The envelope she threw the card in the wastepaper basket and was ready to
Slip into her first act dress.
The call-boy came round knocking at the dressing-room doors.
"Beginners, please."
257
Those words, though heaven only knew how often she had heard them, still
Gave her a thrill. They braced her like a tonic. Life acquired significance. She
Was about to step from the world of make-believe into the world of reality.
11
NEXT day Julia had luncheon with Charles Tamerley (
/ / ; lunch ,
, 12 14 ). His father, the Marquess of
Dennorant ( , ), had married an heiress (
// ) and he had inherited a considerable fortune ( //
). Julia often went to the luncheon parties
( // ) he was fond of giving at his house
in Hill Street ( -). At the
bottom of her heart ( ; bottom ,
, ) she had a profound contempt (
) for the great ladies and the noble lords (
) she met there (// ), because she
was a working woman and an artist (,
/ ), but she knew the connexion was
useful ( , ). It enabled them (
// ) to have first nights at the Siddons (
-) which the papers described as brilliant (
: ), and when she was photographed at
week-end parties ( ࠠ )
among a number of aristocratic persons ( //
: ) she knew that it was good publicity (
, ).
258
marquess ['mQ:kwIs] heiress ['eqrIs, 'eqres] profound [prq'faVnd]
connexion [kq'nekS(q)n]
NEXT day Julia had luncheon with Charles Tamerley. His father, the
Marquess of Dennorant, had married an heiress and he had inherited a
Considerable fortune. Julia often went to the luncheon parties he was fond of
Giving at his house in Hill Street. At the bottom of her heart she had a
Profound contempt for the great ladies and the noble lords she met there,
Because she was a working woman and an artist, but she knew the connexion
Was useful. It enabled them to have first nights at the Siddons, which the
|
|
|
Papers described as brilliant, and when she was photographed at week-end
Parties among a number of aristocratic persons she knew that it was good
Publicity.
There were one or two leading ladies ( :
: ), younger than she (//
), who did not like her any better ( ) because
she called at least two duchesses (- ,
) by their first names ( : first name ,
). This caused her no regret ( :
; regret , ). Julia was not a brilliant
conversationalist ( ), but her eyes were
so bright ( ), her manner so intelligent (
), that once she had learnt the language of society (, / /
) she passed for a very amusing woman (
//; to pass for smb.
-, -). She had a great gift of mimicry (
: , ), which
ordinarily she kept in check ( ; check
259
, ) thinking it was bad for her acting (,
: ), but in these circles (
) she turned it to good account ( ; to turn
smth. to (good) account - , account .
, ) and by means of it ( ) acquired the reputation of
a wit ( ; wit , ).
duchesse [dju:'Ses] conversationalist ["kOnvq'seIS(q)nqlIst]
language ['lxNgwIdZ] mimicry ['mImIkrI] ordinarily ['O:d(q)n(q)rIlI]
