سرنوشت

PART SEVEN

Destiny

Lord Arthur was desperate. He ran to his room, tears in his eyes. He had tried to commit murder, but he had failed both times. It was so difficult to be good, he thought. Perhaps he should not marry Sybil. He felt that he was not able to control his destiny.

That evening he went to his club. His brother was there with some friends, but Lord Arthur found their conversation boring. Later he left the club and walked down to the Thames. He sat by the river for hours. In the moonlight the city slowly became quiet.

At two o’clock he walked along the river. Everything was dark except for the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral. In the darkness he saw the figure of a man. He was looking down into the river. Lord Arthur recognised the figure. It was Mr Podgers, the chiromantist!

Lord Arthur stopped behind the fat little man. He had a brilliant idea. He took Mr Podgers’ legs, and threw him into the River Thames below. Lord Arthur looked down into the dark water. He could only see the chiromantist’s hat floating down the river. Mr Podgers had gone. Lord Arthur was happy and immediately thought of Sybil.

‘Have you lost anything, sir?’ asked a voice behind him. It was a policeman.

‘Nothing important. Thank you, sergeant,’ Lord Arthur replied, smiling.

He walked home.

Days of hope and fear followed. Was Mr Podgers dead? Was he alive? He wanted to know. The answer came. In his club, Lord Arthur saw this newspaper headline: SUICIDE OF A CHEROMANTIST

They had found Mr Podgers’ body. Suicide was the obvious cause of death.

Lord Arthur ran out of his club. He went immediately to Sybil’s house. When she saw him, she knew he had good news. ‘Sybil,’ cried Lord Arthur, ‘let’s get married tomorrow!’