Reading Help The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. Ch.I-VI
form." `
` `
` "I see." `
` `
` A faint expression of relief swept over John's face. It puzzled `
` me, for I saw no occasion for it. `
` `
` "If you know of nothing to the contrary," pursued Mr. Wells, "I `
` had thought of Friday. That will give us plenty of time for the `
` doctor's report. The post-mortem is to take place to-night, I `
` believe?" `
` `
` "Yes." `
` `
` "Then that arrangement will suit you?" `
` `
` "Perfectly." `
` `
` "I need not tell you, my dear Cavendish, how distressed I am at `
` this most tragic affair." `
` `
` "Can you give us no help in solving it, monsieur?" interposed `
` Poirot, speaking for the first time since we had entered the `
` room. `
` `
` "I?" `
` `
` "Yes, we heard that Mrs. Inglethorp wrote to you last night. You `
` should have received the letter this morning." `
` `
` "I did, but it contains no information. It is merely a note `
` asking me to call upon her this morning, as she wanted my advice `
` on a matter of great importance." `
` `
` "She gave you no hint as to what that matter might be?" `
` `
` "Unfortunately, no." `
` `
` "That is a pity," said John. `
` `
` "A great pity," agreed Poirot gravely. `
` `
` There was silence. Poirot remained lost in thought for a few `
` minutes. Finally he turned to the lawyer again. `
` `
` "Mr. Wells, there is one thing I should like to ask you--that is, `
` if it is not against professional etiquette. In the event of `
` Mrs. Inglethorp's death, who would inherit her money?" `
` `
` The lawyer hesitated a moment, and then replied: `
` `
` "The knowledge will be public property very soon, so if Mr. `
` Cavendish does not object----" `
` `
` "Not at all," interpolated John. `
` `
` "I do not see any reason why I should not answer your question. `
` By her last will, dated August of last year, after various `
` unimportant legacies to servants, etc., she gave her entire `
` fortune to her stepson, Mr. John Cavendish." `
` `
` "Was not that--pardon the question, Mr. Cavendish--rather unfair `
` to her other stepson, Mr. Lawrence Cavendish?" `
` `
` "No, I do not think so. You see, under the terms of their `
` father's will, while John inherited the property, Lawrence, at `
` his stepmother's death, would come into a considerable sum of `
` money. Mrs. Inglethorp left her money to her elder stepson, `
` knowing that he would have to keep up Styles. It was, to my `
` mind, a very fair and equitable distribution." `
` `
` Poirot nodded thoughtfully. `
` `
` "I see. But I am right in saying, am I not, that by your English `
` law that will was automatically revoked when Mrs. Inglethorp `
` remarried?" `
` `
` Mr. Wells bowed his head. `
` `
` "As I was about to proceed, Monsieur Poirot, that document is now `
` null and void." `
` `
` "Hein!" said Poirot. He reflected for a moment, and then asked: `
` "Was Mrs. Inglethorp herself aware of that fact?" `
` `
` "I do not know. She may have been." `
` `
` "She was," said John unexpectedly. "We were discussing the `
` matter of wills being revoked by marriage only yesterday." `
` `
` "Ah! One more question, Mr. Wells. You say 'her last will.' Had `
` Mrs. Inglethorp, then, made several former wills?" `
` `
` "On an average, she made a new will at least once a year," said `
` Mr. Wells imperturbably. "She was given to changing her mind as `
` to her testamentary dispositions, now benefiting one, now another `
` member of her family." `
` `
` "Suppose," suggested Poirot, "that, unknown to you, she had made `
` a new will in favour of some one who was not, in any sense of the `
` word, a member of the family--we will say Miss Howard, for `
` instance--would you be surprised?" `
` `
` "Not in the least." `
` `
` "Ah!" Poirot seemed to have exhausted his questions. `
` `
` I drew close to him, while John and the lawyer were debating the `
` question of going through Mrs. Inglethorp's papers. `
` `
` "Do you think Mrs. Inglethorp made a will leaving all her money `
` to Miss Howard?" I asked in a low voice, with some curiosity. `
` `
` Poirot smiled. `
` `
` "No." `
` `
` "Then why did you ask?" `
` `
` "Hush!" `
` `
` John Cavendish had turned to Poirot. `
` `
` "Will you come with us, Monsieur Poirot? We are going through my `
` mother's papers. Mr. Inglethorp is quite willing to leave it `
` entirely to Mr. Wells and myself." `
` `
` "Which simplifies matters very much," murmured the lawyer. "As `
` technically, of course, he was entitled----" He did not finish `
` the sentence. `
` `
` "We will look through the desk in the boudoir first," explained `
` John, "and go up to her bedroom afterwards. She kept her most `
` important papers in a purple despatch-case, which we must look `
` through carefully." `
` `
` "Yes," said the lawyer, "it is quite possible that there may be a `
` later will than the one in my possession." `
` `
` "There _is_ a later will." It was Poirot who spoke. `
` `
` "What?" John and the lawyer looked at him startled. `
` `
` "Or, rather," pursued my friend imperturbably, "there _was_ one." `
` `
` "What do you mean--there was one? Where is it now?" `
` `
` "Burnt!" `
` `
` "Burnt?" `
` `
` "Yes. See here." He took out the charred fragment we had found `
` in the grate in Mrs. Inglethorp's room, and handed it to the `
` lawyer with a brief explanation of when and where he had found `
` it. `
` `
` "But possibly this is an old will?" `
` `
` "I do not think so. In fact I am almost certain that it was made `
` no earlier than yesterday afternoon." `
` `
` "What?" "Impossible!" broke simultaneously from both men. `
` `
` Poirot turned to John. `
` `
` "If you will allow me to send for your gardener, I will prove it `
` to you." `
` `
` "Oh, of course--but I don't see----" `
` `
` Poirot raised his hand. `
` `
` "Do as I ask you. Afterwards you shall question as much as you `
` please." `
` `
` "Very well." He rang the bell. `
` `
` Dorcas answered it in due course. `
` `
` "Dorcas, will you tell Manning to come round and speak to me `
` here." `
` `
` "Yes, sir." `
` `
` Dorcas withdrew. `
` `
` We waited in a tense silence. Poirot alone seemed perfectly at `
` his ease, and dusted a forgotten corner of the bookcase. `
` `
` The clumping of hobnailed boots on the gravel outside proclaimed `
` the approach of Manning. John looked questioningly at Poirot. `
` The latter nodded. `
` `
` "Come inside, Manning," said John, "I want to speak to you." `
` `
` Manning came slowly and hesitatingly through the French window, `
` and stood as near it as he could. He held his cap in his hands, `
` twisting it very carefully round and round. His back was much `
` bent, though he was probably not as old as he looked, but his `
` eyes were sharp and intelligent, and belied his slow and rather `
` cautious speech. `
`
` `
` "I see." `
` `
` A faint expression of relief swept over John's face. It puzzled `
` me, for I saw no occasion for it. `
` `
` "If you know of nothing to the contrary," pursued Mr. Wells, "I `
` had thought of Friday. That will give us plenty of time for the `
` doctor's report. The post-mortem is to take place to-night, I `
` believe?" `
` `
` "Yes." `
` `
` "Then that arrangement will suit you?" `
` `
` "Perfectly." `
` `
` "I need not tell you, my dear Cavendish, how distressed I am at `
` this most tragic affair." `
` `
` "Can you give us no help in solving it, monsieur?" interposed `
` Poirot, speaking for the first time since we had entered the `
` room. `
` `
` "I?" `
` `
` "Yes, we heard that Mrs. Inglethorp wrote to you last night. You `
` should have received the letter this morning." `
` `
` "I did, but it contains no information. It is merely a note `
` asking me to call upon her this morning, as she wanted my advice `
` on a matter of great importance." `
` `
` "She gave you no hint as to what that matter might be?" `
` `
` "Unfortunately, no." `
` `
` "That is a pity," said John. `
` `
` "A great pity," agreed Poirot gravely. `
` `
` There was silence. Poirot remained lost in thought for a few `
` minutes. Finally he turned to the lawyer again. `
` `
` "Mr. Wells, there is one thing I should like to ask you--that is, `
` if it is not against professional etiquette. In the event of `
` Mrs. Inglethorp's death, who would inherit her money?" `
` `
` The lawyer hesitated a moment, and then replied: `
` `
` "The knowledge will be public property very soon, so if Mr. `
` Cavendish does not object----" `
` `
` "Not at all," interpolated John. `
` `
` "I do not see any reason why I should not answer your question. `
` By her last will, dated August of last year, after various `
` unimportant legacies to servants, etc., she gave her entire `
` fortune to her stepson, Mr. John Cavendish." `
` `
` "Was not that--pardon the question, Mr. Cavendish--rather unfair `
` to her other stepson, Mr. Lawrence Cavendish?" `
` `
` "No, I do not think so. You see, under the terms of their `
` father's will, while John inherited the property, Lawrence, at `
` his stepmother's death, would come into a considerable sum of `
` money. Mrs. Inglethorp left her money to her elder stepson, `
` knowing that he would have to keep up Styles. It was, to my `
` mind, a very fair and equitable distribution." `
` `
` Poirot nodded thoughtfully. `
` `
` "I see. But I am right in saying, am I not, that by your English `
` law that will was automatically revoked when Mrs. Inglethorp `
` remarried?" `
` `
` Mr. Wells bowed his head. `
` `
` "As I was about to proceed, Monsieur Poirot, that document is now `
` null and void." `
` `
` "Hein!" said Poirot. He reflected for a moment, and then asked: `
` "Was Mrs. Inglethorp herself aware of that fact?" `
` `
` "I do not know. She may have been." `
` `
` "She was," said John unexpectedly. "We were discussing the `
` matter of wills being revoked by marriage only yesterday." `
` `
` "Ah! One more question, Mr. Wells. You say 'her last will.' Had `
` Mrs. Inglethorp, then, made several former wills?" `
` `
` "On an average, she made a new will at least once a year," said `
` Mr. Wells imperturbably. "She was given to changing her mind as `
` to her testamentary dispositions, now benefiting one, now another `
` member of her family." `
` `
` "Suppose," suggested Poirot, "that, unknown to you, she had made `
` a new will in favour of some one who was not, in any sense of the `
` word, a member of the family--we will say Miss Howard, for `
` instance--would you be surprised?" `
` `
` "Not in the least." `
` `
` "Ah!" Poirot seemed to have exhausted his questions. `
` `
` I drew close to him, while John and the lawyer were debating the `
` question of going through Mrs. Inglethorp's papers. `
` `
` "Do you think Mrs. Inglethorp made a will leaving all her money `
` to Miss Howard?" I asked in a low voice, with some curiosity. `
` `
` Poirot smiled. `
` `
` "No." `
` `
` "Then why did you ask?" `
` `
` "Hush!" `
` `
` John Cavendish had turned to Poirot. `
` `
` "Will you come with us, Monsieur Poirot? We are going through my `
` mother's papers. Mr. Inglethorp is quite willing to leave it `
` entirely to Mr. Wells and myself." `
` `
` "Which simplifies matters very much," murmured the lawyer. "As `
` technically, of course, he was entitled----" He did not finish `
` the sentence. `
` `
` "We will look through the desk in the boudoir first," explained `
` John, "and go up to her bedroom afterwards. She kept her most `
` important papers in a purple despatch-case, which we must look `
` through carefully." `
` `
` "Yes," said the lawyer, "it is quite possible that there may be a `
` later will than the one in my possession." `
` `
` "There _is_ a later will." It was Poirot who spoke. `
` `
` "What?" John and the lawyer looked at him startled. `
` `
` "Or, rather," pursued my friend imperturbably, "there _was_ one." `
` `
` "What do you mean--there was one? Where is it now?" `
` `
` "Burnt!" `
` `
` "Burnt?" `
` `
` "Yes. See here." He took out the charred fragment we had found `
` in the grate in Mrs. Inglethorp's room, and handed it to the `
` lawyer with a brief explanation of when and where he had found `
` it. `
` `
` "But possibly this is an old will?" `
` `
` "I do not think so. In fact I am almost certain that it was made `
` no earlier than yesterday afternoon." `
` `
` "What?" "Impossible!" broke simultaneously from both men. `
` `
` Poirot turned to John. `
` `
` "If you will allow me to send for your gardener, I will prove it `
` to you." `
` `
` "Oh, of course--but I don't see----" `
` `
` Poirot raised his hand. `
` `
` "Do as I ask you. Afterwards you shall question as much as you `
` please." `
` `
` "Very well." He rang the bell. `
` `
` Dorcas answered it in due course. `
` `
` "Dorcas, will you tell Manning to come round and speak to me `
` here." `
` `
` "Yes, sir." `
` `
` Dorcas withdrew. `
` `
` We waited in a tense silence. Poirot alone seemed perfectly at `
` his ease, and dusted a forgotten corner of the bookcase. `
` `
` The clumping of hobnailed boots on the gravel outside proclaimed `
` the approach of Manning. John looked questioningly at Poirot. `
` The latter nodded. `
` `
` "Come inside, Manning," said John, "I want to speak to you." `
` `
` Manning came slowly and hesitatingly through the French window, `
` and stood as near it as he could. He held his cap in his hands, `
` twisting it very carefully round and round. His back was much `
` bent, though he was probably not as old as he looked, but his `
` eyes were sharp and intelligent, and belied his slow and rather `
` cautious speech. `
`