Copyist, 1938, 1939, by Agatha Christie MaUowan.
Copyn^t renewed 1966, 1967 by Agatha Christie
Mallow^
All "Ats reserved.
PubusQ^ m Large Print by arrangement with
The I"inam Publishing Group, Inc.
G.K. H:gu Large p^ ^yo^ Senes. Set in 1^ p^ piantin.
Library i^f Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Christie Agatha, 18901976.
Eas^ to kill / Agatha Christie.
A>. cm--(G.K. Hall large print book series) Isp^ 0-8161-4543-1 (Ig. print). Isp\^ 0-8161-4544-X (pbk. : Ig. print)
"^arge type books. I. Tide. tpR6"^)5.H66E2 1990]
823'.9^2_dc20 8924617
Also available in Large Print
by Agatha Christie:
* The A.B.C. Murders
* The Body in the Library
* The Boomerang Clue
A Caribbean Mystery
* Crooked House
Double Sin and Other Stones
Elephants Can Remember
* Endless Night
* Evil Under the Sun
* Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories
* Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective
* The Moving Finger
* The Murder at the Vicarage
* Murder in Three Acts
* A Murder is Announced
* The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
The Murder on the Links
Ordeal by Innocence
* The Patriotic Murders
* Peril at End House
* The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories
* dip. .^prrpt A/1'J^pvvnvM
Sleeping Murder
They Came to Baghdad
Thirteen at Dinner
* Three Blind Mice and Other Stones
* Towards Zero
What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw!
* Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories
* Available in hardcover and paperback
Cast of Characters
luke fitzwilliam--Just retired from a police
career in Asia, he ran smack into multiple
murders before he'd been back in
England a day.
lavinia fullerton--Ostensibly she was a
woolly-minded old lamb, but the wolf
feared she knew too much.
bridget conway--A devilishly clever beauty
who'd decided to marry her boss because
the salary was higher.
lord easterfield--Bridget's fiance, a potbellied,
moralistic newspaper magnate who
believed what he read in his own papers.
alfred wake--The vicar of Wychwood under
Ashe, he gossiped of many deaths and
obscure feuds and weird witchcraft.
mr. abbot--The village lawyer--too genial, too florid, too hot-tempered and, perhaps, too indiscreet with his lady friends.
honoria waynflete--Another elderly but
sharp-witted spinster who suspected more
than she mentioned about the strange accidents
in Wychwood.
mr. ellsworthy--The arty and disreputable
keeper of an antique shop whose odd tastes
included strange midnight rites in the
Witches5 Meadow.
major horton--A retired military man. His
wife's death had released him and his beloved
dogs from unrelenting henpecking.
doctor geoffrey thomas--An affable
young chap who remarked how surprisingly
easy it was to get away with murder.
rose humbleby--Lovely, timid daughter of
Doctor Thomas" late senior partner, whose
death cleared the way for Rose to become
Mrs. Thomas.
mrs. humbleby--Rose's mother. Her husband's
recent death had unsettled her so
much that she saw wickedness in the most
improbable places.
sir william ossington--Of Scotland Yard.
Because of their long friendship. Billy
Bones reluctantly listened to Luke's yarn
of eight unsuspected murders.
superintendent battle--The Yard's stolidfaced
top deputy. Despite his calm, reassuring
manner, not a detail escaped his
shrewd eye.
One
england! England after many years!
How was he going to like it? Luke
Fitzwilliam asked himself that question as he
walked down the gangplank to the dock. It
was present at the back of his mind all
through the wait in the customs shed. It
came suddenly to the fore when he was finally
seated in the boat train. Here he was, honorably retired on a pension, with some
small private means of his own, a gentleman
of leisure, come home to England. What was
he going to do with himself? With an effort, Luke Fitzwilliam averted his eyes from the
landscape outside the railway-carriage window
and settled down to a perusal of the
papers he had just bought. The Times, the Daily Clarion and Punch.
He started with the Daily Clarion. The Clarion was given over entirely to Epsom.
He had drawn a horse in the club sweep and
he looked now to see what the Clarion's racing
correspondent thought of its chances. He
found it dismissed contemptuously in a sentence:

Of the others. Jujube the II, Mark's Mile,
Santony and Jerry Boy are hardly likely to
qualify for a place. A likely outsider is--
But Luke paid no attention to the likely
outsider. His eye had shifted to the betting.
Jujube the II was listed at a modest 40 to 1.
He glanced at his watch. A quarter to four.
"Well," he thought, "it's over now." And he
wished he'd had a bet on Clarigold, who was
the second favorite.
Then he opened the Times and became
absorbed in more serious matters. A full half
hour afterward the train slowed down and
finally stopped. Luke looked out of the window.
They were in a large empty-looking
station with many platforms. He caught sight
of a bookstall some way up the platform
with a placard DERBY RESULT. Luke
opened the door, jumped out, and ran toward
the bookstall. A moment later he was
staring with a broad grin at a few smudged
lines in the stop press.
DERBY RESULT
TUTUBE THE II
MAZEPPA
CLARIGOLD
Luke grinned broadly. A hundred pounds
to blow! Good old Jujube the II, so scornfully
dismissed by all the tipsters. He folded
the paper, still grinning to himself, and
turned back--to face emptiness. In the excitement
of Jujube the IPs victory, his train
had slipped out of the station unnoticed by
him. "When the devil did that train go out?"
he demanded of a gloomy-looking porter.
"What train? There hasn't been no train
since the 3:14."
"There was a train here just now. I got
out of it. The boat express."
"The boat express don't stop anywhere till
London."
"But it did," Luke assured him. "I got
out of it."
Faced by facts, the porter changed his
ground. "You didn't ought to have done,"
he said reproachfully. "It don't stop here."
"But it did."
"That was signal, that was. Signal against
it. It didn't what you'd call 'stop.' You didn't
ought to have got out."
"We'll admit that," said Luke. "The
wrong is done, past all recall. What I'm
trying to get at is, what do you, a man
experienced in the services of the railway
company, advise me to do?"
"Reckon," said the porter, "you'd best go
on by the 4:25."
"If the 4:25 goes to London," said Luke,
"the 4:25 is the train for me."
Reassured on that point, Luke strolled up
and down the platform. A large board informed
him that he was at FENNY
CLAYTON JUNCTION FOR WYCHWOOD
UNDER ASHE, and presently a
train consisting of one carriage pushed backward
by an antiquated little engine came
slowly puffing in and deposited itself in a
modest way.
At last, with immense importance, the
London train came in. Luke scrutinized each
compartment. The first, a smoker, contained
a gentleman of military aspects smoking a
cigar. He passed on to the next one, which contained a tired-looking, genteel young
woman, possibly a nursery governess, and an
active-looking small boy of about three. Luke
passed on quickly. The next door was open
and the carriage contained one passenger, an
elderly lady. She reminded Luke slightly of
one of his aunts, his Aunt Mildred, who had
courageously allowed him to keep a grass
snake when he was ten years old. Aunt
Mildred had been decidedly a good aunt as
aunts go. Luke entered the carriage and sat
down.
After some five minutes of intense activity
on the part of milk vans, luggage trucks and
other excitements, the train moved slowly
out of the station. Luke unfolded his paper
and turned to such items of news as might
interest a man who had already read his
morning paper. He did not hope to read it
for long. Being a man of many aunts, he was
fairly certain that the nice old lady in the
corner did not propose to travel in silence to
London. He was right--a window that
needed adjusting, a dropped umbrella, and
the old lady was telling him what a good
train this was. "Only an hour and ten minutes.
That's very good, you know, very good
indeed. Much better than the morning one.
That takes an hour and forty minutes." She
went on: "Of course, nearly everyone goes
by the morning one. I mean when it is the
cheap way it's silly to go up in the afternoon.
I meant to go up this morning but Wonky
Pooh was missing--that's my cat, a Persian;
such a beauty, only he's had a painful ear
lately--and of course I couldn't leave home
till he was found!"
Luke murmured, "Of course not," and let
his eyes drop ostentatiously to his paper. But
it was of no avail. The flood went on:
"So I just made the best of a bad job and
took the afternoon train instead, and, of
course, it's a blessing in one way, because
it's not so crowded--not that that matters
when one is traveling first class. Of course, I
don't usually do that, but really I was so
upset because, you see, I'm going up on very
important business, and I wanted to think
out exactly what I was going to say--just
quietly, you know." Luke repressed a smile.
"So I thought, just for once, the expense was
quite permissible. Of course," she went on
quickly, with a swift glance at Luke's bronzed
face, "I know soldiers on leave have to travel
first class, I mean, being officers, it's expected
of them."
Luke sustained the inquisitive glance of a
pair of bright twinkling eyes. He capitulated
at once. It would come to it, he knew, in the
end. "I'm not a soldier," he said.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean--I just
thought--you were so brown--perhaps home
from the East on leave."
"I'm home from the East," said Luke, "but not on leave." He stalled off further
researches with a bald statement, "I'm a policeman."

"In the police? Now, really, that's very
interesting. A dear friend of mine, her boy
has just joined the Palestinian police."
"Mayang Straits," said Luke, taking another
short cut.
"Oh, dear; very interesting. Really, it's
quite a coincidence--I mean that you should
be traveling in this carriage. Because, you
see, this business I'm going up to town
about--well, actually it is to Scotland Yard
I'm going."
"Really?" said Luke.
The old lady continued happily, "Yes, I
meant to go up this morning, and then, as I
told you, I was so worried about Wonky
Pooh. But you don't think it will be too late, do you? I mean there aren't any special office
hours at Scotland Yard."
"I don't think they close down at four 01
anything like that," said Luke.
"No, of course, they couldn't, could they?
I mean somebody might want to report a
serious crime at any minute, mightn't they?"
"Exactly," said Luke.
For a moment the old lady relapsed into
silence. She looked worried. "I always think
it's better to go to the fountain-head," she
said at last. "John Reed is quite a nice fellow—that's
our constable in Wychwood—a
very civil-spoken, pleasant man, but I don't
feel, you know, that he would be quite the
person to deal with anything serious. He's
quite used to dealing with people who've
drunk too much, or with exceeding the speed
limit, or lighting-up time, or people who
haven't taken out a dog license, and perhaps
with burglary even. But I don't think—I'm
quite sure—he isn't the person to deal with
murder!"
Luke's eyebrows rose. "Murder?"
The old lady nodded vigorously. "Yes,
murder. You're surprised, I can see. I was,
myself, at first. I really couldn't believe it. I
thought I must be imagining things."
"Are you quite sure you weren't?" Luke
asked gently.
"Oh, no." She shook her head positively.
"I might have been the first time, but not
the second, or the third, or the fourth. After
that, one knows."
Luke said, "Do you mean there have
been—er—several murders?"
The quiet, gentle voice replied, "A good
many, I'm afraid." She went on, "That's
why I thought it would be best to go straight
to Scotland Yard and tell them about it.
Don't you think that's the best thing to do?"
Luke looked at her thoughtfully, then he
said, "Why, yes, I think you're quite right."
He thought to himself: "They'll know how
to deal with her. Probably get half a dozen
old ladies a week coming in burbling about
the amount of murders committed in their
nice quiet country villages. There may be a
special department for dealing with the old
dears."
He was roused from these meditations by
the thin gentle voice continuing, "You know,
I remember reading once—I think it was the
Abercrombie case. Of course he'd poisoned
quite a lot of people before any suspicion
was aroused. . . . What was I saying? Oh,
yes, somebody said that there was a look—a
special look that he gave anyone, and then,
very shortly afterwards, that person would
be taken ill. I didn't really believe that when
I read about it, but it's true."
"What's true?"
"The look on a person's face." Luke stared
at her. She was trembling a little and her
nice pink cheeks had lost some of their color.
"I saw it first with Amy Gibbs—and she
died. And then it was Carter. And Tommy
Pierce. But now, yesterday, it was Doctor
Humbleby--and he's such a good man--a
really good man. Carter, of course, drank, and Tommy Pierce was a dreadfully cheeky, impertinent little boy, and bullied the tiny
boys, twisting their arms and pinching them.
I didn't feel quite so badly about them, but
Doctor Humbleby's different. He must be
saved. And the terrible thing is that if I went
to him and told him about it, he wouldn't
believe me! He'd only laugh! And John Reed
wouldn't believe me either. But at Scotland
Yard it will be different. Because, naturally, they're used to crime there!"
She glanced out of the window. "Oh, dear, we shall be in in a minute." She fussed a
little, opening and shutting her bag, collecting
her umbrella. "It's been such a relief
talking to you. Most kind of you, I'm sure.
So glad you think I'm doing the right thing."
Luke said kindly, "I'm sure they'll give
you good advice at Scotland Yard."
"I really am most grateful." She fumbled
in her bag. "My card--oh dear, I only have
one. I must keep that for Scotland Yard."
"Of course, of course."
"But my name is Fullerton."
"Miss Fullerton," said Luke, smiling. "My
name is Luke Fitzwilliam." As the train drew
into the platform, he added, "Can I get you
a taxi?"
"Oh, no, thank you." Miss Fullerton
seemed quite shocked at the idea. "I shall
take the tube. That will take me to Trafalgar
Square, and I shall walk down Whitehall."
"Well, good luck," said Luke.
Miss Fullerton shook him warmly by the
hand. "So kind," she murmured again. "You
know, just at first I thought you didn't believe
me."
Luke had the grace to blush. "Well," he
said. "So many murders! Rather hard to do
a lot of murders and get away with it, eh?"
Miss Fullerton shook her head. She said
earnestly, "No, no, my dear boy, that's where
you're wrong. It's very easy to kill, so long
as no one suspects you. And, you see, the
person in question is just the last person
anyone would suspect."
"Well, anyway, good luck," said Luke.
Miss Fullerton was swallowed up in the
crowd. He himself went off in search of his
luggage, thinking as he did so: "Just a little
bit batty? No, I don't think so. A vivid
imagination, that's all. Hope they let her
down lightly. Rather an old dear."
Two
jimmy lorrimer was one of Luke's oldest
friends. As a matter of course, Luke stayed
with Jimmy as soon as he got to London. It
was with Jimmy that he sailed forth on the
evening of his arrival in search of amusement.
It was Jimmy's coffee that he drank
with an aching head the morning after, and
it was Jimmy's voice that went unanswered
while he read, twice over, a small, insignificant
paragraph in the morning paper. "Sorry, Jimmy," he said, coming to himself with a
start.
"What were you absorbed in--the political
situation?"
Luke grinned. "No fear. No, it's rather
queer. Old pussy I traveled up with in the
train yesterday got run over."
"Probably trusted to a Belisha Beacon,"
said Jimmy. "How do you know it's her?"
"Of course, it mayn't be. But it's the same
name--Fullerton. She was knocked down
and killed by a car as she was crossing
Whitehall. The car didn't stop."
"Whoever was driving that car will pay for
it. Bring in manslaughter as likely as not. I
tell you I'm scared stiff of driving a car
nowadays."
"What have you got at present in the way
of a car?"
"Ford V-8. I tell you, my boy--"
The conversation became severely mechanical.

It was over a week later that Luke, carelessly
scanning the front page of the Times, gave a
sudden startled exclamation: "Well, I'm
damned!"
Jimmy Lorrimer looked up. "What's the
matter?"
Luke raised his head and looked at his
friend. His expression was so peculiar that
Jimmy was quite taken aback. "What's up, Luke? You look as though you'd seen a
ghost."
For a minute or two, the other did not
reply. He dropped the paper, strode to the
window and back again. Jimmy watched him
with increasing surprise. Luke dropped into
a chair and leaned forward. "Jimmy, old
son, do you remember my mentioning an
old lady I traveled up to town with the day I
arrived in England?"
"The one you said reminded you of your
Aunt Mildred? And then she got run over by
a car?"
"That's the one. Listen, Jimmy. The old
girl came out with a long rigmarole of how
she was going up to Scotland Yard to tell
them about a lot of murders. There was a
murderer loose in her village, that's what it
amounted to, and he'd been doing some
pretty rapid execution."
"You didn't tell me she was batty," said
Jimmy.
"I didn't think she was off her head. She
was quite circumstantial; mentioned one or
two victims by name, and then explained
that what had really rattled her was the fact
that she knew who the next victim was going
to be."
"Yes?" said Jimmy encouragingly.
"The point is that the man's name was
Humbleby—Doctor Humbleby. My old lady
said Doctor Humbleby would be the next,
and she was distressed because he was 'such
a good man.' "
"Well?" said Jimmy.
"Well, look at this." Luke passed over the
paper) his finger pressed against an entry in
the column of deaths. Humbleby—On June
12, suddenly, at his residence Sandgate, Wychwood
under Ashe, John Ward Humbleby,
M.D., beloved husband of Jessie Rose
Humbleby. Funeral Friday. No flowers, by
request.
"You see. Jimmy? That's the name and
the place, and he's a doctor. What do you
make of it?"
Jimmy took a moment or two to answer.
His voice was serious when he said, at last,
rather uncertainly, "I suppose it's just a
damned odd coincidence."
Luke wheeled round suddenly. "Suppose
that every word that dear bleating old sheep
said was true! Suppose that that fantastic
story was just the plain literal truth!"
"Oh, come now, old boy! That would be
a bit thick. Things like that don't happen."
"How do you know? They may happen a
good deal oftener than you suppose."
"There speaks the police wallah! Can't you
forget you're a policeman, now that you've
retired into private life?"
"Once a policeman, always a policeman, I
suppose," said Luke. "Now look here,
Jimmy. The case stands like this. I was told
a story—an improbable but not an impossi-
-Sta,.
ble story. One piece of evidence--the death
of Doctor Humbleby--supports that story.
And there's one other significant fact. Miss
Fullerton was going to Scotland Yard with
this improbable story of hers. But she didn't
get there. She was run over and killed by a
car that didn't stop."
Jimmy objected, "You don't know that
she didn't get there. She might have been
killed after her visit, not before."
"She might have been, yes; but I don't
think she was."
"That's pure supposition. It boils down to
this: You believe in this--this melodrama."
Luke shook his head sharply. "No. I don't
say that. All I say is, there's a case for investigation."

"In other words, you are going to Scotland
Yard?"
"No, it hasn't come to that yet--not
nearly. As you say, this man Humbleby's
death may be merely a coincidence."
"Then what, may I ask, is the idea?"
"The idea is to go down to this place and
look into the matter."
"So that's the idea, is it?"
"Don't you agree that that is the only
sensible way to set about it?"
Jimmy stared at him, then he said, "Are
you serious about this business, Luke?"
"Absolutely."
"Suppose the whole thing's a mare's nest?"
"That would be the best thing that could
happen."
"Yes, of course." Jimmy frowned. "But you don't think it is, do you?"
"My dear fellow, I'm keeping an open
mind."
Jimmy was silent for a minute or two.
Then he said, "Got any plan? I mean, you'll
have to have some reason for suddenly arriving
in this place."
"Yes, I suppose I shall."
"No 'suppose' about it. Do you realize
what a small English country town is like?
Anyone new sticks out a mile!"
"I shall have to adopt a disguise," said
Luke, with a sudden grin. "What do you
suggest? Artist? Hardly; I can't draw, let
alone paint."
Jimmy said, "Wait a sec. Give me that
paper again." Taking it, he gave it a cursory
glance and announced triumphantly, "I
thought so! Luke, old boy, to put it in a
nutshell, I'll fix you O.K. Everything's as
easy as winking."
Luke wheeled round. "What?"
Jimmy was continuing with modest pride, "I thought something struck a chord!
Wychwood under Ashe. Of course! The very
place!"
"Have you, by any chance, a pal who
knows the coroner there?"
"Not this time. Better than that, my boy.
Nature, as you know, has endowed me plentifully
with aunts and cousins; my father
having been one of a family of thirteen. Now
listen to this: I have a cousin in Wychwood
under Ashe."
"Jimmy, you're a blinking marvel."
"It is pretty good, isn't it?" said Jimmy
modestly.
"Tell me about him."
"It's a her. Her name's Bridget Conway.
For the last two years she's been secretary to
Lord Easterfield."
"The man who owns those nasty little
weekly papers?"
"That's right. Rather a nasty little man
too. Pompous! He was born in Wychwood
under Ashe, and being the kind of snob who
rams his birth and breeding down your throat
and glories in being self-made, he has returned
to his home village, bought up the only big house in the neighborhood--it belonged
to Bridget's family originally, by the
way--and is busy making the place into a
model estate."
"And your cousin is his secretary?"
"She was," said Jimmy darkly. "Now she's
gone one better! She's engaged to him!"
"Oh," said Luke, rather taken aback.
"He's a catch, of course," said Jimmy.
"Rolling in money. Bridget took rather a
toss over some fellow. It pretty well knocked
the romance out of her. I dare say this will
pan out very well. She'll probably be kind
but firm with him and he'll eat out of her
hand."
"And where do I come in?"
Jimmy replied promptly, "You go down
there to stay. You'd better be another cousin.
Bridget's got so many that one more or less
won't matter. I'll fix that up with her all
right. She and I have always been pals. Now, for your reason for going there--witchcraft, my boy."
"Witchcraft?"
"Folklore, local superstitions--all that sort
of thing. Wychwood under Ashe has got
rather a reputation that way. One of the last
places where they had a witches' Sabbath;
witches were still burnt there in the last century, all sorts of traditions. You're writing a
book, see? Correlating the customs of the
Mayang Straits and old English folklore--
points of resemblance, and so on. You know
the sort of stuff. Go round with a notebook and interview the oldest inhabitant about local
superstitions and customs. They're quite
used to that sort of thing down there, and if
you're staying at Ashe Manor, it vouches for
you."
"What about Lord Easterfield?"
"He'll be all right. He's quite uneducated
and completely credulous--actually believes
things he reads in his own papers. Anyway, Bridget will fix him. Bridget's all right. I'll
answer for her."
Luke drew a deep breath. "Jimmy, old
scout, it looks as though the thing was going
to be easy. You're a wonder. If you can
really fix me up with your cousin--"
"That will be absolutely O.K. Leave it to
me."
"I'm no end grateful to you."
Jimmy said, "All I ask is, if you're hunting
down a homicidal murderer, let me be in
at the death." He added sharply, "What is
it?"
Luke said slowly, "Just something I remembered
my old lady saying to me. I'd
said to her that it was a bit thick to do a lot
of murders and get away with it, and she
answered that I was wrong—that it was very
easy to kill." He stopped, and then said
slowly, "I wonder if that's true. Jimmy? I
wonder if it is—"
"What?"
"—easy to kill."
Three
the June sun was shining when Luke came
over the hill and down into the little country
town of Wychwood under Ashe. It lay innocently
and peacefully in the sunlight; mainly
composed of a long straggling street that ran
along under the overhanging brow of Ashe
Ridge. It seemed singularly remote, strangely
untouched. Luke thought: Pm probably mad.
The whole thing's fantastic.
He drove gently down the twisting road, and so entered the main street. Wychwood, as has been said, consisted mainly of its one
principal street. There were shops, small
Georgian houses, prim and aristocratic, with whitened steps and polished knockers;
there were picturesque cottages with flower
gardens. There was an inn, the Bells and
Motley, standing a little back from the street.
There was a village green and a duck pond, and presiding over them a dignified Geor-
gian house which Luke thought at first must
be his destination, Ashe Manor. But on coming
nearer he saw that there was a large
painted board announcing that it was the
Museum and Library. Farther on there was
an anachronism, a large white modem building, austere and irrelevant to the cheerful
haphazardness of the rest of the place. It
was, Luke gathered, a local Institute and
Lads' Club. It was at this point that he
stopped and asked the way to his destination.

He was told that Ashe Manor was about
half a mile farther on; he would see the gates
on his right. Luke continued his course. He
found the gates easily; they were of new and
elaborate wrought iron. He drove in, caught
a gleam of red brick through the trees, and
turned a corner of the drive to be stupefied
by the appalling and incongruous castellated
mass that greeted his eyes.
While he was contemplating the nightmare, the sun went in. He became suddenly
conscious of the overlying menace of Ashe
Ridge. There was a sudden sharp gust of
wind, blowing back the leaves of the trees, and at that moment a girl came round the corner of the castellated mansion. Her black
hair was blown up off her head by the slid-
den gust, and Luke was reminded of a picture
he had once seen--Nevinson's Witch.
The long, pale, delicate face, the black hair
flying up to the stars. He could see this girl
on a broomstick flying up to the moon. She
came straight toward him. "You must be
Luke Fitzwilliam. I'm Bridget Conway."
He took the hand she held out. He could
see her now as she was--not in a sudden
moment of fantasy. Tall, slender, a long delicate
face with slightly hollow cheekbones, ironic black brows, black eyes and hair. She
was like a delicate etching, he thought--
poignant and beautiful. He said, "How d'you
do? I must apologize for wishing myself on
you like this. Jimmy would have it that you
wouldn't mind."
"Oh, we don't. We're delighted." She
smiled, a sudden curving smile that brought
the corners of her mouth half-way up her
cheeks. "Jimmy and I always stand in together.
And if you're writing a book on folklore, this is a splendid place. All sorts of
legends and picturesque spots."
"Splendid," said .Luke.
They went together toward the house.
Luke stole another glance at it. He discerned
now traces of a sober Queen Anne dwelling
overlaid and smothered by the florid magnif-
icence. He remembered that Jimmy had
mentioned the house as having originally belonged
to Bridget's family. That, he thought, grimly, was in its unadorned days. Inside, Bridget Conway led the way to a room with
book shelves and comfortable chairs where a
tea table stood near the window with two
people sitting by it. She said, "Gordon, this
is Luke, a sort of cousin of mine."
1 Lord Easterfield was a small man with a
semibald head. His face was round and ingenuous, with a pouting mouth and boiled
gooseberry eyes. He was dressed in carelesslooking
country clothes. They were unkind
to his figure, which ran mostly to stomach.
He greeted Luke with affability, "Glad to
see you--very glad. Just come back from the
East, I hear. Interesting place. Writing a
book, so Bridget tells me. They say too many
books are written nowadays. I say 'no,5 always
room for a good one."
Bridget said, "My aunt, Mrs. Anstruther,"
and Luke shook hands with a middle-aged
woman with a rather foolish mouth.
Mrs. Anstruther, as Luke soon learned, was devoted, body and soul, to gardening.
After acknowledging the introduction, she
said now, "I believe those new rock roses
would do perfectly in this climate," and proceeded
to immerse herself in catalogues.
Throwing his squat little figure back in his
chair. Lord Easterfield sipped his tea and
studied Luke appraisingly.
"So you write books," he murmured.
Feeling slightly nervous, Luke was about to
enter on explanations, when he perceived that
Lord Easterfield was not really seeking for
information. "I've often thought," said His
Lordship complacently, "that I'd like to write
a book myself. Trouble is, I haven't got the
time. I'm a very busy man."
"Of course. You must be."
"You wouldn't believe what I've got on
my shoulders," said Lord Easterfield. "I take
a personal interest in each one of my publications.
I consider that I'm responsible for
molding the public mind. Next week millions
of people will be thinking and feeling
just exactly what I've intended to make them
feel and think. That's a very solemn thought.
That means responsibility. Well, I don't mind
responsibility. I'm not afraid of it. I can do
with responsibility."
Lord Easterfield swelled out his chest, attempted
to draw in his stomach, and glared
amiably at Luke. Bridget Comway said
lightly, "You're a great man, Gordon. Have
some more tea."
Lord Easterfield replied simply, "I am a
great man. No, I won't have any more tea."
Then, descending from his own Olympian
heights to the level of more ordinary mortals, he inquired kindly of his guest: "Know anybody
round this part of the world?"
Luke shook his head. Then, on an impulse, and feeling that the sooner he began
to get down to his job the better, he added:
"At least, there's a man here that I promised
to look up--friend of mine. Man called
Humbleby. He's a doctor."
"Oh!" Lord Easterfield struggled upright
in his chair. "Doctor Humbleby? Pity."
"What's a pity?"
"Died about a week ago," said Lord
Easterfield.
"Oh, dear," said Luke. "I'm sorry about
that."
"Don't think you'd have cared for him,"
said Lord Easterfield. "Opinionated, pestilential, muddle-headed old fool."
"Which means," put in Bridget, "that he
disagreed with Gordon."
"Question of our water supply," said Lord
Easterfield. "I may tell you, Mr. Fitzwilliam, that I'm a public-spirited man. I've got the
welfare of this town at heart. I was born
here. Yes, born in this very town."
Exhaustive details of Lord Easterfield's career
were produced for Luke's benefit, and
the former wound up triumphantly: "Do you
know what stands where my father's shop
used to be? A fine building, built and endowed
by me--Institute, Boys' Club, everything
tiptop and up to date. Employed the
best architect in the country! I must say he's
made a bare plain job of it--looks like a
workhouse or a prison to me--but they say
it's all right, so I suppose it must be."
"Cheer up," said Bridget. "You had your
own way over this house."
Lord Easterfield chuckled appreciatively.
"Yes, they tried to put it over on me here!
When one architect wouldn't do what I
wanted, I sacked him and got another. The
fellow I got in the end understood my ideas
pretty well."
"He pandered to your worst flights of
imagination," said Bridget.
"She'd have liked the place left as it was,"
said Lord Easterfield. He patted her arm.
"No use living in the past, my dear. I always
had a fancy for a castle, and now I've got
one!"
"Well," said Luke, a little at a loss for
words, "it's a great thing to know what you
want."
"And I usually get it too," said the other, chuckling.
"You nearly didn't get your way about the
water scheme," Bridget reminded him.
"Oh, that!" said Lord Easterfield. "Humbleby
was a fool. These elderly men are inclined
to be pigheaded. They won't listen to
reason."
"Doctor Humbleby was rather an outspoken
man, wasn't he?" Luke ventured. "He
made a good many enemies that way, I should
imagine."
"N-no, I don't know that I should say
that," demurred Lord Easterfield, rubbing
his nose. "Eh, Bridget?"
"He was very popular with everyone, I
always thought," said Bridget. "I only saw
him when he came about my ankle that time, but I thought he was a dear."
"Yes, he was popular enough, on the
whole," admitted Lord Easterfield. "Though
I know one or two people who had it in for
him. Lots of little feuds and cliques in a
place like this," he said.
"Yes, I suppose so," said Luke. He hesitated, uncertain of his next step. "What sort
of people live here mostly?" he queried.
It was rather a weak question, but he got
an instant response. "Relicts, mostly," said
Bridget. "Clergymen's daughters and sisters
and wives. Doctors' dittos. About six women
to every man."
"But there are some men?" hazarded
Luke.
"Oh, yes, there's Mr. Abbot, the solicitor, and young Doctor Thomas, Doctor
Humbleby's partner, and Mr. Wake, the rector, and--Who else is there, Gordon? Oh!
Mr. Ellsworthy, who keeps the antique shop.
And Major Horton and his bulldogs."
"There's somebody else I believe my
friends mentioned as living down here," said
Luke. "They said she was a nice old pussy, but talked a lot. What was the name, now?
I've got it. Fullerton."
Lord Easterfield said, with a hoarse
chuckle, "Really, you've no luck! She's dead
too. Got run over the other day in London.
Killed outright."
"You seem to have a lot of deaths here,"
said Luke lightly.
Lord Easterfield bridled immediately.
"Not at all. One of the healthiest places in
England. Can't count accidents. They may
happen to anyone."
But Bridget Conway said thoughtfully, "As
a matter of fact, Gordon, there have been a
lot of deaths in the last year. They're always
having funerals."
"Nonsense, my dear."
Luke said, "Was Doctor Humbleby's
death an accident too?"
Lord Easterfield shook his head. "Oh, no," he said. "Humbleby died of acute septicemia.
Just like a doctor. Scratched his finger
with a rusty nail or something, paid no
attention to it, and it turned septic. He was
dead in three days."
"Doctors are rather like that," said
Bridget. "And of course they're very liable
to infection, I suppose, if they don't take
care. It was sad though. His wife was brokenhearted."

"No good of rebelling against the will of
Providence," said Lord Easterfield easily.
But was it the will of Providence? Luke
asked himself later as he changed into his
dinner jacket. Septicemia? Perhaps. A very
sudden death though. And there echoed
through his head Bridget Conway's light spoken
words: "--there have been a lot of deaths
in the last year."
Four
luke had thought out his plan of campaign
with some care and prepared to put it into
action without more ado when he came down
to breakfast the following morning. The gardening
aunt was not in evidence, but Lord
Easterfield was eating kidneys and drinking
coffee, and Bridget Conway had finished her
meal and was standing at the window looking
out. After good-mornings had been exchanged
and Luke had sat down with a
plentifully heaped plate of eggs and bacon, he began.
"I must get to work," he said. "Difficult
thing is to induce people to talk. You know
what I mean, not people like you and--er--
Bridget." He remembered just in time not to
say "Miss Conway." "You'd tell me anything
you knew. But the trouble is, you
wouldn't know the things I want to know--
that is, the local superstitions. You'd hardly
believe the amount of superstition that still
lingers in out-of-the-way parts of the world.
Why, there's a village in Devonshire. The
rector had to remove some old granite
menhirs that stood by the church, because
the people persisted in marching round them
in some old ritual every time there was a
death. Extraordinary how old heathen rites
persist."
Here followed almost verbatim a page of a
work that Luke had read up for the occasion.
"Deaths are the most hopeful line," he
ended. "Burial rites and customs always survive
longer than any others. Besides, for some
reason or other, village people always like
talking about deaths."
"They enjoy funerals," agreed Bridget
from the window.
"I thought I'd make that my starting
point," went on Luke. "If I can get a list of
recent demises in the parish, track down the
relatives and get into conversation, I've no
doubt I shall soon get a hint of what I'm
after. Who had I better get the data from--
the parson?"
"Mr. Wake would probably be very interested,"
said Bridget. "He's quite an old dear
and a bit of an antiquary. He could give you
a lot of stuff, I expect."
Luke had a momentary qualm during
which he hoped that the clergyman might
not be so efficient an antiquary as to expose
his own pretensions. Aloud, he said heartily 5
"Good. You've no idea, I suppose, of likely
people who've died during the last year."
Bridget murmured, "Let me see. Carter,
of course. He was the landlord of the Seven
Stars, that nasty little pub down by the
river."
"A drunken ruffian," said Lord Easterfield.
"One of these socialistic, abusive
brutes. A good riddance."
"And Mrs. Rose, the laundress," went on
Bridget. "And little Tommy Pierce; he was a
nasty little boy, if you like. Oh, of course,
and that girl Amy What's-Her-Name?" Her
voice changed slightly as she uttered the last
name.
"Amy?" said Luke.
"Amy Gibbs. She was housemaid here,
and then she went to Miss Waynflete. There
was an inquest on her."
"Why?"
"Fool of a girl mixed up some bottles in
the dark," said Lord Easterfield.
"She took what she thought was cough
mixture, and it was hat paint," explained
Bridget.
Luke raised his eyebrows. "Somewhat of a
tragedy."
Bridget said, "There was some idea of her
having done it on purpose. Some row with a
young man." She spoke slowly, almost reluctantly.
There was a pause. Luke felt instinctively
the presence of some unspoken feeling
weighing down the atmosphere.
He thought, "Amy Gibbs? Yes, that was
one of the names old Miss Fullerton
mentioned." She had also mentioned a small
boy--Tommy someone--of whom she had
evidently held a low opinion--this, it seemed, was shared by Bridget. And, yes, he was
almost sure; the name Carter had been spoken
too. Rising, he said lightly, "Talking
like this makes me feel rather ghoulish--as
though I dabbled only in graveyards. Marriage
customs are interesting, too, but rather
more difficult to introduce into conversation
unconcernedly."
"I should imagine that was likely," said
Bridget, with a faint twitch of the lips.
"Ill-wishing or overlooking--there's another
interesting subject," went on Luke, with a would-be show of enthusiasm. "You
often get that in these Old World places.
Know of any gossip of that kind here?"
Lord Easter-field slowly shook his head.
ridget Conway said, "We shouldn't be
y to hear of things like that."
uke took it up almost before she finished
iking: "No doubt about it, I've got to
re in lower social spheres to get what I
it. I'll be off to the vicarage first and see
it I can get there. After there perhaps a
t to the—Seven Stars, did you say? And
it about the small boy of unpleasant habDid
he leave any sorrowing relatives?"
'Mrs. Pierce keeps a tobacco and paper
>p in High Street."
That," said Luke, "is nothing less than
evidential. Well, I'll be on my way."
With a swift, graceful movement, Bridget
»ved from the window. "I think," she said,
11 come with you, if you don't mind."
"Of course not." He said it as heartily as
ssible, but he wondered if she had noticed
it, just for a moment, he had been taken
ack. It would have been easier for him to
ndle an elderly antiquarian clergyman withit
an alert, discerning intelligence by his
ie. "Oh, well," he thought to himself. "It's
) to me to do my stuff convincingly."
Bridget said, "Will you just wait, Luke,
hilst I change my shoes?"
what else could she have called him? Since
she had agreed to Jimmy's scheme of
cousinship, she could hardly call him Mr.
Fitzwilliam. He thought, suddenly and uneasily, "What does she think of it all? What
does she think?" He had thought of her--if
he had thought of her at all--as a little blond
secretary person, astute enough to have captured
a rich man's fancy. Instead she had
force, brains, a cool clear intelligence, and he
had no idea what she was thinking of him.
He thought: "She's not an easy person to
deceive."
"I'm ready now," She had joined him so
silently that he had not heard her approach.
She wore no hat, and there was no net on
her hair. As they stepped out from the house,
the wind, sweeping round the corner of the
castellated monstrosity, caught her long black
hair and whipped it into a sudden frenzy
round her face.
Looking back at the battlements behind
him, he said irritably, "What an abomination
1 Couldn't anyone stop him?"
Bridget answered, "An Englishman's
house is his castle--literally so in Gordon's
case! He adores it."
rnnspions that the remark was in bad taste,
«By __
"It's your old home, isn't it? Do you 'adore'
to see it the way it is now?"
She looked at him then--a steady, slightly
amused look, it was. "I hate to destroy the
dramatic picture you are building up," she
murmured. "But actually I left here when I
was two and a half, so you see the old-home
motive doesn't apply. I can't even remember
this place."
"You're right," said Luke. "Forgive the
lapse into film language."
She laughed! "Truth," she said, "is seldom
romantic." And there was a sudden
bitter scorn in her voice that startled him.
He flushed a deep red under his tan, then
realized suddenly that the bitterness had not
been aimed at him. It was her own scorn
and her own bitterness. Luke was wisely
silent. But he wondered a good deal about
Bridget Conway.
Five minutes brought them to the church
and to the vicarage that adjoined it. They
found the vicar in his study. Alfred Wake
was a small stooping old man with very mild
blue eyes and an absent-minded but courteous
air. He seemed pleased, but a little surprised
by the visit.
"Mr. Fitzwilliam is staying with us at Ashe
Manor," said Bridget, "and he wants to consult
you about a book he is writing."
Mr. Wake turned his mild, inquiring eyes
toward the younger man, and Luke plunged
into explanations. He was nervous--doubly
so. Nervous, in the first place, because this
man had no doubt a far deeper knowledge of
folklore and superstitious rites and customs
than one could acquire by merely hurriedly
cramming from a haphazard collection of
books. Secondly, he was nervous because
Bridget Conway was standing by, listening.
Luke was relieved to find that Mr. Wake's
special interest was Roman remains. He confessed
gently that he knew very little of medieval
folklore and witchcraft. He mentioned
the existence of certain items in the history
of Wychwood, offered to take Luke to the
particular ledge of hill where it was said the
witches5 Sabbaths had been held, but expressed
himself regretful that he could add
no special information of his own.
Inwardly much relieved, Luke expressed
himself as somewhat disappointed, and then
plunged into inquiries as to deathbed superstitions.

Mr. Wake shook his head gently. "I am
afraid I should be the last person to know
about those. My parishioners would be careful to keep anything unorthodox from my
ears."
"That's so, of course."
"But I've no doubt, all the same, there is
a lot of superstition still rife. These village
communities are very backward."
Luke plunged boldly. "I've been asking
Miss Conway for a list of all the recent deaths
she could remember. I thought I might get
at something that way. I suppose you could
supply me with a list, so that I could pick
out the likelies."
"Yes, yes; that could be managed. Giles, our sexton, a good fellow, but sadly deaf, could help you there. Let me see now. There
have been a good many--a good many--a
treacherous spring and a hard winter behind
it--and then a good many accidents. Quite a
cycle of bad luck there seems to have been."
"Sometimes," said Luke, "a cycle of bad
luck is attributed to the presence of a particular
person."
"Yes, yes. The old story of Jonah. But I
do not think there have been any strangers
here--nobody, that is to say, outstanding in
any way--and I've certainly never heard any
rumor of such a feeling, but then again, as I
said, perhaps I shouldn't. Now, let me see.
Quite recently we have had Doctor
Humbleby and poor Lavinia Fullerton. A
fine man. Doctor Humbleby."
Bridget put in, "Mr. Fitzwilliam knows
friends of his."
"Do you indeed? Very sad. His loss will
be much felt. A man with many friends."
"But surely a man with some enemies, too," said Luke. "I'm only going by what
I've heard my friends say," he went on hastily.

Mr. Wake sighed. "A man who spoke his
mind, and a man who wasn't always very
tactful, shall we say?" He shook his head.
"It does get people's backs up. But he was
greatly beloved among the poorer class."
Luke said carelessly, "You know, I always
feel that one of the most unpalatable facts to
be faced in life is the fact that every death
that occurs means a gain to someone--I don't
mean only financially."
The vicar nodded thoughtfully. "I see your
meaning, yes. We read in an obituary notice
that a man is regretted by everybody, but
that can only be true very rarely, I fear. In
Doctor Humbleby's case, there is no denying
that his partner. Doctor Thomas, will find
his position very much improved by Doctor
Humbleby's death."
"How is that?"
"Thomas, I believe, is a very capable fellow--certainly
Humbleby always said so--
but he didn't get on here very well. He was, I think, overshadowed by Humbleby, who
was a man of very definite magnetism.
Thomas appeared rather colorless in contrast.
He didn't impress his patients at all. I think
he worried over it, too, and that made him
worse--more nervous and tongue-tied. As a
matter of fact, I've noticed an astonishing
difference already. More aplomb, more personality.
I think he feels a new confidence in
himself. He and Humbleby didn't always
agree, I believe. Thomas was all for newer
methods of treatment and Humbleby preferred
to stick to the old ways. There were
clashes between them more than once--over
that as well as over a matter nearer home.
But there, I mustn't gossip."
Bridget said softly and clearly, "But I think
Mr. Fitzwilliam would like you to gossip."
Luke shot her a quick, disturbed look.
Mr. Wake shook his head doubtfully, and
then went on, smiling a little in deprecation:
"I am afraid one learns to take too much
interest in one's neighbors' affairs. Rose
Humbleby is a very pretty girl. One doesn't
wonder that Geoffrey Thomas lost his heart.
And of course Humbleby's point of view was
quite understandable, too—the girl is young,
and buried away here, she hadn't much
chance of seeing other men."
"He objected?" said Luke.
"Very definitely. Said they were far too
young. And of course young people resent
being told that. There was a very definite
coldness between the two men. But I must
say that I'm sure Doctor Thomas was deeply
distressed at his partner's unexpected death."
"Septicemia, Lord Easterfield told me."
"Yes, just a little scratch that got infected.
Doctors run grave risks in the course of their
profession, Mr. Fitzwilliam."
"They do indeed," said Luke.
Mr. Wake gave a sudden start. "But I
have wandered a long way from what we
were talking about," he said. "A gossiping
old man, I am afraid. We were speaking of
the survival of pagan death customs and of
recent deaths. There was Lavinia Fullerton—
one of our most kindly church helpers. Then
there was that poor girl, Amy Gibbs; you
might discover something in your line there,
Mr. Fitzwilliam. There was just a suspicion,
you know, that it might have been suicide,
and there are certain rather eerie rites in
connection with that type of death. There is
an aunt—not, I fear, a very estimable woman,
and not very much attached to her niece, but
a great talker."
"Valuable," said Luke.
"Then there was Tommy Pierce; he was
in the choir at one time—a beautiful treble—
quite angelic, but not a very angelic boy
otherwise, I am afraid. We had to get rid of
him in the end; he made the other boys
behave badly too. Poor lad, I'm afraid he
was not very much liked anywhere. He was
dismissed from the post office, where we got
him a job as telegraph boy. He was in Mr.
Abbot's office for a while, but there again he
was dismissed very soon—interfered with
some confidential papers, I believe. Then, of
course, he was at Ashe Manor for a time—
wasn't he. Miss Conway?—as a garden boy,
and Lord Easterfield had to discharge him
for gross impertinence. I was so sorry for his
mother—a very decent hardworking soul.
Miss Waynflete very kindly got him some
odd window-cleaning work. Lord Easterfield
objected at first, then suddenly he gave in;
actually, it was sad that he did so."
"Why?"
"Because the boy was killed that way. He
was cleaning the top windows of the library—
the old hall, you know—and tried some silly
fooling—dancing on the window ledge or
something of that sort--lost his balance, or
else became dizzy, and fell. A nasty business!
He never recovered consciousness and
died a few hours after they got him to the
hospital."
"Did anyone else see him fall?" asked
Luke with interest.
"No. He was on the garden side, not the
front of the house. They estimate he lay
there for about half an hour before anyone
found him."
"Who did find him?"
"Miss Fullerton. You remember, the lady
I mentioned just now who was unfortunately
killed in a street accident the other day. Poor
soul, she was terribly upset. A nasty experience!
She had obtained permission to take a
cutting of some plants and found the boy
there, lying where he had fallen."
"It must have been a very unpleasant
shock," said Luke thoughtfully. "A greater
shock," he thought to himself, "than you
know."
"He was a disgusting bully," said Bridget.
"You know he was, Mr. Wake. Always tormenting
cats and stray puppies and pinching
other little boys."
"I know--I know." Mr. Wake shook his
head sadly. "But you know, my dear Miss
Conway, sometimes cruelty is not so much
innate as due to the fact that imagination is
slow in ripening. That is why, if you conceive
of a grown man with the mentality of a
child, you realize that the cunning and brutality
of a lunatic may be quite unrealized by
the man himself. A lack of growth somewhere,
that, I am convinced, is at the root of
much of the cruelty and stupid brutality in
the world today. One must put away childish
things--" He shook his head and spread out
his hands.
Bridget said, in a voice suddenly hoarse, "Yes, you're right. I know what you mean.
A man who is a child is the most frightening
thing in the world."
Luke Fitzwilliam wondered very much
who the person Bridget was thinking of might
be.
Five
mr. wake murmured a few more names to
himself.
"Let me see now. Poor Mrs. Rose, and
old Bell, and that child of the Elkins', and
Harry Carter. They're not all my people,
you understand. Mrs. Rose and Carter were
dissenters. And that cold spell in March took
off poor old Ben Stanbury at last—ninetytwo
he was."
"Amy Gibbs died in April," said Bridget.
"Yes, poor girl; a sad mistake to happen."
Luke looked up to find Bridget watching
him. She lowered her eyes quickly. He
thought, with some annoyance: "There's
something here that I haven't got on to.
Something to do with this girl, Amy Gibbs."
When they had taken leave of the vicar and
were outside again, he said: "Just who and
what was Amy Gibbs?"
Bridget took a minute or two to answer.
Then she said--and Luke noticed the slight
constraint in her voice--"Amy was one of
the most inefficient housemaids I have ever
known."
"That's why she got the sack?"
"No. She stayed out after hours, playing
about with some young man. Gordon has
very moral and old-fashioned views. Sin, in
his view, does not take place until after eleven
o'clock, but then it is rampant. So he gave
the girl notice and she was impertinent about
it!"
Luke asked, "She's the one who swallowed
off hat paint in mistake for cough
mixture?"
"Yes."
"Rather a stupid thing to do," Luke
hazarded.
"Very stupid."
"Was she stupid?"
"No, she was quite a sharp girl."
Luke stole a look at her. He was puzzled.
Her replies were given in an even tone, without
emphasis or even much interest. But
behind what she said there was, he felt convinced, something not put into words.
At that moment Bridget stopped to speak
to a tall man who swept off his hat and
greeted her with breezy heartiness. Bridget,
after a word or two, introduced Luke, "This
is my cousin, Mr. Fitzwilliam, who is staying
at the Manor. He's down here to write a
book. This is Mr. Abbot."
Luke looked at Mr. Abbot with some interest.
This was the solicitor who had employed
Tommy Pierce. Mr. Abbot was not
at all the conventional type of lawyer, he was
neither thin, spare, nor tight-lipped. He was
a big florid man, dressed in tweeds, with a
hearty manner and a jovial effusiveness.
There were little creases at the corners of his
eyes, and the eyes themselves were more
shrewd than one appreciated in a first casual
glance. "Writing a book, eh? Novel?"
"Folklore," said Bridget.
"You've come to the right place for that,"
said the lawyer. "Wonderfully interesting
part of the world here."
"So I've been led to understand," said
Luke. "I dare say you could help me a bit.
You must come across curious old deeds or
know of some interesting surviving customs."
"Well, I don't know about that. Maybe--
maybe."
"No haunted houses?"
"No, I don't know of anything of that
kind."
"There's the child superstition, of course,"
said Luke. "Death of a boy child--a violent
death, that is--the boy always walks. Not a
girl child--interesting that."
"Very?" said Mr. Abbot. "I never heard
that before."
Since Luke had just invented it, that was
hardly surprising. "Seems there's a boy
here_Tommy something--was in your office
at one time. I've reason to believe they
think that he's walking."
Mr. Abbot's red face turned slightly purple.
"Tommy Pierce? A good-for-nothing, prying, meddlesome jackanapes. Who's seen
him? What's this story?"
"These things are difficult to pin down,"
said Luke. "People won't come out into the
open with a statement. It's just in the air, so
to speak."
"Yes, yes, I suppose so."
Luke changed the subject adroitly, "The
real person to get hold of is the local doctor.
They hear a lot in the poorer cases they
attend. All sorts of superstitions and charms
_probably love philters and all the rest of
it."
"You must get on to Thomas. Good fellow
Thomas, thoroughly up-to-date man.
Not like poor old Humbleby."
"Bit of a reactionary, wasn't he?"
"Absolutely pigheaded; a diehard of the
worst description."
"You had a real row over the water
scheme, didn't you?" asked Bridget.
Again a rich ruddy glow suffused Abbot's
face. "Humbleby stood dead in the way of
progress," he said sharply. "He held out
against the scheme! He was pretty rude, too, in what he said. Didn't mince his words.
Some of the things he said to me were positively
actionable."
Bridget murmured, "But lawyers never go
to law, do they? They know better."
Abbot laughed immoderately. His anger
subsided as quickly as it had risen. "Pretty
good. Miss Bridget! And you're not far
wrong. We who are in it know too much
about the law, ha-ha. Well, I must be getting
along. Give me a call if you think I can help
you in any way, Mr.--er--"
"Fitzwilliam," said Luke. "Thanks, I
will."
As they walked on, Bridget said, "If you
want to hear more about Amy Gibbs, I can
take you to someone who could help you."
"Who is that?"
"A Miss Waynflere. Amy went there after
she left the Manor. She was there when she
died."
"Oh, I see." He was a little taken aback.
"Well, thank you very much."
"She lives just here."
They were crossing the village green. Inclining
her head in the direction of the big
Georgian house that Luke had noticed the
day before, Bridget said: "That's Wych Hall.
It's a library now."
Adjoining the Hall was a little house that
looked rather like a doll's house in proportion.
Its steps were dazzlingly white, its
knocker shone and its window curtains
showed white and prim. Bridget pushed open
the gate and advanced to the steps. As she
did so, the front door opened and an elderly
woman came out. She was, Luke thought, completely the country spinster. Her thin
form was neatly dressed in a tweed coat and
skirt, and she wore a gray silk blouse with a
cairngorm brooch. Her hat, a conscientious
felt, sat squarely upon her well-shaped head.
Her face was pleasant and her eyes, through
their pince-nez, decidedly intelligent.
"Good morning. Miss Waynflete," said
Bridget. "This is Mr. Fitzwilliam." Luke
bowed. "He's writing a book--about deaths
and village customs and general gruesomeness."
"Oh, dear," said Miss Waynflete. "How
very interesting." And she beamed encouragingly
upon him.
He was reminded of Miss Fullerton.
"I thought," said Bridget--and again he
noted that curious flat tone in her voice--
"that you might tell him something about
Amy."
"Oh," said Miss Waynflete. "About Amy?
Yes. About Amy Gibbs." He was conscious
of a new factor in her expression. She seemed
to be thoughtfully summing him up. Then, as though coming to a decision, she drew
back into the hall. "Do come in," she said.
"I can go out later. No, no"--in answer to a
protest from Luke--"I had really nothing
important to do. Just a little unimportant
shopping." The small drawing room was exquisitely
neat and smelled faintly of burnt
lavender. Miss Waynflete offered her guests
chairs, and then said apologetically, "I'm
afraid I don't smoke myself, so I have no
cigarettes, but do please smoke if you like."
Luke refused, but Bridget promptly lighted
a cigarette.
Sitting bolt upright in a chair with carved
arms. Miss Waynflete studied her guest for a
moment or two, and then, dropping her eyes
as though satisfied, she said: "You want to
know about that poor girl, Amy? The whole
thing was very sad and cauised me a great
deal of distress. Such a tragic: mistake."
"Wasn't there some question of--suicide?"
asked Luke.
Miss Waynflete shook her head. "No, no, that I cannot believe for a moment. Amy
was not at all that type."
"What type was she?" askesd Luke bluntly.
"I'd like to hear your accoun t of her."
Miss Waynflete said, "Well, of course, she wasn't at all a good servant. But nowadays, really, one is thankful to get anybody.
She was very slipshod over her work and
always wanting to go out. Well, of course, she was young and girls are like that nowadays.
They don't seem to realize that their
time is their employer's."
Luke looked properly sympathetic and
Miss Waynflete proceeded to develop her
theme. "She was fond of admiration," went
on Miss Waynflete, "and was inclined to
think a lot of herself. Mr. Ellsworthy--he
keeps the new antique shop, but he is actually
a gentleman--he dabbles a little in water
colors and he had done one or two sketches
of the girl's head--and I think you know, that that rather gave her ideas. She was rather
inclined to quarrel with the young man she
was engaged to--Jim Harvey. He's a mechanic at the garage and very fond of her." Miss Waynflete paused and then went on, "I
shall never forget that dreadful night. Amy
had been out of sorts; a nasty cough and one
thing and another--those silly, cheap silk
stockings they will wear, and shoes with paper
soles, practically, of course, they catch
chills--and she'd been to the doctor that
afternoon."
Luke asked quickly, "Doctor Humbleby
or Doctor Thomas?"
"Doctor Thomas. And he gave her a bottle
of cough mixture that she brought back
with her. Something quite harmless--a stock
mixture, I believe. She went to bed early, and it must have been about one in the
morning when the noise began--an awful
kind of choking scream. I got up and went
to her door, but it was locked on the inside.
I called to her, but couldn't get any answer.
Cook was with me, and we were both terribly
upset. And then we went to the front
door and, luckily, there was Reed--our constable--just
passing on his beat, and we called
to him. He went round the back of the
house and managed to climb up on the outhouse
roof, and as her window was open, he
got in quite easily that way and unlocked the
door. Poor girl, it was terrible. They couldn't
do anything for her, and she died in hospital
a few hours later."
"And it was--what?--hat paint?"
"Yes. Oxalic-acid poisoning is what they
called it. The bottle was about the same size
as the cough-linctus one. The latter was on
her washstand and the hat paint was by her
bed. She must have picked up the wrong
bottle and put it by her in the dark, ready to
take if she felt badly. That was the theory at
the inquest."
Miss Waynflete stopped. Her intelligent
goat's eyes looked at him, and he was aware
that some particular significance lay behind
them. He had the feeling that she was leaving
some part of the story untold, and a
stronger feeling that, for some reason, she
wanted him to be aware of the fact.
There was a silence--a long and rather
difficult silence. Luke felt like an actor who
does not know his cue. He said, rather
weakly, "And you don't think it was
suicide?"
Miss Waynflete said promptly, "Certainly
not. If the girl had decided to make away
with herself, she would have bought something,
probably. This was an old bottle of
stuff that she must have had for years. And
anyway, as I've told you, she wasn't that
kind of girl."
"So you think--what?" said Luke bluntly.
Miss Waynflete said, "I think it was very
unfortunate." She closed her lips and looked
at him earnestly.
Just when Luke was feeling that he must
try desperately to say something anticipated, a diversion occurred. There was a scratching
at the door and a plaintive mew. Miss
Waynflete sprang up and went to open the
door, whereupon a magnificent orange Persian
walked in. He paused, looked disapprovingly
at the visitor, and sprang up on
the arm of Miss Waynflete's chair. Miss
Waynflete addressed him in a cooing voice.
"Why, Wonky Pooh! Where's my Wonky
Pooh been all the morning?"
The name struck a chord of memory.
Where had he heard something about a Persian
cat called Wonky Pooh? He said, "That's
a very handsome cat. Have you had him
long?"
Miss Waynflete shook her head. "Oh, no, he belonged to an old friend of mine. Miss
Fullerton. She was run over by one of these
horrid motorcars, and, of course, I couldn't
have let Wonky Pooh go to strangers. Lavinia
would have been most upset. She simply
worshipped him--and he is very beautiful, isn't he?"
Luke admired the cat gravely. Miss
Waynflete said, "Be careful of his ears.
They've been rather painful lately."
Luke stroked the animal warily. Bridget
rose to her feet. She said, "We must be
going."
Miss Waynflete shook hands with Luke.
"Perhaps," she said, "I shall see you again
before long."
Luke said cheerfully, "I hope so, I'm
sure." He thought she looked puzzled and a
little disappointed. Her gaze shifted to
Bridget--a rapid look with a hint of interrogation
in it. Luke felt that there was some
understanding between the two women from
which he was excluded. It annoyed him, but
he promised himself to get to the bottom of
it before long. Miss Waynflete came out with
them. Luke stood a minute on the top of the
steps, looking with approval on the untouched
primness of the village green and
the duck pond. "Marvelously unspoilt, this
place," he said.
Miss Waynflete's face lit up. "Yes, indeed," she said eagerly. "Really, it is still
just as I remember it as a child. We lived in
the Hall, you know. But when it came to my
58
brother, he did not care to live in it--indeed, could not afford to do so--and it was put up
for sale. A builder had made an offer and
was, I believe, going to "develop the land'--I
think that was the phrase. Fortunately, Lord
Easterfield stepped in and acquired the property
and saved it. He turned the house into a
library and museum, really it is practically
untouched. I act as librarian twice a week
there--unpaid, of course--and I can't tell
you what a pleasure it is to be in the old
place and know that it will not be vandalized.
And really it is a perfect setting; you must visit our little museum one day, Mr.
Fitzwilliam. There are some quite interesting
local exhibits."
"I certainly shall make a point of doing so, Miss Waynflete."
"Lord Easterfield has been a great benefactor
to Wychwood," said Miss Waynflete.
"It grieves me that there are people who are
sadly ungrateful."
Her lips pressed themselves together. Luke
discreetly asked no questions. He said goodby
again.
When they were outside the gate, Bridget
said, "Do you want to pursue further researches, or shall we go home by way of the
river? It's a pleasant walk."
59
Luke answered promptly. He had no mind
for further investigations, with Bridget
Conway standing by listening. He said, "Go
around by the river by all means."
They walked along the High Street. One
of the last houses had a sign decorated in old
gold lettering with the word ANTIQUES on
it. Luke paused and peered through one of
the windows into the cool depths. "Rather a
nice slipware dish there," he remarked. "Do
for an aunt of mine. Wonder how much they
want for it?"
"Shall we go in and see?"
"Do you mind? I like pottering about antique
shops. Sometimes one picks up a good
bargain."
"I doubt if you will here," said Bridget
dryly. "Ellsworthy knows the value of his
stuff pretty accurately, I should say."
The door was open. In the hall were chairs
and settees and dressers with china and pewter
in them. Two rooms full of goods opened
at either side. Luke went into the room on
the left and picked up the slipware dish. At
the same moment a dim figure came forward
from the back of the room, where he had
been sitting at a Queen Anne walnut desk.
"Ah, dear Miss Conway, what a pleasure to
see you."
"Good morning, Mr. Ellsworthy."
Mr. EUsworthy was a thin young man
dressed in russet brown. He had a long pale
face and long black hair. Luke was introduced, and Mr. EUsworthy immediately
transferred his attention to him. "Genuine
old English slipware. Lovely, isn't it? I have
some good pieces, but I hate to sell them.
It's always been my dream to live in the
country and have a little shop. Marvelous
place, Wychwood; it has atmosphere, if you
know what I mean."
"The artistic temperament," murmured
Bridget.
Ellsworthy turned on her with a flash of
long white hands. "Not that terrible phrase, Miss Conway. I'm a tradesman, that's all;
just a tradesman."
"But you're really an artist, aren't you?"
said Luke. "I mean, you do water colors, don't you? Miss Waynflete told us that you
had made several sketches of a girl--Amy
Gibbs."
I "Oh, Amy," said Mr. Ellsworthy. He took
a step backward and set a beer mug rocking.
He steadied it carefully. He said, "Did I?
Oh, yes, I suppose I did." His poise seemed
somewhat shaken.
"She was a pretty girl," said Bridget.
FR1;"Ob ^^^tly had recovered his aplomb.
commo^ you 1lunk soyy he b^^' "Very
interest^13065 ^^ thought. . . . If you're
«p ^ in sliJware," he went on, to Luke,
T nk1 a cou^e °^ slipware birds."
^a ^ <lisplayd a faint interest in the birds
and th^ 1,1 r ^i. -r i.
Ellswon" as^d the pnce °
Luke <w nanled a fig111'6- "Thanks," said
,t ofr^ ^ut I ^n't think I'll deprive you of
it, aner „„ „
«T, ^U.
Ellswnn always relieved, you know," said
ish of y9 <<wlen I don?t n1^6 a sale Fool- l .^e, isn't it? Look here; I'll let you
stuff T ^or a §llmea ^ess- ^ou care ^or ^le ' * ^an see that; it makes all the differ-
"No ^ Bfterall, this is a shop."
3 thanks^ said Luke. Mr. EUsworthy i ^^nied them out to the door. "Queer
he and ^r' EUsvorthy," he remarked, when
"T hel0^1 yere out °^ earsnot' . R1leve hedabbles in black magic. Not
Bride r 'c^ ^asses? ^ut tnat sort 0^ t^mg5" helns" sald" <<rlle rePutation of thls P^6
Luke
y ^aid, rather awkwardly, "Good Lord,
I ouen^ he5s the kmd of chap J reany need0 ^o have talked to him on the subject."
^^° ^ou th^ so?" said Bridget. ^He Knows a ini ahnit ir »
Luke said, r^" ^aeas^' "ru look him
up some oth^1'(lay' t,, r
Bridget di^ t01 answer- They were out of the town no^. $he turned aside to followa
footpath, and P"^ they came to the river. There thcY Passed a small man with a
stiff mustache ^d Protuberant eyes. He had
three bulldog ^.th lum to whom hewas shouting hosd-seW m turn: Ner0' come here'
sirl NpltV leave it' ^"P lt' I te11 y0"'
01A. , . . l^CUJ? » T 5» TT 1 1
I Augustus--Augustus'I say-- Hebroke
off to raise his 1^"° BndSet' stared at Luke with what w^s ^^"tly a devouring curiosity,
and passed on' resummg his hoarse expostulations.
, , . , „, -,„ ,
"Major Hort013 aad tns blllldo8s? q"0™ Luke.
I "Quite right.'" , „ ,
"Haven't u^e seen practically everyone of
note in Wychwo^this morning?"
"Practically." , . „ ., , , ^ "I feel ratfier obtruslve' sald Luke- I
suppose a strand " an Enfshvllla8e is
bound to sdc)< ^ut a nule' he added rue'
fuUy, remember J^n'y Lommer's remarks.
,. . ..
"Maior Hni-to^1 never ^^'"^s his cunos----'f
V/A. A A.v/^' « --^ I CiT T 1*1
ity very well ^ ^ald K1'1^1- He dld stare
rather "
"He's the sort of man you could tell was a
major anywhere," said Luke rather viciously.
Bridget said abruptly, "Shall we sit on the
bank a bit? We've got lots of time."
They sat on a fallen tree that made a
convenient seat. Bridget went on, "Yes, Major
Horton is very military; has an orderlyroom
manner. You'd hardly believe he was
the most henpecked man in existence a year
ago."
"What, that fellow?"
"Yes. He had the most disagreeable woman
for a wife that I've ever known. She had the
money, too, and never scrupled to underline
the fact in public."
"Poor brute--Horton, I mean."
"He behaved very nicely to her--always
the officer and gentleman. Personally, I wonder
he didn't take a hatchet to her."
"She wasn't popular, I gather."
"Everybody disliked her. She snubbed
Gordon and patronized me, and made herself
generally unpleasant wherever she went."
"But I gather a merciful Providence removed
her?"
"Yes, about a year ago. Acute gastritis.
She gave her husband. Doctor Thomas, and
two nurses absolute hell, but she died all
right. The bulldogs brightened up at once."
"Intelligent brutes."
There was a silence. Bridget was idly picking
at the long grass. Luke frowned at the
opposite bank unseeingly. Once again the
dreamlike quality of his mission obsessed
him. How much was fact, how much imagination?
Wasn't it bad for one to go about
studying every fresh person you met as a
potential murderer? Something degrading
about that point of view. "Damn it all,"
thought Luke. "I've been a policeman too
long."
He was brought out of his abstraction with
a shock. Bridget's cold clear voice was speaking.
"Mr. Fitzwilliam," she said, "just exactly
why have you come down here?"
Six
luke had been just in the act of applying a
match to a cigarette. The unexpectedness of her remark momentarily paralyzed his hand.
He remained quite motionless for a second
or two; the match burned down and scorched
his finger. "Damn!" said Luke, as he
dropped the match and shook his hand vigorously.
"I beg your pardon. You gave me
rather a nasty jolt." He smiled ruefully.
"Did I?"
"Yes." He sighed. "Oh, well, I suppose
anyone of real intelligence was bound to see
through me. That story of my writing a book
on folklore didn't take you in for a moment, I suppose?"
"Not after I'd once seen you."
"Not sufficient brains to write a book?
Don't spare my feelings. I'd rather know."
"You might write a book, but not that
kind of book--old superstitions, delving into
the past--not that sort of thing! You're not
the kind of man to whom the past means
much--perhaps not even the future--only
just the present."
"H'm. I see." He made a wry face. "Damn
it all, you've made me nervous ever since I
got here! You looked so confoundedly intelligent."

"I'm sorry," said Bridget dryly. "What
did you expect?"
"Well, I really hadn't thought about it."
But she went on calmly, "A fluffy little
person with just enough brains to realize her
opportunities and marry her boss?" Luke
made a confused noise. She turned a cool, amused glance on him. "I quite understand.
It's all right. I'm not annoyed."
Luke chose effrontery. "Well, perhaps, it
was something faintly approaching that. But
I didn't think much about it."
She said slowly, "No, you wouldn't. You
don't cross your fences till you get to them."
She paused a minute, then said: "Why are
you down here, Mr. Fitzwilliam?"
They had returned full circle to the original
question. Luke had been aware that it
must be so. In the last few seconds he had
been trying to make up his mind! He looked
up now and met her eyes--shrewd, inquir-
ing eyes that met his with a calm steady
gaze. There was a gravity in them which he
had not quite expected to find there. "It would be better, I think," he said meditatively, "not to tell you any more lies."
"Much better."
"But the truth's awkward. Look here, have
you yourself formed any opinions? I mean
has anything occurred to you about my being
here?" She nodded slowly and thoughtfully.
"What was your idea? Will you tell
me? I fancy it may help somehow."
Bridget said quietly, "I had an idea that
you came down here in connection with the
death of that girl, Amy Gibbs."
"That's it, then! That's what I saw--what
I felt--whenever her name cropped up! I
knew there was something. So you thought I
came down about that?"
"Didn't you?"
"In a way, yes."
He was silent, frowning. The girl beside
him sat equally silent, not moving. She said
nothing to disturb his train of thought.
He made up his mind. "I've come down
here on a wild-goose chase--on a fantastical
and probably quite absurd and melodramatic
supposition. Amy Gibbs is part of that whole
business. I'm interested to find out exactly
how she died."
"Yes, I thought so."
"But dash it all, why did you think so?
What is there about her death that--well, aroused your interest?"
Bridget said, "I've thought all along that
there was something wrong about it. That's
why I took you to see Miss Waynflete."
"Why?"
"Because she thinks so too."
"Oh." Luke thought back rapidly. He understood
now the underlying suggestions of
that intelligent spinster's manner. "She thinks
as you do--that there's something odd about
it?" Bridget nodded. "Why, exactly?"
"Hat paint, to begin with."
"What do you mean--hat paint?"
"Well, about twenty years ago people did
paint hats--one season you had a pink straw, next season, a bottle of hat paint and it
became dark blue, then, perhaps, another
bottle and a black hat! But not nowadays.
Hats are cheap--tawdry stuff, to be thrown
away when out of fashion."
"Even girls of the class of Amy Gibbs?"
"I'd be more likely to paint a hat than she
would. Thrift's gone out. And there's another
thing. It was red hat Daint."
"Well?"
"And Amy Gibbs had red hair--carrots!"
"You mean it doesn't go together?"
Bridget nodded. "You wouldn't wear a
scarlet hat with carroty hair. It's the sort of
thing a man wouldn't realize, but--"
Luke interrupted her with heavy significance.
"No, a man wouldn't realize that. It
fits in--it all fits in."
Bridget said, "Jimmy has got some odd
friends at Scotland Yard. You're not--"
Luke said quickly, "I'm not an official
detective, and I'm not a well known private
investigator with rooms in Baker Street, and
so on. I'm exactly what Jimmy told you I
was--a retired policeman from the East. I'm
homing in on this business because of an
odd thing that happened in the train to
London." He gave a brief synopsis of his
conversation with Miss Fullerton and the
subsequent events that had brought about
his presence in Wychwood. "So, you see,"
he ended, "it's fantastic! I'm looking for a
certain man--a secret killer--a man here in Wychwood, probably well known and respected.
If Miss Fullerton's right and you're
right and Miss What's-Er-Name is right, that
man killed Amy Gibbs."
Bridget said, "I see."
"It could have been done from outside, I
suppose?"
"Yes, I think so," said Bridget slowly.
"Reed, the constable, climbed up to her window
by means of an outhouse. The window
was open. It was a bit of a scramble, but a
reasonably active man would find no real
difficulty."
"And having done that, he did what?"
"Substituted a bottle of hat paint for the
cough linctus."
"Hoping she'd do exactly what she did
do--wake up, drink it off, and that everyone
would say she'd made a mistake or committed
suicide?"
"Yes."
"There was no suspicion of what they call
in books 'foul play,5 at the inquest?"
"No."
"Men again, I suppose. The hat-paint
point wasn't raised?"
"No."
"But it occurred to you?"
"Yes."
"And to Miss Waynflete? Have you discussed
it together?"
Bridget smiled faintly. "Oh, no; not in the
sense you mean. I mean we haven't said
anything right out. I don't reallv know how
far the old pussy has gone in her own mind.
I'd say she'd been just worried to start with, and gradually getting more so. She's quite
intelligent, you know, went to Girton, or
wanted to, and was advanced when she was
young. She's not got quite the woolly mind
of most of the people down here."
"Miss Fullerton had rather a woolly mind, I should imagine," said Luke. "That's why I
never dreamed there was anything in her
story, to begin with."
"She was pretty shrewd, I always
thought," said Bridget. "Most of these rambling
old dears are as sharp as nails in some
ways. You said she mentioned other names?"
Luke nodded. "Yes. A small boy--that
was Tommy Pierce. I remembered the name
as soon as I heard it. And I'm pretty sure
that the man Carter came in too."
"Carter, Tommy Pierce, Amy Gibbs, Doctor
Humbleby," said Bridget thoughtfully.
"As you say, it's almost too fantastic to be
true. Who on earth would want to kill those
people? They were all so different!"
Luke asked, "Any idea as to why anyone
should want to do away with Amy Gibbs?"
Bridget shook her head. "I can't imagine."
"What about the man Carter? How did he
die, by the way?"
"Fell into the river and was drowned. He
was on his way home, it was a misty night
and he was quite drunk. There's a footbridge
with a rail on only one side. It was
taken for granted that he missed his footing."

"But someone could quite easily have given
him a shove?"
"Oh, yes."
"And somebody else could quite easily
have given nasty little Tommy a push when
he was window-cleaning?"
"Again, yes."
"So it boils down to the fact that it's really
quite easy to remove three human beings
without anyone suspecting."
"Miss Fullerton suspected," Bridget
pointed out.
Luke said: "I suppose it's no good my
asking you if you've a hunch of any kind?
There's no particular individual in Wychwood
who gives you a creepy feeling down
the spine, or who has strange pale eyes or a
queer, maniacal giggle?"
Bridget said, "You think this man is definitely
mad?"
"Oh, I should say so. A lunatic all right,
but a cunning one. My Miss Fullerton spoke
of the look in his eyes when he was measuring
up his next victim. From the way she
spoke, I got the impression--it's only an
impression, mark you--that the man she was
speaking of was at least her social equal. Of
course, I may be wrong!"
"You're probably quite right! Those nuances
of conversation can't be put down in
black and white, but they're the sort of things
one doesn't really make mistakes about."
"You know," said Luke, "it's a great relief
to have you knowing all about it."
"It will probably cramp your style less, I
agree. And I can probably help you."
"Your help will be invaluable. You really
mean to see it through?"
"Of course."
Luke said, with a sudden slight embarrassment, "What about Lord Easterfield? Do
you think--"
"Naturally, we won't tell Gordon anything
about it," said Bridget.
"You mean, he wouldn't believe it?"
"Oh, he'd believe it! Gordon could believe
anything! He'd probably be simply thrilled
and insist on having half a dozen of his
bright young men down to beat up the neighborhood!
He'd simply adore it!"
"That does rather rule it out," agreed
Luke.
"Yes, we can't allow him to have his simple
pleasures, I'm afraid."
Luke looked at her. He seemed about to
say something, then changed his mind. He
looked, instead, at his watch.
"Yes," said Bridget, "we ought to be getting
home." She got up. There was a sudden
constraint between them, as though Luke's
unspoken words hovered uncomfortably in
the air. They walked home in silence.
Seven
luke sat in his bedroom. At lunchtime he
had sustained an interrogation by Mrs.
Anstruther as to what flowers he'd had in
his garden in the Mayang Straits. He had
then been told what flowers would have done
well there. He had also listened to further
Talks to Young Men on the Subject of Myself
by Lord Easterfield. Now he was mercifully
alone.
He took a sheet of paper and wrote down
a series of names. It ran as follows:
Doctor Thomas
Mr. Abbot
Major Horton
Mr. Ellsworthy
Mr. Wake
Amy's young man
The butcher, the baker, the candlestick
maker, etc.
He then took another sheet of paper and
76
headed it VICTIMS. Under this heading he
wrote:
Amy Gibbs Poisoned
Tommy Pierce Pushed out of
window
Harry Carter Shoved off footbridge
(drunk?
drugged?)
Doctor Humbleby Blood poisoning
Miss Fullerton Run down by car
He added:
Mrs. Rose?
Old Ben?
And after a pause:
Mrs. Horton?
He considered his lists, smoked awhile, then took up his pencil once more. Doctor Thomas. Possible case against him:
Definite motive in the case of Doctor
Humbleby. Manner of latter's death suitable--namely,
scientific poisoning by germs.
Amy Gibbs visited him on afternoon of the
day she died. Anything between them? Blackmail?

Tommy Pierce? No connection known.
Did Tommy know of connection between
him and Amy Gibbs?
Harry Carter? No connection known.
Was Doctor Thomas absent from Wych-
77
(od on the day Miss Fullerton went to
mdon?
Luke sighed and started a fresh heading.
r. Abbot. Possible case against him:
Feel a lawyer is definitely a suspicious
;rson. Possibly prejudice. His personality,
:)rid, genial, etc., would be definitely suspious
in a book--always suspect bluff genial
en. Objection: This is not a book but real fe. [olive for Murder of Doctor Humbleby:
Definite antagonism existed between them.
[. defies Abbot. Sufficient motive for a demged
brain. Antagonism could have been asily noted by Miss Fullerton.
Tommy Pierce? Latter snooped among
ibbot's papers. Did he find out something
ie shouldn't have known?
Harry Carter? No definite connection.
Amy Gibbs? No connection known. Hat
)aint quite suitable to Abbot's mentality--an
)ld-fashioned mind.
Was Abbot away from the village the day
Miss Fullerton was killed? Major Horton. No connection known with Amy Gibbs,
Tommy Pierce or Carter.
What about Mrs. Horton? Death sounds
r»o i4^i,fri-» it miorht he arsenical poisoning. If
so, other murders might be result of that--
blackmail? N.B: Thomas was doctor in attendance.
Suspicious for Thomas again. Mr. Ellsworthy.
Nasty bit of goods--dabbles in black
magic. Might be temperament of a bloodlust
killer. Connection with Amy Gibbs.
Any connection with Tommy Pierce? Carter?
Nothing known. Humbleby? Might
have tumbled to Ellsworthy's mental condition.

Miss Fullerton? Was Ellsworthy away from
Wychwood when Miss Fullerton was killed? Mr. Wake.
Very unlikely. Possibly religious mania? A
mission to kill? Saintly old clergymen likely
starters in books, but (as before) this is real
life.
NOTE: Carter, Tommy, Amy, all definitely
unpleasant characters. Better removed
by divine decree? Amy's young man.
Probably every reason to kill Amy, but
seems unlikely on general grounds. The etceteras?
Don't fancy them.
He read through what he had written.
Then he shook his head. He murmured
softly, "... which is absurd! How nicely
Euclid put things." He tore up the lists and
burnt them. He said to himself, "This job
isn't going to be exactly easy."
Eight
doctor thomas leaned back in his chair and
passed a long delicate hand over his thick fair hair. He was a young man whose appearance
was deceptive. Immature as he
might look, though, the diagnosis he had
just pronounced on Luke's rheumatic knee
agreed almost precisely with that delivered
by an eminent Harley Street specialist only a
week earlier.
"Thanks," said Luke. "Well, I'm relieved
you think that electrical treatment will do
the trick. I don't want to turn into a cripple
at my age."
Doctor Thomas smiled boyishly. "Oh, I
don't think there's any danger of that, Mr.
Fitzwilliam."
"Well, you've relieved my mind," said
Luke. "I was thinking of going to some
specialist chap, but I'm sure there's no need
now."
Doctor Thomas smiled again. "Go if it
makes your mind easier. After all, it's always
a good thing to have an expert's opinion."
Luke said quickly, "Men get the wind up
pretty badly in these ways. I expect you find
that? I often think a doctor must feel himself
a medicine man--a kind of magician to most
of his patients."
"The element of faith enters in very
largely."
"I know. 'The doctor says so" is a remark
always uttered with something like reverence."
Doctor Thomas raised his shoulders. "If
one's patients only knew," he murmured humorously.
Then he said, "You're writing a
book on magic, aren't you, Mr. Fitzwilliam?"
"Now, how did you know that?" exclaimed
Luke, perhaps with somewhat overdone surprise.

Doctor Thomas looked amused. "Oh my
dear sir, news gets about very rapidly in a
place like this. We have so little to talk
about."
"It probably gets exaggerated too. You'll
be hearing I'm raising the local spirits and
emulating the witch of Endor."
"Rather odd you should say that." 'Why?"
"Well, the rumor has been going round
that you had raised the ghost of Tommy
Pierce."
"Pierce? Pierce? Is that the small boy who
fell out of a window?"
"Yes."
"Now, I wonder how--Of course. I made
some remark to the solicitor--what's his
name?--Abbot."
"Yes, the story originated with Abbot."
"Don't say I've converted a hardheaded
solicitor to a belief in ghosts?"
"You believe in ghosts yourself, then?"
"Your tone suggests that you do not. Doctor.
No, I wouldn't say I actually 'believe in
ghosts'--to put it crudely. But I have known
curious phenomena in the case of sudden or
violent death. But I'm more interested in the
various superstitions pertaining to violent
deaths--that a murdered man, for instance, can't rest in his grave. And the interesting
belief that the blood of a murdered man
flows if his murderer touches him. I wonder
how that arose."
"Very curious," said Thomas. "But I don't
suppose many people remember that nowadays."

"More than you would think. Of course, I
don't suppose you have many murders down
here, so it's hard to judge."
Luke had smiled as he spoke, his eyes
resting with seeming carelessness on the other's
face. But Doctor Thomas seemed quite
unperturbed and smiled in return.
"No, I don't think we've had a murder
for--oh, very many years--certainly not in
my time!"
"No, this is a peaceful spot. Not conducive
to foul play. Unless somebody pushed
little Tommy What's-His-Name out of the window."
Luke laughed. Again Doctor Thomas'
smile came in answer--a natural smile full of
boyish amusement. "A lot of people would
have been willing to wring that child's neck,"
he said, "but I don't think they actually got
to the point of throwing him out of
windows."
"He seems to have been a thoroughly nasty
child; the removal of him might have been
conceived as a public duty."
"It's a pity one can't apply that theory
fairly often."
"I've always thought a few wholesale murders
would be beneficial to the community,"
said Luke. "I haven't the respect for human
life that the normal Englishman has. Any
man who is a stumbling block on the way of
progress ought to be eliminated--that's how
I see it."
Running his hand through his short fair
hair. Doctor Thomas said, "Yes, but who is
to be the judge of a man's fitness or unfitness?"

"You'd have to have a scientific man as
judge," said Luke. "Someone with an unbiased
but highly specialized mind--a doctor, for instance. Come to that, I think you'd be
a pretty good judge yourself. Doctor."
"Of unfitness to live?"
"Yes."
Doctor Thomas shook his head. "My job
is to make the unfit fit. Most of the time it's
an uphill job, I'll admit."
"Now, just for the sake of argument,"
said Luke. "Take a man like the late Harry
Carter--"
Doctor Thomas said sharply, "Carter? You
mean the landlord of the Seven Stars?"
"Yes, that's the man. I never knew him
myself, but my cousin. Miss Conway, was
talking about him. He seems to have been a
really thoroughgoing scoundrel."
"Well," said the other, "he drank, of
course. Ill-treated his wife, bullied his daugh-
ter. He was quarrelsome and abusive, and
had had a row with most people in the place."
"In fact, the world is a better place without
him?"
"One might be inclined to say so, I agree."
"In fact, if somebody had given him a
push and sent him into the river instead of
his kindly electing to fall in of his own accord, that person would have been acting in
the public interest?"
Doctor Thomas said dryly, "These methods
that you advocate--did you put them
into practice in the--Mayang Straits, I think
you said?"
Luke laughed. "Oh, no, with me it's theory, not practice."
"No, I do not think you are the stuff of
which murderers are made."
"Tell me--it interests me--have you ever
come across a man you believed might be a
murderer?"
Doctor Thomas said sharply, "Really, what
an extraordinary question!"
"Is it? After all, a doctor must come across
so many queer characters. He would be better
able to detect, for instance, the signs of
homicidal mania in an early stage, before it's
noticeable."
Thomas said rather irritably, "You have
the general layman's idea of a homicidal maniac--a
man who runs amok with a knife, a
man more or less foaming at the mouth. Let
me tell you, a homicidal lunatic may be the
most difficult thing on this earth to spot. To
all seeming he may be exactly like everyone
else--a man, perhaps, who is easily frightened, who may tell you, perhaps, that he has
enemies. No more than that. A quiet inoffensive
fellow."
"Is that really so?"
"Of course it's so. A homicidal lunatic
often kills, as he thinks, in self-defense. But, of course, a lot of killers are ordinary sane
fellows like you and me."
"Doctor, you alarm me! Fancy if you
should discover later that I have five or six
quiet little killings to my credit."
Doctor Thomas smiled. "I don't think it's
very likely, Mr. Fitzwilliam."
"Don't you? I'll return the compliment. I
don't believe you've got five or six murders
to your credit either."
Doctor Thomas said cheerfully, "You're
not counting my professional failures."
Both men laughed. Luke got up and said
good-by. "I'm afraid I've taken up a lot of
your time," he said apologetically.
"Oh, I'm not busy. Wychwood is a pretty
healthy place. It's a pleasure to have a talk
with someone from the outside world."
"I was wondering--" said Luke and
stopped.
"Yes?"
"Miss Conway told me, when she sent me
to you, what a very--well, what a first-class
man you were. I wondered if you didn't feel
rather buried down here? Not much opportunity
for talent."
"Oh, general practice is a good beginning.
It's valuable experience."
"But you won't be content to stay in a rut
all your life. Your late partner. Doctor
Humbleby, was an unambitious fellow, so
I've heard--quite content with his practice
here. He'd been here for a good many years, I believe."
"Practically a lifetime."
"He was sound but old-fashioned, so I
hear."
Doctor Thomas said, "At times he was
difficult. Very suspicious of modern innovations, but a good example of the old school
of physicians."
"Left a very pretty daughter, I'm told,"
said Luke in jocular fashion.
fte had the pleasure of seeing Doctor
Thomas5 pale pink countenance go a deep
scarlet. "Oh--er--yes," he said.
Luke gazed at him kindly. He was pleased
at the prospect of erasing Doctor Thomas
from his list of suspected persons. The latter
recovered his normal hue and said abruptly, "Talking about crime just now, I can lend
you rather a good book, as you are interested
in the subject. Translation from the German.
Kreuzhammer on Inferiority and Crime"
"Thank you," said Luke.
Doctor Thomas ran his finger along a shelf
and drew out the book in question. "Here
you are. Some of the theories are rather startling, and of course they are only theories, but they are interesting. The early life of
Menzheld, for instance, the Frankfort butcher, as they called him, and the chapter on
Anna Helm, the little nursemaid killer, are
really extremely interesting."
"She killed about a dozen of her charges
before the authorities tumbled to it, I
believe," said Luke.
Doctor Thomas nodded. "Yes. She had a
most sympathetic personality--devoted to
children, and apparently quite genuinely
heartbroken at each death. The psychology
is amazing."
"Amazing how these people get away with
it."
He was on the doorstep now. Doctor
Thomas had come out with him. "Not amazing, really," said Doctor Thomas. "It's quite
easy, you know."
"What is?"
"To get away with it." He was smiling
again--a charming, boyish smile. "If you're
careful. One just has to be careful, that's all.
But a clever man is extremely careful not to
make a slip. That's all there is to it." He
smiled again and went into the house.
Luke stood staring up the steps. There
had been something condescending in the
doctor's smile. Throughout their conversation, Luke had been conscious of himself as
a man of full maturity and of Doctor Thomas
as a youthful and ingenuous young man.
Just for the moment he felt the roles reversed!
The doctor's smile had been that of a
grownup amused by the cleverness of a child.
Nine
in the little shop in the High Street, Luke
had bought a tin of cigarettes and today's
copy of Good Cheer, the enterprising little
weekly which provided Lord Easterfield with
a good portion of his substantial income.
Turning to the football competition, Luke,
with a groan, gave forth the information that
he had just failed to win a hundred and
twenty pounds. Mrs. Pierce was roused at
once to sympathy and explained similar disappointments
on the part of her husband.
Friendly relations thus established, Luke
found no difficulty in prolonging the conversation.

"A great interest in football, Mr. Pierce
takes," said Mr. Pierce's spouse. "Turns to
it first of all in the news, he does. And, as I
say, many a disappointment he's had, but
there, everybody can't win, that's what I
say, and what I say is you can't go against
luck.55
Luke concurred heartily in these sentiments, and proceeded to advance by an easy
transition to a further profound statement
that troubles never come singly.
"Ah, no, indeed, sir; that I do know."
Mrs. Pierce sighed. "And when a woman
has a husband and eight children--six living, and buried two, that is--well, she knows
what trouble is, as you may say."
"I suppose she does. Oh, undoubtedly," said Luke. "You've--er--buried two, you
say?"
"One no longer than a month ago," said
Mrs. Pierce, with a kind of melancholy enjoyment.

"Dear me, very sad."
"It wasn't only sad, sir. It was a shock, that's what it was--a shock! I came all over
queer, I did, when they broke it to me.
Never having expected anything of that kind
to happen to Tommy, as you might say, for
when a boy's trouble to you, it doesn't come
natural to think of him being took. Now my
Emma Jane, a sweet little mite she was. 'You'll never rear her.' That's what they said. 'She's too good to live.' And it was true, sir.
The Lord knows his own."
92
Luke acknowledged the sentiment and
strove to return from the subject of the saintly
Emma Jane to that of the less saintly Tommy.
"Your boy died quite recently?" he asked.
"An accident?"
"An accident it was, sir. Cleaning the windows
of the old hall, which is now the library, and he must have lost his balance and
fell--from the top windows, that was."
Mrs. Pierce expatiated at some length on
all the details of the accident.
"Wasn't there some story," said Luke
carelessly, "of his having been seen dancing
on the window sill?" Mrs. Pierce said that
boys would be boys, but no doubt it did give
the Major a turn, him being a fussy gentleman.

"Major Horton?"
"Yes, sir, the gentleman with the bulldogs.
After the accident happened, he
chanced to mention having seen our Tommy
acting very rashlike--and, of course, it does
show that if something sudden had startled
him, he would have fallen easy enough. High spirits, sir, that was Tommy's trouble. A
sore trial he's been to me in many ways,"
she finished, "but there it was just high
spirits--nothing but high spirits, such as any
9^
lad might have. There wasn't no real harm
in him, as you might say."
"No, no, I'm sure there wasn't but sometimes, you know, Mrs. Pierce, people--sober
middle-aged people--find it hard to
remember they've ever been young themselves."

Mrs. Pierce sighed. "Very true those words
are, sir. I can't help but hope that some
gentlemen I could name, but won't, will have
taken it to heart, the way they were hard
upon the lad just on account of his high
spirits."
"Played a few tricks upon his employers, did he?" asked Luke, with an indulgent
smile.
Mrs. Pierce responded immediately, "It
was just his fun, sir, that was all. Tommy
was always good at imitations. Make us hold
our sides with laughing, the way he'd pretend
to be that Mr. Ellsworthy at the curio
shop, or old Mr. Hobbs, the churchwarden, and he was imitating his lordship up at the
Manor, and the two undergardeners laughing, when up came his lordship quiet like
and gave Tommy the sack on the spot; and, naturally, that was only to be expected and
quite right, and his lordship didn't bear malice afterwards, and helped Tommy to get
another job."
"But other people weren't so magnanimous, eh?" said Luke.
"That they were not, sir. Naming no
names. And you'd never think it, with Mr.
Abbot so pleasant in his manner and always
a kind word or a joke."
"Tommy got into trouble with him?"
Mrs. Pierce said, "It's not, I'm sure, that
the boy meant any harm. And after all, if
papers are private and not meant to be looked
at, they shouldn't be laid out on a table--
that's what I say."
"Oh, quite," said Luke. "Private papers
in a lawyer's office ought to be kept in the
safe."
"That's right, sir. That's what I think, and Mr. Pierce, he agrees with me. It's not
even as though Tommy had read much of
it."
"What was it--a will?" asked Luke. He
judged--probably rightly--that a question as
to what the document in question had been
might make Mrs. Pierce halt. But this direct
question brought an instant response.
"Oh, no, sir; nothing of that kind. Nothing
really important. Just a private letter it
was--from a lady--and Tommy didn't even
see who the lady was. All such a fuss about
nothing--that's what I say."
"Mr. Abbot must be the sort of man who
takes offense very easily," said Luke.
"Well, it does seem so, doesn't it, sir?
Although, as I say, he's always such a pleasant
gentleman to speak to--always a joke or
a cheery word. But it's true that I have
heard he was a difficult man to get up against, and him and Doctor Humbleby was daggers
drawn, as the saying is, just before the poor
gentleman died. And not a pleasant thought
for Mr. Abbot afterwards. For, once there's
a death, one doesn't like to think there's
been harsh words spoken and no chance of
taking them back."
Luke shook his head solemnly and murmured, "Very true--very true." He went
on, "A bit of a coincidence, that. Hard words
with Doctor Humbleby, and Doctor
Humbleby died; harsh treatment of your
Tommy, and the boy dies. I should think
that a double experience like that would tend
to make Mr. Abbot careful of his tongue in
future."
"Harry Carter, too, down at the Seven
Stars," said Mrs. Pierce. "Very sharp words passed between them only a week before
Carter went and drowned himself, but one
can't blame Mr. Abbot for that. The abuse
was all on Carter's side. Went up to Mr.
Abbot's house, he did, being in liquor at the
time, and shouting out the foulest language
at the top of his voice. Poor Mrs. Carter, she
had a deal to put up with, and, it must be
owned. Carter's death was a merciful release
as far as she was concerned."
"He left a daughter, too, didn't he?"
"Ah," said Mrs. Pierce, "I'm never one to
gossip." This was unexpected, but promising.
Luke pricked up his ears and waited. "I
don't say there was anything in it but talk.
Lucy Carter's a fine-looking young woman
in her way, and if it hadn't been for the
difference in station, I dare say no notice
would have been taken. But talk there has
been, and you can't deny it; especially after
Carter went right up to his house, shouting
and swearing."
Luke gathered the implications of this
somewhat confused speech. "Mr. Abbot
looks as though he'd appreciate a goodlooking
girl," he said.
"It's often the way with gentlemen," said
Mrs. Pierce. "They don't mean anything by
it--just a word or two in passing--but the
gentry's the gentry and it gets noticed in
consequence. Ifs only to be expected in a
quiet place like this."
"It's a very charming place," said Luke.
"So unspoilt."
"That's what artists always say 5 but I think
we're a bit behind the times, myself. Why, there's been no building here to speak of.
Over at Ashevale, for instance, they've got a
lovely lot of new houses, some of them with
green roofs and stained glass in the
windows."
Luke shuddered slightly. "You've got a
grand new Institute here," he said.
"They say it's a very fine building," said
Mrs. Pierce, without great enthusiasm. "Of
course, his lordship's done a lot for the place.
He means well; we all know that."
"But you don't think his efforts are quite
successful?" said Luke, amused.
"Well, of course, sir, he isn't really gentry--not
like Miss Waynflete, for instance, and Miss Conway. Why, Lord Easterfield's
father kept a boot shop only a few doors
from here. My mother remembers Gordon
Ragg serving in the shop--remembers it as
well as anything. Of course, he's his lordship
now and he's a rich man, but it's never the
same, is it, sir?"
"Evidently not," said Luke.
"You'll excuse me mentioning it, sir," said
Mrs. Pierce. "And of course I know you're
staying at the Manor and writing a book.
But you're a cousin of Miss Bridget's, I know, and that's quite a different thing. Very
pleased we shall be to have her back as
mistress ofAshe Manor."
"Rather," said Luke. "I'm sure you will."
He paid for his cigarettes and paper with
sudden abruptness. He thought to himself:
"The personal element. One must keep that
out of it. Hell, I'm here to track down a
criminal. What does it matter who that blackhaired
witch marries or doesn't marry? She
doesn't come into this."
He walked slowly along the street. With
an effort, he thrust Bridget into the back of
his mind. "Now then," he said to himself.
"Abbot. The case against Abbot. I've linked
him up with three of the victims. He had a
row with Humbleby, a row with Carter and
a row with Tommy Pierce, and all three
died. What about the girl, Amy Gibbs? What
was the private letter that infernal boy saw?
Did he know who it was from? Or didn't
he? He mayn't have said so to his mother.
But suppose he did. Suppose Abbot thought
it necessary to shut his mouth. It could beThat's all one can say about it. It could be.
Not good enough."
Luke quickened his pace, looking about
him with sudden exasperation. "This damned
village--it's getting on my nerves. So smiling
and peaceful, so innocent, and all the time
this crazy streak of murder running through
it. Or am I the crazy one? Was Lavinia
Fullerton crazy? After all, the whole thing
could be coincidence--yes, Humbleby's
death and all." He glanced back down the
length of the High Street, and he was assailed
by a strong feeling of unreality. He
said to himself, "These things don't happen."
Then he lifted his eyes to the long frowning
line of Ashe Ridge, and at once the unreality
passed. Ashe Ridge was real; it knew strange
things--witchcraft and cruelty and forgotten
blood lusts and evil rites.
He startled. Two figures were walking
along the side of the ridge. He recognized
them easily--Bridget and Ellsworthy. The
young man was gesticulating with those curious unpleasant hands of his. His head was
bent to Bridget's. They looked like two figures
out of a dream. One felt that their feet
made no sound as they sprang catlike from
tuft to tuft. He saw her black hair stream
out behind her, blown by the wind. Again
that queer magic of hers held him. "Bewitched, that's what I am--betwitched," he
said to himself.
He stood quite still; a queer numbed feeling
spreading over him. He thought to himself
ruefully, "Who's to break the spell?
There's no one."
Ten
A soft sound behind him made him turn
sharply. A girl was standing there, a remarkably
pretty girl, with brown hair curling
round her ears and rather timid-looking dark
blue eyes. She flushed a little with embarrassment
before she spoke. "Mr. Fitzwilliam, isn't it?" she said.
"Yes. I--"
"I'm Rose Humbleby. Bridget told me
that--that you knew some people who knew
my father."
Luke had the grace to flush slightly under
his tan. "It was a long time ago," he said
rather lamely. "They--er--knew him as a
young man--before he was married."
"Oh, I see." Rose Humbleby looked a
little crestfallen. But she went on, "You're
writing a book, aren't you?"
"Yes. I'm making notes for one, that is.
About local superstitions. All that sort of
thing."
"I see. It sounds frightfully interesting."
Luke smiled at her. He thought, "Our
Doctor Thomas is in luck."
"There are people," he said, "who can
make the most exciting subject unbearably
boring. Fm afraid I'm one of them."
Rose Humbleby smiled back. Then she
said, "Do you believe in--in superstitions
and all that?"
"That's a difficult question. It doesn't follow, you know. One can be interested in
things one doesn't believe in."
"Yes, I suppose so." The girl sounded
doubtful.
"Are you superstitious?"
"N-no, I don't think so. But I do think
things come in--in waves."
"Waves?"
"Waves of bad luck and good luck. I mean, I feel as though lately all Wychwood was
under a spell of--of misfortune. Father dying, and Miss Fullerton being run over, and
that little boy who fell out of the window.
I--I began to feel as though I hated this
place--as though I must get away."
Her breath came rather faster. Luke looked
at her thoughtfully. "So you feel like that?"
"Oh, I know it's silly. I suppose really it
was poor Daddy dying so unexpectedly--it
was so horribly sudden." She shivered. "And
then Miss Fullerton. She said--" The girl
paused.
"What did she say? She was a delightful
old lady, I thought--very like a rather special
aunt of mine."
"Oh, did you know her?" Rose's face lit
up. "I was very fond of her and she was
devoted to Daddy. But I've sometimes wondered
if she was what the Scotch call 'fey.' "
"Why?"
"Because--it's so odd--she seemed quite
afraid that something was going to happen to
Daddy. She almost warned me. Especially
about accidents. And then that day, just before
she went up to town, she was so odd in
her manner--absolutely in a dither. I really
do think, Mr. Fitzwilliam, that she was one
of those people who have second sight. I
think she knew that something was going to
happen to her. And she must have known
that something was going to happen to Daddy
too. It's--it's rather frightening, that sort of
thing!" She moved a step nearer to him.
"There are times when one can foresee the
future," said Luke. "It isn't always supernatural, though."
"No, I suppose it's quite natural, really--
just a faculty that most people lack. All the
same it worries me."
"You mustn't worry," said Luke gently.
"Remember, it's all behind you now. It's no
good going back over the past. It's the future
one has to live for."
"I know. But there's more, you see." Rose
hesitated. "There was something--to do with
your cousin."
"My cousin? Bridget?"
"Yes. Miss Fullerton was worried about
her in the same way. She was always asking
me questions. I think she was afraid for her
too."
Luke turned, sharply scanning the hillside.
He had an unreasoning sense of fear for
Bridget. Fancy--all fancy! Ellsworthy was
only a harmless dilettante who played at
shopkeeping. As though reading his
thoughts. Rose said, "Do you like Mr.
Ellsworthy?"
"Emphatically no."
"Geoffrey--Doctor Thomas, you know--
doesn't like him either."
"And you?"
"Oh, no, I think he's dreadful." She drew
a little nearer. "There's a lot of talk about
him. I was told that he had some queer
ceremony in the Witches' Meadow--a lot of
his friends came down from London--frightfully
queer-looking people. And Tommy
Pierce was a kind of acolyte."
"Tommy Pierce?" said Luke sharply.
"Yes. He had a surplice and a red
cassock."
"When was this?"
"Oh, some time ago. I think it was in
March."
"Tommy Pierce seems to have been mixed
up in everything that ever took place in this
village."
Rose said, "He was frightfully inquisitive.
He always had to know whatever was going
on."
"He probably knew a bit too much in the
end," said Luke grimly.
Rose accepted the words at their face value.
"He was rather an odious little boy. He liked
cutting up wasps and he teased dogs."
"The kind of boy whose decease is hardly
to be regretted."
"No, I suppose not. It was terrible for his
mother, though."
"I gather she has six blessings left to console
her. She's got a good tongue, that
woman."
"She does talk a lot, doesn't she?"
"After buying a few cigarettes from her, I
feel I know the full history of everyone in
the place."
Rose said ruefully, "That's the worst of a
place like this. Everybody knows everything
about everybody else."
"Oh, no," said Luke.
She looked at him inquiringly.
Luke said, with significance, "No one human
being knows the full truth about another
human being. Not even one's nearest
and dearest."
"Not even--" She stopped. "Oh, I suppose
you're right, but I wish you wouldn't
say frightening things like that, Mr.
Fitzwilliam."
"Does it frighten you?"
Slowly, she nodded her head. Then she
turned abruptly. "I must be going now. If--
if you have nothing better to do--I mean if
you could--do come and see us. Mother
would--would like to see you because of
your knowing friends of Daddy's so long
ago." She walked slowly away down the road.
Her head was bent a little, as though some
weight of care or perplexity bowed it down.
Luke stood looking after her. A sudden
wave of solicitude swept over him. He felt a
longing to shield and protect this girl. From
what? Asking himself the question, he shook
his head with a momentary impatience at
himself. It was tme that Rose Humbleby
had recently lost her father, but she had a
mother, and she was engaged to be married, to a decidedly attractive young man who was
fully adequate to anything in the protection
line. Then why should he, Luke Fitzwilliam, be assailed by this protection complex?
"All the same," he said to himself, as he
strolled on toward the looming mass of Ashe
Ridge, "I like that girl. She's much too good
for Thomas--a cool, superior devil like that."
A memory of the doctor's last smile on the
doorstep recurred to him. Decidedly smug, it had been! Complacent!
The sound of footsteps a little way ahead
roused Luke from his slightly irritable meditations.
He looked up to see young Mr.
Ellsworthy coming down the path from the
hillside. His eyes were on the ground and he
was smiling to himself. His expression struck
Luke disagreeably. Ellsworthy was not so
much walking as prancing--like a man who
keeps time to some devilish little jig running
in his brain. His smile was a strange secret
contortion of the lips; it had a gleeful slyness
that was definitely unpleasant. Luke had
stopped and Ellsworthy was nearly abreast of
him when he at last looked up. His eyes, malicious and dancing, met the other man's
for just a minute before recognition came.
Then--or so it seemed to Luke--a complete
change came over the man. Where, a minute
before, there had been the suggestion of a
dancing satyr, there was now a somewhat
priggish young man. "Oh, Mr. Fitzwilliam, good morning."
"Good morning," said Luke. "Have you
been admiring the beauties of Nature?"
Mr. Ellsworthy's long pale hands flew up
in a reproving gesture. "Oh, no, no. I abhor
Nature. But I do enjoy life, Mr. Fitzwilliam."
"So do I," said Luke.
"Mens sana in corpore sanoy" said Mr.
Ellsworthy. His tone was delicately ironic.
"I'm sure that's so true of you."
"There are worse things," said Luke.
"My dear fellow! Sanity is the one unbelievable
bore. One must be mad, slightly
twisted--then one sees life from a new and
entrancing angle."
"The leper's squint," suggested Luke.
"Oh, very good, very good; quite witty!
But there's something in it, you know. An
interesting angle of vision. But I mustn't
detain you. You're having exercise. One must have exercise--the public-school spirit!"
"As you say," said Luke, and, with a curt
nod, walked on. He thought, "I'm getting
too darned imaginative. The fellow's just an
ass, that's all." But some indefinable uneasiness
drove his feet on faster. That queer, sly, triumphant smile that Ellsworthy had had on
his face--was that just imagination on his, Luke's part? And his subsequent impression
that it had been wiped off, as though by a
sponge, the moment the other man caught
sight of Luke coming toward him--what of
that? And with quickening uneasiness he
thought, "Bridget? Is she all right? They
came up here together and he came back
alone."
He hurried on. The sun had come out
while he was talking to Rose Humbleby.
Now it had gone in again. The sky was dull
and menacing, and wind came in sudden
erratic little puffs. It was as though he had
stepped out of normal everyday life into that
queer half world of enchantment, the consciousness
of which had enveloped him ever
since he came to Wychwood. He turned a
corner and came out on the flat ledge of
green grass that had been pointed out to him
from below, and which went, he knew, by
the name of Witches' Meadow. It was here, so tradition had it, that the witches had held
revelry on Walpurgis Night and Halloween.
And then a quick wave of relief swept over
him. Bridget was here. She sat with her back
against a rock on the hillside. She was sitting
bent over, her head in her hands. He walked
quickly over to her. Lovely spring turf, strangely green and fresh. He said, "Bridget?"
Slowly she raised her face from her hands.
Her face troubled him. She looked as though
she were returning from some far-off world, as though she had difficulty in adjusting herself
to the world of now and here.
Luke said, rather inadequately, "I say, you're--you're all right, aren't you?"
It was a minute or two before she answered--as
though she still had not quite
come back from that far-off world that had
held her. Luke felt that his words had to
travel a long way before they reached her.
Then she said, "Of course I'm all right.
Why shouldn't I be?" And now her voice
was sharp and almost hostile.
Luke grinned. "I'm hanged if I know. I
got the wind-up about you suddenly."
"Why?"
"Mainly, I think, because of the melodramatic
atmosphere in which I'm living at
present. It makes me see things out of all
proportion. If I lose sight of you for an hour
or two, I naturally assume that the next thing
will be to find your gory corpse in a ditch. It
would be, in a play or a book."
"Heroines are never killed," said Bridget.
"No, but--" Luke stopped just in time.
"What were you going to say?"
"Nothing."
Thank goodness, he had just stopped himself
in time. One couldn't very well say to an
attractive young woman, "But you're not the
heroine."
Bridget went on, "They are abducted, imprisoned, left to die of sewer gas or be
drowned in cellars; they are always in danger, but they don't ever die."
"Nor even fade away," said Luke. He
went on, "So this is the Witches' Meadow?"
"Yes."
He looked down at her. "You only need a
broomstick," he said kindly.
"Thank you. Mr. Ellsworthy said much
the same."
"I met him just now," said Luke.
"Did you talk to him at all?"
"Yes. I think he tried to annoy me."
"Did he succeed?"
"His methods were rather childish." He
paused, and then went on abruptly, "He's
an odd sort of fellow. One minute you think
he's just a mess, and then suddenly one wonders
if there isn't a bit more to it than that."
Bridget looked up at him. "You've felt
that too?"
"You agree, then?"
"Yes." Luke waited. Bridget said, "There's something--odd about him. I've
been wondering, you know. I lay awake last
night racking my brains. About the whole
business. It seemed to me that if there was
a--a killer about, I ought to know who it
was. I mean, living down here, and all that.
I thought and thought, and it came to this--
if there is a killer, he must definitely be
mad."
Thinking of what Doctor Thomas had
said, Luke asked: "You don't think that a
murderer can be as sane as you or I?"
"Not this kind of a murderer. As I see it, this murderer must be crazy. And that, you
see, brought me straight to Ellsworthy. Of
all the people down here, he's the only one
who is definitely queer. He is queer, you
can't get away from it!"
Luke said doubtfully, "There are a good
many of his sort--dilettantes, poseurs--usually
quite harmless."
"Yes. But I think there might be a little
more than that. He's got such nasty hands."
"You noticed that? Funny, I did too!"
"They're not just white, they're green."
"They do give one that effect. All the
same, you can't convict a man of being a
murderer because of the color of his flesh."
"Oh, quite. What we want is evidence."
"Evidence," growled Luke. "Just the one
thing that's absolutely lacking. The man's
been too careful. A careful murderer! A careful
lunatic!"
"I've been trying to help," said Bridget.
"With Ellsworthy, you mean?"
"Yes. I thought I could probably tackle
him better than you could. I've made a beginning."

"Tell me."
"Well, it seems that he has a kind of little
coterie--a band of nasty friends. They come
down here from time to time and celebrate."
"Do you mean what are called nameless
orgies?"
"I don't know about nameless but certainly
orgies. Actually, it all sounds very silly
and childish."
"I suppose they worship the devil and do
obscene dances."
"Something of the kind. Apparently they
get a kick out of it."
"I can contribute something to this," said
Luke. "Tommy Pierce took part in one of
their ceremonies. He was an acolyte. He had
a red cassock."
"So he knew about it?"
"Yes. And that might explain his death."
"You mean he talked about it?"
"Yes--or he may have tried a spot of
quiet blackmail."
Bridget said thoughtfully, "I know it's all
fantastic, but it doesn't seem quite so fantastic
when applied to Ellsworthy as it does to
anyone else."
"No, I agree. The thing becomes just conceivable
instead of being ludicrously unreal."
"We've got a connection with two of the
victims," said Bridget. "Tommy Pierce and
Amy Gibbs."
"Where do the publican and Humbleby
come in?"
"At the moment, they don't."
"Not the publican. But I can imagine a
motive for Humbleby's removal. He was a
doctor and he may have tumbled to Ellsworthy's
abnormal state."
"Yes, that's possible."
Then Bridget laughed. "I did my stuff
pretty well this morning. My psychic possibilities
are grand, it seems, and when I told
how one of my great-great-grandmothers had
a near escape of being burnt for witchcraft, my stock went soaring up. I rather think
that I shall be invited to take part in the
orgies at the next meeting of the Satanic
Games, whenever that may be."
Luke said, "Bridget, for God's sake, be
careful." She looked at him, surprised. He
got up. "I met Humbleby's daughter just
now. We were talking about Miss Fullerton.
And the Humbleby girl said that Miss
Fullerton had been worried about you."
Bridget, in the act of rising, stopped as
though frozen into immobility. "What's that?
Miss Fullerton worried--about me."
"That's what Rose Humbleby said."
"Rose Humbleby said that?"
"Yes."
"What more did she say?"
"Nothing more."
"Are you sure?"
"Quite sure."
There was a pause, then Bridget said, "I
see."
"Miss Fullerton was worried about
Humbleby, and he died. Now I hear she was
worried about you--"
Bridget laughed. She stood up and shook
her head, so that her long black hair flew
out round her head. "Don't worry," she said.
"The devil looks after his own."
Eleven
he leaned back in his chair on the other Ł of the bank manager's table. "Well, that
ms very satisfactory," he said. "I'm afraid s been taking up a lot of your time."
^ir. Jones waved a deprecating hand. His
all, dark, plump face wore a happy ex;ssion.
"No, indeed, Mr. Fitzwilliam. This
a quiet spot, you know. We are always
d to see a stranger."
'It's a fascinating part of the world," said he . "Full of superstitions."
^ir. Jones sighed and said it took a long ie for education to eradicate superstition. he remarked that he thought education
s too highly rated nowadays, and Mr.
ies was slightly shocked by the statement. 'Lord Easterfield," he said, "has been a
idsome benefactor here. He realizes the
advantages under which he himself suf-
Nero, Nero, Nero!" Again the protuberant
eyes stared at Luke. But this time there was
more to follow. Major Horton said, "Excuse
me, Mr. Fitzwilliam, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Horton here--Major Horton. Believe I'm
going to meet you tomorrow up at the Manor.
Tennis party. Miss Conway very kindly asked
me. Cousin of yours, isn't she?"
"Yes."
"Thought so. Soon spot a new face down
here, you know." Here a diversion occurred, the two bulldogs advancing upon a nondescript
white mongrel. "Augustus! . . . Nero!
Come here, sir! Come here, I say!" When
Augustus and Nero had finally reluctantly
obeyed the command. Major Horton returned
to the conversation. Luke was patting
Nelly, who was gazing up at him sentimentally.
"Nice bitch, that, isn't she?" said the
Major. "I like bulldogs. I've always had 'em.
Prefer 'em to any other breed. My place is
just near here, come in and have a drink."
Luke accepted and the two men walked
together while Major Horton held forth on
the subject of dogs and the inferiority of all
other breeds to that which he himself preferred.
Luke heard of the prizes Nelly had
won, of the infamous conduct of a judge in
awarding Augustus merely a Highly Commended, and of the triumphs of Nero in the
show ring.
By then they had turned in at the Major's
gate. He opened the front door, which was
not locked, and the two men passed into the
house. Leading the way into a small, slightly
doggy-smelling room lined with bookshelves, Major Horton busied himself with the drinks.
Luke looked round him. There were photographs
of dogs, copies of the Field and Country
Life, and a couple of well-worn armchairs.
Silver cups were arranged round the bookcases.
There was one oil painting over the
mantlepiece. "My wife," said the Major, looking up from the siphon and noting the
direction of Luke's glance. "Remarkable
woman. A lot of character in her face, don't
you think?"
"Yes, indeed," said Luke, looking at the
late Mrs. Horton. She was represented in a
pink satin dress and was holding a bunch of
lilies of the valley. Her brown hair was parted
in the middle and her lips were pressed
grimly together. Her eyes, of a cold gray, looked out ill-temperedly at the beholder.
"A remarkable woman," said the Major, handing a glass to Luke. "She died over a
year ago. I haven't been the same man since."
"No?" said Luke, a little at a loss to know
what to say.
"Sit down," said the Major, waving a hand
toward one of the leather chairs. He himself
took the other one and, sipping his whisky
and soda, he went on: "No, I haven't been
the same man since."
"You must miss her," said Luke awkwardly.

Major Horton shook his head darkly.
"Fellow needs a wife to keep him up to
scratch," he said. "Otherwise he gets slack--
yes, slack. He lets himself go."
"But surely--"
"My boy, I know what I'm talking about.
Mind you, I'm not saying marriage doesn't
come hard on a fellow at first. It does. Fellow
says to himself, 'Damn it all,' he says, 'I
can't call my soul my own!' But he gets
broken in. It's all discipline."
Luke thought that Major Horton's married
life must have been more like a military
campaign than an idyl of domestic bliss.
"Women," soliloquized the Major, "are a
rum lot. It seems sometimes that there's no
pleasing them. But, by jove, they keep a
man up to the mark." Luke preserved a
respectful silence. "You married?" inquired
the Major.
"No."
"Ah, well, you'll come to it. And mind
you, my boy, there's nothing like it."
"It's always cheering," said Luke, "to hear
someone speak well of the marriage state.
Especially in these days of easy divorce."
"Pah!" said the Major. "Young people
make me sick. No stamina, no endurance.
They can't stand anything. No fortitude!"
Luke itched to ask why such exceptional
fortitude should be needed, but he controlled
himself.
"Mind you," said the major, "Lydia was a
woman in a thousand--in a thousand! Everyone
here respected and looked up to her."
"Yes?"
"She wouldn't stand any nonsense. She'd
got a way of fixing a person with her eye, and the person wilted--just wilted. Some of
these half-baked girls who call themselves
servants nowadays. They think you'll put up
with any insolence. Lydia soon showed them!
Do you know, we had fifteen cooks and
house-parlormaids in one year. Fifteen!"
Luke felt that this was hardly a tribute to
Mrs. Norton's domestic management, but
since it seemed to strike his host differently, he merely murmured some vague remark.
"Turned 'em out neck and crop, she did, if
they didn't suit."
"Was it always that way about?" asked
Luke.
"Well, of course, a lot of them walked out
on us. A good riddance--that's what Lydia
used to say!"
"A fine spirit," said Luke. "But wasn't it
sometimes rather awkward?"
"Oh, I didn't mind turning to and putting
my hand to things," said Horton. "I'm a
pretty fair cook and I can lay a fire with
anyone. I've never cared for washing up, but
of course it's got to be done; you can't get
away from that."
Luke agreed that you couldn't. He asked
whether Mrs. Horton had been good at domestic
work. "I'm not the sort of fellow to
let his wife wait on him," said Major Horton.
"And anyway, Lydia was far too delicate to
do any housework."
"She wasn't strong then?"
Major Horton shook his head. "She had
wonderful spirit. She wouldn't give in. But
what the woman suffered! And no sympathy
from the doctors either. Doctors are callous
brutes. They only understand downright
physical pain. Anything out of the ordinary
is beyond most of them. Humbleby, for instance; everyone seemed to think he was a
good doctor."
"You don't agree?"
"The man was an absolute ignoramus.
Knew nothing of modem discoveries. Doubt
if he'd ever heard of a neurosis! He understands
measles and mumps and broken
bones, all right, I suppose. But nothing else.
Had a row with him in the end. He didn't
understand Lydia's case at all. I gave it to
him straight from the shoulder and he didn't
like it. Got huffed and backed right out.
Said I could send for any other doctor I
chose. After that, we had Thomas."
"You liked him better?"
"Altogether a much cleverer man. If anyone
could have pulled her through her last
illness, Thomas would have done it. As a
matter of fact, she was getting better, but
she had a sudden relapse."
"Was it painful?"
"H'm, yes. Gastritis. Acute pain, sickness, all the rest of it. How that poor woman
suffered! She was a martyr, if there ever was
one. And a couple of hospital nurses in the
house who were about as sympathetic as a
brace of grandfather clocks. The patient this'
and 'the patient that.' " The Major shook his
head and drained his glass. "Can't stand hos-
pital nurses! So smug. Lydia insisted they
were poisoning her. That wasn't true, of
course--a regular sick fancy; lots of people
have it, so Thomas said--but there was this
much truth behind it--those women disliked
her. That's the worst of women--always
down on their own sex."
"I suppose," said Luke, feeling that he
was putting it awkwardly, but not seeing
how to put it better, "that Mrs. Horton had
a lot of devoted friends in Wychwood?"
"People were very kind," said the Major, somewhat grudgingly. "Easterfield sent down
grapes and peaches from his hothouses. And
the old tabbies used to come and sit with
her. Honoria Waynflete and Lavinia Fullerton."
"Miss
Fullerton came often, did she?"
"Yes. Regular old maid, but a kind creature!
Very worried about Lydia, she was.
Used to inquire into the diet and the medicines.
All kindly meant, you know, but what
I call a lot of fuss." Luke nodded comprehendingly.
"Can't stand fuss," said the
Major. "Too many women in this place. Difficult
to get a decent game of golf."
"What about the young fellow at the antique
shop?" said Luke.
The Major snorted. "He doesn't play golf."
"Has he been in Wychwood long?"
"About two years. Nasty sort of fellow.
Hate those long-haired, purring chaps. Funnily
enough, Lydia liked him. You can't trust
women's judgment about men. They cotton
to some amazing bounders. She even insisted
on taking some patent quack nostrum of his.
Stuff in a purple glass jar with signs of the
Zodiac all over it! Supposed to be certain
herbs picked at the full of the moon. Lot of
tom-foolery, but women swallow that stuff--
swallow it literally, too--ha-ha!"
Luke said, feeling that he was changing
the subject rather abruptly, but correctly
judging that Major Horton would not be
aware of the fact, "What sort of a fellow is
Abbot, the local solicitor? Pretty sound on
the law? I've got to have some legal advice
about something and I thought I might go to
him."
"They say he's pretty shrewd," acknowledged
Major Horton. "I don't know. Matter
of fact, I've had a row with him. Not seen
him since he came out here to make Lydia's
will for her just before she died. In my opinion, the man's a cad. But of course," he
added, "that doesn't affect his ability as a
lawyer."
"No, of course not," said Luke. "He seems
a quarrelsome sort of man, though. Seems to
have fallen out with a good many people, from what I hear."
"Trouble with him is that he's so confoundedly
touchy," said Major Horton. "Seems to think he's God Almighty and that
anyone who disagrees with him is committing
lese-majeste. Heard of his row with
Humbleby?"
"They had a row, did they?"
"First-class row. Mind you, that doesn't
surprise me. Humbleby was an opinionated
ass. Still, there it is."
"His death was very sad."
"Humbleby's? Yes, I suppose it was. Lack
of ordinary care. Blood poisoning's a damned
dangerous thing. Always put iodine on a cut, I do! Simple precaution. Humbleby, who's a
doctor, doesn't do anything of the sort. It
just shows." Luke was not quite sure what it
showed, but he let that pass. Glancing at his
watch, he got up. Major Horton said, "Getting on for lunchtime? So it is. Well, glad to have had a chat with you. Does me
good to see a man who's been about a bit.
We must have a yam some other time. Where
was your show? Mayang Straits? Never been
there. Hear you're writing a book. Superstitions
and all that."
"Yes, I--"
But Major Horton swept on, "I can tell
you several very interesting things. When I
was in India, my boy--"
Luke escaped some ten minutes later, after
enduring the usual histories of fakirs, rope and mango tricks, dear to the retired
Anglo-Indian. As he stepped out into the
open air and heard the Major's voice bellowing
to Nero behind him, he marveled at the
miracle of married life. Major Horton seemed
genuinely to regret a wife who, by all accounts, not excluding his own, must have
been nearly allied to a man-eating tiger. Or
was it, Luke asked himself the question suddenly--was
it an exceedingly clever bluff?
Twelve
the afternoon of the tennis party was, fortunately, fine. Lord Easterfield was in his most
genial mood, acting the part of the host with
a good deal of enjoyment. He referred frequently
to his humble origin. The players
were eight in all--Lord Easterfield, Bridget, Luke, Rose Humbleby, Mr. Abbot, Doctor
Thomas, Major Horton and Hetty Jones, a
giggling young woman who was the daughter
of the bank manager.
In the second set of the afternoon, Luke
found himself partnering Bridget against
Lord Easterfield and Rose Humbleby. Rose
was a good player with a strong forehand
drive, and played in county matches. She
atoned for Lord Easterfield's failures, and
Bridget and Luke, who were neither of them
particularly strong, made quite an even match
of it. They were three games all, and then
Luke found a streak of erratic brilliance and
he and Bridget forged ahead to 5-3. It was
then he observed that Lord Easterfield was
losing his temper. He argued over a line ball, declared a serve to be a fault, in spite of
Rose's disclaimer, and displayed all the attributes
of a peevish child. It was set point, but Bridget sent an easy shot into the net
and immediately after served a double fault.
Deuce. The next ball was returned down the
middle line, and as he prepared to take it, he
and his partner collided. Then Bridget served
another double fault and the game was lost.
Bridget apologized, "Sorry; I've gone to
pieces."
It seemed true enough. Bridget's shots
were wild and she seemed to be unable to do
anything right. The set ended with Lord
Easterfield and his partner victorious with
the score of 8-6. There was a momentary
discussion as to the composition of the next
set. In the end. Rose played again, with Mr.
Abbot as her partner, against Doctor Thomas
and Miss Jones.
Lord Easterfield sat down, wiping his forehead
and smiling complacently, his good humor
quite restored. He began to talk to Major
Horton on the subject of a series of articles
on "Fitness for Britain" which one of his
papers was starting. Luke said to Bridget, "Show me the kitchen garden."
"Why the kitchen garden?"
"I have a feeling for cabbages."
"Won't green peas do?"
"Green peas would be admirable."
They walked away from the tennis court
and came to the walled kitchen garden. It
was empty of gardeners this Saturday afternoon
and looked lazy and peaceful in the
sunshine. "Here are your peas," said Bridget.
Luke paid no attention to the object of the
visit. He said, "Why did you give them the
set?"
Bridget's eyebrows went up a fraction.
"I'm sorry. I went to bits. My tennis is
erratic."
"Not so erratic as that! Those double faults
of yours wouldn't deceive a child! And those
wild shots--each of them half a mile out!"
Bridget said calmly, "That's because I'm
such a rotten tennis player. If I were a bit
better I could, perhaps, have made it a bit
more plausible! But as it is, if I try to make a
ball go just out, it's always just on the line
and all the good work still to do."
"Oh, you admit it then."
"Obvious, my dear Watson."
"And the reason?"
"Equally obvious, I should have thought.
Gordon doesn't like losing."
"And what about me? Supposing I like to
win?"
"I'm afraid, my dear Luke, that that isn't
equally important."
"Would you like to make your meaning
just a little clearer still?"
"Certainly, if you like. One mustn't quarrel
with one's bread and butter. Gordon is
my bread and butter. You are not."
Luke drew a deep breath. Then he exploded.
"What do you mean by marrying
that absurd little man? Why are you doing
it?"
"Because as his secretary I get six pounds
a week, and as his wife I shall get a hundred
thousand settled on me, a jewel case full of
pearls and diamonds, a handsome allowance, and various perquisites of the married state."
"But for somewhat different duties!"
Bridget said coldly, "Must we have this
melodramatic attitude towards every single
thing in life? If you are contemplating a pretty
picture of Gordon as an uxorious lover, you
can wash it right out. Gordon, as you should
have realized, is a small boy who has not
quite grown up. What he needs is a mother, not a wife. Unfortunately, his mother died
when he was four years old. What he wants
is someone at hand to whom he can brag, someone who will reassure him about himself
and who is prepared to listen indefinitely
to Lord Easterfield on the subject of
himself."
"You've got a bitter tongue, haven't you?"
Bridget retorted sharply, "I don't tell myself
fairy stories, if that's what you mean!
I'm a young woman with a certain amount of
intelligence, very moderate looks, and no
money. I intend to earn an honest living. My
job as Gordon's wife will be practically indistinguishable
from my job as Gordon's secretary.
After a year, I doubt if he'll remember
to kiss me good night. The only difference is
in the salary." They looked at each other.
Both of them were pale with anger. Bridget
said jeeringly, "Go on. You're rather oldfashioned,
aren't you, Mr. Fitzwilliam?
Hadn't you better trot out the old cliches--
say that I'm selling myself for money--that's
always a good one, I think!"
Luke said, "You're a cold-blooded little
devil!"
"That's better than being a hot-blooded
little fool!"
"Is it?"
"Yes. I know."
Luke sneered. "What do you know?"
"I know what it is to care about a man!
Did you ever meet Johnnie Cornish? I was
engaged to him for three years. He was adorable.
I cared like hell about him--cared so
much that it hurt! Well, he threw me over
and married a nice plump widow with a
North Country accent and three chins, and
an income of thirty thousand a year! That
sort of thing rather cures one of romance, don't you think?"
Luke turned away with a sudden groan.
He said, "It might."
"It did."
There was a pause. The silence lay heavy
between them. Bridget broke it at last. She
said, but with a slight uncertainty in her
tone, "I hope you realize that you had no
earthly right to speak to me as you did.
You're staying in Gordon's house and it's
damned bad taste."
Luke had recovered his composure. "Isn't
that rather a cliche too?" he inquired politely.

Bridget flushed. "It's true, anyway."
"It isn't. I had every right."
"Nonsense!"
Luke looked at her. His face had a queer
pallor, like a man who is suffering physical
pain. He said, "I have a right. I've the right
of caring for you--what did you say just
now?--of caring so much that it hurts!"
She drew back a step. She said, "You--"
"Yes, funny, isn't it? The sort of thing
that ought to give you a hearty laugh! I came
down here to do a job of work and you came
round the corner of that house and--how
can I say it?--put a spell on me! That's what
it feels like. You mentioned fairy stories just
now. I'm caught up in a fairy story! You've
bewitched me. I've a feeling that if you
pointed your finger at me and said, 'Turn
into a frog,' I'd go hopping away with my
eyes popping out of my head." He took a
step nearer to her. "I love you like hell, Bridget Conway. And, loving you like hell, you can't expect me to enjoy seeing you get
married to a pot-bellied, pompous little peer
who loses his temper when he doesn't win at
tennis."
"What do you suggest I should do?"
"I suggest that you should marry me instead.
But doubtless that suggestion will give
rise to a lot of merry laughter."
"The laughter is positively uproarious."
"Exactly. Well, now we know where we
are. Shall we return to the tennis court?
Perhaps this time you will find me a partner
who can play to win."
"Really," said Bridget sweetly. "I believe
you mind losing just as much as Gordon
does."
Luke caught her suddenly by the shoulders.
"You've got a devilish tongue, haven't
you, Bridget?"
"I'm afraid you don't like me very much, Luke, however great your passion for me."
"I don't think I like you at all."
Bridget said, watching him, "You meant
to get married and settle down when you
came home, didn't you?
"Yes."
"But not to someone like me?"
"I never thought of anyone in the least
like you."
"No, you wouldn't. I know your type. I
know it exactly."
"You are so clever, dear Bridget."
"A really nice girl, thoroughly English, fond of the country and good with dogs.
You probably visualized her in a tweed skirt, stirring a log fire with the tip of her shoe."
"The picture sounds most attractive."
"I'm sure it does. Shall we return to the
tennis court? You can play with Rose
Humbleby. She's so good that you're practically
certain to win."
"Being old-fashioned, I must allow you to
have the last word."
Again there was a pause. Then Luke took
his hands slowly from her shoulders. They
both stood uncertain, as though something
still unsaid lingered between them.
Then Bridget turned abruptly and led the
way back. The next set was just ending.
Rose protested against playing again. "I've
played two sets running."
Bridget, however, insisted. "I'm feeling
tired. I don't want to play. You and Mr.
Fitzwilliam take on Miss Jones and Major
Horton."
But Rose continued to protest, and in the
end a men's four was arranged. Afterward
came tea.
Lord Easterfield conversed with Doctor
Thomas, describing at length and with great
self-importance a visit he had recently paid
to the Wellerman Kreitz Research Laboratories.
"I wanted to understand the trend of
the latest scientific discoveries for myself,"
he explained earnestly. "I'm responsible for
what my papers print. I feel that very keenly.
This is a scientific age. Science must be made
easily assimilable by the masses."
"A little science might possibly be a dangerous
thing," said Doctor Thomas, with a
slight shrug of his shoulders.
"Science in the home--that's what we have
to aim at," said Lord Easterfield. "Scienceminded--"
"Test-tube
conscious," said Bridget
gravely.
"I was impressed," said Lord Easterfield.
"Wellerman took me round himself, of
course. I begged him to leave me to an underling, but he insisted."
"Naturally," said Luke.
Lord Easterfield looked gratified. "And
he explained everything most clearly--the
cultures, the serum, the whole principle of
the thing. He agreed to contribute the first
article in the series himself."
Mrs. Anstruther murmured, "They use
guinea pigs, I believe. So cruel--though, of
course, not so bad as dogs, or even cats."
"Fellows who use dogs ought to be shot,"
said Major Horton hoarsely.
"I really believe, Horton," said Mr. Abbot, "that you value canine life above human
life."
"Every time!" said the Major. "Dogs can't
turn round on you like human beings can.
Never get a nasty word from a dog."
"Only a nasty tooth stuck into your leg,"
said Mr. Abbot. "What about that, eh, Horton?"
"Dogs are a good judge of character," said
Major Horton.
"One of your brutes nearly pinned me by
the leg last week. What do you say to that,
Horton?"
"Same as I said just now!"
Bridget interposed tactfully, "What about
some more tennis?"
A couple more sets were played. Then, as
Rose Humbleby said good-by, Luke appeared
beside her. "I'll see you home," he
said. "And carry the tennis racket. You
haven't got a car, have you?"
"No, but it's no distance."
"I'd like a walk." He said no more, merely
taking her racket and shoes from her. They
walked down the drive without speaking.
Then Rose mentioned one or two trivial matters.
Luke answered rather shortly, but the
girl did not seem to notice.
As they turned into the gate of her house,
Luke's face cleared. "I'm feeling better now,"
he said.
"Were you feeling badly before?"
"Nice of you to pretend you didn't notice
it. You've exorcised the brute's sulky termper, though. Funny, I feel as though I'd
come out of a dark cloud into the sun."
"So you have. There was a cloud over the
sun when we left the Manor, and now it's
passed over."
"So it has, literally as well as figuratively.
Well, well, the world's a good place, after
all."
"Of course it is."
"Miss Humbleby, may I be impertinent?"
"I'm sure you couldn't be."
"Oh, don't be too sure of that. I wanted
to say that I think Doctor Thomas is a very
lucky man." Rose blushed and smiled. "So
it is true. You and he are engaged?"
Rose nodded. "Only, just now we're not
announcing it officially. You see. Daddy was
against it, and it seems—well, unkind to—to
blazon it abroad the moment he's dead."
"Your father disapproved?"
Rose bent her head slowly and reluctantly.
"Yes, I'm afraid what it really amounted to
was that Daddy didn't—well, didn't really
like Geoffrey."
"They were antagonistic to each other?"
"It seemed like that sometimes. Of course,
Daddy was rather a prejudiced old dear."
"And I suppose he was very fond of you
and didn't like the thought of losing you?"
Rose assented, but still with a shade of reservation
in her manner. "It went deeper than
that?" asked Luke. "He definitely didn't
want Thomas as a husband for you?"
"No. You see. Daddy and Geoffrey are so
very unlike and in some ways they clashed.
Geoffrey was really very patient and good
about it, but knowing Daddy didn't like him
made him even more reserved and shy in his
manner, so that Daddy really never got to
know him any better."
"Prejudices are very hard to combat," said
Luke.
"It was so completely unreasonable!"
"Your father didn't advance any reasons?"
"Oh, no. He couldn't! Naturally, I mean, there wasn't anything he could say against
Geoffrey except that he didn't like him."
"/ do not love thee. Doctor Fell;
The reason why I cannot tell"
"Exactly."
"No tangible thing to get hold of? I mean,
your Geoffrey doesn't drink or back horses?"
"Oh, no. I don't believe Geoffrey even
knows what won the Derby."
"That's funny," said Luke. "You know, I
could swear I saw your Doctor Thomas at
Epsom on Derby Day."
For a moment he was anxious lest he might
already have mentioned that he only arrived
in England on that day. But Rose responded
at once, quite unsuspiciously.
"You thought you saw Geoffrey at the
Derby? Oh, no. He couldn't get away, for
one thing. He was over at Ashewold nearly
all that day at a difficult confinement case."
"What a memory you've got!"
Rose laughed. "I remember that because
he told me they called the baby Jujube as a
nickname!" Luke nodded abstractedly.
"Anyway," said Rose, "Geoffrey never goes
to race meetings. He'd be bored to death."
She added, in a different tone, "Won't you
come in? I think Mother would like to see
you."
"If you're sure of that?"
Rose led the way into a room where twilight
hung rather sadly. A woman was sitting
in an armchair in a curiously huddled-up
position. "Mother, this is Mr. Fitzwilliam."
Mrs. Humbleby gave a start and shook
hands. Rose went quietly out of the room.
"I'm glad to see you, Mr. Fitzwilliam.
Some friends of yours knew my husband
many years ago, so Rose tells me."
"Yes, Mrs. Humbleby." He rather hated
repeating the lie to the widowed woman, but
there was no way out of it.
Mrs. Humbleby said, "I wish you could
have met him. He was a fine man and a
great doctor. He cured many people who
had been given up as hopeless, just by the
strength of his personality."
Luke said gently, "I've heard a lot about
him since I've been here. I know how much
people thought of him."
He could not see Mrs. Humbleby's face
very distinctly. Her voice was rather monotonous, but its very lack of feeling seemed to
emphasize the fact that actually feeling was
in her, strenuously held back. She said, rather unexpectedly, "The world is a very wicked
place, Mr. Fitzwilliam. Do you know that?"
Luke was a little surprised. "Yes, perhaps
that may be."
She insisted, "No, but you do know it?
It's important, that. There's a lot of wickedness
about. One must be prepared--to fight
it! John was. He knew. He was on the side
of the right!"
Luke said gently, "I sure he was."
"He knew the wickedness there was in
this place," said Mrs. Humbleby.
"He knew--" She burst suddenly into
tears.
Luke murmured, "I'm so sorry," and
stopped.
She controlled herself as suddenly as she
had lost control. "You must forgive me,"
she said. She held out her hand and he took
it. "Do come and see us while you are here,"
she said. "It would be so good for Rose. She
likes you so much."
"I like her. I think your daughter is the
nicest girl I've met for a long time, Mrs.
Humbleby."
"She's very good to me."
"Doctor Thomas is a very lucky man."
"Yes." Mrs. Humbleby dropped his hand.
Her voice had gone flat again. "I don't know.
It's all so difficult."
Luke left her standing in the half gloom, her fingers nervously twisting and untwisting
themselves. As he walked home, his mind
went over various aspects of the conversation.
Doctor Thomas had been absent from
Wychwood for a good part of Derby Day.
He had been absent in a car. Wychwood was
thirty-five miles from London. Supposedly
he had been attending a confinement case.
Was there more than his word? The point, he supposed, could be verified. His mind
went on to Mrs. Humbleby. What had she
meant by her insistence on that phrase:
"There's a lot of wickedness about." Was
she just nervous and overwrought by the
shock of her husband's death? Or was there
something more to it than that? Did she, perhaps, know something? Something that
Dr. Humbleby had known before he died?
"I've got to go on with this," said Luke to
himself. "I've got to go on."
«T?
Resolutely, he averted his mind from the
passage of arms that had taken place between
him and Bridget.
Thirteen
on the following morning, Luke came to a
decision. He had, he felt, proceeded as far as
he could with indirect inquiries. It was inevitable
that sooner or later he would be forced
into the open. He felt that the time had
come to drop the book-writing camouflage
and reveal that he had come to Wychwood
with a definite aim in view. In pursuance of
this plan of campaign, he decided to call
upon Honoria Waynflete. He believed that
she had told him what she knew. He wanted
to induce her to tell him what she might
have guessed. He had a shrewd idea that
Miss Waynflete's guesses might be fairly near
the truth.
Miss Waynflete received him in a matterof-fact
manner, showing no surprise at his
call. As she sat down near him, her prim
hands folded and her intelligent eyes--so like
an amiable goat's--fixed on his face, he
found little difficulty in coming to the object
of his visit. He said, "I dare say you have
guessed. Miss Waynflete, that the reason of
my coming here is not merely to write a
book on local customs?" Miss Waynflete inclined
her head and continued to listen.
"I am down here to inquire into the circumstances
of the death of that poor girl, Amy Gibbs."
Miss Waynflete said, "You mean you have
been sent down by the police?"
"Oh, no, Fm not a plain-clothes dick."
He added, with a slightly humorous inflection, "I'm afraid I'm that well-known character
in fiction, the private investigator."
"I see. Then it was Bridget Conway who
brought you down here?" Luke hesitated a
moment. Then he decided to let it go at
that. Without going into the whole Fullerton
story, it was difficult to account for his presence.

Miss Waynflete was continuing, a note of
gentle admiration in her voice: "Bridget is so
practical, so efficient! I'm afraid if it had
been left to me, I should have distrusted my
own judgment. I mean that if you are not
absolutely sure of a thing, it is so difficult to
commit yourself to a definite course of
action."
"But you are sure, aren't you?"
Miss Waynflete said gravely, "No, indeed, Mr. Fitzwilliam. It is not a thing one can be
sure about. I mean, it might all be imagination.
Living alone, with no one to consult or
to talk to, one might easily become melodramatic, and imagine things which had no
foundation in fact."
Luke assented readily to this statement, recognizing its inherent truth, but he added
gently, "But you are sure in your own mind?"
Even here Miss Waynflete showed a little
reluctance. "We are not talking at cross purposes, I hope?" she demurred.
Luke smiled. "You would like me to put
it in plain words? Very well. You do think
that Amy Gibbs was murdered?"
Honoria Waynflete flinched a little at the
crudity of the language. She said, "I don't
feel at all happy about her death. Not at all
happy. The whole thing is profoundly unsatisfactory, in my opinion."
Luke said patiently, "But you don't think
her death was a natural one?"
"No."
"You don't believe it was an accident?"
"It seems to me most improbable. There
are so many--"
Luke cut her short. "You don't think it
was suicide?"
"Emphatically not."
"Then," said Luke gently, "you do think
that it was murder?"
Miss Waynflete hesitated, gulped, and
bravely took the plunge. "Yes," she said, "I
do!"
"Good. Now we can get on with things."
"But I have really no evidence on which
to base that belief," Miss Waynflete explained
anxiously. "It is entirely an idea."
"Quite so. This is a private conversation.
We are merely speaking about what we think
and suspect. We suspect Amy Gibbs was
murdered. Who do we think murdered her?"
Miss Waynflete shook her head. She was
looking very troubled. Luke said, watching
her, "Who had reason to murder her?"
Miss Waynflete said slowly, "She had had
a quarrel, I believe, with her young man at
the garage, Jim Harvey--a most steady, superior
young man. I know one reads in the
papers of young men attacking their sweethearts, and dreadful things like that, but I
really can't believe that Jim would do such a
thing." Luke nodded. Miss Waynflete went
on. "Besides, I can't believe that he would
do it that way. Climb up to her window and
substitute a bottle of poison for the other one
with the cough mixture. I mean, that doesn't
seem--"
Luke came to the rescue as she hesitated.
"It's not the act of an angry lover? I agree!
In my opinion, we can wash Jim Harvey
right out. Amy was killed--we're agreeing
she was killed--by someone who wanted to
get her out of the way and who planned the
crime carefully, so that it should appear to
be an accident. Now, have you any idea--
any hunch--shall we put it like that?--who
that person could be?"
Miss Waynflete said, "No--really--no, I
haven't the least idea!"
"Sure?"
"N-no; no indeed."
Luke looked at her thoughtfully. The denial,
he felt, had not rung quite true. He
went on, "You know of no motive?"
"No motive whatever." That was more
emphatic.
"Had she been in many places in
Wychwood?"
"She was with the Hortons for a year
before going to Lord Easterfleld."
Luke summed up rapidly, "It's like this, then: Somebody wanted that girl out of the
way. From the given facts, we assume that,
first, it was a man, and a man of moderately
old-fashioned outlook--as shown by the hatpaint
touch--and secondly, that it must have
been a reasonably athletic man, since it is
clear he must have climbed up over the outhouse
to the girl's window. You agree on
those points?"
"Absolutely," said Miss Waynflete.
"Do you mind if I go round and have a
try myself?"
"Not at all. I think that is a very good
idea."
She led him out by a side door and round
to the back yard. Luke managed to reach the
outhouse roof without much trouble. From
there he could easily raise the sash of the
girl's window and with a slight effort hoist
himself into the room. A few minutes later
he rejoined Miss Waynflete on the path below, wiping his hands on his handkerchief.
"Actually it's easier than it looks," he said.
"You want a certain amount of muscle, that's
all. There were no signs on the sill or
outside?"
Miss Waynflete shook her head. "I don't
think so. Of course, the constable climbed
up this way."
"So that if there were any traces, they
would be taken to be his. How the police
force assists the criminal! Well, that's that!"
Miss Waynflete led the way back to the
house.
"Was Amy Gibbs a heavy sleeper?" he
asked.
Miss Waynflete replied acidly, "It was
extremely difficult to get her up in the
morning. Sometimes I would knock again
and again, and call out to her before she
answered. But then, you know, Mr. Fitzwilliam, there's a saying there are 'none so
deaf as those who will not hear." "
"That's true," acknowledged Luke. "Well,
now, Miss Waynflete, we come to the question
of motive. Starting with the most obvious
one, do you think there was anything
between that fellow Ellsworthy and the girl?"
He added hastily, "This is just your opinion
I'm asking. Only that."
"If it's a matter of opinion, I would say
yes."
Luke nodded. "In your opinion, would
the girl Amy have stuck at a spot of blackman?"
"Again
as a matter of opinion, I should
say that that was quite possible."
"Do you happen to know if she had much
money in her possession at the time of her
death?"
Miss Waynflete reflected. "I don't think
so. If she had had any unusual amount, I
think I should have heard about it."
"And she hadn't launched into any unusual
extravagance before she died?"
"I don't think so."
"That rather militates against the blackmail
theory. The victim usually pays once
before he decides to proceed to extremes.
There's another theory. The girl might know
something."
"What kind of thing?"
"She might have knowledge that was dangerous
to someone here in Wychwood. We'll
take a strictly hypothetical case. She'd been
in service in a good many houses here. Supposing
she came to know of something that
would damage, say, someone like Mr. Abbot
professionally."
"Mr. Abbot?"
Luke said quickly, "Or possibly some negligence
or unprofessional conduct on the part
of Doctor Thomas."
Miss Waynflete began, "But surely--" and
then stopped.
Luke went on, "Amy Gibbs was housemaud, you said, in the Hortons' house at the
time when Mrs. Horton died."
There was a moment's pause, then Miss
Wsaynflete said, "Will you tell me, Mr.
Fitzwilliam, why you bring the Hortons into thus ? Mrs. Horton died over a year ago."
"Yes, and the girl Amy was there at the
tinoe."
"I see. What have the Hortons to do with
it?"
"I don't know. I just wondered. Mrs.
Horton died of acute gastritis, didn't she?"
"Yes."
"Was her death at all unexpected?"
Miss Waynflete said slowly, "It was to
m<e. You see, she had been getting much
better--seemed well on the road to recovery--and
then she had a sudden relapse and
died."
"Was Doctor Thomas surprised?"
"I don't know. I believe he was."
"And the nurses--what did they say?"
"In my experience," said Miss Waynflete, "hospital nurses are never surprised at any
case taking a turn for the worse. It is recovery
that surprises them."
"But her death surprised you?" Luke persisted.

"Yes. I had been with her only the day
before, and she had seemed very much better, talked and seemed quite cheerful."
"What did she think about her own
illness?"
"She complained that the nurses were poisoning
her. She had had one nurse sent away, but she said these two were just as bad."
"I suppose you didn't pay much attention
to that?"
"Well, no, I thought it was all part of the
illness. And she was a very suspicious woman
and--it may be unkind to say so, but she
liked to make herself important. No doctor
ever understood her case, and it was never
anything simple; it must either be some very
obscure disease or else somebody was "trying
to get her out of the way.' "
Luke tried to make his voice casual. "She
didn't suspect her husband of trying to do
her in?"
"Oh, no, that idea never occurred to her!"
Miss Waynflete paused a minute, then she
asked quietly, "Is that what you think?"
Luke said slowly, "Husbands have done
that before and got away with it. Mrs.
Horton, from all accounts, was a woman any
man might have longed to be rid of. And I
understand that he came into a good deal of
money on her death."
"Yes, he did."
"What do you think. Miss Waynflete?"
"You want my opinion?"
"Yes, just your opinion."
Miss Waynflete said, quietly and deliberately, "In my opinion. Major Horton was
quite devoted to his wife and would never
have dreamed of doing such a thing."
Luke looked at her and received the mild
amber glance in reply. It did not waver.
"Well," he said, "I expect you're right.
You'd probably know if it was the other way
round."
Miss Waynflete permitted herself a smile. "We women are good observers, you think?"
"Absolutely first class. Would Miss
Fullerton have agreed with you, do you
think?"
"I don't think I ever heard Lavinia express
an opinion.
"What did she think about Amy Gibbs?"
Miss Waynflete frowned a little, as though
thinking. "It's difficult to say. Lavinia had a
very curious idea."
"What idea?"
"She thought that there was something
odd going on here in Wychwood."
"She thought, for instance, that somebody
oushed Tommy Pierce out of that window?"
Miss Waynflete stared at him in astonishment.
"How did you know that, Mr. Fitzwilliam?"
"She told me so. Not in those words, but
she gave me the general idea."
Miss Waynflete leaned forward, pink with
excitement. "When was this, Mr. Fitzwilliam?"

Luke said quietly, "The day she was killed.
We traveled together to London."
"What did she tell you exactly?"
"She told me that there had been too many
deaths in Wychwood. She mentioned Amy
Gibbs, and Tommy Pierce, and that man, Carter. She also said that Doctor Humbleby
would be the next to go."
Miss Waynflete nodded slowly. "Did she
tell you who was responsible?"
"A man with a certain look in his eyes,"
said Luke grimly. "A look you couldn't mistake,
according to her. She'd seen that look
in his eye when he was talking to Humbleby. That's why she said Humbleby would be the
next to go."
"And he was," whispered Miss Waynflete.
"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" She leaned back. Her
eyes had a stricken look in them.
"Who was the man?" said Luke. "Come
now. Miss Waynflete; you know--you must
know!"
"I don't. She didn't tell me."
"But you can guess," said Luke keenly.
"You've a very shrewd idea of who was in
her mind." Reluctantly, Miss Waynflete
bowed her head. "Then tell me."
But Miss Waynflete shook her head energetically.
"No, indeed! You're asking me to
do something that is highly improper! You're
asking me to guess at what may--only may, mind you--have been in the mind of a friend
who is now dead. I couldn't make an accusation
of that kind!"
"It wouldn't be an accusation, only an
opinion."
But Miss Waynflete was unexpectedly
firm. "I've nothing to go on--nothing whatever,"
she said. "Lavinia never actually said
anything to me. I may think she had a certain
idea, but, you see, I might be entirely
wrong. And then I should have misled you, and perhaps serious consequences might ensue.
It would be very wicked and unfair of
me to mention a name. And I may be quite, quite wrong! In fact, I probably am wrong!"
And Miss Waynflete set her lips firmly and
glared at Luke with a grim determination.
Luke knew how to accept defeat when he
met it. He realized that Miss Waynflete's
sense of rectitude and something else more
nebulous that he could not quite place were
both against him. He accepted defeat with a
good grace and rose to say good-by. He had
every intention of returning to the charge
later, but he allowed no hint of that to escape
into his manner. "You must do as you
think right, of course," he said. "Thank you
for the help you have given me."
Miss Waynflete seemed to become a little
less sure of herself as she accompanied him
to the door. "I hope you don't think--" she
began; then changed the form of the sentence.
"If there is anything else I can do to
help you, please, please, let me know."
"I will. You won't repeat this conversation, will you?"
"Of course not. I shan't say a word to
anybody." Luke hoped that that was true.
"Give my love to Bridget," said Miss
Waynflete. "She's such a handsome girl, isn't
she? And clever too. I--I hope she will be
happy." And, as Luke looked a question, she added, "Married to Lord Easterfield, I
mean. Such a great difference in age."
"Yes, there is."
Miss Waynflete Sighed. "You know that I
was engaged to him once," she said unexpectedly.

Luke stared in astonishment. She was nodding
her head and smiling rather sadly. "A
long time ago. He was such a promising boy.
I had helped him, you know, to educate
himself. And I was so proud of his--his
spirit and the way he was determined to
succeed." She sighed again. "My people, of
course, were scandalized. Class distinctions
in those days were very strong." She added, after a minute or two, "I've always followed
his career with great interest. My people, I
think, were wrong." Then, with a smile, she
nodded a farewell and went back into the
house.
Luke tried to collect his thoughts. He had
placed Miss Waynflete as definitely "old."
He realized now that she was probably still
under sixty. Lord Easterfield must be well
over fifty. She might, perhaps, be a year or
two older than he, no more. And he was
going to marry Bridget. Bridget, who was
twenty-eight. Bridget, who was young and
alive! "Oh, damn," said Luke. "Don't let
me go on thinking of it. The job. Get on
with the job."
Fourteen
Miss church, Amy Gibbs' aunt, was definitely
an unpleasant woman. Her sharp nose, shifty eyes and her voluble tongue all alike
filled Luke with nausea. He adopted a curt
manner with her and found it unexpectedly
successful. "What you've got to do," he told
her, "is to answer my questions to the best
of your ability. If you hold back anything or
tamper with the truth, the consequences may
be extremely serious to you."
"Yes, sir. I see. I'm sure I'm only too
willing to tell you anything I can. I've never
been mixed up with the police--"
"And you don't want to be," finished
Luke. "Well, if you do as I've told you, there won't be any question of that. I want
to know all about your late niece--who her
friends were, what money she had, anything
she said that might be out of the way. We'll
start with her friends. Who were they?"
Mrs. Church leered at him slyly out of the
corner of an unpleasant eye. "You'll be
meaning gentlemen, sir?"
"Had she any girlfriends?"
"Well, hardly—not to speak of, sir. Of
course, there was girls she'd been in service
with, but Amy didn't keep up with them
much. You see—"
"She preferred the sterner sex. Go on.
Tell me about that."
"It was Jim Harvey down at the garage
she was actually going with, sir. And a nice
steady young fellow he was. 'You couldn't
do better,' I've said to her many a time."
Luke cut in, "And the others?"
Again he got the sly look. "I expect you're
thinking of the gentleman who keeps the
curiosity shop? I didn't like it myself, and I
tell you that straight, sir! I've always been
respectable and I don't hold with carryings
on! But with what girls are nowadays, it's no
use speaking to them. They go their own
way. And often they live to regret it."
"Did Amy live to regret it?" asked Luke
bluntly.
"No, sir, that I do not think."
"She went to consult Doctor Thomas on
the day of her death. That wasn't the
reason?"
"No, sir, I'm nearly sure it wasn't. Oh, I'd take my oath on it! Amy had been feeling
ill and out of sorts, but it was just a bad
cough and cold she had. It wasn't anything
of the kind you suggest; I'm sure it wasn't,
sir."
"I'll take your word for that. How far had
matters gone between her and Ellsworthy?"
Mrs. Church leered. "I couldn't exactly
say, sir. Amy wasn't one for confiding in
me."
Luke said curtly, "But they'd gone pretty
far?"
Mrs. Church said smoothly, "The gentleman
hasn't got at all a good reputation here, sir. All sorts of goings on. And friends down
from town and many queer happenings. Up
in the Witches' Meadow in the middle of the
night."
"Did Amy go?"
"She did go once, sir, I believe. Stayed
out all night, and his lordship found out
about it--she was at the Manor then--and
spoke to her pretty sharp, and she sauced
him back and her gave her notice for it, which was only to be expected."
"Did she ever talk to you much about
what went on in the places she was in?"
Mrs. Church shook her head. "Not very
much, sir. More interested in her own doings, she was."
"She was with Major and Mrs. Horton for
a while, wasn't she?"
"Nearly a year, sir."
"Why did she leave?"
"Just to better herself. There was a place
going at the Manor and, of course, the wages
was better there."
Luke nodded. "She was with the Hortons
at the time of Mrs. Horton's death?" he
asked.
"Yes, sir. She grumbled a lot about that--
with two hospital nurses in the house, and
all that extra work nurses make and the trays
and one thing and another."
"She wasn't with Mr. Abbot, the lawyer, at all?"
"No, sir. Mr. Abbot has a man and wife
do for him. Amy did go to see him once at
his office, but I don't know why."
Luke stored away that small fact as possibly
relevant. Since Mrs. Church, however, clearly knew nothing more about it, he did
not pursue the subject. "Any other gentlemen
in the town who were friends of hers?"
"Nothing that I'd care to repeat."
"Come now, Mrs. Church. I want the
truth, remember."
"It wasn't a gentleman, sir; very far from
it. Demeaning herself, that's what it was,
and so I told her."
"Do you mind speaking more plainly, Mrs.
Church?"
"You'll have heard of the Seven Stars, sir?
Not a good-class house, and the landlord,
Harry Carter, a low-class fellow and half seas
over most of the time."
"Amy was a friend of his?"
"She went for a walk with him once or
twice. I don't believe there was more in it
than that. I don't indeed, sir."
Luke nodded thoughtfully and changed
the subject. "Did you know a small boy,
Tommy Pierce?"
"What? Mrs. Pierce's son? Of course I
did. Always up to mischief."
"He ever see much of Amy?"
"Oh, no, sir. Amy would soon send him
off with a flea in his ear if he tried any of his
tricks on her."
"Was she happy in her place with Miss
Waynflete?"
"She found it a bit dull, sir, and the pay
wasn't high. But of course, after she'd been
dismissed the way she was from Ashe Manor,
it wasn't so easy to get another good place."
"She could have gone away, I suppose?"
"To London, you mean?"
"Or some other part of the country?"
Mrs. Church shook her head. She saidd
slowly, "Amy didn't want to leave Wych-iwood;
not as things were."
"How do you mean, "as things were5?"
"What with Jim and the gentleman at thee
curio shop." Luke nodded thoughtfully. Mrs.;. Church went on, "Miss Waynflete is a ver^y
nice lady, but very particular about brasss
and silver and everything being dusted ancd
the mattresses turned. Amy wouldn't havee
put up with the fussing if she hadn't beern
enjoying herself in other ways."
"I can imagine that," said Luke dryly. Hce
turned things over in his mind. He could seee
no further questions to ask. He was fairly certain that he had extracted all that Mrs;.
Church knew. He decided on one last tentaitive
attack: "I dare say you can guess th<e reason for all these questions. The circumr stances of Amy's death were rather mysteriious.
We're not entirely satisfied as to its being an accident. If not, you realize what it
must have been."
Mrs. Church said, with a certain ghoulish relief, "Foul play!"
"Quite so. Now, supposing your niece di4
meet with foul play, who do you think is
likely to be responsible for her death?"
Mrs. Church wiped her hands on her
apron. "There'd be a reward, as likely as
not, for setting the police on the right track?"
she inquired meaningly.
"There might be," said Luke.
"I wouldn't like to say anything definite"--Mrs.
Church passed a hungry tongue
over her thin lips--"but the gentleman at
the curio shop is a queer one. You'll remember
the Castor case, sir, and that poor girl.
And there've been five or six other poor girls
served the same way later. Maybe this Mr.
Ellsworthy is one of that kind?"
"That's your suggestion, is it?"
"Well, it might be that way, sir, mightn't
it?"
Luke admitted that it might. Then he said,
"Was Ellsworthy away from here on the afternoon
of Derby Day? That's a very important
point."
Mrs. Church stared. "Derby Day?"
"Yes, a fortnight ago last Wednesday."
She shook her head. "Really, I couldn't
say as to that. He usually was away on
Wednesdays; went up to town as often as
not. It's early closing Wednesday, you see."
"Oh," said Luke, "early closing."
He took his leave of Mrs. Church, disregarding
her insinuations that her time had
been valuable and that she was therefore entitled
to monetary compensation. He found
himself disliking Mrs. Church intensely. Nevertheless, the conversation he had had with
her, though not strikingly illuminative in any
way, had provided several suggestive small
points.
Fifteen
he went over things carefully in his mind.
Yes, it still boiled down to those four people--Thomas, Abbot, Horton and Ellsworthy.
The attitude of Miss Waynflete
seemed, to him, to prove that. Her distress
and reluctance to mention a name. Surely
that meant--that must mean--that the person
in question was someone of standing in
Wychwood, someone whom a chance insinuation
might definitely injure. It tallied, too, with Miss Fullerton's determination to take
her suspicions to headquarters. The local police
would ridicule her theory. It was not a
case of the butcher, the baker, the candlestick
maker. It was not a case of a mere
garage mechanic. The person in question was
one against whom an accusation of murder
was a fantastic and, moreover, a serious matter.
There were four possible candidates. It
was up to him to go carefully once more into
the case against each one and make up his
own mind.
First to examine the reluctance of Miss
Waynflete. She was a conscientious and scrupulous
person. She believed that she knew
the man whom Miss Fullerton had suspected, but it was, as she had pointed out, only a
belief on her part. It was possible that she
was mistaken. Who was the person in Miss
Waynflete's mind? Miss Waynflete was distressed
lest an accusation by her might injure
an innocent man. Therefore, the object of
her suspicions must be a man of high standing, generally liked and respected by the
community. Therefore, Luke argued, that
automatically barred out Ellsworthy. He was
practically a stranger to Wychwood; his local
reputation was bad, not good. Luke did not
believe that, if Ellsworthy was the person in
Miss Waynflete's mind, she would have had
any objection to mentioning him. Therefore, as far as Miss Waynflete was concerned, wash
out Ellsworthy.
Now, as to the others. Luke believed that
he could also eliminate Major Horton. Miss
Waynflete had rebutted with some warmth
the suggestion that Horton might have poisoned
his wife. If she had suspected him of
later crimes, she would hardly have been so
positive about his innocence of the death of
Mrs. Horton.
That left Doctor Thomas and Mr. Abbot.
Both of them fulfilled the necessary requirements.
They were men of high professional
standing, against whom no word of scandal
had ever been uttered. They were, on the
whole, both popular and well liked, and were
known as men of integrity and rectitude.
Luke proceeded to another aspect of the
matter. Could he, himself, eliminate Ellsworthy
and Horton? Immediately he shook
his head. It was not so simple. Miss Fullerton
had known--really known--who the man
was. That was proved, in the first case, by
her own death, and, in the second case, by
the death of Doctor Humbleby. But Miss
Fullerton had never actually mentioned a
name to Honoria Waynflete. Therefore, though Miss Waynflete thought she knew, she might quite easily be wrong. We often
know what other people are thinking but
sometimes we find out that we did not know, after all, and have, in fact, made an egregious
mistake.
Therefore, the four candidates were still in
the field. Miss Fullerton was dead and could
give no further assistance. It was up to Luke
to do what he had done before, on the day
after he came to Wychwood--weigh up the
evidence and consider the probabilities.
He began with Ellsworthy. On the face of
it, Ellsworthy was the likeliest starter.
"Let's take it this way," said Luke to
himself. "Suspect everyone in turn.
Ellsworthy, for instance. Let's say he's the
killer. For the moment, let's take it quite
definitely that I know that. Now we'll take
the possible victims in chronological order.
First, Mrs. Horton. Difficult to see what
motive Ellsworthy could have had for doing
away with Mrs. Horton. But there was a
means. Horton spoke of some quack nostrum
that she got from him and took. Some
poison like arsenic could have been given
that way. The question is: Why?
"Now the others. Amy Gibbs. Why did
Ellsworthy kill Amy Gibbs? The obvious reason--she
was being a nuisance. Threatened
an action for breach of promise, perhaps? Or
had she assisted at a midnight orgy? Did she
threaten to talk? Lord Easterfield has a good
deal of influence in Wychwood, and Lord
Easterfield, according to Bridget, is a very
moral man. He might have taken up the
matter against Ellsworthy if the latter had
been up to anything particularly objectionable.
So, exit Amy. Not, I think, a sadistic
murder. The method employed is against
that.
"Who's next? Carter? Why Carter? Unlikely
he would know about midnight
orgies--or did Amy tell him? Was the pretty
daughter mixed up in it? Did Ellsworthy
start making love to her? Must have a look
at Lucy Carter. Perhaps he was just abusive
to Ellsworthy 3 and Ellsworthy resented it. If
he'd already committed one or two murders, he would be getting sufficiently callous to
contemplate a killing for a very slight reason.
"Now Tommy Pierce. Why did Ellsworthy
kill Tommy Pierce? Easy. Tommy had assisted
at a midnight ritual of some kind.
Tommy threatened to talk about it. Perhaps
Tommy was talking about it. Shut Tommy's
mouth.
"Doctor Humbleby. Why did Ellsworthy
kill Doctor Humbleby? That's the easiest of
the lot. Humbleby was a doctor, and he'd
noticed that Ellsworthy's mental balance was
none too good. Probably was getting ready
to do something about it. So Humbleby was
doomed. There's a stumbling block there in
the method. How did Ellsworthy insure that
Humbleby should die of blood poisoning?
Or did Humbleby die of something else?
Was the poisoned finger a coincidence?
"Last of all, Miss Fullerton. Wednesday's
early closing. Ellsworthy might have gone up
to town that day. Has he a car, I wonder?
Never seen him in one, but that proves nothing.
He knew she'd suspected him, and he
was going to take no chances of Scotland
Yard believing her story. Perhaps they already
knew something about him then?
"That's the case against Ellsworthy! Now, what is there for him? Well, for one thing, he's certainly not the man Miss Waynflete
thought Miss Fullerton meant. For another, he doesn't fit--quite--with my own vague
impression. When she was talking, I got a
picture of a man--and it wasn't a man like
Ellsworthy. The impression she gave me was
of a very ordinary man--outwardly, that is--
the kind of man nobody would suspect.
Ellsworthy is the kind of man you would
suspect. No, I got more the impression of a
man like--Doctor Thomas.
"Thomas, now. What about Thomas? I
wiped him clean off the list after I'd had a
chat with him. Nice, unassuming fellow. But
the whole point of this murderer--unless I've
got the whole thing wrong--is that he would
be a nice, unassuming fellow. The last person
you'd think ever would be a murderer!
Which, of course, is exactly what one feels
about Thomas.
"Now then, let's go through it again. Why
did Doctor Thomas kill Amy Gibbs? Really, it seems most unlikely that he did. But she
did go to see him that day, and he did give
her that bottle of cough mixture. Suppose
that was really oxalic acid. That would be
very simple and clever. Who was called in, I
wonder, when she was found poisoned--
Humbleby or Thomas? If it was Thomas, he
might just come along with an old bottle
of hat paint in his pocket, put it down
unobtrusively on the table, and take off both
bottles to be analyzed, as bold as brass.
Something like that. It could be done if you
were cool enough.
"Tommy Pierce? Again I can't see a likely
motive. That's the difficulty with our Doctor
Thomas--motive. There's not even a crazy
motive. Same with Carter. Why should Doctor
Thomas want to dispose of Carter? One
can only assume that Amy, Tommy and the
publican all knew something about Doctor
Thomas that it was unhealthy to know. Ah, supposing, now, that that something was the
death of Mrs. Horton. Doctor Thomas attended
her. And she died of a rather unexpected
relapse. He could have managed that
"Last of all. Miss Fullerton. Wednesday's
early closing. Ellsworthy might have gone up
to town that day. Has he a car, I wonder?
Never seen him in one, but that proves nothing.
He knew she'd suspected him, and he
was going to take no chances of Scotland
Yard believing her story. Perhaps they already
knew something about him then?
"That's the case against Ellsworthy! Now, what is there for him? Well, for one thing, he's certainly not the man Miss Waynflete
thought Miss Fullerton meant. For another, he doesn't fit--quite--with my own vague
impression. When she was talking, I got a
picture of a man--and it wasn't a man like
Ellsworthy. The impression she gave me was
of a very ordinary man--outwardly, that is--
the kind of man nobody would suspect.
Ellsworthy is the kind of man you would
suspect. No, I got more the impression of a
man like--Doctor Thomas.
"Thomas, now. What about Thomas? I
wiped him clean off the list after I'd had a
chat with him. Nice, unassuming fellow. But
the whole point of this murderer--unless I've
got the whole thing wrong--is that he would
be a nice, unassuming fellow. The last person
you'd think ever would be a murderer!
Which, of course, is exactly what one feels
about Thomas.
"Now then, lets go through it again. Why
did Doctor Thomas kill Amy Gibbs? Really, it seems most unlikely that he did. But she
did go to see him that day, and he did give
her that bottle of cough mixture. Suppose
that was really oxalic acid. That would be
very simple and clever. Who was called in, I
wonder, when she was found poisoned--
Humbleby or Thomas? If it was Thomas, he
might just come along with an old bottle
of hat paint in his pocket, put it down
unobtrusively on the table, and take off both
bottles to be analyzed, as bold as brass.
Something like that. It could be done if you
were cool enough.
"Tommy Pierce? Again I can't see a likely
motive. That's the difficulty with our Doctor
Thomas--motive. There's not even a crazy
motive. Same with Carter. Why should Doctor
Thomas want to dispose of Carter? One
can only assume that Amy, Tommy and the
publican all knew something about Doctor
Thomas that it was unhealthy to know. Ah, supposing, now, that that something was the
death of Mrs. Horton. Doctor Thomas attended
her. And she died of a rather unexpected
relapse. He could have managed that
easily enough. And Amy Gibbs, remember, was in the house at the time. She might have
seen or heard something. That would account
for her. Tommy Pierce, we have it on
good authority, was a particularly inquisitive
small boy. He may have got wise to something.
Can't fit Carter in. Unless Amy Gibbs
told him something. He may have repeated
it in his cups and Thomas may have decided
to silence him too. All this, of course, is pure
conjecture. But what else can one do?
"Now Humbleby. Ah, at last we come to
a perfectly plausible murder. Adequate motive
and ideal means. If Doctor Thomas
couldn't give his partner blood poisoning, no
one could. He could reinfect the wound every
time he dressed it. I wish the earlier
killings were a little more plausible.
"Miss Fullerton? She's more difficult, but
there is one definite fact. Doctor Thomas
was not in Wychwood for at least a good
part of the day. He gave out that he was
attending a confinement. That may be. But
the fact remains that he was away from
Wychwood in a car. Is there anything else?
Yes, just one thing. The look he gave me
when I went away from the house the other
day. Superior, condescending, the smile of a
man who'd just led me up the garden path
and knew it."
Luke sighed, shook his head and went on
with his reasoning. "Abbot? He's the right
kind of man too. Normal, well-to-do, respected, last sort of man, and so on. He's
conceited, too, and confident. Murderers
usually are. They've got overweening conceit.
Always think they'll get away with it.
Amy Gibbs paid him a visit once. Why?
What did she want to see him for? To get
legal advice? Why? Or was it a personal
matter. There's that mention of 'a letter from
a lady' that Tommy saw. Was that letter
from Amy Gibbs? Or was it a letter written
by Mrs. Horton--a letter, perhaps, that Amy
Gibbs had got hold of? What other lady
could there be writing to Mr. Abbot on a
matter so private that he loses control when
the office boy inadvertently sees it? What
else can we think of re Amy Gibbs? The hat
| paint? Yes, right kind of old-fashioned
touch--men like Abbot are usually well behind
the times where women are concerned.
The Old World style of philanderer. Tommy
Pierce? Obvious, on account of the letter--
really it must have been a very damning
letter. Carter? Well, there was trouble about
Carter's daughter. Abbot wasn't going to have
a scandal--a low-down ruffianly half-wit like
Carter dare to threaten him. He who had got
away with two clever killings! Away with
Mr. Carter! Dark night and a well-directed
push. Really, this killing business is almost
too easy.
"Have I got the Abbot mentality? I think
so. Nasty look in an old lady's eye. She's
thinking things about him. Then, row with
Humbleby. Old Humbleby daring to set
himself against Abbot, the clever solicitor
and murderer. 'The old fool--he little knows
what's in store for him! He's for it! Daring
to browbeat me!'
"And then--what? Turning to catch
Lavinia Fullerton's eyes. And his own eyes
falter, show a consciousness of guilt. He who
was boasting of being unsuspected had definitely
aroused suspicion. Miss Fullerton
knows his secret. She knows what he has
done. Yes, but she can't have proof. But
suppose she goes about looking for it. Suppose
she talks. Suppose--He's quite a shrewd
judge of character. He guesses what she will
finally do. If she goes, with this tale of hers,
to Scotland Yard, they may believe her; they
may start making inquiries. Something pretty
desperate has got to be done. Has Abbot got
a car or did he hire one in London? Anyway, he was away from here on Derby Day."
Again Luke paused. He was so entering
into the spirit of the thing that he found it
hard to make a transition from one suspect
to another. He had to wait a minute before
he could force himself into the mood where
he could visualize Major Horton as a successful
murderer.
"Horton murdered his wife. Let's start
with that. He had ample provocation and he
gained considerably by her death. In order to
carry it off successfully, he had to make a
good show of devotion. He'd had to keep
that up. Sometimes, shall we say, he overdoes
it a bit?
"Very good, one murder successfully accomplished.
Who's the next? Amy Gibbs.
Yes, perfectly credible. Amy was in the
house. She may have seen something--the
Major administering a soothing cup of beef
tea or gruel. She mayn't have realized the
point of what she saw till some time later.
The hat-paint trick is the sort of thing that
would occur to the Major quite naturally--a
very masculine man with little knowledge of
women's fripperies. Amy Gibbs all serene
and accounted for.
"The drunken Carter? Same suggestion as
before--Amy told him something. Another
straightforward murder.
"Now Tommy Pierce. We've got to fall
back on his inquisitive nature. I suppose the
letter in Abbot's office couldn't have been a
complaint from Mrs. Horton that her husband
was trying to poison her? That's only a
wild suggestion, but it might be so. Anyway, the Major becomes alive to the fact that
Tommy is a menace, so Tommy joins Amy
and Carter. All quite simple and straightforward
and according to Cocker. Easy to kill?
My God, yes!
"But now we come to something rather
difficult. Humbleby! Motive? Very obscure.
Humbleby was attending Mrs. Horton originally.
Did he get puzzled by the illness, and
did Horton influence his wife to change to
the younger, more unsuspicious doctor? But
if so, what made Humbleby a danger so long
after? Difficult, that. The manner of his
death too. A poisoned finger. Doesn't connect
up with the Major.
"Miss Fullerton? That's perfectly possible.
He has a car. I saw it. And he was away
from Wychwood that day, supposedly gone
to the Derby. It might be, yes. Is Horton a
cold-blooded killer? Is he? Is he? I wish I
knew!"
Luke stared ahead of him. His brow was
puckered with thought. "It's one of them. I
don't think it's Ellsworthy, but it might be.
He's the most obvious one. Thomas is wildly
unlikely--if it weren't for the manner of
Humbleby's death. That blood poisoning
definitely points to a medical murderer. It
could be Abbot; there's not so much evidence
against him as against the others, but I
can see him in the part, somehow. Yes, he
fits as the others don't. And it could be
Horton. Bullied by his wife for years, feeling
his insignificance--yes, it could be. But Miss
Waynflete doesn't think it is, and she's no
fool--and she knows the place and the people
in it.
"Which does she suspect. Abbot or
Thomas? It must be one of these two. If I
tackled her outright--'which of them is it?'--
I'd get it out of her then, perhaps. But even
then she might be wrong. There's no way of
proving her right--like Miss Fullerton
proved herself. More evidence--that's what I
want. If there were to be one more case--
just one more--then I'd know."
He stopped himself with a start. "What
I'm asking for is another murder," he said
under his breath.
Sixteen
in the bar of the Seven Stars, Luke drank
his pint and felt somewhat embarrassed. The
stare of half a dozen bucolic pairs of eyes
followed his least movement, and conversation
had come to a standstill upon his entrance.
Luke essayed a few comments of
general interest, such as the crops, the state
of the weather, and football coupons, but to
none did he get any response. He was reduced
to gallantry. The fine-looking girl behind
the counter, with her black hair and
red cheeks, he rightly judged to be Miss
Lucy Carter. His advances were received in
a pleasant spirit. Miss Carter duly giggled
and said, "Go on with you! I'm sure you
don't think nothing of the kind! . . . That's
telling!"--and other such rejoinders. But the
performance was clearly mechanical.
Luke, seeing no advantage to be gained by
remaining, finished his beer and departed.
He walked along the path to where the river
was spanned by a footbridge. He was standing
looking at this when a quavering voice
behind him said: "That's it, mister; that's
where old Harry went over." Luke turned to
see one of his late fellow drinkers--one who
had been particularly unresponsive to the
topic of crops, weather and coupons. He was
now clearly about to enjoy himself as a guide
to the macabre. "Went over into the mud,
he did," said the ancient laborer. "Right into
the mud, and stuck in it head downward."
"Perhaps someone pushed him over," said
Luke, making the suggestion in a casual fashion.

"They might of," the rustic agreed. "But
I don't know who'd go for to do that," he
added.
"He might have made a few enemies. He
was fairly abusive when he was drunk, wasn't
he?"
"His language was a treat to hear. Didn't
mince his words. Harry didn't. But no one
would go for to push a man what's drunk."
Luke did not combat this statement. It
was evidently regarded as wildly unsporting
for advantage to be taken of a man's state of
intoxication. The rustic had sounded quite
shocked at the idea. "Well," he said vaguely, "it was a sad business."
"None so sad for his missus," said the old
man. "Reckon her and Lucy haven't no call
to be sad about it."
"There may be other people who are glad
to have him out of the way."
The old man was vague about that.
"Maybe," he said. "But he didn't mean no
harm. Harry didn't." On this epitaph for the
late Mr. Carter, they parted.
Luke bent his steps toward the old Hall.
The library transacted its business in the
two front rooms. Luke passed on to the
back through a door which was labeled
MUSEUM. There he moved from case to
case, studying the not-very-inspiring exhibits.
Some Roman pottery and coins. Some
South Sea curiosities, a Malay headdress.
Various Indian gods "presented by Major
Horton," together with a large and malevolent-looking
Buddha and a case of doubtful-looking
Egyptian beads.
Luke wandered out again into the hall.
There was no one about. He went quietly up
the stairs. There was a room with magazines
and papers there, and a room filled with
non-fiction books. Luke went a story higher.
Here were rooms filled with what he desig-
nated himself as junk. Stuffed birds, removed
from the museum owing to the moths having
attacked them, stacks of torn magazines and
a room whose shelves were covered with outof-date
works of fiction and children's books.
Luke approached the window. Here it
must have been that Tommy Pierce had sat, possibly whistling and occasionally rubbing a
pane of glass vigorously when he heard anyone
coming. Somebody had come in. Tommy
had shown his zeal, sitting half out of the
window and polishing with zest. And then
that somebody had come up to him and, while talking, had given a sudden sharp push.
Luke turned away. He walked down the
stairs and stood a minute or two in the hall.
Nobody had noticed him come in. Nobody
had seen him go upstairs. "Anyone might
have done it," said Luke. "Easiest thing in
the world." He heard footsteps coming from
the direction of the library proper. Since he
was an innocent man, with no objection to
being seen, he could remain where he was.
If he had not wanted to be seen, how easy
just to step back inside the door of the museum
room.
Miss Waynflete came out from the library,
a little pile of books under her arm. She was
pulling on her gloves. She looked happy and
busy. When she saw him, her face lit up and
she exclaimed: "Oh, Mr. Fitzwilliam, have
you been looking at the museum? I'm afraid
there isn't very much there, really. Lord
Easterfield is talking of getting us some really
interesting exhibits."
"Really?"
"Yes, something modern, you know, and
up-to-date. Like they have at the Science
Museum in London. He suggests a model
aeroplane and a locomotive and some chemical
things too."
"That would, perhaps, brighten things
up."
"Yes, I don't think a museum should deal
solely with the past, do you?"
"Perhaps not."
"Then some food exhibits, too--calories
and vitamins--all that sort of thing. Lord
Easterfield is so keen on the Greater Fitness
Campaign."
"So he was saying the other night."
"It's the thing at present, isn't it? Lord
Easterfield was telling me how he'd been to
the Wellerman Laboratories and seen such a
lot of germs and cultures and bacteria; it
quite made me shiver. And he told me all
about mosauitoes and sleeping sickness, and
something about a liver fluke that, I'm afraid, was a little too difficult for me."
"It was probably too difficult for Lord
Easterfield," said Luke cheerfully. "I'll bet
he got it all wrong. You've got a much clearer
brain than he has. Miss Waynflete."
Miss Waynflete said sedately, "That's very
nice of you, Mr. Fitzwilliam, but I'm afraid
women are never quite such deep thinkers as
men."
Luke repressed a desire to criticize adversely
Lord Easterfield's processes of
thought. Instead he said, "I did look into the
museum, but afterwards I went up to have a
look at the top windows."
"You mean where Tommy--" Miss
Waynflete shivered. "It's really very horrible."

"Yes, it's not a nice thought. I've spent
about an hour with Mrs. Church--Amy's
aunt--not a nice woman."
"Not at all."
"I had to take rather a strong line with
her," said Luke. "I fancy she thinks I'm a
kind of super policeman."
He stopped as he noted a sudden change
of expression on Miss Waynflete's face. "Oh, Mr. Fitzwilliam, do you think that was
wise?"
Luke said, "I don't really know. I think it
was inevitable. The book story was wearing
thin. I can't get much farther on that. I had
to ask the kind of questions that were directly
to the point."
Miss Waynflete shook her head, the troubled
expression still on her face. "In a place
like this, you see, everything gets round so
fast."
"You mean that everybody will say. There
goes the tec,' as I walk down the street? I
don't think that really matters now. In fact, I may get more that way."
"I wasn't thinking of that." Miss Waynflete
sounded a little breathless. "What I
meant was that he'll know. He'll realize that
you're on his track."
Luke said slowly, "I suppose he will."
Miss Waynflete said, "But don't you see
that's horribly dangerous? Horribly!"
"You mean"--Luke grasped her point at
last--"you mean that the killer will have a
crack at me?"
"Yes."
"Funny," said Luke. "I never thought of
that! I believe you're right, though. Well, that might be the best thing that could
happen."
Miss Waynflete said earnestly, "I don't
think you realize that he's--he's a very clever
man. He's cautious too. And remember, he's
got a great deal of experience--perhaps more
than we know."
"Yes," said Luke thoughtfully, "that's
probably true."
Miss Waynflete exclaimed, "Oh, I don't
like it! Really, I feel quite alarmed!"
Luke said gently, "You needn't worry. I
shall be very much on my guard, I can assure
you. You see, I've narrowed the possibilities
down pretty closely. I've an idea, at
any rate, who the killer might be." She
looked up sharply. Luke came a step nearer.
He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Miss
Waynflete, if I were to ask you which of two
men you considered the most likely--Doctor
Thomas or Mr. Abbot--what would you
say?"
"Oh!" said Miss Waynflete. Her hand flew
to her breast. She stepped back. Her eyes
met Luke's in an expression that puzzled
him. They showed impatience and something
closely allied to it that he could not quite
place. She said, "I can't say anything."
She turned away abruptly, with a curious
sound--half a sigh, half a sob. Luke resigned
himself. "Are you going home?" he
asked.
"no) I was going to take these books to
Mrs. Humbleby. That lies on your way back
to the Manor. We might go part of the way together."
"That will be very nice," said Luke.
They went down the steps, turned to the
left, skirting the village green. Luke looked
back at the Stately lines of the house they
had left. "It must have been a lovely house
in your father's day," he said.
Miss Waynflete sighed. "Yes, we were all
very happy there. I am so thankful it hasn't
been pulled down. So many of the old houses
are going."
"I know. Ifs sad."
"And really the new ones aren't nearly so
well built."
"I doubt if they will stand the test of time
as well."
"But of course," said Miss Waynflete, "the
new ones are convenient--so laborsaving, and not such big drafty passages to scrub."
Luke assented. When they arrived at the
gate of Doctor Humbleby's house. Miss
Waynflete hesitated and said: "Such a beautiful
evening. I think, if you don't mind, I
will come a little farther. I am enjoying the
air."
Somewhat surprised, Luke expressed pleasure politely. It was hardly what he would
have described as a beautiful evening. There
was a strong wind blowing, turning back the
leaves viciously on the trees. A storm, he
thought, might come at any minute. Miss
Waynflete, however, clutching her hat with
one hand, walked by his side with every
appearance of enjoyment, talking, as she
went, in little gasps.
It was a somewhat lonely lane they were
taking, since from Doctor Humbleby's house
the shortest way to Ashe Manor was not by
the main road but by a side lane which led
to one of the back gates of the manor house.
This gate was not of the same ornate ironwork,
but had two handsome gate pillars
surmounted by two vast pink pineapples.
Why pineapples, Luke had been unable to
discover. But he gathered that to Lord
Easterfield pineapples spelt distinction and
good taste. As they approached the gate, the
sound of voices raised in anger came to them.
A moment later they came in sight of Lord
Easterfield confronting a young man in chauffeur's
uniform. "You're fired!" Lord Easterfield
was shouting. "D'you hear? You're
fired!"
"If you'd overlook it, m'lord, just this
once."
"No, I won't overlook it! Taking my car
out! My car! And what's more, you've been
drinking! . . . Yes, you have; don't deny it!
I've made it clear there are three things I
won't have on my estate--one's drunkenness, another's immorality and the last's impertinence!"

Though the man was not actually drunk, he had had enough to loosen his tongue. His
manner changed. "You won't have this and
you won't have that, you old buzzard! Your
estate! Think we don't all know your father
kept a boot shop down here? Makes us laugh
ourselves sick, it does, seeing you strutting
about as cock of the walk! Who are you, I'd
like to know? You're no better than I am,
that's what you are!"
Lord Easterfield turned purple. "How dare
you speak to me like that? How dare you?"
The young man took a threatening step
forward. "If you wasn't such a miserable
pot-bellied little swine, I'd give you a sock
on the jaw--yes, I would."
Lord Easterfield hastily retreated a step, tripped over a root and went down in a
sitting position. Luke had come up. "Get
out of here," he said roughly to the chauffeur.

The latter regained sanity. He looked
frightened. "I'm sorry, sir. I don't know
what came over me, I'm sure."
"A couple of glasses too much, I should
say," said Luke. He assisted Lord Easterfield
to his feet.
"I'm sorry, m'lord," stammered the man.
"You'll be sorry for this. Rivers," said
Lord Easterfield. His voice trembled with
intense feeling. The man hesitated a minute, then shambled away slowly. Lord Easterfield
exploded, "Colossal impertinence! To me!
Speaking to me like that! Something very
serious will happen to that man! No respect, no proper sense of his station in life. When I
think of what I do for these people--good
wages, every comfort, a pension when they
retire. The ingratitude--the base ingratitude!"

He choked with excitement, then perceived
Miss Waynflete, who was standing silently
by. "Is that you, Honoria? I'm deeply distressed
that you should have witnessed such
a disgraceful scene. That man's language--"
"I'm afraid he wasn't quite himself. Lord
Easterfield," said Miss Waynflete primly.
"He was drunk, that's what he was--
drunk!"
"Just a bit lit up," said Luke.
"Do you know what he did?" Lord
Easterfield looked from one to the other of
them. "Took out my car--my car! Thought
I shouldn't be back so soon. Bridget drove
me over to Lyne in the two-seater. And this
fellow had the impertinence to take a girl--
Lucy Carter, I believe--out in my car!"
Miss Waynflete said gently, "A most improper
thing to do."
Lord Easterfield seemed a little comforted. "Yes, wasn't it?"
"But I'm sure he'll regret it."
"I shall see that he does."
"You've dismissed him," Miss Waynflete
pointed out.
Lord Easterfield shook his head. "He'll
come to a bad end, that fellow." He threw
back his shoulders. "Come up to the house, Honoria, and have a glass of sherry."
"Thank you, Lord Easterfield, but I must
go to Mrs. Humbleby with these books. . . .
Good night, Mr. Fitzwilliam. You'll be quite
all right now." She gave him a smiling nod
and walked briskly away. It was so much the
attitude of a nurse who delivers a child at a
party that Luke caught his breath as a sudden
idea struck him. Was it possible that
Miss Waynflete had accompanied him solely
in order to protect him? The idea seemed
Lord Easterfield's voice interrupted his
meditations. "Very capable woman, Honoria
Waynflete."
"Very, I should think."
Lord Easterfield began to walk toward the
house. He moved rather stiffly and his hand
went to his posterior and rubbed it gingerly.
Suddenly he chuckled. "I was engaged to
Honoria once, years ago. She was a nicelooking
girl--not so skinny as she is today.
Seems funny to think of now. Her people
were the nobs of this place."
"Yes?"
Lord Easterfield ruminated. "Old Colonel
Waynflete bossed the show. One had to come
out and touch one's cap pretty sharp. One of
the old school he was, and proud as Lucifer."
He chuckled again. "The fat was in the
fire all right when Honoria announced she
was going to marry me! Called herself a radical, she did. Very earnest. Was all for abolishing
class distinctions. She was a serious
kind of girl."
"So her family broke up the romance?"
Lord Easterfield rubbed his nose. "Well, not exactly. Matter of fact, we had a bit of a
row over something. Blinking bird she had--
one of those beastly twittering canaries; always
hated them--bad business--wrung its
neck. Well, no good dwelling on all that
now. Let's forget it." He shook his shoulders
like a man who throws off an unpleasant
memory. Then he said, rather jerkily, "Don't think she's ever forgiven me. Well, perhaps it's only natural."
"I think she's forgiven you, all right," said
Luke.
Lord Easterfield brightened up. "Do you?
Glad of that. You know, I respect Honoria.
Capable woman and a lady! That still counts, even in these days. She runs that library
business very well." He looked up and his
voice changed. "Hullo," he said. "Here
comes Bridget."
Seventeen
luke felt a tightening of his muscles as
Bridget approached. He had had no word
alone with her since the day of the tennis
party. By mutual consent, they had avoided
each other. He stole a glance at her now. She
looked provokingly calm, cool, and indifferent.
She said lightly, "I was beginning to
wonder what on earth had become of you, Gordon."
Lord Easterfield grunted. "Had a bit of a
dust-up! That fellow. Rivers, had the impertinence
to take the Rolls out this afternoon."
"Lese-majeste," said Bridget.
"It's no good making a joke out of it, Bridget. The thing's serious. He took a girl
out."
"I don't suppose it would have given him
any pleasure to go solemnly for a drive by
himself."
Lord Easterfield drew himself up. "On
my estate I'll have decent moral behavior."
"It isn't actually immoral to take a girl joy
riding."
"It is when it's my car."
"That, of course, is worse than immorality!
It practically amounts to blasphemy. But
you can't cut out the sex stuff altogether, Gordon. The moon is at the full and it's
actually Midsummer Eve."
"Is it, by Jove?" said Luke.
Bridget threw him a glance. "That seems
to interest you?"
"It does."
Bridget turned back to Lord Easterfield.
"Three extraordinary people have arrived at
the Bells and Motley. Item one, a man with
shorts, spectacles and a lovely plum-colored
silk shirt! Item two, a female with no eyebrows, dressed in a peplum, a pound of
assorted sham Egyptian beads, and sandals.
Item three, a fat man in a lavender suit and
co-respondent shoes. I suspect them of being
friends of our Mr. EUsworthy. Says the gossip
writer: 'Someone has whispered that there
will be gay doings in the Witches' Meadow
tonight.' "
Lord Easterfield turned purple and said, "I won't have it!"
"You can't help it, darling. The Witches' Meadow is public property."
"I won't have this irreligious mumbo
jumbo going on down here! I'll expose it in Scandals." He paused, then said, "Remind
me to make a note about that and get Siddely
on to it. I must go up to town tomorrow."
"Lord Easterfield's campaign against
witchcraft," said Bridget flippantly. "Medieval
superstitions still rife in quiet country
village."
Lord Easterfield stared at her with a puzzled
frown, then he turned and went into the
house.
Luke said pleasantly, "You must do your
stuff better than that, Bridget."
"What do you mean?"
"It would be a pity if you lost your job.
That hundred thousand isn't yours yet. Nor
are the diamonds and pearls. I should wait
until after the marriage ceremony to exercise
your sarcastic gifts, if I were you."
Her glance met his coolly. "You are so
thoughtful, dear Luke. It's kind of you to
take my future so much to heart."
"Kindness and consideration have always
been my strong points."
"I hadn't noticed it."
"No? You surprise me."
Bridget twitched the leaf off a creeper.
She said, "What have you been doing today?"
"The usual spot of sleuthing."
"Any results?"
"Yes and no, as the politicians say. By the
way, have you got any tools in the house?"
"I expect so. What kind of tools?"
"Oh, any handy little gadgets. Perhaps I
could inspect same." Ten minutes later Luke
had made his selection from a cupboard shelf.
"That little lot will do nicely," he said, slapping
the pocket in which he had stowed them away.
"Are you thinking of doing a spot of forcing
and entering?"
"Maybe."
"You're very uncommunicative on the
subject."
"Well, after all, the situation bristles with
difficulties. I'm in the hell of a position.
After our little dust-up on Saturday, I suppose
I ought to clear out of here."
"To behave as a perfect gentleman, you
should."
"But since I'm convinced that I am pretty
hot on the trail of a homicidal maniac, I'm
more or less forced to remain. If you could
think of any convincing reason for me to
leave here and take up my quarters at the
Bells and Motley, for goodness5 sake trot it
out."
Bridget shook her head. "That's not feasible--you
being a cousin and all that. Besides, the inn is full of Mr. Ellsworthy's
friends. They only run to three guest rooms."
"So I am forced to remain, painful as it
must be for you."
Bridget smiled sweetly at him. "Not at all.
I can always do with a few scalps to dangle."
"That," said Luke appreciatively, "was a
particularly dirty crack. What I admire about
you, Bridget, is that you have practically no
instincts of kindliness. Well, well. The rejected
lover will now go and change for
dinner."
The evening passed uneventfully. Luke
won Lord Easterfield's approval even more
deeply than before by the apparent absorbed
interest with which he listened to the other's
nightly discourse. When they came into the
drawing room, Bridget said, "You men have
been a long time."
Luke replied, "Lord Easterfield was being
so interesting that the time passed like a
flash. He was telling me how he founded his
first newspaper."
Mrs. Anstruther said, "These new little
fruiting trees in pots are perfectly marvelous,
I believe. You ought to try them along the
terrace, Gordon." The conversation then proceeded
on normal lines.
Luke retired early. He did not, however, go to bed. He had other plans. It was just
striking twelve when he descended the stairs
noiselessly in tennis shoes, passed through
the library and let himself out by a window.
The wind was still blowing in violent gusts
interspersed with brief lulls. Clouds scudded
across the sky, obliterating the moon, so that
darkness alternated with bright moonlight.
Luke made his way by a circuitous route to
Mr. Ellsworthy's establishment. He saw his
way clear to doing a little investigation. He was fairly certain that Mr. Ellsworthy and
his friends would be out together on this
particular date. Midsummer Eve, Luke
thought, was sure to be marked by some
ceremony or other. Whilst this was in
progress, it would be a good opportunity to
search Mr. Ellsworthy's house.
He climbed a couple of walls, got round to
the back of the house, took the assorted tools
from his pocket and selected a likely implement.
He found a scullery window amenable
to his efforts. A few minutes later he had
slipped back the catch, raised the sash and
hoisted himself over. He had a torch in his
pocket. He used it sparingly--a brief flash
just to show him his way and to avoid running
into things.
In a quarter of an hour he had satisfied
himself that the house was empty. The owner
was out and abroad on his own affairs. Luke
smiled with satisfaction and settled down to
his task. He made a minute and thorough
search of every available nook and corner. In
a locked drawer, below two or three innocuous
watercolor sketches, he came upon some
artistic efforts which caused him to lift his
eyebrows and whistle. Mr. Ellsworthy's correspondence
was unilluminating, but some
of his books--those tucked away at the back
of a cupboard--repaid attention. Besides
these, Luke accumulated three meager but
suggestive scraps of information. The first
was a pencil scrawl in a little notebook:
"Settle with Tommy Pierce"--the date being
I a couple of days before the boy's death. The
second was a crayon sketch of Amy Gibbs
with a furious red cross right across the face.
The third was a bottle of cough mixture.
None of these things was in any way conclusive, but taken together they might be considered
as encouraging.
Luke was just restoring some final order, replacing things in their place, when he slid-
denly stiffened and switched off his torch.
He had heard the key inserted in the lock of
a side door. He stepped across to the door of
the room he was in and applied an eye to a
crack. He hoped Ellsworthy--if it was he--
would go straight upstairs.
The side door opened and Ellsworthy
stepped in, switching on a hall light as he
did so. As he passed along the hall, Luke
saw his face and caught his breath. It was
unrecognizable. The eyes were alight with a
strange mad exultation, but what caused
Luke to catch his breath was the sight of
Ellsworthy's hands. They were stained a deep
brownish red, the color of dried blood. He
disappeared up the stairs. A moment later
the light in the hall was extinguished.
Luke waited a little longer, then very cautiously
he crept out into the hall, made his
way to the scullery and left by the window.
He looked up at the house, but it was dark
and silent. He drew a deep breath. "The
fellow's mad all right!" he said. "I wonder
what he's been up to? I'll swear that was
blood on his hands!"
He made a detour round the village and
returned to Ashe Manor by a roundabout
route. It was as he was turning into the side
lane that a sudden rustle of leaves wrapped
in a dark cloak came out from the shadow of
a tree. It looked so eerie that Luke felt his
heart miss a beat. Then he recognized the
long pale face under the hood. "Bridget?
How you startled me!"
She said sharply, "Where have you been?
I saw you go out."
"And you followed me?"
"No. You'd gone too far. I've been waiting
till you came back."
"That was a silly thing to do," Luke
grumbled." 7
She repeated her question impatiently, "Where have you been?"
Luke said gaily, "Raiding our Mr.
EUsworthy."
Bridget caught her breath. "Did you--
find anything?"
"I don't know. I know a bit more about
the swine's tastes, and all that--and there
are three things that might be suggestive."
She listened attentively as he recounted the
result of his search. "It's very slight evidence, though," he ended. "But, Bridget, just as I was leaving, EUsworthy came back.
And I tell you this--the man's as mad as a
hatter!"
"You really think so?"
"I saw his face! It was--unspeakable! God
knows what he'd been up to! He was in a
delirium of mad excitement. And his hands
were stained, I'll swear, with blood."
Bridget shivered. "Horrible," she murmured.

Luke said irritably, "You shouldn't have
come out by yourself, Bridget. It was absolute
madness. Somebody might have knocked
you on the head."
She laughed shakily. "The same applies to
you, my dear."
"I can look after myself."
"I'm pretty good at taking care of myself, too. Hardboiled, I should think you'd call
me."
A sharp gust of wind came. Luke said
suddenly, "Take off that hood thing."
"Why?"
With an unexpected movement, he
snatched at her cloak and whipped it away.
The wind caught her hair and blew it out
straight up from her head. She stared at
him, her breath coming fast. Luke said, "You
certainly are incomplete without a broomstick,
Bridget. That's how I saw you first."
He stared a minute longer, and said, "You're
a cruel devil." With a sharp impatient sigh, he tossed the cloak back to her. "There; put
it on. Let's go home."
"Wait."
"Why?"
She came up to him. She spoke in a low,
rather breathless voice. "Because I've got
something to say to you. That's partly why I
waited for you here, outside the Manor. I
want to say it to you now, before we go
inside into Gordon's property."
"Well?"
She gave a short, rather bitter laugh. "Oh,
it's quite simple. You win, Luke. That's
all."
He said sharply, "What do you mean?"
"I mean that I've given up the idea of
being Lady Easterfield."
He took a step nearer. "Is that true?" he
I demanded.
I "Yes, Luke."
"You'll marry me?"
"Yes."
"Why, I wonder."
"I don't know. You say such beastly things
to me, and I seem to like it."
He took her in his arms and kissed her.
He said, "It's a mad world."
"Are you happy, Luke?"
"Not particularly."
"Do you think you'll ever be happy with
me?"
"I don't know. I'll risk it."
"Yes, that's what I feel."
He slipped his arm through hers. "We're
rather queer about all this, my sweet. Come
along. Perhaps we shall be more normal in
the morning."
"Yes. It's rather frightening the way things
happen to one." She looked down and tugged
him to a standstill. "Luke—Luke, what's
that?"
The moon had come out from the clouds.
Luke looked down to where Bridget's shoe
trembled by a huddled mass. With a startled
exclamation, he dragged his arm free and
knelt down. He looked from the shapeless
heap to the gatepost above. The pineapple
was gone. He stood up at last. Bridget was
standing, her hands pressed together on her
mouth. He said, "It's the chauffeur—Rivers.
He's dead."
"That beastly stone thing—it's been loose
for some time. I suppose it blew down on
him."
Luke shook his head. "The wind wouldn't
do a thing like that. Oh, that's what it's
meant to look like, that is what it's meant to
be—another accident! But it's a fake. It's the
killer again."
"No; no, Luke!"
"I tell you it is. Do you know what I felt
on the back of his head, in with the stickiness
and mess--grains of sand. There's no
sand about here. I tell you, Bridget, somebody
stood here and slugged him as he came
through the gate back to his cottage. Then
they laid him down and rolled that pineapple
thing down on top of him."
Bridget said faintly, "Luke, there's
blood--on your hands!"
Luke said grimly, "There was blood on
someone else's hands. Do you know what I
was thinking this afternoon? That if there
were to be one more crime, we'd surely know.
And we do know! Ellsworthy! He was out
tonight, and he came in with blood on his
hands, capering and prancing and mad--
drunk with the homicidal maniac's exultation."
Looking down, Bridget shivered and said
in a low voice, "Poor Rivers."
Luke said pityingly, "Yes, poor fellow.
It's damnable bad luck. But this will be the
last, Bridget! Now we know, we'll get him!"
He saw her sway, and in two steps he had
caught her in his arms. She said, in a small, childlike voice, "Luke, I'm frightened."
He said, "It's all over darling. It's all over."
She murmured, "Be kind to me, please.
I've been hurt so much."
He said, "We've hurt each other. We won't
cdo that any more."
Eighteen
doctor thomas stared across his consultingroom
desk at Luke. "Remarkable," he said.
"Remarkable! You are really serious, Mr.
Fitzwilliam?"
"Absolutely. I am convinced that Ellsworthy
is a dangerous maniac."
"I have not paid special attention to the
man. I should say, though, that he is possibly
an abnormal type."
"I'd go a good deal farther than that,"
said Luke grimly.
"You seriously believe that this man. Rivers, was murdered?"
"I do. You noticed the grains of sand in
the wound?"
Doctor Thomas nodded. "I looked out for
them after your statement. I am bound to
say that you were correct."
"That makes it clear, does it not, that the
accident was faked and that the man was
killed by a blow from a sandbag, or at any
rate was stunned by one?"
"Not necessarily."
"What do you mean?"
Doctor Thomas leaned back and joined
his finger tips together. "Supposing that this
man Rivers had been lying out in a sand pit
during the day--there are several about in
this part of the world. That might account
for grains of sand in the hair."
"Man, I tell you he was murdered!"
"You may tell me so," said Doctor Thomas
dryly; "but that doesn't make it a fact."
Luke controlled his exasperation. "I suppose
you don't believe a word of what I'm
telling you."
Doctor Thomas smiled, a kindly superior
smile. "You must admit, Mr. Fitzwilliam, that it's rather a wild story. You assert that
this man Ellsworthy has killed a servant girl, a small boy, a drunken publican, my own
partner, and finally this man Rivers."
"You don't believe it?"
Doctor Thomas shrugged his shoulders.
"I have some knowledge ofHumbleby's case.
It seems to me quite out of the question that
Ellsworthy could have caused his death, and
I really cannot see that you have any evidence
at all that he did so."
"I don't know how he managed it," confessed
Luke, "but it all hangs together with
Miss Fullerton's story."
"There again you assert that Ellsworthy
followed her up to London and ran her down
in a car. Again you haven't a shadow of
proof that happened! It's all--well, romancing!"

Luke said sharply, "Now that I know
where I am, it will be my business to get
proofs. I'm going up to London tomorrow to
see an old pal of mine. I saw in the paper
two days ago that he's been made assistant
commissioner. He knows me and he'll listen
to what I have to say. One thing I'm sure of.
He'll order a thorough investigation of the
whole business."
Doctor Thomas stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Well, no doubt that should be very
satisfactory. If it turns out that you're mistaken--"

Luke interrupted him, "You definitely
don't believe a word of all this?"
"In wholesale murder?" Doctor Thomas
raised his eyebrows. "Quite frankly, Mr.
Fitzwilliam, I don't. The thing is too fantastic."

"Fantastic, perhaps, but it hangs together.
You've got to admit it hangs together. Once
you accept Miss Fullerton's story as true."
Doctor Thomas was shaking his head. A
slight smile came to his lips.
"If you knew some of these old maids as
well as I do--" he murmured.
Luke rose, trying to control his annoyance.
"At any rate, you're well named," he
said. "A doubting Thomas if there ever was
one!"
Thomas replied good-humoredly. "Give
me a few proofs, my dear fellow. That's all I
ask. Not just a long melodramatic rigmarole
based on what an old lady fancied she saw."
"What old ladies fancy they see is very
often right. My Aunt Mildred was positively
uncanny! Have you got any aunts yourself, Thomas?"
"Well--er--no."
"A mistake!" said Luke. "Every man
should have aunts. They illustrate the triumph
of guesswork over logic. It is reserved
for aunts to know that Mr. A is a rogue
because he looks like a dishonest butler they
once had. Other people say, reasonably
enough, that a respectable man like Mr. A
couldn't be a crook. The old ladies are right
every time." Doctor Thomas smiled his superior
smile again. Luke said, his exaspera-
tion mounting once more, "Don't you realize
that I'm a policeman myself? I'm not the
complete amateur."
Doctor Thomas smiled and murmured, "In the Mayang Straits."
"Crime is crime even in the Mayang
Straits."
"Of course--of course."
Luke left Doctor Thomas' surgery in a
state of suppressed irritation. He joined
Bridget, who said, "Well, how did you get
on?"
"He didn't believe me," said Luke.
"Which, when you come to think of it, is
hardly surprising. It's a wild story with no
proofs. Doctor Thomas is emphatically not
the sort of man who believes six impossible
things before breakfast."
"Will anybody believe you?"
"Probably not, but when I get hold of old
Billy Bones tomorrow, the wheels will start
turning. They'll check up on our longhaired
friend, Ellsworthy, and in the end they're
bound to get somewhere."
Bridget said thoughtfully, "We're coming
out into the open very much, aren't we?"
"We've got to. We can't--we simply can't
afford any more murders."
Bridget shivered. "Do be careful, Luke."
"I'm being careful, all right. Don't walk
near gates with pineapples on them, avoid
the lonely woods at nightfall, watch out for
your food and drink. I know all the ropes."
"It's horrible feeling you're a marked
man."
"So long as you're not a marked woman, my sweet."
"Perhaps I am."
"I don't think so. But I don't intend to
take risks. I'm watching over you like an
old-fashioned guardian angel."
"Is it any good saying anything to the
police here?" Luke considered. "No, I don't
think it is. Better go straight to Scotland
Yard."
Bridget murmured, "That's what Miss
Fullerton thought."
"Yes, but I shall be watching out for trouble."

Bridget said, "I know what I'm going to
do tomorrow. I shall march Gordon down to
that brute's shop and make him buy things."
"Thereby insuring that our Mr. Ellsworthy
is not lying in ambush for me on the steps of
Whitehall?"
"That's the idea."
Luke said, with some slight embarrassment,
"About Easterfield."
Bridget said quickly, "Let's leave it till
you come back tomorrow. Then we'll have it /..,<- »
out."
"Will he be very cut up, do you think?"
"Well"--Bridget considered the question--"he'll
be annoyed."
"Annoyed? Ye gods! Isn't that putting it a
bit mildly?"
"No. Because, you see, Gordon doesn't
like being annoyed. It upsets him."
Luke said soberly, "I feel rather uncomfortable
about it all."
That feeling was uppermost in his mind
when he prepared that evening to listen for
the twentieth time to Lord Easterfield on the
subject of Lord Easterfield. It was, he admitted, a cad's trick to stay in a man's house
and steal his fiancee. He still felt, however, that a pot-bellied, pompous, strutting little nincompoop like Lord Easterfield ought
never to have aspired to Bridget at all. But
his conscience so far chastened him that he
listened with an extra dose of fervent attention
and, in consequence, made a thoroughly
favorable impression on his host. Lord
Easterfield was in high good humor this evening.
The death of his erstwhile chauffeur
seemed to have exhilarated rather than depressed
him. "Told you that fellow would
t» 1
come to a bad end," he crowed, holding up
a glass of port to the light and squinting
through it. "Didn't I tell you so yesterday
evening!"
"You did, indeed, sir."
"And, you see, I was right! It's amazing
how often I'm right!"
"That must be splendid for you," said
Luke.
"I've had a wonderful life--yes, a wonderful
life! My path's been smoothed clear before
me. I've always had great faith and trust
in Providence. That's the secret, Fitzwilliam--that's
the secret."
"Yes?"
"I'm a religious man. I believe in good
and evil and eternal justice. There is such a
thing as divine justice, Fitzwilliam; not a
doubt of it!"
"I believe in justice too," said Luke.
Lord Easterfield, as usual, was not interested
in the beliefs of other people. "Do
right by your Creator, and your Creator will
do right by you! I've always been an upright
man. I've subscribed to charity, and I've
made my money honestly. I'm not beholden
to any man! I stand alone. You remember in
the Bible how the patriarchs became prosperous, herds and flocks were added to them, and their enemies were smitten down."
Luke stifled a yawn and said, "Quite, quite."
"It's remarkable--absolutely remarkable,"
said Lord Easterfield. "The way a righteous
man's enemies are struck down! Look at
yesterday. That fellow abuses me; even goes
so far as to try to raise his hand against me.
And what happens? Where is he today?" He
paused rhetorically, and then answered himself
in an impressive voice, "Dead! Struck
down by divine wrath!"
Opening his eyes a little, Luke said, "Rather an excessive punishment, perhaps, for a few hasty words uttered after a glass
too much."
Lord Easterfield shook his head. "It's always
like that! Retribution comes swiftly and
terribly. And there's a good authentic authority
for it. Remember the children that
mocked Elisha--how the bears came out and
devoured them. That's the way things happen, Fitzwilliam."
"I always thought that was rather unnecessarily
vindictive."
"No, no. You're looking at it the wrong
way. Elisha was a great and holy man. No
one could be suffered to mock at him and
live. I understand that because of my own
case." Luke looked puzzled. Lord Easterfield
lowered his voice. "I could hardly believe it
at first. But it happened every time! My
enemies and detractors were cast down and
exterminated."
"Exterminated?"
Lord Easterfield nodded gently and sipped
his port.
"Time after time. One case quite like
Elisha--a little boy. I came upon him in the
gardens here--he was employed by me then.
Do you know what he was doing? He was
giving an imitation of me--of me! Mocking
me! Strutting up and down, with an audience
to watch him. Making fun of me on my
own ground! D'you know what happened to
him? Not ten days later he fell out of an
upper window and was killed!
"Then there was that ruffian Carter--a
drunkard and a man of evil tongue. He came
here and abused me. What happened to him?
A week later he was dead--drowned in the
mud. There had been a servant girl too. She
lifted her voice and called me names. Her
punishment soon came. She drank poison by
mistake. I could tell you heaps more.
Humbleby dared to oppose me over the water
scheme. He died of blood poisoning. Oh,
it's been going on for years. Mrs. Horton, for instance, was abominably rude to me, and it wasn't long before she passed away."
He paused and, leaning forward, passed the
port decanter round to Luke. "Yes," he said, "they all died. Amazing, isn't it?"
Luke stared at him. A monstrous, an incredible
suspicion leaped into his mind. With
new eyes he stared at the small fat man who
sat at the head of the table, who was gently
nodding his head and whose light protuberant
eyes met Luke's with a smiling insouciance.

A rush of disconnected memories flashed
rapidly through Luke's brain. Major Horton
saying, "Lord Easterfield was very kind. Sent
down grapes and peaches from his hothouse."
It was Lord Easterfield who had so graciously
allowed Tommy Pierce to be employed
on window cleaning at the library.
Lord Easterfield holding forth on his visit to
the Wellerman Kreitz Laboratories, with its
serums and germ cultures, just a short time
before Doctor Humbleby's death. Everything
pointing plainly in one direction, and he, fool that he had been, never even suspecting.
Lord Easterfield was still smiling. A quiet
happy smile. He nodded his head gently at
Luke. "They all die," said Lord Easterfield.
Nineteen
sir william ossington, known to the cronies
of earlier days as Billy Bones, stared
incredulously at his friend. "Didn't you have
enough crime out in Mayang?" he asked
plaintively. "Have you got to come home
and do our work for us here?"
"Crime in Mayang isn't on a wholesale
basis," said Luke. "What I'm up against
now is a man who's done a round half dozen
murders at least--and got away with it without
a breath of suspicion."
Sir William sighed. "It does happen.
What's his specialty--wives?"
"No, he's not that kind. He doesn't actually
think he's God yet, but he soon will."
"Mad?"
"Oh, unquestionably, I should say."
"Ah, but he probably isn't legally mad.
There's a difference, you know."
"I should say he knows the nature and
consequence of his acts," said Luke.
"Exactly," said Billy Bones.
"Well, don't let's quibble about legal technicalities.
We're not nearly at that stage yet.
Perhaps we never shall be. What I want
from you, old boy, is a few facts. There was
a street accident took place on Derby Day
between five and six o'clock in the afternoon.
Old lady run over in Whitehall and
the car didn't stop. Her name was Lavinia
Fullerton. I want you to dig up all the facts
you can about that."
Sir William sighed. "I can soon get hold
of that for you. Twenty minutes ought to do
it."
He was as good as his word. In less than
that time Luke was talking to the police
officer in charge of the matter. "Yes, sir, I
remember the details. I've got most of them
written down here." He indicated the sheet
that Luke was studying. "An inquest was
held. Mr. Satcherverell was the coroner. Censure
of the driver of the car."
"Did you ever get him?"
"No, sir."
"WTiat make of car was it?"
"It seems pretty certain it was a Rolls--
big car driven by a chauffeur. All witnesses
unanimous on that point. Most people know
a Rolls by sight."
"You didn't get the number?"
"No, unfortunately, nobody thought to
look at it. There was a note of a Number
FZX 4498, but it was the wrong number. A
woman spotted it and mentioned it to another
woman, who give it to me. I don't
know whether the second woman got it
wrong, but anyway it was no good."
Luke asked sharply, "How did you know
it was no good?"
The young officer smiled. "FZX 4498 is
the number of Lord Easterfield's car. That
car was standing outside Boomington House
at the time in question and the chauffeur was
having tea. He had a perfect alibi, no question
of his being concerned, and the car
never left the building till 6:30, when his
lordship came out."
"I see," said Luke.
"It's always the way, sir." The man sighed.
"Half the witnesses have disappeared before
a constable can get there and take down
particulars." Sir William nodded. "We assumed
it was probably a number not unlike
that--FZX 4498--a number beginning probably
with two fours. We did our best, but
could not trace any car. We investigated sev-
eral likely numbers, but they could all give
satisfactory accounts of themselves."
Sir William looked at Luke questioningly.
Luke shook his head. Sir William said, "Thanks, Bonner; that will do." When the
man had gone out. Billy Bones looked inquiringly
at his friend. "What's it all about, Fitz?"
Luke sighed. "It all tallies. Lavinia
Fullerton was coming up to blow the gaff--
to tell the clever people at Scotland Yard all
about the wicked murderer. I don't know
whether you'd have listened to her--probably
not."
"We might," said Sir William. "Things
do come through to us that way. Just hearsay
and gossip. We don't neglect that sort of
thing, I assure you."
"That's what the murderer thought. He
wasn't going to risk it. He eliminated Lavinia
Fullerton, and although one woman was
sharp enough to spot his number, no one
believed her."
Billy Bones sprang upright in his chair.
"You don't mean--"
"Yes, I do. I'll bet you anything you like
it was Easterfield who ran her down. I don't
know how he managed it. The chauffeur was
away at tea. Somehow or other, I suppose,
he sneaked the car away, putting on a chauffeur's
coat and cap. But he did it. Billy!"
"Impossible!"
"Not at all. Lord Easterfield has committed
at least seven murders to my certain
knowledge, and probably a lot more."
"Impossible," said Sir William.
"My dear fellow, he practically boasted to
me of it last night!"
"He's mad, then?"
"He's mad, all right, but he's a cunning
devil. You'll have to go warily. Don't let him
know we suspect him."
Billy Bones murmured, "Incredible."
Luke said, "But true!" He laid a hand on
his friend's shoulder. "Look here. Billy old
son; we must get right down to this. Here
are the facts."
The two men talked long and earnestly.
On the following day, Luke returned to
Wychwood. He drove down early in the
morning. He could have returned the night
before, but he felt a marked distaste for
sleeping under Lord Easterfield's roof or accepting
his hospitality under the circumstances.
On his way through Wychwood, he
drew up his car at Miss Waynflete's house.
The maid who opened the door stared at
him in astonishment, but showed him into
the little dining room where Miss Waynflete
was sitting at breakfast. She rose to recieve
him in some surprise.
He did not waste time. "I must apologize
for breaking in on you at this hour." He
looked round. The maid had left the room, shutting the door. "I'm going to ask you a
question. Miss Waynflete. It's rather a personal
one, but I think you will forgive me
for asking it."
"Please ask me anything you like. I am
quite sure your reason for doing so will be a
good one."
"Thank you." He paused. "I want to know
exactly why you broke off your engagement
to Lord Easterfield all those years ago?"
She had not expected that. The color rose
in her cheeks and one hand went to her
breast. "Has he told you anything?"
Luke replied, "He told me there was something about a bird--a bird whose neck
was wrung."
"He said that?" Her voice was wondering.
"He admitted it? That's extraordinary!"
"Will you tell me, please?"
"Yes, I will tell you. But I beg that you
will never speak of the matter to him--to
Gordon. It is all past--all over and finished
with. I don't want it--raked up." She looked
at him appealingly.
Luke nodded. "It is only for my personal
satisfaction," he said. "I shall not repeat what
you tell me."
"Thank you." She had recovered her composure.
Her voice was quite steady as she
went on: "It was like this: I had a little
canary. I was very fond of it, and, perhaps, rather silly about it--girls were, then. They
were rather--well, coy about their pets. It
must have been irritating to a man--I do
realize that."
"Yes," said Luke, as she paused.
"Gordon was jealous of the bird. He said
one day, quite ill-temperedly, 'I believe you
prefer that bird to me.5 And I, in the rather
silly way girls went on in those days, laughed, and held it up on my finger, saying something
like: 'Of course I love you, dicky bird, better than a great silly boyl Of course I do!" Then--oh, it was frightening--Gordon
snatched the bird from me and wrung its
neck. It was such a shock. I shall never
forget it!" Her face had gone very pale.
"And so you broke off the engagement?"
said Luke.
"Yes. I couldn't feel the same afterwards.
v/^,, c^ m,. FiiTwilliam"--she hesitated--
"it wasn't just the action--that might have
been done in a fit of jealousy and temper
--it was the awful feeling I had that he'd
enjoyed doing it. It was that that frightened
me!"
"Even long ago," murmured Luke. "Even
in those days."
She laid a hand on his arm. "Mr.
Fitzwilliam--"
He met the frightened appeal in her eyes
with a grave, steady look. "It is Lord
Easterfield who has committed all those
murders," he said. "You've known that all
along, haven't you?"
She shook her head with vigor. "Not
known it! If I had known it, then--then, of
course I would have spoken out. No, it was
just a fear."
"And yet you never gave me a hint?"
She clasped her hands in a sudden anguish.
"How could I? How could I? I was
fond of him once."
"Yes," said Luke gently. "I see."
She turned away, fumbled in her bag, and
a small lace-edged handkerchief was pressed
for a moment to her eyes. Then she turned
back again, dry-eyed, dignified and composed.
"I am so glad," she said, "that Bridget
has broken off her engagement. She is going
to marry you instead, is she not?"
"Yes."
"That will be much more suitable," said
Miss Waynflete rather primly. Luke was unable
to help smiling a little. But Miss
Waynflete's face grew grave and anxious.
She leaned forward and once more laid a
hand on his arm. "But be very careful,"
she said. "Both of you must be very careful."

"You mean--with Lord Easterfield?"
"Yes. It would be better not to tell him."
Luke frowned. "I don't think either of us
would like the idea of that."
"Oh, what does that matter? You don't
seem to realize that he's mad--mad. He won't
stand it--not for a moment! If anything happens
to her--"
"Nothing shall happen to her!"
"Yes, I know, but do realize that you're
not a match for him! He's so dreadfully cunning!
Take her away at once; it's the only
hope. Make her go abroad! You'd better
both go abroad!"
Luke said slowly, "It might be as well if
she went. I shall stay."
"I was afraid you would say that. But at any rate. set her awav. At once, mind!"
Luke nodded slowly. "I think," he
said/'that you're right."
"I know I'm right! Get her away—before
it's too late."
Twenty
bridget heard Luke drive up. She came out
on the steps to meet him. She said, without
preamble, "I've told him."
"What?" Luke was taken aback.
His dismay was so patent that Bridget noticed
it. "Luke, what is it? You seem quite
upset."
He said slowly, "I thought we agreed to
wait until I came back."
"I know, but I thought it was better to get
it over. He was making plans--for our marriage, our honeymoon--all that! I simply had
to tell him!" She added--a touch of reproach
in her voice--"It was the only decent thing
to do."
He acknowledged it. "From your point of
view, yes. Oh, yes, I see that."
"From every point of view, I should have
thought!"
Luke said slowly, "There are times when
one can't afford decency."
"Luke, what do you mean?"
He made an impatient gesture. "I can't
tell you now and here. How did Easterfield
take it?"
Bridget said slowly, "Extraordinarily well.
Really, extraordinarily well. I felt ashamed. I
believe, Luke, that I've underestimated
Gordon, just because he's rather pompous
and occasionally futile. I believe really he's
rather—well a great little man."
Luke nodded. "Yes, possibly, he is a great
man—in ways we haven't suspected. Look
here, Bridget; you must get out of here as
soon as possible."
"Naturally, I shall pack up my things and
leave today. You might drive me up to town.
I suppose we can't both go and stay at the
Bells and Motley—that is, if the Ellsworthy
contingent have left?"
Luke shook his head. "No, you'd better
go back to London. I'll explain presently. In
the meantime, I suppose I'd better see
Easterfield."
"I suppose it's the thing to do. It's all
rather beastly, isn't it? I feel such a rotten
little gold digger."
Luke smiled at her. "It was a fair enough
bargain. You'd have played straight with him.
Anyway, it's no use lamenting over things
that are past and done with. I'll go in and
see Easterfield now."
He found Lord Easterfield striding up and
down the drawing room. He was outwardly
calm; there was even a slight smile on his
lips. But Luke noticed that a pulse in his
temple was beating furiously. He wheeled
round as Luke entered. "Oh, there you are,
Fitzwilliam."
Luke said, "It's no good my saying I'm
sorry for what I've done. That would be
hypocritical. I admit that from your point of
view I've behaved badly and I've very little
to say in defense. These things happen."
Lord Easterfield resumed his pacing.
"Quite—quite!" He waved a hand.
Luke went on. "Bridget and I have treated
you shamefully. But there it is! We care for
each other, and there's nothing to be done
about it, except to tell you the truth and
clear out."
Lord Easterfield stopped. He looked at
Luke with his pale protuberant eyes. "No,"
he said, "there's nothing you can do about
it." There was a very curious tone in his
voice. He stood looking at Luke, gently
shaking his head, as though in commiseration.

Luke said sharply, "What do you mean?"
"There's nothing you can do," said Lord
Easterfield. "It's too late."
Luke took a step nearer him. "Tell me
what you mean?"
Lord Easterfield said, unexpectedly, "Ask
Honoria Waynflete. She'll understand. She
knows what happens. She spoke to me about
it once."
"What does she understand?"
Lord Easterfield said, "Evil doesn't go unpunished.
There must be justice. I'm sorry, because I'm fond of Bridget. In a way, I'm
sorry for you both."
Luke said, "Are you threatening us?"
Lord Easterfield seemed genuinely
shocked. "No, no, my dear fellow. I've no
feeling in the matter. When I did Bridget the
honor to choose her as my wife, she accepted
certain responsibilities. Now, she repudiates
them, but there's no going back in this life.
If you break laws, you pay the penalty."
Luke clenched both hands. He said, "You
mean that something is going to happen to
Bridget? Now, understand me, Easterfield;
nothing is going to happen to Bridget, nor to
me! If you attempt anything of that kind, it's
the finish. You'd better be careful! I know a
good deal about you!"
"It's nothing to do with me," said Lord
Easterfield. "I'm only the instrument of a
higher Power. What that Power decrees,
happens."
"I see you believe that," said Luke.
"Because it's the truth! Anyone who goes
against me pays the penalty. You and Bridget
will be no exception."
Luke said, "That's where you're wrong.
However long a run of luck may be, it breaks
in the end. Yours is very near breaking now."
Lord Easterfield said gently, "My dear
young man, you don't know who it is you're
talking to. Nothing can touch me!"
"Can't it? We'll see. You'd better watch
your step, Easterfield."
A little ripple of movement passed over
the other. His voice had changed when he
spoke. "I've been very patient," said Lord
Easterfield. "Don't strain my patience too
far. Get out of here."
"I'm going," said Luke, "as quick as I
can. Remember that I've warned you."
He turned on his heel and went quickly
out of the room. He ran upstairs. He found
Bridget in her room, superintending the
packing of her clothes by a housemaid.
"Ready soon?"
"In ten minutes."
Her eyes asked a question which the presence
of the maid prevented her from putting
into words. Luke gave a short nod. He went
to his own room and flung his things hurriedly
into his suitcases. He returned ten
minutes later to find Bridget ready for departure.
"Shall we go now?"
"I'm ready."
As they descended the staircase, they met
the butler ascending. "Miss Waynflete has
called to see you, miss."
"Miss Waynflete? Where is she?"
"In the drawing room with his lordship."
Bridget went straight to the drawing room, Luke close behind her. Lord Easterfield was
standing by the window talking to Miss
Waynflete. He had a knife in his hand--a
long slender blade. "Perfect workmanship,"
he was saying. "One of my young men
brought it back to me from Morocco, where
he'd been special correspondent. It's
Moorish, of course, a Riff knife." He drew a
finger lovingly along the blade. "What an
edge!"
Miss Waynflete said sharply, "Put it away, Gordon, for goodness' sake!"
He smiled and laid it down among a collection
of other weapons on the table. "I like
the feel of it," he said softly.
Miss Waynflete had lost some of her usual
poise. She looked white and nervous. "Ah, there you are, Bridget, my dear," she said.
Lord Easterfield chuckled. "Yes, there's
Bridget. Make the most of her, Honoria. She
won't be with us long."
Miss Waynflete said sharply, "What d'you
mean?"
"Mean? I mean she's going to London.
That's right, isn't it? That's all I meant."
He looked round at them all. "I've got a
bit of news for you, Honoria," he said.
"Bridget isn't going to marry me, after all.
She prefers Fitzwilliam here! A queer thing, life. Well, I'll leave you to have your talk."
He went out of the room, his hands jingling
the coins in his pockets.
"Oh, dear!" said Miss Waynflete. "Oh,
dear!"
The deep distress in her voice was so noticeable
that Bridget looked slightly surprised.
She said uncomfortably, "I'm sorry. I really
am frightfully sorry."
Miss Waynflete said, "He's angry--he's
frightfully angry. Oh, dear, this is terrible!
What are we going to do?"
242
Bridget stared. "Do? What do you mean?"
Miss Waynflete said, including them both
in her reproachful glance, "You should never
have told him!"
Bridget said, "Nonsense. What else could
we do?"
"You shouldn't have told him now. You
should have waited till you'd got right away."
Bridget said shortly, "That's a matter of
opinion. I think myself it's better to get unpleasant
things over as quickly as possible."
"Oh, my dear, if it were only a question
of that--" She stopped. Then her eyes asked
a question of Luke.
Luke shook his head. His lips formed the
words, "Not yet."
Miss Waynflete murmured, "I see."
Bridget said, with some slight exasperation, "Did you want to see me about something
in particular. Miss Waynflete?"
"Well, yes. As a matter of fact, I came to
suggest that you should come and pay me a
little visit. I thought--er--you might find it
uncomfortable to remain on here, and that
you might want a few days to--er--well, mature your plans."
"Thank you. Miss Waynflete; that was
very kind of you."
"You see, you'd be quite safe with me
and--"
Bridget interrupted, "Safe?"
Miss Waynflete, a little flustered, said hurriedly,
"Comfortable--that's what I mean--
quite comfortable with me. I mean, not
nearly so luxurious as here, naturally, but
the hot water is hot and my little maid,
Emily, really cooks quite nicely."
"Oh, I'm sure everything would be lovely, Miss Waynflete," said Bridget mechanically.
"But, of course, if you are going up to
town, that is much better."
Bridget said slowly, "It's a little awkward.
My aunt went off early to a flower show
today. I haven't had a chance yet to tell her
what has happened. I shall leave a note for
her, telling her I've gone up to the flat."
"You're going to your aunt's flat in
London?"
"Yes. There's no one there. But I can go
out for meals."
"You'll be alone in the flat? Oh, dear, I
shouldn't do that. Not stay there alone."
"Nobody will eat me," said Bridget impatiently.
"Besides, my aunt will come up tomorrow."
Miss Waynflete shook her head in a worried
manner.
Luke said, "Better go to a hotel."
Bridget wheeled round on him. "Why?
What's the matter with you all? Why are you
treating me as though I was an imbecile
child?"
"No, no, dear," protested Miss Waynflete.
"We just want you to be careful, that's all!"
"But why? Why? What's it all about?"
"Look here, Bridget," said Luke. "I want
to have a talk with you. But I can't talk
here. Come with me now in the car and we'll
go somewhere quiet." He looked at Miss
Waynflete. "May we come to your house in
about an hour's time? There are several things
I want to say to you."
"Please do. I will wait for you there."
Luke put his hand on Bridget's arm. He
gave a nod of thanks to Miss Waynflete. He
said, "We'll pick up the luggage later. Come
on." He led her out of the room and along
the hall to the front door. He opened the
door of the car. Bridget got in. Luke started
the engine and drove rapidly down the drive.
He gave a sigh of relief as they emerged
from the iron gates. "Thank God I've got
you out of there safely," he said.
"Have you gone quite mad, Luke? Why
all this 'hush-hush, I can't tell you what I
mean now' business?"
Luke said grimly, "Well, there are difficulties, you know, in explaining that a man's
a murderer, when you're actually under his
roof."
Twenty-one
bridget sat for a minute motionless beside
him. She said, "Gordon?" Luke nodded.
"Gordon? Gordon a murderer? Gordon the
murderer? I never heard anything so ridiculous
in all my life!"
"That's how it strikes you?"
"Yes, indeed. Why, Gordon wouldn't hurt
a fly."
Luke said grimly, "That may be true. I
don't know. But he certainly killed a canary
bird, and I'm pretty certain he's killed a
large number of human beings as well."
"My dear Luke, I simply can't believe it!"
"I know," said Luke. "It does sound quite
incredible. Why, he never even entered my
head as a possible suspect until the night
before last."
Bridget protested, "But I know all about
Gordoni I know what he's like! He's really a
sweet little man--pompous, yes, but rather
pathetic, really." I
Luke shook his head. "You've got to readjust
your ideas about him, Bridget."
"It's no good, Luke; I simply can't believe
it! What put such an absurd idea into your
head? Why, two days ago you were quite
positive it was Ellsworthy."
Luke winced slightly. "I know. I know.
You probably think that tomorrow I shall
suspect Thomas, and the day after I shall be
convinced that it's Horton I'm after. I'm not
really so unbalanced as that. I admit the
idea's completely startling when it first comes
to you, but if you look into it a bit closer, you'll see that it all fits in remarkably well.
No wonder Miss Fullerton didn't dare to go
to the local authorities. She knew they'd
laugh at her! Scotland Yard was her only
hope."
"But what possible motive could Gordon
have for all this killing business? Oh, it's all
so silly!"
"I know. But don't you realize that Gordon
Easterfield has a very exalted opinion of
himself?"
Bridget said, "He pretends to be very wonderful
and very important. That's just inferi- j
ority complex, poor lamb!" I
"Possibly that's at the root of the trouble.
I don't know. But think, Bridget--just think
a minute. Remember all the phrases you've
used laughingly yourself about him-- lese-majeste, and so on. Don't you realize that
the man's ego is swollen out of all proportion?
And it's allied with religion. My dear
girl, the man's as mad as a hatter!"
Bridget thought for a minute. She said at
last, "I still can't believe it. What evidence
have you got, Luke?"
"Well, there are his own words. He told
me, quite plainly and distinctly, the night
before last, that anyone who opposed him in
any way always died."
"Go on."
"I can't quite explain to you what I mean, but it was the way he said it. Quite calm and
complacent and--how shall I put it?--quite
used to the idea! He just sat there smiling to
himself. It was uncanny and rather horrible, Bridget!"
"Go on."
"Well, then he went on to give me a list of
people who'd passed out because they'd incurred
his sovereign displeasure! And, listen
to this, Bridget: the people he mentioned
were Mrs. Horton, Amy Gibbs, Tommy
Pierce, Harry Carter, Humbleby and that
chauffeur fellow. Rivers."
Bridget was shaken at last. She went very
pale. "He mentioned those actual people?"
"Those actual people! Now, do you
believe?"
"Oh, I suppose I must. What were his
reasons?"
"Horribly trivial. That's what made it so
frightening. Mrs. Horton had snubbed him, Tommy Pierce had done imitations of him
and made the gardeners laugh. Harry Carter
had abused him, Amy Gibbs had been grossly
impertinent, Humbleby had dared to oppose
him publicly. Rivers threatened him before
me and Miss Waynflete."
Bridget put her hands to her eyes. "Horrible.
Quite horrible," she murmured.
"I know. Then there's some other outside
evidence. The car that ran down Miss
Fullerton in London was a Rolls and its
number was the number of Lord Easterfield's
car."
"That definitely clinches it," said Bridget
slowly.
"Yes. The police thought the woman who
gave them that number must have made a
mistake. Mistake indeed!"
"I can understand that," said Bridget.
"When it comes to a rich powerful man like
Lord Easterfield, naturally, his story is the
one to be believed/'
"Yes. One appreciates Miss Fullerton's
difficulty."
Bridget said thoughtfully, "Once or twice
she said rather queer things to me. As though
she were warning me against something. I
didn't understand in the least at the time. I
see now!"
"It all fits in," said Luke. "That's the way
of it. At first one says--as you said--'Impossible!5
and then, once one accepts the
idea, everything fits in. The grapes he sent
to Mrs. Horton--and she thought the nurses
were poisoning her! And that visit of his to
the Wellerman Kreitz Research Laboratories--Somehow
or ether, he must have got
hold of some culture of germs and infected
Humbleby."
"I don't see how he managed that."
"I don't either, but the connection is there.
One can't get away from that."
"No. As you say, it fits. And of course he
could do things that other people couldn't. I
mean he would be so completely above suspicion."

"I think Miss Waynflete suspected. She
mentioned that visit to the laboratories.
Brought it into conversation quite casually,
but I believe she hoped I'd act upon it."
"She knew, then, all along?"
"She had a very strong suspicion. I think
she was handicapped by having once been in
love with him."
Bridget nodded. "Yes, that accounts for
several things. Gordon told me they had once
been engaged."
"She wanted, you see, not to believe it
was him. But she became more and more
sure that it was. She tried to give me hints,
but she couldn't bear to do anything outright
against him. Women are odd creatures. I
think, in a way she still cares about him."
"Even after he jilted her?"
"She jilted him. It was rather an ugly
story. I'll tell you." He recounted the short,
violent episode.
Bridget stared at him. "Gordon did that?"
"Yes. Even in those days, you see, he
can't have been normal."
Bridget shivered and murmured, "All
those years ago—all those years—"
Luke said, "He may have got rid of a lot
more people than we shall ever know about.
It's just the rapid succession of deaths lately
that drew attention to him. As though he'd
got reckless with success."
Bridget nodded. She was silent for a
minute or two, thinking, then she said
abruptly, "What exactly did Miss Fullerton
say to you in the train that day? How did
she begin?"
Luke cast his mind back. "Told me she
was going to Scotland Yard, mentioned the
village constable; said he was a nice fellow,
but not up to dealing with murder."
"That was the first mention of the word?"
"Yes."
"Go on."
"Then she said, 'You're surprised, I can
see. I was myself at first. I really couldn't
believe it. I thought I must be imagining
things.' "
"And then?"
"I asked her if she was sure she
wasn't—imagining things, I mean—and she
said, quite placidly, 'Oh, no. It might
have been the first time, but not the second,
or the third, or the fourth. After that, one
knows.' "
"Marvelous," commented Bridget. "Go
on."
"So of course I humored her; said I was
sure she was doing the right thing. I was an
unbelieving Thomas if there ever was one."
"I know. So easy to be wise after the
event. I'd have felt just the same--nice and
superior to the poor old dame. How did the
conversation go on?"
"Let me see. Oh, she mentioned the
Abercrombie case--you know, the Welsh
poisoner. Said she hadn't really believed that
there had been a look--a special look--that
he gave his victims. But that she believed it
now, because she had seen it herself."
"What words did she use exactly?"
Luke thought, creasing his brow. "She
said, still in that nice ladylike voice: 'Of
course, I didn't really believe that when I
read about it, but it's true.' And I said,
'What's true?' And she said, 'The look on a
person's face.' And, by Jove, Bridget, the
way she said that, absolutely got me! Her
quiet voice and the look on her face--like
someone who had really seen something almost
too horrible to speak about!"
"Go on, Luke. Tell me everything."
"And then she enumerated the victims--
Amy Gibbs and Carter and Tommy Pierce, and said that Tommy was a horrid boy and
Carter drank. And then she said, 'But now--
yesterday--it was Doctor Humbleby--and
he's such a good man--a really good man.'
And she said if she went to Humbleby and
told him, he wouldn't believe her; he'd only
laugh!"
Bridget gave a deep sigh. "I see," she
said. "I see."
Luke looked at her. "What is it, Bridget?
What are you thinking of?"
"Something Mrs. Humbleby once said. I
wondered--No, never mind, go on. What
was it she said to you right at the end?"
Luke repeated the words soberly. They
had made an impression on him and he was
not likely to forget them. "I'd said it was
difficult to get away with a lot of murders,
and she answered, 'No, no, my dear boy, that's where you're wrong. It's very easy to
kill, so long as no one suspects you. And, you see, the person in question is just the
last person anyone would suspect.' " He was
silent.
Bridget said, with a shiver, "Easy to kill?
Horribly easy--that's true enough! No wonder
those words stuck in your mind, Luke.
They'll stick in mine--all my life! A man
like Gordon Easterfield--Oh, of course it's
easy!"
"It's not so easy to bring it home to him,"
said Luke.
"Don't you think so? I've an idea I can
help there."
"Bridget, I forbid you--"
"You can't. One can't just sit back and
play safe. I'm in this, Luke. It may be clangerous--yes,
I'll admit that--but I've got to
play my part."
"Bridget--"
"I'm in this, Luke! I shall accept Miss
Waynflete's invitation and stay down here."
"My darling, I implore you--"
"It's dangerous for both of us. I know
that. But we're in it, Luke--we're in it together!"

Twenty-two
the calm interior of Miss Waynflete's house
was almost an anticlimax after that tense moment
in the car. Miss Waynflete received
Bridget's acceptance of her invitation a little
doubtfully; hastening, however, to reiterate
her offer of hospitality by way of showing
that her doubts were due to quite another
cause than unwillingness to receive the girl.
Luke said, "I really think it will be the best
thing, since you are so kind. Miss Waynflete.
I am staying at the Bells and Motley. Fd
rather have Bridget under my eye than up in
town. After all, remember what happened
there before."
Miss Waynflete said, "You mean Lavinia
Fullerton?"
"Yes. You would have said, wouldn't you, that anyone would be quite safe in the middle
of a crowded city."
"You mean," said Miss Waynflete, "that
anyone's safety depends principally on the
fact that nobody wishes to kill them?"
"Exactly. We have come to depend upon
what has been called the good will of civilization."

Miss Waynflete nodded her head thoughtfully.

Bridget said, "How long have you known
that--that Gordon was the killer, Miss
Waynflete?"
Miss Waynflete sighed. "That is a difficult
question to answer, my dear. I suppose
that I have been quite sure in my inmost
heart, for some time. But I did my best not
to recognize that belief. You see, I didn't
want to believe it and so I pretended to
myself that it was a wicked and monstrous
idea on my part."
Luke said bluntly, "Have you never been
afraid for yourself?"
Miss Waynflete considered. "You mean
that if Gordon had suspected that I knew, he
would have found some means of getting rid
of me?"
"Yes."
Miss Waynflete said gently, "I have, of
course, been alive to that possibility. I tried
to be careful of myself. But I do not think
that Gordon would have considered me a
real menace."
"Why?"
Miss Waynflete flushed a little. "I don't
think that Gordon would ever believe that I
would do anything to--to bring him into
danger."
Luke said abruptly, "You went as far, didn't you, as to warn him?"
"Yes. That is, I did hint to him that it
was odd that anyone who displeased him
should shortly meet with an accident."
Bridget demanded, "And what did he
say?"
A worried expression passed over Miss
Waynflete's face. "He didn't react at all in
the way I meant. He seemed--really it's most
extraordinary!--he seemed pleased. He said,
'So, you've noticed that?' He quite--quite
preened himself, if I may use that expression."
"He's mad, of course," said Luke.
Miss Waynflete agreed eagerly, "Yes, indeed, there isn't any other explanation possible.
He's not responsible for his acts." She
laid a hand on Luke's arm. "They--they
won't hang him, will they, Mr. Fitzwilliam?"
"No, no. Send him to Broadmoor, I
expect."
Miss Waynflete sighed and leaned back.
"I'm so glad." Her eyes rested on Bridget, who was frowning down at the carpet.
Luke said, "But we're a long way from all
that, still. I've notified the powers that be, and I can say this much: They're prepared
to take the matter seriously. But you must
realize that we've got remarkably little evidence
to go upon."
"We'll get evidence," said Bridget.
Miss Waynflete looked up at her. There
was some quality in her expression that reminded
Luke of someone or something that
he had seen not long ago. He tried to pin
down the elusive memory, but failed. Miss
Waynflete said doubtfully, "You are confident, my dear. Well, perhaps you are right."
Luke said, "I'll go along with the car, Bridget, and fetch your things from the
4«
manor."
Bridget said immediately, "I'll come too."
"I'd rather you didn't."
"Yes, but I'd rather come."
Luke said irritably, "Don't do the motherand-child
act with me, Bridget! I refuse to
be protected by you."
Miss Waynflete murmured, "I really
think, Bridget, that it will be quite all right--
in the car, and in daylight."
Bridget gave a slightly shamefaced laugh.
"I'm being rather an idiot. This business
gets on one's nerves."
Luke said, "Miss Waynflete protected me
home the other night. . . . Come now. Miss
Waynflete, admit it! You did, didn't you?"
She admitted it, smiling. "You see, Mr.
Fitzwilliam, you were so completely unsuspicious.
And if Gordon Easterfield had really
grasped the fact that you were down here to
look into this business, and for no other
reason--well, it wasn't very safe. And that's
a very lonely lane. Anything might have
happened!"
"Well, I'm alive to the danger now all
right," said Luke grimly. "I shan't be caught
napping, I can assure you."
Miss Waynflete said anxiously, "Remember, he is very cunning. And much cleverer
than you would ever imagine. Really a
most ingenious mind."
"I'm forewarned."
"Men have courage--one knows that,"
said Miss Waynflete--"but they are more
easily deceived than women."
"That's true," said Bridget.
Luke said, "Seriously, Miss Waynflete, do
you really think that I am in any danger? Do
you think, in film parlance, that Lord
Easterfield is really out to get me?"
Miss Waynflete hesitated. "I think," she
said, "that the principal danger is to Bridget.
It is her rejection of him that is the supreme
insult. I think that after he has dealt with
Bridget, he will turn his attention to you.
But I think that undoubtedly he will try for
her first."
Luke groaned, "I wish to goodness you'd
go abroad—now—at once, Bridget."
Bridget's lips set themselves together. "I'm
not going."
Miss Waynflete sighed. "You are a brave
creature, Bridget. I admire you."
"You'd do the same in my place."
"Well, perhaps."
Bridget said, her voice dropping to a full
rich note, "Luke and I are in this together."
She went out with him to the door. Luke
said, "I'll give you a ring from the Bells and
Motley when I'm safely out of the lion's
den."
"Yes, do."
"My sweet, don't let's get all het up! Even
the most accomplished murderers have to
have a little time to mature their plans. I
should say we're quite all right for a day or
two. Superintendent Battle is coming down
from London today. From then on, Easterfield
will be under observation."
"In fact, everything is O.K. and we can
cut out the melodrama."
Luke said gravely, laying a hand on her
shoulder, "Bridget, my sweet, you will oblige
me by not doing anything rash."
"Same to you, darling Luke."
He squeezed her shoulder, jumped into
the car and drove off. Bridget returned to
the sitting room. Miss Waynflete was fussing
a little in a gentle spinsterish manner. "My
dear, your room's not quite ready yet. Emily
is seeing to it. Do you know what I'm going
to do? I'm going to get you a nice cup of tea.
It's just what you need after all these upsetting
incidents."
"It's frightfully kind of you. Miss
Waynflete, but I really don't want any."
Bridget disliked tea intensely. It usually
gave her indigestion. Miss Waynflete, however, had decided that tea was what her young
guest needed. She bustled out of the room
and reappeared about five minutes later, her
face beaming, carrying a tray on which stood
two dainty Dresden cups full of a fragrant
steaming beverage.
"Real Lapsang souchong," said Miss
Waynflete proudly. Bridget, who disliked
China tea even more than Indian, gave a wan
smile.
At that moment, Emily, a small clumsylooking
girl with pronounced adenoids, appeared
in the doorway and said, "If you
blease, biss, did you bean the frilled billow
cases?"
Miss Waynflete hurriedly left the room, and Bridget took advantage of the respite to
pour her tea out of the window, narrowly
escaping scalding Wonky Pooh, who was on
the flower bed below.
Wonky Pooh accepted her apologies, sprang up on the window sill and proceeded
to wind himself in and out over Bridget's
shoulders, purring in an affected manner.
"Handsome!" said Bridget, drawing a hand
down his back. Wonky Pooh arched his tail
and purred with redoubled vigor. "Nice
pussy," said Bridget, tickling his ears.
Miss Waynflete returned at that minute.
"Dear me," she exclaimed. "Wonky Pooh
has quite taken to you, hasn't he? He's so
standoffish as a rule! Mind his ear, my dear.
He's had a bad ear lately and it's still very
painful." The injunction came too late.
Bridget's hand had tweaked the painful ear.
Wonky Pooh spat at her and retired, a mass
of orange offended dignity. "Oh, dear, has
he scratched you?" cried Miss Waynflete.
"Nothing much," said Bridget, sucking a
diagonal scratch on the back of her hand.
"Shall I put some iodine on?"
"Oh, no, it's quite all right. Don't let's
fuss."
Miss Waynflete seemed a little disappointed.
Feeling that she had been ungracious, Bridget said hastily, "I wonder how
long Luke will be?"
"Now don't worry, my dear. I'm sure Mr.
Fitzwilliam is well able to take care of
himself."
"Oh, Luke's tough all right!"
At that moment the telephone rang.
Bridget hurried to it. Luke's voice spoke, "Hullo? That you, Bridget? I'm at the Bells
and Motley. Can you wait for your traps till
after lunch? Because Battle has arrived here--
you know who I mean."
"The superintendent man from Scotland
Yard?"
"Yes. And he wants to have a talk with
me right away."
"That's all right by me. Bring my things
round after lunch and tell me what he says
about it all."
"Right. So long, my sweet."
Bridget replaced the receiver and retailed
the conversation to Miss Waynflete. Then
she yawned. A feeling of fatigue had succeeded
her excitement. Miss Waynflete noticed
it. "You're tired, my dear! You'd better
lie down. No, perhaps that would be a bad
thing just before lunch. I was just going to
take some old clothes to a woman in a cottage
not very far away--quite a pretty walk
over the fields. Perhaps you'd care to come
with me? We'll just have time before lunch."
Bridget agreed willingly. They went out
the back way. Miss Waynflete wore a straw
hat and, to Bridget's amusement, had put on
gloves. "We might be going to Bond Street,'" she thought to herself
Miss Waynflete chatted pleasantly of various
small village matters as they walked.
They went across two fields, crossed a rough
lane and then took a path leading through a
ragged copse. The day was hot and Bridget
found the shade of the trees pleasant. Miss
Waynflete suggested that they should sit
down and rest a minute. "It's really rather
oppressively warm today, don't you think? I
fancy there must be thunder about."
Bridget acquiesced somewhat sleepily. She
lay back against the bank, her eyes half
closed, some lines of poetry wandering
through her brain:
0 why do you walk through the fields in
gloves,
0 fat white woman whom nobody loves?
But that wasn't quite right! Miss Waynflete
wasn't fat. She amended the words to fit the
case:
0 why do you walk through the fields in
gloves,
0 lean gray woman whom nobody loves?
Miss Waynflete broke in upon her
thoughts. "You're very sleepy, dear, aren't
you?"
The words were said in a gentle everyday
tone, but something in them jerked Bridget's
eyes suddenly open.
Miss Waynflete was leaning forward toward
her. Her eyes were eager, her tongue
passed gently over her lips. She repeated her
question: "You're very sleepy, aren't you?"
This time there was no mistaking the definite
significance of the tone. A flash passed
through Bridget's brain--a lightning flash of
comprehension, succeeded by one of contempt at her own density. She had suspected
the truth, but it had been no more than a
dim suspicion. She had meant, working quietly
and secretly, to make sure. But not for
one moment had she realized that anything
was to be attempted against herself. She had, she thought, concealed her suspicions entirely.
Nor would she have dreamed that
anything would be contemplated so soon.
Fool--seven times fool! And she thought
suddenly: "The tea--there was something in
the tea. She doesn't know I never drank it.
Now's my chance. I must pretend. What
stuff was it, I wonder? Poison? Or just sleeping
stuff? She expects me to be sleepy--
that's evident."
She let her eyelids droop again. In what
she hoped was a natural drowsy voice, she
said: "I do--frightfully. How funny! I don't
know when I've felt so sleepy."
Miss Waynflete nodded softly. Bridget
watched the older woman narrowly through
her almost-closed eyes. She thought: "I'm a
match for her anyway. My muscles are pretty
tough; she's a skinny frail old pussy. But
I've got to make her talk--that's it, make
her talk."
Miss Waynflete was smiling. It was not a
nice smile. It was sly and not very human.
Bridget thought: "She's like a goat. How
like a goat she is! A goat's always been an
evil symbol. I see why now. I was right--I
was right in that fantastic idea of mine. Hell
has no fury like a woman scorned. That was
the start of it; it's all there."
She murmured, and this time her voice
held a definite note of apprehension: "I don't
know what's the matter with me, I feel so
queer--so very queer."
Miss Waynflete gave a swift glance round
her. The spot was entirely desolate. It was
too far from the village for a shout to be
heard. There were no houses or cottages near.
She began to fumble with the parcel she
carried--the parcel that was supposed to contain
old clothes. Apparently, it did. The paper
came apart, revealing a soft woolly
garment. And still those gloved hands fumbled
and fumbled.
0 why do you walk through the fields in
gloves?
Yes, why? Why gloves? Of course! Of
course! The whole thing so beautifully
planned!
The wrapping fell aside. Carefully, Miss
Waynflete extracted the knife, holding it very
carefully, so as not to obliterate the fingerprints
which were already on it--where the
short podgy fingers of Lord Easterfield had
held it earlier that day in the drawing room
at Ashe Manor. The Moorish knife with the
sharp blade.
Bridget felt slightly sick. She must play
for time--yes, and she must make the woman
talk--this lean gray woman whom nobody
loved. It ought not to be difficult--not really.
Because she must want to talk, oh, so
badly--and the only person she could ever
talk to was someone like Bridget--someone
who was going to be silenced forever. Bridget
said, in a faint thick voice, "What's that
knife?"
And then Miss Waynflete laughed. It was
a horrible laugh, soft and musical and ladylike
and quite inhuman. She said, "It's for
you, Bridget. For you! I've hated you, you
know, for a very long time."
Bridget said, "Because I was going to
marry Gordon Easterfield?"
Miss Waynflete nodded. "You're clever.
You're quite clever! This, you see, will be
the crowning proof against him. You'll be
found here, with your throat cut--and his
knife, and his fingerprints on the knife!
Clever, the way I asked to see it this morning! And then I slipped it into my bag, wrapped in a handkerchief, whilst you were
upstairs. So easy! But the whole thing has
been easy. I would hardly have believed it."
Bridget said--still in the thick muffled
voice of a person heavily drugged, "That's
because you're so devilishly clever."
Miss Waynflete laughed her ladylike little
laugh again. She said, with a horrible kind of
pride, "Yes, I always had brains, even as a
girl. But they wouldn't let me do anything. I
had to stay at home, doing nothing. And
then Gordon--just a common bootmaker's
son, but he had ambition. I knew--I knew
he would rise in the world. And then he
jilted me--jilted me! All because of that ridiculous
business with the bird." Her hands
made a queer gesture, as though she were
twisting something. Again a wave of sickness
passed over Bridget.
"Gordon Ragg daring to jilt me. Colonel
Waynflete's daughter! I swore I'd pay him
out for that! I used to think about it night
after night. And then we got poorer and
poorer. The house had to be sold. He bought
it! He came along, patronizing me, offering
me a job in my own old home. How I hated
him then! But I never showed my feelings.
We were taught that as girls--a most valu-
able training. That, I always think, is where
breeding tells."
She was silent a minute. Bridget watched
her, hardly daring to breathe, lest she should
stem the flow of words.
Miss Waynflete went on softly, "All the
time I was thinking and thinking. First of
all, I just thought of killing him. That's when
I began to read up criminology--quietly, you
know--in the library. And really I found my
reading came in most useful more than once
later. The door of Amy's room, for instance, turning the key in the lock from the outside
with pincers after I'd changed the bottles by
her bed. How she snored, that girl. Quite
disgusting, it was!" She paused. "Let me
see, where was I?"
That gift which Bridget had cultivated, which had charmed Lord Easterfield--the
gift of the perfect listener--stood her in good
stead now. Honoria Waynflete might be a
homicidal maniac, but she was also something
much more common than that. She
was a human being who wanted to talk about
herself. And with that class of human being
Bridget was well fitted to cope. She said, and her voice had exactly the right invitation
in it, "You meant at first to kill him."
"Yes, but that didn't satisfy me--much
too ordinary. It had to be something better
than just killing. And then I got this idea. It
just came to me. He should suffer for committing
a lot of crimes of which he was quite
innocent. He should be a murderer! He
should be hanged for my crimes, Or else
they'd say he was mad and he would be shut
up all his life. That might be even better."
She giggled now. A horrible little giggle. Her
eyes were light and staring, with queer, elongated
pupils.
"As I told you, I read a lot of books on
crime. I chose my victims carefully; there
was not to be too much suspicion at first.
You see"--her voice deepened--"I enjoyed
the killing. That disagreeable woman, Lydia
Horton--she'd patronized me--once she referred
to me as an 'old maid.5 I was glad
when Gordon quarreled with her. Two birds
with one stone, I thought. Such fun, sitting
by her bedside and slipping the arsenic in
her tea, and then going out and telling the
nurse how Mrs. Horton had complained of
the bitter taste of Lord Easterfield's grapes!
The stupid woman never repeated that, which was such a pity.
"And then the others! As soon as I heard
that Gordon had a grievance against anyone, it was so easy to arrange for an accident!
And he was such a fool--such an incredible
fool! I made him believe that there was something
very special about him! That anyone
who went against him suffered. He believed
it quite easily. Poor dear Gordon, he'd believe
anything. So gullible!"
Bridget thought of herself saying to Luke
scornfully, "Gordon! He could believe
anything!" Easy? How easy! Poor pompous, credulous little Gordon. But she must learn
more. Easy? This was easy too. She'd done
it as a secretary for years. Quietly encouraged
her employers to talk about themselves.
And this woman wanted badly to talk, to
boast about her own cleverness. Bridget murmured, "But how did you manage it all? I
don't see how you could."
"Oh, it was quite easy. It just needed
organization! When Amy was discharged
from the Manor, I engaged her at once. I
think the hat-paint idea was quite clever--
and the door being locked on the inside made
me quite safe. But of course I was always
safe, because I never had any motive, and
you can't suspect anyone of murder if there
isn't a motive. Carter was quite easy, too; he
was lurching about in the fog, and I caught
up with him on the footbridge and gave him
a quick push. I'm really very strong, you
know."
She paused and the soft horrible little giggle
came again. "The whole thing was such
fun! I shall never forget Tommy's face when
I pushed him off the window sill that day.
He hadn't had the least idea." She leaned
toward Bridget confidentially. "People are
really very stupid, you know. I'd never realized
that before."
Bridget said very softly, "But then, you're
unusually clever."
"Yes, yes; perhaps you're right."
Bridget said, "Doctor Humbleby--that
must have been more difficult?"
"Yes, it was really amazing how that succeeded.
It might not have worked, of course.
But Gordon had been talking to everybody
of his visit to the Wellerman Kreitz Laboratories, and I thought if I could manage it so
that people remembered that visit and connected
it afterwards--And Wonky Pooh's ear
was really very nasty, a lot of discharge. I
managed to run the point of my scissors into
the doctor's hand, and then I was so distressed
and insisted on putting on a dressing
and bandaging it up. He didn't know the
dressing had been infected first from Wonky
Pooh's ear. Of course it mightn't have
worked; it was just a long shot. I was delighted
when it did--especially as Wonky
Pooh had been Lavinia's cat."
Her face darkened. "Lavinia Fullerton!
She guessed. It was she who found Tommy
that day. And then, when Gordon and old
Doctor Humbleby had that row, she caught
me looking at Humbleby. I was off my guard.
I was just wondering exactly how I'd do it.
And she knew! I turned round to find her
watching me and--I gave myself away. I saw
that she knew. She couldn't prove anything, of course; I knew that. But I was afraid, all
the same, someone might believe her. I was
afraid they might believe her at Scotland
Yard. I felt sure that was where she was
going that day. I was in the same train and I
followed her.
"The whole thing was so easy. She was on
an island crossing Whitehall. I was close behind
her. She never saw me. A big car came
along and I shoved with all my might. I'm
very strong! She went right down in front of
it. I told the woman next to me I'd seen the
number of the car and gave her the number
of Gordon's Rolls. I hoped she'd repeat it to
the police. It was lucky the car didn't stop.
Some chauffeur joyriding without his master's
knowledge, I suspect. Yes, I was lucky
276
there. I'm always lucky. That scene the other
day with Rivers, and Luke Fitzwilliam as
witness. I've had such fun with him, leading
him along! Odd how difficult it was to make
him suspect Gordon. But after Rivers' death
he would be sure to do so. He must! And
now--well, this will just finish the whole
thing nicely."
She got up and came toward Bridget.
She said softly: "Gordon jilted me! He was
going to marry you. All my life I've been
disappointed. I've had nothing--nothing at
all. ..."
0 lean gray woman whom nobody loves
She.
was bending over her, smiling, with
mad light eyes. The knife gleamed.
With all her youth and strength, Bridget
sprang. Like a tiger cat, she flung herself
full force on the other woman, knocking her
back, seizing her right wrist.
Taken by surprise, Honoria Waynflete fell
back before the onslaught. But then, after a
moment's inertia, she began to fight. In
strength there was no comparison between
them. Bridget was young and healthy, with
muscles toughened by games. Honoria
Waynflete was a slender-built, fragile crea'T7'7
ture. But there was one factor on which
Bridget had not reckoned. Honoria
Waynflete was mad. Her strength was the
strength of the insane. She fought like a
devil, and her insane strength was stronger
than the sane muscled strength of Bridget.
They swayed to and fro, and still Bridget
strove to wrest the knife away from her, and
still Honoria Waynflete hung on to it.
And then, little by little, the mad woman's
strength began to prevail. Bridget cried out
now, "Luke! Help! Help!" But she had no
hope of help coming. She and Honoria
Waynflete were alone. Alone in a dead world.
With a supreme effort, she wrenched the
other's wrist back, and at last she heard the
knife fall. The next minute Honoria
Waynflete's two hands had fastened round
her neck in a maniac's grasp, squeezing the
life out of her. She gave one last choked cry.
278
Twenty-three
luke was favorably impressed by the appearance
of Superintendent Battle. He was a
solid comfortable-looking man with a broad
red face and a large handsome mustache. He
did not exactly express brilliance at a first
glance, but a second glance was apt to make
an observant person thoughtful, for Superintendent
Battle's eye was unusually shrewd.
Luke did not make the mistake of underestimating
him. He had met men of Battle's type before. He knew that they could be
trusted, and that they invariably got results.
He could not have wished for a better man
to be put in charge of the case. When they
were alone together, Luke said, "You're
rather a big noise to be sent down on a case
like this."
Superintendent Battle smiled. "It may turn
out to be a serious business, Mr. Fitzwilliam.
')'7Q
When a man like Lord Easterfield is concerned, we don't want to have any mistakes."
"I appreciate that. Are you alone?"
"Oh, no. Got a detective sergeant with
me. He's at the other pub, the Seven Stars, and his job is to keep an eye on his lordship."

"I see."
Battle asked, "In your opinion, Mr.
Fitzwilliam, there's no doubt whatever?
You're pretty sure of your man?"
"On the facts, I don't see that any alternative
theory is possible. Do you want me to
give you the facts?"
"I've had them, thank you, from Sir
William."
"Well, what do you think? I suppose it
seems to you wildly unlikely that a man in
Lord Easterfield's position should be a homicidal
criminal?"
"Very few things seem unlikely to me,"
said Superintendent Battle. "Nothing's impossible
in crime. That's what I've always
said. If you were to tell me that a dear old
maiden lady, or an archbishop, or a schoolgirl, was a dangerous criminal, I wouldn't
say no. I'd look into the matter."
"If you've heard the main facts of the case
from Sir William, I'll just tell you what happened
this morning," said Luke.
He ran over briefly the main lines of his
scene with Lord Easterfield. Superintendent
Battle listened with a good deal of interest.
He said, "You say he was fingering a knife.
Did he make a special point of that knife, Mr. Fitzwilliam? Was he threatening with
it?"
"Not openly. He tested the edge in rather
a nasty way--a kind of esthetic pleasure
about that that I didn't care about. Miss Waynflete felt the same, I believe."
"That's the lady you spoke about--the one
who's known Lord Easterfield all her life, and was once engaged to marry him?"
"That's right."
Superintendent Battle said, "I think you
can make your mind easy about the young
lady, Mr. Fitzwilliam. I'll have someone put
on to keep a sharp watch on her. With that, and with Jackson tailing his lordship, there
ought to be no danger of anything happening."

"You relieve my mind a good deal," said
Luke.
The superintendent nodded sympathetically.
"It's a nasty position for you, Mr.
Fitzwilliam. Worrying about Miss Conway.
Mind you, I don't expect this will be an easy
case. Lord Easterfield must be a pretty
shrewd man. He will probably lie low for a
good long while. That is, unless he's got to
the last stage."
"What do you call the last stage?" "A kind of swollen egoism where a criminal
thinks he simply can't be found out.
He's too clever and everybody else is too
stupid. Then, of course, we get him."
Luke nodded. He rose. "Well," he said,
"I wish you luck. Let me help in any way I
«
can."
"Certainly."
"There's nothing that you can suggest?"
Battle turned the question over in his
mind. "I don't think so. Not at the moment.
I just want to get the general hang of things
in the place. Perhaps I could have another
word with you in the evening?"
"Rather."
"I shall know better where we are then."
Luke felt vaguely comforted and soothed.
Many people had had that feeling after an
interview with Superintendent Battle. He
glanced at his watch. Should he go round
and see Bridget before lunch? Better not, he
thought. Miss Waynflete might feel that she
had to ask him to stay for the meal and it
might disorganize her housekeeping. Middleaged
ladies, Luke knew from experience with
aunts, were liable to be fussed over problems
of housekeeping. He wondered if Miss
Waynflete was an aunt? Probably.
He had strolled out to the door of the inn.
A figure in black hurrying down the street
stopped suddenly when she saw him. "Mr.
Fitzwilliam."
"Mrs. Humbleby." He came forward and
shook hands.
She said, "I thought you had left."
"No, only changed my quarters. I'm staying
here now."
"And Bridget? I heard she had left Ashe
Manor."
"Yes, she has."
Mrs. Humbleby sighed. "I am so glad--so
very glad she has gone right away from
Wychwood."
"Oh, she's still here. As a matter of fact, she's staying with Miss Waynflete."
Mrs. Humbleby moved back a step. Her
face, Luke noted with surprise, looked extraordinarily
distressed. "Staying with Honoria
Waynflete? Oh, but why?"
I "Miss Waynflete very kindly asked her to
stay for a few days."
t Mrs. Humbleby gave a little shiver. She
came close to Luke and laid a hand on his
arm.
"Mr. Fitzwilliam, I know I have no right
to say anything--anything at all. I have had
a lot of sorrow and grief lately and, perhaps, it makes me fanciful. These feelings of mine
may be only sick fancies."
Luke said gently, "What feelings?"
"This conviction I have of--of evil!" She
looked timidly at Luke. Seeing that he merely
bowed his head gravely and did not appear
to question her statement, she went on, "So
much wickedness--that is the thought that
is always with me--wickedness here in
Wychwood. And that woman is at the bottom
of it all. I am sure of it."
Luke was mystified. "What woman?"
Mrs. Humbleby said, "Honoria Waynflete
is, I am sure, a very wicked woman! Oh, I
see you don't believe me! No one believed
Lavinia Fullerton either. But we both felt it.
She, I think, knew more than I did. Remember, Mr. Fitzwilliam, if a woman is not
happy, she is capable of terrible things."
Luke said gently, "That may be, yes."
Mrs. Humbleby said quickly, "You don't
believe me? Well, why should you? But I
can't forget the day when John came home
with his hand bound up from her house,
though he pooh-poohed it and said it was
only a scratch." She turned. "Good-by.
Please forget what I have just said. I--I don't
feel quite myself these days."
Luke watched her go. He wondered wyhy
Mrs. Humbleby called Honoria Waynflete a
wicked woman. Had Doctor Humbleby and
Honoria Waynflete been friends, and was
the doctor's wife jealous? What had she said?
"No one believed Lavinia Fullerton eithe:r."
Then Lavinia Fullerton must have confided
some of her suspicions to Mrs. Humblelby.
With a rush, the memory of the railway
carriage came back, and the worried face of a
nice old lady. He heard again an earixest
voice saying: "The look on a person's face."
And the way her own face had changed, as
though she were seeing something very
clearly in her mind. Just for a moment, he
thought, her face had been quite different;
the lips drawn back from the teeth and a
queer almost gloating look in her eyes.
He suddenly thought: "But I've seen
someone look just like that--that same expression.
Quite lately. When? This momitig.
Of course. Miss Waynflete when she was
looking at Bridget in the drawing room at the Manor." And quite suddenly another
memory assailed him. One of many yesrs
ago. His Aunt Mildred saying: "She looked, you know, my dear, quite half-witted." And
just for a minute her own sane, comfortable
face had borne an imbecile, mindless expression.
Lavinia Fullerton had been speaking of
the look she had seen on a man's--no, a
person's--face. Was it possible that, just for
a second, her vivid imagination had reproduced
the look that she saw--the look of a
murderer looking at his next victim?
Half unaware of what he was doing, Luke
quickened his pace toward Miss Waynflete's
house. A voice in his brain was saying over
and over again: "Not a man--she never mentioned
a man. You assumed it was a man
because you were thinking of a man, but she
never said so. Oh, God, am I quite mad? It
isn't possible, what I'm thinking. Surely it
isn't possible; it wouldn't make sense. But I
must get to Bridget. I must know she's all
right. Those eyes--those queer amber eyes.
Oh, I'm mad. I must be mad. Easterfield's
the criminal. He must be. He practically said
so." And still, like a nightmare, he saw Miss
Fullerton's face in its momentary impersonation
of something horrible and not quite
sane.
The stunted little maid opened the door to
him. A little startled by his vehemence, she
said, The lady's gone out. Miss Waynflete
told me so. I'll see if Miss Waynflete's in."
He pushed past her, went into the drawing
room. Emily ran upstairs. She came down
breathless. "The mistress is out too."
Luke took her by the shoulder. "Which
way? Where did they go?"
She gaped at him. "They must have gone
out by the back. I'd have seen them if they'd
gone out front ways, because the kitchen
looks out there."
She followed him as he raced out through
the door into the tiny garden and out beyond.
There was a man clipping a hedge.
Luke went up to him and asked a question, striving to keep his voice normal.
The man said slowly, "Two ladies? Yes.
Some while since. I was having my dinner
under the hedge. Reckon they didn't notice
me."
"Which way did they go?"
He strove desperately to make his voice
normal. Yet the other's eyes opened a little
wider as he replied slowly: "Across them
fields. Over that way. I don't know where
after that."
Luke thanked him and began to run. His
strong feeling of urgency was deepened. He
must catch up with them--he must! He
might be quite mad. In all probability, they
were just taking an amicable stroll, but something
in him clamored for haste. More haste!
He crossed the two fields, stood hesitating
in a country lane. Which way now? And
then he heard the call--faint, far away, but
unmistakable: "Luke! Help!" And again, "Luke!" Unerringly he plunged into the
wood and ran in the direction from which
the cry had come. There were more sounds
now--scuffling, panting, a low gurgling cry.
He came through the trees in time to tear a
mad woman's hands from her victim's throat, to hold her, struggling, foaming, cursing, till
at last she gave a convulsive shudder and
turned rigid in his grasp.
Twenty-four
"but I don't understand," said Lord
Easterfield. "I don't understand." He strove
to maintain his dignity but beneath the
pompous exterior a rather pitiable bewilderment
was evident. He could hardly credit
the extraordinary things that were being told
him.
"It's like this. Lord Easterfield," said Battle
patiently. "To begin with, there is a touch
of insanity in the family. We've found that
out now. Often the way with these old families.
I should say she had a predisposition
that way. And then she was an ambitious
lady, and she was thwarted. First her career
and then her love affair." He coughed. "I
understand it was you who jilted her."
Lord Easterfield said stiffly, "I don't like
the term 'jilt.' "
Superintendent Battle amended the phrase,
"It was you who terminated the engagement?"

"Well, yes."
"Tell us why, Gordon," said Bridget.
Lord Easterfield got rather red. He said, "Oh, very well, if I must. Honoria had a
canary. She was very fond of it. It used to
take sugar from her lips. One day it pecked
her violently instead. She was angry and
picked it up and--wrung its neck! I--I
couldn't feel the same after that. I told her I
thought we'd both made a mistake."
Battle nodded. He said, "That was the
beginning of it. As she told Miss Conway, she turned her thoughts and her undoubted
mental ability to one aim and purpose."
Lord Easterfield said incredulously, "To
get me convicted as a murderer? I can't believe
it."
Bridget said, "It's true, Gordon. You
know, you were surprised yourself at the
extraordinary way that everybody who annoyed
you was instantly struck down."
"There was a reason for that."
"Honoria Waynflete was the reason," said
Bridget. "Do get it into your head, Gordon, that it wasn't Providence that pushed Tommy
Pierce out of the window, and all the rest of
them. It was Honoria."
Lord Easterfield shook his head. "It all
seems to me quite incredible!" he said.
Battle said, "You say you got a telephone
message this morning?"
"Yes, about twelve o'clock. I was asksd to
go to the Shaw Wood at once, as you, Bridget, had something to say to me. 1 was
not to come by car, but to walk."
Battle nodded. "Exactly. That would have
been the finish. Miss Conway would have
been found with her throat cut, and bsside
her your knife with your fingerprints on it!
And you yourself would have been se^n in
the vicinity at the time! You wouldn't have
had a leg to stand upon. Any jury in the
world would have convicted you."
"Me?" said Lord Easterfield, startled and
distressed. "Anyone would have belie^d a
thing like that of me?"
Bridget said gently, "I didn't, Gordon. I
never believed it."
Lord Easterfield looked at her coldly, then
he said stiffly, "In view of my character and
my standing in the country, I do not believe that anyone for one moment would hav^ believed
such a monstrous charge." He went
out with dignity and closed the door behind
him.
Luke said, "He'll never realize that h€ was
really in danger." Then he said, "Go on, Bridget. Tell me how you came to suspect
the Waynflete woman."
Bridget explained, "It was when you were
telling me that Gordon was the killer. I
couldn't believe it! You see, I knew him so
well. I'd been his secretary for two years. I
knew him in and out. I knew that he was
pompous and petty and completely selfabsorbed,
but I knew, too, that he was a
kindly person and almost absurdly tenderhearted.
It worried him even to kill a wasp.
That story about his killing Miss Waynflete's
canary--it was all wrong. He just couldn't
have done it. He'd told me once that he had
jilted her. Now you insisted that it was the
other way about. Well, that might be so! His
pride might not have allowed him to admit
that she had thrown him over. But not the
canary story! That simply wasn't Gordon!
He didn't even shoot, because seeing things
killed made him feel sick.
"So I simply knew that that part of the
story was untrue. But if so. Miss Waynflete
must have lied. And it was really, when you
came to think of it, a very extraordinary lie.
And I wondered suddenly if she'd told any
more lies. She was a very proud woman--
one could see that. To be thrown over must
292
have hurt her pride horribly. It would probably
make her feel very angry and revengeful
against Lord Easterfield--especially, I felt, if
he turned up again later, all rich and prosperous
and successful. I thought, 'Yes, she'd
probably enjoy helping to fix a crime upon
him.' And then a curious sort of whirling
feeling came in my brain, and I thought:
'But suppose everything she says is a lie,'
and I suddenly saw how easily a woman like
that could make a fool of a man. And I
thought: 'It's fantastic, but suppose it was
she who killed all these people and fed
Gordon up with the idea that it was a kind
of divine retribution.' It would be quite easy
for her to make him believe that. As I told
you once, Gordon would believe anything!
And I thought: 'Could she have done all
those murders?' And I saw that she could!
She could give a shove to a drunken man, push a boy out of a window, and Amy Gibbs
had died in her house. Mrs. Horton, too--
she used to go and sit with her when she
was ill. Doctor Humbleby was more difficult.
I didn't know then that Wonky Pooh
had a nasty septic ear. Miss Fullerton's death
was even more difficult, because I couldn't
imagine Miss Waynflete dressed up as a
chauffeur, driving a Rolls.
293
"And then, suddenly, I saw that that was
the easiest of the lot! It was the old shove
from behind--easily done in a crowd. The
car didn't stop, and she saw a fresh opportunity
and told another woman she had seen
the number of the car, and gave the number
of Lord Easterfield's Rolls.
"Of course, all this only came very confusedly
through my head. But if Gordon
definitely hadn't done the murders--and I
knew, yes, knew that he hadn't--well, who
did? And the answer seemed quite clear.
Someone who hates Gordon! Who hates
Gordon? Honoria Waynflete of course.
"And then I remembered that Miss
Fullerton had definitely spoken of a man as
the killer. That knocked out all my beautiful
theory, because, unless Miss Fullerton was
right, she wouldn't have been killed. So I
got you to repeat exactly Miss Fullerton's
words, and I soon discovered that she hadn't
actually said 'Man' once. Then I felt that I
was definitely on the right track! I decided
to accept Miss Waynflete's invitation to stay
with her, and I resolved to try to ferret out
the truth."
"Without saying a word to me?" said Luke
angrily.
"But, my sweet, you were so sure--and I
wasn't sure a bit! It was all vague and doubtful.
But I never dreamed that I was in any
danger. I tho-ught I'd have plenty of time."
She shivered. "Oh, Luke, it was horrible!
Her eyes--and that dreadful polite, inhuman
laugh!"
Luke said,, with a slight shiver, "I shan't
forget how I only got there just in time." He
turned to Battle. "What's she like now?"
"Gone right over the edge," said Battle.
"They do, you know. They can't face the
shock of not having been so clever as they
thought they were."
Luke said ruefully, "Well, I'm not much
of a policeman! I never suspected Honoria
Waynflete once. You'd have done better, Battle."
"Maybe, sir, maybe not. You'll remember
my saying that nothing's impossible in crime.
I mentioned a maiden lady, I believe."
"You also mentioned an archbishop and a
schoolgirl! Am I to understand that you consider
all these people as potential criminals?"
Battle's smile broadened to a grin. "Anyone
may be a criminal, sir; that's what I
meant."
"Except Gordon," said Bridget. "Luke, let's go and find him."
They found Lord Easterfield in his study,
busily making notes. "Gordon," said Bridget
in a small meek voice. "Please, now that you
know everything, will you forgive us?"
Lord Easterfield looked at her graciously.
"Certainly, my dear, certainly. I realize the
truth. I was a busy man. I neglected you.
The truth of the matter is, as Kipling so
wisely puts it, 'He travels the fastest who
travels alone.5 My path in life is a lonely
one." He squared his shoulders. "I carry a
big responsibility. I must carry it alone. For
me there can be no companionship, no easing
of the burden. I must go through life
alone, till I drop by the wayside."
Bridget said, "Dear Gordon! You really
are sweet!"
Lord Easterfield frowned. "It is not a
question of being sweet. Let us forget all this
nonsense. I am a busy man."
"I know you are."
"I am arranging for a series of articles to
start at once. Crimes committed by women
through the ages."
Bridget gazed at him with admiration.
"Gordon, I think that's a wonderful idea."
Lord Easterfield puffed out his chest. "So
please leave me now. I must not be disturbed.
I have a lot of work to get through."
Luke and Bridget tiptoed from the room.
"But he really is sweet," said Bridget.
"Bridget, I believe you were really fond of
that man."
"Do you know, Luke, I believe I was."
Luke looked out of the window. "I'll be
glad to get away from Wychwood. I don't
like this place. There's a lot of wickedness
here, as Mrs. Humbleby would say. I don't
like the way Ashe Ridge broods over the
village."
"Talking of Ashe Ridge, what about
Ellsworthy?"
Luke laughed a little shamefacedly. "That
blood on his hands?"
"Yes."
"They'd sacrificed a white cock, apparently."

"How perfectly disgusting!"
"I think something unpleasant is going to
happen to our Mr. Ellsworthy. Battle is planning
a little surprise."
Bridget said, "And poor Major Horton
never even attempted to kill his wife, and
Mr. Abbot, I suppose, just had a compromising
letter from a lady, and Doctor Thomas
is just a nice unassuming young doctor."
"He's a superior ass."
"You say that because you're jealous of his
marrying Rose Humbleby."
"She's much too good for him."
"I always have felt you liked that girl better
then me."
"Darling, aren't you being rather absurd?"
"No, not really." She was silent a minute, and then said, "Luke, do you like me now?"
He made a movement toward her, but she
warded him off. "I said 'like,' Luke; not 'love.' "
"Oh, I see. Yes, I do. I like you, Bridget, as well as loving you."
Bridget said, "I like you, Luke." They
smiled at each other a little timidly, like
children who have made friends at a party.
Bridget said, "Liking is more important than
loving. It lasts. I want what is between us to
last, Luke. I don't want us just to love each
other and marry and get tired of each other, and then want to marry someone else."
"Oh, my dear love, I know. You want
reality. So do I. What's between us will last
forever, because it's founded on reality."
"Is that true, Luke?"
"It's true, my sweet. That's why, I think, I was afraid of loving you."
"I was afraid of loving you too."
"Are you afraid now?"
298
"No."
He said, "We've been close to death for a
long time. Now that's over! Now we'll begin
to live."
299
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