Poirot nodded.
In the momentary silence a new sound was heard.
Bump, bump, BUMP.
A monotonous sound increasing in volume and seeming to descend from above.
Its Bob, sir. She was smiling. Hes got hold of his ball and hes bumping it down the stairs. Its a little game of his.
As we reached the bottom of the stairs a black rubber ball arrived with a thud on the last step. I caught it and looked up. Bob was lying on the top step, his paws splayed out, his tail gently wagging. I threw it up to him. He caught it neatly, chewed it for a minute or two with evident relish, then laid it between his paws and gently edged it forward with his nose till he finally bunted it over and it bumped once more down the stairs, Bob wagging his tail furiously as he watched its progress.
Hell stay like that for hours, sir. Regular game of his. Hed go on all day at it. Thatll do[186] now, Bob. The gentlemen have got something else to do than play with you.
A dog is a great promoter of friendly intercourse. Our interest and liking for Bob had quite broken down the natural stiffness of the good servant. As we went up to the bedroom floors, our guide was talking quite garrulously as she gave us accounts of[187] Bobs wonderful sagacity. The ball had been left at the foot of the stairs. As we passed him, Bob gave us a look of deep disgust and stalked down in a dignified fashion to retrieve it. As we turned to the right I saw him slowly coming up again with it in his mouth, his gait that of an extremely old man forced by unthinking persons to exert himself unduly.
As we went round the bedrooms, Poirot began gradually to draw our conductress out[188].
There were four Miss Arundells lived here, did they not? he asked.
Originally, yes, sir, but that was before my time. There was only Miss Agnes and Miss Emily when I came and Miss Agnes died soon afterwards. She was the youngest of the family. It seemed odd she should go before her sister.
I suppose she was not so strong as her sister?
No, sir, its odd that. My Miss Arundell, Miss Emily, she was always the delicate one. Shed had a lot to do with doctors all her life. Miss Agnes was always strong and robust and yet she went first and Miss Emily whod been delicate from a child outlived all the family. Very odd the way things happen.
Astonishing how often that is the case.
Poirot plunged into (I feel sure) a wholly mendacious story of an invalid uncle which I will not trouble to repeat here. It suffices to say that it had its effect. Discussions of death and such matters do more to unlock the human tongue than any other subject. Poirot was in a position to ask questions that would have been regarded with suspicious hostility twenty minutes earlier.
Poirot plunged into (I feel sure) a wholly mendacious story of an invalid uncle which I will not trouble to repeat here. It suffices to say that it had its effect. Discussions of death and such matters do more to unlock the human tongue than any other subject. Poirot was in a position to ask questions that would have been regarded with suspicious hostility twenty minutes earlier.
Was Miss Arundells illness a long and painful one?
No, I wouldnt say that, sir. Shed been ailing, if you know what I mean, for a long timeever since two winters before. Very bad she was thenthis here jaundice. Yellow in the face they go and the whites of their eyes
Ah, yes, indeed (Anecdote of Poirots cousin who appeared to have been the Yellow Peril[189] in person.)
Thats rightjust as you say, sir. Terribly ill she was, poor dear. Couldnt keep anything down.[190] If you ask me, Dr Grainger hardly thought shed pull through. But hed a wonderful way with herbullying, you know. Made up your mind[191] to lie back and order your tombstone? hed say. And shed say, Ive a bit of fight in me still, doctor, and hed say, Thats rightthats what I like to hear. A hospital nurse we had, and she made up her mind that it was all overeven said to the doctor once that she supposed shed better not worry the old lady too much by forcing her to take foodbut the doctor rounded on[192] her. Nonsense, he said, Worry her? Youve got to bully her into taking nourishment. Valentines beef juice at such and such a time, Brands essenceteaspoonfuls of brandy. And at the end he said something that Ive never forgotten. Youre young, my girl, he said to her, you dont realize what fine fighting material there is in age. Its young people who turn up their toes[193] and die because theyre not interested enough to live. You show me anyone whos lived to over seventy and you show me a fightersomeone whos got the will to live. And its true, sirwere always saying how wonderful old people aretheir vitality and the way theyve kept their facultiesbut as the doctor put it thats just why theyve lived so long and got to be so old.
But it is profound what you say therevery profound! And Miss Ar undell was like that? Very alive. Very interested in life?
Oh, yes, indeed, sir. Her health was poor, but her brain was as keen as anything. And as I was saying, she got over that illness of herssurprised the nurse, it did. A stuck-up young thing she was, all starched collars and cuffs and the waiting on she had to have and tea at all hours.
A fine recovery.
Yes, indeed, sir. Of course, the mistress had to be very careful as to diet at first, everything boiled and steamed, no grease in the cooking, and she wasnt allowed to eat eggs either. Very monotonous it was for her.
Still the main thing is she got well.
Yes, sir. Of course, she had her little turns[194]. What Id call bilious attacks[195]. She wasnt always very careful about her food after a timebut still they werent very serious until the last attack.
Was it like her illness of two years before?
Yes, just the same sort of thing, sir. That nasty jaundicean awful yellow colour againand the terrible sickness and all the rest of it. Brought it on[196] herself Im afraid she did, poor dear. Ate a lot of things she shouldnt have done. That very evening she was took bad[197] shed had curry for supper and as you know, sir, currys rich and a bit oily.
Her illness came on suddenly, did it?
Well, it seemed so, sir, but Dr Grainger he said it had been working up for some time. A chillthe weather had been very changeableand too rich feeding.
Surely her companionMiss Lawson was her companion was she notcould have dissuaded her from rich dishes?
Oh, I dont think Miss Lawson would have much say. Miss Arundell wasnt one to take orders from anyone.
Had Miss Lawson been with her during her previous illness?
No, she came after that. Shed been with her about a year.
I suppose shed had companions before that?
Oh, quite a number, sir.
Her companions didnt stay as long as her servants, said Poirot, smiling.
The woman flushed.
Well, you see, sir, it was different. Miss Arundell didnt get out much and what with one thing and another she paused.
Poirot eyed her for a minute then he said:
I understand a little the mentality of elderly ladies. They crave, do they not, for novelty. They get, perhaps, to the end of a person.
Well, now, thats very clever of you, sir. Youve hit it exactly. When a new lady came Miss Arundell was always interested to start withabout her life and her childhood and where shed been and what she thought about things, and then, when she knew all about her, well, shed get well, I suppose bored is the real word.
Exactly. And between you and me, these ladies who go as companions, they are not usually very interestingvery amusing, eh?
No, indeed, sir. Theyre poor-spirited creatures, most of them. Downright foolish, now and then. Miss Arundell soon got through with them, so to speak. And then shed make a change and have someone else.
She must have been unusually attached to Miss Lawson, though.
Oh, I dont think so, sir.
Miss Lawson was not in any way a remarkable woman?
I shouldnt have said so, sir. Quite an ordinary person.
You liked her, yes?
The woman shrugged her shoulders slightly.
There wasnt anything to like or dislike. Fussy she wasa regular old maid and full of this nonsense about spirits.
Spirits? Poirot looked alert.
Yes, sir, spirits. Sitting in the dark round a table and dead people came back and spoke to you. Downright irreligious I call itas if we didnt know departed souls had their rightful place and arent likely to leave it.
So Miss Lawson was a spiritualist! Was Miss Arundell a believer too?
Miss Lawson would have liked her to be! snapped the other. There was a spice of satisfied malice in her tone.
But she wasnt? Poirot persisted.
The mistress had too much sense. She snorted. Mind you, I dont say it didnt amuse her. Im willing to be convinced, shed say. But shed often look at Miss Lawson as much as to say[198], My poor dear, what a fool you are to be so taken in[199]!
I comprehend. She did not believe in it, but it was a source of amusement to her.
Thats right, sir. I sometimes wondered if she didntwell have a bit of quiet fun, so to speak, pushing the table and that sort of thing. And the others all as serious as death.
The others?
Miss Lawson and the two Miss Tripps.
Miss Lawson was a very convinced spiritualist?
Took it all for gospel, sir.
And Miss Arundell was very attached to Miss Lawson, of course.
It was the second time Poirot had made this certain remark and he got the same response.
Well, hardly that, sir.
Well, hardly that, sir.
But surely, said Poirot. If she left her everything. She did, did she not?
The change was immediate. The human being vanished. The correct maid-servant returned. The woman drew herself up and said in a colourless voice that held reproof for familiarity in it:
The way the mistress left her money is hardly my business, sir.
I felt that Poirot had bungled the job. Having got the woman in a friendly mood, he was now proceeding to throw away his advantage. He was wise enough to make no immediate attempt to recover lost ground[200]. After a commonplace remark about the size and number of the bedrooms he went towards the head of the stairs.
Bob had disappeared, but as I came to the stair-head, I stumbled and nearly fell. Catching at the baluster to steady myself I looked down and saw that I had inadvertently placed my foot on Bobs ball which he had left lying on the top of the stairs.