The Professor / Учитель. Книга для чтения на английском языке

) через несколько минут], and a brief dialogue between himself and his servant in the hall, his tread drew near the library door – that tread alone announced the master of the house.

“I still retained some confused recollection of Edward as he was ten years ago – a tall, wiry, raw youth; NOW, as I rose from my seat and turned towards the library door, I saw a fine-looking and powerful man, light-complexioned, well-made, and of athletic proportions; the first glance made me aware of an air of promptitude and sharpness, shown as well in his movements as in his port, his eye, and the general expression of his face.

He greeted me with brevity, and, in the moment of shaking hands, scanned me from head to foot; he took his seat in the morocco covered arm-chair, and motioned me to another sent.

“�I expected you would have called at the counting-house in the Close,’ said he; and his voice, I noticed, had an abrupt accent, probably habitual to him; he spoke also with a guttural northern tone, which sounded harsh in my ears, accustomed to the silvery utterance of the South.

“�The landlord of the inn, where the coach stopped, directed me here,’ said I. �I doubted at first the accuracy of his information[12 - doubted at first the accuracy of his information – (разг.) поначалу усомнился в его словах], not being aware that you had such a residence as this.’

“�Oh, it is all right!’ he replied, �only I was kept half an hour behind time, waiting for you – that is all.

I thought you must be coming by the eight o’clock coach.’

“I expressed regret that he had had to wait; he made no answer, but stirred the fire, as if to cover a movement of impatience; then he scanned me again.

“I felt an inward satisfaction that I had not, in the first moment of meeting, betrayed any warmth, any enthusiasm; that I had saluted this man with a quiet and steady phlegm.

“�Have you quite broken with Tynedale and Seacombe?’ he asked hastily.

“�I do not think I shall have any further communication with them; my refusal of their proposals will, I fancy, operate as a barrier against all future intercourse.’

“�Why,’ said he, �I may as well remind you at the very outset of our connection[13 - remind you at the very outset of our connection – (устар.) хочу предупредить вас с самого начала], that “no man can serve two masters.