Here Lies Gloria Mundy

Here Lies Gloria Mundy

Gladys Mitchell

Bradley 61

A 3S digital back-up edition 1.0

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Contents

chapter 1: a case in the papers

chapter 2: chance encounter

chapter 3: beeches lawn

chapter 4: unbidden guest

chapter 5: chapter of accidents

chapter 6: arson

chapter 7: ichabod

chapter 8: hounds in cry

chapter 9: chaucer’s prioress

chapter 10: colloquies

chapter 11: a conference with the accused

chapter 12: recapitulation with surprise ending

chapter 13: the revenant

chapter 14: unexpected developments

chapter 15: little progress

chapter 16: attempt at a volte-face

chapter 17: a letter from dame beatrice

chapter 18: exit gloria

chapter 19: a kind of pilgrimage

Also by Gladys Mitchell

SPEEDY DEATH

MYSTERY OF A BUTCHER’S SHOP

THE LONGER BODIES

THE SALTMARSH MURDERS

DEATH AT THE OPERA

THE DEVIL AT SAXON WALL

DEAD MAN’S MORRIS

COME AWAY DEATH

ST. PETER ‘S FINGER

PRINTER’S ERROR

BRAZEN TONGUE

HANGMAN’S CURFEW

WHEN LAST I DIED

LAURELS ARE POISON

THE WORSTED VIPER

SUNSET OVER SOHO

MY FATHER SLEEPS

THE RISING OF THE MOON

HERE COMES A CHOPPER

DEATH AND THE MAIDEN

THE DANCING DRUIDS

TOM BROWN’S BODY

GROANING SPINNEY

THE DEVIL ‘S ELBOW

THE ECHOING STRANGERS

MERLIN’S FURLONG

FAINTLEY SPEAKING

WATSON’S CHOICE

TWELVE HORSES AND THE HANGMAN’S NOOSE

THE TWENTY-THIRD MAN

SPOTTED HEMLOCK

THE MAN WHO GREW TOMATOES

SAY IT WITH FLOWERS

THE NODDING CANARIES

MY BONES WILL KEEP

ADDERS ON THE HEATH

DEATH OF A DELFT BLUE

PAGEANT OF MURDER

THE CROAKING RAVEN

SKELETON ISLAND

THREE QUICK AND FIVE DEAD

DANCE TO YOUR DADDY

GORY DEW

LAMENT FOR LETO

A HEARSE ON MAY DAY

THE MURDER OF BUSY LIZZIE

A JAVELIN FOR JONAH

WINKING AT THE BRIM

CONVENT ON STYX

LATE, LATE IN THE EVENING

NOONDAY AND NIGHT

FAULT IN THE STRUCTURE

WRAITHS AND CHANGELINGS

MINGLED WITH VENOM

NEST OF VIPERS

MUDFLATS OF THE DEAD

UNCOFFIN’D CLAY

THE WHISPERING KNIGHTS

THE DEATH-CAP DANCERS

LOVERS, MAKE MOAN

here lies gloria mundy. Copyright © 1982 by Gladys Mitchell.

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Mitchell, Gladys, 1901-

Here lies Gloria Mundy.

I. Title.

PR6025.I832H4 1983 823'.912 83-2924

ISBN 0-312-36986-7

First published in Great Britain by Michael Joseph Ltd.

First U.S. Edition

To

QUENTIN

who, like St Joan, has accepted

the burdens which are too heavy

for the rest of us

1

A Case in the Papers

^ »

At school I always insisted that my first name was Colin. This is an acceptable name among boys. My baptismal name of Corin is not, although why this should be I don’t know. Can one consonant make such a difference?

The trouble is that I have a twin sister whom my father was determined should be christened Corinna. My mother wanted her called Oenone, so, to settle the matter, they agreed upon Corin and Corinna, much to my youthful discomfiture. Talk about ‘Hello, twins!’

When I got to university, however, I realised that it was no bad thing to have a name which, so far as I know, has nothing but literary connections, so I reverted to Corin and have become, in a modest way, part of the contemporary scribal scene. That is to say, I earn my living as a writer under the name of Corin Stratford. Stratford is not my patronymic, but nowadays most people use it, as I have made it clear that it is in my professional interests that my name should be publicised as much as possible.