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Текст для читання на тему: A Fur Jacket (after "An American Tragedy" by Theodore Dreiser)
| 27.11.2010, 14:07 | |
| A Fur Jacket (after "An American Tragedy" by Theodore Dreiser) One day Hortense, walking along Baltimore Street near its junction with Fifteenth Street — the smartest portion of the shopping section of the city— at the noon hour — with Doris, another shop-girl in her department store, saw in the window of one of the smaller and less exclusive fur stores of the city, a fur jacket of beaver that to her was exactly what she needed to strengthen mightily her very limited personal wardrobe. It was not such an expensive coat, worth possibly a hundred dollars — but fash¬ioned in such an individual way as to make her to imagine that, once invested with it, her physical charm would show more than it even had. Moved by this thought, she paused and exclaimed: "Oh, isn't that just classiest, darlingest little coat you ever saw! Oh, look at those sleeves, Doris". She took her friend by the arm. "Look at the collar. And the lining! And those pockets! Oh, dear!" She was trembling with intensity of her approval and de¬light. "Oh, isn't that just too sweet for words? And the very kind of coat I've been thinking of since I don't know when!" she exclaimed. "Oh, if I could only have it". She clapped her hands admiringly, while Isadore Rubinstein, the elderly son of the proprietor, who was stand¬ing somewhat out of the range of her gaze at the moment, noted the gesture and her enthusiasm and decided im¬mediately that the coat must be worth at least twenty-five or fifty dollars more to her, any how, in case she asked for it. The firm had been offering it at one hun¬dred. He thought to himself about the probable trading value of such a coat. What would such a poor, vain and pretty girl pay for this coat? Meanwhile, however, Hortense, hav¬ing stared as long as her lunch-hour would permit, had gone away still dreaming how she would look in such a coat. But she had not stopped to ask the price. The next day, feeling that she must look at it once more, she returned, only this time alone, and yet with no idea of being able to purchase it her¬self. But seeing the coat once more, she finally came in. "You like the coat, eh?" were Rubin¬stein's words as she opened the door. "Well, that shows you have good taste, I'll say. That's one of the nobbiest little coats we've ever had to show in this store yet. A real beauty, that. And how it would look on such a beautiful girl as you!" He took it out of the window and held it up. "I saw you when you Тексти для читання та аудіювання were looking at it yesterday". A gleam of greedy admiration was in his eyes. And noting this, and feeling that a remote and yet not wholly unfriendly air would win her more consideration and courtesy than a more intimate one Hortense merely said, "Yes?" "Yes, indeed. And I said then, there's a girl that knows a really chic coat when she sees it. Look at it! Look at it!" said Mr. Rubinstein turning the coat about and holding it before her. "Where in Kansas City will you find anything to equal that today? Look at the silk lin¬ing here — and these slant pockets. And the buttons. You think those things don't make a different-loo king coat? There aren't another one like it in Kansas City today — not one. And there won't be. We designed it ourselves and we never repeat our models. We protect our cus¬tomers. But come back here". (He led the way to a triple mirror at the back.) "You are the best person to wear a coat like this — to get the best effect out of it. Let me try it on you". And by the artificial light Hortense could see how really attractively she looked in it. She cocked her head and twisted and turned and buried on small ear in the fur, while Mr. Rubinstein stood by, watching her with not a little admira¬tion and almost rubbing his hands. "There now", he continued. "Look at that. What do you say to that, eh? Didn't tell you it was the very thing for you? A find for you. A pick-up. You'll never get another coat like that in this city. If you do, I'll make you a present of this one" He came very near. "Well, I must say, it really looks smart on me", commented Hortense, her vain soul desiring it. "I can wear anything like this though" She twisted and turned the more, forgetting him entirely and the effect her interest would have on his cost price. Then she added: "How much is it?" "Well, it's really a two-hundred-dol¬lars coat", began Mr. Rubinstein artfully. Then noting a shadow over Hortense's face, he added quickly: "That sounds like a lot of money, but of course we don't ask so much for it here. One hundred and fifty is our price. But if that coat was at Jarek's, that's what you'd pay for it and more. We don't have the best loca¬tion here and we don't have to pay the high rents. But it's worth every cent of two hundred". "Why, I think that's a terrible price to ask for it, just awful", exclaimed Hortense sadly, beginning to remove the coat. She was feeling as if life were depriving her of nearly all that was worth while. "Why, at Biggs and Becks, they have lots of three-quartermink and beaver coats for that much, and classy styles too" "Maybe, maybe. But not that coat", insisted Mr. Rubinstein stubbornly. "Just look at it again. Look at the collar. You want to say you can find a coat like that up there? If you can, I'll buy the coat for you and sell it to you again for a hun¬dred dollars. Actually, this is a special coat. It's copied from one of the smartest coats that was in New York last summer before the season opened. It has class. You won't find any coat like this coat" "Oh, well, just the same, a hundred and fifty dollars is more than I can pay" commented Hortense with sorrow, at the same time putting on her old broadcloth jacket with the fur collar and cuffs, and slowly moving towards the door. "Wait! You like the coat?" wisely observed Mr. Rubinstein, after decid¬ing that even a hundred dollars was too much for her purse, unless it could be supplemented by some man's. "It's really Texts for Reading and Listening a two-hundred-do liars coat. I'm telling you that straight. Our regular price is one hundred and fifty. But if you could bring me a hundred and twenty-five dol¬lars, since you want it so much, well, I'll let you have it fore that. And that's like finding it. A good-looking girl like you must have no trouble in finding a dozen fellows who would be glad to buy the coat and give it to you" Hortense was not displeased by the compliment. For some time her mind was thinking about possible persons who, by her charm, might be persuaded to pro¬cure this coat for her. Charlie for exam¬ple — he worked in a cigar store — but she thought that he wouldn't do much for her without getting a good deal in return. And then there was Robert, another youth. But he was too saving — always talking about his future. Bert was only a shoe salesman, prob¬ably twenty dollars a week, and most careful with his pennies. There was Clyde, the person who had real money and willing to spend it on her freely. But could she persuade him to make such an expensive present as this? Mr. Rubinstein stood looking at her, feeling the nature of the problem that was facing her. "Well, little girl" he finally said, "I see you'd like to have this coat, all right, and I'd like to have you have it, too. And now I'll tell you what I'll do, and better than that I can't and don't want to do for any¬body else — not a person in this city. Bring me a hundred and fifteen dollars any time within the next few days — Monday or Wednesday or Friday, if this coat is still here, and you can have it. I'll do even better. I'll save it for you. How's that? Until next Wednesday or Friday. More than that no one would do for you, now, would they?" He acted as if he were indeed doing her a great favour. And Hortense, going away, felt that if only — only she could take that coat at one hundred and fifteen dollars, she would be making a marvel¬lous bargain. Also that she would be the smartest-dressed girl in Kansas City be¬yond the shadow of a doubt. If only she could in some way get a hundred and fifteen dollars before next Wednesday, or Friday. | |
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