Таинственный сад / The secret garden

There were hunters and horses and dogs and ladies.

Out of a deep window Mary saw a great stretch of land which had no trees on it, and looked rather like an endless, dull, purplish sea.

“What is that?” she said, pointing out of the window.

Martha, the young housemaid, looked and said,

“That’s the moor. Do you like it?”

“No,” answered Mary. “I hate it.”

“That’s because it’s too big and bare now. But you will like it.”

“Do you?” inquired Mary.

“Yes, I do,” answered Martha.

Mary listened to her with a grave, puzzled expression. The native servants in India were not like Martha. They were obsequious and servile. They called their masters “protector of the poor”. It was not the custom to say “please” and “thank you” and Mary always slapped her Ayah in the face[11 - slapped her in the face – давала ей пощёчины] when she was angry.

This girl was round, rosy and good-natured.

“You are a strange servant,” she said from her pillows.

Martha sat up on her heels.

“Eh! I know that,” she said. “Mrs. Medlock gave me the place out of kindness[12 - out of kindness – по доброте душевной].”

“Are you going to be my servant?” Mary asked.

“I’m Mrs. Medlock’s servant,” she said stoutly. “And she’s Mr. Craven’s. I’ll do some housemaid’s work up here and help you a bit.

“Who is going to dress me?” demanded Mary.

Martha sat up on her heels again and stared. She was amazed.

“Can’t you dress yourself?” she asked.

“What do you mean?” said Mary.

“I mean can’t you put on your own clothes?”

“No,” answered Mary, quite indignantly. “I never did in my life. My Ayah dressed me, of course.”

“Well,” said Martha, “it’s time you must learn.”

“It is different in India,” said Mistress Mary disdainfully.

“Eh! I can see it’s different,” Martha answered almost sympathetically. “When I heard you were coming from India I thought you were black.”

Mary was furious.

“What!” she said. “What! You thought… You-you daughter of a pig!”

“Who are you talking about?” asked Martha. “You needn’t be so vexed.”

Mary did not even try to control her rage and humiliation.