Barbara Comyns

It’s all this cleaning, I suppose; but she can’t expect me to help; my hands are my best feature, and they would be ruined. Anyway I loathe housework, and any man who does it is a fool – or any woman for that matter.

Francis Hatt was a rather melancholy-looking man until he smiled; then his whole face lit up in a delightful way and people talking to him often found themselves saying all manner of wild things to try to bring this smile back to his grave face.

sure people who like organs eat cheesecakes and call their drawing-rooms lounges.’

‘I’m sure people who like organs eat cheesecakes and call their drawing-rooms lounges.’

Within a few weeks funerals were to become a common occurrence in that village; but at this time they were rather scarce and looked forward to eagerly.

she silently prayed ‘Please God, let him like me and don’t let me be disappointed!’

‘Oh, I’m so happy, it makes me keep laughing! I didn’t know being in love made you laugh. I thought it would make me feel rather solemn and kind of holy; but perhaps that will come after.’

was a warm-hearted, rolypoly of a woman intensely interested in people and (superficially) in art and literature.