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

She came from a country where men looked at women as a matter of course[6 - as a matter of course – (разг.) как и следовало ожидать] and did not disguise the fact unduly. She wondered if he was an Englishman and decided that he was not.

�He is too alive, too real, to be English,’ Pilar decided. �And yet he is fair. He may be perhaps Americano.’ He was, she thought, rather like the actors she had seen in Wild West films[7 - Wild West films – (уст.) вестерны].

An attendant pushed his way along the corridor.

�First lunch, please. First lunch. Take your seats for first lunch.’

The seven occupants of Pilar’s carriage all held tickets for the first lunch. They rose in a body[8 - in a body – (разг.) одновременно; все вместе] and the carriage was suddenly deserted and peaceful.

Pilar quickly pulled up the window which had been let down a couple of inches at the top by a militant-looking, grey-haired lady in the opposite corner.

Then she sprawled comfortably back on her seat and peered out of the window at the northern suburbs of London. She did not turn her head at the sound of the door sliding back. It was the man from the corridor, and Pilar knew, of course, that he had entered the carriage on purpose to talk to her.

She continued to look pensively out of the window.

Stephen Farr said: �Would you like the window down at all?’

Pilar replied demurely: �On the contrary.

I have just shut it.’ She spoke English perfectly, but with a slight accent.

During the pause that ensued, Stephen thought: �A delicious voice. It has the sun in it… It is warm like a summer night…’

Pilar thought: �I like his voice. It is big and strong. He is attractive – yes, he is attractive.’

Stephen said: �The train is very full.’

�Oh, yes, indeed. The people go away from London, I suppose, because it is so black there.

’

Pilar had not been brought up to believe that it was a crime to talk to strange men in trains. She could take care of herself as well as any girl, but she had no rigid taboos[9 - she had no rigid taboos – (разг.) у нее не было строгих запретов на что бы то ни было].

If Stephen had been brought up in England he might have felt ill at ease[10 - might have felt ill at ease – (разг.