Free Lord Peter Wimsey [01] Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers

it."
     
    Mr. Milligan, thus ingeniously placed at that disadvantage which attends ignorance, manìuvred for position, and offered his interrupter a Corona Corona.
     
    "Thanks, awfully," said Lord Peter, "though you really mustn't tempt me to stay here barblin' all afternoon. By Jove, Mr. Milligan, if you offer people such comfortable chairs and cigars like these, I wonder they don't come an' live in your office." He added mentally: "I wish to goodness I could get those long-toed boots off you. How's a man to know the size of your feet? And a head like a potato. It's enough to make one swear."
     
    "Say now, Lord Peter," said Mr. Milligan, "can I do anything for you?"
     
    "Well, d'you know," said Lord Peter, "I'm wonderin' if you would. It's damned cheek to ask you, but fact is, it's my mother, you know. Wonderful woman, but don't realize what it means, demands on the time of a busy man like you. We don't understand hustle over here, you know, Mr. Milligan."
     
    "Now don't you mention that," said Mr. Milligan; "I'd be surely charmed to do anything to oblige the Duchess."
     
    He felt a momentary qualm as to whether a duke's mother were also a duchess, but breathed more freely as Lord Peter went on:
     
    "Thanks–that's uncommonly good of you. Well, now, it's like this. My mother–most energetic, self-sacrificin' woman, don't you see, is thinkin' of gettin' up a sort of a charity bazaar down at Denver this winter, in aid of the church-roof, y'know. Very sad case, Mr. Milligan–fine old antique–early English windows and decorated angel roof, and all that–all tumblin' to pieces, rain pourin' in and so on–vicar catchin' rheumatism at early service, owin' to the draught blowin' in over the altar–you know the sort of thing. They've got a man down startin' on it–little beggar called Thipps–lives with an aged mother in Battersea–vulgar little beast, but quite good on angel roofs and things, I'm told."
     
    At this point, Lord Peter watched his interlocutor narrowly, but finding that this rigmarole produced in him no reaction more startling than polite interest tinged with faint bewilderment, he abandoned this line of investigation, and proceeded:
     
    "I say, I beg your pardon, frightfully–I'm afraid I'm bein' beastly long-winded. Fact is, my mother is gettin' up this bazaar, and she thought it'd be all awfully interestin' side-show to have some lectures–sort of little talks, y'know–by eminent business men of all nations. 'How I did it' kind of touch, y'know–'A Drop of Oil with Mr. Rockefeller'–'Cash and Conscience' by Cadbury's Cocoa and so on. It would interest people down there no end. You see, all my mother's friends will be there, and we've none of us any money–not what you'd call money, I mean–I expect our incomes wouldn't pay your telephone calls, would they?–but we like awfully to hear about the people who can make money. Gives us a sort of uplifted feelin', don't you know. Well, anyway, I mean, my mother'd be frightfully pleased and grateful to you, Mr. Milligan, if you'd come down and give us a few words as a representative American. It needn't take more than ten minutes or so, y'know, because the local people can't understand much beyond shootin' and huntin', and my mother's crowd can't keep their minds on anythin' more than ten minutes together, but we'd really appreciate it very much if you'd come and stay a day or two and just give us a little breezy word on the almighty dollar."
     
    "Why, yes," said Mr. Milligan, "I'd like to, Lord Peter. It's kind of the Duchess to suggest it. It's a very sad thing when these fine old antiques begin to wear out. I'll come with great pleasure. And perhaps you'd be kind enough to accept a little donation to the Restoration Fund."
     
    This unexpected development nearly brought Lord Peter up all standing. To pump, by means of an ingenious lie, a hospitable gentleman whom you are inclined to suspect of a peculiarly malicious murder, and to accept from