3. The Evidence of the Valet

           TheAmericanwassucceededbythepaleEnglishmanwiththeinexpressivefacewhomPoirothadalreadynoticedonthedaybefore.Hestoodwaitingverycorrectly.Poirotmotionedtohimtositdown.

           “Youare,Iunderstand,thevaletofM.Ratchett?”

           “Yes,sir.”

           “Yourname?”

           “EdwardHenryMasterman.”

           “Yourage?”

           “Thirty-nine.”

           “Andyourhomeaddress?”

           “21FriarStreet,Clerkenwell.”

           “Youhaveheardthatyourmasterhasbeenmurdered?”

           “Yes,sir.Averyshockingoccurrence.”

           “Willyounowtellme,please,atwhathouryoulastsawM.Ratchett?”

           Thevaletconsidered.

           “Itmusthavebeenaboutnineo’clock,sir,lastnight.Thatoralittleafter.”

           “Tellmeinyourownwordsexactlywhathappened.”

           “IwentintoMr.Ratchettasusual,sir,andattendedtohiswants.”

           “Whatwereyourdutiesexactly?”

           “Tofoldorhanguphisclothes,sir.Puthisdentalplateinwaterandseethathehadeverythinghewantedforthenight.”

           “Washismannermuchthesameasusual?”

           Thevaletconsideredamoment.

           “Well,sir,Ithinkhewasupset.”

           “Inwhatway—upset?”

           “Overaletterhe’dbeenreading.HeaskedmeifitwasIwhohadputitinhiscompartment.OfcourseItoldhimIhadn’tdoneanysuchthing,buthesworeatmeandfoundfaultwitheverythingIdid.”

           “Wasthatunusual?”

           “Oh,no,sir,helosthistempereasily—asIsay,itjustdependedwhathadhappenedtoupsethim.”

           “Didyourmasterevertakeasleepingdraught?”

           Dr.Constantineleanedforwardalittle.

           “Alwayswhentravellingbytrain,sir.