strong poison encore une fois

('Strong Poison again'* (in French))

How satisfyingly yesterday's reading links to today's. I have finally started Strong Poison, par Dorothy L Sayers ('by Dorothy L Sayers') and it's a lot of fun. I was impelled, as long-term sufferers of this blog will know, by the excellent radio version with Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter Wimsey and, as far as human ear can tell, Joan Hickson as Harriet Vane. Anyway, the plot famously has Vane incarcerated awaiting retrial for poisoning some weasel. Wimsey goes to see her, and says he wants to marry her once he's proven her innocence. 'Oh, are you another of them?' she says. 'That makes forty-seven.'

'Oh,' said Wimsey. 'Dear me that makes it very awkward. As a matter of fact, you know, i don't need any noteriety. I can get into the papers off my own bat. It's no treat to me. Perhaps I'd better not mention it again.'
His voice sounded hurt, and the girl eyed him rather remorsefully.
'I'm sorry - but one gets rather a bruised sort of feeling in my position. There have been so many beastlinesses.'
'I know,' said Lord Peter. 'It was stupid of me-'
'No, I think it was stupid of me. But why-?'
'Why? Oh, well - I thought you'd be rather an attractive person to marry. That's all. I mean, I sort of took a fancy to you. I can't tell you why. There's no rule about it you know.'
'I see. Well, it's very nice of you.'
'I wish you wouldn't sound as if you thought it was rather funny. I know I've got a silly face, but I can't help that. As a matter of fact, I'd like someone I could talk sensibly to, who would make life interesting. And I could give you a lot of plots for your books, if that's any inducement.'**
'But you wouldn't want a wife who wrote books, would you?'
'But I should; it would be great fun. So much more interesting than the ordinary kind that is only keen on clothes and people. Though, of course, clothes and people are all right too, in moderation. I don't mean to say I object to clothes.'

[More good stuff, but the sun is moving in his heavens. Harriet goes on...]

'But, by the way, you're bearing in mind, aren't you, that I've had a lover?'
'Oh yes. So have I, if it comes to that. In fact, several. It's the sort of thing that might happen to anybody. I can produce some quite good testimonials. I'm told I make love rather nicely - only I'm at a disadvantage at the moment. One can't be very convincing at the other end of a table with a bloke looking in at the door.'

There is more very good stuff in this exchange, but you will have to wait for it. This is quite long enough for a post.


*In certain circumstances, 'Strong Poison once more with feeling'. These are not they.
** Harriet Vane is a writer of detective stories. Like Dorothy L Sayers. She is marrying a heroic nobleman. Do we all know the expression Mary Sue? Do we?