Maharashtra Board Class 10 English Kumarbharti Unit Four Chapter 4.2 The Luncheon PDF Download

4.2 The Luncheon

Warming Up!

1. Talk with your partner and discuss the following questions:

(a) Have you ever been invited for a lunch to any hotel by your friend?

(b) What was the occasion?

(c) Did you enjoy the lunch? Why?

2. Discuss in pairs:

People with foibles are often not conscious of them. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

3. As you know, every country has its own currency. Find out the currency of at least 6 countries alongwith their exchange rate in India, with the help of the internet. One is done for you.

For example, Switzerland: franc; 1 franc = 66.73 INR

Teacher's Note

Currency is money of different countries. Every country uses its own money, just like India uses the Rupee. You can check exchange rates online to see how much one currency is worth in another country's money.

Exam Trick

Remember: Exchange rate tells you how much of one country's money equals another country's money. For example, 1 dollar = 80 rupees means 1 US dollar is worth 80 Indian rupees.

Points to Remember

Every country has its own currency or money.
Exchange rate is the value of one currency in another country's money.
Exchange rates change every day based on world markets.
You can find exchange rates on the internet or news websites.
INR means Indian Rupee, which is India's currency.

The Luncheon

I caught sight of her at the play and in answer to her call, I went over during the interval and sat down beside her. It was long since I had last seen her and, if someone had not mentioned her name, I hardly think I would have recognised her. She addressed me brightly.

"Well, it's many years since we first met. How time does fly! We're none of us getting any younger. Do you remember the first time I saw you? You asked me to luncheon."

Did I remember?

It was twenty years ago and I was living in Paris. I had a tiny apartment and I was earning barely enough money. She had read a book of mine and had written to me about it. I answered, thanking her, and presently, I received from her another letter saying she was passing through Paris and would like to have a chat with me. But her time was limited and the only free moment she had was on the following Thursday and would I give her a little luncheon at Foyot's afterwards? Foyot's is a restaurant and it was so far beyond my means that I had never even thought of going there. I had eighty francs (gold francs) to last me the rest of the month and a modest luncheon should not cost more than fifteen. If I cut out coffee for the next two weeks, I could manage well enough.

I answered that I would meet my friend at Foyot's on Thursday at half-past twelve. She was, in appearance, imposing rather than attractive and she gave me the impression of having more teeth, white and large and even, than were necessary for any practical purpose.

Teacher's Note

In this story, the narrator is very poor but wants to impress the woman who liked his book. It is like when you want to buy something nice for a friend but you don't have enough money, so you have to save.

Exam Trick

Remember: The narrator is poor, so cheap food costs him money too. When the woman keeps ordering expensive dishes, he becomes worried and scared about paying the bill.

Points to Remember

The narrator lived in Paris and was very poor.
A woman had read his book and wanted to meet him for lunch.
She asked to eat at Foyot's, a very expensive restaurant.
The narrator only had eighty francs for the whole month.
He was worried about how to pay for the expensive lunch.

She was talkative, but since she seemed to want to talk about me, I was prepared to be an attentive listener.

I was startled when the menu was brought, for the prices were a great deal higher than I had thought. But she reassured me.

"I never eat anything for luncheon," she said.

"Oh, don't say that!" I answered generously.

"I never eat more than one thing. I think people eat for too much nowadays. A little fish, perhaps. I wonder if they have any salmon."

Well, it was early in the year for salmon and it was not on the menu, but I asked the waiter if there was any. Yes, a beautiful salmon had just come in—it was the first they had had. I ordered it for my guest. The waiter asked her if she would have something while it was being cooked. "No," she answered, "I never eat more than one thing. Unless you had a little caviar. I never mind caviar."

I knew I could not afford caviar, but I could not very well tell her that. For myself, I chose the cheapest dish on the menu and that was a mutton chop.

"I think you're unwise to eat meat," she said. "I don't believe in overloading my stomach."

She ate the caviar and she ate the salmon. She talked gaily of art and literature and music. But I wondered what the bill would come to. When my mutton chop arrived, she took me quite seriously to task.

"I see that you're in the habit of eating a heavy luncheon. I'm sure it's a mistake. Why don't you follow my example and just eat one thing? I couldn't possibly eat anything more unless they had some of those giant asparagus. I should be sorry to leave Paris without having some of them."

My heart sank. I had seen them in the shops and I knew that they were horribly expensive. My mouth had often watered at the sight of them.

"I'm not in the least hungry," my guest sighed, "but if you insist, I don't mind having some asparagus." I ordered them.

"Aren't you going to have any?"

"No, I never eat asparagus."

Teacher's Note

The woman is lying. She says she does not eat much, but she eats salmon, caviar, and asparagus—all expensive foods! This is like when someone says they are not hungry but then eats everything on the table.

Exam Trick

Remember: The key to this story is irony. The woman keeps saying "I never eat" but then orders expensive dishes. The more she says this, the more scared the narrator becomes about the bill.

Points to Remember

The woman said she never eats for luncheon, but she ordered many things.
She ordered salmon, caviar, and asparagus—all expensive foods.
The narrator could only afford a cheap mutton chop for himself.
He became very worried about paying the restaurant bill.
The narrator's heart sank when she asked for asparagus.

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