NCE 2-40. Food and Talk
 






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!"