Джорджетт Хейер - Envious Casca

The arctic light in Sturry's eye plainly informed him that if he imagined he could address a respectable butler in this fashion he would find himself much mistaken. "I regret that I am unable to assist you," said Sturry. "It being no part of my duties to pry into the affairs of my employers."

The Inspector perceived that he had taken a false step. He said: "Naturally not, but a man in your position is bound to know the ins and outs of a house."

Sturry acknowledged this tribute by a slight bow, and waited.

"By all accounts the deceased was a difficult man to get on with, eh?"

"I experienced no difficulty, Inspector. Mr. Herriard had his idiosyncrasies, no doubt. Latterly his temper became impaired by rheumatic complaints, as was understandable."

"Made him quarrelsome?"

"I would not go so far as to ascribe the distressing quarrels which have taken place under this roof wholly to Mr. Herriard's lumbago," said Sturry.

It became clear to the Inspector that the butler was big with news. It was equally clear that while he had a human desire to impart his news, he was mindful of what was due to his dignity, and must be handled with tact and respect. "Ah!" the Inspector said, nodding. "And I daresay you knew him as well as anyone. Stands to reason, being in your position, and with him over four years."

"I believe Mr. Herriard had no reason to be dissatisfied with me," conceded Sturry, unbending a little. "It has been my endeavour to fulfil my functions to the best of my ability, whatever the behaviour of certain of Mr. Herriard's guests."

"Must have been difficult for you, I daresay."

"Not so much difficult as distasteful," said Sturry, putting him in his place again. "Accustomed as I have been for thirty-five years to serving in the best families - for I commenced as under-footman to the late Earl of Belford, when I was hardly more than a Lad - there have been Incidents at Lexham Manor which I could only deplore."

The Inspector made a tut-tutting noise, and tried to look sympathetic.

"I need scarcely say," added Sturry, "that I shall be giving notice at the earliest opportunity."

"You know your own business best, but the house is likely to be kept on, isn't it? There's bound to be an heir."

"I should not care," said Sturry, with a quiver of disgust, "to demean myself by remaining in any house where a murder had been committed. It is not what I am accustomed to. It is impossible to imagine such an occurrence taking place under the late Earl's roof, or, indeed (though the baronetcy was of quite recent creation) under the roof of the late Sir Barnabas." He drew in his breath through his teeth. "Nor, I may add, would it suit me to take a post either in Mr. Joseph Herriard's household, or in Mr. Stephen Herriard's."

"Oh?" said the Inspector, deeply interested, and trying not to show it. "Not your money, eh?"

This vulgarity brought a look of pain to Sturry's countenance, but being by this time launched on the cumulative tide of his disclosures, he decided to overlook it. "Mr. Joseph Herriard is a very well-meaning gentleman," he said, "but the Peculiar Circumstances of his life have made him, I regret to say, forgetful of his dignity. He is Familiar with the Staff."

The Inspector nodded feelingly. "I know what you mean. What about the young one? Cross-grained looking chap, I thought."

"Mr. Stephen Herriard," said Sturry, "is not a gentleman with whom I could ever contemplate taking service. Mr. Stephen's temper is quite as violent as his late uncle's, and although I would not wish to imply that he is not Quite the Gentleman, he is careless of appearances to a degree which I could not bring myself to overlook. He has, moreover, become engaged to a young lady who will not, in my opinion, Do for Lexham Manor." He paused, fixing the Inspector with a basilisk eye. "I could not, in any case, reconcile it with my conscience to serve any gentleman who had been on such inimical terms with the late Mr. Herriard," he said.

Here it comes at last! thought the Inspector. "I'd heard that they quarrelled a good bit," he said. "Bad, was it?"

Sturry closed his eyes for an expressive moment. "At times, Inspector, it has been what I should call Shocking, both Mr. Stephen and Mr. Herriard raising their voices in a manner very unbecoming to their stations, and not caring who might be within hearing. Indeed, upon one occasion Mr. Stephen had Words with his uncle in front of the Tweeny."

The enormity of this did not, perhaps, impress the Inspector as forcibly as it was meant to, but he looked shocked, and said he wondered why Stephen came to Lexham so often.

"If you were to ask me, Inspector," said Sturry, "I should say that both Mr. Stephen and Miss Paula came for what they could get out of the late Mr. Herriard."

"Is Stephen Herriard the heir?"

"That, Inspector, I could not take it upon myself to say, not being in the late Mr. Herriard's confidence. It is generally believed in the Hall that he is, Mr. Herriard having had an unaccountable fondness for him. But there has been a good deal of unpleasantness lately over Mr. Stephen's Unfortunate Entanglement, Mr. Herriard having taken exception to Miss Dean in a way one cannot wonder at. There was Quite a Scene between them after lunch."

"About Miss Dean?"

"I could not say, I am sure," said Sturry primly. "But when I was about to enter the drawing-room this evening with the cocktail-tray, I heard Mr. Herriard shout at Mr. Stephen that he was quite as bad as his sister, and that it was the last time either of them should come to Lexham'

"Is that so?" said the Inspector, very much on the alert. "He was quarrelling with Miss Herriard too, was he?"

"Mr. Herriard was in general very indulgent with Miss Paula," said Sturry. "Though I have reason to believe that he looked with disfavour upon her connection with the stage. But Miss Paula most regrettably brought down with her to spend Christmas a Person of the name of Roydon."

The Inspector knew what this method of referring to Roydon implied, and was inclined to sympathise with Sturry. "He didn't like Roydon?"

"I gathered, Inspector," said Sturry grandly, "that he considered Miss Paula's friendship with the young man Unsuitable."

"I could see he wasn't out of the top-drawer."

"Mr. Roydon," said Sturry, with impressive reserve, "is a very estimable young man, I am sure, but he is Out of Place in an establishment where eight indoor servants are employed."

The Inspector's sympathy veered momentarily towards Roydon. "I understand he wanted the deceased to put up some money for a play, or something?"

"That, Inspector, was Miss Paula's object in bringing him to Lexham. Two thousand pounds was the figure I heard her name to Mr. Herriard."

"That's a lot of money," said the Inspector.

"It would seem so to some, no doubt," said Sturry, in an odiously patronising way. "Miss Paula referred to it as Paltry."

"I take it that Mr. Herriard refused to let her have it?"

"Mr. Herriard, Inspector, said that Miss Paula should have none of his money to waste on Mr. Roydon. To which Miss Paula replied that when he was dead she would spend every penny he left her on Immoral Plays."

The Inspector was shocked. "That's a nice way to talk!" he exclaimed.

"Miss Paula," said Sturry forbearingly, "is not one to Mince Matters."

"What did Mr. Herriard have to say to that?"

"Mr. Herriard said that she had better not count her chickens before they were hatched, since he would possibly be Making a Few Changes."

"Oh, he spoke of changing his will, did he? How did the young lady take that?"

"Being, as one might say, in a Passion, Miss Paula said that she did not care, and did not want Mr. Herriard's money. Mr. Herriard then said that he thought that that was just what she did want, two thousand pounds of it." He paused for his final effect. "'And ready to murder me to get it!" Mr. Herriard said."