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Cynthia Murdoch came next She had, however, little to tell She had known nothing of the tragedy, until awakened by Mrs Cavendish

"You did not hear the table fall?"

"No I was fast asleep"

The Coroner sood conscience makes a sound sleeper," he observed "Thank you, Miss Murdoch, that is all"

"Miss Howard"

Miss Howard produced the letter written to her by Mrs Inglethorp on the evening of the 17th Poirot and I had, of course already seen it It added nothing to our knowledge of the tragedy The following is a facsimile: STYLES COURT

ESSEX hand written note: July 17th My dear Evelyn Can we not bury the hachet? I have found it hard to forgive the things you said against my dear husband but I am an old wolethorpe It was handed to the jury who scrutinized it attentively

"I fear it does not help us h "There is no mention of any of the events of that afternoon"

"Plain as a pikestaff to h that my poor old friend had just found out she'd beenof the kind in the letter," the Coroner pointed out

"No, because E But I know her She wanted ht She went round about Most people do Don't believe in it myself"

Mr Wells smiled faintly So, I noticed, did several of the jury Miss Hoas obviously quite a public character

"Anyway, all this tolancing up and down the jury disparagingly "Talk--talk--talk! When all the time we know perfectly well----"

The Coroner interrupted her in an agony of apprehension: "Thank you, Miss Howard, that is all"

I fancy he breathed a sigh of relief when she complied

Then came the sensation of the day The Coroner called Albert Mace, che man of the pale face In answer to the Coroner's questions, he explained that he was a qualified pharmacist, but had only recently come to this particular shop, as the assistant formerly there had just been called up for the army

These preliminaries completed, the Coroner proceeded to business

"Mr Mace, have you lately sold strychnine to any unauthorized person?"