The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories

never heard such a name in their lives. Abroad, he reflected, they read their newspapers more thor-oughly. No item, not even the advertisement col-umns, escaped them.

Already his holidays had been interrupted on several occasions. He had dealt with a whole series of problems from murder to attempted blackmail. He was determined in Majorca to have peace. He felt instinctively that a distressed mother might trouble that peace considerably.

Mr. Parker Pyne settled down at the Pino d'Oro very happily. There was a larger hotel not far off, the Mariposa, where a good many English people

84 Agatha Christie

stayed. Fire was also-quite an artist colony living all round. You could walk along by the sea to the fishing village where there was a cocktail bar where peolle met--there were a few shops. It was

all very peaceful and pleasant. Girls strolled about in trouse with brightly colored handkerchiefs

tied round the upper halves of their bodies. Young men in b¢ets with rather long hair held forth in "Mac's !r" on such subjects as plastic values and abstraction in art. On the day after Mr. Parker Pyne's arrival, Mrs. Chester made a few conventional remarks to him on the subject of the view and the likelihood of the weather keeping fine. She then chatted a little with the German lady about knitting, and had a few bleasant words about the sadness of the political situation with two Danish gentlemen who spent their time rising at dawn and walking for eleven ho¥s. Mr. Parker Pyne found Basil Chester a most likeable Yung man. He called Mr. Parker Pyne "sir" and listened most politely to anything the older mar said. Sometimes the three English people hq coffee together after dinner in the evening. After the third day, Basil left the party after ten' inutes or so and Mr. Parker Pyne was left tte-/-tte with Mrs. Chester. They tlked about flowers and the growing of them, of the lamentable state of the English pound

and of how expensive France had become, and of the diffic!ty of getting good afternoon tea.

Every ¢¥ening when her son departed, Mr. Parker PYe saw the quickly concealed tremor of her lips, It immediately she recovered and dis-

PROBLEM AT POLLENSA BAY 85

coursed pleasantly on the above-mentioned subjects. Little by little she began to talk of Basil--of how well he had done at school--"he was in the First XI, you know"--of how everyone liked him, of how proud his father would have been of the boy had he lived, of how thankful she had been that Basil had never been "wild." "Of course I always urge him to be with young people, but he really seems to prefer being with me." She said it with a kind of nice modest pleasure in the fact. But for once Mr. Parker Pyne did not make the usual tactful response he could usually achieve so easily. He said instead: "Oh! well, there seem to be plenty of young people here--not in the hotel, but roundabout."

At that, he noticed, Mrs. Chester stiffened. She

said: Of course there were a lot of Artists. Perhaps

she was very old-fashioned--real art, of course,

was different, but a lot of young people just made

that sort of thing an excuse for lounging about

and doing nothing--and the girls drank a lot too

much.

On the following day Basil said to Mr. Parker

Pyne:

"I'm awfully glad you turned up here, sir--especially

for my mother's sake. She likes having

you to talk to in the evenings."

"What did you do when you were first here?" "As a matter of fact we used to play piquet."

"I see."

"Of course one gets rather tired of piquet. As a matter of fact I've got some friends here-- fright 84 .Agatha Christie

stayed. There vvas a?.°'qaite an artist colony living

all round. You co. um Wlk along by the sea to the

fishing village w. ne.r.e there was a cocktail bar

where people r..'ne.'e were a few shops. It was all very peacefu.lasant. Girls strolled about · ,,m orl 11 ,

m trousers wPt

,g tly colored handkerchiefs tied round the pper halves of their bodies. Young men in berets with rat[er long hair held forth in "Mac's Bar" on SUch subjects as plastic values

and abstractiffn in art.

On the da-aadfteer r. Parker Pyne's arrival,

Mrs. Chester ,m. . a t-w conventional remarks to

him on the svt°J,ect of the view and the likelihood

of the weathreeremPitlg fine. She then chatted a little with th mah lady about knitting, and had a few pla.sant ,W.%ds about the sadness of the

political situu°n .W!tll two Danish gentlemen who spent their tme nsm at dawn and walking for

eleven hours/

Mr. Parkff Pyne tound Basil Chester a most

likeable youOg ma.n. He called Mr Parker Pyne ,, · ,,

.stenea . ' sir and Bsaid nlost politely to anything the

older man cof{e °tnetimes the three English

people had er the !bgether after dinner in the

evening. Afe tird day, Basil left the party after ten' mjUtwSt°r,O and Mr. Parker Pyne was left tte-li-t¢; ;; tV!rs' Chester. They talg l-°.u! flowers and the growing of them, of the.."-t, able state of the English pound and of how ;csl.ve France had become, and of the difficulff . gettlhg good afternoon tea