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And
encouraged
,
she
began
the
story
which
I
reproduce
here
in
my
own
words
.
Ursula
Bourne
,
it
seemed
,
was
one
of
a
family
of
seven
impoverished
Irish
gentlefolk
.
On
the
death
of
her
father
,
most
of
the
girls
were
cast
out
into
the
world
to
earn
their
own
living
.
Ursula
’
s
eldest
sister
was
married
to
Captain
Folliott
.
It
was
she
whom
I
had
seen
that
Sunday
,
and
the
cause
of
her
embarrassment
was
clear
enough
now
.
Detemined
to
earn
her
living
and
not
attracted
to
the
idea
of
being
a
nursery
governess
–
the
one
profession
open
to
an
untrained
girl
,
Ursula
preferred
the
job
of
parlourmaid
.
She
scorned
to
label
herself
a
"
lady
parlourmaid
.
"
She
would
be
the
real
thing
,
her
reference
being
supplied
by
her
sister
.
At
Fernly
,
despite
an
aloofness
which
,
as
has
been
seen
,
caused
some
comment
,
she
was
a
success
at
her
job
–
quick
,
competent
,
and
thorough
.
"
I
enjoyed
the
work
,
"
she
explained
.
"
And
I
had
plenty
of
time
to
myself
.
"
And
then
came
her
meeting
with
Ralph
Paton
,
and
the
love
affair
which
culminated
in
a
secret
marriage
.
Ralph
had
persuaded
her
into
that
,
somewhat
against
her
will
.
He
had
declared
that
his
stepfather
would
not
hear
of
his
marrying
a
penniless
girl
.
Better
to
be
married
secretly
,
and
break
the
news
to
him
at
some
later
and
more
favourable
minute
.
And
so
the
deed
was
done
,
and
Ursula
Bourne
became
Ursula
Paton
.
Ralph
had
declared
that
he
meant
to
pay
off
his
debts
,
find
a
job
,
and
then
,
when
he
was
in
a
position
to
support
her
,
and
independent
of
his
adopted
father
,
they
would
break
the
news
to
him
.
But
to
people
like
Ralph
Paton
,
turning
over
a
new
leaf
is
easier
in
theory
than
in
practice
.
He
hoped
that
his
stepfather
,
whilst
still
in
ignorance
of
the
marriage
,
might
be
persuaded
to
pay
his
debts
and
put
him
on
his
feet
again
.
But
the
revelation
of
the
amount
of
Ralph
’
s
liabilities
merely
enraged
Roger
Ackroyd
,
and
he
refused
to
do
anything
at
all
.
Some
months
passed
,
and
then
Ralph
was
bidden
once
more
to
Fernly
.
Roger
Ackroyd
did
not
beat
about
the
bush
.
It
was
the
desire
of
his
heart
that
Ralph
should
marry
Flora
,
and
he
put
the
matter
plainly
before
the
young
man
.
And
here
it
was
that
the
innate
weakness
of
Ralph
Paton
showed
itself
.
As
always
,
he
grasped
at
the
easy
,
the
immediate
solution
.
As
far
as
I
could
make
out
,
neither
Flora
nor
Ralph
made
any
pretence
of
love
.
It
was
,
on
both
sides
,
a
business
arrangement
.
Roger
Ackroyd
dictated
his
wishes
–
they
agreed
to
them
.
Flora
accepted
a
chance
of
liberty
,
money
,
and
an
enlarged
horizon
,
Ralph
,
of
course
,
was
playing
a
different
game
.
But
he
was
in
a
very
awkward
hole
financially
.
He
seized
at
the
chance
.
His
debts
would
be
paid
.
He
could
start
again
with
a
clean
sheet
.
His
was
not
a
nature
to
envisage
the
future
,
but
I
gather
that
he
saw
vaguely
the
engagement
with
Flora
being
broken
off
after
a
decent
interval
had
elapsed
.
Both
Flora
and
he
stipulated
that
it
should
be
kept
a
secret
for
the
present
.
He
was
anxious
to
conceal
it
from
Ursula
.
He
felt
instinctively
that
her
nature
,
strong
and
resolute
,
with
an
inherent
distaste
for
duplicity
,
was
not
one
to
welcome
such
a
course
.
Then
came
the
crucial
moment
when
Roger
Ackroyd
,
always
high
-
handed
,
decided
to
announce
the
engagement
.
