What could such a woman see in me? what could I see in her? I know no more than you do. In some mysterious manner we exactly suit each other. We have been man and wife for ten years, and our only regret is, that we have no children. I don’t know what you
may think; I call that – upon the whole – a happy marriage.So much for ourselves. The next question is – what has brought us into the inn yard? and why am I obliged to turn groom, and hold the horses?
We live for the most part in France – at the country house in which my wife and I first met. Occasionally, by way of variety, we pay visits to my friends in England.
We are paying one of those visits now
(мы наносим один из тех визитов теперь). Our host is an old college friend of mine (наш хозяин – мой старый приятель по колледжу), possessed of a fine estate in Somersetshire (владеющий прекрасным поместьем в Сомерсетшире; to possess – владеть, обладать); and we have arrived at his house – called Farleigh Hall (мы прибыли в его дом, называемый Фарли-Холл; to arrive – прибывать, приезжать; hall – зал, холл; помещичий дом, усадьба) – toward the close of the hunting season (к концу охотничьего сезона; close – конец, завершение, окончание; to close – закрывать/ся/; заканчивать/ся/; to hunt – охотиться).