I have been pondering this subject all week. I did take note of Miss Agatha and Miss Clara originally, and Miss Climpson's serene acceptance of their entire story, told with her customary relish. I remember upon my original reading being rather upset with Miss Climpson's talk with Vera Findlater and the way that she characterized relationships of the sort Vera described with Miss Whittaker. Miss Climpson's particular manner of attempting to dissuade Vera from her attachment really ruffled me up. But it forms a useful contrast to the way Miss Climpson describes the Whittaker-Dawson attachment, and I imagine that that was intentional. I would love to have seen Sayers write about the good relationship, but obviously it did not lend itself to drama. It's also very instructive that Miss Whittaker's father very much resented Miss Dawson's getting the Whittaker money. I bet she absorbed that very young.

Thank you for tracking down the other reference to dead sea apples! I knew I'd seen it in Sayers before but I misplaced it into Have His Carcase.

I feel that Sayers must have either participated in, witnessed, or both, a great many unequal relationships.

P.