Reading

1. – There you are, then. I ''thought you ˙might be here earlier. 'Was your ˙train late?

• No, I don’t think so;| just about on time. ''Which one did you think I was catching, then?

• 'Wasn’t it the ˙one that 'gets ˙in at 'five ten?

• No, 'that’s ˙Saturday only. ''Didn’t you know?

• Oh, of course;| how silly of me. Anyway, it 'doesn’t matter. What luck your managing to get away just now. 'How’s your mother?

• Fairly well;| a 'bit overcome by the heart.

• Yes, ''hasn’t it been awful? I hate storms,| but I was ''quite thankful to hear the thunder last night,| because there was a 'chance of its ˙clearing the air. It 'hasn’t been quite so bad today. I suppose it’s been ˙even worse with you.

• Like an oven. I’ve been completely ˙flattened out.

2. – Hello, you 'look as ˙though you 'shouldn’t be here.

• I had a 'rotten night. It was four before I ˙got to sleep,| and now I feel like a ˙wet rag, of course.

• You shouldn’t have come in. Why didn’t you ˙ring up | and say you ˙weren’t coming?

• Oh, I must give my eleven o’clock lecture.|| I shall manage.

• No, seriously,| I think it’s ˙short sighted. You probably won’t do much good,| and you might just as well have tried to make sure of being 'all ˙right for tomorrow,| instead of getting 'still more tired.

• Oh, it’s fatal to give way. It’s just as well to have something you must do. I shall 'just give my lecture and 'then go home.

• Yes, for heaven’s sake, do.

3. – 'Here’s a telegram that was ad'dressed to you at ˙our house.

• It’s very nice of you to have troubled to bring it over.

• I took the ˙liberty of opening it,| and 'as it ˙seemed to be rather urgent.| I 'thought I’d better ˙bring it to you at once. I 'hope I did right.

• Of course you did. But I’m sorry you’ve had all this bother on my account.

• Not at all. I’ll run you ˙up to Town with me if you like. I’ve got to go up, anyway.

• Will you? How sweet of you. But you’ll stay for tea now you’re here.

• Oh, no. I wouldn’t dream of delaying you,| when John’s waiting for you in Town.

• It isn’t so urgent as all that;| I do wish you’d stay for a cup.

• 'Some other time, perhaps. I should hate to be keeping you hanging about here, when I’m sure you’re dying to see him.

4. – Did you do 'Tuesday’s crosswords?

• Tuesday’s. Yes. I think so. No, wait, I remember now. I got ˙stuck in the 'top ˙left-hand corner. Did you ˙finish it? I forgot to ˙look at the solution.

• I got it in the end. 'What ˙was it 'you couldn’t get?

• I 'can’t remember exactly. Something about “On parade” was one.

• Oh, “esplanade”.

• What a fool I am. Of course.

• Smith was saying he 'thought it was an easy one. He got it in 'ten minutes or something – all except “icicle”, which I thought was ˙rather surprising.

• I got it; but 'only when I’d got 'all the ˙letters I could get. 'Then I ˙saw it must be that – but I didn’t get it from its own clue.

5. They 'let ˙go of 'Alice’s hands,| and 'stood looking at her for a minute.|| There was a 'rather 'awkward pause,| as Alice didn’t know 'how to be'gin a 'conversation …|| This 'didn’t 'sound like a remark that needed any answer:|| so 'Alice ˙said nothing,| but 'pulled away.|| There was 'something queer about the water,| as 'every ˙now then the oars ˙got fast in it,| and would 'hardly come out again …|| By this time she had found her way into a 'nice ˙little room| with a table near the window,| and on it a fan | and 'two or ˙three pairs of 'white kid-gloves.|| So she 'took ˙up the 'fan and the gloves, and was 'just ˙going to 'leave the room | when her 'eye ˙fell upon a 'little bottle | that 'stood near the looking glass.|| There was 'no label ˙on it | but she decided to uncork it …|| “And how many hours a day ˙did you 'do lessons?” – said Alice in a hurry to change the subject. “'Ten ˙hours the first day”, said the Mock Turtle:| “nine the next, and so on”. “What a curious plan!” exclaimed Alice. “That’s the reason they are ˙called lessons”, the Gryphon remarked; “because they lessen from 'day to day”. “This was quite a new idea to Alice,| and she 'thought it over a little | before she made her next remark”. “Then the eleventh day must have been a holiday?” “Of course it was”, said the Mock Turtle. “And how did you ˙manage on the twelfth?” Alice went on eagerly. “'That’s enough about lessons”,| the Grypton interrupted | in a very decided tone:| “tell her something about games now”.|| She 'looked at the Queen,| who seemed to have suddenly wrapped her˙self up in wool. 'Alice 'rubbed her eyes,| and 'looked again. She 'couldn’t ˙make out | what had happened at all …||

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