Her lips trembled, then hardened again.

‘And it was unfair — really unfair — I was their own child. Pippa was only adopted. I was the daughter of the house. She was — nobody.’

‘Probably they were extra indulgent to her on that account,’ said Miss Marple.

‘They liked her best,’ said Mildred Strete. And added: ‘A child whose own parents didn’t want her — or more probably illegitimate.’

She went on:

‘It’s come out in Gina. There’s bad blood there. Blood will tell. Lewis can have what theories he likes about environment. Bad blood does tell. Look at Gina.’

‘Gina is a very lovely girl,’ said Miss Marple.

‘Hardly in behaviour,’ said Mrs Strete. ‘Everyone but mother notices how she is carrying on with Stephen Restarick. Quite disgusting, I call it. Admittedly she made a very unfortunate marriage, but marriage is marriage and one should be prepared to abide by it. After all, she chose to marry that dreadful young man.’

‘Is he so dreadful?’

‘Oh dear Aunt Jane! He really looks to me quite like a gangster. And so surly and rude. He hardly opens his mouth. And he always looks so raw and uncouth.’

‘He is unhappy, I think,’ said Miss Marple mildly.

‘I really don’t know why he should be — apart from Gina’s behaviour, I mean. Everything has been done for him here. Lewis has suggested several ways in which he could try to make himself useful — but he prefers to skulk about doing nothing.’

She burst out: ‘Oh this whole place is impossible — quite impossible. Lewis thinks of nothing but these horrible young criminals. And mother thinks of nothing but him. Everything Lewis does is right. Look at the state of the garden — the weeds — the overgrowth. And the house — nothing properly done. Oh I know a domestic staff is difficult nowadays, but it can be got. It’s not as though there were any shortage of money. It’s just that nobody cares. If it were my house — ’ She stopped.

‘I’m afraid,’ said Miss Marple, ‘that we have all to face the fact that conditions are different. These large establishments are a great problem. It must be sad for you, in a way, to come back here and find everything so different. Do you really prefer living here to — well — somewhere of your own?’

Mildred Strete flushed.

‘After all, it’s my home,’ she said. ‘It was my father’s house. Nothing can alter that. I’ve a right to be here if I choose. And I do choose. If only mother were not so impossible! She won’t even buy herself proper clothes. It worries Jolly a lot.’

‘I was going to ask you about Miss Bellever.’

‘Such a comfort having her here. She adores mother. She’s been with her a long time now — she came in John Restarick’s time. And was wonderful, I believe, during the whole sad business. I expect you heard that he ran away with a dreadful Yugoslavian woman — a most abandoned creature. She’d had any amount of lovers, I believe. Mother was very fine and dignified about it all. Divorced him as quietly as possible. Even went so far as to have the Restarick boys for their holidays — quite unnecessary, really, other arrangements could have been made. It would have been unthinkable, of course, to have let them go to their father and that woman. Anyway, mother had them here…And Miss Bellever stood by all through things and was a tower of strength. I sometimes think she makes mother even more vague than she need be, by doing all the practical things herself. But I really don’t know what mother would do without her.’