“What a monstrous climate!” said the American Minister, calmly. “I guess the old country is so overpopulated that they have not enough decent weather for everybody. I have always been of opinion that emigration is the only thing for England.”
“My dear Hiram,” cried Mrs. Otis, “what can we do with a woman who faints?”
“Charge it to her like breakages,[18]” answered the Minister; “she won’t faint after that;” and in a few moments Mrs. Umney certainly came to.
There was no doubt, however, that she was extremely upset, and she sternly warned Mr. Otis to beware of some trouble coming to the house.
“I have seen things with my own eyes, sir,” she said, “that would make any Christian’s hair stand on end,[19] and many and many a night I have not closed my eyes in sleep for the awful things that are done here.” Mr. Otis, however, and his wife warmly assured her that they were not afraid of ghosts, and, after blessing of her new master and mistress, and making arrangements for an increase of salary,[20] the old housekeeper went away to her own room.
Exercises
1. Answer the questions:
1. What did everyone tell Mr. Otis about Canterville Chase?
2. What happened to the Duchess of Bolton?
3. Where did the Otis family come from?
4. What did Mrs. Otis look like?
5. How many children did the Otis family have?
6. Who was Mrs. Umney?
7. What did Mrs. Otis suddenly notice on the floor?
8. When was Lady Eleanore de Canterville murdered?
9. What did Washington Otis do with the blood stain?
10. Why was Mrs. Umney extremely upset?
2. True or false?
1. When Mr. Otis bought Canterville Chase everyone told him he was doing a very stupid thing.
2. Rev. Augustus Dampier has never seen the ghost.
3. Mr. Otis didn’t mind a ghost in the house.
4. Mrs. Otis was an ugly old lady.
5. Virginia E. Otis was a little girl of five.
6. The twins were the only true democrats of the family.
7. Mrs. Otis noticed a beautiful handmade carpet on the floor just by the fireplace.
8. Lady Eleanore de Canterville was murdered by her cousin in 1575.
9. Sir Simon’s body has never been discovered.
10. Mrs. Umney warned Mr. Otis to beware of some trouble coming to the house.
3. Find in the text the English equivalents to the following words and expressions:
выздороветь, приходской священник, замечание, в конце сезона, знаменитая красавица, женщина средних лет, телосложение, во многих отношениях, светловолосый, сделал ей предложение, достопочтенный, в прекрасном расположении духа, стая грачей, витраж, пережил ее на 9 лет, при загадочных обстоятельствах, раскат грома, лишиться чувств, остерегаться, прибавка к жалованию.
4. Write questions to the following answers.
1. When Mr. Hiram B. Otis, the American Minister, bought Canterville Chase, everyone told him he was doing a very stupid thing.
2. The Dowager Duchess of Bolton was frightened to a fit.
3. Lady Canterville often couldn’t sleep because she heard some mysterious noises.
4. It always makes its appearances before the death of any member of the family.
5. The Minister and his family went down to Canterville Chase at the close of the season.
6. Gardenias and the peerage were his only weaknesses.
7. Virginia was a girl of fifteen.
8. Duke of Cheshire proposed for Virginia on the spot.
9. Mrs. Otis noticed a dull red stain on the floor.
10. His body has never been discovered.
5. Fill in the gaps with the words from the box.
1. There was no doubt at all that the place was _________.
2. Lord Canterville did not quite understand Mr. Otis’s last ______________________.
3. A few weeks after this, the ______________ was concluded.
4. Duke of Cheshire _________________ for Virginia on the spot.
5. The air was __________________ with the scent of the pinewoods.
6. The sky became suddenly _____________ with clouds.
7. His ____________ spirit still haunts the Chase.
8. In a few moments no ____________ of the blood-stain could be seen.
9. There was________________, however, that she was extremely upset.
10. Mr. Otis and his wife warmly _______________ her that they were not afraid of ghosts.
II
The storm raged fiercely all that night, but nothing of particular note occurred.[21] The next morning, however, when they came down to breakfast, they found the terrible stain of blood once again on the floor. “I don’t think it can be the fault of the Paragon Detergent,” said Washington, “for I have tried it with everything. It must be the ghost.” He rubbed out the stain a second time, but the second morning it appeared again. The third morning also it was there, though the library had been locked up at night by Mr. Otis himself, and the key carried up-stairs. The whole family were now quite interested; Mr. Otis began to suspect that he had been too dogmatic in his denial of the existence of ghosts, Mrs. Otis expressed her intention of joining the Psychical Society, and Washington prepared a long letter to Messrs. Myers and Podmore on the subject of the Permanence of Blood Stains when connected with Crime. That night all doubts about the existence of ghosts were removed for ever.
The day had been warm and sunny; and, in the cool of the evening, the whole family went out to drive. They did not return home till nine o’clock, when they had a light supper. The conversation in no way turned upon ghosts. The subjects discussed, as I have since learned from Mr. Otis, were merely such as form the ordinary conversation of cultured Americans of the better class, such as the immense superiority of Miss Fanny Davenport over Sarah Bernhardt as an actress; the difficulty of obtaining green corn and buckwheat cakes, even in the best English houses; the importance of Boston in the development of the world-soul; the advantages of the baggage-check system[22] in railway travelling; and the sweetness of the New York accent as compared to the London drawl. No mention at all was made of the supernatural. At eleven o’clock the family retired, and by half-past all the lights were out. Some time after, Mr. Otis was awakened by a curious noise in the corridor, outside his room. It sounded like the clank of metal, and seemed to be coming nearer every moment. He got up at once, struck a match, and looked at the time. It was exactly one o’clock. He was quite calm. The strange noise still continued, and with it he heard distinctly the sound of footsteps. He put on his slippers, took a small phial out of his dressing-case, and opened the door. Right in front of him he saw an old man of terrible aspect.[23] His eyes were as red burning coals; long grey hair fell over his shoulders in matted coils; his garments, which were of antique cut,[24] were soiled and ragged, and from his wrists and ankles hung heavy manacles and rusty gyves.
19
that would make any Christian’s hair stand on end – от которых у любого христианина волосы встанут дыбом