Oscar Wilde 03 the Dead Man's Smile by Gyles Brandreth

Author:Gyles Brandreth
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

15

Rue de la Pierre Levee

The great actor’s round face was worn and lined, but full of life and wreathed in smiles. ‘I have lost two dressers in six months,’ he breathed. ‘I don’t wish to lose a third.’

I looked at him, bemused. He raised his right hand and held out before me another smoking gun. ‘Mr Jarrett’s Colt revolver,’ he said. ‘It’s known as the Peacemaker. So let it be.’

Eddie Garstrang, his pallid face now whiter than a shroud, came along the bridge towards us.

‘I fired on the command, not before,’ said La Grange.

I noticed the actor’s glistening eyes: they were wide open and full of mischief. ‘I’m sorry, Garstrang, but it seems I am the quicker shot.’

‘The Colt fires a faster bullet,’ said Garstrang coldly. ‘But I was firing from twice the distance — from the bushes.’ La Grange turned and indicated his hiding place at the far side of the bridge.

‘I am utterly confused,’ said Oscar, arriving on the scene from the belvedere end of the bridge, bringing my coat and jacket with him.

‘But mightily relieved, I imagine,’ said La Grange, laughing.

‘What happened just now?’ asked Oscar. ‘Will someone tell me?’ He looked at La Grange: ‘Why are you here at this godforsaken hour?’

‘Last night,’ explained the old actor, ‘when my Saturday night duties with Marais were done, I played a game of cards, with Garstrang, and Monsieur Branco and Dr Ferrand, as is our custom. Garstrang lost.’ La Grange smiled. ‘Garstrang lost and he got drunk.’ La Grange looked at Garstrang: the American betrayed no feeling. ‘Garstrang had already told me about this morning’s proposed escapade,’ La Grange continued. ‘He had promised to “wing” my dresser, nothing more:

“teach the pup a lesson”, that’s what he said. But when Gabrielle returned from her supper with you, Oscar, and came to my room to bid me goodnight, she told me that she had just seen Garstrang in the hallway and that the poor man could barely stand.’ He glanced again at the silent Garstrang. ‘I decided therefore that, under the circumstances, all things considered, I could not trust his marksmanship.’ He looked down at the gun that he was holding and turned it over in his hands. ‘So, today, I came to do what I have done: deflect the tip of the barrel of Garstrang’s pistol with a well-aimed bullet from the terrible Mr Jarrett’s Colt revolver.’

La Grange turned to Dr Ferrand who was standing beside Garstrang nursing the damaged duelling pistol. ‘My apologies, Pierre. I know it is a family heirloom. I will make it up to you. I always do.’

‘What happened to my shot?’ I asked, handing my pistol back to Dr Ferrand.

La Grange narrowed his eyes and peered along the bridge towards the temple belvedere. He sighed and shook his head sorrowfully. ‘Poor Sibyl. I imagine the bullet went straight through her heart.’

I laughed. ‘Am I so poor a shot?’

Garstrang said quietly, ‘Your aim was at least a foot too high.’ Some colour was returning to his cheeks.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.