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Agatha Christie - They Do It With Mirrors PDF
Agatha Christie - They Do It With Mirrors PDF
DO IT WITH
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Agatha Christie (1890-1976) is know n throughout the world as
the Q ueen of Crim e. H er books have sold over a billion copies
in English w ith another billion in over 100 foreign languages.
She is the most widely published and translated author of all time
and in any language; only the Bible and Shakespeare have sold
more copies. She is the author o f 80 crim e novels and short story
collections, 19 plays, and six other novels. The Mousetrap, her
most famous play, was first staged in 1952 in London and is still
perform ed there —it is the longest-running play in history.
Agatha C hristie’s first novel was published in 1920. It featured
Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective w ho has becom e the
most popular detective in crim e fiction since Sherlock Holmes.
Collins has published Agatha Christie since 1926.
This series has been especially created for readers
worldw ide whose first language is not English. Each story has
been shortened, and the vocabulary and gram m ar sim plified
to m ake it accessible to readers w ith a good interm ediate
know ledge o f the language.
Collins
Collins
H arp erC o llin s Publishers
77-85 F ulham Palace R o a d
L ondon W 6 8JB
w w w .collinselt.com
R e p rin t 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
ISBN: 978-0-00-745167-8
S to ry 1
C h a ra c te r list 102
C u ltu ra l n o te s 104
G lossary 107
Chapter 1
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just too bad about dear Jane. Som etim es she doesn’t have enough
to eat and she’s m uch too proud to ask old friends for anything.
You couldn’t offer h er m oney — but a nice long rest in lovely
surroundings, w ith an old friend and w ith plenty o f good food,’
R u th Van R ydock paused and then added, ‘N o w go on — be
angry if you w ant.’
Miss M arple opened her blue eyes in gentle surprise. ‘B ut w hy
should I be angry at you, R u th ? It was a very good approach. I’m
sure C arrie Louise responded.’
‘She’s w ritin g to you. Honestly, Jane, you don’t m in d . . . ?’
She hesitated and Miss M arple pu t her thoughts neatly into
words. ‘G oing to Stonygates and pretending to be in need o f
charity? N o t in the least. You th in k it is necessary —and I agree
w ith you.’
M rs Van R ydock stared at her. ‘B ut why? W h a t have you
heard?’
‘I haven’t heard anything. It’s you that I trust, R u th .’
Chapter 2
Before she caught her train back to St M ary M ead, Miss M arple,
in a business-like way, asked for details.
‘It’s ju st the facts I need, R u th dear - and some idea o f w ho I
w ill m eet at Stonygates.’
‘W ell, you k n o w about C arrie Louise’s m arriage to
G ulbrandsen. T here w ere no children and C arrie Louise was
very upset by that. G ulbrandsen was a w idow er, and had three
g ro w n -u p sons. Eventually he and C arrie Louise adopted a
child. Pippa, they called her - a lovely little girl just tw o years
old. A nd th e n ex t th in g that happened was that C arrie Louise
had a baby after all. I understand from doctors that that quite
often happens.’
Miss M arple nodded. ‘I believe so.’
‘Anyway, it did happen, but then their daughter M ildred,
w hen she arrived, was a very unattractive child. She looked like
the Gulbrandsens, w ho are good people bu t very plain. C arrie
Louise was so anxious to m ake no difference betw een the adopted
child and her ow n that I th in k she gave even m ore attention to
Pippa - w hich m ade M ildred unhappy. Pippa grew up a very
beautiful girl and M ildred grew up a plain one. G ulbrandsen left
an equal am o u n t o f m oney to b o th daughters - and at tw enty
Pippa m arried an Italian aristocrat. M ildred m arried C anon
Strete — a nice m an, but he often had colds in the head. H e
was about fifteen years older than she was. It was quite a happy
m arriage, I believe.
‘H e died a year ago and M ildred has com e back to Stonygates
to live w ith h er m other. B ut I’ve m issed a m arriage or tw o. I’ll
go back to them . Pippa m arried her Italian, Guido. A year later
Agatha C hristie
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Chapter 3
Miss M arple got out o f the train at M arket K indle station, holding
tightly a string bag and an old leather handbag and looking m ore
poorly dressed th an usual.
Miss M arple was looking around the w indy station — there
w ere no passengers or railway staff anyw here - w hen a young
m an came up to her.
‘Miss M arple?’ H is voice had an unexpectedly dram atic
quality, as th o u g h he was playing a part in a theatre. ‘I’ve com e
to m eet you —from Stonygates.’
T h e personality o f this young m an did no t m atch his voice.
H is loud voice was m eant to m ake h im seem im portant, w hen in
fact he was alm ost nervous.
‘O h th ank you,’ said Miss M arple. ‘T h ere’s ju st this suitcase.’
T h e young m an raised a hand at a p o rter w ho was pushing
some large boxes past on a handcart. ‘B ring it out, please,’ he
said, and added im portantly, ‘for Stonygates.’
‘I w on’t be long,’ the p o rter said cheerfully.
Miss M arple th o u g h t that the young m an was n o t too pleased
about this delay.
T aking Miss M arple towards the exit, he said, ‘I’m Edgar
Lawson. M rs Serrocold asked m e to m eet you. I help M r
Serrocold in his w ork.’
H e behaved as if he w ere a busy and im p o rtan t m an w ho
had, very charm ingly, put im portant business on one side to be
polite to his em ployer’s wife. A nd again it was no t com pletely
successful —it had a theatrical flavour.
Miss M arple began to w onder about Edgar Lawson.
T hey came out o f the station to w here a rather old Ford was
standing - ju st then a new tw o-seater R olls B entley came into
T hey D o It W ith M irrors
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They Do It W ith Mirrors
Plan of Stonygates
STUDY
V D GREAT
e
gm 5
UJ un
HALL
VH £
) U -O
DINING
>
ROOM LIBRARY
Terrace
V
'
y) BAIZE
DOOR
IIGUEST ) KITCHEN
HROOMV
1
[ BATH
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Chapter 4
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T hey D o It W ith M irrors
doing extrem ely well. T h ey ’re very satisfied w ith h im and are
p rom oting him . I knew that all he needed was responsibility -
that, and a th o ro u g h training in dealing w ith m oney.’
H e tu rn ed to Miss M arple. ‘H a lf these boys don’t know w hat
m oney is. It m eans no m ore to them than buying cigarettes —yet
th ey ’re clever w ith num bers and find it exciting to use them .
W ell, I believe in training them — in accountancy - to show
them how m oney works. Give them skill and then responsibility.
O u r greatest successes have been that way - only tw o out o f
th irty -eig h t have failed us. O ne is a head cashier — a really
responsible position.’ H e broke o ff to say, ‘Tea’s all ready in the
H all, dearest,’ to his wife.
C arrie Louise linked her arm th ro u g h Miss M arple’s and
they w ent in to the G reat Hall. Tea seemed rather strange in
these surroundings. T he tea things w ere in a pile on a tray —
inexpensive w hite cups m ixed w ith the rem ains o f some very
good quality old tea services. T here was a lo af o f bread, tw o pots
o f jam , and some cheap-looking cakes.
A plum p m iddle-aged w om an w ith grey hair sat behind
the tea table and M rs Serrocold said, ‘J ane, this is m y daughter
M ildred. You haven’t seen her since she was a tiny girl.’
M ildred Strete looked exactly like a C anon’s w idow , wealthy,
respectable and slightly boring. She was a plain w om an w ith a
large face. She had been, Miss M arple rem em bered, a very plain
little girl.
‘A nd this is W alter H udd - G ina’s husband.’
W alter was a big young m an w ith h air brushed up on his head
and a b ad-tem pered expression. H e nodded uncom fortably and
continued p u ttin g cake into his m outh.
Soon after, G ina came in w ith Stephen R estarick. T hey w ere
b o th excited.
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Chapter 5
T h e next m o rning, Miss M arple w ent out into the gardens. T hey
w ere in a very bad way, the grass was long, the flower borders
w ere full o f w eeds and the paths w ere overgrow n. T he kitchen
gardens, on the o th er hand, w ere full o f vegetables. A nd a large
part o f w hat had once been law n and flower garden, was now
tennis courts and a bow ling green.
As Miss M arple pulled up a weed, E dgar Lawson appeared
in a neat dark suit. She called him , asking i f he knew w here any
gardening tools w ere kept. ‘It’s such a pity to see this,’ said Miss
M arple. ‘I do like gardens. N o w I don’t suppose you ever th in k
about gardens, M r Lawson. You have so m uch im p o rtan t w ork
to do for M r Serrocold. You m ust find it all m ost interesting.’
H e answ ered quickly, ‘Yes —yes —it is interesting.’
‘A nd you m ust be o f the greatest help to M r Serrocold.’
H is face becam e troubled. ‘I don’t know . I can’t be sure . . .’
H e broke off.
T here was a garden seat nearby and Miss M arple sat dow n.
‘I am sure,’ she said brightly, ‘that M r Serrocold relies on you.’
‘I don’t know ,’ said Edgar. ‘I really don’t.’ H e sat dow n beside
her. ‘I’m in a very difficult position.’
‘O f course,’ said Miss M arple.
‘T his is all highly confidential.’ he said.
‘O f course,’ said Miss M arple.
A ctually, m y father is a very im portant m an. N o b o d y knows
except M r Serrocold. You see, it m ight do m y father’s position
h arm i f the story got out.’ H e smiled. A sad, dignified smile.
‘You see, I’m W in sto n C h u rch ill’s son.’
‘O h ,’ said Miss M arple. ‘I see.’ A nd she did see. She
rem em bered a rather sad story in St M ary M ead —and w hat had
happened afterwards.
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T hey D o It W ith M irrors
E dgar Law son continued and w hat he said seemed m ore like
a young m an acting on a stage than talking about his life. ‘T here
w ere reasons. M y m other wasn’t free. H e r ow n husband was in
a m ental hospital - there could be no divorce - so there was no
question o f m arriage. I don’t really blam e them . M y father has
always done everything he could —privately, o f course. B ut the
trouble is, h e’s got enemies —and they’re against m e, too. T hey
keep us apart. T h ey w atch me. W herever I go, they spy on me.
A nd they m ake things go w rong for m e.’
Miss M arple shook her head. ‘Dear, dear,’ she said.
‘In L ondon I was studying to be a doctor. T h ey changed
m y exam answers. T h ey w anted m e to fail. T hey follow ed
m e, told things about m e to m y landlady. T hey follow m e
w herever I go. M r Serrocold b ro u g h t m e dow n here. H e was
very kind. B ut even here, you know , I’m no t safe. T h ey ’re here,
too —w o rk in g against m e - m aking the others dislike me. M r
Serrocold says th at isn’t true —bu t M r Serrocold doesn’t know.
O r else — I w o n d er — som etim es I’ve th o u g h t . . .’ H e got up.
‘T his is all confidential. You do understand that, don’t you? B ut
i f you notice anyone follow ing m e — spying, I m ean — let m e
k n o w w ho it is!’
H e w ent away, and Miss M arple w atched him and w ondered.
T here was som ething a little w ro n g about Edgar Lawson -
perhaps m ore th an a little. A nd E dgar Lawson rem inded her o f
som eone.
A voice spoke. ‘Crazy. Just crazy.’
W alter H u d d was standing beside her. H e was frow ning as he
stared after Edgar. ‘W h a t k ind o f a place is this, anyw ay?’ he said.
‘T h ey ’re all crazy. T h at Edgar guy —w hat do you th in k about
him ? H e says his father’s really G eneral M ontgom ery. H e told
G ina he was the heir to the R ussian throne. Hell, doesn’t the guy
k now w h o his father really was?’
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W alter gave her a look. ‘You’re the only one I’ve talked to so
far. I do n ’t k n o w w hat it is about you —I kn o w you’re English —
but you do rem in d m e o f m y A unt Betsy back hom e.’
‘N o w th at’s very nice.’
‘She had a lot o f sense,’ W alter continued thoughtfully. ‘She
looked w eak, b u t she was tough —yes, m a’am , I’ll say she was
tough.’
H e got up. ‘S orry about talking to you in this way.’ For the
first tim e, Miss M arple saw h im smile. It was a very attractive
smile, and W alter H u d d was suddenly changed from an aw kw ard
bad-tem pered boy into a handsom e and charm ing young m an. ‘I
had to say it, I suppose. B ut I w asn’t right to w orry you.’
‘N o t at all, m y dear boy,’ said Miss M arple. ‘I have a nephew
o f m y o w n.’
‘You’ve got o ther com pany com ing,’ said W alter H udd.
‘T h at w om an doesn’t like me. G oodbye, m a’am. Thanks for the
talk.’ H e w alked away and Miss M arple w atched M ildred Strete
com ing across the law n to jo in her.
★★★
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A gatha C hristie
It’s a m edical problem — th at’s w hat w e’ve got to get the police
and the law courts to understand. D o look up, you’ll see how
w e begin.’
Miss M arple looked up over the doorw ay and read:
R E C O V E R H O PE A L L YO U W H O E N T E R H E R E
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Chapter 6
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you should ask som ebody in the house here. Miss Believer, for
instance.’
C hristian G ulbrandsen was staring at her very hard.
‘Som etim es,’ he said simply, ‘it is hard to k n o w w hat is the best
th in g to do. I w ish to act for the best. I am particularly anxious
that no harm and no unhappiness should com e to that dear lady.
B ut it is n o t easy —n o t easy at all.’
M rs Strete cam e into the room at that m om ent. ‘C hristian, D r
M averick w ants to kn o w i f you w ould like to discuss anything
w ith him .’
‘N o, I w ill w ait u n til Lewis returns. B ut I w ill have a w ord
w ith him .’
G ulbrandsen h u rried out. M ildred Strete stared after him
and then stared at Miss M arple. ‘I w onder i f anything is w rong.
C hristian is very u nlike him self. D id he say anything?’
‘H e only asked m e about your m other’s health.’
‘H er health? W h y w ould he ask you about th at?’ M ildred
spoke sharply, her large square face w ent red.
‘I really do n ’t know .’
‘M o th er’s health is perfectly good. Surprising for a w om an o f
h er age. I hope you told h im so?’
‘I don’t really k n o w anything about it,’ said Miss M arple. ‘H e
asked m e about h er heart.’
‘T h ere’s n o th in g w ro n g w ith M o th er’s h ea rt!’
‘I’m delighted to hear you say so, m y dear.’
‘W h at on earth pu t all these strange ideas into C hristian’s
head?’
‘I’ve no idea,’ said Miss M arple.
Chapter 7
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They Do It W ith Mirrors
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Miss Believer cam e back into the H all, holding several keys.
‘T ry these,’ she said breathlessly.
At that m om ent the lights cam e on again. Stephen R estarick
began try in g the keys. T hey heard the inside key fall out as he
did so.
A nd that w ild, desperate sobbing w ent on.
W alter H udd, co m ing lazily back into the H all, stopped and
dem anded, ‘W h a t’s going o n ?’
M ildred said tearfully, ‘T h at awful m ad young m an has shot
M r Serrocold.’
‘Please.’ It was C arrie Louise w ho spoke. She got up and came
across to the study door. G ently she pushed Stephen R estarick
aside. ‘Let m e speak to him .’
She called —very softly —‘Edgar, Edgar, let m e in, w ill you?
Please, Edgar.’
T hey heard the key pu t into the lock. It tu rn e d and the door
was opened.
B ut it was n o t E dgar w ho opened it. It was Lewis Serrocold.
H e was breathing hard as though he had been ru n n in g —
otherw ise he was n o t affected.
‘It’s all right, dearest,’ he said. ‘It’s all right.’
‘W e thought you had been shot,’ said Miss Believer, her relief
obvious.
Lewis Serrocold frow ned. H e said w ith a little show o f anger,
‘O f course I haven’t been shot.’
T hey could see into the study by now. E dgar Lawson had
fallen by the desk. H e was sobbing and breathing heavily. T he
g un lay on the floor.
‘B ut we heard the shots,’ said M ildred.
‘O h yes, he fired tw ice.’
‘A nd he missed you?’
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W alter H u d d picked up the gun. ‘W h ere the hell did you get
m y g u n ?’ he dem anded. ‘You little thief, you took it out o f my
ro o m !’
Lewis Serrocold stepped betw een the frightened E dgar and
the angry A m erican. ‘A h, here’s M averick. Take a look at him ,
w ill you?’
D r M averick cam e tow ards E dgar enthusiastically. ‘This
is n o t acceptable, Edgar. You can’t do this sort o f thing, you
know .’
‘H e ’s m ad and dangerous,’ said M ildred. ‘H e ’s been shooting
a gu n at m y stepfather.’
E dgar cried out in fear.
‘Careful, please, M rs Strete,’ D r M averick w arned.
‘I’m sick o f you all! I tell you this m an’s m ad,’ M ildred insisted.
E dgar pulled away from D r M averick and fell to the floor
at Serrocold’s feet. ‘H elp me. Help me. D o n ’t let them take me
away and lock m e up. D o n ’t let th em !’
‘You com e w ith me, Edgar,’ said D r M averick. ‘You go to
bed now — and w e’ll talk in the m orning. N o w you trust me,
do n ’t you? ’
R isin g to his feet and shaking, Edgar looked doubtfully at the
y oung doctor and then at M ildred Strete. ‘She said —I was m ad.’
‘N o, no, you’re not.’
Miss Believer came in, red faced. ‘I’ve telephoned the police,’
she said grimly.
‘J olly!’ C arrie Louise cried in dismay.
E dgar began crying again.
‘I told you, Jolly, I did not w ant the police,’ Lewis Serrocold
said angrily. ‘T his is a m edical m atter.’
‘T h at m ay be so,’ said Miss Believer. ‘B ut I had to call the
police. M r G ulbrandsen’s been shot dead.’
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always good to me.’ Softly, she touched the top of his head with
her fingers. ‘Bless you and thank you, dear Christian.’
Lewis Serrocold said with more emotion than Miss Marple
had seen in him before, ‘I wish I could have saved you from
this.’
His wife shook her head gently. ‘You can’t really save anyone
from anything,’ she said. ‘Things always have to be faced sooner
or later. And therefore it had better be sooner.’
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voice and m anner. H e looked quiet and serious. ‘I’ve had the
m ain facts from M r Serrocold. M r C hristian G ulbrandsen was
one o f the trustees here and he arrived unexpectedly yesterday.
T h at is co rrect?’
‘Yes.’
Inspector C u rry was pleased by her short answer. H e
continued, ‘M r Serrocold was away in Liverpool. H e returned
this evening by the 6.30 train.’
‘Yes.’
‘A fter dinner, M r G ulbrandsen w ent to w ork in his ow n
room , leaving the rest o f the group here. C orrect? ’
‘Yes.’
‘N ow , Miss Believer, please explain how you found him dead.’
‘S om ething unpleasant happened this evening. A young
m an becam e very unbalanced and threatened M r Serrocold
w ith a gun. T h ey w ere locked in this ro o m and you can see
the bullet holes in the w all there. F ortunately M r Serrocold was
u n h u rt. A fter firing the shots, this young m an was in such a bad
condition that M r Serrocold sent m e to find D r M averick. As
I was com ing back, I w ent to M r G ulbrandsen’s room to ask if
there was any th in g he w ould like before he w ent to bed. W hen
I saw that M r G ulbrandsen was dead, I rang you.’
‘C o u ld anyone have com e into the house from outside
w ith o u t b eing heard o r seen?’
‘C ertain ly —by the side door to the terrace. People com e in
and out th at w ay to go to the C ollege buildings.’
A n d you have, I believe, tw o h undred and fifty juvenile
delinquents in the C ollege?’
‘Yes. B ut the C ollege buildings are locked and guarded. It
is m ost unlikely that anyone could leave the College w ithout
perm ission.’
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‘Yes. Alex R estarick arrived this evening —ju st after all this
happened.’
‘I see. W h e n you discovered M r G ulbrandsen’s body, did you
touch an y th in g ?’
‘O f course not. M r G ulbrandsen had been shot through the
head b u t there was no gun to be seen, so I knew it was m urder
and n o t suicide.’
A n d ju st now, w hen you took us into the room , everything
was the same as w hen you found the body? ’
Miss Believer th o u g h t about it. ‘O n e th in g was different,’ she
said. ‘T here was n o th in g in the typew riter. M r G ulbrandsen had
been w ritin g a letter, it m ust have been rem oved.’
‘T h an k you, Miss Believer. W h o else w ent into that room
before w e arrived? ’
‘M r Serrocold, o f course. A nd M rs Serrocold and Miss
M arple.’
‘W h ich is Miss M arple?’ Inspector C u rry asked.
‘T h e old lady w ith w hite hair. She was a school friend o f M rs
Serrocold’s. She arrived about four days ago.’
‘W ell, th an k you, Miss Believer. I’ll have a w ord w ith Miss
M arple n ext, th en she can go o ff to bed. It’s no t kind to keep an
old lady like th at from her rest,’ said Inspector C urry. ‘This m ust
have been a shock to her.’
‘I’ll tell her, shall I?’
‘Yes, please do.’
Miss Believer w ent out. Inspector C u rry looked at the
ceiling. ‘W h y G ulbrandsen?’ he said. ‘Two hundred and fifty
young delinquents here. Probably one o f them did it. B ut w hy
G ulbrandsen? T h e stranger.’
Sergeant Lake said, ‘O f course w e don’t know everything
yet.’
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Chapter 10
Lewis Serrocold came into the study and sat dow n, no t in the
chair Miss M arple had ju st left, bu t in his ow n chair beh in d the
desk.
H e looked at the tw o police officers thoughtfully. H e had the
face o f a m an w ho was suffering badly in very difficult conditions,
and it surprised Inspector C u rry because, though C hristian
G ulbrandsen’s death m ust have been a shock, G ulbrandsen had
n o t been a close friend or relation. H e was only a rather distant
connection by m arriage.
Lewis Serrocold said w ith a sigh, ‘H o w difficult it is to know
the rig h t th in g to do.’
‘I th in k w e w ill be the judges o f that, M r Serrocold,’ said
Inspector C urry. ‘N ow , M r G ulbrandsen arrived unexpectedly,
I u n d erstand?’
‘H e did.’
‘A nd you have no idea o f w hy he cam e?’
Lewis Serrocold said quietly, ‘O h yes, I know w hy he came.
H e told m e.’
‘Business connected w ith the G ulbrandsen Institute, I
suppose?’
‘O h no, it was n o th in g to do w ith the G ulbrandsen Institute.’
Lewis Serrocold continued seriously. ‘I fully realize that w ith
G ulbrandsen’s m urder, I have got to pu t all the facts before you.
B ut I am w o rried about m y w ife’s happiness and peace o f m ind.
It is n o t for m e to direct you, Inspector, bu t i f you can find a way
to keep certain things from her I w ould be grateful. You see,
Inspector C urry, C hristian G ulbrandsen came here to tell me
that he believed m y w ife was being slowly and cold-bloodedly
poisoned.’
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Agatha C hristie
Dear D r Galbraith,
I have reason to believe that this sweet and innocent lady is being
poisoned. I first suspected this when
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Inspector C u rry sighed. ‘You can tell everyone that they can
all go to bed. I’ll talk to them tom orrow .’
W h en Serrocold had left the room , Inspector C u rry said to
Lake, ‘W ell —w hat do you th in k ?’
‘H e know s —or th inks he know s, w ho did it,’ said Lake.
‘Yes. I agree w ith you. A nd he doesn’t like it at all.’
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Lewis Serrocold w ent away, and Inspector C u rry sat dow n and
gave Miss M arple a rather know ing smile. ‘So M r Serrocold has
been asking you to keep a close eye on his w ife,’ he said.
‘W ell, yes. I hope you don’t m ind.’
‘I th in k it’s a very good idea. Does M r Serrocold know just
how well qualified you are for the jo b ? ’
‘I do n ’t quite understand, Inspector.’
‘H e thinks yo u ’re just a very nice elderly lady w ho was at
school w ith his w ife.’ H e shook his head. ‘W e k now you’re m ore
than that, Miss M arple, aren’t you? Y ou’re very fam iliar w ith
crim e. M r Serrocold only knows one part o f it —the beginners,
these juvenile delinquents. It makes m e sick. T here are plenty
o f good young m en about, boys w ho are w orking hard. A good
start in life w ould m ake a lot o f difference to them . B ut there it is,
honesty has to be its o w n rew ard —m illionaires don’t leave trust
funds to help the good young people. W ell, I’ve seen boys - and
girls —w ith everything against them , bad hom es, bad luck, every
disadvantage, and th ey’ve had the determ ination to succeed,
despite all th eir problem s. T h a t’s the kind o f person I w ill leave
m y fortune to, i f I ever have one. B ut then, o f course, I never
w ill have a fortune. Just my pension and a nice bit o f garden.’ H e
nodded at Miss M arple. ‘Superintendent Blacker told m e about
you last night. H e said you’ve had a lot o f experience o f the
bad side o f hu m an nature. Well now, let’s have your view. W h o
killed Gulbrandsen? T he A m erican husband?’
‘T h at,’ said Miss M arple, ‘w ould be very convenient for
everybody.’
Inspector C u rry smiled to himself. ‘A nd his m anner doesn’t
help. So, w h o ’s been poisoning M rs S errocold?’
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‘W ell,’ said Miss M arple, ‘my first idea, hum an nature being
w hat it is, is to th in k o f the husband. O r, if it’s the husband being
poisoned, then the wife. T hat is always the first thought, don’t
you th in k , in a poisoning case?’
‘I agree w ith you every tim e,’ said Inspector C urry.
‘B ut really — in this case —’ Miss M arple shook her head.
‘N o, I cannot seriously consider M r Serrocold. Because you see,
Inspector, he really is devoted to his wife. It’s very quiet, but
it’s genuine. H e loves his wife, and I’m certain that he w o u ld n ’t
poison her.’
‘A nd he has no m otive. She’s given her m oney to h im already.’
9
‘I’m really afraid,’ Miss M arple sounded rather sorry about it,
‘we shall have to exclude him as a suspect.’
‘N o easy answer for us,’ said the Inspector, smiling. ‘And
anyway, he couldn’t have killed Gulbrandsen. It seems certain to
me that w hoever is poisoning M rs Serrocold killed Gulbrandsen to
prevent him talking. W hat w e’ve got to decide now is w ho had an
opportunity to kill Gulbrandsen. A nd our first suspect —there’s no
doubt about it —is young W alter H udd. It was he w ho switched on
a reading lamp w hich resulted in a fuse breaking, giving him the
opportunity to leave the hall. It was w hile he was away from the
Great H all that the shot was heard. So that’s suspect num ber one.’
A n d suspect nu m ber tw o ?’ asked Miss M arple.
‘A lex R estarick, w ho was alone in his car betw een the gate
and the house and took too long getting there.’
‘A nybody else?’ Miss M arple leaned forw ard eagerly.
‘N o w th a t’s w here,’ said Inspector C urry, ‘I’ve got to ask you.
You w ere there, in the H all last night, and you can tell m e w ho
left it.’
‘Yes —yes, I ought to be able to tell you —but can I? You see —
the circum stances . . .’
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Agatha C hristie
‘You m ean th at you w ere all listening to the argum ent going
on in M r S errocold’s study.’
Miss M arple n o dded in com plete agreem ent. ‘Yes, w e were
all very frightened. E dgar Lawson really looked m ad. A part from
M rs Serrocold, w ho was calm , we all feared that he w ould h u rt
M r Serrocold. H e was shouting, you know , and saying the m ost
terrible things —and w hat w ith that and w ith m ost o f the lights
being out —I d idn’t really notice anything else.’
‘You m ean th at w hilst that scene was going on, anybody could
have left the H all, shot M r G ulbrandsen and com e back again?’
‘I th in k it w ould have been possible.’ Miss M arple considered.
‘B ut I can say that M rs Serrocold did no t leave —because I was
w atching her. It surprised m e, you know , that she was able to
rem ain so calm .’
A n d the others?’
‘Miss Believer w ent out —but I am alm ost sure that was after the
shot. M rs Strete? I really don’t know. She was sitting behind me.
G ina was over by the far w indow . I th in k she stayed there the
w hole tim e, b u t I cannot be sure. Stephen was at the piano, but
he stopped playing w hen the argum ent began.’
‘So w e can only exclude those people w ho did not have the
opportunity. T h a t’s Lewis Serrocold and y oung E dgar Lawson in
the study, and M rs Serrocold in the Hall. It’s very unfortunate, o f
course, that G ulbrandsen should be shot on the same evening that
this trouble happened betw een Serrocold and young Lawson.’
‘Just unfortunate, you th in k ? ’ said Miss M arple.
‘O h? W h at do you th in k ?’
‘I did w onder,’ said Miss M arple, ‘if it had been planned.’
‘So th at’s y o u r idea?’
‘Well, everybody seems to think it very strange that Edgar
Lawson’s condition should suddenly get worse. H e says that
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Chapter 14
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C u rry w ent on, ‘If I’m w atching the study door, I can’t see
you.’
Sergeant Lake rose and w ent quietly th ro u g h the door to the
library.
‘All this side o f the room was dark. T h e only lights w ere the
ones beside the study door. N o, Lake, I did n ’t see you go. O nce
in the library, you could go out th ro u g h the o th er door to the
corridor — tw o m inutes to ru n along, shoot G ulbrandsen and
com e back to your chair by the w indow . A nd M rs Strete, she
was close to the door to the hall that leads to all the other room s,
and it’s a very dark corner. She could have gone and com e back.
Yes, it’s possible.’
C u rry g rin n ed suddenly. ‘A nd I could go.’ H e got o ff the
music stool and w ent along the w all and out through the door.
C o m in g back, he said, ‘T h e only person w ho m ight notice I
wasn’t still at the piano w ould be Gina H udd. A nd you rem em ber
w hat G ina told us: “ Stephen was at the piano to begin w ith. I
don’t k n o w w here he was later”.’
‘So you th in k it was Stephen?’
‘I d o n ’t k n o w w ho it was,’ said C urry. ‘It w asn’t Edgar Lawson
or Lewis Serrocold or M rs Serrocold or Miss Jane M arple. B ut
for th e rest,’ he sighed, ‘it’s probably the A m erican. T hose fused
lights w ere a b it too convenient. A nd yet, you know , I like
h im .’ T h e Inspector was looking dow n at the old-fashioned
m usic stool. H e lifted the top. ‘Still, that isn’t evidence . . .’
H e stopped — lying on the pages o f sheet m usic, was a small
autom atic gun.
‘Stephen R estarick,’ said Sergeant Lake joyfully.
‘N o t so fast,’ Inspector C u rry w arned him . ‘I believe th at’s
just w hat w e’re m eant to th in k .’
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Agatha C hristie
T he setting sun lit the west side o f the house, w ith its terrace
and steps leading d ow n to the lawns.
‘Is this w here you stopped your car last n ig h t?’ Inspector
C u rry asked, looking towards the house.
‘N ear enough,’ Alex R estarick agreed. ‘It’s difficult to tell
exactly because o f the fog. Yes, I w ould say this was the place.’
C o m in g o u t from a covering o f thick bushes, the drive tu rn ed
here in a slow curve through a line o f trees and then w ent on
betw een the lake and the house.
‘D o dgett,’ said Inspector Curry.
Police C onstable D o d g ett started o ff im m ediately and ran as
fast as he could across the law n towards the house. R eaching
the terrace, he w ent in by the side door. A few m om ents later
the curtains o f one o f the w indow s w ere violently shaken. T hen
Constable D o d g ett reappeared out o f the garden door, and ran
back to them , breathing very hard.
‘Two m inutes and forty-tw o seconds,’ said Inspector C urry,
holding up his stop-w atch. ‘T hey don’t take long, these things,
do they?’ H is tone was pleasantly conversational.
‘I don’t ru n as fast as your C onstable,’ said Alex. ‘A re you
tim in g m y supposed m ovem ents?’
‘I’m ju st p o in tin g out that you could have done the m urder.
T h a t’s all, M r R estarick.’
Alex R estarick said kindly to C onstable D odgett, w ho was
still not breathing norm ally, ‘I can’t ru n as fast as you, but I
believe I’m fitter.’
‘I had bronchitis last w inter,’ said D odgett.
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Chapter 1 7
‘You say som ebody has been try in g to poison m e?’ C arrie Louise
was simply unable to accept the idea. ‘You know ,’ she said, ‘I
really can’t believe it.’
Lewis said gently, ‘I wish I could have protected you from
this, dearest.’
She stretched out a hand to h im and he took it.
Miss M arple, sitting close by, shook her head sympathetically.
‘Is it really true, Jan e?’ C arrie Louise asked.
‘I’m afraid so, m y dear.’
‘T h en ev erything . . .’ C arrie Louise stopped. She continued,
‘I’ve always th o u g h t I knew w hat was real and w hat was not.
This doesn’t seem real —but it is. So I m ay be w ro n g everywhere.
B ut w ho could w ant to do such a th in g to me? N obody in this
house could w ant to —kill m e.’
‘T h a t’s w hat I w ould have th ought,’ said Lewis. ‘I was w rong.’
‘A nd C h ristian k new about it? T h at explains it.’
‘Explains w h at?’ asked Lewis.
‘H is behaviour,’ said C arrie Louise. ‘It was very strange, you
know. N o t like him . H e seemed —upset about me. A nd he asked
m e i f m y heart was strong, and i f I’d been well lately. B ut w hy
n o t say som ething straight out? It’s so m uch simpler.’
‘H e d id n ’t w ant to cause you pain, C arrie.’
‘Pain? B ut w hy —O h, I see.’ H er eyes w idened. ‘So that’s w hat
you believe. B ut you’re w rong, Lewis, quite w rong. I am sure o f
that.’
H er husband avoided her eyes.
‘I’m sorry,’ said M rs Serrocold after a m om ent or two. ‘B ut
I can’t believe any th ing that has happened lately is true. Edgar
shooting at you. T h at silly box o f chocolates. It just isn’t tru e.’
N o b o d y spoke.
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Chapter 19
T hey found the fam ily in the library. Lewis was w alking up and
dow n, and there was a sense o f tension.
‘Is any th in g w rong? ’ asked Miss Believer.
Lewis said, ‘E rnie Gregg is missing. M averick and some o f
the staff are searching the grounds. If w e cannot find him , w e
m ust call the police.’
‘G randm a!’ G ina ran over to C arrie Louise, w orried by the
w hiteness o f her face. ‘You look ill.’
‘I am so unhappy. T he poor boy.’
Lewis said, ‘I was going to question h im this evening to find
out if he had actually seen anything last night. I have the offer
o f a good jo b for h im and I thought that after discussing that, I
w ould m ention the other m atter.’
Miss M arple said softly, ‘Foolish boy. P oor foolish boy.’ She
shook her head, and M rs Serrocold said gently, ‘So you th in k so
too, Jan e?’
Stephen R estarick came in. ‘Hello, w h at’s happening?’
Lew is repeated his in fo rm atio n , and as he finished
speaking, D r M averick cam e in w ith a fair-haired boy w ith
p in k cheeks and a suspiciously in n o c e n t expression. Miss
M arple rem em b ered h im being at d in n e r on the n ig h t she had
arriv ed at Stonygates.
‘I’ve b ro u g h t A rth u r Jenkins along,’ said D r M averick. ‘H e
seems to have been the last person to talk to E rnie.’
‘N ow , A rth u r,’ said Lewis Serrocold, ‘please help us if you
can. W h ere has E rnie gone?’
‘I do n ’t know , sir. Honestly, I don’t. H e didn’t say anything
to m e, he d id n ’t. H e was all excited about the play at the theatre,
th at’s all.’
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‘I’ve b ro ught you a cup o f soup, C arrie Louise,’ said Miss M arple.
‘N o w please d rin k it.’
M rs Serrocold sat up in the big bed. She looked very small
and childlike. H er cheeks had lost their pin k flush, and her eyes
seemed very far away. She to o k the soup obediently. ‘First,
C hristian,’ said C arrie Louise, ‘and now Alex — and poor, silly
little Ernie. D id he really kn o w an ything?’
‘I th in k he was just telling lies,’ Miss M arple said as she sat
dow n in a chair beside the bed. ‘M aking him self im portant by
saying he had seen som ething. B ut som ebody believed his lies.’
C arrie Louise shivered. H er eyes w ent back to their far away look.
‘W e m eant to do so m uch for these boys. W e did do
som ething. Some o f them have done w onderfully well. Several
o f th em are in really responsible jobs. A few failed — that can’t
be helped. M o d ern life is so com plicated —too com plicated for
some simple and undeveloped characters. You know Lew is’s
great scheme? H e always felt that transportation was a thing
that had saved m any crim inals in the past. T hey w ere shipped
overseas —and they m ade new lives in simpler surroundings. H e
wants to start a m odern program m e like that. H e wants to buy a
group o f islands, to finance it for som e years, then m ake it a self-
supporting co-operative - w ith everyone taking a share in it. B ut
far away from the bad old ways o f the cities. It’s his dream . B ut it
w ill take a lot o f m oney.’
Miss M arple picked up a little pair o f scissors and looked at
them closely. ‘W h at a strange pair o f scissors,’ she said. ‘T h ey ’ve
got tw o finger holes on one side and one on the other.’
C arrie L ouise’s eyes came back from that frightening far
distance. ‘Alex gave them to m e this m orning,’ she said. ‘T h ey ’re
A gatha C hristie
supposed to m ake it easier to cut your right hand nails. D ear boy,
he was so enthusiastic. H e m ade m e try them .’
‘A nd I suppose he collected the nail clippings and took them
away,’ said Miss M arple.
‘Yes,’ said C arrie Louise. ‘H e . . .’ She stopped. ‘W h y did you
say th at?’
‘I was th in k in g about Alex. H e had brains. Yes, he had brains.’
‘You m ean —th at’s w hy he died?’
‘I th in k so —yes.’
‘H e and E rnie.’
A nd then C arrie Louise said quietly and unexpectedly, ‘H ow
m uch do you know , Jan e?’
Miss M arple looked up quickly. T h e eyes o f the tw o w om en
met.
Miss M arple said slowly, ‘I f I was quite sure.’
‘I th in k you are sure, Jane.’
‘W h at do you w ant m e to do?’Jane M arple asked.
C arrie leaned back against her pillows. ‘It is in your hands,
Jane —You’ll do w hat you th in k right.’ She closed her eyes.
‘Tom orrow ,’ Miss M arple hesitated, ‘I shall have to try and
talk to Inspector C u rry —if h e’ll listen.’
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Chapter 21
Miss M arple stood in the G reat H all and asked the Inspector to
stand beside her. ‘It’s som ething I w ant to show you. S om ething
Alex R estarick m ade m e see. It’s a question o f m agic tricks.
T hey do it w ith m irrors, you kn o w —that sort o f thing —i f you
understand m e.’
Inspector C u rry did no t understand. H e w ondered i f Miss
M arple was quite right in the head.
‘I w ant you to th in k o f this place as a stage set, Inspector.
As it was on the n ight C hristian G ulbrandsen was killed. You’re
here in the audience, looking at the people on the stage. M rs
Serrocold and m yself and M rs Strete, and Gina and Stephen —
and ju st like on the stage there are entrances and exits and the
characters go out to different places. Only, w hen you’re in the
audience, you do n ’t th in k w here they are really going. T h ey go
out “to the front d o o r” or “to the kitchen” and w hen the door
opens you see a little bit o f painted scenery. B ut really o f course
they go out to the sides o f the stage - or the back o f the stage
w ith carpenters and electricians, and other characters w aiting to
com e on. T h ey go out —to a different w orld.’
‘I do n ’t quite see, Miss M arple.’
‘O h , I k n o w —I suppose it sounds very silly —but if you th in k
o f this as a play and the scene is “the G reat H all at Stonygates” —
w hat exactly is behind the scene? I m ean —w hat is behind the
stage? T h e terrace — isn’t it? T he terrace and a lot o f w indow s
o pening on to it.
‘A n d that, you see, is how the m agic trick was done. It was
the trick o f the Lady C ut in H a lf that m ade m e th in k o f it.’
‘T h e Lady C u t in H alf?’ Inspector C u rry was now quite sure
that Miss M arple was mad.
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com ing here was the m ost likely reason —som ething to do w ith
the G ulbrandsen Trust. M oney, in fact. Suppose that there had
been em bezzlem ent — em bezzlem ent on a very big scale —you
see w here th at points? To just one person.’
Inspector C u rry gasped, ‘Lewis Serrocold?’ he said in
disbelief.
‘Lewis Serrocold.’ said Miss M arple.
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Chapter 22
A n d then — when it was all over, and they got them out, the Inspector
came to us and said to Grandma, ‘I ’m afraid, Mrs Serrocold, there’s
no hope.’
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T hey D o It W ith M irrors
Then she looked at us all. M e wanting to help, but not knowing how,
and Jolly, looking grim and tender and ready to take care as usual,
and Stephen reaching out his hands, and fu n n y old Miss Marple
looking so sad, and tired, and even Walter looking upset. A ll so fo n d
o f her and wanting to do S O M E T H I N G .
Gina paused and sucked the end o f her pen. She started again:
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C arrie shook her head. ‘It wasn’t exactly a hold over him .
E dgar was devoted to Lewis.’
‘Yes,’ said Miss M arple. ‘I w onder perhaps i f . . .’ She paused
delicately.
‘You saw the likeness, I suppose?’ said C arrie Louise.
‘So you k n ew th at all along?’
‘I guessed. I k n ew Lewis had once had an affair w ith an
actress, before he m et me. I’ve no doubt at all that Edgar was
actually Lewis’s son.’
‘Yes,’ said Miss M arple. ‘T h at explains everything.’
‘A nd he gave his life for him in the end,’ said C arrie Louise.
She looked at the Bishop. ‘H e did, you know .’
T here was a silence and then C arrie Louise said, ‘I’m glad it
ended that way w ith his life given in the hope o f saving the boy
from drow ning. People w ho can be very good can be very bad,
too. I always knew that was true about Lewis. B ut —he loved me
very m uch —and I loved him .’
‘D id you —ever suspect h im ? ’ asked Miss M arple.
‘N o ,’ said C arrie Louise. ‘Because I was puzzled by the
poisoning. I k new Lewis w ould never poison m e and yet that
letter o f C h ristian’s said definitely that som eone was poisoning
m e - so I th o u g h t th at everything I knew about people m ust be
w rong.’
Miss M arple said, ‘B ut w hen Alex and E rnie w ere found
killed. You suspected th en ?’
‘Yes,’ said C arrie Louise. ‘Because I didn’t th in k anyone else
but Lewis w ould have dared. A nd I began to be afraid o f w hat
he m ight do next.’ She shivered. ‘I adm ired Lewis. I adm ired
his —w hat shall I call it —his goodness? B ut I do see that if you’re
good, you have to be hum ble as well.’
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10 1
C h a r a c t e r list
Ruth Van Rydock: a rich American, married and divorced three times;
Carrie’s sister
Miss Jane Marple: an elderly lady and close friend of the two sisters
from their schooldays
Carrie Louise Serrocold: Ruth’s sister, also wealthy, who lives at a house
called Stonygates
Eric Gulbrandsen: Carrie Louise’s first husband who died when she was
thirty-two
Johnnie (John) Restarick: Carrie Louise’s second husband who left her
for a woman from Yugoslavia
Pippa: the daughter Carrie Louise adopted with Eric Gulbrandson. She
died in childbirth. She was married to Guido, an Italian aristocrat.
Alex Restarick: elder son of Johnnie Restarick from his first marriage
102
C haracter list
103
C ultural n o te s
Philanthropic causes
People who were very rich and didn’t have to work for money often liked
to spend their time helping people who were not as lucky as they were.
They did this by working for different charities or by setting up different
philanthropic organizations. In the story, Carrie’s first and last husbands
were both interested in helping people in this way.
Juvenile delinquents
Another cause, this time one that Carrie’s current husband, Lewis, was
involved in at Stonygates was trying to help young people who had
committed crimes. These people were officially called juvenile
delinquents. Lewis believed that if you helped these young people, by
teaching them how to do different jobs - and by giving them self-
confidence - they would stop being criminals and would be able to live
normal lives.
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C ultural N otes
Many rich people, with the same idea of keeping their children safe, sent
them to relatives abroad, which is why Gina in the story went to live with
her Aunt Ruth in America.
People fell in love and got married very quickly. They did not know if they
were going to be killed fighting or have a bomb dropped on them at
home and so the traditional class rules became less important. Before
the war it was unusual for an upper-class girl like Gina to marry a man
who had no money or profession, especially an American.
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C ultural N otes
106
G lo ssary
Key
n = noun
v = verb
adj = adjective
adv = adverb
excl = exclamation
exp = expression
phr v = phrasal verb
absent-minded (adj) ,
someone who forgets things and doesn’t pay attention to what they are doing
is said to be absent-minded
accomplice (n)
a person who helps to commit a crime
accountancy (n)
the work of keeping financial records
accountant (n)
a person whose job is to keep financial records
aconitine (n)
a powerful poison made from herbs
affair (n)
a sexual relationship between two people who are married, but not to
each other
affection (n)
feelings of love or liking for someone
alibi (n)
proof that you were somewhere else when a crime was committed,
showing why you can’t be guilty of a crime
107
Glossary
arsenic (n)
a very powerful poison
arthritis (n)
condition in which the joints in someone’s body are swollen and painful
awkward (adj)
embarrassing and difficult to deal with - an awkward person feels
uncomfortable or clumsy
backfire (n)
an explosion in the exhaust pipe of a car that makes a loud noise
binoculars (n)
two small telescopes joined together side by side which you look through
to see things that are far away
Bishop (n)
a religious leader of high rank
bitter (adj)
angry and resentful
bronchitis (n)
an illness that makes you cough
Canon (n)
one of the religious leaders on the staff of a cathedral
108
Glossary
case (n)
a person that a professional such as a doctor is dealing with
cashier (n)
the person in a bank that customers pay money to or get money from
cathedral (n)
a large important church which has a Bishop in charge of it
cause (n)
an aim which a group of people supports or is fighting for
charitable (adj)
helping and supporting people who are ill, disabled, or poor
cliff (n)
a high area of land with a very steep side, especially next to the sea
cold-bloodedly (adv)
doing something without showing pity or emotion
colony (n)
a group of people living together
companion (n)
when Agatha Christie was writing, a companion was usually someone
who was paid to spend time with someone, often an elderly person
conceit (n)
the high opinion you have of yourself
confidential (adj)
spoken or written in secret and should stay secret
conspiracy (n)
the secret planning by a group of people to do something wrong or illegal
109
Glossary
Constable (n)
a police officer in Britain of the lowest rank
co-operative (n)
a business or organization run by the people who work for it, who share
its benefits and profits
counterweight (n)
a heavy object used in the theatre to balance scenery
crank (n)
a person who has strange ideas or behaviour
cruelty (n)
the act of deliberately causing pain or worry
curare (n)
a poison from South America
delicate (adj)
small and attractive
delicately (adv)
in a way that is sensitive to people’s feelings
deprive (v)
to prevent someone from having something they want or need
devoted (adj)
caring for or loving something or someone very much
dignified (adj)
calm, impressive, and worthy of respect
dock warehouse (n)
a large building used for storing things at the place where ships are
loaded
dose (n)
the amount of a medicine or a drug that should be taken at one time
IIO
Glossary
earnest (adj)
serious and sincere
embezzlement (n)
stealing money from where you work, or from clients
evidence (n)
information from documents, objects, or witnesses, which is used in a
court of law to try to prove something
fortune (n)
a very large amount of money
fraud (n)
the crime of gaining money by a trick or lying
frown (v)
to move your eyebrows together because you are annoyed, worried, or
thinking
fuse (n)
a wire which melts and stops the electric current if there is a fault
grim (adj)
unpleasant or serious
grin (v)
to smile widely
groan (v)
to make a long, low sound of pain or unhappiness
III
Glossary
heir (n)
someone who has the right to receive a person’s money, property, or title
when that person dies
humble (adj)
not believing that you are better than other people
humility (n)
the quality of not believing that you are better than other people
hysterical (adj)
being in a state of uncontrolled excitement or panic
ideals (n)
ideas that you believe are right and worth trying to achieve
illegitimate (adj)
a person who is illegitimate was born of parents who were not legally
married to each other
illusion (n)
something that appears to exist, but in reality does not exist or is
something else
Inspector (n)
an middle ranking officer in the British police
invasion (n)
when a foreign army enters a country by force
irritably (adv)
doing something in a way that shows you are annoyed
knit (v)
to make something from wool using two knitting needles
landlady (n)
a woman who allows you to live or work in a building which she owns, in
return for rent
lawn (n)
an area of grass that is kept cut short and is usually part of a garden or
park
leper (n)
a person who has the disease leprosy, often kept separate from other people
live on (phr v)
to survive by eating only one type of food
loyally (adv)
showing support for a friend
Marine (n)
a soldier who is trained for duties at sea and on land
medal (n)
a small metal disc, given as an award for bravery
misdirection (n)
directing someone’s attention away from what you are really doing
modestly (adv)
not showing your abilities, achievements, or possessions
113
Glossary
motive (n)
the reason for doing something
nonsense (n)
something that you think is untrue or silly
nun (n)
a female member of a religious community
observant (adj)
when a person is good at watching other people and understanding them
pension (n)
money which a retired person regularly receives from a former
employer
persecution (n)
when people are deliberately targeted to be harmed
philanthropic (adj)
giving money to people who are ill, disabled, or poor
plain (adj)
looking ordinary and not at all beautiful
poison (v)
to give people or animals something that harms or kills them if they
swallow it
114
Glossary
procedure (n)
the correct way of doing something
prosecute (v)
to charge someone with a crime and put them on trial
psychiatrist (n)
a doctor who is trained in the treatment of mental illness
psychologist (n)
a person who is trained in psychology, the study of how the mind works
purr (v)
to make the sound a cat makes in its throat when it is happy
reconstruction (n)
a description of a crime, which you make by trying to repeat it
reeds (n)
tall plants that grow in water
relish (n)
enjoyment
revenge (n)
the act of hurting someone who has hurt you
Riviera (n)
the French and Italian coast that was and is popular for tourism
sample (n)
a small amount of something that is examined and analyzed scientifically
schizophrenic (n)
someone who has the illness schizophrenia, a serious mental illness that
prevents people from relating their thoughts and feelings to what is
happening around them
115
Glossary
Sergeant (n)
a police officer above the rank of Constable
single-minded (adj)
not thinking about anything other than one thing
sly (adj)
clever at cheating people or hiding things from people
snap (v)
to speak in a sharp, unfriendly way
sobbing (n)
crying in a noisy way
spoilt (adj)
behaving badly because you have always had everything you want
spy (v)
to watch someone secretly
startle (v)
when something sudden and unexpected surprises you
statement (n)
something that you say or write which gives information in a formal or
definite way
struggle (v)
to try to do something that is very difficult
suicide (n)
people who commit suicide deliberately kill themselves because they do
not want to continue living
116
Glossary
surgeon (n)
a doctor who performs operations
symptom (n)
a sign of an illness that shows you have that illness
tendency (n)
a worrying or unpleasant habit or action that keeps occurring
transportation (n)
the act of moving people from one place to another
trustee (n)
someone with legal control of money or property that is kept or invested
for another person
unacknowledged (adj)
not recognized
unconvincing (adj)
if something is unconvincing, you do not believe it is true
victim (n)
someone who has been hurt or killed
vision (n)
strong ideas about how things might be different in the future
vivid (adj)
very bright in colour
wander (v)
to walk around with no direction
117
Glossary
weed (n)
a wild plant growing where it is not wanted, for example in a garden
widow (n)
a woman whose husband has died
widower (n)
a man whose wife has died
will (n)
a document where you say what you want to happen to your money and
property when you die
willpower (n)
a very strong determination to do something
wire (n)
a long, thin piece of metal that is used to fasten things or to carry electric
current
wrinkled (adj)
having skin with a lot of lines on it
yard (n)
a unit of length equal to 36 inches or approximately 91.4 centimetres
118
ALSO IN THE AGATHA CHRISTIE SERIES
Sparkling Cyanide
Six people sit down for dinner at a table laid for seven. No one can forget
the night exactly a year ago that Rosemary Barton died at this same
table surrounded by the same people, her beautiful face turned blue with
cyanide poison.
Rosemary had always been memorable - and people had strong reactions
to her. Did one of the six people at dinner feel strongly enough about her
to kill her?
Crooked House
Victoria Jones is a young English woman who is looking for love. She
follows her new love interest to Baghdad, but she has no idea what
adventure is waiting for her there.
119
COLLINS ENGLISH READERS
Rex Fortescue, the boss of a financial empire, was sipping tea in his office,
when he suffered a painful and sudden death. When the police checked
the victim’s pockets, they found grain.
Miss Marple knows one of the servants in Rex Fortescue’s house and
comes to help solve the mystery. She soon starts to suspect that she is
dealing with a case of crime by rhyme . . .
After Richard Abernethie’s funeral, his will is read out to his family. His
sister, Cora, shocks everyone by saying ‘He was murdered, wasn’t he?’
When Cora is murdered in her bed the very next day, her extraordinary
remark suddenly seems very important.
Every member of the Abernethie family has something to gain from both
murders. Hercule Poirot arrives to solve the mystery.
Destination Unknown
Famous scientists from around the world are disappearing and nobody
knows why. The one woman who can help uncover the truth is dying after
a plane crash. How can they discover where the scientists are without her?
120
COLLINS ENGLISH READERS
Detective Hercule Poirot has been a little bored recently and decides to
try to solve the mystery. But the investigation turns sinister when one of
the students is found poisoned in her room.
4 .5 0 From Paddington
When Miss Marple telephones her friend Lucy Eyelesbarrow and asks her
to go undercover to investigate, Lucy quickly accepts the challenge!
Who is the dead woman? What was the motive for her murder? And why
was the body thrown from the train and later hidden at Rutherford Hall?
Late one night, two teachers investigate a mysterious light in the school
Sports Pavilion. Among the tennis racquets and lacrosse sticks, they find
the body of the unpopular games mistress - shot through the heart.
Schoolgirl Julia Upjohn knows too much, and begins to worry that she
might be the next victim. Can detective Hercule Poirot find the killer
before the ‘cat’ strikes again?
121
COLLINS ENGLISH READERS
T h e A g a t h a C h r is t ie S e r ie s
122
rs BN 978-0-00-745167-8