Behold Here's Poison Read Free Page B

tinted with mauve. She had been the nearest to Gregory Matthews in age of all his family, and the most like him in temperament. Both resembled nothing so much as steam-rollers in their dealings with their fellow creatures, but the difference between them had lain in the fact that whereas Gregory Matthews had been subject to awe-inspiring rages no one had ever seen Gertrude lose one jot of her implacable calm.
    She was perfectly calm now, though evidently in the grip of some powerful emotion. She stood resting one hand on the gateleg table in the middle of the hall while she delivered herself of various forceful statements. Dr Fielding, pausing on the top stair, heard her quell Harriet's volubility with a stern admonition to the unfortunate lady to control herself; and annihilate Mrs Matthews, who had unwisely repeated the history of her premonition, by saying: 'I have the greatest dislike for that kind of foolish talk, and I must say that I consider it quite uncalled—for in one who was no relation of my poor brother whatsoever. I sincerely trust, Zoë, that you will abandon any attempt to make yourself the central figure in this appalling affair, though I am bound to confess from my knowledge of you that it would be extremely like you to try to focus the limelight on yourself.'
    The candour (and indeed thee blunt truth) of this speech came as near to confounding Mrs Matthews as anything could. The doctor, descending the stairs, thought that it said much for her control that she was able to reply, with unimpaired charity: 'Ah, my dear Gertrude, I'm afraid that you strong-minded women don't always understand us highly-strung creatures.'
    'I understand you perfectly, and I may say that I always have,' replied Mrs Lupton crushingly. She became aware of the doctor's approach, and wheeled round to confront him. 'Dr Fielding, I believe. I have heard of you from my brother.'
    Her tone implied that she had heard no good of him. He answered somewhat stiffly: 'I have been attending Mr Matthews for some time, so I imagine you might.'
    She looked him over. 'And what,' she demanded, 'was, in your opinion, the cause of my unfortunate brother's death?'
    'In my opinion,' replied Fielding with a touch of sarcasm, 'your brother died from syncope.'
    'What on earth's that?' inquired Stella, who had come out of the dining-room as soon as she had heard his voice.
    'You will oblige me,' said Mrs Lupton, ignoring her niece, 'by being more precise.'
    'Certainly,' said Fielding. 'Your brother, as no doubt you know, suffered from a high blood-pressure, coupled with a slight valvula affection of the—'
    'I am quite aware of the fact that you have been treating my brother for heart-trouble,' interrupted Mrs Lupton, 'but I can only say that if he had a weak heart he was the only one of our family thus afflicted. I never believed in it. We come of extremely healthy stock. I am sure that such a thing as a weak heart was never dreamed of in our family.'
    'Possibly not,' said Fielding. 'But the fact remains that your brother had — as you call it — a weak heart. I repeatedly warned him against over-excitement and injudicious diet, and as he invariably disregarded my advice I have very little doubt that his death was due to syncope, produced, in all probability, by an attack of acute indigestion.'
    'The duck!' exclaimed Miss Matthews. 'I knew it!'
    'Yes, dear,' said Mrs Matthews comfortingly. 'I thought at the time that it was a little unwise of you to have ordered duck, but I make it a rule never to interfere in your province. If only one could have foreseen the result!'
    'What did your brother eat for dinner last night?' asked the doctor.
    'Roast duck,' answered Miss Matthews, miserably. 'It never did agree with him, and there were two beautiful lamb cutlets which he wouldn't touch. I can't bear to think of them.'
    'I am afraid,' said Mrs Matthews, recapturing the doctor's attention, 'that last night's dinner was not very suitable for anyone with a