Загадочное происшествие в Стайлзе

           Ihadanadditionalreasonforthatbeliefinthefactthatallthecupsfoundcontainedsugar,whichMademoiselleCynthianevertookinhercoffee.MyattentionwasattractedbythestoryofAnnieaboutsome‘salt’onthetrayofcocoawhichshetookeverynighttoMrs.Inglethorp’sroom.Iaccordinglysecuredasampleofthatcocoa,andsentittobeanalysed.”

           “ButthathadalreadybeendonebyDr.Bauerstein,”saidLawrencequickly.

           “Notexactly.Theanalystwasaskedbyhimtoreportwhetherstrychninewas,orwasnot,present.Hedidnothaveittested,asIdid,foranarcotic.”

           “Foranarcotic?”

           “Yes.Hereistheanalyst’sreport.Mrs.Cavendishadministeredasafe,buteffectual,narcotictobothMrs.InglethorpandMademoiselleCynthia.Anditispossiblethatshehadamauvaisquartd’heureinconsequence!Imagineherfeelingswhenhermother-in-lawissuddenlytakenillanddies,andimmediatelyaftershehearstheword‘Poison’!Shehasbelievedthatthesleepingdraughtsheadministeredwasperfectlyharmless,butthereisnodoubtthatforoneterriblemomentshemusthavefearedthatMrs.Inglethorp’sdeathlayatherdoor.Sheisseizedwithpanic,andunderitsinfluenceshehurriesdownstairs,andquicklydropsthecoffee-cupandsaucerusedbyMademoiselleCynthiaintoalargebrassvase,whereitisdiscoveredlaterbyMonsieurLawrence.Theremainsofthecocoashedarenottouch.Toomanyeyesareuponher.Guessatherreliefwhenstrychnineismentioned,andshediscoversthatafterallthetragedyisnotherdoing.