a man whose mind is made up.

"Soit!" he said. "Then I must speak for you."

Alfred Inglethorp sprang up again.

"You? How can you speak? You do not know----" he broke off abruptly.

Poirot turned to face us. "Mesdames and messieurs! I speak! Listen! I,
Hercule Poirot, affirm that the man who entered the chemist's shop,
and purchased strychnine at six o'clock on Monday last was not Mr.
Inglethorp, for at six o'clock on that day Mr. Inglethorp was escorting
Mrs. Raikes back to her home from a neighbouring farm. I can produce no
less than five witnesses to swear to having seen them together, either
at six or just after and, as you may know, the Abbey Farm, Mrs. Raikes's
home, is at least two and a half miles distant from the village. There
is absolutely no question as to the alibi!"

CHAPTER VIII. FRESH SUSPICIONS

There was a moment's stupefied silence. Japp, who was the least
surprised of any of us, was the first to speak.

"My word," he cried, "you're the goods! And no mistake, Mr. Poirot!
These witnesses of yours are all right, I suppose?"

"Voila! I have prepared a list of them--names and addresses. You must
see them, of course. But you will find it all right."

"I'm sure of that." Japp lowered his voice. "I'm much obliged to you.
A pretty mare's nest arresting him would have been." He turned to
Inglethorp. "But, if you'll excuse me, sir, why couldn't you say all
this at the inquest?"

"I will tell you why," interrupted Poirot. "There was a certain
rumour----"

"A most malicious and utterly untrue one," interrupted Alfred Inglethorp
in an agitated voice.

"And Mr. Inglethorp was anxious to have no scandal revived just at
present. Am I right?"

"Quite right." Inglethorp nodded. "With my poor Emily not yet buried,
can you wonder I was anxious that no more lying rumours should be
started."

"Between you and me, sir," remarked Japp, "I'd sooner have any amount
of rumours than be arrested for murder. And I venture to think your poor
lady would have felt the same. And, if it hadn't been for Mr. Poirot
here, arrested you would have been, as sure as eggs is eggs!"

"I was foolish, no doubt," murmured Inglethorp. "But you do not know,
inspector, how I have been persecuted and maligned." And he shot a
baleful glance at Evelyn Howard.

"Now, sir," said Japp, turning briskly to John, "I should like to see
the lady's bedroom, please, and after that I'll have a little chat with
the servants. Don't you b