This collection of stories was incitefully and beautifully written, socially varied. From rural villages in Ireland with their rightul but dangerous outcast character, to sophicated travel in France with wine-filled tables of educated conversation and erotically-eaten shellfish by candlelight. to the grey London days of an elderly retired dancer - her glory days behind her, contently retired until a handsome young man crashes into the public garden she maintains as civic duty. This is well before the days of a settlement at Lincoln's Inn, but she can see he is good, and offers him home, but only until her fanasies destroy believe in trust and understanding between them. This was my least favourite, just because the archetype of an embittered, forgotten old maid, settled - but brittle and eratic with unresolved sexual guilt, got to me. A writer who does female longing, sex, innocense and betrayal so beautifully let her own side down with this, perhaps - but the story was still intriguiing. ( )