# Short Fiction — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for Short Fiction by Saki.

- [The Image of the Lost Soul](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-image-of-the-lost-soul.md): A small, sweet-voiced bird seeks shelter on a cathedral roof but is rejected by the other birds. It finds refuge in the arms of a carved stone figure of a lost soul, which gradually softens in expression. The bird is cap
- [Dogged](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/dogged.md): Artemus Gibbon, a timid and respectable young man, is coerced into buying a rakish fox terrier named Beelzebub at a church bazaar. The dog's depraved influence gradually dismantles Gibbon's placid life, leading him into 
- [The Blood-Feud of Toad-Water](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-blood-feud-of-toad-water.md): The Cricks and Saunderses, the only two families in the isolated hamlet of Toad-Water, fall into a bitter feud after a hen from the Crick household scratches up Mrs. Saunders's onion bed. The quarrel escalates through mu
- [New Wine in Old Bottles](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/new-wine-in-old-bottles.md): A satirical dialogue between two working-class women, Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Hooper, who attempt to display their intellectual pretensions by peppering their speech with mispronounced references to history, literature, and 
- [Reginald](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/reginald.md): The narrator persuades Reginald to attend the McKillops' garden-party against his will, hoping to curry favor with the hostess for a Persian kitten. Once there, Reginald's irreverent behavior—mocking Colonel Mendoza's ag
- [Reginald on Christmas Presents](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/reginald-on-christmas-presents.md): Reginald delivers a satirical monologue on the art of gift-giving, criticizing the lack of thought and taste in Christmas presents, particularly from female relatives and aunts. He humorously recounts receiving ill-fitti
- [The Saint and the Goblin](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-saint-and-the-goblin.md): A stone saint in a cathedral niche wishes to help the poor church mice, but after receiving a silver thaler from a jackdaw, he debates with a stone goblin about whether to use it for corn or candles. The vergeress finds 
- [Reginald on the Academy](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/reginald-on-the-academy.md): Reginald and the Other discuss the Royal Academy exhibition, critiquing its social function, the tediousness of encountering acquaintances, the absurdity of picture titles, and the slow recognition of artists. Reginald w
- [Reginald's Peace Poem](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/reginald-s-peace-poem.md): Reginald announces he is writing a poem on Peace, using a new fountain pen and a tin of mixed biscuits. He shares verses featuring a widgeon, a heedless hartebeest, and angels, but struggles with finding a rhyme for 'aas
- [Reginald's Choir Treat](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/reginald-s-choir-treat.md): Reginald, a nonconformist with Titian hair and a sense of humor, is taken under the wing of Amabel, the vicar's intellectual daughter, who aims to reform him. After a failed attempt at moral persuasion, she enlists his h
- [Reginald at the Theatre](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/reginald-at-the-theatre.md): Reginald and the duchess engage in a witty, combative dialogue at the theatre, debating morality, religion, patriotism, empire, and philanthropy. Reginald subverts the duchess's conventional views with ironic observation
- [Reginald on House-Parties](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/reginald-on-house-parties.md): Reginald reflects on the superficiality of house-party relationships, where hosts and guests never truly know each other. He recounts anecdotes about a host who eloped with a lion-tamer's widow, his own revenge on a shoo
- [Judkin of the Parcels](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/judkin-of-the-parcels.md): The narrator reflects on a man named Judkin, encountered repeatedly in a muddy Dorsetshire lane, who once lived a glamorous life in cavalry regiments and exotic lands but now carries brown-paper parcels to a dull villa, 
- [Reginald on Worries](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/reginald-on-worries.md): Reginald satirizes his aunt's manufactured worries and the absurdity of social anxieties, touching on topics like education, charity, and social climbing with his characteristic wit.
- [Reginald at the Carlton](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/reginald-at-the-carlton.md): Reginald and the duchess engage in witty, irreverent conversation over dinner at the Carlton, touching on climate, travel, scandal, and the disappointments of life. Reginald's epigrams challenge social conventions and th
- [Reginald on Besetting Sins](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/reginald-on-besetting-sins.md): Reginald tells a cautionary tale about a woman who develops a compulsive habit of telling the truth, which gradually alienates her friends and family, culminating in a disastrous confrontation with her cook.
- [Reginald's Drama](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/reginald-s-drama.md): Reginald outlines his plan for a great drama, featuring wolves, a bishop's condemnation, and a tragic plot inspired by the Mudge-Jervises' separation over the Fiscal Question, all while critiquing social rituals and mora
- [Reginald on Tariffs](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/reginald-on-tariffs.md): Reginald humorously critiques free trade and social conventions, using anecdotes about a mouse, a riding mishap with Mrs. Nicorax, and Mrs. Van Challaby's marital misfortunes to illustrate his points about tariffs and hu
- [Reginald's Christmas Revel](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/reginald-s-christmas-revel.md): Reginald recounts a tedious Christmas spent with the dull and humorless Babwolds, where forced festivities, vapid parlor games, and self-important guests drive him to playful acts of rebellion, including a prank that cau
- [Reginald's Rubaiyat](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/reginald-s-rubaiyat.md): Reginald recounts his failed attempts at writing poetry for a duchess's album, including a Hymn to the New Year, a quatrain about an unwholesome egg, and a parody of a French classic, all of which are rejected for variou
- [The Innocence of Reginald](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-innocence-of-reginald.md): Reginald, dressed impeccably, discusses his idea of writing a book of personal reminiscences with a companion. He recounts how the mere rumor of the book caused a flurry of demands from acquaintances to omit or alter var
- [Reginald in Russia](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/reginald-in-russia.md): Reginald visits a Russian princess, engaging in witty repartee about English and Russian social customs, politics, and frivolity. The princess criticizes English lightheartedness while Reginald subtly mocks Russian extre
- [The Reticence of Lady Anne](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-reticence-of-lady-anne.md): Egbert attempts to break the silence after a marital quarrel with Lady Anne, who remains completely unresponsive. He makes concessions and promises to lead a better life, but she gives no sign of being impressed. After h
- [A Young Turkish Catastrophe](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/a-young-turkish-catastrophe.md): The Minister for Fine Arts visits the Grand Vizier to discuss granting women the vote under the new Constitution. Despite the Vizier's initial disbelief, he agrees to allow women to vote. During the election in the Lakou
- [The Sex That Doesn’t Shop](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-sex-that-doesn-t-shop.md): The narrator reflects on the peculiar shopping habits of women, arguing that despite their frequent shopping excursions, they often fail to procure everyday necessities, preferring to run out of items rather than buy fro
- [The Lost Sanjak](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-lost-sanjak.md): A condemned man tells the prison chaplain his story: after a failed romantic advance, he stumbles upon a dead body and swaps clothes with it to escape his identity. He is mistaken for the murderer, and despite his attemp
- [The Soul of Laploshka](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-soul-of-laploshka.md): The narrator recounts his acquaintance with Laploshka, a miserly yet entertaining man who hoards his money and avoids generosity. After tricking Laploshka into paying for his share of a meal, the narrator refuses to repa
- [Gabriel-Ernest](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/gabriel-ernest.md): Van Cheele discovers a strange, wild boy in his woods who claims to hunt and eat flesh. After taking him home, his aunt names him Gabriel-Ernest. Van Cheele learns from the artist Cunningham that the boy may be a werewol
- [The Strategist](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-strategist.md): Rollo attends a party hosted by Mrs. Jallatt, where he faces a numerical disadvantage against the Wrotsley brothers and their cousin. Through a series of games, including a painful word-guessing game and a conjuring tric
- [The Bag](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-bag.md): Mrs. Hoopington urges her niece Norah to be bright and lively for Major Pallaby, who is in a gloomy mood due to his unpopularity as Master of the Pexdale Hounds. Norah has brought a young Russian guest, Vladimir, whose h
- [Crosscurrents](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/crosscurrents.md): Vanessa Pennington, a poor widow with a sense of respectability, is loved by Alaric Clyde, a wealthy man who initially leaves her out of honor. After her husband's death, Clyde returns and marries her on the condition th
- [The Baker’s Dozen](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-baker-s-dozen.md): Major Richard Dumbarton and Mrs. Carewe, former lovers, reunite on an eastward-bound steamer and quickly rekindle their romance. However, their joy is tempered when they discover they have a combined total of thirteen ch
- [The Mouse](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-mouse.md): Theodoric Voler, a fastidious man raised in sheltered gentility, endures a mortifying train journey after a mouse crawls inside his clothes. Forced to partially undress behind a makeshift curtain to remove the creature, 
- [The Matchmaker](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-matchmaker.md): Clovis Sangrail dines with a friend and discusses his mother's potential remarriage. He reveals that he has taken it upon himself to find her a suitable husband, having identified a military man from the club whom he has
- [Tobermory](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/tobermory.md): At a dull house party, Mr. Cornelius Appin reveals his discovery of teaching animals human speech, demonstrated by the cat Tobermory. Tobermory's candid remarks expose the guests' secrets and hypocrisies, causing panic. 
- [Hermann the Irascible](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/hermann-the-irascible.md): In the second decade of the twentieth century, after the Great Plague has wiped out the British royal family, Hermann the Fourteenth of Saxe-Drachsen-Wachtelstein ascends the throne. He is a progressive monarch who draft
- [Wratislav](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/wratislav.md): The Gräfin and Baroness Sophie discuss the deplorable marriages of the Gräfin's elder sons and the possibility of marrying her youngest, Wratislav, to Sophie's daughter Elsa. After a series of barbed exchanges, Elsa elop
- [The Unrest-Cure](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-unrest-cure.md): Clovis overhears a conversation on a train in which J. P. Huddle complains of his overly orderly, predictable life, and a friend suggests he needs an 'Unrest-cure.' Clovis decides to provide one by impersonating a bishop
- [Sredni Vashtar](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/sredni-vashtar.md): Conradin, a ten-year-old boy with a terminal prognosis, lives under the oppressive guardianship of his cousin Mrs. de Ropp. He finds solace in a disused tool-shed where he keeps a Houdan hen and a polecat-ferret, which h
- [The Background](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-background.md): Clovis listens to a journalist's story about Henri Deplis, a Luxembourgish commercial traveller who, after receiving a small legacy, commissions a tattoo masterpiece of the Fall of Icarus from the artist Andreas Pincini.
- [Adrian](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/adrian.md): Adrian, a young man from humble Bethnal Green origins, is taken under the wing of Lucas Croyden's aunt, Mrs. Mebberley, who insists on introducing him to high society abroad. In Dohledorf, Adrian's mischievous and disrup
- [The Jesting of Arlington Stringham](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-jesting-of-arlington-stringham.md): Arlington Stringham, a Member of Parliament, makes a joke in the House of Commons, which is noted in the papers. His wife Eleanor is disturbed by this uncharacteristic behavior, seeing it as the beginning of a rift in th
- [The Penance](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-penance.md): Octavian Ruttle, having killed a tabby cat to protect his chickens, faces the cold hatred of three children who witnessed the deed. Despite offering chocolates as atonement, the children reject his gifts and later kidnap
- [The Stampeding of Lady Bastable](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-stampeding-of-lady-bastable.md): Mrs. Sangrail negotiates with Lady Bastable to extend Clovis's stay for six days while she visits the MacGregors, using a bridge debt as leverage. Clovis, displeased with the arrangement, orchestrates a false alarm of a 
- [Ministers of Grace](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/ministers-of-grace.md): The Duke of Scaw, a young aristocrat with a mystical religious bent, uses angelic forces to replace key politicians with angelic replicas, sending the originals into animal forms. This causes chaos in Parliament and soci
- [Filboid Studge](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/filboid-studge.md): Mark Spayley, a poor artist, asks Duncan Dullamy for his daughter Leonore's hand. Dullamy, facing financial ruin from his failed breakfast food Pipenta, agrees. Mark rebrands the product as 'Filboid Studge' with a grim, 
- [Esmé](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/esm.md): The Baroness recounts a foxhunting story to Clovis, in which she and Constance Broddle encounter a hyena that has escaped from Lord Pabham's park. The hyena follows them, snatches a gypsy child, and is later killed by a 
- [The Peace of Mowsle Barton](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-peace-of-mowsle-barton.md): Crefton Lockyer, seeking respite from city life, settles at Mowsle Barton farm, only to find the peace shattered by a feud between two elderly women, Betsy Croot and Martha Pillamon, whose mutual accusations of witchcraf
- [The Chaplet](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-chaplet.md): Clovis recounts the tragic story of Aristide Saucourt, the chef of the Grand Sybaris Hotel, who creates a masterpiece dish, Canetons à la mode d'Amblève, only to have it ignored by diners who are captivated by the orches
- [Mrs. Packletide's Tiger](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/mrs-packletide-s-tiger.md): Mrs. Packletide, motivated by rivalry with Loona Bimberton, arranges to shoot a tiger in India with minimal risk. She pays a village to provide an old, infirm tiger and a tethered goat as bait. During the hunt, she accid
- [The Easter Egg](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-easter-egg.md): Lady Barbara, a brave woman, must come to terms with her son Lester Slaggby's cowardice. During an Easter celebration in Knobaltheim, a couple proposes that their child, dressed as an Easter angel, present a large Easter
- [The Hounds of Fate](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-hounds-of-fate.md): Martin Stoner, a destitute and desperate man, wanders aimlessly toward the sea. He seeks shelter at a farmhouse and is mistaken for 'Master Tom,' the long-absent nephew of the farm's owner. The old servant George welcome
- [A Matter of Sentiment](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/a-matter-of-sentiment.md): On the eve of a major race, Lady Susan's house-party is consumed with indecision about which horse to bet on, but must discuss the topic furtively because Lady Susan disapproves of racing. Clovis orchestrates a scheme to
- [The Peace Offering](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-peace-offering.md): The Baroness enlists Clovis to produce a Greek tragedy play to heal social divisions after a contentious election petition. Their collaboration is fraught with artistic clashes and personal ambitions, leading to a disast
- [The Recessional](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-recessional.md): Clovis Sangrail writes a Durbar Recessional poem in a Turkish bath, discussing his wager with Loona Bimberton and the poem's vivid, exaggerated imagery with Bertie van Tahn. The poem is published in the short-lived Smoky
- [The Infernal Parliament](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-infernal-parliament.md): Bavton Bidderdale, having died of a new disease, finds himself in Hell as a guest. He is shown the Infernal Parliament, where a debate protests the earthly misuse of the word 'fiendish'. The Fiend-guide explains that all
- [The Talking-Out of Tarrington](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-talking-out-of-tarrington.md): Clovis helps his aunt avoid an unwanted social encounter with Mr. Tarrington by engaging him in a deliberately absurd and evasive conversation, ultimately driving him away.
- [The Music on the Hill](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-music-on-the-hill.md): Sylvia Seltoun has successfully married Mortimer Seltoun against his family's wishes and brought him to his remote country estate, Yessney. She initially feels victorious but soon becomes unsettled by the wild, hostile a
- [The Remoulding of Groby Lington](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-remoulding-of-groby-lington.md): Groby Lington, a middle-aged man who has settled into a parrot-like routine, visits his sister-in-law's family out of obligation to his brother Colonel John. After seeing a caricature that likens him to his parrot, he be
- [The Secret Sin of Septimus Brope](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-secret-sin-of-septimus-brope.md): Mrs. Troyle accuses Septimus Brope, a serious editor of the Cathedral Monthly, of making love to her maid Florinda. Clovis investigates and discovers that Brope's secret is not an affair but his authorship of sentimental
- [The Story of St. Vespaluus](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-story-of-st-vespaluus.md): Clovis tells the Baroness a story about a pagan king, Hkrikros, and his nephew Vespaluus, who pretends to convert to Christianity to annoy the king. After a series of punishments and a near-execution by bees (from which 
- [The Way to the Dairy](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-way-to-the-dairy.md): Clovis tells the Baroness the story of the Brimley Bomefield sisters, who discovered a wealthy aunt and tried to control her spending, only to inadvertently introduce her to gambling. The aunt becomes a confirmed gambler
- [The Disappearance of Crispina Umberleigh](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-disappearance-of-crispina-umberleigh.md): Two Britons traveling by train discuss the mysterious disappearance of Crispina Umberleigh. The Wine Merchant reveals that his aunt vanished without explanation, leaving her family relieved from her domineering control. 
- [The Schartz-Metterklume Method](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-schartz-metterklume-method.md): Lady Carlotta, a free-spirited aristocrat, misses her train after intervening in a horse's mistreatment and is mistaken for a governess by Mrs. Quabarl. She adopts the role with ironic compliance, using the invented 'Sch
- [Excepting Mrs. Pentherby](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/excepting-mrs-pentherby.md): Reggie Bruttle turns his inherited mansion into a long-term country-house party to ease his finances. Despite warnings that the women will inevitably quarrel, Reggie secretly hires Mrs. Pentherby as a paid 'official quar
- [The Seventh Pullet](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-seventh-pullet.md): John Blenkinthrope, a man bored by the monotony of his life, is encouraged by his friend Gorworth to invent sensational stories to gain the interest of his fellow train travelers. He fabricates a tale about a snake killi
- [Mrs. Pendercoet's Lost Identity](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/mrs-pendercoet-s-lost-identity.md): Mrs. Pendercoet seeks costume advice for the Arts' Club Ball, hoping to appear as a dignified character like Pomona, but the mischievous Rollo sabotages her by spreading the idea that she is the 'Aunt of the Gardener,' l
- [The Open Window](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-open-window.md): Framton Nuttel, a man suffering from a nerve condition, visits Mrs. Sappleton's home armed with a letter of introduction. While waiting for his hostess, her fifteen-year-old niece, Vera, tells him a tragic story about th
- [The Cobweb](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-cobweb.md): Young Mrs. Emma Ladbruk, newly mistress of a farm, finds her plans for modernizing the kitchen thwarted by the ancient, unheeding presence of Martha Crale, a ninety-four-year-old servant who has worked there for over sev
- [The Seven Cream Jugs](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-seven-cream-jugs.md): Mr. and Mrs. Peter Pigeoncote nervously host a visiting relative, Wilfrid Pigeoncote, whom they mistake for the kleptomaniac 'Wilfrid the Snatcher.' They suspect him of stealing a silver cream jug from their wedding gift
- [Bertie's Christmas Eve](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/bertie-s-christmas-eve.md): On Christmas Eve, the Steffink family gathers for festivities, but Bertie Steffink, a ne'er-do-well nephew facing exile to Rhodesia, is sullen. When the family goes to the cow-house to hear animals speak (a Russian legen
- [Quail Seed](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/quail-seed.md): Mr. Scarrick, a small suburban grocer, struggles to compete with larger stores offering modern attractions. An artist and his sister, who rent rooms above his shop, suggest appealing to the human instinct for mystery and
- [The Interlopers](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-interlopers.md): In a forest in the Carpathians, Ulrich von Gradwitz and Georg Znaeym, heirs to a generations-old land feud, confront each other with murderous intent but are both pinned down by a falling beech tree. Trapped together, th
- [The Optimist](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-optimist.md): Richard Duncombe, returning from a hunt, seeks shelter at a yeoman's house where he senses an atmosphere of fear and depression. The mother laments the loss of her family's former social standing. Duncombe tries to encou
- [The Treasure Ship](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-treasure-ship.md): The Duchess of Dulverton, believing in a sunken treasure galleon, acquires a Monegaskan invention for underwater salvage and tasks her nephew Vasco Honiton with testing it at Innisgluther Bay. Vasco instead discovers the
- [The Pond](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-pond.md): Mona Waddacombe, a woman with a tragic self-image, marries John Waddacombe, a practical farmer who cannot understand her morbid sensibilities. Feeling misunderstood and despondent, she becomes fascinated by a dark, gloom
- [The Blind Spot](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-blind-spot.md): Egbert, fresh from his great-aunt Adelaide's funeral, attempts to discuss serious business with his uncle Sir Lulworth, who insists on postponing the topic until after lunch. Egbert reveals that among Adelaide's papers h
- [Dusk](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/dusk.md): Norman Gortsby sits on a park bench at dusk, reflecting on the defeated souls who emerge in the evening gloom. A young man approaches with a tale of losing his hotel and money, but Gortsby is skeptical when the man canno
- [The Unkindest Blow](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-unkindest-blow.md): In the aftermath of a wave of strikes, including a brief and farcical zoo keepers' strike, the public turns its attention to the sensational Falvertoon divorce suit. The Duke and Duchess of Falvertoon, realizing they are
- [The Sheep](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-sheep.md): Rupert is frustrated by his sister Kathleen's choice of fiancé, a man he calls 'the Sheep'—a bumbling, self-satisfied fool who ruins a bridge game, shoots a protected honey-buzzard, loses an election with a thoughtless r
- [The Threat](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-threat.md): Sir Lulworth Quayne recounts to his nephew the story of how the Suffragette movement, after a series of failed protests involving parrots and art destruction, adopted a new strategy suggested by Waldo Orpington: instead 
- [The Comments of Moung Ka](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-comments-of-moung-ka.md): Moung Ka, a Burmese rice cultivator and philosopher, discusses world events with his friends Moung Thwa and Moung Shoogalay. He contrasts the Indian Government's annulment of the partition of Bengal, which considered the
- [The Phantom Luncheon](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-phantom-luncheon.md): Lady Drakmanton, pressured by her husband Sir James to entertain the Smithly-Dubb sisters for political reasons, devises a trick to avoid the social obligation. She disguises her appearance, invites the sisters to an exp
- [The Yarkand Manner](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-yarkand-manner.md): Sir Lulworth Quayne recounts to his nephew the bizarre tale of a newspaper staff that trekked to Eastern Turkestan, only to be captured by brigands. The office-boy, left in charge, suppressed the ransom letter, forged sa
- [Laura](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/laura.md): Laura, facing death, tells Amanda she believes she will be reincarnated as an otter due to her petty and vindictive behavior in life, particularly toward Amanda's husband Egbert. After Laura dies, an otter begins attacki
- [The She-Wolf](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-she-wolf.md): Leonard Bilsiter, a pretentious dabbler in Siberian magic, arrives at a house-party where his claims of supernatural powers are met with skepticism and mockery. Clovis Sangrail, having secretly arranged to borrow a tame 
- [The Boar-Pig](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-boar-pig.md): Matilda Cuvering, a mischievous thirteen-year-old, deliberately releases a large boar-pig into a paddock to trap Mrs. Stossen and her daughter, who are sneaking into a garden party uninvited. She then extorts money from 
- [Shock Tactics](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/shock-tactics.md): Bertie Heasant is frustrated that his mother opens all his letters, preventing his girlfriend Ella from writing to him. His friend Clovis Sangrail devises a plan to teach Mrs. Heasant a lesson by sending a series of spoo
- [The Lull](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-lull.md): Mrs. Durmot invites the election-weary candidate Latimer Springfield for a restful Sunday, but her niece Vera orchestrates a chaotic night by pretending a flood has occurred, forcing Latimer to share his room with a pig 
- [The Romancers](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-romancers.md): Morton Crosby, sitting in Hyde Park, is approached by a persistent beggar who tries to elicit sympathy and a loan. Crosby deflects each attempt with elaborate fictions about his Afghan heritage and the customs of the fic
- [The Cupboard of the Yesterdays](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-cupboard-of-the-yesterdays.md): A Wanderer and a Merchant discuss the destructive nature of modern war, particularly in the Balkans, lamenting the loss of picturesque chaos and adventure as civilization encroaches on the region.
- [The Purple of the Balkan Kings](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-purple-of-the-balkan-kings.md): Luitpold Wolkenstein, a self-important Viennese financier and café-oracle, reads a newspaper article reporting the fall of Kirk Kilisseh and Kumanovo to the Balkan allies. Accustomed to dismissing the Balkan States as in
- [The Hen](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-hen.md): Clovis Sangrail devises a scheme to force Jane Martlet to leave his mother's house before the arrival of Dora Bittholz, with whom Jane has a bitter quarrel over a hen. He convinces Jane that the butler Sturridge has a da
- [A Touch of Realism](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/a-touch-of-realism.md): At a Christmas house party, Lady Blonze introduces a game where each guest must adopt a character. The game quickly descends into chaos as Bertie van Tahn invades Waldo Plubley's room in search of his 'lost sheep,' and C
- [The Wolves of Cernogratz](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-wolves-of-cernogratz.md): At a gathering in the castle, the old governess Amalie reveals she is actually a von Cernogratz and corrects the local legend about wolves howling at the death of a family member. The Baron and Baroness dismiss her claim
- [The Dreamer](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-dreamer.md): Adela Chemping takes her nephew Cyprian on a shopping expedition during a sale at Walpurgis and Nettlepink's. Cyprian, a dreamy boy who goes hatless, is mistaken for a shop assistant and sells a handbag to a customer, mu
- [The Quince Tree](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-quince-tree.md): Vera tells her aunt, Mrs. Bebberly Cumble, that old Betsy Mullen is behind on her rent and may have to move from her cottage with a beloved quince tree. To prevent this, Vera fabricates a story that stolen jewels are hid
- [The Feast of Nemesis](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-feast-of-nemesis.md): Clovis proposes to his aunt, Mrs. Thackenbury, the idea of a 'Nemesis Day'—a day dedicated to expressing vindictiveness toward those one dislikes, in contrast to the forced goodwill of Christmas and other holidays. He su
- [Cousin Teresa](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/cousin-teresa.md): Basset Harrowcluff returns home after four years of colonial service, only to find his half-brother Lucas obsessed with trivial pursuits. Lucas invents a music-hall song and dance routine called 'Cousin Teresa,' which un
- [The Byzantine Omelette](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-byzantine-omelette.md): Sophie Chattel-Monkheim, a wealthy Socialist, faces a household crisis when her servants strike in protest of her hiring Gaspare, a strikebreaker and omelette specialist. Despite her political convictions, she prioritize
- [The Forbidden Buzzards](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-forbidden-buzzards.md): Clovis helps his friend Hugo Peterby by spreading a lie to their hostess, Mrs. Olston, that the wealthy Mr. Lanner is a fanatical egg-collector intent on raiding the nest of rare rough-legged buzzards on her property. Th
- [The Stake](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-stake.md): Mrs. Attray confides in Eleanor Saxelby about her son Ronnie's compulsive gambling, detailing her efforts to curb his habit by cutting off his allowance and securing his valuables. Despite her precautions, Ronnie gambles
- [Clovis on Parental Responsibilities](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/clovis-on-parental-responsibilities.md): Clovis engages in a conversation with Mrs. Eggelby, who is obsessed with praising her children's perfections. Clovis, unimpressed, challenges her views on parenting, card games, and the triviality of remembering importan
- [The Brogue](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-brogue.md): The Mullet family finally sells their troublesome horse, the Brogue, to wealthy Mr. Penricarde, who is simultaneously courting Jessie Mullet. Fearing the horse will injure or alienate the prospective husband, the family 
- [The Almanac](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-almanac.md): Vera Durmot proposes to Clovis the idea of compiling a local almanac of vague, safe predictions to make a comfortable income. They discuss various forecasts that are likely to come true, such as servant troubles, bad luc
- [A Housing Problem](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/a-housing-problem.md): Mrs. Duff-Chubleigh is in a social dilemma when Bobbie Chermbacon insults the marchioness, calling her a 'moth-eaten old hen,' causing her to threaten to leave. However, Bobbie is a wealthy potential match for Mrs. Duff-
- [The Oversight](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-oversight.md): Lady Prowche, anxious to avoid social feuds during her husband's work on 'Land-Tenure in Turkestan,' meticulously plans a harmonious house party by screening guests for potential conflicts. She enlists Lena Luddleford to
- [The Hedgehog](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-hedgehog.md): At a Rectory garden party, a group of young people play tennis under the critical gaze of four ladies, including the quarrelsome Mrs. Dole and Mrs. Hatch-Mallard. The conversation turns to ghosts at Exwood, the house Mrs
- [The Storyteller](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-storyteller.md): On a hot train journey, a bachelor tells a group of children a subversive story about a 'horribly good' girl named Bertha who is devoured by a wolf because her medals for obedience and good behavior clink and give away h
- [A Holiday Task](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/a-holiday-task.md): Kenelm Jerton, a self-conscious young man, meets a woman at a hotel who claims to have lost her memory and identity. She borrows money from him and tricks him into guarding stolen luggage before slipping away. Jerton lat
- [Fur](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/fur.md): Suzanne and Eleanor conspire to manipulate their wealthy cousin Bertram Kneyght into buying Suzanne an expensive fur stole for her birthday, but their plan backfires when Eleanor secretly secures the fur for herself, cau
- [The Lumber Room](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-lumber-room.md): Nicholas, a clever and mischievous boy, is punished by his aunt and excluded from a trip to the beach. While his aunt guards the gooseberry garden, expecting him to try to enter, Nicholas instead retrieves a key and expl
- [A Sacrifice to Necessity](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/a-sacrifice-to-necessity.md): Mrs. Pevenly enjoys a tranquil morning at Chopehanger, but her peace is shattered when her daughter Beryl reveals she has lost over a thousand pounds at baccarat to Ashcombe Gwent. Facing financial and social ruin, Beryl
- [The Elk](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-elk.md): Mrs. Thropplestance, a wealthy and domineering old woman, controls her grandson Bertie's marriage prospects. During a Christmas house party, Dora Yonelet's mother tries to engineer a match between Dora and Bertie. After 
- [A Defensive Diamond](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/a-defensive-diamond.md): Treddleford, a club member, uses increasingly absurd and elaborate lies to fend off the conversational advances of Amblecope, a tedious bore. After a series of tall tales about his aunt's pheasant hunt, his uncle's trout
- [The Stalled Ox](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-stalled-ox.md): Theophil Eshley, a painter of placid dairy cows, is called upon by his neighbor Adela Pingsford to remove a large, unruly ox that has wandered into her garden. Despite his lack of practical experience, Eshley attempts to
- [Canossa](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/canossa.md): Demosthenes Platterbaff, an Unrest Inducer, is tried for blowing up the Albert Hall on the eve of a political Tango Tea. Despite his clear guilt, the government fears losing a by-election if he is imprisoned. The jury ad
- [The Name-Day](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-name-day.md): John James Abbleway, a timid Englishman working in Vienna, travels by train to Fiume to meet his fiancée. A snowstorm causes the train to break apart, leaving his carriage stranded in a forest. He shares the compartment 
- [A Shot in the Dark](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/a-shot-in-the-dark.md): Philip Sletherby travels to Brill Manor to court the favor of Mrs. Saltpen-Jago, a politically influential hostess. On the train, a young man claiming to be her second son, Bertie, asks for a loan after supposedly losing
- [Mark](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/mark.md): Mark Mellowkent, a novelist, is interrupted while writing his latest novel by a persistent book salesman named Caiaphas Dwelf, who tries to sell him an encyclopedia called 'Right Here.' Mellowkent, initially annoyed, tur
- [Down Pens](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/down-pens.md): Egbert and Janetta debate the burden of writing thank-you letters for Christmas gifts, particularly a calendar from the Froplinsons. Egbert proposes a 'Truce of God' during the festive season to eliminate obligatory corr
- [The Philanthropist and the Happy Cat](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-philanthropist-and-the-happy-cat.md): Jocantha Bessbury, feeling serenely happy and contented with her luxurious life, decides to play the 'Fairy Godmother' by buying a theatre ticket to give to a lonely work girl. She goes to a teashop but becomes distracte
- [On Approval](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/on-approval.md): The chapter explores the story of Gebhard Knopfschrank, a Pomeranian peasant-turned-artist who frequents the Bohemian Restaurant Nuremberg in Soho. His unsold, fantastical paintings of wild animals in London streets are 
- [Hyacinth](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/hyacinth.md): Hyacinth, a boy with a pugnacious streak, is taken to an election campaign dressed in a sailor suit. After initially charming the opposition children with butterscotch, he later traps them in a pigsty, threatening to rel
- [Fate](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/fate.md): Rex Dillot, a penniless young man, relies on weekend wagers to sustain himself. He plans to bet heavily on a billiards match between young Strinnit and Major Latton, believing it a sure thing. When the match turns agains
- [The Romance of Business](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-romance-of-business.md): Margaret Sangrail entertains her nephew Clovis by recounting how she manipulated her wealthy, boastful cousin Sophie into selling her prized fur stole at a loss, using a fabricated expert and a nonexistent fur fashion to
- [The Toys of Peace](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-toys-of-peace.md): Harvey Bope, encouraged by his sister Eleanor, attempts to introduce his nephews Eric and Bertie to 'peace toys'—civilian figures and models promoting peaceful, civic life—instead of traditional war toys. However, the bo
- [Louis](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/louis.md): Lena Strudwarden uses her small Pomeranian, Louis, as a tool to manipulate her husband and avoid his plans, claiming the dog cannot be left behind. Strudwarden and his sister Elsie conspire to kill Louis by constructing 
- [The Bull](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-bull.md): Tom Yorkfield, a farmer, nurses a long-standing but vague dislike for his half-brother Laurence, an animal painter. Tom takes Laurence to see his prized bull, Clover Fairy, expecting admiration. Instead, Laurence reveals
- [The Occasional Garden](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-occasional-garden.md): Elinor Rapsley laments her barren town garden, which is ravaged by cats and sparrows, and dreads a visit from Gwenda Pottingdon, who boasts of her own superlative garden. A baroness tells her about the Occasional-Oasis S
- [The Mappined Life](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-mappined-life.md): In a conversation between Mrs. James Gurtleberry and her niece, the niece critiques the illusion of freedom in modern life, comparing it to the Mappin Terraces at the zoo. She argues that people, like caged animals, are 
- [The Gala Programme](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-gala-programme.md): On the birthday of Emperor Placidus Superbus, a grand spectacle at the Imperial Circus is threatened by the Suffragetae, who plan to disrupt the chariot race. Despite precautions, they invade the arena, forcing the Emper
- [Louise](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/louise.md): Jane Thropplestance, the most absentminded woman in Middlesex, returns from an afternoon of errands and social calls only to realize she has misplaced her niece, Louise. Her sister, the Dowager Lady Beanford, presses her
- [The Guests](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-guests.md): Annabel and Matilda discuss the tranquility of their rural surroundings, with Matilda recounting a chaotic experience in India involving an unexpected visit from a Bishop, a flood, and a leopard that took refuge in the B
- [The East Wing](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-east-wing.md): In the early hours of a February morning, a fire breaks out in the east wing of a country house. The guests, including Lucien Wattleskeat, Major Boventry, and Canon Clore, discuss the fire and the futility of action. The
- [Morlvera](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/morlvera.md): Two impoverished children, Emmeline and Bert, observe a lavishly dressed doll named Morlvera in a shop window and invent a sordid backstory for her. A wealthy mother and her sulky son Victor enter the shop, where Victor 
- [Tea](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/tea.md): James Cushat-Prinkly, a young man pressured by his family to marry, decides to propose to Joan Sebastable. En route, he detests the ritual of afternoon tea and instead visits his cousin Rhoda Ellam. During a relaxed, unc
- [A Bread and Butter Miss](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/a-bread-and-butter-miss.md): During a house party for Derby week, Lola Pevensey claims to have dreamed of the winner, 'Bread and Butter,' two nights in a row. The guests try to interpret the dream to place bets, but Lola's vague details and subseque
- [Clovis on the Alleged Romance of Business](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/clovis-on-the-alleged-romance-of-business.md): Clovis argues that the true romance of business lies not in the businessman but in the exotic goods themselves, which were discovered by wanderers and adventurers, not by industrious clerks. He contrasts the imaginative 
- [Forewarned](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/forewarned.md): Alethia Debchance, a sheltered 28-year-old woman, leaves her secluded life at Webblehinton to visit her cousin Robert Bludward and his mother. On the train, she overhears two men denouncing Robert as a corrupt and unscru
- [For the Duration of the War](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/for-the-duration-of-the-war.md): The Rev. Wilfrid Gaspilton moves from a fashionable London parish to a rural one in Yondershire, where both he and his wife Beryl struggle to adapt. Beryl occupies herself with translating a French novel, while Wilfrid, 
- [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/endnotes.md): The chapter consists of endnotes, including a reference to an actual extract from a London paper of March 1914 and a note indicating something was written at the Front.

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