Топик: Тексты для экзамена 11 класса

(After H.G. Wells)

The Luncheon

It was twenty years ago when I was living in Paris. It had a small flat and I was earning very little money. She had read a book of mine and had written to me about it. I answered , thanking her and then I received from her another letter in which she asked me if I would give her a little luncheon at Foyot’s . Foyot’s is a restaurant at which French senators eat and I had never thought of going there. But I was flattered and I was too young to say “no “ to a woman. I answered I would meet her at Foyot’s on Thursday at half past twelve.

She was not so young as I expected. She was in fact a woman of forty. I was frightened when the menu was brought, for the prices were a great deal higher than I had expected. But she said ,” “ I never eat anything for luncheon. I wonder if they have any salmon.”

Well, it was early in the tear for salmon and it was not on the menu , but I asked the waiter if there was any . Yes, they had a beautiful salmon. I ordered it for my guest. The waiter asked her if she would have something while it was being cooked. “No”, she answered, “I never eat more than one thing. Unless you have a caviar.”

I knew that caviar was very expensive and I could not afford it, but I could not tell her that , I told the waiter to bring caviar. For myself I chose the cheapest dish on the menu and that was a mutton chop.

Then came the question of drink.

“I never drink anything for luncheon”, she said.

“ Neither do I “, I answered quickly.

“ Expect white wine”, she went on.

“What would you like?” I asked her.

“ my doctor won’t let me drink anything but champagne.”

I order half a bottle . I said that my doctor had not allowed me to drink champagne.

“ What are you going to drink, then?”

“Water.”

She ate the caviar and she ate the salmon. She talked of art and literature and music. But I wondered what the bill would come to and whether I had enough to pay it I knew exactly how much money I had and if the bill came more I decided that I would put my hand in my pocket and with dramatic cry get up and say my money had been stolen. If she had not money enough to pay the bill , then the only thing to do would be to leave my watch and say I would come back and pay later. At last she finished.

“ Coffee?” I said.

“ Yes , just an ice-cream and coffee”, she answered.

So I order an ice- cream and coffee for her.

“ you know , there’s one thing I believe