she sends them into Exeter twice a week in her car, and what with that and the living being so good, they agreed to stop on, but if you ask me it's a queer business, burying yourself in the country like this, a smart lady like that. Well, well, I suppose I had better be clearing away these tea things.”
She drew a deep breath and so did Charles and Emily.
The lot of information loosened with so little difficulty had almost overwhelmed them.
Charles ventured to put a question.
“Has Major Burnaby got back yet?” he asked.
Mrs Curtis paused at once, tray in hand. “Yes, indeed, sir, came tramping in just the same as ever about half an hour before you arrived. 'Why, sir,' I cried to him. 'You've never walked all the way from Exhampton?' And he says in his stern way, 'Why not? If a man has got two legs he doesn't need four wheels. I do it once a week anyway as you know, Mrs Curtis.' 'Oh, yes, sir,' I says, 'but this is different. What with the shock and the murder and the inquest it's wonderful you've got the strength to do it.' But he only grunted like and walked on. He looks bad though. It's a miracle he ever got through on Friday night. Brave I call it at his age, tramping off like that and three miles of it in a snowstorm. You may say what you like, but nowadays the young gentlemen aren't a patch on the old ones. That Mr Ronald Garfield he would never have done it, and it's my opinion, and it's the opinion of Mrs Hibbert at the post office, and it's the opinion of Mr Pound, the blacksmith, that Mr Garfield ought never to have let him go off alone the way he did. He should have gone with him. If Major Burnaby had been lost in a snowdrift, everybody would have blamed Mr Garfield. And that's a fact.”
She disappeared triumphantly to the scullery amid a clatter of tea things.
Mr Curtis thoughtfully removed an aged pipe from the right side of his mouth to the left side.
“Women,” he said, “talk a lot.”
He paused and then murmured.
“And half the time they don't know the truth of what they are talking about.”
Emily and Charles received this announcement in silence. Seeing that no more was coming, however, Charles murmured approvingly, “That's very true - yes, very true.”
“Ah!” said Mr Curtis, and relapsed into a pleasant and contemplative silence.
Charles rose. “I think I'll go round and see old Burnaby,” he said, “tell him the camera parade will be tomorrow morning.”
“I'll come with you,” said Emily. “I want to know what he really thinks about Jim and what ideas he has about the crime in general.”
“Have you got any rubber boots or anything? It's awfully slushy.”
“I bought some Wellingtons in Exhampton,” said Emily.
“What a practical girl you are. You think of everything.”
“Unfortunately,” said Emily, “that's not much help to you in finding out who's done a murder. It might help one to do a murder,” she added reflectively.
“Well, don't murder me,” said Mr Enderby.
They went out together. Mrs Curtis immediately returned.
“They be gone round to the Major's,” said Mr Curtis.
“Ah!” said Mrs Curtis. “Now, what do you think? Are they sweethearting, or are they not? A lot of harm comes of cousins marrying so they say. Deaf and dumbs and half wits and a lot of other evils. He's sweet on her, that you can see easily enough. As for her, she's a deep one like my Great Aunt Sarah's Belinda, she is. Got a way with her and with the men. I wonder what she's after now? Do you know what I think, Curtis?”
Mr Curtis grunted.
“This young gentleman that the police are holding on account of the murder, it's my belief that he's the one she's set on. And she's come up here to nose about and see what she can find out. And mark my words,” said Mrs Curtis, rattling china, “if there's anything to find out she will find it!”
The Sittaford Mystery
Chapter 14
THE WILLETTS
At the same moment that Charles and Emily started out to visit Major Burnaby,
She drew a deep breath and so did Charles and Emily.
The lot of information loosened with so little difficulty had almost overwhelmed them.
Charles ventured to put a question.
“Has Major Burnaby got back yet?” he asked.
Mrs Curtis paused at once, tray in hand. “Yes, indeed, sir, came tramping in just the same as ever about half an hour before you arrived. 'Why, sir,' I cried to him. 'You've never walked all the way from Exhampton?' And he says in his stern way, 'Why not? If a man has got two legs he doesn't need four wheels. I do it once a week anyway as you know, Mrs Curtis.' 'Oh, yes, sir,' I says, 'but this is different. What with the shock and the murder and the inquest it's wonderful you've got the strength to do it.' But he only grunted like and walked on. He looks bad though. It's a miracle he ever got through on Friday night. Brave I call it at his age, tramping off like that and three miles of it in a snowstorm. You may say what you like, but nowadays the young gentlemen aren't a patch on the old ones. That Mr Ronald Garfield he would never have done it, and it's my opinion, and it's the opinion of Mrs Hibbert at the post office, and it's the opinion of Mr Pound, the blacksmith, that Mr Garfield ought never to have let him go off alone the way he did. He should have gone with him. If Major Burnaby had been lost in a snowdrift, everybody would have blamed Mr Garfield. And that's a fact.”
She disappeared triumphantly to the scullery amid a clatter of tea things.
Mr Curtis thoughtfully removed an aged pipe from the right side of his mouth to the left side.
“Women,” he said, “talk a lot.”
He paused and then murmured.
“And half the time they don't know the truth of what they are talking about.”
Emily and Charles received this announcement in silence. Seeing that no more was coming, however, Charles murmured approvingly, “That's very true - yes, very true.”
“Ah!” said Mr Curtis, and relapsed into a pleasant and contemplative silence.
Charles rose. “I think I'll go round and see old Burnaby,” he said, “tell him the camera parade will be tomorrow morning.”
“I'll come with you,” said Emily. “I want to know what he really thinks about Jim and what ideas he has about the crime in general.”
“Have you got any rubber boots or anything? It's awfully slushy.”
“I bought some Wellingtons in Exhampton,” said Emily.
“What a practical girl you are. You think of everything.”
“Unfortunately,” said Emily, “that's not much help to you in finding out who's done a murder. It might help one to do a murder,” she added reflectively.
“Well, don't murder me,” said Mr Enderby.
They went out together. Mrs Curtis immediately returned.
“They be gone round to the Major's,” said Mr Curtis.
“Ah!” said Mrs Curtis. “Now, what do you think? Are they sweethearting, or are they not? A lot of harm comes of cousins marrying so they say. Deaf and dumbs and half wits and a lot of other evils. He's sweet on her, that you can see easily enough. As for her, she's a deep one like my Great Aunt Sarah's Belinda, she is. Got a way with her and with the men. I wonder what she's after now? Do you know what I think, Curtis?”
Mr Curtis grunted.
“This young gentleman that the police are holding on account of the murder, it's my belief that he's the one she's set on. And she's come up here to nose about and see what she can find out. And mark my words,” said Mrs Curtis, rattling china, “if there's anything to find out she will find it!”
The Sittaford Mystery
Chapter 14
THE WILLETTS
At the same moment that Charles and Emily started out to visit Major Burnaby,
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