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Billy Weaver had travelled down from London on the slow afternoon train, with a change at Swindon on the way, and by the time he got to Bath it was about nine o’clock in the evening and the moon was coming up out of a clear starry sky over the houses opposite the station entrance. But the air was deadly cold and the wind was like a flat blade of ice on his cheeks.

This excerpt introduces the setting of the story—Bath, England on a beautiful but cold night. The contrast of the beauty and the deadly cold suggests that not everything will be as nice as it seems in this town. The serenity and beauty of the setting mirrors the serenity and beauty of the landlady’s home later in the story. But just as the beauty of the night sky obscures the deadly cold, the seeming comfort of the landlady’s home obscures the true horrors within.

They had porches and pillars and four or five steps going up to their front doors, and it was obvious that once upon a time they had been very swanky residences. But now, even in the darkness, he could see that the paint was peeling from the woodwork on their doors and windows, and that the handsome white façades were cracked and blotchy from neglect.

This description at the beginning of the story is an early hint that the story might not be such a nice one. At first glance the place seems fine and even fancy, but a closer look reveals the decay. Thus, the description of the setting here also hints that things are not always what they seem. This hint is confirmed later in the story when nice appearances lure Billy into a dangerous trap.

So a few minutes later, after unpacking his suitcase and washing his hands, he trotted downstairs to the ground floor and entered the living-room. His landlady wasn’t there, but the fire was glowing in the hearth, and the little dachshund was still sleeping in front of it. The room was wonderfully warm and cosy.

This passage describes the setting of the climactic and final scene. The fire, the sleeping dog, the warmth—these details all suggest a safe place. It is a disturbing contrast with the closing scene of the story, in which Billy finally realizes he is alone with a dangerous murderer.

Next section The Folly of Youth

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