And Then There Were None

by Agatha Christie

Vera Claythorne, in a third-class carriage with five other travellers in it, leaned her head back and shut her eyes.

Philip Lombard, summing up the girl opposite in a mere flash of his quick moving eyes thought to himself:

a non-smoking carriage Miss Emily Brent sat very upright as was her custom. She was sixty-five and she did not approve of lounging. Her father, a Colonel of the old school, had been particular about deportment. The present generation was shamelessly lax—

General Macarthur looked out of the carriage window. The train was just coming into Exeter, where he had to

Armstrong was driving his Morris across Salisbury Plain. He was very tired … Success had its penalties.

Tony Marston, roaring down into Mere, thought to himself:

Blore was in the slow train from Plymouth. There was only one other person in his carriage, an elderly seafaring gentleman with a bleary eye. At the present moment he had dropped off to sleep.

like.” She got up and walked restlessly about the room. A perfect bedroom decorated throughout in the modern style. Off-white rugs on the gleaming parquet floor—faintly tinted walls—a long mirror surrounded by lights. A mantelpiece bare of ornaments save for an enormous block of white marble shaped like a bear, a piece of modern sculpture in which was inset a clock. Over it, in a gleaming chromium frame, was a big square of parchment—a poem. She stood in front of the fireplace and read it. It was the old nursery rhyme that she remembered from her childhood days. Ten little soldier boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were Nine. Nine little soldier boys sat up very late; One overslept himself and then there were Eight. Eight little soldier boys travelling in Devon;

One said he’d stay there and then there were Seven. Seven little soldier boys chopping up sticks; One chopped himself in halves and then there were Six. Six little soldier boys playing with a hive; A bumble bee stung one and then there were Five. Five little soldier boys going in for law; One got in Chancery and then there were Four. Four little soldier boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one and then there were Three. Three little soldier boys walking in the Zoo; A big bear hugged one and then there were Two. Two little soldier boys sitting in the sun; One got frizzled up and then there was One.

One little soldier boy left all alone; He went and hanged himself and then there were None.

“Edward George Armstrong, that you did upon the 14th day of March, 1925, cause the death of Louisa Mary Clees. “Emily Caroline Brent, that upon the 5th of November, 1931, you were responsible for the death of Beatrice Taylor. “William Henry Blore, that you brought about the death of James Stephen Landor on October 10th, 1928.

“Vera Elizabeth Claythorne, that on the 11th day of August, 1935, you killed Cyril Ogilvie Hamilton. “Philip Lombard, that upon a date in February, 1932, you were guilty of the death of twenty-one men, members of an East African tribe. “John Gordon Macarthur, that on the 4th of January, 1917, you deliberately sent your wife’s lover, Arthur Richmond, to his death. “Anthony James Marston, that upon the 14th day of November last, you were guilty of the murder of John and Lucy Combes. “Thomas Rogers and Ethel Rogers, that on the 6th of May, 1929, you brought about the death of Jennifer Brady. “Lawrence John Wargrave, that upon the 10th day of June, 1930, you were guilty of the murder of Edward Seton. “Prisoners at the bar, have you anything to say in your defence?”