Tender is the night / Ночь нежна. Книга для чтения на английском языке

”

“Why, he’s staying at the Divers’!”

“Yes, but he’s up – don’t you know what happened?”

A shutter opened suddenly in a room two stories above and an English voice spat distinctly:

“Will you kaindlay stup tucking![78 - Will you kaindlay stup tucking! = Will you kindly stop talking! (здесь и далее имитация британского произношения)]”

Rosemary and Luis Campion went humbly down the steps and to a bench beside the road to the beach.

“Then you have no idea what’s happened? My dear, the most extraordinary thing —” He was warming up now, hanging on to his revelation.

“I’ve never seen a thing come so suddenly – I have always avoided violent people – they upset me so I sometimes have to go to bed for days.”

He looked at her triumphantly. She had no idea what he was talking about.

“My dear,” he burst forth, leaning toward her with his whole body as he touched her on the upper leg, to show it was no mere irresponsible venture of his hand – he was so sure of himself.

“There’s going to be a duel.”

“Wh-at?”

“A duel with – we don’t know what yet.”

“Who’s going to duel?”

“I’ll tell you from the beginning.” He drew a long breath and then said, as if it were rather to her discredit but he wouldn’t hold it against her. “Of course, you were in the other automobile. Well, in a way you were lucky – I lost at least two years of my life, it came so suddenly.

”

“What came?” she demanded.

“I don’t know what began it. First she began to talk —”

“Who?”

“Violet McKisco.” He lowered his voice as if there were people under the bench. “But don’t mention the Divers because he made threats against anybody who mentioned it.”

“Who did?”

“Tommy Barban, so don’t you say I so much as mentioned them. None of us ever found out anyhow what it was Violet had to say because he kept interrupting her, and then her husband got into it and now, my dear, we have the duel.

This morning – at five o’clock – in an hour.” He sighed suddenly thinking of his own griefs. “I almost wish it were I. I might as well be killed now I have nothing to live for.” He broke off and rocked to and fro[79 - to and fro – взад-вперед; туда-сюда] with sorrow.

Again the iron shutter parted above and the same British voice said:

“Rilly, this must stup immejetely.