Chapter 13 Visit from Miss Mullins

Tuppence, walking along the garden path, was accosted¹ by Albert comingdown at a quick pace from the house.
‘Lady waiting to see you,’ he said.
‘Lady? Oh, who is it?’
‘Miss Mullins, she says she is. Recommended by one of the ladies in thevillage to call on you.’
‘Oh, of course,’ said Tuppence. ‘About the garden, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, she said something about the garden.’
‘I think you’d better bring her out here,’ said Tuppence.
‘Yes, madam,’ said Albert, falling into his role of experienced butler.
He went back to the house and returned a few moments later bringingwith him a tall masculine-looking woman in tweed trousers and a Fair Islepullover.
‘Chilly wind this morning,’ she said.
Her voice was deep and slightly hoarse².
‘I’m Iris³ Mullins. Mrs Griffin suggested I should come along and see you.
Wanting some help in the garden. Is that it?’
‘Good morning,’ said Tuppence, shaking hands. ‘I’m very pleased to seeyou. Yes, we do want some help in the garden.’
‘Only just moved in, haven’t you?’
‘Well, it feels almost like years,’ said Tuppence, ‘because we’ve only justgot all the workmen out.’
‘Ah yes,’ said Miss Mullins, giving a deep hoarse chuckle⁴. ‘Know what itis to have workmen in the house. But you’re quite right to come in your-self and not leave it to them. Nothing gets finished until the owner’smoved in and even then you usually have to get them back again to finishsomething they’ve forgotten about. Nice garden you’ve got here but it’sbeen let go a bit, hasn’t it?’
‘Yes, I’m afraid the last people who lived here didn’t care much abouthow the garden looked.’
‘People called Jones or something like that, weren’t they? Don’t think Iactually know them. Most of my time here, you know, I’ve lived on theother side, the moor⁵ side, of the town. Two houses there I go to regularly.

分享到：