Eight
The inquest on the dead woman was held some days later. There had beenan adjournment¹ whilst the police identified her as a certain Vanda Polon-ska, a Polish refugee.
After the dramatic scene on the cliffs, Mrs. Sprot and Betty, the formerin a state of collapse², had been driven back to Sans Souci, where hotbottles, nice cups of tea, ample curiosity, and finally a stiff dollop ofbrandy had been administered to the half-fainting heroine of the night.
Commander Haydock had immediately got in touch with the police, andunder his guidance they had gone out to the scene of the tragedy on thecliff.
But for the disturbing war news, the tragedy would probably have beengiven much greater space in the papers than it was. Actually it occupiedonly one small paragraph.
Both Tuppence and Tommy had to give evidence at the inquest, and incase any reporters should think fit to take pictures of the more unimport-ant witnesses, Mr. Meadowes was unfortunate enough to get something inhis eye which necessitated⁴ a highly disfiguring eyeshade. Mrs. Blenkensopwas practically obliterated⁵ by her hat.
However, such interest as there was focused itself entirely⁶ on Mrs. Sprotand Commander Haydock. Mr. Sprot, hysterically⁷ summoned by tele-graph, rushed down to see his wife, but had to go back again the same day.
He seemed an amiable⁸ but not very interesting young man.
The inquest opened with the formal identification of the body by a cer-tain Mrs. Calfont, a thin-lipped, gimlet-eyed woman who had been dealingfor some months with refugee relief.
Polonska, she said, had come to England in company with a cousin andhis wife who were her only relatives, so far as she knew. The woman, inher opinion, was slightly mental. She understood from her that she hadbeen through scenes of great horror in Poland and that her family, includ-ing several children, had all been killed. The woman seemed not at allgrateful for anything done for her, and was suspicious and taciturn. Shemuttered to herself a lot, and did not seem normal. A domestic post wasfound for her, but she had left it without notice some weeks ago andwithout reporting to the police.

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