«We wondered,» Dick Diver said, «if you wouldn’t come over this morning. We go in, we take food and drink, so it’s a substantial (существенный, важный) invitation.»

He seemed kind and charming (очаровательный) – his voice promised that he would take care of her, and that a little later he would open up whole new worlds for her, unroll (развёртывать; разворачивать) an endless (бесконечный) succession (серия, последовательность) of magnificent (великолепный, внушительный) possibilities. He managed the introduction so that her name wasn’t mentioned (упоминать) and then let her know easily that everyone knew who she was but were respecting the completeness of her private (частный) life – a courtesy (учтивость, вежливость) that Rosemary had not met with save (за исключением, кроме) from professional people since her success.

Nicole Diver, her brown back hanging from her pearls (жемчуг), was looking through a recipe book (меню) for chicken Maryland. She was about twenty-four, Rosemary guessed (догадаться) – her face could have been described in terms of conventional (условный, обычный) prettiness, but the effect was that it had been made first on the heroic scale (шкала) with strong structure and marking (отметка), as if the features and vividness of brow and coloring, everything we associate with temperament and character had been molded (формировать, отливать) with a Rodinesque intention (замысел в стиле Родена), and then chiseled away (вырезать, долбить) in the direction of prettiness (миловидность) to a point where a single slip (промах, ошибка) would have irreparably (непоправимо, безнадёжно) diminished (убывать, уменьшаться) its force and quality (качество). With the mouth the sculptor had taken desperate (отчаянный) chances – it was the cupid’s (купидон) bow (лук) of a magazine cover (обложка), yet it shared (разделять) the distinction (отличительная черта) of the rest.

«Are you here for a long time?» Nicole asked. Her voice was low (низкий), almost harsh (хриплый).

Suddenly Rosemary let the possibility enter her mind that they might stay another week.

«Not very long,» she answered vaguely (туманно). «We’ve been abroad a long time – we landed in (высадиться в) Sicily in March and we’ve been slowly working our way north. I got pneumonia (пневмония) making a picture last January and I’ve been recuperating (поправляться; выздоравливать).»

«Mercy (милость Божия)! How did that happen?»

«Well, it was from swimming,» Rosemary was rather reluctant (не хотеть) at embarking (погружаться) upon personal revelations (откровение). «One day I happened to have the grippe and didn’t know it, and they were taking a scene where I dove (погружаться) into a canal in Venice. It was a very expensive (дорогой) set (комплект), so I had to dive and dive and dive all morning. Mother had a doctor right there, but it was no use – I got pneumonia.» She changed the subject determinedly (решительно) before they could speak. «Do you like it here – this place?»

«They have to like it,» said Abe North slowly. «They invented (создавать, изобретать) it.» He turned his noble (благородный) head slowly so that his eyes rested (остановиться) with tenderness (нежность) and affection (любовь) on the two Divers.

«Oh, did you?»

«This is only the second season that the hotel’s been open in summer,» Nicole explained. «We persuaded Gausse to keep on a cook and a garçon and a chasseur (егерь) – it paid its way and this year it’s doing even better.»

«But you’re not in the hotel.»

«We built a house, up at Tarmes.»