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three apples on the table； brown and wrinkled and starting to collapse upon themselves； black dishcloth next to a sink piled high with dirty plates； and the window so filthy that inside you could hardly tell day from night。 her linty white nose sniffed the air。 it told her everything she needed to know。 she pursed her lips； set her shoulders； took a tight grip on the tortoiseshell handle of her bag and set off on her crusade。 she went from room to room looking for isabelle； but on the way taking in the squalor； the mess； the unkemptness that lurked everywhere。
the missus tired easily； and she couldn’t manage the stairs very well； and her sight was going； and she often thought she had cleaned things when she hadn’t； or meant to clean them and then forgot； and to be honest； she knew nobody really cared； so she mostly concentrated on feeding the girls； and they were lucky she managed that much。 so the house was dirty； and it was dusty； and when a picture was knocked wonky it stayed wonky for a decade； and when one day charlie couldn’t find the paper bin in his study； he just dropped the paper onto the floor in the place where the paper bin used to be； and it soon occurred to him that it was less fuss to chuck it out once a year than to do it once a week。
mrs。 maudsley didn’t like what she saw at all。 she frowned at the half…closed curtains； and sighed at the tarnished silver； and shook her head in amazement at the saucepans on the stairs and the sheet music that was scattered all over the floor of the hallway。 in the drawing room； she bent down automatically to retrieve a playing card； the three of spades； that was lying dropped or discarded in the middle of the floor； but when she looked around the room for the rest of the pack； she was at a loss； so great was the disorder。 glancing helplessly back at the card she became aware of the dust covering it and； being a fastidious； white…gloved woman； was overwhelmed with the desire to put it down； only where？ for a few seconds she was paralyzed with anxiety； torn between the desire to end the contact between her pristine glove and the dusty； faintly sticky playing card； and her own unwillingness to put the card down in a place that wasn’t the right one。 eventually； with a perceptible shudder of the shoulders； she placed it on the arm of the leather armchair and walked with relief out of the room。
the library seemed better。 it was dusty； certainly； and the carpet was threadbare； but the books themselves were in their places； which was something。 yet even in the library； just when she was preparing herself to believe that there remained some small feeling for order buried in this filthy； chaotic family； she came across a makeshift bed。 tucked into a dark corner between two sets of shelves； it was just a flea…ridden blanket and a filthy pillow； and at first she took it for a cat’s bed。 then； looking again； she spotted the corner of a book visible beneath the pillow。 she drew it out。 it was jane eyre。
from the library she passed to the music room； where she found the same disorder she had seen elsewhere。 the furniture was arranged bizarrely； as though to facilitate the playing of hide…and…seek。 a chaise lounge was turned to face a wall； a chair was half hidden by a chest that had been dragged from its place under the window—there was a broad sweep of carpet behind it where the dust was less thick and the green color showed through more distinctly。 on the piano； a vase contained blackened； brittle stems； and around it a neat circle of papery petals like ashes。 mrs。 maudsley reached her hand toward one and picked it up； it crumbled； leaving a nasty yellow…gray stain between her white…gloved fingers。
mrs。 maudsley seemed to slump down onto the piano stool。
the doctor’s wife wasn’t a bad woman。 she was sufficiently convinced of her own importance to believe that god actually did watch everything she did and listen to everything she said； and she was too taken up with rooting out the pride she was prone to feeling in her own holiness to notice any other failings she might have had。 she was a do…gooder； which means that all the ill she did； she did without realizing it。
what was going on in her mind as she sat there on the piano stool； staring into space？ these were people who couldn’t keep their flower vases topped up。 no wonder their children were misbehaving！ the extent of the problem seemed suddenly to have been revealed to her through the dead flowers； and it was in a distracted； absent fashion that she pulled off her gloves and spread her fingers on the black and gray keys of the piano。
the sound that resounded in the room was the harshest； most un…pianolike noise imaginable。 this was in part because the piano had been neglected； unplayed and untuned； for many years。 it was also because the vibration of the instrument’s strings was instantly acpanied by another noise； equally unmelodic。 it was a kind of a howling hiss； an irritated； wild sort of a screech； like that of a cat whose tail has got under your feet。
mrs。 maudsley was shaken entirely out of her reverie by it。 on hearing the yowl； she stared at the piano in disbelief and stood up； her hands to her cheeks。 in her bewilderment she had only the barest moment to register that she was not alone。
there； rising from the chaise lounge； a slight figure in white—
％％。
Poor Mrs。 Maudsley。
…。网
she had not the time to appreciate that the white…robed figure was brandishing a violin； and that the violin was descending very quickly and with great force toward her own head。 before she could take in any of this； the violin made contact with her skull； blackness overwhelmed her and she fell； unconscious； to the floor。
with her arms sprawled any old how； and her neat white handkerchief still tucked inside her watch strap； she looked as though there wasn’t a drop of life left in her。 little puffs of dust that had e up from the carpet when she landed fell gently back down。
there she lay for a good half hour； until the missus； back from the farm where she had been to collect eggs； happened to glance in at the door and see a dark shape where she hadn’t seen a dark shape before。
there w