‘But she might see no harm in it,’ said Poirot, persisting. ‘Supposing it had been some nice lady who had offered her things.’

‘Someone, you mean, like young Mrs Legge down at the Mill Cottage.’

‘Yes,’ said Poirot. ‘Someone like that.’

‘Give Marlene a lipstick once, she did,’ said Mrs Tucker. ‘Ever so mad, I was. I won’t have you putting that muck on your face, Marlene, I said. Think what your father would say. Well, she says, perky as may be, ’tis the lady down at Lawder’s Cottage as give it me. Said as how it would suit me, she did. Well, I said, don’t you listen to what no London ladies say. ’Tis all very well for them, painting their faces and blacking their eyelashes and everything else. But you’re a decent girl, I said, and you wash your face with soap and water until you’re a good deal older than what you are now.’

‘But she did not agree with you, I expect,’ said Poirot, smiling.

‘When I say a thing I mean it,’ said Mrs Tucker.

The fat Marilyn suddenly gave an amused giggle. Poirot shot her a keen glance.

‘Did Mrs Legge give Marlene anything else?’ he asked.

‘Believe she gave her a scarf or summat – one she hadn’t no more use for. A showy sort of thing, but not much quality. I know quality when I see it,’ said Mrs Tucker, nodding her head. ‘Used to work at Nasse House as a girl, I did. Proper stuff the ladies wore in those days. No gaudy colours and all this nylon and rayon; real good silk. Why, some of their taffeta dresses would have stood up by themselves.’

‘Girls like a bit of finery,’ said Mr Tucker indulgently. ‘I don’t mind a few bright colours myself, but I won’t have this ’ere mucky lipstick.’

‘A bit sharp I was with her,’ said Mrs Tucker, her eyes suddenly misty, ‘and her gorn in that terrible way. Wished afterwards I hadn’t spoken so sharp. Ah, nought but trouble and funerals lately, it seems. Troubles never come singly, so they say, and ’tis true enough.’

‘You have had other losses?’ inquired Poirot politely.

‘The wife’s father,’ explained Mr Tucker. ‘Come across the ferry in his boat from the Three Dogs late at night, and must have missed his footing getting on to the quay and fallen in the river. Of course he ought to have stayed quiet at home at his age. But there, yu can’t do anything with the old ’uns. Always pottering about on the quay, he was.’