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first, a fragment of green material; second, a stain on the carpet near the
window, still damp; thirdly, an empty box of bromide powders.
"
To take the fragment of green material first, I found it caught in the bolt of
the communicating door between that room and the adjoining one occupied
by Mademoiselle Cynthia. I handed the fragment over to the police who did
not consider it of much importance. Nor did they recognize it for what it
was--a piece torn from a green land armlet."
There was a little stir of excitement.
"Now there was only one person at Styles who worked on the land--Mrs.
Cavendish. Therefore it must have been Mrs. Cavendish who entered the
deceased's room through the door communicating with Mademoiselle
Cynthia's room."
"
"
But that door was bolted on the inside!" I cried.
When I examined the room, yes. But in the first place we have only her
word for it, since it was she who tried that particular door and reported it
fastened. In the ensuing confusion she would have had ample opportunity to
shoot the bolt across. I took an early opportunity of verifying my
conjectures. To begin with, the fragment corresponds exactly with a tear in
Mrs. Cavendish's armlet. Also, at the inquest, Mrs. Cavendish declared that
she had heard, from her own room, the fall of the table by the bed. I took an
early opportunity of testing that statement by stationing my friend Monsieur
Hastings in the left wing of the building, just outside Mrs. Cavendish's door.
I myself, in company with the police, went to the deceased's room, and
whilst there I, apparently accidentally, knocked over the table in question,
but found that, as I had expected, Monsieur Hastings had heard no sound
at all. This confirmed my belief that Mrs. Cavendish was not speaking the
truth when she declared that she had been dressing in her room at the time
of the tragedy. In fact, I was convinced that, far from having been in her own
room, Mrs. Cavendish was actually in the deceased's room when the alarm
was given."
I shot a quick glance at Mary. She was very pale, but smiling.
"I proceeded to reason on that assumption. Mrs. Cavendish is in her
mother-in-law's room. We will say that she is seeking for something and has
not yet found it. Suddenly Mrs. Inglethorp awakens and is seized with an
alarming paroxysm. She flings out her arm, overturning the bed table, and
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