The Mysterious Affair at Styles

ed with Mr. Wells. He also took long walks into the country. I rather resented his not taking

ways Cottage on Wednesday evening, I walked over there by the fields, hoping to meet him. But there was no sign of him,

e Hall, bain't

end of mine whom I thought

hands when he talks? One of t

gerly. "He has b

riend of yours, is he? Ah, you gentlemen from the Hall-yo

he Hall come here often?" I a

d at me

mind. And a very liberal gentleman

thought of Alfred Inglethorp's liberality with another woman's money. Had that piquant gipsy face been a

that he thought Dorcas must have made an error in fixing the time of the quarrel. He sugg

ad elapsed between the time when she had heard the voic

tes Arms in the village. Poirot and I sat t

he jury viewed the body, and John Cave

ning in the early hours of the morning, an

very eye was fixed on the famous London specialist, who was known to be

ounted to the fact that Mrs. Inglethorp had met her death as the result of strychnine poisoning. Judging from the quantity r

d have swallowed the poison b

not used for domestic purposes, as some poisons a

tion lead you to determine how

N

yles before Dr. Wi

t outside the lodge gates, and I

to us exactly wha

t moment in a typical tetanic convulsion. She tur

red in Mrs. Inglethorp's after-dinner cof

onditions, none of which, however, appear to have been present in this case. I presume Mrs. Inglethorp took the coffee after dinner about eight o'clock, whereas the

cup of cocoa in the middle of the night. Could

remaining in the saucepan and had it an

t chuckle sof

ou know?"

ste

uing-"that I would have been conside

hy

ected in a solution of 1 in 70,000, and can only be disguised by some s

to know if the same obj

of its own which would probably

ug was administered in the coffee, but that f

ely smashed, there is no possibi

suicide, he repudiated it utterly. The deceased, he said, suffered from a weak heart, but otherwise enjoyed perfect

rtant, being a mere repetition of that of his brother. Just as he

to make a sugge

ngly at the Coroner,

ive at the truth of this matter, and welcome

rse I may be quite wrong, but it still seems to me that m

ke that out, M

, and for some time before it, was t

aid the

ooked up,

effect of a drug, administered for some time, has ended by causing death. Also, is

sed taking strychnine at the time of her deat

recalled and rid

e, a cumulative poison, but it would be quite impossible for it to result in sudden death in this way. There would hav

at Mrs. Inglethorp may have in

unt of medicine made up at a time, as she dealt with Coot's, the Cash Chemists in Tadminster. She would hav

ss the tonic as not being in any way

e supposition

here suggested that the chemist who made u

s always possible,"

ossibility. The medicine had not been newly made up. On the contra

licited from Dorcas how she had been awakened by the violent ringing of her mistress's bell, and had

bstantially what Poirot and I had alre

y composed voice. In answer to the Coroner's question, she told how, her alarm clock having aroused

the table by the bed?"

a bell rang violently. Dorcas came running down and woke my husban

er interr

all that can be known of the subsequent happenings. But I should be obli

I

he ruffle of lace at her neck, turning her head a little as she did so. And

"that you were sitting reading on the bench just outsid

g sideways at Poirot, I fancied

e, the mere hesitation of a

that i

r window was op

rew a little pale

es

especially as they were raised in anger. In fact, they

ssi

us what you overhe

ot remember he

say you did no

y said." A faint spot of colour came into her cheek. "I a

oner pe

Cavendish? Not one stray word or phrase to make

to reflect, still out

ething-I do not remember exactly what-abou

as heard. But excuse me, Mrs. Cavendish, although you realized it was a

t certain that at that moment she would willingly have torn the little l

able where I was. I fix

s all you c

t is

oner was entirely satisfied with it. I think he suspe

sed to having sold a will form on the afternoon of

witnessing a document. Manning fixed the time at about 4.

little to tell. She had known nothing of th

t hear the

as fast

roner

d sleeper," he observed. "Thank

s Ho

evening of the 17th. Poirot and I had, of course already seen it. It ad

ES C

written not

ear

achet? I have found i

nst my dear husband

fond

ffectio

Ingl

e jury who scrutini

e Coroner, with a sigh. "There is no menti

rtly. "It shows clearly enough that my poor old fr

kind in the letter," t

now her. She wanted me back. But she wasn't going to own that I'd been r

, did several of the jury. Miss Howard

inued the lady, glancing up and down the jury disparagingly.

upted her in an ag

Miss Howard,

d a sigh of relief

e day. The Coroner called Alb

he explained that he was a qualified pharmacist, but had only recently come to this

ompleted, the Coroner

ely sold strychnine to

s,

was

Monday

? Not T

Monday,

l us to whom

have heard

t was to Mr.

ightly, as the damning words fell from the young man's lips. I half thought he was going to rise from his c

at you say?" asked

sure,

elling strychnine indiscri

n wilted visibly unde

Mr. Inglethorp of the Hall, I thought there was

r to please "The Hall"-especially when it might result in cu

or anyone purchasing p

Mr. Ingleth

got the

s,

words of stern censure, the Coron

orp was called. Did he realize, I wondered, how c

ent straight

you purchase strychnine for t

plied with pe

t Styles, except an outdoor sheep

purchased strychnine from

d

also den

he register in which his

riting is quite different f

and wrote his name on it, handing it to the

explanation of Mr

horp replied

ust have be

tated for a mome

m, would you mind telling us where you w

I can't

lethorp," said the Coron

rp shook

I have an idea tha

at dir

y can't

r's face g

n company w

N

et anyone o

N

at you decline to say where you were at the time that Mr. Mace pos

to take it th

ul, Mr. I

fidgeting

oes this imbecile of a m

s would not have convinced a child. The Coroner, however, passed b

on with your wife o

ormed. I had no quarrel with my dear wife. The whole story is abs

ne who can tes

rd," said Ingle

did not trou

l swear to having heard your dis

nesses wer

I looked at Poirot. There was an expression of exultation on his face which I

have heard your wife's dying words repeat

inly I

u c

n is much of my height and build, and, like me, wears a beard. In the

t to himself. "But i

t is true?"

But it is truly an i

usation"-Inglethorp was continuing-"they

lected a moment

yourself poured out the coffee, and

as told that a friend was at the hall door, so I laid down the coffee on the h

not seem to me to improve matters much for Inglethorp. I

who were sitting together near the door. One was a little,

t mutely. He put h

who that li

ok my

nd Yard-Jimmy Japp. The other man is from Scotlan

ly nothing of the policeman about them. I should ne

was startled and recalled

inst some person o