Is it a candle or ?

May 11, 2017 6:10 AM

From The Fallen Idol by Green. -He heard mrs Baines's voice like the voice in a nightmare when the small Price light has guttered in the saucer and the curtains move; it was sharp and shrill and full of malice, louder than people ought to speak,exposed.- What is "the small Price light" ? Can I see the picture of it ?
posted by mizukko to Writing & Language (4 answers total)

I believe mizukko is referring to The Basement Room by Graham Greene, filmed as The Fallen Idol.

when the small Price light has guttered in the saucer and the curtains move

I suspect it refers to a candle made by Price's Candles.
posted by zamboni at 6:35 AM on May 11, 2017

Best answer: Most likely Price's Childs' Night Light, which was intended to be placed in a saucer of water.
posted by zamboni at 6:42 AM on May 11, 2017 [2 favorites]

It would be a Price's Sentinel Night Light, placed in a saucer without water. They were supposed to burn all night. We'd get one on the bedside table if we were having bad dreams.

They're basically tea lights, but in a paper case.
posted by scruss at 6:45 AM on May 11, 2017 [1 favorite]

One other small thing to note is that the verb "guttered" is a candle-specific word. I'd never heard of a Price light, but I had imagined a small stubby candle before I read the comments.
posted by tchemgrrl at 12:41 PM on May 11, 2017