The Project Gutenberg eBook, John Ingerfield and Other Stories, by Jerome
K. Jerome

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Title: John Ingerfield and Other Stories

Author: Jerome K. Jerome

Release Date: May 1, 2007 [eBook #2525]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JOHN INGERFIELD AND OTHER STORIES***

Transcribed from the 1912 Frank Palmer edition by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf.org

JOHN INGERFIELD AND OTHER STORIES

Contents

To the Gentle Reader

In Remembrance of John Ingerfield and of Anne, his Wife

The Woman of the Saeter

Variety Patter

Silhouettes

The Lease of the "Cross Keys"

TO THE GENTLE READER;
also
TO THE GENTLE CRITIC.

Once upon a time, I wrote a little story of a woman who was crushed to
death by a python. A day or two after its publication, a friend stopped
me in the street. "Charming little story of yours," he said, "that about
the woman and the snake; but it's not as funny as some of your things!"
The next week, a newspaper, referring to the tale, remarked, "We have
heard the incident related before with infinitely greater humour."

With this--and many similar experiences--in mind, I wish distinctly to
state that "John Ingerfield," "The Woman of the Saeter," and
"Silhouettes," are not intended to be amusing. The two other
items--"Variety Patter," and "The Lease of the Cross Keys"--I give over
to the critics of the new humour to rend as they will; but "John
Ingerfield," "The Woman of the Saeter," and "Silhouettes," I repeat, I
should be glad if they would judge from some other standpoint than that
of humour, new or old.

IN REMEMBRANCE OF JOHN INGERFIELD, AND OF ANNE, HIS WIFE
A STORY OF OLD LONDON, IN TWO CHAPTERS

CHAPTER I.

If you take the Underground Railway to Whitechapel Road (the East
station), and from there take one of the yellow tramcars that start from
that point, and go down the Commercial Road, past the George, in front of
which starts--or used to stand--a high flagstaff, at the base of which
sits--or used to sit--an elderly female purveyor of pigs' trotters at
three-ha'pence apiece, until you come to where a railwa