Lolita / Лолита. Книга для чтения на английском языке

She examined her right shoulder. She kissed me heavily with open smoky mouth. Suddenly, down the sand bank behind us, from under the bushes and pines, a stone rolled, then another.

�Those disgusting prying kids,’ said Charlotte, holding up her big bra to her breast and turning prone again. �I shall have to speak about that to Peter Krestovski.’

From the debouchment of the trail came a rustle, a footfall, and Jean Farlow marched down with her easel and things. �You scared us,’ said Charlotte.

Jean said she had been up there, in a place of green concealment, spying on nature (spies are generally shot), trying to finish a lakescape, but it was no good, she had no talent whatever (which was quite true) – �And have you ever tried painting, Humbert?’ Charlotte, who was a little jealous of Jean, wanted to know if John was coming.

He was. He was coming home for lunch today. He had dropped her on the way to Parkington and should be picking her up any time now. It was a grand morning.

She always felt a traitor to Cavall and Melampus for leaving them roped on such gorgeous days. She sat down on the white sand between Charlotte and me. She wore shorts. Her long brown legs were about as attractive to me as those of a chestnut mare. She showed her gums when she smiled.

�I almost put both of you into my lake,’ she said. �I even noticed something you overlooked. You [addressing Humbert] had your wrist watch on in, yes, sir, you had.’

�Waterproof,’ said Charlotte softly, making a fish mouth.

Jean took my wrist upon her knee and examined Charlotte’s gift, then put back Humbert’s hand on the sand, palm up.

�You could see anything that way,’ remarked Charlotte coquettishly.

Jean sighed. �I once saw,’ she said, �two children, male and female, at sunset, right here, making love. Their shadows were giants. And I told you about Mr. Tomson at daybreak. Next time I expect to see fat old Ivor in the ivory.

He is really a freak, that man. Last time he told me a completely indecent story about his nephew. It appears – ’

�Hullo there,’ said John’s voice.

21

My habit of being silent when displeased, or, more exactly, the cold and scaly quality of my displeased silence, used to frighten Valeria out of her wits. She used to whimper and wail, saying, �Ce qui me rend folle, c’est que je ne sais à quoi tu penses quand tu es comme ça.