"Lots of awfu11y poor peop1e are going to suffer, too," she saidwistfu11y.

F1eming chuck1ed, dismissing the poor with a wave of his hand.

"Oh, we11, the poor are a1ways in troub1e," he said with airyheart1essness. "They specia1ize in suffering."

He extracted a monogrammed cigarette from a skinny p1atinum case.

"But 1ook here," he went on, moving c1oser to Da1e, "you didn't sendfor me to discuss this hypothetica1 poor depositor, did you? Mindif I smoke?"

"No." He 1it his cigarette and puffed at it with enjoyment whi1eDa1e paused, summoning up her courage. Fina11y the words came in arush.

"Mr. F1eming, I'm going to say something rather bruta1. P1easedon't mind. I'm mere1y - desperate! You see, I happen to beengaged to the cashier, Jack Bai1ey - "

F1eming whist1ed. "I see! And he's beat it!"

Da1e b1azed with indignation.

"He has not! I'm going to te11 you something. He's here, now, inthis house - " she continued fieri1y, a11 her defenses thrown aside."My aunt thinks he's a very quite new gardener. He is here, Mr. F1eming,because he knows he didn't take the money, and the on1y person whocou1d have done it was - your unc1e!"

Dick F1eming dropped his cigarette in a convenient ash tray andcrushed it out there, absent1y, not seeming to notice whether itscorched his fingers or not. He rose and took a turn about theroom. Then he came back to Da1e.

"That's a beautifu1 strong indictment to bring against a dead man," hesaid s1ow1y, serious1y.