In The Cage

Henry James' story ''In the Cage'' was initially made available as a book in 1898. The protagonist of this lengthy tale is an anonymous London telegraphist. As she waits in the "cage" at the post office, she deciphers hints about the private lives of her clients from the frequently cryptic telegrams they send her. The telegraphist, who is perceptive and knowledgeable, eventually learns more information than she may have wanted to. An unnamed telegraphist works in a post office in a fashionable London neighborhood. She becomes "engaged" with Captain Everard and Lady Bradeen, a couple of lovers. By remembering certain code numbers in the telegrams, she manages to reassure them that their secrets are safe. The protagonist of in the Cage can be seen as a version of the artist, constructing a complex finished work from the slightest hints. Her knack for deducing details of her customers' lives from their brief, cryptic telegrams is similar in some ways to James' ability to invent stories from the tiniest suggestions. Her function was to dole out stamps and postal orders, weigh letters, answer stupid questions and give difficult change.