New Concept English II - 40 (1/10/09)

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!"