"Long, John Luther - Purple-Eyes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Long John Luther)

and white. He glanced up, and found himself looking into a pair of blue eyes. He
followed the forehead to the brassy hair above. Then he began furiously to turn
the leaves of the conversation-book. The one on his right laughed a little, and
said:
"What you lig as', please?"
Garland closed the book, and stared. He did not ask what he had meant to,
because of something he saw in the questioner's face.
"Ah, if you lig more bedder for do so, speak the English," she said, with a
quiet flourish that was lost upon Garland.
He flung the conversation-book into a corner. Black-Eyes, as he had mentally
named her, in despair of her Japanese name, which was Meadowsweet, smiled
ecstatically.
"Ah-h-h! You lig thoseЧthose English?"
"Like it? It's heavenly! I say, fancy, if you canЧ but you can'tЧdepending upon
a dictionary for your most sacred sentiments for three months."
Wherein it will be perceived that Garland had learned the whole art of Japanese
politenessЧgentle prevarication.
"How that is nize!" breathed the blue-eyed one, fervently.
Garland turned suddenly upon her, then questioned her with his eyes. She
understood.
"ThoseЧthingЧyouЧspeak-ing," she barely breathed once more, in explanation.
"Oh!" said Garland. But it meant more than print can express. "Tell me, if you
please, what your name is."
It was Miss Purple-Wistaria; but the Japanese of this was quite as impossible as
the other.
"Do you mind me calling you Blue-Eyes?" asked Garland. "When it comes to
Japanese proper namesЧI have already taken the liberty of mentally calling your
sister Black-Eyes, and if you don't mindЧ"
"You call those blue-eye?" asked Miss Meadowsweet.
"Why, yes," said Garland. "What do you call them?"
"Purple-eye."
"Well, I like that better, anyhow. It shall be Purple-Eyes."
"She got other already English name," confided Black-Eyes, with the manner for
her sister he did not like.
"Oh! What is it?"
"Sarann," laughed the dark one. "Tha' 's jus' joke her fadder. He all times joke
upon her."
Garland did not quite understand. He decided that he did not wish to, for the
blue-eyed one looked very uncomfortable.
"I shall call her Purple-Eyes," he said.
The disagreeableness of the other continued.
"Yaes; tha' 's good nameЧfor her," she added, with an intention that was
distinctly odious.
"In America that would be the most beautiful name a man could give a beautiful
woman," said Garland, severely.
The dark one looked a bit frightened. The blonde one gave him the merest horizon
of her eyes as she raised her head. Gratitude was in them.
"Now, won't you go on, and tell me how you knew me before I opened my blooming
head?"
He had again addressed himself to Purple-Eyes, but Black-Eyes answered: