Give Russian equivalents of the following words and expressions in the text. Use some of them in

the sentences of your own:

in high spirits; to be very pleased with smth.; to wait for smb. until midnight; indeed; to look quite old; to be dishonoured; a noble youth; to have an interview with smb.; impossible; a scoundrel; to think about the debts; to one's surprise; barefoot; to straighten smth.; to find the missing corner; to screen smb.; to hurt smth.; to be furious; to make smb. tell...; to flee from smth.; to beg one's pardon

Find and read aloud the sentences which describe

1) the appearance of Mr. Holder that morning;

2) the scene of returning back the beryls to Mr. Holder;

3) how Mary gave the coronet to Sir George.

4. Answer the questions:

1) What did Holmes carry in his hand when he returned home an hour later?

2) Did Holmes stay at home?

3) Whom did Dr. Watson see in the dining-room in the morning?

4) What did Mr. Holder tell about his niece Mary when he came to Holmes and Dr. Watson in the morning?

5) What did Holmes tell Mr. Holder about the be­ryls? How much did he have to pay for them to return them back?

6) Why did the banker have to apologize to his son Arthur?

7) Who talked to Sir George through the window in the night when the stones were stolen?

8) Why did Arthur rise in the night?

9) What did Arthur do when he saw that Mary had given the coronet to someone?

10) Why couldn't Arthur tell his father the truth?

11) How did Arthur get the remaining part of the coronet from the thief?

12) Why did Holmes get Sir George's pair of shoes?

О. HENRY

THE LAST LEAF

Chapter 1

In a little district west of Washington Square the streets have broken themselves into small pieces called "places". These "places" make strange angles and curves. One street even crosses itself time or two. The art people soon came here hunting for¹ Dutch attics² and low rents and became a "colony".

At the top of a three-storey brick house Sue and Johnsy had their studio. One was from Maine³; the other from California⁴. They had met at a little res­taurant, and found that their tastes in art were sc similar that they decided to have a joint studio.

That was in May. In November an unseen stranger J whom the doctors called Pneumonia, walked about the colony, touching one here and there with his, icy finger.

Mr. Pneumonia was not what you would call nice old gentleman. He defeated Johnsy, a little woman from California; and she lay, hardly mo­ving, on her painted iron bed, looking through the small Dutch window at the blank side of the next brick house.

One morning the doctor invited Sue into the corridor.

"She has one chance in — let us say, ten⁵," he said. "And that chance is for her to want to live. Your little lady has made up her mind that she's not going to get well⁶. Has she anything on her mind?"

"She — she wanted to paint the Bay of Naples⁷ lay," said Sue.

"Paint—bosh! Has she anything in her life which could make her want to get well — a mother, or a friend, for instance?"

"No, doctor; there is nothing of the kind."

"Well, it is the weakness, then" said the doctor. Will do all that science can accomplish. If you make her ask one question about the new winter style⁸ in sleeves, I will promise you a one-in-five chance for her, instead of one to ten."

After the doctor had gone Sue went into the working room and cried till her handkerchief became all wet. Then she entered Johnsy's room with her drawing board, whistling a negro song.

Johnsy lay with her face toward the window. Sue stoppedwhistling, thinking she was asleep. She arranged her board and began a drawing to illustrate a magazine story. Young artists must pave their way to Art by drawing pictures for magazine stories that young authors write to pave their way to Literature.

As Sue was decorating the figure of the hero, a cowboy, she heard a low sound, several times repeated. She went quickly to bed.

Johnsy's eyes were wide open. She was looking out of the window and counting — counting backward.

"Twelve," she said, and a little later "eleven"; and then "ten", and "nine"; and then "eight", and "seven."

Shelooked out the window. What was there to count? There was only a bare yard to be seen¹⁰, and the blank side of the brick house. An old ivy vine climbed half way up¹¹ the brick wall. The cold breath

of autumn had blown off its leaves from the vine un­til its skeleton branches remained almost bare.

Notes

¹ hunting for — в погоне за

² Dutch attics — мансарды в голландском стиле

³ Maine [mein] — Мэн (штат в США)

⁴ California — Калифорния (штат в США)

⁵ one chance in — let us say, ten — один шанс, скажем против десяти

⁶ has made up her mind that she's not going to get well — решила, что ей уже не поправиться

⁷ Bay of Naples — Неаполитанский залив

⁸ style [stail] — зд. фасон

⁹ pave their way — прокладывать себе дорогу

¹⁰ there was only a bare yard to be seen — был только виден пустой двор

¹¹ ivy vine climbed half way up — плющ покрыл до половины

EXERCISES

1. Find in the text English equivalents of the following words and expressions:

люди искусства; в погоне за; низкая рента; иметь общую студию; едва двигаясь; один шанс из десяти; лежать лицом к окну; иллюстрировать журнальный рассказ; считать в обратном поряд- ке; пустой двор; холодное дыхание осени

2. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and expressions in the text and use them in the sentences of your own:

at the top of a three-storey brick house; to defeat smb.; to make up one's mind; make smb. want to get well; there is nothing of the kind; to arrange ninth.; to pave one's way; to look out of the window

3. Answer the questions:

1) Where did the art people go in New York hunt­ing for low rents?

2) Where did Sue and Johnsy have their studio?

3) What happened in November?

4) What did the doctor tell Sue one morning?
5) Did Johnsy have many chances to get well?
6) What did Johnsy count looking out of the window?

4. Agree or disagree with the following statements:

1) Sue and Johnsy had their studio at the top of a three-storey brick house in a little district west of Washington.

2) They decided to have a joint studio because their tastes in art were very similar.

3) When Johnsy became ill the doctor said that her chances of getting well were big.

4) Johnsy had many things in her life which could make her want to get well.

5) Looking out of the window Johnsy was count­ing the leaves on the ivy vine at the brick wall.

5. Find and read aloud the passages in the text de­scribing

1) I he conversation between the doctor and Sue;

2) the view which one could see out of the win­dow in the room where Johnsy lay.

Chapter 2

"What is it, dear?" asked Sue.

"Six," said Johnsy, in almost a wisper. "There’re falling faster now. Three days ago there were al- most a hundred. It made my head ache¹ to count them. But now it's easy. There goes another one. There are only five left now."

"Five what, dear? Tell your Sue."

"Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls I must go, too. I've known that for three days. Didn’t the doctor tell you?"

"Oh, I never heard of such nonsense," said Sue. "What have old ivy leaves to do with your getting well²? Why³, the doctor told me this morning that your chances for getting well soon were ten to one Try to take some milk now, and let Sue go back to her drawing, so she can sell it to the editor, an buy port wine for her sick child, and a chop for herself."

"You needn't get any more wine," said Johnsy still looking out of the window. "There goes another No, I don't want any milk. There remained only four. I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark. Then I'll go, too."

"Johnsy, dear," said Sue, bending over her, "will you promise me to keep your eyes closed⁴, and not look out of the window until I finish working? I need the light, or I would draw the curtains down."

"Couldn't you draw in the other room?" asked Johnsy, coldly.

"I'd rather be here by you⁵," said Sue. "Besides don't want to look at those silly ivy leaves."

Tell me as soon as you have finished," said John­ny, closing her eyes, and lying white and still as a falling statue, "because I want to see the last one fall. I’m tired of waiting. I'm tired of thinking. I want to get free⁶ of everything that holds me, and go down, down, just like one of those poor, tired leaves."

"Try to sleep," said Sue. "I must call Behrman⁷ up to be my model for the old miner. I'll be back in a minute. Don't try to move till I come back."

Old Behrman was a painter who lived on a ground floor beneath them. He was past sixty. Behrman was a failure in art⁸. He had been always about⁹ to paint a masterpiece, but had not even begun it. For several years he had painted nothing except signboards and advertisements.

He earned a little serving as a model to those young artists in the colony who could not pay the price of a professional. He drank hard, and still talked of his coming masterpiece¹⁰. For the rest¹¹he was a fierce little old man, who laughed terribly at softness in any one. He regarded himself as a watchdog specially appointed to protect the two young artists in studio above.

Notes

¹ it made my head ache [eik] — у меня голова заболе­ла

² What have old ivy leaves to do with your getting well? - Какое отношение могут иметь листья на ста­ром плюще к твоему выздоровлению?

³ Why — зд. восклицание: Ну вот

⁴ to keep your eyes closed — не открывать глаза

⁵ I'd rather be here by you — Я лучше побуду здесь с тобой

⁶ to get free — освободиться

⁷ Behrman — Берман
⁸ was a failure in art — был неудачник в искусстве

⁹ he had been always about — он все собирался

¹⁰ coming masterpiece — будущий шедевр

¹¹ for the rest — во всем остальном

EXERCISES

1. Find in the text English equivalents of the follo­wing words and expressions:

шансы для выздоровления; не открывать гла­за; опустить шторы; освободиться от всего; за шестьдесят; вывески и объявления; зарабатывать немного; будущий шедевр; во всем остальном защитить кого-л.

2. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and expressions in the text and use them in the
sentences of your own:

to fall faster; nonsense; before it gets dark; to promise smb. to do smth.; besides; as soon as; to be tired of waiting; to be back in a minute; a failure in art; to laugh at smth.

3. Answer the questions:

1) Why did Johnsy decide to count the leaves or the ivy vine?

2) What did Sue say to Johnsy about her fancy?

3) Did Johnsy still want to look at the leaves af­ter Sue's words?

4) Whom did Sue have to call to her room?

5) What was Behrman? Was he successful in art?

6) How did Behrman earn his living?

4. Discuss the following:

1) Sue tried to persuade Johnsy that her chances for getting well were ten to one. Johnsy didn't want to believe that. Why?

2) Behrman was a fierce old man who laughed at softness in any one. Why, in your opinion, did he want to protect Sue and Johnsy who lived in the stidio above?

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