The Girl in the Train: A Short Story

By Agatha Christie

Previously published in the print anthology The Golden Ball and Other Stories.

George Rowland, a bored playboy, disowned for the seventh time by his wealthy uncle, is on the train to London. When a beautiful girl bursts into his compartment, frantically begging to be hidden, his life changes dramatically.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Nov 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9780062302748

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was an English author of mystery fiction whose status in the genre is unparalleled. A prolific and dedicated creator, she wrote short stories, plays and poems, but her fame is due primarily to her mystery novels, especially those featuring two of the most celebrated sleuths in crime fiction, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Ms. Christie’s novels have sold in excess of two billion copies, making her the best-selling author of fiction in the world, with total sales comparable only to those of William Shakespeare or The Bible. Despite the fact that she did not enjoy cinema, almost 40 films have been produced based on her work.

Book preview

Contents

The Girl in the Train

About the Author

The Agatha Christie Collection

Copyright

About the Publisher

THE GIRL IN THE TRAIN

And that’s that!" observed George Rowland ruefully, as he gazed up at the imposing smoke-grimed façade of the building he had just quitted.

It might be said to represent very aptly the power of Money—and Money, in the person of William Rowland, uncle to the aforementioned George, had just spoken its mind very freely. In the course of a brief ten minutes, from being the apple of his uncle’s eye, the heir to his wealth, and a young man with a promising business career in front of him, George had suddenly become one of the vast army of the unemployed.

And in these clothes they won’t even give me the dole, reflected Mr. Rowland gloomily, and as for writing poems and selling them at the door at twopence (or ‘what you care to give, lydy’) I simply haven’t got the brains.

It was true that George embodied a veritable triumph of the tailor’s art. He was exquisitely and beautifully arrayed. Solomon and the lilies of the field were simply not in it with George. But man cannot live by clothes alone—unless he has had some considerable training in the art—and Mr. Rowland was painfully aware of the fact.

And all because of that rotten show last night, he reflected sadly.

The rotten show last night had been a Covent Garden Ball. Mr. Rowland had returned from it at a somewhat late—or rather early—hour—as a matter of fact, he could not strictly say that he remembered returning at all. Rogers, his uncle’s butler, was a helpful fellow, and could doubtless give more details on the matter. A splitting head, a cup of strong tea, and an arrival at the office at five minutes to twelve instead of half-past nine had precipitated the catastrophe. Mr. Rowland, senior, who for twenty-four years had condoned and paid up as a tactful relative should, had suddenly abandoned

Reviews for The Girl in the Train

[helenliz_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fun listen, short and to the point. George Rowland is estranged from his Uncle and so he leaves London in High a fit of temper and decides to take a train to a random location - he chooses Rowland's Castle as it shares a name with him, it could be his place of origin and he could claim his castle (note - it is a real place and the remains of the castle amount to a couple of blocks of masonry near the station - it's not an impressive castle and no-one knows who Rowland was). This train leaves from Waterloo and he takes the stopping train (note - from experience to stop at Rowland's Castle you take a train that seems to stop at every garden gate!). As it is about to depart a girl bursts into the carriage and begs George to hide her, which he does and so begins a wild goose chase of a story that takes place in a provincial hotel in Portsmouth. It's a tale of mistaken identity, criminals, foreign nobility and general ill deeds that George manages to negotiate his way through, more through good luck than any thing else. It all ends back on a train heading in the reverse direction, by which time George's life has changed somewhat - and he is planning a return visit to Rowland's Castle.