level-headed old boy.”
Miss Marple made a contribution to the conversation.
“Gentlemen,” she said with her old maid's way of referring to the opposite sex as though it were a species of wild animal, “are frequently not so level-headed as they seem.”
“I'll say you're right,” said Mark. “Unfortunately, Miss Marple, we didn't realize that. We wondered what the old boy saw in that rather insipid and meretricious little bag of tricks. But we were pleased for him to be kept happy and amused. We thought there was no harm in her. No harm in her! I wish I'd wrung her neck.”
“Mark,” said Addie, “you really must be careful what you say.” He grinned at her engagingly.
“I suppose I must. Otherwise people will think I actually did wring her neck. Oh, well, I suppose I'm under suspicion anyway. If anyone had an interest in seeing that girl dead, it was Addie and myself.”
“Mark,” cried Mrs Jefferson, half laughing and half angry, “you really mustn't!”
“All right, all right,” said Mark Gaskell pacifically. “But I do like speaking my mind. Fifty thousand pounds our esteemed father-in-law was proposing to settle upon that half-baked, nit-witted little sly puss -”
“Mark, you mustn't! She's dead!”
“Yes, she's dead, poor little devil. And after all, why shouldn't she use the weapons that Nature gave her? Who am I to judge? Done plenty of rotten things myself in my life. No, let's say Ruby was entitled to plot and scheme, and we were mugs not to have tumbled to her game sooner.”
Sir Henry said, “What did you say when Conway told you he proposed to adopt the girl?”
Mark thrust out his hands. “What could we say? Addie, always the little lady, retained her self-control admirably. Put a brave face upon it. I endeavoured to follow her example.”
“I should have made a fuss!” said Mrs Bantry.
“Well, frankly speaking, we weren't entitled to make a fuss. It was Jeffs money. We weren't his flesh and blood. He'd always been damned good to us. There was nothing for it but to bite on the bullet.” He added reflectively, “But we didn't love little Ruby.”
Adelaide Jefferson said, “If only it had been some other kind of girl. Jeff had two godchildren, you know. If it had been one ofthem well, one would have understood it.” She added with a shade of resentment, “And Jeffs always seemed so fond of Peter.”
“Of course,” said Mrs Bantry. “I always have known Peter was your first husband's child, but I'd quite forgotten it. I've always thought of him as Mr Jefferson's grandson.”
“So have I,” said Adelaide. Her voice held a note that made Miss Marple turn in her chair and look at her.
“It was Josie's fault,” said Mark “Josie brought her here.”
Adelaide said, “Oh, but surely you don't think it was deliberate, do you? Why, you've always liked Josie so much.”
“Yes, I did like her. I thought she was a good sport.” “It was sheer accident, her bringing the girl down.” “Josie's got a good head on her shoulders, my girl.” “Yes, but she couldn't foresee -”
Mark said, “No, she couldn't. I admit it. I'm not really accusing her of planning the whole thing. But I've no doubt she saw which way the wind was blowing long before we did, and kept very quiet about it.”
Adelaide said with a sigh, “I suppose one can't blame her for that.” Mark said, “Oh, we can't blame anyone for anything!” Mrs Bantry asked, “Was Ruby Keene very pretty?” Mark stared at her. “I thought you'd seen -”
Mrs Bantry said hastily, “Oh, yes, I saw her her body. But she'd been strangled, you know, and one couldn't tell -” She shivered.
Mark said thoughtfully, “I don't think she was really pretty at all. She certainly wouldn't have been without any make-up. A thin ferrety little face, not much chin, teeth running down her throat, nondescript sort of nose -”
“It sounds revolting,” said Mrs Bantry.
“Oh, no, she wasn't. As I say, with make-up she
Miss Marple made a contribution to the conversation.
“Gentlemen,” she said with her old maid's way of referring to the opposite sex as though it were a species of wild animal, “are frequently not so level-headed as they seem.”
“I'll say you're right,” said Mark. “Unfortunately, Miss Marple, we didn't realize that. We wondered what the old boy saw in that rather insipid and meretricious little bag of tricks. But we were pleased for him to be kept happy and amused. We thought there was no harm in her. No harm in her! I wish I'd wrung her neck.”
“Mark,” said Addie, “you really must be careful what you say.” He grinned at her engagingly.
“I suppose I must. Otherwise people will think I actually did wring her neck. Oh, well, I suppose I'm under suspicion anyway. If anyone had an interest in seeing that girl dead, it was Addie and myself.”
“Mark,” cried Mrs Jefferson, half laughing and half angry, “you really mustn't!”
“All right, all right,” said Mark Gaskell pacifically. “But I do like speaking my mind. Fifty thousand pounds our esteemed father-in-law was proposing to settle upon that half-baked, nit-witted little sly puss -”
“Mark, you mustn't! She's dead!”
“Yes, she's dead, poor little devil. And after all, why shouldn't she use the weapons that Nature gave her? Who am I to judge? Done plenty of rotten things myself in my life. No, let's say Ruby was entitled to plot and scheme, and we were mugs not to have tumbled to her game sooner.”
Sir Henry said, “What did you say when Conway told you he proposed to adopt the girl?”
Mark thrust out his hands. “What could we say? Addie, always the little lady, retained her self-control admirably. Put a brave face upon it. I endeavoured to follow her example.”
“I should have made a fuss!” said Mrs Bantry.
“Well, frankly speaking, we weren't entitled to make a fuss. It was Jeffs money. We weren't his flesh and blood. He'd always been damned good to us. There was nothing for it but to bite on the bullet.” He added reflectively, “But we didn't love little Ruby.”
Adelaide Jefferson said, “If only it had been some other kind of girl. Jeff had two godchildren, you know. If it had been one ofthem well, one would have understood it.” She added with a shade of resentment, “And Jeffs always seemed so fond of Peter.”
“Of course,” said Mrs Bantry. “I always have known Peter was your first husband's child, but I'd quite forgotten it. I've always thought of him as Mr Jefferson's grandson.”
“So have I,” said Adelaide. Her voice held a note that made Miss Marple turn in her chair and look at her.
“It was Josie's fault,” said Mark “Josie brought her here.”
Adelaide said, “Oh, but surely you don't think it was deliberate, do you? Why, you've always liked Josie so much.”
“Yes, I did like her. I thought she was a good sport.” “It was sheer accident, her bringing the girl down.” “Josie's got a good head on her shoulders, my girl.” “Yes, but she couldn't foresee -”
Mark said, “No, she couldn't. I admit it. I'm not really accusing her of planning the whole thing. But I've no doubt she saw which way the wind was blowing long before we did, and kept very quiet about it.”
Adelaide said with a sigh, “I suppose one can't blame her for that.” Mark said, “Oh, we can't blame anyone for anything!” Mrs Bantry asked, “Was Ruby Keene very pretty?” Mark stared at her. “I thought you'd seen -”
Mrs Bantry said hastily, “Oh, yes, I saw her her body. But she'd been strangled, you know, and one couldn't tell -” She shivered.
Mark said thoughtfully, “I don't think she was really pretty at all. She certainly wouldn't have been without any make-up. A thin ferrety little face, not much chin, teeth running down her throat, nondescript sort of nose -”
“It sounds revolting,” said Mrs Bantry.
“Oh, no, she wasn't. As I say, with make-up she
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