Among the Paths to Eden by Truman Capote. Short summary

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Mr. Ivor Belli decided to visit the grave of his wife, who passed away a year ago. The widower hoped for a pleasant stroll, but there was a woman waiting for him at the cemetery, insistently trying to get acquainted.

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On a mild March afternoon, Mr. Ivor Belli bought a bouquet of daffodils from a florist and went to the cemetery to the grave of his wife, who had died a year earlier. Mr. Belly had hoped for a pleasant walk, but the cemetery was gloomy, so he quickly put the bouquet in a vase and wanted to leave. But a middle-aged woman blocked his path.

The woman introduced herself as Mary O’Meaghan, told him that her father had recently died, and treated the man to some nuts. Mary began to insistently draw Mr. Belli into the conversation, asking about his dead wife and children, his musical leanings. Mary talks about how well she cooks and invites the man to her house for dinner.

Finally, the woman candidly asks the widower if he intends to remarry. Mr. Belly replies categorically no and is about to leave. On her way out of the cemetery, Mary tells the man how she tries to meet prospective widowers here. At the gate, the woman sees a new victim and quickly forgets about Mr. Belly.