They lived in Stanhope Place, and when they arrived Julia told the butler to

Show the young man where he could wash his hands. She went up to the

Drawing-room. She was painting her lips when Michael joined her.

"I've told him to come up as soon as he's ready."

"By the way, what's his name?"

"I haven't a notion."

"Darling, we must know. I'll ask him to write in our book."

"Damn it, he's not important enough for that." Michael asked only very

distinguished people to write in their book. "We shall never see him again."

At that moment the young man appeared. In the car Julia had done all she

Could to put him at his ease, but he was still very shy. The cocktails were

Waiting and Michael poured them out. Julia took a cigarette and the young

Man struck a match for her, but his hand was trembling so much that she

Thought he would never be able to hold the light near enough to her cigarette,

So she took his hand and held it.

"Poor lamb," she thought, "I suppose this is the most wonderful moment in

his whole life. What fun it'll be for him when he tells his people. I expect he'll

be a blasted little hero in his office."

 

 

 

13

 

Julia talked very differently (Джулия разговаривала совершенно по-разному):

to herself (сама с собой) and to other people  (и с другими людьми) when she

talked to herself (когда она говорила с собой) her language was racy (ее язык

был колоритным; racy — острый, пикантный, скабрезный). She inhaled the

first whiff of her cigarette with delight (она      с удовольствием затянулась: “она

вдохнула первый дымок своей сигареты с удовольствием»; whiff —

дуновение, затяжка, сигаретный дым). It was really rather wonderful (это

действительно было достаточно замечательно), when you came to think of it

(когда поразмыслишь об этом), that just to have lunch with her (что только

/возможность/ позавтракать с ней) and talk to her for three quarters of an hour (и

поговорить с ней три четверти часа), perhaps (пожалуй), could make a man

quite important (может сделать человека достаточно важным) in his own

scrubby little circle (в его собственном ничтожном кружке; scrubby —

низкорослый, мелкий, захудалый).

The young man forced himself to make a remark (молодой человек заставил

себя сказать несколько слов: «сделать замечание»; remark — замечание,

примечание, наблюдение).

"What a stunning room this is (какая это потрясающая комната)."

 

language ['lxNgwIdZ] delight [dI'laIt] circle ['sq:k(q)l] 

 

Julia talked very differently to herself and to other people: when she talked to

Herself her language was racy. She inhaled the first whiff of her cigarette with

Delight. It was really rather wonderful, when you came to think of it, that just

To have lunch with her and talk to her for three quarters of an hour, perhaps,

Could make a man quite important in his own scrubby little circle.