--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am an urchin, standing in the cold…" description: "\"“I am an urchin, standing in the cold, elbowed aside by the glossy rich visitors in their fur coats and ostentatious jewellery, being fussed into the h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/primula-bond-37069_attractive_i-am-an-urchin-standing-in-the-cold-elbo_511936.jpg" --- # I am an urchin, standing in the cold, elbowed aside by the… ![“I am an urchin, standing in the cold, elbowed aside by the glossy rich visitors in their fur coats and ostentatious jewellery, being fussed into the hotel by pompous-looking doormen. 'No problem. I'd better get home, actually Mr – Gustav. A drink is very tempting, but maybe not such a good idea…” quote by Primula Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/primula-bond-37069_attractive_i-am-an-urchin-standing-in-the-cold-elbo_511936.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/primula-bond-37069_attractive_i-am-an-urchin-standing-in-the-cold-elbo_511936.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/primula-bond-37069_attractive_i-am-an-urchin-standing-in-the-cold-elbo_511936.jpg) > ““I am an urchin, standing in the cold, elbowed aside by the glossy rich visitors in their fur coats and ostentatious jewellery, being fussed into the hotel by pompous-looking doormen. 'No problem. I'd better get home, actually Mr – Gustav. A drink is very tempting, but maybe not such a good idea after all.' I pat my pockets. 'And I'm skint.' 'Pavements not paved with gold yet, eh?' He moves on along the facade of the grand hotel to the corner, and waits. He's staring not back at me but down St James Street. I wage a little war with myself. He's a stranger, remember. The newspaper headlines, exaggerated by the time they reach the office of Jake's local rag: Country girl from the sticks raped and murdered in London by suave conman. Even Poppy would be wagging her metaphorical finger at me by now. Blaming herself for not being there, looking out for me. But we're out in public here. Lots of people around us. He's charming. He's incredibly attractive. He's got a lovely deep, well spoken voice. And he's an entrepreneur who must be bloody rich if he owns more than one house. What the hell else am I going to do with myself when everyone else is out having fun? One thing I won't tell him is that my pockets might be empty, but my bank account is full. 'One drink. Then I must get back.' He doesn't answer or protest, but with a courtly bow he crooks his elbow and escorts me down St James. We turn right and into the far more subtle splendour of Dukes Hotel. 'Dress code?' I ask nervously, wiping my feet obediently on the huge but welcoming doormat and drifting ahead of him into the smart interior where domed and glassed corridors lead here and there. The foyer smells of mulled wine and candles and entices you to succumb to its perfumed embrace.”” [Primula Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primula-bond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A young woman navigates temptation, social disparity, and self‑worth in a glamorous yet alienating cityscape. **In simple terms:** Struggle with desire, class, and identity. Key Takeaway Recognize self‑value beyond material allure. Themes class disparity temptation identity urban loneliness self‑worth Mood reflective melancholic Type narrative descriptive When to use this quote - nightlife decisions - financial choices - personal safety - self‑reflection Key Concepts existentialism social critique psychology risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - What inner strengths can guide choices amid allure? - How does social class affect self‑perception? A Different Perspective Romanticizing wealth can obscure personal danger. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bank account](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bank-account/) [Dress code](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dress-code/) [Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) [Having fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-fun/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) ## Related quotes > [“You may get cheated, robbed, and murdered, in London. 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Did you have fun at your Alchemist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/what-about-you-sage-i-know-we-don-t-have-to-worry-about-you-violating/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [I think that both pornography and the imposition (common in some areas of the world) of a dress code on women are problematic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-assiter/i-think-that-both-pornography-and-the-imposition-common-in-some-areas/) [Alison Assiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-assiter/) > [“The hijab-related deaths and death sentences in Iran show that breaking the attire laws is more dangerous adventure than breaking the nudity laws.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-n-prasher/the-hijab-related-deaths-and-death-sentences-in-iran-show-that/) [R. N. Prasher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-n-prasher/) ## More by Primula Bond > [“Think of it as a symbol. Here’s the chain, joining us together. I know it’s a symbol of captivity. 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You and me, working and playing together?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primula-bond/good-girl-so-are-you-ready-to-do-this-you-and-me-working-and-playing/) [Primula Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primula-bond/) [Explore all 12 Primula Bond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primula-bond/) ## More Attractive quotes > [Every woman thinks herself attractive; even the plainest is satisfied with the charms she deems that she possesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/every-woman-thinks-herself-attractive-even-the-plainest-is-satisfied/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [A beautiful woman must expect to be more accountable for her steps, than one less attractive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-richardson/a-beautiful-woman-must-expect-to-be-more-accountable-for-her-steps/) [Samuel Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-richardson/) > [We are Bay Aryans from Berkeley: prepare to be reengineered in an attractive range of color schemes for your safety and comfort!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/we-are-bay-aryans-from-berkeley-prepare-to-be-reengineered-in-an/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [I was unusual looking - I didn't have the look of that time. If you look at 'Lucas' - and, basically, my first five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-ryder/i-was-unusual-looking-i-didn-t-have-the-look-of-that-time-if-you-look/) [Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-ryder/) > [Violence is what people do when they run out of good ideas. It's attractive because it's simple, it's direct, it's almost always available as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/violence-is-what-people-do-when-they-run-out-of-good-ideas-it-s/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [I hated grunge. No one’s more feminist than me, but you don’t have to look as if you don’t give a - you know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-zeta-jones/i-hated-grunge-no-one-s-more-feminist-than-me-but-you-don-t-have-to/) [Catherine Zeta-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-zeta-jones/) > [Web users ultimately want to get at data quickly and easily. They don't care as much about attractive sites and pretty design.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-berners-lee/web-users-ultimately-want-to-get-at-data-quickly-and-easily-they-don/) [Tim Berners-Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-berners-lee/) > [Just be confident. Confidence is the most attractive part of a person. Because if they're not confident enough to show you who they are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-jackson/just-be-confident-confidence-is-the-most-attractive-part-of-a-person/) [Curtis Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-jackson/) > [It is very pleasant to scratch an itching ring-worm, but the sensation one gets afterwards is very painful and intolerable. In the same way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramakrishna/it-is-very-pleasant-to-scratch-an-itching-ring-worm-but-the-sensation/) [Ramakrishna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramakrishna/) > [I think it's sort of the hypothetical point where communism and fascism meet. 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The downside was sitting through 'Splatteria III: The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hunter/i-remember-the-early-1980s-when-i-first-got-one-of-these-fabulous/) [Stephen Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hunter/) Browse all 1,796 Attractive quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I am an urchin, standing in the cold, elbowed aside by the glossy rich visitors in their fur coats and ostentatious jewellery, being fussed into the hotel by pompous-looking doormen. 'No problem. I'd better get home, actually Mr – Gustav. A drink is very tempting, but maybe not such a good idea after all.' I pat my pockets. 'And I'm skint.' 'Pavements not paved with gold yet, eh?' He moves on along the facade of the grand hotel to the corner, and waits. He's staring not back at me but down St James Street. I wage a little war with myself. He's a stranger, remember. The newspaper headlines, exaggerated by the time they reach the office of Jake's local rag: Country girl from the sticks raped and murdered in London by suave conman. Even Poppy would be wagging her metaphorical finger at me by now. Blaming herself for not being there, looking out for me. But we're out in public here. Lots of people around us. He's charming. He's incredibly attractive. He's got a lovely deep, well spoken voice. And he's an entrepreneur who must be bloody rich if he owns more than one house. What the hell else am I going to do with myself when everyone else is out having fun? One thing I won't tell him is that my pockets might be empty, but my bank account is full. 'One drink. Then I must get back.' He doesn't answer or protest, but with a courtly bow he crooks his elbow and escorts me down St James. We turn right and into the far more subtle splendour of Dukes Hotel. 'Dress code?' I ask nervously, wiping my feet obediently on the huge but welcoming doormat and drifting ahead of him into the smart interior where domed and glassed corridors lead here and there. 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