Audiobook
SUMMARY
This is the story of a woman who spends a holiday week
in a luxury hotel on Broadway, NY The hotel is the Lotus, and the woman goes under the name
of Mme Héloise D’Arcy Beaumont. The place is splendid, and the first pages of
the story are a description of all the amenities, facilities and staff of the
establishment: rooms, saloons, waiters, cooks, etc. And nevertheless the fact the building is in
Manhattan, inside it you feel so far from the city bustle that you can imagine
you are in the country or around the mountains. And madame Héloise is so
sophisticated and elegant that all the employees are happy to wait on her, the
best guest of the few that sojourn in the hotel.
On the third day of her stay, another guest came in to
register in the reception counter. His name was Harold Farrington, a name of
aristocratic resonances. He also was elegant and classy, and dropped some hints
to the receptionist about travelling. He also looked for a place to relax and
enjoy quietness.
On the next day, after dinner, when Harold passed by
Mme Héloise, she dropped her handkerchief. He immediately picked it up and gave
it back to her owner. A conversation followed afterwards, and, from that moment on, they spend
all of their time together. They liked each other.
On the last day of her residence at the hotel, they were
sitting at the same table. It was in the evening, and it was the moment of
telling the truth: they tell each other who really they were, but they didn’t
show much surprise.
From now on, what kind of relationship would they
have?
QUESTIONS
-What is the relation between the title and the story?
-What do you know about the Lotus-eaters (they appear
in the Odyssey)?
-When you are travelling, what kind of accommodation
do you prefer? Why?
-While travelling, the accommodation is usually the
only thing (besides the journey ticket) we pay. Why is that we don’t make
profit of it, and try to spend all the day away from it?
-What kind of holidays do you prefer? Travelling or
staying at home? Mountains, beaches, cities? Relax or bustle? On your own or
with family / friends? On your own or with a touristic guide?
-What is your opinion about this saying: “You don’t know
a person until you’ve travelled with them”?
-What would you like to save a big amount of money for?
-Do you think children have too many holidays?
VOCABULARY
trout, venison, game warden, lairs, caravansary,
forego, pellucid, rapiers, purlieus, haven, acme, tossed, chatelaine purse,
hosiery, instalment, per