Persuasion / Доводы рассудка. Книга для чтения на английском языке

, and their surprise at his accounts, at learning the degree of accommodation and arrangement which was practicable, drew from him some pleasant ridicule, which reminded Anne of the early days when she too had been ignorant, and she too had been accused of supposing sailors to be living on board without anything to eat, or any cook to dress it if there were, or any servant to wait, or any knife and fork to use.

From thus listening and thinking, she was roused by a whisper of Mrs Musgrove’s who, overcome by fond regrets, could not help saying:

“Ah! Miss Anne, if it had pleased Heaven to spare my poor son, I dare say he would have been just such another by this time.

”

Anne suppressed a smile, and listened kindly, while Mrs Musgrove relieved her heart a little more; and for a few minutes, therefore, could not keep pace with the conversation of the others[117 - could not keep pace with the conversation of the others – (устар.) потеряла нить общей беседы].

When she could let her attention take its natural course again, she found the Miss Musgroves just fetching the Navy List (their own navy list, the first that had ever been at Uppercross), and sitting down together to pore over it, with the professed view of finding out the ships that Captain Wentworth had commanded.

“Your first was the Asp, I remember; we will look for the Asp.”

“You will not find her there. Quite worn out and broken up. I was the last man who commanded her.

Hardly fit for service then.[118 - Hardly fit for service then. – (разг.) Он уже и тогда никуда не годился.] Reported fit for home service for a year or two, and so I was sent off to the West Indies.”

The girls looked all amazement.

“The Admiralty,” he continued, “entertain themselves now and then, with sending a few hundred men to sea, in a ship not fit to be employed. But they have a great many to provide for; and among the thousands that may just as well go to the bottom as not, it is impossible for them to distinguish the very set who may be least missed.

”

“Phoo! phoo!” cried the Admiral, “what stuff these young fellows talk![119 - what stuff these young fellows talk! – (зд.) какую чушь несет нынешняя молодежь!] Never was a better sloop than the Asp in her day. For an old built sloop, you would not see her equal.