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Old 03-15-2019, 08:36 PM   #19
gmw
cacoethes scribendi
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Regarding the possibilities like Datchery being being Helena, and stealing the keys to make wax impressions. Today these seem trite, almost a parody of the fiction of the times. That reaction makes me want to reject them as possibilities, but I guess I need to remember the reaction back then would have been different.

Datchery does seem to be too obviously a disguise (even just the timing of his arrival hints at this). That Andrew Lang article points out some of Datchery's behaviour that appears to be - perhaps - hiding his/her hands, which may argue for it being Helena ... or not.

I keep wondering whether, rather than a wax impression, Jasper merely did something (left a door unlocked?), or moved something (the lime?). Were we, earlier that night, directed to look at the lime because it's important, or was it a diversion? Again I have trouble not looking at this as a modern reader who expects a Christie-like murder mystery to be full of misdirections, even to the extent (as noted earlier) to looking at the least-likely suspect (Crisparkle) and thinking he must be guilty.

There is too much we don't know. Princess Puffer has to be important, but there are just so many ways that could go.
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