The cat, which had sprung on to his knee, arched its back under his caressing, turned round twice, and settled down, purring loudly.
"Would you say he was a gentleman, sir?"
"I should say he was a high-class bounder," promptly replied Timothy. "Still, I know what you mean, and I suppose the answer is Yes. I don't know what school had the rare privilege of rearing him, but unless he was uncommon quick at picking up ways and tricks which can't possibly be described he was certainly at a decent one. I never heard him mention any relations, nor have I met anyone else of his name. You'd think anyone with a fine double-barrelled name like that would have hundreds of cousins littering the country, wouldn't you? Not so, but far otherwise! However, one must be fair, and he had no military prefix to his name. It always seemed to me the one thing lacking to complete the picture. Anything more I can tell you about him, or have I been defamatory enough to be going on with?"
"Something seems to tell me that you didn't like him," said Hemingway, with a twinkle.
"I expect your instinct gets pretty highly developed at your job," said Timothy. "I didn't. Broadly speaking, I'm in sympathy with his murderer, though I can't say I'm in favour of strangling people at Bridge-parties. Breaks the evening up so."
"If you don't mind my saying so, sir, you're a coldblooded young devil!" said Hemingway frankly. "Of course, if you do, I shall have to take it back, but I shall go on thinking it! My next question is what you might call delicate. Who is this Mrs. Haddington?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, Chief Inspector. Widow in comfortable circumstances who gate-crashed Society about eighteen months ago. Previously unknown to Society, according to my Mamma. Said to have lived much abroad. Obvious reason for the gate-crash, one staggeringly beautiful daughter. How it was done, God knows! You wouldn't call her an attractive type, would you?"
"I would not, sir. Would money do it?"
"It would do a bit. Wouldn't get her into the houses I've seen her in. I'm told she was sponsored by Lady Nest Poulton. They appear to be bosom friends - which is another surprising thing. Lady Nest isn't exactly choosey, but she usually takes up celebrities, or very amusing types: not dull and rather off-white widows with lovely daughters. The money angle wouldn't interest her - her husband is rolling in the stuff. Nor is she the kind of woman who has a yen for launching debutantes. But she actually presented Cynthia Haddington last spring, and gave a ball for her. All very obscure."
"Tell me a little about these Poultons, sir, will you? Lady Nest, now - would she be Lady Nest Ellerbeck that used to get her picture in all the papers when she was a girl?"