- •I wrapped my hanky round my thumb and got myself organized. George
- •I was known as Needle.
- •I stood silently among the people, watching. As you will see, I wasn't in a
- •I took a good look at this man accompanying Kathleen. It was her husband.
- •It was not for me to speak to Kathleen, but I had a sudden inspiration which
- •I must explain that I departed this life nearly five years ago. But I did not
- •Inspired to it. Indeed it's one of the things I can't do now — to speak out,
- •I taught in a private school in Kensington, for almost three months, very
- •I didn't love Skinny so I gave him back the ring.
- •I accompanied the party as a sort of secretary. Skinny vouched for me, he
- •I had broken off our engagement, lectured me about this, but still he took me
- •I'm busy in the hat-shop and being presented. You would think he hadn't
- •I must say I was myself a bit off-put by this news about the brown woman. I
- •Intelligent than a mule and sturdier than a horse. But I'm not having any
- •I was able to live on the fee I got for writing a gossip column in a local
- •I met George once more in a hotel in Bulawayo. We drank highballs and
- •I had half a mind to marry Skinny; perhaps, I thought, when his studies
- •I had already heard about the baby girl. Coal black, by repute, with
- •Impotence and need I secreted a venom which infected all my life for days on
- •I was nearly sick. One, because of my Scottish upbringing. Two, because of
- •I returned to England with Skinny's party just before the war.
- •I did not see George again till just before my death, five years ago.
- •I was waiting to write about life and it seemed to me that the good fortune lay in
- •I thought of my type of luck after I became a Catholic and was being
- •I visited Skinny twice in the two years that he was in the sanatorium. He was
- •Very close friends. We met several times each week, and after our Saturday-
- •If we had felt moved to do so.
- •I ought to get in touch with poor George. But then I think he would write
- •I did not speak of George's marriage, nor of any of his confidences in the
- •Impatience with him in former days; she said,
- •In the course of the morning he had told her of his wartime nightclub in
- •I was curious to see this version of George, but I was leaving for Scotland
- •Visited at week-ends; this old lady lived a few miles from Kathleen's aunt,
- •I should go ahead of her in the early afternoon to see to the provisions for our
- •I said no, I liked an empty house.
- •It was like a treasure hunt as I followed clue after clue through the cool silent
- •I found myself speaking to him almost as if he were a child.
- •I giggled, and looked at him. His face had grown much larger, his lips full, wide,
- •I still kept up. They referred to her as "George's Dark Lady" and of course
- •I said, "If Kathleen intends to marry you, I shall tell her that you're already
- •Vest year. Unfortunately, the byreman's hands were even brawnier and
- •If I hadn't been wearing my long-sleeved cardigan, it was said, the bruises
- •I dashed his hopes. I said, "Hallo, George!"
- •In that convivial street. I thought to myself. "He looks as if he had a mouthful
- •I might have been inspired to say more on that agreeable morning, but he
- •I doubt if George will ever see me again in the Portobello Road. He broods
- •Its few drooping tenants. They huddled together like birds in a storm; their
- •I was waiting for friends to come and pick me up on their way to Venice.
- •Importance was permitted to dawn upon strangers.
- •In the garden, strangely standing on a path between the flowers for
- •I climbed the lower slopes of the mountains while the experts in their boots
- •I was moved by the sight. The girl called Mitzi was watching me as I stood
- •In the kitchen doorway. "Coffee?'' she said.
- •I saw a black lacquered cabinet inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and just
- •I went into the polished dining-room, and Mitzi brought my coffee there.
- •It was that very day that the nuisance occurred. The double windows of my
- •It was a cold day. I sat in my room writing letters. I glanced out of the
- •I looked up a few moments later, and this time Herr Stroh was seated on a
- •I left my room and went down to complain to Frau Lublonitsch.
- •I returned to my room. Herr Stroh still sat in position, the field-glasses in
- •In his doorway blinking up at the roof of the Guest-house Lublonitsch. He
- •I didn't want to draw his attention by following the line of his gaze but I
- •In Frau Lublonitsch's splendid bedroom.
- •I turned the comer just as Herr Stroh gave up his gazing; he went indoors,
- •It while I waited for someone to come. I did not have to wait long, for two
- •Indeed were there, but invisible.
- •In the peeling pastel stucco of the little town, the unnecessary floral balconies,
- •Intrigued her.
- •Impassive neck.
- •Is she —"
- •Insurance manager. The successful kind."
- •I think twenty-two. I am twenty-two so far as Richard's concerned. I don't
- •If you want to be successful with men you have to hang on to your youth."
- •Invitation must come from Richard."
- •Valley.
- •I felt the need of his support. "
- •Including Gwen. The one called Grace was quite pretty, with a bewildered
- •I put on my dark glasses to shield my eyes from the sun and conceal my
- •It is discouraging to put on sun glasses in the middle of someone's intimate
- •I was sent to have my eyes tested. He took me into the darkened interior
- •I had seen Miss Simmonds once before, at a garden fete, where she stood on
- •I stopped looking round. I said. "Read what?" for I had been told I would
- •I recall reading the letters correctly down to the last few lines, which were
- •I broke the glasses by sitting on them during my school holidays two years
- •I washed my hair the night before and put a wave in it. Next morning at
- •I smiled and put my hand in my blazer pocket.
- •I formed an idea of his private life. "Dorothy" I speculated, "and Basil." I let
- •Is it to her?"
- •I invented for myself a recurrent scene in which brother and sister
- •I was sent for to try on my new reading glasses. I had the hat-pin with me I
- •I said, "Grandmother said to inquire after your mother."
- •I took to giving Basil a charming smile when I passed him in the street on
- •I took walks before supper round the back lanes, ambling right round the
- •Visible from the window. He laid it side by side with another sheet of paper
- •Ink and started writing on the bottom of the sheet of paper before him,
- •I shivered in my soaking wet clothes. Dorothy looked with her eye at the
- •I took them into Mr. Simmonds early that afternoon.
- •I had smeared them with cold cream first.
- •Interrupted:
- •I noted her correct phrase, "Are these they?" and it seemed just over the
- •Vicious, in the wrong.
- •I started screaming when I got home, and was given a sedative. By evening
- •It was put down to an accident. There was a strong hope that Miss
- •I said, "The bottle may have been tampered with, have you thought of
- •I was attended by our woman doctor, the widow of the town's former
- •I saw Dr. Gray leaving the Simmonds' at six o'clock one evening. She must
- •I walked on, certain that he had known my guilty suspicions all along.
- •I had come to the summer school to lecture on history and she on
- •Inmost lives. This is probably because they spend so much time hearing out
- •It and myself looked back at myself through the dark water. I looked at Dr.
- •I took them off for a moment. I rather liked her for her innocence in not
- •I had my glasses on again, and was walking on.
- •I thought, neither had I.
- •I said, "He might have stopped seeing eyes if you'd taken him at his word."
- •I could hardly believe she was shouting, who previously had been so calm.
- •I think it was then she recognised me.
- •It there and then. You see, he had to do it while it was still wet."
- •Vestments, or at least lace veil.
- •Vestments.
- •Instance, when a local Town Councillor resigned his office Raymond said,
- •In this particular, from the prejudices of that middle class to which they as
- •Introduce them to so many people." For the dark pair had, within a month,
- •In eyes, skin, teeth, which made him seem all the more eager. He called out
- •Irritated Lou, though she kept her peace.
- •Very well by Elizabeth." They had pulled up outside the house where
- •I'm not going to leave my kids in no nursery. I'm not going to send them to no
- •In that he took a tubercular turn, which was followed by a religious one. He
- •Very delicate question. She was amazed when, within three weeks, Oxford
- •In previous numbers, various references to the Black Madonna, how she had
- •It was the Saturday before that Sunday when Lou had her first sick turn.
- •In the next parish magazine. "Another case has come to light of the kindly
- •In fact, it was a very easy birth, a girl. Raymond was allowed in to see Lou
- •In the late afternoon. She was half asleep. "The nurse will take you to see the
- •In the other cots. "Far more so than the others."
- •Isn't hers, which is ridiculous."
- •Very long chance. I've never known it happen in my experience, but I've
- •Inquire after Lou. He rather regretted smashing up the cot in his first fury.
- •It white."
- •It must be back in the olden days the nigro some ansester but it is only nature.
- •I thank the almighty it has missed my kids and your hubby must think it was
It was not for me to speak to Kathleen, but I had a sudden inspiration which
caused me to say quietly.
"Hallo, George."
The giant of a man turned round to face the direction of my voice. There were
so many people — but at length he saw me.
"Hallo, George." I said again.
Kathleen had started to haggle with the stall-owner, in her old way, over the
price of the jade ring. George continued to stare at me, his big mouth
slightly parted so that I could see a wide slit of red lips and white teeth
between the fair grassy growths of beard and moustache.
"My God!" he said (Боже мой! — сказал он).
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10
"What's the matter?" said Kathleen (что случилось? — сказала Кэтлин; a matter
— вопрос, дело).
"Hallo, George!" I said again, quite loud this time, and cheerfully (привет,
Джордж, — сказала я снова, достаточно громко в этот раз и бодро).
"Look!" said George (смотри, — сказал Джордж). "Look who's there, over
beside the fruit stall (смотри, кто там, около палатки с фруктами)."
Kathleen looked but didn't see (Кэтлин посмотрела, но /ничего/ не увидела).
"Who is it?" she said impatiently (кто это? — сказала она нетерпеливо;
(im)patiently — (не)терпеливо),
"It's Needle," he said. "She said 'Hallo, George'." (Это Игла, он сказал. Она
сказала: Привет, Джордж»).
"Needle" said Kathleen («Игла», сказала Кэтлин). "Who do you mean? (кого
ты имеешь в виду?; to mean — иметь в виду) You don't mean our old friend
Needle who…" (Ты же не имеешь в виду нашу старую подругу Иглу,
которая…»)
"Yes. There she is. My God!" (Да. Она там. Боже мой!)
He looked very ill (он выглядел очень больным; to look ill — иметь
больной вид). Although when I had said "Hallo, George" I had spoken friendly
enough (хотя, когда я сказала «Привет, Джордж» я говорила достаточно
дружелюбно).
cheerfully ['CIqf(q)lI] impatient [Im'peIS(q)nt] although [O:l'DqV]
"My God!" he said.
"What's the matter?" said Kathleen.
"Hallo, George!" I said again, quite loud this time, and cheerfully.
"Look!" said George. "Look who's there, over beside the fruit stall."
Kathleen looked but didn't see.
"Who is it?" she said impatiently,
"It's Needle," he said. "She said ‘Hallo, George’."
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11
"Needle" said Kathleen. "Who do you mean? You don't mean our old friend
Needle who ..."
"Yes. There she is. My God!"
He looked very ill, although when I had said "Hallo, George" I had spoken
friendly enough.
"I don't see anyone faintly resembling poor Needle." (Я не вижу никого, /хотя
бы/ слегка напоминающего бедную Иглу; anyone — в отрицательных
предложениях — никто; resemble — походить, иметь сходство; poor —
бедный) said Kathleen looking at him (сказала Кэтлин, глядя на него). She was
worried. (она была обеспокоена; to worry — беспокоиться, волноваться).
George pointed straight at me (Джордж указал прямо на меня). "Look there. I tell
you that is Needle." (Посмотри туда. Я говорю тебе, это Игла).
"You're ill, George (ты болен, Джордж). Heavens, you must be seeing things
(Боже! Ты должно быть галлюцинируешь: «видишь вещи»; havens — мн.ч. —
небеса). Come on home. (Пойдем домой). Needle isn't there. You know as well as I
do. Needle is dead." (Иглы там нет. Ты знаешь /это/ так же хорошо, как и я
/знаю/. Игла умерла).
resemble [rI'zemb(q)l] straight [streIt] dead [ded]
"I don't see anyone faintly resembling poor Needle." said Kathleen looking
at him. She was worried.
George pointed straight at me. "Look there. I tell you that is Needle."
"You're ill, George. Heavens, you must be seeing things. Come on home.
Needle isn't there. You know as well as I do, Needle is dead."
I must explain (я должна объяснить) that I departed this life nearly five years ago
(что покинула эту жизнь почти пять лет назад; to depart — отбывать,
уходить; life — жизнь). But I did not altogether depart this world (но я не совсем
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12
покинула этот мир; altogether — совсем; world — мир). There were those odd
things still to be done (остались те разрозненные дела, которые все еще
должны быть доделаны) which one's executors can never do properly (и которые
/чей-то/ душеприказчик никогда не может сделать как надо). Papers to be
looked over (документы, которые должны быть просмотрены); even after the
executors have torn them up (даже после того, как душеприказчики разорвали
их). Lots of business (куча дел; lots of — много) except, of course, on Sundays
and Holidays of Obligation (кроме, конечно, воскресений и церковных
праздников; holidays of Obligation — праздники римско-католической церкви),
plenty to take an interest in for the time being (много всего, чем можно
интересоваться в текущий момент; plenty — множество; to take an
interest in smth — интересоваться чем-либо). I take my recreation on
Saturday mornings (я отдыхаю по субботним утрам; recreation — отдых,
восстановление). If it is a wet Saturday (если это дождливая: «мокрая»
суббота) I wander up and down (я слоняюсь взад и вперед: «вверх и вниз») the
substantial lanes of Woolworth's (по солидным торговым рядам: «переулкам»
универмага Вулворт) as I did when I was young and visible (как я делала, когда
я была молодой и видимой). There is a pleasurable spread of objects (здесь
представлен приятный огромный выбор товаров; pleasurable —
доставляющий удовольствие; spread — протяженность) on the counters (на
прилавках) which I now perceive (которые я теперь воспринимаю) and
exploit with a certain detachment (и использую с определенной
беспристрастностью; to exploit — эксплуатировать, использовать в
действии), since it suits (так как это соответствует; to suit — удовлетворять
требованиям) with my condition of life (моим условиями жизни).
depart [di:'pQ:t] executor [Ig'zekjVtq] recreation ["ri:krI'eIS(q)n]
substantial [sqb'stxnS(q)l] pleasurable ['pleZ(q)rqb(q)l] spread [spred]