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Clouds of Witness · Chapters

Chapters explained

Chapter companions for Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers.

Each chapter has a companion in the reader — open a free preview to see notes beside the text.

  1. Chapter 1

    Epigraph

    The epigraph quotes from 'The Wallet of Kai-Lung,' suggesting a story permeated with the odor of joss-sticks and honorable high-mindedness, where the two characters are both of noble birth, and which has no real ending.

  2. Chapter 2

    Clouds of Witness

    Lord Peter Wimsey investigates the murder of his brother's fiancé, Captain Denis Cathcart, which leads to the arrest of his brother, the Duke of Denver. The story unfolds with family secrets, legal intrigue, and a race against time to uncover the truth.

  3. Chapter 3

    Prologue

    The prologue introduces Lord Peter Wimsey through a formal biographical entry, detailing his birth, education, military service, publications, and personal interests, establishing his aristocratic background and eccentric pursuits.

  4. Chapter 4

    I: Of His Malice Aforethought

    Lord Peter Wimsey, fresh from a holiday in Corsica, learns from his valet Bunter that his brother, the Duke of Denver, has been arrested for the murder of Captain Denis Cathcart. The chapter includes the inquest report detailing the discovery of Cathcart's body, the Duke's testimony, and the jury's verdict of willful murder against the Duke.

  5. Chapter 5

    II: The Green-Eyed Cat

    At Riddlesdale Lodge, the household endures a tense Sunday breakfast following the Duke of Denver's arrest for murder. The detective Charles Parker, an intimate friend of Lord Peter Wimsey, is present and has detained the party for reexamination. The Duchess insists on attending church despite concerns about publicity, while others express various angers and embarrassments. After the churchgoers depart, Lord Peter arrives and discusses the case with Parker, learning from the Hon. Freddy Arbuthnot that Captain Cathcart was in good spirits the night before his death.

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  1. Chapter 6III: Mudstains and Bloodstains
  2. Chapter 7IV: —And His Daughter Much-Afraid
  3. Chapter 8V: The Rue St. Honoré and the Rue de la Paix
  4. Chapter 9VI: Mary Quite Contrary
  5. Chapter 10The Club and the Bullet
  6. Chapter 11Mr. Parker Takes Notes
  7. Chapter 12X: Nothing Abides at the Noon
  8. Chapter 13XI: Meribah
  9. Chapter 14XII: The Alibi
  10. Chapter 15XIII: Manon
  11. Chapter 16XIV: The Edge of the Axe Towards Him
  12. Chapter 17Bar Falling
  13. Chapter 18XVI: The Second String
  14. Chapter 19XVII: The Eloquent Dead
  15. Chapter 20XVIII: The Speech for the Defense
  16. Chapter 21XIX: Who Goes Home?
  17. Chapter 22Endnotes
  18. Chapter 23List of Illustrations