Mr. Isaac Pointz removed a cigar from his lips and
said approvingly:
"Pretty little place."
Having thus set the seal of his approval upon
Dartmouth harbor, he .replaced the cigar and
looked about him with the air of a man pleased
with himself, his appearance, his surroundings
and life generally.
As regards the first of these, Mr. Isaac Pointz
was a man of fifty-eight, in good health and con-dition
with perhaps a slight tendency to liver. He
was not exactly stout, but comfortable-looking,
and a yachting costume, which he wore at the mo-ment,
is not the most kindly of attires far a
middle-aged man with a tendency to embonpoint.
Mr. Pointz was very well turned outmcorrect to
every crease and button--his dark and slightly
4
Agatha Christie
Oriental face beaming out under the peak of his
yachting cap. As regards his surroundings, these
may have been taken to mean his companions--his
partner Mr. Leo Stein, Sir George and Lady
Maroway, an American business acquaintance
Mr. Samuel Leathern and his schoolgirl daughter
Eve, Mrs. Rustington and Evan Llewellyn.
The party had just come ashore from Mr.
Pointz' yacht--the Merrirnaid. In the morning
they had watched the yacht racing and they had
now come ashore to join for a while in the fun of
the fair--Coconut shies, Fat Ladies, the Human
Spider and the Merry-go-round. It is hardly to be
doubted that these delights were relished most by
Eve Leathern. When Mr. Pointz finally suggested
that it was time to adjourn to the Royal George
for dinner hers was the only dissentient voice.
"Oh, Mr. Pointz--I did so want to have my fortune
told by the Real Gypsy in the Caravan."
Mr. Pointz had doubts of the essential Realness
of the Gypsy in question but he gave indulgent assent.
"Eve's just crazy about the fair," said her
father apologetically. "But don't you pay any attention
if you want to be getting along."
"Plenty of time," said Mr. Pointz benignantly.
"Let the little lady enjoy herself. I'll take you on
at darts, Leo."
"Twenty-five and over wins a prize," chanted
the man in charge of the darts in a high nasal
voice.
"Bet you a river my total score beats yours,"