Page 133 - Real English 2024 Book 8

DUSK

‘You wouldn’t be in a good temper if you were in the fix that
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I’m in,’ he said; ‘I’ve done the silliest thing I’ve ever done in my life.’
‘Yes?’ said Gortsby without much enthusiasm.

‘I came up to London this afternoon, intending to stay at the
Patagonian Hotel in Berkshire Square,’ continued the young man;
‘when I got there I found that the hotel had been pulled down some
weeks ago and a cinema theatre had been put in its place. The taxi-

driver recommended me to another hotel some way off and I went
there. I just sent a letter to my people giving them the address, and
then I went to buy some soap – I’d forgotten to pack any and I hate
using hotel soap. Then I strolled about a bit, had a drink at a bar and
looked at the shops, and when I thought of turning my steps back
to the hotel, I suddenly realized that I didn’t remember its name or

even the street it was in. Now that’s a nice situation for a fellow to
be in, who hasn’t any friends or connections in London! I’m without
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any money – came out with only a shilling on me, which went in
buying the soap and the drink. So here I am, wandering about with
two pence in my pocket and nowhere to go for the night. Unless I can find

There was a meaningful pause after the story had been told. some decent chap to
‘I suppose you think I’ve made up an impossible cock and bull story swallow my story and
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for you,’ said the young man presently, in a hurt voice. lend me some money,
‘Not at all impossible,’ said Gortsby carefully; ‘I remember I seem likely to spend
doing exactly the same thing once in a foreign city, and on that the night on the bank
occasion there were two of us. Luckily we remembered that the of the Thames.

hotel was on a sort of canal, so when we came across the canal we
were able to make our way back to the hotel.’
The youth brightened up a little on hearing this. ‘In a foreign
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city I wouldn’t mind so much,’ he said; ‘one could go to one’s consul
and get the required help from him. Here in one’s own land one

is far more helpless if one gets into a fix like this. Unless I can find (here) a difficult situation
3.
some decent chap to swallow my story and lend me some money, a British coin, now not in
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I seem likely to spend the night on the bank of the Thames. I’m glad, use
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however, that you don’t think the story totally improbable.’ a story that is unlikely to
He threw a great deal of warmth into the last remark, as if be true but is used as an
excuse
perhaps to indicate his hope that Gortsby himself might be such a looked happier
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decent chap. a government representative
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‘Of course,’ said Gortsby slowly, ‘the weak point of your story is living in a foreign city to
that you can’t show me the soap.’ help his/her countrymen

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