Lord Peter Views the Body · Chapter
The Bibulous Business of a Matter of Taste explained
Lord Peter Wimsey and an impostor both claim to be Wimsey at the Count de Rueil's dinner party.
What happens
Lord Peter Wimsey and an impostor both claim to be Wimsey at the Count de Rueil's dinner party. Mr. Bredon, who has his own motives, refuses to identify the real Wimsey. The Count devises a wine-tasting test to expose the fraud, but Bredon's clever remarks and the impostor's mistakes keep the mystery alive.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Identity
Two men claim to be Lord Peter Wimsey; Bredon's ambiguous loyalty and the wine test probe the truth.
Wit and Intellect
The wine-tasting challenge showcases intellectual dueling; Bredon's clever remarks and the impostor's errors highlight sharp minds.
Detection and Inquisitiveness
The Count's methodical test and Bredon's observations reflect the detective spirit.
Characters to notice
- Lord Peter Wimsey
Arrives at the Count's château; one of two claimants to the identity.
- Mr. Bredon
Presents a letter of introduction; refuses to identify the real Wimsey; participates in the wine test.
- Bunter
Mentioned as the manservant who admits Lord Peter Wimsey.
- Paul Melville
Not directly present; referenced as the young man in grey who pursues the train and later drives a Peugeot.
Key passages
“The young man in the grey suit pushed his way through the protesting porters and leapt nimbly for the footboard of the guard’s van as the Paris-Evreux express steamed out of the Invalides.”
A man in grey forced his way past porters and jumped onto the departing Paris-Evreux train at Invalides station.
Opening action of the chapter; the young man's pursuit begins.
“In vino veritas, said Mr. Bredon, with a laugh.”
Mr. Bredon laughed and said that truth comes out in wine.
Bredon's comment on the Count's wine test to reveal the impostor.