Цитаты из книги «30 лучших рассказов британских писателей / 30 Best British Short Stories»

ot flattering. Quite an adventurous lady, from all accounts

was as black as pitch, and so still that my candle hardly flickered

There was a sort of vague hostility and suspicion

, for which I was truly thankful. I somehow think the cow, or whatever they get steaks off, had only died that morning. It was very – er – obstinate. While I dined, she talked to me. She would tell me all about an operation her husband had just had. All about it. It was almost a lecture on surgery. The steak was rather underdone, and it sort of made me feel I was illustrating her lecture. Anyway, she put me clean off my dinner, and then departed for the night.

most desolate spot on God’s earth

As a matter of fact, they always don’t, but that’s a detail. Anyway, I wrote off to the landlord and asked if he could arrange for me to stay the night in the place to see what it was really like. He wrote back and said: ‘Certainly,’ and that he was engaging Mrs. So-and-So to come in and ‘oblige me,’ and make up the beds and so forth.

And to think that I might have stuck to that nine pounds!