Very well."
She reflected a minute.
"It was a large room.
There were a good many things, in it."
"Can you describe some of those things?"
"There were some glass flowers - modern - rather beautiful. And I think there were some Chinese or Japanese pictures.
And there was a bowl of tiny red tulips - amazingly early for them."
"Anything else?"
"I'm afraid I didn't notice anything in detail."
"The furniture - do you remember the color of the upholstery?"
"Something silky, I think.
That's all I can say."
"Did you notice any of the small objects?"
"I'm afraid not.
There were so many.
I know it struck me as quite a collector's room."
There was silence for a minute. Mrs. Lorrimer said with a faint smile,
"I'm afraid I have not been very helpful."
"There is something else." He produced the bridge scores. "There are the first three rubbers played.
I wondered if you could help me, with the aid of these, to reconstruct the hands."
"Let me see," Mrs. Lorrimer looked interested. She bent over the scores. "That was the first rubber. Miss Meredith and I were playing against the two men.
The first game was played in four spades.
We made it and an over trick.
Then the next hand was left at two diamonds and Doctor Roberts went down one trick in it.
There was quite a lot of bidding on the third hand, I remember.
Miss Meredith passed.
Major Despard went a heart.
I passed.
Doctor Roberts gave a jump bid of three clubs.
Miss Meredith went three spades.
Major Despard bid four diamonds.
I doubled.
Doctor Roberts took it into four hearts.
They went down one."
"Epatant," said Poirot. "What a memory!"
Mrs. Lorrimer went on, disregarding him,
"On the next hand Major Despard passed and I bid a no trump.
Doctor Roberts bid three hearts.
My partner said nothing.
Despard put his partner to four.
I doubled and they went down two tricks.
Then I dealt and we went out on a four-spade bid."
She took up the next score.
"It is difficult, that," said Poirot. "Major Despard scores in the cancellation manner."
"I rather fancy both sides went down fifty to start with - then Doctor Roberts went to five diamonds and we doubled and got him down three tricks.
Then we made three clubs, but immediately after the others went game in spades.
We made the second game in five clubs. Then we went down a hundred.
The others made one heart, we made two no trumps, and we finally won the rubber with a four club bid."
She picked up the next score.
"This rubber was rather a battle, I remember.