Night Watches

A railway mishap gives Mr. Scutts an opportunity to make a great deal of his condition, while his wife, neighbours and doctors try to decide how seriously to take him. This opening sets the tone for W. W. Jacobs's collection of humorous short stories, where ordinary households become arenas for bargaining, suspicion and elaborate performances. The visitor from the railway company brings an offer of money, and the conversation becomes a contest over what each man will admit.

Elsewhere, a dispute over Mr. Simpson's identity turns awkward when he offers memories that embarrass Mr. Cooper in front of his wife. Such exchanges show how Jacobs builds comedy through speech, small evasions and sudden changes in advantage. Readers interested in domestic farce will find sharp dialogue and characters whose attempts to manage appearances create fresh trouble. The collection suits reading a story at a time, with its humour rooted in familiar arguments about trust, pride and money.