time for consideration and then delivered
himself respectfuly of his opinion.
‘In your lordship’s place, my lord, I fancy I should be inclined to go to
Stamford. For a variety of reasons.’
‘You would, would you?’
‘Yes, my lord.’
‘Wel, perhaps you are right, Bunter.’
‘Yes, thank you, my lord. Would your lordship wish me to accompany you?’
‘No,’ said Wimsey. ‘You can go down to Eastbourne.’
‘Very good, my lord.’
‘Tomorrow morning. I shal stay the night in Town. You might send off a
telegram for me – no, on second thoughts, I’l send it myself.’
Telegram from Lord Peter Wimsey to Miss Harriet Vane:
following razor clue to stamford refuse resemble thriller hero who hangs round
heroine to neglect of duty but will you marry me – peter.
Telegram from Miss Harriet Vane to Lord Peter Wimsey:
good hunting certainly not some developments here – vane.
VII
THE EVIDENCE OF THE GIGOLOS
‘A worthless life,
A life ridiculous.’
Death’s Jest-Book
Friday, 19 June – Evening
Miss Harriet Vane, in a claret-coloured frock, swayed round the dance-lounge
of the Hotel Resplendent in the arms of Mr Antoine, the fair-haired gigolo.
‘I’m afraid I am not a very good dancer,’ she remarked, apologeticaly.
Mr Antoine, who was, rather surprisingly, neither Jew nor South-American
dago, nor Central European mongrel, but French, clasped her a very little more
firmly in his competent professional arm, and replied:
‘You dance very correctly, mademoisele. It is only the entrain that is a little
lacking. It is possible that you are awaiting the perfect partner. When the heart
dances with the feet, then it wil be à merveille .’ He met her eyes with a
delicately calculated expression of encouragement.
‘Is that the kind of thing you have to say to al these old ladies?’ asked
Harriet, smiling.
Antoine opened his eyes a trifle and then, mocking back to her mockery,
said:
‘I am afraid so. That is part of our job, you know.’
‘It must be very tedious.’
Antoine contrived to shrug his exquisite shoulders without in any way
affecting the lithe grace of his motion.
‘ Que voulez-vous? Al work has its tedious moments, which are repaid by
those that are more agreeable. One may say truthfuly to mademoisele what
might in another case be a mere politeness.’
‘Don’t bother about me,’ said Harriet. ‘There’s something else I want to talk
about. I wanted to ask you about Mr Alexis.’
‘ Ce pauvre Alexis! It was mademoisele who found him, I understand?’
‘Yes. I just wondered what sort of person he was, and why he should have
– done away with himself like that.’
‘Ah! that is what we are al wondering. It is, no doubt, the Russian
temperament.’
‘I had heard’ – Harriet felt that she must tread cautiously here – ‘that he was
engaged to be married.’
‘Oh, yes – to the English lady. That was understood.’
‘Was he happy about it?’
‘Mademoisele, Alexis was poor and the English lady is very rich. It was
advantageous to him to marry her. At first, no doubt, it might offer a little
désagrément , but afterwards – you understand, mademoisele, these matters
arrange themselves.’
‘You don’t think that he suddenly felt he couldn’t face it, and took this way
out?’
‘That is difficult to say, but – no, I do not think so. He had, after al, only to
go away. He was a very good dancer and very popular. He would easily have
found another situation, provided his health would permit him to continue.’
‘I wondered whether there was any other attachment to make things more
difficult.’
‘From what he said to us, mademoisele, I know of nothing which could not
easily have been arranged.’
‘Women like him, I suppose?’ demanded Harriet, bluntly.
Antoine’s smile was a sufficient answer.
‘There wasn’t any disappointment of any kind?’
‘I did not hear of any. But of course, one does not tel
himself respectfuly of his opinion.
‘In your lordship’s place, my lord, I fancy I should be inclined to go to
Stamford. For a variety of reasons.’
‘You would, would you?’
‘Yes, my lord.’
‘Wel, perhaps you are right, Bunter.’
‘Yes, thank you, my lord. Would your lordship wish me to accompany you?’
‘No,’ said Wimsey. ‘You can go down to Eastbourne.’
‘Very good, my lord.’
‘Tomorrow morning. I shal stay the night in Town. You might send off a
telegram for me – no, on second thoughts, I’l send it myself.’
Telegram from Lord Peter Wimsey to Miss Harriet Vane:
following razor clue to stamford refuse resemble thriller hero who hangs round
heroine to neglect of duty but will you marry me – peter.
Telegram from Miss Harriet Vane to Lord Peter Wimsey:
good hunting certainly not some developments here – vane.
VII
THE EVIDENCE OF THE GIGOLOS
‘A worthless life,
A life ridiculous.’
Death’s Jest-Book
Friday, 19 June – Evening
Miss Harriet Vane, in a claret-coloured frock, swayed round the dance-lounge
of the Hotel Resplendent in the arms of Mr Antoine, the fair-haired gigolo.
‘I’m afraid I am not a very good dancer,’ she remarked, apologeticaly.
Mr Antoine, who was, rather surprisingly, neither Jew nor South-American
dago, nor Central European mongrel, but French, clasped her a very little more
firmly in his competent professional arm, and replied:
‘You dance very correctly, mademoisele. It is only the entrain that is a little
lacking. It is possible that you are awaiting the perfect partner. When the heart
dances with the feet, then it wil be à merveille .’ He met her eyes with a
delicately calculated expression of encouragement.
‘Is that the kind of thing you have to say to al these old ladies?’ asked
Harriet, smiling.
Antoine opened his eyes a trifle and then, mocking back to her mockery,
said:
‘I am afraid so. That is part of our job, you know.’
‘It must be very tedious.’
Antoine contrived to shrug his exquisite shoulders without in any way
affecting the lithe grace of his motion.
‘ Que voulez-vous? Al work has its tedious moments, which are repaid by
those that are more agreeable. One may say truthfuly to mademoisele what
might in another case be a mere politeness.’
‘Don’t bother about me,’ said Harriet. ‘There’s something else I want to talk
about. I wanted to ask you about Mr Alexis.’
‘ Ce pauvre Alexis! It was mademoisele who found him, I understand?’
‘Yes. I just wondered what sort of person he was, and why he should have
– done away with himself like that.’
‘Ah! that is what we are al wondering. It is, no doubt, the Russian
temperament.’
‘I had heard’ – Harriet felt that she must tread cautiously here – ‘that he was
engaged to be married.’
‘Oh, yes – to the English lady. That was understood.’
‘Was he happy about it?’
‘Mademoisele, Alexis was poor and the English lady is very rich. It was
advantageous to him to marry her. At first, no doubt, it might offer a little
désagrément , but afterwards – you understand, mademoisele, these matters
arrange themselves.’
‘You don’t think that he suddenly felt he couldn’t face it, and took this way
out?’
‘That is difficult to say, but – no, I do not think so. He had, after al, only to
go away. He was a very good dancer and very popular. He would easily have
found another situation, provided his health would permit him to continue.’
‘I wondered whether there was any other attachment to make things more
difficult.’
‘From what he said to us, mademoisele, I know of nothing which could not
easily have been arranged.’
‘Women like him, I suppose?’ demanded Harriet, bluntly.
Antoine’s smile was a sufficient answer.
‘There wasn’t any disappointment of any kind?’
‘I did not hear of any. But of course, one does not tel
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