IV
The drawing room of Mrs.?Samuelson was larger, more lavishly¹ furnished, and enjoyed an evenmore stifling² amount of central heating than that of Lady Hoggin. Hercule Poirot picked his waygiddily amongst gilded³ console tables and large groups ofstatuary.
Mrs.?Samuelson was taller than Lady Hoggin and her hair was dyed with peroxide. HerPekinese was called Nanki Poo. His bulging⁴ eyes surveyed Hercule Poirot with arrogance⁵.
Miss?Keble, Mrs.?Samuelson’s companion, was thin and scraggy where Miss?Carnaby had beenplump, but she also was voluble and slightly breathless. She, too, had been blamed for NankiPoo’s disappearance⁶.
“But really, Mr.?Poirot, it was the most amazing thing. It all happened in a second. OutsideHarrods it was. A nurse there asked me the time—”
Poirot interrupted her.
“A nurse? A hospital nurse?”
“No, no—a children’s nurse. Such a sweet baby it was, too! A dear little mite⁷. Such lovelyrosy cheeks. They say children don’t look healthy in London, but I’m sure—”
“Ellen,” said Mrs.?Samuelson.
Miss?Keble blushed, stammered⁸, and subsided⁹ into silence.
Mrs.?Samuelson said acidly:
“And while Miss?Keble was bending over a perambulator that had nothing to do with her, thisaudacious villain¹⁰ cut Nanki Poo’s lead and made off with him.”
Miss?Keble murmured tearfully:
“It all happened in a second. I looked round and the darling boy was gone—there was just thedangling lead in my hand. Perhaps you’d like to see the lead, Mr.?Poirot?”

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