Lady Westholme entered the room with the assurance of a transatlantic liner
coming into dock.
Miss Amabel Pierce,an indeterminate craft,followed in the liner's wake and
sat down in an inferior make of chair slightly in the background.
"Certainly,M.Poirot,"boomed Lady Westholme."I shall be delighted to assist
you by any means in my power.I have always considered that in matters of this
kind one has a public duty to perform-"
When Lady Westholme's public duty had held the stage for some minutes,Poirot
was adroit enough to get in a question.
"I have a perfect recollection of the afternoon in question,"replied Lady
Westholme."Miss Pierce and I will do all we can to assist you."
"Oh,yes,"sighed Miss Pierce,almost ecstatically."So tragic,was it not?Dead-
just like that -in the twinkle of an eye!"
"If you will tell me exactly what occurred on the afternoon in question?"
"Certainly,"said Lady Westholme."After we had finished lunch I decided to
take a brief siesta.The morning excursion had been somewhat fatiguing.Not that I
was really tired -I seldom am.I do not really know what fatigue is.One has so
often,on public occasions,no matter what one really feels-"
Again an adroit murmur from Poirot.
"As I say,I was in favour of a siesta.Miss Pierce agreed with me."
"Oh,yes."sighed Miss Pierce."And I was terribly tired after the morning.Such
a dangerous climb -and although interesting,most exhausting.I'm afraid I'm not
quite as strong as Lady Westholme."
"Fatigue,"said Lady Westholme,"can be conquered like everything else.I make
a point of never giving in to my bodily needs."
Poirot said:
"After lunch,then,you two ladies went to your tents?"
"Yes."
"Mrs Boynton was then sitting at the mouth of her cave?"
"Her daughter-in-law assisted her there before she herself went off."
"You could both see her?"
"Oh,yes,"said Miss Pierce."She was opposite,you know-only,of course,a little
way along and up above."
Lady Westholme elucidated the statement.
"The caves opened on to a ledge.Below that ledge were some tents.Then there
was a small stream and across that stream was the big marquee and some other
tents.Miss Pierce and I had tents near the marquee.She was on the right side of
the marquee and I was on the left.The opening of our tents faced the ledge,but
of course it was some distance away."
"Nearly two hundred yards,I understand."
"Possibly."
"I have here a plan,"said Poirot,"concocted with the help of the
dragoman,Mahmoud."
Lady Westholme remarked that in that case it was probably wrong!
"That man is grossly inaccurate.I have checked his statements from my
Baedeker.Several times his information was definitely misleading."
"According to my plan,"said Poirot,"the cave next to Mrs Boynton's was
occupied by her son,Lennox,and his wife.Raymond,Carol and Ginevra Boynton had
tents just below but more to the right-in fact,almost opposite the marquee.On
the right of Ginevra Boynton's was Dr Gerard's tent and next to that again that
of Miss King.On the other side of the stream-next to the marquee on the left-you
and Mr Cope had tents.Miss Pierce's,as you mentioned,was on the right of the
marquee.Is that correct?"
Lady Westholme admitted grudgingly that as far as she knew it was.
"I thank you.That is perfectly clear.Pray continue,Lady Westholme."
Lady Westholme smiled graciously on him and went on:
"At about quarter to four I strolled along to Miss Pierce's tent to see if
she were awake yet and felt like a stroll.She was sitting in the doorway of the
tent reading.We agreed to start in about half an hour when the sun was less
hot.I went back to my tent and read for about twenty-five minutes.Then I went
along and joined Miss Pierce.She was ready and we started out.Everyone in the
camp seemed asleep -there was no one about,and seeing Mrs Boynton sitting up
there alone,I suggested to Miss Boynton that we should ask her if she wanted
anything before we left."
"Yes,you did.Most thoughtful of you,I considered,"murmured Miss Pierce.
"I felt it to be my duty,"said Lady Westholme with a rich complacency.
"And then for her to be so rude about it!"exclaimed Miss Pierce.
Poirot looked inquiring.
"Our path passed just under the ledge,"explained Lady Westholme,"and I
called up to her,saying that we were going for a stroll and could we do anything
for her before we went.Do you know,M.Poirot,absolutely the only answer she gave
us was a grunt!A grunt!She just looked at us as though we were-as though we were
dirt!"
"Disgraceful it was!"said Miss Pierce,flushing.
"I must confess,"said Lady Westholme,reddening a little,"that I made then a
somewhat uncharitable remark."
"I think you were quite justified,"said Miss Pierce."Quite-under the
circumstances."
"What was this remark?"asked Poirot.
"I said to Miss Pierce that perhaps she drank!Really her manner was most
peculiar.It had been all along.I thought it possible that drink might account
for it.The evils of alcoholic indulgence,as I very well know -"
Dexterously,Poirot steered the conversation away from the drink question.
"Had her manner been very peculiar on this particular day?At lunch-time,for
instance?"
"N-No,"said Lady Westholme,considering."No,I should say then that her manner
had been fairly normal -for an American of that type,that is to say,"she added
condescendingly.
"She was very abusive to that servant,"said Miss Pierce.
"Which one?"
"Not very long before we started out."
"Oh!Yes,I remember,she did seem extraordinarily annoyed with him!Of
course,"went on Lady Westholme,"to have servants about who cannot understand a
word of English is very trying,but what I say is that when one is travelling one
must make allowances."
"What servant was this?"asked Poirot.
"One of the Bedouin servants attached to the camp.He went up to her -I think
she must have sent him to fetch her something,and I suppose he brought the wrong
thing-I don't really know what it was-but she was very angry about it.The poor
man slunk away as fast as he could,and she shook her stick at him and called
out."
"What did she call out/"
"We were too far away to hear.At least I didn't hear anything distinctly,did
you,Miss Pierce?"
"No,I didn't.I think she'd sent him to fetch something from her youngest
daughter's tent -or perhaps she was angry with him for going into her daughter's
tent -I couldn't say exactly."
"What did he look like?"
Miss Pierce,to whom the question was addressed,shook her head vaguely.
"really,I couldn't say.He was too far away.All these Arabs look alike to
me."
"He was a man of more than average height,"said Lady Wesrholme,"and wore the
usual native head-dress.He had on a pair of very torn and patched breeches -
really disgraceful they were -and his puttees were wound most untidily -all
anyhow!These men need discipline!"
"You could point the man out among the camp servants?"
"I doubt it.We didn't see his face -it was too far away.And,as Miss Pierce
says,really these Arabs look all alike."
"I wonder,"said Poirot thoughtfully,"what it was he did to make Mrs Boynton
so angry?"
"They are very trying to the patience sometimes,"said Lady Westholme."One of
them took my shoes away,though I had expressly told him -by pantomime too -that
I preferred to clean my shoes myself."
"Always I do that,too,"said Poirot,diverted for a moment from his
interrogation."I take ever
ere my little shoe-cleaning outfit.Also,I take a duster."
"So do I."Lady Westholme sounded quite human.
"Because these Arabs they do not remove the dust from one's belongings -"
"Never!Of course one has to dust one's things three or four times a day -"
"But it is well worth it."
"Yes,indeed.I cannot STAND dirt!"
Lady Westholme looked positively militant.
She added with feeling:
"The flies -in the bazaars -terrible!"
"Well,well,"said Poirot,looking slightly guilty."We can soon inquire from
this man what it was that irritated Mrs Boynton.To continue with your story?"
"We strolled along slowly,"said Lady Westholme."And then we met Dr Gerard.He
was staggering along and looked very ill.I could see at once he had fever."
"He was shaking,"put in Miss Pierce."Shaking all over."
"I saw at once he had an attack of malaria coming on,"said Lady Westholme."I
offered to come back with him and get him some quinine,but he said he had his
own supply with him."
"Poor man,"said Miss Pierce."You know it always seems so dreadful to me to
see a doctor ill.It seems all wrong somehow."
"We strolled on,"continued Lady Westholem."and then we sat down on a rock."
Miss Pierce murmured: "really -so tired after the morning's exertion -the
climbing -"
"I never feel fatigue,"said Lady Westholme firmly."But there was no point in
going farther.We had a very good view of all the surrounding scenery."
"Were you out of sight of the camp?"
"No,we were sitting facing towards it."
"So romantic,"murmured Miss Pierce."A camp pitched in the middle of a
wilderness of rose-red rocks."
She sighed and shook her head.
"That camp could be much better run than it is,"said Lady Westholme.Her
rocking-horse nostrils dilated."I shall take up the matter with castle's.I am
not at all sure that the drinking water is boiled as well as filtered.It should
be.I shall point that out to them."
Poirot coughed and led the conversation quickly away from the subject of
drinking water.
"Did you see any other members of the party?"he inquired.
"Yes.The elder Mr Boynton and his wife passed us on their way back to the
camp."
"Were they together?"
"No,Mr Boynton came first.He looked a little as though he had had a touch of
the sun.He was walking as though he were slightly dizzy."
"The back of the neck,"said Miss Pierce."One must protect the back of the
neck!I always wear a thick silk handkerchief."
"What did Mr Lennox Boynton do on his return to the camp?"asked Poirot.
For once Miss Pierce managed to get in first before Lady Westholme could
speak.
"He went right up to his mother,but he didn't stay long with her."
"How long?"
"Just a minute or two."
"I should put it at just over a minute myself,"said Lady Westholme."Then he
went on into his cave and after that he went down to the marquee."
"And his wife?"
"She came along about a quarter of an hour later.She stopped a minute and
spoke to us -quite civilly."
"I think she's very nice,"said Miss Pierce.'very nice indeed."
"She is not so impossible as the rest of the family,"allowed Lady Westholme.
"You watched her return to the camp?"
"Yes.She went up and spoke to her mother-in-law.Then she went into her cave
and brought out a chair,and sat by her talking for some time -about ten
minutes,I should say."
"And them?"
"Then she took the chair back to the cave and went down to the marquee where
her husband was."
"What happened next?"
"That very peculiar American came along,"said Lady Westholme."Cope,I think
his name is.He told us that there was a very good example of the debased
architecture of the period just round the bend of the valley.He said we ought
not to miss it.Accordingly,we walked there.Mr Cope had with him quite an
interesting article on Petra and the Nabateans."
"It was all most interesting,"declared Miss Pierce.
Lady Westholme continued:
"We strolled back to the camp,it being then about twenty minutes to six.It
was growing quite chilly."
"Mrs Boynton was still sitting where you had left her?"
"Yes."
"Did you speak to her?"
"No.As a matter of fact I hardly noticed her."
"What did you do next?"
"I went to my tent,changed my shoes and got out my own packet of China tea.I
then went to the marquee.The dragoman was there and I directed him to make some
tea for Miss Pierce and myself with the tea I had brought and to make quite sure
that the water with which it was made was boiling.He said that dinner would be
ready in about half an our -the boys were laying the table at the time -but I
said that made no difference."
"I always say a cup of tea makes all the difference,"murmured Miss Pierce
vaguely.
"Was there anyone in the marquee?"
"Oh,yes.Mr and Mrs Lennox Boynton were siting at one end reading.And Carol
Boynton was there too."
"And Mr Cope?"
"He joined us at our tea,"said Miss Pierce."Though he said tea drinking
wasn't an American habit."
Lady Westholme coughed.
"I became just a little afraid that Mr Cope was going to be a nuisance -that
he might fasten himself upon me.It is a little difficult sometimes to keep
people at arm's length when one is travelling.I find they are inclined to
presume.Americans,especially,are sometimes rather dense."
Poirot murmured suavely:
"I am sure,Lady Westholme,that you are quite capable of dealing with
situations of that kind.When travelling acquaintances are no longer of any use
to you,I am sure you are an adept at dropping them."
"I think I am capable of dealing with most situations,"said Lady Westholme
complacently.
The twinkle in Poirot's eye was quite lost upon her.
"If you will just conclude your recital of the day's happenings?"murmured
Poirot.
"Certainly.As far as I can remember,Raymond Boynton and the red-haired
Boynton girl came in shortly afterwards.Miss King arrived last.Dinner was then
ready to be served.One of the servants was dispatched by the dragoman to
announce the fact to old Mrs Boynton.The man came running back with one of his
comrades in a state of some agitation and spoke to the dragoman in Arabic.There
was some mention of Mrs Boynton being taken ill.Miss King offered her
services.She went out with the dragoman.She came back and broke the news to the
members of Mrs Boynton's family."
"She did it very abruptly,"put in Miss Pierce."Just blurted it out.I think
myself it ought to have been done more gradually."
"And how did Mrs Boynton's family take the news?"asked Poirot.
For once both Lady Westholme and Miss Pierce seemed a little at a loss.The
former said at last in a voice lacking its usual self-assurance:
"Well-really-it is difficult to say.They -they were very quiet about it."
"Stunned,"said Miss Pierce.
She offered the word more as a suggestion than as a fact.
"They all went out with Miss King,"said Lady Westholme."Miss Pierce and I
very sensibly remained where we were."
A faintly wistful look was observable in Miss Pierce's eye at this point.
"I detest vulgar curiosity!"continued Lady Westholme.
The wistful look became more pronounced.It was clear that Miss Pierce had
had perforce to hate vulgar curiosity,too!
"Later,"concluded Lady Westholme,"the dragoman and Miss King returned.I
suggested that dinner should be served immediately to the four of us,so that the
Boynton family could dine later in the marquee without the embarrassment of
strangers being present.My suggestion was adopted and immediately after the meal
I retired to my tent.Miss King and Miss Pierce did the same.Mr Cope,I
believe,remained in the marquee as he was a friend of the family and thought he
might be of some assistance to them.That is all I know,M.Poirot."
"When Miss King had broken the news,all the Boynton family accompanied her
out of the marquee?"
"Yes -no,I believe,now that you come to mention it,that the red-haired girl
stayed behind.Perhaps you can remember,Miss Pierce?"
"Yes,I think -I am quite sure she did."
Poirot asked:What did she do?"
Lady Westholme stared at him.
"What did she do,M.Poirot?She did not do anything as far as I can remember."
"I mean was she sewing -or reading -did she look anxious -did she say
anything?"
"Well,really-"Lady Westholme frowned."She -er -she just sat there as far as
I can remember."
"She twiddled her fingers,"said Miss Pierce suddenly."I remember noticing -
poor thing,I thought,it shows what she's feeling!Not that there was anything to
show in her face,you know -just her hands turning and twisting."
"Once,"went on Miss Pierce conversationally,"I remember tearing up a pound
note that way -not thinking of what I was doing.'shall I catch the first train
and go to her?"I thought (it was a great-aunt of mine -taken suddenly ill)."Or
shall I not?"And I couldn't make up my mind one way or the other and there,I
looked down,and instead of the telegram I was tearing up a pound note -a pound
note -into tiny pieces!"
Miss Pierce paused dramatically.
Not entirely approving of this sudden bid for the limelight on the part of
her satellite,Lady Westholme said coldly: "Is there anything else,M.Poirot?"
With a start,Poirot seemed to come out of a brown study."Nothing -nothing -
you have been most clear -most definite."
"I have an excellent memory,"said Lady Westholme with satisfaction.
"One last little demand,Lady Westholme,"said Poirot."Please continue to sit
as you are sitting -without looking round.Now would you be so kind as to
describe to me just what Miss Pierce is wearing today -that is if Miss Pierce
does not object?"
"Oh,no!not in the least!"twittered Miss Pierce.
"really,M.Poirot,is there any object -"
"Please be so kind as to do as I ask,madame."
Lady Westholme shrugged her shoulders and then said with a rather bad grace:
"Miss Pierce has on a striped brown and white cotton dress,and is wearing
with it a Sudanese belt of red,blue and beige leather.She is wearing beige silk
stockings and brown glacestrap shoes.There is a ladder in her left
stocking.She has a necklace of cornelian beads and one of bright royal blue
beads -and is wearing a brooch with a pearl butterfly on it.She has an imitation
scarab ring on the third finger of her right hand.On her head she had a double
terai of pink and brown felt."
She paused -a pause of quiet competence.Then:
"Is there anything further?"she asked coldly.
Poirot spread out his hands in a wild gesture.
"You have my entire admiration,madame.Your observation is of the highest
order."
"Details rarely escape me."
Lady Westhome rose,made a slight inclination of her head,and left the
room.As Miss Pierce was following her,gazing down ruefully at her left
leg,Poirot said:
"A little moment,please,mademoiselle?"
"Yes?"Miss pierce looked up,a slightly apprehensive look upon her face.
Poirot leaned forward confidentially.
"You see this bunch of wild flowers on the table here?"
"Yes,"said Miss Pierce -staring.
"And you noticed that when you first came into the room I sneezed once or
twice?"
"Yes?"
"Did you notice if I had just been sniffing those flowers?"
"Well -really -no I couldn't say."
"But you remember my sneezing?"
"Oh yes,I remember that!"
Ah,well -no matter.I wondered,you see,if these flowers might induce the hay
fever.No matter!"
"Hay fever?"cried Miss Pierce."I remember a cousin of mine was a martyr to
it!She always said if you sprayed your nose daily with a solution of boracic -"
With some difficulty Poirot shelved the cousin's nasal treatment and got rid
of Miss Pierce.He shut the door and came back into the room with his eyebrows
raised.
"But I did not sneeze,"he murmured."So much for that.No,I did not
sneeze."
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