Latter End

In the same strange hush they heard Mi

“It didn’t occur to you that the powder which Mrs. Latter was putting into the cup could be anything but sugar?”

“I thought it was sugar, or some sweetening compound- something like saccharin. She went in for slimming treatment sometimes. I thought she was sweetening her own cup-she liked her coffee very sweet.”

“And when she took it over and set it down by Mr. Latter’s chair-what did you think then?”

Her voice faltered for the first time.

“I thought-she was angry with him. I thought she had- done it on purpose. He doesn’t like his coffee with more than one lump in it-that is why I changed the cups.”

“That was your only reason?”

“Yes.”

She was asked to identify the snuffbox.

“It is the one from which you saw the powder tipped into the coffee, and which Mrs. Latter afterwards filled with rose-leaves?”

It lay on the table between them, bright with its silver-gilt and its painted lid-a coquettish French Venus with a blue riband floating and roses in her hair-a laughing Cupid taking aim with a toy bow and arrow. Such a pretty trifle to carry poison.

Mi

The police analyst, recalled, deposed to having examined the box, and to having discovered particles of a white powder adhering to the sides and bottom under the dried rose-leaves. Traces of morphia had been found. The powder was identical with specimens from Mrs. Latter’s bathroom.

There were no more witnesses.

The Coroner summed up briskly. The jury retired. The hall broke into sound.

The party from Latter End sat silent whilst the village hummed. They did not even speak to one another. Julia looked once at Mi

The spider moved, ran another inch or two, and went dead again. He went on watching it.

The jury were only out for a quarter of an hour. Their foreman, a big hearty looking farmer, said his say in a very slow, weighty, and deliberate ma

“We find that the deceased lady died of morphia poisoning-that the morphia was in the coffee which she prepared for her husband and placed beside his chair-that Miss Mercer exchanged the cups without knowing that there was poison in one of them, and that she is in no way to blame for what happened. And we would like to say that we are quite satisfied that she took all proper precautions about keeping the morphia locked up, and that she is in no way to blame.”

There was a murmur of applause, immediately checked by the Coroner.

“That is a verdict of Accidental Death.”

“Yes, sir. But we want it put on record that there was no one else to blame. And we’d like, if it’s proper, to express our sympathy with Mr. Latter.”

Jimmy Latter got up and went out by the side door. Antony went with him. A moment later the rest of the party followed them. The village of Rayne was left to the discussion of the biggest sensation it had had since Cromwell’s troopers stabled their horses in the church.

CHAPTER 39

Antony came out of the study. He met Mi

“He wants to see Mi

He said at last, “It’s a bad business, Min.”

“Yes, my dear.”

After another pause he put out a hand and touched hers.

“You saved my life.”

She couldn’t speak. The touch had been withdrawn at once. After a moment he said,

“I don’t seem to take it in yet. I’ve been a great trouble to everyone. They’ve all been so good to me. Will you tell them, and say I’m going to do my best? Everybody’s been so good.”

“Yes, I’ll tell them.”

He leaned back against the window jamb. She felt that he was relieved-that he had said something that was difficult to say and it had relieved him. She knew as well as if he had put it into words that what he had really said was, “You saved my life. I won’t throw it away.” The most terrible weight of all was lifted from her.

After a little he began to talk about Ro

“I’ve told Ellie she can bring him here any time after the funeral. It won’t be too much for you, will it, if Mrs. Huggins comes in every day?”

“No, it won’t be too much. She’s been coming the last few days.”

He rubbed his nose with the old familiar gesture.

“If you want more help, will you arrange about it? You and Ellie mustn’t do too much. Julia said you were doing too much. I want you to arrange about everything just as you used to… You won’t go away, Min?”

“Not if you want me.”

“I’ve always wanted you. I want you to take everything over. I don’t want those people who were coming, the butler and the two maids. Will you see about that-pay them something and say we’re making other arrangements? We don’t want strangers here just now. Only you and Ellie mustn’t do too much-I can’t have that.”

“I’ll see about everything, Jimmy. Co