Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat

(Partly based on ELI M. SEBY,  NRK http://ndla.no/en/node/10295)

Comprehension

1. Why had the Colonel given Mrs Bixby a mink coat?
2. Why did Mrs Bixby have to come up with a plan?
3. Why do you think Mr Bixby says he will be working late?
4. What did Mrs Bixby realise when she saw Miss Pulteney with the coat?
5. Why is this a story on adultery?

Pay attention to: 

• Mrs Bixby's monthly visits to Bristol
• the parting gift she got and the problem it represented
• how she intended to get around this problem
• what she told her husband about the pawn ticket
• what her husband decided they should do about it
• the arrangement made by Mr Bixby after he had been to the pawnbroker
• how it finally dawned upon Mrs Bixby what her husband was up to

Discussion

1. What do you think of Mrs Bixby's plan to fool her husband? Do you see any alternatives to going to the pawnbroker?
2. How would you characterise the relationship between Mr and Mrs Bixby?
3. Do you think Mrs Bixby gets what she deserves?

Put these sentences into context: 

"As it turned out, however, the aunt was little more than a convenient alibi for Mrs

Bixby". 

"She just couldn't take her eyes off it. Nor, for that matter, could she wait to try it on.

Quickly she slipped off her own plain red coat".

'Isn't it silly of me?' Mrs Bixby said. `I've gone and lost my pocketbook, and this being

Saturday, the banks are all closed until Monday and I've simply got to have some

money for the week-end.

`Oh look!' she cried seeing the ticket. `I forgot to show you this I found it just now on the

seat of my taxi. It's got a number on it, and I thought it might be a lottery ticket or

something, so I kept it.'

But there was no coat. There was only a ridiculous little fur neckpiece dangling from

her husband's hand.