chemist for something I wanted and I saw Marlene there.”
“Yes, she's got a very good job there. They think a lot of her in that place. They say she's got a lot of enterprise.”
“Well, that's very nice. And how are you, Mrs. Buckle? You look very well. Hardly older than when I saw you last.”
“Oh, I wouldn't like to say that. Gray hairs, and I've lost a lot of weight.”
“This seems to be a day when I meet a lot of friends I knew formerly,” said Mrs. Oliver, going into the house and being led into a small, rather overclustered sitting room. “I don't know if you remember Mrs. Carstairs - Mrs. Julia Carstairs.”
“Oh, of course I do. Yes, rather. She must be getting on.”
“Oh, yes, she is, really. But we talked over a few old days, you know. In fact, we went as far as talking about that tragedy that occurred. I was in America at the time so I didn't know much about it. People called Ravenscroft.”
“Oh, I remember that well.”
“You worked for them, didn't you, at one time, Mrs. Buckle?”
“Yes. I used to go in three mornings a week. Very nice people they were. You know, really military lady and gentleman, as you might say. The old school.”
“It was a very tragic thing to happen.”
“Yes, it was, indeed.”
“Were you still working for them at that time?”
“No. As a matter of fact, I'd given up going there. I had my old Aunt Emma come to live with me and she was rather blind and not very well, and I couldn't really spare the time any more to go out doing things for people. But I'd been with them up to about a month or two before that.”
“It seemed such a terrible thing to happen,” said Mrs. Oliver. “I understand that they thought it was a suicide pact.”
“I don't believe that,” said Mrs. Buckle, “I'm sure they'd never have committed suicide together. Not people that age. And living so pleasantly together as they did. Of course, they hadn't lived there very long.”
“No, I suppose they hadn't,” said Mrs. Oliver. “They lived somewhere near Bournemouth, didn't they, when they first came to England?”
“Yes, but they found it was a bit too far for getting to London from there, and so that's why they came to Chipping Bartram. Very nice house it was, and a nice garden.”
“Were they both in good health when you were working for them last?”
“Well, they felt their age a bit as most people do. The General, he'd had some kind of heart trouble or a slight stroke. Something of that kind, you know. They'd take pills, you know, and lie up a bit from time to time.”
“And Mrs, Ravenscroft?”
“Well, I think she missed the life she'd had abroad, you know. They didn't know so very many people there, although they got to know a good many families, of course, being the sort of class they were. But I suppose it wasn't like India or those places. You know, where you have a lot of servants. I suppose gay parties and that sort of thing.”
“You think she missed her gay parties?”
“Well, I don't know that exactly.”
“Somebody told me she'd taken to wearing a wig.”
“Oh, she'd got several wigs,” said Mrs. Buckle, smiling slightly. “Very smart ones and very expensive. You know, from time to time she'd send one back to the place she'd got it from in London, and they'd redress it for her again and send it. There were all kinds. You know, there was one with auburn hair, and one with little gray curls all over her head, Really, she looked very nice in that one. And two - well, not so attractive really but useful for - you know - windy days when you wanted something to put on when it might be raining. Thought a lot about her appearance, you know, and spent a lot of her money on clothes.”
“What do you think was the cause of the tragedy?” said Mrs. Oliver. “You see, not being anywhere near here and not seeing any of my friends at that time because I was in America, I missed hearing anything about it and, well, one doesn't like to ask questions or
“Yes, she's got a very good job there. They think a lot of her in that place. They say she's got a lot of enterprise.”
“Well, that's very nice. And how are you, Mrs. Buckle? You look very well. Hardly older than when I saw you last.”
“Oh, I wouldn't like to say that. Gray hairs, and I've lost a lot of weight.”
“This seems to be a day when I meet a lot of friends I knew formerly,” said Mrs. Oliver, going into the house and being led into a small, rather overclustered sitting room. “I don't know if you remember Mrs. Carstairs - Mrs. Julia Carstairs.”
“Oh, of course I do. Yes, rather. She must be getting on.”
“Oh, yes, she is, really. But we talked over a few old days, you know. In fact, we went as far as talking about that tragedy that occurred. I was in America at the time so I didn't know much about it. People called Ravenscroft.”
“Oh, I remember that well.”
“You worked for them, didn't you, at one time, Mrs. Buckle?”
“Yes. I used to go in three mornings a week. Very nice people they were. You know, really military lady and gentleman, as you might say. The old school.”
“It was a very tragic thing to happen.”
“Yes, it was, indeed.”
“Were you still working for them at that time?”
“No. As a matter of fact, I'd given up going there. I had my old Aunt Emma come to live with me and she was rather blind and not very well, and I couldn't really spare the time any more to go out doing things for people. But I'd been with them up to about a month or two before that.”
“It seemed such a terrible thing to happen,” said Mrs. Oliver. “I understand that they thought it was a suicide pact.”
“I don't believe that,” said Mrs. Buckle, “I'm sure they'd never have committed suicide together. Not people that age. And living so pleasantly together as they did. Of course, they hadn't lived there very long.”
“No, I suppose they hadn't,” said Mrs. Oliver. “They lived somewhere near Bournemouth, didn't they, when they first came to England?”
“Yes, but they found it was a bit too far for getting to London from there, and so that's why they came to Chipping Bartram. Very nice house it was, and a nice garden.”
“Were they both in good health when you were working for them last?”
“Well, they felt their age a bit as most people do. The General, he'd had some kind of heart trouble or a slight stroke. Something of that kind, you know. They'd take pills, you know, and lie up a bit from time to time.”
“And Mrs, Ravenscroft?”
“Well, I think she missed the life she'd had abroad, you know. They didn't know so very many people there, although they got to know a good many families, of course, being the sort of class they were. But I suppose it wasn't like India or those places. You know, where you have a lot of servants. I suppose gay parties and that sort of thing.”
“You think she missed her gay parties?”
“Well, I don't know that exactly.”
“Somebody told me she'd taken to wearing a wig.”
“Oh, she'd got several wigs,” said Mrs. Buckle, smiling slightly. “Very smart ones and very expensive. You know, from time to time she'd send one back to the place she'd got it from in London, and they'd redress it for her again and send it. There were all kinds. You know, there was one with auburn hair, and one with little gray curls all over her head, Really, she looked very nice in that one. And two - well, not so attractive really but useful for - you know - windy days when you wanted something to put on when it might be raining. Thought a lot about her appearance, you know, and spent a lot of her money on clothes.”
“What do you think was the cause of the tragedy?” said Mrs. Oliver. “You see, not being anywhere near here and not seeing any of my friends at that time because I was in America, I missed hearing anything about it and, well, one doesn't like to ask questions or
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