Поющие в терновнике

           AllI’vegottodoisputwhateverisn’teatenbackwhereitcamefrom,andwashupacoupleofextradishes."

           "Justdoasyou’retold;it’ssomuchnicer."

           "Gettingbacktothesubject,"Feepursued,"Idon’tthinkthere’sanythingtodiscuss.It’smyopinionthatJustineoughttobeallowedtotry,andwillprobablydoverywell."

           "IwishIcouldbesosure,"saidMeggieglumly.

           "Haveyoubeenonaboutfameandglory,Justine?"hergrandmotherdemanded.

           "Theyenterthepicture,"saidJustine,puttingtheoldbrownkitchenteapotonthetabledefiantlyandsittingdowninahurry."Nowdon’tcomplain,Mum;I’mnotmakingteainasilverpotforthekitchenandthat’sfinal."

           "Theteapotisperfectlyappropriate,"Meggiesmiled.

           "Oh,that’sgood!There’snothinglikeanicecupoftea,"sighedFee,sipping."Justine,whydoyoupersistinputtingthingstoyourmothersobadly?Youknowitisn’taquestionoffameandfortune.It’saquestionofself,isn’tit?"

           "Self,Nanna?"

           "Ofcourse.Self.Actingiswhatyoufeelyouweremeanttodo,isn’tthatright?"

           "Yes."

           "Thenwhycouldn’tyouhaveexplaineditsotoyourmother?Whyupsetherwithalotofflippantnonsense?"

           Justineshrugged,drankherteadownandpushedtheemptycuptowardhermotherformore."Dunno,"shesaid.

           "I-don’t-know,"Feecorrected."You’llarticulateproperlyonthestage,Itrust.Butselfiswhyyouwanttobeanactress,isn’tit?"

           "Isupposeso,"answeredJustinereluctantly.