Практический курс английского языка - Камянова Т.
ISBN 5-85550-177-9
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«I suppose,* she said, «you didn't like my running out with Mr. Radolin last night?» Weymouth's voice, quite good-humoured, answered: «Oh, not a bit. Why should I mind?»
I went out of my tent arid stood in darkness among palm trees, listening to the shivering of their leaves.
Inside the dining tent Radolin was playing the guitar. The sound was nice and touching. In a moment I saw Weymouth come out of his tent. He stood under the lamp at the entrance, looking back; his face was fully lit up for me, but not seen, I think, to those within the tent. I shall never forget the look on it.
Admiration, that's what it was!
«Hallo!» I mought, «what's this?» And just then Helen Radolin came out too. She passed him quietly; he didn't make an attempt to speak or follow her; but she saw. Oh, yes, she saw it; then went into her tent. And Weymouth stood without any movement as if struck by lightening.
It's quite usual, I believe, in these days to laugh at this sortof things, to consider them to be old-fashioned or literary. But I think what happened to my friend Weymouth may still happen to any gentleman who talks as if love had no fever and no instincts of property; as if when you love a woman you are ready to leave her to another or share her with him. Of course, there are men who have no blood in their veins; but my friend Weymouth unfortunately had; not for nothing was the sunny look of his dark-blue eyes.
For the rest of our desert trip the situation as if helped this feeling to develop. Little Jessie Weymouth was the only one of us blind to what had happened. She couldn't imagine her husband being involved in any love affair. But now - as if a man were drunk! The thing became so clear that it was quite painful to see her being so blind. Not till sunset of the second day, with the Fayoum behind us, in our high camp on a desert hill, did she realize her tragedy. Tnose two were sitting in camp-chairs close together, watching the sun go down. Our Arabs were busy cooking dinner; our guide and Radolin were absent; I was sketching; Jessie Weymout lying down in her tent. Those two were alone - their faces turned towards each other, their hands, perhaps, touching. There was a beautiful light over the hills.
How much they saw of it, I don't know, nor what they were saying to each other, when Jessie Weymouth came out of her tent. Like a cat she was moving noiselessly behind them, going to frighten them. But three yards away, unseen, unheard, I saw her stop. Her lips opened, her eyes went wide with surprise. Suddenly she covered her eyes with her hands, turned round, and stole back into her tent.
Five minutes later out she came again, with bright spots of colour on her cheeks. I saw her run up to them, I saw her attempts to be nice and joyful; and that to those two she simply didn't exist. Nobody of us existed for them. They simply didn't pay attention to anything and anybody except themselves. They had found a world of their own, and we were shadows in the unreal world which they had left.
Walls have a great importance for people and their relations. In my thin tent between the thin tents of those two couples I seemed to hear their reproaches and complains. But there was also the silence of those two loving hearts that was so impressive. Frank Weymouth, this English schoolmaster had lost, as if by magic, all power of seeing himself as others saw him. What those two were going through wasn't what could be called a vulgar flirt; they just seemed to forget everything but each other.
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Even our guide was puzzled. «In my house, if my wife,behaved badly, I would beat her,» he said to me; «if I behaved badly, she would scratch my face.» But there it was - we had no walls; Helen Radolin couldn't be beaten, Weymouth couldn't have his face scratched. It was a real disadvantage.
Things were coming to an end, and I never felt more freely than when we found ourselves in Mena House where there were walls. We were offered separate tables at dinner, and we all accepted it. After dinner I said to Weymouth:
«Соте up and see the Sphinx by moonlight.»
(to be continued) Notes
1. (a) stroke of lightening - удар молнии
2. Heliopolis, Fayoum, Constantinople - Гзлиополис (сев-вост. часть Каира),
Фаюм (оазис в пустыне), Константинополь (ныне - Стамбул)
3. to come across (smb) - (случайно) встретиться с кем-л.
4. to make the acquaintance [э 'kwemtans] of (smb) - познакомиться с кем-л.
5. to feel I to be jealous [ 'cfeelasj of (smb) - испытывать ревность, ревновать к кому-л.
6. to have a chance - иметь возможность, шанс
7. the Weymouths, the Breconridges, the Radolins - имена собственные, во мн. числе
обозначающие членов одной семьи, употребляются с определенным артиклем
8. to be disappointed at (smth) - разочароваться в чём-л., огорчиться чем-л.
9. a count, a countess - граф, графиня
10. a fortnight - dee недели
11. to be situated - быть расположенным, находиться
12. to be (not) in the mood for (smth, doing smth) - (не) иметь настроение,
