The Wonderful Wizard of Oz / Волшебник из страны Оз. Книга для чтения на английском языке

She says will it be convenient if she and Mr George arrive by the five-twenty tomorrow?’

�Yes, tell her that will be quite all right.’

�Thank you, madam.’

The butler hurried away. Lydia looked after him with a softened expression on her face.

�Dear old Tressilian. What a standby he is![32 - What a standby he is! – (разг.) Он такой надежный!] I can’t imagine what we should do without him.’

Alfred agreed. �He’s one of the old school. He’s been with us nearly forty years.

He’s devoted to us all.’

Lydia nodded. �Yes. He’s like the faithful old retainers of fiction. I believe he’d lie himself blue in the face[33 - he’d lie himself blue in the face – (разг.) будет врать до изнеможения (до посинения)] if it was necessary to protect one of the family!’

Alfred said: �I believe he would… Yes, I believe he would.’

Lydia smoothed over the last bit of her shingle. �There,’ she said. �That’s ready.

’

�Ready?’ Alfred looked puzzled.

She laughed. �For Christmas, silly! For this sentimental family Christmas we’re going to have.’

IV

David was reading the letter. Once he screwed it up into a ball and thrust it away from him. Then, reaching for it, he smoothed it out and read it again.

Quietly, without saying anything, his wife, Hilda, watched him. She noted the jerking muscle (or was it a nerve?) in his temple, the slight tremor of the long delicate hands, the nervous spasmodic movements of his whole body.

When he pushed aside the lock of fair hair that always tended to stray down over his forehead and looked across at her with appealing blue eyes she was ready.

�Hilda, what shall we do about it[34 - what shall we do about it – (разг.) как нам поступить]?’

Hilda hesitated a minute before speaking. She had heard the appeal in his voice. She knew how dependent he was upon her – had always been ever since their marriage – knew that she could probably influence his decision finally and decisively.

But for just that reason she was chary of pronouncing anything too final.

She said, and her voice had the calm, soothing quality that can be heard in the voice of an experienced nannie in a nursery: �It depends on how you feel about it, David.’

A broad woman, Hilda, not beautiful, but with a certain magnetic quality. Something about her like a Dutch picture.