From Under the Overcoat (31 page)

What was even more remarkable is that from that time the apparition of the dead clerk ceased entirely; apparently the general's overcoat had fitted him perfectly, anyway nothing more was heard of overcoats being snatched from any one. Many restless and anxious people refused, however, to be pacified, and still maintained that in remote parts of the town the ghost of the dead clerk went on appearing. One sentry in Kolomna, for instance, saw with his own eyes a
ghost appear from behind a house; but, being by natural constitution somewhat feeble — so much so that on one occasion an ordinary, well-grown pig, making a sudden dash out of some building, knocked him off his feet to the vast entertainment of the cabmen standing round, from whom he exacted two kopecks each for snuff for such rudeness — he did not dare to stop it, and so followed it in the dark until the ghost suddenly looked round and, stopping, asked him: ‘What do you want?' displaying a fist such as you never see among the living. The sentry said: ‘Nothing,' and turned back on the spot. This ghost, however, was considerably taller and ado rned with immense moustaches, and, directing its steps apparently towards Obuhov Bridge, vanished into the darkness of the night.

T
he author gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Creative New Zealand in the writing of this book and the publisher also acknowledges their support in its production.

FOR A QUIET, PERFECT
place to write, I’m indebted to members of the Frank Sargeson Trust.

For your support in all its forms, thank you Craig Cliff, Gigi Fenster, Tom Fitzsimons, Emma Gallagher, Kate Mahony, Mary Macpherson, Lucy Orbell, Amanda Smith, Abby Stewart and Anna Taylor.

For advice about ‘Recreation’, thank you Paul Diamond.

For your views on the Irishness of ‘A Regrettable Slip of the Tongue’, many thanks to Kevin Ireland, Ann Gallagher and Jack O’Connell of Schull Books, Ballydehop, Co Cork.

For the golfing expertise necessary to write ‘Journeyman’, thank you Adrian Orr.

For the use of Tamau Pā, thanks Tom Loughlin of Kai Waho.

Thanks to Harriet Allan, Stuart Lipshaw and Jennifer Balle of Random House, and to Rebecca Lal for your superb editing and Claire Gummer for her final read.

For spending time on my cover when you could have been writing, thank you Sarah Laing.

For your time and effort as first readers, thank you Paula Green and Dame Fiona Kidman.

And for everything, thank you Adrian, Noah, Helena and Callum.

I DREW INSPIRATION FROM
the following works during research for this book:

O’Connor, Frank,
The Lonely Voice: A Study of the Short Story
, New Jersey: Melville House, 2004.

Thomson, Arthur,
The Story of New Zealand: Past and Present
—
Savage and Civilized
, London: John Murray, 1859.

Gardner, John,
The Art of Fiction
, New York: Vintage, 1983.

THE LYRICS OF ‘THE
Lass of Aughrim’ in ‘A Regrettable Slip of the Tongue’ were sourced from www.traditionalmusic.co.uk

‘
GEORGE CLARKE JUNIOR’ FIRST
appeared in
Lost in Translation
, edited by Marco Sonzogni, Vintage, Auckland, 2009.

SUE ORR’S FIRST BOOK,
Etiquette for a Dinner Party: Short Stories
, was published by Vintage in 2008. It won the Lilian Ida Smith Award. She is a graduate of Bill Manhire’s creative writing programme at Victoria University in Wellington. She has been a journalist and editor, and spent two years as Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright’s speechwriter. She has worked in England and France, where two of her three children were born. She now lives with her family in Auckland and is working on a novel.