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

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Speaker 1: Chapter nineteen of Unnatural Death by Dorothy Sayers. This LibriVox
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Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain. Part three, The medico
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Speaker 1: legal problem. There is not a crime, but takes its
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Speaker 1: proper change out still in crime. If once rung on
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Speaker 1: the counter of this world E. B. Browning, Aurora Lay
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Speaker 1: Chapter nineteen, Gone Away, there is nothing good or evil
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Speaker 1: save in the will Epictetus. You will not, I imagine,
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Speaker 1: deny observed Lord Peter, that very odd things seem to
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Speaker 1: happen to the people who are in a position to
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Speaker 1: give information about the last days of Agatha Dawson. Bertha
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Speaker 1: go to bed dies suddenly under suspicious circumstances. Her sister
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Speaker 1: thinks she sees Miss Whittaker lying in wait for her
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Speaker 1: at Liverpool Docks. Mister Trigg is veiled into a house
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Speaker 1: of mystery and is semi poisoned. I wonder what would
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Speaker 1: have happened to mister Probin if he had been careless
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Speaker 1: enough to remain in England. I deny nothing, replied Parker.
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Speaker 1: I will only point out to you that during the
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Speaker 1: month in which these disasters occurred to the go to
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Speaker 1: Bed family, the object of your suspicions was in Kent
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Speaker 1: with Miss Vera findlater who never left her side. As
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Speaker 1: against that undoubted snag rejoined whimsy, I bring forward a
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Speaker 1: letter from Miss Clemson in which, amid a lot of
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Speaker 1: rigamarole with which I will not trouble you, she informs
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Speaker 1: me that upon Miss Whittaker's right hand there is a
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Speaker 1: scar precisely similar to the one which mister Trigg describes.
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Speaker 1: Is there that does seem to connect Miss Whittaker pretty
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Speaker 1: definitely to the Trigg business? But is it your theory
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Speaker 1: that she is trying to polish off all the people
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Speaker 1: who know anything about Miss Dawson. Rather big job, don't
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Speaker 1: you think for a single handed female. And if so,
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Speaker 1: why is doctor Carr spared and Nurse Phileter and Nurse
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Speaker 1: Forbes and the other doctor Jaby and the rest of
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Speaker 1: the population of Leehampton. If it comes to that, that's
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Speaker 1: an interesting point which had already occurred to me. I
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Speaker 1: think I know why. Up to the present the Dawson
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Speaker 1: case has presented two different problems, one legal and one medical.
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Speaker 1: The motive and the means if you like that better.
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Speaker 1: As far as opportunity goes only to people figure as possibles,
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Speaker 1: Miss Whittaker and Nurse Forbes. The Forbes woman had nothing
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Speaker 1: to gain by killing a good patient, so for the
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Speaker 1: moment we can wash her out. Well. Now, as to
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Speaker 1: the medical problem, the means, I must say that up
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Speaker 1: to now that appears completely insoluble. I am baffled, Watson
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Speaker 1: said he, his hawk like eyes gleaming angrily from under
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Speaker 1: the half closed lids. Even I am baffled, But not
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Speaker 1: for long, he cried, with a magnificent burst of self confidence.
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Speaker 1: My honor capital h is can discerned in tracking this
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Speaker 1: human fiend capitals to its hidden source, and nail the
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Speaker 1: whited sepulcher to the mast, even though it crushed me
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Speaker 1: in the attempt loud applause. His chin sank broodingly upon
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Speaker 1: his dressing gown, and he breathed a few guttural notes
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Speaker 1: into a bass saxophone, which was the cherished companion of
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Speaker 1: his solitary hours in the bathroom. Parker ostentatiously took up
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Speaker 1: the book, which he had laid aside on Whimsy's entrance.
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Speaker 1: Tell me when you've finished, he said, acoustically, I've hardly begun.
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Speaker 1: The means, I repeat, seems insoluble, And so the criminal
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Speaker 1: evidently thinks there has been no exaggerated mortality among the
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Speaker 1: doctors and nurses on that side of the business. The
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Speaker 1: lady herself safe. No, the motive is the weak point,
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Speaker 1: hence the hurry to stop the balance of the people
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Speaker 1: who knew about the legal part of the problem. Yes,
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Speaker 1: I see Missus Cropper has started back to Canada. By
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Speaker 1: the way, she doesn't seem to have been molested at all. No,
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Speaker 1: and that's why I still think there was somebody on
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Speaker 1: the watch at Liverpool. Missus Cropper was only worth silencing
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Speaker 1: so long as she had told nobody her story. That
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Speaker 1: is why I was careful to meet her and accompany
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Speaker 1: her ostentatiously to town oh Rot Peter. Even if Miss
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Speaker 1: Whittaker had been there, which we know she couldn't have been.
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Speaker 1: How was she to know that you were going to
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Speaker 1: ask about Dawson and that business. She doesn't know you
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Speaker 1: from Adam. She might have found out who Merbles was.
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Speaker 1: The advertisement which started the whole business was in his name,
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Speaker 1: you know. In that case, why hasn't she attacked Marbles
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Speaker 1: or you? Merbles is a wise old bird in vain
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Speaker 1: our nets spread in his sight. He is seeing no
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Speaker 1: female clients, answering no invitations and never goes out without
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Speaker 1: an escort. I didn't know he took it so seriously.
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Speaker 1: Oh yes, Marbles is old enough to have learnt the
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Speaker 1: value of his own skin. As for me, have you
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Speaker 1: noticed the remarkable similarity in some ways between mister Triggs's
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Speaker 1: adventure and my own little adventure? Let, as you might
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Speaker 1: say in South Audley Street, what with Missus Forrest. Yes,
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Speaker 1: the secret appointment, the drink, the endeavor to get one
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Speaker 1: to stay the night at all costs. I'm positive there
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Speaker 1: was something in that sugar, Charles that no sugar should
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Speaker 1: contain see Public Health Adulteration of foods Act Various. You
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Speaker 1: think Missus Forrest is an accomplice, I do. I don't
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Speaker 1: know what she has to gain by it, probably money,
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Speaker 1: But I feel sure there is some connection, partly because
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Speaker 1: of Bertha Gotobed's five pound note, partly because Missus Forrest's
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Speaker 1: story was a palpable fake. I'm certain the woman never
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Speaker 1: had a lover, let alone a husband. You can't mistake
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Speaker 1: real inexperience. And chiefly because of the similarity of method,
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Speaker 1: criminals always tend to repeat their effects. Look at Georgia
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Speaker 1: Joseph Smith and his brides. Look at Neil Cream, look
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Speaker 1: at our strong and his tea parties. Well, if there's
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Speaker 1: an accomplice, all the better. Accomplices generally end up by
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Speaker 1: giving the show away. True, and we are in a
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Speaker 1: good position because up till now, I don't think they
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Speaker 1: know that we suspect any connection between them. But I
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Speaker 1: still think, you know, we ought to get some evidence
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Speaker 1: that actual crimes have been committed. Call me finicking if
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Speaker 1: you like. If you could suggest a means of doing
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Speaker 1: away with these people so as to leave no trace,
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Speaker 1: I should feel happier about it. The means, eh, well,
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Speaker 1: we do know something about it as what. Well, take
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Speaker 1: the two victims alleged all write old particular, the two
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Speaker 1: alleged victims and the two alleged intended victims. Miss Dawson
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Speaker 1: was ill and helpless. Bertha go to bed, possibly stupefied
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Speaker 1: by a heavy meal and an unaccustomed quantity of wine.
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Speaker 1: Trake was given a sufficient dose of enal to send
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Speaker 1: him to sleep, and I was offered something of probably
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Speaker 1: the same kind. I wish I could have kept the
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Speaker 1: remains of that coffee. So reduce from that what I
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Speaker 1: suppose that it was a means of death, which could
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Speaker 1: only be used on somebody more or less helpless or unconscious,
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Speaker 1: exactly as, for instance, a hypodermic injection, only nothing appears
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Speaker 1: to have been injected, or a delicate operation of some kind,
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Speaker 1: if we could only think of one to fit the case,
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Speaker 1: or the inhalation of something such as chloroform, only we
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Speaker 1: could find no traces of suffocation. Yes, that doesn't get
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Speaker 1: us very far, though it's something. Then again, it may
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Speaker 1: well be something that a trained nurse would have learnt
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Speaker 1: or heard about. Miss Whittaker was trained, you know, which,
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Speaker 1: by the way, was what made it so easy for
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Speaker 1: her to bandage up her own head and provide a
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Speaker 1: pitiful and unrecognizable spectacle for the stupid mister Trigg. It
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Speaker 1: wouldn't have to be anything very out of the ordinary.
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Speaker 1: Nothing I mean that only a trained surgeon could do,
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Speaker 1: or that required very specialized knowledge. Oh No, probably something
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Speaker 1: picked up in conversation with a doctor or the other nurses.
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Speaker 1: I say, how about getting hold of doctor Carr again?
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Speaker 1: Or No, if he'd got any ideas on the subject,
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Speaker 1: he'd I've trotted amount before I know. I'll ask Lubbock,
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Speaker 1: the analyst. He'll do. I'll get in touch with him tomorrow.
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Speaker 1: And meanwhile, said Parker, I suppose we just sit round
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Speaker 1: and wait for somebody else to be murdered. It's beastly,
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Speaker 1: isn't it. I still feel poor Bertha go to Bed's
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Speaker 1: blood on my head, so to speak. I say, yes,
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Speaker 1: we've practically got clear proof on the Trig business. Couldn't
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Speaker 1: you put the lady in Quad on a charge of
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Speaker 1: burglary while we thick out the rest of the dope.
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Speaker 1: It's often done. It was a burglary, you know. She
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Speaker 1: broke into a house after dark and appropriated a scuttleful
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Speaker 1: of coal to her own use. Trigg could identify her.
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Speaker 1: He seems to have paid the lady particular attention on
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Speaker 1: more than one occasion, and we could rake up his
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Speaker 1: taximan for corroborative detail. Parker pulled at his pipe for
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Speaker 1: a few minutes. There's something in that, he said. Finally,
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Speaker 1: I think perhaps it's worthwhile putting it before the authorities.
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Speaker 1: But we mustn't be in too much of a hurry,
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Speaker 1: you know, I wish we were further ahead with our
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Speaker 1: other proofs. There is such a thing as habeas corpus.
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Speaker 1: You can't hold on to people indefinitely, just on a
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Speaker 1: charge of stealing coal. Here's the breaking and entering. Don't
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Speaker 1: forget that it's burglary. After all. You can get penal
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Speaker 1: servitude for life for burglary. But it all depends on
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Speaker 1: the view the law takes of the coal. It might
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Speaker 1: decide that there was no original intention of stealing coal
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Speaker 1: and treat the thing as a mere misdemeanor or civil trespath.
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Speaker 1: How we really don't want a conviction for stealing coal.
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Speaker 1: But I'll see what they think about it at our place.
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Speaker 1: And meanwhile, I'll get hold of Trig again and try
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Speaker 1: and find the taxi driver and Trigg's doctor. We might
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Speaker 1: get it as an attempt to murder Trig, or at
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Speaker 1: least to inflict grievous bodily harm. But I should like
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Speaker 1: some more evidence about Cuckoo, So should I. But I
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Speaker 1: can't manufacture evidence out of nothing. Dash it all be reasonable.
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Speaker 1: I've built you up a case out of nothing. Isn't
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Speaker 1: that handsome enough face in gratitude? That's what's the matter
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Speaker 1: with you. Parker's inquiries took some time, and June lingered
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Speaker 1: into its longest days. Chamberlain and Levine flew the Atlantic
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Speaker 1: and Seagrave bade farewell to Brooklyn's. The Daily Yell wrote
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Speaker 1: anti read leaders and discovered a plot. Somebody laid claim
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Speaker 1: to a marquisite, and a Czechoslovakian pretended to swim the channel.
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Speaker 1: Hammond out graced Grace. There was an outburst of murder
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Speaker 1: at Moscow. Foxlaw won the Gold Cup, and the earth
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Speaker 1: opened at Oxey and swallowed up somebody's front garden. Oxford
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Speaker 1: decided that women were dangerous, and the electric Hare consented
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Speaker 1: to run at the White City. England's supremacy was challenged
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Speaker 1: at Wimbledon, and the House of Lords made the gesture
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Speaker 1: of stooping to conquer. Meanwhile, Lord Peter's projected magnum opus
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Speaker 1: on a hundred one ways of causing sudden death had
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Speaker 1: advanced by the accumulation of a mass of notes, which
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Speaker 1: flowed all over the library at the Flat and threatened
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Speaker 1: to engulf Bunter, whose task it was to file and
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Speaker 1: cross reference and generally to produce order from chaos. Oriental
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Speaker 1: scholars and explorers were buttonholed in clubs and strenuously pumped
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Speaker 1: on the subject of abstruse native poisons. Horrid experiments performed
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Speaker 1: in German laboratories were communicated in unreadable documents, and the
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Speaker 1: life of Sir James Lubbock, who had the misfortune to
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Speaker 1: be a particular friend of Lord Peters, was made a
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Speaker 1: burden to him with daily inquiries as to the post
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Speaker 1: mortem detection of such varying substances as chloroform, curare, hydrosanic
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Speaker 1: acid gas, and diethyl sulfon methyl ethyliminate. But surely there
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Speaker 1: must be something which kills without leaving a trace, pleaded
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Speaker 1: Lord Peter, when at length informed that the persecution must cease.
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Speaker 1: A thing in such universal demand, Surely it is not
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Speaker 1: beyond the wit of scientists to invent it. It must exist.
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Speaker 1: Why isn't it properly advertised? There ought to be a
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Speaker 1: company to exploit it. It is simply ridiculous. Why it's
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Speaker 1: a thing one might want one's self any day? You
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Speaker 1: don't understand, said Sir James Lubbock. Plenty of poisons leave
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Speaker 1: no particular post mortem appearances, and plenty of them, especially
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Speaker 1: the vegetable ones, are difficult to find by analysis unless
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Speaker 1: you know what you are looking for. For instance, if
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Speaker 1: you are testing for arsenic that test won't tell you
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Speaker 1: whether strychnine is present or not. And if you're testing
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Speaker 1: for strychnine, you won't find morphia. You've got to try
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Speaker 1: one test after another till you hit the right one.
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Speaker 1: And of course there are certain poisons for which no
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Speaker 1: recognized tests exist. I know all that, said Lindsey, I've
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Speaker 1: tested things myself. But these poisons with no recognized test,
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Speaker 1: how do you set about proving that they're there? Well,
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Speaker 1: of course you would take the symptoms into account and
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Speaker 1: so on. You would look at the history of the case. Yes,
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Speaker 1: but I want a poison that doesn't produce any symptoms
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Speaker 1: except death. Of course, if you call that a symptom,
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Speaker 1: isn't there a poison with no symptoms and no test,
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Speaker 1: something that just makes you go off poof like that?
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Speaker 1: Certainly not, said the analyst, rather annoyed. For your medical
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Speaker 1: analyst lives by symptoms and tests, and nobody likes suggestions
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Speaker 1: that undermine the very foundations of his profession. Not even
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Speaker 1: old age or mental decay. There are always symptoms. Fortunately,
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Speaker 1: before symptoms of mental decay could become too pronounced in
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Speaker 1: Lord Peter Parker sounded the call to action. I'm going
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Speaker 1: down to Leehampton with a warrant, he said, I may
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Speaker 1: not use it, but the chief thinks it might be
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Speaker 1: worthwhile to make an inquiry. But with the Battersea mystery
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Speaker 1: and the Daniels business and Bertha go to bed, there
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Speaker 1: seems to be a feeling that there have been too
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Speaker 1: many unexplained tragedies this year, and the press have begun
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Speaker 1: yelping again blast them. There's a article in John's Citizen
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Speaker 1: this week with a poster ninety six murderers at large,
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Speaker 1: and the Evening Views is starting its reports with six
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Speaker 1: weeks have now passed and the police are no nearer
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Speaker 1: the solution, you know the thing. We'll simply have to
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Speaker 1: get some sort of move on. Do you want to come?
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Speaker 1: Certainly a breath of country air would do me good.
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Speaker 1: I fancy blow away the old cobwebs. Don't you know?
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Speaker 1: It might even inspire me to invent a good way
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Speaker 1: of murdering people. Oh inspirations, solitary child warbling thy native
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Speaker 1: wood notes wild? Did somebody write that? Or did I
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Speaker 1: invent it? Sounds reminiscent somehow. Parker, who was out of temper,
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Speaker 1: replied rather shortly and intimated that the police car would
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Speaker 1: be starting for Leehampton in an hour's time will be there,
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Speaker 1: said Whimsy. Though, mind you, I hate being driven by
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Speaker 1: another fellow. It feels so unsafe. Never mind, I will
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Speaker 1: be bloody, bold and resolute, as Queen Victoria said to
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Speaker 1: the Archbishop of Cantery. They reached Leampton without any incident.
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Speaker 1: To justify Lord Peter's fears. Parker had brought another officer
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Speaker 1: with him, and on the way they picked up the
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Speaker 1: Chief Constable of the county, who appeared very dubiously disposed
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Speaker 1: toward their errand Lord Peter, observing their array of five
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Speaker 1: strong men going out to seize upon one young woman,
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Speaker 1: was reminded of the Marquise de Bravillier. What all that
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Speaker 1: water for a little person like me? But this led
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Speaker 1: him back to the subject of poison, and he remained
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Speaker 1: steeped in thought and gloom till the car drew up
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Speaker 1: before the house in Wellington Avenue. Parker got out and
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Speaker 1: went up the path with the Chief Constable. The door
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Speaker 1: was opened to them by a frightened looking maid, who
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Speaker 1: gave a little shriek at sight of them. Oh, sir,
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Speaker 1: have you come to say something's happened to Miss Whittaker.
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Speaker 1: Isn't Miss Whittaker at home? Then? No, sir. She went
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Speaker 1: out in the car with Miss Vera Findlater on Monday.
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Speaker 1: That's four days back, Sir. She hasn't come home, nor
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Speaker 1: Miss Findlater neither, and I'm frightened something's happened to them.
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Speaker 1: When I see you, sir, I thought you was the
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Speaker 1: police coming to say there had been an accident. I
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Speaker 1: didn't know what to do, sir. Skipped by God was
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Speaker 1: Parker's instant thought, but he controlled his annoyance and asked,
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Speaker 1: do you know where they were going? Crows Beach. Miss
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Speaker 1: Whittaker said, sir, that's a good fifty miles, said the
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Speaker 1: Chief Constable. Probably they've just decided to stay there a
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Speaker 1: day or two. More likely gone in the opposite direction,
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Speaker 1: thought Parker. They didn't take no things for the night, sir.
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Speaker 1: They went off about ten in the morning. They said
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Speaker 1: they was going to have lunch there and come home
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Speaker 1: in the evening. And Miss Whittaker hasn't written or nothing,
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Speaker 1: and her always so particular cook an meat. We didn't
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Speaker 1: know what. Oh well, I expect it's all right, said
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Speaker 1: the Chief Constable. It's a pity, as we particularly wanted
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Speaker 1: to see Miss Whittaker. When you hear from her, you
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Speaker 1: might say, Sir. Charles Pillington called with a friend. Yes, sir,
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Speaker 1: but please sir, What ought we to do, sir? Nothing,
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Speaker 1: don't worry. I'll have inquiries made. I'm the Chief Constable,
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Speaker 1: you know, and I can soon find out whether there's
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Speaker 1: been any accident or anything. But if there had been,
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Speaker 1: depend upon it, we should have heard about it. Come,
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Speaker 1: my girl, pull yourself together. There's nothing to cry about.
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Speaker 1: We'll let you know as soon as we hear anything.
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Speaker 1: But Sir Charles looked disturbed, coming on top of Parker's
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Speaker 1: arrival in the district. The thing had an unpleasant look
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Speaker 1: about it. Lord Peter received the news cheerfully good, he said,
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Speaker 1: Joggle em up, keep em moving. That's the spirit, always
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Speaker 1: like it. When something happens. My worst suspicions are going
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Speaker 1: to be justified. That always makes one feel so important
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Speaker 1: and virtuous, don't you think? Wonder why she took the
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Speaker 1: girl with her though? Either way, we'd better look up
24:02
Speaker 1: the Findladers. They may have heard something. This obvious suggestion
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Speaker 1: was acted upon at once, but at the Findlader's house
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Speaker 1: they drew blank. The family were at the sea side,
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Speaker 1: with the exception of Miss Vera, who was staying in
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Speaker 1: Wellington Avenue with miss Whittaker. No anxiety was expressed by
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Speaker 1: the parlor maid, and none apparently felt. The investigators took
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Speaker 1: care not to arouse any alarm, and leaving a trivial
24:35
Speaker 1: and polite message from Sir Charles Withdrew for a consultation.
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Speaker 1: There's nothing for it so far as I can see,
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Speaker 1: said Parker, but an all stations call to look out
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Speaker 1: for the car and the ladies, and we must put
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Speaker 1: inquiries through to all the ports. Of course, with four
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Speaker 1: days start, they may be anywhere by now. I wish
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Speaker 1: to heaven i'd risked a bit and started earlier. Approval
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Speaker 1: or no approval? What's this finnlater? Girl like I'd better
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Speaker 1: go back to the house and get photographs of her
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Speaker 1: and the Whittaker woman. And Whimsy, I wish you'd look
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Speaker 1: in on miss Clemson and see if she has any information,
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Speaker 1: and you might tell him at the yard to keep
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Speaker 1: an eye on missus Forrest's place, said Whimsy. When anything
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Speaker 1: sensational happens to a criminal, it's a good tip to
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Speaker 1: watch the accomplice. I feel sure you are both quite
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Speaker 1: mistaken about this, urged Sir Charles Pillington. Criminal accomplice. Bless me.
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Speaker 1: I have had considerable experience in the course of a
25:51
Speaker 1: long life, longer than either of yours, and I really
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Speaker 1: feel convinced that Miss Whittaker, whom I know quite well,
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Speaker 1: is as good and nice a girl as you could
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Speaker 1: wish to find. But there has undoubtedly been an accident
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Speaker 1: of some kind, and it is our duty to make
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Speaker 1: the fullest investigation. I will get on to Crow's Beach
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Speaker 1: Police immediately as soon as I know the description of
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Speaker 1: the car. It's an Austin seven and the number is
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Speaker 1: XX nine nine one seven, said Whimsy, much to the
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Speaker 1: Chief Constable surprise. But I doubt very much whether you'll
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Speaker 1: find it at Crow's Beach or anywhere near it. Well,
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Speaker 1: we'd better get a move on, snapped Parker. We'd better separate.
26:45
Speaker 1: How about a spot of lunch in an hour's time
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Speaker 1: at the George. Whimsy was unlucky. Miss Clinson was not
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Speaker 1: to be found. She had had her lunch early and
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Speaker 1: gone out, saying she felt that a long country walk
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Speaker 1: would do her good. Missus Budge was rather afraid she
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Speaker 1: had had some bad news. She had seemed so upset
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Speaker 1: and worried since yesterday evening but indeed, sir, she added,
27:16
Speaker 1: if you was quick, you might find her up at
27:18
Speaker 1: the church. She often drops in there to say her prayers.
27:22
Speaker 1: Like not a respectful way to approach a place of worship,
27:25
Speaker 1: to my mind, do you think so yourself, sir? Popping
27:29
Speaker 1: in and out on a weekday, the same as if
27:32
Speaker 1: it was a friend's house, and coming home from communion,
27:35
Speaker 1: as cheerful as anything, and ready to laugh and make jokes.
27:40
Speaker 1: I don't see as how we was meant to make
27:42
Speaker 1: an ordinary thing of religion that way, so disrespectful, and
27:47
Speaker 1: nothing uplifting to the art about it. But there we
27:51
Speaker 1: all as our failings. And Miss Clemson is a nice lady,
27:55
Speaker 1: and that I must say, even if she is a
27:58
Speaker 1: roaming Catholic. For next door one, Lord Peter thought that
28:04
Speaker 1: roaming Catholic was rather an appropriate name for the more
28:08
Speaker 1: Ultamontaigne section of the High Church party. At the moment, however,
28:14
Speaker 1: he felt he could not afford time for religious discussion,
28:17
Speaker 1: and set off for the church in quest of Miss Clemson.
28:21
Speaker 1: The doors of Saint Anisimus were hospitably open, and the
28:26
Speaker 1: red sanctuary lamp made a little spot of welcoming brightness
28:30
Speaker 1: in the rather dark building coming in from the June sunshine.
28:35
Speaker 1: Whimsy blinked a little before he could distinguish anything else. Presently,
28:41
Speaker 1: he was able to make out a dark bowed figure
28:44
Speaker 1: kneeling before the lamp. For a moment, he hoped it
28:48
Speaker 1: was Miss Clemson, but presently saw, to his disappointment that
28:53
Speaker 1: it was merely a sister in a black habit, presumably
28:56
Speaker 1: taking her turn to watch before the host. The only
29:00
Speaker 1: other occupant of the church was a priest in a
29:03
Speaker 1: Catholic who was busy with the ornaments on the high altar.
29:08
Speaker 1: It was the feast of Saint John, Whimsy remembered. Suddenly
29:13
Speaker 1: he walked up the aisle, hoping to find his quarry
29:16
Speaker 1: hidden in some obscure corner. His shoes squeaked. This annoyed him.
29:22
Speaker 1: It was a thing which Bunter never permitted. He was
29:27
Speaker 1: seized with a fancy that the squeak was produced by
29:31
Speaker 1: a diabolic possession, a protest against a religious atmosphere on
29:36
Speaker 1: the part of his own particular besetting devil. Pleased with
29:41
Speaker 1: this thought, he moved forward more confidently. The priest's attention
29:47
Speaker 1: was attracted by the squeak. He turned and came towards
29:51
Speaker 1: the intruder, No doubt, thought Whimsy to offer his professional
29:56
Speaker 1: services to exorcise the evil spirit. Were you looking for anybody,
30:03
Speaker 1: inquired the priest courteously. Well, I was looking for a lady,
30:09
Speaker 1: began Whimsy. Then it struck him that this sounded a
30:13
Speaker 1: little odd under the circumstances, and he hastened to explain
30:18
Speaker 1: more fully in the stifled tones considered appropriate to consecrated surroundings.
30:25
Speaker 1: Oh yes, said the priest, quite unperturbed. Miss Clemson was
30:31
Speaker 1: here a little time ago. But I fancy she has gone,
30:36
Speaker 1: Not that I usually keep tabs on my flock, he added,
30:40
Speaker 1: with a laugh. But she spoke to me before she went.
30:45
Speaker 1: Was it urgent? What a pity you should have missed her.
30:49
Speaker 1: Can I give any kind of message or help you
30:52
Speaker 1: in any way? No, thanks, said Whimsy. Sorry to bother you,
31:00
Speaker 1: unseemly to come and try to hold people out of church,
31:04
Speaker 1: But yes, it was rather important. I'll leave a message
31:08
Speaker 1: at the house. Thanks. Frightfully, he turned away, and then
31:13
Speaker 1: stopped and came back. I say, he said, you give
31:18
Speaker 1: advice on moral problems and all that sort of thing,
31:22
Speaker 1: don't you. Well we're supposed to try, said the priest.
31:27
Speaker 1: Is anything bothering you in particular, yes, said Whimsy. Nothing religious.
31:35
Speaker 1: I don't mean nothing about infallibility or the Virgin Mary
31:40
Speaker 1: or anything of that sort. Just something I'm not comfortable about.
31:47
Speaker 1: The priest, who was, in fact the vicar. Mister Treadgoll
31:51
Speaker 1: indicated that he was quite at Lord Peter's service. It's
31:56
Speaker 1: very good of you. Could we go somewhere where I
31:59
Speaker 1: don't have to whisper so much. I never can explain
32:03
Speaker 1: things in a whisper sort of paralyzes one, don't you know,
32:07
Speaker 1: Let's go outside, said mister Treadgild. So they went out
32:12
Speaker 1: and sat on a flat twobstone. It's like this, said Whimsy.
32:20
Speaker 1: Hypothetical case you see, and so on. Suppose in one
32:24
Speaker 1: knows somebody who's very very ill and can't last long,
32:28
Speaker 1: and they're in awful pain and all that, and kept
32:32
Speaker 1: under morphia, practically dead to the world, you know, and
32:37
Speaker 1: suppose that by dying straight away, they could make something
32:41
Speaker 1: happen which they really wanted to happen, and which couldn't
32:46
Speaker 1: happen if they lived on a little longer. I can't
32:50
Speaker 1: explain exactly how, because I don't want to give personal
32:54
Speaker 1: details and so on you get the idea. Well, suppose
32:58
Speaker 1: in somebody who knew all that was just to give
33:02
Speaker 1: em a little push off, so to speak. Hurry matters on,
33:07
Speaker 1: why should that be a very dreadful crime? The law began,
33:13
Speaker 1: mister Treadgold. Oh, the law says it's a crime, fast enough,
33:18
Speaker 1: said Whimsy. But do you honestly think it's very bad?
33:24
Speaker 1: I know you'd call it a sin, of course, But
33:27
Speaker 1: why is it so very dreadful? It doesn't do the
33:30
Speaker 1: person any harm, does it? We can't answer that, said
33:35
Speaker 1: mister Treadgold. Without knowing the ways of God with the soul.
33:41
Speaker 1: In those last weeks or hours of pain and unconsciousness,
33:45
Speaker 1: the soul may be undergoing some necessary part of its
33:49
Speaker 1: pilgrimage on earth. It isn't our business to cut it short.
33:55
Speaker 1: Who are we to take life and death into our hands? Well,
34:00
Speaker 1: we do it all day, one way and another. Juries, soldiers, doctors,
34:05
Speaker 1: all that. And yet I do feel somehow that it
34:08
Speaker 1: isn't a right thing in this case. And yet by interfering,
34:13
Speaker 1: finding things out and so on, one may do far
34:17
Speaker 1: worse harm start all kinds of things. I think, said
34:23
Speaker 1: mister Treadgold, that the sin. I won't use that word.
34:29
Speaker 1: The damage to society, the wrongness of the thing, lies
34:34
Speaker 1: much more in the harm it does the killer than
34:37
Speaker 1: in anything it can do to the person who is killed,
34:41
Speaker 1: especially of course if the killing is to the killer's
34:45
Speaker 1: own advantage. The consequence you mention this thing which the
34:51
Speaker 1: sick person wants done, does the other person stand to
34:56
Speaker 1: benefit by it? May? I ask, yes? That's just it?
35:03
Speaker 1: She they do? That puts it at once on a
35:08
Speaker 1: different plane from just hastening a person's death out of pity.
35:14
Speaker 1: Sin is in the intention, not the deed. That is
35:18
Speaker 1: the difference between divine law and human law. It is
35:22
Speaker 1: bad for a human being to get to feel that
35:25
Speaker 1: he has any right whatever to dispose of another person's
35:30
Speaker 1: life to his own advantage. It leads him to think
35:34
Speaker 1: himself above all laws. Society is never safe from the
35:40
Speaker 1: man who has deliberately committed murder with impunity. That is
35:45
Speaker 1: why one reason why God forbids private vengeance. You mean
35:51
Speaker 1: that one murder leads to another. Very often, in any case,
35:57
Speaker 1: it leads to a readiness to commit others. It has,
36:02
Speaker 1: that's the trouble. But it wouldn't have if I hadn't
36:06
Speaker 1: started trying to find things out. Ought I to have
36:10
Speaker 1: left it alone. I see that is very difficult, terrible
36:15
Speaker 1: too for you. You feel responsible, Yes, you yourself are
36:23
Speaker 1: not serving a private vengeance. Oh no, nothing really to
36:28
Speaker 1: do with me. Started in like a fool to help
36:31
Speaker 1: somebody who'd got into trouble about the thing through having
36:35
Speaker 1: suspicions himself, and my beastly interference started the crimes all
36:41
Speaker 1: over again. I shouldn't be too troubled. Probably the murderer's
36:47
Speaker 1: own guilty fears would have led him into fresh crimes
36:51
Speaker 1: even without your interference. That's true, said Whimsy, Remembering mister Trigg,
37:00
Speaker 1: My advice to you is to do what you think
37:04
Speaker 1: is right according to the laws which we have been
37:07
Speaker 1: brought up to respect. Leave the consequences to God, and
37:13
Speaker 1: try to think charitably, even of wicked people. You know
37:17
Speaker 1: what I mean. Bring the offender to justice, but remember
37:22
Speaker 1: that if we all got justice, you and I wouldn't
37:26
Speaker 1: escape either. I know. Knock the man down, but don't
37:30
Speaker 1: dance on the body quite. Forgive my trouble on you
37:35
Speaker 1: and excuse my bargin off because I've got a date
37:38
Speaker 1: with a friend. Thanks so much, I don't feel quite
37:42
Speaker 1: so rotten about it now, but I was getting worried.
37:48
Speaker 1: Mister Treadgold watched him as he trotted away between the graves. Dear, dear,
37:54
Speaker 1: he said, how nice they are, so kindly and scrupulous,
38:00
Speaker 1: and so vague outside their public school code, and much
38:05
Speaker 1: more nervous and sensitive than people think. A very difficult
38:09
Speaker 1: class to reach. I must make a special intention for
38:13
Speaker 1: him at Mass tomorrow. Being a practical man, mister Tregold
38:19
Speaker 1: made a knot in his handkerchief to remind him of
38:22
Speaker 1: this pious resolve. The problem to interfere or not to
38:28
Speaker 1: interfere God's law and Caesar's policemen now it's no problem
38:35
Speaker 1: to them, But for the ordinary man. How hard to
38:39
Speaker 1: disentangle his own motives. I wonder what brought him here?
38:45
Speaker 1: Could it possibly be? No, said the vicar, checking himself.
38:52
Speaker 1: I have no right to speculate. He drew out his
38:56
Speaker 1: handkerchief again and made another mnemonic knot as a reminder
39:00
Speaker 1: against his next confession that he had fallen into the
39:04
Speaker 1: sin of inquisitiveness. End of Chapter nineteen