Page:The Big Four (Christie).pdf/230

 don’t know that the young man and the stepmother always get on together. He’s not quite what you'd call normal—not ‘wanting’ exactly, but decidedly dull in the intellect. Well, this illness of Mr. Templeton’s seemed to me from the first to be very mysterious. At times there seemed really nothing the matter with him, and then he suddenly has one of these gastric attacks with pain and vomiting. But the doctor seemed quite satisfied, and it wasn’t for me to say anything. But I couldn’t help thinking about it. And then”

She paused, and became rather red.

“Something happened which aroused your suspicions?” suggested Poirot.

“Yes.”

But she still seemed to find it difficult to go on.

“I found the servants were passing remarks too.”

“About Mr. Templeton’s illness?”

“Oh, no! About—about this other thing”

“Mrs. Templeton?”

“Yes.”

“Mrs. Templeton and the doctor, perhaps?”

Poirot had an uncanny flair in these things. The nurse threw him a grateful glance and went on.