POIROT'S abrupt departure had intrigued us all greatly Sunday morning wore away, and still reappear But about three o'clock ferocious and prolonged hooting outside drove us window, Poirot alighting from car, accompanied by Japp and Summerhaye The little man was transformed He radiated an absurd complacency He bowed with exaggerated respect to Mary Cavendish

"Madame, your permission to hold little réunion salon ? necessary for to attend ''

Mary smiled sadly

" , Monsieur Poirot, that carte blanche in every way ''

" too amiable, madame ''

Still beaming, Poirot marshalled us all drawing-room, bringing forward chairs as so

"Miss Howard -- here Mademoiselle Cynthia Monsieur Lawrence The good Dorcas And Annie Bien ! delay our proceedings until Mr Inglethorp arrives sent him note ''

Miss Howard rose immediately from her seat

" man comes house, I leave it ! ''

"No, no ! '' Poirot went her and pleaded in low voice

Finally Miss Howard consented to return to her chair later Alfred Inglethorp entered the room

The company once assembled, Poirot rose seat air of popular lecturer, and bowed politely audience

"Messieurs, mesdames, all know, called in by Monsieur John Cavendish to investigate I at once examined the bedroom deceased which, advice doctors, kept locked, and was consequently exactly as it tragedy occurred : first, fragment of green material; second, stain carpet near the window, still damp; thirdly, an empty box of bromide powders

"To fragment of green material first, it caught bolt communicating door between that room adjoining one occupied by Mademoiselle Cynthia I handed the fragment over police who consider it of much importance Nor did they recognize it for what -- piece torn from green land armlet ''

little stir of excitement

"Now person at Styles who worked land -- Mrs Cavendish Therefore it must Mrs Cavendish who entered the deceased's room door communicating with Mademoiselle Cynthia's room ''

"But that door was bolted inside ! '' I cried

"When I examined the room, yes But first place only her word , since she who tried that particular door and reported it fastened ensuing confusion she had ample opportunity to shoot the bolt across an early opportunity of verifying my conjectures with, the fragment corresponds exactly with tear in Mrs Cavendish's armlet Also, inquest, Mrs Cavendish declared that she had heard, from her own room, the fall table bed an early opportunity of testing that statement by stationing my friend Monsieur Hastings left wing building, just outside Mrs Cavendish's door I myself, in company police, went deceased's room, and whilst there I, apparently accidentally, knocked over the table , but found that, as I had expected, Monsieur Hastings had heard no sound at all This confirmed my belief that Mrs Cavendish was not speaking the truth when she declared that she dressing in her room tragedy , convinced that, far from having been in her own room, Mrs Cavendish was actually deceased's room alarm was given ''

I shot quick glance at Mary She was very pale, but smiling

"I proceeded to reason assumption Mrs Cavendish is in her mother-in-law's room say that seeking for something and found it Suddenly Mrs Inglethorp awakens seized with an alarming paroxysm She flings out her arm, overturning the bed table, and then pulls desperately bell Mrs Cavendish, startled, drops her candle, scattering the grease carpet She picks it up, and retreats quickly to Mademoiselle Cynthia's room, closing the door behind her She hurries out passage, servants must not find her where But too late ! Already footsteps are echoing along the gallery which connects the two wings What can she do ? Quick as thought, she hurries back young girl's room, and starts shaking her awake The hastily aroused household come trooping down the passage all busily battering at Mrs Inglethorp's door It occurs to nobody that Mrs Cavendish arrived rest, but -- and significant -- find no one who saw her come other wing '' He looked at Mary Cavendish "Am I right, madame ? ''

She bowed her head

"Quite right, monsieur You understand that, if I had thought do my husband any good by revealing these facts, done so But it seem to bear question guilt or innocence ''

"In sense, correct, madame But it cleared my mind of many misconceptions, and left me free other facts in their true significance ''

"The will ! '' cried Lawrence "Then you, Mary, who destroyed the will ? ''

She shook her head, and Poirot shook his also

"No,'' quietly " person possibly have destroyed -- Mrs Inglethorp herself ! ''

"Impossible ! '' I exclaimed "She had only made it out that very afternoon ! ''

"Nevertheless, mon ami, Mrs Inglethorp Because, in no other way account fact that, on hottest days year, Mrs Inglethorp ordered fire lighted in her room ''

gasp What idiots we never fire as being incongruous ! Poirot was continuing:

"The temperature , messieurs, was 80o shade Yet Mrs Inglethorp ordered fire ! Why ? Because she wished to destroy something, and could think of no other way remember that, in consequence War economics practiced at Styles, no waste paper was thrown away therefore no means of destroying thick document such as will The moment I heard of fire being lighted in Mrs Inglethorp's room, I leaped conclusion to destroy some important document -- possibly will So the discovery charred fragment grate was no surprise , , know will had only been made this afternoon, admit that, when I learnt that fact, I fell into grievous error conclusion that Mrs Inglethorp's determination to destroy her will arose as direct consequence quarrel she had that afternoon, therefore the quarrel took place after, and not making will

"Here, as , wrong, and forced to abandon that idea I faced the problem from new standpoint Now, at 4 o'clock, Dorcas overheard her mistress saying angrily: ' not think that any fear of publicity, or scandal between husband and wife will deter me '' I conjectured, and conjectured rightly, words were addressed, not to her husband, but to Mr John Cavendish At 5 o'clock, an hour later, she uses almost the same words, but the standpoint is different She admits to Dorcas, 'I don't know what ; scandal between husband and wife is dreadful thing ' At 4 o'clock she angry, but completely mistress of herself At 5 o'clock in violent distress, and speaks of having had great shock

"Looking matter psychologically, I drew one deduction which convinced was correct The second 'scandal' she spoke of was not the same first -- and it concerned herself !

" reconstruct At 4 o'clock, Mrs Inglethorp quarrels with her son, and threatens to denounce him wife -- who, , overheard the greater part conversation At 4 30, Mrs Inglethorp, in consequence of conversation validity of wills, makes will in favour of her husband, which the two gardeners witness At 5 o'clock, Dorcas finds her mistress in state of considerable agitation, with slip of paper -- 'a letter,' Dorcas thinks -- in her hand, and then that she orders the fire in her room lighted Presumably, then, between 4 30 and 5 o'clock, something has occurred to occasion complete revolution of feeling, since now as anxious to destroy the will, as she was before it What something ?

"As far as , she was quite alone during that half-hour Nobody entered or left that boudoir What then occasioned this sudden change of sentiment ?