Strong Poison: Chapter 6 - Philip Boyes's Father, His Will, and a Bestseller Boom

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

Chapter 6 The next day dawned bright and fair, and Wimsey felt a certain exhilaration as he purred down to Tweedling Parva.

Mrs. Myrdal, the car, so called because, like that celebrated lady she was averse to Rao, was sparking merrily on all twelve cylinders, and there was a touch of frost in the air. These things conduced to high spirits.

Wimsey reached his destination about ten o'clock, and was directed to the Vicarage, one of those large, rambling and unnecessary structures, which swallow the incumbent's income during his life, and land his survivors with a heavy bill for dilapidations as soon as he is dead. The Reverend Arthur Boyes was at home, and would be happy to see Lord Peter Wimsey. The clergyman was a tall, faded man, with lines of worry deeply engraved upon his face, and mild blue eyes a little bewildered by the disappointing difficulty of things in general. His black coat was old, and hung in depressed folds from his stooping, narrow shoulders. He gave Wimsey a thin hand and begged him to be seated. Lord Peter found it a little difficult to explain his errand. His name evidently aroused no associations in the mind of this gentle and unworldly parson. He decided not to mention his hobby of criminal investigation, but to represent himself with equal truth as a friend of the prisoners. That might be painful, but it would be at least intelligible.

Lord Peter Wimsey (1:24)

Accordingly, he began, with some hesitation, I'm fearfully sorry to trouble you, especially as it's also very distressing and all that, but it's about the death of your son and the trial and so on.

Please don't think I'm wanting to make an interfering nuisance of myself, but I'm deeply interested, personally interested. You see, I know Miss Vane. I, in fact, I like her very much, don't you know? And I can't help thinking there's a mistake somewhere and I should like to get it put right if possible.

SPEAKER_1 (1:57)

Oh, oh, yes, said Mr. Boyes. He carefully polished a pair of pince nez and balanced them on his nose where they sat crookedly.

He peered at Wimsey and seemed not to dislike what he saw, for he went on, Poor misguided girl.

Arthur Boyes (2:10)

I assure you I have no vindictive feelings. That is to say, nobody would be more happy than myself to know that she was innocent of this dreadful thing. Indeed, Lord Peter, even if she were guilty, it would give me great pain to see her suffer the penalty.

Whatever we do, we cannot bring back the dead to life, and one would infinitely prefer to leave all vengeance in the hand of him to whom it belongs. Certainly nothing could be more terrible than to take the life of an innocent person. It would haunt me to the end of my days if I thought there were the least likelihood of it. And I confess that when I saw Miss Vane in court, I had grievous doubts whether the police had done rightly in accusing her.

Lord Peter Wimsey (2:57)

Thank you, said Wimsey. It is very kind of you to say that. It makes the job much easier.

Excuse me, you say, when you saw her in court, you hadn't met her previously?

Arthur Boyes (3:09)

No.

I knew, of course, that my unhappy son had formed an illicit connection with a young woman. But I could not bring myself to see her. And indeed, I believe that she, with very proper feeling, refused to allow Philip to bring her into contact with any of his relations.

Lord Peter, you are a younger man than I am. You belong to my son's generation, and you will perhaps understand that. Though he was not bad, not depraved, I will never think that. Yet, somehow, there was not that full confidence between us, which there should be between father and son. No doubt, I was much to blame. If only his mother had lived.

Lord Peter Wimsey (3:51)

My dear sir, mumbled Wimsey, I perfectly understand. It often happens. In fact, it's continually happening. The post-war generation and so on.

Lots of people go off the rails a bit. No real harm in them at all.

Just can't see eye to eye with the older people. It generally wears off in time. Nobody really to blame. Wild oats and all that sort of thing.

SPEAKER_1 (4:17)

I could not approve, said Mr. Boyes, sadly, of ideas so opposed to religion and morality.

Arthur Boyes (4:23)

Perhaps I spoke my mind too openly if I had sympathized more.

Lord Peter Wimsey (4:28)

It can't be done, said Wimsey. People have to work it out for themselves. And when they write books and so on, and get into that set of people, they tend to express themselves rather noisily, if you see what I mean.