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

Gipsies’ land this used to be. Gipsies’ land and they drove us off it. You’ll do no good here, and no good will come to you prowling about Gipsy’s Acre.’ There was no fight in Ellie, she wasn’t that kind. She said gently and politely:

�I’m very sorry if we shouldn’t have come here. I thought this place was being sold today.’

�And bad luck it will be to anyone who buys it!’ said the old woman. �You listen, my pretty, for you’re pretty enough, bad luck will come to whoever buys it.

There’s a curse on this land, a curse put on it long ago, many years ago. You keep clear of it.[23 - You keep clear of it – Не подходи близко к этому месту] Don’t have nought to do with Gipsy’s Acre. Death it will bring you and danger. Go away home across the sea and don’t come back to Gipsy’s Acre. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.’

�We’re doing no harm.’

�Come now, Mrs Lee,’ I said, �don’t frighten this young lady.’

I turned in an explanatory way to Ellie.

�Mrs Lee lives in the village. She’s got a cottage there. She tells fortunes and prophesies the future. All that, don’t you, Mrs Lee?’ I spoke to her in a jocular way.

�I’ve got the gift,’ she said simply, drawing her gipsy-like figure up straighter still. �I’ve got the gift. It’s born in me. We all have it. I’ll tell your fortune, young lady. Cross my palm with silver and I’ll tell your fortune for you.’

�I don’t think I want my fortune told.

’

�It’d be a wise thing to do. Know something about the future. Know what to avoid, know what’s coming to you if you don’t take care. Come now, there’s plenty of money in your pocket. Plenty of money. I know things it would be wise for you to know.’

I believe the urge to have one’s fortune told is almost invariable in women. I’ve noticed it before with girls I knew. I nearly always had to pay for them to go into the fortune-tellers’ booths if I took them to a fair.

Ellie opened her bag and laid two half-crowns in the old woman’s hand.

�Ah, my pretty, that’s right now. You hear what old Mother Lee will tell you.’

Ellie drew off her glove and laid her small delicate palm in the old woman’s hand. She looked down at it, muttering to herself. �What do I see now? What do I see?’

Suddenly she dropped Ellie’s hand abruptly.

�I’d go away from here if I were you.