He spoke familiarly (обычно, привычно) to the children who were getting up from their outdoor (на открытом воздухе) supper.
«Hello, Lanier, how about a song? Will you and Topsy sing me a song?»
«What shall we sing?» agreed the little boy, with the odd (странный) chanting (говорить нараспев) accent of American children brought up (воспитанный) in France.
«That song about „Mon Ami (мой друг) Pierrot.“»
Brother and sister stood side by side (рядом) without self-consciousness (чувство неловкости, смущения) and their voices soared (взлетать, взмывать, парить) sweet and shrill (пронзительный; резкий) upon the evening air.
«Au clair de la lune
Mon Ami Pierrot
Prête-moi ta plume
Pour écrire un mot
Ma chandelle est morte
Je n’ai plus de feu
Ouvre-moi ta porte
Pour l’amour de Dieu.»
The singing ceased (прекратиться) and the children, their faces aglow (взволнованный, возбуждённый) with the late sunshine, stood smiling calmly at their success. Rosemary was thinking that the Villa Diana was the centre of the world. On such a stage some memorable (памятный, запоминающийся) thing was sure (наверняка) to happen (должно было произойти). She lighted up higher as the gate tinkled (звенеть; звонить; звякать) open and the rest of the guests arrived in a body – the McKiscos, Mrs. Abrams, Mr. Dumphry, and Mr. Campion came up to the terrace.
Rosemary had a sharp feeling of disappointment (разочарование) – she looked quickly at Dick, as though (как будто) to ask an explanation of this incongruous (нелепый, неподходящий, неуместный) mingling (смешивание). But there was nothing unusual in his expression. He greeted his new guests with a proud bearing (осанка) and an obvious deference (уважение, почтение) to their infinite [«ɪnfɪnət], (бесконечный, беспредельный, безграничный) and unknown possibilities. She believed in him so much that presently (с необходимостью, неизбежностью) she accepted the rightness of the McKiscos’ presence as if she had expected to meet them all along.
«I’ve met you in Paris,» McKisco said to Abe North, who with his wife had arrived on their heels (по пятам, следом), «in fact I’ve met you twice.»
«Yes, I remember,» Abe said.
«Then where was it?» demanded McKisco, not content (довольный) to let well enough alone.
«Why, I think – » Abe got tired (устать) of the game, «I can’t remember.»
The interchange (взаимообмен, обмен) filled a pause and Rosemary’s instinct was that something tactful should be said by somebody, but Dick made no attempt to break up the grouping formed by these late arrivals, not even to disarm Mrs. McKisco of her air (налёт) of supercilious (высокомерный, надменный, презрительный) amusement (развлечения, увеселения, забава). He did not solve this social problem because he knew it was not of importance at the moment and would solve itself. He was saving his newness for a larger effort, waiting a more significant moment for his guests to be conscious (осознавать) of a good time.
Rosemary stood beside Tommy Barban – he was in a particularly scornful (презрительный, пренебрежительный; насмешливый) mood and there seemed to be some special stimulus working upon him. He was leaving in the morning.
«Going home?»
«Home? I have no home. I am going to a war.»
«What war?»
«What war? Any war. I haven’t seen a paper lately but I suppose there’s a war – there always is.»
«Don’t you care what you fight for?»
«Not at all – so long as I’m well treated. When I’m in a rut (колея; охота) I come to see the Divers, because then I know that in a few weeks I’ll want to go to war.»