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

Something warming and endearing in the sound of her voice. Something strong about her – the vital hidden strength that appeals to weakness. An over-stout dumpy middle-aged woman – not clever – not brilliant – but with something about her that you couldn’t pass over. Force! Hilda Lee had force!

David got up and began pacing up and down. His hair was practically untouched by grey. He was strangely boyish-looking. His face had the mild quality of a Burne-Jones[35 - Burne-Jones – Эдуард Берн-Джонс (1833–1898), английский живописец и иллюстратор, близкий по духу к прерафаэлитам.

Широко известен своими витражами.] knight. It was, somehow, not very real…

He said, and his voice was wistful: �You know how I feel about it, Hilda. You must.’

�I’m not sure.’

�But I’ve told you – I’ve told you again and again! How I hate it all – the house and the country round and everything! It brings back nothing but misery.

I hated every moment that I spent there! When I think of it – of all that she suffered – my mother…’

His wife nodded sympathetically.

�She was so sweet, Hilda, and so patient. Lying there, often in pain, but bearing it – enduring everything. And when I think of my father’ – his face darkened – �bringing all that misery into her life – humiliating her – boasting of his love affairs – constantly unfaithful to her and never troubling to conceal it[36 - never troubling to conceal it – (разг.

) даже не пытался это скрывать].’

Hilda Lee said: �She should not have put up with it[37 - should not have put up with it – (разг.) не должна была с этим мириться]. She should have left him.’

He said with a touch of reproof: �She was too good to do that. She thought it was her duty to remain. Besides, it was her home – where else should she go?’

�She could have made a life of her own.

’

David said fretfully: �Not in those days! You don’t understand. Women didn’t behave like that. They put up with things. They endured patiently. She had us to consider[38 - had us to consider – (разг.) ей приходилось заботиться о нас, детях]. Even if she divorced my father, what would have happened? He would probably have married again. There might have been a second family.