and equipped a teashop..."

Miss Gflchrist turned to him.

"At least," she said. "You do understand. It was the

only chance I'd ever get. I had to have a capital sum." Her

voice vibrated with the force and obsession of her dream. "I

was going to call it the Palm Tree. And have little camels as

menu holders. One can occasionally get quite nice china--

export rejects--not that awful white utility stuff. I meant

to start it in some nice neighbourhood where nice people would

come in. I had thought of Rye... Or perhaps Chichester...

I'm sure I could have made a success of it." She paused a minute, then added musingly, "Oak tables--and little basket chairs with striped red and vhite cushions "

For a few moments, the tea-shop that would never be, seemed more real than the Victorian solidity of the drawing-room at Enderby...

It was Inspector Morton who broke the spell.

Miss Gilchrist tu,,rned to him quite politely.

"Oh, certainly, she said. "At once. I don't want to give any trouble, I'm sure. After all, if I can't have the Palm Tree, notking really seems to matter very much ....

She went out of the room with him and Susan said, her voice still shaken: "I've never imagined a lady-lille murderer. It's horrible ....

CHAPTER XXV

"BuT I DON'T understand about the wax flowers," said Rosamund.

She fixed Poirot with large reproachful blue eyes. They were at Helen's flat in London. Helen herself was resting on the sofa and Rosamund and Poirot were having tea with her.

"I don't see that wax flowers had anything to do with it," said Rosamund. "Or the malachite table."

"The malachite table, no. But the wax flowers were Miss Gilchrist's second mistake. She said how nice they looked on the malachite table. And you see, Madame, she could not have seen them there. Because they had been broken and put away before she arrived with t-he Timothy t89

Abernethies. So sh, could only haw s,en thetn wh, n shs was there as Cora Lansqutnet."

"That was stupid of her, wasn't it ?" said Rosamund.

Po[rot shook a forefinger at her.

"It shows you, Madame, the dangers of conversation. It is a profound belief of mine that if you can induce a person to talk to you for long enough, on any subject whatever, sooner or later they will give themselves away. Miss Gilchrist did."

"I shall have to be careful," said Rosamund thoughtfully.

Then she brightened up.

"Did you know ? I'm going to have a baby."

"Aha! So that is the meaning of Harley Street and Regent's Park ?"

"Yes. I was so upset, you know, and so surprised--that I just had to go somewhere and think."

"You said, I remember, that that does not very often happen."

"Well, it's much easier not to. But this time I had to decide about the future. And I've decided to leave the stage and just be a mother."

"A rlthat will suit you admirably. Already I foresee

delightful pictures in the Sketch and the Tatlsr."

Rosamund smiled happily.

"Yes, it's wonderful. Do you know, Michael is dlighted.

I didn't really think he would be."

She paused and added:

"Susan's got the malachite table. I thought, as I was having a baby "

She left the sentence unfinished.

"Susan's cosmetic business promises well," said Helen.

"I think she is all set for a big success."

"Yes, she ,;a born to succeed," said Poirot. She is like her uncle."

"You mean Richard, I suppose," said Rosamund. "Not Timothy ?"

"a.s.suredly not like Timothy," said Poirot.

They laughed.

"Greg's away somewhere," said Rosamund. "Having a rest cure Susan says ?"

She looked inquiringly at Poirot who said nothing.

"I can't think why he kept on saying he'd killed Uncle Richard," said Rosamund. "Do you think it was a form of Exhibitionism ?"

Poirot reverted to the previous topic.

"I received a very amiable letter from Mr. Timothy Abernethie,"

he said. "He expressed himself as highly satisfied with the services I had rendered the family.

"I do think Uncle Timothy is quite awful, said Rosamund.

"I rn going to stay with them next week," said Helen.

"They seem to be getting the gardens into order, but domestic help is still diffcult."

"They miss the awful Gilchrist, I suppose," said Rosamund.

"But I dare say in the end, she'd have killed Uncle Timothy too. What fun if she had I"

"Murder has always seemed fun to you, Madame."

"Oh I not really," said Rosamund, vaguely. "But I did think it was George." She brightened up. "Perhaps he will do one some day."

"And that will be fun," said Poirot srcastically. "Yes, won't it ?" Rosamund agreed.

She ate another clair from the plate in front of her.