# Chapter Notes: Fantasy

This document provides a comprehensive analysis of the key concepts, vocabulary, and grammatical principles presented in the chapter "Fantasy," focusing on O. Henry's short story, "The Romance of a Busy Broker."

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## Working with Words

### A. Vocabulary Definitions

| Word | Definition |
| :--- | :--- |
| **snappy** | Irritable and inclined to speak sharply. |
| **discretion** | The ability to behave without causing embarrassment or attracting too much attention. |
| **radiant** | Showing great happiness, love, or health. |
| **irresolute** | Not able to decide what to do; hesitant. |
| **brusque** | Using very few words and sounding rude; abrupt. |
| **fitful** | Happening only for short periods; not regular or steady. |
| **harlequin** | A humorous character in some traditional plays. |
| **lull** | A quiet period between times of activity. |
| **janitress** | A woman whose job is to take care of a building. |
| **speck** | A very small spot. |

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### B. Stock Market Terminology

* **Liquidity**: The ease with which an asset, or security, can be converted into ready cash without affecting its market price.
* **IPO (Initial Public Offering)**: The process by which a private company first sells its shares to the public, becoming a publicly-traded company.
* **NEPSE (Nepal Stock Exchange)**: The only stock exchange in Nepal, serving as the primary marketplace for the trading of securities.
* **Index**: A statistical measure of change in a securities market, created by combining a group of stocks. The NEPSE index, for example, tracks the overall performance of the Nepali stock market.
* **Portfolio**: A collection of financial investments owned by an individual or organization, which may include stocks, bonds, and cash.
* **Dividend**: A distribution of a portion of a company's earnings, decided by the board of directors, to a class of its shareholders. It can be paid in cash or as additional stock.
* **Turnover**: A measure of the volume of trading activity in a particular stock or the entire market over a specific period.
* **Margin**: The money borrowed from a brokerage firm to purchase an investment. It is the difference between the total value of securities held in an investor's account and the loan amount from the broker.

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## Comprehension

### A. True, False or Not Given

a. Harvey Maxwell was a stockbroker. **T**
b. He was not happy with his clerk, Pitcher. **NG**
c. Miss Leslie had been married to Maxwell for a year. **F**
d. Maxwell had hired a machine to work in his office. **NG**
e. He had instructed Pitcher to get a new stenographer. **T**
f. Miss Leslie was amazed by Maxwell’s proposal. **T**
g. She thought that he had probably gone mad. **F**
h. She realized that he had been absent-minded due to his business. **T**

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### B. Answer the Following Questions

**a. How did Maxwell enter his office?**
Maxwell entered his office briskly, accompanied by the young lady stenographer. He gave a brief, preoccupied "Good-morning" to his clerk, Pitcher, before immediately immersing himself in the business of the day.

**b. Describe the physical appearance of the young lady.**
The young lady, Miss Leslie, possessed a beauty that was understated and not typical of a stenographer. She dressed plainly in a grey dress that fitted her well and a neat black turban hat. She avoided flashy jewelry and elaborate hairstyles. On this particular morning, she was described as "softly and shyly radiant," with bright eyes and a happy expression, suggesting a deep inner contentment.

**c. What changes did Pitcher notice in the young lady?**
Pitcher noticed that her usual routine was different. Instead of going directly to her desk in the adjoining room, she lingered in the main office, appearing slightly hesitant or "irresolute." She moved close to Maxwell’s desk, seemingly wanting him to notice her presence, which was a departure from her normal, strictly professional behavior.

**d. What was Pitcher’s reply to the young lady concerning a new stenographer?**
When the young lady inquired about the new stenographer, Pitcher replied that Maxwell had indeed instructed him to hire one. He had contacted an agency the previous day, which was supposed to send several candidates that morning, but so far, none had arrived.

**e. What proposal did Maxwell make to Miss Leslie?**
In a moment of distraction from his work, Harvey Maxwell turned to Miss Leslie and abruptly proposed marriage to her, declaring that he had been fond of her for a long time and couldn't get along without her.

**f. How did she react to his proposal?**
Her reaction was a mixture of amazement, tears, and finally, sunny smiles. Overcome with emotion, she tenderly put her arm around the broker's neck and reminded him, with gentle humor, that they had already been married the previous evening at a small church around the corner.

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## Grammar: Relative Clauses

### A. Identifying Relative Clauses

a. I snatched a minute **when things had slackened a bit**.
b. Instead of going straight into the adjoining room, **where her desk was**, she lingered slightly irresolute in the outer office.
c. She was beautiful in a way **that was decidedly unstenographic**.

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### B. Fill in the Blanks with Relative Pronouns

a. There is a lady **whose** wallet has been stolen.
b. Do you know the man **who** sold these glasses?
c. The knife **with which** you cut the bread is very sharp. (or The knife **that** you cut the bread with...)
d. Why do you blame him for everything **that** goes wrong?
e. A cemetery is a place **where** dead bodies are buried.
f. This school is for those children **whose** mother tongue is not Nepali.
g. I don’t know the name of the person **to whom** I spoke over the telephone.
h. I came to Kathmandu on the day **when** the devastating earthquake took place.
i. In the application form she wrote **that** she needed a good payment.
j. The pilot explained **why** he made a forced landing on the road.

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### C. Joining Sentences with Relative Clauses

a. The building **which/that** was destroyed in the fire has now been rebuilt.
b. A new cricket stadium, **which** can accommodate one hundred thousand people, is being made in Chitwan.
c. Shanghai, **where** I stayed for five years, is the most populated city in the world.
d. This is the man **to whom** I gave some money this morning.
e. Do you know the man **whose** son was awarded in the school yesterday?
f. His step-mother, **with whom** he had been staying, was not very kind to him.
g. He can never forget Nakkhu Jail, **where** he had spent 14 years.
h. He showed me his new tab, **for which** he had paid a hundred thousand rupees.
i. Nelson Mandela joined the ANC in the 1930s, **when** he was a student.
j. She forgot to buy the things **which/that** her mother had told her to buy.