"And in the bedroom, they were alone at last."
In "The Lodger," Peter and his wife grow more and more uncomfortable with their new house guest. The stranger is an imposition in the home, forcing the couple to change their normal habits in order to accommodate him. In this passage, Peter decides that they should go to bed in order to escape the dreaded lodger.
"She closed the magazine and stood up. She limped a little bit ever since the children had cut off the big toe on her right foot."
Up until this point in the story, everything seems pretty normal. The story begins by introducing a devoted housewife who is busy cooking dinner for her family. However, when we read this line, we are aware that this is not a "normal" story, and that there is something strange and sinister going on within this seemingly normal family.
"For as long as she could remember she had resolved to be true to her nature and devote all her energies to her home and children."
This is the beginning of "A Story for Children," which sets the tone for the rest of the story. Here, we are told that the protagonist had decided long ago to devote "all her energies" to her home and children. As the story progresses, this devotion takes a sinister and disturbing turn, as the mother begins to sacrifice various body parts for her children.
