The Mysterious Affair at Styles

his?" I asked Poirot,

basket. You recogn

nglethorp's. But w

ugged his

y-but it is

as deranged? Had she some fantastic idea of demoniacal possession? And, if t

e theories to Poirot, when

"now to examine

th is the good of that, now

serable cocoa!" cri

s arms to heaven in mock despair, in what I co

offee upstairs with her, I do not see what you expect to find, unless you consi

s sobered

e. "Ne vous fachez pas! Allow me to interest myself in my coffe

and we went together to the drawing-room, where the coff

night before, listening very carefully, and

w where you sat with Mademoiselle Cynthia. Yes. Here are the three cups. And the cup on the

s. I saw him put

r, five-but where, then, is

not tak

ounted for. One m

parate test tubes, tasting each in turn as he did so. His physiognomy underwent a curious cha

idea-but clearly I was mistaken. Yes, altogether

ld have told him from the beginning that this obsession of his over the coffee was bound to end in a blin

ish, coming in from the hall. "You wil

events of the last night had upset him temporarily, but his equable poise soon swung back to the normal.

legrams-one of the first had gone to Evelyn Howard-writing notices for the papers

r investigations point to my mother having died a natur

uld do well not to buoy yourself up with any false hopes. C

ng a fuss over nothing. He says that everything po

resting-very interesting," murmured

d passed ove

idea what my wife's vi

in its train. John broke the rather awkwa

I, that Mr. Inglet

bent hi

as to treat him as usual-but, hang it all, one's gorge d

ded sympat

would like to ask you one question. Mr. Inglethorp's reason for not returning

es

at the latch-key was forgotten-t

king. We always keep it in the hall dra

his hand with

tain that you would find it. If Mr. Inglethorp did t

o you

orning before his return, and seen it there, it would

oked pe

ou that you need not let it trouble you. Since yo

ng from it. Decorum and good breeding naturally enjoined that our demeanour should be much as usual, yet I could not help wondering if this self-control were really a matter of great di

suspected him, I wondered. Surely he could not be unaware of the fact, conceal it as we would. Did he feel some secret stirring of fear, or

ock, with white ruffles at the wrists falling over her slender hands, she looked very beautiful. When she chose, however, her face could be sphinx-like in its

, I thought. The heaviness and languor of her manner were very mar

the most beas

t solicitously. "It will revive you. It is unparallele

, watching him, as he pi

abandon it in t

er take it

to himself, as he brought

t, and his eyes were as green as a cat's. He had heard or seen something that had affected him strongly-but what was it

the door opened a

ee you, sir," s

t of the lawyer to whom Mrs. Ingle

se imme

lawyer," he explained. And in a lower voice: "He is also Co

e room. John strode on ahead and I took

l be an in

d absorbed in thought; so much s

are not attendi

y friend. I am

hy

Cynthia does not tak

cannot be

is something there that I do not u

inst

insist on examining those cof

his study, and he clos

n eyes, and the typical lawyer's mouth. John introdu

ll strictly private. We are still hoping that there wil

have spared you the pain and publicity of an inquest, but of cours

I supp

n. Great authority on

s manner. Then he added rather hesitatingly: "Shal

-and ah-er-Mr.-

efore the lawyer went o

be simply confirmatory,

s

pt over John's face. It puzzled

d thought of Friday. That will give us plenty of time for the doct

es

rrangement w

fect

Cavendish, how distressed I

nsieur?" interposed Poirot, speaking for t

I

rote to you last night. You should ha

a note asking me to call upon her this morning, as

int as to what tha

tunate

a pity,"

y," agreed P

ost in thought for a few minutes. Fi

is, if it is not against professional etiquette. In the eve

ated a moment, a

property very soon, so if Mr

l," interp

will, dated August of last year, after various unimportant legacies to ser

r. Cavendish-rather unfair to her ot

, at his stepmother's death, would come into a considerable sum of money. Mrs. Inglethorp left her money to her elde

dded thou

hat by your English law that will was automat

s bowed

Monsieur Poirot, that docu

a moment, and then asked: "Was Mrs.

now. She ma

were discussing the matter of wills bei

say 'her last will.' Had Mrs. Ingleth

s imperturbably. "She was given to changing her mind as to her testament

ll in favour of someone who was not, in any sense of the word, a member o

n the

ed to have exhaus

e lawyer were debating the question of

leaving all her money to Miss Howard?" I

ot s

N

hy did

us

sh had turne

through my mother's papers. Mr. Inglethorp is quite

d the lawyer. "As technically, of course, he

"and go up to her bedroom afterwards. She kept her most important pa

possible that there may be a later

r will." It was

the lawyer looked

my friend imperturba

n-there was one?

ur

ur

in the grate in Mrs. Inglethorp's room, and handed it to the la

ly this is

lmost certain that it was made no

!" broke simultaneo

turned

send for your gardener,

rse-but I d

raised

wards you shall questio

." He rang

ered it in

Manning to come round

s,

s wit

one seemed perfectly at his ease, and d

tside proclaimed the approach of Manning. John l

g," said John, "I wa

cap in his hands, twisting it very carefully round and round. His back was much bent, though he was probably n

leman will put some questions to

" mumbled

kly. Manning's eye swept ov

und by the south side of the house yest

r, me an

me to the window and ca

sir, s

words exactly what

cycle down to the village, and bring back a form of will, or s

el

he di

t happen

with the beg

Inglethorp c

h me and Willu

d t

gn our names at the bottom of a lo

t was written above her sign

a bit of blotting pa

ned where sh

irst me and

e do with it

envelope, and put it inside a sort of p

it when she fir

r, I shoul

n't it have been ab

It would be more likely to be

, that will do," sa

eupon Manning lifted a finger to his forehead with a

oked at e

ed John. "What an extr

coinc

have made a will on the

d his throat and

it is a coincid

do you

ad a violent quarrel with-so

gain. There was a tremor in his

f its provisions. This morning, no doubt, she would have consulted me on the subject-but she had no chance. The will disappears, and she takes its secret w

for elucidating the matter. But for him, we should never have known of this will.

iled and

nvelope, and a freshly

r, but at that moment the loud purr of a motor was aud

se me, Wells." He went hu

ked inquir

ard," I e

oman with a head and a heart too, Hasting

ot through me. This was the woman who had warned me so earnestly, and to whose warning I had, alas, paid no heed! How soon, and how contemptuously, I had dismissed it from my mind. Now that she had been proved justified

yes that met mine were sad, but not reproachful; that she had been crying bitterly, I coul

e. Just come off night duty. Hire

ng to eat this morni

N

ou some fresh tea." He turned to me. "Look after her, Hastings, will you? Wells

Poirot, but glanced suspiciou

ou mean-he

us to inv

ate. Have they taken

who to

Inglethorp,

wrence is of the opinion that my

rd. "Of course Alfred Inglethorp murdered

or suspect, it is better to say as little as possib

nt. "You're all off your heads. The man will be out of the country by th

h looked at h

r. That little Wilkins is about the greatest fool that even I have ever seen. Heart seizure! Sort of thing he would say. Anyone with any sense could see at once that her husband had poisoned her. I always

a faint smile. "Dash it all, Evie, I can't haul him down

did it. He's a crafty beggar. Dare say he soa

peace between them, was likely to prove a Herculean task, and I did not envy John. I could see by the expression of his face that

m, Poirot came over from the window where he had

id gravely, "I want t

e lady, eyeing him

able to count

eplied gruffly. "Hanging's too good for him. Ought

d Poirot, "for I, too, wa

d Ingl

or ano

e wasn't surrounded by sharks-she was. But it was only her purse they were after. Her life

y, "if Mr. Inglethorp is the man, he shall not escap

aid Miss Howard mo

valuable to me. I will tell you why. Because, in all this

a new note crept into t

. Hope not, anyway. I was on a different footing. I took my stand from the first. 'So many pounds a year I'm worth to you. Well and good. But not a penny piece besides-not a pair of gloves, nor a theatre ticket.' She didn't understand-was very offended sometimes. Said I was foolishly proud. It wasn't tha

ded sympat

. It is most natural. You think that we are lukewarm-t

oth to come up to Mrs. Inglethorp's room, as he and Mr. W

ed back to the dining-room door, an

going to happen w

y head he

to keep them a

be able

ne thing, Inglethorp himself wo

't you, Poirot?" I asked, as we r

it, and we all passed in. The lawyer went s

mportant papers in this despa

ut the small

d it, out of precau

s not lo

ossi

n lifted the l

h the keys in my pocket!" He flung himself upon the case. Suddenl

ha

d down the

hen? But the door was locked?" These e

em categorically-a

here an hour ago. As to the door being locked, it is a very ordinary

s outwardly calm, but I noticed his hands, which from long force of habit were mech

rderer with the crime. It was vital to him that it should be destroyed before it was discovered and its significance appreciated. Therefore, he took the risk, the great risk,

hat wa

fternoon. And I-" his anger burst forth freely-"miserable animal that I am! I guessed nothing! I have behaved like an imbecile! I should never have left that case here.

soon as I had sufficiently recovered my wits. But, by the t

case branched, staring down into the hall i

ry little friend, Mr. Hastings? He has

would wish me to disclose. As I saw a faint smile gather on Mrs. Cavendish's expressive mout

ho

horp and Mi

in rather a dis

ld be such a disaste

u?" I said, rat

to see a good flare up. It would clear the air. At pres

" I remarked. "He's anx

, J

tone fired me,

an awfully

r a minute or two, and then

your friend. I l

ou my fri

very bad

you sa

ing to my friends one day, and

t I was nettled, and I said fooli

invariably charmin

eel curtain coming down and blotting out the real woman. Without a word, she tur

The little man appeared to be taking the whole house into his confidence, a proceeding of which I, for one, doubted the wisdom. Once again I could not help regretting th

on't want the whole house to know of this occurrence?

nk so, H

sure o

friend, I will b

ortunately, it is a

ur

hat I felt quite sorry, though I still

at last, "let

e finish

You will walk back w

ling

h the open window in the drawing-room. Cynthia Murdoch wa

mademoiselle

turned in

e up Mrs. Ingleth

her face, as she answer

N

her po

epened as Cy

up some sleeping po

he

empty box which ha

no

what they were? S

were bromi

, mademoiselle

once. I had often before noticed that, if anything excited him, his

little idea, a very strange, and probably u

was rather too much given to these fantastic ideas. In th

the box," I remarked. "Very simple, as you said. I

appear to be

, jerking his thumb over his shoulder in the direction o

t wa

e to Alfred Inglethorp. It must have been made just at the time they were engaged. It came quite as a surprise to Wells-and

nglethorp

says

hese wills are very confusing. Tell me, how did those scribbled words on t

ot s

etter, been arrested by the fact that you

I suppose e

he had further tried it in a sentence, thus: 'I am possessed.' Now, what did that tell me? It told me that Mrs. Inglethorp had been writing the word 'possessed' that afternoon, and, having the fragment of paper found in the grate fresh in my mind, the possibility of a will-(a document almost certain to contain that word)-o

rnoon. I was now sure that one, or possibly both of the gardeners-for there were two sets of footprints in the bed-had entered the boudoir, for if Mrs. Inglethorp had merely wished to speak to them she would in all probability have stoo

ing. "I must confess that the conclusions I drew f

smi

gination is a good servant, and a bad master. Th

know that the key of the de

ad possibly been wrenched off a flimsy key-ring. Now, if it had been lost and recovered, Mrs. Inglethorp would at once have replaced it on her bunch; but on her bunch I foun

Alfred Inglethor

ked at me

ry sure of

esh circumstance seems to

rot quietly, "there are sev

come

es

e onl

d t

ot in the hous

You have chosen the one point t

is

arranged to be away from the house. His excuse was an obviously trumped up one. That leaves us two p

son?" I asked

ugged his

Mr. Inglethorp, I should say, is somewhat of a scound

y head, u

ich of us is right. Now let us turn to other aspects of the case. What do you

red. "One must loo

ru

-yet the presence of the candle grease on the floor, and the destruction of the

ith admirable cle

it follows that the door must have been opened from inside by Mrs. Inglethorp herself. That strengthens the c

shook h

unusual proceeding on her part-she had had a most violent quarrel with

he door must have been opened

bolt the door into the passage when she went to bed, an

hat seriously

another feature, what do you make of the scrap of conversatio

t seems incredible that a woman like Mrs. Cavendish, proud and reticent to the

onishing thing for a woma

ed. "Still, it is unimportant, an

burst fr

must be taken into account. If the fact w

all see," I

we sha

ne of the tiny Russian cigarettes he himself occasionally smoked. I was amused to notice that he

w which commanded a view of the village street. The fresh a

ing down the street at a great pace. It was the expression on his fa

Poirot!

ant f

r. Mace, from the chemist'

stways Cottage, and, after hesitating a

cried Poirot from t

an swiftly down the stairs and open

inconvenience, but I heard that y

we h

his dry lips. His face

lethorp dying so suddenly. They do say-" he l

remained qui

rs can tell us

as too much for him. He clutched Poirot by the arm, and sank his voice to a

tly of a non-committal nature. The young man departe

avely. "He will have evide

as opening my lips, when Poirot st

need of reflection. My mind is in

cept for several expressive motions of his eyebrows, and all the

st never permit confusion. The case is not clear yet-no. For it is of the most com

hat ar

of the weather yesterday

y!" I interrupted. "Poiro

degrees in the shade. Do not forget that, m

econd poin

lethorp wears very peculiar clothes,

not believe yo

tely serious

is is c

s very mo

verdict of Wilful Murder against Alfred Ingl

ccur. For one thing, a country jury is not anxious to take responsibility upon itself, and Mr. Ingletho

ld not a

N

annoyance and amusement. He was so tremendously sure of

rwent a complete change. Tears came into his eyes. "In all this, you see, I think of that poor Mrs. Ingleth

interrupt, but

rgive me if I let Alfred Inglethorp, her husband, b