‘A Cup of Tea’ by Katherine Mansfield deals with an upper-class woman named Rosemary Fell. She spends her day out shopping at some west corners of London. One day she visits an antique dealer’s shop that shows her a beautiful small blue velvet box. But she does not buy it and asks the shopkeeper to save it for her.
While getting to her car she is approached by a girl. This girl is wearing tattered clothes and asks her for money for tea. Rosemary finds this an opportunity to show herself as charitable. So, she takes the young girl with her to the house.
As they reach the house, Rosemary takes the poor girl to her room and asks her to sit by the fire. She helps her take off her coat and hat and tries to soothe her. The girl seems to be hungry and therefore, the girl is provided with tea and sandwiches. Rosemary tries to inquire more about the girl as she is planning to help her. The conversation is interrupted by her husband Philips. He is surprised to see the stranger in the room and asks his wife to talk to him privately in the library. Rosemary wishes to keep the poor girl with her but her husband disapproves it. Seeming his wife’s determination, Phillip tries the oldest trick in diplomacy i.e. jealousy. He praises the girl on her pretty looks. This gives a rise to insecurities of Rosemary. Rosemary leaves the library and enters the study room from where she picks up some cash. She returns to her room and hands over the money to the poor girl making her leave the house.
After the girl leaves the house Rosemary joins Philips back in the library. After a pause, she whispers, “Am I pretty?”
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