THE

MOVING

FINGER

AGATHA CHRISTIE

BANTAM BOOKS

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THE MOVING FINGER

A Bantam Book I published by, arrangement with

Dodd, Mead tv Company

Agatha Christie Hardcover Collection/October 1983

All rights reserved.

Copyright 1942 by Agatha Christie Mallowan,

Copyright

© renewed 1970 by Agatha Christie Mallowan.

Endpapers designed by Peggy Skycraft.

Book design by Barbara N. Cohen.

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THE MOVING FINGER

CHAPTER I

I have often recalled the morning when the first of the

anonymous letters came.

It arrived at breakfast and I turned it over in the idle way

one does when time goes slowly and every event must be

spun out to its full extent. It was, I saw, a local letter with a

typewritten address. I opened it before the two with London

postmarks, since one of them was clearly a bill, and on the

other I recognized the handwriting of one of my more tire-some

cousins.

It seems odd, now, to remember that Joanna and I were

more amused by the letter than anything else. We hadn't,

then, the faintest inkling of what was to come--the trail of

blood and violence and suspicion and fear.

One simply didn't associate that sort of thing with Lymstock.

I see that I have begun badly. I haven't explained Lymstock.

When I took a bad crash flying, I was afraid for a long time,

AGATHA CHRISTIE

in spite of soothing words from doctors and nurses, that I was

going to be condemned to lie on my back all my life. Then at

last they took me out of the plaster and I learned cautiously to

use my limbs, and finally Marcus Kent, my doctor, clapped

me on my back and told me that-everything was going to be

all right, but that I'd got to go and live in the country and lead

the life of a vegetable for at least six months.

"Go to some part of the world where you haven't any

friends. Get right away from things. Take an interest in local

politics, get excited about village gossip, absorb all the local

scandal. Small beer--that's the prescription for you. Absolute

rest and quiet."

Rest and quiet! It seems funny to think of that now.

And so Lymstock---and Little Furze.

Lymstock had been a place of importance at the time of the

Norman Conquest. In the twentieth century it was a place of

no importance whatsoever. It was three miles from a main

road--a little provincial market town with a sweep of moorland

rising above it. Little Furze was situated on the road

leading up to the moors. It was a prim, low, white house with

a sloping Victorian veranda painted a faded green.

My sister Joanna, as soon as she saw it, decided that it was

the ideal spot for a convalescent. Its owner matched the

house, a charming little old lady, quite incredibly Victorian,

who explained to Joanna that she would never have dreamed

of letting her house if "things had not been so different

nowadays--this terrible taxation."

So everything was settled, and the agreement signed, and in due course Joanna and I arrived and settled in, while Miss

Emily Barton went into rooms in Lymstock kept by a former

parlormaid ("my faithful Florence") and we were looked al2

THE MOVING FINGER

ter by Miss Barton's present maid, Partridge, a grim but

efficient personage who was assisted by a daily "girl."

As soon as we had been given a few days to settle down,

Lymstock came solemnly to call. Everybody in Lymstock had

a label--"rather like happy families," as Joanna said. There

was Mr. Symmington the lawyer, thin and dry, with his

querulous bridge-playing wife. Dr. Griffith--the dark, melancholy

doctor--and his sister who was big and hearty. The

vicar, a scholarly absent-minded elderly man and his erratic

eager-faced wife. Rich dilettante Mr. Pye of Prior's End, and

finally Miss Emily Barton herself, the perfect spinster of

village tradition.

Joanna fingered the cards with something like awe. "I didn't

know," she said in an awestruck voice, "that people really called--with cards!"

"That," I told her, "is because you know nothing about the

country."

Joanna is very pretty and very gay, and she likes dancing

and cocktails and love affairs and rushing about in high-

powered cars. She is definitely and entirely urban.

"At any rate," said Joanna, "I look all right."

I studied her critically and was not able to agree.

Joanna was dressed (by Mirotin) for le sport. The effect

was quite charming, but a bit startling for Lymstock.

"No," I said. "You're all wrong. You ought to be wearing an

old faded tweed skirt with a nice cashmere jumper matching

it and perhaps a rather baggy cardigan coat, and you'd wear a

felt hat and thick stockings and old well-worn brogues. Your

face is all wrong, too," I added.

"What's wrong with that? I've got on my Country Tan

Make-Up No. 2."

"Exactly," I said. "If you lived here, you would have just a

3

AGATHA CHRISTIE

little powder to take the shine off the nose and you would

almost certainly be wearing all your eyebrows instead of only

a quarter of them."

Joanna laughed, and said that coming to the country was a

new experience and she was going to enjoy it.

"I'm afraid you'll be terribly bored," I said remorsefully.

"No, I shan't. I really was fed up with all my crowd, and

though you won't be sympathetic I really was very cut up

about Paul. It will take me a long time to get over it."

I was skeptical over this. Joanna's love affairs always run

the same course. She has a mad infatuation for some com-pletely

spineless young man who is a misunderstood genius.

She listens to his endless complaints and works to get him

recognition. Then, when he is ungrateful, she is deeply

wounded and says her heart is broken--until the next gloomy

young man comes along, which is usually about three weeks

later.

I did rot take Joanna's broken heart very seriously, but I

did see that living in the country was like a new game to my

attractive sister. She entered with zest into the pastime of

returning calls. We duly received invitations to tea and to

bridge, which we accepted, and issued invitations in our

turn.

To us, it was all novel and entertaining--a new game.

And, as I say, when the anonymous letter came, it struck

me, at first, as amusing too.

For a minute or two after opening the letter, I stared at it

uncomprehendingly. Printed words had been cut out and

pasted on a sheet of paper.

The letter, using terms of the coarsest character, expressed

the writer's opinion that Joanna and I were not brother and

sister.

4

THE MOVING FINGER

"Hullo," said Joanna. "What is it?"

"It's a particularly foul anonymous letter," I said.

I was still suffering from shock. Somehow one didn't expect

that kind of thing in the placid backwater of Lymstock.

Joanna at once displayed lively interest. "No? What does it

say?"

In novels, I have noticed, anonymous letters of a foul and

disgusting character are never shown, if possible, to women.

It is implied that women must at all cost be shielded from the

shock it might give their delicate laervous systems.

I am sorry to say it never occurred to me not to show the

letter to Joanna. I handed it to her at once.

She vindicated my belief in her toughness by displaying no

emotion but that of amusement. "What an awful bit of dirt!

I've always heard about anonymous letters, but I've never

seen one before. Are they always like this?"

"I can't tell you," I said. "It's my first experience, too."

Joanna began to giggle. "You must have been right about my

make-up, Jerry. I suppose they think I just must be an abandoned

female!"

"That," I said, "coupled with the fact that our father was a

tall, dark, lantern-jawed man and our mother a fair-haired blue-eyed little creature, and that I take after him and you

take after her."

Joanna nodded thoughtfully. "des, we're not a bit alike.

Nobody would take us for brother and sister."

"Somebody certainly hasn't," I said with feeling.

Joanna said she thought it was rightfully funny. She dangled

the letter thoughtfully by one corner and asked what we

were to do with it.

"The correct procedure, I believe," I said, "is to drop it into

the fire with a sharp exclamation if disgust."

AGATHA CHRISTIE

I suited the action to the word, and Joanna applauded.

"You did that beautifully," she said. "You ought to have been

on the stage. It's lucky we still have fires, isn't it?"

"The waste-paper basket would have been much less

dramatic," I agreed. "I could, of course, have set light to it

with a match and slowly watched it burn-or watched it

slowly burn."

"Things never burn when you want them to," said Joanna.

"They go out. You'd probably have had to strike match after

match."

She got up and went toward the window. Then, standing

there, she turned her head sharply. "I wonder," she said,

"who wrote it?"

"We're never likely to know," I said.

"No--I suppose not." She was silent a moment, and then

said: "I don't know when I come to think of it that it is so

funny after all. You know, I thought they--they liked us down

here."

"So they do," I said. "This is just some half-crazy brain on

the borderline."

"I suppose so. Ugh---nasty!"

As she went out into the sunshine I thought to myself as I

smoked my after-breakfast cigarette that she was quite right.

It was nasty. Someone resented our coming here--someone

resented Joanna's bright young sophisticated beauty--someone

wanted to hurt. To take it with a laugh was perhaps the best

way--but deep down it wasn't funny.

Dr. Griffith came that morning. I had fixed up for him to

give me a weekly overhaul. I liked Owen Griffith. He was

dark, ungainly, with awkward ways of moving and deft, very

gentle hands. He had a jerky way of talking and was rather

shy.

6

THE MOVING FINGER

He reported progress to be encouraging. Then he added,

"You're feeling all right, aren't you? Is it my fancy, or are you

a bit under the weather this morning?"

"Not really," I said. "A particularly scurrilous anonymous

letter arrived with the morning coffee, and it's left rather a

nasty taste in the mouth."

He dropped his bag on the floor. His thin dark face was

excited. "Do you mean to say that you've had one of them?"

I was interested. "They've been going about, then?"

"Yes. For some time."

"Oh," I said. "I see. I was under the impression that our

presence as strangers was resented here."

"No, no, it's nothing to do with that. It's just--" He paused

and then asked, "What did it say? At least"--he turned suddenly

red and embarrassed--"perhaps I oughtn't to ask?"

"I'll tell you with pleasure," I said. "It just said that the

fancy tart I'd brought down with me wasn't my sister--not

'alf! And that, I may say, is a shortened version."

His dark face flushed angrily. "How damnable! Your sister

didn't--she's not upset, I hope?"

"Joanna," I said, "looks a little like the angel off the top of

the Christmas tree, but she's eminently modern and quite

tough. She found it highly entertaining. Such things haven't

come her way before."

"I should hope not, indeed," said Griffith warmly.

"And anyway," I said firmly, "that's the best way to take it,

I think. As something utterly ridiculous."

"Yes," said Owen Griffith, "only--"

He stopped, and I chimed in quickly. "Quite so," I said.

"Only is the word!"

"The trouble is," he said, "that this sort of thing, once it

starts, grows."

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"So I should imagine."

"It's pathological, of course."

I nodded. "Any idea who's behind it?" I asked.

"No, I wish I had. You see, the anonymous letter pest arises

from one of two causes. Either it's particular--directed at one

person or set of people, that is to say it's motivated, it's

someone who's got a definite grudge (or thinks he has) and

who chooses a particularly nasty and underhand way of work-ing

it off. It's mean and disgusting but it's not necessarily

crazy, and it's usually fairly easy to trace the writer--a dis-charged

servant, a jealous woman, and so on. But if it's general,

and not particular, then it's more serious.

"The letters are sent indiscriminately and serve the pur-pose

of working off some frustration in the writer's mind. As

I say, it's definitely pathological. And the craze grows. In the

end, of course, you track down the person in question--(it's

often someone extremely unlikely) and that's that. There was

a bad outburst of that kind over the other side of the county

last year--turned out to be the head of the millinery depart-ment

in a big draper's establishment. Quiet, refined woman--had

been there for years.

"I remember something of the same kind in my last prac-tice

up north. But that turned out to be purely personal spite.

Still, as I say, I've seen something of this kind of thing, and,

quite frankly, it frightens me!"

"Has it been going on long?" I asked.

"I don't think so. Hard to say, of course, because people

who get these letters don't go round advertising the fact.

They put them in the fire."

He paused.

"I've had one myself. Symmington, the solicitor, he's had

THE MOVING FINGER

one. And one or two of my poorer patients have told me about

them."

"All much the same sort of thing?"

"Oh, yes. A definite harping on the sex theme. That's

always a feature." He grinned. "Symmington was accused of

illicit relations with his lady clerk--poor old Miss Ginch,

who's forty at least, with pince-nez and teeth like a rabbit.

Symmington took it straight to the police. My letters accused

me of violating professional decorum with my lady patients,

stressing the details. They're all quite childish and absurd,

but horribly venomous." His face changed, grew grave. "But

all the same, I'm afraid. These things can be dangerous, you

know."

"I suppose they can."

"You see," he said, "crude, childish-spite though it is,

sooner or later one of these letters will hit the mark. And then,

God knows what may happen! I'm afraid, too, of the effect

upon the slow, suspicious, uneducated mind. If they see a

thing written, they believe it's true. All sorts of complications

may arise."

"It was an illiterate sort of letter," I said thoughtfully,

"written by somebody practically illiterate, I should say."

"Was it?" said Owen and went away.

Thinking it over afterward, I found that "Was it?" rather

disturbing.

I am not going to pretend that the arrival of our anonymous

letter did not leave a nasty taste in the mouth. It did. At the

same time, it soon passed out of my mind. I did not, you see,

at that point, take it seriously. I think I remember saying to

myself that these things probably happen fairly often in out

of-the-way villages. Some hysterical woman with a taste for

9

AGATHA CHBISTIE

dramatizing herself was probably at the bottom of it. Anyway,

if the letters were as childish and silly as the one we had got,

they couldn't do much harm.

The next incident, if I may put it so, occurred about a week

later, when Partridge, her lips set tightly together, informed

me that Beatrice, the daily help, would not be coming today.

"I gather, sir," said Partridge, "that the girl has been upset."

I was not very sure what Partridge was implying, but I

diagnosed (wrongly) some stomach trouble to which Partridge

was too delicate to allude more directly. I said I was sorry and

hoped she would soon be better.

"The girl is perfectly well, sir," said Partridge. "She is

upset in her feelings."

"Oh," I said rather doubtfully.

"Owing," went on Partridge, "to a letter she has received.

Making, I understand, insinuations."

The grimness of Partridge's eye made me apprehensive

that the insinuations were concerned with me. Since I could

hardly have recognized Beatrice by sight if I had met her in

the town, so unaware of her had I been, I felt a not unnatural

annoyance. An invalid hobbling about on two sticks is hardly

cast for the role of deceiver of village girls,

I said irritably, "What nonsense!"

"My very words, sir, to the girl's mother," said Partridge.

"'Goings-on in this house,' I said to her, 'there never have

been and never will be while I am in charge. As to Beatrice,' I

said, 'girls are different nowadays, and as to goings-on else-where

I can say nothing.' But the truth is, sir, that Beatrice's

friend from the garage as she walks out with got one of them

nasty letters, too, and he isn't acting reasonable at all."

"I have never heard anything so preposterous in my life," I

said angrily.

10

THE MOVING FINGER

"It's my opinion, sir," said Partridge, "that we're well rid

of the girl. What I say is, she wouldn't take on so if there

wasn't something she didn't want found out. No smoke with-out

fire, that's what I say."

I had no idea how horribly tired I was going to get of that

particular phrase.

That morning, by way of adventure, I was to walk down to

the village. The sun was shining, the air was cool and crisp

with the sweetness of spring in it. I assembled my sticks and

started off, firmly refusing to permit Joanna to accompany

me.

It was arranged that she should pick me up with the car

and drive me back up the hill in time for lunch.

"That ought to give you time to pass the time of day with

everyone in Lymstock."

"I have no doubt," I said, "that I shall have seen anybody

who is anybody by then."

For morning in the High Street was a kind of rendezvous

for shoppers, when news was exchanged.

I did not, after all, walk down to the town unaccompanied.

I had gone about two hundred yards, when I heard a bicycle

bell behind me, then a scrunching of brakes, and then Megan

Hunter more or less fell off her machine at my feet.

"Hullo," she said breathlessly as she rose and dusted her-self

off.

I rather liked Megan and always felt oddly sorry for her.

She was Symmington the lawyer's stepdaughter, Mrs.

Symmington's daughter by a first marriage. Nobody talked

much about Mr. (or Captain) Hunter, and I gathered that he

was considered best forgotten. He was reported to have treated

Mrs. Symmington very badly. She had divorced him a year or

11

AGATHA CHRISTIE

two after the marriage. She was a woman with means of her

own and had settled down with her little daughter in Lymstock

"to forget," and had eventually married the only eligible

bachelor in the place, Richard Symmington.

There were two boys of the second marriage to whom their

parents were devoted, and I fancied that Megan sometimes

felt odd-man in the establishment. She certainly did not re-semble

her mother, who was a small anemic woman, fadedly

pretty, who talked in a thin melancholy voice of servant

difficulties and her health.

Megan was a tall awkward girl, and although she was actu-ally

twenty, she looked more like a schoolgirlish sixteen. She

had a shock of untidy brown hair, hazel-green eyes, a thin

bony face, and an unexpectedly charming one-sided smile.

Her clothes were drab and uaattractive and she usually had

on lisle-thread stockings with holes in them.

She looked, I decided this morning, much more like a horse

than a human being. In fact, she would have been a very nice

horse with a little grooming.

She spoke, as usual, in a kind of breathless rush:

"I've been up to the farm--you know, Lasher's--to see if

they'd got any duck eggs. They've got an awfully nice lot of

little pigs. Sweet! Do you like pigs? I do. I even like the

smell."

"Well-kept pigs shouldn't smell," I said.

"Shouldn't they? They all do around here. Are you walking

down to the town? I saw you were alone, so I thought I'd stop

and walk with you, only I stopped rather suddenly."

"You've torn your stocking," I said.

Megan looked rather ruefully at her right leg. "So I have.

But it's got two holes already, so it doesn't matter very much,

does it?"

12

THE MOVING FINGER

"Don't you ever mend your stockings, Megan?"

"Rather. When Mummie catches me. But she doesn't notice

awfully what I do--so it's lucky in a way, isn't it?"

"You don't seem to realize you're grown up," I said.

"You mean I ought to be more like your sister? All dolled

up?"

I rather resented this description of Joanna. "She looks

clean and tidy and pleasing to the eye," I said.

"She's awfully pretty," said Megan. "She isn't a bit like

you, is she? Why not?"

"Brothers and sisters aren't always alike."

"No. Of course I'm not very like Brian or Colin. And Brian

and Colin aren't like each other." She paused and said, "It's

very rum, isn't it?"

"What is ?"

Megan replied briefly:

"Families."

I said thoughtfully, "I suppose they are."

I wondered just what was passing in her mind. We walked

on in silence for a moment or two, then Megan said in a

rather shy voice, "You fly, don't you?"

"Yes."

"That's how you got hurt?"

"Yes, I crashed."

Megan said, "Nobody down here flies."

"No," I said, "I suppose not. Would you like to fly, Megan?"

"Me?" Megan seemed surprised. "Goodness, no. I should

be sick. I'm sick in a train even."

She paused and then asked with that directness which only

a child usually displays: "Will you get all right and be able to

fly again, or will you always be a bit of a crock?"

"My doctor says I shall be quite all right."

13

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"Yes, but is he the kind of man who tells lies?"

"I don't think so," I replied. "In fact, I'm quite sure of it. I

trust him."

"That's all right then. But a lot of people do tell lies."

I accepted this undeniable statement of fact in silence.

Megan said in a detached judicial kind of way, "I'm glad. I

was afraid you looked bad-tempered because you were crocked

up for life--but if it's just natural, it's different."

"I'm not bad-tempered," I said coldly.

"Well, irritable, then."

"I'm irritable because I'm in a hurry to get fit again--and

these things can't be hurried."

"Then why fuss ?"

I began to laugh. "My dear girl, aren't you ever in a hurry

for things to happen ?"

Megan considered the question. She said, "No. Why should

I be? There's nothing to be in a hurry about. Nothing ever

happens."

I was struck by something forlorn in the words. I said

gently, "What do you do with yourself down here?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "What is there to do?"

"Haven't you any hobbies? Don't you play games? Haven't

you got friends around about?"

"I'm stupid at games. There aren't many girls around here,

and the ones there are I don't like. They think I'm awful."

"Nonsense. Why should they?"

Megan shook her head.

We were now entering the High Street. Megan said sharply:

"Here's Miss Griffith coming. Hateful woman. She's

ways at me to join her foul Guides. I hate Guides. Why dress

up and go about in clumps and put badges on yourself for

14

THE MOVING FINGER

something you haven't really learned to do properly. I think

it's all rot."

On the whole I rather agreed with Megan. But Miss Griffith

had descended upon us before I could voice my assent.

The doctor's sister, who rejoiced in the singularly inappropriate

name of Aime, had all the positive assurance her

brother lacked, She was a handsome woman in a masculine

weather-beaten way, with a deep voice.

"Hullo, you two," she bayed at us. "Gorgeous morning, isn't

it? Megan, you're just the person I want to see. I want some

help. Addressing envelopes for the Conservative Association."

Megan muttered something elusive, propped up her bicycle

against the curb and dived in a purposeful way into the

International Stores.

"Extraordinary child," said Miss Griffith, looking after her.

"Bone lazy. Spends her time mooning about. Must be a great

trial to poor Mrs. Symmington. I know her mother's tried

more than once to get her to take up something--shorthand-typing,

you know, or cookery, or keeping Angora rabbits. She

needs an interest in life."

I thought that was probably true, but felt that in Megan's

place I should have withstood firmly any of Aime Griffith's

suggestions for the simple reason that her aggressive personality

would have put my back up.

"I don't believe in idleness," went on Miss Griffith. "And ·

certainly not for young people. It's not as though Megan was

pretty or attractive or anything like that. Sometimes I think

the girl's half-witted. A great disappointment to her mother.

The father, you know," she lowered her voice slightly, "was

definitely a wrong 'un. Afraid the child takes after him.

Painful for her mother. Oh, well, it takes all sorts to make a

world, that's what I say."

15

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"Fortunately," I responded.

Aime Griffith gave a "jolly" laugh.

"Yes, it wouldn't do if we were all made to one pattern. But

I don't like to see anyone not getting all he can out of life. I

enjoy life myself and I want everyone to enjoy it too. People

say to me you must be bored to death living down there in the

country all the year around. Not a bit of it, I say. I'm always

busy, always happy! There's always something going on in

the country. My time's taken up, what with my Guides, and

the Institute and various committees--to say nothing of looking

after Owen."

At this minute, Miss Griffith saw an acquaintance on the

other side of the street, and uttering a bay of recognition she

leaped across the road, leaving me free to pursue my course to

the bank.

I always found Miss Griffith rather overwhelming.

My business at the bank transacted satisfactorily, I went on

to the offices of Messrs. Galbraith, Galbraith and Symmington.

I don't know if there were any Galbraiths extant. I never saw

any. I was shown into Richard Symmington's inner office

which had the agreeable mustiness of a long-established legal firm.

Vast numbers of deed boxes labeled Lady Hope, Sir Everard

Carr, William ¥atesby-Hoares Esq., Deceased, etc., gave the

required atmosphere of decorous county families and legitimate,

long-established business.

Studying Mr. Symmington as he bent over the documents I

had brought, it occurred to me that if Mrs. Symmington had

encountered disaster in her first marriage, she had certainly

played safe in her second. Richard Symmington was the acme

of calm respectability, the sort of man who would never give

THE MOVING FINGER

his wife a moment's anxiety. A long neck with a pronounced

Adam's apple, a slightly cadaverous face and a long thin nose.

A kindly man, no doubt, a good husband and father, but not

one to set the pulses madly racing.

Presently Mr. Symmington began to speak. He spoke clearly

and slowly, delivering himself of much good sense and shrewd

acumen. We settled the matter in hand and I rose to go,

remarking as I did so, "I walked down the hill with your

stepdaughter."

For a moment Mr. Symmington looked as though he did not

know who his stepdaughter was, then he smiled.

"Oh, yes, of course--Megan. She--er--has been back from

school some time. We're thinking about finding her something

to do--yes, to do. But, of course, she's very young still. And

backward for her age, so they say. Yes, so they tell me."

I went out. In the outer office was a very old man on a stool

writing slowly and laboriously, a small, cheeky-looking boy and

a middle-aged woman with frizzy hair and pince-nez who was typing with some speed and dash.

If this was Miss Ginch I agreed with Owen Griffith that

tender passages between her and her employer were exceedingly

unlikely.

I went into the baker's and said my piece about the currant

loaf. It was received with the exclamations and incredulity

proper to the occasion, and a new currant loaf was thrust

upon me in replacement--"fresh from the oven this minute"

--as its indecent heat pressed against my chest proclaimed to

be no less than truth.

I came out of the shop and looked up and down the street,

hoping to see Joanna with the car. The walk had tired me a

good deal and it was awkward getting along with my sticks

and the currant loaf.

17

AGATHA CHRISTIE

But there was no sign of Joanna as yet.

Suddenly my eyes were held in glad and incredulous

surprise. Along the pavement toward me there came floating

a goddess. There is really no other word for it. The perfect

features, the crisply curling golden hair, the tall exquisitely

shaped body. And she walked like a goddess, without effort,

seeming to swim nearer and near. A glorious, an incredible, a

breath-taking girl!

In my intense excitement something had to go. What went

was the currant loaf. It slipped from my clutches. I made a

dive after it and lost my stick, which clattered to the pavement,

and I slipped and nearly fell myself.

It was the strong arm of the goddess that caught and held me.

I began to stammer: "Th-thanks awfully, I'm ff-frightfully

sorry."

She had retrieved the currant loaf and handed it to me

together with the stick. And then she smiled kindly and said

cheerfully, "Don't mention it. No trouble, I assure you," and

the magic died completely before the flat, competent voice.

A nice, healthy-looking, well set-up girl; no more.

I fell to reflecting what would have happened if the gods

had given Helen of Troy exactly those flat accents. How

strange that a girl could trouble your inmost soul so long as

she kept her mouth shut, and that the moment she spoke the

glamor could vanish as though it had never been.

I had known the reverse happen, though. I had seen a little

sad monkey-faced woman whom no one would turn to look at

twice. Then she had opened her mouth and suddenly enchantment

had lived and bloomed and Cleopatra had cast her spell

anew.

Joanna had drawn up at the curb beside me without my

18

THE MOVING FINGER

noticing her arrival. She asked if there was anything the

matter.

"Nothing," I said, pulling myself together. "I was reflecting

on Helen of Troy and others."

"What a funny place to do it," said Joanna. "You looked most odd, standing there clasping currant bread to your breast

with your mouth wide open."

"I've had a shock," I said. "I had been transplanted to Ilium

and back again."

I added, indicating a retreating back that was swimming

gracefully away, "Do you know who that is ?"

Peering after the girl Joanna said that it was Elsie Holland,

the Symmington's nursery governess.

"Is that what struck you all of a heap?" she asked. "She's

good-looking, but a bit of a wet fish."

"I know," I said. "Just a nice kind girl. And I'd been

thinking her Aphrodite."

Joanna opened the door of the car and I got in.

"It's funny, isn't it?" she said. "Some people have lots of

looks and absolutely no S. A. That girl hasn't. It seems such a

pity."

I said that if she was a nursery governess it was probably

just as well.

That afternoon we went to tea with Mr. Pye.

Mr. Pye was an extremely ladylike plump little man, devoted

to his petit point chairs, his Dresden shepherdesses and

his collection of period furniture. He lived at Prior's Lodge in

the grounds of which were the ruins of the old Priory dissolved

at the Reformation.

It was hardly a man's house. The curtains and cushions

were of pastel shades in the most expensive silks.

19

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Mr. Pye's small plump hands quivered with excitement as

he described and exhibited his treasures, and his voice rose to

a falsetto squeak as he narrated the exciting circumstances in

which he had brought his Italian bedstead home from Verona.

Joanna and I, both being fond of antiques, met with approval. "It is really a pleasure, a great pleasure, to have such an

acquisition to our little community. The dear good people

down here, you know, so painfully bucolic--not to say provincial. Vandals--absolute vandals I And the insides of their houses--it

would make you weep, dear lady, I assure you it would make

you weep. Perhaps it has done so?"

Joanna said she hadn't gone quite as far as that.

"The house you have taken," went on Mr. Pye, "Miss

Emily Barton's house. Now that is charming, and she has

some quite nice pieces. Quite nice. One or two of them are

really first-class. And she has taste, too---although I'm not

quite so sure of that as I was. Sometimes, I am afraid, I think

it's really sentiment. She likes to keep things as they were--but

not for le bon motif--not because of the resultant harmony--but

because it is the way her mother had them."

He transferred his attention to me, and his voice changed.

It altered from that of the rapt artist to that of the born

gossip:

"You didn't know the family at all? No, quite so--yes,

through house agents. But, my dears, you ought to have known

that family! When I came here the old mother was still alive.

An incredible person--quite incredible! A monster, if you

know what I mean. Positively a monster. The old-fashioned

Victorian monster, devouring her young. Yes, that's what it

amounted to. She was monumental, you know, must have

weighed seventeen stone, and all the five daughters revolved

2O

THE MOVING FINGER

around her. 'The girls I' That's how she always spoke of them.

The girls! And the eldest was well over sixty then.

"'Those stupid girls!' she used to call them sometimes.

Black slaves, that's all they were, fetching and carrying and

agreeing with her. Ten o'clock they had to go to bed and they

weren't allowed a fire in their bedroom, and as for asking

their own friends to the house, that would have been unheard

of. She despised them, you know, for not getting married, and

yet so arranged their lives that it was practically impossible

for them to meet anybody. I believe Emily, or perhaps it was

Agnes, did have some kind of affair with a curate. But his

family wasn't good enough and Mamma soon put a stop to that!"

"It sounds like a novel," said Joanna.

"Oh, my dear, it was. And then the dreadful old woman

died, but of course, it was far too late then. They just went on

living there and talking in hushed voices about what poor

Mamma would have wished. Even repapering her bedroom

they felt to be quite sacrilegious. Still they did enjoy themselves

in the parish in a quiet way .... But none of them had

much stamina, and they just died off one by one. Influenza

took off Edith, and Minnie had an operation and didn't

recover and poor Mable had a stroke--Emily looked after her

in the most devoted manner. Really that poor woman has

done nothing but nursing for the last ten years. A charming

creature, don't you think? Like a piece of Dresden. So sad for

her having financial anxieties--but of course, all investments

have depreciated."

"We feel rather awful being in her house," said Joanna.

"No, no, my dear young lady. You mustn't feel that way.

Her dear good Florence is devoted to her and she told me

herself how happy she was to have got such nice tenants."

21

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Here Mr. Pye made a little bow. "She told me she thought she

had been most fortunate."

"The house," I said, "has a very soothing atmosphere."

Mr. Pye darted a quick glance at me.

"Really? You feel that? Now, that's very interesting. I

wondered, you know. Yes, I wondered."

"What do you mean, Mr. Pye?" asked Joanna.

Mr. Pye spread out his plump hands. "Nothing, nothing.

One wondered, that is all. I do believe in atmosphere, you

know. People's thoughts and feelings. They give their impres-sion

to the walls and the furniture."

I did not speak for a moment or two. I was looking around

me and wondering how I would describe the atmosphere of

Prior's Lodge. It seemed to me that the curious thing was that

it hadn't any atmosphere! That was really very remarkable.

I reflected on this point so long that I heard nothing of the

conversation going on between Joanna and her host. I was

recalled to myself, however, by hearing Joanna uttering fare-well

preliminaries. I came out of my dream and added my

quota.

We all went out into the hall. As we came toward the front

door a letter came through the box and fell on the mat.

"Afternoon post," murmured Mr. Pye as he picked it up.

"Now, my dear young people, you will come again, won't

you? Such a pleasure to meet some broader minds, if you

understand me, in this peaceful backwater where nothing

ever happens."

Shaking hands with us twice over, he helped me with

exaggerated care into the car. Joanna took the wheel; she

negotiated with some care the circular sweep around a plot of

unblemished grass, then with a straight drive ahead, she

22

THE MOVING FINGER

raised a hand to wave goodby to our host where he stood on the

steps of the house. I leaned forward to do the same.

But our gesture of farewell went unheeded. Mr. Pye had

opened his mail. He was standing staring down at the open

sheet in his hand.

Joanna had described him once as a plump pink cherub. He

was still plump, but he was not looking like a cherub now.

His face was a dark congested purple, contorted with rage

and surprise. Yes, and fear, too.

And at that moment I realized that there had been some-thing

familiar about the look of that envelope. I had not

realized it at the time--indeed, it had been one of those

things that you note unconsciously without knowing that you

do note them.

"Goodness," said Joanna, "what's bitten the poor pet?"

"I rather fancy," I said, "that it's the Hidden Hand again."

She turned an astonished face toward me and the car

swerved.

"Careful, wench," I said.

Joanna refixed her attention on the road. She was frowning.

"You mean a letter like the one you got."

"That's my guess."

"What is this place?" asked Joanna. "It looks the most

innocent, sleepy, harmless little bit of England you can

imagine."

"Where, to quote Mr. Pye, nothing ever happens," I cut in.

"He chose the wrong minute to say that. Something has

happened."

"Jerry," said Joanna. "II don't think I like this." For the

first time, there was a note of fear in her voice.

I did not answer, for I, too, did not like it ....

23

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Such a peaceful smiling happy countryside--and down un-derneath

something evil ....

It was as though at that moment I had a premonition of all

that was to come ....

The days passed. We went and played bridge at the

Symmingtons and Mrs. Symmington annoyed me a good deal

by the way she referred to Megan.

"The poor child's so awkward. They are at that age, when

they've left school and before they are properly grown up."

Joanna said sweetly, "But Megan's twenty, isn't she?"

"Oh, yes, yes. But of course, she's very young for her age.

Quite a child still. It's so nice, I think, when girls don't grow

up too quickly." She laughed. "I expect all mothers want

their children to remain babies."

"I can't think why," said Joanna. "After all, it would be a

bit awkward if one had a child who remained mentally six

while his body grew up."

Mrs. Symmington looked annoyed and said Miss Burton

mustn't take things so literally.

I was pleased with Joanna, and it occurred to me that I did

not really much care for Mrs. Symmington. That anemic

middleaged prettiness concealed, I thought, a selfish, grasp-ing

nature.

Joanna asked maliciously if Mrs. Symmington were going to

give a dance for Megan.

"A dance?" Mrs. Symmington seemed surprised and amused.

"Oh, no, we don't do things like that down here."

"I see. Just tennis parties and things like that."

"Our tennis court has not been played on for years. Neither

Richard nor I play. I suppose, later, when the boys grow

up--oh, Megan will find plenty to do. She's quite happy just

24

THE MOVING FINGER

pottering about, you know. Let me see, did I deal? Two no

trumps."

As we drove home, Joanna said with a vicious pressure on

the accelerator pedal that made the car leap forward, "I feel

awfully sorry for that girl."

"Megan?"

"Yes. Her mother doesn't like her."

"Oh, come now, Joanna, it's not as bad as that."

"Yes, it is. Lots of mothers don't like their children. Megan,

I should imagine, is an awkward sort of creature to have

about the house. She disturbs the pattern--the Symmington

pattern. It's a complete unit without her--and that's a most

unhappy feeling for a sensitive creature to have--and she is sensitive."

"Yes," I said, "I think she is."

I was silent a moment.

Joanna suddenly laughed mischievously. "Bad luck for you

about the governess."

"I don't know what you mean," I said with dignity.

"Nonsense. Masculine chagrin was written on your face

every time you looked at her. I agree with you, it is a waste.

And I don't see who else there is here for you. You'll have to

fall back upon Aime Griffith."

"God forbid," I said with a shudder. "And anyway," I

added, "why all this concern about my love life? What about

you, my girl? You'll need a little distraction down here, if I

know you. No unappreciated genius knocking about here.

You'll have to fall back on Owen Griffith. He's the only

unattached male in the place."

Joanna tossed her head. "Dr. Griffith doesn't like me."

"He's not seen much of you."

25

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"He's seen enough apparently to make him cross over if he

sees me coming along the High Street!"

"A most unusual reaction," I said sympathetically. "And

one you're not used to."

Joanna drove in silence through the gate of Little Furze and

around to the garage. Then she said, "There may be something

in that idea of yours. I don't see why any man should

deliberately cross the street to avoid me. It's rude, apart from

everything else."

"I see," I said. "You're going to hunt the man down in cold

blood."

"Well, I don't like being avoided."

I got slowly and carefully out of the car and balanced my

sticks. Then I offered my sister a piece of advice:

"Let me tell you this, girl. Owen Griffith isn't any of your

tame, whining, artistic young men. Unless you're careful,

you'll stir up a hornets' nest about your ears. That man could

be dangerous."

"Oh, do you think so?" demanded Joanna with every symptom

of pleasure at the prospect.

"Leave the poor devil alone," I said sternly.

"How dare he cross the street when he saw me coming?"

"All you women are alike. You harp on one theme. You'll

have sister Aime gunning for you, too, if I'm not mistaken."

"She dislikes me already," said Joanna. She spoke meditatively,

but with a certain satisfaction.

"We have come down here," I said sternly, "for peace and

quiet, and I mean to see we get it."

But peace and quiet were the last things we were to have.

26

CHAPTER II

IT was about a week later that I came back to the house to

find Megan sitting on the veranda steps, her chin resting on

her knees.

She greeted me with her usual lack of ceremony. "Hullo,"

she said. "Do you think I could come to lunch?"

"Certainly," I said.

"If it's chops, or anything difficult like that and they won't

go round, just tell me," shouted Megan as I went around to

apprise Partridge of the fact that there would be three to

lunch.

I fancy that Partridge sniffed. She certainly managed to

convey, without saying a word of any kind, that she didn't

think much of that Miss Megan.

I went back to the veranda.

"Is it all right?" asked Megan anxiously.

"Quite all right," I said. "Irish stew."

27

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"Oh, well, that's rather like dogs' dinner anyway, isn't it? I

mean it's mostly potato and flavor."

"Quite," I said.

We were silent while I smoked my pipe. It was quite a

companionable silence.

Megan broke it by saying suddenly and violently, "I sup-pose

you think I'm awful, like everyone else."

I was so startled that my pipe fell out of my mouth. It was a

meerschaum, just coloring nicely, and it broke. I said angrily

to Megan, "Now see what you've done."

That most unaccountable of children, instead of being upset,

merely grinned broadly. "I do like you," she said.

It was a most warming remark. It is the remark that one

fancies perhaps erroneously that one's dog would say if he

could talk. It occurred to me that Megan, for all she looked

like a horse, had the disposition of a dog. She was certainly

not quite human.

"What did you say before the catastrophe?" I asked, care-fully

picking up the fragments of my cherished pipe.

"I said I supposed you thought me awful," said Megan but

not at all in the same tone she had said it before.

"Why should I?"

Megan said gravely, "Because I am."

I said sharply, "Don't be stupid."

Megan shook her head. "That's just it. I'm not really stupid.

People think I am. They don't know that inside I know just

what they're like, and that all the time I'm hating them."

"Hating them?"

"Yes," said Megan.

Her eyes, those melancholy, unchildlike eyes stared straight

into mine, without blinking. It was a long, mournful gaze.

28

THE MOVING FINGER

"You would hate people if you were like me," she said. "If

you weren't wanted."

"Don't you think you're being rather morbid?" I asked.

"Yes," said Megan. "That's what people always say when

you're saying the truth. And it is true. I'm not wanted and I

can quite see why. Mummie doesn't like me a bit. I remind

her, I think, of my father, who was cruel to her and pretty

dreadful from all I can hear. Only mothers can't say they

don't want their children and just go away. Or eat them. Cats

eat the kittens they don't like. Awfully sensible, I think. No

waste or mess. But human mothers have to keep their children,

and look after them. It hasn't been so bad while I could be

sent away to school--but you see what Mummie would really

like is to be just herself and my stepfather and the boys."

I said slowly, "I still think you're morbid, Megan, but

accepting some of what you say as true, why don't you go away

and have a life of your own ?"

She gave me an odd unchildlike smile. "You mean take up a

career. Earn my living?"

"Yes."

"What at?"

"You could train for something, I suppose. Shorthand,

typing, bookkeeping."

"I don't believe I could. I am stupid about doing things.

And besides--"

"Well?"

She had turned her head away, now she turned it slowly

back again. It was crimson and there were tears in her eyes.

She spoke now with all the childishness back in her voice:

"Why should I go away? And be made to go away? They

don't want me, but I'll stay. I'll stay and make everyone sorry.

I'll make them all sorry. Hateful pigs! I hate evexyone here in

29

AGATHA CHBISTIE

Lymstock. They all think I'm stupid and ugly. I'll show them!

I'll show them! I'll--"

It was a childish, oddly pathetic rage.

I heard a step on the gravel around the corner of the house.

"Get up," I said savagely. "Go into the house through the

drawing room. Go up to the bathroom. Wash your face. Quick."

She sprang awkwardly to her feet and darted through the

window as Joanna came around the corner of the house.

I told her Megan had come to lunch.

"Good," said Joanna"I like Megan, though I rather think

she's a changeling. Something left on a doorstep by the

fairies. But she's interesting."

I see that so far I have made little mention of the Reverend

and Mrs. Calthrop.

And yet both the vicar and his wife were distinct personal-ities.

Dane Calthrop himself was perhaps a being more re-mote

from everyday life than anyone I have ever met. His

existence was in his books and in his study. Mrs. Dane

Calthrop, on the other hand, was quite terrifyingly on the

spot. Though she seldom gave advice and never interfered,

yet she represented to the uneasy consciences of the village

the Deity personified.

She stopped me in the High Street the day after Megan had

come to lunch. I had the usual feeling of surprise, because

Mrs. Dane Calthrop's progress resembled coursing more than

walking, thus according with her startling resemblance to a

greyhound, and as her eyes were always fixed on the distant

horizon you felt sure that her real objective was about a mile

and a half away.

"Oh!" she said. "Mr. Burton!"

She said it rather triumphantly, as someone might who had

3O

THE MOVING FINGER

solved a particularly clever puzzle. I admitted that I was Mr.

Burton and Mrs. Dane Calthrop stopped focusing on the

horizon and seemed to be trying to focus on me instead.

"Now what," she said, "did I want to see you about?"

I could not help her there. She stood frowning, deeply

perplexed. "Something rather nasty," she said.

"I'm sorry about that," I said startled.

"Ah," cried Mrs. Dane Calthrop. "Anonymous letters! What's

this story you've brought down here about anonymous letters?"

"I didn't bring it," I said, "it was here already."

"Nobody got any until you came, though," said Mrs. Dane

Calthrop accusingly.

"But they did, Mrs. Dane Calthrop. The trouble had al-ready

started."

"Oh, dear," said Mrs. Dane Calthrop. "I don't like that."

She stood there, her eyes absent and far away again. She

said:

"I can't help feeling it's all wrong. We're not like that here.

Envy, of course, and malice, and all the mean spiteful little

sins--but I didn't think there was anyone who would do that.

No, I really didn't. And it distresses me, you see, because I

ought to know."

Her fine eyes came back from the horizon and met mine.

They were worried, and seemed to hold the honest bewilder-ment

of a child's.

"Why ought you to know?" I said.

"I usually do. I've always felt that's my function. Caleb

preaches good sound doctrine and administers the sacraments.

That's a priest's duty, but if you admit marriage at all for a

priest, then I think his wife's duty is to know what people are

feeling and thinking, even if she can't do anything about it.

And I haven't the least idea whose mind is--"

31

AGATHA CHRISTIE

She broke off, adding absently, "They are such silly letters,

tOO."

"Have you--er--had any yourself?"

I was a little diffident of asking, but Mrs. Dane Calthrop

replied perfectly naturally, her eyes opening a little wider:

"Oh, yes, two--no, three. I forget exactly what they said.

Something very silly about Caleb and the schoolmistress, I

think. Quite absurd, because Caleb has absolutely no taste for

flirtation. He never has had. So lucky being a clergyman."

"Quite," I said, "oh, quite."

"Caleb would have been a saint," said Mrs. Dane Calthrop,

"if he hadn't been just a little too intellectual."

I did not feel qualified to answer this criticism, and any-way

Mrs. Dane Calthrop went on, leaping back from her

husband to the letters in rather a puzzling way.

"There are so many things the letters might say, but don't.

That's what is so curibus."

"I should hardly have thought they erred on the side of

restraint," I said bitterly.

"But they don't seem to know anything. None of the real

things."

"You mean?"

Those fine vague eyes met mine.

"Well, of course. There's plenty of wrongdoing here--any

amount of shameful secrets. Why doesn't the writer use those ?"

She paused and then asked abruptly, "What did they say in

your letter?"

"They suggested that my sister wasn't my sister."

"And she is ?"

Mrs. Dane Calthrop asked the question with unembarrassed

friendly interest.

"Certainly Joanna is my sister."

32

THE MOVING FINGER

Mrs. Dane Calthrop nodded her head. "That just shows

you what I mean. I daresay there are other things--"

Her clear uninterested eyes looked at me thoughtfully, and

I suddenly understood why Lymstock was afraid of Mrs.

Dane Calthrop.

In everybody's life there are hidden chapters which they

hope may never be known. I felt that Mrs. Dane Calthrop

knew them.

For once in my life, I was positively delighted when Aime

Griffith's hearty voice boomed out:

"Hullo, Maud. Glad I've just caught you. I want to suggest

an alteration of date for the Sale of Work. Morning, Mr.

Burton."

She went on:

"I must just pop into the grocer's and leave my order, then

I'll come along to the Institute if that suits you?"

"Yes, yes, that will do quite well," said Mrs. Dane Calthrop.

Aime Griffith went into the International Stores.

Mrs. Dane Calthrop said, "Poor thing."

I was puzzled. Surely she could not be pitying Aime?

She went on, however: "You know, Mr. Burton, I'm rather

afraid--"

"About this letter business?"

"Yes, you see it means--it must mean--" She paused, lost

in thought, her eyes screwed up. Then she said slowly, as one

who solves a problem, "Blind hatred ... yes, blind hatred.

But even a blind man might stab to the heart by pure

chance .... And what would happen then, Mr. Burton?"

We were to know that before another day had passed.

Partridge, who enjoys calamity, came into Joanna's room at

an early hour the following morning, and told her with consid

33

AGATHA CHRISTIE

erable relish that Mrs. Symmington had committed suicide

on the preceding afternoon.

Joanna, who had been lost in the mists of sleep, sat up in

bed shocked wide awake.

"Oh, Partridge, how awful."

"Awful it is, Miss. It's wickedness taking your own life.

Not but what she was drove to it, poor soul."

Joanna had an inkling of the truth then. She felt rather

sick.

"Not--?" Her eyes questioned Partridge and Partridge

nodded.

"That's right, Miss. One of them nasty letters."

"How beastly," said Joanna. "How absolutely beastly! All

the same, I don't see why she should kill herself for a letter

like that."

"Looks as though what was in the letter was true, Miss."

"What was in it ?"

But that, Partridge couldn't or wouldn't say. Joanna came

in to me, looking white and shocked. It seemed worse, somehow,

that Mrs. Symmington was not the kind of person you associated

with tragedy.

Joanna suggested that we might ask Megan to come to us

for a day or two. Elsie Holland, she said, would be all right

with the children, but was the kind of person who would,'

almost certainly, drive Megan half mad.

I agreed. I could imagine Elsie Holland uttering platitude

after platitude and suggesting innumerable cups of tea.

A kindly creature but not the right person for Megan.

We drove down to the Syrnmingtons' house after breakfast.

We were both of us a little nervous. Our arrival might look

like sheer ghoulish curiosity. Luckily we met Owen Griffith

34

THE MOVING FINGER

just coming out. He greeted me with some warmth, his worried

face lighting up.

"Oh, hullo, Burton, I'm glad to see you. What I was afraid

would happen sooner or later has happened. A damnable

business!"

"Good morning, Dr. Griffith," said Joanna, using the voice

she keeps for one of our dealer aunts.

Griffith started and flushed. "Oh---oh, good morning, Miss

Burton."

"I thought perhaps," said Joanna, "that you didn't see me."

Owen Griffith got redder still. His shyness enveloped him

like a mantle. "I'm--I'm so sorry--preoccupied--I didn't."

Joanna went on mercilessly.

"After all, I am life-size."

"Merely kit-kat," I said in a stern aside to her. Then I went

on:

"My sister and I, Griffith, wondered whether it would be a

good thing if the girl came and stopped with us for a day or

two? What do you think? I don't want to butt in--but it must

be rather grim for the poor child. What would Symmington

feel about it, do you think?"

Griffith turned the idea over in his mind for a moment or

two.

"I think it would be an excellent thing," he said at last.

"She's a queer, nervous sort of girl, and it would be good for

her to get away from the whole thing. Miss Holland is doing

wonders--she's an excellent head on her shoulders, but she

really has quite enough to do with the two children and

Symmington himself. He's quite broken up--bewildered."

"It was"--I hesitated--"suicide ?"

Griffith nodded.

"Oh, yes. No question of accident. She wrote, 'I can't go on,'

AGATHA CHRISTIE

on a scrap of paper. The letter must have come by yesterday

afternoon's post. The envelope was down on the floor by her

chair and the letter itself was screwed up into a ball and

thrown into the fireplace."

"What did--"

I stopped, rather horrified at myself.

"I beg your pardon," I said.

Griffith gave a quick, unhappy smile.

"You needn't mind asking. That letter will have to be read

at the inquest. No getting out of it, more's the pity. It was the

usual kind of thing--couched in the same foul style. The

specific accusation was that the second boy, Colin, was not

Symmington's child."

"Do you think that was true ?" I exclaimed incredulously.

Griffith shrugged his shoulders.

"I've no means of forming a judgment. I've only been here

five years. As far as I've ever seen, the Symmingtons were a

placid, happy couple devoted to each other and their children.

It's true that the boy doesn't particularly resemble his parents--he's

got bright red hair, for one thing--but a child often

throws back in appearance to a grandfather or grandmother."

"That lack of resemblance might have been what prompted

the particular accusation. A foul and quite uncalled-for blow

at a venture."

"But it happened to hit the bull's-eye," said Joanna. "After

all, she wouldn't have killed herself otherwise, would she?"

Griffith said doubtfully:

"I'm not quite sure. She's been ailing in health for some time---neurotic,

hysterical. I've been treating her for a nervous

condition. It's possible, I think, that the shock of receiving

such a letter, couched in those terms, may have induced such

36

THE MOVING FINGER

a state of panic and despondency that she may have decided

to take her life. She may have worked herself up to feel that

her husband might not believe her if she denied the story,

and the general shame and disgust might have worked upon

her so powerfully as to unbalance her judgment temporarily."

"Suicide while of unsound mind," said Joanna.

"Exactly. I shall be quite justified, I think, in putting forward

that point of view at the inquest."

Joanna and I went on into the house.

The front door was open and it seemed easier than ringing

the bell, especially as we heard Elsie Holland's voice inside.

She was talking to Mr. Symmington who, huddled in a

chair, was looking completely dazed.

"No, but really, Mr. Symmington, you must take something.

You haven't had any breakfast, not what I call a proper

breakfast, and nothing to eat last night, and what with the

shock and all, you'll be getting ill yourself, and you'll need all

your strength. The doctor said so before he left."

Symmington said in a toneless voice, "You're very kind,

Miss Holland, but--"

"A nice cup of hot tea," said Elsie Holland, thrusting the

beverage on him firmly.

Personally I should have given the poor devil a stiff whisky-and-soda.

He looked as though he needed it. However he

accepted the tea, and looking up at Elsie Holland:

"I can't thank you for all you've done and are doing, Miss

Holland. You've been perfectly splendid."

The girl flushed and looked pleased.

"It's nice of you to say that, Mr. Symmington. You must let

me do all I can to help. Don't worry about the children--I'll

see to them, and I've got the servants calmed down, and if

37

AGATHA CHRISTIE

there's anything I can do, letter-writing or telephoning, don't

hesitate to ask me."

"You're very kind," Symmington said again.

Elsie Holland, turning, caught sight of us and came hurry-ing

out into the hall.

"Isn't it terrible?" she said in a hushed whisper.

I thought, as I looked at her, that she was really a very nice

girl. Kind, competent, practical in an emergency. Her magnifi-cent

blue eyes were just faintly rimmed with pink, showing

that she had been soft-hearted enough to shed tears for her

employer's death.

"Can we speak to you a minute?" asked Joanna. "We don't

want to disturb Mr. Symmington."

Elsie Holland nodded comprehendingly and led the way

into the dining room on the other side of the hall.

"It's been awful for him," she said. "Such a shock. Who

ever would have thought a thing like this could happen? But

of course, I do realize now that she had been queer for some

time. Awfully nervous and weepy. I thought it was her health,

though Dr. Griffith always said there was nothing really

wrong with her. But she was snappy and irritable and some

days you wouldn't know just how to take her."

"What we really came for," said Joanna, "was to know

whether we could have Megan for a few days--that is, if

she'd like to come."

Elsie Holland looked rather surprised.

"Megan?" she said doubtfully. "I don't know, I'm sure. I

mean, it's ever so kind of you, but she's such a queer girl. One

never knows what she's going to say or feel about things."

Joanna said rather vaguely, "We thought it might be a help,

perhaps."

"Oh, well, as far as that goes, it would. I mean, I've got the

38

THE MOVING FINGER

boys to look after (they're with cook just now) and poor Mr.

Symmington--he really needs looking after as much as anyone,

and such a lot to do and see to. I really haven't had time to

say much to Megan. I think she's upstairs in the old nursery

at the top of the house. She seems to want to get away from

everyone. I don't know if--"

Joanna gave me the faintest of looks. I slipped quickly out

of the room and upstairs.

The old nursery was at the top of the house. I opened the

door and went in. The room downstairs had given on to the

garden behind and the blinds had not been down there. But

in this room which faced the road they were decorously

drawn down.

Through a dim gray gloom I saw Megan. She was crouching

on a divan set against the far wall, and I was reminded at

once of some terrified animal, hiding. She looked petrified

with fear.

"Megan," I said.

I came forward, and unconsciously I adopted the tone one

does adopt when you want to reassure a frightened animal.

I'm really surprised I didn't hold out a carrot or a piece of

sugar. I felt like that.

She stared at me, but she did not move, and her expression

did not alter.

"Megan," I said again. "Joanna and I have come to ask you

if you would like to come and stay with us for a little."

Her voice came hollowly out of the dim twilight:

"Stay with you? In your house?"

"Yes."

"You mean, you'll take me away from here ?"

"Yes, my dear."

39

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Suddenly she began to shake all over. It was frightening

and very moving.

"Oh, do take me away! Please do. It's so awful, being here,

and feeling so wicked."

I came over to her and her hands fastened on my coat

sleeve.

·

"I'm an awful coward. I didn't know what a coward I was."

"It's all right, funnyface," I said. "These things are a bit

shattering. Come along."

"Can we go at once? Without waiting a minute?"

"Well, you'll have to put a few things together, I suppose."

"What sort of things ? Why ?"

"My dear girl," I said. "We can provide you with a bed and

a bath and the rest of it, but I'm darned if I lend you my

toothbrush."

She gave a very faint weak little laugh.

"I see. I think I'm stupid today. You mustn't mind. I'll go

and pack some things. You--you won't go away? You'll wait

for me?"

"I'll be on the mat."

"Thank you. Thank you very much. I'm sorry I'm so stupid.

But you see it's rather dreadful when your mother dies."

"I know," I said.

I gave her a friendly pat on the back and she flashed me a

grateful look and disappeared into a bedroom. I went on

downstairs.

"I'found Megan," I said. "She's coming."

"Oh, now, that is a good thing," exclaimed Elsie Holland.

"It will take her out of herself. She's rather a nervy girl, you

know. Difficult. It will be a great relief to feel I haven't got

her on my mind as well as everything else. It's very kind of

you, Miss Burton. I hope she won't be a nuisance. Oh, dear,

40

THE MOVING FINGER

there's the telephone. I must go and answer it. Mr. Symmington

isn't fit."

She hurried out of the room.

Joanna said, "Quite the ministering angel!"

"You said that rather nastily," I observed. "She's a nice,

kind girl, and obviously most capable."

"Most. And she knows it."

"This is unworthy of you, Joanna," I said.

"Meaning why shouldn't the girl do her stuff?"

"Exactly."

"I never can stand seeing people pleased with themselves,"

said Joanna. "It arouses all my worst instincts. How did you

find Megan ?"

"Crouching in a darkened room looking rather like a stricken

gazelle."

"Poor kid. She was quite willing to come?"

"She leaped at it."

A series of thuds out in the hall announced the descent of

Megan and her suitcase. I went out and took it from her.

Joanna, behind me, said urgently, "Come on. I've already

refused some nice hot tea twice."

We went out to the car. It annoyed me that Joanna had to

sling the suitcase in. I could get along with one stick now, but

I couldn't do any athletic feats.

"Get in," I said to Megan.

She got in, I followed her. Joanna started the car and we

drove off.

We got to Little Furze and went into the drawing room.

Megan dropped into a chair and burst into tears. She cried

with the hearty fervor of a child--bawled, I think, is the right

word. I left the room in search of a remedy. Joanna stood by

feeling rather helpless, I think.

41

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Presently I heard Megan say in a thick choked voice, "I'm

sorry for doing this. It seems idiotic."

Joanna said kindly, "Not at all. Have another handkerchief."

I gather she supplied the necessary article. I reentered the

room and handed Megan a brimming glass.

"What is it ?"

"A cocktail," I said.

"Is it? Is it really?!' Megan's tears were instantly dried.

"I've never drunk a cocktail."

"Everything has to have a beginning," I said.

Megan sipped her drink gingerly, then a beaming smile

spread over her face, she tilted her head back and gulped it

down at a draught.

"It's lovely," she said. "Can I have another?"

"No," I said.

"Why not?"

"In about ten minutes you'll probably know."

"Oh!"

Megan transferred her attention to Joanna.

"I really am awfully sorry for having made such a nuisance

of myself howling away like that. I can't think why. It seems

awfully silly when I'm so glad to be here."

"That's all right," said Joanna. "We're very pleased to have

you."

"You can't be really. It's just kindness on your part. But I

am grateful."

"Please don't be grateful," said Joanna, "it will embarrass

me. You're our friend and we're glad to have you here. That's

all there is to it .... "

She took Megan upstairs to unpack.

Partridge came in, looking sour, and said she had made two

cup custards for lunch and what should she do about it?

42

THE MOVING FINGER

The inquest was held three days later.

The time of Mrs. Symmington's death was put at between

three and four o'clock. She was alone in the house, Symmington

was at his office, the maids were having their day out, Elsie

Holland and the children were out walking and Megan had

gone for a bicycle ride.

The letter must have come by the afternoon post. Mrs.

Symmington must have taken it out of the box, read it--and

then in a state of agitation she had gone to the potting shed,

fetched some of the cyanide kept there for taking wasps' nests,

dissolved it in water and drunk it after writing those last

agitated words, "I can't go on...'

Owen Griffith gave medical evidence and stressed the view

he had outlined to us of Mrs. Symmington's nervous condition

and poor stamina. The coroner was suave and discreet.

He spoke with bitter condemnation of people who write those

despicable things, anonymous letters. Whoever had written

that wicked and lying letter was morally guilty of murder, he

said. He hoped the police would soon discover the culprit and

take action against him or her. Such a dastardly and malicious

piece of spite deserved to be punished with the utmost

rigor of the law. Directed by him, the jury brought in the

inevitable verdict: Suicide while temporarily insane.

The coroner had done his best--Owen Griffith also, but

afterward, jammed in the crowd of eager village women, I

heard the same hateful sibilant whisper I had begun to know

so well: "No smoke without fire, that's what I say! .... Must 'a

been something in it for certain sure. She wouldn't never

have done it otherwise .... "

Just for a moment I hated Lymstock and its narrow

boundaries, and its gossiping whispering women.

43

AGATHA CHBISTIE

Outside, Aime Griffith said with a sigh:

"Well, that's over. Bad luck on Dick Symmington, its all

having to come out. I wonder whether he'd ever had any

suspicion."

I was startled.

"But surely you heard him say most emphatically that there

wasn't a word of truth in that lying letter?"

"Of course he said so. Quite right. A man's got to stick up

for his wife. Dick would." She paused and then explained:

"You see, I've known Dick Symmington a long time."

"Beally?" I said surprised. "I understood from your brother

that he only bought this practice a few years ago."

"Yes, but Dick Symmington used to come and stay in our

part of the world up north. I've known him for years."

I looked at Aime curiously. She went on, still in that

softened tone, "I know Dick very well .... He's a proud man

and very reserved. But he's the sort of man who could be very

jealous."

"That would explain," I said deliberately, "why Mrs.

Symmington was afraid to show him or tell him about the

letter. She was afraid that, being a jealous man, he might not

believe her denials."

Miss Griffith looked at me angrily and scornfully. "Good

Lord," she said. "Do you think any woman would go and

swallow a lot of cyanide of potassium for an accusation that

wasn't true?"

"The coroner seemed to think it was possible. Your brother,

tOO---' '

Aime interrupted me:

"Men are all alike. All for preserving the decencies. But

you don't catch me believing that stuff. If an innocent woman

gets some foul anonymous letter, she laughs and chucks it

44

THE MOVING FINGER

away. That's what I--" she paused suddenly, and then

finished--"would do."

But I had noticed the pause. I was almost sure that what

she had been about to say was, "That's what I did."

I decided to take the war into the enemy's country.

"I see," I said pleasantly. "So you've had one, too?"

Aime Griffith was the type of woman who scorns to lie.

She paused a minute--flushed, then said, "Well, yes. But I

didn't let it worry me!"

"Nasty?" I inquired sympathetically, as a fellow sufferer.

"Naturally. These things always are. The ravings of a lunatic I

I read a few words of it, realized what it was and chucked it

straight into the wastepaper basket."

"You didn't think of taking it to the police?"

"Not then. Least said soonest mended--that's what I felt."

An urge came over me to say solemnly, "No smoke without

fire!" but I restrained myself.

I asked her if she had any idea how her mother's death

would affect Megan financially. Would it be necessary for the

girl to earn her own living?

"I believe she has a small income left her by her grandmother

and of course Dick would always give her a home. But

it would be much better for her to do something--not just

slack about the way she does."

"I should have said Megan is at the age when a girl wants

to enjoy herself--not to work."

Aime flushed and said sharply, "You're like all men--you

dislike the idea of women competing. It is incredible to you

that women should want a career. It was incredible to my

parents. I was anxious to study for a doctor. They would not

hear of paying the fees. But they paid them readily for Owen.

Yet I should have made a better doctor than my brother."

45

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"I'm sorry about that," I said. "It was tough on you. If one

wants to do a thing--"

She went on quickly.

"Oh, I've got over it now. I've plenty of willpower. My life

is busy and active. I'm one of the happiest people in Lymstock.

Plenty to do. But I go up in arms against the silly old-fashioned

prejudice that woman's place is always the home."

"I'm sorry if I offended you," I said. I had had no idea that

Aim6e Griffith could be so vehement.

46

CHAPTEI III

I met Symmington in the town later in the day.

"Is it quite all right for Megan to stay on with us for a bit?"

I asked. "It's company for Joanna--she's rather lonely some-times

with none of her own friends."

"Oh--er--Megan? Oh, yes, very good of'you."

I took a dislike to Symmington then which I never quite

overcame. He had so obviously forgotten all about Megan. I

wouldn't have minded if he had actively disliked the girl a man

may sometimes be jealous of a first husband's child--but he

didn't dislike her, he just hardly noticed her. He felt toward

her much as a man who doesn't care much for dogs would feel

about a dog in the house. You notice it when you fall over it

and swear at it, and you give it a vague pat sometimes when

it presents itself to be patted. Symmington's complete indif-ference

to his stepdaughter annoyed me very much.

I said, "What are you planning to do with her?"

47

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"with Megan?" He seemed rather startled. "Well, she'll go

on living at home. I mean, naturally, it is her home."

My grandmother, of whom I had been very fond, used to

sing old-fashioned songs to her guitar. One of them, I remember,

encled thus:

"Oh, maid most dear, I am not here,

I have no place, no part,

No dwelling more, by sea nor shore,

But only in your heart."

I

nt home humming it.

Barton came just after tea had been cleared away.

wanted to talk about the garden.

talked garden for about half an hour. Then we turned

bac[ toward the hot, se.

Iwas then that, lowering her voice, she murmured, "I do

hol that that child--that,she hash t been too much upset by

all his dreadful business?'

,,

'lter mother's death, you mean?

"That, of course. But I really meant, the--the unpleasant-nesl

behind it."

I Was curious. I wanted Miss Barton's reaction.

"S/hat do you think about that? Was it true?"

"Oh, no, no, surely not. I'm quite sure thats- 1 Mrs. Symmington

nex/er--that he wasn't--" little Emily Barton was pink and

confised--"I mean it's quite untrue--although of course it

ma,.have been a judgment."

"judgment?" I said, staring.

Fily'L Barton was very pink, very Dresdenchinaoshep-her

esslike.

48

THE MOVING FINGER

"I cannot help feeling that all these dreadful letters, all the

sorrow and pain they have caused, may have been sent for a

purpose."

"They were sent for a purpose, certainly," I said grimly.

"No, no, Mr. Burton, you misunderstand me. I'm not talk-ing

of the misguided creature who wrote them--someone quite

abandoned that must be. I mean that they have been permitted

--by Providence! To awaken us to a sense of our shortcomings."

"Surely," I said, "the Almighty could choose a less unsa

vory weapon."

Miss Emily murmured that God moved in a mysterious

way.

"No," I said. "There's too much tendency to attribute to

God the evils that man does of his own free will. I might

concede you the Devil. God doesn't really need to punish us,

Miss Barton. We're so very busy punishing ourselves."

"What I can't make out is why should anyone want to do

such a thing?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "A warped mentality."

"It seems very sad."

"It doesn't seem to me sad. It seems to me just damnable.

And I don't apologize for the word. I mean just that."

The pink had gone out of Miss Barton's cheeks. They were

very white.

"But why, Mr. Burton, why? What pleasure can anyone get

out of it?"

"Nothing you and I can understand, thank goodness."

Emily Barton lowered her voice: "Nothing of this kind has

ever happened before--never in my memory. It has been such

a happy little community. What would my dear mother have

said? Well, one must be thankful that she has been spared."

I thought from all I had heard that old Mrs. Barton had

49

AGATHA CHRISTIE

been sufficiently to ·

..... ugh to have taken anything, and would

prODaDly nave enja

yea this sensation·

Emily went on,

"v,,,,,     ,

,, It distresses me

deeply."

......... --"

"had

"

She flushed

crk anymmg yourself.

dreadfti',]son. "Oh,

no--oh,

no,

indeed. Oh! that

would

be

I apologized hat,

I went into eth ?'

but she went away looking rather upset.

room fire whic

h iue' Joanna was standing by the drawing.;n..

c...

ue hd just lit, for

the evenings were

still

';'r°-e"

e °

pe ne urn

un

letter in

her hand.

,, - .

head quickly

as

I

entered

Jerry! I iOunctt.

·

as

in

the letter

box--dropped in by hand.

It begins' 'You p i          , ,,

·      ated

,,      trollop...

What else

doC.

.

lt Save"

joanna gave a ,.,,

l(le r'    "      "

g

mace.

Same old

muck

ne croppec

I

'

.     k. r :-. on to the fire. With

a quick gesture that

nut my tat:r, x J'

L --

. .      .

etl i

,,n

.,, ,, o ;.a t

off

again

just

before

It caught.

' ¥¥e       '

"

"Need

it?"        may need t.

"For the polio

¥

Superintender]tN--

From the

first ash came

to

see me the following

morning·

him He was

th 0raellt I

saw him I took a

great

liking

to

. .'

est

type

of

C

I

D

County

Superintendent

laIl,

SOlulerly,

V l 11'

"'

'

·

'

·

q

let,

reHect we

eyes

and

a

straightforward,

unassuming

magyar

'

Ue s" v 2 [ '?'Mr.

Barton,"

he

said.

"I

expect

you

can

,,x · ... ,

to

see

you

about.

,,

leS, I

tnlnK

He

nodded .this

letter

business."

',',I

understanc You

llad

one

Yes,

soon

af tWe

gothere."

° if

them?"

5O

TE MOVING FINGER

"What did it say exactly?"

I thought a inute, then conscientiously repeated the wording

of the letter as closely as possible.

The superihtendentlistened with an immovable face, showing

no signs if any kind of emotion.

When I hatl finished, he said, "I see. You didn't keep the

letter, Mr. lttton?,,

"I'm sorry, I didn't. You see, I thought it was just an

isolated instahce of spite against newcomers to the place."

The superihtendet inclined his head comprehendingly. "A pity," le said briefly.

"However,', I said, "my sister got one yesterday. I just

stopped her buttingit in the fire."

"Thank yot' Mr. urton, that was thoughtful of you."

I went aCr%s to n? desk and unlocked the drawer in which

I had put it. It was jot, I thought, very suitable for Partridge's

eyes. I gave it to Nsh.

He read it through. Then he looked up and asked: "Is this the same appearance as the last one?" "I think s%--as fal as I can remember."

"The sarn difference bet,,een the envelope and the text?"

"Yes," I Said. "The envelope was typed. The letter itself

had printed words pasted onto a sheet of paper."

Nash n°dtled andput it iuhis pocket. Then he said:

"I wonder?, Mr. arton, if you would mind coming down to

the station ith ne? We could have a conference there and it

would save a gooddeal of tire and overlapping."

"Certainly,,, I sd. "You would like me to come now?" "If you dqn,t mind."

There WSs a police car at the door. We drove down in it.

I said, "1o youthink you'll be able to get to the bottom of

this ?"

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Nash nodded with easy confidence. "Oh, yes, we'll get to

the bottom of it all right. It's a question of time and routine.

They're slow, these cases, but they're pretty sure. It's a mat

ter of narrowing things down."

"Elimination ?" I said.

"Yes. And general routine."

"Watching post boxes, examining typewriters, fingerprints,

all that?"

He smiled. "As you say."

At the police station I found Symmington and Griffith

were already there. I was introduced to a tall, lantern-jawed

man in plain clothes, Inspector Graves.

"Inspector Graves," explained Nash, "has come down from

London to help us. He's an expert on anonymous letter cases."

Inspector Graves smiled mournfully. I reflected that a life

spent in the pursuit of anonymous letter writers must be

singularly depressing. Inspector Graves, however, showed a

kind of melancholy enthusiasm.

"They're all the same, these cases," he said in a deep

lugubrious voice like a depressed bloodhound. "You'd be

surprised. The wording of the letters and the things they

say."

"We had a case just on two years ago," said Nas 'h[nspector

Graves helped us then."

)

Some of the letters, I saw, were spread out on thethble in

front of Graves. He had evidently been examining them.

"Difficulty is," said Nash, "to get hold of the letters. Either

people put them in the fire, or they won't admit to having

received anything of the kind. Stupid, you see, and afraid of

being mixed up with the police. They're a backward lot here."

"Still we've got a fair amount to get on with," said Graves.

52

THE MOVING FINGER

Nasl took the letter I had given him frorrn

tossed it over to Graves.

ispC[eta

The latter glanced through it, laid it wit:h ttheotlersan'rd

obseUved approvingly, "Very nicevery nic im. ,,

It as not the way I should have chosede$'ribe

enistJe in question, but experts, I suppose,,

oin of view. I was ad that that screed oF

tupeat

obscene abuse gave somebody pleasure.

,,e've got enough, I think, to go on with ,"

r .es, "and I'll ask all you gentlemen, if yq

, to bring them along at once. Also, if yvosh0se-.

one lse getting one (you, in particular, Doto

patientS) do your best to get them to come

them. I've got"he sorted with deft

' ·

,,

·

·

.

rS u ,

ohilts one to Mr. Symmmgton, receive

two..°ths ago, one to Dr. Griffith, ,°ne .t°

wn'tten to Mrs. Mudge, the butcher s wife,,

one t the bank manager."

,,-uite a representative collection," I remrk

,,Ad not one I couldn't match from other

"Qite so, sir. You'd know that if you were

Nah sied and said, "Yes, indeed."

*'rpfesst°' "

Symington asked, "Have you come to y ·

as to 0 the writer?"

53

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Graves cleared his throat and delivered a small lecture:

"There are certain similarities shared by all these letters. I

shall enumerate them, gentlemen, in case they suggest any

thing to your minds. The text of the letters is composed of

words made up from individual letters cut out of a printed

book. It's an old book, printed, I should say, about the year

1830. This has obviously been done to avoid the risk of recog

nition through handwriting which is, as most people know

nowadays, a fairly easy matter ... the so-called disguising of

a hand not amounting to much when faced with expert tests.

There are no fingerprints on the letters and envelopes of a

distinctive character. That is to say, they have been handled

by the postal authorities, the recipient, and there are other

stray fingerprints, but no set common to all, showing there

fore that the person who put them together was careful to

wear gloves.

"The envelopes are typewritten by a Windsor 7 machine,

well worn, with the a and the t out of alignment. Most of them

have been posted locally, or put in the box of a house by hand.

It is therefore evident that they are of local provenance. They

were written by a woman, and in my opinion a woman of

middle age,, or over, and probably, though not certaiy/

unmarried.

We maintained a respectful silence for a minute or tw.

Then I said, "The typewriter's your best bet, isn't it? That

oughtn't to be difficult in a little place like this."

Inspector Graves shook his head sadly and said, "That's

where you're wrong, sir."

"The typewriter," said Superintendent Nash, "is unfortu

nately too easy. It is an old one from Mr. Symmington's office,

given by him to the Women's Institute where, I may say, it's

54

THE MOVING FINGEB

fairly easy of access. The ladies ere all often go into the

Institute."

"Can't you tell something definite from the--er--the touch,

don't you call it?"

Again Graves nodded. "Yes, that can be done---but these

envelopes have all been typed by someone using one finger."

"Someone, then, unused to the typewriter?"

"No, I wouldn't say that. Someone, perhaps, who can type

but doesn't want us to know the fact."

"Whoever writes these things has been very cunning," I

said slowly.

"She is, sir, she is," said Graves. "Up to every trick of the

trade."

"I shouldn't have thought one of these bucolic women down

here would have had the brains," I said.

Graves coughed. "I haven't made myself plain, I'm afraid.

Those letters were written by an educated woman."

"Wht, by a lady ?"

The word slipped out involuntarily. I hadn't used the term

"lady" for years. But now it came automatically to my lips,

re-echoed from days long ago, and my grandmother's faint

unconsciously arrogant voice saying, "Of course, she isn't a

lady, dear."

Nash understood at once. The word lady still meant some-thing

to him.

"Not necessarily a lady," he said. "But certainly not a

village woman. They're mostly pretty illiterate down here,

can't spell, and certainly can't express themselves with

fluency."

I was silent, for I had had a shock. The community was so

small. Unconsciously I had visualized the writer of the letters

as a Mrs. Cleat or her like, some spiteful, cunning half-wit.

55

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Symmington put my thoughts into words. He said sharply,

"But that narrows it down to about half a dozen to a dozen

people in the whole place! I can't believe it."

Then, with a slight effort, and looking straight in front of

him as though the mere sound of his own words was distasteful,

he said:

"You have heard what I stated at the inquest. In case you

may have thought that that statement was actuated by a

desire to protect my wife's memory, I should like to repeat

now that I am firmly convinced that the subject matter of the

letter my wife received was absolutely false. I know it was

false. My wife was a very sensitive woman, and--er--well,

you might call it prudish in some respects. Such a letter would

have been a great shock to her, and she was in poor health."

Graves responded instantly:

"That's quite likely to be right, sir. None of these letters

show any signs of intimate knowledge. They're just blind

accusations. There's been no attempt to blackmail. And there

doesn't seem to be any religious bias--such as we sometimes

get. It's just sex and spite! And that's going to give us quite a

good pointer toward the writer."

Symmington got up. Dry and unemotional as the man was,

his lips were trembling.

"I hope you find the devil who writes these soon. She

murdered my wife as surely as if she'd put a knife into her."

He paused. "How does she feel now, I wonder?"

He went out, leaving that question unanswered.

"How does she feel, Griffith?" I asked. It seemed to me the

answer was in his province. ('

"God knows. Remorseful, perhaps. On the other hand, it

may be that she's enjoying her power. Mrs. Symmington's

death may have fed her mania."

56

THE MOVING FINGER

"I hope not," I said, with a slight shiver. "Because if so,

she'll--"

I hesitated and Nash finished the sentence for me:

"She'll try it again? That, Mr. Burton, would be the best

thing that could happen, for us. The pitcher goes to the well

once too often, remember."

"She'd be mad to go on with it," I exclaimed.

"She'll go on," said Graves. "They always do. It's a vice,

you know, they can't let it alone."

I shook my head with a shudder. I asked if they needed me

any longer, I wanted to get out into the air. The atmosphere

seemed tinged with evil.

"There's nothing more, Mr. Burton," said Nash. "Only

keep your eyes open, and do as much propaganda as you

can--that is to say, urge on everyone that they've got to report

any letter they receive."

I nodded.

"I should think everyone in the place has had one of the

foul things by now," I said.

"I wonder," said Graves. He put his sad head a little on one

de4and asked, "You don't know, definitely, of anyone who

t had a letter.

,

,,

What an extraordinary question! The population at large

isn't likely to take me into their confidence."

"No, no, Mr. Burton, I didn't mean that. I just wondered if

you knew of any one person who quite definitely, to your

certain knowledge, has not received an anonymous letter."

"Well, as a matter of fact," I hesitated, "I do, in a way."

And I repeated my conversation with Emily Barton and

what she had said.

Graves received the information with a wooden face and

said, "Well, that may come in useful. I'll note it down."

57

AGATHA CHRISTIE

I went out into the afternoon sunshine with Owen Griffith.

Once in the street, I swore aloud.

"What kind of place is this for a man to come to to lie in the

sun and heal his wounds? It's full of festering poison, this

place, and it looks as peaceful and as innocent as the Garden

of Eden."

"Even there," said Owen drily, "there was one serpent."

"Look here, Griffith, do they know anything? Have they got

any idea?"

"I don't know. They've got a wonderful technique, the

police. They're seemingly so frank, and they tell you nothing."

"Yes. Nash is a nice fellow."

"And a very capable one."

"If anyone's batty in this place, you ought to know it," I

said accusingly.

Griffith shook his head. He looked discouraged. But he

looked more than that--he looked worried. I wondered if he

had an inkling of some kind.

We had been walking along the High Street. I stopped at

the door of the house agents.

"I believe my second installment of rent is due--in advance.

I've got a good mind to pay it and clear out with Joanna right

away. Forfeit the rest of the tenancy."

"Don't go," said Owen.

"Why not?"

He didn't answer. He said slowly after a minute or two,

"After all--I dare say you're right. Lymstock isn't healthy

just now. It might--it might harm you or--or your sister."

"Nothing harms Joanna," I said. "She's tough. I'm the weakly

one. Somehow this business makes me sick."

"It makes me sick," said Owen.

I pushed the door of the house agents' place half open.

58

THE MOVING FINGEB

"But I shan't go," I said. "Vulgar curiosity is stronger than

pusillanimity. I want to know the solution."

I went in.

A woman who was typing got up and came toward me. She

had frizzy hair and simpered, but I found her more intelligent

than the spectacled youth who had previously held sway in

the outer office.

A minute or two later something familiar about her pene-trated

through to my consciousness. It was Miss Ginch, lately

Symmington's lady clerk.

I commented on the fact.

"You used to be with Galbraith, Galbraith, and Symmington,

weren't you?" I said.

"Yes. Yes, indeed. But I thought it was better to leave. This

· is quite a good post, though not quite so well paid. But there

are things that are more valuable than money, don't you think

so?"

"Undoubtedly," td.

"Those awful e," breathed Miss Ginch in a sibilant

whisper. "I got a dreadful one. About me and Mr. Symmington

--oh, terrible it was, saying the most awful things! I knew my

duty and I took it to the police, though of course it wasn't

exactly pleasant for me, was it?"

"No, no, most unpleasant."

"But they thanked me and said I had done quite right. But

I felt that, after that, if people were talking--and evidently

they must have been, or where did the writer get the idea

from ?--then I must avoid even the appearance of evil, though

there has never been anything at all wrong between me and

Mr. Symmington."

I felt rather embarrassed.

"No, no, of course not."

59

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"But people have such evil minds. Yes, alas, such evil

minds!"

Nervously trying to avoid it, I nevertheless met her eye,

and I made a most unpleasant discovery.

Miss Ginch was thoroughly enjoying herself.

Already once today I had come across someone who reacted

pleasurably to anonymous letters. Inspector Graves' enthusio

asm was professional. Miss Ginch's enjoyment I found merely

suggestive and disgusting.

An idea flashed across my startled mind.

Had Miss Ginch written these letters herself?

When I got home I found Mrs. Dane Calthrop sitting talking

to Joanna. She looked, I thought, gray and ill.

"This has been a terrible shock to me, Mr. Burton," she

said. "Poor thing, poor thing."

"Yes," I said. "It's awful to think of someone being driven

to the stage of taking their own life."

"Oh, you mean Mrs. Symmington?"

"Didn't you?"

Mrs. Dane Calthrop shook her head. "Of course one is sorry

for her, but it would have been bound to happen anyway,

wouldn't it?"

"Would it?" said Joanna drily.

Mrs. Dane Calthrop turned to her.

"Oh, I think so, dear. If suicide is your idea of escape from

trouble then it doesn't very much matter what the trouble is.

Whenever some very unpleasant shock had to be faced, she'd

have done the same thing. What it really comes down to is

that she was that kind of woman. Not that one would have

guessed it. She always seemed to me a selfish rather stupid

woman, with a good firm hold on life. Not the kind to panic,

6O

THE MOVING FINGER

you would think--but I'm beginning to realize how little I

really know about anyone."

"I'm still curious as to whom you meant when you said

'Poor thing,'" I remarked.

She stared at me. "The woman who wrote the letters, of

course."

"I don't think," I said drily, "I shall waste sympathy on

her."

Mrs. Dane Calthrop leaned forward. She laid a hand on my

knee.

"But don't you realizean't you feel? Use your imagination.

Think how desperately, violently unhappy anyone must be to

sit down and write these things. How lonely, how cut off

from humankind. Poisoned through and through, with a dark

stream of poison that finds its outlet in this way. That's why I

feel so self-reproachful. Somebody in this town has been racked

with that terrible unhappiness, and I've had no idea of it. I

should have had. You can't interfere with acfions--I never

do. But that black inward unhappiness--like a septic arm

physically, all black and swollen. If you could cut it and let

the poison out it would flow away harmlessly. Yes, poor soul,

poor soul."

She got up to go.

I did not feel like agreeing with her. I had no sympathy

for our anonymous letter writer whatsoever. But I did ask

curiously:

"Have you any idea at all, Mrs. Calthrop, who this woman

is?"

She turned her fine perplexed eyes on me. "Well, I can

guess," she said. "But then I might be wrong, lightn't I?"

She went swiftly out through the door, popping her head

61

AGATHA CHRISTIE

back to ask.' "Do tell me, why have you never married, Mr.

Burton?"

In anyone else it would have been impertinence, but with

Mrs. Dane Calthrop you felt that the idea had suddenly come

into her head and she had really wanted to know.

"Shall we say," I said, rallying, "that I have never met the

right woman?"

"We can say so," said Mrs. Dane Calthrop, "but it wouldn't

be a very good answer, because so many men have obviously

married the wrong woman."

This time she really departed.

Joanna said, "You know I really do think she's mad. But I

like her. The people in the village here are afraid of her." "So am I, a little."

"Because you never know what's coming next?"

"Yes. And there's a careless brilliancy about her guesses."

Joanna said slowly, "Do you really think whoever wrote

these letters is very unhappy?"

"I don't know what the damned hag is thinking or feeling!

And I don't care. It's her victims I'm sorry for."

It seems odd to me now that in our speculations about Poison

Pen's frame of mind we missed the most obvious one. Griffith

had pictured her as possibly exultant. I had envisaged her

as remorseful--appalled by the result of her handiwork. Mrs.

Dane Calthrop had seen her as suffering.

Yet the obvious, the inevitable reaction we did not consider-or

perhaps I should say, I did not consider. That

reaction was Fear.

For with the death of Mrs. Symmington, the letters had

passed out of one category into another. I don't know what

the legal position was--Symmington knew, I suppose, but it

was clear that with a death resulting, the position of the

62

THE MOVING FINGER

writer of the letters was much more serious. There could now

be no question of passing it off as a joke if the identity of the

writer was discovered. The police were active, a Scotland

Yard expert was called in. It was vital now for the anonymous

author to remain anonymous.

And granted that Fear was the principal reaction, other

things followed. Those possibilities also I was blind to. Yet

surely they should have been obvious.

Joanna and I came down rather late to breakfast the next

morning. That is to say, late by the standards of Lymstock. It

was nine-thirty, an hour at which, in London, Joanna was just

unclosing an eyelid, and mine would probably be still tight

shut.

However when Partridge had said, "Breakfast at half past

eight, or nine o'clock?" neither Joanna nor I had had the

nerve to suggest a later hour.

To my annoyance, Aim6e Griffith was standing on the

doorstep talking to Megan.

She gave tongue with her usual heartiness at the sight of

us:

"Hullo, there, slackers! I've been up for hours."

That, of course, was her own business. A doctor, no doubt,

has to have early breakfast, and a dutiful sister is there to

pour out his tea or coffee. But it is no excuse for coming and

butting in on one's more somnolent neighbors. Nine-thirty is

not the time for a morning call.

Megan slipped back into the house and into the dining

room, where I gathered she had been interrupted in her

breakfast.

"I said I wouldn't come in," said Aime Griffith---"though

why it is more of a merit to force people to come and speak to

63

AGATHA CHRISTIE

you on the doorstep, than to talk to them inside the house I do

not know. Just wanted to ask Miss Burton if she'd any vegetables

to spare for our Red Cross stall on the main road. If so,

I'd get Owen to call for them in the car."

"You're out and about very early," I said.

"The early bird catches the worm," said Aime. "You have

a better chance of finding people in this time of day. I'm off

to Mr. Pye's next. Got to go over to Brenton this afternoon.

Guides."

"Your energy makes me quite tired," I said, and at that

moment the telephone rang and I retired to the back of the

hall to answer it, leaving Joanna murmuring rather doubtfully

something about rhubarb and French beans and exposing

her ignorance of the vegetable garden.

"Yes ?" I said into the telephone mouthpiece.

A confused noise of deep breathing came from the other

end of the wire and a doubtful female voice said, "Oh!"

"Yes?" I said again encouragingly.

"Oh," said the voice again, and then it inquired adenoidally,

"Is that--what I mean--is that Little Furze?"

"This is Little Furze."

"Oh!" This clearly a stock beginning to every sentence.

The voice inquired cautiously: "Could I speak to Miss Partridge

just a minute?"

"Certainly," I said. "Who shall I say ?"

"Oh. Tell her it's Agnes, would you? Agnes Waddle."

"Agnes Waddle ?"

"That's right."

Resisting the temptation to say "Donald Duck to you," I

put down the telephone receiver and called up the stairs

to where I could hear the sound of Partridge's activities

overhead.

64

THE MOVING FINGER

"Partridge! Partridge!"

Partridge appeared at the head of the stairs, a long mop in

one hand, and a look of "What is it now?" clearly discernible

behind her invariably respectful manner.

"Yes, sir?"

"Agnes Waddle wants to speak to you on the telephone."

"I beg your pardon, sir?"

I raised my voice: "Agnes Waddle."

I have spelled the name as it presented itself to my mind.

But I will now spell it as it was actually written:

"Agnes Woddell--whatever can she want now?"

Very much put out of countenance Partridge relinquished

her mop and rustled down the stairs, her print dress crackling

with agitation.

I beat an unobtrusive retreat into the dining room where

Megan was wolfing down kidneys and bacon. Megan, unlike

Aime Griffith, was displaying no "glorious morning face.'', In

fact she replied very gruffly to my morning salutations and

continued to eat in silence.

I opened the morning paper and a minute or two later

Joanna entered, looking somewhat shattered.

"Whew!" she said. "I'm so tired. And I think I've exposed

my utter ignorance of what grows when.' Aren't there runner

beans this time of year?"

"August," said Megan.

"Well, one has them any time in London," said Joanna

defensively.

"Tins, sweet fool," I said. "And cold storage on ships from

the far-flung limits of Empire."

"Like ivory, apes and peacocks?" asked Joanna.

"Exactly."

"I'd rather have peacocks," said Joanna thoughtfully.

65

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"I'd like a monkey of my own as a pet," said Megan.

Meditatively peeling an orange, Joanna said:

"I wonder what it would feel like to be Aime Griffith, all

bursting with health and vigor and enjoyment of life. Do you

think she's ever tired, or depressed, or--or wistful?"

I said I was quite certain Aime Griffith was never wistful,

and followed Megan out of the open French window onto the

veranda.

Standing there, filling my pipe, I heard Partridge enter the

dining room from the hall and heard her voice say grimly,

"Can I speak to you a minute, Miss?"

"Dear me," I thought. "I hope Partridge isn't going to give

notice. Emily Barton would be very annoyed with us if so."

Partridge went on:

"I must apologize, Miss, for being rung up on the telephone.

That is to say, the young person who did so should have

known better. I have never been in the habit of using the

telephone or of permitting my friends to ring me up on it, and

I'm very sorry indeed that it should have occurred, and the

master taking the call and everything."

"Why, that's quite all right, Partridge," said Joanna soothingly,

"why shouldn't your friends use the phone if they want

to speak to you?"

Partridge's face, I could feel, though I could not see it, was

more dour than ever as she replied coldly:

"It is not the kind of thing that has ever been done in this

house. Miss Emily would never permit it. As I say, I am sorry

it occurred, but Agnes Woddell, the girl who did it, was upset

and she's young too, and doesn't know what's fitting in a

gentleman's house."

"That's one for you, Joanna," I thought gleefully.

"This Agnes who rung me up, Miss," went on Partridge,

66

THE MOVING FINGER

"she used to be in service here under me. Sixteen she was,

then, and come straight from the orphanage. And you see, not

having a home, or a mother or any relations to advise her, she's

been in the habit of coming to me. I can tell her what's what,

you see."

"Yes?" said Joanna and waited. Clearly there was more to

follow.

"So I am taking the liberty of asking you, Miss, if you

would allow Agnes to come here to tea this afternoon in the

kitchen. It's her day out, you see, and she's got something on

her mind she wants to consult me about. I wouldn't dream of

suggesting such a thing in the usual way."

Joanna said bewildered, "But why shouldn't you have any-one

to tea with you?"

Partridge drew herself up at this, so Joanna said afterward

and really looked most formidable, as she replied:

"It has never been the custom of this house, Miss. Old Mrs.

Barton never allowed visitors in the kitchen, excepting as it

should be our own day out, in which case we were allowed to

entertain friends here instead of going out, but otherwise, on

ordinary days, no. And Miss Emily keeps to the old ways."

Joanna is very nice to servants and most of them like her

but she has never cut any ice with Partridge.

"It's no good, my girl," I said when Partridge had gone

and Joanna had joined me outside. "Your sympathy and

leniency are not appreciated. The good old overbearing ways

for Partridge and things done the way they should be done in a

gentleman's house."

"I never heard of such tyranny as not allowing them to

have their friends to see them," said Joanna. '-'It's all very

well, Jerry, but they can't like being treated like black slaves."

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"Evidently they do," I said. "At least the Partridges of this

world do."

"I can't imagine why she doesn't like me. Most people do."

"She probably despises you as an inadequate housekeeper.

You never draw your hand across a shelf and examine it for

traces of dust. You don't look under the mats. You don't ask

what happened to the remains of the chocolate souffle, and

you never order a nice bread pudding."

"Ugh!" said Joanna.

She went on sadly: "I'm a failure all around today. De-spised

by our Aime for ignorance of the vegetable kingdom.

Snubbed by Partridge for being a human being. I shall now go

out into the garden and eat worms."

"Megan's there already," I said.

For Megan had wandered away a few minutes previously

and was now standing aimlessly in the middle of a patch

of lawn looking not unlike a meditative bird waiting for

nourishment.

She came back, however, toward us and said abruptly,

"I say, I must go home today."

"What?" I was dismayed.

She went on, flushing, but speaking with nervous deter-mination:

"It's been awfully good of you having me and I expect I've

been a fearful nuisance, but I have enjoyed it awfully, only

now I must go back, because after all, well, it's my home and

one can't stay away forever, so I think I'll go this morning."

Both Joanna and I tried to make her change her mind, but

she was quite adamant, and finally Joanna got out the car and

Megan went upstairs and came down a few minutes later

with her belongings packed up again.

The only person pleased seemed to be Partridge, who had

68

THE MOVING FINGER

almost a smile on her grim face. She had never liked Megan

much.

I was standing in the middle of the lawn when Joanna

returned.

She asked me if I thought I was a sundial.

"Why ?"

"Standing there like a garden ornament. Only one couldn't

put on you the motto of only marking the sunny hours. You

looked like thunder!"

"I'm out of humor. First Aime Griffith"--"Gracious!" mur-mured

Joanna in parentheses, "I must speak about those

vegetables"--"and then Megan beetling off. I'd thought of

taking her for a walk up to Legge Tor."

"With a coll and lead, I suppose," said Joanna.

"What?"

Joanna repeated loudly and clearly as she moved off around

the corner of the house to the kitchen garden:

"I said 'With a collar and lead, I suppose?' Master's lost his

dog, that's what's the matter with you!"

69

CHAPTER IV

I was annoyed, I must confess, at the abrupt way in which

Megan had left us. Perhaps she had suddenly got bored with us.

After all, it wasn't a very amusing life for a girl. At home

she had the kids and Elsie Holland.

I heard Joanna returning and hastily moved in case she

should make more rude remarks about sundials.

Owen Griffith called in his car just before lunchtime, and

the gardener was waiting for him with the necessary garden

produce.

While Old Adams was stowing it in the car I brought Owen

indoors for a drink. He wouldn't stay to lunch.

When I came in with the sherry I found Joanna had begun

doing her stuff.

No signs of animosity now. She was curled up in the corner

of the sofa and was positively purring, asking Owen questions

about his work, if he liked being a G.P., if he wouldn't rather

70

THE MOVING FIN (;Eh o

have specialized? She thought doctoring teas s

fascinating things in the world.

h Sy what you will of her, Joanna is lol;loY'4'ly,

'st ner. And after listening to so run"

Y

telling her how they had been unapre;at

Owen Grimth was easy money By theqiml woe

third glass of sherry, Griffith was tellint her

obscure reaction or leson m such scntiJ*c

body could have 8nderstood a word if it e<%xcet

medico.

Joanna was looki, ng intelligent and deevly;noM terd0aad

I felt a moments qualm. It was really td bada

Griffith was too good a chap to be playe fast

with. Women really were devils.

Then I caught a sideways view of GriFfit

poseful chin and the rim set of his lis aha as t a a .

that Joanna was going to have it her own wa'

anyway a man has no business to let himself bt ad/

by a woman. It's his own lookout if he does.

hen Joanna said:

Do change your mind and stay to luhch

Griffith," and Griffith flushed a little and s[d

he

only his sister would be expecting him back

"We'll ring her up and explain," said Joann qic

went out into the hall and did so.

I thought Griffith looked a little uneasy, ahd i{ c°ss

mind that he was probably a little afraid of his sJste'r'

Joanna came back smiling and said that that was 11

And Owen Griffith stayed to lunch and Seemd

to

himself. We talked about books and plays and wo;Id

and about music and painting and modern architeftU;re.

71

AGATHA CHRISTIE

We didn't talk about Lymstock at all, or about anonymous

letters, or Mrs. Symmington's suicide.

We got right away from everything, and I think Owen

Griffith was happy. His dark sad face lighted up, and he

revealed an interesting mind.

When he had gone I said to Joanna, "That fellow's too good

for your tricks."

"That's what you say!" Joanna said. "You men all stick

together I"

"Why are you out after his hide, Joanna? Wounded vanity ?"

"Perhaps," said my sister.

That afternoon we were to go to tea with Miss Emily

Barton at her rooms in the village.

We strolled down there on foot, for I felt strong enough now

to manage the hill back again.

We must actually have allowed too much time and got there

early, for the door was opened to us by a tall, rawboned,

fierce-looking woman who told us that Miss Barton wasn't in

yet.

"But she's expecting you, I know, so if you'll come up and

wait, please."

This was evidently faithful Florence.

We followed her up the stairs and she threw open a door

and showed us into what was quite a comfortable sitting

room, though perhaps a little over-furnished. Some of the

things, I suspected, had come from Little Furze.

The woman was clearly proud of her room. "It's nice, isn't it?" she demanded.

"Very nice," said Joanna warmly.

"I make her as comfortable as I can. Not that I can do

for her as I'd liIe to and in the way she ought to have.

72

THE MOVING F4GER

She ought to be in her own house, properly, not turned out

into rooms."

Florence, who was clearly a dragon, looked from one to the

other of us reproachfully. It was not, I felt, our lucky day.

Joanna had been ticked off by Aime Griffith and Partridge

and now we were both being ticked off by the dragon Florence.

"Parlormaid I was for nine years there," she added.

Joanna, goaded by injustice, said, "Well, Miss Barton wanted

to let the house. She put it down at the house ggents."

"Forced to it," said Florence. "And she living so frugal and

careful. But even then, the government can't leave her alone!

Has to have its pound of flesh just the same."

I shook my head sadly.

"Plenty of money there was in the old lady's time," said

Florence. "And then they all died off one after another, poor

dears. Miss Emily nursing of them one after the other. Wore

herself out she did, and always so patient and uncomplaining.

But it told on her, and then to have worry about money on top

of it all! Shares not bringing in what they used to, so she says,

and why not, I should like to know ? They ought to be ashamed

of themselves. Doing down a lady like her who's got no head

for figures and can't be up to their tricks."

"Practically everyone has been hit that way," I said, but

Florence remained unsoftened.

"It's all right for some as can look after themselves, but not

for her. She needs looking after, and as long as she's with me

I'm going to see no one imposes on her or upsets her in any

way. I'd do anything for Miss Emily."

And glaring at us for some moments in order to drive that

point thoroughly home, the indomitable Florence left the room,

carefully shutting the door behind her.

73

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"Do you feel like a bloodsucker, Jerry?" inquired Joanna.

"Because I do. What's the matter with us?"

"We don't seem to be going down very well," I said. "Megan

gets tired of us, Partridge disapproves of you, faithful Flor-ence

disapproves of both of us."

Joanna murmured, "I wonder why Megan did leave?"

"She got bored."

"I don't think she did at all. I wonder--do you think, Jerry,

it could have been something that Aime Griffith said?"

"You mean this morning, when they were talking on the

doorstep ?"

"Yes. There wasn't much time, of course, but--"

I finished the sentence: "But that woman's got the tread of

a cow elephant! She might have--"

The door opened and Miss Emily came in. She was pink

and a little out of breath and seemed excited. Her eyes were

very blue and shining.

She chirruped at us in quite a distracted manner:

"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry I'm late. Just doing a little shopping

in the town, and the cakes at the Blue Rose didn't seem to me

quite fresh, so I went on te Mrs. Lygon's. I always like to get

my cakes the last thing, then one gets the newest batch just

out of the oven, and one isn't put off with the day before's.

But I am so distressed to have kept you waiting--really

unpardonable--"

Joanna cut in:

"It's our fault, Miss Barton. We're early. We walked down

and Jerry strides along so fast now that we arrive everywhere

too soon."

"Never too soon, dear. Don't say that. One cannot have too

much of a good thing, you know."

74

THE MOVING FINGER

And the old lady petted Joanna affectionately on the

shoulder.

Joanna brightened up. At last, so it seemed, she was being a

success. Emily Barton extended her smile to include me, but

with a slight timidity in it, rather as one might approach a

man-eating tiger guaranteed for the moment harmless.

"It's very good of you to come to such a feminine meal as

tea, Mr. Burton."

Emily Barton, I think, has a mental picture of men as

interminably consuming whisky-and-sodas and smoking cigars,

and in the intervals dropping out to do a few seductions of

village maidens, or to conduct a liaison with a married womal.

When I said this to Joanna later, she replied that it was

probably wishful thinking, that Emily Barton would have

liked to come ac.,ross such a man, but alas, had never done so.

In the meantime, Miss Emily was fussing around the room,

arranging Joanna and myself with little tables, and carefully

providing ashtrays, and a minute later the door opened and

Florence came in bearing a tray of tea with some fine Crown

Derby cups on it, which I gathered Miss Emily had brought

with her. The tea was China and delicious and there were

plates of sandwiches and thin bread and butter, and a quan-tity

of little cakes.

Florence was beaming now, and looked at Miss Emily with

a kind of maternal pleasure, as at a favorite child enjoying a

doll's tea party.

Joanna and I ate far more than we wanted to, our hostess

pressed us so earnestly. The little lady was clearly enjoying

her tea party and I perceived that to Emily Barton, Joanna and

I were a big adventure, two people from the mysterious world

of London and sophistication.

Naturally, our talk soon dropped into local channels. Miss

75

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Barton spoke warmly of Dr. Griffith, his kindness and his

cleverness as a doctor. Mr. Symmington, too, was a very

clever lawyer, and had helped Miss Barton to get some money

back from the Income Tax which she would never have known

about. He was so nice to his children, too, devoted to them

and to his wife she caught herself up. "Poor Mrs. Symming-ton,

it's so dreadfully sad, with those young children left

motherless. Never, perhaps, a very strong woman--and her

health had been bad of late.

"A brainstorm, that is what it must have been. I read about

such a thing in the paper. People really do not know what

they are doing under those circumstances. And she can't have

known what she was doing or else she would have remem-bered

Mr. Symmington and the children."

"That anonymous letter must have shaken her up very

badly," said Joanna.

Miss Barton flushed. She said, with a tinge of reproof in

her voice:

"Not a very nice thing to discuss, do you think, dear? I

know there have been--er--letters, but we won't talk about

them. Nasty things. I think they are better just ignored."

Well, Miss Barton might be able to ignore them, but for

some people it wasn't so easy. However I obediently changed

the subject and we discussed Aime Griffith.

"Wonderful, quite wonderful," said Emily Barton. "Her

energy and her organizing powers are really splendid. She's

so good with girls too. And she's so practical and up to date in

every way. She really runs this place. And absolutely devoted

to her brother. It's very nice to see such devotion between

brother and sister."

"Doesn't he ever find her a little overwhelming?" asked

Joanna.

76 ,

THE MOVING FINGER

Emily Barton stared at her in a startled fashion.

"She has sacrificed a great deal for his sake," she said with

a touch of reproachful dignity.

I saw a touch of Oh, Yeah? in Joanna's eye and hastened to

divert the conversation to Mr. Pye.

Emily Barton was a little dubious about Mr. Pye.

All she could say was, repeated rather doubtfully, that he

was very kind--yes, very kind. Very well off, too, and most

generous. He had very strange visitors sometimes, but then,

of course, he had traveled a lot.

We agreed that travel not only broadened the mind, but

occasionally resulted in the forming of strange acquaintances.

"I have often wished, myself, to go on a cruise," said Emily

Barton wistfully. "One reads about them in the papers and

they sound so attractive."

"Why don't you go?" asked Joanna.

This turning of a dream into a reality seemed to alarm Miss

Emily.

"Oh, no, no, that would be quite impossible."

"But why? They're fairly cheap."

"Oh, it's not only the expense. But I shouldn't like to go

alone. Traveling alone would look very peculiar, don't you

think?" x

"No," said Joanna.

Miss Emily looked at her doubtfully.

"And I don't know how I would manage about my luggage--and

going ashore at foreign ports--and all the different

currencies--"

Innumerable pitfalls seemed to rise up before the little

lady's affrighted gaze, and Joanna hastened to calm her by a

question about an approaching garden fete and sale of work.

This led us quite naturally to Mrs. Dane Calthrop.

77

AGATHA CHRISTIE

A faint spasm showed for a minute on Miss Barton's face.

"You lnow, dear," she said, "she is really a very odd woman.

The things she says sometimes."

I asled what things.

"Oh, I don't knoW. Such very unexpected things. And the

way sl*e looks at' yoU, as though you weren't there but somebody

else was--I'r expressing it badly but it is so hard to

convey the impression I mean. And then she won't--well, interfere at all. There are so many cases where a vicar's wife

could advise aridperhaps admonish. Pull people up, you

know, and make them mend their ways. Because people would

listen to her, I'm sure of that, they're all quite in awe of her.

But sle insists on being aloof and far away, and has such a

curious habit of feeling sorry for the most unworthy people."

"That's interesting," I said, exchanging a quick glance with

Joanna.

"still, she is a very well-bred woman. She was a Miss

Farro¢ay of Bellpath, very good family, but these old families

sometimes are a little peculiar, I believe. But she is devoted to

her husband who is a man of very fine intellect--wasted, I am

sometimes afraid, in this country circle. A good man, and

most sincere, but I always find his habit of quoting Latin a

little confusing."

"Hear, hear," I said fervently.

"Jeffy had an expensive public school education, so he

doesn't recognize Latin when he hears it," said Joanna.

This led Miss 13arton to a new topic.

"The schoolmistress here is a most unpleasant young

womaa," she said. "Quite Red, I'm afraid." She lowered her

voice over the word "Red."

Later, as we walked home up the hill, Joanna said to me.' "She's rather sveet."

78

THE MOVING FINGER

At dinner that night Joanna said to Partridge that she

hoped her tea party had been a success.

Partridge got rather red in the face and held herself even

more stiffly. "Thank you, Miss, but Agnes never turned up

after all."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It didn't matter to me," said Partridge.

Slte was so swelling with grievance that she condescended

to pour it out to us:

"It wasn't me who thought of asking her! She rang up herself,

said she'd something on her mind and could she come here, it

being her day off. And I said, yes, subject to your permission

which I obtained. And after that, not a sound or sign of her!

And no word of apology either, though I should hope I'll get a

postcard tomorrow morning. These girls nowadays---don't know

their place--no idea of how to behave."

Joanna attempted to soothe Partridge's wounded feelings:

"She mightn't have felt well. You didn't ring up to find out?"

Partridge drew herself up again. "No, I did not, Miss! No,

indeed. If Agnes likes to behave rudely that's her lookout, but

I shall give her a piece of my mind when we meet."

Partridge went out of the room still stiff with indignation,

and Joanna and I laughed.

"Probably a case of 'Advice from Aunt Nancy's Column,'"

I said. "'My boy is very cold in his manner to me, what shall I do

about it?' Failing Aunt Nancy, Partridge was to be applied to

for advice, but instead there has been a reconciliation and I

expect at this minute that Agnes and her boy are one of those

speechless couples locked in each other's arms that you come

upon suddenly standing by a dark hedge. They embarrass you

horribly, but you don't embarrass them."

79

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Joanna laughed and said she expected that was it.

We began talking of the anonymous letters and wondered

how Nash and the melancholy Graves were getting on.

"It's a week today exactly," said Joanna, "since Mrs.

Symmington's suicide. I should think they must have got

on to something by now. Fingerprints, or handwriting, or something."

I answered her absently. Somewhere behind my conscious

mind, a queer uneasiness was growing. It was connected in

some way with the phrase that Joanna had used, "a week

exactly."

I ought, I dare say, to have put two and two together

earlier. Perhaps, unconsciously, my mind was already suspicious.

Anyway the leaven was working now. The uneasiness was

growing--coming to a head.

Joanna noticed suddenly that I wasn't listening to her spirited

account of a village encounter.

"What's the matter, Jerry?"

I did not answer because my mind was busy piecing things

together.

Mrs. Symmington's suicide .... She was alone in the house

that afternoon       Alone

in the house because the maids were

having

their day out         A week

ago exactly ....

"Jerry, what--"

I interrupted:

"Joanna, maids

have days out once a week, don't they?" "And alternate

Sundays," said Joanna. "What on--"

"Never mind

Sundays. They go out the same day every week?"

"Yes.

That's

the usual thing."

80

THE MOVING FINGER

Joanna was staring at me curiously. Her mind had not

taken the track mine had.

I crossed the room and rang the bell.

Partridge came.

"Tell me," I said, "this Agnes Woddell. She's in service?"

"Yes, sir. At Mrs. Symmington's. At Mr. Symmington's I

should say now."

I drew a deep breath. I glanced at the clock. It was half past

ten.

"Would she be back now, do you think?"

Partridge was looking disapproving. "Yes, sir. The maids

have to be in by ten there. They're old-fashioned."

I said, "I'm going to ring up."

I went out to the hall. Joanna and Partridge followed me.

Partridge was clearly furious. Joanna was puzzled. She said

as I watrying to get the number, "What are you going to do,

Jerry?"

"I'd like to be sure that the girl has come in all right."

Partridge sniffed. Just sniffed, nothing more. But I did not

care twopence about Partridge's sniffs.

Elsie Holland answered the telephone from the other end.

"Sorry to ring you up," I said. "This is Jerry Burton speaking.

Is--has--your maid Agnes come in?"

It was not until after I had said it that I suddenly felt a bit

of a fool. For if the girl had come in and it was all right, how

on earth was I going to explain my ringing up and asking. I

would have been better if I had let Joanna ask the question,

though even that would need a bit of explaining. I foresaw a

new trail of gossip started in Lymstock, with myself and the

unknown Agnes Woddell as its center.

Elsie Holland sounded, not unnaturally, very much sur-prised:

"Agnes? Oh, she's sure to be in by now."

81

AGATHA CHRISTIE

t I went on with it: "Do you mind just seeing

I felta fool, iin' Miss Holland?"

if she has conlihing to be said for a nursery governess; she is

There is one,,ins when told. Hers not to reason why! Elsie

used to doing t,ivnthe receiver and went off obediently.

Holland put 1 later I heard her voice:

Two minute!, Mr. BurtonS"

"Are you thlte' '

"Yes."

in yet, as a matter of fact."

"ABes isn'tl:hat my hunch had been right.

I knew thene of voices vaguely from the other end, then

I heard a rff!nself spoke'

Symmmgton n, what's the matter?

Hullo, Bttt ignes isn't back yet."

x ur ma6 lland has just been to see. What's the matter?

No. Mxss ,n an accident, has there?"

There s not bll,,,t ,,

,ot an act;n you have reason to believe something has

' Do you

girl?"

happened ta Iy-,,I shouldn't be surprised."

I said grim!!"

that night.

I slept badl! even then, there were pieces of the puzzle

I think th;tin my mind. I believe that if I had given my

floating aba!;ould have solved the whole thing then and

mind to it, ise why did those fragments tag along so

there. Othef

persistentl,:.

,

'lo

we now at any time? Much more, or so I

How mue know we know! But we cannot break through

believe, thav"

·

to that suht?nean knowledge. It s there, but we cannot

reach it.

82

THE MOVING FINGER

I lay on my bed, tossing uneasily, and only vague bits o£the

puzzle came to torture me.

There was a pattern, if only I could get hold of it. I oughtt0

know who wrote those damned letters. There was a trail

somewhere if only I could follow it ....

As I dropped off to sleep, words danced irritatingly through

my drowsy mind:

"No smoke without fire. No fire without smoke Smoke ....

Smoke? Smoke screen .... No, that was the war--a war

phrase. War. Scrap of paper .... Only a scrap of paper.

Belgium--Germany .... "

I fell asleep. I dreamed that I was taking Mrs. Dane Calth0P,

who had turned into a greyhound, for a walk with a collar d

lead.

It was the ringing of the telephone that roused me. A persistent

ringing.

I sat up in bed, glanced at my watch. It was half past set'ea.

I had not yet been called. The telephone was ringing in the

hall downstairs.

I jumped out of bed, pulled on a dressing gown, and raced

down. I beat Partridge coming through the back door frornthe

kitchen by a short head. I picked up the receiver.

"Hullo?"

"Oh---" It was a sob of relief. "It's you!" Megan's voice.

Megan's voice indescribably forlorn and frightened. "Oh, please

do come--do come. Oh, please do! Will you?"

"I'm coming at once," I said. "Do you hear ? At once." I took the stairs two at a time and burst in on Joanna.

"Look here, Jo, I'm going off to the Symmingtons'."

Joanna lifted a curly blond head from the pillow and

rubbed her eyes like a small child.

83

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"Why--what's happened?"

"I don't know. It was the child--Megan. She sounded all

in."

"What do you think it is?"

"The girl Agnes, unless I'm very much mistaken."

As I went out of the door, Joanna called after me, "Wait.

I'll get up and drive you down."

"No need. I'll drive myself."

"You can't drive the car."

"Yes, I can."

I did, too. It hurt, but not too much. I'd washed, shaved,

dressed, got the car out and driven to the Symmingtons' in

half an hour. Not bad going.

Megan must have been watching for me. She came out of

the house at a run and clutched me. Her poor little face was

white and twitching.

"Oh, you've come--you've come!"

"Hold up, funnyface," I said. "Yes, I've come. Now what is

it?"

She began to shake. I put my arm around her.

"I---I found her."

"You found Agnes? Where?"

The trembling grew.

"Under the stairs. There's a cupboard there. It has fishing

rods and golf clubs and things. You know."

I nodded. It was the usual cupboard.

Megan went on:

"She was there--all huddled up--and--and cold--horribly

cold. She was--she was dead, you know!"

I asked curiously, "What made you look there?"

"I--I don't know. You telephoned last night. And we all

began wondering where Agnes was. We waited up some time,

84

THE MOVING FINGER

but she didn't come in, and at last we went to bed. I didn't

sleep very well and I got up early. There was only Rose (the

cook, you know) about. She was very cross about Agnes not

having come back. She said she'd been before somewhere

when a girl did a flit like that. I had some milk and bread and

butter in the kitchen--and then suddenly Rose came in look-ing

queer and she said that Agnes' outdoor things were still in

her room. Her best ones that she goes out in. And I began to

wonder if---if she'd ever left the house, and I started looking

around, and I opened the cupboard under the stairs and--and

she was there ..."

"Somebody's rung up the police, I suppose?"

"Yes, they're here now. My stepfather rang them up

straightaway. And then I--I felt I couldn't bear it, and I rang

you up. You don't mind?"

"No," said. "I don't mind."

I looked at her curiously.

"Did anybody give you some brandy, or some coffee, or

some tea after--after you found her ?"

Megan shook her head.

I cursed the whole Symmington mnage. That stuffed shirt,

Symmington, thought of nothing but the police. Neither Elsie

Holland nor the cook seemed to have thought of the effect on

the sensitive child who had made that gruesome discovery.

"Come on, slabface," I said. "We'll go to the kitchen."

We went around the house to the back door and into the

kitchen. Rose, a plump pudding-faced woman of forty, was

drinking strong tea by the kitchen fire. She greeted us with a

flow of talk and her hand to her heart.

She'd come all over queer, she told me, awful the palpita-tions

were! Just think of it, it might have been her, it might

85

AGATHA CHRISTIE

have been any of them, murdered in their beds they might

have been.

"Dish out a good strong cup of that tea for Miss Megan," I

said. "She's had a shock, you know. Remember it was she

who found the body."

The mere mention of a body nearly sent Rose off again, but

I quelled her with a stern eye and she poured out a cup of

inky fluid.

"There you are, young woman," I said to Megan. "you

drink that down. You haven't got any brandy, I suppose,

Rose?"

Rose said rather doubtfully that there was a drop of cook-ing

brandy left over from the Christmas puddings.

"That'll do," I said, and put a dollop of it into Megan's cap.

I saw by Rose's eye that she thought it a good idea.

I told Megan to stay with Rose.

"I can trust you to look after Miss Megan?" I said, and Rose

replied in a gratified way, "Oh, yes, sir."

I went through into the house. If I knew Rose and her kind,

she would soon find it necessary to keep her strength up with

a little food, and that would be good for Megan too. Confound

these people, why couldn't they look after the child?

Fuming inwardly I ran into Elsie Holland in the hall. She

didn't seem surprised to see me. I suppose that the gruesome

excitement of the discovery made one oblivious of who was

coming and going. The constable, Bert Rundle, was by the

front door.

Elsie Holland gasped out, "Oh, Mr. Burton, isn't it awful?

Whoever can have done such a dreadful thing?"

"It was murder, then?"

"Oh, yes. She was struck on the back of the head. It's all

86

THE MOVING FINGER

blood and hair--oh! it's awful--and bundled into that cupboard.

Who can have done such a wicked thing? And why? Poor

Agnes, I'm sure she never did anyone any harm."

"No," I said. "Somebody saw to that pretty promptly."

She stared at me. Not, I thought, a quick-witted girl. But

she had good nerves. Her color was as usual, slightly heightened

by excitement, and I even fancied that in a macabre

kind of way, and in spite of a naturally kind heart, she was

enjoying the drama.

She said apologetically, "I must go up to the boys. Mr.

Symmington is so anxious that they shouldn't get a shock. He

wants me to keep them right away."

"Megan found the body, I hear," I said. "I hope somebody is

looking after her."

I will say for Elsie Holland that she looked conscience-stricken.

"Oh, dear," she said. "I forgot all about her. I do hope she's

all right. I've been so rushed, you know, and the police and

everything--but it was remiss of me. Poor girl, she must be

feeling bad. I'll go and look for her at once."

I relented.

"She's all right," I said. "Rose is looking after her. You get

along to the kids."

She thanked me with a flash of white tombstone teeth and

hurried upstairs. After all, the boys were her job, and not

MeganIMegan was nob0dy's job. Elsie was paid to look after

Symmington's blinking brats. One could hardly blame her for

attending to it.

As she flashed around the corner of the stairs, I caught my

breath. For a minute I caught a glimpse of a Winged Victory,

deathless and incredibly beautiful, instead of a conscientious

nursery governess.

87

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Then a door opened and Superintendent Nash stepped out

into the hall with Symmington behind him.

"Oh, Mr. Burton," he said, "I was just going to telephone

you. I'm glad you are here."

He didn't ask me--then--why I was here.

He turned his head and said to Symmington, "I'll use this

room if I may."

It was a small morning room with a window on the front of

the house.

"Certainly, certainly."

Symmington's poise was pretty good, but he looked desperately

tired. Superintendent Nash said gently:

"I should have some breakfast if I were you, Mr. Symmington.

You and Miss Holland and Miss Megan will feel much better

after coffee and eggs and bacon. Murder is a nasty business

on an empty stomach."

He spoke in a comfortable family-doctor kind of way.

Symmington gave a faint attempt at a smile and said, "Thank

you, Superintendent, I'll take your advice."

I followed Nash into the little morning room and he shut

the door.

He said then, "You've got here very quickly? How did you

hear?"

I told him that Megan had rung me up. I felt well-disposed

toward Superintendent Nash. He, at any rate, had not forgotten

that Megan, too, would be in need of breakfast.

"I hear that you telephoned last night, Mr. Burton, asking

about this girl? Why was that?"

I suppose it did seem odd. I told him about Agnes' telephone

call to Partridge and her nonappearance. He said, "Yes,

I see       "

He

said it slowly and reflectively, rubbing his chin.

88

THE MOVING FINGER

Then he sighed.

"Well," he said. "It's murder now, right enough. Direct

physical action. The question is, what did the girl know? Did

she say anything to this Partridge? Anything definite?"

"I don't think so. But you can ask her."

"Yes, I shall come up and see her when I've finished

here."

"What happened exactly?" I asked. "Or don't you know

yet?"

"Near enough. It was the maids' day out--"

"Both of them?"

"Yes, it seems that there used to be two sisters here

who liked to go out together, so Mrs. Symmington arranged

it that way. Then when these two came, she kept to the

same arrangement. They used to have cold supper laid

out in the diningroom, and Miss Holland used to get

tea."

"I see."

"It's pretty clear up to a point. The cook, lose, comes from

Nether Mickford, and in order to get there on her day out she

has to catch the half-past-two bus. So Agnes has to finish

clearing up lunch always, lose used to wash up the supper

things in the evenings to even things up.

"That's what happened yesterday, lose went off to catch the

bus at two-twenty-five, Symmington left for his office at

twenty-five to three. Elsie Holland and the children went out

at a quarter to three. Megan Hunter went out on her bicycle

about five minutes later. Agnes would then be alone in the

house. As far as I can make out, she normally left the house

between three o'clock and half past three."

"The house being then left empty?"

"Oh, they don't worry about that down here. There's not

89

AGATHA CHRISTIE

much locking up done in these parts. As I say, at ten minutes

to three Agnes was alone in the house. That she never left it

ii clear, for she was in her cap and apron still when we found

her body."

"I suppose you can tell roughly the time of death?"

"Doctor Griffith won't commit himself. Between two o'clock

and four-thirty is his official medical verdict."

"How was she killed?"

"She was first stunned by a blow on the back of the head.

Afterward an ordinary kitchen skewer, sharpened to a fine

point, was thrust into the base of the skull, causing instanta-neous

death."

I lit a cigarette. It was not a nice picture.

"Pretty cold-blooded," I said.

"Oh, yes, yes, that was indicated."

I inhaled deeply.

"Who did it?" I said. "And why?"

"I don't suppose," said Nash slowly, "that we shall ever

know exactly why. But we can guess."

"She knew something?"

"She knew something."

"She didn't give anyone here a hint?"

"As far as I can make out, no. She's been upset, so the cook

says, ever since Mrs. Symmington's death, and according to

this Rose, she's been getting more and more worried, and

kept saying she didn't know what she ought to do."

He gave a short exasperated sigh.

"It's always the way. They won't come to us. They've got

that deep-seated prejudice against 'being mixed up with the

police.' If she'd come along and told us what was worrying

her, she'd be alive today."

"Didn't she give the other women any hint?"

9O

THE MOVING FINGER

"No, or so Rose says, and I'm inclined to believe her. For if

she had, Rose would have blurted it out at once with a good

many fancy embellishments of her own."

"It's maddening," I said, "not to know."

"We can still guess, Mr. Burton. To begin with, it can't be

anything very definite. It's got to be the sort of thing that you

think over, and as you think it over, your uneasiness grows.

You see what I mean?"

"Yes."

"Actually, I think I know what it was."

I looked at him with respect.

"That's good work, Superintendent."

"Well, you see, Mr. Burton, I know something that you

don't. On the afternoon that Mrs. Symmington committed

suicide both maids were supposed to be out. It was their day

out. But actually Agnes came back to the house."

"You know that?"

"Yes. Agnes has a boyfriend--young Rendell from the fish

shop. Wednesday is early closing and he comes along to meet

Agnes and they go for a walk, or to the pictures if it's wet.

That Wednesday they had a row practically as soon as they

met. Our letter writer had been active, suggesting that Agnes

had other fish to fry, and young Fred Rendell was all worked

up. They quarreled violently and Agnes bolted back home

and said she wasn't coming out unless Fred said he was

sorry."

"Well?"

"Well, Mr. Burton, the kitchen faces the back of the house,

but the pantry looks out where we are looking no,v. There's

only one entrance gate. You come through it and either up to

the front door, or else along the path at the side of the house

to the back door."

91

AGATHA CHRISTIE

He paused.

"Now I'll tell you something: That letter that came to Mrs.

Symmington that afternoon didn't come by post. It had a used

stamp affixed to it, and the postmark faked quite convinc-ingly

in lamp black, so that it would seem to have been

delivered by the postman with the afternoon letters. But

actually it had not been through the post. You see what that

means ?"

"It means," I said slowly, "that it was left by hand, pushed

through the letter box some time before the afternoon post

was delivered, so that it should be among the other letters."

"Exactly. The afternoon post comes around about a quarter

to four. My theory is this: The girl was in the pantry looking

through the window (it's masked by shrubs but you can see

through them quite well) watching out for her young man to

turn up and apologize."

I said, "And she saw whoever it was delivered that note ?"

"That's my guess, Mr. Burton. I may be wrong, of course."

"I don't think you are .... It's simplemand convincing--and

it means that Agnes knew who the anonymous letter writer

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CHAPTER V

lES," Nash said. "Agnes knew who wrote those letters."

"But then wlay didn't she--?" I paused, frowning.

Nash said qtnickly, "As I see it, the girl didn't realize what

she had see. Mot at first. Somebody had left a letter at the

house, yes--bult that somebody was nobody she would dream

of connecting vvith the anonymous letters. It was somebody,

from that point of view, quite above suspicion.

"But the rnore she thought about it, the more uneasy she

grew. Ought sle, perhaps, to tell someone about it? In her

perplexity she tkhinks of Miss Barton's Partridge who, I gather,

is a somewhat dominant personality and whose judgment

Agnes would acept unhesitatingly. She decides to ask Par-tridge

what she ought to do."

"Yes," I said tthoughtfully. "It fits well enough. And some-how

or other, Peoison Pen found out. How did she find out,

Superintendent "

93

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"You're not used to living in the country, Mr. Burton. It's a

kind of miracle how things get around. First of all there's the

telephone call. Who overheard it on your end?"

I reflected.

"I took the call originally. I called up to Partridge."

"Mentioning the girl's name?"

"Yes--yes, I did."

"Anyone overhear you?"

"My sister or Miss Griffith might have done so."

"Ah, Miss Griffith. What was she doing up there?"

I explained.

"Was she going back to the village ?"

"She was going to Mr. Pye first."

Superintendent Nash sighed. "That's two ways it could

have gone all over the place."

I was incredulous. "Do you mean that either Miss Griffith

or Mr. Pye would bother to repeat a meaningless little bit of

information like that?"

"Anything's news in a place like this. You'd be surprised. If

the dressmaker's mother has got a bad corn everybody hears

about it! And then there is this end. Miss Holland, Rose--they

could have heard what Agnes said. And there's Fred

Rendell. It may have got around through him that Agnes

went back to the house that afternoon."

I gave a slight shiver. I was looking out of the window. In

front of me was a neat square of grass and a path and the low

prim gate.

Someone had opened the gate, had walked very correctly

and quietly up to the house, and had pushed a letter through

the letter box. I saw, hazily, in my mind's eye, that vague

woman's shape. The face was blank--but it must be a face

that I knew ....

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THE MOVING FINGER

Superintendent Nash was saying:

"All the same, this narrows things down. That's always the

way we get 'em in the end. Steady, patient elimination. There

aren't so very many people it could be now."

"You mean--?"

"It knocks out any women clerks who were at their work all

the afternoon. It knocks out the schoolmistress. She was

teaching. And the district nurse. I know where she was

yesterday. Not that I ever thought it was any of them, but now

we're sure. You see, Mr. Burton, we've got two definite times

now on which to concentrate--yesterday afternoon, and the

week before. On the day of Mrs. Symmington's death from,

say, a quarter past three (the earliest possible time at which

Agnes could have been back in the house after her quarrel)

and four o'clock when the post must have come (but I can get

that fixed more accurately with the postman). And yesterday

from ten minutes to three (when Miss Megan Hunter left the

house) until half past three or more probably a quarter past

three as Agnes hadn't begun to change."

"What do you think happened yesterday?"

Nash made a grimace.

"What do I think? I think a certain lady walked up to

the front door and rang the bell, quite calm and smiling,

the afternoon caller .... Maybe she asked for Miss Holland,

or for Miss Megan, or perhaps she had brought a parcel.

Anyway Agnes turns around to get a salver for cards, or to

take the parcel in, and our ladylike caller bats her on the back

of her unsuspecting head."

"What with?"

Nash said, "The ladies around here usually carry large

sizes in handbags. No saying what mightn't be inside it."

"And then stabs her through the back of the neck and

95

AGATHA CHRISTIE

bundles her into the cupboard? Wouldn't that be a hefty job

for a woman?"

Superintendent Nash looked at me with rather a queer

expression. "The woman we're after isn't normal--not by a

long way--and that type of mental instability goes with surprising

strength. Agnes wasn't a big girl!" He paused and

then asked, "What made Miss Megan Hunter think of looking

in that cupboard?"

"Sheer instinct," I said.

Then I asked, "Why drag her out of the way? What was the

point?"

"The longer it was before the body was found, the more

difficult it would be to fix the time of death accurately. If

Miss Holland, for instance, fell over the body as soon as she

came in, a doctor might be able to fix it within ten minutes or

so--which might be awkward for our lady friend."

I said, frowning, "But if Agnes was suspicious of this

person--"

Nash interrupted me: "She wasn't. Not to this pitch. She

just thought it 'queer' shall we say? She was a slowwitted

girl, I imagine, and she was only vaguely suspicious with a

feeling that something was wrong. She certainly didn't suspect

that she was up against a woman who would do murder."

"Did you suspect that?" I asked.

Nash shook his head. He said, with feeling:

"I ought to have known. That suicide business, you see,

frightened Poison Pen. She got the wind up. Fear, Mr. Burton,

is an incalculable thing."

Yes, fear. That was the thing we ought to have foreseen.

Fear--in a lunatic brain ....

"You see," said Superintendent Nash, and somehow his

words made the whole thing seem absolutely horrible. "We're

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THE MOVING FINGER

up against someone who's respected and thought highly of---someone,

in fact, of good social position!"

Presently Nash said that he was going to interview Bose

once more. I asked him, rather diffidently, if I might come

too. Bather to my surprise he assented cordially.

"I'm very glad of your co-operation, Mr. Burton, if I may

say so."

"That sounds suspicious," I said. "In books when a detec-tive

welcomes someone's assistance, that someone is usually

the murderer."

Nash laughed shortly. He said, "You're hardly the type to

write anonymous letters, Mr. Burton." He added: "Frankly,

you can be useful to us."

"I'm glad, but I don't see how."

"You're a stranger down here, that's why. You've got no

preconceived ideas about the people here. But at the same

time, you've got the opportunity of getting to know things in

what I may call a social way."

"The murderer is a person of good social position," I

murmured.

"Exactly."

"I'm to be the spy within the gates?"

"Have you any objection?"

I thought it over. "No," I said, "frankly I haven't. If there's

a dangerous lunatic about, driving inoffensive women to sui-cide

and hitting miserable little maid-servants on the head,

then I'm not averse to doing a bit of dirty work to put that

lunatic under restraint."

"That's sensible of you, sir. And let me tell you, the person

we're after is dangerous. She's about as dangerous as a rattle-snake

and a cobra and a black mamba rolled into one."

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

I gave a slight shiver. I said, "In fact, we've got to make

haste ?"

"That's right. Don't think we're inactive in the force. We're

not. We're working on several different lines."

He said it grimly.

I had a vision of a fine, far-flung spider's web...

Nash wanted to hear Rose's story again, so he explained to

me, because she had already told him two different versions,

and the more versions he got from her, the more likely it was

that a few grains of truth might be incorporated.

We found Rose washing up breakfast, and she stopped at

once and rolled her eyes and clutched her heart and ex-plained

again how she'd been coming over queer all the

morning.

Nash was patient with her but firm. He'd been soothing the

first time, so he told me, and peremptory the second, and he

now employed a mixture of the two.

Rose enlarged pleasurably on the details of the past week,

of how Agnes had gone about in deadly fear, and had shivered

and said "Don't ask me" when Rose had urged her to say

what was the matter. "It would be death if she told me, that's

what she said," finished Rose, rolling her eyes happily.

"Had Agnes given no hint of what was troubling her?"

No, except that she went in fear of her life.

Superintendent Nash sighed and abandoned the theme,

contenting himself with extracting an exact account of Rose's

own activities the preceding afternoon.

This, put baldly, was that Rose had caught the 2:30 bus

and had spent the afternoon and evening with her family,

returning by the 8:40 bus from Nether Mickford. The recital

was complicated by the extraordinary presentiments of evil

that Rose had had all the afternoon and how her sister had

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THE MOVING FINGER

commented on it and how she hadn't been able to touch a

morsel of seed cake.

From the kitchen we went in search of Elsie Holland, who

was superintending the children's lessons.

As always, Elsie Holland was competent and obliging. She

rose and said, "Now, Colin, you and Brian will do these three

sums and have the answers ready for me when I come back."

She then led us into the night nursery.

"Will this do? I thought it would be better not to talk

before the children."

"Thank you, Miss Holland. Just tell me, once more, are you

quite sure that Agnes never mentioned to you being worried

over anything--since Mrs. Symmington's death, I mean?"

"No, she never said anything. She was a very quiet girl, you

know, and didn't talk much."

"A change from the other'one, then!"

"Yes, Rose talks much too much. I have to tell her not to be

impertinent sometimes."

"Now, will you tell me exactly what happened yesterday

afternoon? Everything you can remember."

"Well, we had lunch as usual. One o'clock, and we hurried

just a little. I don't let the boys dawdle. Let me see. Mr.

Symmington went back to the office, and I helped Agnes by

laying the table for supper--the boys ran out in the garden

till I was ready to take them."

"Where did you go?"

"Toward Combe Acre, by the field path--the boys wanted

to fish. I forgot their bait and had to go back for it."

"What time was that?"

"Let me see, we started about twenty to three-or just

after. Megan was coming but changed her mind. She was

going out on her bicycle. She's got quite a craze for bicycling."

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

"I mean what time was it when you went back for the bait?

Did you go into the house?"

"No. I'd left it in the conservatory at the back. I don't know

what time it was then--about ten minutes to three, perhaps."

"Did you see Megan or Agnes ?"

"Megan must have started, I think. No, I didn't see Agnes. I

didn't see anyone."

"And after that you went fishing?"

"Yes, we went along by the stream. We didn't catch anything.

We hardly ever do, but the boys enjoy it. Brian got rather wet.

I had to change his things when we got in."

"You attend to tea on Wednesdays ?"

"Yes. It's all ready in the drawing room for Mr. Symmington.

I just make the tea when he comes in. The children and I

have ours in the schoolroom--and Megan, of course. I have

my own tea things and everything in the cupboard up there."

"What time did you get in?"

"At ten minutes to five. I took the boys up and started to

lay tea. Then when Mr. Symmington came in at five I went

down to make his but he said he would have it with us in the

schoolroom. The boys were so pleased. We played Animal

Grab afterward. It seems so awful to think of now--with that

poor girl in the cupboard all the time."

"Would anybody go to that cupboard normally?"

"Oh, no, it's only used for keeping junk. The hats and coats

hang in the little cloakroom to the right of the front door as

you come in. No one might have gone to the other cupboard

for months."

"I see. And you noticed nothing unusual, nothing abnormal

at all when you came back?"

The blue eyes opened very wide. "Oh, no, Inspector, noth

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THE MOVING FINGER

ing at all. Everything was just the same as usual. That's what

was so awful about it."

"And the week before?"

"You mean the day Mrs. Symmington--"

"Yes."

"Oh, that was terrible--terrible!"

"Yes, yes, I know. You were out all that afternoon also?" "Oh, yes, I always take the boys out in the afternoon--if it's

fine enough. We do lessons in the morning. We went up on

the moor, I remember--quite a long way. I was afraid I was

late back because as I turned in at the gate I saw Mr.

Symmington coming from his office at the other end of the

road, and I hadn't even put the kettle on, but it was just ten

minutes to five."

"You didn't go up to Mrs. Symmington?"

"Oh, no. I never did. She always rested after lunch. She

had attacks of neuralgia--and they used to come on after

meals. Dr. Griffith had given her some powders to take. She

used to lie down and try to sl.eep."

Nash said in a casual voice, "So no one would take her up

the post?"

"The afternoon post? No, I'd look in the letter box and put

the letters on the hall table when I came in. But very often

Mrs. Symmington used to come down and get it herself. She

didn't sleep all the afternoon. She was usually up again by

four."

"You didn't think anything was wrong because she wasn't

up that afternoon?"

"Oh, no, I never dreamed of such a thing. Mr. Symmington

was hanging up his coat in the hall and I said, 'Tea's not quite

ready, but the kettle's nearly boiling,' and he nodded and

called out, 'Mona, Mona I '--and then as Mrs. Symmington

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

didn't answer he went upstairs to her bedroom, and it must

have been the most terrible shock to him. He called me and I

came, and he said, 'Keep the children away,' and then he

phoned Dr. Griffith and we forgot all about the kettle and it

burned the bottom out! Oh, dear, it was dreadful, and she'd

been so happy and cheerful at lunch."

Nash said abruptly, "What is your own opinion of that

letter she received, Miss Holland?"

Elsie Holland said indignantly, "Oh, I think it was wicked--wicked!"

"Yes, yes, I don't mean that. Did you think it was true?"

Elsie Holland said firmly:

"No, indeed I don't. Mrs. Symmington was very sensitive--very

sensitive indeed. She had to take all sorts of things for

her nerves. And she was very--well, particular." Elsie flushed.

"Anything of that sort--nasty, I mean--would have given her

a great shock."

Nash was silent for a moment, then he asked: "Have you

had any of these letters, Miss Holland?"

"No. No, I haven't had any."

"Are you sure? Please"--he lifted a hand--"don't answer

in a hurry. They're not pleasant things to get, I know. And

sometimes people don't like to admit they've had them. But

it's very important in this case that we should know. We're

quite aware that the statements in them are just a tissue of

lies, so you needn't feel embarrassed."

"But I haven't, Superintendent. Really I haven't. Not any-thing

of the kind."

She was indignant, almost tearful, and her denials seemed

genuine enough.

When she went back to the children, Nash stood looking

out of the window.

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THE MOVING FINGER

"Well," he said, "that's that! She says she hasn't received

any of these letters. And she sounds as though she's speaking

the truth."

"She did certainly. I'm sure she was."

"H'm," said Nash. "Then what I want to know is, why the

devil hasn't she?"

He went on rather impatiently, as I stared at him:

"She's a pretty girl, isn't she?"

"Rather more than pretty."

"Exactly. As a matter of fact, she's uncommonly good-looking.

And she's young. In fact she's just the meat an anonymous

letter writer would like. Then why has she been left out?"

I shook my head.

"It's interesting, you know. I must mention it to Graves. He

asked if we could tell him definitely of anyone who hadn't

had one."

"She's the second person," I said. "There's Emily Barton,

remember."

Nash gave a faint chuckle. "You shouldn't believe every-thing

you're told, Mr. Burton. Miss Barton had one all right--more

than one."

"How do you know?"

"That devoted dragon she's lodging with told me---her late

parlormaid or cook. Florence Elford. Very indignant she was

about it. Would like to have the writer's blood."

"Why did Miss Emily say she hadn't had any?"

"Delicacy. Their language isn't nice. Little Miss Barton has

spent her life avoiding the coarse and unrefined."

"What did the letter say?"

"The usual. Quite ludicrous in her case. And incidentally

insinuated that she poisoned off her old mother and most of

her sisters!"

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

I said incredulously, "Do you mean to say there's really this

dangerous lunatic going about and we can't spot her right

away ?"

"We'll spot her," said Nash, and his voice was grim. "She'll

write just one letter too many."

"But, my goodness, man, she won't go on writing these

things--not now."

He looked at me.

"Oh, yes, she will. You see, she can't stop now. It's a morbid

craving. The letters will go on, make no mistake about that."

I went and found Megan before leaving the house. She was

in the garden and seemed almost back to her usual self. She

greeted me quite cheerfully.

I suggested that she should come back to us again for a

while, but after a momentary hesitation she shook her head.

"It's nice of you--but I think I'll stay here. After all, it

is--well, I suppose it's my home. And I dare say I can help

with the boys a bit."

"Well," I said, "it's as you like."

"Then I think I'll stay. I could--I could--"

"Yes ?" I prompted.

"If--if anything awful happened, I could ring you up,

couldn't I, and you'd come."

I was touched. "Of course. But what awful thing do you

think might happen?"

"Oh, I don't know." She looked vague. "Things seem rather

like that just now, don't they?"

"Stop it!" I said. "And don't go nosing out any more bodies!

It's not good for you."

She gave me a brief flash of a smile. "No, it isn't. It made

me feel awfully sick."

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THE MOVING FINGER

I didn't much like leaving her there, but after all, as she

had said, it was her home. And I fancied now that Elsie

Holland would feel more responsible for her.

Nash and I went up together to Little Furze. While I gave

Joanna an account of the morning's doings, Nash tackled

Partridge. He rejoined us, looking discouraged.

"Not much help there. According to this woman, the girl

only said she was worried about something and didn't know

what to do and that she'd like Miss Partridge's advice."

"Did Partridge mention the fact to anyone?" asked Joanna.

Nash nodded, looking grim.

"Yes, she told Mrs. Emory--your daily woman--on the

lines, as far as I can gather, that there were some young

women who were willing to take advice from their elders and

didn't think they could settle everything for themselves

offhand! Agnes mightn't be very bright, but she was a nice

respectful girl and knew her manners."

"Partridge preening herself, in fact," murmured Joanna.

"And Mrs. Emory could have passed it around the town?"

"That's right, Miss Burton."

"There's one thing rather surprises me," I said. "Why were

my sister and I included? We were strangers down here--nobody

could have had a grudge against us."

"You're failing to allow for the mentality of a Poison Pen--all

is grist that comes to their mill. Their grudge, you might

say, is against humanity."

"I suppose," said Joanna thoughtfully, "that that is what

Mrs. Dane Calthrop meant."

Nash looked at her inquiringly, but she did not enlighten

him.

The superintendent said:

"I don't know if you happened to look closely at the enve

.

'

105

AGATHA CHRISTIE

lope of the letter you got, Miss Burton. If so, you may have

noticed that it was actually addressed to Miss Barton, and the

a altered to a u afterward."

That remark, properly interpreted, ought to have given us a

clue to the whole business. As it was, none of us saw any

significance in it.

Nash went off, and I was left with Joanna. She actually

said: "You don't think that letter can really have been meant

for Miss Emily, do you ?"

"It would hardly have begun 'You painted trollop,'" I

pointed out, and Joanna agreed.

Then she suggested that I should go down to the town.

"You ought to hear what everyone is saying. It will be the topic this morning!"

I suggested that she should come too, but rather to my

surprise Joanna refused. She said she was going to mess about

in the garden.

I paused in the doorway and said, lowering my voice, "I

suppose Partridge is all right."

"Partridge I"

The amazement in Joanna's voice made me feel ashamed of

my idea.

I said apologetically, "I just wondered. She's rather 'queer'

in some ways--a grim spinster--the sort of person who might

have religious mania."

"This isn't religious mania--or so you told me Graves said."

"Well, sex mania. They're very closely tied up together, I

understand. She's repressed and respectable, and has been

shut up here with a lot of elderly women for years."

"What put the idea into your head?"

"Well," I said slowly, "we've only her word for it, haven't

we, as to what the girl Agnes said to her? Suppose Agnes

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THE MOVING FINGER

asked Partridge to tell her why Partridge came and left a note

that day--and Partridge said she'd call around that afternoon

and explain."

"And 'then camouflaged it by coming to us and asking if the

girl could come here ?"

"Yes."

"But she never went out that afternoon."

"You don't know that. We were out ourselves, remember."

"Yes, that's true. It's possible, I suppose." Joanna turned it

over in her mind. "But I don't think so, all the same. I don't

think Partridge has the mentality to cover her tracks over

the letters. To wipe off Fingerprints, and all that. It isn't only

cunning you want--it's knowledge. I don't think she's got

that. I suppose--" Joanna hesitated, then said slowly, "they

are sure it is a woman, aren't they?"

"You don't think it's a man?" I exclaimed incredulously.

"Not--not an ordinary man--but a certain kind of man. I'm

thinking, really, of Mr. Pye."

"So Pye is your selection?"

"Don't you feel yourself that he's a possibility? He's the

sort of person who might be lonely--and unhappy--and

spiteful. Everyone, you see, rather laughs at him. Can't you

see him secretly hating all the normal happy people, and

taking a queer, perverse, artistic pleasure in what he was

doing?"

"Graves said a middle-aged spinster."

"Mr. Pye," said Joanna, "is a middle-aged spinster."

"A misfit," I said slowly.

"Very much so. He's rich, but money doesn't help. And I do

feel he might be unbalanced. He is, really, rather a frightening

little man."

"He got a letter himself, remember."

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

"We don't know that," Joanna pointed out. "We only thought

so. And anyway, he might have been putting on an act."

"For our benefit?"

"Yes. He's clever enough to think of that--and not to overdo

it."

"He must be a first-class actor."

"But of course, Jerry, whoever is doing this must be a

first-class actor. That's partly where the pleasure comes in."

"For heaven's sake, Joanna, don't speak so understandingly!

You make me feel that you--that you understand the men-tality.''

"I think I do. I can--just--get into the mood. If I wasn't

Joanna Burton, if I wasn't young and reasonably attractive

and able to have a good time, if I was--how shall I put

it ?--behind bars, watching other people enjoy life, would a

black, evil tide rise in me, making me want to hurt, to torture--even

to destroy?"

"Joanna!" I took her by the shoulders and shook her. She

gave a little sigh and shiver, and smiled at me.

"I frightened you, didn't I, Jerry? But I have a feeling that

that's the right way to solve this problem. You've got to be the

person, knowing how they feel and what makes them act, and

then--and then perhaps you'll know what they're going to do

next."

"Oh, gee!" I said. "And I came down here to be a vegetable

and get interested in all the dear little local scandals. Dear

little local scandals! Libel, vilification, obscene language and

murder!"

Joanna was quite right. The High Street was full of interest-ing

groups. I was determined to get everyone's reactions in

turn.

I met Griffith first. He looked terribly ill and tired. So

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THE MOVING FINGER

much so that I wondered. Murder is not, certainly, all in the

day's work to a doctor, but his profession does equip him to

face most things including suffering, the ugly side of human

nature, and the fact of death.

"You look all in," I said.

"Do I?" He was vague. "Oh! I've had some worrying cases

lately."

"Including our lunatic at large?"

"That, certainly." He looked away from me across the street.

I saw a fine nerve twitching in his eyelid.

"You've no suspicions as to--who?"

"No. No. I wish I had."

He asked abruptly after Joanna and said, hesitatingly, that

he had some photographs she'd wanted to see.

I offered to take them to her.

"Oh, it doesn't matter. I shall be passing that way actually

later in the morning."

I began to be afraid that Griffith had got it badly. Curse

Joanna! Griffith was too good a man to be dangled as a scalp.

I let him go, for I saw his sister coming and I wanted, for

once, to talk to her.

Aime Griffith began, as it were, in the middle of conversation.

"Absolutely shocking!" she boomed. "I hear you were

there--quite early ?"

There was a question in the words, and her eyes glinted as

she stressed the word "early." I wasn't going to tell her that

Megan had rung me up. I said instead, "You see, I was a bit

uneasy last night. The girl was due to tea at our house and

didn't turn up."

"And so you feared the worst? Very smart of you!"

"Yes," I said. "I'm quite the human bloodhound."

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

"It's the first murder we've ever had in Lymstock. Excitement

is terrific. Hope the police can handle it all right."

"I shouldn't worry," I said. "They're an efficient body of

men."

"Can't even remember what the girl looked like, although I

suppose she's opened the door to me dozens of times. Quiet,

insignificant little thing. Knocked on the head and then stabbed

through the back of the neck, so Owen tells me. Looks like a

boy friend to me. What do you think ?"

"That's your solution?"

"Seems the most likely one. Had a quarrel, I expect. They're

very inbred around here--bad heredity, a lot of them." She

paused, and then went on.' "I hear Megan Hunter found the

body? Must have given her a bit of a shock."

I said shortly, "It did."

"Not too good for her, I should imagine. In my opinion she's

not too strong in the head--and a thing like this might send

her completely off her onion."

I took a sudden resolution. I had to know something.

"Tell me, Miss Griffith, was it you who persuaded Megan

to return home yesterday?"

"Well, I wouldn't say exactly persuaded."

I stuck to my guns. "But you did say something to her?"

Aim6e Griffith planted her feet firmly and stared me in the

eyes. She was, just slightly, on the defensive. She said:

"It's no good--that young woman shirking her responsibility.

She's young and she doesn't know how tongues wag, so I felt

it my duty to give her a hint."

"Tongues--?" I broke off because I was too angry to go on.

Aim6e Griffith continued with that maddeningly complacent

confidence in herself which was her chief characteristic:

"Oh, I dare say you don't hear all the gossip that goes

110

THE MOVING FINGER

around. I do! I know what people are saying. Mind you, I

don't for a minute think there's anything in it--not for a

minute! But you know what people are--if they can say

something ill-natured, they do! And it's rather hard lines on

the girl when she's got her living to earn."

"Her living to earn?" I said, puzzled.

Aim6e went on:

"It's a difficult position for her, naturally. And I think she

did the right thing. I mean, she couldn't go off at a moment's

notice and leave the children with no one to look after them.

She's been splendid--absolutely splendid. I say so to everybody!

But there it is, it's an invidious position, and people will

talk."

"Who are you talking about?" I asked.

"Elsie Holland, of course," said Aime Griffith impatiently.

"In my opinion, she's a thoroughly nice girl and has only been

doing her duty."

"And what are people saying?"

Aim6e Griffith laughed. It was, I thought, rather an un-pleasant

laugh.

"They're saying that she's already considering the possibil-ity

of becoming Mrs. Symmington No. 2--that she's all out to

console the widower and make herself indispensable."

"But," I said, shocked, "Mrs. Symmington's only been dead

a week!"

Aim6e Griffith shrugged her shoulders.

"Of course. It's absurd! But you know what people are!

The Holland girl is young and she's good-looking--that's

enough. And mind you, being a nursery governess isn't much

of a prospect for a girl. I wouldn't blame her if she wanted a

settled home and a husband who was playing her cards

accordingly,

111

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"Of course," she went on. "Poor Dick Symmington hasn't

the least idea of all this! He's still completely knocked out by

Mona Symmington's death. But you know what men are! If

the girl is always there, making him comfortable, looking

after him, being obviously devoted to the children--well, he

gets to be dependent on her."

I said quietly, "So you do think that Elsie Holland is a

designing hussy ?"

Aime Griffith flushed.

"Not at all. I'm sorry for the girl--with people saying nasty

things! That's why I more or less told Megan that she ought

to go home. It looks better than having Dick Symmington and

the girl alone in the house."

I began to understand things.

Aime Griffith gave her jolly laugh. "You're shocked, Mr.

Burton, at hearing what our gossiping little town thinks. I can

tell you this--they always think the worst!"

She laughed and nodded and strode away.

I came upon Mr. Pye by the church. He was talking to

Emily Barton, who looked pink and excited.

Mr. Pye greeted me with every evidence of delight:

"Ah, Burton, good morning, good morning! How is your

charming sister?"

I told him that Joanna was well.

"But not joining our village Parliament? We are all agog

over the news. Murder! Real Sunday newspaper murder in

our midst! Not the most interesting of crimes, I fear. Some

what sordid. The brutal murder of a little serving maid. No

finer points about the crime, but still undeniably news."

Miss Barton said tremulously, "It is shocking--quite

shocking."

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THE MOVING FINGEB

Mr. Pye turned on her: "But you enjoy it, dear lady, you

enjoy it. Confess it now. You disapprove, you deplore, but

there is the thrill. I insist, there is the thrill!"

"Such a nice girl," said Emily Barton. "She came to me

from St. Clotilde's Home. Quite a raw girl. But most teachable.

She turned into such a nice little maid. Partridge was very

pleased with her."

I said quickly, "She was coming to tea with Partridge yesterday

afternoon." I turned to Pye: "I expect Aime Griffith

told you."

My tone was quite casual. Pye responded apparently quite

unsuspiciously:

"She did mention it, yes. She said, I remember, that it was

something quite new for servants to ring up on their employers'

telephones."

"Partridge would never dream of doing such a thing," said

Miss Emily, "and I am really surprised at Agnes doing so."

"You are behind the times, dear lady," said Mr. Pye. "My two terrors use the telephone constantly and smoked all over

the house until I objected. But one daren't say too much.

Prescott is a divine cook, though temperamental, and Mrs.

Prescott is an admirable house-parlor maid."

"Yes, indeed, we all think you're very lucky."

I intervened, since I did not want the conversation to become

purely domestic.

"The news of the murder has got around very quickly," I

said.

Of course, of course," said Mr. Pye. "The butcher, the

baker, the candlestick maker. Enter Rumor, painted full of

tongues! Lymstock, alas! is going to the dogs. Anonymous

letters, murders, any amount of criminal tendencies."

113

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Emily Barton said nervously, "They don't thinkmthere's

no idea--that--that the twt are connected."

Mr. Pye pounced on the idea. "An interesting speculation.

The girl knew something, therefore she was murdered. Yes,

yes, most promising. How clever of you to think of it."

"I--I can't bear it."

Emily Barton spoke abruptly and turned away, walking

very fast.

Pye looked after her. Her cherubic face was pursed up

quizzically.

He turned back to me and shook his head gently.

"A sensitive soul. A charming creature, don't you think?

Absolutely a period piece. She's not, you know, of her own

generation, she's of the generation before that. The mother

must have been a woman of very strong character. She kept

the family time ticking at about 1870, I should say. The whole

family preserved under a glass case. I do like to come across

that sort of thing."

I did not want to talk about period pieces.

"What do you really think about all this business?" I asked.

"Meaning by that?"

"Anonymous letters, murder..."

"Our local crime wave? What do you?"

"I asked you first," I said pleasantly.

Mr. Pye said gently:

"I'm a student, you know, of abnormalities. They interest

me. Such apparently unlikely people do the most fantastic

things. Take the case of Lizzie Borden. There's not really a

reasonable explanation of that. In this case, my advice to the

police would be--study character. Leave your fingerprints and

your measuring of handwriting and your microscopes. Notice

instead what people do with their hands, and their little

114

THE MOVING FINGER

tricks of manner, and the Way they eat their food, and if they

laugh sometimes for no apparent reason."

I raised my eyebrows.

"Mad?" I said.

"Quite, quite mad," said Mr. Pye, and added, "but you'd

never know it!"

"Who?"

His eyes met mine. He siled.

"No, no, Burton, that would be slander. We can't add slaw

· der to all the rest of it."

He fairly skipped off down the street.

115

CHAPTER VI

AS I stood staring after Mr. Pye the church door opened

and the Rev. Caleb Dane Calthrop came out.

He smiled vaguely at me. "Good--good morning, Mr.--er--er--"

I helped him.

"Burton."

"Of course, of course, you mustn't think I don't remember

you. Your name had just slipped my memory for the moment.

A beautiful day."

"Yes," I said rather shortly.

He peered at me.

"But something--something, as, yes, that poor unfortunate

child who was in service at the Symmingtons'. I find it hard

to believe, I must confess, that we have a murderer in our

midst, Mr.--er--Burton."

"It does seem a bit fantastic," I said.

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THE MOVING FINGER

"Something else has just reached my ears." He leaned

toward me. "I learn that there have been anonymous letters

going about. Have you heard any rumor of such things?"

"I have heard," I said.

"Cowardly and dastardly things." He paused and quoted an

enormous stream of Latin. "Those words of Horace are very

applicable, don't you think?" he said.

"Absolutely," I said.

There didn't seem anyone more I could profitably talk to,

so I went home, dropping in for some tobacco and for a bottle

of sherry, so as to get some of the humbler opinions on the

crime.

"A narsty tramp," seemed to be the verdict.

"Come to the door, they do, and whine and ask for money,

and then if it's a girl alone in the house, they turn narsty. My

sister Dora, over to Combe Acre, she had a narsty experience

one day--drunk, he was, and selling those little printed

poems .... "

The story went on, ending with the intrepid Dora courageously

banging the door in the man's face and taking 'refuge

and barricading herself in some vague retreat, which I gathered

from the delicacy in mentioning it, must be the lavatory.

"And there she stayed till her lady came home!"

I reached Little Furze just a few minutes before lunch

time. Joanna was standing in the drawing-room window doing

nothing at all and looking as though her thoughts were miles

away.

"What have you been doing with yourself?" I asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Nothing particular."

I went out on the veranda. Two chairs were drawn up to an

iron table and there were two empty sherry glasses. On an117

AGATHA CHRISTIE

other chair was an object at which I looked with bewilder-ment

for some time.

"What on earth is this?"

"Oh," said Joanna, "I think it's a photograph of a diseased

spleen or something. Dr. Griffith seemed to think I'd be

interested to see it."

I looked at the photograph with some interest. Every man

has his own ways of courting the female sex. I should not,

myself, choose to do it with photographs of spleens, diseased

or otherwise. Still no doubt Joanna had asked for it!

"It looks most unpleasant," I said.

Joanna said it did, rather.

"How was Griffith?" I asked.

"He looked tired and very unhappy. I think he's got some-thing

on his mind."

"A spleen that won't yield to treatment?"

"Don't be silly. I mean something real."

"I should say the man's got you on his mind. I wish you'd

lay off him, Joanna."

"Oh, do shut up. I haven't done anything."

"Women always say that."

Joanna whirled angrily out of the room.

The diseased spleen was beginning to curl up in the sun. I

took it by one corner and brought it in to the drawing room. I

had no affection for it myself, but I presumed it was one of

Griffith's treasures.

I stooped down and pulled out a heavy book from the

bottom shelf of the bookcase in order to press the photograph

flat between its leaves. It was a ponderous volume of some-body's

sermons.

The book came open in my hand in rather a surprising way.

118

THE MOVING FINGER

In another minute I saw why. From the middle of it a number

of pages had been neatly cut out.

I stood staring at it. I looked at the title page. It had been

published in 1840.

There could be no doubt at all. I was looking at the book

from the pages of which the anonymous letters had been put

together. Who had cut them out?

Well, to begin with, it could be Emily Barton herself. She

was, perhaps, the obvious person to think of. Or it could have

been Partridge.

But there were other possibilities. The pages could have

been cut out by anyone who had been alone in this room, any

visitor, for instance, who had sat there waiting for Miss Emily.

Or even anyone who called on business.

No, that wasn't so likely. I had noticed that when, one day,

a clerk from the bank had come to see me, Partridge had

shown him into the little study at the back of the house. That

was clearly the house routine.

A visitor, then? Someone "of good social position." Mr.

Pye? Aim6e Griffith? Mrs. Dane Calthrop?

The gong sounded and I went in to lunch. Afterward, in the

drawing room, I showed Joanna my find.

We discussed it from every aspect. Then I took it down to

the police station.

They were elated at the find, and I was patted on the back

for what was, after all, the sheerest piece of luck.

Graves was not there, but Nash was, and rang up the other

man. They would test the book for fingerprints, though Nash

was not hopeful of finding anything. I may say that he did

not. There were mine, Partridge's and nobody else's, merely

showing that Partridge dusted conscientiously.

119

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Nash walked back with me up the hill. I asked how he was

getting on.

"We're narrowing it down, Mr. Burton. We've eliminated

the people it couldn't be."

"Ah," I said. "And who remains?"

"Miss Ginch. She was to meet a client at a house yesterday

afternoon by appointment. That house was situated not far

along the Combe Acre road--that's the road that goes past the

Symmingtons'. She would have to pass the house both going

and coming ... the week before, the day the anonymous

letter was delivered and Mrs. Symmington committed suicide,

was her last day at Symmington's office.

"Mr. Symmington thought at first she had not left the

office at all that afternoon. He had Sir Henry Lushington

with him all the afternoon and rang several times for Miss

Ginch. I find, however, that she did leave the office between

three and four. She went out to get some high denomination

of stamp of which they had run short. The office boy could

have gone, but Miss Ginch elected to go, saying she had a

headache and would like the air. She was not gone long."

"But long enough?"

"Yes, long enough to hurry along to the other end of the

village, slip the letter in the box and hurry back. I must say,

however, that I cannot find anybody who saw her near the

Symmingtons' house."

"Would they notice?"

"They might and they might not."

"Who else is in your bag?"

Nash looked very straight ahead of him. "You'll understand

that we can't exclude anybody--anybody at all."

"No," I said. "I see that."

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THE MOVING FINGER

He said gravely, "Miss Griffith Went to Brenton for a meeting

of Girl Gui/es yesterday. She arrived rather late."

"You don't tlMnk"

"No, I don't think. But I don't know. Miss Griffith seems an

eminently sane, healthy-minded Woman--but I say, I don't know."

"What about the previous week? Could she have slipped

the letter in th% box?"

"It's possible. Shovas shopping i the town that afternoon."

He paused. "The sae applies to Miss Emily Barton. She was

out shopping e arlyyesterday afteenoon and she went for a

walk to see sonde friends on the road past the Symmingtons' house the week: before."

I shook my 1Thead unbelievingly. Finding the cut book in

Little Furze Wa,as 0und, I knew, to direct attention to the

owner of that hosO, but when I remembered Miss Emily

coming in yeste erdayso bright and happy and excited...

Damn it all-13--xcited .... Yes, excited--pink cheeks--

shining eyes--Ssurolynot because--lot because--

I said thicklily' "This business is bad for one! One sees

things---one imnagines things--"

Nash nodded d sympathetically. "Xles, it isn't very pleasant

to look upon thence {ell0*v creatures Orae meets as possible criminal

lunatics."

He paused fotffor 0rnent, then Went on, "And there's Mr.

Pye--"

I said sharply ,lly, 5you have considered him?"

Nash smiled..d. "0kyes, we've ccnsidered him all right. A

very curious chaharattr-not, I shoulcl say, a very nice character.

He has no alibi, l.i. He'as in his garden, alone, on both occasions." "So you're nolaaot 0a]ysuspecting WC3men ?"

"I don't think.nk m wrote the 1 tters--in fact, I'm sure of

121

AGATHA CHRISTIE

it--and so is raves--always excepting our Mr. Pye, that is to

say, who's got an abnormally female streak in his character.

But we've Checked up on everybody for yesterday afternoon.

That's a murder case, you see. You're all right," he grinned,

"and so's yotr sister, and Mr. Symmington didn't leave his

office after he got there and Dr. Griffith was on a round in

the other direction, and I've checked up on his visits."

He pausetl, smiled again, and said, "You see, we are thorough."

I said slowly: "So your case is eliminated down to those

three? Mr. Pye, Miss Griffith, little Miss Barton?"

"Oh, no, o, we've got a couple more---besides the vicar's

lady."

"You've thought of her?"

"We've thtught of everybody, but Mrs. Dane Calthrop is a

little too openly mad, if you know what I mean. Still, she could have done it. She was in a ,vood watching birds yesterday

afternoon--and the birds can't speak for her."

He turned sharply as Owen Griffith came into the police

station.

"Hullo, Nash. I heard you were around asking for me this

morning. Anything important?"

"Inquest On Friday, if that suits you, Dr. Griffith."

"Bight. Moresby and I are doing the P.M. tonight."

Nash said, "There's just one other thing, Dr. Griffith. Mrs.

Symmingto was taking some powders or something, that you

prescribed t?or her--"

He pausett.

Owen Griffith said interrogatively, "Yes?"

"Would an overdose of those powders have been fatal?"

"Certainly not," Griffith said drily. "Not unless she'd taken

about twenl:y-five of them!"

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THE MOVING FINGER

"But you once warned her about exceeding the dose, so

Miss Holland tells me."

"Oh, that, yes. Mrs. Symmington was the sort of woman

who would go and overdo anything she was given--fancy that

to take twice as much would do her twice as much good, and

you don't want anyone to overdo even phenacetin or aspirin--bad'

for the heart. And anyway there's absolutely no doubt

about the cause of death. It was cyanide."

"Oh, I know that--you don't get my meaning. I only thought

that when committing suicide you'd prefer to take an over-dose

of a soporific rather than to feed yourself prussic acid."

"Oh, quite. On the other hand, prussic acid is more dra-matic

and is pretty certain to do the trick. With barbiturates,

for instance, you can bring the victim around if only a short

time has elapsed."

"I see; thank you, Dr. Griffith."

Griffith departed, and I said goodby to Nash. I went slowly

up the hill home. Joanna was out--at least there was no sign

of her, and there was an enigmatical memorandum scribbled

on the telephone block presumably for the guidance of either

Partridge or myself:

"If Dr. Griffith rings up, I can't go on Tuesday, but could

manage Wednesday or Thursday."

I raised my eyebrows and went into the drawing room. I sat

down in the most comfortable armchair--(none of them were

very comfortable, they tended to have straight backs and

were reminiscent of the late Mrs. Barton)--stretched out my

legs and tried to think the whole thing out.

With sudden annoyance I remembered that Owen's arrival

had interrupted my conversation with the inspector, and that

he had mentioned two other people as being possibilities.

I wondered who they were.

123

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Partridge, perhaps, for one? After all, the cut book had

been found in this house. And Agnes could have been struck

down quite unsuspectingly by her guide and mentor. No, you

couldn't eliminate Partridge.

But who was the other?

Somebody, perhaps, that I didn't know? Mrs. Cleat? The

original local suspect?

I closed my eyes. I considered the four people, these strangely

unlikely people, in turn: Gentle, frail little Emily Barton?

What points were there actually against her? A starved life?

Dominated and repressed from early childhood? Too many

sacrifices asked of her? Her curious horror of discussing anything

"not quite nice"? Was that actually a sign of inner

preoccupation with just these themes ? Was I getting too horribly

Freudian? I remembered a doctor once telling me that the

mutterings of gentle maiden ladies when going off under an

anesthetic were a revelation. "You wouldn't think they knew

such words I"

Aime Griffith?

Surely nothing; repressed or "inhibited" about her. Cheery,

mannish, successful. A full, busy life. Yet Mrs. Dane Cal-throp

had said, "Poor thing!"

And there was something--something--some remembrance

... Ah! I'd got it. Owen Griffith saying something like, "We had an outbreak of anonymous letters up north where I had a

practice."

Had that been Aim6e Griffith's work, too? Surely rather a

coincidence. Two outbreaks of the same thing.

Stop a minute, they'd tracked down the author of those.

Griffith had said so. A schoolgirl.

Cold it was suddenly--must be a draft, from the window. I

124

THE MOVING FINGER

turned uncomfortably in my chair. Why did I suddenly feel

so queer and upset?

Go on thinking ... Aime Griffith? Perhaps it was Aim6e

Griffith, not that other girl? And Aime had come down here

and started her tricks again. And that was why Owen Griffith

was looking so unhappy and hag-ridden. He suspected.

Yes, he suspected ....

Mr. Pye? Not, somehow, a very nice little man. I could

imagine him staging the whole business, laughing ....

That telephone message on the telephone pad in the hall--why

did I keep thinking of it ? Griffith and Joanna--he was

falling for her. No, that wasn't why the message worried me.

It was something else ....

My senses were swimming, sleep was very near. I repeated

idiotically to myself: "No smoke without fire. No smoke without

fire .... That's it... it all links up together .... "

And then I was walking down the street with Megan, and

Elsie Holland passed. She was dressed as a bride, and people

were murmuring, "She's going to marry Dr. Griffith at last.

Of course, they've been engaged secretly for years .... "

There we were, in the church, and Dane Calthrop was

reading the service in Latin.

And in the middle of it Mrs. Dane Calthrop jumped up and

cried energetically, "It's got to be stopped, I tell you. It's got

to be stopped!"

For a minute or two I didn't know whether I was asleep or

awake. Then my brain cleared, and I realized I was in the

drawing room of Little Furze and that Mrs. Dane Calthrop

had just come through the window and was standing in front

of me saying with nervous violence:

"It has got to be stopped, I tell you."

125

AGATHA CHRISTIE

I jumped up. "I beg your pardon," I said. "I'm afraid I was

asleep. What did you say?"

Mrs. Dane Calthrop beat one fist fiercely on the palm of

her other hand. "It's got to be stopped. These letters! Murder!

You can't go on having poor innocent children like Agnes

Woddell killed!"

"You're quite right," I said. "But how do you propose to set

about it ?"

Mrs. Dane Calthrop said, "We've got to do something!"

I smiled, perhaps in rather a superior fashion. "And what

do you suggest that we should do?"

"Get the whole thing cleared up! I said this wasn't a wicked

place. I was wrong. It is."

I felt annoyed. "Yes, my dear woman," I said, not too

politely, "but what are you going to do?"

Mrs. Dane Calthrop said, "Put a stop to it all, of course."

"The police are doing their best."

"If Agnes could be killed yesterday, their best isn't good

enough."

"So you know better than they do?"

"Not at all. I don't know anything at all. That's why I'm

going to call in an expert."

I shook my head. "You can't do that. Scotland Yard will

only take over on a demand from the chief constable of the

county. Actually they have sent Graves."

"I don't mean that kind of an expert. I don't mean someone

who knows about anonymous letters or even about murder. I

mean someone who knows people. Don't you see? We want

someone who knows a great deal about wickedness!"

It was a queer point of view. But it was, somehow, stimulating.

Before I could say anything more, Mrs. Dane Calthrop

126

THE MOVING FINGER

nodded her head at me and said in a quick, confident

tone:

"I'm going to see about it right away."

And she went out of the window again.

The next week, I think, was one of the queerest times I

have ever passed through. It had an odd dream quality. Noth-ing

seemed real.

The inquest on Agnes Woddell was held and the curious of

Lymstock attended en masse. No new facts came to light and

the only possible verdict was returned: "Murder by person or

persons unknown."

So poor little Agnes Woddell, having had her hour of

limelight, was duly buried in the quiet old churchyard and

life in Lymstock went on as before.

No, that last statement is untrue. Not as before ....

There was a half-scared, half-avid gleam in almost every-body's

eye. Neighbor looked at neighbor. One thing had been

brought out clearly at the inquest--it was most unlikely that

any stranger had killed Agnes Woddell. No tramps or un-known

men had been noticed or reported in the district.

Somewhere, then, in Lymstock, walking down the High Street,

shopping, passing the time of day, was a person who had

cracked a defenseless girl's skull and driven a sharp skewer

home to her brain.

And no one knew who that person was.

As I say, the days went on in a kind of dream. I looked at

everyone I met in a new light, the light of a possible murderer.

It was not an agreeable sensation!

And in the evenings, with the curtain drawn, Joanna and I

sat talking, talking, arguing, going over in turn all the various

possibilities that still seemed so fantastic and incredible.

127

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Joanna held firm to her theory of Mr. Pye. I, after wavering

a little, had gone back to my original suspect, Miss Ginch.

But we went over the possible names again and again:

Mr. Pye?

Miss Ginch?

Mrs. Dane Calthrop?

Aime Griffith?

Emily Barton?

Partridge?

And all the time, nervously, apprehensively, we waited for

something to happen.

But nothing did happen. Nobody, so far as we knew, received

any more letters. Nash made periodic appearances in

the town but what he was doing and what traps the police

were setting, I had no idea. Graves had gone again. .

Emily Barton came to tea. Megan came to lunch. Owen

Griffith went about his practice. We went and drank sherry

with Mr. Pye. And we went to tea at the vicarage.

I was glad to find that Mrs. Dane Calthrop displayed none

of the militant ferocity she had shown on the occasion of our

last meeting. I think she had forgotten all about it.

She seemed now principally concerned with the destruc

tion of white butterflies so as to preserve cauliflower and

cabbage plants.

Our afternoon at the vicarage was really one of the most

peaceful we had spent. It was an attractive old house and had

a big, shabby, comfortable drawing room with faded rose

cretonne. The Dane Calthrops had a guest staying with them,

an amiable, elderly lady who was knitting something with

white, fleecy wool. We had very good hot scones for tea, the

vicar came in, and beamed placidly on us while he pursued

his gentle erudite conversation. It was very pleasant.

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THE MOVING FINGER

I don't mean that we got away from the topic of the murder,

because we didn't.

Miss Marple, the guest, was naturally thrilled by the subject.

As she said apologetically:

"We have so little to talk about in the country!" She had

made up her mind that the dead girl must have been just like

her Edith.

"Such a nice little maid, and so willing, but sometimes just

a little slow to take in things."

Miss Marple also had a cousin whose niece's sister-in-law

had had a great deal of annoyance and trouble over some

anonymous letters, so that, too, was very interesting to the

charming old lady.

"But tell me, dear," she said to Mrs. Dane Calthrop, "what

do the village people--I mean the townspeople--say? What

do they think?"

"Mrs. Cleat still, I suppose," said Joanna.

"Oh, no," said Mrs. Dane Calthrop. "Not now."

Miss Marple asked who Mrs. Cleat was.

Joanna said she was the village witch.

"That's right, isn't it, Mrs. Dane Calthrop?"

The vicar murmured a long Latin quotation about, I think,

the evil power of witches, to which we all listened in respect-ful

and uncomprehending silence.

"She's a very silly woman," said his wife. "Likes to show

off. Goes out to gather herbs and things at the full of the

moon and takes care that everybody in the place knows about

it."

"And silly girls go and consult her, I suppose?" said Miss

Marple.

I saw the vicar getting ready to unload raore Latin on us

129

AGATHA CHRISTIE

and I asked hastily, "But why shouldn't people suspect her of

the murder now? They thought the letters were her doing."

Miss Marple said finally:

"Oh! But the girl was killed with a skewer, so I hear. Very

unpleasant! Well, naturally, that takes all suspicion away

from this Mrs. Cleat. Because, you see, she could ill-wish her,

so that the girl would waste away and die from natural causes."

"Strange how those old beliefs linger," said the vicar. "In

early Christian times, local superstitions were wisely incorpo-rated

with Christian doctrines and their most unpleasant

attributes gradually eliminated."

"It isn't superstition we've got to deal with here," said Mrs.

Dane Calthrop, "but facts."

"And very unpleasant facts," I said.

"As you say, Mr. Burton," said Miss Marple. "Now you--excuse

me if I am being too personal--are a stranger here, and

have a knowledge of the world and of various aspects of life.

It seems to me that you ought to be able to find a solution to

this distasteful problem."

I smiled.

"The best solution I have had was a dream. In my dream it

all fitted in and panned out beautifully. Unfortunately when

I woke up the whole thing was nonsense!"

"How interesting, though. Do tell me how the nonsense

went."

"Oh, it all started with the silly phrase 'No smoke without

fire.' People have been saying that ad nauseam. And then I got

it mixed up with war terms. Smoke screen, scrap of paper,

telephone messages--no, that was another dream."

"And what was that dream?"

The old lady was so eager about it, that I felt sure she was a

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THE MOVING FINGER

secret reader of Napoleon's Book of Dreams, which had been

the great stand-by of my old nurse.

"Oh! Only Elsie Holland--the Symmingtons' nursery gov-erness,

you know, was getting married tq Dr. Griffith and the

vicar here was reading the service in Latiq---('Very appropriate,

dear,' murmured Mrs. Dane Calthrop to her spouse) and then

Mrs. Dane Calthrop got up and forbade the banns and said it

had got to be stopped!

"But that part," I added with a smile, "was true. I woke up

and found you standing over me saying it."

"And I was quite right," said Mrs. Dane Calthrophut

quite mildly, I was glad to note.

"But where did a telephone message ome in?" asked Miss

Marple, crinkling her brows.

"I'm afraid I'm being rather stupid. That wasn't in the

dream. It was just before it. I came through the hall and

noticed Joanna had written down a mssage to be given to

someone if they rang up."

Miss Marple leaned forward. There Was a pink spot in each

cheek. "Will you think me very inquisitive and very rude if I

ask just what that message was?" She Cst a glance at Joanna.

"I do apologize, my dear."

Joanna, however, was highly entertaired.

"Oh, I don't mind," she assured the old lady. "I can't

remember anything about it myself, but perhaps Jerry can. It

must have been something quite trivial."

Solemnly I repeated the message as best I could remember

it, enormously tickled at the old lady's rapt attention.

I was afraid the actual words were going to disappoint her,

but perhaps she had some sentimental idea of a romance, for

she nodded her head and smiled and semed pleased.

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

"I see," she said. "I thought it might be something like

that."

Mrs. Dane Calthrop said sharply, "Like what, Jane?"

"Something quite ordinary," said Miss Marple.

She looked at me thoughtfully for a moment or two, then

she said unexpectedly, "I can see you are a very clever young

man--but with not quite enough confidence in yourself. You

ought to have!"

Joanna gave a loud hoot. "For goodness' sake don't encour-age

him to feel like that. He thinks quite enough of himself as

it is."

"Be quiet, Joanna," I said. "Miss Marple understands me."

Miss Marple had resumed her fleecy knitting. "You know,"

she observed pensively, "to commit a successful murder must

be very much like bringing off a conjuring trick."

"The quickness of the hand deceives the eye?"

"Not only that. You've got to make people look at the wrong

thing and in the wrong place--misdirection, they call it, I

believe."

"Well," I remarked, "so far everybody seems to have looked

in the wrong place for our lunatic at large."

"I should be inclined, myself," said Miss Marple, "to look

for somebody very sane."

"Yes," I said thoughtfully, "that's what Nash said. I remem-ber

he stressed respectability, too."

"Yes," agreed Miss Marple. "That's very important."

Well, we all seemed agreed.

I addressed Mrs. Calthrop. "Nash thinks," I said, "that

there will be more anonymous letters. What do you think?"

"There may be," she said slowly, "I suppose."

"If the police think that, there will have to be, no doubt,"

said Miss Marple.

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THE MOVING FINGER

I went on doggedly to Mrs. Dane Calthrop: "Are you still

sorry for the writer?"

She flushed. "Why not?"

"I don't think I agree with you, dear," said Miss Marple.

"Not in this case."

I said hotly, "They've driven one woman to suicide, and

caused untold misery and heartburnings!"

"Have you had one, Miss Burton?" asked Miss Marple of

Joanna.

Joanna gurgled: "Oh, yes! It said the most frightful things."

"I'm afraid," said Miss Marple, "that the people who are

young and pretty are apt to be singled out by the writer."

"That's why I certainly think it's odd that Elsie Holland

hasn't had any," I said.

"Let me see," said Miss Marple. "Is that the Symmingtons'

nursery governess--the one you dreamed about, Mr. Burton?"

"Yes."

"She's probably had one and won't say so," said Joanna.

"No," I said, "I believe her. So does Nash."

"Dear me," said Miss Marple. "Now that's very interesting.

That's the most interesting thing I've heard yet."

As we were going home Joanna told me that I ought not to

have repeated what Nash said about more letters coming.

"Why not?"

"Because Mrs. Dane Calthrop might be It."

"You don't really believe that!"

"I'm not sure. She's a queer woman."

We began our discussion of probables all over again.

It was two nights later that I was coming back in the car

from Exhampton. I had had dinner there and then started

back and it was already dark before I got into Lymstock.

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

Something was wrong with the car lights, and after slowing

up and switching on and off, I finally got out to see what I

could do. I was some time fiddling, but I managed to fix them

up finally.

The road was quite deserted. Nobody in Lymstock is about

after dark. The first few houses were just ahead, among them

the ugly gabled building of the Women's Institute. It loomed

up in the dim starlight and something impelled me to go and

have a look at it. I don't know whether I had caught a faint

glimpse of a stealthy figure flitting through the gate--if so, it

must have been so indeterminate that it did not register in

my conscious mind, but I did suddenly feel a kind of over-weening

curiosity about the place.

The gate was slightly ajar, and I pushed it open and walked

in. A short path and four steps led up to the door.

I stood there a moment hesitating. What was I really doing

there? I didn't know, and then, suddenly, just near at hand, I

caught the sound of a rustle. It sounded like a woman's dress.

I took a sharp turn and went around the corner of the

building toward where the sound had come from.

I couldn't see anybody. I went on and again turned a corner.

I was at the back of the house now and suddenly I saw, only

two feet away from me, an open window.

I crept up to it and listened. I could hear nothing, but

somehow or other I felt convinced that there was someone

inside.

My back wasn't too good for acrobatics as yet, but I man-aged

to hoist myself up and drop over the sill inside. I made

rather a noise unfortunately.

I stood just inside the window listening. Then I walked

forward, my hands outstretched. I heard then the faintest

sound ahead of me to my right.

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THE MOVING FINGER

I had a torch in my pocket and I switched it on.

Immediately a low, sharp voice said, "Put that out."

I obeyed instantly, for in that brief second I had recognized

Superintendent Nash.

I felt him take my arm and propel me through a door and into

a passage. Here, where there was no window to betray our

presence to anyone outside, he switched on a lamp and looked

at me more in sorrow than in anger.

"You would have to butt in just that minute, Mr. Burton."

"Sorry," I apologized. "But I got a hunch that I was on to

something."

"And so you were probably. Did you see anyone?"

I hesitated.

"I'm not sure," I said slowly. "I've got a vague feeling I saw

someone sneak in through the front gate but I didn't really see

anyone. Then I heard a rustle around the side of the house."

Nash nodded. "That's right. Somebody came around the

house before you. He--or she--hesitated by the window, then

went on quickly--heard you, I expect."

I apologized again. "What's the big idea?" I asked.

Nash said:

"I'm banking on the fact that an anonymous letter writer

can't stop writing letters. She may know it's dangerous, but

she'll have to do it. It's like a craving for drink or drugs."

I nodded.

"Now you see, Mr. Burton, I fancy whoever it is will want

to keep the letters looking the same as much as possible. She's

got the cutout pages of that book, and can go on using letters

and words cut out of them. But the envelopes present a

difficulty. She'll want to type them on the same machine. She

can't risk using another typewriter or her own handwriting."

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

"Do you really think she'll go on with the game?" I asked

incredulously.

"Yes, I do. And I'll bet you anything you like she's full of

confidence. They're always vain as hell, these people! Well,

then, I figured out that whoever it was would come to the

Institute after dark so as to get at the typewriter."

"Miss Ginch," I said.

"Maybe."

"You don't know yet?" "I don't know."

"But you suspect?"

"Yes. But somebody's very cunning, Mr. Burton. Somebody

knows all the tricks of the game."

I could imagine some of the network that Nash had spread

abroad. I had no doubt that every letter written by a suspect

and posted or left by hand was immediately inspected. Sooner

or later the criminal would slip up, would grow careless.

For the third time I apologized for my zealous and unwanted

presence.

"Oh, well," said Nash philosophically, "it can't be helped.

Better luck next time."

I went out into the night. A dim figure was standing beside

my car. To my astonishment I recognized Megan.

"Hullo!" she said. "I thought this was your car. What have

you been doing?"

"What are you doing is much more to the point?" I said. "I'm out for a walk. I like walking at night. Nobody stops

you and says silly things, and I like the stars, and things smell

better, and everyday things look all mysterious."

"All of that I grant you freely," I said. "But only cats and

witches walk in the dark. They'll wonder about you at home."

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THE MOVING FINGEB

"No, they won't. They never wonder where I am or what

I'm doing."

"How are you getting on?" I asked.

"All right, I suppose."

"Miss Holland look after you and all that?"

"Elsie's all right. She can't help being a perfect fool."

"Unkind--but probably true," I said. "Hop in and I'll drive

you home."

It was not quite true that Megan was never missed.

Symmington was standing on the doorstep as we drove up.

He peered toward us.

"Hullo, is Megan there?"

"Yes," I said. "I've brought her home."

Symmington said sharply, "You mustn't go off like this

without telling us, Megan. Miss Holland has been quite wor-ried

about you."

Megan muttered something and went past him into the

house.

Symmington sighed. "A grown-up girl is a great responsibil-ity

with no mother to look after her. She's too old for school, I

suppose."

He looked toward me rather suspiciously. "I suppose you took

her for a drive?"

I thought it best to leave it like that.

137

CHAPTEB VII

·

ON the following day I went mad. Looking back on it, that

is really the only explanation I can find.

I was due for my monthly visit to Marcus Kent .... I went

up by train. To my intense surprise Joanna elected to stay

behind. As a rule she was eager to come and we usually

stayed up for a couple of days.

This time, however, I proposed to return the same day by

the evening train, but even so I was astonished at Joanna. She

merely said enigmatically that she'd got plenty to do, and

why spend hours in a nasty stuffy train when it was a lovely

day in the country?

That, of course, was undeniable, but sounded very unlike

Joanna.

She said she didn't want the car, so I was to drive it to the

station and leave it parked there against my return.

The station of Lymstock is situated, for some obscure

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THE MOVING FINGER

reason known to railway companies only, quite half a mile

from Lymstock itself. Halfway along the road I overtook Megan

shuffling along in an aimless manner. I pulled up.

"Hullo, what are you doing?"

"Just out for a walk."

"But not what is called a good brisk walk, I gather. You

were crawling along like a dispirited crab."

"Well, I wasn't going anywhere particular."

"Then you'd better come and see me off at the station." I

opened the door of the car and Megan jumped in.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"London. To see my doctor."

"Your back's not worse, is it?"

"No, it's practically all right again. I'm expecting him to be

very pleased about it."

Megan nodded.

We drew up at the station. I parked the car and went in

and bought my ticket at the booking office. There were very

few people on the platform and nobody I knew.

"You wouldn't like to lend me a penny, would you?" said

Megan. "Then I'd get a bit of chocolate out of the slot machine."

"Here you are, baby," I said, handing her the coin in question.

"Sure you wouldn't like some clear gums or some throat

pastilles as well?"

"I like chocolate best," said Megan without suspecting

sarcasm.

She went off to the chocolate machine, and I looked after

her with a feeling of mounting irritation.

She was wearing trodden-over shoes, and coarse unattractive

stockings and a particularly shapeless jumper and skirt. I

don't know why all this should have infuriated me, but it did.

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

I said angrily as she came back, ,,/hy do you wear those

disgusting stockings?"

Megan looked down at them, surprised. "What's the matter

with them?"

"Everything's the matter with thefn' They're loathsome.

And why wear a pullover like a decayed cabbage?"

"It's all right, isn't it? I've had it for years." "So I should imagine. And why do yOU--"

At this minute the train came in and interrupted my angry

lecture.

I got into an empty first-class carriage, let down the window

and leaned out to continue the conversation.

Megan stood below me, her face upturned. She asked me

why I was so cross.

"I'm not cross," I said untruly. "It just infuriates me to see

you so slack, and not caring how you look."

"I couldn't look nice, anyway, so what does it matter?"

"Cut it!" I said. "I'd like to see you t0rned out properly. I'd

like to take you to London and outfit you from tip to toe."

"I wish you could," said Megan.

The train began to move. I looked down into Megan's

upturned, wistful face.

And then as I have said, madness cae upon me.

I opened the door, grabbed Megan with one arm and fairly

hauled her into the carriage.

There was an outraged shout from a porter, btt all he could

do was dexterously to bang shut the door again. I pulled

Megan up from the floor where my ipetuoLS action had

landed her.

"What on earth did you do that for?" she demanded, rubbing

one knee.

"Shut up," I said. "You're coming toLondon with me and

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THE MOVING FINGEB

when I've done with you you won't know yourself. I'll show

you what you can look like if you try. I'm tired of seeing you

mouch about down at heel and all anyhow."

"Oh!" said Megan in an ecstatic whisper.

The ticket collector came along and I bought Megan a re-turn

ticket. She sat in her corner looking at me in a kind of

awed respect.

"I say," she said when the man had gone. "You are sudden,

aren't you ?"

"Very," I said. "It runs in our family."

How explain to Megan the impulse that had come over

me?--$he had looked like a wistful dog being left behind. She

now had on her face the incredulous pleasure of the dog who

has been taken on the walk after all.

"I suppose you don't know London very well?" I said to

Megan.

"Yes, I do," said Megan. "I always went through it to

school. And I've been to the dentist there and to a pantomime."

"This," I said darkly, "will be a different London."

We arrived with half an hour to spare before my appoint-ment

in Harley Street.

I took a taxi and we drove straight to Mirotin, Joanna's

dressmaker. ['Mirotin is, in the flesh, an unconventional and

breezy womalq of forty-five, Mary Grey. She is a clever woman

and very goocl company. I have always liked her.

I said to Mgan, "You're my cousin."

"Why?"

"Don't argte," I said.

Mary Grey was being firm with a stout woman who was

enamored of a skin-tight powder-blue evening dress. I de-tached

her an d took her aside.

"Listen," I said. "I've brought a little cousin of mine along.

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

Joanna was coming up but was prevented. But she said I

could leave it all to you. You see what the girl looks like

now?"

"I most certainly do!" said Mary Grey with feeling.

"Well, I want her turned out right in every particular from

head to foot. Carte blanche. Stockings, shoes, undies, every-thing!

By the way, the man who does Joanna's hair is close

around here, isn't heY'

"Antoine? Around the corner. I'll see to that too."

"You're a woman in a thousand."

"Oh, I shall enjoy it--apart from the money--and that's not

to be sneezed at in these days--half my damned brutes of

women never pay their bills. But as I say, I shall enjoy it."

She shot a quick professional glance at Megan standing a

little way off. "She's got a lovely figure."

"You must have X-ray eyes," I said. "She looks completely

shapeless to me."

Mary Grey laughed.

"It's these schools," she said. "They seem to take a pride in

turning out girls who preen themselves on looking like noth-ing

on earth. They call it being sweet and unsophisticated.

Sometimes it takes a whole season before a girl can pull

herself together and look human. Don't worry, leave it all to

me."

"Right," I said. "I'll come back and fetch her about six."

Marcus Kent was pleased with me. He told me that I

surpassed his wildest expectations.

"You must have the constitution of an elephant," he said,

"to make a comeback like this. Oh, well, wonderful what

country air and no late hours or excitement will do for a man

if he can only stick it."

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THE MOVING FINGER

"I grant you your first two," I said. "But don't think that

the country is free from excitement. We've had a good deal in

my part."

"What sort of excitement?"

"Murder," I said.

Marcus Kent pursed up his mouth and whistled. "Some

bucolic love tragedy? Farm lad kills his lass?"

"Not at all. A crafty, determined lunatic killer."

"I haven't read anything about it? When did they lay him

by the heels?"

"They haven't, and it's a she!"

"Whew! I'm not sure that Lymstock's quite the right place

for you, old boy."

I said firmly, "Yes, it is. And you're not going to get me out

of it."

Marcus Kent has a low mind. He said at once, "So that's it!

Found a blonde?"

"Not at all," I said, with a guilty thought of Elsie Holland.

"It's merely that the psychology of crime interests me a good

deal."

"Oh, all right. It certainly hasn't done you any harm so far,

but just make sure that your lunatic killer doesn't obliterate

yozl. "

"No fear of that," I said.

"What about dining with me this evening? You can tell me

all about your revolting murder."

"Sorry. I'm booked."

"Date with a lady--eh? Yes, you're definitely on the mend."

"I suppose you could call it that," I said, rather tickled at

the idea of Megan in the role.

I was at Mirotin's at six o'clock when the establishment

was officially closing. Mary Grey came to meet me at the top

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

of the stairs outside the showroom. She had a finger to her

lips.

"You're going to have a shock! If I say it myself, I've put in

a good bit of work."

I went on into the big showroom. Megan was standing

looking at herself in a long mirror. I give you my word I

hardly recognized her! For the minute it took my breath

away. Tall and slim as a willow with delicate ankles and feet

shown off by sheer silk stockings and well-cut shoes. Yes,

lovely feet and hands, small bones--quality and distinction in

every line of her. Her hair had been trimmed and shaped to

her head and it was glowing like a glossy chestnut. They'd

had the sense to leave her face alone. She was not made up, or

if she was it was so slight and delicate that it did not show.

Her mouth needed no lipstick.

Moreover there was about her something that I had never

seen before, a new innocent pride in the arch of her neck. She

looked at me gravely with a small, shy smile.

"I do look--rather nice, don't I?" said Megan.

"Nice?" I said. "Nice isn't the word! Come on out to

dinner and if every second man doesn't turn round to look at

you I'll be surprised. You'll knock all the other girls into a

cocked hat."

Megan was not beautiful, but she was unusual and striking-looking.

She had personality. She walked into the restaurant

ahead of me and as the head waiter hurried toward us, I felt

the thrill of idiotic pride that a man feels when he has got

something out of the ordinary with him.

We had cocktails first and lingered over them. Then we

dined. And later we lanced. Megan was keen to dance and I

didn't want to disappoint her, but for some reason or other I

hadn't thought she would dance well. But she did. She was

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THE MOVING FINGER

light as a feather in my arms, and her body and feet followed

the rhythm perfectly.

"Gosh!" I said. "You can dance!"

She seemed a little surprised.

"Well, of course I can. We had dancing class every week at

school."

"It takes more than dancing class to make a dancer," I said.

We went back to our table.

"Isn't this food lovely?" said Megan. "And everything!"

She heaved a delighted sigh.

"Exactly my sentiments," I said.

It was a delirious evening. I was still mad. Megan brought

me down to earth when she said doubtfully, "Oughtn't we to

be going home ?"

My jaw dropped. Yes, definitely I was mad. I had forgotten

everything! I was in a world divorced from reality, existing in

it with the creature I had created.

"Good Lord!" I said.

I realized that the last train had gone.

"Stay there," I said. "I'm going to telephone."

I rang up the Llewellyn Hire people and ordered their

biggest and fastest car to come around as soon as possible.

I came back to Megan.

"The last train has gone," I said. "So we're going home by

car."

"Are we? What fun!"

What a nice child she was, I thought. So pleased with

everything, so unquestioning, accepting all my suggestions

without fuss or bother.

The car came, and it was large and fast, but all the same it

was very very late when we came into Lymstock.

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

Suddenly conscience-stricken, I said, "They'll have been

sending out search parties for you!"

But Megan seemed in an equable mood. "Oh, I don't think

so," she said vaguely. "I often go out and don't come home for

lunch."

"Yes, my dear child, but you've been out for tea and dinner

too."

However, Megan's lucky star was in the ascendant. The

house was dark and silent. On Megan's advice, we went

around to the back and threw stones at Rose's window.

In due course Rose looked out and with many suppressed

exclamations and palpitations came down to let us in.

"Well now, and I saying you were asleep in your bed. The

master and Miss Holland--" (slight sniff after Miss Holland's

name)--"had early supper and went for a drive. I said I'd keep

an eye to the boys. I thought I heard you come in when I was

up in the nursery trying to quiet Colin, who was playing up,

but you weren't about when I came down so I thought you'd

gone up to bed. And that's what I said when the master came

in and asked for you."

I cut short the conversation by remarking that that was

where Megan had better go now.

"Good night," said Megan, "and thank you awfully. It's

been the loveliest day I've ever had."

I drove home slightly lightheaded still, and tipped the chauffeur

handsomely, offering him a bed if he liked. But he

preferred to drive back through the night.

The hall door had opened during our colloquy and as he

drove away it was flung wide open and Joanna said, "So it's

you at last, is it ?"

"Were you worried about me?" I asked, coming in and

shutting the door.

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THE MOVING FINGER

Joanna went into the drawing room and I followed her.

There was a coffee-pot on the trivet and Joanna made herself

coffee while I helped myself to a whisky-and-soda.

"Worried about you? No, of course not. I thought you'd

decided to stay in town and have a binge."

"I've had a binge--of a kind."

I grinned and then began to laugh.

Joanna asked what I was laughing at and I told her.

"But, Jerry, you must have been mad--quite mad!" "I suppose I was."

"But, my dear boy, you can't do things like that--not in a

place like this. It will be all around Lymstock tomorrow." "I suppose it will. But, after all, Megan's only a child."

"She isn't. She's twenty. You can't take a girl of twenty to

London and buy her clothes without a most frightful scandal.

Good gracious, Jerry, you'll probably have to marry the girl."

Joanna was half serious, half laughing.

It was at that moment that I made a very important

discovery.

"Damh it all," I said. "I don't mind if I do. In fact--I

should like it."

A very funny expression came over Joanna's face. She got

up and said drily, as she went toward the door, "Yes, I've

known that for some time .... "

She left me standing, glass in hand, aghast at my new

discovery.

I don't know what the usual reactions are of a man who

goes to propose marriage.

In fiction his throat is dry and his collar feels too tight and

he is in a pitiable state of nervousness.

I didn't feel at all like that. Having thought of a good idea I

147

AGATHA CHRISTIE

just wanted to get it all settled as soon as possible. I didn't see

any particular need for embarrassment.

I went along to the Symmingtons' house about eleven o'clock.

I rang the bell and when Rose came, I asked for Miss Megan.

It was the knowing look that Rose gave me that first made

me feel slightly shy.

She put me in the little morning room and while waiting

there I hoped uneasily that they hadn't been upsetting Megan.

When the door opened and I wheeled around, I was instantly

relieved. Megan was not looking shy or upset at all.

Her head was still like a glossy chestnut, and she wore that

air of pride and self-respect that she had acquired yesterday.

She was in her old clothes again but she had managed to make

them look different. It's wonderful what knowledge of her

own attractiveness will do for a girl. Megan, I realized suddenly,

had grown up.

I suppose I must really have been rather nervous, otherwise

I should not have opened the conversation by saying affectionately: "Hullo, catfish!" It was hardly, in the circumstances, a

loverlike greeting.

It seemed to suit Megan. She grinned and said, "Hullo!"

"Look here," I said. "You didn't get into a row about

yesterday, I hope?"

Megan said with assurance, "Oh, no," and then blinked,

and said vaguely, "Yes, I believe I did. I mean, they said a lot

of things and seemed to think it had been very odd but then

you know what people are and what fusses they make all

about nothing."

I was relieved to see that shocked disapproval had slipped

off Megan like water off a duck's back.

"I came around this morning," I said, "because I've a sug-

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THE MOVING FINGER

gestion to make. You see I like you a lot, and I think you like

me--"

"Frightfully," said Megan with rather disquieting enthu-siasm.

"And we get on awfully well together, so I think it would

be a good idea if we got married."

"Oh," said Megan.

She looked surprised. Just that. Not startled. Not shocked.

Just mildly surprised.

"You mean you really want to marry me?" she asked with

the air of one getting a thing perfectly clear.

"More than anything in the world," I said--and I meant it.

"You mean, you're in love with me?"

"I'm in love with you."

Her eyes were steady and grave. She said, "I think you're

the nicest person in the world--but I'm not in love with you."

"I'll make you love me."

"That wouldn't do. I don't want to be made." She paused

and then said gravely, "I'm not the sort of wife for you. I'm

better at hating than at loving."

She said it with a queer intensity.

I said, "Hate doesn't last. Love does."

"Is that true?"

"It's what I believe."

Again there was a silence. Then I said, "So it's 'no,' is it?"

"Yes, it's 'no.'"

"And you don't encourage me to hope?"

"What would be the good of that?"

"None whatever," I agreed. "Quite redundant in fact--because

I'm going to hope whether you tell me to or not."

149

AGATHA CHBISTIE

Well, that was that.

I walked away from the house feeling slightly dazed but

irritatingly conscious of Rose's passionately interested gaze

following me.

Rose had had a good deal to say before I could escape.

That she'd never felt the same since that awful day! That

she wouldn't have stayed except for the children and being

sorry for poor Mr. Symmington. That she wasn't going to stay

unless they got another maid quick--and they wouldn't be

likely to do that when there had been a murder in the house!

That it was all very well for that Miss Holland to say she'd do

the housework in the meantime.

Very sweet and obliging she was--oh, yes, but it was mis-tress

of the house that she was fancying herself going to be

one fine day! Mr. Symmington, poor man, never saw anything--but

one knew what a widower was, a poor helpless creature

made to be the prey of a designing woman. And that it

wouldn't be for want of trying if Miss Holland didn't step

into the dead mistress's shoes!

I assented mechanically to everything, yearning to get away

and unable to do so because Rose was holding firmly on to my

hat while she indulged in her flood of spite.

I wondered if there was any truth in what she said. Had

Elsie Holland envisaged the possibility of becoming the sec-ond

Mrs. Symmington? Or was she just a decent kindhearted

girl doing her best to look after a bereaved household?

The result would quite likely be the same in either case.

And why not? Symmington's young children needed a mother--Elsie

was a decent soul--besides being quite indecently

beautiful--a point which a man might appreciate--even such

a stuffed fish as Symmington!

150

THE MOVING FINGER

I thought all this, I know, because I was trying to put off

thinking about Megan.

You may say that I had gone to ask Megan to marry me in

an absurdly complacent frame of mind and that I deserved

what I got--but it was not really like that. It was because I

felt so assured, so certain, that Megan belonged to me--that

she was my business, that to look after her and make her

happy and keep her from harm was the only natural right

way of life for me, that I had expected her to feel, too--that

she and Imbelonged to each other.

But I was not giving up. Oh, no! Megan was my woman and

I was going to have her.

After a moment's thoughti went to Symmington's office.

Megan might pay no attention to strictures on her conduct,

but I would like to get things straight.

Mr. Symmington was disengaged, I was told, and I was

shown into the room.

By a pinching of the lips, and an additional stiffness of

manner, I gathered that I was not exactly popular at the

moment.

"Good morning," I said. "I'm afraid this isn't a professional

call, but a personal one. I'll put it plainly. I dare say you'll

have realized that I'm in love with Megan. I've asked her to

marry me and she has refused. But I'm not taking that as

final."

I saw Symmington's expression change, and I read his mind

with ludicrous ease. Megan was a disharmonious element in

his house. He was, I felt sure, a just and kindly man, and he

would never have dreamed of not providing a home for his

dead wife's daughter. But her marriage to me would certainly

be a relief. The frozen halibut thawed. He gave me a pale,

cautious smile.

151

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"Frankly, do you know, Burton, I had no idea of sach a

thing. I know you've taken a lot of notice of her, but we've

always regarded her as such a child."

"She's not a child," I said shortly.

"No, no, not in years."

"She can be her age any time she's allowed to be," I said,

still slightly angry. "She's not of age, I know, but she will be

in a month or two. I'll let you have all the information about

myself you want. I'm well off and have led quite a decet life.

I'll look after her and do all I can to make her happy."

"Quite--quite. Still, it's up to Megan herself."

"She'll come round in time," I said. "But I just thought I'd

like to get straight with you about it."

He said he appreciated that, and we parted amicably.

I ran into Miss Emily Barton outside. She had a shoPPing

basket on her arm.

"Good morning, Mr. Burton, I hear you went to lo,don

yesterday."

Yes, she had heard all right. Her eyes were, I tlooght,

kindly, but full of curiosity, too.

"I went to see my doctor," I said.

Miss Emily smiled.

"I

That smile made little of Marcus Kent. She murmtred,

hear Megan nearly missed the train. She jumped in ,hen it

was going."

"Helped by me," I said. "I hauled her in."

"How very lucky you were there. Otherwise there might

have been an accident."

It is extraordinary how much of a fool one gentle, inq0isitive,

old maiden lady can make a man feel!

I was saved further suffering by the onslaught of Mrs. Dane

152

THE MOVING FINGER

Calthrop. She had her own tame elderly maiden lady in tow,

but she herself was full of direct speech.

"Good morning," she said. "I hear you've made Megan buy

herself some decent clothes? Very sensible of you. It takes a

man to think of something really practical like that. I've been

worried about that girl for a long time. Girls with brains are

so liable to turn into morons, aren't they?"

With which remarkable statement, she shot into the fish

shop.

Miss Marple, left standing by me, twinkled a little and

said, "Mrs. Dane Calthrop is a very remarkable woman, you

know. She's nearly always right."

"It makes her rather alarming," I said.

"Sincerity has that effect," said Miss Marple.

Mrs. Dane Calthrop shot out of the fish shop again and

rejoined us. She was holding a large red lobster.

"Have you ever seen anything so unlike Mr. Pye?" she said.

"Very virile and handsome, isn't it?"

I was a little nervous of meeting Joanna but I found when I

got home that I needn't have worried. She was out and she

did not return for lunch. This aggrieved Partridge a good

deal, who said sourly as she proffered two loin chops in an

entr6e dish:

"Miss Burton said specially as she was going to be in."

I ate both chops in an attempt to atone for Joanna's lapse.

All the same, I wondered where my sister was. She had taken

to being very mysterious about her doings of late.

It was half past three when Joanna burst into the drawing

room. I had heard a car stop outside and I half expected to see

Griffith, but the car drove on and Joanna came in alone.

153

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Her face was very red axed she seemed upset. I perceived

that something had happehed.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

Joanna opened her mouth, closed it again, sighed, plumped

herself down in a chair and stared in front of her.

She said, "I've had the most awful day."

"What's happened ?"

"I've done the most incredible things. It was awful---"

"But what--"

"I just started out for a walk, an ordinary walk--I went up

over the hill and on to the moor. I walked miles--I felt like it.

Then I dropped down into a hollow. There's a farm there--a

God-forsaken lonely sort of spot. I was thirsty and I wondered

if they had any milk or something. So I wandered into the

farmyard and then the door opened and Owen came out."

"Yes?"

"He thought it might be the district nurse. There was a

woman in there having a baby. He was expecting the nurse

and he'd sent word to her to get hold of another doctor.

It--things were going wrong."

"Yes?"

"So he said--to me, 'Come on, you'll do---better than nobody.'

I said I couldn't, and he said what did I mean? I said I'd

never done anything like that, that I didn't know anything--

"He asked me what the hell that mattered. And then he

was awful. He turned on me. He said, 'You're a woman, aren't

you? I suppose you can do your durnedest to help another

woman?' And he went on at me--said I'd talked as though I

was interested in doctoring and had said I wished I was a

nurse. 'All pretty talk, I suppose! You didn't mean anything

real by it, but this is real and you're going to behave like a

decent human being and not a useless ornamental nitwit!'

154

THE MOVING FINGER

"I've done the most indiscernible things, Jerry. Held instruments

and boiled them and handed things. I'm so tired I can

hardly stand up. It was dreadful. But he saved her--and the

baby. It was born alive. He didn't think at one time he could

save it. Oh, dear!"

Joanna covered her face with her hands.

I contemplated her with a certain amount of pleasure and

mentally took my hat off to Owen Griffith. He'd brought

Joanna slap up against reality for once.

I said, "There's a letter for you in the hall. From Paul, I

think."

"Eh?" She paused for a minute and then said, "I'd no idea,

Jerry, what doctors had to do. The nerve they've got to have!"

I went out into the hall and brought Joanna her letter. She

opened it, glanced vaguely at its contents, and let it drop.

"He was--really--rather wonderful. The way he foutthe

way he wouldn't be beaten! He was rude and horrible to

me--but he was wonderful."

I observed Paul's disregarded letter with some pleasure.

Plainly, Joanna was cured of Paul.

Things never come when they are expected.

I was full of Joanna's and my personal affairs and was quite

taken aback the next morning when Nash's voice said over

the telephone:

"We've got her, Mr. Burton!"

I was so startled I nearly dropped the receiver.

"You mean the--"

He interrupted: "Can you be overheard where you are?" "No, I don't think so-well, perhaps--"

It seemed to me that the baize door to the kitchen had

swung open a trifle.

155

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"Perhaps you'd care to come down to the station?"

"I will. Right away."

I was at the police station in next to no time. In an inner

room Nash and Sergeant Parkins were together. Nash was

wreathed in smiles.

"It's been a long chase," he said. "But we're there at last."

He flicked a letter across the table. This time it was all

typewritten. It was, of its kind, fairly mild:

"It's no use thinking you're going to step into a dead woman's

shoes. The whole town is laughing at you. Get out now. Soon it

will be too late. This is a warning. Remember what happened to

that other girl. Get out and stay out."

It finished with some mildly obscene language.

"That reached Miss Holland this morning," said Nash.

"Thought it was funny she hadn't had one before," said

Sergeant Parkins.

"Who wrote it?" I asked.

Some of the exultation faded out of Nash's face.

He looked tired and concerned. He said soberly:

"I'm sorry about it, because it will hit a decent man hard,

but there it is. Perhaps he's had his suspicions already."

"Who wrote it?" I reiterated.

"Miss Aime Griffith."

Nash and Parkins went to the Griffiths' house that afterw

noon with a warrant.

By Nash's invitation I went with them.

"The doctor," he said, "is very fond of you. He hasn't many

friends in this place. I think if it is not too painful to you, Mr.

Burton, that you might help him to bear up under the shock."

I said I would come. I didn't relish the job, but I thought I

might be some good.

156

THE MOVING FINGER

We rang the bell and asked for Miss Griffith and we were

shown into the drawing room. Elsie Holland, Megan and

Symmington were there having tea.

Nash behaved very circumspectly.

He asked Aime if he might have a few words with her

privately.

She got up and came toward us. I thought I saw just a faint

hunted look in her eye. If so, it went again. She was perfectly

normal and hearty.

"Want me? Not in trouble over my car lights again, I hope?"

She led the way out of the drawing room and across the hall

into a small study.

As I closed the drawing-room door', I saw Symmington's

head jerk up sharply. I supposed his legal training had brought

him in contact with police cases, and he had recognized

something in Nash's manner. He half rose.

That is all I saw before I shut the door and followed the

others.

Nash was saying his piece. He was very quiet and correct.

He cautioned her and then told her that he must ask her to

accompany him. He had a warrant for her arrest and he read

out the charge.

I forget now the exact legal term. It was the letters, not

murder yet.

Aim6e Griffith flung up her head and bayed with laughter.

She boomed out:

"What ridiculous nonsense! As though I'd write a packet of

indecent stuff like that. You must be mad. i've never written

a word of the kind."

Nash had produced the letter to Elsie Holland. He said, "Do you deny having written this, Miss Griffith?"

If she hesitated it was only for a split second.

157

AGATHA CHRISI\

"Of course I do. I've never seen it

Nash said quietly:

fore.

"I must tell you, Miss Griffith, th

type that letter on the machine at ' you were observed to

between eleven and elevemthirty P'he Women's Institute

last. Yesterday you entered the post, on the night before

letters in your hand--"

bffice with a bunch of

"I never posted this."

"No, you did not. While waiting for

inconspicuously on the floor, so that

tamps, you dropped it

along unsuspectingly and pick it up aomebody should come

"I never--"

id post it."

The door opened and Symmington

"What's going on? Aime, if there lime

in.

He

said

sharply,

ought to be legally represented. If yo.

..

' anytmng wrong, you

She broke then. Covered her ace v wish me--"

gered to a chair. She said, "Go away, l!th her hands and stag-

Not you!"

girl.ick, go away. Not you!

"You need a solicitor, my dear

"Not you. I--I--couldn't bear it. I d

all this."

n't want you to know

He understood then, perhaps. He sfi

of Mildmay, of Exhampton. Will that d quietly, "I'll get hold

She nodded. She was sobbing now. lo?"

Symmington went out of the room

lided with Owen Griffith.

In the doorway he col-

"What's this?" said Owen violentl

"I'm sorry, Dr. Griffith. Very s"My sister"

alternative."

irry. But we have no

"You think she--was responsible fi

"I'm afraid there is no doubt of

those

letters?"

turned to Aime: "You must come wi! ....

t, sxr, sad Nash--he

158

:',h us, now, please, Miss

THE MOVING FINGER

Griffith--you shall have every facility for seeing a solicitor,

you know."

Owen cried, "Aime?"

She brushed past him without looking at him.

She said, "Don't talk to me. Don't say anything. And for

heaven's sake don't look at me!"

They went out. Owen stood like a man in a dream.

I waited a bit, then I came up to him.

"If there's anything I can do, Griffith, tell me."

He said like a man in a dream, "Aime? I don't believe it." "It may be a mistake," I suggested feebly.

He said slowly, "She wouldn't take it like that if it were.

But I would never have believed it. I can't believe it."

He sank down on a chair. I made myself useful by finding a

stiff drink and bringing it to him. He swallowed it down and

it seemed to do him good.

He said, "I couldn't take it in at first. I'm all right now.

Thanks, Burton, but there's nothing you can do. Nothing anyone can do."

The door opened and Joanna came in. She was very white.

She came over to Owen and looked at me.

She said, "Get out, Jerry. This is my business."

As I went out of the door, I saw her kneel down by his

chair.

159

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"Of course I do. I've never seen it before."

Nash said quietly:

"I must tell you, Miss Griffith, that you were observed to

type that letter on the machine at the Women's Institute

between eleven and eleven-thirty P.M. on the night before

last. Yesterday you entered the post office with a bunch of

letters in your handm"

"I never posted this."

"No, you did not. While waiting for stamps, you dropped it

inconspicuously on the floor, so that somebody should come

along unsuspectingly and pick it up and post it."

"I never--"

The door opened and Symmington came in. He said sharply,

"What's going on? Aime, if there is anything wrong, you

ought to be legally represented. If you wish me--"

She broke then. Covered her face with her hands and staggered

to a chair. She said, "Go away, Dick, go away. Not you!

Not you!"

"You need a solicitor, my dear girl."

"Not you. I--I--couldn't bear it. I don't want you to know--all

this."

He understood then, perhaps. He said quietly, "I'll get hold

of Mildmay, of Exhampton. Will that do?"

She nodded. She was sobbing now.

Symmington went out of the room. In the doorway he collided

with Owen Griffith.

"What's this?" said Owen violently. "My sister--"

"I'm sorry, Dr. Griffith. Very sorry. But we have no

alternative."

"You think she--was responsible for those letters?"

"I'm afraid there is no doubt of it, sir," said Nash--he

turned to Aime: "You must come with us, now, please, Miss

158

THE MOVING FINGER

Griffith--you shall have every facility for seeing a solicitor,

you know."

Owen cried, "Aim6e ?"

She brushed past him without looking at him.

She said, "Don't talk to me. Don't say anything. And for

heaven's sake don't look at me!"

They went out. Owen stood like a man in a dream.

I waited a bit, then I came up to him.

"If there's anything I can do, Griffith, tell me."

He said like a man in a dream, "Aim6e? I don't believe it." "It may be a mistake," I suggested feebly.

He said slowly, "She wouldn't take it like that if it were.

But I would never have believed it. I can't believe it."

He sank down on a chair. I made myself useful by finding a

stiff drink and bringing it to him. He swallowed it down and

it seemed to do him good.

He said, "I couldn't take it in at first. I'm all right now.

Thanks, Burton, but there's nothing you can do. Nothing anyone can do."

The door opened and Joanna came in. She was very white.

She came over to Owen and looked at me.

She said, "Get out, Jerry. This is my business."

As I went out of the door, I saw her kneel down by his

chair.

159

CHAPTER VIII

I can't tell you coherently the events of the next twenty-four

hours. Various incidents stand out, unrelated to other

incidents.

I remember Joanna coming home, very white and drawn

and of how I tried to cheer her up, saying:

"Now who's being a ministering angel?"

And of how she smiled in a pitiful twisted way and said,

"He says he won't have me, Jerry. He's very very proud and

stiff!"

And I said, "My girl won't have me either .... "

We sat there for a while, Joanna saying at last, "The Burton

family isn't exactly in demand at the moment!"

I said, "Never mind, my sweet, we still have each other,"

and Joanna said, "Somehow or other, Jerry, that doesn't com-fort

me much just now .... "

160

THE MOVING FINGER

Owen came the next day and rhapsodized in the most

fulsome way about Joanna. She was wonderful, marvelous! The way she'd come to him, the way she was willing to marry

him--at once if he liked. But he wasn't going to let her do

that. No-she was too good, too fine to be associated with the

kind of muck that would start as soon as the papers got hold

of the news.

I was fond of Joanna, and knew she was the kind who's all

right when standing by in trouble, but I got rather bored with

all this highfalutin' stuff. I told Owen rather irritably not to

be so damned noble.

I went down to the High Street and found everybody's

tongue wagging nineteen to the dozen. Emily Barton was

saying that she had never really trusted Aim6e Griffith. The

grocer's wife was saying with gusto that she'd always thought

Miss Griffith had a queer look in her eye--

They had completed the case against Aim6e, so I learned

from Nash. A search of the house had brought to light the cut

pages of Emily Barton's book--in the cupboard under the

stairs, of all places, wrapped up in an old roll of wallpaper.

"And a jolly good place too," said Nash appreciatively.

"You never know when a prying servant won't tamper with a

desk or a locked drawer--but those junk cupboards full of last

year's tennis balls and old wallpaper are never opened except

to shove something more in."

"The lady would seem to have had a penchant for that

particular hiding place," I said.

"Yes. The criminal mind seldom has much variety. By the

way, talking of the dead girl, we've got one fact to go upon:

There's a large heavy pestle missing from the doctor's

dispensary. I'll bet anything you like that's what she was

stunned with."

161

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"Rather an awkward thing to carry about," I objected.

"Not for Miss Griffith. She was going to the Guides that

afternoon, but she was going to leave flowers and vegetables

at the Red Cross stall on the way, so she'd got a whopping

great basket with her."

"You haven't found the skewer?"

"No, and I shan't. The poor devil may be mad, but she

wasn't mad enough to keep a bloodstained skewer just to

make it easy for us, when all she'd got to do was to wash it

and return it to a kitchen drawer."

"I suppose," I conceded, "that you can't have everything."

The vicarage had been one of the last places to hear the

news. Old Miss Marple was very much distressed by it. She

spoke to me very earnestly on the subject:

"It isn't true, Mr. Burton. I'm sure it isn't true."

"It's true enough, I'm afraid. They were lying in wait, you

know. They actually saw her type that letter."

"Yes, yes--perhaps they did. Yes, I can understand that."

"And the printed pages from which the letters were cut

were found where she'd hidden them in her house."

Miss Marple stared at me. Then she said, in a very low

voice, "But that is horrible--really wicked."

Mrs. Dane Calthrop came up with a rush and joined us and

said, "What's the matter, Jane?"

Miss Marple was murmuring helplessly, "Oh, dear, oh,

dear, what can one do?"

"What's upset you, Jane?"

Miss Marple said, "There must be something. But I am so

old and so ignorant and, I am afraid, so foolish."

I felt rather embarrassed and was glad when Mrs. Dane

Calthrop took her friend away.

162

THE MOVING FINGER

I was to see Miss Marple again that afternoon, however.

Much later when I was on my way home.

She was standing near the little bridge at the end of the

village, near Mrs. Cleat's cottage, and talking to Megan, of all

people.

I wanted to see Megan. I had been wanting to see her all

day. I quickened my pace. But as I came up to them, Megan

turned on her heel and went off in the other direction.

It made me angry and I would have followed her, but Miss

Marple blocked my way.

"I wanted to speak to you," she said. "No, don't go after

Megan now. It wouldn't be wise."

I was just going to make a sharp rejoinder when she dis-armed

me by saying, "That girl has great courage--a very

high order of courage."

I still wanted to go after Megan, but Miss Marple said,

"Don't try and see her now. I do know what I am talking

about. She must keep her courage intact."

There was something about the old lady's assertion that

chilled me. It was as though she knew something that I

didn't.

I was afraid and didn't know why I was afraid.

I didn't go home. I went back into the High Street and

walked up and down aimlessly. I don't know what I was

waiting for, nor what I was thinking about ....

I got caught by that awful old bore Colonel Appleby. He

asked after my pretty sister as usual and then went on:

"What's all this about Griffith's sister being mad as a hatter?

They say she's been at the bottom of this anonymous letter

business that's been such a confounded nuisance to everybody?

Couldn't believe it at first, but they say it's quite true."

I said it was true enough.

163

· I

AGATHA CHRISTIE

"Well, well--I must say our police force is pretty good on

the whole. Give 'em time, that's all, give 'em time. Funny

business this anonymous letter stunt--these desiccated old

women are always the ones who go in for it--though the

Griffith woman wasn't bad-looking even if she was a bit long

in the tooth. But there aren't any decent-looking girls in this

part of the world--except that governess girl of the Symmingo

tons. She's worth looking at. Pleasant girl, too. Grateful if one

does any little thing for her.

"Came across her having a picnic or something with those

kids not long ago. They were romping about in the heather

and she was knitting--ever so vexed she'd run out of wool.

'Well,' I said, 'like me to run you into Lymstock? I've got to

call for a rod of mine there. I shan't be more than ten minutes

getting it, then I'll run you back again.' She was a bit doubtful

about leaving the boys. 'They'll be all right,' I said. 'Who's to

harm them?' Wasn't going to have the boys along, no fear! So

I ran her in, dropped her at the wool shop, picked her up

again later and that was that. Thanked me very prettily.

Grateful and all that. Nice girl."

I managed to get away from him.

It was after that, that I caught sight of Miss Marple for the

third time. She was coming out of the police station.

Where do one's fears come from? Where do they shape

themselves? Where do they hide before coming out into the

open?

Just one short phrase. Heard and noted and never quite put

aside:

"Take me away-- It's so awful being here--feeling so

wicked ..."

164

THE MOVING FINGER

Why had Megan said that? What had she to feel wicked

about ?

There could be nothing in Mrs. Symmington's death to

make Megan feel wicked.

Why had the child felt wicked? Why? Why?

Could it be because she felt responsible in any way?

Megan ? Impossible! Megan couldn't have had anything to do

with those letters--those foul obscene letters.

Owen Griffith had known a case up north--a schoolgirl . . . What had Inspector Graves said?

Something about an adolescent mind...

Innocent middle-aged ladies on operating tables babbled

words they hardly knew. Little boys chalking up things on

walls.

No, no, not Megan.

Heredity? Bad blood? An unconscious inheritance of something

abnormal? Her misfortune, not her fault, a curse laid

upon her by a past generation?

"I'm not the wife for you. I'm better at hating than loving."

Oh, my Megan, my little child. Not that! Anything but that.

And that old Tabby is after you, she suspects. She says you

have courage. Courage to do what?

It was only a brainstorm. It passed. But I wanted to see

Megan--I wanted to see her badly.

At half past nine that night I left the house and went down

to the town and along to the Symmingtons'.

It was then that an entirely new idea came into my mind.

The idea of a woman whom nobody had considered for a

moment.

(Or had Nash considered her?)

Wildly unlikely, wildly improbable, and I would have said

165

AGATHA CHRISTIE

up to today impossible, too. But that was not so. No, not

impossible.

I redoubled my pace. Because it was now even more impera-tive

that I should see Megan straightaway.

I passed through the Symmingtons' gate and up to the

house. It was a dark overcast night. A little rain was begin-ning

to fall. The visibility was bad.

I saw a line of light from one of the windows. The little

morning room?

I hesitated a moment or two, then instead of going up to the

front door, I swerved and crept very quietly up to the window,

skirting a big bush and keeping low.

The light came from a chink in the curtains, which were

not quite drawn. It was easy to look through and see.

It was a strangely peaceful and domestic scene. Symmington

in a big armchair, and Elsie Holland, her head bent, busily

patching a boy's torn shirt.

I could hear as well as see, for the window was open at the

top.

Elsie Holland was speaking:

"But I do think, really, Mr. Symmington, that the boys are

quite old enough to go to boarding school. Not that I shan't

hate leaving them because I shall. I'm ever so fond of them

both."

Symmington said, "I think perhaps you're right about Brian,

Miss Holland. I've decided that he shall start next term at

Winhays--my old prep school. But Colin is a little young yet.

I'd prefer him to wait another year."

"Well, of course I see what you mean. And Colin is perhaps

a little young for his age--"

Quiet domestic talk--quiet domestic scene--and a golden

head bent over needlework.

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Then the door opened and Megan came in.

She stood very straight in the doorway, and I was aware at

once of something tense and strung up about her. The skin of

her face Was tight and drawn and her eyes bright and resolute.

There was no diffidence about her tonight and no childishness.

She said, addressing Symmington, but giving him no title

(and I suddenly reflected that I never had heard her call him

anything. Did she address him as father or as Dick or what?):

"I would like to speak to you, please. Alone."

Symmington looked surprised and, I fancied, not best

pleased. IIe frowned, but Megan carried her point with a

determination unusual in her.

She tuff, ed to Elsie Holland and said, "Do you mind, Elsie ?"

"Oh, of course." Elsie Holland jumped up. She looked star-tled

and a little flurried.

She weht to the door and Megan came farther in so that

Elsie passe.d her.

Just for a minute Elsie stood motionless in the doorway

looking over her shoulder.

Her lips were closed, she stood quite still, one hand stretched

out, the other clasping her needlework to her.

I caught my breath, overwhelmed suddenly by her beauty.

When I think of her now, I always think of her like that--in

arrested notion, with that matchless deathless perfection that

belonged to ancient Greece.

Then she went out shutting the door.

Symmington said rather fretfully, "Well, Megan, what is

it? What Cio you want?"

Megan had come right up to the table. She stood there

looking down at Symmington. I was struck anew by the reso-lute

determination of her face and by something else--a hard-ness

new to me.

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

Then she opened her lips and said something that startled

me to the core.

"I want some money," she said.

The request didn't improve Symmington's temper. He said

sharply, "Couldn't you have waited until tomorrow morning?

What's the matter, do you think your allowance is inadequate?"

A fair man, I thought even then, open to reason, though not

to emotional appeal.

Megan said, "I want a good deal of money."

Symmington sat up straight in his chair. He said coldly:

"You will come of age in a few months' time. Then the

money left you by your grandmother will be turned over to

you by the Public Trustee."

Megan said:

"You don't understand. I want money from you." She went

on, speaking faster: "Nobody's ever talked much to me about

my father. They've not wanted me to know about him. But I

do know that he went to prison and I know why. It was for

blackmail!"

She paused.

"Well, I'm his daughter. And perhaps I take after him.

Anyway, I'm asking you to give me money because--if you

don't--" She stopped and then went on very slowly and

evenly--"if you don't--/shall say what I saw you doing to the

cachet that day in my mother's room."

There was a pause. Then Symmington said in a completely

emotionless voice, "I don't know what you mean."

Megan said, "I think you do."

And she smiled. It was not a nice smile.

Symmington got up. He went over to the writing desk. He

took a checkbook from his pocket and wrote out a check. He

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THE MOVING FINGEB

blotted it carefully and then came back. He held it out to

Megan.

"You're grown up now," he said. "I can understand that

you may feel you want to buy something rather special in the

way of clothes and all that. I don't know what you're talking

about. I didn't pay attention. But here's a check."

Megan looked at it, then she said, "Thank you. That ,vill do

to go on with."

She turned and went out of the room. Symmington stared

after her and at the closed door, then he turned around and as I saw his face I made a quick uncontrolled movement forward.

It was checked in the most extraordinary fashion. The big

bush that I had noticed by the wall stopped being a bush.

Superintendent Nash's arms went around me and Superintendent

Nash's voice just breathed in my ear:

"Quiet, Burton. For God's sake."

Then, with infinite caution he beat a retreat, his arm impelling

me to accompany him.

Around the side of the house he straightened himself and

wiped his forehead.

"Of course," he said. "You would have to butt in!"

"That girl isn't safe," I said urgently. "You saw his face?

We've got to get her out of here."

Nash took a firm grip of my arm.

"Now, look here, Mr. Burton, you've got to listen."

Well, I listened.

I didn't like it but I gave in.

But I insisted on being on the spot and I swore to obey

orders implicitly.

So that is how I came with Nash and Parkins into the house

by the back door, which was already unlocked.

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

And I waited with Nash on the upstairs landing behind the

velvet curtain masking the window alcove until the clocks in

the house struck two, and Symmington's door opened and he

went across the landing and into Megan's room.

I did not stir or make a move for I knew that Sergeant

Parkins was inside masked by the opening door, and I knew

that Parkins was a good man and knew his job, and I knew

that I couldn't have trusted myself to keep quiet and not

break out.

And waiting there, with my heart thudding, I saw Sym~

mington come out with Megan in his arms and carry her

downstairs, with Nash and myself a discreet distance behind

him.

He carried her through to the kitchen and he had just

arranged her comfortably with her head in the gas oven and

had turned on the gas when Nash and I came through the

kitchen door and switched on the light.

And that was the end of Richard Symmington. He collapsed.

Even while I was hauling Megan out and turning off the gas I

saw the collapse. He didn't even try to fight. He knew he'd

played and lost.

Upstairs I sat by Megan's bed waiting for her to come

around and occasionally cursing Nash.

"How do you know she's all right? It was too big a risk."

Nash was very soothing.

"Just a soporific in the milk she always had by her bed.

Nothing more. It stands to reason, he couldn't risk her being

poisoned. As far as he's concerned the whole business is

closed with Miss Griffith's arrest. He can't afford to have any

mysterious death. No violence, no poison. But if a rather unhappy type of girl broods over her mother's suicide, and

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THE MOVING FINGER

finally goes and puts her head in the gas oven--well, people

just say that she was never quite normal and the shock of her

mother's death finished her."

I said, watching Megan, "She's a long time coming around."

"You heard what Dr. Griffith said? Heart and pulse quite

all right--she'll just sleep and wake naturally. Stuff he gives

a lot of his patients, he says."

Megan stirred. She murmured something.

Superintendent Nash unobtrusively left the room.

Presently Megan opened her eyes.

"Jerry."

"Hullo, sweet."

"Did I do it well?"

"You might have been blackmailing ever since your cradle!"

Megan closed her eyes again. Then she murmured:

"Last night--I was writing to you--in case anything went--went

wrong. But I was too sleepy to finish. It's over there."

I went across to the writing table. In a shabby little blotter I

found Megan's unfinished letter.

"My dear Jerry," it began primly:

"I was reading my school Shakespeare and the sonnet that

begin s:

"'So are you to my thoughts as food to life

Or as sweet-season'd showers are to the ground'

and I see that I am in love with you after all, because that is

,vhat I feel .... "

"So you see," said Mrs. Dane Calthrop, "I was quite right

to call in an expert."

I stared at her. We were all at the vicarage. The rain was

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

pouring down outside and there was a pleasant log fire, and

Mrs. Dane Calthrop had just wandered around, beat up a sofa

cushion and put it for some reason of her own on the top of

the grand piano.

"But did you?" I said, surprised. "Who was it? What did

he do?"

"It wasn't a he," said Mrs. Dane Calthrop.

With a sweeping gesture she indicated Miss Marple. Miss

Marple had finished the fleecy knitting and was now engaged

with a crochet hook and a ball of cotton.

"That's my expert," said Mrs. Dane Calthrop. "Jane Marple.

Look at her well. I tell you, that woman knows more about the

different kinds of human wickedness than anyone I've ever

known."

"I don't think you should put it quite like that, dear,"

murmured Miss Marple.

"But you do."

"One sees a good deal of human nature living in a village all

the year around," said Miss Marple placidly.

Then, seeming to feel it was expected of her, she laid down

her crochet, and delivered a gentle old-maidish dissertation

on murder.

"The great thing in these cases is to keep an absolutely

open mind. Most crimes, you see, are so absurdly simple.

This one was. Quite sane and straightforward--and quite

understandable--in an unpleasant way, of course."

"Very unpleasant!"

"The truth was really so very obvious. You saw it, you

know, Mr. Burton."

"Indeed I did not."

"But you did. You indicated the whole thing to me. You

saw perfectly the relationship of one thing to the other, but

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THE MOVING FINGER

you just hadn't enough self-confidence to see what those

feelings of yours meant. To begin with, that tiresome phrase

'No smoke without fire.' It irritated you; but you proceeded

quite correctly to label it for what it was--a smoke screen.

Misdirection, you see--everybody looking at the wrong thing--the

anonymous letters, but the whole point was that there

weren't any anonymous letters!"

"But, my dear Miss Marple, I can assure you that there

were. I had one."

"Oh, yes, but they weren't real at all. Dear Maud here

tumbled to that. Even in peaceful Lymstock there are plenty

of scandals, and I can assure you any woman living in the

place would have known about them and used them. But a

man, you see, isn't interested in gossip in the same way--especially

a detached logical man like Mr. Symmington. But a

genuine woman writer of those letters would have made her

letters much more to the point.

"So you see that if you disregard the smoke and come to the

fire you know where you are. You just come down to the

actual facts of what happened. And putting aside the letters,

just one thing happened--Mrs. Symmington died.

"So then, naturally, one thinks of who might have wanted

Mrs. Symmington to die, and of course the very first person

one thinks of in such a case is, I am afraid, the husband. And

one asks oneself is there any reason?--any motive ?--for instance,

any other woman ?

"And the very first thing I hear is that there is a very

attractive young governess in the house. So clear, isn't it? Mr.

Symmington, a rather dry repressed unemotional man, tied to

a querulous and neurotic wife and then suddenly this radiant

young creature comes along.

"I'm afraid, you know, that gentlemen, when they fall in

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

love at a certain age, get the disease very badly. It's quite a

madness. And Mr. Symmington, as far as I can make out, was

never actually a good man--he wasn't very kind or very affec-tionate

or very sympathetic--his qualities were all negative--so

he hadn't really the strength t fight his madness. And in a

place like this, only his wife's death would solve his problem.

He wanted to marry the girl, you see., She's very respectable

and so is he. And besides, he's devoted to his children and

didn't want to give them up. He wanted everything, his home,

his children, his respectability and Elsie. And the price he

would have to pay for that was murder.

"He chose, I do think, a very clever way. He knew so well

from his experience of criminal cases how soon suspicion falls

on the husband if a wife dies unexpectedly--and the possibil-ity

of exhumation in the case of poison. So he created a death

which seemed only incidental to something else. He created a

nonexistent anonymous letter writer. And the clever thing

was that the police were certain to suspect a woman--and

they were quite right in a way. All the letters were a woman's

letters; he cribbed them very cleverly from the letters in the

case last year and from a case Dr. Griffith told him about. I

don't mean that he was so crude as to reproduce any letter

verbatim, but he took phrases and expressions from them and

mixed them up, and the net result was that the letters defi-nitely

represented a woman's mind--a half-crazy repressed

personality.

"He knew all the tricks that the police use, handwriting,

typewriting tests, etc. He's been preparing his crime for some

time. He typed all the envelopes before he gave away the

typewriter to the Women's Institute, and he cut the pages

from the book at Little Furze probably quite a long time ago

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THE MOVING FINGER

when he was waiting in the drawing room one day. People

don't open books of sermons much!

"And finally, having got his false Poison Pen well established,

he staged the real thing. A fine afternoon when the governess

and the boys and his stepdaughter would be out, and the

Servants having their regular day out. He couldn't foresee

that the little maid Agnes would quarrel with her boy friend

and come back to the house."

Joanna asked, "But what did she see? Do you know that?"

"I don't know. I can only guess. My guess would be that she

didn't see anything."

"That it was all a mare's nest?"

"No, o, my dear, I mean that she stood at the pantry window all the afternoon waiting for the young man to come

and make it up and thatquite literally she saw nothing.

That is, no one came to the house at all, not the postman, nor

anybody else.

"It would take her some time, being slow, to realize that

that was very odd--because apparently Mrs. Symmington had

received an aonymous letter that afternoon."

"Didn't she receive one?" I asked, puzzled.

"But of course not! As I say, this crime is so simple. Her

husband jus't put the cyanide in the top cachet of the ones

she tool in the afternoon when her sciatica came on after

lunch. All Symmington had to do was to get home before, or

at the same time as Elsie Holland, call his wife, get no answer,

go up toher room, drop a spot of cyanide in the plain glass of

water she had used to swallow the cachet, toss the crumpled-up

anonymOUS letter into the grate, and put by her hand the

scrap of paper with 'I can't go on' written on it."

Miss ylarple turned to me.

"You ,ere quite right about that, too, Mr. Burton. A 'scrap

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

of paper' was all wrong. People don't leave suicide notes on

small torn scraps of paper. They use a sheet of paper--and

very often an envelope too. Yes, the scrap of paper was wrong

and you knew it."

"You are rating me too high," I said. "I knew nothing."

"But you did, you really did, Mr. Burton. Otherwise why

were you immediately impressed by the message your sister

left scribbled on the telephone pad?"

I repeated slowly: "'Say that I can't go on Friday'I see! 'I

can't go on'?"

Miss Marple beamed on me.

"Exactly. Mr. Symmington came across such a message and

saw its possibilities. He tore off the words he wanted for

when the time camc--a message genuinely in his wife's

handwriting."

"Was there any further brilliance on my part?" I asked.

Miss Marple twinkled at me.

"You put me on the track, you know. You assembled those

facts together for me--in sequence--and on top of it you told

me the most important thing of all--that Elsie Holland had

never received any anonymous letters."

"Do you know," I said, "last night I thought that she was

the letter writer and that that was why there had been no

letters written to her?"

"Oh, dear me, no .... The person who writes anonymous

letters practically always sends them to herself as well. That's

part of the--well, the excitement, I suppose. No, no, the fact

interested me for quite another reason. It was really, you see,

Mr. Symmington's one weakness. He couldn't bring himself

to write a foul letter to the girl he loved. It's a very interesting

sidelight on human nature--and a credit to him, in a

way--but it's where he gave himself away."

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THE MOVING FINGER

Joanna said, "And he killed Agnes? But surely that was

quite unnecessary?"

"Perhaps it was, but what you don't realize, my dear (not

having killed anyone) is that your judgment is distorted after-ward

and everything seems exaggerated. No doubt he heard

the girl telephoning to Partridge, saying she'd been worried

ever since Mrs. Symmington's death, that there was some-thing

she didn't understand. He can't take any chances--this

stupid foolish girl has seen something, knows something."

"Yet apparently he was at his office all that afternoon?"

"I should imagine he killed her before he went. Miss Hol-land

was in the dining room and kitchen. He just went out

into the hall, opened and shut the front door as though he was

going out, then slipped into the little cloakroom.

"When only Agnes was left in the house, he probably rang

the front-door bell, slipped back into the cloakroom, came out

behind her and hit her on the head as she was opening the

front door, and then after thrusting the body into the cupboard,

he hurried along to his office, arriving just a little late if

anyone had happened to notice it, but they probably didn't.

You see, no one was suspecting a man."

"Abominable brute," said Mrs. Dane Calthrop.

"You're not sorry for him, Mrs. Dane Calthrop?" I inquired.

"Not in the least. Why?"

"I'm glad to hear it, that's all."

Joanna said:

"But why Aime Griffith? I know that the police have

found the pestle taken from Owen's dispensary--and the

skewer too. I suppose it's not so easy for a man to return

things to kitchen drawers. And guess where they were? Su-perintendent

Nash only told me just now when I met him on

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

my way here. In one of those musty old deed boxes in his

office. Estate of Sir Jasper Harrington-West, deceased."

"Poor Jasper," said Mrs. Dane Calthrop. "He was a cousin

of mine. Sch a correct old boy. He would have had a fit!"

"Wasn't it madness to keep them?" I asked.

"Probably madder t throw them away," said Mrs. Dane

Calthrop. "No one had any suspicions about Symmington."

"He didh't strike her with the pestle," said Joanna. "There

was a clock weight there too with hair and blood on it. He

pinched the pestle, the, think, on the day Aime was arrested,

and hid the book pages in her house. And that brings me back

to my original questi(n. What about Aime Griffith? The

police actually saw her write that letter."

"Yes, of course," said Miss Marple. "She did write that letter."

"But why?"

"Oh, my dear, surely, you have realized that Miss Griffith

had been ih love with Symmington all her life ?"

"Poor thing!" said Mrs. Dane Calthrop mechanically.

"They'd always been good friends, and I daresay she thought,

after Mrs. Symmingtc)n's death, that someday, perhaps--well--"

Miss Marple Coughed delicately. "And then the gossip

began spreading about Elsie Holland and I expect that

upset her badly. She thought of the girl as a designing minx

worming her way intt) Symmington's affections and quite

unworthy (if him. And st), I think, she succumbed to temptation.

Why not acid one more anonymous letter, and frighten the girl

out of the llace? It must have seemed quite safe to her and she

took, as she thought, every precaution."

"Well?" said Joanna. "Finish the story."

"I shoulct imagine," said Miss Marple slowly, "that when

Miss Holland showed hat letter to Symmington he realized

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THE MOVING FINGER

at once who had written it, and he saw a chance to finish the

case once and for all, and make himself safe. Not very nice--no,

not very nice, but he was frightened, you see. The police

wouldn't be satisfied until they'd got the anonymous letter

writer. When he took the letter down to the police and he

found they'd actually seen Aim6e writing it, he felt he'd got a

chance in a thousand of finishing the whole thing.

"He took the family to tea there that afternoon and as he

came from the office with his attache case, he could easily

bring the torn-out book pages to hide under the stairs and

clinch the case. Hiding them under the stairs was a neat

touch. It recalled the disposal of Agnes' body, and, from the

practical point of view, it was very easy for him. When he

followed Aim6e and the police, just a minute or two in the

hall passing through would be enough."

"All the same," I said, "there's one thing I can't forgive you

for, Miss Marple--roping in Megan."

Miss Marple put down her crochet which she had resumed.

She looked at me over her spectacles and her eyes were stern.

"My dear young man, something had to be done. There was

no evidence against this very clever and unscrupulous man. I

needed someone to help me, someone of high courage and

good brains. I found the person I needed."

"It was very dangerous for her."

"Yes, it was dangerous, but we are not put into this world,

Mr. Burton, to avoid danger when an innocent fellow creature's

life is at stake. You understand me?"

I understood.

It was morning in the High Street.

Miss Emily Barton came out of the grocer's with her shopping

bag. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes were excited.

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AGATHA CHRISTIE

"Oh, dear, Mr. Burton, I really am in such a flutter. To

think I really am going on a cruise at last!"

"I hope you'll enjoy it."

"Oh, I'm sure I shall. I should never have dared to go by

myself. It does seem so providential the way everything has

turned out. For a long time I've felt that I ought to part with

Little Furze, that my means were really too straitened, but I

couldn't bear the idea of strangers there.

"But now that you have bought it and are going to live

there with Megan--it is quite different. And then dear Aime,

after her terrible ordeal, not quite knowing what to do with

herself, and her brother getting married (how nice to think

you have both settled down with us!), and agreeing to come

with me. We mean to be away quite a long time. We might

even"--Miss Emily dropped her voice--"go around the world!

And Aime is so splendid and so practical. I really do think--don't

you?--that everything turns out for the best."

Just for a fleeting moment I thought of Mrs. Symmington

and Agnes Woddell in their graves in the churchyard and

wondered if they would agree, and then I remembered that

Agnes' boyfriend hadn't been very fond of her and that Mrs.

Symmington hadn't been very nice to Megan and, what the

hell? We've all got to die sometime! And I agreed with happy

Miss Emily that everything was for the best in the best of

possible worlds.

I went along the High Street and in at the Symmingtons'

gate and Megan came out to meet me.

It was not a romantic meeting because an out-size old

glish sheep dog came out with Megan and nearly knocked me

over with his ill-timed exuberance.

"Isn't he adorable?" said Megan.

"A little overwhelming. Is he ours?"

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"Yes, he's a wedding present from Joanna. We have had

nice wedding presents, haven't we? That fluffy woolly thing

that we don't know what it's for from Miss Marple, and the

lovely Crown Derby tea set from Mr. Pye, and Elsie has sent

me a toast rack"

"How typical!" I interjected.

"And she's got a post with a dentist and is very happy.

And--where was I?"

"Enumerating wedding presents. Don't forget if you change

your mind you'll have to send them all back."

"I shan't change my mind. What else have we got? Oh, yes,

Mrs. Dane Calthrop has sent an Egyptian scarab."

"Original woman," I said.

"Oh! Oh! But you don't know the best. Partridge has actu-ally

sent me a present. It's the most hideous tea cloth you've

ever seen. But I think she must like me now because she says

she embroidered it all with her own hands."

"In a design of sour grapes and thistles, I suppose?"

"No; true lover's knots."

"Dear, dear," I said, "Partridge is coming on."

Megan had dragged me into the house.

She said:

"There's just one thing I can't make out. Besides the dog's

own collar and lead, Joanna has sent an extra collar and lead.

What do you think that's for?"

"That," I said, "is Joanna's little joke."

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