Is there a list of answers? if not, he had his lady at home, and was seriously longing to go home.
The technique that the author uses to build suspense in the excerpt is odd characters are introduced.
This is a technique often used in Gothic literature.
Is very simple, although the term "chaser" may not be as commonly used as it was when John Collier wrote his story. A chaser is a drink that is taken to follow the first alcoholic drink.
To persuade the reader in such a way, they want to take action towards something.