"Yes; he told Joseph to take the decorations down, and said he was a clumsy jackass."
"Did he appear to you to have been hurt by the fall?"
"I don't know. To tell you the truth, he had a way of pretending that he was practically crippled with lumbago whenever anything happened to annoy him, and he certainly did clap his hand to the small of his back, and -" Her voice faltered all at once, and she gave a little gasp, and clutched at a chair-back. "Inspector, what are you asking me all these questions for? You surely don't mean - But such a thing isn't possible!"
Stephen, whose eyes had been fixed on her face throughout, said harshly: "Never mind that! Go on, Mathilda! What happened next?"
She said in a shaken tone: "He went upstairs. Rather slowly. He held on to the banister-rail all the way. I thought he was putting over one of his crippled acts. I heard him slam his door when he got upstairs, and I - I laughed. You see, I thought -"
"That doesn't matter," Stephen interrupted. "What did Joe do? Did he know you were watching?"
She turned her head. "No. Not till I laughed."
"And then? What did he say?"
"I don't remember. Nothing in particular, I think. He gave a little start, but that was quite natural. Oh yes, and he did say that Nat had knocked the steps over on purpose! Then he carried the steps away to the billiardroom. I collected my handbag from this room, and put out my cigarette, and went up to change. Joseph overtook me at the top of the stairs. But - but it isn't possible! It couldn't have happened then!"
Stephen said: "Is it possible, Inspector? Was he stabbed then?"