sther Walters might easily have Miss Marple paused to select a word in her mind； at the same time conversing cheerfully about her visit to Jamestown。 Ah yes； blossomed。 Esther Walters might have blossomed in the evening hours。
She led the conversation gently in the direction of Jackson。
On the subject of Jackson； Esther Walters was rather vague。
〃He's very petent；〃 she said。 〃A fully trained masseur。〃
〃I suppose he's been with Mr。 Rafiel a long time？〃
〃Oh noabout nine months； I think。〃
〃Is he married？〃 Miss Marple hazarded。
〃Married？ I don't think so；〃 said Esther slightly surprised。 〃He's never mentioned it if so〃
〃No；〃 she added。 〃Definitely not married； I should say。〃 And she showed amusement。
Miss Marple interpreted that by adding to it in her own mind the following sentence： 〃At any rate he doesn't behave as though he were married。〃
But then； how many married men there were who behaved as though they weren't married！！ Miss Marple could think of a dozen examples！
〃He's quite goodlooking；〃 she said thoughtfully。
〃YesI suppose he is；〃 said Esther without interest。
Miss Marple considered her thoughtfully。 Uninterested in men？ The kind of woman； perhaps； who was only interested in one man。 A widow； they had said。 She asked： 〃Have you worked for Mr。 Rafiel long？〃
〃Four or five years。 After my husband died； I had to take a job again。 I've got a daughter at school and my husband left me very badly off。〃
〃Mr。 Rafiel must be a rather difficult man to work for？〃 Miss Marple hazarded。
〃Not really； when you get to know him。 He flies into rages and is very contradictory。 I think the real trouble is he gets tired of people。 He's had five different valetattendants in two years。 He likes having someone new to bully。 But he and I have always got on very well。〃
〃Mr。 Jackson seems a very obliging young man？〃
〃He's very tactful and resourceful；〃 said Esther。 〃Of course； he's sometimes a little〃 She broke off。
Miss Marple considered。 〃Rather a difficult position sometimes？〃 she suggested。
〃Well； yes。 Neither one thing nor the other。 However〃 she smiled〃I think he manages to have quite a good time。〃
Miss Marple considered this also。 It didn't help her much。 She continued her twittering conversation and soon she was hearing a good deal about that natureloving quartet； the Dysons and the Hillingdons。
〃The Hillingdons have been here for the last three or four years at least；〃 said Esther； 〃but Gregory Dyson has been here much longer than that。 He knows the West Indies very well。 He came here； originally； I believe； with his first wife。 She was delicate and had to go abroad in the winters； or go somewhere warm； at any rate。〃
〃And she died？ Or was it divorce？〃
〃No。 She died。 Out here； I believe。 I don't mean this particular island but one of the West Indies islands。 There was some sort of trouble； I believe； some kind of scandal or other。 He never talks about her。 Somebody else told me about it。 They didn't； I gather； get on very well together。〃
〃And then he married this wife。 'Lucky'。〃 Miss Marple said the word with faint dissatisfaction as if to say 〃Really； a most incredible name！〃
〃I believe she was a relation of his first wife。〃
〃Have they known the Hillingdons a great many years？〃
〃Oh； I think only since the Hillingdons came out here。 Three or four years； not more。〃
〃The Hillingdons seem very pleasant；〃 said Miss Marple。 〃Quiet； of course。〃
〃Yes。 They're both quiet。〃
〃Everyone says they're very devoted to each other；〃 said Miss Marple。 The tone of her voice ittal but Esther Walters looked at her sharply。 〃But you don't think they are？〃 she said。
〃You don't really think so yourself； do you； my dear？〃
〃Well； I've wondered sometimes。。。〃
〃Quiet men； like Colonel Hillingdon；〃 said Miss Marple 〃are often attracted to flamboyant types。〃 And she added； after a significant pause 〃Luckysuch a curious name。 Do you think Mr。 Dyson has any idea ofof what might be going on？〃
〃Old scandalmonger；〃 thought Esther Walters。 〃Really； these old women！〃
She said rather coldly； 〃I've no idea。〃
Miss Marple shifted to another subject。 〃It's very sad about poor Major Palgrave isn't it？〃 she said。
Esther Walters agreed； though in a somewhat perfunctory fashion。 〃The people I'm really sorry for are the Kendals；〃 she said。
〃Yes； I suppose it is really rather unfortunate when something of that kind happens in an hotel。〃
〃People e here； you see； to enjoy themselves； don't they？〃 said Esther。 〃To fet about illnesses and deaths and ine tax and frozen pipes and all the rest of it。 They don't like〃 she went on； with a sudden flash of an entirely different manner〃any reminders of mortality。〃
Miss Marple laid down her knitting。 〃Now that is very well put； my dear；〃 she said； 〃very well put indeed。 Yes； it is as you say。〃
〃And you see they're quite a young couple；〃 went on Esther Walters。 〃They only just took over from the Sandersons six months ago and they're terribly worried about whether they're going to succeed or not； because they haven't had much experience。〃
〃And you think this might be really disadvantageous to them？〃
〃Well； no； I don't； frankly；〃 said Esther Walters。 〃I don't think people remember anything for more than a day or two； not in this atmosphere of we'vealleoutheretoenjoyourselveslet'sgetonwithit。 I think a death just gives them a jolt for about twentyfour hours or so and then they don't think of it again once the funeral is over。 Not unless they're reminded of it； that is。 I've told Molly so； but of course she is a worrier。〃
〃Mrs。 Kendal is a worrier？ She always seems so carefree。〃
〃I think a lot of that is put on；〃 said Esther slowly。 〃Actually； I think she's one of those anxious sort of people who can't help worrying all the time that things may go wrong。〃
〃I should have thought he worried more than she did。〃
〃No； I don't think so。 I think she's the worrier and he worries because she worries； if you know what I mean。〃
〃That is interesting；〃 said Miss Marple。
〃I think Molly wants desperately to try and appear very gay and to be enjoying herself。 She works at it very hard but the effort exhausts her。 Then she has these odd fits of depression。 She's notwell not really wellbalanced。〃
〃Poor child；〃 said Miss Marple。 〃There certainly are people like that； and very often outsiders don't suspect it。〃
〃No； they put on such a good show； don't they？ However；〃 Esther added； 〃I don't think Molly has really anything to worry about in this case。 I mean； people are dying of coronary thrombosis or cerebral haemorrhage or things of that kind all the time nowadays。 Far more than they used to； as far as I can see。 It's only food poisoning or typhoid or something like that； that makes people get het up。〃
〃Major Palgrave never mentioned to me that he had high blood pressure；〃 said Miss Marple。 〃Did he to you？〃
〃He said so to somebodyI don't know who。 It may have been to Mr。 Rafiel。 I know Mr。 Rafiel says just the oppositebut then he's like that！ Certainly Jackson mentioned it to me once。 He said the Major ought to be more careful over the alcohol he took。〃
〃I see；〃 said Miss Marple； thoughtfully。 She went on： 〃I expect you found him rather a boring old man？ He told a lot of stories and I expect repeated himself a good deal。〃
〃That's the worst of it；〃 said Esther。 〃You do hear the same story again and again unless you can manage to be quick enough and fend him off。〃
〃Of course I didn't mind so much；〃 said Miss Marple； 〃because I'm used to that sort of thing。 If I get stories told to me rather often； I don't really mind hearing them again because I've usually fotten them。〃
〃There is that；〃 said Esther and laughed cheerfully。
〃There was one story he was very fond of telling；〃 said Miss Marple； 〃about a murder。 I expect he told you that； didn't he？〃
Esther Walters opened her handbag and started searching through it。 She drew out her lipstick saying； 〃I thought I'd lost it。〃 Then she asked； 〃I beg your pardon； what did you say？〃
〃I asked if Major Palgrave told you his favourite murder story？〃
〃I believe he did； now I e to think of it。 Something about someone who gassed themselves； wasn't it？ Only really it was the wife who gassed him。 I mean she'd given him a sedative of some kind and then stuck his head in the gas oven。 Was that it？〃
〃I don't think that was exactly it；〃 said Miss Marple。 She looked at Esther Walters thoughtfully。
〃He told such a lot of stories；〃 said Esther Walters； apologetically； 〃and as I said； one didn't always listen。〃
〃He had a snapshot；〃 said Miss Marple； 〃that he used to show people。〃
〃I believe he did。。。 I can't remember what it was now。 Did he show it to you？〃
〃No；〃 said Miss Marple。 〃He didn't show it to me。 We were interrupted〃
Chapter 9
MISS PRESCOTT AND OTHERS
〃The story I heard；〃 began Miss Prescott； lowering her voice； and looking carefully around。
Miss Marple drew her chair a little closer。 It had been some time before she had been able to get together with Miss Prescott for a hearttoheart chat。 This was owing to the fact that clergymen are very strong family men so that Miss Prescott was nearly always acpanied by her brother； and there was no doubt that Miss Marple and Miss Prescott found it less easy to take their back hair down in a good gossip when the jovial Canon was of their pany。
〃It seems；〃 said Miss Prescott； 〃though of course I don't want to talk any scandal and I really know nothing about it〃
〃Oh； I quite understand；〃 said Miss Marple。
〃It seems there was some scandal when his first wife was still alive！ Apparently this woman； Luckysuch a name！who I think was a cousin of his first wife； came out here and joined them and I think did some work with him on flowers or butterflies or whatever it was。 And people talked a lot because they got on so well togetherif you know what I mean。〃
〃People do notice things so much； don't they；〃 said Miss Marple。
〃And then of course； when his wife died rather suddenly〃
〃She died here； on this island？〃
〃No。 No； I think they were in Martinique or Tobago at the time。〃
〃I see。〃
〃But I gathered from some other people who were there at the time； and who came on here and talked about thi