The Borough Treasurer · Chapter
III: Murder explained
Cotherstone, preoccupied with the blackmail threat from Kitely, reluctantly hosts a supper for his daughter Lettie, her fiancé Windle Bent, and Bent's friend, the young barrister Brereton.
What happens
Cotherstone, preoccupied with the blackmail threat from Kitely, reluctantly hosts a supper for his daughter Lettie, her fiancé Windle Bent, and Bent's friend, the young barrister Brereton. During the evening, their neighbor Garthwaite bursts in with the news that Kitely has been found murdered in the coppice above Cotherstone's house.
Themes in this chapter
Crime and Punishment
The chapter centers on the discovery of Kitely's murder, with Cotherstone's earlier murderous thoughts foreshadowing the crime.
Secrecy and Blackmail
Cotherstone's fear of Kitely's blackmail and the secret he and Mallalieu share drives the tension leading to the murder.
Fate and Consequence
Cotherstone's wish for Kitely's death is immediately followed by the news of his murder, suggesting a grim chain of cause and effect.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Cotherstone
Anxious and distracted after Kitely's blackmail, he forces himself to entertain guests but is shaken by the news of Kitely's murder.
- Lettie Cotherstone
Cotherstone's daughter, engaged to Windle Bent, she is present at the supper and is the first to notice the hurried arrival of Garthwaite.
- Mr. Brereton
A young barrister from London, friend of Bent, visiting Highmarket; he discusses criminal matters and is observed by Cotherstone as sharp and observant.
- Mr. Bent
Lettie's fiancé, a business man who has been researching his family history with Kitely's help; he is present at the supper.
- Mr. Garthwaite
A neighbor who discovers Kitely's body in the coppice and rushes to Cotherstone's house to report the murder.
- Mr. Kitely
Cotherstone's tenant and blackmailer; he is found dead, murdered, in the coppice above Cotherstone's house.
Key passages
“He's lying there in the coppice above your house—I stumbled over him coming through there just now. He—don't be frightened, Miss Cotherstone—he's—well, there's no doubt of it—he's dead! And—I should say, murdered!”
Garthwaite announces that he found Kitely's body in the woods and that it appears to be a murder.
This is the pivotal moment of the chapter, revealing the murder and setting the plot in motion.
“He heartily wished that Kitely was dead—dead and buried, and his secret with him; he wished that it had been anywise possible to have crushed the life out of him where he sat in that easy chair as soon as he had shown himself the reptile that he was.”
Cotherstone privately wishes Kitely dead to eliminate the threat of blackmail.
This internal monologue establishes Cotherstone's motive and foreshadows the murder.