Her she was conscious of their glances.

"What a hell of a nuisance it is that one can't go anywhere without people

staring at one."

She slackened her pace a little (она чуть замедлила шаг). It certainly was a

beautiful day (это определенно был прекрасный день).

She let herself into her house with a latch-key (она вошла в дом: «впустила себя

в дом» /открыв американский замок/ с помощью ключа) and as she got in (и,

как она вошла) heard the telephone ringing (услышала, что звонит телефон).

Without thinking (не задумываясь) she took up the receiver (она подняла

трубку; receiver — получатель; приемник; телефонная трубка).

"Yes?"

She generally disguised her voice (она обычно изменяла свой голос; to disguise

— маскировать, изменять внешность, искажать) when she answered (когда

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она отвечала /по телефону/), but for once forgot to (но /именно/ сейчас забыла

/сделать это/).

"Miss Lambert (мисс Лэмберт)?"

"I don't know if Miss Lambert's in (не знаю, дома ли Мисс Лэмберт). Who is it

please (кто говорит, пожалуйста)?" she asked (спросила она), assuming quickly

a cockney accent  (мгновенно используя акцент кокни; to assume —

принимать, притворяться).

The monosyllable had betrayed her (/однако/ то короткое: «односложное»

словечко, выдало ее). A chuckle travelled over the wire        (в трубке раздался

смешок: «смешок переместился по проводу»).

"I only wanted to thank you for writing to me (я просто хотел поблагодарить вас

за то, что написали мне). You know you needn't have troubled         (знаете, не

стоило брать на себя такой  труд). It was so nice of you to ask me to lunch (но

это было так мило с вашей стороны — пригласить меня к ланчу), I thought I'd

like to send you a few flowers (и я подумал, что мне хотелось бы послать вам

цветы)."

slacken ['slxkqn] latchkey ['lxtSki:] cockney ['kOknI] 

monosyllable ['mOnq"sIlqb(q)l] 

She slackened her pace a little. It certainly was a beautiful day.

She let herself into her house with a latch-key and as she got in heard the

Telephone ringing. Without thinking she took up the receiver.

"Yes?"

She generally disguised her voice when she answered, but for once forgot to.

"Miss Lambert?"

"I don't know if Miss Lambert's in. Who is it please?" she asked, assuming

Quickly a cockney accent.

The monosyllable had betrayed her. A chuckle travelled over the wire.

"I only wanted to thank you for writing to me. You know you needn't have

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Troubled. It was so nice of you to ask me to lunch, I thought I'd like to send

you a few flowers."

The sound of his voice (звук его голоса) and the words told her who it was (и

слова объяснили ей, кто это был). It was the blushing young man (это был тот

самый краснеющий молодой человек) whose name she did not know (чьего

имени она не знала). Even now, though she had looked at his card (даже сейчас,

хотя она глянула раньше на его карточку), she could not remember it (она не

могла вспомнить его /имя/). The only thing that had struck her (единственное,

что на нее произвело впечатление) was that he lived in Tavistock Square (так

это то, что он жил на Тэвисток-сквер).

"It was very sweet of you (это было очень мило с вашей стороны)," she

answered in her own voice (ответила она теперь уже своим голосом).

"I suppose you wouldn't come to tea with me one day       (полагаю, вы не

согласитесь прийти и выпить чаю со мной, как-нибудь: «однажды»), would

you (так ведь)?"

The nerve of it (какая наглость; nerve — зд. разг. наглость, нахальство)! She

wouldn't go to tea with a duchess   (она не пошла бы пить чай даже с

герцогиней); he was treating her like a chorus girl (он обращался с ней, как с

какой-то хористкой). It was rather funny (это было даже забавным) when you

came to think of it (если подумать хорошенько).

"I don't know why not (не вижу причины отказаться: “не знаю, почему бы и

нет»)."

"Will you really (вы действительно /придете/)?" his voice sounded eager (его

голос звучал с нетерпением). He had a pleasant voice (у него /был/ приятный

голос). "When (когда)?"

blushing ['blASIN] nerve [nq:v] funny ['fAnI] 

The sound of his voice and the words told her who it was. It was the blushing

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Young man whose name she did not know. Even now, though she had looked

At his card, she could not remember it. The only thing that had struck her was

That he lived in Tavistock Square.

"It was very sweet of you," she answered in her own voice.

"I suppose you wouldn't come to tea with me one day, would you?"

The nerve of it! She wouldn't go to tea with a duchess; he was treating her like

A chorus girl. It was rather funny when you came to think of it.

"I don't know why not."

"Will you really?" his voice sounded eager. He had a pleasant voice.

"When?"

She did not feel at all like going to bed that afternoon   (она совершенно не

чувствовала желания отдыхать: «ложиться в постель» в этот день).

"Today (сегодня)."

"O.K. I'll get away from the office (хорошо, я улизну из офиса). Half-past four (в

половине пятого)? 138, Tavistock Square (Тэвисток-сквер, 138)."

It was nice of him (было очень мило с его стороны) to have suggested that

(предложить именно это). He might so easily have mentioned some fashionable

place (он мог совершенно легко упомянуть какое-нибудь модное местечко)

where people would stare at her (где люди бы пялились на нее). It proved (это

доказывало) that he didn't just want to be seen with her (что он не хотел, чтобы

его просто увидели с ней).

away [q'weI] half [hQ:f] fashionable ['fxS(q)nqb(q)l]

She did not feel at all like going to bed that afternoon.

"Today."

"O.K. I'll get away from the office. Half-past four? 138, Tavistock Square."

It was nice of him to have suggested that. He might so easily have mentioned

Some fashionable place where people would stare at her. It proved that he

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Didn't just want to be seen with her.

She took a taxi to Tavistock Square (она взяла такси до Тэвисток-сквер). She

was pleased with herself   (она была довольна собой). She was doing a good

action (она совершала хороший поступок). It would be wonderful for him in

after years (это будет так удивительно для него, годами позже) to be able to tell

his wife and children that Julia Lambert had been to tea with him       (иметь

возможность рассказать его жене и детям, что сама Джулия Лэмберт пила с

ним чай) when he was just a little insignificant clerk in an accountant's office

(когда он был всего лишь незначительным клерком в бухгалтерской

конторе). And she had been so simple and so natural (и она была так проста и

естественна). No one to hear her prattling away (никто, кто слышал, как она

разговаривала; to prattle — щебетать, болтать, журчать) would have

guessed (не догадался бы) that she was the greatest actress in England (что она

была величайшей актрисой Англии). And if they didn't believe him (и, если бы

они ему не поверили) he'd have her photograph to prove it (так у         него была ее

фотография, чтобы подтвердить /историю/), signed    yours sincerely

(подписанная: «Искренне Ваша»). He'd laugh (он рассмеется) and say that of

course if he hadn't been such a kid (и скажет, что, конечно, если бы он не был

таким молодым: «ребенком») he'd never have had the cheek to ask her (он

никогда бы не набрался храбрости чтобы пригласить ее; to have the cheek —

иметь наглость, дерзость; cheek — щека).

children ['tSIldrqn] insignificant ["InsIg'nIfIkqnt] sincerely [sIn'sIqlI] 

She took a taxi to Tavistock Square. She was pleased with herself. She was

Doing a good action. It would be wonderful for him in after years to be able to