The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories (Hercule Poirot 21)

in trousers with brightly colored handkerchiefs

tied round the upper halves of their bodies. Young

men in berets with rather long hair held forth in

"Mac's Bar" on such subjects as plastic values

and abstraction in art.

On the day after Mr. Parker Pyne's arrival,

Mrs. Chester made a few conventional remarks to

him on the subject of the view and the likelihood

of the weather keeping fine. She then chatted a

little with the German lady about knitting, and

had a few pleasant words about the sadness of the

political situation with two Danish gentlemen who

spent their time rising at dawn and walking for

eleven hours.

Mr. Parker Pyne found Basil Chester a most

likeable young man. He called Mr. Parker Pyne

"sir" and listened most politely to anything the

older man said. Sometimes the three English

people had coffee together after dinner in the

evening. After the third day, Basil left the party

after ten' minutes or so and Mr. Parker Pyne was

left tte-&-tte with Mrs. Chester.

They talked about flowers and the growing of

them, of the lamentable state of the English pound

and of how expensive France had become, and of

the difficulty of getting good afternoon tea.

Every evening when her son departed, Mr.

Parker Pyne saw the quickly concealed tremor of

her lips, but immediately she recovered and dis

PROBLEM AT POLLENSA BAY