Read Overture to Death for Free Online

don’t see how we could do better.”
    “We seem to be at a disadvantage, Eleanor,” said Miss Campanula unpleasantly, and Miss Prentice laughed again. So, astonishingly, did the squire. He broke out in a loud choking snort. They all turned to look at him. Tears coursed each other down his cheeks and he dabbed at them absent-mindedly with the back of his hand. His shoulders quivered, his brows were raised in an ecstasy of merriment, and his cheeks were purple. He was lost in the second act of Mrs. Ross’s play.
    “Oh! Lord!” he said, “this is funny.”
    “Jocelyn!” cried Miss Prentice.
    “Eh?” said the squire, and he turned a page, read half-a-dozen lines, laid the book on the table and gave himself up to paroxysms of unbridled laughter.
    “Jocelyn!” repeated Miss Prentice. “Really!”
    “What?” gasped the squire. “Eh? All right, I’m quite willing. Damn’ good! When do we begin?”
    “Hi!” said Henry. “Steady, Father! The meeting hasn’t decided on the play.”
    “Well, we’d better decide on this,” said the squire, and he leant towards Selia Ross. “When he starts telling her he’s got the garter,” he said, “and she thinks he’s talking about the other affair! And then when she says she won’t take no for an answer. Oh, Lord!”
    “It’s heavenly, isn’t it?” agreed Mrs. Ross, and she and Henry and Dinah suddenly burst out laughing at the recollection of this scene, and for a minute or two they all reminded each other of the exquisite facetiae in the second act of
Shop Windows
. The rector listened with a nervous smile; Miss Prentice and Miss Campanula with tightly-set lips. At last the squire looked round the table with brimming eyes and asked what they were all waiting for.
    “I’ll move we do
Shop Windows
,” he said. “That in order?”
    “I’ll second it,” said Dr. Templett.
    “No doubt I am in error,” said Miss Campanula, “but I was under the impression that my poor suggestion was before the meeting, seconded by Miss Prentice.”
    The rector was obliged to put this motion to the meeting.
    “It is moved by Miss Campanula,” he said unhappily, “and seconded by Miss Prentice, that
Simple Susan
be the play chosen for production. Those in favour — ”
    “Aye,” said Miss Campanula and Miss Prentice.
    “And the contrary?”
    “No,” said the rest of the meeting with perfect good humour.
    “Thank you,” said Miss Campanula. “
Thank you
. Now we know where we are.”
    “You wait till you start learning your parts in this thing,” said Jocelyn cheerfully, “and you won’t know whether you’re on your heads or your heels. There’s an awful lot of us three, isn’t there?” he continued, turning the pages. “I suppose Eleanor will do the Duchess and Miss Campanula will be the other one — Mrs. Thing or whoever she is! Gertrude! That the idea?”
    “That was my idea,” said Mrs. Ross.
    “If I may be allowed to speak,” said Miss Campanula, “I should like to say that it is just within the bounds of possibility that it may not be ours.”
    “Perhaps, Jernigham,” said the rector, “you had better put your motion.”
    But of course the squire’s motion was carried. Miss Campanula and Miss Prentice did not open their lips. Their thoughts were alike in confusion and intensity. Both seethed under the insult done to
Simple Susan
, each longed to rise and, with a few well-chosen words, withdraw from the meeting. Each was checked by a sensible reluctance to cut off her nose to spite her face. It was obvious that
Shop Windows
would be performed whether they stayed in or flounced out. Unless all the others were barefaced liars, it seemed that there were two outstandingly good parts ready for them to snap up. They hung off and on, ruffled their plumage, and secretly examined each other’s face.
     
    iii
    Meanwhile with the enthusiasm that all Jernighams brought to a new project Jocelyn and his son began to cast the play. Almost a century ago