"That was what I meant when I said it was all so complicated."

"Let us go over all the main facts quietly and methodically. Recount them to me, Hastings, in an orderly

and lucid fashion."

I started forthwith, endeavouring to be as orderly

and lucid as I could.

"We start," I said, "with Mr. Paynter. A man of fifty-five, rich, cultured, and some'what of a globetrotter. For the last twelve years he has been little in

England, but suddenly tiring of inces sant travelling, he bought a small place in Worcestershire, near Market

Handford, and prepared to settle dov^n. His first action was to write to his only relative, ^ nephew, Gerald

Paynter, the son of his younger brother, and to suggest

to him that he should come and make his home at Croftlands (as the place is called) with [his uncle. Gerald

Paynter, who is an impecunious your-ig artist, was glad

enough to fall in with the arrangement, and had been

living with his uncle for about seven months when the

tragedy occurred."

90 Agatha Christie

"Your narrative style is masterly," murmured Poirot.

"I say to myself, it is a book that talks, not my

friend Hastings."

Paying no attention to Poirot, I went on, warming to

the story.

"Mr. Paynter kept up a fair staff at Croftlands--six servants as well as his own Chinese body servant--Ah

Ling."

"His Chinese servant, Ah Ling," murmured Poirot.

"On Tuesday last, Mr. Paynter complained of feeling unwell after dinner, and one of the servants was despatched to fetch the doctor. Mr. Paynter received the

doctor in his study, having refused to go to bed. What

passed between them was not then known, but before

Doctor Quentin left, he asked to see the housekeeper,

and mentioned that he had given Mr. Paynter a hypodermic injection as his heart was in a very weak state,

recommended that he should not be disturbed, and then

proceeded to ask some rather curious questions about

the servants--how long they had been there, from

whom they had come, etc.

"The housekeeper answered these questions as best

she could, but was rather puzzled as to their purport. A terrible discovery was made on the following morning.

One of the housemaids, on descending, was met by a

sickening odour of burned flesh which seemed to come

from her master's study. She tried the door, but it was

locked on the inside. With the assistance of Gerald

Paynter and the Chinaman that was soon broken in, but

a terrible sight greeted them. Mr. Paynter had fallen

forward into the gas fire, and his face and head were

charred beyond recognition.

"Of course, at the moment, no suspicion was aroused as to its being anything but a ghastly accident. If blame FR1;THE BIG FOUR 91

attached to any one, it was to Doctor Quentin for giving his patient a narcotic and leaving him in such a dangerous position. And then a rather curious discovery was

made.

"There was a newspaper on the floor, lying where it had slipped from the old man's knees. On turning it