 |
||
| Прочитайте текст с пропусками, обозначенными номерами. Эти номера соответствуют заданиям А22-А28, в которых представлены возможные варианты ответов. Обведите номер выбранного вами варианта ответа. TEST 11 ( part 3) |
The Guest
‘The landscape seen from our windows is certainly charming,’ said Annabel; ‘those cherry orchards and green meadows, and the river winding along the valley. However, nothing ever happens here. Rather dreadful, isn’t it?’
‘On the A22 contrary, ‘ said Matilda, ‘I find it soothing and restful; but then, you see, I’ve lived in countries where things do happen, especially when you’re not ready for them happening all at once.’
‘That, of course, makes a A23 difference, ‘ said Annabel.
‘I’ll never forget,’ said Matilda, ‘the occasion when the Bishop of Bequar A24 paid us an unexpected visit.’
‘I thought that out there you were always prepared for emergency guests turning A25 up, ‘ said Annabel.
‘I was quite prepared for half a dozen Bishops,’ said Matilda, ‘but it was rather disconcerting to find out that this particular one was a distant cousin of mine, belonging to a branch of the family that had quarrelled bitterly and offensively with our branch about a Crown Derby dessert service. To make A26 matters worse, my husband was away, talking sense to a village community that fancied one of their leading men was a were-tiger.’
‘A what tiger?’
‘A were-tiger; you’ve heard of were-wolves, haven’t you, a mixture of wolf and human being and demon? Well, in those parts they have were-tigers, or think they have, and I must say that in this case they had every ground for thinking so. However, as we gave A27 up witchcraft prosecutions about three hundred years ago, we don’t like to have other people keeping on our discarded practices.’
‘I hope you weren’t unkind to the Bishop,’ said Annabel.
‘Well, of course he was my guest, so I had to be outwardly polite to him, but he was tactless enough to rake up the incidents of the old quarrel, and from that moment we were scarcely on speaking A28 terms.
|
А22 |
1) contrast |
2) contrary On the contrary — наоборот; устоявшееся выражение |
3) inside |
4) opposite |
|
А23 |
1) statement Make a statement — сделатьзаявление |
2) splash Make a splash — произвести сенсацию |
3) move Make a move — сделать шаг по отношению к мужчине/женщине (в романтическом смысле) |
4) difference Make a difference — естьроазница |
|
А24 |
1) paid Pay a visit — навестить; устоявшееся выражение |
2) sent |
3) made |
4) gave |
|
А25 |
1) to Turn to — нет такого фразового глагола |
2) over Turn over — переворачивать, перелистывать |
3) up Turn up — появляться (неожиданно) |
4) in Turn in — отказываться от своей должности |
|
А26 |
l) issues |
2) matters To make matters worse — хужетого; устоявшеесявыражение |
3) problems |
4) situation |
|
А27 |
l) in Give in — соглашаться, уступать |
2) up Give up — бросить делать что-либо (дурное, привычку и т.д.) |
3) away Give away — раздавать (бесплатно) |
4) out Give out — испускать, выделять (свет, звук) |
|
А28 |
1) conditions |
2) relationships |
3) relations |
4) terms On terms — на каких-либо условиях; устоявшееся выражение |
Задание 33 на подготовку к ЕГЭ по английскому. В тексте имеются пропуски слов. Для каждого пропуска даны несколько вариантов. Определите, какой вариант верный.
ЗаданиеОтвет
The Guest
‘The landscape seen from our windows is certainly charming,’ said Annabel; ‘those cherry orchards and green meadows, and the river winding along the valley. However, nothing ever happens here. Rather dreadful, isn’t it?’
‘On the CONTRAST / CONTRARY / INSIDE / OPPOSITE,’ said Matilda, ‘I find it soothing and restful; but then, you see, I’ve lived in countries where things do happen, especially when you’re not ready for them happening all at once.’
‘That, of course, makes a STATEMENT / SPLASH / MOVE / DIFFERENCE,’ said Annabel.
‘I’ll never forget,’ said Matilda, ‘the occasion when the Bishop of Bequar PAID / SENT / MADE / GAVE us an unexpected visit.’
‘I thought that out there you were always prepared for emergency guests turning TO / OVER / UP / IN,’ said Annabel.
‘I was quite prepared for half a dozen Bishops,’ said Matilda, ‘but it was rather disconcerting to find out that this particular one was a distant cousin of mine, belonging to a branch of the family that had quarrelled bitterly and offensively with our branch about a Crown Derby dessert service. To make ISSUES / MATTERS / PROBLEMS / SITUATION worse, my husband was away, talking sense to a village community that believed one of their leading men was a were-tiger.’
‘A what tiger?’
‘A were-tiger; you’ve heard of were-wolves, haven’t you, a mixture of wolf and human being and demon? Well, in those parts they have were-tigers, or think they have, and I must say that in this case they had every ground for thinking so. However, as we gave IN / UP / AWAY / OUT witchcraft prosecutions about three hundred years ago, we don’t like to have other people keeping up our discarded practices.’
‘I hope you weren’t unkind to the Bishop,’ said Annabel.
‘Well, of course he was my guest, so I had to be outwardly polite to him, but he was tactless enough to rake up the incidents of the old quarrel, and from that moment we were scarcely on speaking CONDITIONS / RELATIONSHIPS / RELATIONS / TERMS.
The Guest
‘The landscape seen from our windows is certainly charming,’ said Annabel; ‘those cherry orchards and green meadows, and the river winding along the valley. However, nothing ever happens here. Rather dreadful, isn’t it?’
‘On the CONTRARY,’ said Matilda, ‘I find it soothing and restful; but then, you see, I’ve lived in countries where things do happen, especially when you’re not ready for them happening all at once.’
‘That, of course, makes a DIFFERENCE,’ said Annabel.
‘I’ll never forget,’ said Matilda, ‘the occasion when the Bishop of Bequar PAID us an unexpected visit.’
‘I thought that out there you were always prepared for emergency guests turning UP,’ said Annabel.
‘I was quite prepared for half a dozen Bishops,’ said Matilda, ‘but it was rather disconcerting to find out that this particular one was a distant cousin of mine, belonging to a branch of the family that had quarrelled bitterly and offensively with our branch about a Crown Derby dessert service. To make MATTERS worse, my husband was away, talking sense to a village community that believed one of their leading men was a were-tiger.’
‘A what tiger?’
‘A were-tiger; you’ve heard of were-wolves, haven’t you, a mixture of wolf and human being and demon? Well, in those parts they have were-tigers, or think they have, and I must say that in this case they had every ground for thinking so. However, as we gave UP witchcraft prosecutions about three hundred years ago, we don’t like to have other people keeping up our discarded practices.’
‘I hope you weren’t unkind to the Bishop,’ said Annabel.
‘Well, of course he was my guest, so I had to be outwardly polite to him, but he was tactless enough to rake up the incidents of the old quarrel, and from that moment we were scarcely on speaking TERMS.
by
«The landscape seen from our windows is certainly charming,» said
Annabel; «those cherry orchards and green meadows, and the river winding
along the valley, and the church tower peeping out among the elms, they
all make a most effective picture. There’s something dreadfully sleepy
and languorous about it, though; stagnation seems to be the dominant
note. Nothing ever happens here; seedtime and harvest, an occasional
outbreak of measles or a mildly destructive thunderstorm, and a little
election excitement about once in five years, that is all that we have to
modify the monotony of our existence. Rather dreadful, isn’t it?»
«On the contrary,» said Matilda, «I find it soothing and restful; but
then, you see, I’ve lived in countries where things do happen, ever so
many at a time, when you’re not ready for them happening all at once.»
«That, of course, makes a difference,» said Annabel.
«I have never forgotten,» said Matilda, «the occasion when the Bishop of
Bequar paid us an unexpected visit; he was on his way to lay the
foundation-stone of a mission-house or something of the sort.»
«I thought that out there you were always prepared for emergency guests
turning up,» said Annabel.
«I was quite prepared for half a dozen Bishops,» said Matilda, «but it
was rather disconcerting to find out after a little conversation that
this particular one was a distant cousin of mine, belonging to a branch
of the family that had quarrelled bitterly and offensively with our
branch about a Crown Derby dessert service; they got it, and we ought to
have got it, in some legacy, or else we got it and they thought they
ought to have it, I forget which; anyhow, I know they behaved
disgracefully. Now here was one of them turning up in the odour of
sanctity, so to speak, and claiming the traditional hospitality of the
East.»
«It was rather trying, but you could have left your husband to do most of
the entertaining.»
«My husband was fifty miles up-country, talking sense, or what he
imagined to be sense, to a village community that fancied one of their
leading men was a were-tiger.»
«A what tiger?»
«A were-tiger; you’ve heard of were-wolves, haven’t you, a mixture of
wolf and human being and demon? Well, in those parts they have
were-tigers, or think they have, and I must say that in this case, so far
as sworn and uncontested evidence went, they had every ground for
thinking so. However, as we gave up witchcraft prosecutions about three
hundred years ago, we don’t like to have other people keeping on our
discarded practices; it doesn’t seem respectful to our mental and moral
position.»
«I hope you weren’t unkind to the Bishop,» said Annabel.
«Well, of course he was my guest, so I had to be outwardly polite to him,
but he was tactless enough to rake up the incidents of the old quarrel,
and to try to make out that there was something to be said for the way
his side of the family had behaved; even if there was, which I don’t for
a moment admit, my house was not the place in which to say it. I didn’t
argue the matter, but I gave my cook a holiday to go and visit his aged
parents some ninety miles away. The emergency cook was not a specialist
in curries, in fact, I don’t think cooking in any shape or form could
have been one of his strong points. I believe he originally came to us
in the guise of a gardener, but as we never pretended to have anything
that could be considered a garden he was utilised as assistant goat-herd,
in which capacity, I understand, he gave every satisfaction. When the
Bishop heard that I had sent away the cook on a special and unnecessary
holiday he saw the inwardness of the manoeuvre, and from that moment we
were scarcely on speaking terms. If you have ever had a Bishop with whom
you were not on speaking terms staying in your house, you will appreciate
the situation.»
Annabel confessed that her life-story had never included such a
disturbing experience.
«Then,» continued Matilda, «to make matters more complicated, the
Gwadlipichee overflowed its banks, a thing it did every now and then when
the rains were unduly prolonged, and the lower part of the house and all
the out-buildings were submerged. We managed to get the ponies loose in
time, and the syce swam the whole lot of them off to the nearest rising
ground. A goat or two, the chief goat-herd, the chief goat-herd’s wife,
and several of their babies came to anchorage in the verandah. All the
rest of the available space was filled up with wet, bedraggled-looking
hens and chickens; one never really knows how many fowls one possesses
till the servants’ quarters are flooded out. Of course, I had been
through something of the sort in previous floods, but never before had I
had a houseful of goats and babies and half-drowned hens, supplemented by
a Bishop with whom I was hardly on speaking terms.»
«It must have been a trying experience,» commented Annabel.
«More embarrassments were to follow. I wasn’t going to let a mere
ordinary flood wash out the memory of that Crown Derby dessert service,
and I intimated to the Bishop that his large bedroom, with a writing
table in it, and his small bath-room, with a sufficiency of cold-water
jars in it, was his share of the premises, and that space was rather
congested under the existing circumstances. However, at about three
o’clock in the afternoon, when he had awakened from his midday sleep, he
made a sudden incursion into the room that was normally the drawing-room,
but was now dining-room, store-house, saddle-room, and half a dozen other
temporary premises as well. From the condition of my guest’s costume he
seemed to think it might also serve as his dressing-room.
«‘I’m afraid there is nowhere for you to sit,’ I said coldly; ‘the
verandah is full of goats.’
«‘There is a goat in my bedroom,’ he observed with equal coldness, and
more than a suspicion of sardonic reproach.
«‘Really,’ I said, ‘another survivor? I thought all the other goats were
done for.’
«‘This particular goat is quite done for,’ he said, ‘it is being devoured
by a leopard at the present moment. That is why I left the room; some
animals resent being watched while they are eating.’
«The leopard, of course, was easily explained; it had been hanging round
the goat sheds when the flood came, and had clambered up by the outside
staircase leading to the Bishop’s bath-room, thoughtfully bringing a goat
with it. Probably it found the bath-room too damp and shut-in for its
taste, and transferred its banqueting operations to the bedroom while the
Bishop was having his nap.»
«What a frightful situation!» exclaimed Annabel; «fancy having a ravening
leopard in the house, with a flood all round you.»
«Not in the least ravening,» said Matilda; «it was full of goat, had any
amount of water at its disposal if it felt thirsty, and probably had no
more immediate wish than a desire for uninterrupted sleep. Still, I
think any one will admit that it was an embarrassing predicament to have
your only available guest-room occupied by a leopard, the verandah choked
up with goats and babies and wet hens, and a Bishop with whom you were
scarcely on speaking terms planted down in your own sitting-room. I
really don’t know how I got through those crawling hours, and of course
mealtimes only made matters worse. The emergency cook had every excuse
for sending in watery soup and sloppy rice, and as neither the chief goat-
herd nor his wife were expert divers, the cellar could not be reached.
Fortunately the Gwadlipichee subsides as rapidly as it rises, and just
before dawn the syce came splashing back, with the ponies only fetlock
deep in water. Then there arose some awkwardness from the fact that the
Bishop wished to leave sooner than the leopard did, and as the latter was
ensconced in the midst of the former’s personal possessions there was an
obvious difficulty in altering the order of departure. I pointed out to
the Bishop that a leopard’s habits and tastes are not those of an otter,
and that it naturally preferred walking to wading; and that in any case a
meal of an entire goat, washed down with tub-water, justified a certain
amount of repose; if I had had guns fired to frighten the animal away, as
the Bishop suggested, it would probably merely have left the bedroom to
come into the already over-crowded drawing-room. Altogether it was
rather a relief when they both left. Now, perhaps, you can understand my
appreciation of a sleepy countryside where things don’t happen.»
Add The Guests to your library.
18. According to legend, the giant Finn McCool…
1) was a talented musician.
2) worked hard to build the Causeway.
3) used to play the organ only when the sea roared
4) never played his organ.
Ответ:
По окончании выполнения заданий 10—18 не забудьте перенести свои ответы в БЛАНК ОТВЕТОВ №1! Запишите ответ справа от номера соответствующего задания, начиная с первой клеточки. При переносе ответов на задания 10 и 11 цифры записываются без пробелов, запятых и других дополнительных символов. Каждую цифру пишите в отдельной клеточке в соответствии с приведёнными в бланке образцами.
Раздел 3. Грамматика и лексика
Прочитайте приведённые ниже тексты. Преобразуйте, если необходимо, слова, напечатанные заглавными буквами в конце строк, обозначенных номерами 19—24, так, чтобы они грамматически соответствовали содержанию текстов. Заполните пропуски полученными словами. Каждый пропуск соответствует отдельному заданию из группы 19—24.
The Bald Eagle
19. In 1782, soon after the United States won its independence, the bald eagle ……………… as the national bird of the new country. American leaders wanted the eagle to be a symbol of their country because it is one of the strongest birds. CHOOSE
20. Today the bald eagle almost ……………… from the country. DISAPPEAR
21. In 1972 there ……………… only 3,000 bald eagles in the entire United States. BE
22. The reason for the bird’ s ……………… population is pollution, especially pollution of the rivers by pesticides. DECREASE
23. Pesticides poison the fish. Eagle eat these fish and then the eggs eagles lay have very thin shells and ………………. NOT HATCH
24. Today, the American government and the American people ……………… to protect the bald eagle. TRY
Прочитайте приведённый ниже текст. Образуйте от слов, напечатанных заглавными буквами в конце строк, обозначенных номерами 25—29, однокоренные слова так, чтобы они грамматически и лексически соответствовали содержанию текста. Заполните пропуски полученными словами. Каждый пропуск соответствует отдельному заданию из группы 25—29.
Music in schools
25. Primary schools in London are trying out an ambitious plan through which young children get an introduction to serious music. The idea comes from a group of famous musicians who are concerned about the ……………………… of certain types of classical music. SURVIVE
26. They see the plan as one possible ……………………… to the problem of declining audiences at classical concerts. SOLVE
27. Their ……………………… is that an interest in classical music should be developed in early childhood..
ARGUE
28. They reject the idea that children are ……………………… in serious music or necessarily find it boring. INTEREST
29. The group goes into a school and gives a live ……………………… of a short classical piece and then this is followed by an explanation of how the instruments work. PERFORM
***
Прочитайте текст с пропусками, обозначенными номерами 30—36. Эти номера соответствуют заданиям 30—36, в которых представлены возможные варианты ответов. Запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.
The Guest
«The landscape seen from our windows is certainly charming,» said Annabel; «those cherry orchards and green meadows, and the river winding along the valley. However, nothing ever happens here. Rather dreadful, isn’t it?»
«On the 30 …,» said Matilda, «I find it soothing and restful; but then, you see, I’ve lived in countries where things do happen, especially when you’re not ready for them happening all at once.»
«That, of course, makes a 31 …,» said Annabel.
«I’ll never forget,» said Matilda, «the occasion when the Bishop of Bequar 32 … us an unexpected visit.»
«I thought that out there you were always prepared for emergency guests turning 33 …,» said Annabel.
«I was quite prepared for half a dozen Bishops,» said Matilda, ’but it was rather disconcerting to find out that this particular one was a distant cousin of mine, belonging to a branch of the family that had quarrelled bitterly and offensively with our branch about a Crown Derby dessert service. To make 34 … worse, my husband was away, talking sense to a village community that fancied one of their leading men was a were-tiger.»
«A what tiger?»
«A were-tiger; you’ve heard of were-wolves, haven’t you, a mixture of wolf and human being and demon? Well, in those parts they have were-tigers, or think they have, and I must say that in this case they had every ground for thinking so. However, as we gave 35 … witchcraft prosecutions about three hundred years ago, we don’t like to have other people keeping on our discarded practices.»
«I hope you weren’t unkind to the Bishop,» said Annabel.
«Well, of course he was my guest, so I had to be outwardly polite to him, but he was tactless enough to rake up the incidents of the old quarrel, and from that moment we were scarcely on speaking 36 ….
30. 1) contrast. 2) contrary. 3) inside. 4) opposite
Ответ _____
31. 1) statement. 2) splash. 3) move. 4) difference
Ответ _____
32. 1) paid. 2) sent. 3) made. 4) gave
Ответ _____
33. 1) to. 2) over. 3) up. 4) in
Ответ _____
34. l) issues. 2) matters. 3) problems. 4) situation
Ответ _____
35. l) in. 2) up. 3) away. 4) out
Ответ _____
36. 1) conditions. 2) relationships. 3) relations. 4) terms
<<
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
…
13
>>
«You are prejudiced against my little Louis,» said Lena, with a world of tender regret in her voice.
«I’ve never had the chance of being anything else but prejudiced against him,» said Strudwarden; «I know what a jolly responsive companion a doggie can be, but I’ve never been allowed to put a finger near Louis. You say he snaps at any one except you and your maid, and you snatched him away from old Lady Peterby the other day, when she wanted to pet him, for fear he would bury his teeth in her. All that I ever see of him is the top of his unhealthy-looking little nose, peeping out from his basket or from your muff, and I occasionally hear his wheezy little bark when you take him for a walk up and down the corridor. You can’t expect one to get extravagantly fond of a dog of that sort. One might as well work up an affection for the cuckoo in a cuckoo-clock.»
«He loves me,» said Lena, rising from the table, and bearing the shawl-swathed Louis in her arms. «He loves only me, and perhaps that is why I love him so much in return. I don’t care what you say against him, I am not going to be separated from him. If you insist on going to Vienna you must go alone, as far as I am concerned. I think it would be much more sensible if you were to come to Brighton with Louis and me, but of course you must please yourself.»
«You must get rid of that dog,» said Strudwarden’s sister when Lena had left the room; «it must be helped to some sudden and merciful end. Lena is merely making use of it as an instrument for getting her own way on dozens of occasions when she would otherwise be obliged to yield gracefully to your wishes or to the general convenience. I am convinced that she doesn’t care a brass button about the animal itself. When her friends are buzzing round her at Brighton or anywhere else and the dog would be in the way, it has to spend whole days alone with the maid, but if you want Lena to go with you anywhere where she doesn’t want to go instantly she trots out the excuse that she couldn’t be separated from her dog. Have you ever come into a room unobserved and heard Lena talking to her beloved pet? I never have. I believe she only fusses over it when there’s some one present to notice her.»
«I don’t mind admitting,» said Strudwarden, «that I’ve dwelt more than once lately on the possibility of some fatal accident putting an end to Louis’s existence. It’s not very easy, though, to arrange a fatality for a creature that spends most of its time in a muff or asleep in a toy kennel. I don’t think poison would be any good; it’s obviously horribly over-fed, for I’ve seen Lena offer it dainties at table sometimes, but it never seems to eat them.»
«Lena will be away at church on Wednesday morning,» said Elsie Strudwarden reflectively; «she can’t take Louis with her there, and she is going on to the Dellings for lunch. That will give you several hours in which to carry out your purpose. The maid will be flirting with the chauffeur most of the time, and, anyhow, I can manage to keep her out of the way on some pretext or other.»
«That leaves the field clear,» said Strudwarden, «but unfortunately my brain is equally a blank as far as any lethal project is concerned. The little beast is so monstrously inactive; I can’t pretend that it leapt into the bath and drowned itself, or that it took on the butcher’s mastiff in unequal combat and got chewed up. In what possible guise could death come to a confirmed basket- dweller? It would be too suspicious if we invented a Suffragette raid and pretended that they invaded Lena’s boudoir and threw a brick at him. We should have to do a lot of other damage as well, which would be rather a nuisance, and the servants would think it odd that they had seen nothing of the invaders.»
«I have an idea,» said Elsie; «get a box with an air-tight lid, and bore a small hole in it, just big enough to let in an indiarubber tube. Pop Louis, kennel and all, into the box, shut it down, and put the other end of the tube over the gas-bracket. There you have a perfect lethal chamber. You can stand the kennel at the open window afterwards, to get rid of the smell of gas, and all that Lena will find when she comes home late in the afternoon will be a placidly defunct Louis.»
«Novels have been written about women like you,» said Strudwarden; «you have a perfectly criminal mind. Let’s come and look for a box.»
Two mornings later the conspirators stood gazing guiltily at a stout square box, connected with the gas-bracket by a length of indiarubber tubing.
«Not a sound,» said Elsie; «he never stirred; it must have been quite painless. All the same I feel rather horrid now it’s done.»
«The ghastly part has to come,» said Strudwarden, turning off the gas. «We’ll lift the lid slowly, and let the gas out by degrees. Swing the door to and fro to send a draught through the room.»
Some minutes later, when the fumes had rushed off, he stooped down and lifted out the little kennel with its grim burden. Elsie gave an exclamation of terror. Louis sat at the door of his dwelling, head erect and ears pricked, as coldly and defiantly inert as when they had put him into his execution chamber. Strudwarden dropped the kennel with a jerk, and stared for a long moment at the miracle- dog; then he went into a peal of chattering laughter.
It was certainly a wonderful imitation of a truculent-looking toy Pomeranian, and the apparatus that gave forth a wheezy bark when you pressed it had materially helped the imposition that Lena, and Lena’s maid, had foisted on the household. For a woman who disliked animals, but liked getting her own way under a halo of unselfishness, Mrs.
Strudwarden had managed rather well.
«Louis is dead,» was the curt information that greeted Lena on her return from her luncheon party.
«Louis DEAD!» she exclaimed.
«Yes, he flew at the butcher-boy and bit him, and he bit me, too, when I tried to get him off, so I had to have him destroyed. You warned me that he snapped, but you didn’t tell me that he was downright dangerous. I shall have to pay the boy something heavy by way of compensation, so you will have to go without those buckles that you wanted to have for Easter; also I shall have to go to Vienna to consult Dr. Schroeder, who is a specialist on dog-bites, and you will have to come too. I have sent what remains of Louis to Rowland Ward to be stuffed; that will be my Easter gift to you instead of the buckles. For Heaven’s sake, Lena, weep, if you really feel it so much; anything would be better than standing there staring as if you thought I had lost my reason.»
Lena Strudwarden did not weep, but her attempt at laughing was an unmistakable failure.
The Guests
«The landscape seen from our windows is certainly charming,» said Annabel; «those cherry orchards and green meadows, and the river winding along the valley, and the church tower peeping out among the elms, they all make a most effective picture. There’s something dreadfully sleepy and languorous about it, though; stagnation seems to be the dominant note. Nothing ever happens here; seedtime and harvest, an occasional outbreak of measles or a mildly destructive thunderstorm, and a little election excitement about once in five years, that is all that we have to modify the monotony of our existence.
Rather dreadful, isn’t it?»
«On the contrary,» said Matilda, «I find it soothing and restful; but then, you see, I’ve lived in countries where things do happen, ever so many at a time, when you’re not ready for them happening all at once.»
«That, of course, makes a difference,» said Annabel.
«I have never forgotten,» said Matilda, «the occasion when the Bishop of Bequar paid us an unexpected visit; he was on his way to lay the foundation-stone of a mission-house or something of the sort.»
«I thought that out there you were always prepared for emergency guests turning up,» said Annabel.
«I was quite prepared for half a dozen Bishops,» said Matilda, «but it was rather disconcerting to find out after a little conversation that this particular one was a distant cousin of mine, belonging to a branch of the family that had quarrelled bitterly and offensively with our branch about a Crown Derby dessert service; they got it, and we ought to have got it, in some legacy, or else we got it and they thought they ought to have it, I forget which; anyhow, I know they behaved disgracefully. Now here was one of them turning up in the odour of sanctity, so to speak, and claiming the traditional hospitality of the East.»