Quote: That’s how they do it, these girls! Othello charmed Desdemona by telling her stories, but, oh, didn’t Desdemona charm Othello by the way she listened?
Character: Sir Eustace Pedler’s narrative
Chapter/Story: 11
Book Title/Copyright: The Man in the Brown Suit, 1924
Subject: Listening Sympathetically
Quote: Katherine listened sympathetically. Habits die hard. Listening had been her portion for ten years now. “My dear, I wonder if I ever told you about that naval ball at Portsmouth? When Lord Charles admired my gown?” And composedly, kindly, Katherine would reply: “I rather think you have, Mrs. Harfield, but I’ve forgotten about it. Won’t you tell it me again?” And then the old lady would start off full swing, with numerous details. And half of Katherine’s mind would be listening, saying the right thing mechanically when the old lady paused….
Character: Omniscient Narrator
Chapter/Story: 7--Letters
Book Title/Copyright: The Mystery of the Blue Train, 1928
Subject: Useful Listening Skills
Quote: “If I have stopped any one from making an idiot of themselves, I suppose I have done good work…. But who knows? That is the kind of woman who is hard-headed and egotistical all her life, and it might be good for her to do the other sort of thing for a change. Oh, well—I don’t suppose I shall ever see her again. She certainly won’t want to see me again. That is the worst of letting people tell you things. They never do.”
Character: Katherine Grey
Chapter/Story: 10—On the Blue Train
Book Title/Copyright: The Mystery of the Blue Train, 1928
