"The Dinner Club" is a mystery novel, written in 1923 by British author Herman Cyril McNeile (1888-1937; commonly known as Cyril McNeile and often publishing under the name H.C. McNeile or the pseudonym «Sapper»). On a certain day in the year of grace 1920, there came into being a special and very select club, with no entrance fee and no subscription, which made it different from all other clubs. Its membership was limited to six: the Actor, the Barrister, the Doctor, the Ordinary Man, the Soldier, and the Writer. And the only rule of the club was, that on certain nights, to be mutually agreed on, the member whose turn it was should give to the remaining members an exceedingly good dinner …
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H. C. "Sapper" McNeile. The Dinner Club
Foreword
CHAPTER I – The Actor’s Story, being The Patch on the Quilt
CHAPTER II – The Barrister’s Story, being The Decision of Sir Edward Shoreham
CHAPTER III – The Doctor’s Story, being Sentence of Death
CHAPTER IV – The Ordinary Man’s Story, being The Pipes of Death
CHAPTER V – The Soldier’s Story, being A Bit of Orange Peel
CHAPTER VI – The Writer’s Story, being The House at Appledore
CHAPTER VII – The Old Dining-Room
CHAPTER VIII – When Greek meets Greek
CHAPTER IX – Jimmy Lethbridge’s Temptation
CHAPTER X – Lady Cynthia and the Hermit
CHAPTER XI – A Glass of Whisky
CHAPTER XII – The Man Who Could Not Get Drunk
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On a certain day in the year of grace 1920, there came into being a special and very select club. There was no entrance fee and no subscription, in which respect it differed from all other clubs. Its membership was limited to six: the Actor, the Barrister, the Doctor, the Ordinary Man, the Soldier, and the Writer. And since each in his own particular trade had achieved what the world calls fame, except the Ordinary Man, who was only ordinary, it was decided that for purposes of convenience they should be entered in the list of members alphabetically according to their trade, and further that they should carry out the only rule of the club in the order of that entry. And the only rule of the club was, that on certain nights, to be mutually agreed on, the member whose turn it was should give to the remaining members an exceedingly good dinner, after which he should tell them a story connected with his own trade, that should be of sufficient interest to keep them awake.
And the only penalty of the club was that if the story was not of sufficient interest to keep the audience awake, the offending member should pay a sum of ten pounds to a deserving charity.
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“ ‘Then will you sit there.’ She took off her hat and coat as I sat down on the only available chair, and from underneath his pillow the man produced a paper-covered book.
“ ‘You’ll forgive me if I read my lines, Mr. Trayne,’ he said. ‘I find I can’t learn them—I can’t concentrate.’ He passed a thin, emaciated hand over his forehead. ‘And it’s her you want to see.’
