“He wrote it all down Zealously.”

“A small and sinister snow seems to be coming down relentlessly at present. The radio says it is eventually going to be sleet and rain, but I don't think so; I think it is just going to go on and on, coming down, until the whole world...etc. It has that look.”

“Mr. Earbrass has rashly been skimming through the early chapters, which he had not looked at for months, and now sees TUH for what it is. Dreadful, dreadful, DREADFUL. He must be mad to go on enduring the unexquisite agony of writing when it all turns out drivel. Mad. Why did n't he become a spy? How does one become one? He will burn the MS. Why is there no fire? Why are n't there the makings of one? How did he get in the unused room on the third floor?”

“On November 18 of alternate years Mr Earbrass begins writing 'his new novel'. Weeks ago he chose its title at random from a list of them he keeps in a little green note-book. It being tea-time of the 17th, he is alarmed not to have thought of a plot to which The Unstrung Harp might apply.”

“He presented it with a length of stringand passed on to the statue of Corrupted Endeavorto await the arrival of Autumn.”

“A is for Amy who fell down the stairs.B is for Basil assaulted by bears.C is for Clara who wasted away.D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh.E is for Ernest who choked on a peach. F is for Fanny sucked dry by a leech.G is for George smothered under a rug.H is for Hector done in by a thug.I is for Ida who drowned in a lake.J is for James who took lye by mistake.K is for Kate who was struck with an axe.L is for Leo who choked on some tacks.M is for Maud who was swept out to sea.N is for Neville who died of ennui.O is for Olive run through with an awl.P is for Prue trampled flat in a brawl.Q is for Quentin who sank on a mire.R is for Rhoda consumed by a fire.S is for Susan who perished of fits.T is for Titus who flew into bits.U is for Una who slipped down a drain.V is for Victor squashed under a train.W is for Winnie embedded in ice.X is for Xerxes devoured by mice.Y is for Yorick whose head was bashed in.Z is for Zillah who drank too much gin.”

“All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.”