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."
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.
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 (
, ).
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
, ) 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]