Tea by Saki is the short story of James Cushat-Prinkly, a young gentleman who is on the lookout for a life companion. After inheriting “a comfortable little legacy it really seemed the correct thing to do to set about discovering someone to share it with him.” The “woman-folk” of his family settle for Joan Sebastable, “the most suitable woman in his range of acquaintance” to become his wife.
On his way to Joan’s house, James realizes that he would arrive just in time for the afternoon tea. As he “detested the whole system of afternoon tea,” James stops by Rhoda Ellam’s place, “a sort of a remote cousin,” where he has a great time.
What will James’s marriage bring about, rests with the reader to find out. Tea is available online here.
Saki (aka Hecor Hugh Munro) was a British novelist and short story writer. He was born in Burma in 1870 and killed in France in 1916.
