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And by now the thoughts that ran through their brains were abnormal, feverish, diseased…

‘It’s Armstrong… I saw him looking at me sideways just then… his eyes are mad… quite mad… Perhaps he isn’t a doctor at all… That’s it, of course!.. He’s a lunatic, escaped from some doctor’s house—pretending to be a doctor… It’s true… shall I tell them?.. Shall I scream out?.. No, it won’t do to put him on his guard… Besides he can seem so sane… What time is it?.. Only a quarter past three!.. Oh, God, I shall go mad myself… Yes, it’s Armstrong… He’s watching me now…’

‘They won’t get me! I can take care of myself… I’ve been in tight places before… Where the hell is that revolver?.. Who took it?.. Who’s got it?.. Nobody’s got it—we know that. We were all searched… Nobody can have it… But someone knows where it is…’

‘They’re going mad… They’ll all go mad… Afraid of death… we’re all afraid of death. I’m afraid of death… Yes, but that doesn’t stop death coming…“The hearse is at the door, sir.” Where did I read that? The girl… I’ll watch the girl. Yes, I’ll watch the girl…’

‘Twenty to four… only twenty to four… perhaps the clock has stopped… I don’t understand—no, I don’t understand… This sort of thing can’t happen… it is happening… Why don’t we wake up? Wake up—Judgment Day—no, not that! If only I could think… My head—something’s happening in my head—it’s going to burst—it’s going to split… This sort of thing can’t happen… What’s the time? Oh, God, it’s only a quarter to four.’

‘I must keep my head… I must keep my head… If only I keep my head… It’s all perfectly clear—all worked out. But nobody must suspect. It may do the trick. It must! Which one? That’s the question—which one? I think—yes, I rather think—yes—him.’

When the clock struck five they all jumped.

Vera said:

‘Does anyone—want tea?’

There was a moment’s silence. Blore said:

‘I’d like a cup.’

Vera rose. She said:

‘I’ll go and make it. You can all stay here.’

Mr Justice Wargrave said gently:

‘I think, my dear young lady, we would all prefer to come and watch you make it.’

Vera stared, then gave a short rather hysterical laugh.

She said:

‘Of course! You would!’

Five people went into the kitchen. Tea was made and drunk by Vera and Blore. The other three had whisky—opening a fresh bottle and using a siphon from a nailed up case.

The judge murmured with a reptilian smile:

‘We must be very careful…’

They went back again to the drawing-room. Although it was summer the room was dark. Lombard switched on the lights but they did not come on. He said:

‘Of course! The engine’s not been run today since

Rogers hasn’t been there to see to it.’

He hesitated and said:

‘We could go out and get it going, I suppose.’

Mr Justice Wargrave said:

‘There are packets of candles in the larder, I saw them, better use those.’