station.'
'I wasn't in London in the last war,' said Tuppence. 'I don't think I'd have liked to spend all night in the tube.'
'Well, this friend of mine, Jenny her name was, oh she used to love the tubes. She said it was ever so much fun. You know, you had your own particular stair in the tube. It was kept for you always, you slept there, and you took sandwiches in and things, and you had fun together and talked. Things went on all night and never stopped. Wonderful, you know. Trains going on right up to the morning. She told me she couldn't bear it when the war was over and she had to go home again. Felt it was so dull, you know.'
'Anyway,' said Tuppence, 'there weren't any flying-bombs in 1914. Just the zeppelins.'
Zeppelins had clearly lost interest for Gwenda.
'It was someone called Mary Jordan I was asking about,' said Tuppence. 'Beatrice said you knew about her.'
'Not really - I just heard her name mentioned once or twice, but it was ages ago. Lovely golden hair she had, my grandmother said. German she was - one of those Frowlines as they were called. Looked after children - a kind of nurse. Had been with a naval family somewhere, that was up in Scotland, I think. And afterwards she came down here. Went to a family called Parks - or Perkins. She used to have one day off a week, you know, and go to London, and that's where she used to take the things, whatever they were.'
'What sort of things?' said Tuppence.
'I don't know - nobody ever said much. Things she'd stolen, I expect.'
'Was she discovered stealing?'
'Oh no, I don't think so. They were beginning to suspect, but she got ill and died before that.'
'What did she die of? Did she die down here? I suppose she went to hospital?'
'No - I don't think there were any hospitals to go to then. Wasn't any Welfare in those days. Somebody told me it was some silly mistake the cook made. Brought foxglove leaves into the house by mistake for spinach - or for lettuce, perhaps. No, I think that was someone else. Someone told me it was deadly nightshade but I don't believe that for a moment because, I mean, everyone knows about deadly nightshade, don't they, and anyway that's berries. Well, I think this was foxglove leaves brought in from the garden by mistake. Foxglove is Digoxo or some name like Digit-something that sounds like fingers. It's got something very deadly in it - the doctor came and he did what he could, but I think it was too late.'
'Were there many people in the house when it happened?'
'Oh, there was quite a lot I should think - yes, because there were always people staying, so I've heard, and children, you know, and weekenders and a nursery maid and a governess, I think, and parties. Mind you, I'm not knowing all about this myself. It's only what Granny used to tell me. And old Mr Bodlicott talks now and then. You know, the old gardener chap as works here now and then. He was gardener there, and they blamed him at first for sending in the wrong leaves, but it wasn't him as did it. It was somebody who came out of the house, and wanted to help and picked the vegetables in the garden, and took them in to the cook. You know, spinach and lettuce and things like that and - er - I suppose they just made a mistake not knowing much about growing vegetables. I think they said at the inquest or whatever they had afterwards that it was a mistake that anyone could make because the spinach or the sorrel leaves were growing near the Digi - Digit-what-not, you see, so I suppose they just took a great handful of both leaves, possibly in a bunch together. Anyway, it was very sad because Granny said she was a very good-looking girl with golden hair and all that, you know.'
'And she used to go up to London every week? Naturally she'd have to have a day off.'
'Yes. Said she had friends there. Foreigner, she was - Granny says there was some as said she was actually a German spy.'
'And was she?'
'I shouldn't think so. The gentlemen liked her all right, apparently. You
'I wasn't in London in the last war,' said Tuppence. 'I don't think I'd have liked to spend all night in the tube.'
'Well, this friend of mine, Jenny her name was, oh she used to love the tubes. She said it was ever so much fun. You know, you had your own particular stair in the tube. It was kept for you always, you slept there, and you took sandwiches in and things, and you had fun together and talked. Things went on all night and never stopped. Wonderful, you know. Trains going on right up to the morning. She told me she couldn't bear it when the war was over and she had to go home again. Felt it was so dull, you know.'
'Anyway,' said Tuppence, 'there weren't any flying-bombs in 1914. Just the zeppelins.'
Zeppelins had clearly lost interest for Gwenda.
'It was someone called Mary Jordan I was asking about,' said Tuppence. 'Beatrice said you knew about her.'
'Not really - I just heard her name mentioned once or twice, but it was ages ago. Lovely golden hair she had, my grandmother said. German she was - one of those Frowlines as they were called. Looked after children - a kind of nurse. Had been with a naval family somewhere, that was up in Scotland, I think. And afterwards she came down here. Went to a family called Parks - or Perkins. She used to have one day off a week, you know, and go to London, and that's where she used to take the things, whatever they were.'
'What sort of things?' said Tuppence.
'I don't know - nobody ever said much. Things she'd stolen, I expect.'
'Was she discovered stealing?'
'Oh no, I don't think so. They were beginning to suspect, but she got ill and died before that.'
'What did she die of? Did she die down here? I suppose she went to hospital?'
'No - I don't think there were any hospitals to go to then. Wasn't any Welfare in those days. Somebody told me it was some silly mistake the cook made. Brought foxglove leaves into the house by mistake for spinach - or for lettuce, perhaps. No, I think that was someone else. Someone told me it was deadly nightshade but I don't believe that for a moment because, I mean, everyone knows about deadly nightshade, don't they, and anyway that's berries. Well, I think this was foxglove leaves brought in from the garden by mistake. Foxglove is Digoxo or some name like Digit-something that sounds like fingers. It's got something very deadly in it - the doctor came and he did what he could, but I think it was too late.'
'Were there many people in the house when it happened?'
'Oh, there was quite a lot I should think - yes, because there were always people staying, so I've heard, and children, you know, and weekenders and a nursery maid and a governess, I think, and parties. Mind you, I'm not knowing all about this myself. It's only what Granny used to tell me. And old Mr Bodlicott talks now and then. You know, the old gardener chap as works here now and then. He was gardener there, and they blamed him at first for sending in the wrong leaves, but it wasn't him as did it. It was somebody who came out of the house, and wanted to help and picked the vegetables in the garden, and took them in to the cook. You know, spinach and lettuce and things like that and - er - I suppose they just made a mistake not knowing much about growing vegetables. I think they said at the inquest or whatever they had afterwards that it was a mistake that anyone could make because the spinach or the sorrel leaves were growing near the Digi - Digit-what-not, you see, so I suppose they just took a great handful of both leaves, possibly in a bunch together. Anyway, it was very sad because Granny said she was a very good-looking girl with golden hair and all that, you know.'
'And she used to go up to London every week? Naturally she'd have to have a day off.'
'Yes. Said she had friends there. Foreigner, she was - Granny says there was some as said she was actually a German spy.'
'And was she?'
'I shouldn't think so. The gentlemen liked her all right, apparently. You
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