"Possibly. But you see, there were only the servants in the house when he died - and I don't think it was any of them - in fact I'm quite sure it wasn't. So I'm looking for some delayed action possibility. There's no drug, I suppose, that you can administer and then the person dies weeks later?"

"A convenient idea - but untenable, I'm afraid," said the doctor dryly. "I know you're a responsible person, Entwhistle, but who is making this suggestion? It seems to me wildly far fetched."

"Abernethie never said anything to you? Never hinted that one of his relations might be wanting him out of the way?"

The doctor looked at him curiously.

"No, he never said anything to me. Are you sure, Entwhistle, that somebody hasn't been - well, playing up the sensational? Some hysterical subjects can give an appearance of being quite reasonable and normal, you know."

"I hope it was like that. It might well be."

"Let me understand. Someone claims that Abernethie told her - it was a woman, I suppose?"

"Oh yes, it was a woman."

"-told her that someone was trying to kill him?"

Cornered, Mr Entwhistle reluctantly told the tale of Cora's remark at the funeral. Dr Larraby's face lightened.

"My dear fellow. I shouldn't pay any attention! The explanation is quite simple. The woman's at a certain time of life - craving for sensation, unbalanced, unreliable - might say anything. They do, you know."

Mr Entwhistle resented the doctor's easy assumption. He himself had had to deal with plenty of sensation-hunting and hysterical women.

"You may be quite right," he said, rising. "Unfortunately we can't tackle her on the subject, as she's been murdered herself."

"What's that - murdered?" Dr Larraby looked as though he had grave suspicions of Mr Entwhistle's own stability of mind.

"You've probably read about it in the paper. Mrs Lanquenet at Lytchett St Mary in Berkshire."

"Of course - I'd no idea she was a relation of Richard Abernethie's!" Dr Larraby was looking quite shaken.

Feeling that he had revenged himself for the doctor's professional superiority, and unhappily conscious that his own suspicions had not been assuaged as a result of the visit, Mr Entwhistle took his leave.

II

Back at Enderby, Mr Entwhistle decided to talk to Lanscombe.

He started by asking the old butler what his plans were.

"Mrs Leo has asked me to stay on here until the house is sold, sir, and I'm sure I shall be very pleased to oblige her. We are all very fond of Mrs Leo." He sighed. "I feel it very much, sir, if you will excuse me mentioning it, that the house has to be sold. I've known it for so very many years, and seen all the young ladies and gentlemen grow up in it. I always thought that Mr Mortimer would come after his father and perhaps bring up a family here, too. It was arranged, sir, that I should go to the North Lodge when I got past doing my work here. A very nice little place, the North Lodge - and I looked forward to having it very spick and span. But I suppose that's all over now."