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11 - Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers · Unnatural Death

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Speaker 1: Chapter eleven of Unnatural Death by Dorothy Sayers. This LibriVox
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Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain. Cross Roads, Patience and
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Speaker 1: Shuffle the Cards don Quixote. Lord Peter took Missus Cropper
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Speaker 1: down to christ Church and returned to town to have
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Speaker 1: a conference with mister Parker. The latter had just listened
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Speaker 1: to his recital of Missus Cropper's story when the discreet
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Speaker 1: opening and closing of the flat door announced the return
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Speaker 1: of Hunter. Any luck inquired Whimsey. I regret exceedingly to
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Speaker 1: have to inform your lordship that I lost track of
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Speaker 1: the lady. In fact, if your lordship will kindly excuse
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Speaker 1: the expression, I was completely done in the eye. Thank god, Bunter,
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Speaker 1: you're human, after all, I didn't know anybody could. Do
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Speaker 1: you have a drink? I am much obliged to your
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Speaker 1: lordship according to instructions. I searched the platform for a
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Speaker 1: lady in a crimson hat and a gray fur and
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Speaker 1: at length was fortunate enough to observe her making her
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Speaker 1: way out by the station entrance towards the big book stall.
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Speaker 1: She was some way ahead of me, but the hat
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Speaker 1: was very conspicuous and in the words of the poet,
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Speaker 1: if I may so express myself, I followed the gleam
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Speaker 1: stout fellow, Thank you, my lord. The lady walked into
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Speaker 1: the Station Hotel, which, as you know, has two entrances,
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Speaker 1: one upon the platform and the other upon the street.
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Speaker 1: I hurried after her for fear she should give me
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Speaker 1: the slip, and made my way through the revolving doors,
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Speaker 1: just in time to see her back disappearing into the
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Speaker 1: lady's retiring room. Whither as a modest man, you could
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Speaker 1: not follow her, I quite understand. Quite so, my lord.
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Speaker 1: I took a seat in the entrance, all in a
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Speaker 1: position from which I could watch the door without appearing
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Speaker 1: to do so, and discovered too late that the place
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Speaker 1: had two exits. I suppose unusual and distressen. No, my lord,
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Speaker 1: that was not the trouble. I sat watching for three
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Speaker 1: quarters of an hour, but the crimson hat did not reappear.
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Speaker 1: Your lordship will bear in mind that I had never
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Speaker 1: seen the lady's face, Lord Peter groaned, I foresee the
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Speaker 1: end of this story, Bunter, not your fault. At the
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Speaker 1: end of this time, my Lord, I felt bound to
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Speaker 1: conclude either that the lady had been taken ill or
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Speaker 1: that something untoward had occurred. I summoned a female attendant
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Speaker 1: who happened to cross the hall, and informed her that
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Speaker 1: I had been entrusted with a message for a lady
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Speaker 1: whose dress I described. I begged her to ascertain from
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Speaker 1: the attendant in the lady's room whether the lady in
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Speaker 1: question was still in there. The girl went away and
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Speaker 1: presently returned to say that the lady had changed her
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Speaker 1: costume in the cloak room and had gone out half
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Speaker 1: an hour previously. Oh, bunter, bunter, didn't you spot the
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Speaker 1: suit case or whatever it was when she came out again?
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Speaker 1: Excuse me, my lord. The lady had come in earlier
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Speaker 1: in the day and had left an attache case in
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Speaker 1: charge of the attendant. On returning, she had transferred her
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Speaker 1: hat and fur to the attache case and put on
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Speaker 1: a small black felt hat with a lightweight raincoat, which
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Speaker 1: she had packed there in readiness, so that her dress
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Speaker 1: was concealed when she emerged, and she was carrying the
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Speaker 1: attache case, whereas when I first saw her she had
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Speaker 1: been empty handed. Everything foreseen, What a woman. I made
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Speaker 1: immediate inquiries, my Lord, in the region of the hotel
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Speaker 1: and the station, but without result, the black hat and
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Speaker 1: raincoat were entirely inconspicuous, and no one remembered having seen her.
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Speaker 1: I went to the Central station to discover if she
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Speaker 1: had traveled by any train. Several women answering to the
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Speaker 1: description had taken tickets for various destinations, but I could
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Speaker 1: get no definite information. I also visited all the garages
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Speaker 1: in Liverpool, with the same lack of success. I am
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Speaker 1: greatly distressed to have failed. Your lordship can't be helped.
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Speaker 1: You did everything you could do. Cheer up, never say die,
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Speaker 1: and you must be tired to death. Take the day
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Speaker 1: off and go to bed. I thank your lordship, but
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Speaker 1: I slept excellently in the train on the way up,
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Speaker 1: just as you like, Bunter. But I did hope you
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Speaker 1: sometimes got tired like other people. Bunter smiled and discreetly Withdrew. Well,
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Speaker 1: we've gained this much, anyhow, said Parker. We know now
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Speaker 1: that this miss Whittaker has something to conceal, since she
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Speaker 1: takes such precautions to avoid being followed. We know more
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Speaker 1: than that. We know that she was desperately anxious to
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Speaker 1: get hold of the Cropper Woman before anybody else could
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Speaker 1: see her. No doubt to stop her mouth by bribery
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Speaker 1: or my worst means. By the way, how did she
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Speaker 1: know she was coming by that boat? Missus Cropper sent
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Speaker 1: a cable which was read at the inquest. And these
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Speaker 1: inquests they give away all the information one wants kept
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Speaker 1: quiet and produce no evidence worth having hear hear, said Parker,
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Speaker 1: with emphasis not to mention that we had to sit
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Speaker 1: through a lot of moral punk by the coroner about
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Speaker 1: the prevalence of jazz and the immoral behavior of modern
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Speaker 1: girls in going off alone with young men to Epping Forest.
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Speaker 1: It's so pity these busybodies can't be had up for libel.
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Speaker 1: Never mind, we'll get the Whittaker woman. Yet, always provided
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Speaker 1: it was the Whittaker woman. After all, missus Cropper may
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Speaker 1: have been mistaken. Lots of people do change their hats
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Speaker 1: in cloak rooms without any criminal intentions. Oh, of course
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Speaker 1: Miss Whittaker supposed to be in the country with Miss
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Speaker 1: Finn later, isn't she. We'll get the invaluable Miss Clempson
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Speaker 1: to pump the girl when they turn up again. Meanwhile,
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Speaker 1: what do you think of missus Cropper's story? There's no
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Speaker 1: doubt about what happened there, Miss Whittaker was trying to
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Speaker 1: get the old lady to sign a will without knowing it.
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Speaker 1: She gave it to her all mixed up with the
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Speaker 1: income tax papers, hoping she'd put her name to it
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Speaker 1: without reading it. It must have been a will, I think,
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Speaker 1: because that's the only document I know of which is
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Speaker 1: invalid unless witnessed by two persons in the presence of
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Speaker 1: the testa tricks and of each other exactly. And since
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Speaker 1: Miss Whittaker couldn't be one of the witnesses herself, but
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Speaker 1: had to get the two maids to sign, the will
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Speaker 1: must have been in Miss Whittaker's favor. Obviously, she wouldn't
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Speaker 1: go to all that trouble to disinherit herself. But that
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Speaker 1: brings us to another difficulty. Miss Whittaker, as next of kin,
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Speaker 1: would have taken all the old lady had to leave
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Speaker 1: in any case, As a matter of fact, she did.
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Speaker 1: Why bother about a will? Perhaps, as we said before,
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Speaker 1: she was afraid Miss Dawson would change her mind and
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Speaker 1: wanted to get a will made out before. No, that
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Speaker 1: won't work, No, because anyhow, any will made later would
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Speaker 1: invalidate the first will. Besides, the old lady sent for
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Speaker 1: her solicitor some time later, and Miss Whittaker put no
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Speaker 1: obstacle of any kind in her way. According to Nurse Forbes,
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Speaker 1: she was particularly anxious that every facility should be given,
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Speaker 1: seeing how Miss Dawson distrusted her niece. It's a bit surprising,
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Speaker 1: really that she didn't will the money away. Then it
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Speaker 1: would have been to Miss Whittaker's advantage to keep her
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Speaker 1: alive as long as possible. I don't suppose she really
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Speaker 1: distrusted her, not to the extent of expecting to be
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Speaker 1: made away with. She was excited and said more than
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Speaker 1: she meant. We often do, yes, But she evidently thought
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Speaker 1: there'd be another attempt to get the will signed. Do
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Speaker 1: you make that out? Don't you remember the power of attorney?
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Speaker 1: The old girl evidently thought that out and decided to
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Speaker 1: give Miss Whittaker authority to sign everything for her, so
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Speaker 1: that there couldn't possibly be any jiggery pokery about papers
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Speaker 1: in the future. Of course, a cute old lady, how
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Speaker 1: very irritating for Miss Whittaker, and after that very hopeful
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Speaker 1: visit of the solicitor too so disappointing. Instead of the
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Speaker 1: expected will, a very carefully planted spoke in her wheel. Yes,
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Speaker 1: but we are still brought up against the problem why
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Speaker 1: a will at all? So we are. The two men
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Speaker 1: pulled at their pipes for some time in silence. The
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Speaker 1: aunt evidently intended the money to go to Mary Whittaker.
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Speaker 1: All right, remarked Parker. At last, she promised it so often. Besides,
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Speaker 1: I dare say she was a just minded old thing,
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Speaker 1: and remembered that it was really Whittaker money which had
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Speaker 1: come to her over the head of the Reverend Charles
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Speaker 1: or whatever his name was. That's so well. There's only
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Speaker 1: one thing that could prevent that happening, and that's Oh, lord,
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Speaker 1: old son, do you know what it works out at?
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Speaker 1: The old old story beloved of novelists, the Missing Air
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Speaker 1: Good lord, Yes, you're right, damn it all. What fools
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Speaker 1: we were not to think of it before Mary Whittaker
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Speaker 1: possibly found out that there was some nearer relative left
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Speaker 1: who would scoop the lot. Maybe she was afraid that
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Speaker 1: if miss Dawson got to know about it, she'd divide
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Speaker 1: the money or disinherit Mary altogether. Or perhaps she just
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Speaker 1: despaired of hammering the story into the old lady's head
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Speaker 1: and so hit on the idea of getting her to
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Speaker 1: make the will unbeknownst to herself in Mary's favor. What
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Speaker 1: a brain you've got, Charles, Or see here, Miss Dawson
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Speaker 1: may have known all about it, sly old thing, and
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Speaker 1: determined to pay Miss Whittaker out for her indecent urgency
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Speaker 1: in the matter of will Megan by just dying intestate
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Speaker 1: in the other chappeze favor. If she did, she deserved
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Speaker 1: anything she got, said Parker, rather viciously, after taking the
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Speaker 1: poor girl away from her job under promise of leaving
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Speaker 1: her the DIBs. Teach the young woman not to be
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Speaker 1: so mercenary, retorted Whimsey, with the cheerful brutality of the
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Speaker 1: man who has never in his life been short of money.
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Speaker 1: If this bright idea is corrected, said Parker, it rather
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Speaker 1: messes up your murder theory, doesn't it, Because Mary would
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Speaker 1: obviously take the line of keeping her aunt alive as
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Speaker 1: long as possible in hopes she might make a will.
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Speaker 1: After all, that's true. Curse you, Charles, I see that
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Speaker 1: bet of mine going west, but a blow for friend
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Speaker 1: car too. I did hope I was going to vindicate
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Speaker 1: him and have him played home by the village band
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Speaker 1: under a triumphal arch with' a welcome champion of the
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Speaker 1: truth picked out in red and white and blue electric bulbs.
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Speaker 1: Never mind, it's better to lose a wager and see
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Speaker 1: the light than walk in ignorance, bloated with gold or stop.
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Speaker 1: Why shouldn't car be right? After all? Perhaps it's just
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Speaker 1: my choice of a murderer that's wrong. Ah. I see
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Speaker 1: a new and even more sinister villain step upon the scene,
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Speaker 1: the new claimant, warned by his minions, what minions, Oh,
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Speaker 1: don't be so per Nicote, Charles nurse Forbes. Probably I
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Speaker 1: shouldn't wonder if she's in his pay Where was I?
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Speaker 1: I wish she wouldn't interrupt? Warned by his minions, prompted Parker. Oh, yes,
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Speaker 1: warned by his minions that miss Dawson is hob nobbing
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Speaker 1: with solicitors and being tempted into making wills and things yets.
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Speaker 1: The said minions do polish her off before she can
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Speaker 1: do any mischief. Yes, but how oh, by one of
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Speaker 1: those native poisons which slay in a split second and
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Speaker 1: defy the skill of the analyst. They are familiar to
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Speaker 1: the meanest writer of mystery stories. I'm not going to
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Speaker 1: let a trifle like that stand in my way? And
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Speaker 1: why hasn't this hypothetical gentleman brought forward any claim to
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Speaker 1: the property. So far, he's biding his time. The fuss
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Speaker 1: about the death scared him, and he's lying low till
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Speaker 1: it's all blown over. He'll find it much more awkward
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Speaker 1: to dispossess miss Whittaker now she's taken possession. Possession is
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Speaker 1: nine points of the law, you know, I know. But
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Speaker 1: he's going to pretend he wasn't anywhere near at the
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Speaker 1: time of Miss Dawson's death. He only read about it
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Speaker 1: a few weeks ago in a sheet of newspaper wrapped
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Speaker 1: around a salmon tin. And now he's rushing home from
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Speaker 1: his distant farm in Thinglejig to proclaim himself as the
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Speaker 1: long lost cousin Tom Great Scott. That reminds me. He
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Speaker 1: plunged his hand into his pocket and pulled out a letter.
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Speaker 1: This came this morning, just as I was going out,
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Speaker 1: and I met Freddy Arbuthnot on the doorstep and shoved
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Speaker 1: it into my pocket before I read it properly. But
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Speaker 1: I do believe there was something in it about a
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Speaker 1: cousin somebody from some god forsaken spot. Let's see. He
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Speaker 1: unfolded the letter, which was written in Miss Clemson's old
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Speaker 1: fashioned flowing hand and ornamented with such a variety of
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Speaker 1: underlinings and exclamation marks as to look like an exercise
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Speaker 1: in musical notation. Oh Lord, said Parker. Yes, it's worse
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Speaker 1: than usual, isn't it. It must be of desperate importance.
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Speaker 1: Luckily it's comparatively short. My dear Lord Peter, I heard
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Speaker 1: something this morning which may be of use, so I
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Speaker 1: hastened to communicate it. You remember I mentioned before that
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Speaker 1: missus Budge's maid is the sister of the present maid
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Speaker 1: at Miss Whittaker's well. The act of these two girls
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Speaker 1: came to pay a visit to missus Budge's girl this afternoon,
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Speaker 1: and was introduced to me, of course, as border at
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Speaker 1: missus Budge's. I am naturally an object of local interest, and,
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Speaker 1: bearing your instructions in mind, I encouraged this to an
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Speaker 1: extent I should not otherwise do. It appears that this
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Speaker 1: aunt was well acquainted with a former housekeeper of Miss
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Speaker 1: Dawson's before the time of the go to Bed girls.
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Speaker 1: I mean, the aunt is a highly respectable person of
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Speaker 1: forbidding aspect with a bonnet and to my mind a
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Speaker 1: most disagreeable, censorious woman. However, we got to speaking of
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Speaker 1: Miss Dawson's death, and this aunt, her name is Timmins,
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Speaker 1: primmed up her mouth and said, no unpleasant scandal would
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Speaker 1: surprise me about that family, Miss Clemson. They were most
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Speaker 1: undesirably connected. You recollect missus bunch that I felt obliged
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Speaker 1: to leave after the appearance of that most extraordinary person
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Speaker 1: who announced himself as Miss Dawson's cousin. Naturally, I asked
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Speaker 1: who this might be, not having heard of any other relations.
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Speaker 1: She said that this person, whom she described as a nasty,
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Speaker 1: dirty nigger, arrived one morning dressed up as a clergyman
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Speaker 1: and sent her Miss Timmins, to announce him to Miss
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Speaker 1: Dawson as her cousin. Hallelujah. Miss Timmins showed him up,
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Speaker 1: much against her will, into the nice, clean drawing room.
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Speaker 1: Miss Dawson, she said, actually came down to see this
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Speaker 1: creature instead of sending him about his black business, and
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Speaker 1: as a crowning scandal, asked him to stay to lunch
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Speaker 1: with her niece there too, Miss Timmins said, and this
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Speaker 1: horrible blackamore rolling his dreadful eyes at her. Miss Timmins
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Speaker 1: said that it regularly turned her stomach. That was her phrase,
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Speaker 1: and I trust you will excuse it. I understand that
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Speaker 1: these parts of the body are frequently referred to in
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Speaker 1: polite society nowadays. In fact, it appears she refused to
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Speaker 1: cook the lunch for the poor black man. After all,
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Speaker 1: even blacks are God's creatures, and we might all be
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Speaker 1: black ourselves if he had not, in his infinite kindness,
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Speaker 1: seen fit to favor us with white skins and walked
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Speaker 1: straight out of the house. So that, unfortunately she cannot
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Speaker 1: tell us anything further about this remarkable incident. She is certain, however,
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Speaker 1: that the nigger had a visiting card with the name
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Speaker 1: the Reverend H. Dawson upon it and an address in
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Speaker 1: foreign parts. It does seem strange, does it not, But
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Speaker 1: I believe many of these native preachers are called to
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Speaker 1: do splendid work among their own people, and no doubt
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Speaker 1: a minister is entitled to have a visiting card, even
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Speaker 1: when black. In great haste, Sincerely, Yours A. K. Clemson,
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Speaker 1: God bless my soul, said Lord Peter, when he had
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Speaker 1: disentangled this screed. Here's our claimant ready made with a
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Speaker 1: hide as black as his heart, apparently, replied Parker. I
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Speaker 1: wonder where the Reverend Hallelujah has got to and where
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Speaker 1: he came from. He er he wouldn't be in Crockford.
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Speaker 1: I suppose he probably would be if he's Church of England,
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Speaker 1: said Lord Peter, dubiously, going in search of that valuable
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Speaker 1: work of reference. Jawson, Reverend George, Reverend Gordon, Reverend Gurney,
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Speaker 1: Reverend Habakuk, Reverend Hadrian, Reverend Hammond. No, there's no Reverend Hallelujah.
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Speaker 1: I was afraid the name hadn't altogether an established sound.
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Speaker 1: It would be easier if we had an idea what
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Speaker 1: part of the world a gentleman came Fromager to a
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Speaker 1: Miss Timmins may mean anything from a high caste Brahmin
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Speaker 1: to sambo and rustus at the Colosseum. It may even,
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Speaker 1: at a pinch, be an Argentine or an Esquimaux. I
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Speaker 1: suppose other religious bodies have there, Crockfords, suggested Parker a
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Speaker 1: little hopelessly. Yes, no doubt, except perhaps the more exclusive
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Speaker 1: sects like the Agapemonites and those who gather together to
22:33
Speaker 1: say Olm was it Voltaire who said that the English
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Speaker 1: had three hundred and sixty five religions and only one sauce,
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Speaker 1: judging from the war tribunals, said Parker, I should say
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Speaker 1: that was an under statement. And then there's America, a
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Speaker 1: country I understand remarkably well supplied with religions too true,
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Speaker 1: hunting for a single dog collar in the States must
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Speaker 1: be like the proverbial needle. Still, we could make a
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Speaker 1: few discreet inquiries. And meanwhile, I'm going to totter up
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Speaker 1: to Crofton with the jolly old bus, Crofton where Miss
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Speaker 1: Clara Whittaker and Miss Dawson used to live. I'm going
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Speaker 1: to look for the man with the little black bag,
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Speaker 1: the strange suspicious solicitor you remember, who came to see
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Speaker 1: Miss Dawson two years ago and was so anxious that
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Speaker 1: she should make a will. I fancy he knows all
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Speaker 1: there is to know about the Reverend Hallelujah and his claim.
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Speaker 1: Will you come to can't not without special permission. I'm
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Speaker 1: not officially on this case. You know you're on the
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Speaker 1: go to bed business. Tell the chief you think they're connected.
23:56
Speaker 1: I shall need your restraining presence. No less a noble
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Speaker 1: pressure than that of the regular police force will induce
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Speaker 1: a smoke dried family lawyer to spill the beans. Well,
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Speaker 1: I'll try. If you'll promise to drive with reasonable precaution.
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Speaker 1: Be he thou as chaste as ice, and have a
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Speaker 1: license as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny,
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Speaker 1: I am not a dangerous driver. Buck up and get
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Speaker 1: your leave. The snow white horse power foams and frets
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Speaker 1: at the blue bonnet Black in this case is already
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Speaker 1: in a manner of speaking over the border. You'll drive
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Speaker 1: me over the border one of these days, grumbled Parker,
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Speaker 1: and went to the phone to call up Sir Andrew
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Speaker 1: mc tenzie. At Scotland Yard Crofton is a delightful little
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Speaker 1: Old world village, tucked away amid the maze of criscass
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Speaker 1: country roads which fills the triangle of which Coventry, Warwick
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Speaker 1: and Birmingham mark the angles. Through the falling night, missus
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Speaker 1: Myrtle purred her way delicately round hedge blinded corners and
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Speaker 1: down devious lanes. Her quest made no easier by the
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Speaker 1: fact that the Warwick County Council had pitched upon that
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Speaker 1: particular week for a grand repainting of sign posts, and
25:28
Speaker 1: had reached the preliminary stage of laying a couple of
25:31
Speaker 1: thick coats of gleaming white paint over all the lettering.
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Speaker 1: At intervals, the patient bunter unpacked himself from the back
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Speaker 1: seat and climbed one of these uncommunicative guides to peer
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Speaker 1: at its blank surface with a torch, a process which
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Speaker 1: reminded Parker of allan quatermain trying to trace the features
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Speaker 1: of the departed kings of the Kukuanas under their calcarius
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Speaker 1: shrouds of stalagtite. One of the posts turned out to
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Speaker 1: be in the wet paint stage, which added to the
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Speaker 1: depression of the party. Finally, after several misdirections, blind alleys
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Speaker 1: and reversings back to the main road, they came to
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Speaker 1: a four ways. The sign post here must have been
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Speaker 1: in extra need of repairs, for its arms had been removed. Bodily,
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Speaker 1: it stood stark and ghastly, a long, livid finger erected
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Speaker 1: in wild protest to the unsympathetic heavens. It's starting to rain,
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Speaker 1: observed Parker conversationally. Look here, Charles, if you're going to
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Speaker 1: bear up, cheerfully and be the life and soul of
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Speaker 1: the expedition, say so and have done with it. I've
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Speaker 1: got a good heavy spanner handy under the seat and
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Speaker 1: bunter can help to bury the body. I think this
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Speaker 1: must be Brushwood Cross, resumed Parker, who had the map
27:06
Speaker 1: on his knee. If so, and if it's not Covert Corner,
27:11
Speaker 1: which I thought we passed half an hour ago, one
27:15
Speaker 1: of those roads leads directly to Crafton. That would be
27:19
Speaker 1: highly encouraging if we only knew which road we were on.
27:24
Speaker 1: We can always try them in turn and come back
27:27
Speaker 1: if we find we're going wrong. They bury suicides at
27:32
Speaker 1: cross roads, replied Whimsy dangerously. There's a man sitting under
27:39
Speaker 1: that tree, pursued Parker. We can ask him. He's lost
27:43
Speaker 1: his way too, or he wouldn't be sitting there, retorted
27:46
Speaker 1: the other people don't sit about in the rain for fun.
27:52
Speaker 1: At this moment. The man observed their approach and rising
27:56
Speaker 1: advanced to meet them with raised a resting hand. Whimsy
28:00
Speaker 1: brought the car to a standstill. Excuse me, said the stranger,
28:06
Speaker 1: who turned out to be a youth in motorcycling kit.
28:10
Speaker 1: But could you give me a hand with my bus?
28:13
Speaker 1: What's the matter with her? Well, she won't go. I
28:17
Speaker 1: guessed as much, said Whimsy, though why she should wish
28:22
Speaker 1: to linger in a place like this beats me. He
28:26
Speaker 1: got out of the car, and the youth, diving into
28:29
Speaker 1: the hedge, produced the patient for inspection. Did you tumble
28:34
Speaker 1: there or put her there? Inquired Whimsy, eyeing the machine distastefully.
28:41
Speaker 1: I put her there. I've been kicking the starter for hours,
28:45
Speaker 1: but nothing happened, so I thought i'd wait till somebody
28:49
Speaker 1: came along. I see, what is the matter exactly? I
28:54
Speaker 1: don't know. She was going beautifully and then she conked out. Suddenly,
29:00
Speaker 1: have you run out of petrol? Oh? No, I'm sure
29:03
Speaker 1: there's plenty in plug. All right, I don't know. The
29:09
Speaker 1: youth looked unhappy. It's only my second time out, you see.
29:14
Speaker 1: Oh well, there can't be much wrong. We'll just make
29:18
Speaker 1: sure about the petrol first, said Whimsy. More cheerfully, he
29:23
Speaker 1: unscrewed the filler cap and turned his torch upon the
29:26
Speaker 1: interior of the tank. Seems all right, he bent over again, whistling,
29:33
Speaker 1: and replaced the cap. Let's give her another kick for luck,
29:38
Speaker 1: and then we'll look at the plug. The young man,
29:41
Speaker 1: thus urged, grasped the handlebars, and with the energy of despair,
29:47
Speaker 1: delivered a kick which would have done credit to an
29:50
Speaker 1: army mule. The engine roared into life in a fury
29:55
Speaker 1: of vibration, racing heart rendingly, God said the youth. It's
30:02
Speaker 1: a miracle. Lord Peter laid a gentle hand on the
30:06
Speaker 1: throttle lever, and the shattering bellow calmed into a grateful purr.
30:12
Speaker 1: What did you do to it? Demanded the cyclist Blue
30:16
Speaker 1: through the filler cap, said his lordship, with a grin
30:20
Speaker 1: her lock in the feed, Old son, that's all. I'm
30:24
Speaker 1: frightfully grateful. That's all right. Look here, can you tell
30:29
Speaker 1: us the way to Crofton? Sure? Straight down here? I'm
30:33
Speaker 1: going there as a matter of fact, Thank Heaven. Lead
30:37
Speaker 1: and I follow. As Sir Galahad says, how far five
30:42
Speaker 1: miles decent in My governor keeps the fox and hounds.
30:47
Speaker 1: Would that do? We'd give you an awfully decent grub.
30:51
Speaker 1: Sorrow vanquished labor ended, Jordan passed buzz off, my lad, No, Charles,
30:58
Speaker 1: I will not wait while you put on a burbery
31:02
Speaker 1: back and side go bare, go bare hand and foot
31:05
Speaker 1: go cold so belly, God send us good ale enough,
31:10
Speaker 1: whether it be new or old. The starter hummed, the
31:15
Speaker 1: youth mounted his machine and led off down the lane
31:19
Speaker 1: after one alarming wobble, and Whimsy slipped in the clutch
31:24
Speaker 1: and followed in his wake. The Fox and Hounds turned
31:29
Speaker 1: out to be one of those pleasant old fashioned inns,
31:32
Speaker 1: where everything is upholstered in horsehair, and it is never
31:37
Speaker 1: too late to obtain a good meal of cold roast
31:40
Speaker 1: sirloin and homegrown salad. The landlady, missus Piggin, served the
31:46
Speaker 1: travelers herself. She wore a decent black satin dress and
31:51
Speaker 1: a front of curls of the fashion favored by the
31:54
Speaker 1: royal family. Her round, cheerful face glowed in the firelight,
31:59
Speaker 1: seemed to reflect the radiance of the scarlet coated huntsman
32:04
Speaker 1: who galloped and leapt and fell on every wall through
32:08
Speaker 1: a series of sporting prints. Lord Peter's mood softened under
32:14
Speaker 1: the influence of the atmosphere and the house's excellent ale,
32:18
Speaker 1: and by a series of inquiries directed to the hunting
32:22
Speaker 1: season just concluded, the neighboring families, and the price of horseflesh,
32:29
Speaker 1: he dexterously led the conversation round to the subject of
32:33
Speaker 1: the late Miss Clara Whittaker. Oh dear, yes, said missus Piggin.
32:40
Speaker 1: To be sure we knew miss Whittaker. Everybody knew her
32:44
Speaker 1: in these parts. A wonderful old lady she was. There's
32:49
Speaker 1: a many of her horses still in the country. Mister Cleveland,
32:53
Speaker 1: he bought the best part of the stock and is
32:56
Speaker 1: doing well with them. Fine honest stock she bred. And
33:00
Speaker 1: they all used to say she was a woman of
33:02
Speaker 1: wonderful judgment with a horse or a man either. Nobody
33:07
Speaker 1: ever got the better of her. Twice and very few once, ah,
33:12
Speaker 1: said Lord Peter sagaciously. I remember her very well riding
33:18
Speaker 1: to Hounse when she was well over sixty, went on,
33:22
Speaker 1: missus Piggin, and she wasn't one to wait for a
33:26
Speaker 1: gap neither now, Miss Dawson, that was her friend, as
33:30
Speaker 1: lived with her over at the manor beyond the stone bridge.
33:34
Speaker 1: She was more timid, like she'd go by the gates,
33:38
Speaker 1: And we often used to say she'd never be riding
33:41
Speaker 1: at all but for beIN that fond of Miss Whittaker
33:45
Speaker 1: and not wanting to let her out of her sight.
33:48
Speaker 1: But there we can't all be alike, can we, sir?
33:52
Speaker 1: And Miss Whittaker was altogether out of the way. They
33:55
Speaker 1: don't make them like that nowadays, not. But what these
33:59
Speaker 1: minuttern girls are good goers, many of them, and does
34:03
Speaker 1: a lot of things as would have been thought very
34:06
Speaker 1: fast in the old days. But Miss Whittaker had the
34:09
Speaker 1: knowledge as well, bought her own horses and physicdom and
34:14
Speaker 1: bretam and needed no advice from anybody. She sounds a
34:20
Speaker 1: wonderful old girl, said Whimsy heartily. I'd have liked to
34:24
Speaker 1: know her. I've got some friends who knew miss Dawson
34:28
Speaker 1: quite well when she was living in Hampshire. You know, indeed, sir, Well,
34:34
Speaker 1: that's strange, isn't it. She was a very kind, nice lady.
34:40
Speaker 1: We heard she'd died too of this cancer, was it.
34:44
Speaker 1: That's a terrible thing, poor soul. And fancy you being
34:49
Speaker 1: connected with her, so to speak. I expect you'd be
34:52
Speaker 1: interested in some of our photographs of the crofton Hunt,
34:56
Speaker 1: Jim Hullo, Joe, the these gentlemen, the photographs of Miss
35:01
Speaker 1: Whittaker and Miss Dawson. They're acquainted with some friends of
35:05
Speaker 1: Miss Dawson down in Hampshire. Step this way if you're
35:09
Speaker 1: sure you won't take anything more, sir, missus Piggin led
35:14
Speaker 1: the way into a cozy little private bar where a
35:17
Speaker 1: number of hunting looking gentlemen were enjoying a final glass
35:22
Speaker 1: before closing time. Piggin stout and genial as his wife
35:27
Speaker 1: moved forward to do the honors. What'll you have, gentlemen,
35:33
Speaker 1: Joe two pints of the winter ale? And fancy you're
35:37
Speaker 1: knowing our miss Dawson. Dear me, the world's a very
35:41
Speaker 1: small place, as I often says to my wife, here's
35:45
Speaker 1: the last group as was ever took of them when
35:49
Speaker 1: the meat was held at the Manor in nineteen eighteen.
35:53
Speaker 1: Of course you'll understand it wasn't a regular meat like,
35:57
Speaker 1: owing to the war and the gentleman being away, and
36:00
Speaker 1: the horses too. We couldn't keep things up regular like
36:04
Speaker 1: in the old days. But what with the foxes getting
36:08
Speaker 1: so terrible many and the packs all going to the dogs.
36:14
Speaker 1: That's what I often used to say in this bar.
36:17
Speaker 1: The owns is going to the dogs, I says, very good.
36:21
Speaker 1: They used to think it. There's many a gentleman as
36:24
Speaker 1: laughed as me saying that the owns, I says, is
36:28
Speaker 1: goin to the dogs. Well, as I was saying, Colonel
36:32
Speaker 1: Fletcher and some of the older gentlemen, they says. We
36:36
Speaker 1: must carry on somehow, they says. And so they add
36:40
Speaker 1: one or two of these scratched meats, as you might say,
36:44
Speaker 1: just to keep the pack from fallen to pieces, as
36:46
Speaker 1: you might say. And Miss Whittaker, she says, have the
36:51
Speaker 1: meat at the manor. Colonel, she says, it's the last
36:55
Speaker 1: meat I'll ever see, perhaps, she says, And so it
36:59
Speaker 1: was poorly lady, for she had a stroke in the
37:02
Speaker 1: new year. She died in nineteen twenty two. That's her
37:07
Speaker 1: sitting in the pony carriage, and Miss Dawson beside her.
37:11
Speaker 1: Of course, Miss Whittaker had had to give up riding
37:14
Speaker 1: to round some years before she was getting on, but
37:18
Speaker 1: she always followed in the trap up to the very last,
37:22
Speaker 1: handsome old lady, ain't she? Sir? Lord Peter and Parker
37:27
Speaker 1: looked with considerable interest at the rather grim old woman
37:32
Speaker 1: sitting so uncompromisingly upright with the reins in her hand,
37:38
Speaker 1: a door weather beaten old face, but certainly still handsome
37:43
Speaker 1: with its large nose and straight, heavy eyebrows. And beside her, smaller,
37:49
Speaker 1: plumper and more feminine was the Agatha Dawson, whose curious
37:54
Speaker 1: death had led them to this quiet country place. She
37:58
Speaker 1: had a sweet smile, face less dominating than that of
38:02
Speaker 1: her redoubtable friend, but full of spirit and character. Without
38:08
Speaker 1: doubt they had been a remarkable pair of old ladies.
38:13
Speaker 1: Lord Peter asked a question or two about the family. Well, Sir,
38:18
Speaker 1: I can't say, as I knows much about that. We
38:22
Speaker 1: always understood as Miss Whittaker had quarreled with her people
38:26
Speaker 1: on account of comin here and settin' up herself. It
38:30
Speaker 1: wasn't usual in them days for girls to leave home
38:34
Speaker 1: the way it is now. But if you're particularly interested, sir,
38:38
Speaker 1: there's an old gentleman here as can tell you all
38:41
Speaker 1: about the Whittakers and the Dawsons too, And that's Ben Cobling.
38:48
Speaker 1: He was Miss Whittaker's groom for forty years, and he
38:52
Speaker 1: married Miss Dawson's maid, as comes with her from Norfolk
38:56
Speaker 1: eighty six. He was last birthday, but a old fellow still.
39:02
Speaker 1: We thinks a lot of Ben Cobling in these parts.
39:06
Speaker 1: Em and his wife lives in the little cottage what
39:08
Speaker 1: Miss Whittaker left them when she died. If you'd like
39:12
Speaker 1: to go round and see them tomorrow, sir, you'll find
39:16
Speaker 1: Ben's memory as good as it ever was. Excuse me, sir,
39:21
Speaker 1: but it's time I must get him out of the bar.
39:25
Speaker 1: Time gentlemen please three and eightpence sir, Thank you, sir.
39:31
Speaker 1: Hurry up, gentlemen please now then, Joe look sharp. Great
39:37
Speaker 1: place crofton, said Lord Peter when he and Parker were
39:41
Speaker 1: left alone in a great, low ceilinged bedroom where the
39:45
Speaker 1: sheets smelt of lavender. Ben Cobling's sure to know all
39:50
Speaker 1: about cousin. Hallelujah, I'm looking forward to Ben Cobling. End
39:57
Speaker 1: of Chapter eleven.