Free The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie Page A

the legend on it plainly visible: 'Why Did I Serve My Country?' In his left hand he held a collecting box.
    'I can't buy two of those awful poems in one day,' said Virginia pleadingly. 'I bought one this morning. I did, indeed, honour bright.'
    The young man threw back his head and laughed. Virginia laughed with him. Running her eyes carelessly over him, she thought him a more pleasing specimen than usual of London's unemployed. She liked his brown face, and the lean hardness of him. She went so far as to wish she had a job for him.
    But at that moment the door opened, and immediately Virginia forgot all about the problem of the unemployed, for to her astonishment the door was opened by her own maid, Elise.
    'Where's Chilvers?' she demanded sharply, as she stepped into the hall.
    'But he is gone, madame, with the others.'
    'What others? Gone where?'
    'But to Datchet, madame - to the cottage, as your telegram said.'
    'My telegram?' said Virginia, utterly at sea.
    'Did not madame send a telegram? Surely there can be no mistake. It came but an hour ago.'
    'I never sent any telegram. What did it say?'
    'I believe it is still on the table.'
    Elise retired, pouncing upon it, and brought it to her mistress in triumph.
    'Voilа, madame!'
    The telegram was addressed to Chilvers and ran as follows:
    'Please take household down to cottage at once, and make preparations for weekend party there. Catch 5.49 train.'
    There was nothing unusual about it, it was just the sort of message she herself had frequently sent before, when she had arranged a party at her riverside bungalow on the spur of the moment. She always took the whole household down, leaving an old woman as caretaker. Chilvers would not have seen anything wrong with the message, and like a good servant had carried out his orders faithfully enough.
    'Me, I remained,' explained Elise, 'knowing that madame would wish me to pack for her.'
    'It's a silly hoax,' cried Virginia, flinging down the telegram angrily. 'You know perfectly well, Elise, that I am going to Chimneys. I told you so this morning.'
    'I thought madame had changed her mind. Sometimes that does happen, does it not, madame?'
    Virginia admitted the truth of the accusation with a half-smile. She was busy trying to find a reason for this extraordinary practical joke. Elise put forward a suggestion.
    'Mon Dieu!' she cried, clasping her hands. 'If it should be the malefactors, the thieves! They send the bogus telegram and get the domestiques all out of the house, and then they rob it.'
    'I suppose that might be it,' said Virginia doubtfully.
    'Yes, yes madame, that is without a doubt. Every day you read in the papers of such things. Madame will ring up the police at once - at once - before they arrive and cut our throats.'
    'Don't get so excited, Elise. They won't come and cut our throats at six o'clock in the afternoon.'
    'Madame, I implore you, let me run out and fetch a policeman now, at once.'
    'What on earth for? Don't be silly, Elise. Go up and pack my things for Chimneys, if you haven't already done it. The new Cailleaux evening dress, and the white crйpe marocain, and yes, the black velvet - black velvet is so political, is it not?'
    'Madame looks ravishing in the eau de nil satin,' suggested Elise, her professional instincts reasserting themselves.
    'No, I won't take that. Hurry up, Elise, there's a good girl. We've got very little time. I'll send a wire to Chilvers at Datchet, and I'll speak to the policeman on the beat as we go out and tell him to keep an eye on the place. Don't start rolling your eyes again, Elise - if you get so frightened before anything has happened, what would you do if a man jumped out from some dark corner and stuck a knife into you?'
    Elise gave vent to a shrill squeak, and beat a speedy retreat up the stairs, darting nervous glances over her shoulder as she went.
    Virginia made a face at her retreating back, and crossed the hall to the little study where the telephone was. Elise's