Kitabı oku: «Рассказы / Short Stories», sayfa 13

He waited a long time, but Maggie did not reply. And then, suddenly she leaned against his shoulder and began to cry, holding his arm tightly.

“What is it, now?”

“Andy,” sobbed Maggie. “I’ve lied to you, and you’ll never marry me, or love me any more. But I feel that I must tell you everything. Andy, there was no count in my life. I never had a lover in my life. But all the other girls had; and they talked about them. But nobody loved me. At last I thought of a plan. I look well in black. I went out to a photograph store and bought that picture. The photographer made a little one for my locket, too. And I invented that story about the Count, and about his gondola accident, so I could wear black. And nobody can love a liar, and you’ll leave me, Andy, and I’ll diefor shame³¹. Oh, there never was anybody I liked but you – and that’s all.”

But instead of leaving her, Andy’s arm was folding her closer. She looked up and saw his face cleared and smiling.

“Could you – could you forgive me, Andy?”

“Sure,” said Andy. “It’s all right about that.”

“Andy,” said Maggie, with a shy smile, “did you believe all that story about the Count?”

“Well,not all of it³²,” said Andy, reaching for his cigar case, “because in your locket it’s Big Mike Sullivan’s picture.”

Exercises

1. Choose the right variant:

1. Andy believed all that story about the Count.

2. Andy believed part of the story about the Count.

3. Andy did not believe the story about the Count.

4. Andy continued the story about the Count.

2. What was the Count’s name?

1. Andy Sullivan

2. Mike Sullivan

3. Fernando Donovan

4. Fernando Mazzini

3. Whom did Miss Conway really love?

1. Fernando Mazzini

2. Mike Sullivan

3. Andy Donovan

4. Fernando Donovan

4. Who gave Miss Conway the picture?

1. a count

2. a photographer

3. Mrs. Scott

4. a fiance

5. What is a fiancé?

1. a commonly used English honourific for men

2. a title in European countries

3. a well-known politician

4. a man to whom a woman is engaged to be married

6. What is a gondola?

1. a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat

2. a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo