Best Seller Summary, Explanation and Question Answers Class 9 English Chapter 5

 

 

CBSE Class 9 English Chapter 5 Best Seller Summary, Explanation and Question Answers from Literature Reader (Communicative) Book

 
Best Seller Class 9 – CBSE Class 9 English Literature Reader (Communicative) Book Lesson 5 Best Seller Summary and Detailed explanation of the lesson along with the meanings of difficult words. Also, the explanation is followed by a Summary of the lesson. All the exercises and Questions and Answers given at the back of the lesson have been covered.

 

Best Seller Class 9 English Chapter 5

By O. Henry

 

 

• Best Seller Introduction
• Best Seller Summary
• Video Explanation of Best Seller
• Best Seller Explanation
• Best Seller Question Answers
• Character Sketch of John A Pescud | Best Seller

 
 

Best Seller Introduction

The story is about the writer’s acquaintance John A. Pescud. They meet on a train after two years and John criticises best seller novels to be repetitive. He says that the difference in the characters in these books is unrealistic. The story of a royal princess falling for a business executive from Chicago (who is far away from kingdoms and royalty) seems unrealistic to him. When they talk further and John tells the writer about his personal life and how he met his wife, the same unrealistic best seller story comes out to be his real life story!
 
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Best Seller  Summary

One day in Summers when the writer was travelling to Pittsburgh by train, he met an old acquaintance by the name of John A. Pescud. They were meeting each other after two years. John was a travelling agent for a plate – glass company. He believed that the plate – glass was the most important thing in the world. Also, the Company was the best in the world. He had been reading the bestseller novel – ‘The Rose lady and Trevelyan’. He tells the writer the story of it. There is an American executive who is fashionable like a hero and he falls in love with a European princess. Pescud believed that such stories were unrealistic

because in real life a boy marries a girl of similar social status who is locally placed. Then John tells him that professionally, he is doing extremely well. The company has given him a raise twice, stocks in the company and that he has even invested in real estate. As to his personal life, John tells the incident where he met his wife. He was travelling to Cincinnati when he came across a pretty girl. He wished to marry her and so started following her. His chase finally landed him in Virginia. She was accompanied by an old man upto a huge mansion. John could not believe that the destination of this mediocre looking girl was such a lavish, huge mansion which looked like the Capitol located in Washington. At the village, he came to know that she was the daughter of Colonel Allyn, the biggest and finest man in Virginia. John met her and after talking to her came to know that her name was Jessie and that her father was the royal descendant of a famous British family. Jessie tells John that she was aware that he had been following her all along and that her father would feed him to the

hounds if he dared to talk to him about his proposal. John was determined and the next day reached the mansion to meet the Colonel. He was surprised to see the worn out interiors and old furniture. The Colonel arrived in style although his clothes were shabby. They chatted and shared funny stories. John was accepted by them and it had been a year since they got married. John had built a house in the East end and the Colonel also lived with them. The train reaches John’s destination Coketown which is a dull and scary place. The writer inquires about his purpose of visit and John tells him that he is going to get Petunias for Jessie. He invites the writer over to his place. As the train moves, the writer eyes the bestseller and smiles that John A. Pescud’s own story was nothing short of a ‘BestSeller’.
 
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Video Explanation of Best Seller

 
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Best Seller  Lesson Explanation

Passage – One day last summer, I went to Pittsburgh-well, I had to go there on business.
My chair-car was profitably well-filled with people of the kind one usually sees on chair-cars. Most of them were ladies in brown-silk dresses cut with square yokes, with lace insertion and dotted veils, who refused to have the windows raised. Then there was the usual number of men who looked as if they might be in almost any business and going almost anywhere. I leaned back idly in chair No. 7, and looked with tepidest curiosity at the small, black, bald-spotted head just visible above the back of No.9.

Word Meaning
chair-car: a railroad car having pairs of chairs with individually adjustable backs on each side of the aisle
yoke: a part of a garment that fits over the shoulders and to which the main part of the garment is attached
tepidest : Feeling for showing little interest or enthusiasm
bald-spot: an area on the scalp that has little or no hair and where hair no longer grows

Explanation of the above Passage – The writer is talking about a particular day, that was last year in the months having summer season. He says that he had to go to Pittsburgh last summer for work, not for leisure or enjoyment. He was sitting on a railroad car with chairs having adjustable backs. He found the chair-car to be filled with a sufficient number of people, meaning that the car was neither empty nor too full. Then, he talks of the passengers sitting in the car. There were ladies wearing brown coloured dresses made of silk, with yokes, laces and dotted veils as a part of their dress. They were the ones who refused to open the windows lest their hairstyles get ruined. Then there were men who were generally businessmen. The writer leaned back in his chair. He was sitting on chair number 7. He leaned idly, meaning that he had nothing to do at that moment except to look around and observe his surroundings. He then spotted another passenger and he observed the man with little interest. Only the head of the man was visible above the back of his chair. The man had a small, black, bald head, and was sitting on chair number 9.

Passage – Suddenly No.9 hurled a book on the floor between his chair and the window, and, looking, I saw that it was “The Rose Lady and Trevelyan,” one of the best- selling novels of the present day. And then, the critic veered his chair toward the window, and I knew him at once for John A. Pescud of Pittsburgh, travelling salesman for a plate-glass company – an old acquaintance whom I had not seen in two years.

Word Meaning
hurled: throw or someone or something with great force
veered: turned
plate-glass: large sheets of glass used especially as windows and doors in shops and offices

Explanation of the above Passage – Suddenly, the man sitting on chair number 9 threw a book on the floor between his chair and the window. The writer looked at the book and saw that it was “The Rose Lady and Trevelyan”. The book was a popular book and was considered to be one of the best-selling novels. The man sitting on chair number 9, the one who was reading the book, turned his chair towards the window. The author recognised him to be an old acquaintance. The man sitting on chair number 9 turned out to be John A. Pescud of Pittsburgh, a travelling salesman for a company dealing in large sheets of glass. He had not seen the man in the last two years.

Passage – In two minutes we were faced, had shaken hands, and had finished with such topics as rain, prosperity, health, residence, and destination. Politics might have followed next; but I was not so ill-fated.

I wish you might know John A. Pescud. He is of the stuff that heroes are not often lucky enough to be made of. He is a small man with a wide smile, and an eye that seems to be fixed upon that little red spot on the end of your nose.

Word Meaning
ill-fated: unlucky

Explanation of the above Passage – It had been just two minutes since John A. Pescud turned his chair. In those two minutes, they had shaken hands, and had discussed various topics like rain, prosperity, health, residence, and destination. They would have gone on and on and would have talked about politics. However, the author did not like politics and so he was glad to know that he was not that unlucky.

Passage – He believes that “our” plate-glass is the most important commodity in the world, The Cambria Steel Works, the best company and that when a man is in his home town, he ought to be decent and law-abiding.
During my acquaintance with him earlier I had never known his views on life, romance, literature and ethics. We had browsed, during our meetings, on local topics and then parted.

Word Meaning
law-abiding: someone or something that abides or follows the laws, someone or something that does not break the rules or the law
browsed: looked through

Explanation of the above Passage – While talking to John A. Pescud, the author discovered that the man believed plate-glass to be the most important resource in the world. The author was amused by the way John referred to plate-glass as “our” plate-glass. John also considered the Cambria Steel Works to be the best company and that when a man was in his home town most of the time, there was a good possibility for the man to be a good and humble person.

Passage – Now I was to get more of his ideas. By way of facts, he told me that business had picked up since the party conventions and that he was going to get off at Coketown.
“Say,” said Pescud, stirring his discarded book with the hand, “did you ever read one of these best-sellers? I mean the kind where the hero is an American swell-sometimes even from Chicago – who falls in love with a royal princess from Europe who is travelling under an alias and follows her to her father’s kingdom or principality? I guess you have. They’re all alike.

Word Meaning
convention: a large meeting or conference, especially of members of a political party or a particular profession or group
stir: move slightly
discarded: someone or something that was undesirable or unimportant
Swell : a wealthy person of upper class and fashionably dressed.
alias : also known by another name, false name
principality: a state ruled by a prince

Explanation of the above Passage – Now, the writer was getting to know John and his ideas more. John then told him the reason why he was travelling in the train. He said that more customers were buying their plate-glass ever since the company held a convention in which they discussed some strategies to increase the sale of the commodity. In other words, their new strategy resulted in an increase in the sale of plate-glass. He was going to Coketown. Then, John changed the subject by addressing the book he had thrown away before. The book was still on the ground, hence the reason why it is referred to as a ‘discarded’ book. He moved the book slightly and asked the writer if he had read the book. He then described the book as the kind of book where the hero or the male protagonist is American and a rich, fashionable upper class person from Chicago and who falls in love with a princess from Europe. The princess is travelling under a fake name, and the hero is so in love with her that he follows the princess to her father’s kingdom or the princely state from where she belongs. Then, he assumed that he had read such a book, because most of the best sellers often had such a plot.

 Passage – _____“Well, this fellow chases the royal chair-warmer home as I said, and finds out who she is. He meets her in the evening and gives us ten pages of conversation. She reminds him of the difference in their stations and that gives him a chance to ring in three solid pages about America’s uncrowned sovereigns.

Word Meaning
chair-warmer: someone who accomplishes little
ring in: proclaim
uncrowned sovereigns: a sovereign or supreme ruler prince who has not yet received coronation

Explanation of the above Passage – John continued talking and said that in the best seller he was reading, the hero follows the princess to her home and finds out her true identity. The princess is referred to as ‘chair-warmer’ because a princess whose father or king is still living does not have much power in her hand. John further said that, like in all the other best sellers, the hero meets the princess in the evening and has a conversation with her which is as long as ten pages of the book. The princess then reminds the hero that they are not allowed to talk due to their differences. The hero in response proclaims something about America’s uncrowned sovereigns, meaning that the hero gives an explanation of how it is okay for them to talk to each other because although he is not a king but he lives like one. This speech is long enough to fill three pages of the novel.

Passage – “Well, you know how it runs on, if you’ve read any of ‘em-he slaps the king’s Swiss bodyguards around like every thing whenever they get in his way. He’s a great fencer, too.
“Yes,” said Pescud, “but these kind of love-stories are rank-on-the-level. I know something about literature, even if I am in plate-glass.

Explanation of the above Passage – The writer then said that the hero then meets the king, that is the father of the princess, and doesn’t let the bodyguards or the soldiers stop him from meeting the king or the princess. The hero is also a great fencer, meaning that the hero is generally better than the king when it comes to combat. Pescud agress with the writer. He then said that the book he was reading came under the category of high ranking books. He added that he knew some things about literature as well, even though he was in a company dealing in plate-glass.

Passage – “When people in real life marry, they generally hunt up somebody in their own station. A fellow usually picks out a girl who went to the same high-school and belonged to the same singing-society that he did.” Pescud picked up the best-seller and hunted his page.
“Listen to this,” said he. “Trevelyan is sitting with the Princess Alwyna at the back end of the tulip-garden. This is how it goes:

Word Meaning
station: one’s social rank or position
singing-society: singing club

Explanation of the above Passage – Pescud said that in real life, people married someone who was on the same rank with them. A man usually selected a girl whom he had known previously. For example a girl who went to the same high-school, or a girl who belonged to the same clubs as him. Basically, a man generally picked a girl with whom he had spent some time while he was a teenager. After saying this, Pescud picked up the book and started flipping the pages to find the one he needed. He then told the writer to listen to the content of a particular page. He told him that he was narrating a scene from the story, in which the hero is sitting with the princess at the back of the tulip garden.

Passage – “Say not so, dearest and sweetest of earth’s fairest flowers. Would I aspire? You are a star set high above me in a royal heaven; I am only-myself. Yet I am a man and I have a heart to do and dare. I have no title save that of an uncrowned sovereign; but I have an arm and a sword that yet might free Schutzenfestenstein from the plots of traitors.”

Word Meaning
aspire: direct one’s hopes or ambitions towards achieving something

Explanation of the above Passage – The hero was telling the princess to not speak about something that made him lose faith in his ambition. He told her that she was the dearest and sweetest of earth’s most fair and beautiful flowers. She was a star who was set high in the sky, in a place referred to as a ‘royal heaven’. He then said that while she was brilliant and radiant, he was only a man, with none of the radiance that she possessed. However, he was a human being with a heart. He had the ability to do, dare, and aspire. He may have no royal power except the title of being a prince of an uncrowned sovereign, but he also had an arm and a sword which were powerful enough to free anyone from any evil force. What the hero tried to tell was that even though the possibility of the princess and him to be together were low, he would continue to do and aspire for that goal.

Passage – “Think of a Chicago man packing a sword, and talking about freeing anything that sounded as much like canned sardines!”
“I think I understand you, John,” said I. “You want fiction- writers to be consistent with their scenes and characters. They shouldn’t mix Turkish pashas with Vermont farmers, or English Dukes with Long Island clam diggers or Cincinnati agents with the Rajahs of India.”

Word Meaning
consistent: not containing any logical contradictions
Turkish pashas : a high official of the Ottoman empire
Vermont : a state of north east US bordering Canada
clamdiggers : people who hunt for clams (edible shell fish)

Explanation of the above Passage – After finishing reading the conversation, Pescud said that the conversation sounded like a Chicago man with a sword who talked as if he could free anything but the only thing he could really free was a can of sardines. The writer then responded that he understood what he meant to say. Pescud wanted fiction-writers to make logical scenes and characters. They should not compare the power of a high official of the Ottoman Empire with a farmer, or a duke or king with people whose sole job is to hunt for edible shell fish, or  agents doing social work with Indian Rajahs. 

Passage – “Or plain business men with aristocracy high above ‘em,” added Pescud. “It doesn’t jibe. I don’t see why people go to work and buy hundreds of thousands of books which are best sellers. You don’t see or hear of any such capers in real life.”
“Well John,” said I, “I haven’t read a best-seller in a long time. Maybe I’ve had notions about them somewhat like yours. But tell me more about yourself. Getting along all right with the company?”

Word Meaning
aristocracy : class of people of high social rank
jibe: to be consistent, to fit with something
caper: something which is far-fetched or too fictional
notion: a rough idea

Explanation of the above Passage – Pescud also added that the writers of best-sellers liked to compare the power of the aristocracy with the negligible power plain businessmen possess. He said that it did not fit with what happened in real life. He did not see the logic or the reason why so many people waste their hard-earned livelihood over these best-sellers. No one had ever heard of any real life story where something so far-fetched and illogical had occurred. The writer replied that he had not read a best-seller in a long time but he had some rough ideas about the common plot such books had and it was quite similar to what John was describing to him. Then, he changed the subject by asking John to tell more about himself. He asked John if he was doing alright in the company he was working in.

Passage – “Bully,” said Pescud, brightening at once. “I’ve had my salary raised twice since I saw you, and I get a commission, too. I’ve bought a neat slice of real estate. Next year the firm is going to sell me some shares of stock. Oh, l’m in on the line of General Prosperity.
“Met your affinity yet, John?” I asked.

Word Meaning
bully: very good; excellent
commission: a sum of money given to the agent in the transaction
neat: nice
slice: piece or part
Shares of stock: a unit of ownership of a business
general prosperity: doing well
affinity: relationship, especially by marriage

Explanation of the above Passage – Pescud’s face brightened with happiness. He told the writer that he was doing an excellent job in the company. His salary had raised twice since he had last seen the writer, which was two years ago. He got a commission too. He had a nice piece of real estate under his name. Next year, the firm was going to to sell him a part of the company. He concluded that he was about to be greatly wealthy in a few years. The writer then asked him if he had found someone to marry or if he was having a married relationship with someone.

Passage – “Oh, I didn’t tell you about that, did I?” said Pescud with a broader grin.
“O-ho!” I said. “So you’ve taken off enough time from your plate-glass to have a romance?”
“No, no,” said John. “No romance-nothing like that! But I’ll tell you about it,
“I was on the south-bound, going to Cincinnati, about eighteen months ago, when I saw, across the aisle, the finest looking girl I’d ever laid eyes on. Nothing spectacular, you know, but just the sort you want for keeps.”

Word Meaning
south-bound: travelling South
for keeps: for ever, permanently

Explanation of the above Passage – Pescud gave a big grin, and asked the writer if he had not told him anything about that yet. The writer exclaimed with surprise that he had taken some time off his plate-glass business to do some romance. John said that he had not done any romance and said that he would tell him all about it. He began his story. He explained that he was travelling south to Cincinnati around eighteen months ago, when he saw the most beautiful girl sitting across the aisle. He did not fall head over heels for her, but he felt like she was the sort of girl he would want to be with forever.

Passage – She read a book and minded her business, which was, to make the world prettier and better just by residing in it. I kept on looking out of the side-doors of my eyes, and finally the proposition got out of the carriage into a case of a cottage with a lawn and vines running over the porch. I never thought of speaking to her, but I let the plate glass business go to smash for a while.”

Word Meaning
vine: a climbing or trailing woody-stemmed plan

Explanation of the above Passage – The girl was reading a book and did not interact much with anyone around her. This made her character look more attractive to John. He did not stare at her, but he could see her from the corner of his eyes. He then saw that she got out of the carriage and went to a cottage with a big garden with vines running over the porch. John had no intention of speaking to her, but he was so drawn to the woman that he decided to forget about the plate-glass business for a while.

Passage – “She changed cars at Cincinnati and took a sleeper to Louisville. There she bought another ticket and went on through Shelbyville, Frankford, and Lexington. Along there, I began to have a hard time keeping up with her. The trains came along when they pleased, and didn’t seem to be going anywhere in particular, except to keep on the track and on the right way as much as possible. Then they began to stop at junctions instead of towns, and at last they stopped altogether.

Word Meaning
sleeper: a train containing cars in which people can sleep

Explanation of the above Passage – John said that the girl got aboard a different cable car at Cincinnati. She then took a sleeper and travelled to Louisville. At Louisville, she bought another ticket and went to Shelbyville, Frankford, and Lexington, where he had a hard time following her. He realised that the girl was just going to places without any plan or without any particular reason. She got off one train and immediately boarded another one. Hence, she was not going to a specific place. She was just wandering here and there. Then, she got off the trains at junctions instead of towns. 

Passage – “I contrived to keep out of her sight as much as I could, but I never lost track of her. The last station she got off at was away down in Virginia, about six in the evening. There were about fifty houses.
“The rest was red mud, mules, and speckled hounds.

Word Meaning
contrived: created or arranged in a way that seems artificial and unrealistic

Explanation of the above Passage – He tried to stay out of her sight, but it seemed unrealistic that he was able to do this successfully. He did not lose track of her and she eventually stopped at Virginia at about six in the evening. Virginia was not densely populated, and there were only 50 houses there.

Passage – “A tall old man, with a smooth face and white hair, looking as proud as Julius Caesar was there to meet her. His clothes were frazzled but I didn’t notice that till later. He took her little satchel, and they started over the plank walks and went up a road along the hill. I kept along a pace behind ‘em, trying to look like I was hunting a garnet ring in the sand that my sister had lost at a picnic, the previous Saturday.

Word Meaning
frazzled : worn out
satchel: a bag carried on the shoulder by a long strap and closed by a flap
plank: a long, thin, flat piece of timber, used especially in building and flooring
garnet: red, semi-precious gemstone.

Explanation of the above Passage – John saw that the girl was meeting up with a tall old man with a smooth face, that is shaven face and he had grey hair. He was looking as proud as Julius Caesar as he was delighted to meet her. A little later, John observed that the old man’s clothes were worn out. He took the small bag the girl had and they started talking while walking on the floor made up of planks. They were going towards a hilltop. John followed them, and he was not too far but too close to them. He was pretending to search for a ring made up of a red coloured precious gemstone in the sand. He made up a story that his sister had lost the ring last Saturday when they were out for a picnic there.

Passage – “They went in a gate on top of the hill. It nearly took my breath away when I looked up. Up there in the biggest grove, I had ever seen was a huge house with round white pillars, about a thousand feet high, and the yard was so full of rose-bushes and box-bushes and lilacs that you couldn’t have seen the house if it hadn’t been as big as the Capitol at Washington.

Word Meaning
grove: a small wood or other group of trees
box bush: an evergreen shrub with small, rich green leaves
capitol: a large building used for functions of the state government

Explanation of the above Passage – When they finally reached the hilltop, John saw that the pair had gone through a gate. He then saw a magnificent house which astonished him. He was not expecting such a big house to be there on the hilltop. There was a small version of wood in the garden. The pillars on which the house stood was a thousand feet high. The yard was full of bushes of rich green leaves, roses and lilacs. John felt like the house was as grand as the Capitol in Washington.

Passage – “ ‘Here’s where I have to trail,’ say I to myself. I thought before that she seemed to be in moderate circumstances, at least. This must be the Governor’s mansion, or the Agricultural Building of a new World Fair, anyhow. I’d better go back to the village and get posted by the postmaster, for some information.

Word Meaning
trail: to move slowly
circumstance: one’s state of financial or material welfare
world fair: an international exhibition of the industrial, scientific, technological, and artistic achievements of the participating nations
get posted: to acquire information on what is happening
postmaster: the person in-charge of the post office

Explanation of the above Passage – When he saw the large building, John said to himself that he was going to stop following the girl and he was going to go back to the village for now. He felt that the girl was in a good financial state, and that she lived in the Governor’s mansion or the building which was huge enough to accommodate an international exhibition. He decided to go to the post office and to get information regarding the girl from the postmaster.

Passage – “In the village, I found a fine hotel called the Bay View House. The only excuse for the name was a bay horse grazing in the front yard. I set my sample-case down, and tried to be ostensible. I told the landlord, “I was taking orders for plate-glass”.
“By-and-by, I got him down to local gossip and answering questions.

Word Meaning
bay horse: a horse whose hair colour coat is bay
sample-case: a briefcase containing samples of a particular product
ostensible: to pretend that your statement or appearance is true even though it is not
by-and-by: eventually

Explanation of the above Passage – John went back to the village and he found a hotel named Bay View House which was a well-established hotel. The reason why it was named ‘Bay View House’ was because there was a bay coloured horse walking on the grass in the front yard. He then contacted the landlord, and set down his briefcase in front of him, which contained samples of plate-glass. He tried to convince the landlord to buy or order some plate-glass. This indicated that John was a door-to-door seller, meaning that he went from one house to another, knocking on the door and asking the occupant or the people living in the house to purchase his or his company’s product. After some time in which the landlord and John talked to each other, John was able to change his topic of plate-glass and was able to get the landlord to tell him about the latest local gossip and to answer some of his questions.

Passage – ”’Why?’, says he, ‘I thought everybody knew who lived in the big white house on the hill. It’s Colonel Allyn, the biggest man and finest quality in Virginia, or anywhere else. They’re the oldest family in the State. That was his daughter who had got off the train. She’s been up to Illinois to see her aunt, who is sick.’

Explanation of the above Passage – John asked the landlord if he knew who lived in the big white house on the hill. The landlord first asked why he wanted to know that. He was surprised to know that John did not know who lived there because everyone in Virginia and the neighbouring states knew the man who lived there. The man was Colonel Allyn, the biggest man of the finest quality that could not be found anywhere else. He and his family were the oldest family in Virginia, meaning that his ancestors had lived there only. He had a daughter, who happed to be the girl John was following. The girl, the landlord told John, had been travelling in the train. She went to Illinois to visit her aunt, who was currently ill.

Passage – “I registered at the hotel, and on the third day I caught the young lady walking in the front yard, down next to the paling fence. I stopped and raised my hat – there wasn’t any other way.
‘Excuse me,’ says I, ‘can you tell me where Mr. Hinkle lives?’

Word Meaning
paling: a fence made from pointed wooden or metal posts
raise one’s hat: briefly remove one’s hat as a gesture of courtesy or respect to someone

Explanation of the above Passage – John told the writer that he had registered at the hotel, meaning that he booked a room for himself so that he could have a place to stay and sleep. On the third day of being at the hotel, he saw the young lady walking in the front yard. She was near the fence that is the boundary of the yard. The fence was made out of pointed wooden or metal posts. He went to the girl. He raised his hat to show courtesy and respect to the young lady. He then interacted with the lady and asked her if she could tell him where Mr. Hinkle lived. He was trying to start a conversation with the young lady, the one he fancied.

Passage – “She looks at me as cool as if I was the man come to see about the weeding of the garden, but I thought I saw just a slight twinkle of fun in her eyes.
‘No one of that name lives in Birchton,’ says she. ‘That is,’ she goes on, ‘as far as I know’.
“Well, that tickled me. ‘No kidding,’ says I. ‘I’m not looking for smoke, even if I do come from Pittsburgh.’

Explanation of the above Passage – John told the writer that the woman looked at him coolly, in a manner that indicated that she thought John to be the man who had come to see about the weeding of the garden. What John meant to say was that the woman thought John to be inferior to her, and to be of the same class as a gardener. He could see a tiny twinkle of fun in her eyes, meaning that the woman wanted to poke fun at him. Also, the twinkle indicated that the woman knew that John was just trying to start a conversation with her, and she thought it would be fun to go along with him. She then answered his question by saying that she did not think that anyone of that name lived in Birchton. Her response amused John. He said that he was not looking for someone who did not exist. He told her that he came from Pittsburgh. 

Passage –  ‘You are quite a distance from home,’ says she.
‘I’d have gone a thousand miles farther,’ says I.
‘Not if you hadn’t woken up when the train started in Shelbyville,’ says she; and then she turned almost as red as one of the roses on the bushes in the yard. I remembered I had dropped off to sleep on a bench in the Shelbyville station, waiting to see which train she took, and only just managed to wake up in time.

Explanation of the above Passage – The lady commented that he was quite far away from home. John said that he would have gone a thousand miles further. He meant to say that he could be even further away from home in order to keep the lady in his sight. The lady further said that he would not have been able to go a thousand miles further if he had not woken up when the train started in Shelbyville. Then, she turned as red as one of the roses on the bushes in the yard, meaning that she was blushing. John revealed to the writer that he had accidentally fallen asleep on the bench in the Shelobyville station while waiting for the lady. He had woken up right on time to see where she was going. Therefore, the lady’s blushing indicated that she knew that John was stalking her from the very beginning.

Passage –  “And then I told her why I had come, as respectful and earnest as I could. And I told her everything about myself, and what I was making, and how that all I asked was just to get acquainted with her and try to get her to like me.
“She smiles a little, and blushes some, but her eyes never get mixed up. They look straight at whom so ever she’s talking to.

Word Meaning
earnest: in a sincere manner

Explanation of the above Passage – John told the writer that he then told the woman the reason why he had come to Virginia in a respectful and sincere manner. He told her everything about himself, about his occupation, and about how he was trying to get the woman to talk to him and fall in love with him. After he had finished telling her everything, the woman smiled and blushed. She was embarrassed to know that he wanted her to fall in love with him. John pointed out that even when the woman is embarrassed, she looked straight at the person with whom she was talking to. He liked that about her.

Passage – ‘I never had any one talk like this to me before, Mr. Pescud,’ says she. ‘What did you say your name is-John?’
‘John A.,’ says I.
“ ‘And you came mighty near missing the train at Powhatan Junction, too,’ says she, with a laugh that sounded as good as a mileage-book to me.”

Word Meaning
mileage-book: a book (mileage book) or ticket containing coupons good for a certain number of miles of transportation at a fixed rate per mile

Explanation of the above Passage – The woman told John that no one had talked like that to her before. This meant that it was the first time someone was confessing his love for the woman to her. She then confirmed if his name was John Pescud and John said that it was John A. Pescud. She then added that he almost missed the train at Powhatan Junction. She said this with a laugh. John described her laughter to be similar to a mileage book, meaning that he liked her laughter.

Passage –  “ ‘How did you know?’ I asked.
“ ‘Men are very clumsy,’ said she. ‘I know you were on every train. I thought you were going to speak to me, and I’m glad you didn’t.
“Then we had more talk; and at last a kind of proud, serious look came on her face, and she turned and pointed a finger at the big house.

Word Meaning
clumsy: awkward in movement or in handling things.

Explanation of the above Passage – John asked her how she got to know that he almost missed the train. He was curious to know this because he had tried his best to stay out of her sight. She answered that men were clumsy beings, meaning that, according to her, men did not know how to handle things as properly as women. She further added that she knew that he was on every train she had taken. She feared that he would stop her and talk to her and irritate her. She said that she was grateful to see that he had not done anything like that. John told the writer that they talked more and there came a point in their conversation when she started looking proud and serious. It indicated that she was proud of her family and wealth and that she seriously wanted John to know more about her and her family. The woman turned away from John and pointed at the big house with her finger. The big house was the one where he had last seen the girl.

Passage –  ‘The Allyns,’ says she, ‘have lived in Elmcroft for a hundred years. We are a proud family. Look at that mansion. It has fifty rooms. See the pillars and porches and balconies. The ceilings in the reception-rooms and the ball-room are twenty- eight feet high. My father is lineal descendant of the Belted Earls.’

Word Meaning
lineal: in a direct line of descent or ancestry
Earl : a British nobleman between a viscount and a marquess
Belted Earl : until the 17th century, an earl was invested by the king with a sword he wore at his waist hence he was called a ‘belted earl’

Explanation of the above Passage – The woman explained that the Allyns had lived in Elmcroft for a century or a hundred years. They were a prideful family, that is they were proud of their prosperity and achievements. The woman then asked John to look at the mansion. She pointed out the details of the mansion, that the mansion had fifty rooms, pillars, porches, balconies, and reception rooms and ball room with twenty-eight feet high ceilings. The woman’s father was the descendant in the direct line of ancestry of the Belted Earls.

Passage –  “ ‘Of course,’ she goes on, ‘my father wouldn’t allow a drummer to set his foot in Elmcroft. If he knew that I was talking to one over the fence, he would lock me in my room.’
“ ‘Would you let me come there?’ says I. ‘Would you talk to me if I was to call? For,’ I go on, ‘if you said yes,I might come and see you?’

Word Meaning
drummer: a travelling sales representative

Explanation of the above Passage – The woman went on and said that her father would not allow a person who was a sales representative to set foot in Elmcroft. She meant to say that John was too poor to meet and talk with her. She added that if her father got to know that she was talking to a man like John over the fence of Elmcroft, he would lock her in her room. Hence, she meant to say that she was not even allowed to talk to men like John, falling in love with him would never be allowed. John then asked the woman if she would let him come to Elmcroft and if she would talk to him if he would visit the house. He said that he would come and visit her if she would say yes. He was indirectly asking her if she liked him.

Passage –  “ ‘I must not talk to you,’ she says, ‘because we have not been introduced. It is not exactly proper. So I will say good-bye, Mr.—’
“‘Say the name,’ says I. ‘You haven’t forgotten it.’”
“ ‘Pescud,’ says she, a little mad.

Explanation of the above Passage – The woman did not answer his questions. She probably knew what those questions meant. She told John that she ought not to talk to him because they did not have a proper introduction and her father was not acquainted with him. She was then about to bid him goodbye when he interrupted her and asked her to say his name. She said his last name with a little anger or annoyance.

Passage –  “ ‘The rest of the name!’ I demand, as cool as I could be.”
“ ‘John,’ says she.
“ ‘John-what?’ I said.
“ ‘John A.,’ says she, with her head high. ‘Are you through, now?’

Explanation of the above Passage – John demanded her to say the full name in a cool manner. She said John. John pushes her to say the complete name. She finally said John A. 

Passage –  “ ‘I’m coming to see the belted earl tomorrow,’ I said.
“ ‘He’ll feed you to his fox-hounds,’ says she, laughing.
“ ‘If he does, it’ll improve their running,’ says I. ‘I’m something of a hunter myself.’”
“ ‘I must be going in now,’ says she. ‘I oughtn’t to have spoken to you at all. I hope you’ll have a pleasant trip back to Minneapolis-or Pittsburgh, was it? Good- bye!’

Word Meaning
Earl : a British nobleman between a viscount and a marquess
Belted Earl : until the 17th century, an earl was invested by the king with a sword he wore at his waist hence he was called a ‘belted earl’

Explanation of the above Passage – John told the woman that he would come to the mansion to see the belted earl the next day. The belted earl is the woman’s father. The woman replied that her father would kill him and give the remains of his body to the fox-hounds for eating. She said this while laughing, meaning that she found his determination foolish and was making fun of it. John did not get scared by this threat and he said that if her father would do that, it would improve the speed and functioning of the hounds. He added that he too was a hunter and so he had great knowledge about hounds. He probably said that to impress her. She then told him that she should go back to her home. She also said that she should not have talked to him because now he was even more motivated to come closer to her. She wished him a pleasant trip back to his hometown. She got confused about his hometown and could not remember where he was from. She did not want to interact with John any longer, and so she said goodbye.

Passage –  “ ‘Good-night,’ says I, ‘and it wasn’t Minneapolis. What’s your name, first, please?’
“She hesitated. Then she pulled a leaf off a bush, and said:
‘My name is Jessie,’ says she.
“ ‘Good-night, Miss Allyn’, says I.

Explanation of the above Passage – John wished her good night, and informed her that he was from Pittsburgh and not from Minneapolis. He then asked her first name respectfully. She hesitated to give her first name to him. She turned her gaze away from him and plucked a leaf from the nearby bush. This indicated that she was shy and unconfident at that moment. She finally told him her first name which was Jessie. John again wished her good night, and he meant to tell her that he would stop the conversation and not disturb her any longer. He also called her ‘Miss Allyn’, meaning that he did not want to make the woman uncomfortable by calling her by her first name.

Passage –  “The next morning at eleven, sharp, I rang the doorbell of that World Fair main building. After about three quarters of an hour, an old man of about eighty showed up and asked what I wanted. I gave him my business card, and said I wanted to see the Colonel. He showed me in.

Explanation of the above Passage – John told the writer that he went to the mansion the next morning. It was eleven a.m. sharp. He rang the doorbell of the World Fair main building. He called the mansion the ‘World Fair main building’ because it stood out in the area. After three quarters of an hour, which is 45 minutes, an eighty-year-old man opened the door and asked him what he wanted. John gave the old man his business card, and told him that he wanted to see the Colonel. The old man allowed him to come inside.

Passage –  “Say, did you ever crack open a wormy English walnut? That’s what that house was like. There wasn’t enough furniture in it to fill an eight-dollar flat. Some old horsehair lounges and three-legged chairs and some framed ancestors on the walls were all that met the eye. But when Colonel Allyn comes in, the place seemed to light up. You could almost hear a band playing, and see a bunch of old- timers in wigs and white stockings dancing a quadrille. It was the style of him, although he had on the same shabby clothes I saw him wear at the station. For about nine seconds he had me rattled, and I came mighty near getting cold feet and trying to sell him some plate-glass. But I got my nerve back pretty quick. He asked me to sit down, and I told him everything. I told him how I had followed his daughter from Cincinnati, and what I did it for, and all about my salary and prospects, and explained to him my little code of living – to be always decent and right in your home town. At first, I thought he was going to throw me out of the window, but I kept on talking.

Word Meaning
horsehair: hair from the mane or tail of a horse, typically used in furniture for padding.
lounge: a place where one can lounge that is a place where one can sit and relax
old-timers: old people, people who were young and lived through the old times
quadrille : a square dance for four couples
shabby: messy, not neat
rattled : shaking briskly, confused, nervous
cold feet: loss of nerve or confidence
nerve: confidence
prospects: chances or opportunities for success or wealth

Explanation of the above Passage – John compares his first impression of the house to a wormy walnut. A wormy walnut is a walnut which looks fine from the outside, but when it is cracked open, we see worms inside. Therefore, John meant to say that the mansion looked breath-taking from the outside, but the inside did not seem to be so beautiful. The amount of furniture used to decorate the big house was far too less. John said that it would not fill an eight-dollar flat, meaning that the amount of furniture was so low that it could not even fill a cheap, small flat. There were some lounges made of horsehair, three-legged chairs and the portraits of the ancestors of the Allyns on the wall. According to John, the people in the framed photographs were all that met the eye. This meant that the ancestors looked strict, cold and unfriendly, the kind of people who would tend to be unagreeable with the others. Then, he saw that the Colonel, Jessie’s father, had arrived too. When the Colonel entered the room, the place brightened. The old man, who was still wearing the same shabby clothes from before, had an elegant aura which brought John to a whole new world. He could hear a band playing orchestral music and could see pairs of old people, men wearing wigs and women wearing white stockings, doing a dance called quadrille. John was astonished and attracted to the sudden beauty and elegance, and the sudden change in the environment, that he became nervous. He felt like he should either sell him some plate-glass or just run away. However, his nervousness lasted for about nine seconds. The Colonel invited him to sit down and from there their conversation began. John told him about everything. He told him why he had come to his mansion, that he had been following his daughter from Cincinnati and the reason why he followed her. He also gave some information about himself – about his salary, how wealthy he was and was going to be in the near future, his code of living which was to be decent and to work in your hometown. John thought his efforts would go to waste once he would tell the Colonel that he followed his daughter. He feared that he would be thrown out of the house from the window. However, the Colonel did not interrupt him and John kept on talking.

Passage –  “Well, that got him laughing, and I’ll bet that was the first laugh those ancestors and horsehair sofa had heard in many a day.
“We talked two hours. I told him everything I knew; and then he began to ask questions and I told him the rest. All I asked of was to give me a chance. If I couldn’t make a hit with the little lady, I’d clear out, and not bother them any more. At last he says:

Explanation of the above Passage – When John completed telling the Colonel about himself, the Colonel laughed, meaning that he found his code of living special and amusing. John believed that it was the first laugh the ancestors and horsehair sofa had heard in ages. He was commenting on the unfriendly faces of the ancestors and the bad condition of the sofa. They continued talking for two hours. John told him everything he knew about himself. The Colonel then started asking questions, and John gave him the answers. In the end, John asked to give him a chance to prove himself worthy of his daughter. He said that if he would not seem suitable enough for his daughter, he could say so and he would walk away and never bother them again.

Passage –  “ ‘There was a Sir Courtenay Pescud in the time of Charles I, if I remember rightly.’
“ ‘If there was,’ says I ‘he can’t claim kin with our bunch. We’ve always lived in and around Pittsburgh. I’ve got an uncle in the real-estate business, and one in trouble somewhere out in Kansas. You can inquire about any of the rest of us from anybody in the old Smoky Town, and get satisfactory replies. Did you ever run across that story about the captain of the whaler, who tried to make a sailor say his prayers?’ says I.

Word Meaning
kin: one’s family and relations

Explanation of the above Passage – After John made his request, the Colonel asked one more question. He asked if there was a Colonel named Sir Courtenay Pescud during the reign of Charles I and if he was the ancestor of John. John was honest and said that he had no knowledge of such a man. He added that since none of his ancestors were a Colonel or royal, so even if Sir Courtenay Pescud existed, he had no relation with his ancestors. His ancestors grew up and lived in or around Pittsburgh. He also informed the Colonel of his two uncles, one who was in the real-estate business and the other who was in some sort of trouble and was living in Kansas. John wanted to present himself as the most trustworthy man the Colonel could get for his daughter, and so he told him that he could go and ask about his family from anyone in the Smoky Town. He said that the Colonel would get many satisfactory replies from the people living there. He then asked the Colonel if he knew the story about the captain of the whaler who tried to make the sailor pray to God. 

Passage –  “ ‘It occurs to me that I have never been so fortunate,’ says the Colonel.
“So I told it to him. Laugh! I was wishing to myself that he was a customer. What a bill of glass, I’d sell him! And then he says:
“ ‘The relating of anecdotes and humorous occurrences has always seemed to me, Mr. Pescud, to be a particularly agreeable way of promoting and perpetuating amenities between friends. With your permission, I will relate to you a fox-hunting story with which I was personally connected, and which may furnish you some amusement’

Word Meaning
anecdote: a short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person
perpetuate: make (something) continue
amenities: facility
furnish: give something to someone

Explanation of the above Passage – The Colonel answered that he was not lucky enough to know such a story. Then, John told him the story which made the Colonel laugh. John told the writer that he wished that the Colonel would become his customer. He said that because he felt like he could impress the Colonel quite easily, which would result in the Colonel buying a ton of plate-glass from him. The Colonel said that he personally believed that exchanging stories was a good way to build and grow a relationship between two people. He then said that, if John would give his permission, he would narrate a story about himself when he went fox-hunting. The Colonel believed that John would find the story amusing.

Passage –  “Two evenings later, I got a chance to speak a word with Miss Jessie alone on the porch while the Colonel was thinking up another story.
“ ‘It’s going to be a fine evening,’ says I.
‘He’s coming,’ says she. ‘He’s going to tell you, this time, the story about the old African and the green watermelons. It always comes after the one about the Yankees and the game rooster. There was another time; she goes on, ‘that you nearly got left- it was at Pulaski City.’

Explanation of the above Passage – John told the writer that two evenings after he talked to the Colonel, he finally got a chance to speak with Miss Jessie for a short duration. They were alone on the porch. John was waiting for the Colonel, who was thinking of another story to narrate to John. John told the woman that it was going to be a joyful evening. Jessie told him that this time, the Colonel was going to tell him the story about the old African and green watermelons. She already knew that he was going to narrate this story as it was his habit to narrate this story after narrating the story about the Yankees and the game roosters. She then changed the topic and reminded John that he almost missed the train and lost sight of her at Pulaski City.

Passage –  “ ‘Yes,’ says I, ‘I remember. My foot slipped as I was jumping on the step, and I nearly tumbled off.’
“ ‘I know,’ says she. ‘And – and I- I was afraid you had, John A. I was afraid you had.’
“And then she skips into the house through one of the big windows.”

Explanation of the above Passage – John told Jessie that he remembered that, and that the reason why he almost missed her was because his foot slipped when he was jumping on the step. He almost fell off the platform. Jessie replied that she knew that, and she was worried that he would miss the train. This indicated that Jessie was becoming fond of John. Then, after saying that, Jessie quickly entered the house by jumping in through one of the big windows.

Passage – “Coketown!” droned the porter, making his way through the slowing car.
Pescud gathered his hat and baggage with the leisurely promptness of an old traveller.
“I married her a year ago,” said John, “I told you I built a house in the East End. The belted- I mean the Colonel-is there, too. I find him waiting at the gate whenever I get back from a trip to hear any new story, I might have picked up on the road,”

Word Meaning
droned: speak tediously in a dull monotonous tone
porter: a person employed to carry luggage and other loads, especially in a railway station, airport, hotel, or market
leisurely: acting or done at leisure; unhurried or relaxed
promptness:  the quality of doing something quickly and without delay, or at the arranged time

Explanation of the above Passage – The porter, that is the person who carried the luggage, was making his way from one end of the car to another. He was continuously saying the word Coketown, which indicated that the car was going to reach Coketown very soon. The writer saw that the car was slowing down because they were about to reach the destination. Pescud, who was travelling to Coketown, gathered his hat and bags in a relaxed manner but also with promptness because he did not want to miss his stop. He told the writer the end of his story. He married Jessie a year ago and built a house for them in the East. The Colonel lived with them. Whenever John went back home, he saw that the Colonel was eagerly waiting for him, as he wanted to hear another story.

Passage – I glanced out of the window. Coketown was nothing more than a ragged hillside dotted with a score of black dismal huts propped up against dreary mounts of slag and clinkers. It rained in slanting torrents, too and the rills foamed and splashed down through the black mud to the railroad- tracks.

Word Meaning
ragged : having a rough or uneven surface or edge
a score : an old word for the number twenty
dismal: gloomy
prop: support or keep in position
dreary: depressingly dull and bleak
slag: stony waste matter separated from metals during the smelting or refining of ore
clinker: the stony residue from burnt coal or from a furnace
torrent: a strong and fast-moving stream of water or other liquid

Explanation of the above Passage – The writer glanced to see Coketown. He was displeased by the scenery. He saw that Coketown was a hillside with rough edges which was dotted with several black and gloomy huts supported by mounds of waste. It rained in a slanting and fast-moving fashion, which brought a lot of mud to the rail-road tracks.

Passage – “You won’t sell much plate-glass here, John,” said I. “Why do you get off at this end-o’-the-world?”

“Why?,” said Pescud, “the other day I took Jessie for a little trip to Philadelphia, and coming back she thought she saw some petunias in a pot in one of those windows over there just like some she used to raise down in the old Virginia home. So I thought, I’d drop off here for the night, and see if I could dig up some of the cuttings or blossoms for her. Here we are. Good-night, old man. I gave you the address. Come out and see us when you have time.”

Explanation of the above Passage – The writer told his friend that he would not be able to sell much plate-glass here. He then commented on the bad location and asked him why he wanted to get off at this place, which seemed to represent the end of the world. John told him that his wife once saw some petunias in a pot in one of the windows of the dismal huts. The petunias reminded Jessie of the flowers she used to grow back in Virginia. So, John was thinking of getting some cuttings or blossoms for her. He then said goodbye to his friend and also asked him to visit him and his wife when he would have enough time to do so.

Passage – The train moved forward. One of the dotted brown ladies insisted on having windows raised, now that the rain had started beating against them. The porter came along with his mysterious wand and began to light the car.

I glanced downward and saw the best-seller. I picked it up and set it carefully farther along on the floor of the car, where the raindrops would not fall upon it. And then, suddenly, I smiled, and seemed to see that life has no geographical bounds.

Explanation of the above Passage – John got off the train and the train began to move forward. One of the ladies wearing the brown dress requested the writer to close the window as the rain was now pouring from the window and into the car. The porter was using his mysterious wand to make the car move forward. The writer looked down and saw the book John was reading. The writer picked it up and put it farther along the floor of the car, in a place where the rain would not ruin the book. He then smiled, as he realised how similar the story of that best-seller was to John’s love story. Therefore, life had no geographical bounds.

Passage – “Good-luck to you, Trevelyan,” I said. “And may you get the petunias for your princess!”

Explanation of the above Passage – The writer shouted out from the window to John. He referred to him as Trevelyan, the protagonist of the best-seller as they were both quite similar. He referred to Jessie as the princess in the book. He wished him good luck and that he may get the petunias for his princess.
 
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Best Seller Question Answers

Exercise

Q1. Based on your reading of the story, answer the following questions by choosing the correct option.

(a) “Bully,” said Pescud brightening at once. He means to say that he was

1. being intimidated by his boss.
2. harassing his subordinates.
3. doing very well at his job.
4. meeting all the sales targets.

Ans. C. doing very well at his job.

 

(b) The narrator says that life has no geographical boundaries implying that

A. human beings are essentially the same everywhere.

B. one can travel freely to other countries.

C. boundaries exist only on maps.

D. one should work towards the good of mankind.

Ans. C. boundaries exist only on maps.

 

(c) Classify (1) to (4) as fact (F) or opinion (O), based on your reading of the story.

(1) Pescud had hurled the bestseller to the floor.

(2) People in real life marry somebody in their own station.

(3) Pescud got an opportunity to meet Jessie all alone two evenings after he met her father.

(4) Pescud believed that plate-glass was the most important commodity.

A. F-1, 3, 4; O-2

B. F-1, 3; O-2, 4

C. F-1, 2, 4; O-3

D. F-2; O-1, 3, 4

Ans. B. F-1, 3; O-2, 4

 

(d) Select the suitable option for the given statements, based on your understanding of the story.

(1) The author’s description of Coketown brings out the ugly face of industries that operated there.

(2) Pescud got off at Coketown as it had good business prospects for a plate-glass salesman.

A. (1) is false but (2) is true.

B. (1) is true but (2) is false.

C. (1) is the cause for (2)

D. (2) is a fact but unrelated to (1)

Ans. B. (1) is true but (2) is false.

 

Q2. Read the extracts and answer the questions by selecting the correct options.

1. I contrived to keep out of her sight as much as I could, but I never lost track of her. The last station she got off at was away down in Virginia, about six in the evening. There were about fifty houses. 

The rest was mud, mules, and speckled hounds. 

A tall old man, with a smooth face and white hair, looking as proud as Julius Caesar was there to meet her. His clothes were frazzled but I didn’t notice that till later. He took her little satchel, and they started over the plank walks and went up a road along the hill. I kept along a piece behind ‘em, trying to look like I was hunting a garnet ring in the sand that my sister had lost at a picnic the previous Saturday.

 

(i) The extract tells us that Virginia was a _________ populated town.

A. densely

B. highly

C. sparsely

D. hardly

Ans. D. hardly

 

(ii) Choose the option that uses the word ‘frazzled’ in the same way as the extract.

A. I feel pretty frazzled most weeks these days.

B. The cuffs of his brown shirt looked frazzled.

C. Father finally arrived home, tired and frazzled.

D. Mother was frazzled looking after all the guests had left.

Ans. A. I feel pretty frazzled most weeks these days.

 

iii) Read the statements (1) & (2) given below, and choose the option that correctly evaluates the statements.

(1): The speaker pretended that he was searching for a lost ring.

(2): The speaker wanted to hide the fact that he had been following her.

A. [1] is true but [2] is false.

B. [2] is contradictory to [1].

C. [1] is the reason for [2].

D. [2] is the result of [1].

Ans. C. [1] is the reason for [2].

 

iv) Select the option that displays the characteristics of the speaker.

1. discreet 
2. vain
3. ambitious 
4. observant
5. finicky 
6. cautious

A. 1, 4 and 6

B. 2, 3 and 5

C. 1, 3 and 6

D. 2, 4 and 5

Ans. A. 1, 4 and 6

 

2. For about nine seconds he had me rattled, and I came mighty near getting cold feet and trying to sell him some plate-glass. But I got my nerve back pretty quick. He asked me to sit down, and I told him everything. I told him how I followed his daughter from Cincinnati, and what I did it for, and all about my salary and prospects, and explained to him my little code of living -to be always decent and right in your home town. At first, I thought he was going to throw me out of the window, but I kept on talking.

Well, that got him to laughing and I’ll bet that was the first laugh those ancestors and horsehair sofa had heard in many a day.

 

i) Select the option that matches the expression with the meaning correctly.

 

Column A	Column B
I. getting cold feet	a. to be exhausted
II. dead on my feet	b. to become used to a new situation
III. get your feet wet	c. carried away by someone on an emotional level
	d. feeling nervous about something

 

1. I-c, II-b, III-a
2. I-d, II-a, III-b
3. I-a, II-c, III-d
4. I-b, II-d, III-c

Ans. B. I-d, II-a, III-b

 

ii) Select the option that lists the statements which can be a part of one’s ‘code of living’.

1. Keep your word.
2. Never quit on yourself or your family.
3. Think about the future and ignore the present.
4. Focus on materialistic possessions.
5. Stay true to yourself.
6. Look back and wonder about your decisions.
7. 1, 3 and 6
8. 2, 4 and 5
9. 2, 5 and 6
10. 1, 2 and 5

Ans. D. 1, 2 and 5

 

iii) “I’ll bet that was the first laugh those ancestors and horsehair sofa had heard in many a day.” The tone of the speaker is

1. satirical.
2. ironical.
3. humorous.
4. sarcastic.

Ans. D. sarcastic.

 

iv) Which option best describes the sequence of the speaker’s emotions in the given

extract.

1. nostalgia-friendliness-jitters-disappointment
2. curiosity-nostalgia-fear-mild sadness
3. jitters-confidence-apprehension-delight
4. shyness—friendliness-excitement-nostalgia

Ans. C. jitters-confidence-apprehension-delight

 

Q3. Answer the following questions briefly.

1. One day last summer the author was travelling to Pittsburg by chair car. What does he say about his co-passengers?

Ans. The author describes his co-passengers to be the usual type of people who would travel by chair-car. Most of the passengers were ladies who wore brown-silk dresses cut with square yokes with laced borders and dotted veils, and refused to have their windows raised.

 

2. What was John A. Pescud’s opinion about best sellers? Why?

Ans. John A. Pescud believed best sellers to be too fictitious. One could not see such stories happening in real life as well. According to him, the hero was overconfident and did not talk or think of sensible and practical things. 

 

3. What does John say about himself since his last meeting with the narrator?

Ans. The writer asked John if he was getting along with the company and John replied that he was getting along with the company excellently. John told the writer that he was on the line to general prosperity since his last meeting with the narrator. His salary had increased twice and he was now getting commission too. He had bought a piece of real estate and the company was about to sell him some shares of stock. He would soon be a wealthy person.

 

4. How did John’s first meeting with Jessie’s father go? What did John tell him?

Ans. John was nervous to meet Jessie’s father. However, he mustered enough courage to tell Jessie’s father the reason why he was there, how he had followed his daughter from Cincinnati to Virginia. He told him about his salary, prospects and his code of living. John first thought that the Colonel would throw him out of the house from the window, but the Colonel did not interrupt him and even told him how exchanging stories and personal experiences is a nice way to start and grow relationships. So, John’s first meeting with Jessie’s father was successful and he became closer to the Allyns. 

 

5. Why did John get off at Coketown?

Ans. John’s wife, Jessie once saw a potted plant with beautiful petunias on it on a window of a house in Coketown. The potted plant reminded her of the flowers she used to grow in her previous home in Virginia. So, John decided to go to Coketown and get the petunias for her.

 

6. John is a hypocrite. Do you agree with this statement? Elucidate.

Ans. Yes, John is a hypocrite. He gives best sellers a bad review because the romance portrayed in the best sellers are too fictitious. However, John’s own romance story, which is quite similar to the best seller he was reading, too is fantastical. A hypocrite is someone who has a different personality but pretends to have a different personality. John is a hypocrite because even though his own story was similar to the best seller, he chose to ignore the similarity between the two similarities.

 

7. Do you think Colonel Allyn enjoyed Pescud’s company? Why/ Why not?

Ans. Yes, Colonel Allyn did enjoy Pescud’s company. He was amused by John’s code of living. He appreciated his honesty and his story-telling skills. Pescud told him a story about a captain of the whaler who tried to make a sailor say his prayers. That story made the Colonel burst out in laughter. He then told Pescud that he believed exchanging stories to be the perfect method of building relationships between people. Pescud agreed with him and they continued exchanging stories for a few more days. Even after John and Jessie got married, the Colonel and John continued sharing stories. 

 

8. Describe John A. Pescud with reference to the following points:

• His physical appearance ………………………………………………………………………
• His philosophy on behaviour ………………………………………………………………….
• His profession ……………………………………………………………………………………..
• His first impression of his wife ……………………………………………………………….
• His success ………………………………………………………………………………………….

Ans. John A. Pescud was a small man with a wide smile and black and bald-spotted head. One of his eyes looked like it was fixed upon the little red spot on the end of your nose. 

He believed that whenever people looked for a partner, they searched for a person who was on the same social rank as them. The partners would be someone they had hung out with for quite some time. It would either be their high school schoolmate or someone from their singing-society. 

He was a salesman working in the company which sold plate-glass. He was a door-to-door salesman. 

When he first saw his wife Jessie, he thought that she was a fine-looking woman. Even though her appearance was not that spectacular, her aura made him feel like she was a keeper. She was reading her book and minded her own business, which attracted him.

He told the writer that he was on the line to General Prosperity. Ever since his first meeting with the writer, his salary had increased twice and he got commissions too. He had bought a good piece of real estate and in a few years, the company would sell him some stocks of the company. He was also successful in winning over Jessie’s heart and Colonel’s approval towards him.

 

Q4. Answer in detail.

(a) Pescud had the qualities of a good salesman. Justify this statement by citing examples from the text.

Ans. A good salesman is a person with great determination and perseverance. He or she knows how to persuade someone to buy their product. We can see these qualities in him throughout this chapter. They know how to communicate with people efficiently. “I contrived to keep out of her sight as much as I could, but I never lost track of her. The last station she got off at was away down in Virginia, about six in the evening.” This extract shows his perseverance. He did not lose track of her while also managing to stay undercover. “ ‘I’m coming to see the belted earl tomorrow,’ I said.  “ ‘He’ll feed you to his fox-hounds,’ says she, laughing.“ ‘If he does, it’ll improve their running,’ says I. ‘I’m something of a hunter myself.’” This shows his determination. Even though it was risky for him to talk to the Colonel and inform him how he had followed his daughter, he was not going to let the danger scare him. “At first, I thought he was going to throw me out of the window, but I kept on talking.“Well, that got him laughing,” This shows his communication skills. Although he was nervous, he communicated effectively. He was also able to make the Colonel laugh. “All I asked of was to give me a chance. If I couldn’t make a hit with the little lady, I’d clear out, and not bother them any more.”What’s your name, first, please? “She hesitated. Then she pulled a leaf off a bush, and said:“ ‘My name is Jessie,’ says she. “ ‘Good-night, Miss Allyn’, says I.” This shows that he was persuasive in nature.
 
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