The Gentleman In The Pink-And-White Striped Shirt by Maeve Brennan, 1955
The magic trick:
Hilariously exposing a reputation built solely on appearances
It’s perhaps strange to end our week of Herbert’s Retreat stories with a story set not in Herbert’s Retreat but in New York City. This one features Leona Harkey and Charles Runyon – whose leverage game with one another dominated Wednesday’s feature, “The Stone, Hot-Water Bottle” – meeting for lunch in the city. The heart of the story lies inside Charles’s apartment, and it’s here, through a series of farcical worse-case scenarios that befall him, the reader sees just how absurd his standing as cultural dictator in Herbert’s Retreat really is. It’s the ultimate expose of appearances as lies – which, of course, makes it the perfect place for us to leave Herbert’s Retreat.
And that’s quite a trick on Brennan’s part.
The selection:
“How come you got locked out?” Mike inquired loudly as he sauntered along behind Charles, swinging the keys on their large brass ring.
“I was looking for the maid. She forgot to leave me any soap. The inefficiency of that woman is quite monstrous.”
“You could of called the front desk for your soap,” Mike said.
Oh, yes, Charles thought. I could have called the desk for my soap. And you could have brought my soap up. And I could have given you a tip. None of that, my lad. “Will you hurry with that door, please?” he said sharply. “I could catch my death of cold standing out here.”
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