"Not particularly. Why?"
"This. If the application of the salve constituted the final act, and thereafter death became inevitable, it
might be highly embarrassing to Madame Mandilip to have her victim going in and out of her shop during
the time it took the poison to kill. The seizure might even take place there, and lead to dangerous
questions. The clever thing, therefore, would be to cause the unsuspecting sacrifice to lose all interest in
her; indeed, feel a repulsion against her, or even perhaps forget her. This could be easily accomplished by
post-hypnotic suggestion. And Madame Mandilip had every opportunity for it. Would this not explain
Harriet's distaste as logically as imagination-or emotionalism?"
"Yes," I admitted.
"And so," he said, "we have the woman's failure to go to the door with Harriet that day explained. Her