When I was in China in 1920 I took notes of whatever I saw that excited my interest, with the intention of making a connected narrative out of them but when I came home and read them it seemed to me that they had a vividness which I might easily lose if I tried to elaborate them. To the first lot I gave the title of Cosmopolitans, because they were offered to the public in the Cosmopolitan Magazine, and except for Ray Long, who was then its editor, would never have been written. They appeared in magazines and were afterwards issued in book form. Some were written many years ago, others more recently. Most of the stories which I have now gathered together are very much shorter. The tales in that collection were of about the same length and written on the same scale and so it seemed convenient to publish them together in a single volume. THIS BOOK contains all the stories I have written that are not included in East and West. William believes, that he had had his revenge for then, when the Twenty years had passed by, he met her weighing One Hundred and Thirty -Six Kilograms.Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 52-11626ĬOPYRIGHT, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928,ġ929, 1933, 1934. The bill was finally paid, and William found himself with just a few Francs for the tips, and not a penny left in his pocket for the whole month. She picked up one protesting that her meal was just a snack, and that she could certainly enjoy the Peach.
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To his utter dismay, the head waiter walked up to the table with a large basket full of huge Peaches.
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Adding to worsen the situation, she ordered for ice-cream and then coffee, all the same announcing that 'she never ate anything for luncheon - just a bite' Thoughts kept reeling through William's mind about how he was going to pay the exorbitant bill or how could he feign an act of his pocket having been picked. William’s heart sank, his mouth watered, and yet he had to quell his emotions.
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When the waiter had come with the bill she waived him aside with an air of gesture and ordered for Asparagus, the horribly expensive dish. The bill of fare was soaring above that which he had anticipated. She kept enjoying the meal, and chatting about art, literature, and music, while William kept wondering about the bill.
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William had ordered for the cheapest dish mutton- chops.Īfter the meal, she had ordered for white champagne. She had ordered for Salmon, and Caviar, while the Salmon was being prepared. The lady was in her Forties, talkative, and not attractive. His meeting was fixed on Thursday, at half past twelve, through correspondence.
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William was not a rich man and had never even thought of visiting that restaurant, nor did he possess the art of refusing her request.Įstimating the cost of a luncheon, which should not cost more than fifteen Francs, he decided to cut down coffee from his menu, so that he could have enough for himself for the next two weeks. Another letter was posted, stating about her visit to Paris and her desire to have a little luncheon at the Foyots, a restaurant where French senators eat. She had read a book written by him, and had written a letter to him about her views. She had met him at a play and relates to him the incident during the interval which had occurred at that time. Twenty years ago the author was living in Paris, when he had met a lady, who is an admirer of his stories. William exposes the false motives of modest eating habits, of the middle classes with a touch of humor. She wins the author's favor and expresses her wish to meet him at a high class restaurant. Summary of 'The Luncheon' the writer of 'The Luncheon' William Somerset Maugham, in this short story, relates about a lady who is an admirer of his stories.