‘The gentleman she’s going to marry? Oh, yes. He’s been here quite a bit off and on. Member of Parliament, they do say.’

‘It wasn’t he who came last night?’

‘No, sir, it was not.’ Mrs Hogg drew herself up. A note of excitement disguised beneath intense primness came into her voice. ‘And if you ask me, sir, what you are thinking is all wrong. Mrs Allen wasn’t that kind of lady, I’m sure. It’s true there was no one in the house, but I do not believe anything of the kind—I said so to Hogg only this morning. “No, Hogg,” I said, “Mrs Allen was a lady—a real lady—so don’t go suggesting things”—knowing what a man’s mind is, if you’ll excuse my mentioning it. Always coarse in their ideas.’

Passing this insult by, Japp proceeded:

‘You saw him arrive and you saw him leave—that’s so, isn’t it?’

‘That’s so, sir.’

‘And you didn’t hear anything else? Any sounds of a quarrel?’

‘No, sir, nor likely to. Not, that is to say, that such things couldn’t be heard—because the contrary to that is well known—and down the other end the way Mrs Stevens goes for that poor frightened maid of hers is common talk—and one and all we’ve advised her not to stand it, but there, the wages is good—temper of the devil she may have but pays for it—thirty shillings a week…’

Japp said quickly:

‘But you didn’t hear anything of the kind at No. 14?’

‘No, sir. Nor likely to with fireworks popping off here, there and everywhere and my Eddie with his eyebrows singed off as near as nothing.’

‘This man left at ten-twenty—that’s right, is it?’

‘It might be, sir. I couldn’t say myself. But Hogg says so and he’s a very reliable, steady man.’

‘You actually saw him leave. Did you hear what he said?’

‘No, sir. I wasn’t near enough for that. Just saw him from my windows, standing in the doorway talking to Mrs Allen.’

‘See her too?’

‘Yes, sir, she was standing just inside the doorway.’

‘Notice what she was wearing?’

‘Now really, sir, I couldn’t say. Not noticing particularly as it were.’

Poirot said:

‘You did not even notice if she was wearing day dress or evening dress?’

‘No, sir, I can’t say I did.’

Poirot looked thoughtfully up at the window above and then across to No. 14. He smiled and for a moment his eye caught Japp’s.

‘And the gentleman?’

‘He was in a dark-blue overcoat and a bowler hat. Very smart and well set up.’

Japp asked a few more questions and then proceeded to his next interview. This was with Master Frederick Hogg, an impish-faced, bright-eyed lad, considerably swollen with self-importance.

‘Yes, sir. I heard them talking. “Think it over and let me know,” the gent said. Pleasant like, you know. And then she said something and he answered, “All right. So long.” And he got into the car—I was holding the door open but he didn’t give me nothing,’ said Master Hogg with a slight tinge of depression in his tone. ‘And he drove away.’