Gather ye rosebuds while ye may

Chief-Inspector Davy waited patiently until Mrs.Melford had finished talking. It had been a singularly unprofitable interview. CousinMildred had been incoherent, unbelieving and generally feather-headed. Or that was Father's private view. Accounts of Elvira's sweetmanners, nice nature, troubles with her teeth, odd excuses told through the telephone, hadled on to serious doubts whether Elvira's friend Bridget wasreally a suitable friend for her. All these matters had been presented to theChief-Inspector in a kind of general hasty pudding. Mrs. Melford knew nothing, had heardnothing, had seen nothing and had apparently deduced very little.　A short telephone call to Elvira's guardian, Colonel Luscombe had been even more unproductive, thoughfortunately less wordy. "More Chinese monkeys," he muttered to his sergeant as he put down the receiver. "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."