Sarah Caudwell: The Sibyl in Her Grave

THERE IS LITTLEto add that is material to my narrative.

At the next annual general meeting of the shareholders of Renfrews’ Bank, Sir Robert announced his retirement from the chairmanship and proposed the appointment of Edgar Albany as his successor. This proposal, I need hardly say, was carried without opposition: a significant number of the shares were still held, after all, by family trusts of which Albany was a beneficiary. Shortly afterwards, Geoffrey Bolton resigned from Renfrews’ and joined what is called an international conglomerate. I felt at this juncture some concern for the safety of Miss Tavistock’s nest egg; but upon reading, a few months later, that the same conglomerate had taken over Renfrews’, I concluded that it was in no danger.

I would have liked to tell my readers that the refurbishment of 62 New Square is now complete and that my young friends are enjoying the comfort and elegance to which they have so long aspired. This, unfortunately, is not quite the case, since as yet the lights are not working: the light fittings originally supplied proved to be of the wrong size, certain delays were experienced in obtaining the right ones, and by the time they were delivered the electrician who was to install them had emigrated to Australia. Still, Selena appears confident that the problem will be solved very shortly.

My possession of the Book, I am happy to say, has thus far brought no misfortune on my head; on the contrary, it constitutes a pleasing addition to my modest personal library It is a legal lexicon, entirely in Latin, published in Paris in the early seventeenth century — there is much in its pages that is of interest to me. I do not attempt, however, to read the future in them.