II
‘Well, Tommy,’ said Tuppence, as she stretched out her feet to a pleasantwood fire which she had lit already for his return in the drawing-room,‘let’s have your news. Did you go to the Ritz Hotel Gallery to see the show?’
‘No. As a matter of fact, I hadn’t time, really.’
‘What do you mean, you hadn’t time? I thought that’s what you wentfor.’
‘Well, one doesn’t always do the things that one went for.’
‘You must have gone somewhere and done something,’ said Tuppence.
‘I found a new possible place to park a car.’
‘That’s always useful,’ said Tuppence. ‘Where was that?’
‘Near Hounslow.’
‘What on earth did you want to go to Hounslow for?’
‘Well, I didn’t actually go to Hounslow. There’s a sort of car park there,then I took a tube, you know.’
‘What, a tube to London?’
‘Yes. Yes, it seemed the easiest way.’
‘You have rather a guilty look about you,’ said Tuppence. ‘Don’t tell me Ihave a rival¹ who lives in Hounslow?’
‘No,’ said Tommy. ‘You ought to be pleased with what I’ve been doing.’
‘Oh. Have you been buying me a present?’
‘No. No,’ said Tommy, ‘I’m afraid not. I never know what to give you, asa matter of fact.’
‘Well, your guesses are very good sometimes,’ said Tuppence hopefully.
‘What have you been really doing, Tommy, and why should I be pleased?’
‘Because I, too,’ said Tommy, ‘have been doing research.’
‘Everyone’s doing research nowadays,’ said Tuppence. ‘You know, allthe teenagers and all one’s nephews or cousins or other people’s sons anddaughters, they’re all doing research. I don’t know actually what they doresearch into nowadays, but they never seem to do it, whatever it is, after-wards. They just have the research and a good time doing the researchand they’re very pleased with themselves and–well, I don’t quite knowwhat does come next.’
‘Betty, our adopted daughter, went to East Africa,’ said Tommy. ‘Haveyou heard from her?’
‘Yes, she loves it there–loves poking² into African families and writingarticles about them.’
‘Do you think the families appreciate her interest?’ asked Tommy.
‘I shouldn’t think so,’ said Tuppence. ‘In my father’s parish I remember,everyone disliked the District Visitors–Nosey Parkers they called them.’

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