A melodrama that had been successful in London; in the part of an Italian
Adventuress, whose machinations were eventually exposed, she was trying
Somewhat inadequately to represent a woman of forty. Since the heroine, a
Blonde person of mature years, was playing a young girl, the performance
Lacked verisimilitude. Jimmie was taking a short holiday, which he spent in
Going every night to the theatre in one town after another. At the end of the
Piece he went round to see Julia. He was well enough known in the theatrical
World for her to be flattered by the compliments he paid her, and when he
Asked her to lunch with him next day she accepted.
They had no sooner sat down to table ( :
) than he went straight to the point (
: ).
"I never slept a wink all night ( ; not to sleep a wink
, a wink , ) for thinking of you (
)," he said ( ).
"This is very sudden ( ). Is your proposal honourable or
dishonourable ( ; honourable
, , )?"
He took no notice ( ) of the flippant rejoinder (
/ ).
"I've been at this game ( : ) for
twenty-five years ( ). I've been a call-boy (
; call-boy , ), a stage-hand (
), a stage-manager ( ),
an actor (), a publicity man (
; publicity ), damn it ( ), I've
even been a critic ( ). I've lived in the theatre (
65
) since I was a kid ( , : ;
kid ; / ./ ) just out of a board school (
), and what I don't know about acting ( ,
) isn't worth knowing ( ). I think you're a genius ( ,
)."
"It's sweet of you ( ) to say so ( )."
honourable ['On(q)rqb(q)l] rejoinder [rI'dZOIndq] genius ['dZi:nIqs]
They had no sooner sat down to table than he went straight to the point.
"I never slept a wink all night for thinking of you," he said.
"This is very sudden. Is your proposal honourable or dishonourable?"
