Tender is the night. F. Scott Fitzgerald. Учим английский, читая мировую классику

«I’ve met you in Paris,» McKisco said to Abe North, who with his wife had arrived on their heels (по пятам, следом), «in fact I’ve met you twice.»

«Yes, I remember,» Abe said.

«Then where was it?» demanded McKisco, not content (довольный) to let well enough alone.

«Why, I think – » Abe got tired (устать) of the game, «I can’t remember.»

The interchange (взаимообмен, обмен) filled a pause and Rosemary’s instinct was that something tactful should be said by somebody, but Dick made no attempt to break up the grouping formed by these late arrivals, not even to disarm Mrs. McKisco of her air (налёт) of supercilious (высокомерный, надменный, презрительный) amusement (развлечения, увеселения, забава). He did not solve this social problem because he knew it was not of importance at the moment and would solve itself. He was saving his newness for a larger effort, waiting a more significant moment for his guests to be conscious (осознавать) of a good time.

Rosemary stood beside Tommy Barban – he was in a particularly scornful (презрительный, пренебрежительный; насмешливый) mood and there seemed to be some special stimulus working upon him. He was leaving in the morning.

«Going home?»

«Home? I have no home. I am going to a war.»

«What war?»

«What war? Any war. I haven’t seen a paper lately but I suppose there’s a war – there always is.»

«Don’t you care what you fight for?»

«Not at all – so long as I’m well treated. When I’m in a rut (колея; охота) I come to see the Divers, because then I know that in a few weeks I’ll want to go to war.»

Rosemary stiffened (становиться холодным, высокомерным).

«You like the Divers,» she reminded (напоминать) him.

«Of course – especially her – but they make me want to go to war.»

She considered this, to no avail (безуспешно). The Divers made her want to stay near them forever (навсегда).

«You’re half American,» she said, as if that should solve the problem.

«Also I’m half French, and I was educated in England and since I was eighteen I’ve worn (носить) the uniforms (форма) of eight countries. But I hope I did not give you the impression that I am not fond of the Divers – I am, especially of Nicole.»

«How could any one help (предотвратить) it?» she said simply.

She felt far from him. The undertone (подтекст; скрытый смысл) of his words repelled (претить; вызывать отвращение, неприязнь; отталкивать) her and she withdrew (отзывать; отводить) her adoration (обожание) for the Divers from the profanity (брань; сквернословие) of his bitterness (горечь). She was glad he was not next to her at dinner and she was still thinking of his words «especially her» as they moved toward the table in the garden.

For a moment now she was beside Dick Diver on the path. Alongside his hard, neat brightness everything faded into the surety that he knew everything. For a year, which was forever, she had had money and a certain celebrity and contact with the celebrated, and these latter had presented themselves merely as powerful enlargements of the people with whom the doctor’s widow (вдова) and her daughter had associated in a h?tel-pension in Paris. Rosemary was a romantic and her career had not provided many satisfactory opportunities on that score (на тот счет). Her mother, with the idea of a career for Rosemary, would not tolerate (терпеть, выносить) any such spurious (поддельный; подложный, фиктивный) substitutes (субститут, замена) as the excitations available (доступный) on all sides, and indeed Rosemary was already beyond that – she was In the movies but not at all At them. So when she had seen approval (одобрение) of Dick Diver in her mother’s face it meant that he was «the real thing»; it meant permission to go as far as she could (как можно дальше).