.):'.
(4...
PAGE
POUR
SB?'
Seven
;
Dials
Mystery
By
Agatha
Christie
Copyright
by
Public
Ledger
THE
STOUV
THl'R
FAB
There's
a
house
party
on
at
Chimneys,
kn
estate
outside
London,
occupied
for
the
present
on
lea
by
81r
Oswald
and
Lady
Ooote.
Quest
are
late
to
tamafcfast,
specially
Jimmy
Theslger
and
Oerry
Wade,
much
to
the
annoyance
of
Lady
Coote.
"Rupert
Biteman,
aeeretary
to
Sir
0wud.
suggests
an
alarm
dock
by
way
at
assuring
that
Vade
In
particular
get
up
rtect
morning
at
a
more
reas
onable
rwur.
Tney
plan
to
piece
eigm
clookB
in
Wade's
room
once
he
Is
asleep.
Batemafi.
known
aa
"Pongo,"
places
the
decks,
and
yet
next
day
at
noon
Wade
is
stlU
in
bed.
At
13:30
he
Is
found
dead
by
a
servant.
Or.
Cart-wright
declared
death
due
to
an
overdose
of
tlssping
powder.
Seven
cloaks,
not
eight
are
found
lined
up
In
Wade
room.
Theslger
and
Ronny
Devereux
motor
to
Oeny'i
home
to
Inform
a
sister.
Loral
ne
Wade,
of
her
brothel's
death.
Days
elapse.
Lord
Oaterham,
owner.
is
Back
at
Cnunnef.
Lady
Eileen
Brent,
hia
daughter,
known
to
her
friends
and
society
as
"Bundle,"
finds
a
letter
writ-tan
by
Wade
to
his
sister
dearly
Indicating
that
his
death
wai
not
accidental
and
making
reference
to
the
Seven
Dials
NOW
fONTINTE
THE
RTOItV
INSTALMENT
VII.
SEVEN
DIALS
AGAIN
They
went
together
in
Bundle's
car.
The
police
inspector
was
a
slow-speaking
man.
He
was
somewhat
overawed
by
Bundle's
name
and
address
when
she
gave
it
to
him,
and
he
took
down
her
statement
With
great
care.
"Lad!"
he
said.
"That's
what
it
is.
Lads
practicing!
Cruel
stupid,
Jthem
young
varmints
are.
Always
loosing
off
at
birds
with
no
consideration
for
any
one
as
may
be
on
the
other
side
of
a
hedge."
The
doctor
thought
it
a
most
unlikely
solution,
but
he
realized
that
the
case
would
soon
be
In
abler
hands
and
it
did
not
seem
worth
while
to
make
objections.
Name
of
deceased?"
asked
the
sergeant,
moistening
his
pencil.
"He
had
a
cardcase
on
him.
He
appears
to
have
been
a
Mr.
Ronald
Devereux
with
an
address
in
the
Albany."
Bundle
frowned.
The
name
Ronald
Devereux
awoke
some
chord
of
remembrance.
She
was
sure
she
had
heard
it
before.
It
was
not
until
she
was
halfway
back
to
Chimneys
in
the
car
that
it
came
to
her.
Of
course!
Ronny
Devereux.
Bill's
friend
in
the
Foreign
Office.
He
and
Bill
and
yes
Gerald
Wade.
As
this
last
realization
came
to
vher,
Bundle
nearly
went
into
the
hedge!
First
Oerald
Wade
then
Ronny
Devereux.
Gerry
Wade's
death
might
have
been
natural
the
result
of
carelessness
but
Ronny
Devereux's
surely
bore
a
more
sinister
interpretation.
To
the
Father
And
then
Bundle
remembered
something
else.
Seven
Dials!
When
the
dying
man
had
said
it,
it
had
seemed
vaguely
familiar.
Now
she
knew
why.
Gerald
WAde
had
mentioned
Seven
Dials
in
that
last
letter
of
his
written
to
his
sister
on
the
night
before
-his.,.,
death.
And
that
again
connected
up
with'
something
else
that
escaped
her.
Thinking
all
these
things
over.
Bundle
ha
it
slowed
down
to
such
a
sober
pace
that
nobody
would
have
recognized
her.
She
drove
the
car
round
to
the
garage
and
went
In
search
of
her
father,
Lord
Caterham
was
-happily
reading
a
catalogue
of
a
forthcoming
sale
of
rare
editions
and
was
immeasurably
astonished
to
see
Bundle.
,..
.
.j
j
"Even
you,"
he
said,
''can't
have
been
to
London
and.
ba.ck
in
..this"
time."
"I
haven't
been
to
London,"
said
Bundle.
"I
ran
over
a
man."
"What?"
Only
I
dldn
t
really.
He
was
shot."
"How
could
he
have
been?"
"I
don't
know
how
he
could
have
been,
but
he
was."
(l
"But
why
did
you
shoot
him?"
"I
didn't
shoot
him."
"You
shouldn't
shoot
people,"
said
Lord
Caterham
in
a
tone
of
mild
remonstrance.
"You
shouldn't
really.
I
daresay,
some
of
them
richly
deserve
it
but
all
the
same
It
will
lead
to
trouble."
"I
tell
you
I
didn't
shoot
him?"
"Well,
who-did?"
"Nobody
knows,"
said
Bundle.
"Nonsense,"
said
Lord
Caterham.
"A
man
cant
be
shot
and
run
over
without
any
one
having
done
it."
The
police
inspector
was
"He
waent
run
over,"
said
Bundle.
I
"A
tire
burst,
I
suppose,"
said
Lord
Caterham.
"That
does
soundj
like
a
shot.
It
says
so
in
detective
stories."
"You
really
are
perfectly
impossible,
father.
You
don't
seem
to
have
the
brains
of
a
rabbit."
"Not
at
all,"
said
Lord
Caterham.
"You
come
in
with
a
wildly
Impossible
tale
about
men
being
run
over
and
shqt
and
I
don't
know
what,
and
then
you
expect
me
to
know
all
about
It
by
magic."
Bundle
sighed
wearily.
"Just
attend,"
she
said.
"I'll
tell
you
all
about
it
in
words
of
one
syllable."
JThere,"
she
said,
when
she
had
concluded.
"Now
have
you
got
It?"
In
East
London
"Of
course.
I
understand
perfectly
now.
I
can
make
allowance
for
your
being
a
little
upset,
my
dear.
I
wa
not
far
wrong
when
I.
remarked
to
you
before
starting
out
that
people
looking
for
trouble
usually
found
it.
I
am
thankful."
finished
Lord
Caterham
with
a
tight
shiyeri
,
"that
I
stayed
He
picked
up
his
catalogue
again.
"Father,
where
is
Seven
Dials?"
"In
the
East
End
somewhere,
I
fancy.
I
have
frequently
observ-
ed
busses
going
there
or
do
I
mean
Seven
Sisters?
I
have
never
been
there
myself,
I
am
thankful
to
say.
Just
as
well,
because
I
don't
fancy
it
is
the
sort
of
spot
I
should
like.
And
yet,
curiously
entjugh,
J
seem
to
have
heard
of
It
in
some
connection
just
lately."
"You
don't
know
a
Jimmy
Thes-
iger,
do
you?"
Lord
Caterham
was
now
engros
sed
in
his
catalogue
once
more.
He
had
made
an
effort
to
be
in
-
telllgent
on
the
subject
of
Seven
Dials.
This
time
he
made
hardly
any
effort
at
all.
"Theslger,"
he.
murmured
vague
ly,
"Theslger.
One
of
the
Yorkshire
Theslgers?"
"That's
what
I'm
asking
you.
Do
attend,
father.
This
is
important."
Lord
Caterham
made
a
desperate
effort
to
look
intelligent
with
out
really
having
to
give
his
mind
to
the
matter.
"There
are
some
Yorkshire
Theslgers,"
he
said
earnestly.
"And
unless
I
am
mistaken
some
Devon
shire
Theslgers,
too.
Your
Oreat-Aunt
Selina
married
a
Theslger."
"What
good
is
that
to
me?'
cried
Bundle.
Lord
Caterham
chuckled.
)
a
slow-speaking
man.
"It
was
very
little
good
to
her,
If
remember
rightly."
"You're
Impossible,"
said
Bundle,
rising.
"I
shall
have
to
get
hold
of
Bill."
"Do,
dear,"
said
her
father
absently
as
he
turned
n
page.
"Certainly.
By
all
means,
Quite
so."
Bundle
rose
to
her
feet
with
an
Impatient
sigh.
"I
wish
I
could
remember
what
that
letter
sold,"
she
murmured
more
to
herself
than
aloud.
"I
didn't
'read
it
very
carefully.
Something
about
a
joke
that
the
Seven
Dials
business
wasn't
a
joke."
Lord
Caterham
emerged
suddenly
from
his
catalogue.
"Seven
Dials?"
he
said.
"Of
course.
I've
got
It
now."
"Got
what?"
"I
know
why
It
sounded
so
familiar.
George
Xomax
has
been
over.
(
"Tredwell
failed
for
once
and
let
hlrn
in.
He
was
on
his
way
up
tb"
town,
it
seems
:he's
having
some
political
party
at
the
Abbef
next
week
and'
he
got
a
warning
letter."
v
,
"What
dd
Vov;
mpan
by
4
warri-f
"Well.
I
dont
really
know.
He
didn't
go
into
details.
I
gather
it
raid
'Beware
and
Trouble
is
at
hand,"
and
all
those
sorts
of
things.
But
anyway
It
was
writ
Tuesday,
Jammrv
flit
BAJLY
SEtfS
ten
from
Seven
Dials,
distinctly
remember
his
saying
so,
He
was
going
up
to
town
to
consult
Scotland
Yard
about
It.
You
know,
George?"
Known
as
Codtlrrs
Bundle
nodded.
She
wa$
well
acquainted
with
that
public-spirit
ed
Cabinet
Minister,
Oeorge
Lo-
Under
Secretary
of
State
lor
.Foreign
Affairs,
who
was
shunned
by
1
many
because
of
his
inveterate
habit
of
quoting
from
his
public
speeches
In
private.
In
allusion
to
his
bulging
eyeballs,
he
was
known
to
many
Bill
Everslelgh
among
others
as
Codders.
"Tell
me,"
she
said,
"was
Cod
ders
interested
at
all
in
Gerald
Wade's
death?"
"Not
that
I
ever
heard
of.
He
may
h&vt
been,
of
course.'
'
Bundle
said
nothing
for
some
minutes.
She
was
busily
engaged
In
trying
to
remember
the
exact
wording
of
the
letter
she
had
sent
on
to
Loralne
Wade,
and
at
the
same
time
she
was
trying
to
picture
the
girl
to
whom
it
had
been
written.
What
sort
of
a
girl
was
this
to
whom,
apparently,
Gerald
Wade
was
so
devoted?
The
more
she
thought
over
It
the
more
it
seemed
to
her
that
it
was
an
un
usual
letter
for
a
brother
to
write.
"Did
you
say
the
Wade
girl
wajfc
uerrys
naii-swier'
sne
asxea
suddenly.
"Well,
of
course,
strictly
speaking,
I
suppose
she
Isnt
wasn't,
I
meanhis
sister
at
all."
"But
her
name's
Wade?"
"Not
really.
She
wasn't
old
Wade's
child.
As
I
was.
saying,
he
ran
away
with
his
second
wife.
who
was
married
to
a
perfect
blackguard.
I
suppose
the
courts
gave
the
rascally
husband
the
custody
of
the
child,
but
he
certainly
didn't
avail
himself
of
the
privilege.
Old
Wade
got
very
fond
of
the
child
and
Insisted
that
she
should
be
called
by
his
name."
"I
see."
said
Bundle.
"That
explain
It."
"Explains
what?"
'"fftmeihlnc
iYuar!
t
nii4alri
mi
'..j
rrrrKrcq-Ti.:
,ir
w
-
about
that
letter."
lleW
kid'
Lord
Caterham.
"Or
so
We
heara
';'
Bundle
went
upstairs
thoughtfully.
Shfriiad
several
objects
In
view.
First
she
must
find
this
Jimmy
Theslger.
Bill,
perhaps,
would
be
"helpful
there.
Ronny
DevQreuxchad
been
a
friend
of
Bill's.
If
Jimmy
Theslger
was
a
friend
"Of1
'Rtmny's
1
"the
chances
were"
'that
''Bill
would
know
him,
too.
Then
there
wag
the
girl,
Loralne
Wade.
It
was
possible
that
she
could
throw
some
light
on
the
problem
of
Seven
Dials.
Evidently
Gerry
Wade
had
said
something
to
her
about
it.
His
anxiety
that
she
should
forget
the
fact
had
a
sinister
suggestion.
Bundle
Pays
a
Call
Getting
hold
of
Bill
presented
few
difficulties.
Bundle
motored
up;
to
town
on
the
f
ollowlng
morning
this
time
without
adventures
by!
the
way
and
rang
him
up.
Bill
responded
with
alacrity,
and
made
various
suggestions
as
to
lunch,
tea,
dinner
and
dancing.
All
of
which
suggestions
Bundle
turned
down
as
made.
"In
a
day
or
two,
I'll
come
and
frivol
with
you,
Bill.
But
for
the
moment
I'm
up
on
business."
-'Oh,'
'said
Bin.
"What
beastly
bore."
..
fit's
not
that
kind,"
said
Bundle.
"It's
anything
but
boring.
BUI,
do
you
know
any
one
called
Jimmy
Theslger?"
"Of
course.
So
do
you."
"No,
I
don't."
said
Bundle.
-xes,
you
ao.
you
must.
Every
-
Embarassing
Moments
j
,i
m
-.
.-
.
.....
v
u
u
u
m.
v
v
v
t
IS
oAMOOOOOOOOOaODOMaOOOOOOCKjOOOODOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOBOO
r0aDDO0i3oooooo0OOooooaoootiaoocKn3oooaooooooDOooaooooooooooooooooaooooooooooo;c:a
"Sorry."
said
Bundle.
"Just
for
once
I
dont
seem
to
be
every
one."
"Oh!
but
you
must
know
Jimmy
pink-faced
chap.
Looks
a
bit
of
an
ass.
But
really
he's
got
ns
many
brains
as
I
have."
"You
don't
say
so,"
said
Bundle.
"He
must
feel
a
bit
top-heavy
when
he
walks
about."
"Was
that
meant
for
sarcasm?"
"It
was
a
feeble
effort
at
it.
What
does
Jimmy
Theslger
do?"
"How
do
you
.mean,
what
does
he
do?"
"Does
being
at
the
Foreign
Office
prevent
you
from
understanding
your
native
language?"
"Oh
I
I
see,
you
mean,
has
he
got
a
Job?
No.
he
just
fools
around
Why
should
he
do
anything?"
'In
fact,
more
money
than
brains?"
"Oh!
I
wouldn't
say
that.
I
told
you',
just
nqw
that
he-had
more
brains
than
you'd
think-"
-
Bundle
was
Silent,
"shr
was
fee
lng
rnore
and'more
.doubtful.
This
gilded
youth
did
not
sound
a
very
promising
ally.
And
yet
It
was
his
name
that
had
come
first
to
the
dying
man's
Hds.
Bill's
voire
chim
ed
In
suddenly
with
singular
n.
IJI
UlJi
til
-r
--
.
.,
.
,
"That
old
troublesome
word
"IF"
i
upon
a
time
most
people
were
worried
a
lot
ONCE
by
"If."
A
few
still
are.
You
can
tell
thorn
if
you
listen
to
them
when
they're
shopping.
"If
you
are
sure
that
rug
won't
fade
.
.
."
"If
you're
positive
this
is
pure
woql
.
.
."
'
"If
you!ll
guarantee
these
ogg6
as
frosh
.
...
"
0.-
,
"If
you
think
this
washing
machine
will
wp0$:
'
bettor
than
the
other
one
i
.
."
,'
2
'"
"if
.
.
.
if
.
.
.
if
.
.
."
'
The
trouble
vithsuch
people
is
they
don't
rofl
the
advertisements.
People
who
do
read
them
do
not
have
to
depend
upon
"ifs"
in
their
buying.
They
Jinow
what
they
-are
getting,
because
thoy
have
the
definite,
printed,
reiterated
assurances
of
the
advertiser.
Moat
people
nowadays
do
read
the
advertisements.
They
shop
intelligently
and
quickly.
Thoy
Ittiowbpforehnrtd
what
thoy
want,
why
they
want
it,
how
much
they
"will
have
to.
pay,
and
whoro
to
go
Intelligent
buyers
substitute
"know"
for
"If"
by
reading
the
advertisements
Theslter's
Address
"Ronny
always
thought
a
lot
of
hia
brains.
You
know,
Ronny
De
vereux.
Theslger
was
his
greatest
pal."
"Ronny
"
Bundle
stopped,
undecided.
Clearly
Bill
knew
nothing
of
the
other's
death.
It
occurred
to
Bun
dle
for
the
first
time
that
It
was
odd
the
morning
papers
had
con
tained
nothing
of
the
tragedy.
Surely
it
was
the
.
kind
of
spicy
item
of
news
that
would
never
be
passed
over.
There
could
be
one
explanation
and
one
explanation
only.
The
police,
for
reasons
of
their
own,
were
keeping
the
matter
quiet.
Bill's
voice
was
continuing.
"I
haven't
seen
Ronny
for
an
agenot
since
that
week-end
down
at
your
place.
You
know,
when
poor
old
Gerry
Wade
passed
out."
He
paused
and
then
went
on.
Rather
a
foul
business
that
altogether.
I
expect
you've
heard
about
It.
I
say,
Bundl&-are
you
there
still?"
"Of
course
I'm
here."
well,
you
haven't
said
any-
thin
r,
.
,
u.
T
.rv
that
,you
had
gone
away."
.
n
v.
n
.
r
n
rt
n
n
n
m
ww
k
j
,
.
"No,
I
was
Just
thinklr.
at
something."
Should
she
tell
BUI
of
n.;:
death?
She
decided
agains
.
t
was
not
the
sort
of
thlni;
'
I
aid
over
the
telephone
Bu
i
very
soon,
eh
must
have
a
rr.e.
lng
with
Dill.
In
the
meunuir.r
"Bill?"
"Hullo."
-I
might
dine
with
you
t
t
row
nisht."
"Oood,
and
well
dance
"
ward.
I've
got
a
lot
to
talk
.
about.
As
a
matter
of
fact
ruMtn
ralluu-
harri
hitthe
:
!
luck
"
"Well,
tell
me
about
it
ran?"
ufH
Tttinrtls
riltttlH
-I
short
rather
unkindly
li
meantime,
what
Is
Jimmy
"
i
Iter's
address"
"Jimmy
Theslger?"
"That's
what
I
said.1'
"He's
got
rooms
In
Jnr,1
Street
do
I
mean
Jermyn
p
rffll
or
the
other
one?"
"Hrlns-
that
rliuw
A
brain
'
unon
it."
"Yes,
Jermyn
Street.
WaH
H
and
111
give
you
the
numbti
There
was
a
pause.
"Are
you
there
still?"
"I'm
always
there."
(To
He
Continued
Tomorrow'