The Road. Аудирование на 50000+ английских слов с текстовым сопровождением

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He gravely considered my plea, at the same time going on eating, while his wife nearly trembled into propitiatory speech, but refrained.

«I’ll tell you what I’ll do,» he said between mouthfuls. «You come to work to-morrow, and in the middle of the day I’ll advance you enough for your dinner. That will show whether you are in earnest or not.»

«In the meantime – » I began; but he interrupted.

«If I gave you something to eat now, I’d never see you again. Oh, I know your kind. Look at me. I owe no man.

I have never descended so low as to ask any one for food. I have always earned my food. The trouble with you is that you are idle and dissolute. I can see it in your face. I have worked and been honest. I have made myself what I am. And you can do the same, if you work and are honest.»

«Like you?» I queried.

Alas, no ray of humor had ever penetrated the sombre work-sodden soul of that man.

«Yes, like me,» he answered.

«All of us?» I queried.

«Yes, all of you,» he answered, conviction vibrating in his voice.

«But if we all became like you,» I said, «allow me to point out that there’d be nobody to toss bricks for you.»

I swear there was a flicker of a smile in his wife’s eye. As for him, he was aghast – but whether at the awful possibility of a reformed humanity that would not enable him to get anybody to toss bricks for him, or at my impudence, I shall never know.

«I’ll not waste words on you,» he roared. «Get out of here, you ungrateful whelp!»

I scraped my feet to advertise my intention of going, and queried:—

«And I don’t get anything to eat?»

He arose suddenly to his feet.

He was a large man. I was a stranger in a strange land, and John Law was looking for me. I went away hurriedly.

«But why ungrateful?» I asked myself as I slammed his gate. «What in the dickens did he give me to be ungrateful about?»

I looked back. I could still see him through the window. He had returned to his pie.

By this time I had lost heart. I passed many houses by without venturing up to them. All houses looked alike, and none looked «good.» After walking half a dozen blocks I shook off my despondency and gathered my «nerve.» This begging for food was all a game, and if I didn’t like the cards, I could always call for a new deal. I made up my mind to tackle the next house. I approached it in the deepening twilight, going around to the kitchen door.