Back to: Jammu and Kashmir Board Class 9th English Guide and Notes
Table of Contents
Introduction
The play ”A basketful of Sea-Trout” written by Neil Grant, revolves around four major characters- “Lord Findhorn, William Brodie of Alton, Jean Lomond, and Colonel Lionel Allardyce”. Apart from them we also have Nellie Salter, Hector Lomond and Inspector Souter.
The play deals with a murder mystery of Nellie Salter, a beautiful young woman. In the story, ”A basketful of Sea-Trouts” is used to denote the gratitude which Mr. Lomond brought for the honourable judge, who helped them in finding the solution of the murder mystery of Nellie Salter.
The inquiry
There were two people who were suspected of the murder, Hector Lomond, her lover and Mrs Lomond, Hector’s mother. Due to no evidence found, Hector was released. Brodie and the Judge Findhorn had conversation and discussion about the mysterious murder of Nellie Salter. Mrs Lomond’s son, a lover of Nellie Salter was arrested but was later released on not being found guilty. Mrs Lomond was also suspected but she refused to know anything regarding the murder issue by saying that she was busy relaxing on the beach on the day of murder.
The Mysterious lady, Mrs.Lomond
Mrs Lomond entered the room and thanked the judge for releasing her son Hector. She had come to the judge’s lodge with a basketful of sea Trout as a gift for the judge as she thought that he had favoured her by releasing her son. During her conversation with the two people, she gave a detailed description of Nellie’s movements before her murder which was absolutely unexpected of her because in the court she totally refused to know anything about Nellie’s movements on the day of her murder.
She exposed such facts about Nellie’s movements which were quite unknown to anyone else like Nellie’s preparation to meet an airman, her dressing for the occasion, her going up on the hillside, applying paint and powder, looking around on the hills and the lake etc. She could even recall the words that Nellie uttered.
The mystery
The judge and his guest were astonished on listening to these things. Thus, they concluded that she must have followed Nellie Salter and then killed her.
Meanwhile, the two asked Lomond to sit in a side room to rest for a while and started examining the case again. After sometime they heard another knock on the door and Colonel Allardyce, the chief constable and in charge of this case in police station came in and informed the judge that the body of Lomond was already fished from the lake by one of his officers Mr Souter.
This information surprised the judge again and they refused to accept it. They called Jean Lomond to join them but heard no voice. On opening the door, they found that Lomond had gone but she was not there now. Colonel Allardyce thought that the two had drunk too much and thus they are not able to be attentive. The Judge told him that she had come with a basketful of Sea Trout. All the three stepped out of the room and found the basket near the gate.
