Lady Astwell heaved a sigh of reminiscence.
"Changes must come, Milady," said Poirot. "It is the law."
"Still," said Lady Astwell, "he was never really rude to me. At least if he was, he was always sorry afterward - poor dear Reuben."
"He was difficult, eh?" said Poirot.
"I could always manage him," said Lady Astwell with the air of a successful lion tamer. "But it was rather awkward sometimes when he would lose his temper with the servants. There are ways of doing it, and Reuben's was not the right way."
"How exactly did Sir Reuben leave his money, Lady Astwell?"
"Half to me - and half to Charles," replied Lady Astwell promptly. "The lawyers don't put it simply like that, but that's what it amounts to."
Poirot nodded his head.
"I see - I see," he murmured. "Now, Lady Astwell, I will demand of you that you will describe to me the household. There was yourself, and Sir Reuben's nephew, Mr Charles Leverson, and the secretary, Mr Owen Trefusis, and there was Miss Lily Margrave. Perhaps you will tell me something of that young lady."
"You want to know about Lily?"
"Yes, she has been with you long?"
"About a year. I have had a lot of secretary-companions, you know, but somehow or other they all got on my nerves. Lily was different. She was tactful and full of common sense, and besides she looks so nice. I do like to have a pretty face about me, M. Poirot. I am a funny kind of person; I take likes and dislikes straight away. As soon as I saw that girl, I said to myself: 'She'll do.'"
"Did she come to you through friends, Lady Astwell?"
"I think she answered an advertisement. Yes - that was it."
"You know something of her people, of where she comes from?"
"Her father and mother are out in India, I believe. I don't really know much about them, but you can see at a glance that Lily is a lady, can't you, M. Poirot?"
"Oh perfectly, perfectly."
"Of course," went on Lady Astwell, "I am not a lady myself. I know it, and the servants know it, but there is nothing mean-spirited about me. I can appreciate the real thing when I see it, and no one could be nicer than Lily has been to me. I look upon that girl almost as a daughter, M. Poirot, indeed I do."
Poirot's right hand strayed out and straightened one or two of the objects lying on a table near him.
"Did Sir Reuben share this feeling?" he asked.
His eyes were on the knickknacks, but doubtless he noted the pause before Lady Astwell's answer came.
"With a man it's different. Of course they - they got on very well,"
"Thank you, Madame," said Poirot. He was smiling to himself.
"And these were the only people in the house that night?" he asked, "Excepting, of course, the servants."
"Oh, there was Victor."
"Victor?"
"Yes my husband's brother, you know, and his partner."
"He lived with you?"
"No, he had just arrived on a visit. He has been out in West Africa for the past few years."
"West Africa," murmured Poirot.
He had learned that Lady Astwell could be trusted to develop a subject herself if sufficient time was given her.
"They say it's a wonderful country, but I think it's the kind of place that has a very bad effect upon a man. They drink too much and they get uncontrolled. None of the Astwells has a good temper and Victor's, since he came back from Africa, has been simply too shocking. He has frightened me once or twice."
"Did he frighten Miss Margrave, I wonder?" murmured Poirot gently.
"Lily? Oh I don't think he has seen much of Lily."
Poirot made a note or two in a diminutive notebook; then he put the pencil back in its loop and returned the notebook to his pocket.
"I thank you, Lady Astwell. I will now, if I may, interview Parsons."
"Will you have him up here?"
Lady Astwell's hand moved toward the bell. Poirot arrested the gesture quickly.
"No, no, a thousand times no. I will descend to him."
"If you think it is better -"
Lady Astwell was clearly disappointed at not being able to participate in the forthcoming scene. Poirot adopted an air of secrecy.
"It is essential," he said mysteriously, and left Lady Astwell duly impressed.
He found Parsons in the butler's pantry, polishing silver. Poirot opened the proceedings with one of his funny little bows.
"I must explain myself," he said. "I am a detective agent."
"Yes, sir," said Parsons, "we gathered as much."
His tone was respectful but aloof.
"Lady Astwell sent for me," continued Poirot. "She is not satisfied; no, she is not satisfied at all."
"I have heard her Ladyship say so on several occasions," said Parsons.
"In fact," said Poirot, "I recount to you the things you already know? Eh? Let us then not waste time on these bagatelles. Take me, if you will be so good, to your bedroom and tell me exactly what it was you heard there on the night of the murder."
The butler's room was on the ground floor, adjoining the servants hall. It had barred windows, and the strong room was in one corner of it. Parsons indicated the narrow bed.
"I had retired, sir, at 11 o'clock. Miss Margrave had gone to bed, and Lady Astwell was with Sir Reuben in the Tower room."
"Lady Astwell was with Sir Reuben? Ah, proceed."
"The Tower room, sir, is directly over this. If people are talking in it one can hear the murmur of voices but naturally not anything that is said. I must have fallen asleep about half-past eleven. It was just 12 o'clock when I was awakened by the sound of the front door being slammed to and knew Mr Leverson had returned. Presently I heard footsteps overhead, and a minute or two later Mr Leverson's voice talking to Sir Reuben.
"It was my fancy at the time, sir, that Mr Leverson was - I should not exactly like to say drunk, but inclined to be a little indiscreet and noisy. He was shouting at his uncle at the top of his voice. I caught a word or two here or there but not enough to understand what it was all about, and then there was a sharp cry and a heavy thud."
There was a pause, and Parsons repeated the last words. "A heavy thud," he said impressively.
"If I mistake not, it is a dull thud in most words of romance," murmured Poirot.
"Maybe, sir," said Parsons severely. "It was a heavy thud I heard."
"A thousand pardons," said Poirot.
"Do not mention it, sir. After the thud in the silence, I heard Mr Leverson's voice as plain as plain can be, raised high. 'My God,' he said, 'My God,' just like that, sir."
Parsons, from his first reluctance to tell the tale, had now progressed to a thorough enjoyment of it. He fancied himself mightily as a narrator. Poirot played up to him.
"Mon Dieu," he murmured. "What emotion you must have experienced!"
"Yes, indeed, sir," said Parsons, "as you say, sir. Not that I thought very much of it at the time. But it did occur to me to wonder if anything was amiss, and whether I had better go up and see. I went to turn the electric light on, and was unfortunate enough to knock over a chair.
"I opened the door, and went through the servants' hall, and opened the other door which gives on a passage. The back stairs lead up from there, and as I stood at the bottom of them, hesitating, I heard Mr Leverson's voice from up above, speaking hearty and cheery-like. 'No harm done, luckily,' he says. 'Good night,' and I heard him move off along the passage to his own room, whistling.
"Of course I went back to bed at once. Just something knocked over, that's all I thought it was. I ask you, sir, was I to think Sir Reuben was murdered, with Mr Leverson saying good night and all?"
"You are sure it was Mr Leverson's voice you heard?"
Parsons looked at the little Belgian pityingly, and Poirot saw clearly enough that, right or wrong, Parsons' mind was made up on this point.
"Is there anything further you would like to ask me, sir?"
"There is one thing." said Poirot, "do
you like Mr Leverson?"
"I - I beg your pardon, sir?"
"It is a simple question. Do you like Mr Leverson?"
Parsons, from being startled at first, now seemed embarrassed.
"The general opinion in the servants' hall, sir," he said, and paused.
"By all means," said Poirot, "put it that way if it pleases you."
"The opinion is, sir, that Mr Leverson is an open-handed young gentleman, but not, if I may say so, particularly intelligent, sir."
"Ah!" said Poirot. "Do you know, Parsons, that without having seen him, that is also precisely my opinion of Mr Leverson."
"Indeed, sir."
"What is your opinion - I beg your pardon - the opinion of the servants' hall of the secretary?"
"He is a very quiet, patient gentleman, sir. Anxious to give no trouble."
"Vraiment," said Poirot.
The butler coughed.
"Her ladyship, sir," he murmured, "is apt to be a little hasty in her judgments."
"Then, in the opinion of the servants' hall, Mr Leverson committed the crime?"
"We none of us wish to think it was Mr Leverson," said Parsons. "We - well, plainly we didn't think he had it in him, sir."
"But he has a somewhat violent temper, has he not?" asked Poirot.
Parsons came nearer to him.
"If you are asking me who had the most violent temper in the house -"
Poirot held up a hand.
"Ah! But that is not the question I should ask," he said softly. "My question would be, who has the best temper?"
Parsons stared at him open-mouthed.
Poirot wasted no further time on him. With an amiable little bow - he was always amiable - he left the room and wandered out into the big square hall of Mon Repos. There he stood a minute or two in thought, then, at a slight sound that came to him, cocked his head on one side in the manner of a perky robin, and finally, with noiseless steps, crossed to one of the doors that led out of the hall.
He stood in the doorway, looking into the room; a small room furnished as a library. At a big desk at the further end of it sat a thin, pale young man busily writing. He had a receding chin, and wore a pince-nez.
Poirot watched him for some minutes, and then he broke the silence by giving a completely artificial and theatrical cough.
"Ahem!" coughed M. Hercule Poirot.
The young man at the desk stopped writing and turned his head. He did not appear unduly startled, but an expression of perplexity gathered on his face as he eyed Poirot.
The latter came forward with a little bow.
"I have the honor of speaking to M. Trefusis, yes? Ah! my name is Poirot, Hercule Poirot. You may perhaps have heard of me."
"Oh - er - yes, certainly," said the young man.
Poirot eyed him attentively.
Owen Trefusis was about thirty-three years of age, and the detective saw at once why nobody was inclined to treat Lady Astwell's accusation seriously. Mr Owen Trefusis was a prim, proper young man, disarmingly meek, the type of man who can be, and is, systematically bullied. One could feel quite sure that he would never display resentment.
"Lady Astwell sent for you, of course," said the secretary. "She mentioned that she was going to do so. Is there any way in which I can help you?"
His manner was polite without being effusive. Poirot accepted a chair, and murmured gently:
"Has Lady Astwell said anything to you of her beliefs and suspicions?"
Owen Trefusis smiled a little.
"As far as that goes," he said, "I believe she suspects me. It is absurd, but there it is. She has hardly spoken a civil word to me since, and she shrinks against the wall as I pass by."
His manner was perfectly natural, and there was more amusement than resentment in his voice. Poirot nodded with an air of engaging frankness.
"Between ourselves," he explained, "she said the same thing to me. I did not argue with her - me, I have made it a rule never to argue with very positive ladies. You comprehend, it is a waste of time."
"Oh, quite."
"I say, yes, Milady - oh, perfectly, Milady - precisement, Milady. They mean nothing, those words, but they soothe all the same. I make my investigations, for though it seems almost impossible that anyone except M. Leverson could have committed the crime, yet - well, the impossible has happened before now."
"I understand your position perfectly," said the secretary. "Please regard me as entirely at your service."
"Bon," said Poirot. "We understand one another. Now recount to me the events of that evening. Better start with dinner."
"Leverson was not at dinner, as you doubtless know," said the secretary. "He had a serious disagreement with his uncle, and went off to dine at the Golf Club. Sir Reuben was in a very bad temper in consequence."
"Not too amiable, ce Monsieur, eh?" hinted Poirot delicately.
Trefusis laughed.
"Oh! He was a Tartar! I haven't worked with him for nine years without knowing most of his little ways. He was an extraordinarily difficult man, M. Poirot. He would get into childish fits of rage and abuse anybody who came near him. I was used to it by that time. I got into the habit of paying absolutely no attention to anything he said. He was not bad-hearted really, but he could be most foolish and exasperating in his manner. The great thing was never to answer him back."
"Were other people as wise as you were in that respect?"
Trefusis shrugged his shoulders.
"Lady Astwell enjoyed a good row," he said. "She was not in the least afraid of Sir Reuben, and she always stood up to him and gave him as good as she got. They always made up afterward, and Sir Reuben was really devoted to her."
"Did they quarrel that last night?"
The secretary looked at him sideways, hesitated a minute, then he said:
"I believe so; what made you ask?"
"An idea, that is all."
"I don't know, of course," explained the secretary, "but things looked as though they were working up that way."
Poirot did not pursue the topic.
"Who else was at dinner?"
"Miss Margrave, Mr Victor Astwell, and myself."
"And afterward?"
"We went into the drawing-room. Sir Reuben did not accompany us. About ten minutes later he came in and hauled me over the coals for some trifling matter about a letter. I went up with him to the Tower room and set the thing straight; then Mr Victor Astwell came in and said he had something he wished to talk to his brother about, so I went downstairs and joined the two ladies.
"About a quarter of an hour later I heard Sir Reuben's bell ringing violently, and Parsons came to say I was to go up to Sir Reuben at once. As I entered the room, Mr Victor Astwell was coming out. He nearly knocked me over. Something had evidently happened to upset him. He has a very violent temper. I really believe he didn't see me."
"Did Sir Reuben make any comment on the matter?"
"He said: 'Victor is a lunatic; he will do for somebody some day when he is in one of these rages.'"
"Ah!" said Poirot. "Have you any idea what the trouble was about?"
"I couldn't say at all."
Poirot turned his head very slowly and looked at the secretary. Those last words had been uttered too hastily. He formed the conviction that Trefusis could have said more had he wished to do so. But once again Poirot did not press the question.
"And then? Proceed, I pray of you."
"I worked with Sir Reuben for about an hour and a half. At 11 o'clock Lady Astwell came in, and Sir Reuben told me I could go to bed."
"And you went?"
"Yes."
"Have you any idea how long she stayed with him?"
"None at all. Her room is on the first floor, and mine is on the second, so I would not hear her go to bed."
"I see."
Poirot nodded his head once or twice and sprang to his feet.
"And now, Monsieur, take me to the Tower room."
He followed the secretary up the broad sta
irs to the first landing. Here Trefusis led him along the corridor, and through a baize door at the end of it, which gave on the servants staircase and on a short passage that ended in a door. They passed through this door and found themselves on the scene of the crime.
It was a lofty room twice as high as any of the others, and was roughly about thirty feet square. Swords and assegais adorned the walls, and many native curios were arranged about on tables. At the far end, in the embrasure of the window, was a large writing table. Poirot crossed straight to it.
"It was here Sir Reuben was found?"
Trefusis nodded.
"He was struck from behind, I understand?"
Again the secretary nodded.
"The crime was committed with one of these native clubs," he explained. "A tremendously heavy thing. Death must have been practically instantaneous."
"That strengthens the conviction that the crime was not premeditated. A sharp quarrel, and a weapon snatched up almost unconsciously."
"Yes, it does not look well for poor Leverson."
"And the body was found fallen forward on the desk?"
"No, it had slipped sideways to the ground."
"Ah," said Poirot, "that is curious."
"Why curious?" asked the secretary.
"Because of this."
Poirot pointed to a round irregular stain on the polished surface of the writing table.
"That is a blood stain mon ami,"
"It may have splattered there," suggested Trefusis, "or it may have been made later, when they moved the body."
"Very possibly, very possibly," said the little man. "There is only the one door to this room?"
"There is a staircase here."
Trefusis pulled aside a velvet curtain in the corner of the room nearest the door, where a small spiral staircase led upward.
"This place was originally built by an astronomer. The stairs lead up to the tower where the telescope was fixed. Sir Reuben had the place fitted up as a bedroom, and sometimes slept there if he was working very late."
Poirot went nimbly up the steps. The circular room upstairs was plainly furnished, with a camp bed, a chair and dressing-table. Poirot satisfied himself that there was no other exit, and then came down again to where Trefusis stood waiting for him.
"Did you hear Mr Leverson come in?" he asked.
Adventure of the Christmas Pudding and other stories Page 11