The Book of Tells (Peter Collett)[unlocked]

THE BOOK OF TELLS
the speaker does to the listener. A listener who's retreating
in this way does not represent a threat to the talkative
speaker because she's not after the speaker role. However,
in order to secure his occupancy of the speaker role, the
speaker sometimes needs to make sure that the listener
remains in hers. Sometimes this can be done physically.
For example, during the nineteenth century, the conversational
practice of 'button-holding' (or 'button-holing')
was widespread - the speaker would grab hold of a button
on the listener's coat in order to get his attention and stop
him getting away. The English essayist, Charles Lamb,
provides a slightly exaggerated description of the
practice:
I was going from my house in Enfield to the India-house
one morning, and was hurrying, for I was late, when I met
Coleridge, on his way to pay me a visit; he was brimful of
some new idea and, in spite of my assuring him that time
was precious, he drew me within the door of an unoccupied
garden by the road-side, and there, sheltered
from observation by a hedge of evergreens, he took me by
the button of my coat, and closing his eyes commenced an
eloquent discourse, waving his right hand gently, as the
musical words flowed in an unbroken stream from his lips.
I listened entranced; but the striking of the church recalled
me to a sense of duty. I saw it was of no use to attempt to
break away so, taking advantage of his absorbtion in his
subject, I, with my penknife, quietly severed the button
from my coat and decamped. Five hours afterwards, in
passing the same garden, on my way home, I heard
Coleridge's voice, and on looking in, there he was, with
eyes closed, - the button in his fingers, - and his right hand
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