He got up and strolled away, whistling cheerfully to himself. I looked after him doubtfully. A low chuckle from Poirot recalled me.

"You look, my friend, like one who has envisaged a nest of serpents. Let us hope that our friend the doctor does not practice what he preaches."

"Ah," I said. "But supposing he does?" II

After some hesitations I decided that I ought to sound Judith on the subject of Allerton. I felt that I must know what her reactions were. She was, I knew, a levelheaded girl, well able to take care of herself, and I did not think that she would really be taken in by the cheap attraction of a man like Allerton. I suppose, actually, that I tackled her on the subject because I wanted to be reassured on that point.

Unfortunately I did not get what I wanted ... I went about it clumsily, I daresay. There is nothing that young people resent so much as advice from their elders. I tried to make my words quite careless and debonair. I suppose that I failed. Judith bristled at once.

"What's this?" she said. "A parental warning against the big bad wolf?"

"No, no, Judith, of course not."

"I gather you don't like Major Allerton?"

"Frankly, I don't. Actually I don't suppose you do either."

"Why not?"

"Well - er - he isn't your type, is he?"

"What do you consider is my type, Father?"

Judith can always flurry me. I boggled rather badly. She stood looking at me, her mouth curving upwards in a slightly scornful smile.

"Of course you don't like him," she said. "I do. I think he's very amusing."

"Oh, amusing - perhaps." I endeavoured to pass it off. Judith said deliberately:

"He's very attractive. Any woman would think so. Men, of course, wouldn't see it."

"They certainly wouldn't." I went on, rather clumsily:

"You were out with him very late the other night - " I was not allowed to finish. The storm broke.

"Really, Father, you're being too idiotic. Don't you realize that at my age I'm capable of managing my own affairs. You've no earthly right to control what I do or whom I choose to make a friend of. It's this senseless interference in their children's lives that is so infuriating about fathers and mothers. I'm very fond of you - but I'm an adult woman and my life is my own. Don't start making a Mr. Barrett of yourself."

I was so hurt by this extremely unkind remark that I was quite incapable of replying and Judith went quickly away.

I was left with the dismayed feeling that I had done more harm than good. I was standing lost in my thoughts when I was roused by the voice of Mrs. Franklin's nurse exclaiming archly:

"A penny for your thoughts, Captain Hastings!"

I turned gladly to welcome the interruption.

Nurse Craven was really a very good-looking young woman. Her manner was perhaps a little on the arch and sprightly side, but she was pleasant and intelligent. She had just come from establishing her patient in a sunny spot not far from the improvised laboratory.