POSTERN OF FATE Agatha Christie

phenomenon. She didn't see why the words had been underlined. They
were not in sequence, they were not a quotation, therefore, in the
book. They seemed to be words that had been singled out and had
then been underlined in red ink. She read under her breath: 'Matcham
could not restrain a little cry. Dick started with surprise and dropped
the windac from his fingers. They were all afoot, loosing sword and
dagger in the sheath. Ellis held up his hand. The white of his eyes
shone. Let, large -' Tuppence shook her head. It didn't make sense.
None of it did.
She went over to the table where she kept her writing things, picked
out a few sheets recently sent by a firm of notepaper printers for the
Beresfords to make a choice of the paper to be stamped with their new
address: The Laurels.
'Silly name,' said Tuppence, 'but if you go changing names all the time,
then all your letters go astray.'
She copied things down. Now she realized something she hadn't
realized before.
'That makes all the difference,' said Tuppence.
She traced letters on the page.
'So there you are,' said Tommy's voice, suddenly. 'Dinner's practically
in. How are the books going?'
'This lot's terribly puzzling,' said Tuppence. 'Dreadfully puzzling.'