Last week at a dinner-party, the hostess
asked me to sit next to Mrs Rumbold.
Mrs Rumbold was a large, unsmiling lady
in a tight black dress. She did not even
look up when I took my seat beside her.
Her eyes were fixed on her plate and in a
short time, she was busy eating. I tried to
make conversation.
' A new play is coming to" The Globe"
soon,' I said. 'Will you be seeing it ?'
' No,' she answered.
'Will you be spending your holidays
abroad this year ?' I asked.
' No,' she answered.
' Will you be staying in England?' I
asked.
' No,' she answered.
In despair, I asked her whether she was enjoying her dinner.
' Young man,' she answered,' if you ate more and talked less, we would both
enjoy our dinner !'