The Mirror Crack'd - Agatha Christie [5]
That woman is just like Carry Edwards — and the dark one is just like that Hooper girl — she’ll make a mess of her marriage just like Mary Hooper did. Those boys — the dark one is just like Edward Leeke, a lot of wild talk but no harm in him — a nice boy really — the fair one is Mrs Bedwell’s Josh all over again. Nice boys, both of them. The one like Gregory Binns won’t do very well, I’m afraid. I expect he’s got the same sort of mother…
She turned a corner into Walsingham Close and her spirits rose every moment.
The new world was the same as the old. The houses were different, the streets were called Closes, the clothes were different, the voices were different, but the human beings were the same as they always had been. And though using slightly different phraseology, the subjects of conversation were the same.
By dint of turning corners in her exploration, Miss Marple had rather lost her sense of direction and had arrived at the edge of the housing estate again. She was now in Carrisbrook Close, half of which was still ‘under construction’. At the first-floor window of a nearly finished house a young couple were standing. Their voices floated down as they discussed the amenities.
‘You must admit it’s a nice position, Harry.’
‘Other one was just as good.’
‘This one’s got two more rooms.’
‘And you’ve got to pay for them.’
‘Well, I like this one.’
‘You would!’
‘Ow, don’t be such a spoil-sport. You know what Mum said.’
‘Your Mum never stops saying.’
‘Don’t you say nothing against Mum. Where’d I have been without her? And she might have cut up nastier than she did. She could have taken you to court.’
‘Oh, come off it, Lily.’
‘It’s a good view of the hills. You can almost see —’ She leaned far out, twisting her body to the left. ‘You can almost see the reservoir —’
She leant farther still, not realizing that she was resting her weight on loose boards that had been laid across the sill. They slipped under the pressure of her body, sliding outwards, carrying her with them. She screamed, trying to regain her balance.
‘Harry —’
The young man stood motionless — a foot or two behind her. He took one step backwards —
Desperately, clawing at the wall, the girl righted herself. ‘Oo!’ She let out a frightened breath. ‘I near as nothing fell out. Why didn’t you get hold of me?’
‘It was all so quick. Anyway you’re all right.’
‘That’s all you know about it. I nearly went, I tell you. And look at the front of my jumper, it’s all mussed.’
Miss Marple went on a little way, then on impulse, she turned back.
Lily was outside in the road waiting for the young man to lock up the house.
Miss Marple went up to her and spoke rapidly in a low voice.
‘If I were you, my dear, I shouldn’t marry that young man. You want someone whom you can rely upon if you’re in danger. You must excuse me for saying this to you — but I feel you ought to be warned.’
She turned away and Lily stared after her.
‘Well, of all the —’
Her young man approached.
‘What was she saying to you, Lil?’
Lily opened her mouth — then shut it again.
‘Giving me the gipsy’s warning if you want to know.’
She eyed him in a thoughtful manner.
Miss Marple in her anxiety to get away quickly, turned a corner, stumbled over some loose stones and fell.
A woman came running out of one of the houses.
‘Oh dear, what a nasty spill! I hope you haven’t hurt yourself?’
With almost excessive goodwill she put her arms round Miss Marple and tugged her to her feet.
‘No bones broken, I hope? There we are. I expect you feel rather shaken.