The Merciless Ladies by Winston Graham Read Free Book Online Page A

‘ Oh, blast the fellow; if he wants to nurse his grievance, let him. Anyway, you can phone the school. I’m going home to do some work.’
    I didn’t move. ‘ I’ve got a hunch, Paul.’
    â€˜Well?’
    â€˜I’d like to see him.’
    â€˜Well, go and hold his hand if you want to; I’ve done with the fellow, leading us all over London.’
    â€˜Can you spare another half-hour?’
    â€˜On a good purpose, yes. Not on consoling a sulky idiot.’
    â€˜Come on’, I said. ‘One sulky idiot is enough.’
    I don’t know if I had any inkling of the truth at this stage, but certainly some very strong impulse persuaded me to go.
    Leo’s goitrous landlady stood exasperated, knuckles on hips, as we mounted the stairs. I went to Leo’s door and knocked. There was no answer, so I tried the door. It was locked. I knocked again. Paul suddenly wrinkled his nose. ‘ Out of the way, Bill.’
    He went back, took a run, butted into the door. It creaked and complained, but held firm.
    He raised a foot and kicked violently at the panel just below the handle. After a few kicks it began to splinter, and he was able to get a hand in and upwards and turn the key. Amid shouts of protest from the mounting landlady we opened the door and entered a room full of gas.
II
    We dragged Leo out on the landing. He was breathing still but was a very bad colour. We knelt there on the ragged linoleum trying to apply what resuscitation we could think of while the landlady moaned complaints about the damage done to her door and, when she could spare the time, offered useless advice on getting a doctor. In the end Paul shouted her down with a demand for water. I think it was his furious face more than anything that sent her scurrying.
    I’ve seldom seen anyone so angry as Paul was that afternoon at Leo’s action. In spite of his humble origin and the apparent ease with which he was at present adapting himself to a sophisticated way of living, he had certain ingrained values that his social behaviour didn’t touch. Even a sense of form. This incident to him was bad form. He couldn’t stand the hysterical in any guise. That anyone should try to put an end to himself for the inadequate reasons, that moved Leo; that anyone should take himself so seriously; particularly that it was Leo – and over a woman he had introduced him to …
    We worked on Leo for a few minutes, but as soon as it became clear that the suicide attempt was going to be as much of a failure as the love affair that had provoked it, Paul got up, dusted his hands and left the rest to me. Then he limped off – having bruised his foot in breaking the door – before Leo had properly come round.
    Later, at Leo’s request, I went to Newton and told the Lynns a faked story to explain his absence from the Royal College of Music. They swallowed it without question. But Leo was so down I was a bit afraid that, despite promises to the contrary, he might give a repeat performance with greater success. It was with relief that I saw him begin to take an interest in his music again, and at the end of the year he left for Paris to continue his studies there.
    Paul never afterwards mentioned the matter to me in any way. It was as if it was something indecent he had witnessed. Nevertheless I believe this was very much a motivating force – and one which has never been mentioned before – in the notorious quarrel in which he was to become involved.
    But before that he married.

Chapter Four
    This is not meant to be a biography of Paul Stafford. It is the story of my relationship with him and those nearest to him. It is not meant to be the story of my life; yet inevitably something of my life must come in. That is what I mean by lack of perspective. Although often the observer, it was impossible for me to be the detached observer.
    Thus with Olive Crayam. She’d been a student of M.