The Paying Guest

fire from a burning tongue that ran along the carpet; and Louise's dress, well sprinkled with paraffin, aided the conflagration. Cobb, of course, saw only the danger to the girl. He seized the woollen hearthrug and tried to wrap it about her…

Lodger friction becomes literal fire then Louise's offstage wedding — plot sealed as farce with one real hazard — so plot scores 84.

'I dare say you heard the row,' Miss Derrick remarked coldly. 'I'm very sorry, but nothing of that kind shall happen again.' … 'I am going to ask you to do me a great kindness, Mrs. Mumford.'

Louise restrained yet demanding; Emmeline friendly 'from a distance' — guest and hostess individuated by tone after the row — so cast scores 85.

It was Mumford who saw the advertisement and made the suggestion. His wife gave him a startled look. 'But--you don't mean that it's necessary? Have we been extrav--'

Advertisement to honeymoon letter in nine chapters — suburban farce without serial padding — so pace scores 88.

The rent was heavy: so was the cost of Clarence's season-ticket. Against this they had set the advantage of the fine air of Sutton, so good for the child and for the mother, both vastly better in health since they quitted London.

Money and air named as ledger lines — comedy of economy without flourish — so prose scores 86.

Moreover, the remoteness of their friends favoured economy; they could easily decline invitations, and need not often issue them. They had a valid excuse for avoiding public entertainments…

Sutton as health-and-economy geography against London sociability — suburb as stage for the lodger experiment — so world scores 84.

It was Mumford who saw the advertisement and made the suggestion. His wife gave him a startled look. 'But--you don't mean that it's necessary? Have we been extrav--' 'No, no! Nothing of the kind.'

'Extrav—' cut off establishes money panic before Louise — inviting comic hook — so hook scores 87.

Having secured their "paying guest," they hoped she would remain with them for a year or two at least. But already Louise had dropped hints such as Emmeline could not fail to understand…

Respectability dodge named in quotes — lodger as class performance, not rescue plot — so innov scores 85.

'Dear Mrs. Mumford,--I know you'll be glad to hear it's all over. … After it was over, Tom and I had just a little disagreement about something, but of course he gave way, and I don't think we shall get on together at all badly.'

Plain-dress wedding and Louise already winning disagreements — comic closure without sermon — so ending scores 84.