Amongthepapersthesafecontainedonlyonewasofinterest.

It was a will dated some fifteen years previously. After various legacies and bequests, the provisions
weresimpleenough.HalfSimeonLee'sfortunewenttoAlfredLee.Theotherhalfwastobedividedin
equalsharesbetweenhisremainingchildren:Harry,George,DavidandJennifer.

PARTIV-December25th

I

InthebrightsunofChristmasnoon,PoirotwalkedinthegardensofGorstonHall.TheHallitselfwasa
largesolidlybuilthousewithnospecialarchitecturalpretensions.

Here,onthesouthside,wasabroadterraceflankedwithahedgeofclippedyew.Littleplantsgrewin
the interstices of the stone flags and at intervals along the terrace there were stone sinks arranged as
miniaturegardens.

Poirotsurveyedthemwithbenignapproval.Hemurmuredtohimself:"C'estbienimagine,ça!"

Inthedistancehecaughtsightoftwofiguresgoingtowardsanornamentalsheetofwatersomethree
hundredyardsaway.

Pilarwaseasilyrecognisableasoneofthefigures,andhethoughtatfirsttheotherwasStephenFarr,
thenhesawthatthemanwithPilarwasHarryLee.Harryseemedveryattentivetohisattractiveniece.
Atintervalsheflunghisheadbackandlaughed,thenbentoncemoreattentivelytowardsher.

"Assuredly,thereisonewhodoesnotmourn,"Poirotmurmuredtohimself.

Asoftsoundbehindhimmadehimturn.MagdaleneLeewasstandingthere.She,too,waslookingat
theretreatingfiguresofthemanandgirl.SheturnedherheadandsmiledenchantinglyatPoirot.

Shesaid:"It'ssuchaglorioussunnyday!Onecanhardlybelieveinallthehorrorsoflastnight,canone,
M.Poirot?"

"Itisdifficult,truly,madame."

Magdalenesighed.

"I'veneverbeenmixedupintragedybefore.I've-I'vereallyonlyjustgrownup.Istayedachildtoo
long,Ithink...That'snotagoodthingtodo."

Again she sighed. She said: "Pilar, now, seems so extraordinarily self-possessed... I suppose it's the
Spanishblood.It'sallveryodd,isn'tit?"

"Whatisodd,madame?"

"Thewaysheturneduphere,outoftheblue!"

Poirot said: "I have learned that Mr Lee had been searching for her for some time. He had been in
correspondencewiththeConsulateinMadridandwiththeviceconsulatAliquara,wherehermother
died."

"He was very secretive about it all," said Magdalene. "Alfred knew nothing about it. No more did
Lydia."

"Ah!"saidPoirot.

Magdalenecamealittlenearertohim.Hecouldsmellthedelicateperfumesheused.

"Youknow,M.Poirot,there'ssomestoryconnectedwithJennifer'shusband,Estravados.Hediedquite

soon after the marriage, and there's some mystery about it. Alfred and Lydia know. I believe it was
something-ratherdisgraceful..."

"That,"saidPoirot,"isindeedsad."

Magdalene said: "My husband feels - and I agree with him - that the family ought to have been told
moreaboutthegirl'santecedents.Afterall,ifherfatherwasacriminal-"

Shepaused,butHerculePoirotsaidnothing.Heseemedtobeadmiringsuchbeautiesofnatureascould
beseeninthewinterseasoninthegroundsofGorstonHall.

Magdalene said: "I can't help feeling that the manner of my father-in-law's death was somehow
significant.It-itwassoveryun-English."

HerculePoirotturnedslowly.Hisgraveeyesmethersininnocentinquiry.

"Ah,"hesaid."TheSpanishtouch,youthink?"

"Well,theyarecruel,aren'tthey?"Magdalenespokewithaneffectofchildishappeal."Allthosebull
fightsandthings!"

Hercule Poirot said pleasantly: "You are saying that in your opinion Señorita Estravados cut her
grandfather'sthroat?"

"Oh no, M. Poirot!" Magdalene was vehement. She was shocked. "I never said anything of the kind!
IndeedIdidn't!"

"Well,"saidPoirot."Perhapsyoudidnot."

"ButIdothinkthatsheis-well,asuspiciousperson.Thefurtivewayshepickedupsomethingfromthe
floorofthatroomlastnight,forinstance."

AdifferentnotecreptintoHerculePoirot'svoice.Hesaidsharply:"Shepickedupsomethingfromthe
floorlastnight?"

Magdalenenodded.Herchildishmouthcurvedspitefully.

"Yes,assoonaswegotintotheroom.Shegaveaquickglanceroundtoseeifanyonewaslooking,and
thenpouncedonit.Butthesuperintendentmansawher,I'mgladtosay,andmadehergiveitup."

"Whatwasitthatshepickedup,doyouknow,madame?"

"No.Iwasn'tnearenoughtosee."Magdalene'svoiceheldregret."Itwassomethingquitesmall."

Poirotfrownedtohimself.

"Itisinteresting,that,"hemurmuredtohimself.

Magdalenesaidquickly:"Yes.Ithoughtyououghttoknowaboutit.Afterall,wedon'tknowanything
aboutPilar'supbringingandwhatherlifehasbeenlike.AlfredisalwayssosuspiciousanddearLydiais
socasual."

Thenshemurmured:"PerhapsI'dbettergoandseeifIcanhelpLydiainanyway.Theremaybeletters
towrite."

Shelefthimwithasmileofsatisfiedmaliceonherlips.

Poirotremainedlostinthoughtontheterrace.

II

TohimtherecameSuperintendentSugden.Thepolicesuperintendentlookedgloomy.

He said: "Good-morning, Mr Poirot. Doesn't seem quite the right thing to say Merry Christmas, does
it?"

"Monchercolleague,Icertainlydonotobserveanytracesofmerrimentonyourcountenance.Ifyou
hadsaidMerryChristmasIshouldnothavereplied'Manyofthem!'"

"Idon'twantanotheronelikethisone,andthat'safact,"saidSugden.

"Youhavemadetheprogress,yes?"

"I'vecheckeduponagoodmanypoints.Horbury'salibiisholdingwaterallright.Thecommissionaire
atthecinemasawhimgoinwiththegirl,andsawhimcomeoutwithherattheendoftheperformance,
andseemsprettypositivehedidn'tleave,andcouldn'thaveleftandreturnedduringtheperformance.
Thegirlswearsquitedefinitelyhewaswithherinthecinemaallthetime."

Poirot'seyebrowsrose.

"Ihardlysee,then,whatmorethereistosay."

Thecynical Sugden said:"Well, one neverknows with girls! Liethemselves black inthe face for the
sakeofaman."

"Thatdoescredittotheirhearts,"saidHerculePoirot.

Sugdengrowled.

"That'saforeignwayoflookingatit.It'sdefeatingtheendsofjustice."

HerculePoirotsaid:"Justiceisaverystrangething.Haveyoueverreflectedonit?"

Sugdenstaredathim.Hesaid:"You'reaqueerone,MrPoirot."

"Notatall.Ifollowalogicaltrainofthought.Butwewillnotenterintoadisputeonthequestion.Itis
yourbelief,then,thatthisdemoisellefromthemilkshopisnotspeakingthetruth?"

Sugdenshookhishead.

"No,"hesaid,"it'snotlikethatatall.Asamatteroffact,Ithinksheistellingthetruth.She'sasimple
kindofgirl,andIthinkifshewastellingmeapackoflieswe'dspotit."

Poirotsaid:"Youhavetheexperience,yes?"

"That'sjustit,MrPoirot.Onedoesknow,moreorless,afteralifetimeoftakingdownstatements,when
a person's lying and when they're not. No, I think the girl's evidence is genuine, and if so, Horbury
couldn'thavemurderedoldMrLee,andthatbringsusrightbacktothepeopleinthehouse."

Hedrewadeepbreath.

"Oneof'emdidit,MrPoirot.Oneof'emdidit.Butwhichone?"

"Youhavenodata?"

"Yes,I'vehadacertainamountofluckoverthetelephonecalls.MrGeorgeLeeputthroughacallto
Westeringhamattwominutestonine.Thatcalllastedundersixminutes."

"Aha!"

"Asyousay!Moreover,noothercallwasputthrough-toWesteringhamoranywhereelse."

"Very interesting," said Poirot, with approval. "M. George Lee says he has just finished telephoning
whenhehearsthenoiseoverhead-butactuallyhehadfinishedtelephoningnearlytenminutesbefore
that.Wherewasheinthosetenminutes?MrsGeorgeLeesaysthatshewastelephoning-butactually
sheneverputthroughacallatall.Wherewasshe?"

Sugdensaid:"Isawyoutalkingtoher,MrPoirot?"

Hisvoiceheldaquestion,butPoirotreplied:"Youareinerror!"

"Eh?"

"Iwasnottalkingtoher-shewastalkingtome!"

"Oh -" Sugden seemed to be about to brush the distinction aside impatiently; then, as its significance
sankin,hesaid:"Shewastalkingtoyou,yousay?"

"Mostdefinitely.Shecameouthereforthatpurpose."

"Whatdidshehavetosay?"

"She wished to stress certain points: the un-English character of the crime - the possibly undesirable
antecedentsofMissEstravadosonthepaternalside-thefactthatMissEstravadoshadfurtivelypicked
upsomethingfromthefloorlastnight."

"Shetoldyouthat,didshe?"saidSugdenwithinterest.

"Yes.Whatwasitthattheseñoritapickedup?"

Sugdensighed.

"Icouldgiveyouthreehundredguesses!I'llshowittoyou.It'sthesortofthingthatsolvesthewhole
mysteryindetectivestories!Ifyoucanmakeanythingoutofit,I'llretirefromthepoliceforce!"

"Showitme."

Sugdentookanenvelopefromhispocketandtilteditscontentsontothepalmofhishand.Afaintgrin
showedonhisface.

"Thereyouare.Whatdoyoumakeofit?"

Onthesuperintendent'sbroadpalmlayalittletriangularpieceofpinkrubberandasmallwoodenpeg.

HisgrinbroadenedasPoirotpickedupthearticlesandfrownedoverthem.

"Makeanythingofthem,MrPoirot?"

"Thislittlepieceofstuffmighthavebeencutfromasponge-bag?"

"Itwas.Itcomesfromasponge-baginMrLee'sroom.Somebodywithsharpscissorsjustcutasmall
triangular piece out of it. Mr Lee may have done it himself, for all I know. But it beats me why he
shoulddoit.Horburycan'tthrowanylightonthematter.Asforthepeg,it'saboutthesizeofacribbage
peg,butthey'reusuallymadeofivory.Thisisjustroughwood-whittledoutofabitofdeal,Ishould
say."

"Mostremarkable,"murmuredPoirot.

"Keep'emifyoulike,"saidSugdenkindly."Idon'twantthem."

"Monami,Iwouldnotdepriveyouofthem!"

"Theydon'tmeananythingatalltoyou?"

"Imustconfess-nothingwhatever!"

"Splendid!"saidSugdenwithheavysarcasm,returningthemtohispocket."Wearegettingon!"

Poirotsaid:"MrsGeorgeLee,sherecountsthattheyoungladystoopedandpickedthesebagatellesup
inafurtivemanner.Shouldyousaythatthatwastrue?"

Sugdenconsideredthepoint.

"N-o,"hesaidhesitatingly."Ishouldn'tquitegoasfarasthat.Shedidn'tlookguilty-nothingofthat
kind - but she did set about it rather - well, quickly and quietly - if you know what I mean. And she
didn'tknowI'dseenherdoit!ThatEstravadoscouldhavekilledhim;andeitherMrorMrsDavidLee
couldhavekilledhim,butnotboth."

"Youdonot,then,acceptthatalibi?"

SuperintendentSugdenshookhisheademphatically.

"Notonyourlife!Husbandandwife-devotedtoeachother!Theymaybeinittogether,orifoneof
themdidit,theotherisreadytosweartoanalibi.Ilookatitthisway:Someonewasinthemusic-room
playing the piano. It may have been David Lee. It probably was, since he was an acknowledged
musician,butthere'snothingtosayhiswifewastheretooexceptherwordandhis.Inthesameway,it
mayhavebeenHildawhowasplayingthatpianowhileDavidLeecreptupstairsandkilledhisfather!
No,it'sanabsolutelydifferentcasefromthetwobrothersinthedining-room.AlfredLeeandHarryLee
don'tloveeachother.Neitherofthemwouldperjurehimselffortheother'ssake."

"WhataboutStephenFarr?"

"He'sapossiblesuspectbecausethatgramophonealibiisabitthin.Ontheotherhand,it'sthesortof
alibithat'sreallysounderthanagoodcast-irondyed-in-the-woolalibiwhich,tentoone,hasbeenfaked
upbeforehand!"

Poirotbowedhisheadthoughtfully.

"I know what you mean. It is the alibi of a man who did not know that he would be called upon to
providesuchathing."

"Exactly!Andanyway,somehow,Idon'tbelieveastrangerwasmixedupinthisthing."

Poirotsaidquickly:"Iagreewithyou.Itishereafamilyaffair.Itisapoisonthatworksintheblood-it
isintimate-itisdeep-seated.Thereishere,Ithink,hateandknowledge..."

Hewavedhishands.

"Idonotknow-itisdifficult!"SuperintendentSugdenhadwaitedrespectfully,butwithoutbeingmuch
impressed.Hesaid:

"Quite so, Mr Poirot. But we'll get at it, never fear, with elimination and logic. We've got the
possibilities now - the people with opportunity. George Lee, Magdalene Lee, David Lee, Hilda Lee,
PilarEstravados,andI'lladd,StephenFarr.Nowwecometomotive.Whohadamotiveforputtingold
MrLeeoutoftheway?Thereagainwecanwashoutcertainpeople.MissEstravados,forone.Igather
thatasthewillstandsnow,shedoesn'tgetanythingatall.IfSimeonLeehaddiedbeforehermother,
hermother'ssharewouldhavecomedowntoher(unlesshermotherwilleditotherwise),butasJennifer
Estravadospre-deceasedSimeonLee,thatparticularlegacyrevertstotheothermembersofthefamily.
SoitwasdefinitelytoMissEstravados'intereststokeeptheoldmanalive.He'dtakenafancytoher,it's
prettycertainhe'dhaveleftheragoodsliceofmoneywhenhemadeanewwill.Shehadeverythingto

loseandnothingtogainbyhismurder.Youagreetothat?"

"Perfectly."

"Thereremains,ofcourse,thepossibilitythatshecuthisthroatintheheatofaquarrel,butthatseems
extremelyunlikelytome.Tobeginwith,theywereonthebestofterms,andshehadn'tbeenherelong
enough to bear him a grudge about anything. It therefore seems highly unlikely that Miss Estravados
has anything to do with the crime - except that you might argue that to cut a man's throat is an un-
Englishsortofthingtodo,asyourfriendMrsGeorgeputit."

"Donotcallhermyfriend,"saidPoirothastily."OrIshallspeakofyourfriendMissEstravados,who
findsyousuchahandsomeman!"

Hehadthepleasureofseeingthesuperintendent'sofficialpoiseupsetagain.Thepoliceofficerturned
crimson.Poirotlookedathimwithmaliciousamusement.

Hesaid,andtherewasawistfulnoteinhisvoice:"Itistruethatyourmoustacheissuperb...Tellme,do
youuseforitaspecialpomade?"

"Pomade?Goodlord,no!"

"Whatdoyouuse?"

"Use?Nothingatall.It-itjustgrows."

Poirotsighed.

"Youarefavouredbynature."Hecaressedhisownluxuriantblackmoustache,thensighed."However
expensivethepreparation,"hemurmured,"torestorethenaturalcolourdoessomewhatimpoverishthe
qualityofthehair."

Superintendent Sugden, uninterested in hairdressing problems, was continuing in a stolid manner:
"Consideringthemotiveforthecrime,IshouldsaythatwecanprobablywashoutMrStephenFarr.It's
justpossiblethattherewassomehanky-pankybetweenhisfatherandMrLeeandtheformersuffered,
but I doubt it. Farr's manner was too easy and assured when he mentioned that subject. He was quite
confident-andIdon'tthinkhewasacting.No,Idon'tthinkwe'llfindanythingthere."

"Idonotthinkyouwill,"saidPoirot.

"Andthere'soneotherpersonwithamotiveforkeepingoldMrLeealive-hissonHarry.It'struethat
hebenefitsunderthewill,butIdon'tbelievehewasawareofthefact.Certainlycouldn'thavebeensure
of it! The general impression seemed to be that Harry had been definitely cut out of his share of the
inheritanceatthetimehecutloose.Butnowhewasonthepointofcomingbackintofavour!Itwasall
tohisadvantagethathisfathershouldmakeanewwill.Hewouldn'tbesuchafoolastokillhimnow.
Actually,asweknow,hecouldn'thavedoneit.Yousee,we'regettingon;we'reclearingquitealotof
peopleoutoftheway."

"Howtrue.Verysoontherewillbenobodyleft!"

Sugdengrinned.

"We're not going as fast as that! We've got George Lee and his wife, and David Lee and Mrs David.
They all benefit by the death, and George Lee, from all I can make out, is grasping about money.
Moreover,hisfatherwasthreateningtocutdownsupplies.Sowe'vegotGeorgeLeewithmotiveand
opportunity!"

"Continue,"saidPoirot.

"And we've got Mrs George! As fond of money as a cat is fond of cream; and I'd be prepared to bet
she'sheavilyindebtattheminute!ShewasjealousoftheSpanishgirl.Shewasquicktospotthatthe
other was gaining an ascendancy over the old man. She'd heard him say that he was sending for the
lawyer.Soshestruckquickly.Youcouldmakeoutacase."

"Possibly."

"Thenthere'sDavidLeeandhiswife.Theyinheritunderthepresentwill,butIdon'tbelieve,somehow,
thatthemoneymotivewouldbeparticularlystrongintheircase."

"No?"

"No.DavidLeeseemstobeabitofadreamer-notamercenarytype.Buthe's-well,he'sodd.AsIsee
it,therearethreepossiblemotivesforthismurder:There'sthediamondcomplication,there'sthewill,
andthere's-well-justplainhate."

"Ah,youseethat,doyou?"

Sugdensaid:"Naturally.It'sbeenpresentinmymindallalong.IfDavidLeekilledhisfather,Idon't
thinkitwasformoney.Andifhewasthecriminalitmightexplainthe-well,thebloodletting!"

Poirotlookedathimappreciatively.

"Yes,Iwonderedwhenyouwouldtakethatintoconsideration.Somuchblood-thatiswhatMrsAlfred
said. It takes one back to ancient rituals - to blood sacrifice, to the anointing with the blood of the
sacrifice..."

Sugdensaid,frowning:

"Youmeanwhoeverdiditwasmad?"

"Moncher-thereareallsortsofdeepinstinctsinmanofwhichhehimselfisunaware.Thecravingfor
blood-thedemandforsacrifice!"

Sugdensaiddoubtfully:"DavidLeelooksaquiet,harmlessfellow."

Poirotsaid:"Youdonotunderstandthepsychology.DavidLeeisamanwholivesinthepast-amanin
whomthememoryofhismotherisstillverymuchalive.Hekeptawayfromhisfatherformanyyears
because he could not forgive his father's treatment of his mother. He came here, let us suppose, to
forgive.Buthemaynothavebeenabletoforgive...Wedoknowonething-thatwhenDavidLeestood
byhisfather'sdeadbody,somepartofhimwasappeasedandsatisfied.'ThemillsofGodgrindslowly,
yettheygrindexceedingsmall.'Retribution!Payment!Thewrongwipedoutbyexpiation!"

Sugden gave a sudden shudder. He said: "Don't talk like that, Mr Poirot. You give me quite a turn. It
maybethatit'sasyousay.Ifso,MrsDavidknows-andmeanstoshieldhimallsheknowshow.Ican
imagine her doing that. On the other hand, I can't imagine her being a murderess. She's such a
comfortablecommonplacesortofwoman."

Poirotlookedathimcuriously.

"Soshestrikesyoulikethat?"hemurmured.

"Well,yes-ahomelybody,ifyouknowwhatImean!"

"Oh,Iknowwhatyoumeanperfectly!"

Sugdenlookedathim.

"Come,now,MrPoirot,you'vegotideasaboutthecase.Let'shavethem."

Poirotsaidslowly:"Ihaveideas,yes,buttheyarerathernebulous.Letmefirsthearyoursumming-up
ofthecase."

"Well,it'sasIsaid-threepossiblemotives:hate,gain,andthisdiamondcomplication.Takethefacts
chronologically.

"3:30. Family gathering. Telephone conversation to lawyer overheard by all the family. Then the old
man lets loose on his family, tells them where they all get off. They slink out like a lot of scared
rabbits."

"HildaLeeremainedbehind,"saidPoirot.

"So she did. But not for long. Then about six Alfred has an interview with his father - unpleasant
interview. Harry is to be reinstated. Alfred isn't pleased. Alfred, of course, ought to be our principal
suspect. He had by far the strongest motive. However, to get on. Harry comes along next. Is in
boisterous spirits. Has got the old man just where he wants him. But before those two interviews
SimeonLeehasdiscoveredthelossofthediamondsandhastelephonedtome.Hedoesn'tmentionhis
loss to either of his two sons. Why? In my opinion because he was quite sure neither of them had
anythingtodowithit.Neitherofthemwereundersuspicion.Ibelieve,asI'vesaidallalong,thattheold
mansuspectedHorburyandoneotherperson.AndI'mprettysureofwhathemeanttodo.Remember,
hesaiddefinitelyhedidn'twantanyonetocomeandsitwithhimthatevening.Why?Becausehewas
preparingthewayfortwothings:First,myvisit,andsecond,thevisitofthatothersuspectedperson.He
didasksomeonetocomeandseehimimmediatelyafterdinner.Nowwhowasthatpersonlikelytobe?
MighthavebeenGeorgeLee.Muchmorelikelytohavebeenhiswife.Andthere'sanotherpersonwho
comesbackintothepicturehere-PilarEstravados.He'sshownherthediamonds.He'dtoldhertheir
value.Howdoweknowthatgirlisn'tathief?Rememberthesemysterioushintsaboutthedisgraceful
behaviourofherfather.Perhapshewasaprofessionalthiefandfinallywenttoprisonforit."

Poirotsaidslowly:"Andso,asyousay,PilarEstravadoscomesbackintothepicture..."

"Yes - as a thief. No other way. She may have lost her head when she was found out. She may have
flownathergrandfatherandattackedhim."

Poirotsaidslowly:"Itispossible-yes..."

SuperintendentSugdenlookedathimkeenly.

"Butthat'snotyouridea?Come,MrPoirot,whatisyouridea?"

Poirotsaid:"Igobackalwaystothesamething:thecharacterofthedeadman.Whatmannerofaman
wasSimeonLee?"

"Thereisn'tmuchmysteryaboutthat,"saidSugden,staring.

"Tellme,then.Thatistosay,tellmefromthelocalpointofviewwhatwasknownoftheman."

SuperintendentSugdendrewadoubtfulfingeralonghisjawbone.Helookedperplexed.Hesaid:"I'm
notalocalmanmyself.IcomefromReeveshire,overtheborder-nextcounty.ButofcourseoldMr
Leewasawell-knownfigureintheseparts.Iknowallabouthimbyhearsay."

"Yes?Andthathearsaywas-what?"

Sugdensaid:"Well,hewasasharpcustomer;thereweren'tmanywhocouldgetthebetterofhim.But
hewasgenerouswithhismoney.Open-handedastheymake'em.BeatsmehowMrGeorgeLeecanbe
theexactopposite,andhehisfather'sson."

"Ah!Buttherearetwodistinctstrainsinthefamily.Alfred,George,andDavidresemble-superficially
at least - their mother's side of the family. I have been looking at some portraits in the gallery this
morning.

"Hewashot-tempered,"continuedSuperintendentSugden,"andofcoursehehadabadreputationwith
women - that was in his younger days. He's been an invalid for many years now. But even there he

alwaysbehavedgenerously.Iftherewastrouble,healwayspaiduphandsomelyandgotthegirlmarried
offasoftenasnot.Hemayhavebeenabadlot,buthewasn'tmean.Hetreatedhiswifebadly,ranafter
otherwomen,andneglectedher.Shediedofabrokenheart,sotheysay.It'saconvenientterm,butI
believe she was really very unhappy, poor lady. She was always sickly and never went about much.
There'snodoubtthatMrLeewasanoddcharacter.Hadarevengefulstreakinhim,too.Ifanyonedid
himanastyturnhealwayspaiditback,sotheysay,anddidn'tmindhowlonghehadtowaittodoit."

"ThemillsofGodgrindslowly,yettheygrindexceedingsmall,"murmuredPoirot.

Superintendent Sugden said heavily: "Mills of the devil, more likely! Nothing saintly about Simeon
Lee.Thekindofmanyoumightsayhadsoldhissoultothedevilandenjoyedthebargain!Andhewas
proud,too,proudasLucifer."

"ProudasLucifer!"saidPoirot."Itissuggestive,whatyousaythere."

Superintendent Sugden said, looking puzzled: "You don't mean that he was murdered because he was
proud?"

"Imean,"saidPoirot,"thatthereissuchathingasinheritance.SimeonLeetransmittedthatpridetohis
sons-"

Hebrokeoff.HildaLeehadcomeoutofthehouseandwasstandinglookingalongtheterrace.

III

"Iwantedtofindyou,M.Poirot."

SuperintendentSugdenhadexcusedhimselfandgonebackintothehouse.

Lookingafterhim,Hildasaid:"Ididn'tknowhewaswithyou.IthoughthewaswithPilar.Heseemsa
niceman,quiteconsiderate."

Hervoicewaspleasant,alow,soothingcadencetoit.

Poirotasked:"Youwantedtoseeme,yousay?"

Sheinclinedherhead.

"Yes.Ithinkyoucanhelpme."

"Ishallbedelightedtodoso,madame."

Shesaid:"Youareaveryintelligentman,M.Poirot.Isawthatlastnight.Therearethingswhichyou
will,Ithink,findoutquiteeasily.Iwantyoutounderstandmyhusband."

"Yes,madame?"

"Ishouldn'ttalklikethistoSuperintendentSugden.Hewouldn'tunderstand.Butyouwill."

Poirotbowed."Youhonourme,madame."

Hildawentcalmlyon:"Myhusband,formanyyears,eversinceImarriedhim,hasbeenwhatIcanonly
describeasamentalcripple."

"Ah!"

"Whenonesufferssomegreathurtphysically,itcausesshockandpain,butslowlyitmends,theflesh
heals, the bone knits. There may be, perhaps, a little weakness, a slight scar, but nothing more. My
husband,M.Poirot,sufferedagreathurtmentallyathismostsusceptibleage.Headoredhismotherand
hesawherdie.Hebelievedthathisfatherwasmorallyresponsibleforthatdeath.Fromthatshockhe
hasneverquiterecovered.Hisresentmentagainsthisfatherneverdieddown.ItwasIwhopersuaded
DavidtocomeherethisChristmas,tobereconciledtohisfather.Iwantedit-forhissake-Iwanted
thatmentalwoundtoheal.Irealisenowthatcomingherewasamistake.SimeonLeeamusedhimself
byprobingintothatoldwound.Itwas-averydangerousthingtodo..."

Poirotsaid:"Areyoutellingme,madame,thatyourhusbandkilledhisfather?"

"Iamtellingyou,M.Poirot,thatheeasilymighthavedoneso...AndIwillalsotellyouthis-thathe
didnot!WhenSimeonLeewaskilled,hissonwasplayingthe'DeadMarch.'Thewishtokillwasinhis
heart.Itpassedoutthroughhisfingersanddiedinwavesofsound-thatisthetruth."

Poirotwassilentforaminuteortwo,thenhesaid:"Andyou,madame,whatisyourverdictonthatpast
drama?"

"YoumeanthedeathofSimeonLee'swife?"

"Yes."

Hilda said slowly: "I know enough of life to know that you can never judge any case on its outside
merits.Toallseeming,SimeonLeewasentirelytoblameandhiswifewasabominablytreated.Atthe
same time, I honestly believe that there is a kind of meekness, a predisposition to martyrdom which
doesarousetheworstinstinctsinmenofacertaintype.SimeonLeewouldhaveadmired,Ithink,spirit
andforceofcharacter.Hewasmerelyirritatedbypatienceandtears."

Poirotnodded.Hesaid:"Yourhusbandsaidlastnight:'Mymothernevercomplained.'Isthattrue?"

HildaLeesaidimpatiently:"Ofcourseitisn't!ShecomplainedthewholetimetoDavid!Shelaidthe
whole burden of her unhappiness on his shoulders. He was too young - far too young to bear all she
gavehimtobear!"

Poirotlookedthoughtfullyather.Sheflushedunderhisgazeandbitherlip.

Hesaid:"Isee."

Shesaidsharply:"Whatdoyousee?"

Heanswered:"Iseethatyouhavehadtobeamothertoyourhusbandwhenyouwouldhavepreferred
tobeawife."

Sheturnedaway.

AtthatmomentDavidLeecameoutofthehouseandalongtheterracetowardsthem.Hesaid,andhis
voicehadaclearjoyfulnoteinit:"Hilda,isn'titagloriousday?Almostlikespringinsteadofwinter."

He came nearer. His head was thrown back, a lock of fair hair fell across his forehead, his blue eyes

shone.Helookedamazinglyyoungandboyish.Therewasabouthimayouthfuleagerness,acarefree
radiance.HerculePoirotcaughthisbreath...

Davidsaid:"Let'sgodowntothelake,Hilda."

Shesmiled,putherarmthroughhis,andtheymovedofftogether.

As Poirot watched them go, he saw her turn and give him a rapid glance. He caught a momentary
glimpseofswiftanxiety-orwasit,hewondered,fear?

Slowly Hercule Poirot walked to the other end of the terrace. He murmured to himself: "As I have
alwayssaid,me,Iamthefatherconfessor!Andsincewomencometoconfessionmorefrequentlythan
men,itiswomenwhohavecometomethismorning.Willthere,Iwonder,beanotherveryshortly?"

Asheturnedattheendoftheterraceandpacedbackagain,heknewthathisquestionwasanswered.
LydiaLeewascomingtowardshim.

IV

Lydiasaid:"Good-morning,M.Poirot.TressiliantoldmeIshouldfindyououtherewithHarry;butI
amgladtofindyoualone.Myhusbandhasbeenspeakingaboutyou.Iknowheisveryanxioustotalk
toyou."

"Ah!Yes?ShallIgoandseehimnow?"

"Notjustyet.Hegothardlyanysleeplastnight.IntheendIgavehimastrongsleepingdraught.Heis
stillasleep,andIdon'twanttodisturbhim."

"Iquiteunderstand.Thatwasverywise.Icouldseelastnightthattheshockhadbeenverygreat."

Shesaidseriously:"Yousee,M.Poirot,hereallycared-muchmorethantheothers."

"Iunderstand."

Sheasked:"Haveyou-hasthesuperintendent-anyideaofwhocanhavedonethisawfulthing?"

Poirotsaiddeliberately:"Wehavecertainideas,madame,astowhodidnotdoit."

Lydiasaid,almostimpatiently:"It'slikeanightmare-sofantastic-Ican'tbelieveit'sreal."

Sheadded:"WhataboutHorbury?Washereallyatthecinema,ashesaid?"

"Yes,madame,hisstoryhasbeenchecked.Hewasspeakingthetruth."

Lydiastoppedandpluckedatabitofyew.Herfacewentalittlepaler.Shesaid:"Butthat'sawful!It
onlyleaves-thefamily!"

"Exactly."

"M.Poirot,Ican'tbelieveit!"

"Madame,youcanandyoudobelieveit!"

Sheseemedabouttoprotest.Thensuddenlyshesmiledruefully.

Shesaid:"Whatahypocriteoneis!"

Henodded.

"Ifyouweretobefrankwithme,madame,"hesaid,"youwouldadmitthattoyouitseemsquitenatural
thatoneofhisfamilyshouldmurderyourfather-in-law."

Lydiasaidsharply:"That'sreallyafantasticthingtosay,M.Poirot!"

"Yes,itis.Butyourfather-in-lawwasafantasticperson!"

Lydia said: "Poor old man. I can feel sorry for him now. When he was alive, he just annoyed me
unspeakably!"

Poirotsaid:"SoIshouldimagine!"

Hebentoveroneofthestonesinks.

"Theyareveryingenious,these.Verypleasing."

"I'mgladyoulikethem.It'soneofmyhobbies.DoyoulikethisArcticonewiththepenguinsandthe
ice?"

"Charming.Andthis-whatisthis?"

"Oh,that'stheDeadSea-orgoingtobe.Itisn'tfinishedyet.Youmustn'tlookatit.Nowthisoneis
supposedtobePianainCorsica.Therocksthere,youknow,arequitepinkandtoolovelywheretheygo
downintothebluesea.Thisdesertsceneisratherfun,don'tyouthink?"

Sheledhimalong.Whentheyhadreachedthefartherendsheglancedatherwristwatch.

"ImustgoandseeifAlfredisawake."

WhenshehadgonePoirotwentslowlybackagaintothegardenrepresentingtheDeadSea.Helooked
atitwithagooddealofinterest.Thenhescoopedupafewofthepebblesandletthemrunthroughhis
fingers.

Suddenlyhisfacechanged.Heheldupthepebblesclosetohisface.

"Sapristi!"hesaid."Thisisasurprise!Nowwhatexactlydoesthismean?"

PARTV-December26th

I

The chief constable and Superintendent Sugden stared at Poirot incredulously. The latter returned a
streamofsmallpebblescarefullyintoasmallcardboardboxandpusheditacrosstothechiefconstable.

"Oh,yes,"hesaid."Itisthediamondsallright."

"Andyoufoundthemwhere,didyousay?Inthegarden?"

"InoneofthesmallgardensconstructedbyMadameAlfredLee."

"MrsAlfred?"Sugdenshookhishead."Doesn'tseemlikely."

Poirotsaid:"Youmean,Isuppose,thatyoudonotconsideritlikelythatMrsAlfredcutherfather-in-
law'sthroat?"

Sugden said quickly: "We know she didn't do that. I meant it seemed unlikely that she pinched these
diamonds."

Poirotsaid:"Onewouldnoteasilybelieveherathief-no."

Sugdensaid:"Anybodycouldhavehiddenthemthere."

"That is true. It was convenient that in that particular garden - the Dead Sea as it represents - there
happenedtobepebblesverysimilarinshapeandappearance."

Sugdensaid:"Youmeanshefixeditlikethatbeforehand?Ready?"

ColonelJohnsonsaidwarmly:"Idon'tbelieveitforamoment.Notforamoment.Whyshouldshetake
thediamondsinthefirstplace?"

"Well,astothat-"Sugdensaidslowly.

Poirotnippedinquickly:"Thereisapossibleanswertothat.Shetookthediamondstosuggestamotive
forthemurder.Thatistosaysheknewthatmurderwasgoingtobedonethoughsheherselftookno

activepartinit."

Johnsonfrowned.

"Thatwon'tholdwaterforaminute.You'remakingherouttobeanaccomplice-butwhoseaccomplice
wouldshebelikelytobe?Onlyherhusband's.Butasweknowthathe,too,hadnothingtodowiththe
murder,thewholetheoryfallstotheground."

Sugdenstrokedhisjawreflectively.

"Yes,"hesaid,"that'sso.No,ifMrsLeetookthediamonds-andit'sabigif-itwasjustplainrobbery,
andit'strueshemighthavepreparedthatgardenspeciallyasahiding-placeforthemtillthehueandcry
had died down. Another possibility is that of coincidence. That garden, with its similarity of pebbles,
struckthethief,whoeverheorshewas,asanidealhiding-place."

Poirotsaid:"Thatisquitepossible.Iamalwayspreparedtoadmitonecoincidence."

SuperintendentSugdenshookhisheaddubiously.

Poirotsaid:"Whatisyouropinion,Superintendent?"

Thesuperintendentsaidcautiously:"MrsLee'saverynicelady.Doesn'tseemlikelythatshe'dbemixed
upinanybusinessthatwasfishy.But,ofcourse,oneneverknows."

ColonelJohnsonsaidtestily:"Inanycase,whateverthetruthisaboutthediamonds,herbeingmixedup
inthemurderisoutofthequestion.Thebutlersawherinthedrawing-roomattheactualtimeofthe
crime.Yourememberthat,Poirot?"

Poirotsaid:"Ihadnotforgottenthat."

Thechiefconstableturnedtohissubordinate.

"We'dbettergeton.Whathaveyoutoreport?Anythingfresh?"

"Yes,sir.I'vegotholdofsomenewinformation.Tostartwith-Horbury.There'sareasonwhyhemight
bescaredofthepolice."

"Robbery?Eh?"

"No,sir.Extortingmoneyunderthreats.Modifiedblackmail.Thecasecouldn'tbeprovedsohegotoff,
butIratherfancyhe'sgotawaywithathingortwointhatline.Havingaguiltyconscience,heprobably
thoughtwewereontosomethingofthatkindwhenTressilianmentionedapoliceofficerlastnightand
itmadehimgetthewindup."

Thechiefconstablesaid:"Isee!SomuchforHorbury.Whatelse?"

Thesuperintendentcoughed.

"Er-MrsGeorgeLee,sir.We'vegotalineonherbeforehermarriage.WaslivingwithaCommander
Jones.Passedashisdaughter-butshewasn'thisdaughter...Ithinkfromwhatwe'vebeentold,thatold
MrLeesummedherupprettycorrectly-hewassmartwherewomenwereconcerned,knewabadlot
whenhesawone-andwasjustamusinghimselfbytakingashotinthedark.Andhegotheronthe
raw!"

Colonel Johnson said thoughtfully: "That gives her another possible motive - apart from the money
angle. She may have thought he knew something definite and was going to give her away to her
husband.Thattelephonestoryofhersisprettyfishy.Shedidn'ttelephone."

Sugdensuggested:"Whynothavethemintogether,sir,andgetatthattelephonebusinessstraight?See
whatweget."

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Goodidea."

Herangthebell.Tressilianansweredit.

"AskMrandMrsGeorgeLeetocomehere."

"Verygood,sir."

Astheoldmanturnedaway,Poirotsaid:"Thedateonthatwallcalendar,hasitremainedlikeitissince
themurder?"

Tressilianturnedback.

"Whichcalendar,sir?"

"Theoneonthewalloverthere."

ThethreemenweresittingoncemoreinAlfredLee'ssmallsitting-room.Thecalendarinquestionwas
a large one with tear-off leaves, a bold date on each leaf. Tressilian peered across the room, then
shuffledslowlyacrosstillhewasafootortwoaway.

Hesaid:"Excuseme,sir,ithasbeentornoff.It'sthetwenty-sixthtoday."

"Ah,pardon.Whowouldhavebeenthepersontotearitoff?"

"MrLeedoes,sir,everymorning.MrAlfred,he'saverymethodicalgentleman."

"Isee.Thankyou."

Tressilianwentout.Sugdensaid,puzzled:"Isthereanythingfishyaboutthatcalendar,MrPoirot?Have
Imissedsomethingthere?"

With a shrug of his shoulders Poirot said: "The calendar is of no importance. It was just a little
experimentIwasmaking."

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Inquesttomorrow.There'llbeanadjournment,ofcourse."

Sugdensaid:"Yes,sir,I'veseentheCoronerandit'sallarrangedfor."

II

GeorgeLeecameintotheroom,accompaniedbyhiswife.

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Good-morning.Sitdown,willyou?ThereareafewquestionsIwanttoaskboth
ofyou.SomethingI'mnotquiteclearabout."

"IshallbegladtogiveyouanyassistanceIcan,"saidGeorge,somewhatpompously.

Magdalenesaidfaintly:"Ofcourse!"

The chief constable gave a slight nod to Sugden. The latter said: "About those telephone calls on the
nightofthecrime.YouputthroughacalltoWesteringham,Ithinkyousaid,MrLee?"

Georgesaidcoldly:"Yes,Idid.Tomyagentintheconstituency.Icanreferyoutohimand-"

SuperintendentSugdenhelduphishandtostemtheflow.

"Quiteso-quiteso,MrLee.We'renotdisputingthatpoint.Yourcallwentthroughat8:59exactly."

"Well-I-er-couldn'tsayastotheexacttime."

"Ah," said Sugden. "But we can! We always check up on these things very carefully. Very carefully
indeed.Thecallwasputthroughat8:59anditwasterminatedat9:04.Yourfather,MrLee,waskilled
about9:15.Imustaskyouoncemoreforanaccountofyourmovements."

"I'vetoldyou-Iwastelephoning!"

"No,MrLee,youweren't."

"Nonsense - you must have made a mistake! Well, I may, perhaps, have just finished telephoning - I
thinkIdebatedmakinganothercall-wasjustconsideringwhetheritwas-er-worth-theexpense-
whenIheardthenoiseupstairs."

"Youwouldhardlydebatewhetherornottomakeatelephonecallfortenminutes."

Georgewentpurple.Hebegantosplutter.

"Whatdoyoumean?Whatthedevildoyoumean?Damnedimpudence!Areyoudoubtingmyword?
Doubtingthewordofamanofmyposition.I-er-whyshouldIhavetoaccountforeveryminuteof
mytime?"

SuperintendentSugdensaidwithastolidnessthatPoirotadmired:"It'susual."

Georgeturnedangrilyonthechiefconstable.

"ColonelJohnson.Doyoucountenancethis-thisunprecedentedattitude?"

The chief constable said crisply: "In a murder case, Mr Lee, these questions must be asked - and
answered."

"Ihaveansweredthem!Ihadfinishedtelephoningandwas-er-debatingafurthercall."

"Youwereinthisroomwhenthealarmwasraisedupstairs?"

"Iwas-yes,Iwas."

JohnsonturnedtoMagdalene.

"Ithink,MrsLee,"hesaid,"thatyoustatedthatyouweretelephoningwhenthealarmbrokeout,and
thatatthetimeyouwerealoneinthisroom?"

Magdalene was flustered. She caught her breath, looked sideways at George - at Sugden, then
appealinglyatColonelJohnson.Shesaid:"Oh,really-Idon'tknow-Idon'trememberwhatIsaid...I
wassoupset..."

Sugdensaid:"We'vegotitallwrittendown,youknow."

Sheturnedherbatteriesonhim-wideappealingeyes-quiveringmouth.Butshemetinreturntherigid

aloofnessofamanofsternrespectabilitywhodidn'tapproveofhertype.

Shesaiduncertainly:"I-I-ofcourseItelephoned.Ican'tbequitesurejustwhen-"

Shestopped.

Georgesaid:"What'sallthis?Wheredidyoutelephonefrom?Notinhere."

Superintendent Sugden said: "I suggest, Mrs Lee, that you didn't telephone at all. In that case, where
wereyouandwhatwereyoudoing?"

Magdaleneglanceddistractedlyaboutherandburstintotears.Shesobbed:"George,don'tletthembully
me!Youknowthatifanyonefrightensmeandthundersquestionsatme,Ican'trememberanythingat
all!I-Idon'tknowwhatIwassayingthatnight-itwasallsohorrible-andIwassoupset-andthey're
beingsobeastlytome..."

Shejumpedupandransobbingoutoftheroom.

Springingup,GeorgeLeeblustered:"Whatd'youmean?Iwon'thavemywifebulliedandfrightened
outofherlife!She'sverysensitive.It'sdisgraceful!IshallhaveaquestionaskedintheHouseaboutthe
disgracefulbullyingmethodsofthepolice.It'sabsolutelydisgraceful!"

Hestrodeoutoftheroomandbangedthedoor.

SuperintendentSugdenthrewhisheadbackandlaughed.

Hesaid:"We'vegotthemgoingproperly!Nowwe'llsee!"

Johnson said frowning: "Extraordinary business! Looks fishy. We must get a further statement out of
her."

Sugden said easily: "Oh! She'll be back in a minute or two. When she's decided what to say. Eh, Mr
Poirot?"

Poirot,whohadbeensittinginadream,gaveastart.

"Pardon!"

"Isaidshe'llbeback."

"Probably-yes,possibly-oh,yes!"

Sugdensaid,staringathim:"What'sthematter,MrPoirot?Seenaghost?"

Poirotsaidslowly:"Youknow-IamnotsurethatIhavenotdonejustexactlythat."

ColonelJohnsonsaidimpatiently:"Well,Sugden,anythingelse?"

Sugdensaid:"I'vebeentryingtocheckupontheorderinwhicheveryonearrivedonthesceneofthe
murder. It's quite clear what must have happened. After the murder when the victim's dying cry had
giventhealarm,themurdererslippedout,lockedthedoorwithpliers,orsomethingofthatkind,anda
momentortwolaterbecameoneofthepeoplehurryingtothesceneofthecrime.Unfortunatelyit'snot
easy to check exactly whom everyone has seen because people's memories aren't very accurate on a
point like that. Tressilian says he saw Harry and Alfred Lee cross the hall from the dining-room and
race upstairs. That lets them out, but we don't suspect them anyway. As far as I can make out. Miss
Estravadosgottherelate-oneofthelast.ThegeneralideaseemstobethatFarr,MrsGeorge,andMrs
Davidwerethefirst.Eachofthosethreesaysoneoftheotherswasjustaheadofthem.That'swhat'sso
difficult, you can't distinguish between a deliberate lie and a genuine haziness of recollection.
Everybodyranthere-that'sagreed,butinwhatordertheyranisn'tsoeasytogetat."

Poirotsaidslowly:"Youthinkthatimportant?"

Sugdensaid:"It'sthetimeelement.Thetime,remember,wasincrediblyshort."

Poirotsaid:"Iagreewithyouthatthetimeelementisveryimportantinthiscase."

Sugdenwenton:"Whatmakesitmoredifficultisthattherearetwostaircases.There'sthemainonein
thehallhereaboutequidistantfromthedining-roomandthedrawing-roomdoors.Thenthere'sonethe
other end of the house. Stephen Farr came up by the latter. Miss Estravados came along the upper
landingfromthatendofthehouse(herroomisrighttheotherend).Theotherssaytheywentupbythis
one."

Poirotsaid:"Itisaconfusion,yes."

The door opened and Magdalene came quickly in. She was breathing fast and had a bright spot of
colourineachcheek.Shecameuptothetableandsaidquietly:"MyhusbandthinksI'mlyingdown.I
slippedoutofmyroomquietly.ColonelJohnson,"sheappealedtohimwithwide,distressedeyes,"ifI
tell you the truth you will keep quiet about it, won't you? I mean you don't have to make everything
public?"

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Youmean,Itakeit,MrsLee,somethingthathasnoconnectionwiththecrime?"

"Yes,noconnectionatall.Justsomethinginmy-myprivatelife."

Thechiefconstablesaid:"You'dbettermakeacleanbreastofit,MrsLee,andleaveustojudge."

Magdalenesaid,hereyesswimming:"Yes,Iwilltrustyou.IknowIcan.Youlooksokind.Yousee,it's
likethis.There'ssomebody-"Shestopped.

"Yes,MrsLee?"

"Iwantedtotelephonetosomebodylastnight-aman-afriendofmine,andIdidn'twantGeorgeto
knowaboutit.Iknowitwasverywrongofme-butwell,itwaslikethat.SoIwenttotelephoneafter
dinner when I thought George would be safely in the dining-room. But when I got here I heard him
telephoning,soIwaited."

"Wheredidyouwait,madame?"askedPoirot.

"There'saplaceforcoatsandthingsbehindthestairs.It'sdarkthere.Islippedbackthere,whereIcould
seeGeorgecomeoutfromthisroom.Buthedidn'tcomeout,andthenallthenoisehappenedandMr
Leescreamed,andIranupstairs."

"Soyourhusbanddidnotleavethisroomuntilthemomentofthemurder?"

"No."

Thechiefconstablesaid:"Andyouyourselffromnineo'clocktonine-fifteenwerewaitingintherecess
behindthestairs?"

"Yes,butIcouldn'tsayso,yousee!They'dwanttoknowwhatIwasdoingthere.It'sbeenvery,very
awkwardforme,youdoseethat,don'tyou?"

Johnsonsaiddryly:"Itwascertainlyawkward."

Shesmiledathimsweetly.

"I'msorelievedtohavetoldyouthetruth.Andyouwon'ttellmyhusband,willyou?No,I'msureyou
won't!Icantrustyou,allofyou."

Sheincludedthemallinherfinalpleadinglook,thensheslippedquicklyoutoftheroom.

ColonelJohnsondrewadeepbreath.

"Well,"hesaid."Itmightbelikethat!It'saperfectlyplausiblestory.Ontheotherhand-"

"Itmightnot,"finishedSugden."That'sjustit.Wedon'tknow."

III

LydiaLeestoodbythefarwindowofthedrawing-roomlookingout.Herfigurewashalfhiddenbythe
heavywindowcurtains.

AsoundintheroommadeherturnwithastarttoseeHerculePoirotstandingbythedoor.

Shesaid:"Youstartledme,M.Poirot."

"Iapologise,madame.Iwalksoftly."

Shesaid:"IthoughtitwasHorbury."

HerculePoirotnodded.

"Itistrue,hestepssoftly,thatone-likeacat-orathief."

Hepausedaminute,watchingher.

Herfaceshowednothing,butshemadeaslightgrimaceofdistasteasshesaid:"Ihavenevercaredfor
thatman.Ishallbegladtogetridofhim."

"Ithinkyouwillbewisetodoso,madame."

Shelookedathimquickly.Shesaid:"Whatdoyoumean?Doyouknowanythingagainsthim?"

Poirotsaid:"Heisamanwhocollectssecrets-andusesthemtohisadvantage."

Shesaidsharply:"Doyouthinkheknowsanything-aboutthemurder?"

Poirot shrugged his shoulders. He said: "He has quiet feet and long ears. He may have overheard
somethingthatheiskeepingtohimself."

Lydiasaidclearly:"Doyoumeanthathemaytrytoblackmailoneofus?"

"Itiswithintheboundsofpossibility.ButthatisnotwhatIcameheretosay."

"Whatdidyoucometosay?"

Poirot said slowly: "I have been talking with M. Alfred Lee. He has made to me a proposition, and I
wished to discuss it with you before accepting or declining it. But I was so struck by the picture you
made - the charming pattern of your jumper against the deep red of the curtains, that I paused to
admire."

Lydiasaidsharply:"Really,M.Poirot,mustwewastetimeincompliments?"

"Ibegyourpardon,madame.SofewEnglishladiesunderstandlatoilette.Thedressyouwerewearing
thefirstnightIsawyou,itsboldbutsimplepattern,ithadgrace-distinction."

Lydiasaidimpatiently:"Whatwasityouwantedtoseemeabout?"

Poirotbecamegrave.

"Just this, madame. Your husband, he wishes me to take up the investigation very seriously. He
demandsthatIstayhere,inthehouse,anddomyutmosttogettothebottomofthematter."

Lydiasaidsharply:"Well?"

Poirotsaidslowly:"Ishouldnotwishtoacceptaninvitationthatwasnotendorsedbytheladyofthe
house."

Shesaidcoldly:"NaturallyIendorsemyhusband'sinvitation."

"Yes,madame,butIneedmorethanthat.Doyoureallywantmetocomehere?"

"Whynot?"

"Letusbemorefrank.WhatIaskyouisthis:doyouwantthetruthtocomeout,ornot?"

"Naturally."

Poirotsighed.

"Mustyoureturnmetheseconventionalreplies?"

Lydiasaid:"Iamaconventionalwoman."

Thenshebitherlip,hesitated,andsaid:"Perhapsitisbettertospeakfrankly.OfcourseIunderstand
you!Thepositionisnotapleasantone.Myfather-in-lawhasbeenbrutallymurdered,andunlessacase
canbemadeoutagainstthemostlikelysuspect-Horbury-forrobberyandmurder-anditseemsthatit
cannot - then it comes to this - one of his own family killed him. To bring that person to justice will
meanbringingshameanddisgraceonusall...IfIamtospeakhonestlyImustsaythatIdonotwantthis
tohappen."

Poirotsaid:"Youarecontentforthemurderertoescapeunpunished?"

"Thereareprobablyseveralundiscoveredmurderersatlargeintheworld."

"That,Igrantyou."

"Doesonemorematter,then?"

Poirotsaid:"Andwhatabouttheothermembersofthefamily?Theinnocent?"

Shestared.

"Whataboutthem?"

"Doyourealisethatifitturnsoutasyouhope,noonewilleverknow.Theshadowwillremainonall
alike..."

Shesaiduncertainly:"Ihadn'tthoughtofthat."

Poirotsaid:"Noonewilleverknowwhotheguiltypersonis..."

Headdedsoftly:"Unlessyoualreadyknow,madame?"

Shecriedout:"Youhavenobusinesstosaythat!It'snottrue!Oh!Ifonlyitcouldbeastranger-nota
memberofthefamily."

Poirotsaid:"Itmightbeboth."

Shestaredathim.

"Whatdoyoumean?"

"Itmightbeamemberofthefamily-and,atthesametime,astranger...YoudonotseewhatImean?
Ehbien,itisanideathathasoccurredtothemindofHerculePoirot."

Helookedather.

"Well,madame,whatamItosaytoMrLee?"

Lydiaraisedherhandsandletthemfallinasuddenhelplessgesture.

Shesaid:"Ofcourse-youmustaccept."

IV

Pilarstoodinthecentreofthemusic-room.Shestoodverystraight,hereyesdartingfromsidetoside
likeananimalwhofearsanattack.

Shesaid:"Iwanttogetawayfromhere!"

Stephen Farr said gently: "You're not the only one who feels like that. But they won't let us go, my
dear."

"Youmean-thepolice?"

"Yes."

Pilar said very seriously: "It is not nice to be mixed up with the police. It is a thing that should not
happentorespectablepeople."

Stephensaidwithafaintsmile:"Meaningyourself?"

Pilarsaid:"No,ImeanAlfredandLydiaandDavidandGeorgeandHildaand-yes-Magdalene,too."

Stephenlitacigarette.Hepuffedatitforamomentortwobeforesaying:"Whytheexception?"

"Whatisthat,please?"

Stephensaid:"WhyleaveoutbrotherHarry?"

Pilarlaughed,herteethshowingwhiteandeven.

"Oh,Harryisdifferent!Ithinkheknowsverywellwhatitistobemixedupwiththepolice."

"Perhapsyouareright.Hecertainlyisalittletoopicturesquetoblendwellintothedomesticpicture."

Hewenton:"DoyoulikeyourEnglishrelations,Pilar?"

Pilarsaiddoubtfully:"Theyarekind-theyareallverykind.Buttheydonotlaughmuch,theyarenot
gay."

"Mydeargirl,there'sjustbeenamurderinthehouse!"

"Y-es,"saidPilardoubtfully.

"Amurder,"saidStepheninstructively,"isnotsuchaneverydayoccurrenceasyournon-chalanceseems
toimply.InEnglandtheytaketheirmurdersseriouslywhatevertheymaydoinSpain."

Pilarsaid:"Youarelaughingatme..."

Stephensaid:"You'rewrong.I'mnotinalaughingmood."

Pilarlookedathimandsaid:"Becauseyou,too,wishtogetawayfromhere?"

"Yes."

"Andthebig,handsomepolicemanwillnotletyougo?"

"Ihaven'taskedhim.ButifIdid,I'venodoubthe'dsayno.I'vegottowatchmystep,Pilar,andbevery
verycareful."

"Thatistiresome,"saidPilar,noddingherhead.

"It's just a little bit more than tiresome, my dear. Then there's that lunatic foreigner prowling about. I
don'tsupposehe'sanygoodbuthemakesmefeeljumpy."

Pilarwasfrowning.Shesaid:"Mygrandfatherwasvery,veryrich,washenot?"

"Ishouldimagineso."

"Wheredoeshismoneygotonow?ToAlfredandtheothers?"

"Dependsonhiswill."

Pilarsaidthoughtfully:"Hemighthaveleftmesomemoney,butIamafraidthatperhapshedidnot."

Stephen said kindly: "You'll be all right. After all, you're one of the family. You belong here. They'll
havetolookafteryou."

Pilarsaidwithasigh:"I-belonghere.Itisveryfunny,that.Andyetitisnotfunnyatall."

"Icanseethatyoumightn'tfinditveryhumorous."

Pilarsighedagain.Shesaid:"Doyouthinkifweputonthegramophone,wecoulddance?"

Stephen said dubiously: "It wouldn't look any too good. This is a house of mourning, you callous
Spanishbaggage."

Pilarsaid,herbigeyesopeningverywide:"ButIdonotfeelsadatall.BecauseIdidnotreallyknow
mygrandfather,andthoughIlikedtotalktohim,Idonotwanttocryandbeunhappybecauseheis
dead.Itisverysillytopretend."

Stephensaid:"You'readorable!"

Pilar said coaxingly: "We could put some stockings and some gloves in the gramophone, and then it
wouldnotmakemuchnoise,andnoonewouldhear."

"Comealongthen,temptress."

She laughed happily and ran out of the room, going along towards the ballroom at the far end of the
house.

Then,asshereachedthesidepassagewhichledtothegardendoor,shestoppeddead.Stephencaught
upwithherandstoppedalso.

HerculePoirothadunhookedaportraitfromthewallandwasstudyingitbythelightfromtheterrace.
Helookedupandsawthem.

"Aha!"hesaid."Youarriveatanopportunemoment."

Pilarsaid:"Whatareyoudoing?"

Shecameandstoodbesidehim.

Poirotsaidgravely:"Iamstudyingsomethingveryimportant,thefaceofSimeonLeewhenhewasa
youngman."

"Oh,isthatmygrandfather?"

"Yes,mademoiselle."

Shestaredatthepaintedface.Shesaidslowly:"Howdifferent-howverydifferent...Hewassoold,so
shrivelledup.HereheislikeHarry,likeHarrymighthavebeentenyearsago."

HerculePoirotnodded.

"Yes,mademoiselle.HarryLeeisverymuchthesonofhisfather.Nowhere-"

Heledheralittlewayalongthegallery.

"Hereismadame,yourgrandmother-alonggentleface,veryblondehair,mildblueeyes."

Pilarsaid:"LikeDavid."

Stephensaid:"JustalookofAlfredtoo."

Poirotsaid:"Theheredity,itisveryinteresting.MrLeeandhiswifewerediametricallyoppositetypes.
Onthewhole,thechildrenofthemarriagetookafterthemother.Seehere,mademoiselle."

Hepointedtoapictureofagirlofnineteenorso,withhairlikespungoldandlaughingblueeyes.The
colouringwasthatofSimeonLee'swife,buttherewasaspirit,avivacitythatthosemildblueeyesand
placidfeatureshadneverknown.

"Oh!"saidPilar.

Thecolourcameupinherface.Herhandwenttoherneck.Shedrewoutalocketonalonggoldchain.
Shepressedthecatchanditflewopen.ThesamelaughingfacelookedupatPoirot.

"Mymother,"saidPilar.

Poirot nodded. On the opposite side of the locket was the portrait of a man. He was young and
handsome,withblackhairanddarkblueeyes.

Poirotsaid:"Yourfather?"

Pilarsaid:"Yes,myfather.Heisverybeautiful,ishenot?"

"Yes,indeed.FewSpaniardshaveblueeyes,havethey,señorita?"

"Sometimes,intheNorth.Besides,myfather'smotherwasIrish."

Poirotsaidthoughtfully:"SoyouhaveSpanishblood,andIrishandEnglish,andatouchofgypsytoo.
DoyouknowwhatIthink,mademoiselle?Withthatinheritance,youshouldmakeabadenemy."

Stephen said, laughing: "Remember what you said in the train, Pilar? That your way of dealing with
yourenemieswouldbetocuttheirthroats.Oh!"

Hestopped-suddenlyrealisingtheimportofhiswords.

Hercule Poirot was quick to lead the conversation away. He said: "Ah, yes, there was something,
señorita,Ihadtoaskyou.Yourpassport.Itisneededbymyfriendthesuperintendent.Thereare,you
know,policeregulations-verystupid,verytiresome,butnecessary-foraforeignerinthiscountry.And
ofcourse,bylaw,youareaforeigner."

Pilar'seyebrowsrose.

"Mypassport?Yes,Iwillgetit.Itisinmyroom."

Poirotsaidapologeticallyashewalkedbyherside:"Iammostsorrytotroubleyou.Iamindeed."

They had reached the end of the long gallery. Here was a flight of stairs. Pilar ran up and Poirot

followed.Stephencametoo.Pilar'sbedroomwasjustattheheadofthestairs.

Shesaidasshereachedthedoor:"Iwillgetitforyou."

Shewentin.PoirotandStephenFarrremainedwaitingoutside.

Stephensaidremorsefully:"Damn'sillyofmetosayathinglikethat.Idon'tthinkshenoticed,though,
doyou?"

Poirotdidnotanswer.Heheldhisheadalittleononesideasthoughlistening.

He said: "The English are extraordinarily fond of fresh air. Miss Estravados must have inherited that
characteristic."

Stephensaidstaring:"Why?"

Poirot said softly: "Because though it is today extremely cold - the black frost you call it (not like
yesterday so mild and sunny) Miss Estravados has just flung up her lower window-sash. Amazing to
lovesomuchthefreshair."

Suddenly there was an exclamation in Spanish from inside the room and Pilar reappeared laughingly
dismayed.

"Ah!" she cried. "But I am stupid - and clumsy. My little case it was on the window-sill, and I was
sortingthroughitsoquicklyandverystupidlyIknockmypassportoutofthewindow.Itisdownonthe
flower-bedbelow.Iwillgetit."

"I'llgetit,"saidStephen,butPilarhadflownpasthimandcriedbackoverhershoulder:"No,itwasmy
stupidity.Yougotothedrawing-roomwithM.PoirotandIwillbringittoyouthere."

StephenFarrseemedinclinedtogoafterher,butPoirot'shandfellgentlyonhisarmandPoirot'svoice
said:"Letusgothisway."

Theywentalongthefirstfloorcorridortowardstheotherendofthehouseuntiltheygottotheheadof
themainstaircase,

HerePoirotsaid:"Letusnotgodownforaminute.Ifyouwillcomewithmetotheroomofthecrime
thereissomethingIwanttoaskyou."

They went along the corridor which led to Simeon Lee's room. On their left they passed an alcove
whichcontainedtwomarblestatues,stalwartnymphsclaspingtheirdraperiesinanagonyofVictorian
propriety.

StephenFarrglancedatthemandmurmured:"Prettyfrightfulbydaylight.Ithoughttherewerethreeof
themwhenIcamealongtheothernight,butthankgoodnessthereareonlytwo!"

"They are not what is admired nowadays," admitted Poirot. "But no doubt they cost much money in
theirtime.Theylookbetterbynight,Ithink."

"Yes,oneseesonlyawhiteglimmeringfigure."

Poirotmurmured:"Allcatsaregreyinthedark!"

TheyfoundSuperintendentSugdenintheroom.Hewaskneelingbythesafeandexaminingitwitha
magnifyingglass.Helookedupastheyentered.

"Thiswasopenedwiththekeyallright,"hesaid."Bysomeonewhoknewthecombination.Nosignof
anythingelse."

Poirotwentuptohim,drewhimaside,andwhisperedsomething.Thesuperintendentnoddedandleft
theroom.

PoirotturnedtoStephenFarr,whowasstandingstaringatthearm-chairinwhichSimeonLeealways
sat. His brows were drawn together and the veins showed in his forehead. Poirot looked at him for a
minuteortwoinsilence,thenhesaid:"Youhavethememories-yes?"

Stephensaidslowly:"Twodaysagohesattherealive-andnow..."

Then,shakingoffhisabsorption,hesaid:"Yes,M.Poirot,youbroughtmeheretoaskmesomething?"

"Ah,yes.Youwere,Ithink,thefirstpersontoarriveonthescenethatnight?"

"WasI?Idon'tremember.No,Ithinkoneoftheladieswasherebeforeme."

"Whichlady?"

"Oneofthewives-George'swifeorDavid's-Iknowtheywerebothhereprettysoon."

"Youdidnothearthescream,Ithinkyousaid?"

"I don't think I did. I can't quite remember. Somebody did cry out but that may have been someone
downstairs."

Poirotsaid:"Youdidnothearanoiselikethis?"Hethrewhisheadbackandsuddenlygaveventtoa
piercingyell.

It was so unexpected that Stephen started backwards and nearly fell over. He said angrily: "For the
lord'ssake,doyouwanttoscarethewholehouse?No,Ididn'thearanythingintheleastlikethat!You'll
havethewholeplacebytheearsagain!They'llthinkanothermurderhashappened!"

Poirotlookedcrestfallen.Hemurmured:"True...itwasfoolish...Wemustgoatonce."

Hehurriedoutoftheroom.LydiaandAlfredwereatthefootofthestairspeeringup-Georgecameout
ofthelibrarytojointhem,andPilarcamerunning,apassportheldinherhand.

Poirotcried:"Itisnothing-nothing.Donotbealarmed.AlittleexperimentthatImake.Thatwasall."

Alfred looked annoyed and George indignant. Poirot left Stephen to explain and he hurriedly slipped
awayalongthepassagetotheotherendofthehouse.

AttheendofthepassageSuperintendentSugdencamequietlyoutofPilar'sdoorandmetPoirot.

"Ehbien?"askedPoirot.

Thesuperintendentshookhishead.

"Notasound."

HiseyesmetPoirot'sappreciativelyandhenodded.

V

AlfredLeesaid:"Thenyouaccept,M.Poirot?"

His hand, as it went to his mouth, shook slightly. His mild brown eyes were alight with a new and
feverishexpression.Hestammeredslightlyinhisspeech.Lydia,standingsilentlyby,lookedathimwith
someanxiety.

Alfredsaid:"Youdon'tknow-youc-c-can'timagine-whatitm-m-meanstome...Myfather'smurderer
mustbef-f-found."

Poirotsaid:"Sinceyouhaveassuredmethatyouhavereflectedlongandcarefully-yes,Iaccept.But
youcomprehend,MrLee,therecanbenodrawingback.Iamnotthedogonesetsontohuntandthen
recallsbecauseyoudonotlikethegameheputsup!"

"Ofcourse...ofcourse...Everythingisready.Yourbedroomisprepared.Stayaslongasyoulike-"

Poirotsaidgravely:"Itwillnotbelong."

"Eh?What'sthat?"

"Isaiditwillnotbelong.Thereisinthiscrimesucharestrictedcirclethatitcannotpossiblytakelong
toarriveatthetruth.Already,Ithink,theenddrawsnear."

Alfredstaredathim."Impossible!"hesaid.

"Notatall.Thefactsallpointmoreorlessclearlyinonedirection.Thereisjustsomeirrelevantmatter

tobeclearedoutoftheway.Whenthatisdonethetruthwillappear."

Alfredsaidincredulously:"Youmeanyouknow?"

Poirotsmiled."Oh,yes,"hesaid."Iknow."

Alfredsaid:"Myfather-myfather-"Heturnedaway.

Poirotsaidbriskly:"Thereare,M.Lee,tworequeststhatIhavetomake."

Alfredsaidinamuffledvoice:"Anything-anything."

"Then,inthefirstplace,IwouldliketheportraitofM.Leeasayoungmanplacedinthebedroomyou
aregoodenoughtoallottome."

AlfredandLydiastaredathim.Theformersaid:"Myfather'sportrait-butwhy?"

Poirotsaidwithawaveofthehand:"Itwill-howshallIsay-inspireme."

Lydiasaidsharply:"Doyoupropose,M.Poirot,tosolveacrimebyclairvoyance?"

"Letussay,madame,thatIintendtousenotonlytheeyesofthebody,buttheeyesofthemind."

Sheshruggedhershoulders.

Poirotcontinued:"Next,M.Lee,Ishouldliketoknowofthetruecircumstancesattendingthedeathof
yoursister'shusband,JuanEstravados."

Lydiasaid:"Isthatnecessary?"

"Iwantallthefacts,madame."

Alfredsaid:"JuanEstravados,astheresultofaquarrelaboutawoman,killedanothermaninacafé."

"Howdidhekillhim?"

Alfred looked appealingly at Lydia. She said evenly: "He stabbed him. Juan Estravados was not
condemnedtodeath,astherehadbeenprovocation.Hewassentencedtoatermofimprisonmentand
diedinprison."

"Doeshisdaughterknowaboutherfather?"

"Ithinknot."

Alfredsaid:"No,Jennifernevertoldher."

"Thankyou."

Lydiasaid:"Youdon'tthinkthatPilar-Oh,it'sabsurd!"

Poirotsaid:"Now,M.Lee,willyougivemesomefactsaboutyourbrother,M.HarryLee?"

"Whatdoyouwanttoknow?"

"Iunderstandthathewasconsideredsomewhatofadisgracetothefamily.Why?"

Lydiasaid:"Itissolongago..."

Alfredsaid,thecolourcomingupinhisface:"Ifyouwanttoknow,M.Poirot,hestolealargesumof
moneybyforgingmyfather'snametoacheque.Naturallymyfatherdidn'tprosecute.Harry'salways
beencrooked.He'sbeenintroubleallovertheworld.Alwayscablingformoneytogetoutofascrape.
He'sbeeninandoutofgaolhere,thereandeverywhere."

Lydiasaid:"Youdon'treallyknowallthis,Alfred."

Alfredsaidangrily,hishandsshaking:"Harry'snogood-nogoodwhatever!Heneverhasbeen!"

Poirotsaid:"Thereis,Isee,nolovelostbetweenyou?"

Alfredsaid:"Hevictimisedmyfather-victimisedhimshamefully!"

Lydiasighed-aquick,impatientsigh.Poirothearditandgaveherasharpglance.

Shesaid:"Ifonlythosediamondscouldbefound.I'msurethesolutionliesthere."

Poirotsaid:"Theyhavebeenfound,madame."

"What?"

Poirotsaidgently:"TheywerefoundinyourlittlegardenoftheDeadSea..."

Lydiacried:"Inmygarden?How-howextraordinary!"

Poirotsaidsoftly:"Isitnot,madame?"

PARTVI-December27th

I

AlfredLeesaidwithasigh:"ThatwasbetterthanIfeared!"

Theyhadjustreturnedfromtheinquest.

Mr Charlton, an old-fashioned type of solicitor with a cautious blue eye, had been present and had
returnedwiththem.Hesaid:"Ah-Itoldyoutheproceedingswouldbepurelyformal-purelyformal-
therewasboundtobeanadjournment-toenablethepolicetogatherupadditionalevidence."

George Lee said vexedly: "It is all most unpleasant - really most unpleasant - a terrible position in
whichtobeplaced!Imyselfamquiteconvincedthatthiscrimewasdonebyamaniacwhosomehowor
other gained admittance to the house. That man Sugden is as obstinate as a mule. Colonel Johnson
shouldenlisttheaidofScotlandYard.Theselocalpolicearenogood.Thick-headed.Whataboutthis
manHorbury,forinstance?Ihearhispastisdefinitelyunsatisfactorybutthepolicedonothingwhatever
aboutit."

MrCharltonsaid:"Ah-IbelievethemanHorburyhasasatisfactoryalibicoveringtheperiodoftimein
question.Thepolicehaveacceptedit."

"Why should they?" George fumed. "If I were they, I should accept such an alibi with reserve - with
greatreserve.Naturally,acriminalalwaysprovideshimselfwithanalibi!Itisthedutyofthepoliceto
breakdownthealibi-thatis,iftheyknowtheirjob."

"Well,well,"saidMrCharlton."Idon'tthinkit'squiteourbusinesstoteachthepolicetheirjobs,eh?
Prettycompetentbodyofmenonthewhole."

Georgeshookhisheaddarkly.

"Scotland Yard should be called in. I'm not at all satisfied with Superintendent Sugden - he may be
painstaking-butheiscertainlyfarfrombrilliant."

MrCharltonsaid:"Idon'tagreewithyou,youknow.Sugden'sagoodman.Doesn'tthrowhisweight
about,buthegetsthere."

Lydiasaid:"I'msurethepolicearedoingtheirbest.MrCharlton,willyouhaveaglassofsherry?"

MrCharltonthankedherpolitely,butdeclined.Then,clearinghisthroat,heproceededtothereadingof
thewill,allmembersofthefamilybeingassembled.

He read it with a certain relish, lingering over its more obscure phraseology, and savouring its legal
technicalities.

He came to the end, took off his glasses, wiped them, and looked round on the assembled company
inquiringly.

HarryLeesaid:"Allthislegalstuff'sabithardtofollow.Giveusthebarebonesofit,willyou?"

"Really,"saidMrCharlton."It'saperfectlysimplewill."

Harrysaid:"MyGod,what'sadifficultwilllike,then?"

MrCharltonrebukedhimwithacoldglance.Hesaid:"Themainprovisionsofthewillarequitesimple.
Half Mr Lee's property goes to his son, Mr Alfred Lee, the remainder is divided between his other
children."

Harrylaughedunpleasantly.Hesaid:"Asusual,Alfred'sstrucklucky!Halfmyfather'sfortune!Lucky
dog,aren'tyou,Alfred?"

Alfredflushed.Lydiasaidsharply:"Alfredwasaloyalanddevotedsontohisfather.He'smanagedthe
worksforyearsandhashadalltheresponsibility."

Harrysaid:"Oh,yes,Alfredwasalwaysthegoodboy."

Alfredsaidsharply:"Youmayconsideryourselflucky,Ithink,Harry,thatmyfatherleftyouanything
atall!"

Harrylaughed,throwinghisheadback.

Hesaid:"You'dhavelikeditbetterifhe'dcutmerightout,wouldn'tyou?You'vealwaysdislikedme."

Mr Charlton coughed. He was used - only too well used - to the painful scenes that succeeded the
readingofawill.Hewasanxioustogetawaybeforetheusualfamilyquarrelgottoowellunderway.

Hemurmured:"Ithink-er-thatthatisallthatIneed-er-"

Harrysaidsharply:"WhataboutPilar?"

MrCharltoncoughedagain,thistimeapologetically.

"Er-MissEstravadosisnotmentionedinthewill."

Harrysaid:"Doesn'tshegethermother'sshare?"

MrCharltonexplained.

"SeñoraEstravados,ifshehadlived,wouldofcoursehavereceivedanequalsharewiththerestofyou,
but as she is dead, the portion that would have been hers goes back into the estate to be shared out
betweenyou."

PilarsaidslowlyinherrichSouthernvoice:"Then-I-have-nothing?"

Lydiasaidquickly:"Mydear,thefamilywillseetothat,ofcourse."

GeorgeLeesaid:"YouwillbeabletomakeyourhomeherewithAlfred-eh,Alfred?We-er-youare
ourniece-itisourdutytolookafteryou."

Hildasaid:"WeshallalwaysbegladtohavePilarwithus."

Harrysaid:"Sheoughttohaveherpropershare.SheoughttohaveJennifer'swhack."

Mr Charlton murmured: "Must really - er - be going. Goodbye, Mrs Lee - anything I can do - er -
consultmeatanytime..."

Heescapedquickly.Hisexperienceenabledhimtopredictthatalltheingredientsforafamilyrowwere
present.

AsthedoorshutbehindhimLydiasaidinherclearvoice:"IagreewithHarry.IthinkPilarisentitledto
adefiniteshare.ThiswillwasmademanyyearsbeforeJennifer'sdeath."

"Nonsense,"saidGeorge."Veryslipshodandillegalwayofthinking,Lydia.Thelaw'sthelaw.Wemust
abidebyit."

Magdalenesaid:"It'shardluck,ofcourse,andwe'reallverysorryforPilar,butGeorgeisright.Ashe
says,thelawisthelaw."

Lydiagotup.ShetookPilarbythehand.

"Mydear,"shesaid."Thismustbeveryunpleasantforyou.Willyoupleaseleaveuswhilewediscuss
thequestion?"

Sheledthegirltothedoor.

"Don'tworry,Pilar,dear,"shesaid."Leaveittome."

Pilar went slowly out of the room. Lydia shut the door behind her and turned back. There was a
moment'spausewhileeveryonedrewbreathandinanothermomentthebattlewasinfullswing.

Harrysaid:"You'vealwaysbeenadamnedskinflint,George."

Georgeretorted:"Atanyrate,I'venotbeenaspongeandarotter!"

"You'vebeenjustasmuchofaspongeasIhave!You'vebattenedonFatheralltheseyears."

"YouseemtoforgetthatIholdaresponsibleandarduouspositionwhich-"

Harrysaid:"Responsibleandarduousmyfoot!You'reonlyaninflatedgasbag!"

Magdalenescreamed:"Howdareyou?"

Hilda'scalmvoice,slightlyraised,said:"Couldn'twejustdiscussthisquietly?"

Lydiathrewheragratefulglance.

Davidsaidwithsuddenviolence:"Mustwehaveallthisdisgracefulfussovermoney!"

Magdalenesaidvenomouslytohim:"It'sallverywelltobesohigh-minded.You'renotgoingtorefuse
yourlegacy,areyou?Youwantmoneyjustasmuchastherestofusdo!Allthisunworldlinessisjusta
pose!"

Davidsaidinastrangledvoice:"YouthinkIoughttorefuseit?Iwonder-"

Hildasaidsharply:"Ofcourseyououghtn't.Mustweallbehavelikechildren?Alfred,you'rethehead
ofthefamily-"

Alfredseemedtowakeoutofadream.

Hesaid:"Ibegyourpardon.Allofyoushoutingatonce.It-itconfusesme."

Lydia said: "As Hilda has just pointed out, why must we behave like greedy children? Let us discuss
this thing quietly and sanely and -" she added this quickly - "one at a time. Alfred shall speak first
becauseheistheeldest.Whatdoyouthink,Alfred,weshoulddoaboutPilar?"

Hesaidslowly:"Shemustmakeherhomehere,certainly.Andweshouldmakeheranallowance.Ido
notseethatshehasanylegalclaimtothemoneywhichwouldhavegonetohermother.She'snotaLee,
remember.She'saSpanishsubject."

"Nolegalclaim,no,"saidLydia."ButIthinkshehasamoralclaim.AsIseeit,yourfather,althoughhis
daughterhadmarriedaSpaniardagainsthiswishes,recognisedhertohaveanequalclaimuponhim.
George, Harry, David, and Jennifer were to share equally. Jennifer only died last year. I am sure that
whenhesentforMrCharlton,hemeanttomakeampleprovisionforPilarinanewwill.Hewouldhave
allottedheratleasthermother'sshare.Itispossiblethathemighthavedonemuchmorethanthat.She
wastheonlygrandchild,remember.Ithinktheleastwecandoistoendeavourtoremedyaninjustice
thatyourfatherhimselfwaspreparingtoremedy."

Alfredsaidwarmly:"Wellput,Lydia!Iwaswrong.IagreewithyouthatPilarmustbegivenJennifer's
shareofmyfather'sfortune."

Lydiasaid:"Yourturn,Harry."

Harrysaid:"Asyouknow,Iagree.IthinkLydiahasputthecaseverywell,andI'dliketosayIadmire
herforit."

Lydiasaid:"George?"

Georgewasredintheface.Hespluttered:"Certainlynot!Wholething'spreposterous!Giveherahome
andadecentdressallowance.Quiteenoughforher!"

"Thenyourefusetoco-operate?"askedAlfred.

"Yes,Ido."

"Andhe'squiteright,"saidMagdalene."It'sdisgracefultosuggestheshoulddoanythingofthekind!
ConsideringthatGeorgeistheonlymemberofthefamilywhohasdoneanythingintheworld,Ithink
it'sashamehisfatherlefthimsolittle!"

Lydiasaid:"David?"

Davidsaidvaguely:"Oh,Ithinkyou'reright.It'sapitythere'sgottobesomuchuglinessanddisputing
aboutitall."

Hildasaid:"You'requiteright,Lydia.It'sonlyjustice!"

Harrylookedround.Hesaid:"Well,that'sclear.Ofthefamily,Alfred,myselfandDavidareinfavour
ofthemotion.Georgeisagainstit.Theayeshaveit."

George said sharply: "There is no question of ayes or noes. My share of my father's estate is mine
absolutely.Ishallnotpartwithapennyofit."

"No,indeed,"saidMagdalene.

Lydia said sharply: "If you like to stand out, that is your business. The rest of us will make up your
shareofthetotal."

Shelookedroundforassentandtheothersnodded.

Harrysaid:"Alfred'sgotthelion'sshare.Heoughttostandmostoftheracket."

Alfredsaid:"Iseethatyouroriginaldisinterestedsuggestionwillsoonbreakdown."

Hildasaidfirmly:"Don'tlet'sstartagain!LydiashalltellPilarwhatwe'vedecided.Wecansettledetails
later."Sheaddedinthehopeofmakingadiversion,"IwonderwhereMrFarris,andM.Poirot?"

Alfredsaid:"WedroppedPoirotinthevillageonourwaytotheinquest.Hesaidhehadanimportant
purchasetomake."

Harrysaid:"Whydidn'thegototheinquest?Surelyheoughttohavedone!"

Lydia said: "Perhaps he knew it was not going to be important. Who's that out there in the garden?
SuperintendentSugden,orMrFarr?"

Theeffortsofthetwowomenweresuccessful.Thefamilyconclavebrokeup.

Lydia said to Hilda privately: "Thank you, Hilda. It was nice of you to back me up. You know, you
reallyhavebeenacomfortinallthis."

Hildasaidthoughtfully:"Queerhowmoneyupsetspeople."

Theothershadalllefttheroom.Thetwowomenwerealone.

Lydiasaid:"Yes-evenHarry-althoughitwashissuggestion!AndmypoorAlfred-heissoBritish-
hedoesn'treallylikeLeemoneygoingtoaSpanishsubject."

Hildasaid,smiling:"Doyouthinkwewomenaremoreunworldly?"

Lydiasaidwithashrugofhergracefulshoulders:"Well,youknow,itisn'treallyourmoney-notour
own!Thatmaymakeadifference."

Hildasaidthoughtfully:"Sheisastrangechild-Pilar,Imean.Iwonderwhatwillbecomeofher?"

Lydiasighed.

"I'mgladthatshewillbeindependent.Tolivehere,tobegivenahomeandadressallowance,would
not,Ithink,beverysatisfactorytoher.She'stooproudand,Ithink,too-too-alien."

Sheaddedmusingly:"IoncebroughtsomebeautifulbluelapishomefromEgypt.Outthere,againstthe
sunandthesand,itwasagloriouscolour-abrilliantwarmblue.ButwhenIgotithome,theblueofit
hardlyshowedanymore.Itwasjustadull,darkishstringofbeads."

Hildasaid:"Yes,Isee..."

Lydiasaidgently:"IamsogladtocometoknowyouandDavidatlast.I'mgladyoubothcamehere."

Hildasighed:"HowoftenI'vewishedinthelastfewdaysthatwehadn't!"

"Iknow.Youmusthavedone...Butyouknow,Hilda,theshockhasn'taffectedDavidnearlyasbadlyas
itmighthavedone.Imean,heissosensitivethatitmighthaveupsethimcompletely.Actually,since
themurder,he'sseemedeversomuchbetter-"

Hildalookedslightlydisturbed.Shesaid:"Soyou'venoticedthat?It'sratherdreadfulinaway...Butoh!
Lydia,it'sundoubtedlyso!"

Shewassilentaminuterecollectingwordsthatherhusbandhadspokenonlythenightbefore.Hehad
saidtoher,eagerly,hisfairhairtossedbackfromhisforehead:"Hilda,yourememberinTosca-when
Scarpia is dead and Tosca lights the candles at his head and feet? Do you remember what she says:
'Now I can forgive him...' That is what I feel - about Father. I see now that all these years I couldn't
forgive him, and yet I really wanted to... But now - now - there's no rancour any more. It's all wiped
away.AndIfeel-oh,Ifeelasthoughagreatloadhadbeenliftedfrommyback."

Shehadsaid,strivingtofightbackasuddenfear:"Becausehe'sdead?"

Hehadansweredquickly,stammeringinhiseagerness:"No,no,youdon'tunderstand.Notbecausehe
isdead,butbecausemychildishstupidhateofhimisdead..."

Hildathoughtofthosewordsnow.Shewouldhavelikedtorepeatthemtothewomanatherside,but

shefeltinstinctivelythatitwaswisernot.

ShefollowedLydiaoutofthedrawing-roomintothehall.

Magdalenewasthere,standingbythehalltablewithalittleparcelinherhand.Shejumpedwhenshe
sawthem.Shesaid:"Oh,thismustbeM.Poirot'simportantpurchase.Isawhimputitdownherejust
now.Iwonderwhatitis."

Shelookedfromonetotheotherofthem,gigglingalittle,buthereyesweresharpandanxious,belying
theaffectedgaietyofherwords.

Lydia'seyebrowsrose.Shesaid:"Imustgoandwashbeforelunch."

Magdalenesaid,stillwiththataffectationofchildishness,butunabletokeepthedesperatenoteoutof
hervoice:"Imustjustpeep!"

Sheunrolledthepieceofpaperandgaveasharpexclamation.Shestaredatthethinginherhand.

LydiastoppedandHildatoo.Bothwomenstared.

Magdalenesaidinapuzzledvoice:"It'safalsemoustache.But-but-why-?"

Hildasaiddoubtfully:"Disguise?But-"

Lydiafinishedthesentenceforher."ButM.Poirothasaveryfinemoustacheofhisown!"

Magdalenewaswrappingtheparcelupagain.Shesaid:"Idon'tunderstand.It's-it'smad.WhydoesM.
Poirotbuyafalsemoustache?"

II

When Pilar left the drawing-room she walked slowly along the hall. Stephen Farr was coming in
throughthegardendoor.

Hesaid:"Well?Isthefamilyconclaveover?Hasthewillbeenread?"

Pilarsaid,herbreathcomingfast:"Ihavegotnothing-nothingatall!Itwasawillmademanyyears
ago. My grandfather left money to my mother, but because she is dead it does not go to me but goes
backtothem."

Stephensaid:"Thatseemsratherhardlines."

Pilarsaid:"Ifthatoldmanhadlived,hewouldhavemadeanotherwill.Hewouldhaveleftmoneyto
me-alotofmoney!Perhapsintimehewouldhaveleftmeallthemoney!"

Stephensaid,smiling:"Thatwouldn'thavebeenveryfaireither,wouldit?"

"Whynot?Hewouldhavelikedmebest,thatisall."

Stephensaid:"Whatagreedychildyouare.Areallittlegold-digger."

Pilar said soberly: "The world is very cruel to women. They must do what they can for themselves -
whiletheyareyoung.Whentheyareoldanduglynoonewillhelpthem."

Stephen said slowly: "That's more true than I like to think. But it isn't quite true. Alfred Lee, for
instance,wasgenuinelyfondofhisfatherinspiteoftheoldmanbeingthoroughlytryingandexacting."

Pilar'schinwentup.

"Alfred,"shesaid,"isratherafool."

Stephenlaughed.

Thenhesaid:"Well,don'tworry,lovelyPilar.TheLeesareboundtolookafteryou,youknow."

Pilarsaiddisconsolately:"Itwillnotbeveryamusing,that."

Stephensaidslowly:"No,I'mafraiditwon't.Ican'tseeyoulivinghere,Pilar.Wouldyouliketocome
toSouthAfrica?"

Pilarnodded.

Stephensaid:"There'ssunthere,andspace.There'shardworktoo.Areyougoodatwork,Pilar?"

Pilarsaiddoubtfully:"Idonotknow."

Hesaid:"You'drathersitonabalconyandeatsweetsalldaylong?Andgrowenormouslyfatandhave
threedoublechins?"

PilarlaughedandStephensaid:"That'sbetter.I'vemadeyoulaugh."

Pilarsaid:"IthoughtIshouldlaughthisChristmas!InbooksIhavereadthatanEnglishChristmasis
verygay,thatoneeatsburningraisinsandthereisaplumpuddingallinflames,andsomethingthatis
calledaYulelog."

Stephensaid:"Ah,butyoumusthaveaChristmasuncomplicatedbymurder.Comeinhereaminute,
Lydiatookmeinhereyesterday.It'sherstoreroom."

Heledherintoasmallroomlittlebiggerthanacupboard.

"Look, Pilar, boxes and boxes of crackers, and preserved fruits and oranges and dates and nuts. And
here-"

"Oh!"Pilarclaspedherhands."Theyarepretty,thesegoldandsilverballs."

"Thoseweretohangonatree,withpresentsfortheservants.Andherearelittlesnowmenallglittering
withfrosttoputonthedinnertable.Andhereareballoonsofeverycolourallreadytoblowup!"

"Oh!"Pilar'seyesshone."Oh!canweblowoneup?Lydiawouldnotmind.Idoloveballoons."

Stephensaid:"Baby!Here,whichwillyouhave?"

Pilarsaid:"Iwillhavearedone."

Theyselectedtheirballoonsandblew,theircheeksdistended.Pilarstoppedblowingtolaugh,andher
balloonwentdownagain.

Shesaid:"Youlooksofunny-blowing-withyourcheekspuffedout."

Her laugh rang out. Then she fell to, blowing industriously. They tied up their balloons carefully and
begantoplaywiththem,pattingthemupwards,sendingthemtoandfro.

Pilarsaid:"Outinthehalltherewouldbemoreroom."

They were sending the balloons to each other, and laughing, when Poirot came along the hall. He
regardedthemindulgently.

"Soyouplaylesjeuxd'enfants!Itispretty,that!"

Pilarsaidbreathlessly:"Mineistheredone.Itisbiggerthanhis.Muchbigger.Ifwetookitoutsideit
wouldgorightupinthesky."

"Let'ssendthemupandwish,"saidStephen.

"Oh,yes,thatisagoodidea."

Pilarrantothegardendoor,Stephenfollowed.Poirotcamebehind,stilllookingindulgent.

"Iwillwishforagreatdealofmoney,"announcedPilar.

Shestoodontiptoe,holdingthestringoftheballoon.Ittuggedgentlyasapuffofwindcame.Pilarlet
goanditfloatedalong,takenbythebreeze.

Stephenlaughed.

"Youmustn'ttellyourwish."

"No?Whynot?"

"Becauseitdoesn'tcometrue.Now,I'mgoingtowish."

He released his balloon. But he was not so lucky. It floated sideways, caught on a holly bush and
expiredwithabang.

Pilarrantoit.

Sheannouncedtragically:"Itisgone..."

Then,asshestirredthelittlelimpwispofrubberwithhertoe,shesaid:"SothatwaswhatIpickedupin
Grandfather'sroom.He,too,hadhadaballoon,onlyhiswasapinkone."

Poirotgaveasharpexclamation.Pilarturnedinquiringly.

Poirotsaid:"Itisnothing.Istabbed-nostubbed-thetoe."

Hewheeledroundandlookedatthehouse.

Hesaid:"Somanywindows!Ahouse,mademoiselle,hasitseyes-anditsears.Itisindeedregrettable
thattheEnglisharesofondofopenwindows."

Lydiacameoutontheterrace.Shesaid:"Lunchisjustready.Pilar,mydear,everythinghasbeensettled
quitesatisfactorily.Alfredwillexplaintheexactdetailstoyouafterlunch.Shallwecomein?"

Theywentintothehouse.Poirotcamelast.Hewaslookinggrave.

III

Lunchwasover.

As they came out of the dining-room, Alfred said to Pilar: "Will you come into my room? There is
somethingIwanttotalkoverwithyou."

Heledheracrossthehallandintohisstudy,shuttingthedoorafterhim.Theotherswentonintothe
drawing-room.OnlyHerculePoirotremainedinthehalllookingthoughtfullyattheclosedstudydoor.

Hewasawaresuddenlyoftheoldbutlerhoveringuneasilynearhim.

Poirotsaid:"Yes,Tressilian,whatisit?"

Theoldmanseemedtroubled.Hesaid:"IwantedtospeaktoMrLee.ButIdon'tliketodisturbhim
now."

Poirotsaid:"Somethinghasoccurred?"

Tressiliansaidslowly:"It'ssuchaqueerthing.Itdoesn'tmakesense."

"Tellme,"saidHerculePoirot.

Tressilianhesitated.Thenhesaid:"Well,it'sthis,sir.Youmayhavenoticedthateachsideofthefront
doortherewasacannonball.Bigheavystonethings.Well,sir,oneofthem'sgone."

HerculePoirot'seyebrowsrose.Hesaid:"Sincewhen?"

"Theywereboththerethismorning,sir.I'lltakemyoathonthat."

"Letmesee."

Togethertheywentoutsidethefrontdoor.Poirotbentandexaminedtheremainingcannonball.When
hestraightenedhimself,hisfacewasverygrave.

Tressilianquavered:"Who'dwanttostealathinglikethat,sir?Itdoesn'tmakesense."

Poirotsaid:"Idonotlikeit.Idonotlikeitatall..."

Tressilianwaswatchinghimanxiously.

Hesaidslowly:"What'scometothehouse,sir?Eversincethemasterwasmurdereditdoesn'tseemlike
the same place. I feel the whole time as though I was going about in a dream. I mix things up, and I
sometimesfeelIcan'ttrustmyowneyes."

HerculePoirotshookhishead.Hesaid:"Youarewrong.Yourowneyesarejustwhatyoumusttrust."

Tressiliansaid,shakinghishead:"Mysight'sbad-Ican'tseelikeIusedtodo.Igetthingsmixedup-
andpeople.I'mgettingtoooldformywork."

HerculePoirotclappedhimontheshoulderandsaid:"Courage."

"Thankyou,sir.Youmeanitkindly,Iknow.Butthereitis,Iamtooold.I'malwaysgoingbacktothe
olddaysandtheoldfaces.MissJennyandMasterDavidandMasterAlfred.I'malwaysseeingthemas
younggentlemenandladies.EversincethatnightwhenMrHarrycamehome-"

Poirotnodded.

"Yes,"hesaid,"thatiswhatIthought.Yousaidjustnow'Eversincethemasterwasmurdered'-butit
beganbeforethat.ItiseversinceMrHarrycamehome,isitnot,thatthingshavealteredandseemed
unreal?"

The butler said: "You're quite right, sir. It was then. Mr Harry always brought trouble into the house,
evenintheolddays."

Hiseyeswanderedbacktotheemptystonebase.

"Whocanhavetakenit,sir?"hewhispered."Andwhy?It's-it'slikeamadhouse."

Hercule Poirot said: "It is not madness I am afraid of. It is sanity! Somebody, Tressilian, is in great
danger."

Heturnedandre-enteredthehouse.AtthatmomentPilarcameoutfromthestudy.Aredspotshoneon
eithercheek.Sheheldherheadhighandhereyesglittered.

AsPoirotcameuptoher,shesuddenlystampedherfootandsaid:"Iwillnottakeit."

Poirotraisedhiseyebrows.Hesaid:"Whatisitthatyouwillnottake,mademoiselle?"

Pilarsaid:"AlfredhasjusttoldmethatIamtohavemymother'sshareofthemoneymygrandfather
left."

"Well?"

"Icouldnotgetitbylaw,hesaid.ButheandLydiaandtheothersconsideritshouldbemine.Theysay
itisamatterofjustice.Andsotheywillhanditovertome."

Poirotsaidagain:"Well?"

Pilarstampedoncemorewithherfoot."Doyounotunderstand?Theyaregivingittome-givingitto
me."

"Needthathurtyourpride?Sincewhattheysayistrue-thatitshouldinjusticebeyours?"

Pilarsaid:"Youdonotunderstand..."

Poirotsaid:"Onthecontrary-Iunderstandverywell."

"Oh!..." She turned away pettishly. There was a ring at the bell. Poirot glanced over his shoulder. He
saw the silhouette of Superintendent Sugden outside the door. He said hurriedly to Pilar: "Where are
yougoing?"

Shesaidsulkily:"Tothedrawing-room.Totheothers."

Poirotsaidquickly:"Good.Staywiththemthere.Donotwanderaboutthehousealone,especiallyafter
dark.Beonyourguard.Youareingreatdanger,mademoiselle.Youwillneverbeingreaterdangerthan
youaretoday."

HeturnedawayfromherandwenttomeetSugden.

ThelatterwaitedtillTressilianhadgonebackintohispantry.

ThenheshovedacableformunderPoirot'snose.

"Nowwe'vegotit!"hesaid."Readthat.It'sfromtheSouthAfricanPolice."

Thecablesaid:"EbenezerFarr'sonlysondiedtwoyearsago."

Sugdensaid:"Sonowweknow!Funny-Iwasonadifferenttackaltogether..."

IV

Pilarmarchedintothedrawing-room,herheadheldhigh.

ShewentstraightuptoLydia,whowassittinginthewindowwithsomeknitting.

Pilarsaid:"Lydia,IhavecometotellyouthatIwillnottakethatmoney.Iamgoingaway-atonce..."

Lydia looked astonished. She laid down her knitting. She said: "My dear child, Alfred must have
explainedverybadly!Itisnotintheleastamatterofcharity,ifthatiswhatyoufeel.Really,itisnota
questionofkindnessorgenerosityonourpart.Itisaplainmatterofrightandwrong.Intheordinary
courseofeventsyourmotherwouldhaveinheritedthismoney,andyouwouldhavecomeintoitfrom
her.Itisyourright-yourbloodright.Itisamatter,notofcharity,butofjustice."

Pilarsaidfiercely:"AndthatiswhyIcannotdoit-notwhenyouspeaklikethat-notwhenyouarelike
that!Ienjoyedcominghere.Itwasfun!Itwasanadventure,butnowyouhavespoiltitall!Iamgoing
awaynow,atonce-youwillneverbebotheredbymeagain..."

Tearschokedhervoice.Sheturnedandranblindlyoutoftheroom.

Lydiastared.Shesaidhelplessly:"I'dnoideashewouldtakeitlikethat!"

Hildasaid:"Thechildseemsquiteupset."

George cleared his throat and said portentously: "Er - as I pointed out this morning - the principle
involvediswrong.Pilarhasthewittoseethatforherself.Sherefusestoacceptcharity-"

Lydiasaidsharply:"Itisnotcharity.Itisherright!"

Georgesaid:"Shedoesnotseemtothinkso!"

SuperintendentSugdenandHerculePoirotcamein.Theformerlookedroundandasked:"Where'sMr
Farr?Iwantawordwithhim."

Beforeanyonehadtimetoanswer,HerculePoirotsaidsharply:"WhereistheSeñoritaEstravados?"

GeorgeLeesaidwithatraceofmalicioussatisfaction:"Goingtoclearout,soshesays.Apparentlyshe
hashadenoughofherEnglishrelations."

Poirotwheeledround.

HesaidtoSugden:"Come!"

Asthetwomenemergedintothehall,therewasthesoundofaheavycrashandafar-awayshriek.

Poirotcried:"Quick...Come..."

Theyracedalongthehallandupthefarstaircase.ThedoorofPilar'sroomwasopenandamanstoodin
thedoorway.Heturnedhisheadastheyranup.ItwasStephenFarr.

Hesaid:"She'salive..."

Pilarstoodcrouchedagainstthewallofherroom.Shewasstaringatthefloorwhereabigstonecannon
ballwaslying.

She said breathlessly: "It was on top of my door, balanced there. It would have crashed down on my
headwhenIcamein,butmyskirtcaughtonanailandjerkedmebackjustasIwascomingin."

Poirotkneltdownandexaminedthenail.Onitwasathreadofpurpletweed.Helookedupandnodded
gravely.

"Thatnail,mademoiselle,"hesaid,"savedyourlife."

Thesuperintendentsaid,bewildered:"Lookhere,what'sthemeaningofallthis?"

Pilarsaid:"Someonetriedtokillme!"

Shenoddedherheadseveraltimes.SuperintendentSugdenglancedupatthedoor.

"Boobytrap,"hesaid."Anold-fashionedboobytrap-anditspurposewasmurder!That'sthesecond
murderplannedinthishouse.Butthistimeitdidn'tcomeoff!"

StephenFarrsaidhuskily:"ThankGodyou'resafe."

Pilarflungoutherhandsinawide,appealinggesture.

"MadredeDíos,"shecried."Whyshouldanyonewishtokillme?WhathaveIdone?"

HerculePoirotsaidslowly:"Youshouldratherask,mademoiselle,whatdoIknow?"

Shestared.

"Know?Idonotknowanything."

HerculePoirotsaid:"Thatiswhereyouarewrong.Tellme,MademoisellePilar,wherewereyouatthe
timeofthemurder?Youwerenotinthisroom."

"Iwas.Ihavetoldyouso!"

SuperintendentSugdensaidwithdeceptivemildness:"Yes,butyouweren'tspeakingthetruthwhenyou
saidthat,youknow.Youtoldusyouheardyourgrandfatherscream-youcouldn'thaveheardthatifyou
wereinhere-MrPoirotandItestedthatyesterday."

"Oh!"Pilarcaughtherbreath.

Poirotsaid:"Youweresomewhereverymuchnearerhisroom.IwilltellyouwhereIthinkyouwere,
mademoiselle.Youwereintherecesswiththestatuesquiteclosetoyourgrandfather'sdoor."

Pilarsaid,startled:"Oh...Howdidyouknow?"

Poirotsaidwithafaintsmile:"MrFarrsawyouthere."

Stephensaidsharply:"Ididnot.That'sanabsolutelie!"

Poirotsaid:"Iaskyourpardon,MrFarr,butyoudidseeher.Rememberyourimpressionthattherewere
three statues in that recess, not two. Only one person wore a white dress that night. Mademoiselle
Estravados.Shewasthethirdwhitefigureyousaw.Thatisso,isitnot,mademoiselle?"

Pilarsaid,afteramoment'shesitation:"Yes,itistrue."

Poirotsaidgently:"Nowtellus,mademoiselle,thewholetruth.Whywereyouthere?"

Pilar said: "I left the drawing-room after dinner and I thought I would go and see my grandfather. I
thoughthewouldbepleased.ButwhenIturnedintothepassageIsawsomeoneelsewasthereathis
door.IdidnotwanttobeseenbecauseIknewmygrandfatherhadsaidhedidnotwanttoseeanyone
thatnight.Islippedintotherecessincasethepersonatthedoorturnedround."

"Then,allatonce,Iheardthemosthorriblesounds,tables-chairs-"shewavedherhands-"everything

fallingandcrashing.Ididnotmove.Idonotknowwhy.Iwasfrightened.Andthentherewasaterrible
scream-"shecrossedherself-"andmyheartitstoppedbeating,andIsaid,'Someoneisdead...'"

"Andthen?"

"AndthenpeoplebegancomingrunningalongthepassageandIcameoutattheendandjoinedthem."

SuperintendentSugdensaidsharply:"Yousaidnothingofallthiswhenwefirstquestionedyou.Why
not?"

Pilarshookherhead.Shesaid,withanairofwisdom:"Itisnotgoodtotelltoomuchtothepolice.I
thought,yousee,thatifIsaidIwasnearthereyoumightthinkthatIhadkilledhim.SoIsaidIwasin
myroom."

Sugden said sharply: "If you tell deliberate lies all that it ends in is that you're bound to come under
suspicion."

StephenFarrsaid:"Pilar?"

"Yes?"

"Whodidyouseestandingatthedoorwhenyouturnedintothepassage?Tellus."

Sugdensaid:"Yes,tellus."

Foramomentthegirlhesitated.Hereyesopened,thennarrowed.Shesaidslowly:"Idon'tknowwhoit
was.Itwastoodimlylittosee.Butitwasawoman..."

V

SuperintendentSugdenlookedroundatthecircleoffaces.Hesaid,withsomethingasnearirritationas
hehadyetshown:"Thisisveryirregular,MrPoirot."

Poirotsaid:"Itisalittleideaofmine.IwishtosharewitheveryonetheknowledgethatIhaveacquired.

Ishalltheninvitetheirco-operation,andsoweshallgetatthetruth."

Sugdenmurmuredunderhisbreath:"Monkeytricks."

Heleanedbackinhischair.Poirotsaid:"Tobeginwith,youhave,Ithink,anexplanationtoaskofMr
Farr."

Sugden'smouthtightened.

"I should have chosen a less public moment," he said. "However, I've no objection." He handed the
cabletoStephenFarr."Now,MrFarr,asyoucallyourself,perhapsyoucanexplainthis?"

StephenFarrtookit.Raisinghiseyebrows,hereaditslowlyoutloud.Then,withabow,hehandedit
backtothesuperintendent.

"Yes,"hesaid."It'sprettydamning,isn'tit?"

Sugdensaid:"Isthatallyou'vegottosayaboutit?Youquiteunderstandthereisnoobligationonyouto
makeastatement-"

Stephen Farr interrupted. He said: "You needn't caution me, Superintendent. I can see it trembling on
yourtongue!Yes,I'llgiveyouanexplanation.It'snotaverygoodone,butit'sthetruth."

He paused. Then he began: "I'm not Ebenezer Farr's son. But I knew both father and son quite well.
Nowtryandputyourselfinmyplace.(MynameisStephenGrant,bytheway.)Iarrivedinthiscountry
for the first time in my life. I was disappointed. Everything and everybody seemed drab and lifeless.
ThenIwastravellingbytrainandIsawagirl.I'vegottosayitstraightout:Ifellforthatgirl!Shewas
theloveliestandmostunlikelycreatureintheworld!ItalkedtoherforawhileinthetrainandImade
upmymindthenandtherenottolosesightofher.AsIwasleavingthecompartmentIcaughtsightof
thelabelonhersuitcase.Hernamemeantnothingtome,buttheaddresstowhichshewastravelling
did.I'dheardofGorstonHall,andIknewallaboutitsowner.HewasEbenezerFarr'sone-timepartner
andoldEboftentalkedabouthimandsaidwhatapersonalityhewas.

"Well,theideacametometogotoGorstonHallandpretendIwasEb'sson.Hehaddied,asthiscable
says,twoyearsago,butIrememberedoldEbsayingthathehadnotheardfromSimeonLeenowfor
manyyears,andIjudgedthatLeewouldnotknowofthedeathofEb'sson.Anyway,Ifeltitwasworth
trying."

Sugdensaid:"Youdidn'ttryitonatonce,though.YoustayedintheKing'sArmsatAddlesfieldfortwo
days."

Stephensaid:"Iwasthinkingitover-whethertotryitornot.AtlastImadeupmymindIwould.It
appealedtomeasabitofanadventure.Well,itworkedlikeacharm!Theoldmangreetedmeinthe
friendliest manner and at once asked me to come and stay in the house. I accepted. There you are,
Superintendent,there'smyexplanation.Ifyoudon'tfancyit,castyourmindbacktoyourcourtingdays
andseeifyoudon'tremembersomebitoffoolishnessyouindulgedinthen.Asformyrealname,asI
say,it'sStephenGrant.YoucancabletoSouthAfricaandcheckuponme,butI'lltellyouthis:you'll
findI'maperfectlyrespectablecitizen.I'mnotacrookorajewelthief."

Poirotsaidsoftly:"Ineverbelievedyouwere."

SuperintendentSugdenstrokedhisjawcautiously.Hesaid:"I'llhavetocheckuponthatstory.WhatI'd
liketoknowisthis:Whydidn'tyoucomecleanafterthemurderinsteadoftellingusapackoflies?"

Stephensaiddisarmingly:"BecauseIwasafool!IthoughtIcouldgetawaywithit!Ithoughtitwould
lookfishyifIadmittedtobeinghereunderafalsename.IfIhadn'tbeenacompleteidiotIwouldhave
realisedyouwereboundtocabletoJo'burg."

Sugdensaid:"Well,MrFarr-er-Grant-I'mnotsayingIdisbelieveyourstory.Itwillbeprovedor
disprovedsoonenough."

HelookedacrossinquiringlyatPoirot.

Thelattersaid:"IthinkMissEstravadoshassomethingtosay."

Pilarhadgoneverywhite.Shesaid,inabreathlessvoice:"Itistrue.Iwouldneverhavetoldyou,but
forLydiaandthemoney.Tocomehereandpretendandcheatandact-thatwasfun,butwhenLydia
saidthemoneywasmineandthatitwasonlyjustice,thatwasdifferent,itwasnotfunanylonger."

AlfredLeesaidwithapuzzledface:"Idonotunderstand,mydear,whatyouaretalkingabout."

Pilarsaid:"YouthinkIamyourniece,PilarEstravados?Butthatisnotso!PilarwaskilledwhenIwas
travellingwithherinacarinSpain.Abombcameandithitthecarandshewaskilled,butIwasnot
touched.Ididnotknowherverywell,butshehadtoldmeallaboutherselfandhowhergrandfather

hadsentforhertogotoEnglandandthathewasveryrich.AndIhadnomoneyatallandIdidnot
knowwheretogoorwhattodo.AndIthoughtsuddenly:'WhyshouldnotItakePilar'spassportandgo
to England and become very rich?'" Her face lit up with its sudden wide smile. "Oh, it was fun
wondering if I could get away with it! Our faces on the photograph were not unlike. But when they
wantedmypassporthereIopenedthewindowandthrewitoutandrandowntogetit,andthenIrubbed
some earth just over the face a little because at a barrier travelling they do not look very closely, but
heretheymight-"

Alfred Lee said angrily: "Do you mean to say that you represented yourself to my father as his
granddaughter,andplayedonhisaffectionforyou?"

Pilarnodded.Shesaidcomplacently:"Yes,IsawatonceIcouldmakehimlikemeverymuch."

George Lee broke out: "Preposterous!" he spluttered. "Criminal! Attempting to get money by false
pretences."

Harry Lee said: "She didn't get any from you, old boy! Pilar, I'm on your side! I've got a profound
admirationforyourdaring.And,thankgoodness,I'mnotyouruncleanymore!Thatgivesmeamuch
freerhand."

PilarsaidtoPoirot:"Youknew?Whendidyouknow?"

Poirotsmiled:"Mademoiselle,ifyouhavestudiedthelawsofMendelyouwouldknowthattwoblue-
eyedpeoplearenotlikelytohaveabrown-eyedchild.Yourmotherwas,Iwassure,amostchasteand
respectablelady.Itfollowed,then,thatyouwerenotPilarEstravadosatall.Whenyoudidyourtrick
with the passport, I was quite sure of it. It was ingenious, but not, you understand, quite ingenious
enough."

SuperintendentSugdensaidunpleasantly:"Thewholething'snotquiteingeniousenough."

Pilarstaredathim.Shesaid:"Idon'tunderstand..."

Sugdensaid:"You'vetoldusastory-butIthinkthere'sagooddealmoreyouhaven'ttold."

Stephensaid:"Youleaveheralone!"

SuperintendentSugdentooknonotice.

Hewenton:"You'vetoldusthatyouwentuptoyourgrandfather'sroomafterdinner.Yousaiditwasan
impulseonyourpart.I'mgoingtosuggestsomethingelse.Itwasyouwhostolethosediamonds.You'd
handledthem.Onoccasion,perhaps,you'dputthemawayinthesafeandtheoldmanhadn'twatched
you do it! When he found the stones were missing, he saw at once that only two people could have
taken them. One was Horbury, who might have got to know the combination and have crept in and
stolenthemduringthenight.Theotherpersonwasyou.

"Well,MrLeeatoncetookmeasures.Herangmeupandhadmecometoseehim.Thenhesentword
toyoutocomeandseehimimmediatelyafterdinner.Youdidsoandheaccusedyouofthetheft.You
deniedit;hepressedthecharge.Idon'tknowwhathappenednext-perhapshetumbledtothefactthat
you weren't his granddaughter, but a very clever little professional thief. Anyway, the game was up,
exposureloomedoveryou,andyouslashedathimwithaknife.Therewasastruggleandhescreamed.
Youwereproperlyupagainstitthen.Youhurriedoutoftheroom,turnedthekeyfromtheoutsideand
then, knowing you could not get away, before the others came, you slipped into the recess by the
statues."

Pilarcriedshrilly:"Itisnottrue!Itisnottrue!Ididnotstealthediamonds!Ididnotkillhim.Iswearit
bytheBlessedVirgin."

Sugden said sharply: "Then who did? You say you saw a figure standing outside Mr Lee's door.
Accordingtoyourstory,thatpersonmusthavebeenthemurderer.Nooneelsepassedtherecess!But
we've only your word for it that there was a figure there at all. In other words, you made that up to
exculpateyourself!"

GeorgeLeesaidsharply:"Ofcourseshe'sguilty!It'sallclearenough!Ialwayssaidanoutsiderkilled
myfather!Preposterousnonsensetopretendoneofhisfamilywoulddoathinglikethat!It-itwouldn't
benatural!"

Poirot stirred in his seat. He said: "I disagree with you. Taking into consideration the character of
SimeonLee,itwouldbeaverynaturalthingtohappen."

"Eh?"George'sjawdropped.HestaredatPoirot.

Poirot went on: "And, in my opinion, that very thing did happen. Simeon Lee was killed by his own
fleshandblood,forwhatseemedtothemurdereraverygoodandsufficientreason."

Georgecried:"Oneofus?Ideny-"

Poirot's voice broke in hard as steel. "There is a case against every person here. We will, Mr George
Lee,beginwiththecaseagainstyou.Youhadnoloveforyourfather!Youkeptongoodtermswithhim
forthesakeofmoney.Onthedayofhisdeathhethreatenedtocutdownyourallowance.Youknewthat
onhisdeathyouwouldprobablyinheritaverysubstantialsum.Thereisthemotive.Afterdinneryou
went,asyousay,totelephone.Youdidtelephone-butthecalllastedonlyfiveminutes.Afterthatyou
couldeasilyhavegonetoyourfather'sroom,chattedwithhim,andthenattackedhimandkilledhim.
You left the room and turned the key from outside, for you hoped the affair would be put down to a
burglar.Youomitted,inyourpanic,tomakesurethatthewindowwasfullyopensoastosupportthe
burglartheory.Thatwasstupid;butyouare,ifyouwillpardonmysayingso,ratherastupidman!

"However,"saidPoirot,afterabriefpauseduringwhichGeorgetriedtospeakandfailed,"manystupid
menhavebeencriminals!"

HeturnedhiseyesonMagdalene.

"Madame, too, she also had a motive. She is, I think, in debt, and the tone of certain of your father's
remarksmayhavecausedheruneasiness.She,too,hasnoalibi.Shewenttotelephone,butshedidnot
telephone,andwehaveonlyherwordforwhatshediddo...

"Then,"hepaused,"thereisMrDavidLee.Wehaveheard,notoncebutmanytimes,oftherevengeful
tempersandlongmemoriesthatwentwiththeLeeblood.MrDavidLeedidnotforgetorforgivethe
wayhisfatherhadtreatedhismother.Afinaljibedirectedatthedeadladymayhavebeenthelaststraw.
David Lee is said to have been playing the piano at the time of the murder. By a coincidence he was
playingthe'DeadMarch.'Butsupposesomebodyelsewasplayingthat'DeadMarch,'somebodywho
knewwhathewasgoingtodo,andwhoapprovedhisaction?"

HildaLeesaidquietly:"Thatisaninfamoussuggestion."

Poirotturnedtoher."Iwillofferyouanother,madame.Itwasyourhandthatdidthedeed.Itwasyou
whocreptupstairstoexecutejudgmentonamanyouconsideredbeyondhumanforgiveness.Youareof
those,madame,whocanbeterribleinanger..."

Hildasaid:"Ididnotkillhim."

Superintendent Sugden said brusquely: "Mr Poirot's quite right. There is a possible case against
everyoneexceptMrAlfredLee,MrHarryLee,andMrsAlfredLee."

Poirotsaidgently:"Ishouldnotevenexceptthosethree..."

Thesuperintendentprotested:"Oh,comenow,MrPoirot!"

LydiaLeesaid:"Andwhatisthecaseagainstme,M.Poirot?"

Shesmiledalittleasshespoke,herbrowsraisedironically.

Poirotbowed.Hesaid:"Yourmotive,madame,Ipassover.Itissufficientlyobvious.Astotherest,you
werewearinglastnightafloweredtaffetadressofaverydistinctivepatternwithacape.Iwillremind
youofthefactthatTressilian,thebutler,isshortsighted.Objectsatadistancearedimandvaguetohim.
Iwillalsopointoutthatyourdrawing-roomisbigandlightedbyheavily-shadedlamps.Onthatnight,a
minute or two before the cries were heard, Tressilian came into the drawing-room to take away the
coffee-cups.Hesawyou,ashethought,inafamiliarattitudebythefarwindowhalfconcealedbythe
heavycurtains."

LydiaLeesaid:"Hedidseeme."

Poirot went on: "I suggest that it is possible that what Tressilian saw was the cape of your dress,
arrangedtoshowbythewindowcurtain,asthoughyouyourselfwerestandingthere."

Lydiasaid:"Iwasstandingthere..."

Alfredsaid:"Howdareyousuggest-?"

Harryinterruptedhim.

"Lethimgoon,Alfred.It'sourturnnext.HowdoyousuggestthatdearAlfredkilledhisbelovedfather
sincewewerebothtogetherinthedining-roomatthetime?"

Poirotbeamedathim.

"That,"hesaid,"isverysimple.Analibigainsinforceaccordinglyasitisunwillinglygiven.Youand
yourbrotherareonbadterms.Itiswellknown.Youjibeathiminpublic.Hehasnotagoodwordto

sayforyou!But,supposingthatwereallpartofaverycleverplot.SupposingthatAlfredLeeistiredof
dancing attendance upon an exacting taskmaster. Supposing that you and he have got together some
timeago.Yourplanislaid.Youcomehome.Alfredappearstoresentyourpresence.Heshowsjealousy
anddislikeofyou.Youshowcontemptforhim.Andthencomesthenightofthemurderyouhaveso
cleverlyplannedtogether.Oneofyouremainsinthedining-room,talkingandperhapsquarrellingaloud
asthoughtwopeoplewerethere.Theothergoesupstairsandcommitsthecrime..."

Alfredsprangtohisfeet.

"Youdevil!"hesaid.Hisvoicewasinarticulate.

SugdenwasstaringatPoirot.Hesaid:"Doyoureallymean-?"

Poirotsaid,withasuddenringofauthorityinhisvoice:"Ihavehadtoshowyouthepossibilities!These
arethethingsthatmighthavehappened!Whichofthemactuallydidhappenwecanonlytellbypassing
fromtheoutsideappearancetotheinsidereality..."

Hepausedandthensaidslowly:"Wemustcomeback,asIsaidbefore,tothecharacterofSimeonLee
himself..."

VI

There was a momentary pause. Strangely enough, all indignation and all rancour had died down.
HerculePoirotheldhisaudienceunderthespellofhispersonality.

Theywatchedhim,fascinated,ashebeganslowlytospeak.

"Itisallthere,yousee.Thedeadmanisthefocusandcentreofthemystery!Wemustprobedeepinto
the heart and mind of Simeon Lee and see what we find there. For a man does not live and die to
himselfalone.Thatwhichhehas,hehandson-tothosewhocomeafterhim...

"WhathadSimeonLeetobequeathtohissonsanddaughter?Pride,tobeginwith-apridewhich,inthe
oldman,wasfrustratedinhisdisappointmentoverhischildren.Thentherewasthequalityofpatience.
WehavebeentoldthatSimeonLeewaitedpatientlyforyearsinordertorevengehimselfuponsomeone
whohaddonehimaninjury.Weseethatthataspectofhistemperamentwasinheritedbythesonwho
resembled him least in face. David Lee also could remember and continue to harbour resentment
throughlongyears.Infact,HarryLeewastheonlyoneofhischildrenwhocloselyresembledhim.That

resemblanceisquitestrikingwhenweexaminetheportraitofSimeonLeeasayoungman.Thereisthe
samehigh-bridgedaquilinenose,thelongsharplineofthejaw,thebackwardpoiseofthehead.Ithink,
too,thatHarryinheritedmanyofhisfather'smannerisms-thathabit,forinstance,ofthrowingbackhis
headandlaughing,andanotherhabitofdrawinghisfingeralongthelineofhisjaw.

"Bearing all these things in mind, and being convinced that the murder was committed by a person
closelyconnectedwiththedeadman,Istudiedthefamilyfromthepsychologicalstandpoint.Thatis,I
triedtodecidewhichofthemwerepsychologicallypossiblecriminals.And,inmyjudgment,onlytwo
persons qualified in that respect. They were Alfred Lee and Hilda Lee, David's wife. David himself I
rejectedasapossiblemurderer.Idonotthinkapersonofhisdelicatesusceptibilitiescouldhavefaced
theactualbloodshedofacutthroat.GeorgeLeeandhiswifeIlikewiserejected.Whatevertheirdesires,
Ididnotthinktheyhadthetemperamenttotakearisk.Theywerebothessentiallycautious.MrsAlfred
LeeIfeltsurewasquiteincapableofanactofviolence.Shehastoomuchironyinhernature.About
HarryLeeIhesitated.Hehadacertaincoarsetruculenceofaspect,butIwasnearlysurethatHarryLee,
inspiteofhisbluffandhisbluster,wasessentiallyaweakling.That,Inowknow,wasalsohisfather's
opinion.Harry,hesaid,wasworthnomorethantherest.ThatleftmewithtwopeopleIhavealready
mentioned.AlfredLeewasapersoncapableofagreatdealofselflessdevotion.Hewasamanwhohad
controlledandsubordinatedhimselftothewillofanotherformanyyears.Itwasalwayspossibleunder
these conditions for something to snap. Moreover, he might quite possibly have harboured a secret
grudgeagainsthisfatherwhichmightgraduallyhavegrowninforcethroughneverbeingexpressedin
anyway.Itisthequietestandmeekestpeoplewhoareoftencapableofthemostsuddenandunexpected
violence for the reason that when their control does snap, it does so entirely! The other person I
considered was capable of the crime was Hilda Lee. She is the kind of individual who is capable, on
occasions, of taking the law into her own hands - though never through selfish motives. Such people
judgeandalsoexecute.ManyOldTestamentcharactersareofthistype.JaelandJudith,forexample.

"And now having got so far I examined the circumstances of the crime itself. And the first thing that
arises-thatstrikesoneintheface,asitwere-istheextraordinaryconditionsunderwhichthatcrime
tookplace!TakeyourmindsbacktothatroomwhereSimeonLeelaydead.Ifyouremember,therewas
both a heavy table and a heavy chair overturned, a lamp, crockery, glasses, etc. But the chair and the
table were especially surprising. They were of solid mahogany. It was hard to see how any struggle
between that frail old man and his opponent could result in so much solid furniture being overturned
andknockeddown.Thewholethingseemedunreal.Andyetsurelynooneintheirsenseswouldstage
suchaneffectifithadnotreallyoccurred-unlesspossiblySimeonLeehadbeenkilledbyapowerful
manandtheideawastosuggestthattheassailantwasawomanorsomebodyofweakphysique.

"But such an idea was unconvincing in the extreme, since the noise of the furniture would give the
alarm and the murderer would thereby have very little time to make his exit. It would surely be to
anyone'sadvantagetocutSimeonLee'sthroatasquietlyaspossible.

"Another extraordinary point was the turning of the key in the lock from the outside. Again, there
seemednoreasonforsuchaproceeding.Itcouldnotsuggestsuicide,sincenothinginthedeathitself
accordedwithsuicide.Itwasnottosuggestescapethroughthewindows-forthosewindowswereso

arrangedthatescapethatwaywasimpossible!Moreover,onceagain,itinvolvedtime.Timewhichmust
beprecioustothemurderer!

"Therewasoneotherincomprehensiblething-apieceofrubbercutfromSimeonLee'ssponge-bagand
asmallwoodenpegshowntomebySuperintendentSugden.Thesehadbeenpickedupfromthefloor
byoneofthepersonswhofirstenteredthatroom.Thereagain-thesethingsdidnotmakesense!They
meantexactlynothingatall!Yettheyhadbeenthere.

"The crime, you perceive, is becoming increasingly incomprehensible. It has no order, no method -
enfin,itisnotreasonable.

"And now we come to a further difficulty. Superintendent Sugden was sent for by the dead man; a
robberywasreportedtohim,andhewasaskedtoreturnanhourandahalflater.Why?Ifitisbecause
Simeon Lee suspected his granddaughter or some other member of the family, why does he not ask
Superintendent Sugden to wait downstairs while he has his interview straightaway with the suspected
party?Withthesuperintendentactuallyinthehouse,hisleverovertheguiltypersonwouldhavebeen
muchstronger.

"Sonowwearriveatthepointwherenotonlythebehaviourofthemurdererisextraordinary,butthe
behaviourofSimeonLeealsoisextraordinary!

"And I say to myself: 'This thing is all wrong!' Why? Because we are looking at it from the wrong
angle.Wearelookingatitfromtheanglethatthemurdererwantsustolookatit...

"Wehavethreethingsthatdonotmakesense:thestruggle,theturnedkey,andthesnipofrubber.But
there must be some way of looking at those three things which would make sense! And I empty my
mindblankandforgetthecircumstancesofthecrimeandtakethesethingsontheirownmerits.Isay-a
struggle.Whatdoesthatsuggest?Violence-breakage-noise...Thekey?Whydoesoneturnakey?So
that no one shall enter? But the key did not prevent that, since the door was broken down almost
immediately. To keep someone in? To keep someone out? A snip of rubber? I say to myself: 'A little
pieceofasponge-bagisalittlepieceofasponge-bag,andthatisall!'

"Soyouwouldsaythereisnothingthere-andyetthatisnotstrictlytrue,forthreeimpressionsremain:
noise-seclusion-blankness...

"Dotheyfitwitheitherofmytwopossibles?No,theydonot.TobothAlfredLeeandHildaLeeaquiet
murderwouldhavebeeninfinitelypreferable,tohavewastedtimeinlockingthedoorfromtheoutside
isabsurd,andthelittlepieceofsponge-bagmeansyetoncemore-nothingatall!

"AndyetIhaveverystronglythefeelingthatthereisnothingabsurdaboutthiscrime-thatitisonthe
contrary, very well planned and admirably executed. That it has, in fact, succeeded. Therefore that
everythingthathashappenedwasmeant...

"Andthen,goingoveritagain,Igotmyfirstglimmeroflight...

"Blood-somuchblood-bloodeverywhere...Aninsistenceonblood-fresh,wet,gleamingblood...So
muchblood-toomuchblood...

"Andasecondthoughtcomeswiththat.Thisisacrimeofblood-itisintheblood.ItisSimeonLee's
ownbloodthatrisesupagainsthim..."

HerculePoirotleanedforward.

"Thetwomostvaluablecluesinthiscasewereutteredquiteunconsciouslybytwodifferentpeople.The
firstwaswhenMrsAlfredLeequotedalinefromMacbeth:'Whowouldhavethoughttheoldmanto
havehadsomuchbloodinhim?'TheotherwasaphraseutteredbyTressilian,thebutler.Hedescribed
howhefeltdazedandthingsseemedtobehappeningthathadhappenedbefore.Itwasaverysimple
occurrencethatgavehimthatstrangefeeling.Heheardaringatthebellandwenttoopenthedoorto
HarryLee,andthenextdayhedidthesamethingtoStephenFarr.

"Nowwhydidhehavethatfeeling?LookatHarryLeeandStephenFarrandyouwillseewhy.They
areastoundinglyalike!ThatwaswhyopeningthedoortoStephenFarrwasjustlikeopeningthedoorto
Harry Lee. It might almost have been the same man standing there. And then, only today, Tressilian
mentionedthathewasalwaysgettingmuddledbetweenpeople.Nowonder!StephenFarrhasahigh-
bridgednose,ahabitofthrowinghisheadbackwhenhelaughs,andatrickofstrokinghisjawwithhis
forefinger.LooklongandearnestlyattheportraitofSimeonLeeasayoungmanandyouseenotonly
HarryLee,butStephenFarr..."

Stephenmoved.Hischaircreaked.

Poirot said: "Remember that outburst of Simeon Lee, his tirade against his family. He said, you
rememberit,thathewouldswearhehadbettersonsbornthewrongsideoftheblanket.Weareback
againatthecharacterofSimeonLee.SimeonLee,whowassuccessfulwithwomenandwhobrokehis
wife'sheart!SimeonLee,whoboastedtoPilarthathemighthaveabodyguardofsonsalmostthesame
age!SoIcametothisconclusion:SimeonLeehadnotonlyhislegitimatefamilyinthehouse,butan
unacknowledgedandunrecognisedsonofhisownblood."

Stephengottohisfeet,Poirotsaid:"Thatwasyourrealreason,wasn'tit?Notthatprettyromanceofthe
girlyoumetinthetrain!Youwerecomingherebeforeyoumether.Comingtoseewhatkindofaman
yourfatherwas..."

Stephen had gone dead white. He said, and his voice was broken and husky: "Yes, I've always
wondered...Motherspokeabouthimsometimes.Itgrewintoakindofobsessionwithme-toseewhat
hewaslike!ImadeabitofmoneyandIcametoEngland.Iwasn'tgoingtolethimknowwhoIwas.I
pretendedtobeoldEb'sson.Icamehereforonereasononly-toseethemanwhowasmyfather..."

SuperintendentSugdensaidinalmostawhisper:"Lord,I'vebeenblind...Icanseeitnow.TwiceI've
takenyouforMrHarryLeeandthenseenmymistake,andyetIneverguessed!"

HeturnedonPilar.

"That was it, wasn't it? It was Stephen Farr you saw standing outside that door? You hesitated, I
remember, and looked at him before you said it was a woman. It was Farr you saw, and you weren't
goingtogivehimaway."

Therewasagentlerustle.HildaLee'sdeepvoicespoke:"No,"shesaid."You'rewrong.ItwasIwhom
Pilarsaw..."

Poirotsaid:"You,madame?Yes,Ithoughtso..."

Hildasaidquietly:"Self-preservationisacuriousthing.Iwouldn'tbelieveIcouldbesuchacoward.To
keepsilencejustbecauseIwasafraid!"

Poirotsaid:"Youwilltellusnow?"

Shenodded.

"I was with David in the music-room. He was playing. He was in a very queer mood. I was a little
frightenedandIfeltmyresponsibilityverykeenlybecauseitwasIwhohadinsistedoncoininghere.
Davidbegantoplaythe'DeadMarch',andsuddenlyImadeupmymind.Howeverodditmightseem,I
determined that we would both leave at once - that night. I went quietly out of the music-room and
upstairs.ImeanttogotooldMrLeeandtellhimquiteplainlywhyweweregoing.Iwentalongthe
corridor to his room and knocked on the door. There was no answer. I knocked again a little louder.
There was still no answer. Then I tried the door handle. The door was locked. And then, as I stood

hesitating,Iheardasoundinsidetheroom-"

Shestopped.

"Youwon'tbelieveme,butit'strue!Someonewasinthere-assaultingMrLee.Iheardtablesandchairs
overturnedandthecrashofglassandchina,andthenIheardthatonelasthorriblecrythatdiedawayto
nothing-andthensilence.

"Istoodthereparalysed!Icouldn'tmove!AndthenMrFarrcamerunningalongandMagdaleneandall
theothersandMrFarrandHarrybegantobatteronthedoor.Itwentdownandwesawtheroom,and
therewasnooneinit-exceptMrLeelyingdeadinallthatblood."

Herquietvoicerosehigher.Shecried:"Therewasnooneelsethere-noone,youunderstand!Andno
onehadcomeoutoftheroom..."

VII

SuperintendentSugdendrewadeepbreath.Hesaid:"EitherI'mgoingmadoreverybodyelseis!What
you'vesaid,MrsLee,isjustplumbimpossible.It'scrazy!"

Hilda Lee cried: "I tell you I heard them fighting in there, and I heard the old man scream when his
throatwascut-andnoonecameoutandnoonewasintheroom!"

HerculePoirotsaid:"Andallthistimeyouhavesaidnothing."

HildaLee'sfacewaswhite,butshesaidsteadily:"No,becauseifItoldyouwhathadhappened,there's
onlyonethingyoucouldsayorthink-thatitwasIwhokilledhim..."

Poirotshookhishead.

"No,"hesaid."Youdidnotkillhim.Hissonkilledhim."

StephenFarrsaid:"IswearbeforeGodInevertouchedhim!"

"Notyou,"saidPoirot."Hehadothersons!"

Harrysaid:"Whatthehell-?"

Georgestared.Daviddrewhishandacrosshiseyes,Alfredblinkedtwice.

Poirotsaid:"TheveryfirstnightIwashere-thenightofthemurder-Isawaghost.Itwastheghostof
thedeadman.WhenIfirstsawHarryLeeIwaspuzzled.IfeltIhadseenhimbefore.ThenInotedhis
featurescarefullyandIrealisedhowlikehisfatherhewas,andItoldmyselfthatthatwaswhatcaused
thefeelingoffamiliarity.

"But yesterday a man sitting opposite me threw back his head and laughed - and I knew who it was
HarryLeeremindedmeof.AndItracedagain,inanotherface,thefeaturesofthedeadman.

"NowonderpooroldTressilianfeltconfusedwhenhehadansweredthedoornottotwo,buttothree
menwhoresembledeachotherclosely.Nowonderheconfessedtogettingmuddledaboutpeoplewhen
therewerethreemeninthehousewho,atalittledistance,couldpassforeachother!Thesamebuild,
the same gestures (one in particular, a trick of stroking the jaw), the same habit of laughing with the
headthrownback,thesamedistinctivehigh-bridgednose.Yetthesimilaritywasnotalwayseasytosee
-forthethirdmanhadamoustache."

Heleanedforward.

"Oneforgetssometimesthatpoliceofficersaremen,thattheyhavewivesandchildren,mothers-"he
paused - "and fathers... Remember Simeon Lee's local reputation: a man who broke his wife's heart
becauseofhisaffairswithwomen.Asonbornthewrongsideoftheblanketmayinheritmanythings.
Hemayinherithisfather'sfeaturesandevenhisgestures.Hemayinherithisprideandhispatienceand
hisrevengefulspirit!"

Hisvoicerose.

"Allyourlife,Sugden,you'veresentedthewrongyourfatherdidyou.Ithinkyoudeterminedlongago
tokillhim.Youcomefromthenextcounty,notveryfaraway.Doubtlessyourmother,withthemoney
Simeon Lee so generously gave her, was able to find a husband who would stand father to her child.
EasyforyoutoentertheMiddleshirePoliceForceandwaityouropportunity.Apolicesuperintendent
hasagrandopportunityofcommittingamurderandgettingawaywithit."

Sugden'sfacehadgonewhiteaspaper.

Hesaid:"You'remad!Iwasoutsidethehousewhenhewaskilled."

Poirot shook his head. "No, you killed him before you left the house the first time. No one saw him
aliveafteryouleft.Itwasallsoeasyforyou.SimeonLeeexpectedyou,yes,butheneversentforyou.
Itwasyouwhoranghimupandspokevaguelyaboutanattemptatrobbery.Yousaidyouwouldcall
uponhimjustbeforeeightthatnightandwouldpretendtobecollectingforapolicecharity.SimeonLee
had no suspicions. He did not know you were his son. You came and told him a tale of substituted
diamonds. He opened the safe to show you that the real diamonds were safe in his possession. You
apologised,camebacktothehearthwithhimand,catchinghimunawares,youcuthisthroat,holding
yourhandoverhismouthsothatheshouldn'tcryout.Child'splaytoamanofyourpowerfulphysique.

"Thenyousetthescene.Youtookthediamonds.Youpileduptablesandchairs,lampsandglasses,and
twinedaverythinropeorcordwhichyouhadbroughtincoiledroundyourbody,inandoutbetween
them. You had with you a bottle of some freshly killed animal's blood to which you had added a
quantityofsodiumcitrate.Yousprinkledthisaboutfreelyandaddedmoresodiumcitratetothepoolof
bloodwhichflowedfromSimeonLee'swound.Youmadeupthefiresothatthebodyshouldkeepits
warmth. Then you passed the two ends of the cord out through the narrow slit at the bottom of the
windowandletthemhangdownthewall.Youlefttheroomandturnedthekeyfromtheoutside.That
wasvital,sincenoonemust,byanychance,enterthatroom.

"Then you went out and hid the diamonds in the stone sink garden. If, sooner or later, they were
discoveredthere,theywouldonlyfocussuspicionmorestronglywhereyouwantedit:onthemembers
of Simeon Lee's legitimate family. A little before nine-fifteen you returned and, going up to the wall
underneaththewindow,youpulledonthecord.Thatdislodgedthecarefully-piled-upstructureyouhad
arranged.Furnitureandchinafellwithacrash.Youpulledononeendofthecordandre-wounditround
yourbodyunderyourcoatandwaistcoat.

"Youhadonefurtherdevice!"

Heturnedtotheothers.

"Do you remember, all of you, how each of you described the dying scream of Mr Lee in a different
way?You,MrLee,describeditasthecryofamaninmortalagony.YourwifeandDavidLeebothused
theexpression:asoulinhell.MrsDavidLee,onthecontrary,saiditwasthecryofsomeonewhohad
nosoul.Shesaiditwasinhuman,likeabeast.ItwasHarryLeewhocamenearesttothetruth.Hesaidit
soundedlikekillingapig.

"Doyouknowthoselongpinkbladdersthataresoldatfairswithfacespaintedonthemcalled'Dying
Pigs'?Astheairrushesouttheygiveforthaninhumanwail.That,Sugden,wasyourfinaltouch.You
arranged one of those in the room. The mouth of it was stopped up with a peg, but that peg was
connectedtothecord.Whenyoupulledonthecordthepegcameoutandthepigbegantodeflate.On
topofthefallingfurniturecamethescreamofthe'DyingPig.'"

Heturnedoncemoretotheothers.

"YouseenowwhatitwasthatPilarEstravadospickedup?Thesuperintendenthadhopedtogettherein
time to retrieve that little wisp of rubber before anyone noticed it. However, he took it from Pilar
quicklyenoughinhismostofficialmanner.Butrememberhenevermentionedthatincidenttoanyone.
Initself,thatwasasingularlysuspiciousfact.IheardofitfromMagdaleneLeeandtackledhimabout
it.Hewaspreparedforthateventuality.HehadsnippedapiecefromMrLee'srubbersponge-bagand
produced that, together with a wooden peg. Superficially it answered to the same description - a
fragmentofrubberapieceofwood.Itmeant,asIrealisedatthetime,absolutelynothing!But,foolthat
I was, I did not at once say: This means nothing, so it cannot have been there, and Superintendent
Sugden is lying...' No, I foolishly went on trying to find an explanation for it. It was not until
MademoiselleEstravadoswasplayingwithaballoonthatburst,andshecriedoutthatitmusthavebeen
aburstballoonshepickedupinSimeonLee'sroom,thatIsawthetruth.

"Youseenowhoweverythingfitsin?Theimprobablestruggle,whichisnecessarytoestablishafalse
timeofdeath;thelockeddoor-sothatnobodyshallfindthebodytoosoon;thedyingman'sscream.
Thecrimeisnowlogicalandreasonable.

"But from the moment that Pilar Estravados cried aloud her discovery about the balloon, she was a
sourceofdangertothemurderer.Andifthatremarkhadbeenheardbyhimfromthehouse(whichit
well might, for her voice was high and clear and the windows were open), she herself was in
considerable danger. Already she had given the murderer one very nasty moment. She had said,
speakingofoldMrLee,'Hemusthavebeenverygood-lookingwhenhewasyoung.'Andhadadded,
speaking directly to Sugden: 'Like you.' She meant that literally, and Sugden knew it. No wonder
Sugdenwentpurpleinthefaceandnearlychoked.Itwassounexpectedandsodeadlydangerous.He
hoped, after that, to fix the guilt on her, but it proved unexpectedly difficult, since, as the old man's
portionlessgranddaughter,shehadobviouslynomotiveforthecrime.Later,whenheoverheardfrom
the house her clear, high voice calling out its remark about the balloon, he decided on desperate
measures.Hesetthatboobytrapwhenwewereatlunch.Luckily,almostbyamiracle,itfailed..."

Therewasdeadsilence.ThenSugdensaidquietly:"Whenwereyousure?"

Poirot said: "I was not quite sure till I brought home a false moustache and tried it on Simeon Lee's
picture.Then-thefacethatlookedatmewasyours."

Sugdensaid:"Godrothissoulinhell!I'mgladIdidit!"

PARTVII-December28th

I

LydiaLeesaid:"Pilar,Ithinkyouhadbetterstaywithusuntilwecanarrangesomethingdefinitefor
you."

Pilar said meekly: "You are very good, Lydia. You are nice. You forgive people quite easily without
makingafussaboutit."

Lydiasaid,smiling:"IstillcallyouPilar,thoughIsupposeyournameissomethingelse."

"Yes,IamreallyConchitaLopez."

"Conchitaisaprettynametoo."

"Youarereallyalmosttoonice,Lydia.Butyoudon'tneedtobebotheredbyme.Iamgoingtomarry
Stephen,andwearegoingtoSouthAfrica."

Lydiasaid,smiling:"Well,thatroundsoffthingsverynicely."

Pilarsaidtimidly:"Sinceyouhavebeensokind,doyouthink,Lydia,thatonedaywemightcomeback
andstaywithyou-perhapsforChristmas-andthenwecouldhavethecrackersandtheburningraisins
andthoseshinythingsonatreeandthelittlesnowmen?"

"Certainly,youshallcomeandhavearealEnglishChristmas."

"Thatwillbelovely.Yousee,Lydia,IfeelthatthisyearitwasnotaniceChristmasatall."

Lydiacaughtherbreath.Shesaid:"No,itwasnotaniceChristmas..."

II

Harrysaid:"Well,good-bye,Alfred.Don'tsupposeyou'llbetroubledbyseeingmuchofme.I'moffto
Hawaii.AlwaysmeanttolivethereifIhadabitofmoney."

Alfredsaid:"Good-bye,Harry.Iexpectyou'llenjoyyourself.Ihopeso."

Harry said rather awkwardly: "Sorry I riled you so much, old man. Rotten sense of humour I've got.
Can'thelptryingtopullafellow'sleg."

Alfredsaidwithaneffort:"SupposeImustlearntotakeajoke."

Harrysaidwithrelief:"Well-so-long."

III

Alfredsaid:"David,LydiaandIhavedecidedtosellupthisplace.Ithoughtperhapsyou'dlikesomeof
thethingsthatwereourmother's-herchairandthatfootstool.Youwerealwaysherfavourite."

David hesitated a minute. Then he said slowly: "Thanks for the thought, Alfred, but do you know, I
don't think I will. I don't want anything out of the house. I feel it's better to break with the past
altogether."

Alfredsaid:"Yes,Iunderstand.Maybeyou'reright."

IV

George said: "Well, good-bye, Alfred. Goodbye, Lydia. What a terrible time we have been through.
There'sthetrialcomingon,too.Isupposethewholedisgracefulstoryisboundtocomeout-Sugden
being - er - my father's son. One couldn't arrange for it to be put to him, I suppose, that it would be
betterifhepleadedadvancedCommunistviewsanddislikeofmyfatherasaCapitalist-somethingof
thatkind?"

Lydiasaid:"MydearGeorge,doyoureallyimaginethatamanlikeSugdenwouldtellliestosootheour
feelings?"

Georgesaid:"Er-perhapsnot.No,Iseeyourpoint.Allthesame,themanmustbemad.Well,good-
byeagain."

Magdalenesaid:"Good-bye.Nextyeardolet'sallgototheRivieraorsomewhereforChristmasandbe
reallygay."

Georgesaid:"DependsontheExchange."

Magdalenesaid:"Darling,don'tbemean!"

V

Alfredcameoutontheterrace.Lydiawasbendingoverastonesink.Shestraightenedupwhenshesaw
him.

Hesaidwithasigh:"Well-they'veallgone."

Lydiasaid:"Yes-whatablessing."

"Itis,rather."

Alfredsaid:"You'llbegladtoleavehere."

Sheasked:"Willyoumindverymuch?"

"No,Ishallbeglad.Therearesomanyinterestingthingswecandotogether.Toliveonherewouldbe
tobeconstantlyremindedofthatnightmare.ThankGodit'sallover!"

Lydiasaid:"ThankstoHerculePoirot."

"Yes.Youknow,itwasreallyamazingthewayeverythingfellintoplacewhenheexplainedit."

"I know. Like when you finish a jigsaw puzzle and all the queer-shaped bits you swear won't fit in
anywherefindtheirplacesquitenaturally."

Alfredsaid:"There'sonelittlethingthatneverfittedin.WhatwasGeorgedoingafterhetelephoned.
Whywouldn'thesay?"

"Don'tyouknow?Iknewallthetime.Hewashavingalookthroughyourpapersonyourdesk."

"Oh!No,Lydia,noonewoulddoathinglikethat!"

"George would. He's frightfully curious about money matters. But of course he couldn't say so. He'd
havehadtobeactuallyinthedockbeforehe'dhaveowneduptothat."

Alfredsaid:"Areyoumakinganothergarden?"

"Yes."

"Whatisitthistime?"

"Ithink,"saidLydia,"it'sanattemptattheGardenofEden.Anewversion-withoutanyserpent-and
AdamandEvearedefinitelymiddle-aged."

Alfredsaidgently:"DearLydia,howpatientyouhavebeenalltheseyears.Youhavebeenverygoodto
me."

Lydiasaid:"But,yousee,Alfred,Iloveyou..."

VI

ColonelJohnsonsaid:"Godblessmysoul!"Thenhesaid:"Uponmyword!"Andfinally,oncemore:
"Godblessmysoul!"

HeleanedbackinhischairandstaredatPoirot.Hesaidplaintively:"Mybestman!What'sthepolice
comingto?"

Poirotsaid:"Evenpolicemenhaveprivatelives!Sugdenwasaveryproudman."

Colonel Johnson shook his head. To relieve his feelings he kicked at the logs in the grate. He said
jerkily:"Ialwayssay-nothinglikeawoodfire."

HerculePoirot,consciousofthedraughtsroundhisneck,thoughttohimself:"Pourmoi,everytimethe
centralheating..."