“No, no; I call him a gentleman by courtesy (нет, нет, я называю его джентльменом /только/ из вежливости), but he was quite a common-looking person (это был совершенно простой человек). I hardly noticed his appearance (я почти и не заметил, как он выглядит; to notice — замечать, обращать внимание). But really I think that we are wandering rather far from the point (но, право, думаю, мы уходим далеко от дела).”

“Lady St. Simon, then, returned from the wedding in a less cheerful frame of mind (итак, леди Сент-Саймон вернулась с бракосочетания в менее радостном настроении; frame of mind — расположение духа, настроение; frame — скелет, костяк, каркас, остов; рама; строение) than she had gone to it (чем /то/, в котором она прибыла /в церковь/). What did she do on re-entering her father’s house (что она делала, вернувшись в дом отца)?”

“I saw her in conversation with her maid (я видел, как она разговаривала со своей горничной).”

appearance [@'pI@r@ns], re-entering [ri:'ent@rIN], conversation [,kOnv@'seIS(@)n]

“Indeed! You say that there was a gentleman in the pew. Some of the general public were present, then?”

“Oh, yes. It is impossible to exclude them when the church is open.”

“This gentleman was not one of your wife’s friends?”

“No, no; I call him a gentleman by courtesy, but he was quite a common-looking person. I hardly noticed his appearance. But really I think that we are wandering rather far from the point.”

“Lady St. Simon, then, returned from the wedding in a less cheerful frame of mind than she had gone to it. What did she do on re-entering her father’s house?”

“I saw her in conversation with her maid.”

“And who is her maid (кто это)?”

“Alice is her name (ее зовут Элис). She is an American and came from California with her (она американка, приехала из Калифорнии с моей женой).”

“A confidential servant (она пользуется доверием /вашей жены/; confidential — надежный, пользующийся доверием)?”

“A little too much so (немного слишком большим /доверием/). It seemed to me that her mistress allowed her to take great liberties (мне казалось, что ее госпожа позволяет ей слишком много; to take liberties — позволять себе вольности, бесцеремонно обращаться /с кем-либо или чем-либо/). Still, of course, in America they look upon these things in a different way (конечно, в Америке смотрят на эти вещи иначе: «отличным /от Европы/ способом»).”

“How long did she speak to this Alice (как долго она говорила с Элис)?”

“Oh, a few minutes (несколько минут). I had something else to think of (у меня были другие заботы: «у меня было кое-что другое, о чем нужно было думать»).”

“You did not overhear what they said (вы случайно не слышали, о чем они говорили; to overhear — подслушивать; нечаянно услышать)?”

servant ['s@:v(@)nt], minute ['mInIt], overhear [,@uv@'hI@]

“And who is her maid?”

“Alice is her name. She is an American and came from California with her.”

“A confidential servant?”

“A little too much so. It seemed to me that her mistress allowed her to take great liberties. Still, of course, in America they look upon these things in a different way.”

“How long did she speak to this Alice?”

“Oh, a few minutes. I had something else to think of.”

“You did not overhear what they said?”