It may interest you to know that I have formed the habit of pepping up my snuff with this admirable drug and had provided myself with a princely quantity in the powder form used for dispensing purposes. One never knew which way the cat would jump with Ben. I have been equipped for action since he threatened to use his precious letter. By the way it would amuse me to know if you first dropped to it when I trampled on my pethidine box in the greenroom. Dogberry, I perceived, collected the pieces.

My other spare part is secreted in the groove of the sofa. I shall now return to the sofa, listen to your oration and if, as I suspect, it comes close to the facts, will take the necessary and final step. I shall instruct the moronic and repellent Badger to place this letter in the rack if I am still asleep when the party breaks up. Pray do not attempt artificial respiration. I assure you I shall be as dead as a door-nail. While I could triumphantly justify my use of Brod’s play I declined the mortification of the inevitable publicity, more particularly as it would reflect upon persons other than myself. If you wish to hang a motive on my closed file you may make it vanity.

Let me conclude with a final quotation from my fellow-plagiarist.

‘Sometimes we are devils to ourselves

When we will tempt the frailty of our powers

Presuming on their changeful potency.’

I hear the summons to return. Moriturus, to coin as Miss G would say, a phrase, te saluto, Caesar.

Your etc on the edge of the viewless winds.

John James Rutherford

Alleyn folded the letter and gave it to Fox. He walked back to the sofa and stood looking down at its burden for some time.

‘Well, Fox,’ he said at last, ‘he diddled us in the end, didn’t he?’

‘Did he, Mr Alleyn?’ asked Fox woodenly.

Bailey and Thompson moved tactfully off-stage. Young Lamprey came on with a sheet from one of the dressing-rooms. Fox took it and dismissed him with a jerk of his head. When the sheet was decently bestowed, Alleyn and Fox looked at each other.

‘Oh, let us still be merciful!’ Alleyn said, and it is uncertain whether this quotation from the doctor’s favourite source was intended as an epitaph or an observation upon police procedure.

Poole switched off his engine outside Jacko’s house. Martyn stirred and he said: ‘Do you want to go in at once? We haven’t said a word to each other. Are you deadly tired?’

‘No more than everybody else but—yes. Aren’t you? You must,’ she said drowsily, ‘be so dreadfully puzzled and worried.’