PAGE
FOUK
OEVEN
v
-
Dials
Mystery
By
Agatha
Christie
I
Copyright
by
Public
T.ed?er
INSTALMENT
XVIII.
THE
STORY
THIS
FAR
Gerry
Wade
Is
found
dead
in
bed
at
Chimneys,
seen
ef
a
house
party.
Seven
out
of
elgbt
alarm
clock
placed
In
ht
room
to
awaken
Mm
are
lined
up
on
a
mantel.
The
guests
are
told
that
death
resulted
from
an
overdose
of
sleeping
powder.
Jimmy
Thesiger
and
Ronny
Devereux
motor
to
aerry'
home
to
telt
a
sister.
Loralne,
of
Wade's
death.
Lady
Eileen
Brent,
known
as
"Bundle,"
find
a
letter
Wade
haJ
written
to
his
slater
making
reference
to
the
Seven
Dial.
Bundle
feels
certain
that
Gerry
was
murdered.
En
route
to
London
a
man,
mysteriously
shot,
staggers
into
the
road
In
front
of
Eileen's
oar.
it
proves
to
be
Devereux,
who
dy
Inf,
whisper:
"Seven
Dials
tell
Jimmy
Thesiger."
At
Jimmy's
quarters
Bundle
finds
Lwalne.
The
three
of
them
set
out
to
trail
the
murderer.
From
Captain
Battle
at
Saotbnd
Yard
Bundle
obtains
a
list
cf
secret
societies.
That
evening
with
Bill
Everslelgh.
she
visit
the
Seven
'Dials
Club.
A
watchman.
Alfred,
Is
recognized
as
a
former
footman
at
Chrmneys.
Cabinet
.
Minister
George
Lomax
plans
a
party.
He
has
received
a
warning
letter
from
the
Seven
Dials
So-clety.
Bundle
get
an
Jnvltatlcn.
Meantime
ste
hides
In
tnev
meeting
room
of
the
society
and
witnesses
a
meeting
attended
by
masked
members.
She
re-porta
to
Thesiger,
who
has
also
obtained
an
Invitation
to
the
Cabinet
member's
party.
Among
the
guests
Is
one
Herr
Eberhird,
an
Inventor
who
h
military
plans
of
Interest
to
the
Air
Ministry.
NOW
CONTIMT,
THE
STORY
Female
Charms
"After
tea,"
said
Jimmy
with
a
grin,
"
the
Countess
asked
Bill
to
show
her
round
the
Interesting
old
place."
"Well,
I
couldn't
refuse,
couldar?
said
Bill,
his
countenance
assume
ing
a
brick-red
tint.
Bundle
felt
faintly
uneasy.
She
T
t
-.
Atll
knew,
only
too
well,
the
susceptU
Blllty
of
Mr.
William
Eyerslelgh
to
female
charms.
In
the
hands
of
a
woman
like
the
Countess,
Bill
would
be
as
wax.
She
wp.ndered
once
more,
whej
hr
er
Jimmy-'
thesiger
nad
been'
wise
to
take
Bill
into
their
confidence.
-The
Countess,"
said
Bill,
"is
a
very
charming
woman.
And
no
end
intelligent.
You
should
have
seen
her
going
round
the
house.
All
sorts
of
questions
she
asked."
"What
kind
of
questions?"
asked
Bundle
suddenly.
Bill
was
vague.
"Oh!
I.
don't
know.
About
the
.
,
.
.
.
i
History
01
u.
Ana
oia
lurimure.
And
ah!
all
sorts
of
things."
At
that
moment
the
Countess
swept
into
the
room.
She
seemed
a
shade
breathless.
She
was
looking
magnificent
in
a
close-fitting
black
velvet
gown.
Bundle
noticed
how
Bill
'
gravitated
at
once
into
her
Immediate
neighborhood.
The
serious,
spectacled
young
man
ioined
him.
"Bill
and
Pongo
have
both
got
It
badly,"
observed
Jimmy
Thesiger
with
a
laugh.
Bundle
was
by
no
means
so
sure
that
it
was
a
laughing
matter.
After
Dinner
George
was
not
a
believer
In
modern
innovations.
The
Abbey
was
innocent
of
anything
so
up
.to
date
as
central
heating.
Consequently
when
the
ladies
entered
the
drawing
room
after
dinner,
the
temperature
of
the
room
was
woefully
inadequate
to
the
needs
of
modern
evening
clothes.
The
fire
that
burnt
in
the
well-bur-nlshed
steel
grate
bscame
as
a
magnet.
The
three
women
huddled
around
It.
"Brrrrrrrr!"
said
the
Countess,
a
fine,
exotic
foreign
sound.
"The
days
aro
drawing
in,"
said
Lady
Coote,
and
drew
a
flowered
atrocity
of
a
scarf
closer
about
her
ample
shoulders.
.
"Why
on
earth
doesn't
George
have
the
house
properly
heated?"
said
Bundle.
"You
English,
you
never
heat
your
houses,"
said
the
Countess.
She-took
out
her
long
cigarette
holder-and
began
to
smoke.
"T.hat
grate
is
old-fashioned,"
ally
stopped
as
suddenly
as
she
had
begun.
"There!"
she
said.
"I
have
told
you!
We
have
money
biit
no
or
ganlzatlbn.
It
is''
organization
we
need."
Lady
Coote
sighed.
"Vve
heard
my
husband
say
that
nothing
can
be
done
without
regular
methods.
He
attributes
his
own
success
entirely
to
that.
He
declares
he
would
have
never
cot
on
without
them."
She
sighed
again.
A
sudden
fleeting
vision
passed
before
her
eyes
of
a
Sir
Oswald
who
had
not
got
on
in
the
world.
A
Sir
Oswald
who
retains!
in
nil
etc.
tenf-ials,
the
attributes
of
that
cneery
young
man
in
the
bicvele
shop.
Just
for
a
second
it
occur
red
to
her
how
much
pleasanter
life
might
have
been
for
her
if
Sir
Oswald
had
not
had
reeular
methods.
By
a
quite
understandable
a&-
sof.it.tton
of
ideas
she
turned
to
Bundle.
"Tell
me,
Lady
Eileen,"
sho
said,
"do
you
like
that
head
gardener
at
your
place?1
"Macdonald?
Well"
Bundle
hesitated.
"One
couldn't
exactly
like,
Macdonald,"
she
explained
apQjogetically.
"But
he's
a
"first
class
gardener."
"Oh!
I
know
he
Is,"
said
Lady
Coote.
"He's
all
right
if
he's
kept
in
his
place,"
said
Bundle.
"I
suppose
so,"
said
Lady
Coote.
Sb,e
looked
enviously
at
Bundle,
who
appeared
to
approach
the
task
of
keeping
Macdonald
In
his
place
so.
light-heartedly.
"I'd
just
adore
a
high-toned
garden,"
said
the
Countess
dreamily.
Bundle
stared,
but
at
the
mo
ment
a
diversion
occurred.
Jimmy
TheWger
entered
the
room
and
spoke
directly
to
her
in
a
strange
hurried
veite.
"I
say.
will
you
come
and
see
those
etchings
now?
They're
waiting
for
you."
Bill's
Viewpoint
B.undle
left
the
room
hurriedly.
Jimmy
close
behind
her.
"What
etchings?"
she
asked,
as
the
drawing
room
door
closed
behind
her.
.
,
...
v
.
.
"No
etchings."
said
Jimmy.
"I'd
got
-
to
1
say
something'
toget'holtt
of
you.
Come
on.
Bill
is
waiting
for
us
in
Che
library.
There's
nobody
there.",
Bill
was
striding
up
and
down
the
library,
clearly
In
a
very
perturbed
state
of
mind.
"Look
here,"
he
burst
out.
"I
don't
like
this."
"Don't
l(ke
what?"
"You
being
mixed
up
in
this
Ten
to
one
there's
going
to
be
a
rough
house
and
then
"
He
looked
at
her
with
a
kind
of
pathetic
dismay
that
gave
Bundle
a
warm,
and
comfortable
feeling.
"She
ought
to
be
kept
out
of
It,
qughtn't
she,
Jimmy?"
He
appealed
to
the
other.
"I've
told
her
so,"
said
Jimmy.
"Dash
it
all.
Bundle,
I
mean-some
one
might
get
hurt."
Bundle
turned
around
to
Jimmy.
"How
much
have
you
told
him?"
"Oh!
everything."
"I
haven't
got
the
hang
of
it
all
yet,"
confessed
Bill.
"You
In
that
place
in
Seven
Dials
and
all
that."
He
looked
at
her
unhappily.
"I
say,
Bundle.
I
wish
you
wouldn't."
"Wouldn't,
what?"
.
"Get
mixed
up
in
these
sorts
of
things."
"Why
not?"
said
Bundle.
"They
are
exciting."
"Oh
yes
exciting.
Brt
they
may
be
damnably
dangerous.
Look
at
poor
oW
Ronny."
"Yes,"
said
Bundle.
"If
It
had
not
been
for
your
friend
Ronny
I
don't
suppose
I
should
ever
have
got
what
you
call
'mixed
up
in
this
thing.
But
I
am.
And
it's
no
earthly
use
your
bleating
about
it."
"I
know
yo're
the
most
frightful
sport,
Bundle,
but
"
"Cut
out
the
compliments.
Let's
make
plans."
To
her
relief,
Bill
reacted
ttvor-ably
to
the
suggestion.
tone
quality
you
the
facts
m
tolling
tone
demonstration
OKTIIOPIIONIC
VICTROLAS
AND
RECORDS
This
new
test,
specially
prepared,
submits
the
Victor
combination
to
the
most
unusuaj
musical
difficulties.
"
A
gruelling
examination!
The
human
voice,
"
instruments
.
.
.
full
orchestra
.
.
.
full
symphony
;
orchestra
with
full
grand
ls
organ
in
the
same
composition
all
arc
mercilessly
included
in
this'strcriu-
vi,
j
,
6us
Victor
test
of
onc
quality:
:
'
,:
.
Ask
any
Victor
Dealer
to
perform
this
test
for
you.
Ask
him,
too,
about
the
said
LadyCoote,
"The
heat
goes
up
the
chimney
instead
of
Into
the
room."
"Oh!"
said
the
Countess.
There
was
a
pause.
The
Counr
teas
was
so
plainly
bored
by
her
companions
that
conversations
became
difficult.
"It's
funny,
said
Lady
Coote,
breaking
the
silence,
"that
Mrs
Macatta's
children
should
have
mumps.
At
least,
I
don't
mean
exactly
funny
"
"wnat,
said
the
Countess,
"are
mumps?"
Bundle
and
Lady
Coote
started
simultaneously
to
explain.
Finally,
Detween
tnem,
tney
managed
it.
Hungarian
Horrors
"I
suppose
Hungarian
children
have
it?"
said
Lady
Coote.
"Eh?u
said
'the
Countess.
"Hungarian
children.
TheV
suffer
from
it?"
"I
do
not
know,"
said
the
Countess.
"How
should
I?"
Lady
Coote
looked
at
her
In
some
surprise.
"But
I
understand
that
you
worked
"
"Oh,
that!"
The
Countess
un
crossed
her-legs,
took
her
cigar
ette-holder
from
her
mouth
and
began
to
talk
rapidly.
"I
will
tell
you
some
horrors,"
she
said.
"Horrors
that
I
have
seen.
Incredible!
You
would
not
believe!"
And
she
was
as
good
as
her
word.
She
talked
fluently
and
with
a
graphio
power
of
description.
Incredible
scenes
of
starvation
and
misery
were
painted
by
her
for
the
benefit
of
her
audience.
She
spoke
of
Budapest
shortly
after
the
war
and
traced
its
vicissitudes
to
the
present
day.
She
was
dramatic,
but
she
was
also,
to
Bundle's
mind,
a
little
like
a
gramophone
record.
You
turned
her
on,
and
there
you
were.
Presently,
Just
as
suddenly,
she
would
stop.
Lady
Coote
was
thrilled
to
the
marrow
that
much
was
clear.
She
sat
with
her
mouth
slightly
open
and
her
large,
sad,
dark
eyes
fixed
on
the
Countess.
Occasionally,
she
interpolated
a
comment
of
her
own.
One
of
my
cousins
had
three
HIE
DAILY
NEWS
Mon:iv
J.
children
burned
to
death.
Awful,
wasn't
it?"
The
Countess
paid
no
attention.
She
went
on
and
on
and
she
fin
"OlCTOR
dealers
arc
giving
Victor
Radio-Electrola
a
test
of
everyone
should
hear.
Five
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.
"You're
right
aboul
the.
formula,"
he
said.
"Eberhard's
got
some
sort
of
formula
with
him,
or
rather
Sir
Oswald
has.
The
stuff
has
been
tested,
out
at
his
works
--very
secretly
and
all
that.'Eber-hard
has
been
down
there
with
hjn
They're,
a,yjn
the
study
now
"wnat
you
might
call
romlng
to
brass
tacks."
Plan
to
Watch
"How
long
is
Sir
Stanley
staying?"
asked
Jimmy.
"Going
back
to
town
tomorrow."
"H'm,"
said
Jimmy.
"Then
one
things
quite
clear.
If,
as
I
sup
pose,
Sir
Stanley
will
be
taking
the
formula
with
him,
any
funny
business
there's
going
to
be
will
be
tonight."
"I
suppose
It
will."
"Not
a
doubt
of
it.
That
narrows
the
thing
down
very
com-,
fortably:
But
the
bright
ladf
will
have
to
be
their
very
brightest.
We
must
come
down
to
detail.
First
of
all,
where
will
the
sacred
formula
be
tonight?
Will
Eber-hard
have
it!
or
Sir
Oswald
Coote?'
"Neither.
I
understand
it's
to
be
handed
over
to
the
Air
Minister
thks
evening,
for
him
to
take
to
town
tomorrow.
In
that
case
O
-Rourke
will
have
it.
Sure
to."
"Well,
there's
only
one
thing
for
It
If
we
believe
some
one's
going
to
have
a
shot
at
pinching
that
paper,
we've
got
to
keep
watch
tonight.
Bill,
my
boy."-Bundle
opened
her
mouth
as
though
to
protect,
but
shut
It
again'
without
speaking.
"By
the
way,"
continued
Jimmy,
"did
I
recognise
the
commissionaire
from
Harrods
In
the
he',
this
evening,
or
was
It
our
old
friend
Lestrade
from
Scotland
Yard?"
"Scintillating
Watson."
said
Bill
"I
suppose,"
said
Jimmy,
"that
we
are
rather
butting
In
on
his
pre
serves."
'Can't
be
helped,"
said
Bill.
"Not
if
we
mean
to
see
this
thing
through."
"Then
It's
agreed."
said
Jimmy
"We
mutt
dftlde
the
night
Into
two
watches''
'
AVWBftrttie
owned
her
mouth.
aVIgMh
4mU
11
without
speak
ing?
rsvwivsiiiiiHiisMBHBrsasBB
n
fst
"Right
you
are
"Who'll
take
first
dutr-
"Shall
we
spin
lor
if
"Might
as
well,
"All
right.
Here
goei
you
j5i
ana
i
secocl
vice
versa."
Bill
noddpd
Th
,
II
I
,
.
witr
air.
wimmy-
Dent
to
laiis,"
ne
said.
"Damn!"
said
BUI.
nrsi
nan
ana
probably
t
mat's
going."
irU
...
juu
iicvur
Knot'
Jimmy.
"Criminals
are
certain.
.What
time
shau,
you.
Three
thirty
-inai's
about
fair
And
now:
at
last
n,i
.
sit
a.
vvnai
aDoui
me
'
,sfcea
"Nothing
doinff
You
t
and
sleep."
"Oh!"
said
Buncio
is
very
exciting."
"You
never
know
klj
kindly.
"You
rriuv
h
In
vnnr
lMn
whlia
Txit
cape
scot-free."
.
as
4
il
weu,
meres
aiway.s,
i$
siblllty.
Do
you
know
ft
don't
half
like
the
loci,
Countess.
I
suspect
hr
"Nonsense!"
cried
B;
"She's
absolutely
above
sjg
"How
do
you
knmt1
Bundle.
uecauee
i
ao.
wny
i
fellows
at
the
Hunearur.
fc
vouched
for
her"
Off
to
Bed
"Oh!"
said
Bundle
moae
taken
aback
by
hi
(mi
"You
girls
are
all
tht
grumbled
BUI.
"Just
btuj
Bundle
was
only
:
o
!
auainted
with
this
unfair
tl
line
line
of
argument
(To
Be
Contirufd
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