After reading the story for the first time you feel……
 i) confused         ii) amused           iii) intrigued        iv) horror-struck
 Say why you feel this way

Where had Billy come from? Is there any indication that he had never been to a bath before?

What prompted him to enter the bed and breakfast boarding house rather than to try the Hotel not very far away?

Mention three things about the lady and her boarding house that you found strange, even though Billy didn’t seem to consider them so?

That's funny, he thought suddenly. Christopher Mulholland. It rings a bell. Now where on earth had he heard that rather an unusual name before? As a matter of fact, now he came to think of it, he wasn't at all sure that the second name didn't have almost as much of a familiar ring about it as the first. 'Gregory Temple’? he said aloud, searching his memory. 

1. Where did Billy see the two names he refers to in the above extract? What did that suggest to him? 

2. What did you mean when he said the names have a familiar ring about them? What did he remember about them? 

3. What details did the landlady give Billy about Christopher Mulholland and Gregory Temple? Did any of these details seem strange?

Good gracious me," he said. "How absolutely fascinating. He turned a dog and stared with deep admiration at the little woman beside him on the sofa. ‘It must be most awfully difficult to do a thing like that.’ ‘Not in the least,' she said. ‘I stuff all my little pets myself when they pass away. Will you have another cup of tea?' 

1. What does Billy find absolutely fascinating why? 

2. How does Billy respond to the landlady's invitation to have another cup of tea? Why does he react in this way? 

3. The landlady offers another cup of tea along with her statement about her pets appearing to be innocent at this point of the story. Do they take on a special significance after you read the story completely? Explain why?

What is the significance of the following things noted by Billy, when taken together? 

1. The peculiar odour that seemed to come from the landlady reminded him of pickled walnuts or a hospital 

2. Her reference to Mr Mulholland drinking a lot of tea 

3. Her insistence that Billy should drink his tea 

4. Billy's observation that his tea tasted faintly of bitter almonds?

What do you think happened to Billy? Mention at least five clues in the story that made you suspect this. At which point in the story did you first suspect the fate in store for Billy?

State whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F). Give reasons for your answers

1. Billy decided to enter the lodging house because he didn't want to walk the way to the Bell and Dragon

2. According to the landlady, there were two other lodgers in the house apart from Billy

3. Billy felt nervous and suspicious when he first met his landlady.

4. Billy felt that something had happened to Christopher Mulholland and Gregory Temple who had both spent time in this same lodging house some years earlier, but he couldn't remember the exact details

5. The landlady admitted that the two young men had left her boarding house a few weeks after staying with her

6. Billy was fascinated by his landlady's parrot and dachshund because she took good care of them, and they were very friendly

Find words in the story that suggest a positive image of the landlady. Choose words from the box that suggest qualities in the landlady that are not immediately apparent. Explain your choice.

Would you agree that the main theme of the story is the deceptiveness of outward appearances? It seems to caution naïve youth to be careful in whom they repose their trust. Share it with your class an experience you may have had, or heard about, that reflects the theme of this story.

Foreshadowing is a literary device used by writers which provides hints of coming events that build up to the unexpected climax of the story. The significance of these clues is not realized till the end of the story and this makes for a satisfying reading experience. Go through the story carefully and make a list of all the clues and suggestions made by the author that should have aroused Billy’s suspicions, but were missed by him, probably because of his youth and inexperience. Show how the author gradually reveals to the reader that Bill was drawn into the boarding house by a strange power over which he had no control, that the landlady was not who she appeared to be and that she had a sinister fate planned for Billy.

How does the author prepare the reader for the terrifying implication with which the story ends? The author starts preparing the reader for the terrifying implication with which the story ends?

“The tea tasted faintly of bitter almonds, and he didn’t much care for it.”

a. Why does the author include specific sensory details about the taste of the tea?
b. How does the description of the tea contribute to the overall tone and mood of the story?
c. What does Billy’s reaction to the taste of the tea suggest about his intuition or feelings about the landlady?

What lessons does Billy learn about the dangers of unnecessary investigation or experimentation, as conveyed in the quote, "Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back"?