Book One 1 "You do see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?

" The question floated out into the still night air, seemed to hang there a moment and then drift away down into the darkness towards the Dead Sea. Her ule !oirot "aused a minute with his hand on the window at h. #rowning, he shut it de isi$ely, thereby e% luding any in&urious night air' Her ule !oirot had been brought u" to belie$e that all outside air was best left outside, and that night air was es"e ially dangerous to the health. (s he "ulled the urtains neatly o$er the window and walked to

his bed, he smiled tolerantly to himself. "You do see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?" )urious words for one Her ule !oirot, dete ti$e, to o$erhear on his first night in *erusalem. "De idedly, where$er + go, there is something to remind me of rime'" he murmured to himself. His smile remembered a story he had on e heard Trollo"e, the no$elist. Trollo"e was rossing the (tlanti at the time and had o$erheard two fellow "assengers dis ussing the last "ublished installment of one of his no$els. ",ery good," one man had de lared. "-ut he ought to kill off that tiresome old woman." ontinued as he on erning (nthony

.ith a broad smile the no$elist had addressed them/ "0entlemen, + am mu h obliged to you' + will go and kill her immediately'" Her ule !oirot wondered what had o asioned the words he had

&ust o$erheard. ( ollaboration, "erha"s, o$er a "lay or a book. He thought, still smiling/ "Those words might be remembered one day, and be gi$en a more sinister meaning." There had been, he now re olle ted, a urious ner$ous intensity in the $oi e 1 a tremor that s"oke of some intense emotional strain. ( man's $oi e 1 or a boy's... Her ule !oirot thought to himself as he turned out the light by his bed/ "+ should know that $oi e again..." Their elbows on the windowsill, their heads lose together,

2aymond and )arol -oynton ga3ed out into the blue de"ths of the night. 4er$ously, 2aymond re"eated his former words/ "You do see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?" )arol -oynton stirred slightly. She said, her $oi e dee" and hoarse/ "+t's horrible..." "+t's not more horrible than this'" "+ su""ose not..." 2aymond said $iolently/ "+t an't go on like this 1 it an't... .e an do..."

must do something... (nd there isn't anything else we ould get away somehow ...?"

)arol said 1 but her $oi e was un on$in ing and she knew it/ "+f we

".e an't." His $oi e was em"ty and ho"eless. ")arol, you know

we an't..." The girl shi$ered. "+ know 2ay 1 + know." He ga$e a sudden short bitter laugh. "!eo"le would say we were ra3y 1 not to be able &ust to walk out 1 " )arol said slowly/ "!erha"s we are ra3y'" "+ daresay. Yes, + daresay we are. (nyway we soon shall be... + su""ose some "eo"le would say we are already. Here we are almly "lanning, in old blood, to kill our own mother'" )arol said shar"ly/ "She isn't our own mother'" "4o, that's true." There was a "ause and then 2aymond said, his $oi e now quietly matter1of1fa t/ "You do agree, )arol?" )arol answered steadily/ "+ think she ought to die 1 yes..." Then she broke out suddenly/ "She's mad... +'m quite sure she's mad... She 1 she ouldn't torture us like she does if she were sane. #or years we'$e been saying/ 'This an't go on'' (nd it has gone on' .e'$e said, 'She'll die sometime' 1 but she hasn't died' + don't think she e$er will die unless 1 " 2aymond said steadily/ "5nless we kill her..." "Yes." She len hed her hands on the windowsill in front of her. Her brother went on in a ool matter1of1fa t tone, with &ust a slight

tremor denoting his dee" underlying e% itement/ "You see why it's got to be one of us, don't you? .ith 6enno%, there's 4adine to onsider. (nd we ouldn't bring *inny into it." )arol shi$ered. "!oor *inny... +'m so afraid..." "+ know. +t's getting "retty bad, isn't it? That's why something's got to be done qui kly 1 before she goes right o$er the edge." )arol stood u" suddenly, "ushing ba k the tumbled hestnut hair from her forehead. "2ay," she said. "You don't think it's really wrong, do you?" He answered in that same would1be dis"assionate tone/ "4o. + think it's &ust like killing a mad dog 1 something that's doing harm in the world and must be sto""ed. This is the only way of sto""ing it." )arol murmured/ "-ut they'd 1 they'd send us to the hair &ust the same... + mean we ouldn't e%"lain what she's like... +t would sound fantasti ... +n a way, you know, it's all in our own minds'" 2aymond said/ "4obody will e$er know. +'$e got a "lan. +'$e thought it all out. .e shall be quite safe." )arol turned suddenly round on him. "2ay 1 somehow or other 1 you're different. Something's ha""ened to you... .hat's "ut all this into your head?" ".hy should you think anything's 'ha""ened' to me?" He turned his head away, staring out into the night. "-e ause it has... 2ay, was it that girl on the train?"

"4o, of

ourse not 1 why should it be? 7h, )arol, don't talk

nonsense. 6et's get ba k again to 1 to 1 " "To your "lan? (re you sure it's a good "lan?" "Yes. + think so... .e must wait for the right o""ortunity, of ourse. (nd then 1 if it goes all right 1 we shall be free 1 all of us." "#ree?" )arol ga$e a little sigh. She looked u" at the stars. Then suddenly she shook from head to foot in a sudden storm of wee"ing. ")arol, what's the matter?" She sobbed out brokenly/ "+t's so lo$ely 1 the night and the blueness and the stars. +f only we ould be "art of it all... +f only we ould be like other "eo"le instead of being as we are 1 all queer and war"ed and wrong." "-ut we shall be all right when she's dead'" "(re you sure? +sn't it too late? Shan't we always be queer and different?" "4o, no, no." "+ wonder 1 " ")arol, if you'd rather not 1 " She "ushed his omforting arm aside. "4o, +'m with you 1 definitely +'m with you' -e ause of the others 1 es"e ially *inny. .e must sa$e *inny'" 2aymond "aused a moment. "Then 1 we'll go on with it?"

"Yes'" "0ood. +'ll tell you my "lan..." He bent his head to hers.

2 8iss Sarah 9ing, 8.-., stood by the table in the writing1room of the Solomon Hotel in *erusalem idly turning o$er the "a"ers and maga3ines. ( frown "reo u"ied. ontra ted her brows and she looked

The tall, middle1aged #ren hman who entered the room from the hall wat hed her for a moment or two before strolling u" to the o""osite side of the table. .hen their eyes met, Sarah made a little gesture of smiling re ognition. She remembered that this man had tra$eling from )airo and had ome to her hel" when

arried one of her suit ases at a

moment when no "orter a""eared to be a$ailable. "You like *erusalem, yes?" asked Dr. 0erard, after they had e% hanged greetings. "+t's rather terrible in some ways," said Sarah, and added/ "2eligion is $ery odd'" The #ren hman looked amused. "+ know what you mean." His :nglish was $ery nearly "erfe t. ":$ery imaginable se t squabbling and fighting'" "(nd the awful things they'$e built, too'" Said Sarah.

"Yes, indeed." Sarah sighed. "They turned me out of one "la e today be ause + had on a slee$eless dress," she said ruefully. "(""arently the (lmighty doesn't like my arms in s"ite of ha$ing made them." Dr. 0erard laughed. Then he said/ "+ was about to order some offee. You will &oin me, 8iss 1 ?" "9ing, my name is. Sarah 9ing." "(nd mine 1 "ermit me." He whi""ed out a ard. Taking it, Sarah's eyes widened in delighted awe. "Dr. Theodore 0erard? 7h' + am e% ited to meet you. +'$e read all your works, of ourse. Your $iews on s hi3o"hrenia are frightfully interesting." "7f ourse?" 0erard's eyebrows rose inquisiti$ely. Sarah e%"lained rather diffidently. "You see 1 +'m by way of being a do tor myself. *ust got my 8.-.." "(h' + see." Dr. 0erard ordered offee and they sat down in a orner of the

lounge. The #ren hman was less interested in Sarah's medi al a hie$ements than in the bla k hair that ri""led ba k from her forehead and the beautifully sha"ed red mouth. He was amused at the ob$ious awe with whi h she regarded him. "You are staying here long?" he asked on$ersationally. "( few days. That is all. Then + want to go to !etra." "(ha? +, too, was thinking of going there if it does not take too

long. You see, + ha$e to be ba k in !aris on the ;< th." "+t takes about a week, + belie$e. Two days to go, two days there and two days ba k again." "+ must go to the tra$el bureau in the morning and see what an be arranged." ( "arty of "eo"le entered the lounge and sat down. Sarah wat hed them with some interest. She lowered her $oi e/ "Those "eo"le who ha$e &ust ome in 1 did you noti e them on the train the other night? They left )airo the same time as we did." Dr. 0erard s rewed in an eyeglass and dire ted his glan e a ross the room. "(meri ans?" Sarah nodded. "Yes. (n (meri an family. -ut 1 rather an unusual one, + think." "5nusual? How unusual?" ".ell, look at them. :s"e ially at the old woman." Dr. 0erard om"lied. His keen "rofessional glan e flitted swiftly from fa e to fa e. He noti ed first a tall, rather loose1boned man 1 age about thirty. The fa e was "leasant but weak and his manner seemed oddly a"atheti . Then there were two good1looking youngsters 1 the boy had almost a 0reek head. "Something the matter with him, too," thought Dr. 0erard. "Yes 1 a definite state of ner$ous tension." The girl was learly his sister, a strong resemblan e, and she also was in an e% itable ondition. There was another girl younger still 1 with golden red hair that stood out like a halo= her

hands were $ery restless= they were tearing and "ulling at the handker hief in her la". Yet another woman, young, haired with a alm, dark1 reamy "allor, a "la id fa e not unlike a 6uini andid

8adonna. 4othing &um"y about her' (nd the enter of the grou" 1 "Hea$ens'" thought Dr. 0erard, with a #ren hman's re"ulsion. ".hat a horror of a woman'" 7ld, swollen, bloated, sitting there immo$able in the midst of them 1 a distorted old s"ider in the enter of a web' To Sarah he said/ "6a 8anian, she is not beautiful, eh?" (nd he shrugged his shoulders. "There's something rather 1 sinister about her, don't you think?" asked Sarah. Dr. 0erard s rutini3ed her again. This time his eye was

"rofessional, not aestheti . "Dro"sy 1 ardia 1 " He added a glib medi al "hrase. "7h, yes, that'" Sarah dismissed the medi al side. "-ut there is something odd in their attitude to her, don't you think?" ".ho are they, do you know?" "Their name is -oynton. 8other, married son, his wife, one younger son and two younger daughters." Dr. 0erard murmured/ "6a famille -oynton sees the world." "Yes, but there's something odd about the way they're seeing it. They ne$er s"eak to anyone else. (nd none of them anything unless the old woman says so'" an do

"She is of the matriar hal ty"e," said 0erard thoughtfully. "She's a om"lete tyrant, + think," said Sarah. Dr. 0erard shrugged his shoulders and remarked that the (meri an woman ruled the earth 1 that was well known. "Yes, but it's more than &ust that." Sarah was "ersistent. "She's 1 7h, she's got them all so, so thumb 1 that it's, it's inde ent'" "To ha$e too mu h "ower is bad for women," 0erard agreed, with sudden gra$ity. He shook his head. "+t is diffi ult for a woman not to abuse "ower." He shot a qui k sideways glan e at Sarah. She was wat hing the -oynton family 1 or rather she was wat hing one "arti ular member of it. Dr. 0erard smiled a qui k om"rehending 0alli smile. (h' so it was like that, was it? He murmured tentati$ely/ "You ha$e s"oken with them 1 yes?" "Yes 1 at least with one of them." "The young man 1 the younger son?" "Yes. 7n the train oming here from 9antara. He was standing in the orridor. + s"oke to him." There was no self1 ons iousness in Sarah's manner. There was, indeed, no self1 ons iousness in her attitude to life. She was interested in humanity and was of a friendly though im"atient dis"osition. ".hat made you s"eak to him?" asked 0erard. Sarah shrugged her shoulders. ".hy not? + often s"eak to "eo"le tra$eling. +'m interested in "eo"le 1 in what they do and think and owed 1 so "ositi$ely under her

feel." "You "ut them under the mi ros o"e, that is to say'" "+ su""ose you might all it that," the girl admitted. "(nd what were your im"ressions in this ase?" ".ell" 1 she hesitated 1 "it was rather odd... To begin with, the boy flushed right u" to the roots of his hair." "+s that so remarkable?" asked 0erard dryly. Sarah laughed. "You mean that he thought + was a shameless hussy making ad$an es to him? 7h, no, + don't think he thought that. 8en an always tell, an't they?" She ga$e him a frank, questioning glan e. Dr. 0erard nodded his head. "+ got the im"ression," said Sarah, s"eaking slowly and frowning a little, "that he was 1 how shall + "ut it? 1 both e% ited and a""alled. :% ited out of all "ro"ortion 1 and quite absurdly a""rehensi$e at the same time. 4ow that's odd, isn't it, be ause +'$e always found (meri ans unusually self1"ossessed. (n (meri an boy of twenty, say, has infinitely more knowledge of the world and far more sa$oir1faire than an :nglish boy of the same age. (nd this boy must be o$er twenty." "(bout twenty1three or four, + should say." "(s mu h as that?" "+ should think so."

"Yes... "erha"s you're right... only, somehow, he seems $ery young..." "8alad&ustment mentally. The ' hild' fa tor "ersists." "Then + am right? + mean, there is something not quite normal about him?" Dr. 0erard shrugged his shoulders, smiling a little at her earnestness. "8y dear young lady, are any of us quite normal? -ut + grant you that there is "robably a neurosis of some kind." ")onne ted with that horrible old woman, +'m sure'" "You seem to dislike her $ery mu h," said 0erard, looking at her uriously. "+ do. She's got a 1 oh, a male$olent eye'" 0erard murmured/ "So ha$e many mothers when their sons are attra ted to fas inating young ladies'" Sarah shrugged an im"atient shoulder. #ren hmen were all alike, she thought, obsessed by se%' Though, of ourse, as a ons ientious "sy hologist she herself was bound to admit that there was always an underlying basis of se% to most "henomena. Sarah's thoughts ran along a familiar "sy hologi al tra k. She ame out of her meditations with a start. 2aymond -oynton was rossing the room to the enter table. He sele ted a maga3ine. (s he "assed her hair on his return &ourney she looked u" at him and s"oke/ "Ha$e you been busy sightseeing today?" She sele ted her words at random= her real interest was to see

how they would be re ei$ed. 2aymond half sto""ed, flushed, shied like a ner$ous horse and his eyes went a""rehensi$ely to the enter of his family grou". He ertainly. + 1 " Then, as muttered/ "7h 1 oh, yes 1 why, yes,

suddenly as though he had re ei$ed the "ri k of a s"ur, he hurried ba k to his family, holding out the maga3ine. The grotesque -uddha1like figure held out a fat hand for it, but as she took it her eyes, Dr. 0erard noti ed, were on the boy's fa e. She ga$e a grunt, ertainly no audible thanks. The "osition of her head shifted $ery slightly. The do tor saw that she was now looking hard at Sarah. Her fa e was quite im"assi$e, it had no e%"ression in it. +m"ossible to tell what was "assing in the woman's mind. Sarah looked at her wat h and uttered an e% lamation. "+t's mu h later than + thought." She got u". "Thank you so mu h. Dr. 0erard, for standing me offee. + must write some letters now." He rose and took her hand. ".e shall meet again, + ho"e," he said. "7h, yes' !erha"s you will ome to !etra?" "+ shall ertainly try to do so." Sarah smiled at him and turned away. Her way out of the room led her "ast the -oynton family. Dr. 0erard, wat hing, saw 8rs. -oynton's ga3e shift to her son's fa e. He saw the boy's eyes meet hers. (s Sarah "assed,

2aymond -oynton half turned his head 1 not towards her but away from her... +t was a slow unwilling motion and on$eyed the idea that old 8rs. -oynton had "ulled an in$isible string. Sarah 9ing noti ed the a$oidan e, and was young enough and human enough to be annoyed by it. They had had su h a friendly talk together in the swaying orridor of the .agon16it. They had om"ared notes on :gy"t, had laughed at the ridi ulous language of the donkey boys and street touts. Sarah had des ribed how a amel man, when he had started ho"efully and im"udently, "You :nglish lady or (meri an?" had re ei$ed the answer/ "4o, )hinese," and her "leasure in seeing the man's om"lete bewilderment as he stared at her. The boy had been, she thought, like a ni e eager s hoolboy 1 there had been, "erha"s, something almost "atheti about his eagerness. (nd now for no reason at all, he was shy, boorish 1 "ositi$ely rude. "+ shan't take any more trouble with him," said Sarah indignantly. #or Sarah, without being unduly on eited, had a fairly good o"inion of herself. She knew herself to be definitely attra ti$e to the o""osite se%, and she was not one to take a snubbing lying down' She had been, "erha"s, a shade o$er1friendly to this boy be ause, for some obs ure reason, she had felt sorry for him. -ut now, it was a""arent, he was merely a rude, stu k1u", boorish young (meri an' +nstead of writing the letters she had mentioned, Sarah 9ing sat down in front of her dressing1table, eyes in the glass, and took sto k of her situation in life. ombed the hair ba k from her forehead, looked into a "air of troubled ha3el

She had &ust "assed through a diffi ult emotional risis. ( month ago she had broken off her engagement to a young do tor some four years her senior. They had been $ery mu h attra ted to ea h other, but had been too mu h alike in tem"erament. urren e. Disagreements and quarrels had been of alm assertion of auto ra y. 6ike many high1s"irited women, Sarah belie$ed herself to admire strength. She had always told herself that she wanted to be mastered. .hen she met a man had a"able of mastering her she lear1 found that she did not like it at all' To break off her engagement ost her a good deal of heart burning, but she was sighted enough to reali3e that mere mutual attra tion was not a suffi ient basis on whi h to build a lifetime of ha""iness. She had treated herself deliberately to an interesting holiday abroad in order to hel" on forgetfulness before she went ba k to start working in earnest. Sarah's thoughts ame ba k from the "ast to the "resent. "+ wonder," she thought, "if Dr. 0erard will let me talk to him about his work? He's done su h mar$elous work. +f only he'll take me seriously... !erha"s 1 if he omes to !etra 1 " Then she thought again of the strange, boorish young (meri an. She had no doubt that it was the "resen e of his family whi h had aused him to rea t in su h a "e uliar manner, but she felt slightly s ornful of him, ne$ertheless. To be under the thumb of one's ommon o

Sarah was of too im"erious a tem"erament herself to brook a

family like that 1 it was really rather ridi ulous 1 es"e ially for a man' (nd yet... ( queer feeling "assed o$er her. Surely there was something a little odd about it all? She said suddenly out loud/ "That boy wants res uing' +'m going to see to it'"

3 .hen Sarah had left the lounge Dr. 0erard sat where he was for some minutes. Then he walked o$er to the table, "i ked u" the latest number of 6e 8atin and strolled with it to a hair a few yards away from the -oynton family. His uriosity was aroused. He had at first been amused by the :nglish girl's interest in this (meri an family, shrewdly diagnosing that it was ins"ired by interest in one "arti ular member of the grou". -ut now something out of the ordinary about this family "arty awakened in him the dee"er, more im"artial interest of the s ientist. He sensed that there was something here of definite "sy hologi al interest. ,ery dis reetly, under the o$er of his "a"er, he took sto k of

them. #irst, the boy in whom that attra ti$e :nglish girl took su h a de ided interest. Yes, thought 0erard, definitely the ty"e to a""eal to her tem"eramentally. Sarah 9ing had strength 1 she "ossessed well1balan ed ner$es, ool wits and a resolute will. Dr. 0erard &udged the young man to be sensiti$e, "er e"ti$e, diffident and intensely suggestible. He noted with a "hysi ian's eye the

ob$ious fa t that the boy was at the moment in a state of high ner$ous tension. Dr. 0erard wondered why. He was "u33led. .hy should a young man whose "hysi al health was ob$iously good, who was abroad ostensibly en&oying himself, be in su h a ondition that a ner$ous breakdown was imminent? The do tor turned his attention to the other members of the "arty. The girl with the hestnut hair was ob$iously 2aymond's sister. They were of the same ra ial ty"e, small1boned, well1sha"ed, aristo rati 1looking. They had the same slender, well1formed hands, the same lean line of &aw, and the same "oise of the head on a long slender ne k. (nd the girl, too, was ner$ous... She made slight in$oluntary ner$ous mo$ements, her eyes were dee"ly shadowed underneath and o$er1bright. Her $oi e, when she s"oke, was too qui k and a shade breathless. She was wat hful 1 alert 1 unable to rela%. "(nd she is afraid, too," de ided Dr. 0erard. "Yes, she is afraid'" He o$erheard s ra"s of on$ersation. ".e might go to Solomon's Stables." ".ould that be too mu h for 8other?" "The .ee"ing .all in the morning?" "The Tem"le, of ourse 1 the 8osque of 7mar they all it. + wonder why?" "-e ause it's been made into a 8oslem mosque, of ourse, on$ersation 1 a $ery ordinary normal

6enno%." 7rdinary, ommon"la e tourists' talk. (nd yet, somehow, Dr. on$i tion that these o$erheard s ra"s of

0erard felt a queer

dialogue were all singularly unreal. They were a mask 1 a o$er for something that surged and eddied underneath 1 something too dee" and formless for words ... (gain he shot a o$ert glan e from behind the shelter of 6e 8atin. 6enno%? That was the elder brother. The same family likeness ould be tra ed, but there was a differen e. 6enno% was not so highly strung= he was, 0erard de ided, of a less ner$ous tem"erament. -ut about him, no, there seemed something odd. There was no sign of mus ular tension about him as there was about the other two. He sat rela%ed, lim". !u33ling, sear hing among memories of "atients he had seen sitting like that in hos"ital wards, 0erard thought/ "He is e%hausted 1 yes, e%hausted with suffering. That look in the eyes 1 the look you see in a wounded dog or a si k horse 1 dumb bestial enduran e... +t is odd, that... !hysi ally there seems nothing wrong with him... Yet there is no doubt that lately he has been through mu h suffering 1 mental suffering. 4ow he no longer suffers 1 he endures dumbly 1 waiting, + think, for the blow to fall... .hat blow? (m + fan ying all this? 4o, the man is waiting for something, for the end to ome. So an er "atients lie and wait, thankful that an anodyne dulls the "ain a little..." 6enno% -oynton got u" and retrie$ed a ball of wool that the old

lady had dro""ed. "Here you are. 8other." "Thank you." .hat was she knitting, this monumental, im"assi$e old woman? Something thi k and oarse. 0erard thought/ "8ittens for inhabitants of a workhouse'" and smiled at his own fantasy. He turned his attention to the youngest member of the "arty 1 the girl with the golden red hair. She was, "erha"s, se$enteen. Her skin had the e%quisite learness that often goes with red hair. (lthough o$er1thin, it was a beautiful fa e. She was sitting smiling to herself 1 smiling into s"a e. There was something a little urious about that smile. +t was so far remo$ed from the Solomon Hotel, from *erusalem... +t reminded Dr. 0erard of something... !resently it ame to him in a flash. +t was the strange unearthly smile that lifts the li"s of the 8aidens in the ( ro"olis at (thens 1 something remote and lo$ely and a little inhuman... The magi of the smile, her e%quisite stillness, ga$e him a little "ang. (nd then with a sho k, Dr. 0erard noti ed her hands. They were on ealed from the grou" around her by the table, but he ould see them learly from where he sat. +n the shelter of her la" they were "i king 1 "i king 1 tearing a deli ate handker hief into tiny shreds. +t ga$e him a horrible sho k. The aloof remote smile 1 the still body 1 and the busy destru ti$e hands...

4 There was a slow asthmati whee3ing ough 1 then the

monumental knitting woman s"oke. "0ine$ra, you're tired= you'd better go to bed." The girl started= her fingers sto""ed their me hani al a tion. "+'m not tired. 8other." 0erard re ogni3ed a""re iati$ely the musi al quality of her $oi e. +t had the sweet singing quality that lends en hantment to the most ommon"la e utteran es. "Yes, you are. + always know. + don't think you'll be able to do any sightseeing tomorrow." "7h' -ut + shall. +'m quite all right." +n a thi k hoarse $oi e, almost a grating $oi e, her mother said/ "4o, you're not. You're going to be ill." "+'m not' +'m not'" The girl began trembling $iolently. ( soft alm $oi e said/ "+'ll ome u" with you. *inny." The quiet oiled

young woman with wide, thoughtful gray eyes and neatly dark hair rose to her feet. 7ld 8rs. -oynton said/ "4o. 6et her go u" alone." The girl ried/ "+ want 4adine to ome'"

"Then of ourse + will." The young woman mo$ed a ste" forward. The old woman said/ "The hild "refers to go by herself 1 don't you

*inny?" There was a "ause 1 a "ause of a moment 1 then 0ine$ra -oynton said, her $oi e suddenly flat and dull/ "Yes 1 +'d rather go alone. Thank you, 4adine." She walked away, a tall angular figure that mo$ed with a sur"rising gra e. Dr. 0erard lowered his "a"er and took a full satisfying ga3e at old 8rs. -oynton. She was looking after her daughter and her fat fa e was reased into a "e uliar smile. +t was a ari ature of the lo$ely unearthly smile that had transformed the girl's fa e so short a time before. Then the old woman transferred her ga3e to 4adine. The latter had &ust sat down again. She raised her eyes and met her mother1in1law's glan e. Her fa e was quite im"erturbable. The old woman's glan e was mali ious. Dr. 0erard thought/ ".hat an absurdity of an old tyrant'" (nd then, suddenly, the old woman's eyes were full on him, and he drew in his breath shar"ly. Small, bla k, smoldering eyes they were, but something ame from them 1 a "ower, a definite for e, a wa$e of e$il malignan y. Dr. 0erard knew something about the "ower of "ersonality. He reali3ed that here was no s"oilt tyranni al in$alid indulging "etty whims. This old woman was a definite for e. +n the malignan y of her glare he felt a resemblan e to the effe t "rodu ed by a obra. 8rs. -oynton might be old, infirm, a "rey to disease, but she was not "owerless. She was a woman who knew the meaning of "ower, who

re ogni3ed a lifetime of "ower and who had ne$er on e doubted her own for e. Dr. 0erard had on e met a woman who "erformed a most dangerous and s"e ta ular a t with tigers. The great slinking brutes had rawled to their "la es and "erformed their degrading and humiliating tri ks. Their eyes and subdued snarls told of hatred, bitter fanati al hatred, but they had obeyed, ringed. That had been a young woman, a woman with an arrogant dark beauty, but the look had been the same. "5ne dom"teuse'" said Dr. 0erard to himself. (nd he understood now what that under urrent to the harmless family talk had been. +t was hatred 1 a dark eddying stream of hatred. He thought/ "How fan iful and absurd most "eo"le would think me' Here is a ommon"la e de$oted (meri an family re$eling in !alestine 1 and + wea$e a story of bla k magi round it'" Then he looked with interest at the quiet young woman who was alled 4adine. There was a wedding ring on her left hand, and as he wat hed her, he saw her gi$e one swift betraying glan e at the fair1haired, loose1limbed 6enno%. He knew, then... They were man and wife, those two. -ut it was a mother's glan e rather than a wife's 1 a true mother's glan e 1 "rote ting, an%ious. (nd he knew something more. He knew that out of that grou", 4adine -oynton alone was unaffe ted by her mother1in1law's s"ell. She may ha$e disliked the old woman, but she was not afraid of her. The "ower did not tou h her. She was unha""y, dee"ly on erned about her husband, but she

was free. Dr. 0erard said to himself/ "(ll this is $ery interesting."

5 +4T7 TH:S: D(29 imaginings a breath of the ommon"la e ame with almost ludi rous effe t. ( man ame into the lounge, aught sight of the -oyntons and

ame a ross to them. He was a "leasant middle1aged (meri an of a stri tly on$entional ty"e. He was arefully dressed, with a long, lean1sha$en fa e and he had a slow, "leasant, somewhat monotonous $oi e. "+ was looking around for you all," he said. 8eti ulously he shook hands with the entire family. "(nd how do you find yourself, 8rs. -oynton? 4ot too tired by the &ourney?" (lmost gra iously, the old lady whee3ed out/ "4o, thank you. 8y health's ne$er good, as you know 1 " ".hy, of ourse= too bad 1 too bad." "-ut +'m 4adine?" "+ do my best." Her $oi e was e%"ressionless. ".hy, +'ll bet you do," said the stranger heartily. ".ell, 6enno%, ertainly no worse." 8rs. -oynton added with a slow are of me= don't you,

re"tilian smile/ "4adine, here, takes good

and what do you think of 9ing Da$id's ity?" "7h, + don't know." 6enno% s"oke a"atheti ally 1 without interest. "#ind it kind of disa""ointing, do you? +'ll onfess it stru k me that way at first. -ut "erha"s you ha$en't been around mu h yet?" )arol -oynton said/ ".e an't do $ery mu h be ause of 8other." 8rs. -oynton e%"lained/ "( all + an manage e$ery day." The stranger said heartily/ "+ think it's wonderful you manage to do all you do, 8rs. -oynton." 8rs. -oynton ga$e a slow whee3y matters' Yes, it's the mind..." Her $oi e died away. 0erard saw 2aymond -oynton gi$e a ner$ous &erk. "Ha$e you been to the .ee"ing .all yet, 8r. )o"e?" he asked. ".hy, yes, that was one of the first "la es + $isited. + ho"e to ha$e done *erusalem thoroughly in a ou"le more days and +'m letting them get me out an itinerary at )ook's so as to do the Holy 6and thoroughly 1 -ethlehem, 4a3areth, Tiberias, the Sea of 0alilee. +t's all going to be mighty interesting. Then there's *erash= there are some $ery interesting ruins there 1 2oman, you know. (nd +'d $ery mu h like to ha$e a look at the 2ose 2ed )ity of !etra, a most remarkable natural "henomenon, + belie$e that is, and right off the beaten tra k= but it takes the best "art of a week to get there hu kle= it had an almost ou"le of hours' sightseeing is about

gloating sound. "+ don't gi$e in to my body' +t's the mind that

and ba k and do it "ro"erly." )arol said/ "+'d lo$e to go there. +t sounds mar$elous." ".hy + should say it was definitely worth seeing 1 yes, definitely worth seeing." 8r. )o"e "aused, shot a somewhat dubious glan e at 8rs. -oynton, and then went on in a $oi e that to the listening #ren hman was "al"ably un ertain/ "+ wonder now if + ouldn't "ersuade some of you "eo"le to ome with me? 4aturally + know you ouldn't manage it, 8rs. -oynton, and naturally some of your family would want to remain with you= but if you were to di$ide for es, so to s"eak 1 " He "aused. 0erard heard the e$en li k of 8rs. -oynton's knitting needles. Then she said/ "+ don't think we'd are to di$ide u". .e're a $ery homey grou"." She looked u". ".ell, hildren, what do you say?" There was a queer ring in her $oi e. The answers ame "rom"tly/ "4o, 8other." "7h, no." "4o, of ourse not." 8rs. -oynton said, smiling that $ery odd smile of hers/ "You see 1 they won't lea$e me. .hat about you, 4adine? You didn't say anything." "4o, thank you, 8other, not unless 6enno% ares about it." 8rs. -oynton turned her head slowly towards her son. ".ell, 6enno%, what about it= why don't you and 4adine go? She seems

to want to." He started. 6ooked u". "+ 1 well 1 no, + 1 + think we'd better all stay together." 8r. )o"e said genially/ ".ell, you are a de$oted family'" -ut something in his geniality rang a little hollow and for ed. ".e kee" to oursel$es," said 8rs. -oynton. She began to wind u" her ball of wool. "-y the way, 2aymond, who was that young woman who s"oke to you &ust now?" 2aymond started ner$ously. He flushed, then went white. "+ 1 + don't know her name. She 1 she was on the train the other night." 8rs. -oynton began slowly to try and hea$e herself out of her hair. "+ don't think we'll ha$e mu h to do with her," she said. 4adine rose and assisted the old woman to struggle out of her hair. She did it with a "rofessional deftness that attra ted 0erard's attention. "-edtime," said 8rs. -oynton. "0ood night, 8r. )o"e." "0ood night, 8rs. -oynton. 0ood night, 8rs. 6enno%." They went off 1 a little "ro ession. +t did not seem to o of the younger members of the "arty to stay behind. 8r. )o"e was left looking after them. The e%"ression on his fa e was an odd one. (s Dr. 0erard knew by e%"erien e, (meri ans are dis"osed to be a friendly ra e. They ha$e not the uneasy sus"i ion of the tra$eling -riton. To a man of Dr. 0erard's ta t, making the a quaintan e of ur to any

8r. )o"e "resented few diffi ulties. The (meri an was lonely and was, like most of his ra e, dis"osed to friendliness. Dr. 0erard's ard1 ase was again to the fore. 2eading the name on it, 8r. *efferson )o"e was duly im"ressed. ".hy surely. Dr. 0erard, you were o$er in the States not $ery long ago?" "6ast (utumn. + was le turing at Har$ard." "7f ourse. Yours, Dr. 0erard, is one of the most distinguished

names in your "rofession. You're "retty well at the head of your sub&e t in !aris." "8y dear sir, you are far too kind' + "rotest." "4o, no, this is a great "ri$ilege 1 meeting you like this. (s a matter of fa t, there are se$eral $ery distinguished "eo"le here in *erusalem &ust at "resent. There's yourself and there's 6ord .elldon, and Sir 0abriel Steinbaum, the finan ier. Then there's the $eteran :nglish ar haeologist, Sir 8anders Stone. (nd there's 6ady .estholme who's $ery "rominent in :nglish "oliti s. (nd there's that famous -elgian dete ti$e, Her ule !oirot." "6ittle Her ule !oirot? +s he here?" "+ read his name in the lo al "a"er as ha$ing lately arri$ed. Seems to me all the world and his wife are at the Solomon Hotel. ( mighty fine hotel it is, too. (nd $ery tastefully de orated." 8r. *efferson )o"e was learly en&oying himself. Dr. 0erard was a man who ould dis"lay a lot of harm when he hose. -efore long

the two men had ad&ourned to the bar. (fter a ou"le of highballs 0erard said/ "Tell me, is that a ty"i al (meri an family to whom you were talking?" *efferson )o"e si""ed his drink thoughtfully. Then he said/ ".hy, no, + wouldn't say it was e%a tly ty"i al." "4o? ( $ery de$oted family, though." )o"e said slowly/ "You mean they all seem to re$ol$e round the old lady? That's true enough. She's a $ery remarkable old lady, you know." "+ndeed?" 8r. )o"e needed $ery little en ouragement. The gentle in$itation was enough. "+ don't mind telling you, Dr. 0erard, +'$e been ha$ing that family a good deal on my mind lately. +'$e been thinking about them a lot. +f + may say so, it would ease my mind to talk to you about the matter. +f it won't bore you, that is?" Dr. 0erard dis laimed boredom. 8r. *efferson )o"e went on slowly, his "leasant lean1sha$en fa e reased with "er"le%ity. "+'ll tell you straight away that +'m &ust a little worried. 8rs. -oynton, you see, is an old friend of mine. That is to say, not the old 8rs. -oynton, the young one. 8rs. 6enno% -oynton." "(h, yes, that $ery harming dark1haired young lady." "That's right. That's 4adine. 4adine -oynton, Dr. 0erard, is a $ery lo$ely hara ter. + knew her before she was married. She was in hos"ital then, working to be a trained nurse. Then she went for a

$a ation to stay with the -oyntons and she married 6enno%." "Yes?" 8r. *efferson )o"e took another si" of highball and went on. "+'d like to tell you, Dr. 0erard, &ust a little of the -oynton family history." "Yes? + should be most interested." ".ell, you see, the late :lmer -oynton 1 he was quite a well1known man and a $ery harming "erson 1 was twi e married. His first wife died when )arol and 2aymond were tiny toddlers. The se ond 8rs. -oynton, so +'$e been told, was a handsome woman when he married her, though not $ery young. Seems odd to think she an e$er ha$e been handsome to look at her now, but that's what +'$e been told on $ery good authority. (nyway, her husband thought a lot of her and ado"ted her &udgment on almost e$ery "oint. He was an in$alid for some years before he died, and she "ra ti ally ruled the roost. She's a $ery a"able woman with a fine head for business. ( $ery ons ientious woman, too. (fter :lmer died, she de$oted herself absolutely to these hildren. There's one of her own, too 1 0ine$ra 1 "retty red1haired girl but a bit deli ate. .ell, as + was telling you, 8rs. -oynton de$oted herself entirely to her family. She &ust shut out the outside world entirely. 4ow, + don't know what you think, Dr. 0erard, but + don't think that's always a $ery sound thing." "+ agree with you. +t is most harmful to de$elo"ing mentalities." "Yes, + should say that &ust about e%"resses it. 8rs. -oynton

shielded these hildren from the outside world and ne$er let them make any outside onta ts. The result of that is that they'$e grown u" 1 well, kind of ner$y. They're &um"y, if you know what + mean. )an't make friends with strangers. +t's bad, that." "+t is $ery bad." "+ we no doubt 8rs. -oynton meant well. +t was &ust o$er1de$otion on her "art." "They all li$e at home?" asked the do tor. "Yes." "Do neither of the sons work?" ".hy, no. :lmer -oynton was a ri h man. He left all his money to 8rs. -oynton for her lifetime 1 but it was understood that it was for the family u"kee" generally." "So they are de"endent on her finan ially?" "That is so. (nd she's en ouraged them to li$e at home and not go out and look for &obs. .ell, maybe that's all right= there's "lenty of money. They don't need to take &obs but + think for the male se%, anyway, work's a good toni . Then there's another thing 1 they'$e none of them got any hobbies. They don't "lay golf. They don't belong to any ountry lub. They don't go around to dan es or do anything with the other young "eo"le. They li$e in a great barra k of a house way down in the ountry, miles from anywhere. + tell you. Dr. 0erard, it seems all wrong to me." "+ agree with you," said Dr. 0erard.

"4ot one of them has got the least so ial sense. The ommunity s"irit 1 that's what's la king' They may be a $ery de$oted family but they're all bound u" in themsel$es." "There has ne$er been any question of one or the other of them bran hing out for him1 or herself?" "4ot that +'$e heard of. They &ust sit around." "Do you "ut the blame for that on them or on 8rs. -oynton?" *efferson )o"e shifted uneasily. ".ell, in a sense + feel she is more or less res"onsible. +t's bad bringing u" on her "art. (ll the same, when a young fellow omes to maturity it's u" to him to ki k o$er the tra es of his own a inde"endent." Dr. 0erard said thoughtfully/ "That might be im"ossible." ".hy im"ossible?" "There are methods, 8r. )o"e, of "re$enting a tree from growing." )o"e stared. "They're a fine healthy lot, Dr. 0erard." "The mind an be stunted and war"ed as well as the body." "They're bright mentally too." 0erard sighed. *efferson )o"e went on/ "4o, Dr. 0erard, take it from me, a man has got the ontrol of his own destiny right there in his own hands. ( man who res"e ts himself strikes out on his own and makes ord. 4o boy ought to kee" on being tied hoose to be to his mother's a"ron strings. He ought to

something of his life. He doesn't &ust sit round and twiddle his thumbs. 4o woman ought to res"e t a man who does that." 0erard looked at him uriously for a minute or two, then he said/ "You refer "arti ularly, + think, to 8r. 6enno% -oynton?" ".hy, yes, it was 6enno% + was thinking of. 2aymond's only a boy still. -ut 6enno% is &ust on thirty. Time he showed he was made of something." "+t is a diffi ult life, "erha"s, for his wife?" "7f ourse it's a diffi ult life for her' 4adine is a $ery fine girl. +

admire her more than + an say. She's ne$er let dro" one word of om"laint. -ut she's not ha""y, Dr. 0erard. She's &ust as unha""y as she an be." 0erard nodded his head. "Yes, + think that well might be." "+ don't know what you think about it, Dr. 0erard, but + think that there's a limit to what a woman ought to "ut u" with' +f + were 4adine +'d "ut it to young 6enno% straight. :ither he sets to and "ro$es what he's made of, or else 1 " "7r else, you think, she should lea$e him?" "She's got her own life to li$e. Dr. 0erard. +f 6enno% doesn't a""re iate her as she ought to be a""re iated, well, there are other men who will." "There is 1 yourself, for instan e?" The (meri an flushed. Then he looked straight at the other with a ertain sim"le dignity. "That's so," he said. "+'m not ashamed of

my feelings for that lady. + res"e t her and + am $ery, $ery dee"ly atta hed to her. (ll + want is her ha""iness. +f she were ha""y with 6enno%, +'d sit right ba k and fade out of the "i ture." "-ut as it is?" "-ut as it is, +'m standing by' +f she wants me, +'m here'" "You are, in fa t, the '"arfait gentil' knight," murmured 0erard. "!ardon?" "8y dear sir, hi$alry only li$es nowadays in the (meri an nation' You are for her?" "8y idea is to be right here at hand if she needs me." "(nd what, may + ask, is the older 8rs. -oynton's attitude towards you?" *efferson )o"e said slowly/ "+'m ne$er quite sure about that old lady. (s +'$e told she isn't fond of making outside we quite like one of the family." "+n fa t, she a""ro$es of your friendshi" with 8rs. 6enno%?" "She does." Dr. 0erard shrugged his shoulders. "That is, "erha"s, a little odd?" *efferson )o"e said stiffly/ "6et me assure you, Dr. 0erard, there is nothing dishonorable in that friendshi". +t is "urely "latoni ." onta ts. -ut she's been different to me, she's always $ery gra ious and treats ontent to ser$e your lady without ho"e of reward' +t is most admirable, that' .hat e%a tly do you ho"e to be able to do

"8y dear sir, + am quite sure of that. + re"eat, though, that for 8rs. -oynton to en ourage that friendshi" is a interests me greatly." "She is ertainly a remarkable woman. She has great for e of urious a tion on her "art. You know, 8r. )o"e, 8rs. -oynton interests me 1 she

hara ter 1 a most "rominent "ersonality. (s + say :lmer -oynton had the greatest faith in her &udgment." "So mu h so that he was ontent to lea$e his hildren om"letely at her mer y from the finan ial "oint of $iew. +n my ountry, 8r. )o"e, it is im"ossible by law to do su h a thing." 8r. )o"e rose. "+n (meri a," he said, "we're great belie$ers in absolute freedom." Dr. 0erard rose also. He was unim"ressed by the remark. He had heard it made before by "eo"le of many different nationalities. The illusion that freedom is the "rerogati$e of one's own "arti ular ra e is fairly wides"read. Dr. 0erard was wiser. He knew that no ra e, no were different degrees of bondage. He went u" to bed thoughtful and interested. ountry and no

indi$idual ould be des ribed as free. -ut he also knew that there

6 Sarah 9ing stood in the "re in ts of the Tem"le, the Haram1esh1 Sherif. Her ba k was to the Dome of the 2o k. The s"lashing of

fountains sounded in her ears. 6ittle grou"s of tourists "assed by without disturbing the "ea e of the oriental atmos"here. Strange, thought Sarah, that on e a *ebusite should ha$e made this ro ky summit into a threshing floor and that Da$id should ha$e "ur hased it for si% hundred shekels of gold and made it a Holy !la e. (nd now the loud hattering tongues of sightseers of all nations ould be heard... She turned and looked at the 8osque whi h now as beautiful. There was a latter of footste"s and a little "arty ame out from the interior of the 8osque. +t was the -oyntons es orted by a $oluble dragoman. 8rs. -oynton was su""orted between 6enno% and 2aymond. 4adine and 8r. )o"e walked behind. )arol last. (s they were mo$ing off, the latter aught sight of Sarah. She hesitated, then, on a sudden de ision, she wheeled around and ran swiftly and noiselessly a ross the ourtyard. ":% use me," she said breathlessly. "+ must 1 + 1 + felt + must s"eak to you." "Yes?" said Sarah. )arol was trembling $iolently. Her fa e was quite white. "+t's about 1 my brother. .hen you 1 you s"oke to him last night you must ha$e thought him $ery rude. -ut he didn't mean to be 1 he 1 he ouldn't hel" it. 7h, do "lease belie$e me." ame o$ered the

shrine and wondered if Solomon's tem"le would ha$e looked half

Sarah felt that the whole s ene was ridi ulous. -oth her "ride and her good taste were offended. .hy should a strange girl suddenly rush u" and tender a ridi ulous a"ology for a boorish brother? (n offhand re"ly trembled on her li"s 1 and then, qui kly, her mood hanged. There was something out of the ordinary here. This girl was in deadly earnest. That something in Sarah whi h had led her to ado"t a medi al areer rea ted to the girl's need. Her instin t told her there was something badly wrong. She said en ouragingly/ "Tell me about it." "He s"oke to you on the train, didn't he?" began )arol. Sarah nodded. "Yes 1 at least + s"oke to him." "7h, of ourse. +t would be that way around. -ut, you see, last

night. 2ay was afraid 1 " She sto""ed. "(fraid?" )arol's white fa e rimsoned. "7h, + know it sounds absurd 1 mad. You see, my mother 1 she's 1 she's not well 1 and she doesn't like us making friends outside. -ut 1 but + know 2ay would 1 would like to be friends with you." Sarah was interested. -efore she ould s"eak, )arol went on. "+

know what +'m saying sounds $ery silly, but we are rather an odd family." She ast a qui k look around 1 it was a look of fear. "+ 1 + mustn't stay," she murmured. "They may miss me." Sarah made u" her mind. She s"oke. ".hy shouldn't you stay 1 if you want to? .e might walk ba k together."

"7h no." )arol drew ba k. "+ 1 + ouldn't do that." ".hy not?" said Sarah. "+ ouldn't really. 8y mother would be 1 would be 1 " Sarah said learly and almly/ "+ know it's awfully diffi ult

sometimes for "arents to reali3e that their hildren are grown u". They will go on trying to run their li$es for them. -ut it's a "ity, you know, to gi$e in' 7ne must stand u" for one's rights." )arol murmured/ "You don't understand 1 you don't understand in the least..." Her hands twisted together ner$ously. Sarah went on/ "7ne gi$es in sometimes be ause one is afraid of rows. 2ows are $ery un"leasant, but + think freedom of a tion is always worth fighting for." "#reedom?" )arol stared at her. "4one of us has e$er been free. .e ne$er will be." "4onsense'" said Sarah learly. )arol leaned forward and tou hed her arm. "6isten. + must try and make you understand' -efore her marriage my mother 1 she's my ste"mother really 1 was a wardress in a "rison. 8y father was the 0o$ernor and he married her. .ell, it's been like that e$er sin e. She's gone on being a wardress 1 to us. That's why our life is &ust 1 being in "rison'" Her head &erked around again. "They'$e missed me. + 1 + must go." Sarah aught her by the arm as she was darting off. "7ne minute. .e must meet again and talk."

"+ an't. + shan't be able to." "Yes, you an." She s"oke authoritati$ely. ")ome to my room after you go to bed. +t's >;?. Don't forget= >;?." She released her hold. )arol ran off after her family. Sarah stood staring after her. She awoke from her thoughts to find Dr. 0erard by her side. "0ood morning, 8iss 9ing. So you'$e been talking to 8iss )arol -oynton?" "Yes, we had the most e%traordinary you." She re"eated the substan e of her on$ersation with the girl. 0erard "oun ed on one "oint. ".ardress in a "rison, was she, that old hi""o"otamus? That is signifi ant, "erha"s." Sarah said/ "You mean that that is the ause of her tyranny? +t is the habit of her former "rofession?" 0erard shook his head. "4o, that is a""roa hing it from the wrong angle. There is some dee" underlying om"ulsion. She does not lo$e tyranny be ause she has been a wardress. 6et us rather say that she be ame a wardress be ause she lo$ed tyranny. +n my theory it was a se ret desire for "ower o$er other human beings that led her to ado"t that "rofession." His fa e was $ery gra$e. "There are su h strange things buried down in the un ons ious. ( lust for "ower 1 a lust for ruelty 1 a sa$age desire to tear and rend 1 all the inheritan e of our "ast on$ersation. 6et me tell

ra ial memories... They are all there, 8iss 9ing, all the ruelty and sa$agery and lust... .e shut the door on them and deny them ons ious life, but sometimes they are too strong." Sarah shi$ered. "+ know." 0erard reeds, ontinued/ ".e see it all around us today 1 in "oliti al in the ondu t of nations. ( rea tion from reeds

humanitarianism, from "ity, from brotherly good will. The

sound well sometimes, a wise regime, a benefi ent go$ernment 1 but im"osed by for e 1 resting on a basis of ruelty and fear. They are o"ening the door, these a"ostles of $iolen e, they are letting out the old sa$agery, the old delight in ruelty for its own sake' 7h, it is diffi ult. 8an is an animal $ery deli ately balan ed. He has one "rime ne essity 1 to sur$i$e. To ad$an e too qui kly is as fatal as to lag behind. He must sur$i$e' He must, "erha"s, retain some of the old sa$agery, but he must not 1 no, definitely he must not 1 deify it'" There was a "ause. Then Sarah said/ "You think old 8rs. -oynton is a kind of Sadist?" "+ am almost sure of it. + think she re&oi es in the infli tion of "ain 1 mental "ain, mind you, not "hysi al. That is $ery mu h rarer and $ery mu h more diffi ult to deal with. She likes to ha$e ontrol of other human beings and she likes to make them suffer." "+t's "retty beastly," said Sarah. 0erard told her of his on$ersation with *efferson )o"e. "He doesn't reali3e what is going on?" she said thoughtfully.

"How should he? He is not a "sy hologist." "True. He hasn't got our disgusting minds'" ":%a tly. He has a ni e, u"right, sentimental, normal (meri an mind. He belie$es in good rather than e$il. He sees that the atmos"here of the -oynton family is all wrong, but he redits 8rs. -oynton with misguided de$otion rather than a ti$e malefi en e." "That must amuse her," said Sarah. "+ should imagine it does'" Sarah said im"atiently/ "-ut why don't they break away? They ould." 0erard shook his head. "4o, there you are wrong. They annot.

Ha$e you e$er seen the old e%"eriment with a o k? You halk a line on the floor and "ut the o k's beak to it. The o k belie$es he is tied there. He were annot raise his head. So with these unfortunates. She has worked on them, remember, sin e they hildren. (nd her dominan e has been mental. She has annot disobey her. 7h, + hy"noti3ed them to belie$e that they

know most "eo"le would say that was nonsense 1 but you and + know better. She has made them belie$e that utter de"enden e on her is ine$itable. They ha$e been in "rison so long that if the "rison door stood o"en they would no longer noti e' 7ne of them, at least, no longer e$en wants to be free' (nd they would all be afraid of freedom." Sarah asked "ra ti ally/ ".hat will ha""en when she dies?"

0erard shrugged his shoulders. "+t de"ends on how soon that ha""ens. +f it ha""ened, well, + think it might not be too late. The boy and the girl are still young 1 im"ressionable. They would be ome, + belie$e, normal human beings. .ith 6enno%, "ossibly, it has gone too far. He looks to me like a man who has "arted om"any with ho"e 1 he li$es and endures like a brute beast." Sarah said im"atiently/ "His wife ought to ha$e done something' She ought to ha$e yanked him out of it." "+ wonder. She may ha$e tried 1 and failed." "Do you think she's under the s"ell too?" 0erard shook his head. "4o. + don't think the old lady has any "ower o$er her, and for that reason she hates her with a bitter hatred. .at h her eyes." Sarah frowned. "+ an't make her out 1 the young one, + mean.

Does she know what is going on?" "+ think she must ha$e a "retty shrewd idea." "Hm," said Sarah. "That old woman ought to be murdered' (rseni in her early morning tea would be my "res ri"tion." Then she said abru"tly/ ".hat about the youngest girl 1 the red1 haired one with the rather fas inating $a ant smile?" 0erard frowned. "+ don't know. There is something queer there. 0ine$ra -oynton is the old woman's own daughter, of ourse." "Yes. + su""ose that would be different 1 or wouldn't it?" 0erard said slowly/ "+ do not belie$e that when on e the mania for

"ower @and the lust for rueltyA has taken "ossession of a human being that it dearest." He was silent for a moment then he said/ "(re you a )hristian, 8ademoiselle?" Sarah said slowly/ "+ don't know. + used to think that + wasn't anything. -ut now 1 +'m not sure. + feel 1 oh, + feel that if + ould swee" all this away 1 " she made a $iolent gesture, " 1 all the buildings and the se ts and the fier e squabbling hur hes 1 that 1 that + might see )hrist's quiet figure riding into *erusalem on a donkey 1 and belie$e in him." Dr. 0erard said gra$ely/ "+ belie$e at least in one of the a do tor and + know that ambition 1 the desire to su hief an s"are anybody 1 not e$en its nearest and

tenets of the )hristian faith 1 ontentment with a lowly "la e. + am eed 1 to ha$e "ower 1 leads to most ills of the human soul. +f the desire is reali3ed it leads to arrogan e, $iolen e and final satiety= and if it is denied 1 ah' +f it is denied let all the asylums for the insane rise u" and gi$e their testimony' They are filled with human beings who were unable to fa e being medio re, insignifi ant, ineffe ti$e and who therefore reated for themsel$es ways of es a"e from reality so to be shut off from life itself fore$er." Sarah said abru"tly/ "+t's a "ity the old -oynton woman isn't in an asylum." 0erard shook his head. "4o 1 her "la e is not there among the failures. +t is worse than that. She has su eeded, you see' She

has a

om"lished her dream."

Sarah shuddered. She ried "assionately/ "Su h things ought not to be'"

7 Sarah wondered $ery mu h whether )arol -oynton would kee" her a""ointment that night. 7n the whole, she rather doubted it. She was afraid that )arol would ha$e a shar" rea tion after her semi1 onfiden es of the morning. 4e$ertheless, she made her "re"arations, sli""ing on a blue satin dressing gown and getting out her little s"irit lam" and boiling u" water. She was &ust on the "oint of gi$ing )arol u" @it was after one o' lo kA and going to bed, when there was a ta" on her door. She o"ened it and drew qui kly ba k to let )arol ome in. The latter said breathlessly/ "+ was afraid you might ha$e gone to bed..." Sarah's manner was arefully matter1of1fa t. "7h, no. + was waiting for you. Ha$e some tea, will you? +t's real 6a"sang Sou hong." She brought o$er a u". )arol had been ner$ous and un ertain of herself. 4ow she a be ame almer. "This is rather fun," said Sarah, smiling. )arol looked a little startled. "Yes," she said doubtfully. "Yes, + su""ose it is." e"ted the u" and a bis uit and her manner

"2ather like the midnight feasts we used to ha$e at s hool," went on Sarah. "+ su""ose you didn't go away to s hool?" )arol shook her head. ".e ne$er left home. .e had a go$erness 1 different go$ernesses. They ne$er stayed long." "Did you ne$er go away at all?" ".e'$e li$ed always in the same house. This oming abroad is the first time +'$e e$er been away." Sarah said asually/ "+t must ha$e been a great ad$enture." "7h, it was. +t 1 it's all been like a dream." ".hat made your 1 your ste"mother de ide to ome abroad?" (t the mention of 8rs. -oynton's name, )arol had flin hed. Sarah said qui kly/ "You know, +'m by way of being a do tor. +'$e &ust taken my 8.-.. Your mother 1 or ste"mother rather 1 is $ery interesting to me 1 as a ase, you know. + should say she was quite definitely a "athologi al ase." )arol stared. +t was learly a $ery une%"e ted "oint of $iew to her. Sarah had s"oken as she had with deliberate intent. She reali3ed that to her family 8rs. -oynton loomed as a kind of "owerful obs ene idol. +t was Sarah's ob&e t to rob her of her more terrifying as"e t. "Yes," she said. "There's a kind of disease of 1 of grandeur 1 that gets hold of "eo"le. They get $ery auto rati diffi ult to deal with." and insist on e$erything being done e%a tly as they say and are altogether $ery

)arol "ut down her u". "7h," she ried, "+'m so glad to be talking to you. You know, + belie$e 2ay and + ha$e been getting quite 1 well, quite queer. .e'd got terribly worked u" about things." "Talking with an outsider is always a good thing," said Sarah. "+nside a family one is a"t to get too intense." Then she asked asually/ "+f you are unha""y, ha$en't you e$er thought of lea$ing home?" )arol looked startled. "7h, no' How ould we? + 1 + mean, 8other would ne$er allow it." "-ut she ouldn't sto" you," said Sarah gently. "You're o$er age." "+'m twenty1three." ":%a tly." "-ut still, + don't see how 1 + mean + wouldn't know where to go and what to do." Her tone seemed bewildered. "You see," she said, "we ha$en't got any money." "Ha$en't you any friends you ould go to?" "#riends?" )arol shook her head. "7h, no, we don't know anyone'" "Did none of you e$er think of lea$ing home?" "4o 1 + don't think so. 7h 1 oh 1 we ouldn't." Sarah "itiful. She said/ "(re you fond of your ste"mother?" Slowly )arol shook her head. She whis"ered in a low s ared $oi e/ hanged the sub&e t. She found the girl's bewilderment

"+ hate her. So does 2ay... .e'$e 1 we'$e often wished she would die." (gain Sarah brother." "6enno%? + don't know what's the matter with 6enno%. He hardly e$er s"eaks now. He goes about in a kind of daydream. 4adine's terribly worried about him." "You are fond of your sister1in1law?" "Yes 4adine is different. She's always kind. -ut she's $ery unha""y." "(bout your brother?" "Yes." "Ha$e they been married long?" "#our years." "(nd they'$e always li$ed at home?" "Yes." Sarah asked/ "Does your sister1in1law like that?" "4o." There was a "ause. Then )arol said/ "There was an awful fuss on e about four years ago now. You see, as + told you, none of us e$er goes outside the house at home. + mean we go into the grounds, but nowhere else. -ut 6enno% did. He got out at night. He went into #ountain S"rings 1 there was a sort of dan e going on. 8other was frightfully angry when she found out. +t was hanged the sub&e t. "Tell me about your elder

terrible. (nd then, after that, she asked 4adine to ome and stay. 4adine was a $ery distant us for a month. + ousin of father's. She was $ery "oor and was training to be a hos"ital nurse. She ame and stayed with an't tell you how e% iting it was to ha$e someone to stay' (nd she and 6enno% fell in lo$e with ea h other. (nd 8other said they'd better be married qui kly and li$e on with us." "(nd was 4adine willing to do that?" )arol hesitated. "+ don't think she wanted to do that $ery mu h, but she didn't really mind. Then, later, she wanted to go away 1 with 6enno%, of ourse 1 " "-ut they didn't go?" asked Sarah. "4o, 8other wouldn't hear of it." )arol "aused and then said/ "+ don't think she likes 4adine any longer. 4adine is funny. You ne$er know what she's thinking. She tries to hel" *inny and 8other doesn't like it." "*inny is your younger sister?" "Yes. 0ine$ra is her real name." "+s she 1 unha""y too?" )arol shook her head doubtfully. "*inny's been $ery queer lately. + don't understand her. You see, she's always been rather deli ate 1 and 1 and 8other fusses about her and 1 and it makes her worse. (nd lately *inny has been $ery queer indeed. She 1 she frightens me sometimes. She 1 she doesn't always know what she's doing."

"Has she seen a do tor?" "4o= 4adine wanted her to, but 8other said no, and *inny got $ery hysteri al and s reamed and said she wouldn't see a do tor. -ut +'m worried about her." Suddenly )arol rose. "+ mustn't kee" you u". +t's 1 it's $ery good of you letting me ome and talk to you. You must think us $ery odd as a family." "7h, e$erybody's odd, really," said Sarah lightly. ")ome again, will you? (nd bring your brother, if you like." "8ay + really?" "Yes= we'll do some se ret "lotting. +'d like you to meet a friend of mine, too= a Dr. 0erard, an awfully ni e #ren hman." The olor ame into )arol's heeks. "7h what fun it sounds. +f only 8other doesn't find out'" Sarah su""ressed her original retort and said instead, ".hy should she? 0ood night. Shall we say tomorrow night at the same time?" "7h yes. The day after, you see, we may be going away." "Then let's ha$e a definite date for tomorrow. 0ood night." "0ood night and thank you." )arol went out of the room and sli""ed noiselessly along the orridor. Her own room was on the floor abo$e. She rea hed it, o"ened the door 1 and stood a""alled on the threshold. 8rs. -oynton was sitting in an arm hair by the fire"la e in a rimson wool dressing gown. ( little ry es a"ed from )arol's li"s.

"7h'" ( "air of bla k eyes bored into hers. ".here ha$e you been, )arol?" "+ 1 + 1 " ".here ha$e you been?" ( soft husky $oi e with that queer mena ing undertone in it that always made )arol's heart beat with unreasoning terror. "To see a 8iss 9ing 1 Sarah 9ing." "The girl who s"oke to 2aymond the other e$ening?" "Yes, 8other." "Ha$e you made any "lans to see her again?" )arol's li"s mo$ed soundlessly. She nodded assent. #right 1 great si kening wa$es of fright... ".hen?" "Tomorrow night." "You are not to go. You understand?" "Yes, 8other." "You "romise?" "Yes 1 yes." 8rs. -oynton struggled to get u". 8e hani ally )arol ame

forward and hel"ed her. 8rs. -oynton walked slowly a ross the room su""orting herself on her sti k. She "aused in the doorway and looked ba k at the owering girl.

"You are to ha$e nothing more to do with this 8iss 9ing. You understand?" "Yes, 8other." "2e"eat it." "+ am to ha$e nothing more to do with her." "0ood." 8rs. -oynton went out and shut the door. Stiffly, )arol mo$ed a ross the bedroom. She felt si k, her whole body felt wooden and unreal. She dro""ed onto the bed and suddenly she was shaken by a storm of wee"ing. +t was as though a $ista had o"ened before her 1 a $ista of sunlight and trees and flowers... 4ow the bla k walls had losed around her on e more...

8 ")an + s"eak to you a minute?" 4adine -oynton turned in sur"rise, staring into the dark eager fa e of an entirely unknown young woman. ".hy, ertainly." -ut as she s"oke, almost un ons iously she

threw a qui k ner$ous glan e o$er her shoulder. "8y name is Sarah 9ing," went on the other. "7h, yes?" "8rs. -oynton, +'m going to say something rather odd to you. + talked to your sister1in1law for quite a long time the other

e$ening." ( faint shadow seemed to ruffle the serenity of 4adine -oynon's fa e. "You talked to 0ine$ra?" "4o, not to 0ine$ra 1 to )arol." The shadow lifted. "7h, + see 1 to )arol." 4adine -oynton seemed "leased, but $ery mu h sur"rised. "How did you manage that?" Sarah said/ "She ame to my room 1 quite late." She saw the faint raising of the "en iled brows on the white forehead. She said, with some embarrassment/ "+'m sure it must seem $ery odd to you." "4o," said 4adine -oynton. "+ am $ery glad. ,ery glad indeed. +t is $ery ni e for )arol to ha$e a friend to talk to." ".e 1 we got on $ery well together." Sarah tried to words following night." "Yes?" "-ut )arol didn't ome." "Didn't she?" 4adine's $oi e was ool 1 refle ti$e. Her fa e, so quiet and gentle, told Sarah nothing. "4o. Yesterday she was "assing through the hall. + s"oke to her and she didn't answer. *ust looked at me on e, and then away hoose her

arefully. "+n fa t we arranged to 1 to meet again the

again, and hurried on." "+ see." There was a "ause. Sarah found it diffi ult to go on. 4adine -oynton said "resently/ "+'m 1 $ery sorry. )arol is 1 rather a ner$ous girl." (gain that "ause. Sarah took her ourage in both hands. "You

know, 8rs. -oynton, +'m by way of being a do tor. + think 1 + think it would be good for your sister1in1law not to 1 not to shut herself away too mu h from "eo"le." 4adine -oynton looked thoughtfully at Sarah. She said/ "+ see. You're a do tor. That makes a differen e." "You see what + mean?" Sarah urged. 4adine bent her head. She was still thoughtful. "You are quite right, of ourse," she said after a minute or two. "-ut there are diffi ulties. 8y mother1in1law is in bad health and she has what + an only des ribe as a morbid dislike of any outsiders "enetrating into her family ir le." Sarah said mutinously/ "-ut )arol is a grown1u" woman." 4adine -oynton shook her head. "7h no," she said. "+n body, but not in mind. +f you talked to her you must ha$e noti ed that. +n an emergen y she would always beha$e like a frightened hild." "Do you think that's what ha""ened? Do you think she be ame 1 afraid?" "+ should imagine, 8iss 9ing, that my mother1in1law insisted on

)arol ha$ing nothing more to do with you." "(nd )arol ga$e in?" 4adine -oynton said quietly/ ")an you really imagine her doing anything else?" The eyes of the two women met. Sarah felt that behind the mask of on$entional words, they understood ea h other. 4adine, she felt, understood the "osition. -ut she was learly not "re"ared to dis uss it in any way. Sarah felt dis ouraged. The other e$ening it had seemed to her as though half the battle were won. -y means of se ret meetings she would imbue )arol with the s"irit of re$olt 1 yes, and 2aymond, too. @-e honest, now= wasn't it 2aymond really she had had in mind all along?A (nd now, in the $ery first round of the battle she had been ignominiously defeated by that hulk of sha"eless flesh with her e$il gloating eyes. )arol had a"itulated without a struggle. "+t's all wrong'" ried Sarah. 4adine did not answer. Something in her silen e went home to Sarah like a li$ed with it'" The ele$ator doors o"ened. The elder 8rs. -oynton emerged. She leaned on a sti k and 2aymond su""orted her on the other side. Sarah ga$e a slight start. She saw the old woman's eyes swee" from her to 4adine and ba k again. She had been "re"ared for old hand laid on her heart. She thought/ "This woman knows the ho"elessness of it mu h better than + do. She's

dislike in those eyes 1 for hatred e$en. She was not "re"ared for what she saw 1 a trium"hant and mali ious en&oyment. Sarah turned away. 4adine went forward and &oined the other two. "So there you are, 4adine," said 8rs. -oynton. "+'ll sit down and rest a little before + go out." They settled her in a high1ba ked her. ".ho were you talking to, 4adine?" "( 8iss 9ing." "7h, yes. The girl who s"oke to 2aymond the other night. .ell, 2ay, why don't you go and s"eak to her now? She's o$er there at the writing table." The old woman's mouth widened into a mali ious smile as she looked at 2aymond. His fa e flushed. He turned his head away and muttered something. ".hat's that you say, son?" "+ don't want to s"eak to her." "4o, + thought not. You won't s"eak to her. You ouldn't, howe$er mu h you wanted to'" She oughed suddenly 1 a whee3ing ough. "+'m en&oying this tri", 4adine," she said. "+ wouldn't ha$e missed it for anything." "4o?" 4adine's $oi e was e%"ressionless. "2ay." hair. 4adine sat down beside

"Yes, 8other?" "0et me a "ie e of note"a"er 1 from the table o$er there in the orner." 2aymond went off obediently. 4adine raised her head. She wat hed, not the boy, but the old woman. 8rs. -oynton was leaning forward, her nostrils dilated as though with "leasure. 2ay "assed lose by Sarah. She looked u", a sudden ho"e showing in her fa e. +t died down as he brushed "ast her, took some note"a"er from the ase and went ba k a ross the room. There were little beads of sweat on his forehead as he re&oined them and his fa e was dead white. ,ery softly 8rs. -oynton murmured/ "(h..." as she wat hed his fa e. Then she saw 4adine's eyes fi%ed on her. Something in them made her own sna" with sudden anger. ".here's 8r. )o"e this morning?" she said. 4adine's eyes dro""ed again. She answered in her gentle e%"ressionless $oi e/ "+ don't know. + ha$en't seen him." "+ like him," said 8rs. -oynton. "+ like him $ery mu h. .e must see a good deal of him. You'll like that, won't you?" "Yes," said 4adine. "+, too, like him $ery mu h." ".hat's the matter with 6enno% lately? He seems $ery dull and quiet. 4othing wrong between you, is there?" "7h, no. .hy should there be?" "+ wondered. 8arried "eo"le don't always hit it off. !erha"s you'd be ha""ier li$ing in a home of your own?"

4adine did not answer. ".ell, what do you say to the idea? Does it a""eal to you?" 4adine shook her head. She said, smiling/ "+ don't think it would a""eal to you. 8other." 8rs. -oynton's eyelids fli kered. She said shar"ly and $enomously/ "You'$e always been against me, 4adine." The younger woman re"lied e$enly/ "+'m sorry you should think that." The old woman's hand losed on her sti k. Her fa e seemed to get a shade more "ur"le. She said, with a hange of tone/ "+ forgot my dro"s. 0et them for me, 4adine." ")ertainly." 4adine got u" and rossed the lounge to the ele$ator. 8rs.

-oynton looked after her. 2aymond sat lim"ly in a hair, his eyes gla3ed with dull misery. 4adine went u"stairs and along the orridor. She entered the sitting room of their suite. 6enno% was sitting by the window. There was a book in his hand, but he was not reading. He roused himself as 4adine 4adine." "+'$e ome u" for 8other's dro"s. She forgot them." She went on into 8rs. -oynton's bedroom. #rom a bottle on the washstand she arefully measured a dose into a small medi ine glass, filling it u" with water. (s she "assed through the sitting room again she "aused. "6enno%." ame in. "Hullo,

+t was a moment or two before he answered her. +t was as though the message had a long way to tra$el. Then he said/ "+ beg your "ardon. .hat is it?" 4adine -oynton set down the glass arefully on the table. Then

she went o$er and stood beside him. "6enno%, look at the sunshine out there, through the window. 6ook at life. +t's beautiful. .e might be out instead of being here looking through a window." (gain there was a "ause. Then he said/ "+'m sorry. Do you want to go out?" She answered him qui kly/ "Yes + want to go out 1 with you 1 out into the sun' 0o out into life 1 and li$e 1 the two of us together." He shrank ba k into his hair. His eyes looked restless, hunted.

"4adine, my dear, must we go into all this again 1 " "Yes, we must. 6et us go away and lead our own life somewhere." "How an we? .e'$e no money." ".e an earn money." "How ould we? .hat ould we do? +'m untrained. Thousands of

men 1 qualified men 1 trained men 1 are out of &obs as it is. .e ouldn't manage it." "+ would earn money for both of us." "8y dear hild, you'$e ne$er e$en om"leted your training. +t's

ho"eless 1 im"ossible." "4o= what is ho"eless and im"ossible is our "resent life."

"You don't know what you are talking about. 8other is $ery good to us. She gi$es us e$ery lu%ury." ":% e"t freedom. 6enno%, make an effort. )ome with me now, today 1 " "4adine, + think you're quite mad." "4o, +'m sane. (bsolutely and om"letely sane. + want a life of my own, with you, in the sunshine, not stifled in the shadow of an old woman who is a tyrant and who delights in making you unha""y." "8other may be rather an auto rat 1 " "Your mother is mad' She's insane'" He answered mildly/ "That's not true. She's got a remarkably good head for business." "!erha"s 1 yes." "(nd you must reali3e, 4adine, she an't li$e fore$er. She's si%ty1 odd and she's in $ery bad health. (t her death my father's money is to be di$ided equally among us, share and share alike. You remember, she read us the will?" ".hen she dies," said 4adine. "+t may be too late." "Too late?" "Too late for ha""iness." 6enno% murmured/ "Too late for ha""iness." He shi$ered suddenly. 4adine went loser to him. She "ut her hand on his shoulder. "6enno%, + lo$e you. +t's a battle between me and your mother. (re

you going to be on her side or mine?" "7n yours, on yours'" "Then do what + ask." "+t's im"ossible'" "4o, it's not im"ossible. Think, 6enno%, we ould ha$e hildren..." "8other wants us to ha$e hildren, anyway. She has said so." "+ know, but + won't bring hildren into the world to li$e in the an

shadow you ha$e all been brought u" in. Your mother influen e you, but she's no "ower o$er me."

6enno% murmured/ "You make her angry sometimes, 4adine= it isn't wise." "She is only angry be ause she knows that she an't influen e my mind or di tate my thoughts'" "+ know you are always "olite and gentle with her. You're wonderful. You're too good for me. You always ha$e been. .hen you said you would marry me it was like an unbelie$able dream." 4adine said quietly/ "+ was wrong to marry you." 6enno% said ho"elessly/ "Yes, you were wrong." "You don't understand. .hat + mean is that if + had gone away then and asked you to follow me you would ha$e done so. Yes, + really belie$e you would... + was not le$er enough then to understand your mother and what she wanted." She "aused, then she said/ "You refuse to ome away? .ell, + an't

make you. -ut + am free to go' + think 1 + think + shall go..." He stared u" at her in redulously. #or the first time his re"ly ame qui kly, as though at last the sluggish urrent of his thoughts was a elerated. He stammered/ "-ut 1 but 1 you an't do that. 8other 1 8other would ne$er hear of it." "She ouldn't sto" me." "You'$e no money." "+ ould make, borrow, beg or steal it. 5nderstand 6enno%, your

mother has no "ower o$er me' + an go or stay at my will. + am beginning to feel that + ha$e borne this life long enough." "4adine 1 don't lea$e me 1 don't lea$e me..." She looked at him thoughtfully 1 quietly 1 with an ins rutable e%"ression. "Don't lea$e me, 4adine." He s"oke like a hild. She turned her

head away, so he should not see the sudden "ain in her eyes. She knelt down beside him. "Then ome with me. )ome with me' You an. +ndeed you an if you only will'" He shrank ba k from her. "+ an't' + an't' + tell you. + ha$en't 1 0od hel" me 1 + ha$en't the ourage..."

9 Dr. 0erard walked into the offi e of 8essrs. )astle the tourist agents, and found Sarah 9ing at the ounter.

She looked u". "7h, good morning. +'m fi%ing u" my tour to !etra. +'$e &ust heard you are going after all." "Yes, + find + an &ust manage it." "How ni e." "Shall we be a large "arty, + wonder?" "They say &ust two other women 1 and you and me. 7ne ar load." "That will be delightful," said 0erard with a little bow. Then he, in turn, attended to his business. !resently, holding his mail in his hands, he &oined Sarah as she ste""ed out of the offi e. +t was a ris" sunny day, with a slight old tang in the air. ".hat news of our friends, the -oyntons?" asked Dr. 0erard. "+ ha$e been to -ethlehem and 4a3areth and other "la es 1 a tour of three days." Slowly and rather unwillingly, Sarah narrated her aborti$e efforts to establish onta t. "(nyhow + failed," she finished. "(nd they're lea$ing today." ".here are they going?" "+'$e no idea." She went on $e%edly/ "+ feel, you know, that +'$e made rather a fool of myself." "+n what way?" "+nterfering in other "eo"le's business."

0erard shrugged his shoulders. "That is a matter of o"inion." "You mean whether one should interfere or not?" "Yes." "Do you?" The #ren hman looked amused. "You mean, is it my habit to on ern myself with other "eo"le's affairs? + will say to you frankly 1 no." "Then you think +'m wrong to ha$e tried butting in?" "4o, no, you misunderstand me." 0erard s"oke qui kly and energeti ally. "+t is, + think, a moot question. Should one, if one sees a wrong being done, attem"t to "ut it right? 7ne's interferen e may do good 1 but it may also do in al ulable harm' +t is im"ossible to lay down any ruling on the sub&e t. Some "eo"le ha$e a genius for interferen e 1 they do it well' Some "eo"le do it lumsily and had therefore better lea$e it alone' Then there is, too, the question of age. Young "eo"le ha$e the ourage of their ideals and on$i tions, their $alues are more theoreti al than "ra ti al. They ha$e not e%"erien ed, as yet, that fa t ontradi ts theory' +f you ha$e a belief in yourself and in the rightness of what you are doing, you an often a harm'A 7n the other hand, the om"lish things "erson has that are well worthwhile' @+n identally you often do a good deal of middle1aged e%"erien e, he has found that harm as well as, and "erha"s more often than, good omes of trying to interfere and so, $ery wisely, he refrains' So the result is e$en 1 the earnest young do both

harm and good 1 the "rudent middle1aged do neither'" "(ll that isn't $ery hel"ful," ob&e ted Sarah. ")an one "erson e$er be hel"ful to another? +t is your "roblem not mine." "You mean you are not going to do anything about the -oyntons?" "4o. #or me, there would be no han e of su "Then there isn't for me either?" "#or you, there might be." ".hy?" "-e ause you ha$e s"e ial qualifi ations. The a""eal of your youth and se%." "Se%? 7h, + see." "7ne omes always ba k to se%, does one not? You ha$e failed ess."

with the girl. +t does not follow that you would fail with her brother. .hat you ha$e &ust told me, @what the girl )arol told youA, shows $ery learly the one mena e to 8rs. -oynton's auto ra y. The eldest son, 6enno%, defied her in the for e of his young manhood. He "layed truant from home, went to lo al dan es. The desire of a man for a mate was stronger than the hy"noti s"ell. -ut the old woman was quite aware of the "ower of se%. @She will ha$e seen something of it in her areer.A She dealt with it $ery le$erly, brought a "retty but "enniless girl into the house, en ouraged a marriage. (nd so a quired yet another sla$e." Sarah shook her head. "+ don't think young 8rs. -oynton is a

sla$e." 0erard agreed. "4o, "erha"s not. + think that be ause she was a quiet do ile young girl, old 8rs. -oynton underestimated her for e of will and hara ter. 4adine -oynton was too young and ine%"erien ed at the time to a""re iate the true "osition. She a""re iates it now, but it is too late." "Do you think she has gi$en u" ho"e?" Dr. 0erard shook his head doubtfully. "+f she has "lans no one would know about them. There are, you know, ertain "ossibilities where )o"e is on erned. 8an is a naturally &ealous animal 1 and &ealousy is a strong for e. 6enno% -oynton might still be roused from the inertia in whi h he is sinking." "(nd you think" 1 Sarah "ur"osely made her tone $ery

businesslike and "rofessional 1 "that there's a able to do something about 2aymond?" "+ do."

han e + might be

Sarah sighed. "+ su""ose + might ha$e tried 1 7h, well, it's too late now, anyway. (nd 1 and + don't like the idea." 0erard looked amused. "That is be ause you are :nglish' The :nglish ha$e a ni e.'" Sarah's indignant res"onse failed to mo$e him. "Yes, yes, + know you are $ery modern, that you use freely in "ubli un"leasant words you the most an find in the di tionary, that you are om"le% about se%. They think it is 'not quite

"rofessional and entirely uninhibited' Tout de merne, + re"eat, you ha$e the same ra ial do not blush'" "+ ne$er heard su h rubbish'" Dr. 0erard, a twinkle in his eyes, and quite un"erturbed, added/ "(nd it makes you $ery harming." This time Sarah was s"ee hless. Dr. 0erard hastily raised his hat. "+ take my lea$e," he said, "before you ha$e time to begin to say all that you think." He es a"ed into the hotel. Sarah followed him more slowly. There was a good deal of a ti$ity going on. Se$eral ars loaded with luggage were in "ro ess of de"arting. 6enno% and 4adine -oynton and 8r. )o"e were standing by a big saloon ar su"erintending arrangements. ( fat dragoman was standing talking to )arol with quite unintelligible fluen y. Sarah "assed them and went into the hotel. 8rs. -oynton, wra""ed in a thi k oat, was sitting in a hair, waiting to de"art. 6ooking at her, a queer re$ulsion of feeling swe"t o$er Sarah. She had felt that 8rs. -oynton was a sinister figure, an in arnation of e$il malignan y. 4ow, suddenly, she saw the old woman as a "atheti ineffe tual figure. To be born with su h a lust for "ower, su h a desire for dominion, and to a hie$e only a "etty domesti hara teristi s as your mother and your grandmother. You are still the blushing :nglish 8iss although you

tyranny' +f only her hildren ould see her as Sarah saw her that minute 1 an ob&e t of "ity 1 a stu"id, malignant, "atheti , "osturing old woman. 7n an im"ulse Sarah went u" to her. "0oodbye, 8rs. -oynton," she said. "+ ho"e you'll ha$e a ni e tri"." The old lady looked at her. 8alignan y struggled with outrage in those eyes. "You'$e wanted to be $ery rude to me," said Sarah. @.as she ra3y, she wondered? .hat on earth was urging her on to talk like this?A "You'$e tried to "re$ent your son and daughter making friends with me. Don't you think, really, that that is all $ery silly and hildish? You like to make yourself out a kind of ogre, but and rather ludi rous. +f + really, you know, you're &ust "atheti

were you +'d gi$e u" all this silly "lay1a ting. + e%"e t you'll hate me for saying this, but + mean it 1 and some of it may sti k. You know you ould ha$e a lot of fun still. +t's really mu h better to be friendly and kind. You ould be if you tried." There was a "ause. 8rs. -oynton had fro3en into a deadly immobility. (t last she "assed her tongue o$er her dry li"s, her mouth o"ened... Still for a moment no words ame. "0o on," said Sarah en ouragingly. "Say it' +t doesn't matter what you say to me. -ut think o$er what +'$e said to you." The words ame at last 1 in a soft, husky, but "enetrating $oi e. 8rs. -oynton's basilisk eyes looked, not at Sarah, but oddly o$er her shoulder. She seemed to address, not Sarah, but some familiar

s"irit. "+ ne$er forget," she said. "2emember that. +'$e ne$er forgotten anything, not an a tion, not a name, not a fa e..." There was nothing in the words themsel$es, but the $enom with whi h they were s"oken made Sarah retreat a ste". (nd then 8rs. -oynton laughed. +t was, definitely, rather a horrible laugh. Sarah shrugged her shoulders. "You "oor old thing," she said. She turned away. (s she went towards the ele$ator she almost ollided with 2aymond -oynton. 7n an im"ulse she s"oke qui kly/ "0oodbye= + ho"e you'll ha$e a lo$ely time. !erha"s we'll meet again some day." She smiled at him, a warm friendly smile, and "assed qui kly on. 2aymond stood as though turned to stone. So lost in his own thoughts was he that a small man with big mousta hes, endea$oring to "ass out of the ele$ator, had to s"eak se$eral times. "!ardon." (t last it "enetrated. 2aymond ste""ed aside. "So sorry," he said. "+ 1 + was thinking." )arol ame towards him. "2ay, get *inny, will you? She went ba k to her room. .e're going to start." "2ight= +'ll tell her she's got to walked into the ele$ator. ome straight away." 2aymond

Her ule !oirot stood for a moment looking after him, his eyebrows raised, his head a little on one side as though he were listening. Then he nodded his head as though in agreement. .alking through the lounge he took a good look at )arol who had &oined her mother. Then he be koned the head waiter who was "assing. "!ardon, an you tell me the name of those "eo"le o$er there?" "The name is -oynton, 8onsieur= they are (meri ans." "Thank you," said Her ule !oirot. 7n the third floor Dr. 0erard, going to his room, "assed 2aymond -oynton and 0ine$ra walking towards the waiting ele$ator. *ust as they were about to get into it 0ine$ra said/ "*ust a minute. 2ay= wait for me in the ele$ator." She ran ba k, turned a orner, aught u" with the walking man. "!lease 1 + must s"eak to you." Dr. 0erard looked u" in astonishment. The girl ame u" lose to

him and aught his arm. "They're taking me away' They may be going to kill me... + don't really belong to them, you know. 8y name isn't really -oynton..." She hurried on, her words oming fast and tumbling o$er ea h other. "+'ll trust you with the se ret. +'m 1 +'m 2oyal, really' +'m the heiress to a throne. That's why there are enemies all around me. They try to "oison me, all sorts of things... +f you #ootste"s. "*inny 1 " -eautiful in her sudden startled gesture, the girl "ut a finger to her li"s, threw 0erard an im"loring glan e, and ran ba k. "+'m ould hel" me 1 to get away 1 " She broke off.

oming, 2ay." Dr. 0erard walked on with his eyebrows raised. Slowly, he shook his head and frowned.

10 +t was the morning of the start to !etra. Sarah ame down to find a big masterful woman with a ro king1 horse nose whom she had already noti ed in the hotel, outside the main entran e ob&e ting fier ely to the si3e of the ar. "( great deal too small' #our "assengers? (nd a dragoman? Then of ourse we must ha$e a mu h larger saloon. !lease take that ar away and return with one of an adequate si3e." +n $ain did the re"resentati$e of 8essrs. )astle's raise his $oi e in e%"lanation. That was the si3e of ar always "ro$ided. +t was really a most omfortable ar. ( larger ar was not so suitable for desert tra$el. The large woman, meta"hori ally s"eaking, rolled o$er him like a large steamroller. Then she turned her attention to Sarah. "8iss 9ing? + am 6ady .estholme. + am sure you agree with me that that ar is grossly inadequate as to si3e?" ".ell," said Sarah autiously, "+ agree that a larger one would be more omfortable'" The young man from )astle's murmured that a larger add to the "ri e. "The "ri e," said 6ady .estholme firmly, "is in lusi$e and + shall ar would

ertainly refuse to san tion any addition to it. Your "ros"e tus distin tly states 'in omfortable saloon ar.' You will kee" to the terms of your agreement." 2e ogni3ing defeat, the young man from )astle's murmured something about seeing what he ould do and wilted away from the s"ot. 6ady .estholme turned to Sarah, a smile of trium"h on her weather1beaten ountenan e, her large red ro king1horse nostrils dilated e%ultantly. 6ady .estholme was a $ery well1known figure in the :nglish "oliti al world. .hen 6ord .estholme, a middle1aged, sim"le1 minded "eer, whose only interests in life were hunting, shooting and fishing, was returning from a tri" to the 5nited States, one of his fellow "assengers was a 8rs. ,ansittart. Shortly afterwards 8rs. ,ansittart be ame 6ady .estholme. The mat h was often ited as one of the e%am"les of the danger of o ean $oyages. The new 6ady .estholme li$ed entirely in tweeds and stout brogues, bred dogs, bullied the $illagers and for ed her husband "itilessly into "ubli life. +t being borne in u"on her, howe$er, that "oliti s was not 6ord .estholme's mBtier in life and ne$er would be, she gra iously allowed him to resume his s"orting a ti$ities and herself stood for !arliament. -eing ele ted with a substantial ma&ority, 6ady .estholme threw herself with $igor into "oliti al life, being es"e ially a ti$e at Cuestion time. )artoons of her soon began to a""ear @always a sure sign of su essA. (s a "ubli figure she stood for the old1fashioned $alues of #amily 6ife, .elfare work amongst .omen, and was an ardent su""orter of the 6eague of

4ations. She had de ided $iews on questions of (gri ulture, Housing and Slum )learan e. She was mu h res"e ted and almost uni$ersally disliked' +t was highly "ossible that she would be gi$en an 5nder Se retaryshi" when her !arty returned to "ower. (t the moment a 6iberal 0o$ernment @owing to a s"lit in the 4ational 0o$ernment between 6abor and )onser$ati$esA was somewhat une%"e tedly in "ower. 6ady .estholme looked with grim satisfa tion after the de"arting im"ose u"on women," she said. Sarah thought that it would be a bra$e man who thought he ould im"ose u"on 6ady .estholme' She introdu ed Dr. 0erard who had &ust ome out of the hotel. "Your name is, of ourse, familiar to me," said 6ady .estholme, ar. "8en always think they an

shaking hands. "+ was talking to !rofessor )lemen eau% the other day in !aris. + ha$e been taking u" the question of the treatment of "au"er lunati s $ery strongly lately. ,ery strongly, indeed. Shall we ome inside while we wait for a better ar to be obtained?" ( $ague little middle1aged lady with wis"s of gray hair who was ho$ering near by turned out to be 8iss (nnabel !ier e, the fourth member of the "arty. She too was swe"t into the lounge under 6ady .estholme's "rote ting wing. "You are a "rofessional woman 8iss 9ing?" "+'$e &ust taken my 8.-.." "0ood," said 6ady .estholme with anything is to be a ondes ending a""ro$al. "+f

om"lished, mark my words, it is women who

will do it." 5neasily ons ious for the first time of her se%, Sarah followed

6ady .estholme meekly to a seat. There, as they sat waiting, 6ady .estholme informed them that she had refused an in$itation to stay with the High )ommissioner during her stay in *erusalem. "+ did not want to be ham"ered by offi ialdom. + wished to look into things for myself." ".hat things?" Sarah wondered. 6ady .estholme went on to e%"lain that she was staying at the Solomon Hotel so as to remain unham"ered. She added that she had made se$eral suggestions to the 8anager for the more om"etent running of his hotel. ":ffi ien y," said 6ady .estholme, "is my .at hword." +t ertainly seemed to be' +n a quarter of an hour a large and

e%tremely omfortable ar arri$ed and in due ourse 1 after ad$i e from 6ady .estholme as to how the luggage should be bestowed 1 the "arty set off. Their first halt was the Dead Sea. They had lun h at *eri ho. (fterwards when 6ady .estholme armed with a -aedeker had gone off with 8iss !ier e, the do tor and the fat dragoman to do a tour of old *eri ho, Sarah remained in the garden of the hotel. Her head a hed slightly and she wanted to be alone. ( dee" de"ression weighed her down 1 a de"ression for whi h she found it hard to a ount. She felt suddenly listless and uninterested,

disin lined for sightseeing, bored by her om"anions. She wished at this moment that she had ne$er ommitted herself to this !etra tour. +t was going to be $ery e%"ensi$e and she felt quite sure she wasn't going to en&oy it' 6ady .estholme's booming $oi e, 8iss !ier e's endless twitterings, and the anti1Dionist lamentation of the dragoman were already fraying her ner$es to a fra33le. She disliked almost as mu h Dr. 0erard's amused air of knowing e%a tly how she was feeling. She wondered where the -oyntons were now 1 "erha"s they had gone on to Syria 1 they might be at -aalbek or Damas us. 2aymond. She wondered what 2aymond was doing. Strange how learly she ould see his fa e, its eagerness, its diffiden e, its ner$ous tension... 7h' Hell, why go on thinking of "eo"le she would "robably ne$er see again? That s ene the other day with the old woman 1 what ould ha$e "ossessed her to mar h u" to the old lady and s"urt out a lot of nonsense. 7ther "eo"le must ha$e heard some of it. She fan ied that 6ady .estholme had been quite lose by. Sarah tried to remember e%a tly what it was she had said. Something that "robably sounded quite absurdly hysteri al. 0oodness, what a fool she had made of herself' -ut it wasn't her fault really 1 it was old 8rs. -oynton's. There was something about her that made you lose your sense of "ro"ortion. Dr. 0erard entered and "lum"ed down in a hair, wi"ing his hot

forehead. "!hew' That woman should be "oisoned'" he de lared. Sarah started. "8rs. -oynton?"

"8rs. -oynton' 4o, + meant that 6ady .estholme' +t is in redible to me that she has had a husband for many years and that he has not already done so. .hat an he be made of, that husband?" Sarah laughed. "7h, he's the 'huntin', fishin', shootin'' kind," she e%"lained. "!sy hologi ally that is $ery sound' He a""eases his lust to kill on the @so1 alledA lower reations." "+ belie$e he is $ery "roud of his wife's a ti$ities." The #ren hman suggested/ "-e ause they take her a good deal away from home? That is understandable." Then he went on. ".hat did you say &ust now? 8rs. -oynton? 5ndoubtedly it would be a $ery good idea to "oison her, too. 5ndeniably the sim"lest solution of that family "roblem' +n fa t, a great many women would be better "oisoned. (ll women who ha$e grown old and ugly." He made an e%"ressi$e fa e. Sarah ried out, laughing/ "7h, you #ren hmen' You'$e got no use for any woman who isn't young and attra ti$e." 0erard shrugged his shoulders. ".e are more honest about it, that is all. :nglishmen, they do not get u" in tubes and trains for ugly women 1 no, no." "How de"ressing life is," said Sarah with a sigh. "There is no need for you to sigh. 8ademoiselle." ".ell, + feel thoroughly disgruntled today." "4aturally."

".hat do you mean 1 naturally?" sna""ed Sarah. "You ould find the reason $ery easily if you e%amine your state of mind honestly." "+ think it's our fellow tra$elers who de"ress me," said Sarah. "+t's awful, isn't it, but + do hate women' .hen they're ineffi ient and idioti like 8iss !ier e, they infuriate me, and when they're effi ient like 6ady .estholme, they annoy me more still." "+t is, + should say, una$oidable that these two "eo"le should annoy you. 6ady .estholme is e%a tly fitted to the life she leads and is om"letely ha""y and su essful. 8iss !ier e has worked ome into a for years as a nursery go$erness and has suddenly tra$el. So far, tra$el has li$ed u" to her

small lega y whi h has enabled her to fulfill her lifelong wish and e%"e tations. )onsequently you, who ha$e &ust been thwarted in obtaining what you want, naturally resent the e%isten e of "eo"le who ha$e been more su essful in life than you are."

"+ su""ose you're right," said Sarah gloomily. ".hat a horribly a urate mind reader you are. + kee" trying to humbug myself and you won't let me." (t this moment the others returned. The guide seemed the most e%hausted of the three. He was quite subdued and hardly e%uded any information on the way to (mman. He did not e$en mention the *ews. #or whi h e$eryone was "rofoundly grateful. His $oluble and fren3ied a ount of their iniquities had done mu h to try e$eryone's tem"er on the &ourney from *erusalem.

4ow the road wound u"ward from the *ordan, twisting and turning with lum"s of oleanders showing rose1 olored flowers. They rea hed (mman late in the afternoon and after a short $isit to the 0rae o12oman theatre, went to bed early. They were to make an early start the ne%t morning as it was a full day's motor run a ross the desert to 8a'an. They left soon after eight o' lo k. The "arty was in lined to be silent. +t was a hot airless day and by noon when a halt was made for a "i ni lun h to be eaten, it was really, stiflingly hot. The losely with four other irritation on a hot day of being bo%ed u"

human beings had got a little on e$eryone's ner$es. 6ady .estholme and Dr. 0erard had a somewhat irritable argument o$er the 6eague of 4ations. 6ady .estholme was a fer$ent su""orter of the 6eague. The #ren hman, on the other hand, hose to be witty at the 6eague's e%"ense. #rom the on erning (byssinia and S"ain they attitude of the 6eague

"assed to the 6ithuania boundary dis"ute of whi h Sarah had ne$er heard and from there to the a ti$ities of the 6eague in su""ressing do"e gangs. "You must admit they ha$e done wonderful work. .onderful'" sna""ed 6ady .estholme. Dr. 0erard shrugged his shoulders. "!erha"s. (nd at wonderful e%"ense, too'" "The matter is a $ery serious one. 5nder the Dangerous Drugs ( t 1 " The argument waged on.

8iss !ier e twittered to Sarah/ "+t is really most interesting tra$eling with 6ady .estholme." Sarah said a idly/ "+s it?" but 8iss !ier e did not noti e the a erbity and twittered ha""ily on/ "+'$e so often seen her name in the "a"ers. So le$er of women to go into "ubli life and hold their own. +'m always so glad when a woman a ".hy?" demanded Sarah fero iously. 8iss !ier e's mouth fell o"en and she stammered a little. "7h, be ause 1 + mean 1 &ust be ause 1 well 1 it's so ni e that women are able to do things'" "+ don't agree," said Sarah. "+t's ni e when any human being is able to a om"lish something worthwhile' +t doesn't matter a bit whether it's a man or a woman. .hy should it?" ".ell, of ourse 1 " said 8iss !ier e. "Yes 1 + onfess 1 of ourse, om"lishes something'"

looking at it in that light 1 " -ut she looked slightly wistful. Sarah said more gently/ "+'m sorry, but + do hate this differentiation between the se%es. 'The modern girl has a thoroughly businesslike attitude to life'' That sort of thing. +t's not a bit true' Some girls are businesslike and some aren't. Some men are sentimental and muddle1headed, others are dire tly on erned." 8iss !ier e flushed a little at the word se% and adroitly the sub&e t. "7ne hanged lear1headed and logi al. There are &ust different ty"es of brains. Se% only matters where se% is

an't hel" wishing that there were a little

shade," she murmured. "-ut + do think all this em"tiness is so

wonderful, don't you?" Sarah nodded. Yes, she thought, the em"tiness was mar$elous... Healing... !ea eful... 4o human beings to agitate one with their tiresome inter1relationshi"s... 4o burning "ersonal "roblems' 4ow, at last, she felt, she was free of the -oyntons. #ree of that strange om"elling wish to interfere in the li$es of "eo"le whose orbit did not remotely tou h her own. She felt soothed and at "ea e. Here was loneliness, em"tiness, s"a iousness... +n fa t, "ea e... 7nly, of ourse, one wasn't alone to en&oy it. 6ady .estholme and Dr. 0erard had finished with drugs and were now arguing about guileless young women who were e%"orted in a sinister manner to (rgentinean abarets. Dr. 0erard had dis"layed throughout the on$ersation a le$ity whi h 6ady .estholme, who, being a true "oliti ian, had no sense of humor, found definitely de"lorable. ".e go on now, yes?" announ ed the tar1bushed dragoman and began to talk about the iniquities of *ews again. +t was about an hour off sunset when they rea hed 8a'an at last. Strange wild1fa ed men rowded around the ar. (fter a short halt they went on. 6ooking o$er the flat desert ountry Sarah was at a loss as to where the ro ky stronghold of !etra ould be. Surely they ould see for miles and miles all around them? There were no mountains, no hills anywhere. .ere they then still many miles from their &ourney's end? They rea hed the $illage of (m 8usa where the ars were to be left. Here horses were waiting for them 1 sorry looking thin beasts.

The inadequa y of her stri"ed wash fro k disturbed 8iss !ier e greatly. 6ady .estholme was sensibly attired in riding bree hes, not "erha"s a "arti ularly be oming style to her ty"e of figure, but ertainly "ra ti al. The horses were led out of the $illage along a sli""ery "ath with loose stones. The ground fell away and the horses 3ig3agged down. The sun was lose on setting. Sarah was $ery tired with the long hot &ourney in the ar. Her

senses felt da3ed. The ride was like a dream. +t seemed to her afterwards that it was like the "it of Hell o"ening at one's feet. The way wound down 1 down into the ground. The sha"es of ro k rose u" around them, down, down into the bowels of the earth, through a labyrinth of red liffs. They towered now on either side. Sarah felt stifled, mena ed by the e$er1narrowing gorge. She thought onfusedly to herself/ "Down into the $alley of death 1 down into the $alley of death..." 7n and on. +t grew dark, the $i$id red of the walls faded, and still on, winding in and out, im"risoned, lost in the bowels of the earth. She thought/ "+t's fantasti and unbelie$able... a dead ity." (nd again like a refrain ame the words/ "The $alley of death..." 6anterns were lit now. The horses wound along through the narrow ways. Suddenly they ame out into a wide s"a e 1 the liffs re eded. #ar ahead of them was a luster of lights. "That is am"'" said the guide.

The horses qui kened their "a e a little 1 not $ery mu h 1 they were too star$ed and dis"irited for that, but they showed &ust a shade of enthusiasm. 4ow the way ran along a gra$elly waterbed. The lights grew nearer. They ould see a luster of tents, a higher row u" against the fa e of a liff. )a$es, too, hollowed out in the ro k. They were arri$ing. -edouin ser$ants ame running out. Sarah stared u" at one of the a$es. +t held a sitting figure. .hat was it? (n idol? ( giganti squatting image? 4o, that was the fli kering lights that made it loom so large. -ut it must be an idol of some kind, sitting there immo$able, brooding o$er the "la e... (nd then, suddenly, her heart ga$e a lea" of re ognition. 0one was the feeling of "ea e 1 of es a"e 1 that the desert had gi$en her. She had been led from freedom ba k into a"ti$ity. She had ridden down into this dark winding $alley and here, like an ar h "riestess of some forgotten female -uddha, sat 8rs. -oynton... ult, like a monstrous swollen

11 8rs. -oynton was here, at !etra' Sarah answered me hani ally questions that were addressed to her. .ould she ha$e dinner straight away 1 it was ready 1 or would she like to wash first? .ould she "refer to slee" in a tent or a a$e?

Her answer to that thought of a

ame qui kly. ( tent. She flin hed at the

a$e= the $ision of that monstrous squatting figure

re urred to her. @.hy was it that something about the woman seemed hardly human?A #inally she followed one of the nati$e ser$ants. He wore khaki bree hes mu h "at hed and untidy "uttees and a ragged oat $ery mu h the worse for wear. 7n his head the nati$e headdress, the heffiyah, its long folds "rote ting the ne k and se ured in "la e with a bla k silk twist fitting tightly to the rown of his head. Sarah admired the easy swing with ostume seemed tawdry and wrong. She i$ili3ation whi h he walked, the areless "roud arriage of his head. 7nly the :uro"ean "art of his thought/ ")i$ili3ation's all wrong 1 all wrong' -ut for ha$e killed and eaten her years ago'" She reali3ed, half humorously, that she was o$ertired and on edge. ( wash in hot water and a dusting of "owder o$er her fa e and she felt herself again 1 re ent "ani . She "assed a omb through her thi k bla k hair, squinting ool, "oised, and ashamed of her

there wouldn't be a 8rs. -oynton' +n sa$age tribes they'd "robably

sideways at her refle tion in the wa$ering light of a small oil lam" in a $ery inadequate glass. Then she "ushed aside the tent fla" and ame out into the night "re"ared to des end to the big marquee below. "You 1 here?" +t was a low ry 1 da3ed, in redulous. She turned to look straight

into 2aymond -oynton's eyes. So ama3ed they were' (nd something in them held her silent and almost afraid. Su h an unbelie$able &oy... +t was as though he had seen a $ision of !aradise 1 wondering, da3ed, thankful, humble' 4e$er, in all her life, was Sarah to forget that look. So might the damned look u" and see !aradise... He said again/ "You..." +t did something to her 1 that low $ibrant tone. +t made her heart turn o$er in her breast. +t made her feel shy, afraid, humble and yet suddenly arrogantly glad. She said quite sim"ly/ "Yes." He ame nearer 1 still da3ed 1 still only half belie$ing. Then

suddenly he took her hand. "+t is you," he said. "You're real. + thought at first you were a ghost 1 be ause +'d been thinking about you so mu h." He "aused and then said/ "+ lo$e you, you know... + ha$e from the moment + saw you in the train. + know that now. (nd + want you to know it so that 1 so that you'll know it isn't me 1 the real me 1 who 1 who beha$es so addishly. You see, + an't answer for myself e$en now. + might do 1 anything' + might "ass you by or ut you 1 but + do want you to know that it isn't me 1 the real me 1 who is res"onsible for that. +t's my ner$es. + an't de"end on them... .hen she tells me to do things 1 + do them' 8y ner$es make me' You will understand, won't you? Des"ise me if you ha$e to 1 " She interru"ted him. Her $oi e was low and une%"e tedly sweet.

"+ won't des"ise you." "(ll the same, +'m "retty des"i able' + ought to 1 to be able to beha$e like a man." +t was "artly an e ho of 0erard's ad$i e, but more out of her own knowledge and ho"e that Sarah answered 1 and behind the sweetness of her $oi e there was a ring of ertainty and ons ious authority. "You will now." "Shall +?" His $oi e was wistful. "!erha"s..." "You'll ha$e ourage now. +'m sure of it." He drew himself u" 1 flung ba k his head. ")ourage? Yes 1 that's all that's needed. )ourage'" Suddenly he bent his head, tou hed her hand with his li"s. ( minute later he had left her.

12 Sarah went down to the big marquee. She found her three fellow tra$elers there. They were sitting at table eating. The guide was e%"laining that there was another "arty here. "They ome two days ago. 0o day after tomorrow. (meri ans. The mother $ery fat, $ery diffi ult get here' )arried in hair by bearers 1 they say $ery hard work 1 they get $ery hot 1 yes." Sarah ga$e a sudden s"urt of laughter. 7f ourse, take it "ro"erly, the whole thing was funny' The fat dragoman looked at her gratefully. He was not finding his task too easy. 6ady .estholme

had

ontradi ted him out of -aedeker three times that day and

had now found fault with the ty"e of bed "ro$ided. He was grateful to the one member of his "arty who seemed to be una ountably in a good tem"er.

"Ha'" said 6ady .estholme. "+ think these "eo"le were at the Solomon. + re ogni3ed the old mother as we arri$ed here. + think + saw you talking to her at the hotel. 8iss 9ing." Sarah blushed guiltily, ho"ing 6ady .estholme had not o$erheard mu h of that on$ersation. "2eally, what "ossessed me'" she thought to herself in an agony. +n the meantime 6ady .estholme had made a "ronoun ement. "4ot interesting "eo"le at all. ,ery "ro$in ial," she said. 8iss !ier e made eager sy o"hantish noises and 6ady .estholme embarked on a history of $arious interesting and "rominent (meri ans whom she had met re ently. The weather being so unusually hot for the time of year, an early start was arranged for the morrow. The four assembled for breakfast at si% o' lo k. There were no signs of any of the -oynton family. (fter 6ady .estholme had ommented unfa$orably on the absen e of fruit, they flanked by e%tremely salty ba on. Then they started forth. 6ady .estholme and Dr. 0erard dis ussing with animation on the "art of the former the e%a t $alue of $itamins in diet and the "ro"er nutrition of the working onsumed tea, tinned milk and fried eggs in a generous allowan e of fat,

lasses. Then there was a sudden hail from the am" and they halted to allow another "erson to &oin the "arty. +t was 8r. *efferson )o"e who hurried after them, his "leasant fa e flushed with the e%ertion of running. ".hy, if you don't mind, +'d like to &oin your "arty this morning. 0ood morning, 8iss 9ing. Cuite a sur"rise meeting you and Dr. 0erard here. .hat do you think of it?" He made a gesture indi ating the fantasti red ro ks that stret hed in e$ery dire tion. "+ think it's rather wonderful and &ust a little horrible," said Sarah. "+ always thought of it as romanti and dreamlike 1 the 'rose red ity.' -ut it's mu h more real than that 1 it's as real as 1 as raw beef." "(nd $ery mu h the olor of it," agreed 8r. )o"e. "-ut it's mar$elous, too," admitted Sarah. The "arty began to limb. Two -edouin guides a Tall men, with an easy arriage, they un on ernedly in their hobnailed boots, om"anied them. swung u"ward

om"letely foot1sure on

the sli""ery slo"e. Diffi ulties soon began. Sarah had a good head for heights and so had Dr. 0erard. -ut both 8r. )o"e and 6ady .estholme were far from ha""y, and the unfortunate 8iss !ier e had to be almost arried o$er the "re i"itous "la es, her eyes easelessly in a ould look down "la es. 4e$er 1 from a shut, her fa e green, while her $oi e rose "er"etual wail/ "+ ne$er hild'"

7n e she de lared her intention of going ba k, but on turning to fa e the des ent, her skin assumed an e$en greener tinge, and she relu tantly de ided that to go on was the only thing to be done. Dr. 0erard was kind and reassuring. He went u" behind her, holding his sti k between her and the sheer dro" like a balustrade, and she onfessed that the illusion of a rail did mu h to onquer the feeling of $ertigo. Sarah, "anting a little, asked the dragoman, 8ahmoud, who in s"ite of his am"le "ro"ortions showed no signs of distress/ "Don't you e$er ha$e trouble getting "eo"le u" here? :lderly ones, + mean." "(lways 1 always we ha$e trouble," agreed 8ahmoud serenely. "Do you always try and take them?" 8ahmoud shrugged his thi k shoulders. "They like to ome. They ha$e "aid money to see these things. They wish to see them. The -edouin guides are $ery manage." They arri$ed at last at the summit. Sarah drew a dee" breath. (ll around and below stret hed the blood1red ro ks 1 a strange and unbelie$able ountry un"aralleled anywhere. Here in the e%quisite "ure morning air, they stood like gods, sur$eying a baser world 1 a world of flaring $iolen e. Here was, as the guide told them, the "!la e of Sa rifi e" 1 the "High !la e." le$er 1 $ery surefooted 1 always they

He showed them the trough ut in the flat ro k at their feet. Sarah strayed away from the rest, from the glib "hrases that flowed so readily from the dragoman's tongue. She sat on a ro k, "ushed her hands through her thi k bla k hair, and ga3ed down on the world at her feet. !resently she was aware of someone standing by her side. Dr. 0erard's $oi e said/ "You a""re iate the a""ositeness of the de$il's tem"tation in the 4ew Testament. Satan took 7ur 6ord u" to the summit of a mountain and showed him the world. '(ll these things will + gi$e thee, if thou wilt fall down and worshi" me.' How mu h greater the tem"tation u" on high to be a 0od of 8aterial !ower." Sarah assented, but her thoughts were so learly elsewhere that 0erard obser$ed her in some sur"rise. "You are "ondering something $ery dee"ly," he said. "Yes, + am." She turned a "er"le%ed fa e to him. "+t's a wonderful idea 1 to ha$e a "la e of sa rifi e u" here. + think, sometimes, don't you, that a sa rifi e is ne essary... + mean, one an ha$e too mu h regard for life. Death isn't really so im"ortant as we make out." "+f you feel that, 8iss 9ing, you should not ha$e ado"ted our "rofession. To us, death is 1 and must always be 1 the :nemy." Sarah shi$ered. "Yes, + su""ose you're right. (nd yet, so often, death might sol$e a "roblem. +t might e$en mean fuller life..." "'+t is e%"edient for us that one man should die for the "eo"le''"

quoted 0erard gra$ely. Sarah turned a startled fa e on him. "+ didn't mean 1 " She broke off. *efferson )o"e was a""roa hing them. "4ow this is really a most remarkable s"ot," he de lared. "8ost remarkable, and +'m only too "leased not to ha$e missed it. + don't mind onfessing remarkable that though + 8rs. greatly -oynton admire is her ertainly "lu k a in most being woman.

determined to

ome here. +t does

ertainly

om"li ate matters

tra$eling with her. Her health is "oor, and + su""ose it naturally makes Eher a little in onsiderate of other "eo"le's feelings, but it does not seem to o o ur to her that her family might like asionally to go on e% ursions without her. She's &ust so used to

them lustering round her that + su""ose she doesn't think 1 " 8r. )o"e broke off. His ni e kindly fa e looked a little disturbed and un omfortable, "You know," he said, "+ heard a "ie e of information about 8rs. -oynton that disturbed me greatly." Sarah was lost in her own thoughts again. 8r. )o"e's $oi e &ust flowed "leasantly in her ears like the agreeable murmur of a remote stream, but Dr. 0erard said/ "+ndeed? .hat was it?" "8y informant was a lady + ame a ross in the hotel at Tiberias. +t on erned a ser$ant girl who had been in 8rs. -oynton's em"loy. This girl, + gather, was 1 had 1 " 8r. )o"e "aused, glan ed deli ately at Sarah and lowered his $oi e. "She was going to ha$e a hild. The old lady, it seemed, dis o$ered this but was a""arently quite kind to the girl. Then a few weeks before the

hild was born she turned her out of the house." Dr. 0erard's eyebrows went u". "(h," he said refle ti$ely. "8y informant seemed $ery "ositi$e of her fa ts. + don't know whether you agree with me, but that seems to me a $ery and heartless thing to do. + annot understand 1 " Dr. 0erard interru"ted him. "You should try to. That in ident, + ha$e no doubt, ga$e 8rs. -oynton a good deal of quiet en&oyment." 8r. )o"e turned a sho ked fa e on him. "4o, sir," he said with em"hasis. "That + in on ei$able." Softly Dr. 0erard quoted/ "'So + returned and did onsider all the o""ressions done beneath the sun. (nd there was wee"ing and whining from those that were o""ressed and had no omfort= for with their o""ressors there was "ower, so that no one ame to omfort them. Then + did "raise the dead whi h are already dead, yea, more than the li$ing whi h linger still in life= yea, he that is not is better than dead or li$ing= for he doth not know of the e$il that is wrought fore$er on earth...'" He broke off and said/ "8y dear sir, + ha$e made a life's study of the strange things that go on in the human mind. +t is no good turning one's fa e only to the fairer side of life. -elow the de en ies and su h a thing, for instan e, as delight in on$entions of e$eryday life, there lies a $ast reser$oir of strange things. There is ruelty for its own sake. -ut when you ha$e found that, there is something dee"er still. annot belie$e. Su h an idea is quite ruel

The desire, "rofound and "itiful, to be a""re iated. +f that is thwarted, if through an un"leasing "ersonality a human being is unable to get the res"onse it needs, it turns to other methods 1 it must be felt 1 it must ount 1 and so to innumerable strange ruelty, like any other habit, an be "er$ersions. The habit of

ulti$ated, an take hold of one 1 " 8r. )o"e oughed. "+ think, Dr. 0erard, that you are slightly

e%aggerating. 2eally, the air u" here is too wonderful..." He edged away. 0erard smiled a little. He looked again at Sarah. She was frowning 1 her fa e was set in a youthful sternness. She looked, he thought, like a young &udge deli$ering senten e... He turned as 8iss !ier e tri""ed unsteadily towards him. ".e are going down now," she fluttered. "7h, dear' + am sure + shall ne$er manage it, but the guide says the way down is quite a different route and mu h easier. + do ho"e so, be ause from a hild + ne$er ha$e been able to look down from heights..." The des ent was down the ourse of a waterfall. (lthough there

were loose stones whi h were a "ossible sour e of danger to ankles, it "resented no di33y $istas. The "arty arri$ed ba k at the am" weary but in good s"irits and with an e% ellent a""etite for a late lun h. +t was "ast two o' lo k. The -oynton family was sitting around the big table in the marquee. They were &ust finishing their meal. 6ady .estholme addressed a gra ious senten e to them in her most ondes ending manner. "2eally a most interesting morning,"

she said. "!etra is a wonderful s"ot." )arol, to whom the words seemed addressed, shot a qui k look at her mother, and murmured/ "7h, yes 1 yes, it is," and rela"sed into silen e. 6ady .estholme, feeling she had done her duty, addressed herself to her food. (s they ate, the four dis ussed "lans for the afternoon. "+ think + shall rest most of the afternoon," said 8iss !ier e. "+t is im"ortant, + think, not to do too mu h." "+ shall go for a walk and e%"lore," said Sarah. ".hat about you Dr. 0erard?" "+ will go with you." 8rs. -oynton dro""ed a s"oon with a ringing latter and e$eryone &um"ed. "+ think," said 6ady .estholme, "that + shall follow your e%am"le 8iss !ier e. !erha"s half an hour with a book, then + shall lie down and take an hour's rest at least. (fter that, "erha"s, a short stroll." Slowly, with the hel" of 6enno%, old 8rs. -oynton struggled to her feet. She stood for a moment and then s"oke. "You'd better all go for a walk this afternoon," she said with une%"e ted amiability. +t was, "erha"s, slightly ludi rous to see the startled fa es of her family. "-ut, 8other, what about you?" "+ don't need any of you. + like sitting alone with my book. *inny

had better not go. She'll lie down and ha$e a slee"." "8other, +'m not tired. + want to go with the others." "You are tired. You'$e got a heada he' You must be areful of

yourself. 0o and lie down and slee". + know what's best for you." Her head thrown ba k, the girl stared rebelliously. Then her eyes dro""ed 1 faltered... "Silly hild," said 8rs. -oynton. "0o to your tent." She stum"ed out of the marquee 1 the others followed. "Dear me," said 8iss !ier e. ".hat $ery "e uliar "eo"le. Su h a $ery odd olor, the mother. Cuite "ur"le. Heart, + should imagine. This heat must be $ery trying for her." Sarah thought/ "She's letting them go free this afternoon. She knows 2aymond wants to be with me. .hy? +s it a tra"?" (fter lun h, when she had gone to her tent and had hanged into a fresh linen dress, the thought still worried her. Sin e last night, her feeling towards 2aymond had swelled into a "assion of "rote ti$e tenderness. This, then, was lo$e, this agony on another's behalf, this desire to a$ert, at all osts, "ain from the belo$ed... Yes, she lo$ed 2aymond -oynton. +t was St. 0eorge and the Dragon re$ersed. +t was she who was the res uer and 2aymond who was the hained $i tim. (nd 8rs. -oynton was the Dragon. ( dragon whose sudden amiability was, to Sarah's sus"i ious mind, definitely sinister. +t was about a quarter "ast three when Sarah strolled down to the

marquee. 6ady .estholrne was sitting on a hair. Des"ite the heat of the

day she was still wearing her ser$i eable Harris tweed skirt. 7n her la" was the re"ort of a 2oyal )ommission. Dr. 0erard was talking to 8iss !ier e who was standing by her tent holding a book entitled The 6o$e Cuest and des ribed on its wra""er as a thrilling tale of "assion and misunderstanding. "+ don't think it's wise to lie down too soon after lun h," e%"lained 8iss !ier e. "7ne's digestion, you know. Cuite ool and "leasant in the shadow of the marquee. 7h, dear, do you think that old lady is wise to sit in the sun u" there?" They all looked at the ridge in front of them. 8rs. -oynton was sitting as she had sat last night, a motionless -uddha in the door of her a$e. There was no other human reature in sight. (ll the am" "ersonnel were aslee". ( short distan e away, following the line of the $alley, a little grou" of "eo"le walked together. "#or on e," said Dr. 0erard, "the good 8amma "ermits them to en&oy themsel$es without her. ( new de$ilment on her "art, "erha"s?" "Do you know," said Sarah, "that's &ust what + thought." ".hat sus"i ious minds we ha$e. )ome, let us &oin the truants." 6ea$ing 8iss !ier e to her e% iting reading, they set off. 7n e around the bend of the $alley, they aught u" the other "arty who were walking slowly. #or on e, the -oyntons looked ha""y and arefree.

6enno% and 4adine, )arol and 2aymond, 8r. )o"e with a broad smile on his fa e and the last arri$als, 0erard and Sarah, were soon all laughing and talking together. ( sudden wild hilarity was born. +n e$eryone's mind was the feeling that this was a snat hed "leasure 1 a stolen treat to en&oy to the full. Sarah and 2aymond did not draw a"art. +nstead, Sarah walked with )arol and 6enno%. Dr. 0erard a"art. +t was the #ren hman who broke u" the "arty. His words had been oming s"asmodi ally for some time. Suddenly he sto""ed. "( thousand e% uses. + fear + must go ba k." Sarah looked at him. "(nything the matter?" He nodded. "Yes, fe$er. +t's been oming on e$er sin e lun h." Sarah s rutini3ed him. "8alaria?" "Yes. +'ll go ba k and take quinine. Ho"e this won't be a bad atta k. +t is a lega y from a $isit to the )ongo." "Shall + ome with you?" asked Sarah. "4o, no. + ha$e my ase of drugs with me. ( onfounded nuisan e. 0o on, all of you." He walked qui kly ba k in the dire tion of the am". Sarah looked unde idedly after him for a minute, then she met 2aymond's eyes, smiled at him, and the #ren hman was forgotten. #or a time the si% of them, )arol, herself, 6enno%, )o"e, 4adine hatted to 2aymond lose behind them. 4adine and *efferson )o"e walked a little

and 2aymond, ke"t together. Then, somehow or other, she and 2aymond had drifted a"art. They walked on, limbing u" ro ks, turning ledges and rested at last in a shady s"ot. There was a silen e. Then 2aymond said/ ".hat's your name? +t's 9ing, + know. -ut your other name." "Sarah." "Sarah. 8ay + all you that?" "7f ourse." "Sarah, will you tell me something about yourself?" 6eaning ba k against the ro ks she talked, telling him of her life at home in Yorkshire, of her dogs and the aunt who had brought her u". Then, in his turn, 2aymond told her a little, dis&ointedly, of his own life. (fter that, there was a long silen e. Their hands strayed together. They sat, like hildren, hand in hand, strangely ontent. Then, as the sun grew lower, 2aymond stirred. "+'m going ba k now," he said. "4o, not with you. + want to go ba k by myself. There's something + ha$e to say and do. 7n e that's done, on e +'$e "ro$ed to myself that +'m not a oward 1 then 1 then 1 + shan't be ashamed to ome to you and ask you to hel" me. + shall need hel", you know. + shall "robably ha$e to borrow money from you." Sarah smiled. "+'m glad you're a realist. You an ount on me." "-ut first +'$e got to do this alone." "Do what?"

The young boyish fa e grew suddenly stern. 2aymond -oynton said/ "+'$e got to "ro$e my ourage. +t's now or ne$er." Then, abru"tly, he turned and strode away. Sarah leaned ba k against the ro k and wat hed his re eding figure. Something in his words had $aguely alarmed her. He had seemed so intense 1 so terribly in earnest and strung u". #or a moment she wished she had gone with him... -ut she rebuked herself sternly for that wish. 2aymond had desired to stand alone, to test his newfound ourage. That was his right. -ut she "rayed with all her heart that that fail... The sun was setting when Sarah ame on e more in sight of the am". (s she ame nearer in the dim light, she ould make out the grim figure of 8rs. -oynton still sitting in the mouth of the a$e. Sarah shi$ered a little at the sight of that grim motionless figure... She hurried "ast on the "ath below and marquee. 6ady .estholme was sitting knitting a na$y blue &um"er, a skein of wool hung around her ne k. 8iss !ier e was embroidering a table mat with anemi blue forget1me1nots, and being instru ted on the "ro"er reform of the Di$or e 6aws. The ser$ants ame in and out "re"aring for the e$ening meal. The -oyntons were at the far end of the marquee in de k reading. 8ahmoud a""eared, fat and dignified, and hairs was ame into the lighted ourage would not

"lainti$ely re"roa hful. ,ery ni e after tea ramble had been arranged to take "la e but e$eryone absent from 4abatean ar hite ture. Sarah said hastily that they had all en&oyed themsel$es $ery mu h. She went off to her tent to wash for su""er. 7n the way ba k she "aused by Dr. 0erard's tent, alling in a low $oi e/ "Dr. 0erard'" There was no answer. She lifted the fla" and looked in. The do tor was lying motionless on his bed. Sarah withdrew noiselessly, ho"ing he was aslee". ( ser$ant ame to her and "ointed to the marquee. :$idently su""er was ready. She strolled down again. :$eryone was assembled there around the table with the e% e"tion of Dr. 0erard and 8rs. -oynton. ( ser$ant was dis"at hed to tell the old lady dinner was ready. Then there was a sudden ommotion outside. Two frightened ser$ants ame in and s"oke e% itedly to the dragoman in (rabi . 8ahmoud looked around him in a flustered manner and went outside. 7n an im"ulse Sarah &oined him. ".hat's the matter?" she asked. 8ahmoud re"lied/ "The old lady. (bdul says she is ill 1 mo$e." "+'ll ome and see." Sarah qui kened her ste". #ollowing 8ahmoud, she limbed the annot am"... The "rogramme was now entirely thrown out. ,ery instru ti$e $isit to

ro ks and walked along until she

ame to the squat lounging

hair, tou hed the "uffy hand, felt for the "ulse, bent o$er her... .hen she straightened herself she was "aler. She re1trod her ste"s ba k to the marquee. +n the doorway she "aused a minute, looking at the grou" at the far end of the table. Her $oi e when she s"oke sounded to herself brusque and unnatural. "+'m so sorry," she said. She for ed herself to address the head of the family, 6enno%. "Your mother is dead, 8r. -oynton." (nd uriously, as though from a great distan e, she wat hed the fa es of fi$e "eo"le to whom that announ ement meant freedom...

Book Two 1 )olonel )arbury smiled a ross the table at his guest and lifted his glass. ".ell, to rime'" Her ule !oirot's eyes twinkled in a knowledgment of the toast. He had ome to (mman with a letter of introdu tion to )olonel

)arbury from )olonel 2a e. )arbury seemed interested to see this world1famous in$estigator "erson Fa few unreadable "ages hereG Yet in Trans&ordania he was a "ower. "There s *erash," he said. ")are about that sort of thing?"

"+ am interested in e$erything'" "Yes" said )arbury. "That's the only way to rea t to life." "Tell me, d'you e$er find your own s"e ial &ob has a way of following you around?" "!ardon?" ".ell 1 to "ut it "lainly 1 do you ome to "la es e%"e ting a

holiday from rime 1 and find instead bodies ro""ing u"?" "+t has ha""ened, yes 1 more than on e." "Hm," said )olonel )arbury, and looked "arti ularly abstra ted. Then he roused himself with a &erk. "0ot a body now +'m not $ery ha""y about," he said. "+ndeed?" "Yes. Here in (mman. 7ld (meri an woman. .ent to !etra with her family. Trying &ourney, unusual heat for time of year, old woman suffered from heart trouble, diffi ulties of the &ourney a bit harder for her than she imagined, e%tra strain on heart 1 she "o""ed off'" "Here 1 in (mman?" "4o, down at !etra. They brought the body here today." "(h'" "(ll quite natural. !erfe tly "ossible. 6ikeliest thing in the world to ha""en. 7nly 1 " "Yes? 7nly 1 ?"

)olonel )arbury s rat hed his bald head. "+'$e got the idea," he said, "that her family did her in'" "(ha' (nd what makes you think that?" )olonel )arbury did not re"ly to that question dire tly.

"5n"leasant old woman, it seems. 4o loss. 0eneral feeling all around that her "o""ing off was a good thing. (nyway, $ery diffi ult to "ro$e anything so long as the family sti k together and if ne essary lie like hell. 7ne doesn't want om"li ations 1 or international un"leasantness. :asiest thing to do 1 let it go' 4othing really to look u"on. 9new a do tor ha" on e. He told me 1 often had sus"i ions in ases of his "atients 1 hurried into the ne%t world a little ahead of time' He said 1 best thing to do kee" quiet unless you really had something damned good to go u"on' 7therwise beastly stink, ase not "ro$ed, bla k mark against an earnest hard1working 0.!.. Something in that. (ll the same 1 " He s rat hed his head again. "+'m a tidy man," he said une%"e tedly. )olonel )arbury's tie was under his left ear, his so ks were wrinkled, his oat was stained and torn. Yet Her ule !oirot did not smile. He saw, im"ressions. "Yes. +'m a tidy man," said )arbury. He wa$ed a $ague hand. "Don't like a mess. .hen + ome a ross a mess + want to lear it u". See?" Her ule !oirot nodded gra$ely. He saw. "There was no do tor down learly enough, the inner neatness of )olonel arefully sorted )arbury's mind, his neatly do keted fa ts, his

there?" he asked. "Yes, two. 7ne of 'em was down with malaria, though. The other's a girl 1 &ust out of the medi al student stage. Still, she knows her &ob, + su""ose. There wasn't anything odd about the death. 7ld woman had got a di ky heart. She'd been taking heart medi ine for some time. 4othing really sur"rising about her suddenly like she did." "Then what, my friend, is worrying you?" asked !oirot gently. )olonel )arbury turned a harassed blue eye on him. "Heard of a #ren hman alled 0erard? Theodore 0erard?" ")ertainly. ( $ery distinguished man in his own line." "6oony bins," onfirmed )olonel )arbury. "!assion for a onking out

harwoman at the age of four makes you insist you're the (r hbisho" of )anterbury when you're thirty1eight. )an't see why and ne$er ha$e, but these ha"s e%"lain it $ery on$in ingly." "Dr. 0erard is ertainly an authority on ertain forms of dee"1

seated neurosis," agreed !oirot with a smile. "+s 1 er 1 are 1 er 1 his $iews on the ha""ening at !etra based on that line of argument?" )olonel )arbury shook his head $igorously. "4o, no. Shouldn't ha$e worried about them if they had been' 4ot, mind you, that + don't belie$e it's all true. +t's &ust one of those things + don't understand 1 like one of my -edouin fellows who an get out of a ar in the middle of a flat desert, feel the ground with his hand and tell you to within a mile or two where you are. +t isn't magi , but it looks like it. 4o, Dr. 0erard's story is quite straightforward.

*ust "lain fa ts. + think, if you're interested 1 you are interested?" "Yes, yes." "0ood man. Then + think +'ll &ust "hone o$er and get 0erard along here and you an hear his story for yourself." .hen the )olonel had dis"at hed an orderly on this quest, !oirot said/ "7f what does this family onsist?" "4ame's -oynton. There are two sons, one of 'em married. His wife's a ni e1looking girl 1 the quiet sensible kind. (nd there are two daughters. -oth of 'em quite good1looking in totally different styles. Younger one a bit ner$y 1 but that may be &ust sho k." "-oynton," said !oirot. His eyebrows rose. "That is urious 1 $ery urious." )arbury o ked an inquiring eye at him. -ut as !oirot said nothing more, he himself went on/ "Seems "retty ob$ious mother was a "est' Had to be waited on hand and foot and ke"t the whole lot of them dan ing attendan e. (nd she held the "urse strings. 4one of them had a "enny of their own." "(ha' (ll $ery interesting. +s it known how she left her money?" "+ did &ust sli" that question in 1 asual like, you know. +t gets

di$ided equally among the lot of them." !oirot nodded his head. Then he asked/ "You are of o"inion that they are all in it?" "Don't know. That's where the diffi ulty's going to lie. .hether it was a on erted effort, or whether it was one bright member's

idea. + don't know. 8aybe the whole thing's a mare's nest' .hat it omes to is this/ +'d like to ha$e your "rofessional o"inion. (h, here omes 0erard."

2 The #ren hman glan e at !oirot. )arbury said/ "This is 8. Her ule !oirot. Staying with me. -een talking to him about this business down at !etra." "(h, yes?" 0erard's qui k eyes looked !oirot u" and down. "You are interested?" Her ule !oirot threw u" his hands. "(las' 7ne is always in urably interested in one's own sub&e t." "True," said 0erard. "Ha$e a drink?" said )arbury. He "oured out a whisky and soda and "la ed it by 0erard's elbow. He held u" the de anter inquiringly but !oirot shook his head. )olonel )arbury set it down again and drew his nearer. ".ell," he said. ".here are we?" "+ gather," said !oirot to 0erard, "that )olonel )arbury is not satisfied." 0erard made an e%"ressi$e gesture. "(nd that," he said, "is my fault' (nd + may be wrong. 2emember that, )olonel )arbury= + hair a little ame in with a qui k yet unhurried tread. (s he

shook hands with )olonel )arbury, he shot a keen interested

may be entirely wrong." )arbury ga$e a grunt. "0i$e !oirot the fa ts," he said. Dr. 0erard began with a brief re a"itulation of the e$ents "re eding the &ourney to !etra. He ga$e a short sket h of the $arious members of the -oynton family and des ribed the ondition of emotional strain under whi h they were laboring. !oirot listened with interest. Then 0erard "ro eeded to the a tual e$ents of their first day at !etra, des ribing how he had returned to the am". "+ was in for a bad bout of malaria 1 erebral ty"e," he e%"lained. "#or that + "ro"osed to treat myself by an intra$enous in&e tion of quinine. That is the usual method." !oirot nodded his om"rehension. "The fe$er was on me badly. + fairly staggered into my tent. + ould not at first find my ase of drugs, someone had mo$ed it from syringe, + hunted for it for some where + had originally "la ed it. Then, when + had found that + ould not find my hy"odermi time, then ga$e it u" and took a large dose of quinine by the mouth and flung myself on my bed." 0erard "aused, then went on/ "8rs. -oynton's death was not dis o$ered until after sunset. 7wing to the way in whi h she was sitting and the su""ort the o hair ga$e to her body no hange urred in her "osition and it was not until one of the boys went

to summon her to dinner at si%1thirty that it was noti ed that anything was wrong."

He e%"lained in full detail the "osition of the a$e and its distan e away from the big marquee. "8iss 9ing, who is a qualified do tor, e%amined the body. She did not disturb me, knowing that + had fe$er. There was, indeed, nothing that ould be done. 8rs. -oynton was dead 1 and had been dead for some little time." !oirot murmured/ "How long e%a tly?" 0erard said slowly/ "+ do not think that 8iss 9ing "aid mu h attention to that "oint. She did not, + "resume, think it of any im"ortan e." "7ne an say, at least, when she was last definitely known to be ali$e?" said !oirot. )olonel )arbury leared his throat and referred to an offi ial1

looking do ument. "8rs. -oynton was s"oken to by 6ady .estholme and 8iss !ier e shortly after four !.8.. 6enno% -oynton s"oke to his mother about four1thirty. 8rs. 6enno% -oynton had a long on$ersation with her about fi$e minutes later. )arol -oynton had a word with her mother at a time she is unable to state "re isely 1 but whi h, from the e$iden e of others, would seem to ha$e been about ten minutes "ast fi$e." "*efferson )o"e, an (meri an friend of the family, returning to the am" with 6ady .estholme and 8iss !ier e, saw her aslee". He did not s"eak to her. That was about twenty to si%. 2aymond -oynton, the younger son, seems to ha$e been the last "erson to see her ali$e. 7n his return from a walk he went and s"oke to her at about ten minutes to si%. The dis o$ery of the body was made

at si%1thirty when a ser$ant went to tell her dinner was ready." "-etween the time that 8r. 2aymond -oynton s"oke to her and half1"ast si% did no one go near her?" asked !oirot. "+ understand not." "-ut someone might ha$e done so?" !oirot "ersisted. "Don't think so. #rom lose on si% and u" to si%1thirty ser$ants

were mo$ing about the am", "eo"le were going to and from their tents. 4o one an be found who saw anyone a""roa hing the old lady." "Then 2aymond -oynton was definitely the last "erson to see his mother ali$e?" said !oirot. Dr. 0erard and )olonel )arbury inter hanged a qui k glan e. )olonel )arbury drummed on the table with his fingers. "This is where we begin to get into dee" waters," he said. "0o on, 0erard. This is your "igeon." Dr. 0erard said/ "(s + mentioned &ust now, Sarah 9ing, when she e%amined 8rs. -oynton, saw no reason for determining the e%a t time of death. She merely said that 8rs. -oynton had been dead 'some little time'= but when, on the following day for reasons of my own, + endea$ored to narrow things down and ha""ened to mention that 8rs. -oynton was last seen ali$e by her son, 2aymond, at a little before si%, 8iss 9ing, to my great sur"rise, said "oint blank that that was im"ossible, that at that time 8rs. -oynton must already ha$e been dead."

!oirot's eyebrows rose. "7dd. :%tremely odd. (nd what does 8. 2aymond -oynton say to that?" )olonel )arbury said abru"tly/ "He swears that his mother was ali$e. He went u" to her and said/ '+'m ba k. Ho"e you ha$e had a ni e afternoon?' Something of that kind. He says she &ust grunted 'Cuite all right,' and he went on to his tent." !oirot frowned "er"le%edly. ")urious," he said. ":%tremely urious. Tell me 1 it was growing dusk by then?" "The sun was &ust setting." ")urious," said !oirot again. "(nd you, Dr. 0erard, when did you see the body?" "4ot until the following day. (t nine (.8., to be "re ise." "(nd your estimate of the time death had o urred?"

The #ren hman shrugged his shoulders. "+t is diffi ult to be e%a t after that length of time. There must ne essarily be a margin of se$eral hours. .ere + gi$ing e$iden e on oath + ould only say that she had been dead ertainly twel$e hours and not longer than eighteen. You see, that does not hel" at all'" "0o on, 0erard," said )olonel )arbury. "0i$e him the rest of it." "7n getting u" in the morning," said Dr. 0erard, "+ found my hy"odermi syringe 1 it was behind a ase of bottles on my dressing table." He leaned forward. "You may say, if you like, that + had o$erlooked it the day before. + was in a miserable state of fe$er and wret hedness, shaking from head to foot, and how often

does one look for a thing that is there all the time and yet be unable to find it' + an only say that + am quite "ositi$e the syringe was not there then." "There's something more still," said )arbur$. "Yes, two fa ts for what they are worth and they mean a great deal. There was a mark on the dead woman's wrist 1 a mark su h as would be aused by the insertion of a hy"odermi syringe. Her daughter e%"lains it as ha$ing been aused by the "ri k of a "in 1 " !oirot stirred. ".hi h daughter?" "Her daughter, )arol." "Yes, ontinue, + "ray you." "(nd there is the last fa t. Ha""ening to e%amine my little ase of drugs + noti ed that my sto k of digito%in was $ery mu h diminished." "Digito%in," said !oirot, "is a heart "oison, is it not?" "Yes. +t is obtained from digitalis "ur"urea 1 the ommon fo%glo$e. There are four a ti$e "rin i"les 1 digitalin 1 digitonin 1 digitalein 1 and digito%in. 7f these, digito%in is "oisonous onsidered the most a ti$e ording to 9o""'s onstituent of digitalis lea$es. (

e%"eriments, it is from si% to ten times stronger than digitalin or digitalein. +t is offi ial in #ran e 1 but not in the -ritish !harma o"oeia." "(nd a large dose of digito%in?" Dr. 0erard said gra$ely/ "( large dose of digito%in thrown suddenly

on the

ir ulation by intra$enous in&e tion would

ause sudden

death by qui k "alsy of the heart. +t has been estimated that four milligrams might "ro$e fatal to an adult man." "(nd 8rs. -oynton already suffered with heart trouble?" "Yes= as a matter of fa t, she was a tually taking a medi ine ontaining digitalis." "That," said !oirot, "is e%tremely interesting." "D'you mean," asked )olonel )arbury, "that her death might ha$e been attributed to an o$erdose of her own medi ine?" "That 1 yes. -ut + meant more than that. +n some senses," said Dr. 0erard, "digitalis may be onsidered a umulati$e drug. 8oreo$er, as regards "ostmortem a""earan e, the a ti$e "rin i"les of the digitalis may destroy life and lea$e no a""re iati$e sign." !oirot nodded slow a""re iation. "Yes, that is le$er 1 $ery le$er. (lmost im"ossible to "ro$e satisfa torily to a &ury. (h, but let me tell you, gentlemen, if this is a murder, it is a $ery le$er murder' The hy"odermi a re"la ed, the "oison em"loyed being one whi h the $i tim was already taking 1 the "ossibilities of a mistake 1 or ident 1 are o$erwhelming. 7h, yes, there are brains here. There is thought 1 are 1 genius." #or a moment he sat in silen e, then he raised his head. "(nd yet, one thing "u33les me." ".hat is that?" "The theft of the hy"odermi syringe."

"+t was taken," said Dr. 0erard qui kly. "Taken 1 and returned?" "Yes." "7dd," said !oirot. ",ery odd. 7therwise e$erything fits so well..." )olonel )arbury looked at him uriously. ".ell?" he said. ".hat's your e%"ert o"inion? .as it murder 1 or wasn't it?" !oirot held u" a hand. "7ne moment. .e ha$e not yet arri$ed at that "oint. There is still some e$iden e to onsider." ".hat e$iden e? You'$e had it all." "(h' -ut this is e$iden e that +, Her ule !oirot, bring to you." He nodded his head and smiled a little at their two astonished fa es. ''Yes it is droll, that' That +, to whom you tell the story, should in return "resent you with a "ie e of e$iden e about whi h you do not know. +t was like this. +n the Solomon Hotel, one night, + go to the window to make sure it is losed 1 " ")losed 1 or o"en?" asked )arbury. ")losed," said !oirot firmly. "+t was o"en, so naturally, + go to lose it. -ut before + do so, as my hand is on the lat h, + hear a $oi e s"eaking 1 an agreeable $oi e, low and lear with a tremor in it of ner$ous e% itement. + say to myself it is a $oi e + will know again. (nd what does it say, this $oi e? +t says these words/ 'You do see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?'" He "aused. "(t the moment, naturellement, + do not take those words as

referring to a killing of flesh and blood. + think it is an author or "erha"s a "laywright who s"eaks. -ut now + am not so sure. That is to say, + am sure it was nothing of the kind." (gain he "aused before saying/ "8essieurs, + will tell you this 1 to the best of my knowledge and belief those words were s"oken by a young man whom + saw later in the lounge of the hotel and who was, so they told me on inquiring, a young man of the name of 2aymond -oynton."

3 "2(Y874D -7Y4T74 S(+D TH(T?" The e% lamation broke from the #ren hman. "You think it unlikely 1 "sy hologi ally s"eaking?" !oirot inquired "la idly. 0erard shook his head. "4o, + should not say that. + was sur"rised, yes. +f you follow me, + was sur"rised &ust be ause 2aymond -oynton was so eminently fitted to be a sus"e t." )olonel )arbury sighed. "These "sy hologi al fellers'" the sigh seemed to say. "Cuestion is," he murmured, "what are we going to do about it?" 0erard shrugged his shoulders. "+ do not see what you an do," he onfessed. "The e$iden e is bound to be in on lusi$e. You may know that murder has been done but it will be diffi ult to "ro$e it." "+ see," said )olonel )arbury. ".e sus"e t that murder's been

done and we &ust sit ba k and twiddle our fingers' Don't like it'" He added, as if in e%tenuation, his former odd "lea/ "+'m a tidy man." "+ know. + know," !oirot nodded his head sym"atheti ally. "You would like to e%a tly what o lear this u". You would like to know definitely urred and how it o urred. (nd you. Dr. 0erard?

You ha$e said that there is nothing to be done 1 that the e$iden e is bound to be in on lusi$e? That is "robably true. -ut are you satisfied that the matter should rest so?" "She was a bad life," said 0erard slowly. "+n any ha$e died $ery shortly 1 a week 1 a month 1 a year." "So you are satisfied?" "ersisted !oirot. 0erard went on/ "There is no doubt that her death was 1 how shall we "ut it? 1 benefi ial to the ommunity. +t has brought freedom to her family. They will ha$e s o"e to de$elo" 1 they are all, + think, "eo"le of good hara ter and intelligen e. They will be, now, useful members of so iety' The death of 8rs. -oynton, as + see it, has resulted in nothing but good." !oirot re"eated for the third time/ "So you are satisfied?" "4o." Dr. 0erard "ounded a fist suddenly on the table. "+ am not 'satisfied,' as you "ut it' +t is my instin t to "reser$e life 1 not to hasten death. Therefore, though my ons ious mind may re"eat that this woman's death was a good thing, my un ons ious mind rebels against it' +t is not well, gentlemen, that a human being should die before his or her time has ome." ase she might

!oirot smiled. He leaned ba k, ontented with the answer he had "robed for so "atiently. )olonel )arbury said unemotionally/ "He don't like murder' Cuite right' 4o more do +." He rose and "oured himself out a stiff whisky and soda. His guests' glasses were still full. "(nd now," he said, returning to the sub&e t, "let's get down to brass ta ks. +s there anything to be done about it? .e don't like it 1 no' -ut we may ha$e to lum" it' 4o good making a fuss if you goods." 0erard leaned forward. ".hat is your "rofessional o"inion, 8. !oirot? You are the e%"ert." !oirot took a little time to s"eak. 8ethodi ally he arranged an ashtray or two and made a little hea" of used mat hes. Then he said/ "You desire to know, do you not, )olonel )arbury, who killed 8rs. -oynton? @That is, if she was killed and did not die a natural death.A :%a tly how and when she was killed 1 and, in fa t, the whole truth of the matter?" "+ should like to know that, yes." )arbury s"oke unemotionally. Her ule !oirot said slowly/ "+ see no reason why you should not know it'" Dr. 0erard looked in redulous. )olonel )arbury looked mildly interested. "7h," he said. "So you don't, don't you? That's interestin'. How d'you "ro"ose to set about it?" "-y methodi al sifting of the e$iden e, by a "ro ess of reasoning." an't deli$er the

"Suits me," said )olonel )arbury. "(nd by a study of the "sy hologi al "ossibilities." "Suits Dr. 0erard, + e%"e t," said )arbury. "(nd after that, after you'$e sifted the e$iden e and done some reasoning and "addled in "sy hology 1 hey, "resto' 1 you think you an "rodu e the rabbit out of the hat?" "+ should be e%tremely sur"rised if + ould not do so," said !oirot almly. )olonel )arbury stared at him o$er the rim of his glass. *ust for a moment the $ague eyes were no longer $ague 1 they measured 1 and a""raised. He "ut down his glass with a grunt. ".hat do you say to that, Dr. 0erard?" "+ admit that + am ske"ti al of su has great "owers." "+ am gifted 1 yes," said the little man. He smiled modestly. )olonel )arbury turned away his head and oughed. !oirot said/ "The first thing to de ide is whether this is a om"osite murder 1 "lanned and arried out by the -oynton family as a whole, or whether it is the work of one of them only. +f the latter, whi h is the most likely member of the family to ha$e attem"ted it?" Dr. 0erard said/ "There is your own e$iden e. 7ne must, + think, onsider first 2aymond -oynton." "+ agree," said !oirot. "The words + o$erheard and the dis re"an y ess... yet + know that 8. !oirot

between his e$iden e and that of the young woman do tor "uts him definitely in the forefront of the sus"e ts. He was the last "erson to see 8rs. -oynton ali$e. That is his own story, Sarah 9ing ontradi ts that. Tell me, Dr. 0erard, is there 1 eh? 1 you know what + mean 1 a little tendresse, shall we say 1 there?" The #ren hman nodded. ":m"hati ally so." "(las' +s she, this young lady, a brunette with hair that goes ba k from her forehead 1 so 1 and big ha3el eyes and a manner $ery de ided?" Dr. 0erard looked rather sur"rised. "Yes, that des ribes her $ery well." "+ think + ha$e seen her 1 in the Solomon Hotel. She s"oke to this 2aymond -oynton and afterwards he remained "lantB la 1 in a dream 1 blo king the e%it from the lift. Three times + had to say '!ardon' before he heard me and mo$ed." !oirot remained in thought for some moments. Then he said/ "So, to begin with, we will a e"t the medi al e$iden e of 8iss Sarah 9ing with ertain mental reser$ations. She is an interested "arty." He "aused 1 then went on/ "Tell me, Dr. 0erard, do you think 2aymond -oynton is of the tem"erament that murder easily?" 0erard said slowly/ "You mean deliberate, "lanned murder? Yes, + think it is "ossible 1 but only under onditions of intense emotional strain." "Those onditions were "resent?" ould ommit

"Definitely. This &ourney abroad undoubtedly heightened the ner$ous and mental strain under whi h all these "eo"le were li$ing. The ase 1 " "Yes?" "There was the additional om"li ation of being strongly attra ted to Sarah 9ing." "That would gi$e him an additional moti$e? (nd an additional stimulus?" "That is so." )olonel )arbury oughed. "6ike to butt in a moment. That ontrast between their own li$es and those of other "eo"le was more a""arent to them. (nd in 2aymond -oynton's

senten e of his you o$erheard 1 'You do see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?' 1 must ha$e been s"oken to someone." "( good "oint," said !oirot. "+ had not forgotten it. Yes, to whom was 2aymond -oynton s"eaking? 5ndoubtedly to a member of his family. -ut whi h member? )an you tell us something, Do tor, of the mental onditions of the other members of the family?" 0erard re"lied "rom"tly. ")arol -oynton was, + should say, in $ery mu h the same state as 2aymond 1 a state of rebellion a om"anied by se$ere ner$ous e% itement, but un om"li ated in her ase by the introdu tion of a se% fa tor. 6enno% -oynton had "assed the stage of re$olt. He was sunk in a"athy. He was finding it, + think, diffi ult to on entrate. His method of rea tion to his surroundings was to retire further and further within himself. He

was definitely an intro$ert." "(nd his wife?" "His wife, though tired and unha""y, showed no signs of mental onfli t. She was, + belie$e, hesitating on the brink of a de ision." "Su h a de ision being?" ".hether or not to lea$e her husband." He re"eated the on$ersation he had held with *efferson )o"e. !oirot nodded in om"rehension. "(nd what of the younger girl,

0ine$ra her name is, is it not?" The #ren hman's fa e was gra$e. He said/ "+ should say that mentally she is in an e%tremely dangerous ondition. She has already begun to dis"lay sym"toms of s hi3o"hrenia. 5nable to bear the su""ression of her life, she is es a"ing into a realm of fantasy. She has ad$an ed delusions of "erse ution 1 that is to saw, she laims to be a 2oyal !ersonage in danger, enemies surrounding her, all the usual things'" "(nd that is dangerous?" ",ery dangerous. +t is the beginning of what is often homi idal mania. The sufferer kills 1 not for the lust of killing 1 but in self1 defense. He or she kills in order not to be killed themsel$es. #rom their "oint of $iew it is eminently rational." "So you think that 0ine$ra -oynton might ha$e killed her mother?" "Yes. -ut + doubt if she would ha$e had the knowledge or the

onstru ti$eness to do it the way it was done. The unning of that lass of mania is usually $ery sim"le and ob$ious. (nd + am almost ertain she would ha$e hosen a more s"e ta ular method." "-ut she is a "ossibility?" !oirot insisted. "Yes," admitted 0erard. "(nd afterwards 1 when the deed was done? Do you think the rest of the family knew who had done it?" "They know'" said )olonel )arbury une%"e tedly. "+f e$er + they' They're "utting something o$er, all right." ".e will make them tell us what it is," said !oirot. "Third degree?" said )olonel )arbury, raising his eyebrows. "4o." !oirot shook his head. "*ust ordinary on$ersation. 7n the ame

a ross a bun h of "eo"le who had something to hide these are

whole, you know, "eo"le tell you the truth. -e ause it is easier' -e ause it is less strain on the in$enti$e fa ulties' You an tell one lie 1 or two lies, or three or e$en four lies 1 but you annot lie all the time. The truth be omes "lain." "Something in that," agreed )arbury. Then he said bluntly/ "You'll talk to them, you say? That means you're willing to take this on?" !oirot bowed his head. "6et us be $ery lear about this," he said. ".hat you demand, and what + undertake to su""ly, is the truth. -ut mark this, e$en when we ha$e got the truth, there may be no "roof. That is to say, no "roof that would be a law. You om"rehend?" e"ted in a ourt of

"Cuite," said )arbury. "You satisfy me of what really ha""ened, then it's u" to me to de ide whether a tion is "ossible or not 1 ha$ing regard to the +nternational as"e ts. (nyway it will be leared u" 1 no mess. Don't like a mess." !oirot smiled. "7ne more thing," said )arbury. "+ an't gi$e you mu h time. )an't detain these "eo"le here indefinitely." !oirot said quietly/ "You an detain them twenty1four hours. You

shall ha$e the truth by tomorrow night." )olonel )arbury stared hard at him. "!retty onfident, aren't you?" he asked. "+ know my own ability," murmured !oirot. 2endered un omfortable by this un1-ritish attitude, )olonel )arbury looked away and fingered his untidy mousta he. ".ell," he mumbled. "+t's u" to you." "(nd if you su mar$el'" eed, my friend," said Dr. 0erard, "you are indeed a

4 Sarah 9ing looked long and sear hingly at Her ule !oirot. She saw the egg1sha"ed head, the giganti doubt re"t into her eyes. ".ell, 8ademoiselle, are you satisfied?" mousta hes, the dandified a""earan e and the sus"i ious bla kness of his hair. ( look of

Sarah flushed as he met the amused ironi al glan e of his eyes. "+ beg your "ardon," she said awkwardly. "Du tout' To use an e%"ression + ha$e re ently learnt, you gi$e me the one o$er, is it not so?" Sarah smiled a little. ".ell, at any rate you me," she said. "(ssuredly. + ha$e not negle ted to do so." She glan ed at him shar"ly. Something in his tone 1 the se ond timeA, "The man's a mountebank'" Her self1 onfiden e restored, she sat u" a little straighter and said inquiringly/ "+ don't think + quite understand the ob&e t of this inter$iew?" "The good Dr. 0erard did not e%"lain?" Sarah said, frowning/ "+ don't understand Dr. 0erard. He seems to think 1 " "That there is something rotten in the state of Denmark." quoted !oirot. "You see, + know your Shakes"eare." Sarah wa$ed aside Shakes"eare. ".hat e%a tly is all this fuss about?" she demanded. ":h bien, one wants, does one not, to get at the truth of this affair?" "(re you talking about 8rs. -oynton's death?" -ut !oirot an do the same to

was twirling his mousta hes om"la ently and Sarah thought @for

"Yes." "+sn't it rather a fuss about nothing? You, of s"e ialist, 8. !oirot. +t is natural for you 1 " !oirot finished the senten e for her. "+t is natural for me to sus"e t rime whene$er + an "ossibly find an e% use for doing so?" ".ell 1 yes 1 "erha"s." "You ha$e no doubt yourself as to 8rs. -oynton's death?" Sarah shrugged her shoulders. "2eally, 8. !oirot, if you had been to !etra you would reali3e that the &ourney there is a somewhat strenuous business for an old woman whose ardia unsatisfa tory." "+t seems a "erfe tly straightforward business to you?" ")ertainly. + an't understand Dr. 0erard's attitude. He didn't e$en know anything about it. He was down with fe$er. +'d bow to his su"erior medi al knowledge naturally, but in this nothing whate$er to go on. + su""ose they ase he had an ha$e a ".m. in ondition was ourse, are a

*erusalem if they like, if they're not satisfied with my $erdi t." !oirot was silent for a moment, then he said/ "There is a fa t, 8iss 9ing, that you do not yet know. Dr. 0erard has not told you of it." ".hat fa t?" demanded Sarah. "( su""ly of a drug 1 digito%in 1 is missing from Dr. 0erard's tra$eling medi ine ase." "7h'" Cui kly Sarah took in this new as"e t of the ase. :qually

qui kly she "oun ed on the one doubtful "oint. "+s Dr. 0erard

quite sure of that?" !oirot shrugged his shoulders. "( do tor, as you should know, 8ademoiselle, is usually fairly areful in making his statements." "7h, of ourse. That goes without saying. -ut Dr. 0erard had

malaria at the time." "That is so, of ourse." "Has he any idea when it ould ha$e been taken?" "He had o asion to go to his ase on the night of his arri$al in

!etra. He wanted some "hena etin as his head was a hing badly. .hen he re"la ed the "hena etin on the following morning and shut u" the inta t." "(lmost 1 " said Sarah. !oirot shrugged. "Yes, there is a doubt' There is the doubt that any man, who is honest, would be likely to feel." Sarah nodded. "Yes, + know. 7ne always distrusts those "eo"le who are o$er1sure. -ut all the same, 8. !oirot, the e$iden e is $ery slight. +t seems to me 1 " She "aused. !oirot finished the senten e for her. "+t seems to you that an inquiry on my "art is ill1ad$ised'" Sarah looked him squarely in the fa e. "#rankly, it does. (re you sure, 8. !oirot, that this is not a ase of 2oman Holiday?" ase he is almost ertain that all the drugs were

!oirot smiled. "The "ri$ate li$es of a family u"set and disturbed 1 so that Her ule !oirot an "lay a little game of dete tion to amuse himself?" "+ didn't mean to be offensi$e 1 but isn't it a little like that?" "You, then, are on the side of the famille -oynton, 8ademoiselle?" "+ think + am. They'$e suffered a good deal. They 1 they oughtn't to ha$e to stand any more." "(nd la 8aman, she was un"leasant, tyranni al, disagreeable and de idedly better dead than ali$e? That also 1 hm?" ".hen you "ut it like that 1 " Sarah "aused, flushed, went on/ "7ne shouldn't, + agree, take that into onsideration." "-ut all the same one does' That is, you do. 8ademoiselle' + do not' To me, it is all the same. The $i tim may be one of the good 0od's saints 1 or, on the ontrary, a monster of infamy. +t mo$es me not. The fa t is the same. ( life taken' + say it always, + do not a""ro$e of murder." "8urder'" Sarah drew in her breath shar"ly. "-ut what e$iden e of that is there? The flimsiest imaginable' Dr. 0erard himself annot be sure'" !oirot said quietly/ "-ut there is other e$iden e, 8ademoiselle." ".hat e$iden e?" Her $oi e was shar". "The mark of a hy"odermi "un ture u"on the dead woman's

wrist. (nd something more still 1 some words that + o$erheard s"oken in *erusalem on a lear still night when + went to lose my

bedroom window. Shall + tell you what those words were, 8iss 9ing? They were these/ + heard 8r. 2aymond -oynton say/ 'You do see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?'" He saw the olor drain slowly from Sarah's fa e. She said/ "You heard that?" "Yes." The girl stared straight ahead of her. She said at last/ "+t would be you who heard it'" He a quies ed. "Yes, it would be me. These things ha""en. You see now why + think there should be an in$estigation?" Sarah said quietly/ "+ think you are quite right." "(h' (nd you will hel" me?" ")ertainly." Her tone was matter1of1fa t, unemotional. Her eyes met his oolly. !oirot bowed. "Thank you, 8ademoiselle. 4ow, + will ask you to tell me in your own words e%a tly what you "arti ular day." Sarah onsidered for a moment. "6et me see. + went on an ame in. 8rs. an remember of that

e%"edition in the morning. 4one of the -oyntons were with us. + saw them at lun h. They were finishing as we -oynton seemed in an unusually good tem"er." "She was not usually amiable, + understand." ",ery far from it," said Sarah with a slight grima e. She then

des ribed how 8rs. -oynton had released her family from attendan e on her. "That, too, was unusual?" "Yes. She usually ke"t them around her." "Do you think, "erha"s, that she suddenly felt remorseful, that she had what is alled un bon moment?" "4o, + don't," said Sarah bluntly. ".hat did you think, then?" "+ was "u33led. + sus"e ted it was something of the at and mouse order." "+f you would elaborate, 8ademoiselle?" "( at en&oys letting a mouse away and then at hing it again.

8rs. -oynton had that kind of mentality. + thought she was u" to some new de$iltry or other." ".hat ha""ened ne%t, 8ademoiselle?" "The -oyntons started off 1 " "(ll of them?" "4o= the youngest, 0ine$ra, was left behind. She was told to go and rest." "Did she wish to do so?" "4o. -ut that didn't matter. She did what she was told. The others started off. Dr. 0erard and + &oined them 1 " ".hen was this?"

"(bout half1"ast three." ".here was 8rs. -oynton then?" "4adine 1 young 8rs. -oynton 1 had settled her in her outside her a$e." "!ro eed." .hen we got around the bend Dr. 0erard and + aught u" with the others. .e all walked together. Then, after a while Dr. 0erard turned ba k. He had been looking rather queer for some time. + ould see he had fe$er. + wanted to go ba k with him, but he wouldn't hear of it." ".hat time was this?" "7h, about four, + su""ose." "(nd the rest?" ".e went on." ".ere you all together?" "(t first. Then we s"lit u"." Sarah hurried on as though foreseeing the ne%t question. "4adine -oynton and 8r. )o"e went one way and )arol, 6enno%, 2aymond and + went another." "(nd you ontinued like that?" ".ell 1 no. 2aymond -oynton and + se"arated from the others. .e sat down on a slab of ro k and admired the wildness of the s enery. Then he went off and + stayed where + was for some time longer. +t was about half1"ast fi$e when + looked at my wat h and hair

reali3ed + had better get ba k. + rea hed the am" at si% o' lo k. +t was &ust about sunset." "You "assed 8rs. -oynton on the way?" "+ noti ed she was still in her hair u" on the ridge." "That did not strike you as odd, that she had not mo$ed?" "4o, be ause + had seen her sitting there the night before when we arri$ed." "+ see. )ontinue3." "+ went into the marquee. The others were all there 1 e% e"t Dr. 0erard. + washed and then ame ba k. They brought in dinner and one of the ser$ants went to tell 8rs. -oynton. He ame running ba k to say she was ill. + hurried out. She was sitting in her hair &ust as she had been, but as soon as + tou hed her + reali3ed she was dead." "You had no doubt at all as to her death being natural?" "4one whate$er. + had heard that she suffered from heart trouble, though no s"e ified disease had been mentioned." "You sim"ly thought she had died sitting there in her hair?" "Yes." ".ithout alling out for assistan e?" "Yes. +t ha""ens that way sometimes. She might e$en ha$e died in her slee". She was quite likely to ha$e do3ed off. +n any ase, all the am" was aslee" most of the afternoon. 4o one would ha$e

heard her unless she had alled $ery loud." "Did you form an o"inion as to how long she had been dead?" ".ell, + didn't really think $ery mu h about it. She had been dead some time." ".hat do you all some time?" asked !oirot. ".ell 1 o$er an hour. +t might ha$e been mu h longer. The refra tion off the ro k would kee" her body from ooling qui kly." "7$er an hour? (re you aware, 8ademoiselle 9ing, that 8r. 2aymond -oynton s"oke to her only a little o$er half an hour earlier and that she was then ali$e and well?" 4ow her eyes no longer met his. -ut she shook her head. "He must ha$e made a mistake. +t must ha$e been earlier than that." "4o, 8ademoiselle, it was not." She looked at him "oint1blank. He noti ed again the set of her mouth. ".ell," said Sarah. "+'m young and + ha$en't had mu h e%"erien e with dead bodies but + know enough to be quite sure of one thing/ 8rs. -oynton had been dead at least an hour when + e%amined her body'" "That," said Her ule !oirot une%"e tedly, "is your story and you are going to sti k to it'" "+t's the truth," said Sarah. "Then an you e%"lain why 8r. -oynton should say his mother was ali$e when she was, in "oint of fa t, dead?" learly

"+'$e no idea," said Sarah. "They're "robably rather $ague about time, all of them' They're a $ery ner$ous family." "7n how many o them?" Sarah was silent a moment, frowning a little. "+ an tell you asions, 8ademoiselle, ha$e you s"oken with

e%a tly," she said. "+ talked to 2aymond -oynton in the .agon16it orridor oming to *erusalem. + had two on$ersations with )arol -oynton 1 one at the 8osque of 7mar and one late that e$ening in my bedroom. + had a on$ersation with 8rs. 6enno% -oynton the following morning. That's all, u" to the afternoon of 8rs. -oynton's death, when we all went walking together." "You did not ha$e any on$ersation with 8rs. -oynton herself?" Sarah flushed un omfortably. "Yes. + e% hanged a few words with her the day she left *erusalem." She "aused and then blurted out/ "(s a matter of fa t, + made a fool of myself." "(h?" The interrogation was so "atent that, stiffly and unwillingly, Sarah ga$e an a ount of the on$ersation. ross1e%amined her losely. "The ase," he

!oirot seemed interested and

mentality of 8rs. -oynton, it is $ery im"ortant in this your a ount of her is $ery signifi ant."

said. "(nd you are an outsider 1 an unbiased obser$er. That is why

Sarah did not re"ly. She still felt hot and un omfortable when she thought of that inter$iew. "Thank you, 8ademoiselle," said !oirot.

"+ will now on$erse with the other witnesses." Sarah rose. ":% use me, 8. !oirot, but if + might make a suggestion 1 " ")ertainly. )ertainly." ".hy not "ost"one all this until an auto"sy an be made and you dis o$er whether or not your sus"i ions are &ustified. + think all this is rather like "utting the art before the horse." !oirot wa$ed a grandiloquent hand. "This is the method of Her ule !oirot," he announ ed. !ressing her li"s together, Sarah left the room.

5 6(DY .:STH768: :4T:2:D the room with the assuran e of a transatlanti liner oming into do k. 8iss (nnabel !ier e, an indeterminate raft, followed in the liner's wake and sat down in

an inferior make of hair slightly in the ba kground. ")ertainly, 8. !oirot," boomed 6ady .estholme, "+ shall be delighted to assist you by any means in my "ower. + ha$e always onsidered that in matters of this kind one has a "ubli "erform 1 " .hen 6ady .estholme's "ubli duty had held the stage for some minutes, !oirot was adroit enough to get in a question. "+ ha$e a "erfe t re olle tion of the afternoon in question," re"lied 6ady .estholme. "8iss !ier e and + will do all we an to assist duty to

you." "7h, yes," sighed 8iss !ier e, almost e stati ally. "So tragi , was it not? Dead 1 &ust like that 1 in the twinkle of an eye'" "+f you will tell me e%a tly what o question?" ")ertainly," said 6ady .estholme. "(fter we had finished lun h + de ided to take a brief siesta. The morning e% ursion had been somewhat fatiguing. 4ot that + was really tired 1 + seldom am. + do not really know what fatigue is. 7ne has so often, on "ubli o asions, no matter what one really feels 1 " urred on the afternoon in

FunreadableG an adroit murmur from !oirot. "+ saw, + was in fa$or of a siesta. 8iss !ier e agreed with me." "7h, yes," sighed 8iss !ier e. "(nd + was terribly tired all the morning. Su h a dangerous limb 1 and although interesting, most e%hausting. +'m afraid +'m not quite as strong as 6ady .estholme." "#atigue," needs." 8iss !ier e looked at her admiringly. !oirot said/ "(fter lun h, then, you two ladies went to your tents?" "Yes." "8rs. -oynton was then sitting at the mouth of her a$e?" "Her daughter1in1law assisted her there before she herself went said 6ady .estholme, " an be onquered like

e$erything else. + make a "oint of ne$er gi$ing in to my bodily

off." "You ould both see her?" "7h yes," said 8iss !ier e. "She was o""osite, you know 1 only of ourse a little way along and u" abo$e." 6ady .estholme elu idated the statement. "The a$es o"ened

onto a ledge. -elow that ledge were some tents. Then there was a small stream and a ross that stream was the big marquee and some other tents. 8iss !ier e and + had tents near the marquee. She was on the right side of the marquee and + was on the left. The o"enings of our tents fa ed the ledge, but of some distan e away." "4early two hundred yards, + understand." "!ossibly." "+ ha$e here a "lan," said !oirot, " on o ted with the hel" of the dragoman, 8ahmoud." 6ady .estholme remarked that in that wrong' "That man is grossly ina definitely misleading." "( ording to my "lan," said !oirot, "the a$e ne%t to 8rs. ase it was "robably he ked his ourse it was

urate. + ha$e

statements from my -aedeker. Se$eral times his information was

-oynton's was o

u"ied by her son, 6enno%, and his wife.

2aymond, )arol and 0ine$ra -oynton had tents &ust below but more to the right 1 in fa t almost o""osite the marquee. 7n the right of 0ine$ra -oynton's was Dr. 0erard's tent and ne%t to his

was that of 8iss 9ing. 7n the other side 1 ne%t to the marquee on the left 1 you and 8r. )o"e had tents. 8iss !ier e's, as you mentioned, was on the right of the marquee. +s that orre t?" 6ady .estholme admitted grudgingly that as far as she knew it was. "+ thank you. That is "erfe tly .estholme." 6ady .estholme smiled gra iously on him and went on/ "(t about a quarter to four + strolled along to 8iss !ier e's tent to see if she were awake yet and felt like a stroll. She was sitting in the doorway of the tent reading. .e agreed to start in about half an hour when the sun was less hot. + went ba k to my tent and read for about twenty1fi$e minutes. Then + went along and &oined 8iss !ier e. She was ready and we started out. :$eryone in the am" seemed aslee"= there was no one about and, seeing 8rs. -oynton sitting u" there alone, + suggested to 8iss !ier e that we should ask her if she wanted anything before we left." "Yes, you did. 8ost thoughtful of you, + onsidered it," murmured 8iss !ier e. "+ felt it to be my duty," said 6ady .estholme with a ri h om"la en y. "(nd then for her to be so rude about it'" e% laimed 8iss !ier e. !oirot looked inquiring. "7ur "ath "assed &ust under the ledge," e%"lained 6ady lear. !ray ontinue, 6ady

.estholme, "and + alled u" to her, saying that we were going for a stroll and asking ould we do anything for her before we went. Do you know, 8. !oirot, absolutely the only answer she ga$e us was a grunt' ( grunt' She &ust looked at us as though we were 1 as though we were dirt'" "Disgra eful it was'" said 8iss !ier e, flushing. "+ must onfess," said 6ady .estholme, reddening a little, "that + then made a somewhat un haritable remark." "+ think you were quite &ustified," said 8iss !ier e. "Cuite 1 under the ir umstan es." ".hat was this remark?" asked !oirot. "+ said to 8iss !ier e that "erha"s she drank' 2eally, her manner was most "e uliar. +t had been all along. + thought it "ossible that drink might a ount for it. The e$ils of al oholi indulgen e, as + $ery well know 1 " De%terously !oirot steered the question. "Had her manner been $ery "e uliar on this "arti ular day? (t lun h time, for instan e?" "4o," said 6ady .estholme, onsidering. "4o, + should say that on$ersation away from the drink

then her manner had been fairly normal 1 for an (meri an of that ty"e, that is to say," she added ondes endingly. "She was $ery abusi$e to that ser$ant," said 8iss !ier e ".hi h one?"

"4ot $ery long before we started out." "7h, yes, + remember. She did seem e%traordinarily annoyed with him' 7f ourse," went on 6ady .estholme "to ha$e ser$ants about who annot understand a word of :nglish is $ery trying, but what + say is that when one is tra$eling one must make allowan es." ".hat ser$ant was this?" asked !oirot. "7ne of the -edouin ser$ants atta hed to the am". He went u" to her. + think she must ha$e sent him to fet h her something and + su""ose he brought the wrong thing. + don't really know what it was, but she was $ery angry about it. The "oor man slunk away as fast as he ould, and she shook her sti k at him and alled out." ".hat did she all out?" ".e were too far away to hear. (t least + didn't hear anything distin tly. Did you, 8iss !ier e?" "4o, + didn't. + think she'd sent him to fet h something from her younger daughter's tent 1 or "erha"s she was angry with him for going into her daughter's tent 1 + ouldn't say e%a tly." ".hat did he look like?" 8iss !ier e, to whom the question was addressed, shook her head $aguely. "2eally, + ouldn't say. He was too far away. (ll these (rabs look alike to me." "He was a man of more than a$erage height," said 6ady .estholme, "and wore the usual nati$e headdress. He had on a "air of $ery torn and "at hed bree hes 1 really disgra eful they

were 1 and his "uttees were wound most untidily 1 all anyhow' These men need dis i"line'" "You ould "oint the man out among the am" ser$ants?" "+ doubt it. .e didn't see his fa e 1 it was too far away. (nd, as 8iss !ier e says, really, these (rabs all look alike." "+ wonder," said !oirot thoughtfully, "what it was he did to make 8rs. -oynton so angry?" "They are $ery trying to the "atien e sometimes," said 6ady .estholme. "7ne of them took my shoes away, though + had e%"ressly told him 1 by "antomime too 1 that + "referred to lean my shoes myself." "(lways + do that too," said !oirot, di$erted for a moment from his interrogation. "+ take e$erywhere my little shoe1 leaning outfit. (lso, + take a duster." "So do +." 6ady .estholme sounded quite human. "-e ause these (rabs they do not remo$e the dust from one's belongings 1 " "4e$er' 7f ourse one has to dust one's things three or four times a day 1 " "-ut it is well worth it." "Yes, indeed. + ba3aars 1 terrible'" ".ell, well," said !oirot, looking slightly guilty. ".e an soon annot stand dirt'" 6ady .estholme looked

"ositi$ely militant. She added with feeling/ "The flies 1 in the

inquire from this man what it was that irritated 8rs. -oynton. To

ontinue with your story?" ".e strolled along slowly," said 6ady .estholme. "(nd then we met Dr. 0erard. He was staggering along and looked $ery ill. + ould see at on e he had fe$er." "He was shaking," "ut in 8iss !ier e. "Shaking all o$er." "+ saw at on e he had an atta k of malaria oming on," said 6ady .estholme. "+ offered to ome ba k with him and get him some quinine but he said he had his own su""ly with him." "!oor man," said 8iss !ier e. "You know it always seems so dreadful to me to see a do tor ill. +t seems all wrong, somehow." ".e strolled on," down on a ro k." 8iss !ier e murmured/ "2eally 1 so tired after the morning's e%ertion 1 the limbing 1 " "+ ne$er feel fatigue," said 6ady .estholme firmly. "-ut there was no "oint in going further. .e had a $ery good $iew of all the surrounding s enery." ".ere you out of sight of the am"?" "4o, we were sitting fa ing towards it." "So romanti ," murmured 8iss !ier e. "( her head. "That am" ould be mu h better run than it is," said 6ady am" "it hed in the ontinued 6ady .estholme. "(nd then we sat

middle of a wilderness of rose1red ro ks." She sighed and shook

.estholme. Her ro king1horse nostrils dilated. "+ shall take u" the

matter with )astle's. + am not at all sure that the drinking water is boiled as well as filtered. +t should be. + shall "oint that out to them." !oirot oughed and led the on$ersation qui kly away from the

sub&e t of drinking water. "Did you see any other members of the "arty?" he inquired. "Yes. The elder 8r. -oynton and his wife "assed us on their way ba k to the am"." ".ere they together?" "4o, 8r. -oynton di33y." "The ba k of the ne k," said 8iss !ier e. "7ne must "rote t the ba k of the ne k' + always wear a thi k silk handker hief." ".hat did 8r. 6enno% -oynton do on his return to !oirot. #or on e 8iss !ier e managed to get in first before 6ady .estholme ould s"eak. "He went right u" to his mother, but he didn't stay long with her." "How long?" "*ust a minute or two." "+ should "ut it at &ust o$er a minute myself," said 6ady .estholme. "Then he went on into his a$e and after that he went down to the marquee." am"?" asked ame first. He looked a little as though he had

had a tou h of the sun. He was walking as though he were slightly

"(nd his wife?" "She ame along about a quarter of an hour later. She sto""ed a minute and s"oke to us 1 quite i$illy." "+ think she's $ery ni e," said 8iss !ier e. ",ery ni e indeed." "She is not so im"ossible as the rest of the family," allowed 6ady .estholme. "You wat hed her return to the am"?" 'Yes. She went u" and s"oke to her mother1in1law. Then she went into her a$e and brought out a hair and sat by her talking for some time 1 about ten minutes, + should say." "(nd then?" "Then she took the hair ba k to the a$e and went down to the marquee where her husband was." ".hat ha""ened ne%t?" "That $ery "e uliar (meri an ame along," said 6ady .estholme. ")o"e, + think his name is. He told us that there was a $ery good e%am"le of the debased ar hite ture of the "eriod &ust round the bend of the $alley. He said we ought not to miss it. ( !etra and the 4abateans." "+t was all most interesting," de lared 8iss !ier e fer$ently. 6ady .estholme hilly." ontinued/ ".e strolled ba k to the am", it ordingly we walked there. 8r. )o"e had with him quite an interesting arti le on

being then about twenty minutes to si%. +t was growing quite

"8rs. -oynton was still sitting where you had left her?" "Yes." "Did you s"eak to her?" "4o. (s a matter of fa t, + hardly noti ed her." ".hat did you do ne%t?" "+ went to my tent, hanged my shoes and got out my own "a ket of )hina tea. + then went to the marquee. The guide "erson was there and + dire ted him to make some tea for 8iss !ier e and myself with the tea + had brought and to make quite sure that the water with whi h it was made was boiling. He said that dinner would be ready in about half an hour 1 the boys were laying the table at the time 1 but + said that made no differen e." "+ always say a u" of tea makes all the differen e," murmured

8iss !ier e $aguely. ".as there anyone in the marquee?" "7h, yes. 8r. and 8rs. 6enno% -oynton were sitting at one end reading. (nd )arol -oynton was there too." "(nd 8r. )o"e?" "He &oined us at our tea," said 8iss !ier e. "Though he said tea drinking wasn't an (meri an habit." 6ady .estholme oughed. "+ be ame &ust a little afraid that 8r.

)o"e was going to be a nuisan e 1 that he might fasten himself u"on me. +t is a little diffi ult sometimes to kee" "eo"le at arm's length when one is tra$eling. + find they are in lined to "resume.

(meri ans, es"e ially, are sometimes rather dense." !oirot murmured sua$ely/ "+ am sure. 6ady .estholme, that you are quite a"able of dealing with situations of that kind. .hen tra$eling a quaintan es are no longer of any use to you, + am sure you are an ade"t at dro""ing them." "+ think + am a"able of dealing with most situations," said 6ady

.estholme om"la ently. The twinkle in !oirot's eye was quite lost u"on her. "+f you will &ust on lude your re ital of the day's ha""enings?" murmured !oirot. ")ertainly. (s far as + an remember, 2aymond -oynton and the ame in shortly afterwards. 8iss 9ing

red1haired -oynton girl

arri$ed last. Dinner was then ready to be ser$ed. 7ne of the ser$ants was dis"at hed by the dragoman to announ e the fa t to old 8rs. -oynton. The man ame running ba k with one of his omrades in a state of some agitation and s"oke to the dragoman in (rabi . There was some mention of 8rs. -oynton being taken ill. 8iss 9ing offered her ser$i es. She went out with the dragoman. She ame ba k and broke the news to the members of 8rs. -oynton's family." "She did it $ery abru"tly," "ut in 8iss !ier e. "*ust blurted it out. + think myself it ought to ha$e been done more gradually." "(nd how did 8rs. -oynton's family take the news?" asked !oirot. #or on e both 6ady .estholme and 8iss !ier e seemed a little at a loss. The former said at last, in a $oi e la king its usual self1 assuran e/ ".ell 1 really 1 it is diffi ult to say. They 1 they were

$ery quiet about it." "Stunned," said 8iss !ier e. She offered the word more as a suggestion than as a fa t. "They all went out with 8iss 9ing," said 6ady .estholme. "8iss !ier e and + $ery sensibly remained where we were." ( faintly wistful look was obser$able in 8iss !ier e's eye at this "oint. "+ detest $ulgar uriosity'" ontinued 6ady .estholme. The wistful look be ame more "ronoun ed. +t was lear that 8iss !ier e had had "erfor e to hate $ulgar uriosity too' "6ater," on luded 6ady .estholme, "the dragoman and 8iss 9ing returned. + suggested that dinner should be ser$ed immediately to the four of us, so that the -oynton family ould dine later in the marquee without the embarrassment of strangers being "resent. 8y suggestion was ado"ted and immediately after the meal + retired to my tent. 8iss 9ing and 8iss !ier e did the same. 8r. )o"e, + belie$e, remained in the marquee= he is a friend of the family and thought he might be of some assistan e to them. That is all + know, 8. !oirot." ".hen 8iss 9ing had broken the news, all the -oynton family a om"anied her out of the marquee?"

"Yes 1 no, + belie$e, now that you ome to mention it, that the red1 haired girl stayed behind. !erha"s you !ier e?" an remember. 8iss

"Yes, + think 1 + am quite sure she did." !oirot asked/ ".hat did she do?" 6ady .estholme stared at him. ".hat did she do, 8. !oirot? She did not do anything, as far as + an remember." "+ mean was she sewing, or reading, did she look an%ious, did she say anything?" ".ell, really 1 " 6ady .estholme frowned. "She 1 er 1 she &ust sat there, as far as + an remember." "She twiddled her fingers," said 8iss !ier e suddenly. "+ remember noti ing 1 "oor thing= + thought, it shows what she's feeling' 4ot that there was anything to show in her fa e, you know 1 &ust her hands turning and twisting." "7n e," went on 8iss !ier e on$ersationally, "+ remember tearing u" a "ound note that way 1 not thinking of what + was doing. 'Shall + at h the first train and go to her?' + thought @it was a great aunt of mine 1 taken suddenly illA, 'or shall + not?' (nd + ouldn't make u" my mind one way or the other and then + looked down, and instead of the telegram + was tearing u" a "ound note 1 a "ound note' 1 into tiny "ie es'" 8iss !ier e "aused dramati ally. 4ot entirely a""ro$ing of this sudden bid for the limelight on the "art of her satellite 6ady .estholme said oldly/ "+s there anything else, 8. !oirot?" .ith a start, !oirot seemed to ome out of a brown study.

"4othing, nothing. You ha$e been most lear 1 most definite."

"+ ha$e an e% ellent memory," said 6ady .estholme with satisfa tion. "7ne last little demand. 6ady .estholme," said !oirot. "!lease ontinue to sit as you are sitting 1 without looking around. 4ow, would you be so kind as to des ribe to me &ust what 8iss !ier e is wearing today 1 that is, if 8iss !ier e does not ob&e t?" "7h, no, not in the least'" twittered 8iss !ier e. "2eally, 8. !oirot, is there any ob&e t 1 " "!lease be so kind as to do as + ask, 8adame." 6ady .estholme shrugged her shoulders and then said with a rather bad gra e/ "8iss !ier e has on a stri"ed brown and white otton dress and is wearing with it a Sudanese belt of red, blue and beige leather. She is wearing beige silk sto kings and brown gla e stra" shoes. There is a ladder in her left sto king. She has a ne kla e of ornelian beads and one of bright royal blue beads and is wearing a broo h with a "earl butterfly on it. She has an imitation s arab ring on the third finger of her right hand. 7n her head she has a double terai of "ink and brown felt." She "aused 1 a "ause of quiet she asked oldly. !oirot s"read out his hands in a wide gesture. "You ha$e my entire admiration, 8adame. Your obser$ation is of the highest order." "Details rarely es a"e me." 6ady .estholme rose, made a slight in lination of her head and left the room. (s 8iss !ier e was following her, ga3ing down ruefully at her left leg, !oirot said/ "( om"eten e. Then/ "+s there anything further?"

little moment, "lease, 8ademoiselle?" "Yes?" 8iss !ier e looked u", a slightly a""rehensi$e look u"on her fa e. !oirot leaned forward onfidentially. "You see this bun h of wild

flowers on the table here?" "Yes," said 8iss !ier e staring. "(nd you noti ed that, when you first snee3ed on e or twi e?" "Yes." "Did you noti e if + had &ust been sniffing those flowers?" ".ell 1 really 1 no 1 + ouldn't say." "-ut you remember my snee3ing?" "7h, yes, + remember that'" "(h, well 1 no matter. + wondered, you see, if these flowers might indu e the hay fe$er. 4o matter'" "Hay fe$er'" ried 8iss !ier e. "+ remember a ousin of mine was a martyr to it' She always said that if you s"rayed your nose daily with a solution of bora i 1 " .ith some diffi ulty !oirot shel$ed the the room with his eyebrows raised. "-ut + did not snee3e," he murmured. "So mu h for that. 4o, + did not snee3e." ousin's nasal treatment ame into the room, +

and got rid of 8iss !ier e. He shut the door and ame ba k into

6 6enno% -oynton ame into the room with a qui k resolute ste".

Had he been there, Dr. 0erard would ha$e been sur"rised at the hange in the man. The a"athy was gone. His bearing was alert 1 although he was "lainly ner$ous. His eyes had a tenden y to shift ra"idly from "oint to "oint about the room. "0ood morning, 8. -oynton." !oirot rose and bowed

eremoniously. 6enno% res"onded somewhat awkwardly. "+ mu h a""re iate your gi$ing me this inter$iew." 6enno% -oynton said rather un ertainly/ ":r 1 )olonel )arbury said it would be a good thing. (d$ised it. Some formalities he said." "!lease sit down, 8. -oynton." 6enno% sat down on the hair lately $a ated by 6ady .estholme. !oirot went on on$ersationally/ "This has been a great sho k to

you, + am afraid." "Yes, of ourse. .ell, no, "erha"s not... .e always knew that my mother's heart was not strong." ".as it wise, under those ir umstan es, to allow her to undertake su h an arduous e%"edition?" 6enno% -oynton raised his head. He s"oke not without a ertain

sad dignity. "8y mother, 8. 1 er, !oirot, made her own de isions. +f she had made u" her mind to anything it was no good our o""osing her." He drew in his breath shar"ly as he said the last

words. His fa e suddenly grew rather white. "+ know well," admitted !oirot, "that elderly ladies are sometimes headstrong." 6enno% said irritably/ ".hat is the "ur"ose of all this? That is what + want to know. .hy ha$e all these formalities arisen?" "!erha"s you do not reali3e, 8. -oynton, that in ases of sudden and une%"lained deaths, formalities must ne essarily arise." 6enno% said shar"ly/ ".hat do you mean by 'une%"lained'?" !oirot shrugged his shoulders. "There is always the question to be onsidered/ +s a death natural or might it "erha"s be sui ide?" "Sui ide?" 6enno% -oynton stared. !oirot said lightly/ "You, of ourse, would know best about su h

"ossibilities. )olonel )arbury, naturally, is in the dark. +t is ne essary for him to de ide whether to order an inquiry 1 an auto"sy 1 all the rest of it. (s + was on the s"ot and as + ha$e mu h e%"erien e of these matters, he suggested that + should make a few inquiries and ad$ise him u"on the matter. 4aturally, he does not wish to ause you in on$enien e if it an be hel"ed." 6enno% -oynton said angrily/ "+ shall wire to our )onsul in *erusalem." !oirot said non ommittally/ "You are quite within your rights in doing so, of 1" ourse." There was a "ause. Then !oirot said, s"reading out his hands/ "+f you ob&e t to answering my questions

6enno% -oynton said qui kly/ "4ot at all. 7nly 1 it seems 1 all so unne essary." "+ om"rehend. + om"rehend "erfe tly. -ut it is all $ery sim"le, am" at

really. ( matter, as they say, of routine. 4ow, on the afternoon of your mother's death, 8. -oynton, + belie$e you left the !etra and went for a walk?" "Yes. .e all went, with the e% e"tion of my mother and my younger sister." "Your mother was then sitting in the mouth of her a$e?" "Yes, &ust outside it. She sat there e$ery afternoon." "Cuite so. You started 1 when?" "Soon after three, + should say." "You returned from your walk 1 when?" "+ really ouldn't say what time it was 1 four o' lo k 1 fi$e o' lo k "erha"s." "(bout an hour to two hours after you set out?" "Yes 1 about that, + should think." "Did you "ass anyone on your way ba k?" "Did + what?" "!ass anyone. Two ladies sitting on a ro k, for instan e?" "+ don't know. Yes, + think + did." "You were, "erha"s, too absorbed in your thoughts to noti e?" "Yes, + was."

"Did you s"eak to your mother when you got ba k to the am"?" "Yes 1 yes, + did." "She did not then om"lain of feeling ill?" "4o 1 no, she seemed "erfe tly all right." "8ay + ask what "assed between you?" 6enno% "aused a minute. "She said + had ome ba k soon. + said, yes, + had." He "aused again in an effort of on entration. "+ said it was hot. She 1 she asked me the time 1 said her wristwat h had sto""ed. + took it from her, wound it u", set it and "ut it ba k on her wrist." !oirot interru"ted gently/ "(nd what time was it?" ":h?" said 6enno%. ".hat time was it when you set the hands of the wristwat h?" "7h, + see. +t 1 it was twenty1fi$e minutes to fi$e." "So you do know e%a tly the time you returned to the am"'" said !oirot gently. 6enno% flushed. "Yes, what a fool + am' +'m sorry, 8. !oirot, my wits are all astray, +'m afraid. (ll this worry 1 " !oirot ne%t?" "+ asked my mother if she wanted anything. ( drink 1 tea, offee, et .. She said no. Then + went to the marquee. 4one of the himed in qui kly/ "7h' + understand 1 + understand

"erfe tly' +t is all of the most disquieting' (nd what ha""ened

ser$ants seemed to be about, but + found some soda water and drank it. + was thirsty. + sat there reading some old numbers of the Saturday :$ening !ost. + think + must ha$e do3ed off." "Your wife &oined you in the marquee?" "Yes, she ame in not long after." "(nd you did not see your mother again ali$e?" "4o." "She did not seem in any way agitated or u"set when you were talking to her?" "4o, she was e%a tly as usual." "She did not refer to any trouble or annoyan e with one of the ser$ants?" 6enno% stared. "4o, nothing at all." "(nd that is all you an tell me?" "+ am afraid so 1 yes." "Thank you, 8. -oynton." !oirot in lined his head as a sign that the inter$iew was o$er. 6enno% did not seem $ery willing to de"art. He stood hesitating by the door. ":r 1 there's nothing else?" "4othing. !erha"s you would be so good as to ask your wife to ome here?"

6enno% went slowly out. 7n the "ad beside him !oirot wrote "6. -. </>H !.8."

7 !oirot looked with interest at the tall dignified young woman who entered the room. He rose and bowed to her "olitely. "8rs. 6enno% -oynton? Her ule !oirot, at your ser$i e." 4adine -oynton sat down. Her thoughtful eyes were on !oirot's fa e. "+ ho"e you do not mind, 8adame, my intruding on your sorrow in this way?" Her ga3e did not wa$er. She did not re"ly at on e. Her eyes remained steady and gra$e. (t last, she ga$e a sigh and said/ "+ think it is best for me to be quite frank with you, 8. !oirot." "+ agree with you, 8adame." "You a"ologi3ed for intruding u"on my sorrow. That sorrow, 8. !oirot, does not e%ist and it is idle to "retend that it does. + had no lo$e for my mother1in1law and + annot honestly say that + regret her death." "Thank you, 8adame, for your "lain s"eaking." 4adine went on/ "Still, although + admit to another feeling 1 remorse." "2emorse?" !oirot's eyebrows went u". annot "retend sorrow, + an

"Yes. -e ause, you see, it was + who brought about her death. #or that + blame myself bitterly." ".hat is this that you are saying, 8adame?" "+ am saying that + was the ause of my mother1in1law's death. + was a ting, as + thought, honestly 1 but the result was unfortunate. To all intents and "ur"oses, + killed her." !oirot leaned ba k in his hair. ".ill you be so kind as to elu idate this statement, 8adame?" 4adine bent her head. "Yes, that is what + wish to do. 8y first rea tion, naturally, was to kee" my "ri$ate affairs to myself, but + see that the time has ome when it would be better to s"eak out. + ha$e no doubt, 8. !oirot, that you ha$e often re ei$ed onfiden es of a somewhat intimate nature?" "That, yes." "Then + will tell you quite sim"ly what o urred. 8y married life, 8.

!oirot, has not been "arti ularly ha""y. 8y husband is not entirely to blame for that 1 his mother's influen e o$er him has been unfortunate 1 but + ha$e been feeling for some time that my life was be oming intolerable," She "aused and then went on/ "7n the afternoon of my mother1in1 law's death + ame to a de ision. + ha$e a friend 1 a $ery good e"ted his "ro"osal." friend. He has suggested more than on e that + should throw in my lot with his. 7n that afternoon + a "You de ided to lea$e your husband?"

"Yes." ")ontinue, 8adame." 4adine said in a lower $oi e/ "Ha$ing on e made my de ision + wanted to 1 to establish it as soon as "ossible. + walked home to the am" by myself. 8y mother1in1law was sitting alone, there was one about, and + de ided to break the news to her right there. + got a hair, sat down by her and told her abru"tly what + had de ided." "She was sur"rised?" "Yes + am afraid it was a great sho k to her. She was both sur"rised and angry 1 $ery angry. She 1 she worked herself into quite a state about it' !resently + refused to dis uss the matter any longer. + got u" and walked away." Her $oi e dro""ed. "+ 1 + ne$er saw her again ali$e." !oirot nodded his head slowly. He said/ "+ see." Then he said/ "You think her death was the result of the sho k?" "+t seems to me almost o$ere%erted herself ertain. You see, she had already

onsiderably getting to this "la e. 8y news,

and her anger at it, would do the rest... + feel additionally guilty be ause + ha$e had a ertain amount of training in illness and so +, more than anyone else, ought to ha$e reali3ed the "ossibility of su h a thing ha""ening." !oirot sat in silen e for some minutes, then he said/ ".hat e%a tly did you do when you left her?"

"+ took the hair + had brought out ba k into my a$e, then + went down to the marquee. 8y husband was there." !oirot wat hed her losely as he said/ "Did you tell him of your

de ision? 7r had you already told him?" There was a "ause, an infinitesimal "ause, before 4adine said/ "+ told him then." "How did he take it?" She answered quietly/ "He was $ery u"set." "Did he urge you to re onsider your de ision?" She shook her head. "He 1 he didn't say $ery mu h. You see, we had both known for some time that something like this might ha""en." !oirot said/ "You will "ardon me, but the other man was, of ourse, 8. *efferson )o"e?" She bent her head. "Yes." There was a long "ause, then, without any hange of $oi e, !oirot asked/ "Do you own a hy"odermi syringe, 8adame?" "Yes 1 no." His eyebrows rose. She e%"lained. "+ ha$e an old hy"odermi amongst other things in a tra$eling medi ine hest, but it is in our big luggage whi h we left in *erusalem." "+ see."

There was a "ause, then she said with a shi$er of uneasiness/ ".hy did you ask me that, 8. !oirot?" He did not answer the question. +nstead he "ut one of his own. "8rs. -oynton was, + belie$e, taking a mi%ture digitalis?" "Yes." He thought that she was definitely wat hful now. "That was for her heart trouble?" "Yes." "Digitalis is, to some e%tent, a umulati$e drug?" "+ belie$e it is. + do not know $ery mu h about it." "8rs. -oynton had taken a big o$erdose of digitalis 1 " She interru"ted him qui kly but with de ision. "She did not. She was always most areful. So was +, if + measured the dose for her." "There might ha$e been an o$erdose in this "arti ular bottle. ( mistake of the hemist who made it u"?" "+ think that is $ery unlikely," she re"lied quietly. "(h well, the analysis will soon tell us." 4adine said/ "5nfortunately the bottle was broken." !oirot eyed her with sudden interest. "+ndeed' .ho broke it?" "+'m not quite sure. 7ne of the ser$ants, + think. +n mother1in1law's body into her arrying my ontaining

a$e, there was a good deal of

onfusion and the light was $ery "oor. ( table got kno ked o$er."

!oirot eyed her steadily for a minute or two. "That," he said, "is $ery interesting." 4adine -oynton shifted wearily in her hair. "You are suggesting, + think, that my mother1in1law did not die of sho k, but of an o$erdose of digitalis?" she said and went on/ "That seems to me most im"robable." !oirot leaned forward. ":$en when + tell you that Dr. 0erard, the #ren h "hysi ian who was staying in the medi ine hest?" Her fa e grew $ery "ale. He saw the lut h of her other hand on the table. Her eyes dro""ed. She sat $ery still. She was like a 8adonna ar$ed in stone. ".ell, 8adame," said !oirot at last. ".hat ha$e you say to that?" The se onds ti ked on but she did not s"eak. +t was quite two minutes before she raised her head, and he started a little when he saw the look in her eyes. "8. !oirot, + did not kill my mother1in1law. That you know' She was ali$e and well when + left her. There are many "eo"le who testify to that' Therefore, being inno ent of the rime, + an an am", had missed an a""re iable quantity of a "re"aration of digito%in from his

$enture to a""eal to you. .hy must you mi% yourself u" in this business? +f + swear to you on my honor that &usti e and only &usti e has been done. .ill you not abandon this inquiry? There has been so mu h suffering 1 you do not know. 4ow that at last there is "ea e and the "ossibility of ha""iness, must you destroy

it all?" !oirot sat u" $ery straight. His eyes shone with a green light. "6et me be lear, 8adame. .hat are you asking me to do?" "+ am telling you that my mother1in1law died a natural death and + am asking you to a e"t that statement."

"6et us be definite. You belie$e that your mother1in1law was deliberately killed, and you are asking me to ondone 1 murder'" "+ am asking you to ha$e "ity'" "Yes 1 on someone who had no "ity'" "You don't understand 1 it was not like that." "Did you well?" 4adine shook her head. She showed no signs of guilt. "4o," she said quietly. "She was ali$e when + left her." "Then what ha""ened? You know 1 or you sus"e t 1 " 4adine said "assionately/ "+ ha$e heard, 8. !oirot, that on e, in that affair of the 7rient :%"ress, you a what had ha""ened?" !oirot looked at her uriously. "+ wonder who told you that." "+s it true?" He said slowly/ "That ase was 1 different." "4o. 4o, it was not different' The man who was killed was e$il," her $oi e dro""ed, "as she was..." e"ted an offi ial $erdi t of ommit the rime yourself, 8adame, that you know so

!oirot said/ "The moral hara ter of the $i tim has nothing to do with it' ( human being who has e%er ised the right of "ri$ate &udgment and taken the life of another human being is not safe to e%ist amongst the ommunity. + tell you that' +, Her ule !oirot'" "How hard you are'" "8adame, in some ways + am adamant. + will not ondone murder' That is the final word of Her ule !oirot." She got u". Her dark eyes flashed with sudden fire. "Then go on' -ring ruin and misery into the li$es of inno ent "eo"le' + ha$e nothing more to say." "-ut + 1 + think, 8adame, that you ha$e a lot to say." "4o, nothing more." ".hat ha""ened, 8adame, after you left your mother1in1law? .hilst you and your husband were in the marquee together?" She shrugged her shoulders. "How should + know?" "You do know 1 or you sus"e t." She looked him straight in the eyes. "+ know nothing, 8. !oirot." Turning, she left the room.

8 (fter noting on his "ad "4. -. </<I," !oirot o"ened the door and alled to the orderly whom )olonel )arbury had left at his dis"osal, an intelligent man with a good knowledge of :nglish. He asked him to fet h 8iss )arol -oynton.

!oirot looked with some interest at the girl as she entered/ at the hestnut hair, the "oise of the head on the long ne k, the ner$ous energy of the beautifully sha"ed hands. He said/ "Sit down 8ademoiselle." She sat down obediently. Her fa e was olorless and

e%"ressionless. !oirot began with a me hani al e%"ression of sym"athy to whi h the girl a quies ed without any hange of e%"ression. "(nd now, 8ademoiselle, will you re ount to me how you s"ent the afternoon of the day in question?" Her answer ame "rom"tly, raising the sus"i ion that it had

already been well rehearsed. "(fter lun heon we all went for a stroll. + returned to the am" 1 " !oirot interru"ted. "( little minute. .ere you all together until then?" "4o, + was with my brother 2aymond and 8iss 9ing or most of the time. Then + strolled off on my own." "Thank you. (nd you were saying you returned to the you know the a""ro%imate time?" "+ belie$e it was &ust about ten minutes "ast fi$e." !oirot "ut down "). -. H/;I." "(nd what then?" "8y mother was still sitting where she had been when we set out. am". Do

+ went u" and s"oke to her and then went on to my tent." ")an you remember e%a tly what "assed between you?" "+ &ust said it was $ery hot and that + was going to lie down. 8y mother said she would remain where she was. That was all." "Did anything in her a""earan e strike you as out of the ordinary?" "4o. (t least 1 that is 1 " She "aused doubtfully, staring at !oirot. "+t is not from me that you said !oirot quietly. She flushed and looked away. "+ was &ust noti ed at the time, but now, looking ba k 1 " "Yes?" )arol said slowly/ "+t is true 1 she was a funny olor 1 her fa e was $ery red 1 more so than usual." "She might, "erha"s, ha$e had a sho k of some kind." !oirot suggested. "( sho k?" She stared at him. "Yes, she might ha$e had, let us say, some trouble with one of the (rab ser$ants." "7h'" Her fa e leared. "Yes 1 she might." "She did not mention su h a thing ha$ing ha""ened?" "4o, no, nothing at all." !oirot went on/ "(nd what did you do ne%t 8ademoiselle?" onsidering. + hardly an get the answer, 8ademoiselle,"

"+ went to my tent and lay down for about half an hour. Then + went down to the marquee. 8y brother and his wife were there reading." "(nd what did you do?" "7h' + had some sewing to do. (nd then + "i ked u" a maga3ine." "Did you s"eak to your mother again on your way to the marquee?" "4o, + went straight down. + don't think + e$en glan ed in her dire tion." "(nd then?" "+ remained in the marquee until 1 until 8iss 9ing told us she was dead." "(nd that is all you know, 8ademoiselle?" "Yes." !oirot leaned forward. His tone was the same, light and on$ersational. "(nd what did you feel, 8ademoiselle?" ".hat did + feel?" "Yes, when you found that your mother 1 "ardon 1 your ste"mother was she not? 1 what did you feel when you learned she was dead?" She stared at him. "+ don't understand what you mean'" "+ think you understand $ery well." Her eyes dro""ed. She said, un ertainly/ "+t was 1 a great sho k."

".as it?" The blood rushed to her fa e. She stared at him hel"lessly. 4ow he saw fear in her eyes. ".as it su h a great sho k, 8ademoiselle? 2emembering a ertain on$ersation you had with your brother 2aymond one night in *erusalem?" His shot "ro$ed right. He saw it in the way the olor drained out of her heeks again. "You know about that?" she whis"ered. "Yes, + know." "-ut how 1 how?" "!art of your on$ersation was o$erheard." "7h'" )arol -oynton buried her fa e in her hands. Her sobs shook the table. Her ule !oirot waited a minute, then he said quietly/ "You were "lanning together to bring about your ste"mother's death." )arol sobbed out brokenly/ ".e were mad 1 mad 1 that e$ening'" "!erha"s." "+t's im"ossible for you to understand the state we were in'" She sat u", "ushing ba k the hair from her fa e. "+t would sound fantasti . +t wasn't so bad in (meri a 1 but tra$eling brought it home to us so." "-rought what home to you?" His $oi e was kind now,

sym"atheti . "7ur being different from 1 other "eo"le' .e 1 we got des"erate

about it. (nd there was *inny." "*inny?" "8y sister. You ha$en't seen her. She was going 1 well 1 queer. (nd 8other was making her worse. She didn't seem to reali3e. .e were afraid, 2ay and +, that *inny was going quite mad' (nd we saw FunreadableG !oirot nodded his head slowly. "Yes, it has seemed so, + know, to many. That is, by history." "That's how 2ay and + felt that night..." She "ut her hand on the table. "-ut we didn't really do it. 7f ourse we didn't do it' .hen daylight ame the thing seemed absurd, melodramati . 7h, yes, and wi ked too' +ndeed, indeed, 8. !oirot, 8other died naturally of heart failure. 2ay and + had nothing to do with it." !oirot said quietly/ ".ill you swear to me, 8ademoiselle, as your sal$ation after death, that 8rs. -oynton did not die as a result of any a tion of yours?" She lifted her head. Her $oi e ame steadily "+ swear," said )arol, "as + ho"e for sal$ation + ne$er harmed her..." !oirot leaned ba k in his hair. "4o," he said, "that is that." There was silen e. !oirot thoughtfully aressed his mousta he.

Then he said/ ".hat e%a tly was your "lan?" "!lan?" "Yes, you and your brother must ha$e had a "lan." +n his mind he ti ked off the se onds before her answer ame.

7ne, two, three. ".e had no "lan," said )arol at last. ".e ne$er got as far as that." Her ule !oirot got u". "That is all, 8ademoiselle. .ill you be so good as to send your brother to me." )arol rose. She stood unde idedly for a minute. "8. !oirot, you do 1 you do belie$e me?" "Ha$e + said," asked !oirot, "that + do not?" "4o, but 1 " She sto""ed. He said/ "You will ask your brother to ome here?" "Yes." She went slowly towards the door. She sto""ed as she got to it, turning around "assionately. "+ ha$e told you the truth 1 + ha$e'" Her ule !oirot did not answer and )arol -oynton went slowly out of the room.

9 !oirot noted the likeness between brother and sister as 2aymond -oynton ame into the room. His fa e was stern and set. He did not seem ner$ous or afraid. He dro""ed into a hair, stared hard at !oirot and said/ ".ell?" !oirot said gently/ "Your sister has s"oken with you?" 2aymond nodded. "Yes, when she told me to ome here. 7f ourse

+ reali3e that your sus"i ions are quite &ustified. +f our on$ersation was o$erheard that night, the fa t that my ste"mother died rather suddenly ertainly would seem sus"i ious' + an only assure you that that on$ersation was the madness of an e$ening' .e were, at the time, under an intolerable strain. This fantasti somehow'" Her ule !oirot bent his head slowly. "That," he said, "is "ossible." "+n the morning, of ourse, it all seemed rather absurd' + swear to you, 8. !oirot, that + ne$er thought of the matter again'" !oirot did not answer. 2aymond said qui kly/ ".ell, yes, + know that that is easy enough to say. + annot e%"e t you to belie$e me on my bare word. -ut onsider the fa ts. + s"oke to my mother &ust a little before si% o' lo k. She was ertainly ali$e and well then. + went to my tent, had a wash and &oined the others in the marquee. #rom that time onwards neither )arol nor + mo$ed from the "la e. .e were in full sight of e$eryone. You must see, 8. !oirot, that my mother's death was natural, a ase of heart failure. +t ouldn't be anything else' There were ser$ants about, a lot of oming and going. (ny other idea is absurd." !oirot said quietly/ "Do you know, 8. -oynton, that 8iss 9ing is of the o"inion that when she e%amined the body 1 at si%1thirty 1 death had o urred at least an hour and a half and "robably two hours earlier?" "lan of killing my ste"mother did 1 oh, how shall + "ut it? 1 it let off steam

2aymond stared at him. He looked dumbfounded. "Sarah said that?" he gas"ed. !oirot nodded. ".hat ha$e you to say now?" "-ut 1 it's im"ossible'" "That is 8iss 9ing's testimony. 4ow you 9ing e%amined the body." 2aymond said/ "-ut she was'" "-e areful, 8. -oynton." "Sarah must be mistaken' There must be some fa tor she didn't take into a ount. 2efra tion off the ro k 1 something. + an assure you, 8. !oirot, that my mother was ali$e at &ust before si% and that + s"oke to her." !oirot's fa e showed nothing. 2aymond leaned forward earnestly. "8. !oirot, + know how it must seem to you, but look at it fairly. You are a biased "erson. You are bound to be by the nature of things. You li$e in an atmos"here where e$en sudden death must seem to you a "ossible murder. )an't you reali3e that your sense of "ro"ortion is to be relied u"on? !eo"le die e$ery day 1 es"e ially those with weak hearts 1 and there is nothing in the least sinister about su h deaths." !oirot sighed. "So you would tea h me my business, is that it?" "4o of ourse not. -ut + do think that you are "re&udi ed 1 be ause of that unfortunate on$ersation. There is nothing really about my ome and tell me that

your mother was ali$e and well only forty minutes before 8iss

mother's death to awaken sus"i ion e% e"t that unlu ky hysteri al on$ersation between )arol and myself." !oirot shook his head. "You are in error," he said. "There is something else. There is the "oison taken from Dr. 0erard's medi ine hest." "!oison?" 2ay stared at him. "!oison'" He "ushed his hair ba k a little. He looked om"letely stu"efied. "+s that what you sus"e t?" !oirot ga$e him a minute or two. Then he said quietly, almost indifferently/ "Your "lan was different 1 eh?" "7h, yes." 2aymond answered me hani ally. "That's why this hanges e$erything... + 1 + an't think learly." ".hat was your "lan?" "7ur "lan? +t was 1 " 2aymond sto""ed abru"tly. His eyes be ame alert, suddenly wat hful. "+ don't think," he said, "that +'ll say any more." He got u". "(s you "lease," said !oirot. He wat hed the young man out of the room. He drew his "ad towards him and in small neat hara ters made a final entry. "2. -. H/HH." Then, taking a large sheet of "a"er, he "ro eeded to write. His task om"leted, he sat ba k with his head on one side ontem"lating the result. +t ran as follows/ Boyntons and Jefferson Cope leave the camp 3:05 (approx.) Dr. erard and !arah "ing leave the camp 3:#5 (approx.)

$ady %estholme and &iss 'ierce leave the camp (:#5 Dr. erard ret)rns to camp (:*0 (approx.)

$ennox Boynton ret)rns to camp (:35 +adine Boynton ret)rns to camp and tal,s to &rs. Boynton (:(0 +adine Boynton leaves her mother-in-la. and goes to mar/)ee (:50 (approx.) Carol Boynton ret)rns to camp 5:#0 $ady %estholme0 &iss 'ierce and &. Jefferson Cope ret)rn to camp 5:(0. 1aymond Boynton ret)rns to camp 5:50 !arah "ing ret)rns to camp 2:00 Body discovered 2:30

10 "+ wonder," said Her ule !oirot. He folded u" the list, went to the door and ordered 8ahmoud to be brought to him. The stout dragoman was $oluble. .ords dri""ed from him in a rising flood. "(lways, always, + am blamed. .hen anything ha""ens, say always my fault. (lways my fault. .hen 6ady :llen Hunt s"rain her ankle oming down from !la e of Sa rifi e, it my fault, though she would go high1heeled shoes and she si%ty at least 1 "erha"s se$enty. 8y life all one misery' (h' .hat with miseries and iniquities *ews do to us 1 "

(t last !oirot su his question.

eeded in stemming the flood and in getting in

"Half1"ast fi$e o' lo k, you say? 4o, + not think any of ser$ants were about then. You see, lun h it late 1 two o' lo k. (nd then to lear it away. (fter the lun h all afternoon slee". Yes, (meri ans, they not take tea. .e all settle slee" by half1"ast three. (t fi$e +, who am soul of effi ien y 1 always 1 always + wat h for the omfort of ladies and gentlemen + ser$ing, + ome out knowing that time all :nglish ladies want tea. -ut no one there. They all gone walking. #or me, that is $ery well 1 better than usual. + an go ba k slee". (t quarter to si% trouble beg. 6arge :nglish lady 1 $ery grand lady 1 ome ba k and want tea although boys are now laying dinner. She makes quite fuss 1 says water must be boiling 1 + am see myself. (h, my good gentleman' .hat a life 1 what life' + do all + an 1 always + blamed 1 + 1 " !oirot ut short the re riminations. "There is another small matter. The dead lady was angry with one of the boys. Do you know whi h one it was and what it was about?" 8ahmoud's hands rose to hea$en. "Should + know? -ut naturally not. 7ld lady did not om"lain to me." ")ould you find out?" "4o, my good gentleman, that would be im"ossible. 4one of the boys admit it for a moment. 7ld lady angry, you say? Then naturally boys would not tell. (bdul say it 8ohammed, and 8ohammed say it (3i3, and (3i3 say it (issa, and so on. They are

all $ery stu"id -edouin 1 understand nothing." He took a breath and ontinued/ "4ow +, + ha$e ad$antage of 8ission edu ation. + re ite to you 9eats 1 Shelley 1 ladado$eandasweedo$edied 1 " !oirot flin hed. Though :nglish was not his nati$e tongue he knew it well enough to suffer from the strange enun iation of 8ahmoud. "Su"erb'" he said hastily. "Su"erb' Definitely + re ommend you to all my friends." He found in his offi e. )arbury "ushed his tie a little more askew and asked/ "0ot anything?" !oirot sat down. "Shall + tell you a theory of mine?" "+f you like," said )olonel )arbury, and sighed. 7ne and another he had heard a good many theories in the ourse of his e%isten e. "8y theory is that riminology is the easiest s ien e in the world' 7ne has only to let the riminal talk 1 sooner or later he will tell you e$erything." "+ remember you said something of the kind before. .ho's been telling you things?" ":$erybody." -riefly, !oirot retailed the inter$iews he had had that morning. "Hm," said )arbury. "Yes, you'$e got hold of a "ointer or two, "erha"s. !ity of it is, they all seem to "oint in o""osite dire tions. Ha$e we got a ase, that's what + want to know?" ontri$ed to es a"e from the dragoman's eloquen e. Then he took his list to )olonel )arbury, whom he

"4o." )arbury sighed again. "+ was afraid not." "-ut before nightfall," said !oirot, "you shall ha$e the truth'" ".ell, that's all you e$er "romised me," said )olonel )arbury. "(nd + rather doubted your getting that' Sure of it?" "+ am $ery sure." "8ust be ni e to feel like that," ommented the other. +f there was a faint twinkle in his eye, !oirot a""eared unaware of it. He "rodu ed his list. "4eat," said )olonel )arbury a""ro$ingly. He bent o$er it. (fter a minute or two he said/ "9now what + think?" "+ should be delighted if you would tell me." "Young 2aymond -oynton's out of it." "(h' You think so?" "Yes. )lear as a bell what he thought. .e might ha$e known he'd be out of it. -eing, as in dete ti$e stories the most likely "erson. Sin e you "ra ti ally o$erheard him sa$ing he was going to bum" off the old lady 1 we might ha$e known that meant he was inno ent'" "You read the dete ti$e stories, yes?" "Thousands of them," said )olonel )arbury. He added and his tone

was that of a wistful s hoolboy/ "+ su""ose you

ouldn't do the

things the dete ti$e does in books? .rite a list of signifi ant fa ts 1 things that don't seem to mean anything but are really frightfully im"ortant 1 that sort of thing?" "(h," said !oirot kindly. "You like that kind of dete ti$e story? -ut ertainly, + will do it for you with "leasure." He drew a sheet of "a"er towards him and wrote qui kly and neatly/

S+04+#+)(4T !7+4TS #. &rs. Boynton .as ta,ing a mixt)re containing digitalis. *. Dr. erard missed a hypodermic syringe.

3. &rs. Boynton too, definite pleas)re in ,eeping her family from en3oying themselves .ith other people. (. &rs. Boynton0 on the afternoon in /)estion0 enco)raged her family to go a.ay and leave her. 5. &rs. Boynton .as a mental sadist. 2. 4he distance from the mar/)ee to the place .here &rs. Boynton .as sitting is (ro)ghly) t.o h)ndred yards. &r $ennox Boynton said at first he did not ,no. .hat time he ret)rned to the camp0 5)t later he admitted having set his mother6s .rist.atch to the right time. 7 Dr. erard and &iss inevra Boynton occ)pied tents next door

to each other. 8t half-past six0 .hen dinner .as ready0 a servant

.as dispatched to anno)nce the fact to &rs. Boynton. The )olonel "erused this with great satisfa tion. ")a"ital'" he said. "*ust the thing' You'$e made it diffi ult 1 and seemingly irrele$ant 1 absolutely the authenti tou h' -y the way, it seems to me there are one or two rather noti eable omissions. -ut that, + su""ose, is what you tem"t the mug with?" !oirot's eyes twinkled a little but he did not answer. "!oint two, for instan e," said )olonel )arbury tentati$ely. "Dr. 0erard missed a hy"odermi syringe 1 yes. He also missed a on entrated solution of digitalis 1 or something of that kind." "The latter "oint," said !oirot, "is not im"ortant in the way the absen e of his hy"odermi syringe is im"ortant." "S"lendid'" said )olonel )arbury, his fa e irradiated with smiles. "+ don't get it at all. + should ha$e said the digitalis was mu h more im"ortant than the syringe' (nd what about that ser$ant motif that kee"s ro""ing u" 1 a ser$ant being sent to tell her dinner was ready. (nd that story of her shaking her sti k at a ser$ant earlier in the afternoon? You're not going to tell me one of my "oor desert mutts bum"ed her off after all? -e ause," added )olonel )arbur$ sternly, "if so, that would be heating." !oirot smiled but did not answer. (s he left the offi e, he murmured to himself/ "+n redible' The :nglish ne$er grow u"'"

11

Sarah 9ing sat on a hillto" absently "lu king u" wild flowers. Dr. 0erard sat on a rough wall of stones near her. She said, suddenly and fier ely/ ".hy did you start all this? +f it hadn't been for you 1 " Dr. 0erard said slowly/ "You think + should ha$e ke"t silen e?" "Yes." "9nowing what + knew?" "You didn't know," said Sarah. The #ren hman sighed. "+ did know. -ut + admit one an ne$er be absolutely sure." "Yes, one an," said Sarah un om"romisingly. The #ren hman shrugged his shoulders. "You, "erha"s'" Sarah said/ "You had fe$er 1 a high tem"erature 1 you ouldn't be learheaded about the business. The syringe was "robably there all the time. (nd you may ha$e made a mistake about the digito%in or one of the ser$ants may ha$e meddled with the ase." 0erard said yni ally/ "You need not worry' The e$iden e is almost bound to be in on lusi$e. You will see, your friends the -oyntons will get away with it'" Sarah said fier ely/ "+ don't want that, either." He shook his head. "You are illogi al'" ".asn't it you" 1 Sarah demanded 1 "in *erusalem who said a great deal about not interfering? (nd now look'" "+ ha$e not interfered. + ha$e only told what + know'"

"(nd + say you don't know it. 7h, dear, there we are ba k again' +'m arguing in a ir le." 0erard said gently/ "+ am sorry, 8iss 9ing." Sarah said in a low $oi e/ "You see, after all, they ha$en't es a"ed 1 any of them' She's still there' :$en from her gra$e she an still rea h out and hold them. There was something terrible about her. She's &ust as terrible now she's dead' + feel 1 + feel she's en&oying all this'" She len hed her hands. Then she said in an entirely different

tone, a light e$eryday $oi e/ "That little man's oming u" the hill." Dr. 0erard looked o$er his shoulder, "(h' He us, + think." "+s he as mu h of a fool as he looks?" asked Sarah. Dr. 0erard said gra$ely/ "He is not a fool at all." "+ was afraid of that," said Sarah 9ing. .ith somber eyes she wat hed the u"hill "rogress of Her ule !oirot. He rea hed them at last and wi"ed his forehead. Then he looked sadly down at his "atent leather shoes. "(las," he said. "This stony ountry' 8y "oor shoes." "You an borrow 6ady .estholme's shoe1 leaning a""aratus," said Sarah unkindly. "(nd her duster. She tra$els with a kind of "atent housemaid's equi"ment." "That will not remo$e the s rat hes, 8ademoiselle." !oirot shook his head sadly. omes in sear h of

"!erha"s not. .hy on earth do you wear shoes like that in this sort of ountry?" !oirot "ut his head a little on one side. "+ like to ha$e the a""earan e soigne," he said. "+ should gi$e u" trying for that in the desert," said Sarah. ".omen do not look their best in the desert," said Dr. 0erard dreamily. "8iss 9ing here, yes 1 she always looks neat and well turned out. -ut that 6ady .estholme in her great thi k oats and skirts and those terribly unbe oming riding bree hes and boots 1 quelle horreur de femme' (nd the "oor 8iss !ier e 1 her lothes so lim", like faded that abbage lea$es, and the hains and the beads link' :$en young 8rs. -oynton, who is a good1looking

woman, is not what you all hi ' Her lothes are uninteresting." Sarah said resti$ely/ ".ell, + don't su""ose 8. !oirot here to talk about lothes'" "True," said !oirot. "+ ame to onsult Dr. 0erard 1 his o"inion limbed u"

should be of $alue to me 1 and yours too, 8ademoiselle. You are young and u" to date in your "sy hology. + want to know, you see, all that you an tell me of 8rs. -oynton." "Don't you know all that by heart now?" asked Sarah. "4o. + ha$e a feeling 1 more than a feeling 1 a ertainty that the mental equi"ment of 8rs. -oynton is $ery im"ortant in this ase. Su h ty"es as hers are no doubt familiar to Dr. 0erard." "#rom my "oint of $iew she was ertainly an interesting study,"

said the do tor. "Tell me." Dr. 0erard was nothing loath. He des ribed his interest in the family grou", his on$ersation with *efferson )o"e, and the latter's om"lete misreading of the situation. "He is a sentimentalist, then," said !oirot thoughtfully. "7h, essentially' He has ideals 1 based, really, on a dee" instin t of la3iness. To take human nature at its best and the world as a "leasant "la e is undoubtedly the easiest ourse in life' *efferson )o"e has, onsequently, not the least idea what "eo"le are really like." "That might be dangerous sometimes," said !oirot. Dr. 0erard went on/ "He "ersisted in regarding what + may des ribe as 'the -oynton situation' as a ase of mistaken de$otion. 7f the underlying hate, rebellion, sla$ery and misery he had only the faintest notion." "+t is stu"id, that," !oirot ommented. "(ll the same," went on Dr. 0erard, "e$en the most willfully obtuse of sentimental o"timists annot be quite blind. + think, on the &ourney to !etra, 8r. *efferson )o"e's eyes were being o"ened." (nd he des ribed the on$ersation he had had with the (meri an on the morning of 8rs. -oynton's death. "That is an interesting story, that story of a ser$ant girl, said !oirot thoughtfully. "+t throws light on the old woman's methods."

0erard said/ "+t was altogether an odd, strange morning, that' You ha$e not been to !etra, 8. !oirot? +f you go, you must limb to the !la e of Sa rifi e. +t has an 1 how atmos"here'" He des ribed the s ene in detail ertainly adding/ ould + say? 1 an

"8ademoiselle here sat like a young &udge, s"eaking of the sa rifi e of one to sa$e many. You remember, 8iss 9ing?" Sarah shi$ered. "Don't' Don't let's talk of that day." "4o, no," said !oirot. "6et us talk of e$ents further ba k in the "ast. + am interested, Dr. 0erard, in your sket h of 8rs. -oynton's mentality. .hat + do not quite understand is this. Ha$ing brought her family into absolute sub&e tion, why did she then arrange this tri" abroad where surely there was danger of outside onta ts and of her authority being weakened?" Dr. 0erard leaned forward e% itedly. "-ut, mon $ieu%, that is &ust it' 7ld ladies are the same all the world o$er. They get bored' +f their s"e ialty is "la ing "atien e, they si ken of the "atien e they know too well. They want to learn a new "atien e. (nd it is &ust the same with an old lady whose re reation @in redible as it may soundA is the dominating and tormenting of human reatures' 8rs. -oynton 1 to s"eak of her as une dom"teuse 1 had tamed her tigers. There was "erha"s some e% itement as they "assed through the stage of adoles en e. 6enno%'s marriage to 4adine was an ad$enture. -ut then, suddenly, all was stale. 6enno% is so sunk in melan holy that it is "ra ti ally im"ossible to wound or stress him. 2aymond and )arol show no signs of rebellion."

"0ine$ra 1 (h' 6a "au$re 0ine$ra 1 she, from her mother's "oint of $iew, gi$es the "oorest s"ort of all' 0ine$ra has found a way of es a"e' She es a"es from reality into fantasy. The more her mother goads her the more easily she gets a se ret thrill out of being a "erse uted heroine' #rom 8rs. -oynton's "oint of $iew it is all deadly dull. She seeks, like (le%ander, new worlds to onquer. (nd so she "lans the $oyage abroad. There will be the danger of her tamed beasts rebelling, there will be o""ortunities for infli ting fresh "ain' +t sounds absurd does it not, but it was so' She wanted a new thrill." !oirot took a dee" breath. "+t is "erfe t, that. Yes, + see e%a tly what you mean. +t was so. +t all fits in. She hose to li$e dangerously, la 8aman -oynton and she "aid the "enalty'" Sarah leaned forward, her "ale intelligent fa e $ery serious. "You mean," she said, "that she dro$e her $i tims too far and 1 and they turned on her 1 or 1 or one of them did?" !oirot bowed his head. Sarah said, and her $oi e was a little breathless/ ".hi h of them?" !oirot looked at her, at her hands len hed fier ely on the wild

flowers, at the "ale rigidity of her fa e. He did not answer 1 was indeed sa$ed from answering 1 for at that moment 0erard tou hed his shoulder and said/ "6ook." ( girl was wandering along the side of the hill. She mo$ed with a strange rhythmi gra e that somehow ga$e the im"ression that

she was not quite real. The gold1red of her hair shone in the sunlight, a strange se reti$e smile lifted the beautiful her mouth. !oirot drew in his breath. He said/ "How beautiful. . . How strangely, mo$ingly beautiful. That is how 7"helia should be "layed 1 like a young goddess straying from another world, ha""y be ause she has es a"ed out of the bondage of human &oys and griefs." "Yes, yes, you are right," said 0erard. "+t is a fa e to dream of, is it not? + dreamt of it. +n my fe$er + o"ened my e$es and saw that fa e 1 with its sweet unearthly smile... +t was a good dream. + was sorry to wake..." Then, with a return to his ommon"la e manner/ "That is 0ine$ra -oynton," he said. orners of

12 +n another minute the girl had rea hed them. Dr. 0erard "erformed the introdu tion. "8iss -oynton, this is 8. Her ule !oirot." "7h'" She looked at him un ertainly. Her fingers &oined together, twined themsel$es uneasily in and out. The en hanted nym"h had ome ba k from the ountry of en hantment. She was now &ust an ordinary, awkward girl, slightly ner$ous and ill at ease. !oirot said/ "+t is a "ie e of good fortune meeting you here,

8ademoiselle. + tried to see you in the hotel." "Did you?" Her smile was $a ant. Her fingers began "lu king at the belt of her dress. He said gently/ ".ill you walk with me a little way?" She mo$ed do ilely enough, obedient to his whim. !resently she said, rather une%"e tedly, in a queer hurried $oi e/ "You are 1 you are a dete ti$e, aren't you?" "Yes, 8ademoiselle," "( $ery well1known dete ti$e?" "The best dete ti$e in the world," said !oirot, stating it as a sim"le truth, no more, no less. 0ine$ra -oynton breathed $ery softly/ "You ha$e "rote t me?" !oirot stroked his mousta he thoughtfully. He said/ "(re you then in danger, 8ademoiselle?" "Yes. Yes'" She looked around with a qui k sus"i ious dan e. "+ told Dr. 0erard about it in *erusalem. He was $ery le$er. He ga$e no sign at the time. -ut he followed me to that terrible "la e with the red ro ks." She shi$ered. "They meant to kill me there. + ha$e to be ontinually on my guard." !oirot nodded gently and indulgently. 0ine$ra -oynton said/ "He is kind 1 and good. He is in lo$e with me'" ome here to

"Yes?" "7h, yes. He says my name in his slee"..." Her fa e softened 1 again a kind of trembling, unearthly beauty ho$ered there. "+ saw him lying there turning and tossing and saying my name... + stole away quietly." She "aused. "+ thought, "erha"s, he had sent for you? + ha$e a terrible lot of enemies, you know. They are all around me. Sometimes they are disguised." "Yes, yes," said !oirot gently. "-ut you are safe here 1 with all your family around you." She drew herself u" "roudly. "They are not my family' + ha$e nothing to do with them. + annot tell you who + really am 1 that is a great se ret. +t would sur"rise you if you knew." He said gently/ ".as your mother's death a great sho k to you, 8ademoiselle?" 0ine$ra stam"ed her foot. "+ tell you she wasn't my mother' 8y enemies "aid her to "retend she was and to see + did not es a"e'" ".here were you on the afternoon of her death?" She answered readily/ "+ was in the tent... +t was hot in there, but + didn't dare ome out... They might ha$e got me..." She ga$e a little qui$er. "7ne of them looked into my tent. He was disguised, but + knew him. + "retended to be aslee". The Sheikh had sent him. The Sheikh wanted to kidna" me, of ourse." #or a few moments !oirot walked in silen e, then he said/ "They are $ery "retty, these histories you re ount to yourself."

She sto""ed. She glared at him. "They're true. They're all true." (gain she stam"ed an angry foot. "Yes," said !oirot, "they are ertainly ingenious." She ried out/ "They are true 1 true 1 " Then, angrily, she turned from him and ran down the hillside. !oirot stood looking after her. +n a minute or two he heard a $oi e lose behind him. ".hat did you say to her?" !oirot turned to where Dr. 0erard, a little out of breath, stood beside him. Sarah was oming towards them both, but she ame at a more leisurely "a e. !oirot answered 0erard's question. "+ told her," he said, "that she had imagined to herself some "retty stories." The do tor nodded his head thoughtfully. "(nd she was angry' That is a good sign. +t shows, you see, that she has not yet om"letely "assed through the gate. Still knows that it is not the truth' + shall ure her." FunreadableG "Yes. + ha$e dis ussed the matter with young 8rs. -oynton and her husband. 0ine$ra will ome to !aris and enter one of my lini s. (fterwards she will ha$e her training for the stage." "The stage?" "Yes, there is a "ossibility there for her, of great su has the same nature as her mother." ess. (nd that

is what she needs 1 what she must ha$e' +n many essentials she

"4o'" ried Sarah, re$olted. "+t seems im"ossible to you, but ertain fundamental traits are the same. They were both born with a great yearning for im"ortan e, they both demand that their "ersonalities shall im"ress' This "oor hild has been thwarted and su""ressed at e$ery turn, she has been gi$en no outlet for her fier e ambition, for her lo$e of life, for the e%"ressing of her $i$id romanti "ersonality." He ga$e a little laugh. "4ous $oullons hanger tout "a'" Then, with a little bow, he murmured/ "You will e% use me?" (nd he hurried down the hill after the girl. Sarah said/ "Dr. 0erard is tremendously keen on his &ob." "+ "er ei$e his keenness," said !oirot. Sarah said with a frown/ "(ll the same, + an't bear his om"aring her to that horrible old woman although on e + felt sorry for 8rs. -oynton myself." ".hen was that, 8ademoiselle?" "That time + told you about in *erusalem. + suddenly felt as though +'d got the whole business wrong. You know that feeling one has sometimes when &ust for a short time you see e$erything the other way round? + got all 'het u"' about it and went and made a fool of myself'" "7h, no 1 not that'" Sarah, as always, when she remembered her on$ersation with

8rs. -oynton, was blushing a utely. "+ felt all e%alted as though +

had a mission' (nd then later, when 6ady .. fi%ed a fishy eye on me and said she had seen me talking to 8rs. -oynton, + thought she had "robably o$erheard, and + felt the most om"lete ass." !oirot said/ ".hat e%a tly was it that old 8rs. -oynton said to you? )an you remember the e%a t words?" "+ think so. They made rather an im"ression on me. '+ ne$er forget.' That's what she said. '2emember that. +'$e ne$er forgotten anything 1 not an a tion, not a name, not a fa e.'" Sarah shi$ered. "She said it so male$olently 1 not e$en looking at me. + feel 1 + feel as if, e$en now, + an hear her..." !oirot said gently/ "+t im"ressed you $ery mu h?" "Yes. +'m not easily frightened but sometimes + dream of her saying &ust these words and + an see her e$il, leering, trium"hant fa e. 5gh'" She ga$e a qui k shi$er. Then she turned suddenly to him. "8. !oirot, "erha"s + ought not to ask, but ha$e you definite?" "Yes." He saw her li"s tremble as she asked/ ".hat?" "+ ha$e found out to whom 2aymond -oynton s"oke that night in *erusalem. +t was to his sister )arol." ")arol 1 of ourse'" Then she went on/ "Did you tell him 1 did you ask him 1 " +t was no use. She ould not go on. !oirot looked at her ome to a

on lusion about this business? Ha$e you found out anything

gra$ely and om"assionately. He said quietly/ "+t means so mu h to you, 8ademoiselle?" "+t means &ust e$erything'" said Sarah. Then she squared her shoulders. "-ut +'$e got to know." !oirot said quietly/ "He told me that it was a hysteri al outburst 1 no more' That he and his sister were worked u". He told me that in daylight su h an idea a""eared fantasti to them both." "+ see..." !oirot said gently/ "8iss Sarah, will you not tell me what it is you fear?" Sarah turned a white des"airing fa e u"on him. "That afternoon we were together. (nd he left me saying 1 saying he wanted to do something now 1 while he had the ourage. + thought he meant &ust to 1 to tell her. -ut su""osing he meant..." Her $oi e died away. She stood rigid, fighting for ontrol.

13 4(D+4: -7Y4T74 )(8: out of the hotel. (s she hesitated un ertainly, a waiting figure s"rang forward. 8r. *efferson )o"e was immediately at his lady's side "Shall we walk u" this way? + think it's the "leasantest." She a quies ed. They walked along and 8r. )o"e talked. His words ame freely, if a trifle monotonously. +t is not ertain whether he "er ei$ed that

4adine was not listening. (s they turned aside onto the stony flower1 o$ered hillside she interru"ted him. "*efferson, +'m sorry. +'$e got to talk to you." Her fa e had grown "ale. ".hy, ertainly, my dear. (nything you like, but don't distress

yourself." She said, "You're le$erer than + thought. You know, don't you,

what +'m going to say?" "+t is undoubtedly true," said 8r. )o"e, "that ir umstan es alter ases. + do feel, $ery "rofoundly, that in the "resent ir umstan es, de isions may ha$e to be re onsidered." He sighed. "You'$e got to go right ahead, 4adine, and do &ust what you feel." She said, with real emotion/ "You're so good, *efferson. So "atient' + feel +'$e treated you $ery badly. + really ha$e been downright mean to you." "4ow, look here, 4adine, let's get this right. +'$e always known what my limitations were where you were on erned. +'$e had the dee"est affe tion and res"e t for you sin e +'$e known you. (ll + want is your ha""iness. That's all +'$e e$er wanted. Seeing you unha""y has $ery nearly dri$en me ra3y. (nd + may say that +'$e blamed 6enno%. +'$e felt that he didn't deser$e to kee" you if he didn't $alue your ha""iness a little more than he seemed to do." 8r. )o"e took a breath and went on/ "4ow +'ll admit that after tra$eling with you to !etra, + felt that "erha"s 6enno% wasn't quite

so mu h to blame as + thought. He wasn't so mu h selfish where you were on erned, as too unselfish where his mother was on erned. + don't want to say anything against the dead, but + do think that your mother1in1law was "erha"s an unusually diffi ult woman." "Yes, + think you may say that," murmured 4adine. "(nyway," went on 8r. )o"e, "you ame to me yesterday and told me that you'd definitely de ided to lea$e 6enno%. + a""lauded your de ision. +t wasn't right 1 the life you were leading. You were quite honest with me. You didn't "retend to be more than &ust mildly fond of me. .ell, that was all right with me. (ll + asked was the life." 4adine ried out/ "+'m sorry 1 +'m sorry." "4o, my dear, be ause all along + had a kind of feeling that it wasn't real. + felt it was quite on the ards that you would ha$e hanged your mind by the ne%t morning. .ell, things are different now. You and 6enno% an lead a life of your own." 4adine said quietly/ "Yes. + an't lea$e 6enno%. !lease forgi$e me." "4othing to forgi$e," de lared 8r. )o"e. "You and + will go ba k to being old friends. .e'll &ust forget about that afternoon." 4adine "la ed a gentle hand on his arm. "Dear *efferson, thank you. +'m going to find 6enno% now." han e to look after you and treat you as you should be treated. + may say that afternoon was one of the ha""iest in my

She turned and left him. 8r. )o"e went on alone. 4adine found 6enno% sitting at the to" of the 0rae o12oman Theatre. He was in su h a brown study that he hardly noti ed her till she sank breathless at his side. "6enno%." "4adine." He half turned. She said/ ".e ha$en't been able to talk until now. -ut you know, don't you, that + am not lea$ing you?" He said gra$ely/ "Did you e$er really mean to, 4adine?" She nodded. "Yes. You see, it seemed to be the only "ossible thing left to do. + ho"ed 1 + ho"ed that you would ome after me. !oor *efferson, how mean + ha$e been to him." 6enno% ga$e a sudden urt laugh. "4o, you ha$en't. (nyone who is as unselfish as )o"e, ought to be gi$en full s o"e for his nobility' (nd you were right, you know, 4adine. .hen you told me that you were going away with him you ga$e me the sho k of my life. You know, honestly, + think + must ha$e been going queer or something lately. .hy the hell didn't + sna" my fingers in 8other's fa e and go off with you when you wanted me to?" She said gently/ "You ouldn't, my dear, you ouldn't." 6enno% said musingly/ "8other was a damned queer hara ter... + belie$e she'd got us all half hy"noti3ed." "She had." 6enno% mused a minute or two longer. Then he said/ ".hen you told me that afternoon 1 it was &ust like being hit a ra k on the

head' + walked ba k half da3ed, and then, suddenly + saw what a damned fool +'d been' + reali3ed that there was only one thing to be done if + didn't want to lose you." He felt her stiffen. His tone be ame grimmer. "+ went and 1 " "Don't..." He ga$e her a qui k glan e. "+ went and argued with her." He s"oke with a om"lete hange of tone 1 areful and rather toneless. "+ told her that +'d got to hoose between her and you 1 and that + hose you." There was a "ause. He re"eated, in a tone of a""ro$al/ "Yes, that's what + said to her." urious self1

14 !oirot met two "eo"le on his way home. The first was 8r. *efferson )o"e. "8. Her ule !oirot? 8y name's *efferson )o"e." The two men shook hands eremoniously. Then, falling into ste"

beside !oirot, 8r. )o"e e%"lained/ "+t's &ust got around to me that you're making a kind of routine inquiry into the death of my old friend, 8rs. -oynton. That ertainly was a sho king business. 7f ourse, mind you, the old lady ought ne$er to ha$e undertaken su h a fatiguing &ourney. -ut she was headstrong, 8. !oirot. Her family ould do nothing with her. She was by way of being a household tyrant 1 had had her own way too long, + guess. +t

ertainly is true that what she said went' Yes, sir, that was true." There was a momentary "ause.

ertainly

"+'d &ust like to tell you, 8. !oirot, that +'m an old friend of the -oynton family. 4aturally, they're all a good deal u"set o$er this business, they're a trifle ner$ous and highly strung too, you know, so if there are any arrangements to be made/ ne essary formalities, arrangements for the funeral, trans"ort of the body to *erusalem, why, +'ll take as mu h trouble as + an on their hands. *ust all u"on me for anything that needs doing." "+ am sure the family will a""re iate your offer," said !oirot. He added/ "You are, + think, a s"e ial friend of young 8rs. -oynton's." 8r. *efferson )o"e went a little "ink. ".ell. .e won't say mu h about that, 8. !oirot. + hear you had an inter$iew with 8rs. 6enno% -oynton this morning and she may ha$e gi$en you a hint how things were between us, but that's all o$er now. 8rs. -oynton is a $ery fine woman and she feels that her first duty is to her husband in his sad berea$ement." There was a "ause. !oirot re ei$ed the information by a deli ate gesture of the head. Then he murmured/ "+t is the desire of )olonel )arbury to ha$e a that afternoon?" ".hy, ertainly. (fter our lun heon and a brief rest we set out for a kind of informal tour around. .e es a"ed, +'m glad to say, lear statement on erning the ount of afternoon of 8rs. -oynton's death. )an you gi$e me an a

without that "estilential dragoman. That man's &ust

ra3y on the

sub&e t of the *ews. + don't think he's quite sane on that "oint. (nyway, as + was saying, we set out. +t was then that + had my inter$iew with 4adine. (fterwards, she wished to be alone with her husband to dis uss matters with him. + went off on my own, working gradually ba k towards the am". (bout half way there + met the two :nglish ladies who had been on the morning e%"edition. 7ne of them's an :nglish "eeress, + understand." !oirot said that su h was the ase. "(h, she's a fine woman, a $ery "owerful intelle t and $ery well informed. The other seemed to me rather a weak sister, and she looked about dead with fatigue. That e%"edition in the morning was $ery strenuous for an elderly lady, es"e ially when she doesn't like heights. .ell, as + was saying, + met these two ladies and was able to gi$e them some information on the sub&e t of the 4abateans. .e went around a bit and got ba k to the am" about si%. 6ady .estholme insisted on ha$ing tea and + had the "leasure of ha$ing a u" with her. The tea was kind of weak but it had an interesting fla$or. Then the boys laid the table for su""er and sent out for the old lady, only to find that she was sitting there dead in her hair." "Did you noti e her as you walked home?" "+ did &ust noti e she was there 1 it was her usual seat in the afternoon and e$ening, but + didn't "ay s"e ial attention. + was &ust e%"laining to 6ady .estholme the onditions of our re ent

slum". + had to kee" an eye on 8iss !ier e, too. She was so tired she ke"t turning her ankles." "Thank you, 8r. )o"e. 8ay + be so indis reet as to ask if 8rs. -oynton is likely to ha$e left a large fortune?" "( $ery onsiderable one. That is to say, stri tly s"eaking, it was not hers to lea$e. She had a life interest in it and at her death it is di$ided among the late :lmer -oynton's hildren. Yes, they will all be $ery omfortably off now." "8oney," murmured !oirot, "makes a lot of differen e. How many rimes ha$e been ommitted for it'" 8r. )o"e looked a little startled. ".hy, that's so, + su""ose," he admitted. !oirot smiled sweetly and murmured/ "-ut there are so many moti$es for murder, are there not? Thank you, 8r. )o"e, for your kind oo"eration." "You're wel ome, +'m sure," said 8r. )o"e. "Do + see 8iss 9ing sitting u" there? + think +'ll go and ha$e a word with her." !oirot ontinued to des end the hill. He met 8iss !ier e fluttering u" it. She greeted him breathlessly. "7h 8. !oirot, +'m so glad to meet you. +'$e been talking to that $ery odd -oynton girl 1 the youngest one, you know. She has been saying the strangest things 1 about enemies and some Sheikh who wanted to kidna" her and how she has s"ies all around her. 2eally, it sounded most romanti ' 6ady .estholme says it is all nonsense

and that she on e had a redheaded kit hen maid who told lies &ust like that, but + think sometimes that 6ady .estholme is rather hard. (nd after all, it might be true, mightn't it, 8. !oirot? + read some years ago that one of the )3ar's daughters was not killed in the 2e$olution in 2ussia but es a"ed se retly to (meri a. The 0rand Du hess Tatiana, + think it was. +f so, this might be her daughter, mightn't it? She did hint at something 2oyal. (nd she has a look, don't you think? 2ather Sla$i , those heekbones. How thrilling it would be'" 8iss !ier e looked wistful and e% ited. !oirot said, somewhat sententiously/ "+t is true that there are many strange things in life." "+ didn't really take in this morning who you are," said 8iss !ier e, las"ing her hands. "7f ourse you are that $ery famous dete ti$e' + read all about the (.-.). ase. +t was so thrilling. + had a tually a "ost as go$erness near Don aster at the time." !oirot murmured something. 8iss !ier e went on with growing agitation/ "That is why + felt that "erha"s + had been wrong this morning. 7ne must always tell e$erything, must one, of e$en the smallest detail, howe$er unrelated it may seem. -e ause, of ourse, if you are mi%ed u" in this, "oor 8rs. -oynton must ha$e been murdered' + see that now. + su""ose 8r. 8ah 8ood 1 + annot remember his name 1 but the dragoman, + mean 1 + su""ose he ould not be a -olshe$ik agent? 7r e$en, "erha"s, 8iss 9ing's? + belie$e many quite well brought u" young girls of good family belong to these dreadful )ommunists' That's why + wondered if +

ought to tell you 1 be ause, you see, it was rather "e uliar when one omes to think of it." "!re isely," said !oirot. "(nd therefore you will tell me all about it." ".ell, it's not really anything $ery mu h. +t's only that on the ne%t morning after 8rs. -oynton's death + was u" rather early and + looked out of my tent to see the effe t of the sunrise, you know. 7nly of ourse it wasn't a tually sunrise be ause the sun must ha$e risen quite an hour before. -ut it was early 1 " "Yes, yes. (nd you saw?" "That's the urious thing 1 at least at the time it didn't seem mu h. +t was only that + saw that -oynton girl ome out of her tent and fling something right out into the stream. 4othing in that, of ourse, but it glittered in the sunlight' (s it went through the air. +t glittered, you know." ".hi h -oynton girl was it?" "+ think it was the one they all )arol 1 a $ery ni e1looking girl 1 so like her brother. 2eally they might be twins. 7r, of ourse, it might ha$e been the youngest one. The sun was in my eyes so + ouldn't quite see. -ut + don't think the hair was red 1 &ust bron3e. +'m so fond or that o""ery bron3e hair' 2ed hair always says arrots to me'" She tittered. "(nd she threw away a brightly glittering ob&e t?" said !oirot. "Yes. (nd, of ourse, as + said, + didn't think mu h of it at the time. -ut later + had walked along the stream and 8iss 9ing was there.

(nd there amongst a lot of other $ery unsuitable things 1 e$en a tin or two 1 + saw a little bright metal bo%. 4ot an e%a t square. ( sort of long square if you understand what + mean 1 " "-ut, yes, + understand "erfe tly. (bout so long?" "Yes, how le$er of you' (nd + thought to myself, '+ su""ose that's what the -oynton girl threw away, but it's a ni e little bo%.' (nd &ust out of uriosity + "i ked it u" and o"ened it. +t had a kind of syringe inside 1 the same thing they stu k into my arm when + was being ino ulated for ty"hoid. (nd + thought how urious to throw it away like that be ause it didn't seem broken or anything. -ut &ust as + was wondering 8iss 9ing s"oke behind me. + hadn't heard her ome u". (nd she said, '7h, thank you 1 that's my hy"odermi . + was oming to look for it.' So + ga$e it to her and she went ba k to the am" with it." 8iss !ier e "aused and then went on hurriedly/ "(nd, of ourse, + e%"e t there is nothing in it 1 only it did seem a little urious that )arol -oynton should throw away 8iss 9ing's syringe. + mean, it was odd, if you know what + mean. Though of there is a $ery good e%"lanation." She "aused, looking e%"e tantly at !oirot. His fa e was gra$e. "Thank you 8ademoiselle. .hat you ha$e told me may not be im"ortant in itself, but + will tell you this' +t om"letes my ase' :$erything is now lear and in order." "7h, really?" 8iss !ier e looked as flushed and "leased as a hild. !oirot es orted her to the hotel. ourse + e%"e t

-a k in his own room he added one line to his memorandum/ 9'oint +o. #0. : never forget. 1emem5er that :6ve never forgotten anything...9 He nodded his head. "8ais oui," he said. "+t is all lear now'"

15 "8y "re"arations are om"lete," said Her ule !oirot. .ith a little sigh, he ste""ed ba k a "a e or two and arrangement of one of the uno ontem"lated his u"ied hotel bedrooms.

)olonel )arbury, leaning inelegantly against the bed whi h had been "ushed against the wall, smiled as he "uffed at his "i"e. "#unny feller, aren't you, !oirot?" he said. "6ike to dramati3e things." "!erha"s that is true," admitted the little dete ti$e. "-ut, indeed, it is not all self1indulgen e. +f one "lays a omedy, one must first set the s ene." "+s this a omedy?" ":$en if it is a tragedy 1 there, too, the de or must be orre t." )olonel )arbury looked at him uriously. ".ell," he said. "+t's u" to you' + don't know what you're dri$ing at. + gather, though, that you'$e got something." "+ shall ha$e the honor to "resent to you what you asked me for 1 the truth'"

"Do you think we an get a on$i tion?" "That, my friend, + did not "romise you." "True enough. 8aybe +'m glad you ha$en't. +t de"ends." "8y arguments are mainly "sy hologi al," said !oirot. )olonel )arbur$ sighed. "+ was afraid they might be." "-ut they will on$in e you," !oirot reassured him. "7h, yes, they will on$in e you. The truth, + ha$e always thought, is urious and beautiful." "Sometimes," said )olonel )arbury, "it's damned un"leasant." "4o, no." !oirot was earnest. "You take there the "ersonal $iew. Take instead, the abstra t, the deta hed "oint of $ision. Then the absolute logi of e$ents is fas inating and orderly." "+'ll try and look on it that way," said the )olonel. !oirot glan ed at his wat h, a large grotesque turni" of a wat h. "#amily heirloom?" inquired )arbury interestedly. "-ut, yes, indeed, it belonged to my grandfather." "Thought it might ha$e done." "+t is time to ommen e our "ro eedings," said !oirot. "You, mon )olonel, will sit here behind this table in an offi ial "osition." "7h, all right," )arbury grunted. "You don't want me to "ut my uniform on, do you?" "4o, no. +f you would "ermit that + straightened your tie." He suited the a tion to the word. )olonel )arbury grinned again,

sat

down

in

the

hair

indi ated

and

moment

later,

un ons iously, tweaked his tie around under his left ear again. "Here," ontinued !oirot, slightly altering the "osition of the

hairs, "we "la e la famille -oynton. (nd o$er here," he went on, "we will "la e the three outsiders who ha$e a definite stake in the ase. Dr. 0erard, on whose e$iden e the ase for the "rose ution de"ends. 8iss Sarah 9ing, who has two se"arate interests in the ase, a "ersonal one and that of medi al e%aminer. (lso 8. *efferson )o"e, who was on intimate terms with the -oyntons and so may be definitely des ribed as an interested "arty." He broke off. "(ha 1 here they ome." He o"ened the door to admit the "arty. 6enno% -oynton and his wife ame in first. 2aymond and )arol

followed. 0ine$ra walked by herself, a faint faraway smile on her li"s. Dr. 0erard and Sarah 9ing brought u" the rear. 8r. *efferson )o"e was a few minutes late and ame in with an a"ology. .hen he had taken his "la e, !oirot ste""ed forward. "6adies and gentlemen," he said, "this is an entirely informal gathering. +t has ome about through the a ident of my "resen e in (mman. )olonel )arbury did me the honor to onsult me 1 " !oirot was interru"ted. The interru"tion ame from what was

seemingly the most unlikely quarter. 6enno% -oynton said suddenly and "ugna iously/ ".hy? .hy the de$il should he bring you into this business?"

!oirot wa$ed a hand gra efully. "8e, + am often alled in ases of sudden death." 6enno% -oynton said/ "Do tors send for you whene$er there is a ase of heart failure?" !oirot said gently/ "Heart failure is su h a $ery loose and uns ientifi term." )olonel )arbury s"oke in an leared his throat. +t was an offi ial noise. He tone/ "-est to make it quite lear. urren e.

offi ial

)ir umstan es of death re"orted to me. ,ery natural o

.eather unusually hot. *ourney a $ery trying one for an elderly lady in bad health. So far all quite lear. -ut Dr. 0erard ame to me and $olunteered a statement 1 " He looked inquiringly at !oirot. !oirot nodded. "Dr. 0erard is a $ery eminent "hysi ian with a worldwide re"utation. (ny statement he makes is bound to be re ei$ed with attention. Dr. 0erard's statement was as follows/ 7n the morning after 8rs. -oynton's death, he noti ed that a ertain quantity of a "owerful drug a ting on the heart was missing from his medi al su""lies. 7n the "re$ious afternoon he had noted the disa""earan e of a hy"odermi woman's wrist syringe." )olonel )arbury "aused. "+n these ir umstan es + onsidered that it was the duty of those in authority to inquire into the matter. 8. syringe. Syringe was returned

during the night. #inal "oint 1 there was a "un ture on the dead orres"onding to the mark of a hy"odermi

Her ule !oirot was my guest and $ery

onsiderately offered his

highly s"e iali3ed ser$i es. + ga$e him full authority to make any in$estigations he "leased. .e are assembled here now to hear his re"ort on the matter." There was silen e. ( silen e so a ute that you ould ha$e heard 1 as the saying is 1 a "in dro". ( tually, somebody in the ne%t room did dro" what was "robably a shoe. +t sounded like a bomb in the hushed atmos"here. !oirot ast a qui k glan e at the little grou" of three "eo"le on his right, then turned his ga3e to the fi$e "eo"le huddled together on his left 1 a grou" of "eo"le with frightened eyes. !oirot said quietly/ ".hen )olonel )arbury mentioned this business to me, + ga$e him my o"inion as an e%"ert. + told him that it might not be "ossible to bring "roof 1 su h "roof as would be admissible in a ourt of law 1 but + told him $ery definitely that + was sure + "eo"le in$estigate a know'" He "aused. "So, in this ase, although you ha$e lied to me, you ould arri$e at the truth sim"ly by questioning the rime it is only ne essary to let the guilty "arty or on erned. #or let me tell you this, my friends, to

"arties talk. (lways, in the end, they tell you what you want to

ha$e also, unwittingly, told me the truth." He heard a faint sigh, the s ra"e of a right, but he did not look around. He -oyntons. hair on the floor to his ontinued to look at the

"#irst, + e%amined the "ossibility of 8rs. -oynton's ha$ing died a natural death 1 and + de ided against it. The missing drug, the hy"odermi syringe, and abo$e all, the attitude of the dead lady's family all on$in ed me that that su""osition ould not be entertained. 4ot only was 8rs. -oynton killed in old blood 1 but e$ery member of her family was aware of the fa t' )olle ti$ely they rea ted as guilty "arties." "-ut there are degrees in guilt. + e%amined the e$iden e arefully with a $iew to as ertaining whether the murder 1 yes, it was murder' 1 had been ommitted by the old lady's family a ting on a on erted "lan. There was, + may say, o$erwhelming moti$e. 7ne and all stood to gain by her death 1 both in the finan ial sense 1 for they would at on e attain finan ial inde"enden e and indeed en&oy $ery onsiderable wealth 1 and also in the sense of being freed from what had be ome an almost insu""ortable tyranny." "To ontinue/ + de ided, almost immediately, that the on erted

theory would not hold water. The stories of the -oynton family did not do$etail neatly into ea h other and no system of workable alibis had been arranged. The fa ts seemed more to suggest that one 1 or "ossibly two members of the family had a ted in ollusion and that the others were a "+ ne%t essories after the fa t."

onsidered whi h "arti ular member or members were

indi ated. Here, + may say, + was in lined to be biased by a ertain "ie e of e$iden e known only to myself." Here !oirot re ounted his e%"erien e in *erusalem.

"4aturally, that "ointed $ery strongly to 8. 2aymond -oynton as the "rime mo$er in the affair. Studying the family + on lusion that the most likely re i"ient of his ame to the onfiden es that

night would be his sister )arol. They strongly resembled ea h other in a""earan e and tem"erament, and so would ha$e a keen bond of sym"athy and they also "ossessed the ner$ous rebellious tem"erament ne essary for the on e"tion of su h an a t. That their moti$es were "artly unselfish 1 to free the whole family and "arti ularly their younger sister 1 only made the "lanning of the deed more "lausible." !oirot "aused a minute. 2aymond -oynton half o"ened his li"s, then shut them again. His eyes looked steadily at !oirot with a kind of dumb agony in them. "-efore + go into the ase against 2aymond -oynton, + would like to read to you a list of signifi ant "oints whi h + drew u" and submitted to )olonel )arbury this afternoon/

S+04+#+)(4T !7+4TS #. &rs. Boynton .as ta,ing a mixt)re containing digitalis. *. Dr. erard missed a hypodermic syringe.

3. &rs. Boynton too, definite pleas)re in ,eeping her family from en3oying themselves .ith other people. (. &rs. Boynton0 on the afternoon in /)estion0 enco)raged her family to go a.ay and leave her.

5. &rs. Boynton .as a mental sadist. 2. 4he distance from the mar/)ee to the place .here &rs. Boynton .as sitting is (ro)ghly) t.o h)ndred yards. ;. &. $ennox Boynton said at first he did not ,no. .hat time he ret)rned to the camp0 5)t later he admitted having set his mother6s .rist.atch to the right time. 7. Dr. erard and &iss inevra Boynton occ)pied tents next door

to each other. <. 8t half-past six0 .hen dinner .as ready0 a servant .as dispatched to anno)nce the fact to &rs. Boynton. #0. &rs. Boynton0 in Jer)salem0 )sed these .ords: 6: never forget. 1emem5er that. :6ve never forgotten anything.6 (lthough + ha$e numbered the "oints se"arately, o the first two. 8rs. -oynton was taking a mi%ture "oints were the first thing that stru k me about the asionally ontaining ase, and +

they an be bra keted in "airs. That is the ase, for instan e, with digitalis. Dr. 0erard had missed a hy"odermi syringe. Those two may say to you that + found them most e%traordinary 1 and quite irre on ilable. You do not see what + mean? 4o matter. + will return to the "oint "resently. 6et it suffi e that + noted those two "oints as something that had definitely got to be e%"lained satisfa torily." "+ will on lude now with my study of the "ossibility of 2aymond -oynton's guilt. The following are the fa ts/ He had been heard to dis uss the "ossibility of taking 8rs. -oynton's life. He was in a

ondition of great ner$ous e% itement. He had 1 8ademoiselle will forgi$e me 1 "he bowed a"ologeti ally to Sarah 1 "&ust "assed through a moment of great emotional risis. That is, he had fallen in lo$e. The e%altation of his feelings might lead him to a t in one of se$eral ways. He might feel mellowed and softened towards the world in general, in luding his ste"mother, he might feel the ourage at last to defy her and shake off her influen e or he might find &ust the additional s"ur to turn his rime from theory to "ra ti e. That is the "sy hology' 6et us now e%amine the fa ts." "2aymond -oynton left the am" with the others about three1

fifteen. 8rs. -oynton was then ali$e and well. -efore long 2aymond and Sarah 9ing had a tJte1K1tJte inter$iew. Then he left her. ( ording to him, he returned to the am" at ten minutes to si%. He went u" to his mother, e% hanged a few words with her, then went to his tent and afterwards down to the marquee. He says that at ten minutes to si% 8rs. -oynton was ali$e and well." "-ut we now ome to a fa t whi h dire tly ontradi ts that

statement. (t half1"ast si% 8rs. -oynton's death was dis o$ered by a ser$ant. 8iss 9ing, who holds a medi al degree, e%amined her body and she swears definitely that at that time, though she did not "ay any s"e ial attention to the time when death had o urred, it had most ertainly and de isi$ely taken "la e at least an hour @and "robably a good deal moreA before si% o' lo k." ".e ha$e here, you see, two onfli ting statements. Setting aside the "ossibility that 8iss 9ing may ha$e made a mistake 1 "

Sarah interru"ted him. "+ don't make mistakes. That is, if + had, + would admit to it." Her tone was hard and lear. !oirot bowed to her "olitely. "Then there are only two "ossibilities 1 either 8iss 9ing or 8. -oynton is lying' 6et us e%amine 2aymond -oynton's reasons for so doing. 6et us assume that 8iss 9ing was not mistaken and not deliberately lying. .hat then was the sequen e of e$ents? 2aymond -oynton returns to the am", sees his mother sitting at the mouth of her a$e, goes u" to her and finds she is dead. .hat does he do? Does he the all for hel"? Does he immediately inform am" of what has ha""ened? 4o, he waits a minute or two,

then "asses on to his tent and &oins his family in the marquee and says nothing. Su h ondu t is e% eedingly urious, is it not?" 2aymond said, in a ner$ous shar" $oi e/ "+t would be idioti , of ourse. That ought to show you that my mother was ali$e and well, as +'$e said. 8iss 9ing was flustered and u"set and made a mistake." "7ne asks oneself," said !oirot, almly swee"ing on, whether there ould "ossibly be a reason for su h ondu t? +t seems, on the fa e of it, that 2aymond -oynton annot be guilty, sin e at the only time he was known to a""roa h his ste"mother that afternoon, she had already been dead for some time. 4ow, su""osing, therefore, that 2aymond -oynton is inno ent, an we e%"lain his ondu t?" "(nd + say, that on the assum"tion that he is inno ent we an' #or

+ remember that fragment of

on$ersation + o$erheard. 'You do omes ba k from

see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?' He

his walk and finds her dead and at on e his guilty memory en$isages a ertain "ossibility. The "lan has been arried out, not by him, but by his fellow "lanner. Tout sim"lement he sus"e ts that his sister, )arol -oynton, is guilty." "+t's a lie," said 2aymond in a low, trembling $oi e. !oirot went on/ "6et us now take the "ossibility of )arol -oynton being the murderess. .hat is the e$iden e against her? She has the same highly1strung tem"erament 1 the kind of tem"erament that might see su h a deed olored with heroism. +t was she to ording whom 2aymond -oynton was talking that night in *erusalem. )arol -oynton returned to the am" at ten minutes "ast fi$e. ( saw her do so. The to her own story, she went u" and s"oke to her mother. 4o one am" was deserted 1 the boys were aslee". a$es ase, 6ady .estholme, 8iss !ier e and 8. )o"e were e%"loring "ossible a tion. The time would agree well enough. The then, against )arol -oynton, is a "erfe tly "ossible one." He "aused. )arol had raised her head. Her eyes looked steadily and sorrowfully into his. "There is one other "oint. The following morning, $ery early, )arol -oynton was seen to throw something into the stream. There is reason to belie$e that that 'something' was a hy"odermi syringe."

out of sight of the am". There was no witness to )arol -oynton's

")omment?" Dr. 0erard looked u" sur"rised. "-ut my hy"odermi was returned. Yes, yes, + ha$e it now." !oirot nodded $igorously. "Yes, yes. This se ond hy"odermi , it is $ery belonged to 8iss 9ing. +s that so?" Sarah "aused for a fra tion of a se ond. )arol s"oke qui kly/ "+t was not 8iss 9ing's syringe," she said. "+t was mine." "Then you admit throwing it away, 8ademoiselle?" She hesitated &ust a se ond. "Yes, of ourse. .hy shouldn't +?" ")arol'" +t was 4adine. She leaned forward, her eyes wide and distressed. ")arol. . . 7h, + don't understand..." )arol turned and looked at her. There was something hostile in her glan e. "There's nothing to understand' + threw away an old hy"odermi . + ne$er tou hed the 1 the "oison." Sarah's $oi e broke in. "+t is quite true what 8iss !ier e told you, 8. !oirot. +t was my syringe." !oirot smiled. "+t is $ery think, it onfusing, this affair of the hy"odermi 1 and yet, + ases urious 1 $ery

interesting. + ha$e been gi$en to understand that this hy"odermi

ould be e%"lained. (h, well, we ha$e now two

made out 1 the ase for the inno en e of 2aymond -oynton 1 the ase for the guilt of his sister )arol. -ut me, + am s ru"ulously fair. + look always on both sides. 6et us e%amine what o urred if )arol

-oynton was inno ent." "She returns to the am", she goes u" to her ste"mother, and she finds her 1 shall we say 1 dead' .hat is the first thing she will think? She will sus"e t that her brother 2aymond may ha$e killed her. She does not know what to do. So she says nothing. (nd "resently, about an hour later, 2aymond -oynton returns and, ha$ing "resumably s"oken to his mother, says nothing of anything being amiss. Do you not think that then her sus"i ions would be ome ertainties? !erha"s she goes to his tent and finds there a hy"odermi syringe. Then, indeed she is sure' She takes it qui kly and hides it. :arly in the morning she flings it as far away as she an." "There is one more indi ation that )arol -oynton is inno ent. She assures me, when + question her, that she and her brother ne$er seriously intended to arry out their "lan. + ask her to swear 1 and she swears immediately and with the utmost solemnity that she is not guilty of the rime' You see, that is the way she "uts it. She does not swear that they are not guilty. She swears for herself, not her brother 1 and thinks that + will not "ay s"e ial attention to the "ronoun." ":h bien, that is the ase for the inno en e of )arol -oynton. (nd now let us go ba k a ste" and onsider not the inno en e but the "ossible guilt of 2aymond. 6et us su""ose that )arol is s"eaking the truth, that 8rs. -oynton was ali$e at fi$e1ten. 5nder what ir umstan es an 2aymond be guilty? .e an su""ose that he killed his mother at ten minutes to si% when he went u" to s"eak

to her. There were boys about the 9ing lied. 2emember, she

am", true, but the light was am" only fi$e

failing. +t might ha$e been managed but it then follows that 8iss ame ba k to the minutes after 2aymond. #rom the distan e she would see him go u" to his mother. Then, when later she is found dead, 8iss 9ing reali3es that 2aymond has killed her. To sa$e him, she lies 1 knowing that Dr. 0erard is down with fe$er and annot e%"ose her lie'" "+ did not lie'" said Sarah learly. "There is yet another "ossibility. 8iss 9ing, as + ha$e said, rea hed the am" a few minutes after 2aymond. +f 2aymond -oynton found his mother ali$e, it may ha$e been 8iss 9ing who administered the fatal in&e tion. She belie$ed that 8rs. -oynton was fundamentally e$il. She may ha$e seen herself as a &ust e%e utioner. That would equally well e%"lain her lying about the time of death." Sarah had grown $ery "ale. She s"oke in a low steady $oi e/ "+t is true that + s"oke of the e%"edien y of one "erson dying to sa$e many. +t was the !la e of Sa rifi e that suggested the idea to me. -ut + head'" "(nd yet," said !oirot softly, "one of you two must be lying." 2aymond -oynton shifted in his hair. He ried out im"etuously/ an swear to you that + ne$er harmed that disgusting old woman 1 nor would the idea of doing so e$er ha$e entered my

"You win, 8. !oirot' +'m the liar. 8other was dead when + went u"

to her. +t 1 it quite kno ked me out. You see, +'d been going to ha$e it out with her. To tell her that from hen eforth + was a free agent. + was all set, you understand. (nd there she was 1 dead' Her hand all old and flabby. (nd + thought 1 &ust what you said. + thought maybe )arol 1 you see, there was the mark on her wrist 1 " !oirot said qui kly/ "That is the one "oint on whi h + am not yet om"letely informed. .hat was the method you em"loying? You had a method 1 and it was you, you must tell me the rest." 2aymond said hurriedly/ "+t was a way + read in a book 1 an :nglish dete ti$e story. You stu k an em"ty hy"odermi thought we'd do it that way." "(h," said !oirot. "+ om"rehend. (nd you "ur hased a syringe?" "4o. (s a matter of fa t, we "in hed 4adine's." !oirot shot a qui k look at her. "The syringe that is in your baggage in *erusalem?" he murmured. ( faint olor showed in the young woman's fa e. "+ 1 + wasn't sure what had be ome of it," she said, !oirot murmured/ "You are so qui k1witted, 8adame." syringe into someone and it did the tri k. +t sounded "erfe tly s ientifi . + 1 + ounted on onne ted with a

hy"odermi syringe. That mu h + know. +f you want me to belie$e

16 There was a "ause. Then, learing his throat with a slightly

affe ted sound, !oirot went on/ ".e ha$e now sol$ed the mystery of what + might term the se ond hy"odermi . That belonged to 8rs. 6enno% -oynton, was taken by 2aymond -oynton before lea$ing *erusalem, was taken from 2aymond by )arol after the dis o$ery' of 8rs. -oynton's dead body, was thrown away by her, found by 8iss !ier e, and laimed by 8iss 9ing as hers. + "resume 8iss 9ing has it now." "+ ha$e," said Sarah. "So that when you said it was yours &ust now, you were doing what you told us you do not do 1 you told a lie." Sarah said almly/ "That's a different kind of lie. +t isn't 1 it isn't a "rofessional lie." 0erard nodded a""re iation. "Yes, it is a "oint that. + understand you "erfe tly 8ademoiselle." "Thanks," said Sarah. (gain !oirot leared his throat/ "6et us now re$iew our time table/ Thus/ Boyntons and Jefferson Cope leave the camp 3:05 (approx.) Dr. erard and !arah "ing leave the camp 3:#5 (approx.)

$ady %estholme and &iss 'ierce leave the camp (:#5 Dr. erard ret)rns to camp (:*0 (approx.)

$ennox Boynton ret)rns to camp (:35 +adine Boynton ret)rns to camp and tal,s to &rs. Boynton (:(0

(approx.) +adine Boynton leaves her mother-in-la. and goes to mar/)ee (:50 (approx.) Carol Boynton ret)rns to camp 5:#0 $ady %estholme0 &iss 'ierce and &. Jefferson Cope ret)rn to camp 5:(0 1aymond Boynton ret)rns to camp 5:50 !arah "ing ret)rns to camp 2:00 Body discovered 2:30 "There is, you will noti e, a ga" of twenty minutes between four1 fifty, when 4adine -oynton left her mother1in1law, and fi$e1ten when )arol returned. Therefore, if )arol is s"eaking the truth, 8rs. -oynton must ha$e been killed in that twenty minutes." "4ow who ould ha$e killed her? (t that time 8iss 9ing and

2aymond -oynton were together. 8r. )o"e @not that he had any "er ei$able moti$e for killing herA has an alibi. He was with 6ady .estholme and 8iss !ier e. 6enno% -oynton was with his wife in the marquee. Dr. 0erard was groaning with fe$er in his tent. The am" is deserted, the boys are aslee". +t is a suitable moment for a rime' .as there a "erson who ould ha$e ommitted it?" His eyes went thoughtfully to 0ine$ra -oynton. "There was one "erson. 0ine$ra -oynton was in her tent all the afternoon. That is what we ha$e been told 1 but a tually there is e$iden e that she was not in her tent all the time/ 0ine$ra

-oynton made a $ery signifi ant remark. She said that Dr. 0erard s"oke her name in his fe$er. (nd Dr. 0erard has also told us that he dreamt in his fe$er of 0ine$ra -oynton's fa e. -ut it was not a dream' +t was a tually her fa e he saw, standing there by his bed. He thought it an effe t of fe$er 1 but it was the truth. 0ine$ra was in Dr. 0erard's tent. +s it not "ossible that she had ba k the hy"odermi syringe after using it?" 0ine$ra -oynton raised her head with its rown of red1gold hair. ome to "ut

Her wide beautiful eyes stared at !oirot. They were singularly e%"ressionless. She looked like a $ague saint. "(h' 8e non'" ried Dr. 0erard. "+s it then so "sy hologi ally im"ossible?" inquired !oirot. The #ren hman's eyes dro""ed. 4adine -oynton said shar"ly/ "+t's quite im"ossible'" !oirot's eyes ame qui kly round to her. "+m"ossible, 8adame?" "Yes." She "aused, bit her li", then went on/ "+ will not hear of su h a disgra eful a usation against my young sister1in1law. .e 1 all of us 1 know it to be im"ossible." 0ine$ra mo$ed a little on her hair. The lines of her mouth rela%ed into a smile 1 the tou hing, inno ent, half1un ons ious smile of a $ery young girl. 4adine said again/ "+m"ossible." Her gentle fa e had hardened into lines of determination. The eyes that met !oirot's were hard and unflin hing.

!oirot leaned forward in what was half a bow. "8adame is $ery intelligent," he said. 4adine said quietly/ ".hat do you mean by that, 8. !oirot?" "+ mean, 8adame, that all along + ha$e reali3ed you ha$e what + belie$e is alled an 'e% ellent head"ie e.'" "You flatter me." "+ think not. (ll along you ha$e en$isaged the situation almly and olle tedly. You ha$e remained on outwardly good terms with your husband's mother, deeming that the best thing to be done, but inwardly you ha$e &udged and ondemned her. + think that some time ago you reali3ed that the only han e for your husband's ha""iness was for him to make an effort to lea$e home 1 strike out on his own, no matter how diffi ult and "enurious su h a life might be. You were willing to take all risks and you endea$ored to influen e him to e%a tly that ourse of a tion. -ut you failed, 8adame. 6enno% -oynton had no longer the will to freedom. He was ontent to sink into a ondition of a"athy and melan holy." "4ow, + ha$e no doubt at all, 8adame, but that you lo$e your husband. Your de ision to lea$e him was not a tuated by a greater lo$e for another man. +t was, + think, a des"erate $enture undertaken as a last ho"e. ( woman in your "osition ould only try three things. She ould try a""eal. That, as + ha$e said, failed. She ould threaten to lea$e her husband. -ut it is "ossible that e$en that threat would not ha$e mo$ed 6enno% -oynton. +t would "lunge him dee"er in misery but it would not ause him to rebel.

There was one last des"erate throw. You

ould go away with

another man. *ealousy and the instin t of "ossession are two of the most dee"ly rooted fundamental instin ts in man. You showed your wisdom in trying to rea h that dee", underground, sa$age instin t. +f 6enno% -oynton would let you go to another man without an effort 1 then he must indeed be beyond human aid, and you might as well then try to make a new life for yourself elsewhere." "-ut let us su""ose that e$en that last des"erate remedy failed. Your husband was terribly u"set at your de ision, but in s"ite of that he did not, as you had ho"ed, rea t as a "rimiti$e man might ha$e done, with an u"rush of the "ossessi$e instin t. .as there anything at all that ould sa$e your husband from his own ra"idly failing mental ondition? 7nly one thing. +f his ste"mother were to die, it might not be too late. He might be able to start life anew as a free man, building u" in himself inde"enden e and manliness on e more." !oirot "aused, then re"eated gently/ "+f your mother1in1law were to die..." 4adine's eyes were still fi%ed on his. +n an unmo$ed gentle $oi e she said/ "You are suggesting that + hel"ed to bring that e$ent about, are you not? -ut you annot do so, 8. !oirot. (fter + had broken the news of my im"ending de"arture to 8rs. -oynton, + went straight to the marquee and &oined 6enno%. + did not lea$e there again until my mother1in1law was found dead. 0uilty of her death + may be, in the sense that + ga$e her a sho k 1 that of

ourse "resu""oses a natural death. -ut if, as you say 1 @though so far you ha$e no dire t e$iden e of it and annot ha$e until an auto"sy has taken "la eA 1 she was deliberately killed, then + had no o""ortunity of doing so." !oirot said/ "You did not lea$e the marquee again until your mother1in1law was found dead? That is what you ha$e &ust said. That, 8rs. -oynton, was one of the "oints + found this ase." ".hat do you mean?" "+t is here on my list. !oint ?. (t half1"ast si%, when dinner was ready, a ser$ant was dis"at hed to announ e the fa t to 8rs. -oynton." 2aymond said/ "+ don't understand." )arol said/ "4o more do +." !oirot looked from one to the other of them. "You do not, eh? '( ser$ant was sent'. .hy a ser$ant? .ere you not, all of you, most assiduous in your attendan e on the old lady as a general rule? Did not one or another of you always es ort her to meals? She was infirm. +t was diffi ult for her to rise from a hair without assistan e. (lways one or another of you was at her elbow. + suggest then, that on dinner being announ ed, the natural thing would ha$e been for one or another of her family to go out and hel" her. -ut not one of you offered to do so. You all sat there, "araly3ed, wat hing ea h other, wondering "erha"s, why no one went." urious about

4adine said shar"ly/ "(ll this is absurd, 8. !oirot' .e were all tired that e$ening. .e ought to ha$e gone, + admit, but 1 on that e$ening 1 we &ust didn't'" "!re isely 1 "re isely 1 on that "arti ular e$ening' You, 8adame, did "erha"s more waiting on her than anyone else. +t was one of the duties that you a e"ted me hani ally. -ut that e$ening you did not offer to go out to hel" her in. .hy? That is what + asked myself 1 why? (nd + tell you my answer. -e ause you knew quite well that she was dead..." "4o, no, do not interru"t me, 8adame." He raised an im"assioned hand. "You will now listen to me 1 Hereule !oirot' There were witnesses to your on$ersation with your mother1in1law. .itnesses who ould see but who ould not hear' 6ady .estholme and 8iss !ier e were a long way off. They saw you a""arently ha$ing a on$ersation with your mother1in1law, but what a tual e$iden e is there of what o urred? + will "ro"ound to you instead a little theory. You ha$e brains, 8adame. +f in your quiet, unhurried fashion you ha$e de ided on 1 shall we say the elimination of your husband's mother? 1 you will arry it out with intelligen e and with due "re"aration. You ha$e a ess to Dr. 0erard's tent during his absen e on the morning e% ursion. You are fairly sure that you will find a suitable drug. Your nursing training hel"s you there. You hoose digito%in 1 the same kind of drug that the old lady is taking. You also take his hy"odermi syringe sin e, to your annoyan e, your own has disa""eared. You ho"e to re"la e the latter before the do tor noti es its absen e."

"-efore "ro eeding to

arry out your "lan, you make one last

attem"t to stir your husband into a tion. You tell him of your intention to marry *efferson )o"e. Though your husband is terribly u"set, he does not rea t as you had ho"ed so you are for ed to "ut your "lan of murder into a tion. You return to the am", e% hanging a "leasant natural word with 6ady .estholme and 8iss !ier e as you "ass. You go u" to where your mother1in1law is sitting. You ha$e the syringe with the drug in it ready. +t is easy to sei3e her wrist and 1 "rofi ient as you are with your nurse's training 1 for e home the "lunger. +t is done before your mother1in1 law reali3es what you are doing. #rom far down the $alley the others only see you talking to her, bending o$er her. Then, deliberately, you go and fet h a engaged in an ami able hair and sit there, a""arently on$ersation for some minutes. Death

must ha$e been almost instantaneous. +t is a dead woman to whom you sit talking, but who shall guess that? Then you "ut away the hair and go down to the marquee where you find your husband reading a book. (nd you are areful not to lea$e that marquee' 8rs. -oynton's death, you are sure, will be "ut down to heart trouble. @+t will, indeed, be due to heart trouble.A +n only one thing ha$e your "lans gone astray. You annot return the syringe to Dr. 0erard's tent be ause the do tor is in there shi$ering with malaria 1 and although you do not know it, he has already missed the syringe. That, 8adame, was the flaw in an otherwise "erfe t rime." There was silen e 1 a moment's dead silen e 1 then 6enno%

-oynton s"rang to his feet. "4o'" he shouted. "That's a damned lie. 4adine did nothing. She ouldn't ha$e done anything. 8y mother 1 my mother was already dead." "(h'" !oirot's eyes ame gently around to him. "So, after all, it was you who killed her, 8. -oynton?" (gain a moment's "ause 1 then 6enno% dro""ed ba k into his hair and raised trembling hands to his fa e. "Yes 1 that's right 1 + killed her." "You took the digito%in from Dr. 0erard's tent?" "Yes." ".hen?" "(s 1 as 1 you said 1 in the morning." "(nd the syringe?" "The syringe? Yes." ".hy did you kill her?" ")an you ask?" "+ am asking, 8. -oynton'" "-ut you know my wife was lea$ing me 1 with )o"e 1 " "Yes, but you only learned that in the afternoon'" 6enno% stared at him. "7f ourse. .hen we were out 1 "

"-ut you took the "oison and the syringe in the morning 1 before you knew?" ".hy the hell do you badger me with questions?" He "aused and "assed a shaking hand a ross his forehead. ".hat does it matter, anyway?" "+t matters a great deal. + ad$ise you, 8. 6enno% -oynton, to tell me the truth." "The truth?" 6enno% stared at him. 4adine suddenly turned abru"tly in her hair and ga3ed into her husband's fa e. "That is what + said 1 the truth." "-y 0od, + will," said 6enno% suddenly. "-ut + don't know whether you will belie$e me." He drew a dee" breath. "That afternoon, when + left 4adine, + was absolutely all to "ie es. +'d ne$er dreamed she'd go from me to someone else. + was 1 + was nearly mad' + felt as though + was drunk or re o$ering from a bad illness." !oirot nodded. He said/ "+ noted 6ady .estholme's des ri"tion of your gait when you "assed her. That is why + knew your wife was not s"eaking the truth when she said she told you after you were both ba k at the am". )ontinue, 8. -oynton." "+ hardly knew what + was doing... -ut as + got near, my brain seemed to lear. +t flashed o$er me that + had only myself to blame' +'d been a miserable worm' + ought to ha$e defied my ste"mother and leared out years ago. (nd it ame to me that it

mightn't be too late e$en now. There she was, the old de$il, sitting u" like an obs ene idol against the red announ e that + was liffs. + went right u" to ha$e it out with her. + meant to tell her &ust what + thought and to learing out. + had a wild idea + might get away at on e that e$ening 1 lear out with 4adine and get as far as 8a'an anyway that night." "7h, 6enno% 1 my dear 1 " +t was a long soft sigh. He went on/ "(nd then, my 0od 1 you ould ha$e stru k me down with a tou h' She was dead. Sitting there 1 dead... + 1 + didn't know what to do. + was dumb 1 da3ed. :$erything + was going to shout out at her bottled u" inside me 1 turning to lead 1 + an't e%"lain... Stone 1 that's what it felt like 1 being turned to stone. + did something me hani ally. + "i ked u" her wristwat h @it was lying in her la"A and "ut it around her wrist 1 her horrid, lim", dead wrist..." He shuddered. "0od' +t was awful' Then + stumbled down, went into the marquee. + ought to ha$e alled someone, + su""ose but + ouldn't. + &ust sat there, turning the "ages 1 waiting..." He sto""ed. "You won't belie$e that 1 you an't. .hy didn't + all someone? Tell 4adine? + don't know." Dr. 0erard leared his throat. "Your statement is "erfe tly ession

"lausible, 8. -oynton," he said. "You were in a bad ner$ous ondition. Two se$ere sho ks administered in ra"id su

would be quite enough to "ut you in the

ondition you ha$e

des ribed +t is the .eissenhalter rea tion 1 best e%em"lified in the ase of a bird that has dashed its head against a window. :$en after its re o$ery it refrains instin ti$ely from all a tion 1 gi$ing itself time to read&ust the ner$e enters. + do not e%"ress myself well in :nglish, but what + mean is this/ You ould not ha$e a ted any other way. (ny de isi$e a tion of any kind would ha$e been quite im"ossible for you' You "assed through a "eriod of mental "aralysis." He turned to !oirot. "+ assure you, my friend, that is so'" "7h, + do not doubt it," said !oirot. "There was a little fa t + had already noted 1 the fa t that 8. -oynton had re"la ed his mother's wristwat h. That was a"able of two e%"lanations 1 it might ha$e been a o$er for the a tual deed, or it might ha$e been obser$ed and misinter"reted by young 8rs. -oynton. She returned only fi$e minutes after her husband. She must therefore ha$e seen that a tion. .hen she got u" to her mother1in1law and found her dead, with the mark of a hy"odermi syringe on her wrist, she would naturally &um" to the on lusion that her husband had ommitted the deed 1 that her announ ement of her de ision to lea$e him had "rodu ed a rea tion in him different from that for whi h she had ho"ed. -riefly. 4adine -oynton belie$ed that she had ins"ired her husband to ommit murder." He looked at 4adine. "That is so, 8adame?" She bowed her head. Then she asked/ "Did you really sus"e t me,

8. !oirot?" "+ thought you were a "ossibility, 8adame." She leaned forward. "(nd now? .hat really ha""ened, 8. !oirot?"

17 ".hat really ha""ened?" !oirot re"eated. He rea hed behind him, drew forward a hair and sat down. His

manner was now friendly 1 informal. "+t is a question, is it not? #or the digito%in was taken, the syringe was missing. There was the mark of a hy"odermi on 8rs. -oynton's wrist." "+t is true that in a few days' time we shall know definitely 1 the auto"sy will tell us 1 whether 8rs. -oynton died of an o$erdose of digitalis or not. -ut then it may be too late' +t would be better to rea h the truth tonight 1 while the murderer is here under our hand." 4adine raised her head shar"ly. "You mean that you still belie$e that one of us here in this room 1 " Her $oi e died away. !oirot was slowly nodding to himself. "The truth 1 that is what + "romised )olonel )arbury. (nd so, ha$ing leared our "ath we are ba k again where + was earlier in the day, writing down a list of "rinted fa ts and being fa ed straight away with two glaring in onsisten ies." )olonel )arbury s"oke for the first time. "Su""ose, now, we hear what they are?" he suggested.

!oirot said with dignity/ "+ am about to tell you. .e will take on e more those first two fa ts on my list. 8rs. -oynton was taking a mi%ture of digitalis and Dr. 0erard missed a hy"odermi syringe. Take those fa ts and set them against the undeniable fa t with whi h + was immediately onfronted/ that the -oynton family showed unmistakably guilty rea tions. +t would seem therefore ertain that one of the -oynton family must ha$e ommitted the rime' (nd yet those two fa ts + mentioned were all against that theory. #or, see you, to take a on entrated solution of digitalis 1 that, yes, it is a le$er idea, be ause 8rs. -oynton was already taking the drug. -ut what would a member of her family do then? (h, ma foi' There was only one sensible thing to do. !ut the "oison into her bottle of medi ine' That is what anyone 1 anyone with a grain of sense and who had a ertainly do'" "Sooner or later 8rs. -oynton takes a dose and dies 1 and e$en if the digito%in is dis o$ered in the bottle it may be set down as a mistake of the hemist who made it u". )ertainly nothing an be "ro$ed'" ".hy, then, the theft of the hy"odermi needle?" "There an be only two e%"lanations of that. :ither Dr. 0erard ess to the ess to the medi ine 1 would

o$erlooked the syringe and it was ne$er stolen, or else the syringe was taken be ause the murderer had not got a medi ine 1 that is to say, the murderer was not a member of the -oynton family. The two first fa ts "oint o$erwhelmingly to an outsider as ha$ing ommitted the rime'"

"+ saw that but + was "u33led, as + say, by the strong e$iden es of guilt dis"layed by the -oynton family. .as it "ossible that, in s"ite of that ons iousness of guilt, the -o$ntons were inno ent? + set out to "ro$e, not the guilt, but the inno en e of those "eo"le'" "That is where we stand now. The murder was ommitted by an

outsider 1 that is, by someone who was not suffi iently intimate with 8rs. -oynton to enter her tent or to handle her medi ine bottle." He "aused. "There are three "eo"le in this room who are, te hni ally, outsiders, but who ha$e a definite onne tion with the ase." "8. )o"e whom we will onsider first, has been losely asso iated with the -oynton family for some time. )an we dis o$er moti$e and o""ortunity on his "art? +t seems not. 8rs. -oynton's death has affe ted him ad$ersely 1 sin e it has brought about the frustration of ertain ho"es. 5nless 8. )o"e's moti$e was an ourse, there is a almost fanati al desire to benefit others, we an find no reason for his desiring 8rs. -oynton's death. 5nless, of moti$e about whi h we are entirely in the dark. .e do not know e%a tly what 8. )o"e's dealings with the -oynton family ha$e been." 8r. )o"e said, with dignity/ "This seems to me a little far1fet hed, 8. !oirot. You must remember, + had absolutely no o""ortunity for ommitting this deed, and in any ase. + hold $ery strong $iews as to the san tity of human life."

"Your "osition that a ount."

ertainly seems im"e

able," said !oirot with

gra$ity. "+n a work of fi tion you would be strongly sus"e ted on

He turned a little in his medi al knowledge

hair. ".e now is a

ome to 8iss 9ing. 8iss of hara ter and

9ing had a ertain amount of moti$e and she had the ne essary and "erson determination, but sin e she left the am" before three1thirty with the others and did not return to it until si% o' lo k, it seems diffi ult to see where she ould ha$e had an o""ortunity." "4e%t we must onsider Dr. 0erard. 4ow, here we must take into a ( ount the a tual time that the murder was ommitted. ording to 8. 6enno% -oynton's last statement, his mother was ording to 6ady .estholme and 8iss ounted for. 4ow,

dead at four thirty1fi$e. (

!ier e she was ali$e at four1fifteen, when they started on their walk. That lea$es e%a tly twenty minutes una as these two ladies walked away from the am" Dr. 0erard "assed them going to it. There is no one to say what Dr. 0erard's mo$ements were when he rea hed the am" be ause the two ladies' ba ks were towards it. They were walking away from it. Therefore it is "erfe tly "ossible for Dr. 0erard to ha$e ommitted the rime. -eing a do tor, he ould easily ounterfeit the a""earan e of malaria. There is, + should say, a "ossible moti$e. Dr. 0erard might ha$e wished to sa$e a ertain "erson whose reason @"erha"s more $ital a loss than a loss of lifeA was in danger and he may ha$e onsidered the sa rifi e of an old and worn out life worth it'"

"Your ideas," said Dr. 0erard, "are fantasti '" He smiled amiably. .ithout taking any noti e, !oirot went on. "-ut if so, why did 0erard all attention to the "ossibility of foul "lay? +t is quite ertain that, but for his statement to )olonel )arbury, 8rs. -oynton's death would ha$e been "ut down to natural auses. +t was Dr. 0erard who first "ointed out the "ossibility of murder. That, my friends," said !oirot, "does not make ommon sense'" "Doesn't seem to," said )olonel )arbury gruffly. He looked uriously at !oirot. "There is one more "ossibility," said !oirot. "8rs. 6enno% -oynton &ust now negated strongly the "ossibility of her young sister1in1law being guilty. The for e of her ob&e tion lay in the fa t that she knew her mother1in1law to be dead at the time. -ut remember this/ 0ine$ra -oynton was at the !ier e were walking away from the had returned to it..." 0ine$ra stirred. She leaned forward, staring into !oirot's fa e with a strange, inno ent, "u33led stare. "+ did it? You think + did it?" Then suddenly, with a mo$ement of swift, in om"arable beauty, she was u" from her hair and had flung herself a ross the room and down on her knees beside Dr. 0erard, linging to him, ga3ing u" "assionately into his fa e. "4o' 4o' Don't let them say it' They're making the walls lose am" all the afternoon. (nd am" and before Dr. 0erard there was a moment 1 a moment when 6ady .estholme and 8iss

around me again' +t's not true' + ne$er did anything' They are my

enemies 1 they want to "ut me in "rison 1 to shut me u". You must hel" me' You must hel" me'" "There, there, my hild." 0ently the do tor "atted her head. Then he addressed !oirot. ".hat you say is nonsense 1 absurd." "Delusions of "erse ution?" murmured !oirot. "Yes 1 but she ould ne$er ha$e done it that way. She would ha$e done it, you must "er ei$e, dramati ally 1 a dagger, something flamboyant, s"e ta ular 1 ne$er this ool, alm logi ' + tell you, my friends, it is so. This was a reasoned rime 1 a sane rime." !oirot smiled. 5ne%"e tedly he bowed. "*e suis entierement de $otre a$is," he said smoothly.

18 ")ome," said Her ule !oirot. ".e ha$e still a little way to go' Dr. 0erard has in$oked the "sy hology. So let us now e%amine the "sy hologi al side of the ase. .e ha$e taken the fa ts, we ha$e established a hronologi al sequen e of e$ents, we ha$e heard the e$iden e. There remains 1 the "sy hology. (nd the most im"ortant "sy hologi al e$iden e on erns the dead woman. +t is the "sy hology of 8rs. -oynton herself that is the most im"ortant thing in this ase." "Take from my list of s"e ified fa ts "oints three and four. 8rs. -oynton took definite "leasure in kee"ing her family from en&oying themsel$es with other "eo"le. 8rs. -oynton, on the afternoon in question, en ouraged her family to go away and lea$e her."

"These two fa ts, they

ontradi t ea h other flatly' .hy, on this

"arti ular afternoon, should 8rs. -oynton suddenly dis"lay a om"lete re$ersal of her usual "oli y? .as it that she felt a sudden warmth of the heart 1 an instin t of bene$olen e? That, it seems to me from all + ha$e heard, was e%tremely unlikely' Yet there must ha$e been a reason. .hat was that reason?" "6et us e%amine losely the hara ter of 8rs. -oynton. There ha$e been many different a ounts of her. She was a tyranni al old martinet, she was a mental sadist, she was an in arnation of e$il, she was ra3y. .hi h of these $iews is the true one?" "+ think myself that Sarah 9ing ame nearest to the truth when in a flash of ins"iration in *erusalem she saw the old lady as intensely "atheti . -ut not only "atheti 1 futile'" "6et us, if we an, think oursel$es into the mental ondition of 8rs. -oynton. ( human reature born with immense ambition, with a yearning to dominate and to im"ress her "ersonality on other "eo"le. She neither sublimated that intense ra$ing for "ower nor did she seek to master it. 4o, mes dames and messieurs, she fed it' -ut in the end 1 listen well to this 1 in the end, what did it amount to? She was not a great "ower' She was not feared and hated o$er a wide area' She was the "etty tyrant of one isolated family' (nd as Dr. 0erard said to me 1 she be ame bored like any other old lady with her hobby and she sought to e%tend her a ti$ities and to amuse herself by making her dominan e more "re arious' -ut that led to an entirely different as"e t of the ase' -y oming abroad, she reali3ed for the first time how e%tremely

insignifi ant she was'" "(nd now we her finger on ome dire tly to "oint number ten 1 the words the truth. She had re$ealed fully and

s"oken to Sarah 9ing in *erusalem. Sarah 9ing, you see, had "ut un om"romisingly the "itiful futility of 8rs. -oynton's s heme of e%isten e' (nd now listen $ery arefully 1 all of you 1 to what her e%a t words to 8iss 9ing were. 8iss 9ing has said that 8rs. -oynton s"oke 'so male$olently, not e$en looking at me.' (nd this is what she a tually said/ '+'$e ne$er forgotten anything, not an a tion, not a name, not a fa e.'" "Those words made a great im"ression on 8iss 9ing. Their e%traordinary intensity and the loud hoarse tone in whi h they were uttered' So strong was the im"ression they left on her mind + think that she quite failed to reali3e their e%traordinary signifi an e'" "Do you see that signifi an e, any of you?" He waited a minute. "+t seems not... -ut, mes amis, does it es a"e you that those words were not a reasonable answer at all to what 8iss 9ing had &ust been saying. '+'$e ne$er forgotten anything, not an a tion, not a name, not a fa e.' +t does not make sense' +f she had said/ '+ ne$er forget im"ertinen e' 1 something of that kind 1 but no 1 a fa e is what she said..." "(h'" ried !oirot, beating his hands together. "-ut it lea"s to the eye' Those words, ostensibly s"oken to 8iss 9ing, were not meant for 8iss 9ing at all' They were addressed to someone else

standing behind 8iss 9ing." He "aused, noting their e%"ressions. "Yes, it lea"s to the eye' That was, + tell you, a "sy hologi al moment in 8rs. -oynton's life' She had been e%"osed to herself by an intelligent young woman' She was full of baffled fury and at that moment she re ogni3ed someone 1 a fa e from the "ast 1 a $i tim deli$ered bound into her hands'" ".e are ba k, you see, to the outsider' (nd now the meaning of 8rs. -oynton's une%"e ted amiability on the afternoon of her death is lear. She wanted to get rid of her family be ause 1 to use a $ulgarity 1 she had other fish to fry' She wanted the field left lear for an inter$iew with a new $i tim..." "4ow, from that new stand"oint, let us onsider the e$ents of the afternoon' The -oynton family goes off. 8rs. -oynton sits u" by her a$e. 4ow, let us onsider $ery arefully the e$iden e of 6ady .estholme and 8iss !ier e. The latter is an unreliable witness, she is unobser$ant and $ery suggestible. 6ady .estholme, on the other hand, is "erfe tly lear as to her fa ts and meti ulously obser$ant. -oth ladies agree on one fa t' (n (rab, one of the ser$ants, a""roa hes 8rs. -oynton, angers her in some way and retires hastily. 6ady .estholme states definitely that the ser$ant had first been into the tent o u"ied by 0ine$ra -oynton but you may remember that Dr. 0erard's tent was ne%t door to 0ine$ra's. +t is "ossible that it was Dr. 0erard's tent the (rab entered..." )olonel )arbury said/ "D'you mean to tell me that one of those

-edouin fellows of mine murdered an old lady by sti king her with a hy"odermi ? #antasti '" ".ait, )olonel )arbury= + ha$e not yet finished. 6et us agree that the (rab might ha$e ome from Dr. 0erard's tent and not 0ine$ra -oynton's. .hat is the ne%t thing? -oth ladies agree that they ould not see his fa e learly enough to identify him and that they did not hear what was said. That is understandable. The distan e between the marquee and the ledge is about two hundred yards. 6ady .estholme ga$e a lear des ri"tion of the man otherwise, des ribing in detail his ragged bree hes and the untidiness with whi h his "uttees were rolled." !oirot leaned forward. "(nd that, my friends, was $ery odd indeed' -e ause, if she ould not see his fa e or hear what was said, she ould not "ossibly ha$e noti ed the state of his bree hes and "uttees' 4ot at two hundred yards'" "+t was an error, that, you see' +t suggested a urious idea to me. .hy insist so on the ragged bree hes and untidy "uttees. )ould it be be ause the bree hes were not torn and the "uttees were non1 e%istent? 6ady .estholme and 8iss !ier e both saw the man 1 but from where they were sitting they ould not see ea h other. That is shown by the fa t that 6ady .estholme tent." "0ood 6ord," said )olonel )arbury, suddenly sitting u" $ery straight. "(re you suggesting 1 " ame to see if 8iss !ier e was awake and found her sitting in the entran e of her

"+ am suggesting that ha$ing as ertained &ust what 8iss !ier e @the only witness likely to be awakeA was doing, 6ady .estholme returned to her tent, "ut on her riding bree hes, boots and khaki1 olored oat, made herself an (rab headdress with her he ked hest, duster and a skein of knitting wool and that, thus attired, she went boldly u" to Dr. 0erard's tent, looked in his medi ine boldly u" to her $i tim." "8rs. -oynton may ha$e been do3ing. 6ady .estholme was qui k. She half aught her by the wrist and in&e ted the stuff. 8rs. -oynton ried out 1 tried to rise 1 then sank ba k. The '(rab' hurried sele ted a suitable drug, took the hy"odermi , filled it and went

away with e$ery e$iden e of being ashamed and abashed. 8rs. -oynton shook her sti k, tried to rise, then fell ba k into her hair." "#i$e minutes later 6ady .estholme re&oins 8iss !ier e and omments on the s ene she has &ust witnessed, im"ressing her own $ersion of it on the other. Then they go for a walk, "ausing below the ledge where 6ady .estholme shouts u" to the old lady. She re ei$es no answer for 8rs. -oynton is dead but she remarks to 8iss !ier e/ ',ery rude &ust to snort at us like that'' 8iss !ier e a e"ts the suggestion. She has often heard 8rs. -oynton re ei$e a remark with a snort 1 she will swear quite sin erely if ne essary that she a tually heard it. 6ady .estholme has sat on ommittees often enough with women of 8iss !ieree's ty"e to know e%a tly how her own eminen e and masterful "ersonality an influen e them. The only "oint where her "lan went astray was the

re"la ing of the syringe. Dr. 0erard returning so soon u"set her s heme. She ho"ed he might not ha$e noti ed its absen e, or might think he had o$erlooked it, and she "ut it ba k during the night." He sto""ed. Sarah said/ "-ut why? .hy should 6ady .estholme want to kill old 8rs. -oynton?" "Did you not tell me that 6ady .estholme had been quite near you in *erusalem when you s"oke to 8rs. -oynton? +t was to 6ady .estholme that 8rs. -oynton's words were addressed. '+'$e ne$er forgotten anything, not an a tion, not a name, not a fa e.' !ut that with the fa t that 8rs. -oynton had been a wardress in a "rison and you an get a $ery shrewd idea of the truth. 6ord .estholme met his wife on a $oyage ba k from (meri a. 6ady .estholme, before her marriage, had been a riminal and had ser$ed a "rison senten e." "You see the terrible dilemma she was in? Her areer, her

ambitions, her so ial "osition 1 all at stake' .hat the rime was for whi h she ser$ed a senten e in "rison we do not yet know @though we soon shallA but it must ha$e been one that would effe tually blast her "oliti al areer if it was made "ubli . (nd remember this, 8rs. -oynton was not an ordinary bla kmailer. She did not want money. She wanted the "leasure of torturing her $i tim for a while and then she would ha$e en&oyed re$ealing the truth in the most s"e ta ular fashion' 4o= while 8rs. -oynton li$ed 6ady .estholme

was not safe. She obeyed 8rs. -oynton's instru tions to meet her at !etra @+ thought it strange all along that a woman with su h a sense of her own im"ortan e as 6ady .estholme should ha$e "referred to tra$el as a mere touristA, but in her own mind she was doubtless re$ol$ing ways and means of murder. She saw her han e and arried it out boldly. She only made two sli"s. 7ne was to say a little too mu h 1 the des ri"tion of the torn bree hes 1 whi h first drew my attention to her, and the other was when she mistook Dr. 0erard's tent and looked first into the one where 0ine$ra was lying half aslee". Hen e the girl's story 1 half make1 belie$e, half true 1 of a Sheikh in disguise. She "ut it the wrong way around, obeying her instin t to distort the truth by making it more dramati , but the indi ation was quite signifi ant enough for me." He "aused. "-ut we shall soon know. + obtained 6ady .estholme's finger"rints today without her being aware of the fa t. +f these are sent to the "rison where 8rs. -oynton was on e a wardress, we shall soon know the truth when they are om"ared with the files." He sto""ed. +n the momentary stillness a shar" sound was heard. ".hat's that?" asked Dr. 0erard. "Sounded like a shot to me," said )olonel )arbury, rising to his feet qui kly. "+n the ne%t room. .ho's got that room, by the way?" !oirot murmured/ "+ ha$e a little idea 1 it is the room of 6ady .estholme..."

Epilogue :%tra t from the :$ening Shout. .e regret to announ e the death of 6ady .estholme, 8.!., the result of a tragi with her. She was leaning this when it went off a 6ord .estholme, et . et . 7n a warm *une e$ening fi$e years later Sarah -oynton and her husband sat in the stalls of a 6ondon theatre. The "lay was Hamlet. Sarah gri""ed 2aymond's arm as 7"helia's words floating o$er the footlights/ =o. sho)ld : yo)r tr)e love ,no. >rom another one? By his coc,le hat and staff0 8nd his sandal shoon. =e is dead and gone0 lady0 =e is dead and gone@ 8t his head a grass-green t)rf@ 8t his heels a stone. A0 hoB ( lum" rose in Sarah's throat. That e%quisite, witless beauty, that ame identally and killed her. a ident. 6ady .estholme, who was fond of tra$eling in out1of1the1way ountries, always took a small re$ol$er

Death was instantaneous. The dee"est sym"athy will be felt for

lo$ely, unearthly smile of one gone beyond trouble and grief to a region where only a floating mirage was truth... Sarah said to herself/ "She's lo$ely 1 lo$ely..." That haunting, lilting $oi e, always beautiful in tone, but now dis i"lined and modulated to be the "erfe t instrument. Sarah said with de ision, as the urtain fell at the end of the a t/ "*inny's a great a tress 1 a great 1 great a tress'" 6ater, they sat around a su""er table at the Sa$oy. 0ine$ra, smiling, remote, turned to the bearded man by her side. "+ was good, wasn't +, Theodore?" "You were wonderful, herie." ( ha""y smile floated on her li"s. She murmured/ "You always belie$ed in me 1 you always knew + ould do great things 1 sway multitudes..." (t a table not far away, the Hamlet of the e$ening was saying gloomily/ "Her mannerisms' 7f ourse "eo"le like it &ust at first but what + say is, it's not Shakes"eare. Did you see how she ruined my e%it?..." 4adine, sitting o""osite 0ine$ra, said/ "How e% iting it is, to be here in 6ondon with *inny a ting 7"helia and being so famous'" 0ine$ra said softly/ "+t was ni e of you to ome o$er." "( regular family "arty," said 4adine, smiling, as she looked around. Then she said to 6enno%/ "+ think the hildren might go to

the matinee, don't you? They're quite old enough, and they do so want to see (unt *inny on the stage'" 6enno%, a sane, ha""y1looking 6enno% with humorous eyes, lifted his glass. "To the newly1weds, 8r. and 8rs. )o"e'" *efferson )o"e and )arol a knowledged the toast. "The unfaithful swain'" said )arol, laughing. "*eff, you'd better drink to your first lo$e as she's sitting right o""osite you." 2aymond said gaily/ "*eff's blushing. He doesn't like being reminded of the old days." His fa e louded suddenly. Sarah tou hed his hand with hers, and the loud lifted. He looked at her and grinned. "Seems &ust like a bad dream'" ( da""er figure sto""ed by their table. Her ule !oirot, faultlessly and beautifully a""areled, his mousta hes "roudly twisted, bowed regally. "8ademoiselle," he said to 0ine$ra, "mes homages. You were su"erb'" They greeted him affe tionately, made a "la e for him beside Sarah. He beamed on them all and when they were all talking, he leaned a little sideways and said softly to Sarah/ ":h bien, it seems that all mar hes well now with la famille -oynton?" "Thanks to you." said Sarah. "He be omes $ery eminent, your husband. + read today an e% ellent re$iew of his last book."

"+t's really rather good 1 although + do say it' Did you know that )arol and *efferson )o"e had made a mat h of it at last? (nd 6enno% and 4adine ha$e got two of the ni est 2aymond genius." She looked a ross the table at the lo$ely fa e and the red1gold rown of hair, and then she ga$e a tiny start. #or a moment her fa e was gra$e. She raised her glass slowly to her li"s. "You drink a toast, 8adame?" asked !oirot. Sarah said slowly/ "+ thought 1 suddenly 1 of Her. 6ooking at *inny + saw 1 for the first time 1 the likeness. The same thing 1 only *inny is in light 1 where She was in darkness..." (nd from o""osite, 0ine$ra said une%"e tedly/ "!oor 8other... She was queer... 4ow that we're all so ha""y + feel kind of sorry for her. She didn't get what she wanted out of life. +t must ha$e been tough for her." (lmost without a "ause, her $oi e qui$ered softly into the lines from )ymbeline while the others listened s"ellbound to the musi of them/ >ear no more the heat o6 the s)n0 +or the f)rio)s .inters rages@ 4ho) thy .orldly tas, hast done0 =ome art gone0 and ta6en thy .ages... hildren 1 ute, alls them. (s for *inny 1 well, + rather think *inny's a