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〃Old scandalmonger；〃 thought Esther Walters。 〃Really； these old women！〃
She said rather coldly； 〃I've no idea。〃
Miss Marple shifted to another subject。 〃It's very sad about poor Major Palgrave isn't it？〃 she said。
Esther Walters agreed； though in a somewhat perfunctory fashion。 〃The people I'm really sorry for are the Kendals；〃 she said。
〃Yes； I suppose it is really rather unfortunate when something of that kind happens in an hotel。〃
〃People e here； you see； to enjoy themselves； don't they？〃 said Esther。 〃To fet about illnesses and deaths and ine tax and frozen pipes and all the rest of it。 They don't like〃 she went on； with a sudden flash of an entirely different manner〃any reminders of mortality。〃
Miss Marple laid down her knitting。 〃Now that is very well put； my dear；〃 she said； 〃very well put indeed。 Yes； it is as you say。〃
〃And you see they're quite a young couple；〃 went on Esther Walters。 〃They only just took over from the Sandersons six months ago and they're terribly worried about whether they're going to succeed or not； because they haven't had much experience。〃
〃And you think this might be really disadvantageous to them？〃
〃Well； no； I don't； frankly；〃 said Esther Walters。 〃I don't think people remember anything for more than a day or two； not in this atmosphere of we'vealleoutheretoenjoyourselveslet'sgetonwithit。 I think a death just gives them a jolt for about twentyfour hours or so and then they don't think of it again once the funeral is over。 Not unless they're reminded of it； that is。 I've told Molly so； but of course she is a worrier。〃
〃Mrs。 Kendal is a worrier？ She always seems so carefree。〃
〃I think a lot of that is put on；〃 said Esther slowly。 〃Actually； I think she's one of those anxious sort of people who can't help worrying all the time that things may go wrong。〃
〃I should have thought he worried more than she did。〃
〃No； I don't think so。 I think she's the worrier and he worries because she worries； if you know what I mean。〃
〃That is interesting；〃 said Miss Marple。
〃I think Molly wants desperately to try and appear very gay and to be enjoying herself。 She works at it very hard but the effort exhausts her。 Then she has these odd fits of depression。 She's notwell not really wellbalanced。〃
〃Poor child；〃 said Miss Marple。 〃There certainly are people like that； and very often outsiders don't suspect it。〃
〃No； they put on such a good show； don't they？ However；〃 Esther added； 〃I don't think Molly has really anything to worry about in this case。 I mean； people are dying of coronary thrombosis or cerebral haemorrhage or things of that kind all the time nowadays。 Far more than they used to； as far as I can see。 It's only food poisoning or typhoid or something like that； that makes people get het up。〃
〃Major Palgrave never mentioned to me that he had high blood pressure；〃 said Miss Marple。 〃Did he to you？〃
〃He said so to somebodyI don't know who。 It may have been to Mr。 Rafiel。 I know Mr。 Rafiel says just the oppositebut then he's like that！ Certainly Jackson mentioned it to me once。 He said the Major ought to be more careful over the alcohol he took。〃
〃I see；〃 said Miss Marple； thoughtfully。 She went on： 〃I expect you found him rather a boring old man？ He told a lot of stories and I expect repeated himself a good deal。〃
〃That's the worst of it；〃 said Esther。 〃You do hear the same story again and again unless you can manage to be quick enough and fend him off。〃
〃Of course I didn't mind so much；〃 said Miss Marple； 〃because I'm used to that sort of thing。 If I get stories told to me rather often； I don't really mind hearing them again because I've usually fotten them。〃
〃There is that；〃 said Esther and laughed cheerfully。
〃There was one story he was very fond of telling；〃 said Miss Marple； 〃about a murder。 I expect he told you that； didn't he？〃
Esther Walters opened her handbag and started searching through it。 She drew out her lipstick saying； 〃I thought I'd lost it。〃 Then she asked； 〃I beg your pardon； what did you say？〃
〃I asked if Major Palgrave told you his favourite murder story？〃
〃I believe he did； now I e to think of it。 Something about someone who gassed themselves； wasn't it？ Only really it was the wife who gassed him。 I mean she'd given him a sedative of some kind and then stuck his head in the gas oven。 Was that it？〃
〃I don't think that was exactly it；〃 said Miss Marple。 She looked at Esther Walters thoughtfully。
〃He told such a lot of stories；〃 said Esther Walters； apologetically； 〃and as I said； one didn't always listen。〃
〃He had a snapshot；〃 said Miss Marple； 〃that he used to show people。〃
〃I believe he did。。。 I can't remember what it was now。 Did he show it to you？〃
〃No；〃 said Miss Marple。 〃He didn't show it to me。 We were interrupted〃
Chapter 9
MISS PRESCOTT AND OTHERS
〃The story I heard；〃 began Miss Prescott； lowering her voice； and looking carefully around。
Miss Marple drew her chair a little closer。 It had been some time before she had been able to get together with Miss Prescott for a hearttoheart chat。 This was owing to the fact that clergymen are very strong family men so that Miss Prescott was nearly always acpanied by her brother； and there was no doubt that Miss Marple and Miss Prescott found it less easy to take their back hair down in a good gossip when the jovial Canon was of their pany。
〃It seems；〃 said Miss Prescott； 〃though of course I don't want to talk any scandal and I really know nothing about it〃
〃Oh； I quite understand；〃 said Miss Marple。
〃It seems there was some scandal when his first wife was still alive！ Apparently this woman； Luckysuch a name！who I think was a cousin of his first wife； came out here and joined them and I think did some work with him on flowers or butterflies or whatever it was。 And people talked a lot because they got on so well togetherif you know what I mean。〃
〃People do notice things so much； don't they；〃 said Miss Marple。
〃And then of course； when his wife died rather suddenly〃
〃She died here； on this island？〃
〃No。 No； I think they were in Martinique or Tobago at the time。〃
〃I see。〃
〃But I gathered from some other people who were there at the time； and who came on here and talked about things； that the doctor wasn't very satisfied。〃
〃Indeed；〃 said Miss Marple； with interest。
〃It was only gossip；〃 of course； 〃butwell； Mr。 Dyson certainly married again very quickly。〃 She lowered her voice again。 〃Only a month I believe。〃
〃Only a month；〃 said Miss Marple。
The two women looked at each other。
〃It seemedunfeeling；〃 said Miss Prescott。
〃Yes；〃 said Miss Marple。 〃It certainly did。〃 She added delicately； 〃Was thereany money？〃
〃I don't really know。 He makes his little jokeperhaps you've heard himabout this wife being his 'lucky piece'〃
〃Yes； I've heard him；〃 said Miss Marple。
〃And some people think that means that he was lucky to marry a rich wife。 Though； of course；〃 said Miss Prescott with the air of one being entirely fair； 〃she's very goodlooking too； if you care for that type。 And I think myself that it was the first wife who had the money。〃
〃Are the Hillingdons well off？〃
〃Well； I think they