Hector Hugh Munro was a witty British author who published under the pen name Saki or H.H. Munro. The inspiration for the pen name "Saki" is unknown, it may be based upon a character in a poem or on a South American monkey. Given Munro's intellect, wit, and mischevious nature it's possible it was based on both simultaneously. As a writer, Munro was a master of the short story form and is often compared to O. Henry and Dorothy Parker. E.F. Benson shares his sardonic style. Munro had a penchant for mocking the popular customs and manners of Edwardian England. He was influenced by Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll, and Kipling, and himself influenced A. A. Milne, Noël Coward, and P. G. Wodehouse. Egbert and his wife, the Lady Anne, are having tea, or attempting to, in the dimness of a late winter afternoon. Lady Anne is not touching her tea and in fact, is not responding to any of Egbert’s entreaties to heal the breach that he thinks a luncheon disagreement has brought about. He is conciliatory. He is apologetic. Finally, a thoroughly abashed Egbert fires a parting shot - “Aren’t we being very silly?” - and marches off to dress for dinner and hope for a thaw. The cat seizes the opportunity to leap up on the bookshelf and harass the caged bullfinch but “…Lady Anne made no sign of interfering. She had been dead for two hours...” You can listen online to free English audiobook “Reticence of Lady Anne” by Saki on our website.
