"Can you describe 'some of those things?"

"There were some gla.s.s flowers--modern--rather beautiful And I think there were some Chinese or j.a.panese pictures. And there was a bowl of tiny red tulips--amazingly early for them."

"Anything else?"

"I'm afraid I didn't notice anything in detail."

"The furniturc do you remember the colour of the upholstery?"

"Something silky, I think. That's all I can say."

"Did you notice any of the small objects?"

"I'm afraid not. There were so many. I know it struck me as quite a collector's room."

There was a silence for a minute. Mrs. Lorrimer said with a faint smile:

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"I'm afraid I have not been very helpful,"

"There is something else." He produced the bridge scores. "Here are the first three rubbers played. I wondered if you could help me with the aid of these scores to reconstruct the hands."

"Let me see." Mrs. Lorrimer looked interested. She bent over the scores. "That was the first rubber.

Miss Meredith and I were playing against the two men. The first game was played in four spades. We made it and an over trick. Then the next hand was left at two diamonds and Dr. Roberts went down one trick on it.

There was quite a lot of bidding on the third hand, I remember. Miss Meredith pa.s.sed. Major Despard went a heart. I pa.s.sed. Dr. Roberts gave a jump bid of three clubs. Miss Meredith went three spades. Major Despard bid four diamonds.

I doubled. Dr. Roberts took it into four hearts. They went down one."

"Epatant,'" said Poirot. "What a memory!"

Mrs. Lorrimer went on, disregarding him: "On the next hand Major Despard pa.s.sed and I bid a no trump. Dr. Roberts bid three hearts. My partner said nothing. Despard put his partner to four. I doubled and they went down two tricks. Then I dealt and we went out on a four-spade call."

She took up the next score.

"It is difficult, that," said Poirot. "Major Despard scores in the cancellation manner."

"I rather fancy both sides went down fifty to start with--then Dr. Roberts went down to five diamonds and we doubled and got him down three tricks. Then we made three clubs, but immediately after the others went game in spades. We made the second game in five clubs. Then we went down a hundred. The others made one heart, we made two no trumps and we finally won the rubber with a four-club call."

She picked up the next score.

"This rubber was rather a battle, I remember. It started tamely. Major Despard and Miss Meredith made a one-heart call. Then we went down a couple of fifties trying for four hearts and four spades. Then the others made game in spades--no use trying to stop them. We went down three hands running after that but undoubled. Then we won the second game in no trumps. Then a battle royal started. Each side went down in turn. Dr. Roberts overcalled but though he went down badly once or twice, his calling paid, for more than once he frightened Miss Meredith out of bidding her hand. Then he bid an original two spade, I gave him three diamonds, he bid four no trumps, I bid five spades and he suddenly jumped to seven diamonds. We were doubled, of course. He had no business to make such a call. By a kind of miracle we got it. I never thought we should when I saw his hand go down. If the others led a heart we would have been three tricks down. As it was they led the king of clubs and we got it.

It was really very exciting."

'Je crois bien--a Grand Slam Vulnerable doubled. It causes the emotions, that! Me, I admit it, I have not the nerve to go for the slams. I content myself with the game."

"Oh, but you shouldn't," said Mrs. Lorrimer with energy. "You must play the game properly."

"Take risks, you mean?"

"There is no risk if the bidding is correct. It should be a mathematical certainty. Unfortunately, few people really bid well. They know the opening bids but later they lose their heads. They cannot distinguish between a hand with

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winning cards in it and a hand without losing cards but I mustn't give you a lecture on bridge, or on the losing count, M. Poirot."

"It would improve my play, I am sure, Madame."

Mrs. Lorrimer resumed her study of the score.

"After that excitement the next hands were rather tame. Have you the fourth score there? Ah, yes. A ding-dong barrio neither side able to score below."

"It is often like that as the evening wears on."

"Yes, one starts tamely and then the cards get worked up."

Poirot collected the scores and made a little bow.

"Madame, I congratulate you. Your card memory is magnificent--but You remember, one might say, every card that was//15Iayed!"

magnificent!

"I believe I do."

/ "Memory is a wonderful gift. With it the past is never the past--I should imagine, Madame, that to you the past unrolls itself, every incident clear as yesterday. Is that so?"

She looked at him quickly. Her eyes were wide and dark.

It was only for a moment, then she had resumed her woman-ofthe-world manner, but Hercule Poirot did not doubt. That shot had gone home.

Mrs. Lorrimer rose.

"I'm afraid I shall have to leave now. I am so sorry--but I really mustn't be late."

"Of course not---of course not. I apologise for trespa.s.sing on your time."

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to help you more."

"But you have helped me," said Hercule Poirot.

"I hardly think so."

She spoke with decision.

"But yes. You have told me something I wanted to know."

She asked no question as to what that something was.

He held out his hand, "Thank you, Madame, for your forbearance."

As she shook hands with him she said: "You are an extraordinary man, M. Poirot." "I am as the good G.o.d made me, Madame." "We are all that, I suppose."

"Not all, Madame. Some of us have tried to improve on His pattern. Mr.

Shaitana, for instance."

"In what way do you mean?"

"He had a very pretty taste in objets de virtu and bric-a-brac--he should have been content with that. Instead, he collected other things."

"What sort of things?"

"Well--shall we say--sensations?"

"And don't you think that was clans son caractre?"

Poirot shook his head gravely.

"He played the part of the devil too successfully. But he was not the devil. Au fond, he was a stupid man. And so--he died."

"Because he was stupid?" "It is the sin that is never forgiven and always punished, Madame."

There was a silence. Then Poirot said: "I take my departure. A thousand thanks for your amiability, Madame. I will not come again unless you send for me."

Her eyebrows rose.

"Dear me, M. Poirot, why should I send for you?"

"You might. It is just an idea. If so, I will come. Remember that."

He bowed once more and left the room.

In the street he said to himself.

"I am right .... I am sure I am right .... It must be that!"

CHAPTER 12

Anne Meredith

Mrs. Oliver extricated herself from the driving-seat of her little two-seater with some difficulty. To begin with, the makers of modem motor-cars a.s.sume that only a pair of sylph-like knees will ever be under the steering-wheel. It is also the fashion to sit low. That being so, for a middle-aged woman of generous proportions it requires a good deal of superhuman wriggling to get out from under the steering-wheel.

In the second place, the seat next to the driving-seat was enc.u.mbered by several maps, a hangbag, three novels and a large bag of apples. Mrs. Oliver was partial to apples and had indeed been known to eat as many as five pounds straight offwhilst composing the complicated plot of The Death in the Drain Pipe--coming to herself with a start and an incipient stomach-ache an hour and ten minutes after she was due at an important luncheon party given in her honour.

With a final determined heave and a sharp shove with the knee against a recalcitrant door, Mrs. Oliver arrived a little too suddenly on the sidewalk outside the gate of Wendon Cottage, showering apple cores freely round her as she did so.

She gave a deep sigh, pushed back her country hat to an unfashionable angle, looked down with approval at the tweeds she had remembered to put on, frowned a little when she saw that she had absent-mindedly retained her London high-heeled patent leather shoes, and pushing open the gate of Wendon Cottage walked up the flagged path to the front door. She raag the bell and executed-a cheerful