Poirot considered a little while. Then he said: “I think that is all, monsieur.”
“You would like to see the maid, Jane Mason?”
“If you please.”
Halliday rang the bell, and gave a short order to the footman. A few minutes later Jane Mason entered the room, a respectable, hard-featured woman, as emotionless in the face of tragedy as only a good servant can be.
“You will permit me to put a few questions? Your mistress, she was quite as usual before starting yesterday morning? Not excited or flurried?”
“Oh, no sir!”
“But at Bristol she was quite different?”
“Yes sir, regular upset—so nervous she didn’t seem to know what she was saying.”
“What did she say exactly?”
“Well sir, as near as I can remember, she said: ‘Mason, I’ve got to alter my plans. Something has happened—I mean, I’m not getting out here after all. I must go on. Get out the luggage and put it in the cloak-room; then have some tea, and wait for me in the station.’