READ AND FIND OUT 

Page 47

Q1. Why is the lawyer sent to New Mullion? What does he first think about the place?

Answer: The lawyer is sent to New Mullion to serve a summons on a man named Oliver Lutkins, who is a crucial witness in a law case. When he first arrives, he is disappointed. He finds the streets to be “rivers of mud” and the wooden shops to be a “sour brown” and unpainted.

Q2. Who befriends him? Where does he take him?

Answer: A hack driver named Bill Magnuson befriends the lawyer. He is a red-faced, cheerful man of about forty. Bill takes him around the village to various places where he claims Lutkins might be, including Fritz’s shop, Gustaff’s barber shop, and a poolroom.

Q3. What does he say about Lutkins?

Answer: Bill says that Lutkins is a “hard fellow to catch” and is “always up to something or other.” He also mentions that Lutkins is good at deceiving people and that he is a terrible debtor.

READ AND FIND OUT

Page 50

Q1. What more does Bill say about Lutkins and his family?

Answer: Bill says that Lutkins’ mother is a “terror.” He describes her as being about “nine feet tall and four feet thick and quick as a cat.” He suggests that Lutkins might be hiding behind his mother’s skirts to avoid the lawyer.

Q2. Does the narrator serve the summons that day?

Answer: No, the narrator does not serve the summons that day. He spends the entire day with Bill, going to different places in the village in search of Lutkins, but they never find him. He has to return to the city empty-handed.

Q3. Who is Lutkins?

Answer: Oliver Lutkins is none other than the hack driver, Bill Magnuson, himself. Bill is the one who befriends the lawyer and spends the entire day deceiving him.

Think about it

Page 53

Q1. When the lawyer reached New Mullion, did ‘Bill’ know that he was looking for Lutkins? When do you think Bill came up with his plan for fooling the lawyer?

Answer: Yes, Bill knew that the lawyer was looking for Lutkins from the moment they met at the station. Bill came up with his plan to fool the lawyer right away. He immediately claims to have seen Lutkins and then befriends the lawyer, offering to help him in his search. He even manages to get paid for his time, making the lawyer’s failure a financial success for himself.

Q2. Lutkins openly takes the lawyer all over the village. How is it that no one lets out the secret? (Hint: Notice that the hack driver asks the lawyer to keep out of sight behind him when they go into Fritz’s.) Can you find other such subtle ways in which Lutkins manipulates the tour?

Answer: No one lets out the secret because Bill has a rapport with all the villagers, and they are in on the joke. He keeps the lawyer out of sight when they go into Fritz’s and is a good actor. Other subtle ways in which Lutkins manipulates the tour are:

1. He tells the lawyer to stay out of sight because Lutkins is suspicious of men in fancy clothes.
2. He talks about Lutkins’ mother in a way that makes her sound like a “terror.”
3. He brings the lawyer to places where he has credit and is known as Lutkins, but they always “miss” him by a few minutes.

Q3. Why do you think Lutkins’ neighbours were anxious to meet the lawyer?

Answer: Lutkins’ neighbours were anxious to meet the lawyer because they had heard about the elaborate prank he had pulled on him. They wanted to see the gullible city lawyer for themselves, and they were amused by the whole situation.

Q4. After his first day’s experience with the hack driver the lawyer thinks of returning to New Mullion to practise law. Do you think he would have reconsidered this idea after his second visit?

Answer: Yes, the lawyer would definitely have reconsidered his idea of returning to New Mullion to practice law. After his second visit, he realizes that he was the victim of an elaborate prank, and the man he had come to admire was Lutkins himself. This realization would have completely changed his perception of the village and its people, making him reconsider his naive idea of a simple, happy life there.

Q5. Do you think the lawyer was gullible? How could he have avoided being taken for a ride?

Answer: Yes, the lawyer was gullible. He was young and naive, and he believed everything Bill told him. He could have avoided being taken for a ride by being more suspicious and cautious. He should have asked to see Lutkins himself instead of hiding behind Bill. He should have also questioned why everyone in the village seemed to know and be in on the joke.

Talk about it

Q1. Do we come across persons like Lutkins only in fiction or do we encounter them in real life as well? You can give examples from fiction, or narrate an incident that you have read in the newspaper, or an incident from real life.

Answer: People like Lutkins are not found only in fiction. Many such “con men” exist in real life, who use their charm and wit to deceive and manipulate others for personal gain. The term “confidence trickster” is used to describe such individuals who gain the confidence of their victims to cheat them.

Q2. Who is a ‘con man’, or a confidence trickster?

Answer: A ‘con man’ or a confidence trickster is a person who cheats or defrauds others by gaining their trust and confidence. They often use their charm, wit, and acting skills to deceive their victims.