Bismarck Herrings by Gladys Mitchell

Author:Gladys Mitchell [Mitchell, Gladys]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2014-04-08T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Speculation and an Inquest

“But cry thee Mercy: exercise thy nailes

To scratch or claw, so that thy tongue not railes:

Some numbers prurient are, and some of these

Are wanton with their itch; scratch, and ’twill please.”

To the Detracter

Allowing Coningsby’s somewhat thought-provoking remarks to go unchallenged, the two men, accompanied by Miss Coningsby-Layton, went out by the lower door of her tower, took leave of her, and strolled under the archway past the porter’s lodge. They turned their heads as Timothy heard his name called. The porter, whom Timothy recognised from his first visit to the almshouses, caught up with them.

“You’ll have heard what’s happened to us, sir,” he said. “Very strange doings, if you ask my opinion.”

“Strange?” said Timothy. “Lamentable, I think, but why strange?”

“More in this than meets the eye, sir. Why should all our old ladies be hustled off like this just because an accident happens? That’s what I ask myself.”

“I should have thought it was obvious. The cottages are not considered safe. How are you yourself placed?”

“Not too good, sir. They’ve offered me a park-keeper’s job over in the town. Not what I’ve been used to, sir. They’ve give me a house, too—I will say that for the council—but I got to pay rent, which I never did here. But it’s poor Miss Coningsby-Layton as I feel most sorry for. A lady of her years and refinement to be thrown out like an empty bottle, sir, not good enough, that is not, and I don’t mind who hears me say it.”

“Your sympathy isn’t altogether necessary,” said Timothy. “Miss Coningsby-Layton will be all right. We’ve just been hearing about it. I don’t terribly take to that man,” he added to Tom Parsons, as they turned to the right at the great gates and took a field-path towards the river. “Underneath his concern I detected insolence, I thought.”

“The council seem to be looking after his interests better than those of Miss Coningsby-Layton, but perhaps a man of his age is easier to place than a lady of hers. She would be at a bit of a loose end if you hadn’t taken her on. Why don’t you like the caretaker?” asked Parsons. “I thought his concern was genuine enough.”

“Oh, it’s one of those Dr. Fell things, then. What do you make of Coningsby’s remark about the chimney-pot?”

“Reasonable enough, of course. I’d like to attend the inquest. Just depends what I’ve got on hand whether I can make it.”

“I shall go.” The path led them again to the right. They followed it behind the Tudor infirmary and the east end of the church, after which it bent to the right once more to continue along the complete length of that small but perfect building. A tall fence marked off part of the grounds and then the path brought the two men on to the bank of the river at the backs of the almshouses. The privet hedges which separated the gardens one from another were low, had been well-clipped,

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