Endless Night / Бесконечная ночь. Книга для чтения на английском языке

English I thought at first, though it was a funny sort of name I’d never heard before. But I don’t think he was English. Scandinavian of some kind I guess. He was an ill man. I could see that at once. He was young and very fair and thin with an odd face, a face that was askew somehow. The two sides of it didn’t match. He could be quite bad-tempered to his clients. You’d have thought as they were paying the money that they’d call the tune and do the bullying. That wasn’t so. Santonix bullied them and he was always quite sure of himself although they weren’t.

This particular old boy of mine was frothing with rage, I remember, as soon as he arrived and had seen how things were going. I used to catch snatches here and there when I was standing by ready to assist in my chauffeurly and handyman way. It was always on the cards that Mr Constantine would have a heart attack or a stroke.

�You have not done as I said,’ he half screamed. �You have spent too much money. Much too much money.

It is not as we agreed. It is going to cost me more than I thought.’

�You’re absolutely right,’ said Santonix. �But the money’s got to be spent.’

�It shall not be spent! It shall not be spent. You have got to keep within the limits I laid down. You understand?’

�Then you won’t get the kind of house you want,’ said Santonix. �I know what you want. The house I build you will be the house you want. I’m quite sure of that and you’re quite sure of it, too. Don’t give me any of your pettifogging middle-class economies[13 - pettifogging middle-class economies – ваше мелкобуржуазное скупердяйство].

You want a house of quality and you’re going to get it, and you’ll boast about it to your friends and they’ll envy you. I don’t build a house for anyone, I’ve told you that. There’s more to it than money. This house isn’t going to be like other people’s houses!’

�It is going to be terrible. Terrible.

’

�Oh no it isn’t. The trouble with you is that you don’t know what you want. Or at least so anyone might think. But you do know what you want really, only you can’t bring it out into your mind. You can’t see it clearly. But I know. That’s the one thing I always know. What people are after and what they want. There’s a feeling in you for quality. I’m going to give you quality.’

He used to say things like that. And I’d stand by and listen.