Agatha Christie’s Complete Secret Notebooks

Inspector

Isaacstein

Bundle

Virginia

Antony

Lemaitre

Boris

The entire action of the play moves between the Library and the Council Chamber of Chimneys. Chapter 16 of the novel has a brief reference to visitors being shown over the house and it is with such a scene that the play opens:

Act I Scene I – The Council Chamber

Lord C[aterham] in shabby clothes – Tredwell showing party over. ‘This is the . . . .’ A guest comes back for his hat tips Lord C. Bundle comes – ‘First bit [of honest money] ever earned by the Brents.’ She and Lord C – he complains of political party Lomax has dragged him into. Bundle says why does he do it? George arrives and B goes. Explanation etc. about Cade – the Memoirs – Streptiltich … the Press – the strain of public life etc. Mention of diamond – King Victor – stolen by the Queen, 3rd rate actress – more like a comic opera – she killed in revolution

Despite the crossing-out and amended heading, the following passage appears in the script as Act I, Scene ii. It corresponds to Chapter 9 of the novel, although there it takes place in Virginia’s house. I have broken up the extract and added punctuation to aid clarity.

Scene II – The Same (Evening)

Act II Scene I

That evening Antony arrives first – then V. He says about a poacher – shots – They do go to bed early – no light except in your window … – not this side of the house. Then she talks about the man – his queer manner – didn’t ask for money – wanted to find out. Then discovery of body – she screams. He stops her – takes her to chair.

‘It’s all right my dear, it’s all right.’

‘I’m quite all right.’

‘You marvellous creature – anyone else would have fainted.’

‘I want to look.’

He goes, coming back with revolver.

‘Yes – stay.’

He asks her to look.

‘You are marvellous’

‘Have you ever seen him before?’

‘Have I – Oh! Why, it’s the man – he’s different. He had horn-rimmed glasses – spoke broken English.’

‘This man wasn’t … He was educated at Eton and Oxford’

‘How do you know?’

‘Oh, I know all right. I’ve – I’ve seen his pictures in the newspapers’

‘Have you ever had a pistol?’

‘No’

‘It’s [an] automatic.’ Shows her.

‘It’s got my name on it.’

‘Did you tell anyone – anyone see come down here?

‘Go up to bed.’

‘Shouldn’t I shut the window after you?’

‘No – no …’

‘But …’

‘No tell tale footprints’

V goes. A. comes round – examines body. A little earth – he sweeps it up – wipes fingerprints from handles inside. Then goes out, looking at pistol.

Christie reorganises her earlier listing of acts and scenes, although the sequence is somewhat confused:

Act II Scene I – The Library

[Act II] Scene II – The Council Chamber

Act III

Act II Scene I – The same (evening)

Scene II – The Library (next morning)

Act III The Council Chamber (that evening)

[Scene] II The same – the following evening

[Act II] Scene II The library next morning

Bundle and her father (the police and doctor)

Then begins – splutters – I’ve got Battle. Battle comes in, asks for information. Scene much as before – plenty of rope – gets him to look at body next door – watches him through crack – Antony slips out unnoticed

And the third act is sketched twice, the second time in a more elaborate version: