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[ 308 ] John bent his head.

[ 309 ] "In that case, I have no alternative but to agree."

[ 310 ] "Thank you," said Dr. Wilkins briskly. "We propose that it should take place to-morrow night-or rather to-night." And he glanced at the daylight. "Under the circumstances, I am afraid an inquest can hardly be avoided-these formalities are necessary, but I beg that you won't distress yourselves."

[ 311 ] There was a pause, and then Dr. Bauerstein drew two keys from his pocket, and handed them to John.

[ 312 ] "These are the keys of the two rooms. I have locked them and, in my opinion, they would be better kept locked for the present."

[ 313 ] The doctors then departed.

[ 314 ] I had been turning over an idea in my head, and I felt that the moment had now come to broach it. Yet I was a little chary of doing so. John, I knew, had a horror of any kind of publicity, and was an easygoing optimist, who preferred never to meet trouble half-way. It might be difficult to convince him of the soundness of my plan. Lawrence, on the other hand, being less conventional, and having more imagination, I felt I might count upon as an ally. There was no doubt that the moment had come for me to take the lead.

[ 315 ] "John," I said, "I am going to ask you something."

"Well?"

[ 316 ] "You remember my speaking of my friend Poirot? The Belgian who is here? He has been a most famous detective."

"Yes."

[ 317 ] "I want you to let me call him in-to investigate this matter."

[ 318 ] "What-now? Before the post-mortem?"

[ 319 ] "Yes, time is an advantage if-if-there has been foul play."

[ 320 ] "Rubbish!" cried Lawrence angrily. "In my opinion the whole thing is a mare's nest of Bauerstein's! Wilkins hadn't an idea of such a thing, until Bauerstein put it into his head. But, like all specialists, Bauerstein's got a bee in his bonnet. Poisons are his hobby, so of course he sees them everywhere."

[ 321 ] I confess that I was surprised by Lawrence's attitude. He was so seldom vehement about anything.

[ 322 ] John hesitated.

[ 323 ] "I can't feel as you do, Lawrence," he said at last. "I'm inclined to give Hastings a free hand, though I should prefer to wait a bit. We don't want any unnecessary scandal."

[ 324 ] "No, no," I cried eagerly, "you need have no fear of that. Poirot is discretion itself."

[ 325 ] "Very well, then, have it your own way. I leave it in your hands. Though, if it is as we suspect, it seems a clear enough case. God forgive me if I am wronging him!"

[ 326 ] I looked at my watch. It was six o'clock. I determined to lose no time.

[ 327 ] Five minutes' delay, however, I allowed myself. I spent it in ransacking the library until I discovered a medical book which gave a description of strychnine poisoning.

[ 329 ] The house which the Belgians occupied in the village was quite close to the park gates. One could save time by taking a narrow path through the long grass, which cut off the detours of the winding drive. So I, accordingly, went that way. I had nearly reached the lodge, when my attention was arrested by the running figure of a man approaching me. It was Mr. Inglethorp. Where had he been? How did he intend to explain his absence?

[ 330 ] He accosted me eagerly.

"My God! This is terrible! My poor wife! I have only just heard."

[ 331 ] "Where have you been?" I asked.

[ 332 ] "Denby kept me late last night. It was one o'clock before we'd finished. Then I found that I'd forgotten the latch-key after all. I didn't want to arouse the household, so Denby gave me a bed."

[ 333 ] "How did you hear the news?" I asked.

[ 334 ] "Wilkins knocked Denby up to tell him. My poor Emily! She was so self-sacrificing-such a noble character. She over-taxed her strength."

[ 335 ] A wave of revulsion swept over me. What a consummate hypocrite the man was!

[ 336 ] "I must hurry on," I said, thankful that he did not ask me whither I was bound.

[ 337 ] In a few minutes I was knocking at the door of Leastways Cottage.

Getting no answer, I repeated my summons impatiently. A window above me was cautiously opened, and Poirot himself looked out.

[ 338 ] He gave an exclamation of surprise at seeing me. In a few brief words, I explained the tragedy that had occurred, and that I wanted his help.

[ 339 ] "Wait, my friend, I will let you in, and you shall recount to me the affair whilst I dress."

[ 340 ] In a few moments he had unbarred the door, and I followed him up to his room. There he installed me in a chair, and I related the whole story, keeping back nothing, and omitting no circumstance, however insignificant, whilst he himself made a careful and deliberate toilet.

[ 341 ] I told him of my awakening, of Mrs. Inglethorp's dying words, of her husband's absence, of the quarrel the day before, of the scrap of conversation between Mary and her mother-in-law that I had overheard, of the former quarrel between Mrs. Inglethorp and Evelyn Howard, and of the latter's innuendoes.

[ 342 ] I was hardly as clear as I could wish. I repeated myself several times, and occasionally had to go back to some detail that I had forgotten. Poirot smiled kindly on me.

[ 343 ] "The mind is confused? Is it not so? Take time, mon ami. You are agitated; you are excited-it is but natural. Presently, when we are calmer, we will arrange the facts, neatly, each in his proper place. We will examine-and reject. Those of importance we will put on one side; those of no importance, pouf!"-he screwed up his cherub-like face, and puffed comically enough-"blow them away!"

[ 344 ] "That's all very well," I objected, "but how are you going to decide what is important, and what isn't? That always seems the difficulty to me."