Hercule Poirot

Part 3. December 24th
I
‘Do you really want me to stay on here, Father?’ asked Harry. He tilted his head back. ‘I’m stirring up rather a hornet’s nest, you know.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Simeon sharply.
‘Brother Alfred,’ said Harry. ‘Good brother Alfred! He, if I may say so, resents my presence here.’
‘The devil he does!’ snapped Simeon. ‘I’m master in this house.’
‘All the same, sir, I expect you’re pretty dependent on Alfred. I don’t want to upset-’
‘You’ll do as I tell you,’ snapped his father.
Harry yawned.
‘Don’t know that I shall be able to stick a stay-at-home life. Pretty stifling to a fellow who’s knocked about the world.’
His father said: ‘You’d better marry and settle down.’ 
Harry said: ‘Who shall I marry? Pity one can’t marry one’s niece. Young Pilar is devilish attractive.’
‘You’ve noticed that?’
‘Talking of settling down, fat George has done well for himself as far as looks go. Who was she?’
Simeon shrugged his shoulders.
‘How should I know? George picked her up at a mannequin parade, I believe. She says her father was a retired naval officer.’
Harry said:
‘Probably a second mate of a coasting steamer. George will have a bit of trouble with her if he’s not careful.’
‘George,’ said Simeon Lee, ‘is a fool.’
Harry said: ‘What did she marry him for-his money?’
Simeon shrugged his shoulders.
Harry said: ‘Well, you think that you can square Alfred all right?’
‘We’ll soon settle that,’ said Simeon grimly.
He touched a bell that stood on a table near him.
Horbury appeared promptly. Simeon said:
‘Ask Mr Alfred to come here.’
Horbury went out and Harry drawled:
‘That fellow listens at doors!’
Simeon shrugged his shoulders.
‘Probably.’ 
Alfred hurried in. His face twitched when he saw his brother. Ignoring Harry, he said pointedly:
‘You wanted me, Father?’
‘Yes, sit down. I was just thinking we must reorganize things a bit now that we have two more people living in the house.’
‘Two?’
‘Pilar will make her home here, naturally. And Harry is home for good.’
Alfred said: ‘Harry is coming to live here?’
‘Why not, old boy?’ said Harry.
Alfred turned sharply to him.
‘I should think that you yourself would see that!’
‘Well, sorry-but I don’t.’
‘After everything that has happened? The disgraceful way you behaved. The scandal-’
Harry waved an easy hand.
‘All that’s in the past, old boy.’
‘You behaved abominably to Father, after all he’s done for you.’
‘Look here, Alfred, it strikes me that’s Father’s business, not yours. If he’s willing to forgive and forget-’
‘I’m willing,’ said Simeon. ‘Harry’s my son, after all, you know, Alfred.’
‘Yes, but-I resent it-for Father’s sake.’
Simeon said: ‘Harry’s coming here! I wish it.’ He laid a hand gently on the latter’s shoulder. ‘I’m very fond of Harry.’
Alfred got up and left the room. His face was white. Harry rose too and went after him, laughing.
Simeon sat chuckling to himself. Then he started and looked round. ‘Who the devil’s that? Oh, it’s you, Horbury. Don’t creep about that way.’
‘I beg your pardon, sir.’
‘Never mind. Listen, I’ve got some orders for you. I want everybody to come up here after lunch-everybody.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘There’s something else. When they come, you come with them. And when you get half-way along the passageraise your voice so that I can hear. Any pretext will do. Understand?’
‘Yes, sir.’
Horbury went downstairs. He said to Tressilian:
‘If you ask me, weare going to have a Merry Christmas.’
Tressilian said sharply: ‘What d’you mean?’
‘You wait and see, Mr Tressilian. It’s Christmas Eve today, and a nice Christmas spirit abroad-I don’t think!’
II
They came into the room and paused at the doorway.
Simeon was speaking into the telephone. He waved a hand to them.
‘Sit down, all of you. I shan’t be a minute.’
He went on speaking into the telephone.
‘Is that Charlton, Hodgkins amp; Bruce? Is that you, Charlton? Simeon Lee speaking. Yes, isn’t it?…Yes…No, I wanted you to make a new will for me…Yes, it’s some time since I made the other…Circumstances have altered…Oh no, no hurry. Don’t want you to spoil your Christmas. Say Boxing Day or the day after. Come along, and I’ll tell you what I want done. No, that’s quite all right. I shan’t be dying just yet.’
He replaced the receiver, then looked round at the eight members of his family. He cackled and said:
‘You’re all looking very glum. What is the matter?’
Alfred said: ‘You sent for us…’
Simeon said quickly: ‘Oh, sorry-nothing portentous about it. Did you think it was a family council? No, I’m just rather tired today, that’s all. None of you need come up after dinner. I shall go to bed. I want to be fresh for Christmas Day.’
He grinned at them. George said earnestly: 
‘Of course…of course…’
Simeon said: ‘Grand old institution, Christmas. Promotes solidarity of family feeling. What doyou think, Magdalene, my dear?’
Magdalene Lee jumped. Her rather silly little mouth flew open and then shut itself. She said: ‘Oh-oh,yes!’
Simeon said: ‘Let me see, you lived with a retired naval officer’-he paused-‘yourfather. Don’t suppose you made much of Christmas. It needs a big family for that!’
‘Well-well-yes, perhaps it does.’
Simeon’s eyes slid past her.
‘Don’t want to talk of anything unpleasant at this time of year, but you know, George, I’m afraid I’ll have to cut down your allowance a bit. My establishment here is going to cost me a bit more to run in future.’
George got very red.
‘But look here, Father, you can’t do that!’
Simeon said softly: ‘Oh, can’t I!’
‘My expenses are very heavy already. Very heavy. As it is, I don’t know how I make both ends meet. It needs the most rigorous economy.’
‘Let your wife do a bit more of it,’ said Simeon. ‘Women are good at that sort of thing. They often think of economies where a man would never have dreamt of them. And a clever woman can make her own clothes. My wife, I remember, was clever with her needle. About all shewas clever with-a good woman, but deadly dull-’
David sprang up. His father said:
‘Sit down, boy, you’ll knock something over-’
David said: ‘My mother-’
Simeon said: ‘Your mother had the brains of a louse! And it seems to me she’s transmitted those brains to her children.’ He raised himself up suddenly. A red spot appeared on each cheek. His voice came high and shrill. ‘You’re not worth a penny piece, any of you! I’m sick of you all! You’re notmen! You’re weaklings-a set of namby-pamby weaklings. Pilar’s worth any two of you put together! I’ll swear to heaven I’ve got a better son somewhere in the world than any of you, even if you are born the right side of the blanket!’
‘Here, Father, hold hard,’ cried Harry.
He had jumped up and stood there, a frown on his usually good-humoured face. Simeon snapped:
‘The same goes foryou! What haveyou ever done? Whined to me for money from all over the world! I tell you I’m sick of the sight of you all! Get out!’
He leaned back in his chair, panting a little.
Slowly, one by one, his family went out. George was red and indignant. Magdalene looked frightened. David was pale and quivering. Harry blustered out of the room. Alfred went like a man in a dream. Lydia followed him with her head held high. Only Hilda paused in the doorway and came slowly back.
She stood over him, and he started when he opened his eyes and found her standing there. There was something menacing in the solid way she stood there quite immovably.
He said irritably: ‘What is it?’
Hilda said: ‘When your letter came I believed what you said-that you wanted your family round you for Christmas, I persuaded David to come.’
Simeon said: ‘Well, what of it?’
Hilda said slowly: ‘Youdid want your family round you-but not for the purpose you said! You wanted them there, didn’t you, in order to set them all by the ears? God help you, it’s your idea offun!’
Simeon chuckled. He said: ‘I always had rather a specialized sense of humour. I don’t expect anyone else to appreciate the joke.I’m enjoying it!’
She said nothing. A vague feeling of apprehension came over Simeon Lee. He said sharply:
‘What are you thinking about?’
Hilda Lee said slowly: ‘I’m afraid…’
Simeon said: ‘You’re afraid-of me?’
Hilda said: ‘Notof you. I’m afraid-foryou!’
Like a judge who has delivered sentence, she turned away. She marched, slowly and heavily, out of the room…
Simeon sat staring at the door.
Then he got to his feet and made his way over to the safe. He murmured: ‘Let’s have a look at my beauties.’
III
The doorbell rang about a quarter to eight.
Tressilian went to answer it. he returned to his pantry to find Horbury there, picking up the coffee-cups off the tray and looking at the mark on them.
‘Who was it?’ said Horbury.
‘Superintendent of Police-Mr Sugden-mind what you’re doing!’
Horbury had dropped one of the cups with a crash.
‘Look at that now,’ lamented Tressilian. ‘Eleven years I’ve had the washing up of those and never one broken, and now you come along touching things you’ve no business to touch, and look what happens!’
‘I’m sorry, Mr Tressilian. I am indeed,’ the other apologized. His face was covered with perspiration. ‘I don’t know how it happened. Did you say a Superintendent of Police had called?’
‘Yes-Mr Sugden.’ 
The valet passed a tongue over pale lips.
‘What-what did he want?’
‘Collecting for the Police Orphanage.’
‘Oh!’ The valet straightened his shoulders. In a more natural voice he said: