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0 Dusk, Saki, , saki was the pen name of Hector Hu;, British writer whose humorous and so, satirised Edwardian society and culture. He is considered to, be a master of the short story genre and is often compared to, O. Henry and Dorothy Parker. Munr:, , ° ; © was born in Burma (now, Myanmar) when it was still a part of the British empire. He later, served in the Indian Imperial Police before beginning a career, , as a journalist. His first work—the only book published under his, own name—was a historical study, The Rise of the Russian Empire., , Munro's stories feature brilliantly comic characterisation, light,, polished, witty dialogue and finely judged narratives. In addition, to his short stories (which were first published in newspapers and, later collected into several volumes), he also wrote a few novels, and one-act plays, as well as a full-length play, ‘The Watched Pot’, (in collaboration with Charles Maude). Munro served in the British, Army during the First World War, and died in action in France., , ‘Dusk’ is the story of a young man sitting in a park who asks, the narrator for some money because he is new to the city and is, homeless and without money. The narrator listens patiently but, finds the of story the young man implausible because he cannot, back it up with a crucial piece of evidence. The young man then, goes away. Later the narrator comes across the piece of evidence,, finds the young man and apologises to him for doubting his story;, he then gives him money. When he returns to the spot where he, met the young man, he finds another claimant to the piece of, evidence! The story rests on a series of coincidences; the gentle, humour of the story and the surprise ending make us examine, our own attitude to strangers and their claims., , gh Munro (1880-1916), a, metimes macabre stories, , ‘orman Gortsby sat on a bench in the Park, _ — * ., pic ines of bush-planted sward, fenced by the par! - —, the Row fronting him across a wide stretch of carriage drive., , 71

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ith i le and hoot of traffic, lay immediate}, , c nae tenia tae minutes past six on an early: March, evening, and dusk had fallen heavily over the — dusk Mitigate, by some faint moonlight and many street _ aa Was, a wide emptiness over road and sidewalk, and yet there Were, many unconsidered figures moving silently through the hal., light, or dotted unobtrusively on bench and chair, scarcely to be, distinguished from the shadowed gloom in which they sat., , The scene pleased Gortsby and harmonised with his Present, mood. Dusk, to his mind, was the hour of the defeated. Men and, women, who had fought and lost, who hid their fallen fortunes, and dead hopes as far as possible from the scrutiny of the curious,, , came forth in this hour of gloaming, when their shabby clothes, , and bowed shoulders and unhappy eyes might pass unnoticed, or,, at any rate, unrecognised., , A king that is Conquered must see st:, thing is the heart of man., The wanderers in the dusk did not cho:, , ose to have strange looks, fasten on them, therefore they came out in this bat-fashion, taking, , tange looks, so bitter a, , walk. He was in the m dt, count himself among the defeated. Money troubles did not tee Pi, him; had he so wished he could have, , trolled into the th, of light and noise, and taken his place among fe eeates, , € jostli, , those who enjoyed Prosperity or struggled for it, Heng on e, a more subtle ambition, and for the moment he was heartsore aaa, disillusioned, and not disinclined to take a certain cyp; cal pleasu,, in observing and labelling his fellow wanderers ag they went és re, ways in the dark stretches between the lamp-lights, on, , On the bench by his side sat an elderly gentleman with, drooping air of defiance that was Probably the ; :, , r i 5, “maining Vestige, , 72, , te Ne

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self-respect in an individual who had ceased to defy su, ot ybody or anything. His clothes could scarcely be ome, at least they passed muster in the half-light, but one’s imagination, could not have pictured the wearer embarking on the purchase, ofa half-crown box of chocolates or laying out ninepence on a, carnation buttonhole. He belonged unmistakably to that forlorn, orchestra to whose piping no one dances; he was one of the world’s, Jamenters who induce no responsive weeping. As he rose to go, Gortsby imagined him returning to a home circle where he was, snubbed and of no account, or to some bleak lodging where his, ability to pay a weekly bill was the beginning and end of the interest, he inspired. His retreating figure vanished slowly into the shadows,, and his place on the bench was taken almost immediately by a, young man, fairly well dressed but scarcely more cheerful of mien, than his predecessor. As if to emphasise the fact that the world, went badly with him the new-corner unburdened himself of an, angry and very audible expletive as he flung himself into the seat., , ‘You don’t seem in a very good temper, said Gortsby, judging, that he was expected to take due notice of the demonstration., , The young man turned to him with a look of disarming, frankness which put him instantly on his guard., , ‘You wouldn't be in a good temper if you were in the fix I’m in,, he said; T've done the silliest thing I’ve ever done in my life?, , ‘Yes?’ said Gortsby dispassionately., , ‘Came up ‘this afternoon, meaning to stay at the Patagonian, Hotel in Berkshire Square? continued the young man; ‘when I got, there I found it had been pulled down some weeks ago and a cinema, theatre run up on the site. 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 out 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 came to turn my steps back to the hotel I suddenly, realised that I didn’t remember its name or even what street it was, in. There’s a nice predicament for a fellow who hasn't any friends, or connections in London! Of course I can wire to my people, for the address, but they won't have got my letter till to-morrow;, , 73

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4, , ime I’m without any money, came out with about, cae anit went in buying the soap and getting the aly, and here I am, wandering about with twopence in my Poche, nowhere to go for the night. ay, There was an eloquent pause after the Story had be tig, , ‘I suppose you think I've spun you rather an impossible yarn, 2, , the young man presently, with a suggestion of resentment i, ly, ice. ., , Not at all impossible, said Gortsby judicially; ‘1 Teme,, doing exactly the same thing once in a foreign capital, and on, occasion there were two of us, which made it more remar, Luckily we remembered that the hotel was on a sort of canal, anj, when we struck the canal we were able to find our way back tp, the hotel?, , The youth brightened at the reminiscence. ‘In a foreign city, I wouldn't mind so much; he said; ‘one could go to one’s Consy, and get the requisite help from him. Here in one’s own land one, is far more derelict if one gets into a fix. Unless I can find some, decent chap to swallow my story and lend me some money I seem, likely to spend the night on the Embankment. 'm glad, anyhow,, that you don't think the story outrageously improbable?, He threw a good deal of warmth into the last remark, as though, perhaps to indicate his hope that Gortsby did not fall far short of, the requisite decency., , ‘Of course} said Gortsby slowly, ‘the weak point of your story is, that you can’t produce the soap:, , The young man sat forward hurriedly, felt rapidly in the pockets, , of his overcoat, and then jumped to his feet., , ‘I must have lost it? he muttered angrily., , ‘To lose a hotel and a cake of Soap on one afternoon suggests, willful carelessness) said Gortsby, but the young man scarcely waited, to hear the end of the remark. He flitted away down the path, his, head held high, with an air of somewhat jaded jauntiness,, , ‘It was a pity; mused Gortsby; ‘the going out to get one’s own, soap was the one convincin;, , was just that little detail th;, the brilliant forethought, , 74, , Me, , }, , , , wrt, he, , jist, pr, , ext, sid, wit, els, y?, sei, sh, ov, of, th:, th, He, he, , tu, he, th, di, lk, its, , pe, , tk, di, , a, , h, h

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itude of the chemist’ counter,, articular line. In his particular, finite capacity for taking, , id sealed with all the solic!, , wd have been 4 genius in his p:, , “ys certainly consists of an in, e geniu :, , precaution’ . : ., with that reflection Gortsby rose to go;, rn escaped him. Lying on the ground by the, , tion of conce:, exclama a small oval packet, wrapped and sealed, , side of the bench was !, with the solicitude of a chemist’s counter. It could be nothing, else but @ cake of soap, and it had evidently fallen out of the, , outh’s overcoat pocket when he flung himself down on the, seat. In another moment Gortsby was scudding along the duskshrouded path in anxious quest for a youthful figure in @ light, overcoat. He had nearly given up the search when he caught sight, of the object of his pursuit standing irresolutely on the border of, the carriage drive, evidently uncertain whether to strike across, the Park or make for the bustling pavements of Knightsbridge., He turned round sharply with an air of defensive hostility when, he found Gortsby hailing him., , ‘The important witness to the genuineness of your story has, turned up said Gortsby, holding out the cake of soap; ‘it must, have slid out of your overcoat pocket when you sat down on, the seat. I saw it on the ground after you left. You must excuse my, disbelief, but appearances were really rather against you, and now, as, J appealed to the testimony of the soap I think I ought to abide by, , its verdict. If the loan of a sovereign is any good to you—’, The young man hastily removed all doubt on the subject by, , pocketing the coin., ‘Here is my card, , as he did so an, , with my address, continued Gortsby; ‘any day, this week will do for returning the money, and here is the soap—, don’t lose it again—it’s been a good friend to you., , | ‘Lucky thing your finding it} said the youth, and then, with a, , "catch in his voice, he blurted out a word or two of thanks and fled, , "headlong in the direction of Knightsbridge., , ‘Poor boy, he as nearly as possible broke down; said Gortsby to, , himself. ‘I don't wonder either; the relief from his quandary must, have been acute. It's a lesson to me not to be too clever in judging, , by circumstances:, , = A, , 75 \