Поющие в терновнике

           "Ithinkyou’rethemostbeautifulgirlI’veeverseen,"saidLukeashestartedtheRolls.

           ComplimentswerequiteoutofMeggie’sken;shegavehimastartledsidelongglanceandsaidnothing.

           "Isn’tthisnice?"Lukeasked,apparentlynotupsetatherlackofenthusiasm."Justturnakeyandpressabuttononthedashboardandthecarstarts.Nocrankingahandle,nohopingthedarneddonkcatchesbeforeaman’sexhausted.Thisisthelife,Meghann,nodoubtaboutit."

           "Youwon’tleavemealone,willyou?"sheasked.

           "GoodLord,no!You’vecomewithme,haven’tyou?Thatmeansyou’remineallnightlong,andIdon’tintendgivinganyoneelseachance."

           "Howoldareyou,Luke?"

           "Thirty.Howoldareyou?"

           "Almosttwenty-three."

           "Asmuchasthat,eh?Youlooklikeababy."

           "I’mnotababy."

           "Oho!Haveyoueverbeeninlove,then?"

           "Once."

           "Isthatall?Attwenty-three?GoodLord!I’dbeeninandoutofloveadozentimesbyyourage."

           "IdaresayImighthavebeen,too,butImeetveryfewpeopletofallinlovewithonDrogheda.You’rethefirststockmanIrememberwhosaidmorethanashyhello."

           "Well,ifyouwon’tgotodancesbecauseyoucan’tdance,you’reontheoutsidelookinginrightthere,aren’tyou?Nevermind,we’llfixthatupinnotime.Bytheendoftheeveningyou’llbedancing,andinafewweekswe’llhaveyouachampion."Heglancedatherquickly.