Mary's voice came, cool and liquid:

" any right to criticize my actions ? ''

" the talk village ! My mother was only buried on Saturday, and here gadding about fellow ''

"Oh,'' she shrugged her shoulders, " only village gossip that you mind ! ''

"But it isn't I've had enough fellow hanging about He's Polish Jew, anyway ''

"A tinge of Jewish blood bad thing It leavens the'' -- she looked at him -- "stolid stupidity ordinary Englishman ''

Fire in her eyes, ice in her voice wonder blood rose to John's face in crimson tide

"Mary ! ''

"Well ? '' Her tone change

The pleading died out voice

"Am I to understand that continue Bauerstein against my express wishes ? ''

"If I choose ''

"You defy me ? ''

"No, but I deny your right to criticize my actions no friends of whom disapprove ? ''

John fell back pace The colour ebbed slowly face

"What ? '' , in an unsteady voice

" ! '' said Mary quietly " see, don't you, that no right to dictate choice friends ? ''

John glanced at her pleadingly, stricken look face

"No right ? Have I no right, Mary ? '' unsteadily He stretched out his hands "Mary -- -- ''

For moment, she wavered softer expression came over her face, then suddenly she turned almost fiercely away

"None ! ''

She was walking away when John sprang after her, and caught her arm

"Mary'' -- his voice was very quiet now -- " in love fellow Bauerstein ? ''

She hesitated, and suddenly there swept across her face strange expression, old hills, yet with something eternally young So might some Egyptian sphinx have smiled

She freed herself quietly arm, and spoke over her shoulder

"Perhaps,'' she said; and then swiftly passed little glade, leaving John standing there he turned to stone

Rather ostentatiously, I stepped forward, crackling some dead branches with my feet as so John turned Luckily, it for granted that I had only just come scene

"Hullo, Hastings seen the little fellow safely back cottage ? Quaint little chap ! Is he any good, though, really ? ''

" considered finest detectives day ''

"Oh, well, I suppose something , then What rotten world , though ! ''

"You find it so ? '' I asked

"Good Lord, yes ! There's this terrible business to start with Scotland Yard men in and house like jack-in-the-box ! Never know where they won't turn up next Screaming headlines in every paper country -- damn all journalists, ! whole crowd staring in lodge gates Sort of Madame Tussaud's chamber of horrors business seen for nothing Pretty thick, isn't it ? ''

"Cheer up, John ! '' soothingly "It can't last for ever ''

"Can't it, though ? It can last long enough never to hold up our heads again ''

"No, no, you're getting morbid ''

"Enough man morbid, stalked by beastly journalists and stared at by gaping moon-faced idiots, wherever he goes ! But there's worse than that ''

"What ? ''

John lowered his voice:

" ever thought, Hastings -- it's nightmare -- who did it ? 't help feeling sometimes it must an accident Because -- because -- who done it ? Now Inglethorp's way, there's no one else; no one, I mean, except -- one of us ''

Yes, indeed, that was nightmare enough for any man ! One of us ? Yes, surely it so, unless -- -- -

new idea suggested itself to my mind Rapidly, I considered it The light increased Poirot's mysterious doings, his hints -- they all fitted in Fool that not thought possibility before, and what relief all

"No, John,'' , "it isn't one of us How could it be ? ''

" , but, still, who else ? ''

"Can't you guess ? ''

"No ''

I looked cautiously round, and lowered my voice

"Dr Bauerstein ! '' I whispered

"Impossible ! ''

"Not at all ''

"But what earthly interest could he have in my mother's death ? ''

"That I don't see,'' I confessed, "but I'll tell you this: Poirot thinks so ''

"Poirot ? Does he ? How ? ''

him of Poirot's intense excitement on hearing that Dr Bauerstein at Styles fatal night, and added:

" twice: 'That alters everything ' And I've been thinking Inglethorp said he had put down the coffee hall ? Well, just then that Bauerstein arrived Isn't it possible that, as Inglethorp brought him hall, the doctor dropped something coffee in passing ? ''

"H'm,'' said John "It very risky ''

"Yes, but possible ''

"And then, how could he know her coffee ? No, old fellow, I don't think wash ''

But I had remembered something else

"You're quite right That wasn't how it Listen '' And I then told him coco sample which Poirot had taken analysed

John interrupted just as I had done

"But, look here, Bauerstein had had it analysed already ? ''

"Yes, yes, that's the point I didn't see it either until now Don't you understand ? Bauerstein had it analysed -- that's just it ! If Bauerstein's the murderer, nothing simpler than for him to substitute some ordinary coco sample, and send that tested And find no strychnine ! But no one would dream of suspecting Bauerstein, or think of taking another sample -- except Poirot,'' I added, with belated recognition

"Yes, but what bitter taste that coco won't disguise ? ''

"Well, we've only his word And other possibilities He's admittedly world's greatest toxicologists -- -- ''

" world's greatest what ? Say it again ''

" more about poisons than almost anybody,'' I explained "Well, my idea is, that perhaps he's found some way of making strychnine tasteless Or it may not strychnine at all, but some obscure drug no one has ever heard of, which produces much the same symptoms ''

"H'm, yes, that ,'' said John "But look here, how could he have got coco ? That wasn't downstairs ? ''

"No, it wasn't,'' I admitted reluctantly

And then, suddenly, dreadful possibility flashed through my mind I hoped and prayed it occur to John also I glanced sideways at him frowning perplexedly, and I drew deep breath of relief, terrible thought that had flashed across my mind : that Dr Bauerstein had an accomplice

Yet surely it ! Surely no woman as beautiful as Mary Cavendish murderess Yet beautiful women known to poison

And suddenly I remembered that first conversation at tea day arrival, gleam in her eyes as she had said that poison was woman's weapon How agitated she fatal Tuesday evening ! Had Mrs Inglethorp discovered something between her and Bauerstein, and threatened her husband ? to stop that denunciation crime committed ?

Then I remembered that enigmatical conversation between Poirot and Evelyn Howard what they had meant ? the monstrous possibility that Evelyn had tried not ?

Yes, it all fitted in

No wonder Miss Howard had suggested "hushing it up '' Now I understood that unfinished sentence of hers: "Emily herself -- -- '' And in my heart I agreed with her Mrs Inglethorp have preferred unavenged rather than have such terrible dishonour fall name of Cavendish

"There's another thing,'' said John suddenly, unexpected sound voice made me start guiltily "Something which makes me doubt if what you say true ''

"What's that ? '' I asked, thankful that he had gone away subject of how the poison introduced coco

"Why, the fact that Bauerstein demanded post-mortem He needn't so Little Wilkins quite content to let it go at heart disease ''

"Yes,'' doubtfully "But we don't know Perhaps he thought it safer long run Some one talked afterwards Then the Home Office ordered exhumation The whole thing come out, then, and he in an awkward position, for no one believed that man reputation deceived into calling it heart disease ''

"Yes, that's possible,'' admitted John "Still,'' he added, "I'm blest if what his motive ''

I trembled

"Look here,'' , " altogether wrong And, remember, all in confidence ''

"Oh, -- that goes without saying ''

We had walked, talked, and now we passed little gate garden Voices rose near at hand, for tea was spread out under the sycamore-tree, as it day arrival

Cynthia was back hospital, and I placed my chair beside her, and told her of Poirot's wish to visit the dispensary