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Agatha Christie
The Moving Finger
Collins
Collins
HarperCollins Publishers
77-85 Fulham Palace Road
Hammersmith, London W6 8JB
www.collinselt.com
Collins is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Publishers Limited.
This Collins English Readers Edition published 2012
R eprint 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Original text first published in Great Britain by Collins 1943
AGATHA CHRISTIE MISS MARPLE The Moving Finger
Copyright 1943 Agatha Christie Limited. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2012 The Moving Finger abridged edition
Agatha Christie Limited. All rights reserved.
www.agathachristie.com
ISBN: 978-0-00-745163-0
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Educational Consultant: Fitch O Connell
Cover by crushed.co.uk HarperCollins/Agatha Christie Ltd 2008
Typeset by Aptara in India
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Clays Ltd, St Ives pic
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Chapter 1
A g ath a C h ristie
big house any m ore. A nd, now I have m et you, I shall be very
happy to k now that you are here. I really did hate the idea o f
having M en in the house!
At this p o in t Joanna had to tell her about me.
A nd Miss Em ily said, O h, how sad! A flying accident? B ut
you r bro th er w ill be unable to m ove very m uch T h e thought
seem ed to cheer her. A nd she told Joanna that she was going
to live w ith a w om an w ho had once been her servant, D ear
Florence w ho had m arried a builder. T hey now have a nice
house in the H ig h Street and tw o beautiful room s on the top
floor w here I shall be very com fortable.
So Jo an n a and I agreed to rent Little Furze for six m onths,
and w e m oved in. Miss B arto n s servant, Partridge, a thin,
hum ourless w om an, w ho cooked very well, stayed to look after
us. A nd she was helped by a girl w ho came in every m orning.
W h e n w e had been at Little Furze for a w eek M rs Sym m ington,
the law yers wife; Miss G riffith, the doctors sister; M rs D aneC althrop, the vicars wife, and M r Pye o f P rio rs E nd all cam e to
visit us and leave us their address cards.
Jo an n a was very excited. I did n t know that people really
called w ith cards.
T h at is because you k now n o th in g about the country, I said.
N onsense. Ive stayed for lots o f w eekends w ith people in the
country.
T h at is n o t at all the same th in g , I said.
T h en I suddenly k new how selfish m y accident had m ade me.
For m y younger sister is very pretty, and she likes dancing, and
driv in g around in fast cars. This is going to be aw ful for you, I
said to her. You are going to miss L ondon so m uch.
Jo an n a laughed and said she did n t m ind at all. In fact, Im
glad to get away from it all. I was really very upset about Paul
and it w ill take m e a long tim e to get over him .
I didnt believe this. Joannas love affairs are always the same.
She falls madly in love w ith some weak young m an w ho is really
very clever, but no one understands him . She listens to all his
complaints and works hard to get him respect. Then, w hen he
is ungrateful, she says her heart is broken until the next weak
young m an comes along!
So I did not take Joannas pain very seriously. But I did
understand that living in the country was like a new game to my
beautiful sister.
This is a nice place, Jerry! she said. So sweet and funny and
old-fashioned. You just cant think o f anything awful happening
here, can you?
A nd I agreed w ith her. In a place like Lymstock nothing
awful could happen. It is strange to think that it was just a week
later that we got the first letter.
II
A g ath a C h ristie
A g ath a C h ristie
Chapter 2
i
O u r anonymous letter did w orry me a little but I soon stopped
thinking about it. Then, about a week later, our servant,
Partridge, told me that Beatrice, the girl who helped her, would
not be com ing today.
She has been upset, Partridge said.
I said I was sorry and hoped that Beatrice w ould soon be
better.
She is perfectly well, said Partridge. It is her feelings that are
upset. Because o f a letter she has received, suggesting, well, that
she is too friendly w ith you, M r B urton.
Since I hardly knew w hat Beatrice looked like I said, W hat
nonsense!
T hat is just w hat I said to the girls m other, said Partridge.
But Beatrices boyfriend got one o f those letters too, and he
doesnt think it is nonsense at all. So I think it is a good thing
Beatrice has left. Because she would not be so upset unless there
was something she didnt w ant found out. There is no smoke
w ithout fire. M r B urton.
I did not know then how very tired I was going to get o f that
particular phrase.
II
A g ath a C h ristie
the air. I picked up m y w alking sticks and started off. It felt like
an adventure.
B ut I did not, after all, w alk dow n to the to w n alone. I had
no t gone far, w hen I heard the sound o f a bell behind m e, and
then M egan H u n ter alm ost fell o ff her bicycle at m y feet.
H ello, she said as she got up.
I rather liked M egan and always felt rather sorry for her.
She was the lawyer S ym m ingtons step-daughter M rs
S y m m in g to n s daughter by a first m arriage. N o b o d y talked
m uch about M r (or C aptain) H unter. I had heard that he had
treated M rs S ym m ington very badly. She had divorced him then
cam e to Lym stock w ith M egan to forget, and had eventually
m arried the only suitable u n m arried m an in the place, R ich ard
S ym m ington. T h ey had tw o little boys together w h o m they
obviously loved very m uch, and I tho u g h t that M egan m ust
som etim es feel a bit left out.
She w asnt at all like her m other, w ho was a small pretty
w om an. M egan was tall and aw kw ard, and although she was
actually tw enty, she looked m ore like a schoolgirl. She had untidy
bro w n hair, green eyes, a th in face, and a delightful smile. H er
clothes w ere unattractive and she usually w ore thick stockings
w ith holes in them .
She looked, I thought this m orning, m uch m ore like a horse
than a h u m an being. In fact she w ould have been a very nice
horse i f som eone had brushed her.
Ive been up to the farm , she said, to see if they had got any
du ck s eggs. T h ey ve got some sweet little pigs. D o you like pigs?
I even like the smell.
W ell-kept pigs shouldnt smell, I said.
S houldnt they? A re you w alking dow n to the tow n? I saw
you w ere alone, so I th ought I w ould stop and w alk w ith you.
B ut I stopped rather suddenly.
A g ath a C h ristie
10
II
A g ath a C h ristie
12
13
C hapter 3
14
You didnt know the family at all? No, well, the old m other
was an extraordinary person quite extraordinary! A monsterl
The girls ! T hats w hat she always called her five daughters.
And the eldest was well over sixty then. Every night they had to
go to bed at ten oclock. A nd they were never allowed to invite
friends home. She had no respect for them because they were not
m arried. But she arranged their lives so that it was impossible for
them to m eet anybody!
It sounds like a book, said Joanna.
O h, it was. A nd then the awful old w om an died, but of
course it was far too late then. A nd soon they just died one
after the other. All except Emily. It is so sad that she now has
m oney problem s.
W e feel rather awful being in her house, said Joanna.
N o, no, my dear. You m ustnt feel like that. She told me
herself how happy she was to have got such nice tenants.
It was tim e to leave and we all went out into the hall. As we
reached the front door a letter came through the letterbox and
fell on the floor.
M r Pye picked it up. M y dear young people, such a pleasure
to m eet some lively m inds for a change. Lymstock is beautiful,
but nothing ever happens. H e helped me into the car. Then
Joanna drove off and I turned to wave goodbye to M r Pye.
B ut he did not see me, for he hadjust opened his letter. And his
face was tw isted w ith anger and shock. At that m om ent I knew
that there had been som ething familiar about that envelope.
Goodness, said Joanna, looking in the car m irror. W hats
upset the poor old boy?
I think, I said, that its the letter.
You m ean a letter like the one you got? But who writes these
things, Jerry? A nd w hy?
15
A g ath a C h ristie
16
17
A g ath a C h ristie
18
Chapter 4
I
A g ath a C h ristie
I was very surprised w hen she said, Yes, w eve all got a good
idea. M rs Cleat th ats w hat w e all th in k .
A nd w ho is M rs Cleat?
She was, M rs B aker said, the w ife o f an old gardener. B ut
w hen I asked her w hy M rs Cleat w ould w rite these letters, M rs
B aker w ould only say that It w ould be like her.
In the end she left, and I then decided to go and talk to
D r G riffith. H e w ould alm ost certainly know this C leat w om an.
B ut w hen I arrived and told h im about m y conversation w ith
M rs Baker, G riffith shook his head. Its m ost unlikely.
T h en w hy do they all th in k it is her?
H e smiled. O h, because M rs Cleat is the local w itch .
G oodness! I said.
Yes, it does sound rather strange in this m o d ern w orld. B ut
M rs C leat is an unusual w om an w ith a b itter sense o f hum our.
I f a child cuts its finger, she nods and says, Yes, he stole m y
apples last w eek, or H e pulled m y cats tail. So m others give
h er h o n ey and cakes to m ake sure she w o n t m ake som ething
bad happen to them . Its very silly, bu t now o f course they th in k
she m ust be w ritin g the letters.
B ut she isnt?
O h , no. Shes n o t that sort o f person.
II
W h e n I got back to the house, I found M egan sitting on the
veranda steps.
H ello, she said. C ould I com e to lunch?
O f course. I f you like Irish stew.
A bit. I m ean, its like a dogs d in n er isnt it, m ostly potato
and flavour?
Exactly, I said.
20
21
A g ath a C h ristie
22
Chapter 5
i
The R everend Caleb D ane-C althrop and his wife M aud D aneCalthrop were both unusual personalities. D ane-C althrop lived
for his books and in his study. M rs D ane-C althrop was quite the
opposite. She was frighteningly aware of everything around her.
She had a long thin face, and always spoke in a very sincere way.
I soon learned that almost everyone in the village was slightly
afraid of her.
T he day after M egan had come to lunch, M rs D ane-C althrop
stopped me in the H igh Street. O h, M r Burton! N ow what did
I want to see you about? Som ething rather unpleasant, I think.
Im sorry about that, I said.
A h. Anonym ous letters! T hats it. W hy have you brought
anonymous letters to Lymstock?
I didnt bring them , I said. T hey were here already.
N obody got any until you came, though!
Yes they did. Several people got them .
O h dear, she said. T hats all wrong. W ere not like that here.
A nd it upsets me because I ought to know about it.
H ow could you know ? I asked.
Because I usually do. A nd they are such silly letters, too.
Have you had any yourself?
H er eyes opened wider. O h yes, tw o no, three. I forget
exactly what they said. It was som ething about Caleb and the
schoolteacher. Very silly. She paused. A nd there are so many
things the letters m ight say, but dont. T hats w hat is so strange.
They dont seem to know any of the real things.
23
A g ath a C h ristie
24
25
A g ath a C h ristie
26
Griffith said, Im not sure. Ive been treating her for a nervous
condition, so she may have thought that her husband w ould not
believe her w hen she said the story wasnt true. And O w en
walked away slowly dow n the street.
Joanna and I w ent on into the house. T he front door was
open and it seemed easier than ringing the bell, especially when
we heard Elsie H ollands voice from inside the sitting room.
But, M r Sym m ington, you must eat som ething. You havent
had anything since lunchtim e yesterday, and you w ill be ill if you
dont eat or drink.
Sym m ington said, Youre very kind, Miss Holland, but
A nice cup o f hot tea, said Elsie Holland.
Personally I w ould have given the poor fellow som ething
stronger. He was sitting in a chair, looking very confused. But
he took the tea, and said, T hank you so m uch, Miss Holland.
You are being so good to me.
Its nice o f you to say that, M r Sym m ington. And dont
w orry about the children Ill look after them . Also, if I can
help in any other ways, like letter w riting or telephoning, please
do ask m e.
Then, as Elsie H olland turned to go, she saw us and hurried
out into the hall.
Isnt it terrible? she whispered.
Can we speak to you for a m om ent? asked Joanna.
Elsie Holland led the way into the dining room . Its been
awful for M r Sym m ington. Its been such a shock. But, o f course,
M rs Sym ington had been behaving strangely for some time. She
had been very nervous, and often crying.
W h at we really cam e for, said Joanna, was to ask if
M egan could stay w ith us for a few days that is if shed like
to com e?
27
A g ath a C h ristie
28
29
A g ath a C h ristie
Chapter 6
I
T he inquest was held three days later.
T he tim e of M rs Sym m ingtons death was put at betw een
three and four oclock. She was alone in the house, Sym m ington
was at his office, the maids were having their day off, Elsie
H olland and the children were out w alking and M egan had gone
for a bicycle ride.
T he letter must have come by the afternoon post. M rs
Sym m ington must have read it and been very upset, so she had
gone to the garden shed, found some of the cyanide kept there
for killing wasps, m ixed it w ith water and drunk it after w riting
those last words, I cant go on . . .
T he coroner said that whoever had w ritten that evil
anonym ous letter was m orally guilty of murder. The verdict
was: Suicide while tem porarily insane.
T he coroner had done his best. D r Griffith also had done his
best w hen he spoke about M rs Sym m ingtons nervous condition.
But afterwards, w alking through the H igh Street, I heard the
same hateful whisper I had begun to know so well, N o smoke
w ithout fire! There mu^t have been som ething that was true in
the letter. She w ouldnt have done it otherwise . . .
A nd just for a m om ent I hated Lymstock.
II
31
A g ath a C h ristie
32
T h e M o v in g F in g er
Miss G riffiths face w ent red. I was very sorry for D ick
S ym m ington w hen everyone heard about it at the inquest. It was
aw ful for him .
B ut you m ust have heard h im say that there was no t a w ord
o f tru th in that letter?
O f course he said so. A m an s got to protect his wife. A nd D ick
w ould. She paused. You see, Ive kn o w n D ick S ym m ington a
long tim e.
Really? B ut your brother told m e that you only came to
Lym stock a few years ago.
O h yes, b u t w hen w e lived in the n o rth o f E ngland, D ick
S ym m ington used to com e and stay near us. Ive k n o w n h im for
years. H er voice had softened. I kn o w D ick very well. . . . H e s a
p roud m an, and very private. B ut h es the sort o f m an w ho could
be very jealous.
T h at w ould explain, I said, w hy M rs S ym m ington was
afraid to show h im the letter. She was afraid that he m ight not
believe it wasnt tru e.
Miss G riffith looked at m e angrily. D o you really th in k
that any w om an w ould sw allow cyanide because o f som ething
that w asnt true? I f an in n o cen t w om an gets some unpleasant
anonym ous letter, she laughs and throw s it away. T h a ts w hat I
she paused suddenly, and then finished, w ould do.
B ut I had noticed that pause. I see, I said. So youve had
one, to o ?
A im ee G riffith looked straight into m y eyes. W ell, yes. B ut
I d id n t let it w o rry me! I read a few words o f it, then threw it
straight into the w astepaper bin.
I w anted to reply, N o smoke w ith o u t fire! bu t I stopped
m yself and w ent back to talking about M egan.
33
A g ath a C h ristie
34
Em ily Barton, the ow ner o f our house, also called on us just after
we had finished tea to talk about the garden. As we walked back
towards the house she said, I do hope that M egan hasnt been
too upset by this awful business?
H er m others death, you m ean?
That, o f course. But I really m eant, the unpleasantness behind
it.
I was interested. W hat do you think about that letter? Was
it true?
O h, no, no. Im quite sure that M rs Sym m ington never but
why w ould anyone w ant to w rite such a thing?
35
A g ath a C h ristie
A tw isted m ind.
T h at seems very sad.
It doesnt seem sad to me. It ju st seems evil.
B ut why, M r B u rton, why? W h a t pleasure can anyone get
out o f it? She low ered her voice. T hey say that Mrs Cleat - but
I really cannot believe it. N o th in g like this has ever happened
before in Lym stock.
I said, Youve n o t er received any letters yourself?
H e r face w ent very red. O h , no oh, no. O h! T h at w ould
be dreadful.
I quickly apologized, but she w ent away looking upset and I
w ent into the house.
Jo anna was standing by the sitting room fire. She had a letter
in her hand. J erry! I found this in the letterbox. It begins, You
are an evil painted w om an . . .
W h a t else does it say?
Same b u t worse. She dropped it onto the flames.
W ith a quick move that h u rt m y back I picked it up ju st before
it caught fire. D o n t, I said. W e m ay need it.
N eed it?
For the police.
IV
Superintendent N ash cam e to see m e the next m orning. From
the first m om ent I saw h im I liked him . H e was tall, and had
th o u g h tfu l eyes and a quiet m anner.
G ood m orning, M r B u rto n , he said. I expect you can guess
w hat Ive com e to see you about.
Yes, I th in k so. This letter business.
H e nodded. I understand you had one o f th em ?
Yes, soon after we arrived here.
36
37
A g ath a C h ristie
38
T h e M o v in g F in g er
39
A g ath a C h ristie
40
Chapter 7
i
W hen I got hom e I found Mrs D ane-C althrop sitting talking to
Joanna. She looked ill.
This has been such a shock, M r B urton, she said. Poor
thing, poor thing.
Yes, I said. Its awful to think o f someone being so unhappy
that they take their ow n life.
O h, you m ean M rs Sym m ington? she asked.
D idnt you?
Mrs D ane-C althrop shook her head. O f course I am sorry
for her, but it was going to happen some tim e, wasnt it?
Was it? said Joanna.
M rs D ane-C althrop turned to her. O h, I think so. If you
think suicide is the best way to escape from trouble, then it doesnt
m uch m atter what the trouble is. She would have killed herself
one day, because she was that kind of wom an. A lthough she
always seemed rather selfish to me, as though her life was more
im portant than other peoples. But Im beginning to understand
how little I really know anyone.
So w ho were you talking about when you said Poor thing ?
I asked.
T he w om an w ho w rote the letters, o f course. T hink how
unhappy someone must be to do that. H ow lonely. T hats why
I feel so upset. Somebody in this tow n has been filled w ith that
terrible unhappiness, and I did not know about it. I should have
know n. Poor thing! She got up to go.
I felt unable to agree w ith her, so I asked, Have you any idea
w ho this w om an is?
41
A g ath a C h ristie
42
II
43
A g ath a C h ristie
A ugust, said M egan and got up and w ent out o f the French
doors on to the veranda.
W ell, one has th em any tim e in L ondon, said Joanna.
W h e n I had finished m y breakfast, I followed M egan outside.
Standing on the veranda, I heard P artridge enter the dining
room .
C an I speak to you a m inute, Miss B urton? she said. I am very
sorry that someone called m e on your telephone. T he young person
w ho did it should have know n better because Agnes used to work
here. She was only sixteen then, but she hasnt got a m other or any
family. A nd thats w hy Im asking if you w ould allow her to come
here to tea w ith m e this afternoon. Its her day off, you see, and shes
w orried about som ething and wants to talk to me about it.
Jo an n a said, B ut w hy shouldnt she com e to tea w ith yo u ?
P artridge stood up very straight, as she replied, It has never
b een allow ed in this house, M iss.
Its no good, Joanna, I said w hen P artridge had gone and my
sister had com e outside. Y our sym pathy is no t welcom e. You are
n o t respected for it.
Jo anna said, Im a com plete failure today - w ith A im ee for
k n o w in g n o th in g about vegetables, and w ith P artridge for being
a h u m an .
T h en M egan, w ho was n ow standing in the m iddle o f the
law n , came back towards us and said, I m ust go hom e now .
W h a t? I said.
She w ent on, Its been very good o f you to have m e and I
have enjoyed it, but I m ust go back because, well, its m y hom e
and I cant stay away for ever, so I th in k Ill go this m orn in g .
B o th Jo anna and I tried to m ake her stay, b u t she was
determ ined, so finally Joanna got out the car and drove her back
to M r S ym m ingtons house.
44
hi
45
Agatha Christie
46
T h e M o v in g F inger
47
Agatha Christie
Partridges face w ent red. T hank you, but Agnes didnt come
after all.
O h, Im sorry.
It didnt m atter to me, said Partridge. It wasnt me who
asked her!
Perhaps she was ill, Joanna said. D id you phone her to find
out?
No, I did not, Partridge replied. If Agnes likes to behave
rudely, thats her problem, but I shall tell her exactly what I think
when we meet. And she went out o f the room, stiff w ith hurt pride.
Joanna and I laughed, then began talking o f the anonymous
letters and wondered how Superintendent Nash and Inspector
Graves were getting on.
Its a week today exactly, said Joanna, since Mrs
Sym m ingtons suicide. They must have got on to som ething by
now. Fingerprints, or w riting or something.
But I was thinking about som ething else and a strange sense
o f uneasiness was grow ing in my m ind. It was connected w ith
the phrase that Joanna had used, a week exactly.
A nd Joanna noticed suddenly that I wasnt listening to her.
W hats the matter, Jerry?
I did not answer because my m ind was busy putting things
together. Mrs Sym m ingtons suicide . . . She was alone in the
house that afternoon . . . Alone in the house because the maids were
having their day o ff. . . A week ago exactly . . .
J oanna, servants have days off once a week, dont they?
Yes.
I crossed the room and rang the bell. Partridge came in. Tell
me, I said, this Agnes W oddell. Is she a servant in som eones
house?
Yes, Sir. At M r Sym m ingtons.
49
Chapter 8
50
51
A g ath a C h ristie
5-2
T he M oving Finger
A g ath a C h ristie
Yes.
B ut then w hy d idnt she . . .?
Because the girl didnt understand what she had seen. N o t at
first. B u t th e m ore she th o u g h t about it, the m ore w o rried she
becam e. So she decided to ask P artrid g e w h eth er she should
tell som eone.
Yes, I said. A nd som ehow, Poison Pen found out. H o w did
she find o u t?
Y oure n o t used to liv in g in the country, M r B u rto n . First
o f all th e re s th e telephone call. W h o overheard it in y o u r
h o u se?
I thought. I answered the telephone. T hen I called up the
stairs to Partridge.
M en tio n in g the girls n am e?
Yes - yes, I did.
D id anyone overhear y o u ?
M y sister or Miss G riffith possibly.
A h, Miss G riffith was visiting. Was she going back to the
village straight afterw ards?
She was going to M r Pye first.
S uperintendent N ash shook his head. T h ats tw o people w ho
could have spread it all over the village. A nd then, o f course,
there is this house. Miss H olland, R ose - they could have heard
w hat Agnes said. A nd R endell m ay have told people that Agnes
cam e back here that afternoon.
I felt cold. I was looking out o f the w indow . In front o f me
was a path and a small gate. Som eone had opened the gate,
had w alked up to the house, and pushed a letter th ro u g h the
54
W e left the m orning room and w ent to find Elsie Holland, who
was organizing the boys lessons. She led us into another room.
Miss Holland, Nash said. W ill you tell me exactly what
happened yesterday afternoon?
Well, we had lunch as usual at one oclock. T hen M r
Sym m ington w ent back to the office, and I took the boys out.
W here did you go?
Towards Combeacre, by the field path the boys wanted to
fish. I forgot the bait and had to go back for it.
W hat tim e was that?
A bout ten m inutes to three, perhaps.
Did you go into the house?
No. Id left the bait in the shed.
D id you see M egan or Agnes? Nash asked.
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Chapter 9
i
Joanna was quite right. The H igh Street was full of people
talking. I m et Griffith first.
Youve no idea w ho com m itted this m urder? I asked.
59
A g ath a C h ristie
60
any idea of all this! But if the girl is always there, m aking him
comfortable, and looking after the boys well, he w ill begin
to depend on her. A nd thats why I told M egan that she ought
to go home. It looks better than having D ick Sym m ington and
Miss H olland alone in the house, dont you agree? she said, and
walked away.
Ill
61
A g ath a C h ristie
62
I was looking at the book which Poison Pen m ust have used
to cut out words to use in the anonymous letters. But w ho had
cut the pages out?
Well, it could have been anyone who had been alone in this
room , any visitor w ho had sat here waiting for Em ily Barton. So,
almost anyone in Lymstock.
V
After lunch I took the book down to the police station.
They were excited. They tested it for fingerprints, but they
didnt find any o f interest. There were m ine, and Partridges
because she cleaned very carefully, but nobody elses.
I asked Nash how he was getting on. W ere narrow ing it
dow n. W e know the people it couldnt be.
A h, I said. A nd w ho rem ains?
Miss Ginch. She had arranged to meet someone yesterday
afternoon at a house they were selling not far along the road from
the Symmingtons. And the day of Mrs Symm ingtons suicide,
which was Miss Ginchs last day at Symmingtons office, she could
also have walked past the house when she went out to get some
stamps.
W ho else remains as a suspect?
Nash looked very straight ahead of him . Youll understand
that we cant decide to leave out anybody.
N o, I said. I see that.
He said, Miss Griffith w ent to Brenton for a m eeting o f the
R ed Cross yesterday. She arrived rather late.
You dont think . . .
63
Agatha Christie
N o, but I dont know. Miss Griffith seems a very healthym inded w om an but . . .
W hat about last week? Could she have put the letter in the
letterbox?
Its possible. She was shopping in the tow n that afternoon.
T he same is true o f Miss Em ily Barton. She was out shopping
yesterday afternoon and she w ent to see some friends on the road
past the Sym m ingtons house the week before.
I shook my head. I rem em bered Miss Em ily com ing in
yesterday so bright and happy and excited. . . Yes, excited . . .
surely not because . . .
And theres M r Pye, Nash said. A strange character not,
I think, a very nice character. And he says he was alone in his
garden on both occasions.
So youre not only suspecting w om en?
I dont think a m an w rote the letters, but w eve got to
include everybody. Because this is a m urder case. Youre all right,
he smiled, and so is your sister. And M r Sym m ington didnt
leave his office, and D r Griffith was visiting patients.
I said, So your suspects are dow n to those four Miss Ginch,
M r Pye, Miss Griffith and Miss B arton?
O h, no, no, w eve got a couple more as well as the vicars
wife.
Youve thought o f her?
W eve thought o f everybody, and M rs D ane-C althrop could
have done it. She was in the woods bird-w atching yesterday
afternoon and the birds cant speak for her.
H e turned sharply as O w en Griffith came into the police
station. Hello, Nash. I heard you wanted to speak to m e.
Nash said, M rs Sym m ington was taking some pills that you
gave her. W ould too many o f those have killed her?
64
I went into the sitting room , sat dow n and tried to think
the whole thing over. O w ens arrival had interrupted my
conversation w ith the superintendent, w ho had just m entioned
tw o other people as being possible suspects. I wondered who
they were.
Partridge, perhaps? After all, the book w ith the pages cut out
had been found in this house. But w ho was the other? Somebody
that I didnt know?
I closed my eyes and considered four people in turn. Gentle
little Em ily Barton? W hat points were there actually against
her? Controlled from early childhood? H er dislike o f discussing
anything not very nice? Was that actually a sign o f an inner
interest in such things?
Aim ee Griffith? Surely nobody could control her. Cheerful
and successful. Yet there was som ething . . . Ah, yes! O w en
G riffith saying, W e had some anonymous letters sent to people
65
A g ath a C h ristie
66
evilV
67
Chapter 10
i
T h e next w eek felt like a dream .
T h e inquest on Agnes W oddell was held and the only possible
verdict was returned, M urder by person or persons u n k n o w n .
So p o o r little Agnes, having had her h o u r o f fame, was then
buried in the old churchyard and life in Lym stock w ent on as
before.
N o , that last statem ent is untrue. N o t as before . . .
T here was a half-scared, half-excited light in alm ost
everybodys eye. N eig h bour looked at neighbour. Som ew here in
Lym stock was a person w ho had cracked a girls skull and pushed
a knife into her brain.
B ut no one k new w ho that person was.
A nd in the evenings, w ith the curtain draw n, Joanna and I sat
talking and arguing, over all the various possibilities.
M r Pye?
Miss Ginch?
M rs D ane-C althrop?
A im ee Griffith?
E m ily Barton?
Partridge?
A nd all the tim e, nervously, w e w aited for som ething to
happen.
B ut n o th in g did happen. E m ily B arton came to tea. M egan
came to lunch. W e w ent for drinks w ith M r Pye. A nd w e w ent
to tea at the vicarage.
O u r afternoon there, in the big com fortable sitting room , was
one o f the m ost peaceful w e had spent. T he D ane-C althrops had
68
T h e M o v in g F inger
69
A g ath a C h ristie
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72
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Chapter 11
i
T he next day I went mad. Looking back on it, that is really the
only explanation I can find.
It was tim e for my m onthly visit to my London doctor,
M arcus Kent. To my surprise Joanna decided to stay behind.
Usually she was keen to come and we w ould stay there for tw o
days. This time, however, I intended to return the same day.
T he station of Lymstock is half a m ile outside Lymstock itself,
and as I was driving there I saw M egan w andering along the
road. So I stopped. Hello, w hat are you doing?
J ust out for a walk.
N ot your usual sort o f healthy walk.
W ell, I wasnt going anywhere particular.
T hen youd better come and wave goodbye to me at the
station. I opened the door o f the car and M egan jum ped in.
W hen we arrived, I parked the car and w ent in to buy my
ticket. W ould you lend me some m oney so that I can get some
chocolate out of the m achine? M egan asked.
Here you are, I said, handing her a coin.
She w ent off to the chocolate machine, and I looked after her
w ith a feeling of annoyance. She was wearing m uddy shoes, and
thick stockings and a shapeless woollen top. I said as she came
back, W hy do you wear those awful stockings?
W hats the m atter w ith them ?
Everything. And why do you . . .
At this m inute the train arrived, so I got in and leaned out of
the w indow to continue the conversation. M egan asked me why
I was so cross.
74
Im not cross. I lied. I just hate you not caring about how
you look.
I cant look nice, anyway, so what does it m atter?
M y goodness, I said. Id like to take you to London and buy
you a completely new set o f clothes.
I wish you could, said M egan.
The train began to move. I looked dow n into her sad face.
A nd then, as I have said, madness came upon me. I opened the
door, took M egans arm and pulled her into the train.
W hat on earth did you do that for? she asked.
Because I said, Im going to show you w hat you can look
like if you try.
O h ! said M egan in an excited whisper.
T he ticket collector came along and I bought her a return
ticket. W e arrived in London w ith half an hour to spare before
m y appointm ent at m y doctors. So we took a taxi straight
to Joannas dressmaker, M ary Grey, w ho is a clever and very
pleasant wom an.
I said to M egan. Ill say you are a relation o f m ine.
W hy?
D ont argue, I said.
I took M ary Grey aside. Ive brought a young relation along.
Joanna was going to accompany her but was prevented at the last
m inute. She said I could leave it all to you. You see what the girl
looks like now ?
I certainly do, said M ary Grey.
W ell, I w ant her dressed perfectly from head to foot.
Stockings, shoes, underw ear, everything! By the way, the man
w ho does Joannas hair is near here, isnt he?
Antoine? R o un d the corner. Ill arrange that too. I shall
enjoy it. M ary looked at M egan. Shes got a lovely figure.
75
Agatha Christie
w ith lovely legs in fine silk stockings. H er hair had been cut and
it shone, also like silk. She did not wear m ake-up, or if she did it
was so light that it did not show.
And there was som ething about her that I had never seen
before, a new innocent pride in the way she looked at me w ith a
small shy smile. I do look rather nice, dont I?
Nice? I said. N ice isnt the word! Com e on out to dinner and
if every m an doesnt tu rn round to look at you Ill be surprised.
M egan was not beautiful, but she was unusual and she had
personality. She walked into the restaurant ahead o f me and,
as the waiter hurried towards us, I felt a strange pride. W e had
cocktails first. T hen we ate. A nd later we danced. For some
reason I hadnt thought M egan w ould dance well. But she did.
H er body and feet followed the rhythm perfectly.
G osh! I said. You can dance!
W ell, o f course I can. W e had dancing class every week at
school.
It takes m ore than dancing class to make a dancer, I said.
It was a perfect evening and I was still behaving in a rather
m ad way. M egan brought me back to reality w hen she said,
Shouldnt we be going hom e?
Goodness! I said, and knew that the last train had gone. So
I ordered a taxi to come round as soon as possible.
It was very late w hen we arrived at Lymstock. Sym m ingtons
house was dark and silent. O n M egans advice, we w ent round to
the back and threw stones at R oses window.
Eventually she came dow n to let us in. W ell now, Miss
M egan, I thought youd gone to bed.
I said that bed was w here M egan should go now.
G ood night, she said, and thank you. Its been the loveliest
day Ive ever had.
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Agatha Christie
So I was also driven hom e and as the car left, the front door
opened and Joanna said, Its you at last, is it?
W ere you w orried about m e? I asked, going inside.
W o rried about you? N o, o f course not. I thought you had
decided to stay in London and have fun.
I have had fun o f a kind. I smiled and then began to laugh.
Joanna asked w hat I was laughing at and I told her all about
the fun Id had w ith M egan.
But Jerry, you cant do things like that not in Lymstock. It
w ill be all round the tow n tom orrow .
I suppose it will. But M egans only a child.
She isnt. Shes twenty. You cant take a girl o f tw enty to
London and buy her clothes w ithout a most awful scandal.
Goodness, Jerry, youll probably have to m arry the girl. Joanna
was half-serious, half-laughing.
It was at that m om ent that I made a very im portant discovery.
I dont m ind if I do, I said. In fact Id like it.
A strange expression appeared on Joannas face. As she w ent
towards the stairs she said, Yes, Ive know n that for some tim e . . .
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Chapter 12
I w ent along to the Sym m ingtons house at eleven oclock the
next m orning, rang the bell, and asked to see M egan.
Rose put me in the little m orning room and w hen the door
opened M egan was in her old clothes again but she had m anaged
to m ake them look completely different.
She grinned. H ello!
Its wonderful w hat the knowledge of her ow n attractiveness
can do for a girl. M egan, I knew suddenly, had grow n up. I said,
You didnt get into trouble about yesterday, I hope?
O h, n o she said. W ell, yes, I think I did. I m ean, they said a
lot of things but you know how excited people can get about
nothing.
I came round this m orning, I said, because I like you a lot,
and I think you like me . . .
Very m uch! said M egan.
A nd we get on very well together, so I think it w ould be a
good idea if we got m arried.
O h, said M egan. You mean, youre in love w ith m e?
Im in love w ith you.
H er eyes were serious. She said, I think youre the nicest
person in the world but Im not in love w ith you.
Ill make you love m e.
T hat w ouldnt work. Im not the right wife for you. Im
better at hating than loving.
I said, Hate doesnt last. Love does.
Is that true?
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Agatha Christie
80
anything real by it, but this is real and youre going to behave like
a decent hum an being and not like a useless half-brain! N ow
Ive done the most unbelievable things, Jerry Held instrum ents
and boiled them and handed things to him . Im so tired I can
hardly stand up. But he saved her and the baby. It was born
alive. O h dear! Joanna covered her face w ith her hands.
I said, T heres a letter for you in the hall. From your ex
boyfriend Paul, I think. I w ent out into the hall and brought
Joanna her letter.
She opened it, looked at it then dropped it on the floor.
O w en was really rather wonderful. The way he fought to save
the baby, the way he w ouldnt be beaten! He was rude and awful
to me but he was w onderful.
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Chapter 13
i
82
We rang the bell, asked for Miss Griffith, and were shown
into the sitting room . Elsie Holland, M egan and Sym m ington
were there having tea. Nash asked Aimee if he could speak to her
privately for a mom ent.
N ot in trouble over m y car lights again, I hope? She led us
across the hall into a small study.
As I closed the drawing room door, I saw Sym m ington raise
his head sharply. I supposed that because of his legal training he
had recognized som ething in N ashs manner.
Nash told Aim ee that she must come w ith him to the police
station. And he read out the charge. It was about the letters, not
m urder yet.
Aim ee Griffith laughed loudly. W hat nonsense! As though
Id w rite disgusting things like that. You must be m ad.
Nash showed the letter to Elsie Holland. D o you swear you
did not w rite this, Miss G riffith?
O f course I do. Ive never seen it before.
Nash said, I must tell you, Miss Griffith, that you were
seen typing that letter on the m achine at the W om ens Institute
betw een eleven and eleven-thirty p.m. on the night before last.
Yesterday you entered the post office w ith several letters in your
hand . . .
I never posted this.
N o, you did not. W hile w aiting for stamps, you dropped it
on the floor, so that somebody else would pick it up and post it.
T he door opened and Sym m ington came in. W hats going
on? Aimee, if there is anything wrong, you ought to be legally
represented. If you wish me . . .
She lost control then. She covered her face w ith her hands
and said, Go away, Dick. I dont w ant you to know about this.
N ot you!
A g ath a C h ristie
Ill
I cant rem em ber exactly w hat happened over the n ext tw entyfour hours. B ut I do k now that Joanna came hom e looking very
tired and saying, H e says he w ont have m e, Jerry. H e s very,
very p ro u d !
A nd I said, M y girl w ont have me, either . . .
To w hich she replied, T h e B u rto n fam ily isnt exactly in
dem and at the m o m ent!
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Agatha Christie
87
A g ath a C h ristie
V
W ell, I listened. I didnt like it but I said Id do as he wanted.
So I w ent w ith N ash and Parkins into the house by the
back door. A nd I w aited w ith N ash upstairs behind a curtain
u n til w e could hear the clocks striking tw o, and Sym m ingtons
door opened and he w ent along the passage and into M egans
room .
And I did not move because I knew that Sergeant Parkins was
there behind her door, and I knew that Parkins was good at his
job, and I knew that I couldnt have trusted myself to keep quiet
and not go mad.
A g ath a C h ristie
90
and I know that I am in love w ith you after all, because that is
w hat I fe e l. .
91
C hapter 14
So you see, said M rs D an e-C alth ro p , I was quite right to call
in an expert.
I looked at her, surprised. B ut did you? W h o was it? W h at
did he d o ?
W e w ere all at the vicarage. T h e rain was p o u rin g dow n
outside and there was a pleasant w ood fire.
It w asnt a he, said M rs D an e-C alth ro p and tu rn ed to w here
Miss M arple sat k n itting. T h a ts m y expert. Jane M arple. She
know s m ore about h u m an evil than anyone Ive ever k n o w n .
I dont th in k you should put it quite like that, dear, said Miss
M arple.
B ut you do.
So Miss M arple put dow n her k n ittin g and explained to
us w hat she had learned about m urder. M ost crim es are very
simple. This one was. T h e tru th was really so obvious. You saw
it, M r B u rto n .
I did not.
B ut you did. To begin w ith, that phrase N o smoke w ith o u t
fire. It annoyed you, because you understood w hat it was
a smoke screen. E verybody looking at the w ro n g th in g the
anonym ous letters. B ut the w hole point was that there werent
any anonym ous letters!
B ut Miss M arple, there were. I had one.
O h yes, but they w erent real. Even in Lym stock there are
plenty o f scandals, and any w om an living in the place w ould
have k n o w n about th em and used them . B ut a m an isnt usually
interested in gossip especially a m an like M r Sym m ington. So
i f you look th ro u g h the smoke and com e to the fire you see that
ju st one th in g happened M rs S ym m ington died.
92
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94
95
A g ath a C h ristie
Chapter 15
It was m orning in the H igh Street. Miss Em ily B arton came out
of a shop. H er face was pink and her eyes were excited.
O h dear, M r B urton, I am going on a holiday at last!
I hope youll enjoy it.
O h, Im sure I shall. For a long tim e Ive felt unable to sell
Little Furze as I couldnt bear the idea o f strangers there. But now
that you have bought it and are going to live there w ith M egan
it is quite different. A nd although I would never have dared to go
by myself, dear Aim ee, after her terrible experience, has agreed
to come w ith me! It w ill do her so m uch good. Because she has
also just heard that her brother is getting m arried. But how nice
to think you are both going to stay in Lymstock!
I w ent along to the Sym m ingtons house and M egan came
out to m eet me.
It was not a rom antic m eeting because a very big dog came
out w ith M egan and nearly knocked me over.
Isnt he sweet? she said.
A little energetic. Is he ours?
Yes, hes a w edding present from Joanna. W e have had nice
w edding presents, havent we? T hat knitted w oollen thing that
we dont know w hat its for from Miss M arple, and the lovely
china bowl from M r Pye, and Elsie has sent me a cake-stand
H ow typical, I said.
Shes got a job w ith an accountant and is very happy. And w hat was I talking about?
W edding presents. D ont forget if you change your m ind,
youll have to send them all back.
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A g ath a C h ristie
C h a r a c t e r l is t
boys
Mr Pye: the owner of Priors End, a large house in Lymstock
Mrs Sym m ington: Mr Symmingtons wife
Colonel Appleton: a friend of the Symmingtons who lives in a village
nearby
Brian and Colin Sym m ington: Mr and Mrs Symmingtons two
young sons
99
C h a ra c te r list
IOO
C u ltu r a l n o t es
The books title comes from a book of Persian Poetry written in the
11th or 12th century.
The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.
The meaning of the phrase The Moving Finger is that whatever you do
in your life, it is your own responsibility and cannot be changed.
The structure o f the police in England
The different levels of police officer in Britain, starting at the lowest, are:
Police Constable, Sergeant, Inspector, Chief Inspector, Superintendent,
Chief Superintendent. In the story, Superintendent Nash takes control
of the investigation. Normally something like the issueofanonymous
letters would
be handled by a lower ranking officer,butthedeath of
Mrs Symmington makes the case more serious. Inspector Craves is a
middle ranking officer.
In the story, some people in the village are not happy about talking to
the police. They dont want to get involved and they think that if they
talk to the police, they will end up in trouble themselves.
Inquest
IOI
C ultural notes
At the time Agatha Christie was writing, it was common for people in the
country to keep cyanide in the garden shed to put on wasps nests to
kill them all quickly. Now, it is against the law to possess these kinds of
poisons.
Servants
In a typical large house at the time of the story, the family often
employed several servants. Some lived in the house, some lived nearby.
Servants included a cook, and a housemaid who did the cleaning. There
could also be a gardener, and for larger, richer families, a driver or
chauffeur. In the story, Faithful Florence is often mentioned as the former
servant of Emily Barton who now offers Miss Barton a room in her house.
Governess
102
C u ltu ra l notes
somewhere, even if you cannot see it. In the story, this theme runs
throughout. People in the village assume that there is something true in
the accusations in the anonymous letters.
Stepchildren/parents
King Lear is one of Shakespeares most famous plays. In the story, Megan
refers to Goneril and Regan, the two elder daughters of King Lear.
Shakespeares sonnets
At the time that the story was written, the psychoanalytical theories of
Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung were becoming more widely known. Agatha
Christie was probably interested in these ideas about the mind. In the
story, people wonder how someone could write such horrible anonymous
letters and what the person is hiding and thinking.
103
C u ltu ra l notes
Witches
104
C u ltu ra l notes
from its flag - a red cross on a white background. It now has a much
wider international role and is involved in humanitarian aid throughout
the world. In the story, the local Red Cross Society was raising money
through local events and activities.
Village life
105
C u ltu r a l notes
those who are ill or have other worries. The vicar will carry out baptisms,
marriage ceremonies and funerals. People will often ask the vicar for
advice regarding personal matters. In the story, the reverend DaneCalthorp and his wife were considered important and respectable
leaders of the local community.
106
G lo ssa r y
Key
n = noun
v = verb
phr v = phrasal verb
adj = adjective
adv = adverb
excl = exclamation
exp = expression
adultery (n)
to be married and have sex with someone that you are not married to
allowance (n)
unknown
anxious (adj)
to very much want something
awful (adj)
bad
awkward (adj)
embarrassed and shy
bait (n)
food which you put on a hook or in a trap in order to catch fish or
animals
107
G lossary
a printed form on which you write an amount of money and say who it
is to be paid to
cold-blooded (adj)
without showing pity or emotion
collar (n)
108
G lossary
coroner (n)
a yellow flower that blooms in the spring (see Cultural notes: Shelley,
Keats, Wordsworth)
dare (v)
a room, especially a large room in a large house, where people sit and
relax
dreadful (adj)
very unpleasant
drive som eone to do som ething (exp)
a man or boy
feel a fool (exp)
feel silly
109
Glossary
fierce (adj)
aggressive or angry
fingerprint (n)
a mark made by a persons finger which shows the lines on the skin and
can be used to identify criminals
fishing rod (n)
a long thin pole which has a line and hook attached to it and which is
used for catching fish
fix(v)
to repair
floating (v)
to smile widely
no
Glossary
guilty (adj)
an expression you use when you are shocked and angry about something
that someone has done
idleness (n)
hi
G lossary
lawn (n)
an area of grass that is kept cut short and is usually part of a garden or
park
lead (n)
a long chain or piece of leather attached to the dogs collar so that you
can control the dog
lid (n)
the top of a container which you open to reach inside
load (v)
to put a large quantity of things or heavy things into something
lung (n)
one of two organs inside your chest which you use for breathing
mend (v)
if people are saying that someone has done something bad but no one
knows whether it is true, it probably is true (see Cultural notes)
nonsense (n)
112
Glossary
pattern (n)
a particular way in which something is usually or repeatedly done
plump (adj)
to cause trouble
pride (n)
a feeling of satisfaction which you have because you or people close to
you have done something good or possess something good
quarrel (n)
the part of a telephone that you hold near to your ear and speak into
recover (v)
to become well again
rem ark (n)
not polite
113
G lossary
scandal (n)
114
Glossary
stockings (n)
item of womens clothing which fit closely over their feet and legs.
Stockings are usually made of nylon or silk and are held in place by
suspenders.
stylish (adj)
a senior police officer of the rank above an inspector (see Cultural notes)
suspect (v)
to believe that something is true but you want to make it sound less
strong or direct
swear (v)
to promise
switch o ff (phr v)
to make something stop working by operating a switch (opposite of
switch on)
switch on (phr v)
to make something start working by operating a switch
tearful (adj)
used to describe someone when their face or voice shows signs that
they have been crying or that they want to cry
tenant (n)
someone who pays rent for the place they live in, or for land or buildings
that they use
115
G lossary
torch (n)
a machine with keys which are pressed in order to print letters, numbers,
or other characters onto paper
unbelievable (adj)
extreme, impressive, or shocking
uneasiness (adj)
useful
veranda (n)
the decision that is given by the jury or judge at the end of a trial
vicar (n)
116
Glossary
vicarage (n)
a house in which a vicar lives
victim (n)
someone who uses physical force or weapons to hurt or kill other people
wander (v)
a small insect with a painful sting. It has yellow and black stripes across
its body.
whistle (v)
to make sounds by forcing your breath out between your lips or teeth
witch (n)
117
Collins
English Readers
ALSO IN THE AGATHA CHRISTIE SERIES
118
119
N or M?
it is World War II and a British secret agent has been murdered. The
murderers are Nazi agents living somewhere in England. They are
known only as N and M, and could be anyone. The only clue as to
where they are hiding points to the seaside village of Leahampton
and its busy guesthouse, Sans Souci. Tommy and Tuppence
Beresford, Britains most unlikely spies, accept the mission to find N
and M. No one can be trusted . . .
T h e A g a t h a C h r is t ie S e r ie s
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
The Man in the Brown Suit
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
The Murder at the Vicarage
Peril at End House
Why Didnt They Ask Evans?
Death in the Clouds
Appointment with Death
N o rM?
The Moving Finger
Sparkling Cyanide
Crooked House
They Came to Baghdad
They Do It With Mirrors
A Pocket Full of Rye
After the Funeral
Destination Unknown
Hickory Dickory Dock
4.50 From Paddington
Cat Among the Pigeons
122
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BN 978-0-00-745163-0
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