Kind Hearts And Coronets Page #3

The upshot was

that I was dismissed on the spot.

I decided to repay him in kind...

by dismissing him with equal

suddenness from this world.

His conversation had told me where I could

probably find the opportunity to kill him.

Dr. Hallward's dispensary

had provided me with a means.

With the week's wages

I had received in lieu of notice...

I invested in suitable apparel

for a weekend at Maidenhead.

It was possible

they might remember me...

but I thought it unlikely...

shop assistants being commonly

regarded as an inferior race...

who never emerged

from the other side of the counter.

I decided

to take the bull by the horns.

Forgive me. I wonder if you could

oblige me with a match.

- Certainly.

- Thank you.

- Haven't we met before somewhere?

- I don't think so.

Funny, 'cause I could have sworn

I knew your face.

- Were you at Monte last year?

- The year before.

Ah, that must be it.

Won't you join me?

Thank you. Not this evening.

We are rather tired.

I deprecated their retiring so early...

but it was hard to blame them...

for weekends, like life, are short.

The next morning,

I waited for them to come down-

and the next afternoon.

They didn't appear the whole day.

Nor the morning after.

I no longer felt sentimental.

The weekend was nearly over,

and I could hardly expect providence...

to offer me

so promising a chance again.

I was in a state of desperation...

and I followed them,

hoping for I knew not what.

I had the poison with me, but they

hadn't even taken a picnic basket.

It was possible, however, that they might

stop somewhere for refreshment.

They did stop shortly afterwards...

but not for that.

Judging by past experience,

they would be there for hours.

The rest followed automatically.

I had fortunately learned to swim

at the Clapham Municipal Baths...

though I never had occasion

to try it underwater.

I had no wish to surface

under their noses...

though I doubt if they would have

noticed me even if I had.

It was beautifully timed.

I was sorry about the girl...

but found some relief in the reflection that

she had presumably, during the weekend...

already undergone

a fate worse than death.

I decided to defer consideration

of where and how I should next strike...

until my nerves

were thoroughly restored.

It must be remembered

that I was very young...

and, furthermore,

I am not naturally callous.

I suddenly conceived a brilliant idea.

I would write a carefully phrased letter

of condolence to old Ascoyne D'Ascoyne.

It would be an agreeable feeling of revenge

for his cruelty to Mama.

And, further, it had not failed to occur to me

that there was, at the moment...

a vacancy in the banking house.

Ascoyne D'Ascoyne duly rose to the bait.

Please be seated, Mr. Mazzini.

How do you do?

My late son.

A great loss.

He was young and foolish...

but I believe had he been spared

until his maturity-

It was my consciousness of that which led me

to presume to tender you my sympathy.

I am glad that you did so.

A loss so tragic serves to put lesser matters

in their proper perspective.

If I remember rightly, Mr. Mazzini...

some years ago

I received a communication...

from your mother.

My late mother.

Hello, Louis.

You look very pleased with yourself.

- So do you.

- I have news.

- So have I.

- What is it?

No, yours first.

Lionel and I have fixed a date

for our wedding, in two months' time.

My congratulations.

No, I should congratulate him.

I compliment you.

- Now yours.

- Nothing as exciting as yours.

I went today to see Lord Ascoyne D'Ascoyne,

my cousin, you know.

He has a private banking house

in the city.

He offered me employment at once

at five pounds a week...

with excellent prospects

for promotion.

Louis, I'm so glad for you.

- Louis, do you remember?

- What?

Once, in this room...

after my party-

- I kissed you.

- Yes.

And you were horrible to me.

Yes.

I made fun about you

being related to the D'Ascoynes.

I'm sorry.

You'll take it more seriously now?

Yes.

Louis, kiss me...

to show you've forgiven me.

No, it would be wrong.

You're pledged to Lionel.

I behaved like a cad that night.

I like you when you behave

like a cad.

You're a person who must dance

through life, Sibella...

and I hope Lionel won't tread

on your feet too often.

My new employment was humble enough...

but I had to test the rungs of the ladder

before I could climb it.

- Oh.

- Well -

- That's very nice.

- Oh -

The next candidate for

removal seemed to be young Henry D'Ascoyne...

24 years old, recently married...

as yet, without issue.

I had quite an accumulation by now

of D'Ascoyne data...

culled from newspapers

and periodicals...

and I looked through it

for a possible approach to Henry.

I found one.

I bought the necessary equipment,

secondhand...

and bicycled down

the following weekend.

I had studied a couple of photographic

manuals during the week...

and found that, in practice,

the mysteries of the camera...

demand a little more

than ordinary intelligence...

plus the ability tojudge

the subject upside-down.

It was thus, indeed,

that I first saw Henry D'Ascoyne.

My method of approach proved

an instantaneous success.

Excuse me.

Isn't that a Thornton Pickard?

Yes. Are you a photographer?

Dabble in it.

Got a Sanger Shepherd.

- A Sanger Shepherd?

- Nice little camera.

Focal plane shutter,

rapid rectilinear and all that.

Look here. Why not come up

to my house, and I'll show it to you?

Well, I'd be most interested.

- My name's D'Ascoyne, by the way.

- Mine is Mazzini.

He seemed a very pleasant fellow...

and I regretted that our acquaintanceship

must be so short.

Had one of the potting sheds

fixed up as a darkroom.

Couldn't have suited better

if it had been built for it.

Had the equipment

sent down from town.

And I must say the results

have been absolutely top-hole.

I'll show you some quarter-plates

I've taken about the village.

There we are.

Absolutely lightproof, except for this.

Everything to hand - developing dishes here,

toning bath here, whole-plate enlarger.

- Perfect.

- Not too bad, is it?

Talking of the village, by the by,

I don't know if you're thinking...

of sending any of your efforts here

to some periodical...

but there's just one thing.

I'm sure you're a good fellow,

or I wouldn't like to ask.

Ask what?

I'd be most grateful if you'd keep back

that last plate you exposed.

- The inn? But it was delightful.

- Yes.

The fact is, my wife has views

about such places...

so I never go in them,

you understand?

Naturally, I wouldn't dream

of embarrassing you.

I knew you were a good fellow.

Suppose we drink on it?

Unless you have views yourself,

of course.

- None.

- Splendid.

What shall it be?

Sherry? Whiskey?

I think a small developer.

The mental picture ofhis

wife that I had formed from Henry's words...

left me unprepared for the charm

of the woman I was to meet.

She was as tall and slender as a lily

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