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Chapter 1 Dr Sheppard at the Breakfast Table

Mrs Ferrars died on the night of the 16th17th Septeht o'clock on theto be done She had been dead some hours

It was just a few minutes after nine when I reached home once more I opened the front door with my latchkey, and purposely delayed a few ht overcoat that I had deeainst the chill of an early autu To tell the truth, I was considerably upset and worried I a to pretend that at that moment I foresaw the events of the next feeeks I emphatically did not do so

Buttimes ahead

Fro-room on my left there cah of my sister Caroline

'Is that you, James?' she called

An unnecessary question, since who else could it be? To tell the truth, it was precisely my sister Caroline as the cause of oose fa tells us, is: 'Go and find out' If Caroline ever adopts a crest, I should certainly suggest a ht omit the first part of theplacidly at hoes it, but there it is I suspect that the servants and the tradesoes out, it is not to gather in inforly expert

It was really this last nas of indecision Whatever I told Caroline now concerning the dee all over the village within the space of an hour and a half As a professional ot into the habit of continually withholding all information possible from my sister

She usually finds out just the sa that I am in no way to blame

Mrs Ferrars' husband died just over a year ago, and Caroline has constantly asserted, without the least foundation for the assertion, that his wife poisoned him

She scorns astritis, helped on by habitual overindulgence in alcoholic beverages The syree, unlike, but Caroline bases her accusation on quite different lines

'You've only got to look at her,' I have heard her say

Mrs Ferrars, though not in her first youth, was a very attractive woh simple, always seemed to fit her very well, but all the same, lots of women buy their clothes in Paris, and have not, on that account, necessarily poisoned their husbands

As I stood hesitating in the hall, with all this passing through ain, with a sharper note in it

'What on earth are you doing out there, Ja,upup half a dozen overcoats in this tiht I could have

I walked into the dining-rooave Caroline the accustos and bacon The bacon was rather cold

'You've had an early call,' remarked Caroline

'Yes,' I said 'King's Paddock Mrs Ferrars' 'I know,' said my sister

'How did you know?' 'Annie told irl, but an inveterate talker

There was a pause I continued to eat eggs and bacon My sister's nose, which is long and thin, quivered a little at the tip, as it always does when she is interested or excited over anything

'Well?' she demanded

'A sad business Nothing to be done Must have died in her sleep' 'I know,' said ain

This time I was annoyed

'You can't know,' I snapped 'I didn't know ot there, and haven't irl Annie knows, she must be a clairvoyant' 'It wasn't Annie who told me It was the milkman He had it from the Ferrarses' cook' As I say, there is no need for Caroline to go out to get information She sits at home and it comes to her

My sister continued: 'What did she die of? Heart failure?' 'Didn't the milkman tell you that?' I inquired sarcastically

Sarcasm is wasted on Caroline She takes it seriously and answers accordingly

'He didn't know,' she explained

After all, Caroline was bound to hear sooner or later She ht as well hear from me

'She died of an overdose of veronal She's been taking it lately for sleeplessness Must have taken too much' 'Nonsense,' said Caroline immediately 'She took it on purpose Don't tell me!' It is odd, when you have a secret belief of your ohich you do not wish to acknowledge, the voicing of it by someone else will rouse you to a fury of denial I burst inant speech

'There you go again,' I said 'Rushing along without rhyme or reason Why on earth should Mrs Ferrars wish to coood health, and nothing to do but enjoy life It's absurd' 'Not at all Even youlately It's been co-ridden And you have just adnosis?' I demanded coldly 'An unfortunate love affair, I suppose?' My sister shook her head

''Reusto

'Remorse?' 'Yes You never would believe me when I told you she poisoned her husband I'm more than ever convinced of it now' 'I don't think you're very logical,' I objected 'Surely if a woman committed a crime like murder, she'd be sufficiently cold-blooded to enjoy the fruits of it without any weak-minded sentimentality such as repentance' Caroline shook her head

'There probably are women like that - but Mrs Ferrars wasn't one of the iet rid of her husband because she was the sort of person who si of any kind, and there's no doubt that the wife of a ood deal ' I nodded

'And ever since she's been haunted by what she did I can't help feeling sorry for her' I don't think Caroline ever felt sorry for Mrs Ferrars whilst she was alive Now that she has gone where (presuer be worn, Caroline is prepared to indulge in the softer emotions of pity and comprehension

I told her firmly that her whole idea was nonsense I was all the reed with so that Caroline should arrive at the truth si to encourage that sort of thing She will go round the village airing her views, and everyone will think that she is doing so on

'Nonsense,' said Caroline, in reply to my strictures

'You'll see Ten to one she's left a letter confessing everything'

'She didn't leave a letter of any kind,' I said sharply, and not seeing where the ad to land me

'Oh!' said Caroline 'So you did inquire about that, did you? I believe, James, that in your heart of hearts, you think very ' 'One always has to take the possibility of suicide into consideration,' I said impressively

'Will there be an inquest?' 'There may be It all depen