The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories (Hercule Poirot 21)

the door by which she had entered, and then

passed out through the room where Mr. Rhodes

was working."

Mr. Rhodes cried out: "But I should have seen

&nb

sp; her. The electrician would have seen her go in."

"No," I said. "That's where you're wrong.

You wouldn't see her--not if she were dressed as a

chambermaid." I let it sink in, then I went on,

"You were engrossed in your work--out of the

tail of your eye you saw a chambermaid come in,

go into your wife's room, come back and go out.

It was the same dress--but not the same woman.

That's what the people having coffee saw--a

chambermaid go in and a chambermaid come

out. The electrician did the same. I daresay if a

chambermaid were very pretty a gentleman might

notice her face--human nature being what it is

--but if she were just an ordinary middle-aged

woman--well--it would be the chambermaid's

dressyou would see--not the woman herself."

Mr. Rhodes cried: "Who was she?"

140

Agatha Christie

"Well," I said, "that is going to be a little dif-ficult.

It must be either Mrs. Granby or Miss Car-ruthers.

Mrs. Granby sounds as though she might

wear a wig normally--so she could wear her own

hair as a chambermaid. On the other hand, Miss

Carruthers with her close-cropped mannish head