Question

Essay for The Phantom Luncheon

Answer 1

The Phantom Luncheon - by Saki (H.H. Munro)
Note : Phantom means imagination and Luncheon means formal lunch. This story is about an imaginative lunch.

Saki is known for his humorous satires.
This story starts with a conversation between Sir James and his wife Lady Drakmanton. Sir James was a respectable and wealthy man in society and like other powerful Englishmen of his time, he used to take favors and use his influences and connections to win votes. He informed his wife that Smithly Dubbs (three sisters with surname as Smithly Dubb) were back in town and she should take them for a Luncheon (meaning out for a formal lunch). When she refused to do that, he explained that was necessary to keep them happy as their influences in committees helped him win votes. Lady Drakmanton started recalling him that they all were part of a club and they hardly took part in anything other than being present at the time of lunch. She exclaimed how greedy they were and always looking for an opportunity to be invited by others at expensive high-class restaurants for a six-course meal. She told she had given similar luncheons to other wealthy women of their society but Smithly Dubbs were difficult to be tolerated. She even tried passing off this on her sister Milly.
Milly immediately refused and even tried making fun by telling Lady Drakmanton they both look alike and she can act like her the next day. Milly then informed she had lunch at Carlton the same day so she could not entertain them. This gave an idea to Lady Drakmanton.
On the lunch day, Lady Drakmanton did some changes in Milly's appearances and she was transformed completely. Milly acting as Lady Drakmanton met the sisters at a club and suggested Carlton for lunch. The three sisters happily agreed and started imagining high-quality fresh food. Lady Drakmanton ordered food and it was so brilliant and good, the three sisters spoke less and concentrated more on eating. Still, they talked about politics. When one of the sisters mentioned some topic about a particular act, Lady Drakmanton confidently told that she was hardly interested in politics and she could hardly understand them. The sisters got surprised and one of them told that Lady Drakmanton spoke easily about that topic in a gathering. It was time for the Lady to get surprised and she told that suddenly she had lost her memory and she did not recognize who were those ladies. She could only remember the invitation to lunch she got from them. The sisters tried to make clear that they were asked for the lunch indirectly pointing towards the responsibility of paying the bill.
Lady Drakmanton told she did not remember her name and she remembered how they had praised that expensive restaurant and insisted her to go with them. The sisters told her that she was Lady Drakmanton on which Lady laughed and told they were exaggerating, she recognized her and did not look like her. She also told that Lady Drakmanton had just arrived in the restaurant which gave a shock to those sisters.
They could see real Lady Drakmanton nearing their table and they all wanted to know the real identity of the person who did lunch with them.
The lady remembered suddenly that she was Ellen Niggle and she was part of Ladies' Brass Polishing Guild. She is often invited to the club to see the brass polishing and she had seen Lady Drakmanton there often and the expensive good food and wine took away her memory. She thanked them to be so kind enough to invite her for Luncheon. She then suddenly remembered that she is already getting late for her work and slipped away.
It was a nightmare for the Smithly Dubbs and the bill amount shocked them. they actually were very well capable of paying luxury bills. It was alright for them to spend huge amount to display their wealth but to invite a middle-class person in their high-class network was intolerable to a great extent.
The prank played by Lady Drakmanton and her sister Milly taught them the lesson and they left p