"Now, let me think. A white rat, perhaps? I have some very nice white rats."

"No!" said the man. "Not rats. Something with wings. Something that flies."

"A bird!" exclaimed Mr. Purcell.

"A bird is all right." Suddenly the customer pointed to the cage with two white doves.

"How much for those?" "Five-fifty," came the quick answer. "It's a very reasonable price. They are a fine pair." "Five-fifty?" The man produced a five-dollar bill. "I'd like to have those birds. But this is all I've got. Just five dollars."

Mr. Purcell thought that even if he reduced the price by 50 cents he would make a good profit.

"My dear man, if you want them so much, you can certainly have them for five dollars," he smiled.

"I'll take them," the customer said and put the money on the counter. Mr. Purcell handed the cage to him.

"Listen," the man said suddenly. "How long do you think it took me to make those five dollars?"

Mr. Purcell was in a state of panic, but he asked, "Why, how long?" The other laughed. "Ten years! I've spent ten years in jail. Ten years! Fifty cents a year!"

The man took his cage and left the shop. Mr. Purcell came up to the shopwindow to look at the customer who was holding the cage and poking at his purchase.

Then the man opened the cage and took the birds out. Soon they disappeared in the grey sky.

3.3.1 Vocabulary notes

to own – владеть ч. -л.

to deal in – заниматься ч. -л., торговать

counter – прилавок в магазине

shopkeeper – владелец магазина

reasonable price – доступная цена

to make a profit – извлекать прибыль, получать прибыль

3.3.2 Answer the questions

1 What did Mr. Purcell deal in?

2 What discount did Mr. Purcell offer to his strange customer?

3 What did the customer do with his purchase?

3.4 Text 4

Cedric Bradley, at fifty-three, was short apple-cheeked, with blue eyes and a cockney accent. He controlled Bradley Ltd., the largest jewelry house in London. He was proud of two things: he built his business with his own hand and brain and he had never been swindled or robbed.

One morning in May when Bradley was calculating his profits the card of Lord Throckmorton of Taine was brought to the jeweller. Throckmorton came in. He was a total stranger to the firm.

"My daughter is about to be married," said he," I thought of a necklace, matched and perfect. Nothing unusual – just the best. Now I'm going to Africa for three months. I thought – with three months – you can assemble something good. For, say, eighty thousand pounds?"

"Agreed."

His Lordship took out a check book from his coat. "A deposit, say ten thousand?" Mr. Bradly agreed. The check was written, the two men shook hands.

Three months passed. Lord Throckmorton entered the office of Mr. Bradley. The head of the firm showed him the necklace.

"Good Lord, Bradley. They are the best I've ever seen. I say, my wife is an invalid, I want her to see them before my daughter. Can you send them over?"

"I'd be glad to bring them over myself," answered the jeweller.

The jeweller was received in the drawing room. Her Ladyship was there. When she saw the pearls she cried. Then a nurse took her away to her room. Lord Trockmorton asked to see the pearls again. At that moment his daughter Gwen entered the room. As the pearls were to be a surprise at the time of the wedding the Lord hurriedly put them into his cabinet that had belonged to Louis XV. Both the father and his guest rose to meet the girl. She was a real beauty. She was more than an elegant girl. Bradly was all emotions.

Her father sat near the piano. "Play that old thing I like," he suggested. The servant came up to him and said something. He lifted his hands in apology and left. Gwen sang on. When she finished she asked: "Where is father?"