Oscar Wilde and the Nest of Vipers

CONTENTS

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Principal characters in the narrative

Preface Paris, 1900

Grosvenor Square London, 1890

1

2 From the Daily Chronicle, first edition, Friday, 14 March 1890

3 From the notebooks of Robert Sherard

4 From the diary of Rex LaSalle

5 Letter from Arthur Conan Doyle to his younger brother, Innes Conan Doyle

6 From the Evening News, London, Friday, 14 March 1890

7 From the notebooks of Robert Sherard

Marlborough House

8 Telegram delivered to Oscar Wilde at 16 Tite Street, Chelsea, on Friday, 14 March 1890 at 8.15 a.m.

9 Note from Oscar Wilde to Arthur Conan Doyle, delivered by hansom cab to the Langham Hotel at 9.15 a.m.

10 From the journal of Arthur Conan Doyle

11 From the diary of Rex LaSalle

12 From the notebooks of Robert Sherard

13 From the journal of Arthur Conan Doyle

14 The Telephone Room

15 From the notebooks of Robert Sherard

16 From the journal of Arthur Conan Doyle

17 Notes written by Oscar Wilde on the back of the supper menu at Solferino’s restaurant in Rupert Street

18 From the diary of Rex LaSalle

Vermin in Grosvenor Square

19 Telegram delivered to Constance Wilde at 16 Tite Street, Chelsea, on Friday, 14 March 1890 at 10 p.m.

20 Letter from Arthur Conan Doyle to his wife, Louisa ‘Touie’ Conan Doyle

21 From the notebooks of Robert Sherard

The Savoy Hotel

22 Letter from Bram Stoker to his wife, Florence, delivered by messenger at 11.45 p.m. on Friday, 14 March 1890

23 Notes from the journal of Arthur Conan Doyle on the subject of ‘Hysteria in Women’

24 From the diary of Rex LaSalle

25 From the notebooks of Robert Sherard

High Tea

26 Telegram delivered to Oscar Wilde at the Albemarle Club, Albemarle Street, London W., at 11 a.m. on Saturday, 15 March 1890

27 Letter from Oscar Wilde to Rex LaSalle, care of 17 Wardour Street, Soho, delivered by messenger

28 Letter from Arthur Conan Doyle to his wife, Louisa ‘Touie’ Conan Doyle

29 Letter from Bram Stoker to his wife, Florence, delivered by messenger at 6 p.m. on Saturday, 15 March 1890

30 From the notebooks of Robert Sherard

31 From the notebook of Inspector Hugh Boone of Scotland Yard, Saturday, 15 March 1890

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

32 From the diary of Rex LaSalle

33 From the journal of Arthur Conan Doyle

‘We All Have Secrets’

34 From Reynolds’s Newspaper, Sunday, 16 March 1890

35 From the notebooks of Robert Sherard

Mortlake

36 From the diary of Rex LaSalle

37 Letter from Bram Stoker to his wife, Florence, delivered by messenger at 9 a.m. on Monday, 17 March 1890

38 From the journal of Arthur Conan Doyle

39 From the notebooks of Robert Sherard

40 From the notebook of Inspector Hugh Boone of Scotland Yard, Monday, 17 March 1890

Duke of Clarence

41 From the notebooks of Robert Sherard

Muswell Manor

42 Postcard from Arthur Conan Doyle to his wife, Louisa ‘Touie’ Conan Doyle, postmarked Monday, 17 March 1890, London W., 10 a.m.

43 Letter from Constance Wilde to her mother-in-law, Lady Wilde

44 Letter from Oscar Wilde to Rex LaSalle, care of 17 Wardour Street, Soho, delivered by messenger

45 Notes made by Arthur Conan Doyle following his visit to the Charcot Clinic at Muswell Manor, Monday, 17 March 1890

‘I am a Vampire’

46 From the notebooks of Robert Sherard

Leicester Square

47 From the diary of Rex LaSalle

48 Letter from Arthur Conan Doyle to his wife, Louisa ‘Touie’ Conan Doyle

49

50 Extract from a letter from Bram Stoker to his wife, Florence, delivered by messenger in the early hours of Wednesday, 19 March 1890

A Duty to the Truth

51 From the Daily Chronicle, final edition, Wednesday, 19 March 1890

52 From the journal of Arthur Conan Doyle

53 Telegram from Arthur Conan Doyle to his wife, Louisa ‘Touie’ Conan Doyle, despatched on Wednesday, 19 March 1890, at 7.30 a.m.

54 Telegram delivered to Oscar Wilde at 16 Tite Street, Chelsea, on Wednesday, 19 March 1890, at 7.30 a.m.

55 From the diary of Rex LaSalle

56 From the notebooks of Robert Sherard

57 The Dark Penumbra From the notebook of Inspector Hugh Boone of Scotland Yard, Tuesday, 18 March 1890

58 From the journal of Arthur Conan Doyle

59 From The Times, Wednesday, 19 March 1890

60 From the notebooks of Robert Sherard

61 The Jersey Lily Telegram delivered to Constance Wilde at 16 Tite Street, Chelsea, on Wednesday, 19 March 1890 at 6 p.m.

62 Telegram delivered to Louisa ‘Touie’ Conan Doyle in Southsea, on Wednesday, 19 March 1890 at 6 p.m.

63 From the diary of Rex LaSalle

Upper Swandam Lane

64 From the journal of Arthur Conan Doyle

65 From the Evening News, late edition, Wednesday, 19 March 1890

66 From the notebooks of Robert Sherard

67 From the notebook of Inspector Hugh Boone of Scotland Yard, Wednesday, 19 March 1890

68 From the diary of Rex LaSalle

Jane Avril

69 From the notebooks of Robert Sherard

Curious Questions

70 Telegram from Oscar Wilde, Gare du Nord, Paris, to Lord Yarborough, 117 Harley Street, London W., despatched at 1 p.m. on Thursday, 20 March 1890

71 Telegram from Oscar Wilde, Gare du Nord, Paris, to Constance Wilde, 16 Tite Street, Chelsea, despatched at 1 p.m. on Thursday, 20 March 1890

72 From the journal of Arthur Conan Doyle

73 From the diary of Rex LaSalle

74 Letter from Constance Wilde to Oscar Wilde, care of Arthur Conan Doyle at the Langham Hotel, Langham Place, London, W.

75 From the notebooks of Robert Sherard

A Nest of Vipers

76 From the journal of Arthur Conan Doyle

77 Letter from Bram Stoker to his wife, Florence, delivered by messenger at 6 p.m. on Friday, 21 March 1890

78 Letter from Professor August Onofroff sent to Oscar Wilde, care of Arthur Conan Doyle at the Langham Hotel, London W.

79 From the notebooks of Robert Sherard

‘This is Where it Ends’

80 From the journal of Arthur Conan Doyle

The Truth

81 From the journal of Arthur Conan Doyle

Case Closed

82 From the notebooks of Robert Sherard

83 Telegram sent to Constance Wilde at 16 Tite Street, Chelsea, at midnight on Friday, 21 March 1890

84 From the Evening News, London, first edition, Saturday, 22 March 1890

85 Telegram sent from the Langham Hotel, London, to Louisa ‘Touie’ Conan Doyle in Southsea, at 9 a.m. on Saturday, 22 March 1890

Author’s Note

OSCAR
WILDE

and the
Nest of Vipers

Gyles Brandreth

www.johnmurray.co.uk

First published in Great Britain in 2010 by John Murray (Publishers)

An Hachette UK Company

© Gyles Brandreth 2010

The right of Gyles Brandreth to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

All characters in this publication – other than the obvious historical figures – are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

Epub ISBN 978-1-84854-459-8

Book ISBN 978-1-84854-247-1

John Murray (Publishers)

338 Euston Road

London NW1 3BH

www.johnmurray.co.uk

In memory of my mother
Alice Mary Addison
1914–2010