"Brooksmith" is a

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

written by

Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...

in 1891.

Plot

The narrator tells the story of Brooksmith, a

butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...

he had once known. Brooksmith was responsible for the preservation of the atmosphere in a retired diplomat's

salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...

where the guests enjoyed a high level of intellectual conversation with the diplomat and each other. Brooksmith was regarded by the narrator as "the artist" who insured that the company at each gathering was the optimum number and mix of personalities to provide the highest level of conversation possible. This was partially of benefit to Brooksmith himself, who would linger in the room on some pretext or other in order to eavesdrop on the exchanges. The diplomat was well aware of this, and alluded to it on occasion with dryly humorous remarks. With the diplomat's death, Brooksmith loses his vocation, which to him was almost a calling. Brooksmith, lonely and dispirited, works a few odd jobs but falls into poverty and illness. At the end of the story, the narrator reveals that Brooksmith had disappeared, and implies that he may have committed suicide.

External links

A web page about the book
in henryjames.org.uk * Short stories by Henry James 1891 short stories {{1890s-story-stub