PAGE
FOUR
SB
Seven
Only
an
Amateur
A
...
Dials
Mystery
By
Agatha
Christie
Copyright
by
Public
Ledger
THE
STORY
THI
S
F.Ut
Oetty
Wide
U
found
dead
In
bed
at
Chimney,
seen
ot
a
house
party.
Seven
out
ot
eight
alarm
clock
placed
In
his
room
to
awaken
him
are
lined
up
on
a
mantel.
The
gueita
are
told
that
death
resulted
from
an
overdose
of
sleeping
powder.
Jimmy
Thealger
and
Ronny
Devercui
motor
to
Oerry
a
home
to
tell
a
alster.
Loralne.
of
Wade's
death.
Lady
Slleen
Brent,
known
as
"Bun
die."
find
a
letter
Wade
had
written
to
hla
sister
making
reference
to
the
Seven
Dials.
Bundle
feels
certain,
that
Oerry
was
murdered.
En
route
to
LUn-don
a
man.
mysteriously
shot,
stag-
sen
into
live
road
in
iront
of
Eueen's
car.
It
proves
to
be
Dcvereux,
who
dying,
whlsoerv
"Seven
Dials
tell
Jimmy
Thealger."
At
Jimmy's
quarters
Bundle
finds
ursine.
TO
tnree
of
them
set
out
to
trail
the
murdeer.
NOW
CONTIME
TUB
STORY
INSTALMENT
XI.
"Well,
It
saves
trouble,
doesn't
It?
We
know
where
we
are
so
to
speak."
Bundle
hesitated
for
a
minute.
"There
was
a
man
shot
yesterday,"
she
said
slowly.
"I
thought
I
had
run
over
him"
"Mr.
Ronald
Devereux?"
"You
know
about
It,
of
course.
Why
has
there
been
nothing
In
the
papers?"
"Do
you
really
want
to
know
that,
Lady
Eileen?"
"Yes,
please."
"Well,
we
Just
thought
we
should
like
to
have
a
clear
24
hours-see"?
It
will
be
In
the
papers
tomorrow."
"Oh!"
Bundle
studied
him,
puzzled.
What
was
hidden
behind
that
Immovable
face?
Did
he
regard
the
shooting
of
Ronald
Devereux
as
'
an
ordinary
crime
or
as
an
extraordinary
one?
"He
mentioned
Seven
Dials
when
he
was
dying,"
said
Bundle
slowly.
"Thank
you,"
said
Battle.
"Ill
make
a
note
of
that"
He
wrote
a
few
words
on
the
blotting
pad
in
front
of
him.
Bundle
started
oh
another
tack.
"Mr.
Lomax,
I
understand,
camel
to
see
you
yesterday
about
a
threatens;
letter
he
had
had."
"He
did?'
"And
that
was
written
from
Seven
Dials?"
"It
had
Seven
Dials
written
at
the
top
of
It,
I
believe."
Bundle
felt
as
though
she
were
battering
hopelessly
on
a
locked
I
door.
"If
youll
let
me
advise
you,
Lady
I
Eileen"
"I
know
what
you're
going
:,to
say.
I
should
go
home
and
well,!
think
no
more
about
these
-mdl
ters."
"Leave
it
to
you,
In
fact?
."WelL"
said
Superintendent
Bat-1
atonals."
.
''
.-
"And
I'm
only
an
amateur
1
Yes,
but
"you
forget
one
'thlni
I
mavj
not
have
your
knowledge
:
and
.
skill
but
I
have
one
advantage
ovef
you.
I
can
work
in
the
dark."
She
thought
that
the
superirw
tendent
seemed
a
little
taken
aback,
as
though
the
force
ot
her
words
struck
home.
"Of
course,"
said
Bundle,
"If
you
won't
give
me
a
list
of
secret
so
cieties"
f.
"Oh!
I
never
said
that.
You
shall
have
a
list
of
the
whole
lot."
He
went
to
the
door,
put
his
head
through
and
called
out
some
thing,
then
came
back
to
his
chair.
Bundle,
rather
unreasonab
ly.
felt
baffled.
The
ease
with
which
he
acceded
to
her
request
seemed
to
her
suspicious.
He
was
looking
at
her
now
In,
a
placid
la&ttKn.
"Do
you
remember
the
death
of
Mr.
Gerald
Wade?"
she
asked
ab
ruptly.
,
"Down
at;
your
place,
wasn't
it?
took
-ah
overdraught
of
sleeping
mixture."
"His
sister
says
he
never
took
things
to
make
him
sleep."
Trouble
Ahead
"Ah!"
said
the
superintendent
"You'd
be
surprised
what
a
lot
of
things
there
are
that
sisters
don
know."
Bundle
again
felt
baffled.
She
sat
In
silence
till
c
man
came
in
with
a
typewritten
iheet
of
paper,
which
he
handed
to
the
superintendent.
"Here
you
are,"
said
the
latter
when
the
other
had
left
the
room
"The
Blood
Brothers
of
St.
Sebas-.
tlan.
The
Wolf
Hounds.
The
Com
rades
of
Peace.
The
Comrades
Club.
The
Friends
of
Oppression
The
Children
of
Moscow.
The
Red
Standard
Bearers.
The
Herrings,
The
Comrades
of
the
Fallen
and
lhalf
a
dozen
more."
He
handed
It
to
her
with
a
dls-
jtinct
twinkle
in
his
eye.
"You
give
it
to
me,"
said
Bundle
"because
you
know
It's
not
going
to
be
the
slightest
use
to
me.
Do
you
want
me
to
leave
the
whole
thing
alone?"
"I
should
prefer
It,"
said
Battle.
"You
see
If
you
go
messing
round
all
these
places
well,
it's
going
to
give
us
a
lot
of
trouble."
"Looking
after
me,
you
mean?"
"Looking
after
you,
Lady
Eileen."
Bundle
had
risen
to
her
feet
Now
she
stood
undecided.
So
far
the
honors
lay
with
Superinten
dent
Battle.
Then
she
remembered
one
slight
Incident
and
she
based
a
last
appeal
upon
it.
"I
Said
lust
now
that
an
ama
tie.
"Never
knew
a
young
lady
who
was
less
so.
What
I'll
do
for
you,
Lady
Eileen,
is
this.
I'l
Just
give
you
one
little
hint.
And
I'm
do
ing
it
because
I
never
have
thought
much
of
the
motto
'Safety
First.'
In
my
opinion
half
the
people
who
spend
their
lives
avoiding,
being
run
over
bybusses
had
much
better
be
run
over
and
put
safely
out
of
the
way.
They're
no
good."
This
remarkable
utterance
Issuing
from
the
conventional
Hps
of
Superintendent
Battle
quite
took
Bundle's
breath
away.
What
was
the
hint
you
were
go
ing
to
give
me?"
she
asked
at
last.
"You
know
Mr.
Everslelgh,
don't
you?"
"Know
Bill?
Why,
of
course.
But
what"
"I
think
Mr.
Bill
Everslelgh
will
be
able
to
tell
you
all
you
want
to
know
about
Seven
Dials."
"Bill
knows
about
It?
Bill?"
"I
didn't
say
that.
Not
at
all.
But
think,
being
a
quick-witted
young
lady,
youH
get
what
you
want
from
him.
"And
now,"
said
Superintendent
BatUe
firmly,
"I'm
not
going
to
teur
could
do
some
things
which
"another
word.
a
professional
couldn't.
You
diBnT'r.
contradict
me.
That's
because
youL
DINNER
WITH
BILL
L
are
an
honest
man,
Superintendent
Bundle
set
out
to
keep
her"
ap-
oaiue.
xou
Knew
1
was
rigni.
ipomtment
with
Bill
on
the
follow-
"Oo
on,"
said
Battle
quietly.
ing
evening
full
of
expectation.
"At
Chimneys
you
Jet
me
help.
I
Bill
greeted
her
with
every
sign
Won't
you
let
me
help
now?"
I
of
elation.
Battle
seemed
to
be
turning
the!
"Bill
really
Is
rather
nice,"
thing
over
in
his
mind.
Embold-,
thought
Bundle
to
herself.
"Just
ened
by
his
silence,
Bundle
con-
like
a
large,
clumsy
dog
that
wags
Unued.
.
its
tall
when
it's
Dleased
to
see
You
know
pretty
well
what
I'm
you."
like,
Superintendent
Battle.
I
butt
;
The
large
dog
was
uttering
short
into
things.
I'm
a
Nosey
Parker.
I
staccato
yelps
of
comment
and
ln-don't
want
to
get
in
your
way
or
formation.
to
try
and
do
things
that
you're'
"You
look
tremendously
fit.
Bun-doing
and
can
do
a
great
deal
die.
I
can't
tell
you
how
pleased
j
better.
But
If
there's
a
chance
for
am
to
see
you.
I've
ordered
oysters
an
amateur,
let
me
have
It."
.
you
do
like
oysters,
don't
you?
Again
there
was
a
pause,
and
And
how's
everything?
What
did
then
Superintendent
Battle
said
quietly:
Dangerous
Business
"You
couldn't
have
spoken
fairer
than
you
have
done.
Lady
Eileen
you
want
to
go
mouldering
about
abroad
so
long?
Were
you
having
a
very
gay
time?"
"No,
deadly,"
said
Bundle.
"Perfectly
foul.
Old
diseased
colonels
But
I'm
just
going
to
say
this
to
creeping
about
In
the
sun,
and
you.
What
you
propose
is
danger-1
active,
wizened
spinsters
running
ous.
And
when
I
say
dangerous.
I
libraries
and
churches."
mean
dangerous."
"Give
me
England,"
said
Bill.
"1
"I've
grasped
that,"
said
Bundle,
bar
this
foreign
business
except
"I'm
not
a
fool."
j
Switzerland.
Switzerland's
all
right.
"No,"
said
Superintendent
Bat-
I'm
thinking
of
going
this
Chrtst-
gatordA?,
January
MIS
PART
NEJ7S
moV
Why
don't
you
come
along
"11
think
of
it,"
.
said
Bundle.
"What
have
you
Been
doing
with
yourself,
lately,
Bill?"
Bill's
New
Girl
It
was
an
incautious
query.
Bundle
had
merely
made
it
out
ot
politeness
and,
MA
preliminary,
iu
introducing
her
own
topics
of
conversation.
It
was,
however,
the
opening
foi
which
Bill
had
been
waiting.
"That's
Just
what
I've
been
wanting
to
tell
you
about.
You're
brainy,
Bundle,
and
I
want
your
advice.
You
know
that
musical
show,
'Damn
Your
Eyes'?"
"Yes."
"Well,
I'm
going
to
tell
you
about
one
of
the
dirtiest
pieces
of
work
Imaginable.
My
God!
the
theatrical
crowd.
There's
a
girl
a
Yankee
girl
a
perfect
stunner"
Bundle's
heart
sank.
The
griev
ances
ot
Bill's
lady
friends
were
always
Interminable
they
went
on
and
on
and
there
was
no
stemming
them.
"This
girl,
Babe
St.
Maur
her
name
Is"
"I
wonder
how
she
got
that
name?"
said
Bundle
sarcastically.
Bill
replied
literally.
"She
got
it
out
of
Who's
Who.
Opened
it
and
jabbed
her
finger
down
on
a
page
without
looking.
Pretty
nifty,
eh?
Her
real
name's
Ooldschmldt
pr
Abramler
something
quite
impossible.
"Oh!
quite"
agreed
Bundle.
"Well,
Babe-
St.
Maur
is
pretty
"Saw
him
this
morning.
Let
me
see,"
where,
was
I?
on,
yes,
I
hadn't
got
to
the
rumpus
yet.
And
mind
you
it
was
ealousy--sheer,
spite
ful
Jealousy.
The
other
girl
wasn't
a
patch
on
Babe
for
looks
and
she
knew
it.
So
she
went
behind
her
back"
Codder's
Party
Bundle
resigned
herself
to
the
inevitable
and
heard
the
whole
story
of
the
unfortunate
circumstances
which
had
led
up
to
Babe
St.
Maurs
summary
disappearance
from
the
cast
of
'Damn
Your
Eyes.'
It
took
a
long
time.
When
Bill
finally
paused
for
breath
and
sympathy,
Bundle
said:
"You're
quite
right,
Bill,
it's
a
rotten
shame.
There
must
be
a
lot
of
Jealousy
about
"
"The
whole
theatrical
world
Is
rotten
with
It."
"Never
mind
Jimmy.
Go
on
telling
me."
Among
Those
Invitefl
"Then
there's
a
Hungarian,
what
they
call"
a
Young
Hungarian.
Countess
something
unpronounce-able.
She's
all
right."
He
swallowed
as
thought
em-barrased
and
Bundle
observed
that
he
was
crumbling
his
dread
nervously.
"Young
and
beautiful?"
she
inquired
delicately.
"dh!
rather."
"I
didn't
know
George
went
in
for
female
beauty
much."
"Oh!
he
doesn't.
She
runs
baby
feeding
in
Budapest
something
like
that.
Naturally
she'
and
Mrs.
Macatta
want
to
get
together."
"Who
else?"
"Sir
Stanley
Dlgby-
"The
Air
Minister?"
positively
gnaws
ot
them."
"Pretty
foul."
"Isn't
it?
I
believe
he
Invent
things
jsomething
of-
the
kind.
Well,
that's
all.
Ohl
yea,
Sir
Oswald
Coote."
"And
Lady
Coote?"
"Yet,
I
believe
she's
coming
too."
NERVES
WERE
B
Could
Not
Sleep
Tirarf
All
r.
i
I
Miss
Florence
Coutler.
W
,1
Ont.,
writes:
"I
was
troukuf
my
nerves,
wuld
not
tWfD
and
felt
tired
all
day
lonj,
"A
neighbor
cams
la
to
m,-.
uiomW.
and
advised
KM
"TJi
firtt
Knr
AiA
-.
.,
ftwrcr
iua
iiaui
iwt
a
was
Kit
uj
finale
in
mv
Wfttlr.
"
I
Price,
50c.
a
box
at
all
drnfjiitiJ
V
AnA
ViU
CAAi-afnnr
TJ
atWtt,
Ot
Dialled
direct
On
FW...1
It
must,
hp
nirt
.Tlmmv
av
enee
OTlourke.
He's
rather
n.
Ian.
A
.
'
uj
fmart.
And
she's
got
muscles.
She
I
"I
mean
it's
too
damned
risky
for
was
one
of
the
eight
girls
who
Jimmy.
Before
he
knows
where
he
made
the
living
bridge"
"Bill."
said
Bundle
desperately,
"I
went
to
see
Jimmy
Thesiger
yesterday
morning."
"Good
old
Jimmy.'
said
Bill.
"Well,
as
I
was
telling
you,
Babe's
pretty
smart.
You've
got
to
be
nowadays.
She
can
put
It
over
on
most
theatrical
people.
If
you
want
to
live,
be
high-handed,
that's
what
Babe
says.
And
mind
you
she's
the
goods
all
right.
She
can
act.
it's
marvelous
how
that
girl
can
act.
She'd
not
much
chance
in
'DamrjyYour
Eye'
Just
swamped
in
a
pack
of
good-looking
girls.
I
said
why
not
try
the
legitimate
tage
you
know,
Mrs.
Tanqueray
-that
sort
of
stuff
but
Babe
only
laughB
"
"Have
you
seen
Jimmy
at
all?"
.
-3',
iOTWHI,
U1U.
anything
to
you
about
coming
by
the
way
or
used
to
be
in
hial
down
to
the
Abbey
next
week?
For
the
first
time.
Bill
gave
his
attention
to
what
Bundle
was
say
ing.
"He
was
full
of
a
long
rigmarole
he
wanted
me
to
stuff
Codders
with.
About
wanting
to
stand
in
the
Conservative
interest.
But
vou
know,
Bundle,
it's
too
damned
risky."
"Stuff,"
said
Bundle.
"If
George
does
find
him
out,
he
won't
blame
you.
You'll
Just
have
been
taken
In,
that's
all."
'That's
not
It
at
all,"
said
Bill
is,
hell
be
parked
down
somewhere
like
Tooting
West,
pledged
to
kiss
babies
and
make
speeches.
You
don't
know
how
thorough
Codders
is
and
how
frightfully
energetic."
"Well,
well
have
to
risk
tbaf
said
Bundle.
"Jimmy
can
take
care
of
himself
all
rltht."
"You
don't
know
Codders,"
repeated
Bill.
"Who's
coming
to
this
party
Bill?
Is
it
anything
very
special?"
'Only
the
usual
sort
ot
muck.
Mrs.
Macatta
for
one."
"The
MP.?"
"Yea,
you
know,
always
going
off
the
deep
end
about
Welfare
ami
Pure
Milk
and
Save
the
Children.
Think
ot
poor
Jimmy
bem
talked
to
by
her."
flying
days.
Then
there's
a
pei-
-
fectly
poisonous
German
chap
esl-
die
shifted
her
ground
led
Herr
Kberhard.
I
don't
know
i
dont
wnat
V01l
t.
who
he
is,
but
we're
all
making
.
...
...
.
.
.
.
,
,
be
so
secretive
for,
she
!,-
the
hell
of
a
fuss
about
him.
It.
'"'
been
twice
told
off
to
take
him
1
out
to
lunch,
and
I
can
tell
you,!
To
Seven
Dial
Bundle,
it
was
no
Joke.
He's
not
"Nothing
to
be
secretive
o
like
the
Embassy
chaps,
who
are,
Nobody
goes
there
murh
not
all
very
decent.
This
man
sucks
was
only
a
erase."
in
soup
and
eats
peas
with
at
This
sounded
puzzling
knife.
Not
only
that,
but
the
brute
"One
gets
so
out
of
w.ntj
Is
always
biting
his
fingernails
one
is
away,"
said
Bunme
la
,
voice.
"Oh!
you
haven't
said
Bin.
"Every
one
wntst
just
to
say
they
had
bc
i:
Ii
boring
really,
and
my
Cod
can
get
tired
of
fried
f.sh
"Where
did
everyone
t
'To
the
Seven
Dlal.s
C
J
Bundle
sat
lost
In
thought
for;
course,"
said
Bill,
staring
'Wir
-ome
minutes.
Bill's
1U
was
sug-j
that
what
you
were
asking
abar
lestive,
but
she
hadn't
time
to
l
"I
didn't
know
it
by
thr
osa
think
out
various
possibilities
Just
i
said
Bundle.
now.
She
must
get
on
to
the
next.
"Used
to
be
a
slummy
sort
point.
:
district
round
about
T.'ttttL
"Bill?"
she
said.
"What's
all
this
Court
Road
way.
It's
ail
r-
about
Seven
Dials?"
down
and
cleaned
ud
now
t
Bill
at
once
looked
horribly
em-
the
Seven
Dials
Club
kerp
barrassed.
He
blinked
and
avoid-
old
atmosphere.
Fried
f'Jj
ed
her
glance.
chips.
Oeneral
squalor
Kir'
"I
don't
know
what
you
mean,"
East
End
stunt,
but
awt
He
said.
to
set
at
after
a
show
Nonsense."
said
Bundle.
"I
was'
"It's
a
night
club.
I
told
you
know
all
about
it"
said
Bundle.
'Dancing
"About
what?"
'that?"
This
was
rather
a
poser.
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