Complete Short Stories of Miss Marple Part 1

Complete Short Stories Of Miss Marple.

By Agatha Christie.

The Tuesday Night Club

'Unsolved mysteries.'

Raymond West repeated the words with a kind of deliberate self-conscious pleasure.

'Unsolved mysteries.'

He looked round him with satisfaction. The room was an old one with broad black beams across the ceiling and it was furnished with good old furniture that belonged to it. Hence Raymond West's approving glance. By profession he was a writer and he liked the atmosphere to be flawless. His Aunt Jane's house always pleased him as the right setting for her personality. He looked across the hearth to where she sat erect in the big grandfather chair.

'That's not what I mean. I was not talking philosophy,' Raymond said. 'I was thinking of actual bare prosaic facts, things that have happened and that no one has ever explained.'

'I know just the sort of thing you mean, dear,' said Miss Marple. 'For instance, Mrs. Carruthers had a very strange experience yesterday morning. She bought two gills of pickled shrimps at Elliot's. She called at two other shops and when she got home she found she had not got the shrimps with her. She went back to the two shops she had visited but these shrimps had completely disappeared. Now that seems to me very remarkable.'

'My dear Aunt,' said Raymond West with some amus.e.m.e.nt, 'I didn't mean that sort of village incident. I was thinking of murders and disappearances the kind of thing that Sir Henry could tell us about by the hour if he liked.'

'But I never talk shop,' said Sir Henry modestly. 'No, I never talk shop.' Sir Henry c.l.i.thering had been until lately Commissioner of Scotland yard. 'I suppose there are a lot of murders and things that never are solved by the police,' said Joyce Lumpier.

'I wonder,' said Raymond West, 'what cla.s.s of brain really succeeds best in unravelling a mystery? One always feels that the average police detective must be hampered by lack of imagination. The art of writing gives one an insight into human nature.'

'I know, dear,' said Miss Marple, 'that your books are very clever. But do you think that people are really so unpleasant as you make them out to be?'

'My dear Aunt,' said Raymond gently, 'keep your beliefs. Heaven forbid that I should in any way shatter them.'

'I mean,' said Miss Marple, puckering her brow a little as she counted the st.i.tches in her knitting, 'that so many people seem to me not to be either bad or good, but simply, you know, very silly.'

Mr. Petherick gave his dry little cough. 'Don't you think, Raymond,' he said, 'that you attach too much weight to imagination? Imagination is a very dangerous thing, as we lawyers know only too well. To be able to sift evidence impartially, to take the facts and look at them as facts that seems to me the only logical method of arriving at the truth.'

'Bah!' cried Joyce, flinging back her black hair indignantly. 'I bet I could beat you all at this game. I am not only a woman and say what you like, women have an intuition that is denied to men I am an artist as well. And as an artist I have knocked about among all sorts and conditions of people. I know life as darling Miss Marple here cannot possibly know it.'

'I don't know about that, dear,' said Miss Marple. 'Very painful and distressing things happen in villages sometimes.'

'May I speak?' said Dr. Pender smiling. 'It is the fas.h.i.+on nowadays to decry the clergy, I know, but we hear things, we know a side of human character which is a sealed book to the outside world.'

'Well,' said Joyce, 'it seems to me we are a pretty representative gathering. How would it be if we formed a Club? What is to-day? Tuesday? We will call it The Tuesday Night Club. It is to meet every week, and each member in turn has to propound a problem. Some mystery of which they have personal knowledge, and to which, of course, they know the answer. Let me see, how many are we? One, two, three, four, five. We ought really to be six.'

'You have forgotten me, dear,' said Miss Marple, smiling brightly.

Joyce was slightly taken aback, but she concealed the fact quickly.

'That would be lovely, Miss Marple,' she said. 'I didn't think you would care to play.'

'I think it would be very interesting,' said Miss Marple, 'especially with so many clever gentlemen present. I am afraid I am not clever myself, but living all these years in St. Mary Mead does give one an insight into human nature.'

'I am sure your co-operation will be very valuable,' said Sir Henry, courteously.

'Well, who is going to start?' said Joyce.

The Idol House of Astarte

'And now, Dr. Pender, what are you going to tell us?'

The old clergyman smiled gently.

'My life has been pa.s.sed in quiet places,' he said. 'Very few eventful happenings have come my way. Yet once, when I was a young man, I had one very strange and tragic experience. Since then I have never laughed at the people who use the word atmosphere. There is such a thing. There are certain places imbued and saturated with good or evil influences which can make their power felt.'

Joyce got up and switched off the two lamps, leaving the room lit only by the flickering firelight.

'Atmosphere,' she said. 'Now we can get along.'

Dr. Pender smiled at her, and leaning back in his chair and taking off his pince-nez, he began his story in a gentle reminiscent voice.

'I don't know whether any of you know Dartmoor at all. The place I am telling you about is situated on the borders of Dartmoor. It was bought by a man called Haydon Sir Richard Haydon. I had known him in his college days, and though I had lost sight of him for some years, the old ties of friends.h.i.+p still held, and I accepted with pleasure his invitation to go down to Silent Grove, as his new purchase was called.

'The house party was not a very large one. There was Richard Haydon himself, and his cousin, Elliot Haydon. There was a Lady Mannering with a pale, rather inconspicuous daughter called Violet. There was a Captain Rogers and his wife, hard riding, weather-beaten people, who lived only for horses and hunting. There was also a young Dr. Symonds and there was Miss Diana Ashley. I knew something about the last named. Her picture was very often in the Society papers and she was one of the notorious beauties of the Season. Her appearance was indeed very striking. She was dark and tall, with a beautiful skin of an even tint of pale cream, and her half-closed dark eyes set slantways in her head gave her a curiously piquant oriental appearance. She had, too, a wonderful speaking voice, deep-toned and bell-like.

'I saw at once that my friend Richard Haydon was very much attracted by her, and I guessed that the whole party was merely arranged as a setting for her. Of her own feelings I was not so sure. She was capricious in her favours. One day talking to Richard and excluding everyone else from her notice, and another day she would favour his cousin, Elliot, and appear hardly to notice that such a person as Richard existed, and then again she would bestow the most bewitching smiles upon the quiet and retiring Dr. Symonds.

'On the morning after my arrival our host showed us all over the place. The house itself was unremarkable, a good solid house built of Devons.h.i.+re granite. Built to withstand time and exposure. It was unromantic but very comfortable. From the windows of it one looked out over the panorama of the Moor, vast rolling hills crowned with weather-beaten Tors.

'On the slopes of the Tor nearest to us were various hut circles, relics of the bygone days of the late Stone Age. On another hill was a barrow which had recently been excavated, and in which certain bronze implements had been found. Haydon was by way of being interested in antiquarian matters and he talked to us with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm. This particular spot, he explained, was particularly rich in relics of the past.

'Neolithic hut dwellers, Druids, Romans, and even traces of the early Phoenicians were to be found.

''But this place is the most interesting of all,' he said.

'You know its name Silent Grove. Well, it is easy enough to see what it takes its name from.'

'He pointed with his hand. That particular part of the country was bare enough rocks, heather and bracken, but about a hundred yards from the house there was a densely planted grove of trees.

''That is a relic of very early days,' said Haydon. 'The trees have died and been replanted, but on the whole it has been kept very much as it used to be perhaps in the time of the Phoenician settlers. Come and look at it.'

'We all followed him. As we entered the grove of trees a curious oppression came over me. I think it was the silence. No birds seemed to nest in these trees. There was a feeling about it of desolation and horror. I saw Haydon looking at me with a curious smile.

''Any feeling about this place, Pender?' he asked me. 'Antagonism now? Or uneasiness?'

''I don't like it,' I said quietly.

''You are within your rights. This was a stronghold of one of the ancient enemies of your faith. This is the Grove of Astarte.'

''Astarte?'

''Astarte, or Ishtar, or Ashtoreth, or whatever you choose to call her. I prefer the Phoenician name of Astarte. There is, I believe, one known Grove of Astarte in this country in the North on the Wall. I have no evidence, but I like to believe that we have a true and authentic Grove of Astarte here. Here, within the dense circle of trees, sacred rites were performed. '

''Sacred rites,' murmured Diana Ashley. Her eyes had a dreamy far-away look. 'What were they, I wonder? '

''Not very reputable by all accounts,' said Captain Rogers with a loud unmeaning laugh. 'Rather hot stuff, I imagine.'

'Haydon paid no attention to him.

''In the centre of the Grove there should be a Temple,' he said. 'I can't run to Temples, but I have indulged in a little fancy of my own.'

'We had at that moment stepped out into a little clearing in the centre of the trees. In the middle of it was something not unlike a summer-house made of stone. Diana Ashley looked inquiringly at Haydon.

''I call it The Idol House,' he said. 'It is the Idol House of Astarte.'

'He led the way up to it. Inside, on a rude ebony pillar, there reposed a curious little image representing a woman with crescent horns, seated on a lion.

''Astarte of the Phoenicians,' said Haydon, 'the G.o.ddess of the Moon.'

''The G.o.ddess of the Moon,' cried Diana. 'Oh, do let us have a wild orgy tonight. Fancy dress. And we will come out here in the moonlight and celebrate the rites of Astarte.'

'I made a sudden movement and Elliot Haydon, Richard's cousin, turned quickly to me.

''You don't like all this, do you, Padre?' he said.

''No,' I said gravely, 'I don't.'

'He looked at me curiously. 'But it is only tomfoolery. d.i.c.k can't know that this really is a sacred grove. It is just a fancy of his; he likes to play with the idea. What do you say, Symonds?'

'The doctor was silent a minute or two before he replied. Then he said quietly: ''I don't like it. I can't tell you why. But somehow or other, I don't like it.'

'At that moment Violet Mannering came across to me.

''I hate this place,' she cried. 'I hate it. Do let's get out of it.'

'We moved away and the others followed us. Only Diana Ashley lingered. I turned my head over my shoulder and saw her standing in front of the Idol House gazing earnestly at the image within it.

'The day was an unusually hot and beautiful one and Diana Ashley's suggestion of a Fancy Dress party that evening was received with general favour. The usual laughing and whispering and frenzied secret sewing took place and when we all made our appearance for dinner there were the usual outcries of merriment. Rogers and his wife were Neolithic hut dwellers explaining the sudden lack of hearthrugs. Richard Haydon called himself a Phoenician sailor, and his cousin was a Brigand Chief, Dr. Symonds was a chef, Lady Mannering was a hospital nurse, and her daughter was a Circa.s.sian slave. I myself was arrayed somewhat too warmly as a monk. Diana Ashley came down last and was somewhat of a disappointment to all of us, being wrapped in a shapeless black domino.

''The Unknown,' she declared airily. 'That is what I am. Now for goodness' sake let's go in to dinner.'

'After dinner we went outside. It was a lovely night, warm and soft, and the moon was rising.

'We wandered about and chatted and the time pa.s.sed quickly enough. It must have been an hour later when we realized that Diana Ashley was not with us.

''Surely she has not gone to bed,' said Richard Haydon.

'Violet Mannering shook her head.

''Oh, no,' she said. 'I saw her going off in that direction about a quarter of an hour ago.' She pointed as she spoke towards the grove of trees that showed black and shadowy in the moonlight.

''I wonder what she is up to,' said Richard Haydon, 'some devilment, I swear. Let's go and see.'

'We all trooped off together, somewhat curious as to what Miss Ashley had been up to. Yet I, for one, felt a curious reluctance to enter that dark foreboding belt of trees. Something stronger than myself seemed to be holding me back and urging me not to enter. I felt more definitely convinced than ever of the essential evilness of the spot.

'Suddenly we came out into the open clearing in the middle of the grove and stood rooted to the spot in amazement, for there, on the threshold of the Idol House, stood a s.h.i.+mmering figure wrapped tightly round in diaphanous gauze and with two crescent horns rising from the dark ma.s.ses of her hair.

''My G.o.d!' said Richard Haydon, and the sweat sprang out on his brow.

'But Violet Mannering was sharper.

''Why, it's Diana,' she exclaimed. 'What has she done to herself? Oh, she looks quite different somehow!'

'The figure in the doorway raised her hands. She took a step forward and chanted in a high sweet voice.

''I am the Priestess of Astarte,' she crooned. 'Beware how you approach me, for I hold death in my hand.'

'Don't do it dear,' protested Lady Mannering. 'You give us the creeps, you really do.'

'Haydon sprang forward towards her.

''My G.o.d, Diana!' he cried. 'You are wonderful. But do stop it. Somehow or other I I don't like it.'

'He was moving towards her across the gra.s.s and she flung out a hand towards him.

''Stop,' she cried. 'One step nearer and I will smite you with the magic of Astarte.'

'Richard Haydon laughed and quickened his pace, when all at once a curious thing happened. He hesitated for a moment, then seemed to stumble and fall headlong.

'He did not get up again, but lay where he had fallen p.r.o.ne on the ground.

'Suddenly Diana began to laugh hysterically. It was a strange horrible sound breaking the silence of the glade.

'With an oath Elliot sprang forward.

''I can't stand this,' he cried, 'get up, d.i.c.k, get up, man.'

'But still Richard Haydon lay where he had fallen. Elliot Haydon reached his side, knelt by him and turned him gently over. He bent over him, peering in his face.

'Then he rose sharply to his feet and stood swaying a little.

''Doctor,' he said. 'Doctor, for G.o.d's sake come. I I think he is dead.'