Opening Sentence of the Day: Strangers and Brothers

The fire in our habitual public-house spurted and fell.

-- Strangers and Brothers by C. P. Snow.

Better than the first sentence is the name of the chapter: "Firelight on a Silver Cigarette Case."

This is the first book in Snow's 11-volume "Strangers and Brother's" series.  This volume is now published under the title George Passant, but I have an older edition with the Strangers and Brothers title.