Easy English ↔ Source English
Chapter 3
Source paragraphs anchor each row. Semantically matched easy-English paragraphs stay grouped beside the source they rewrite.
Easy-English paragraphs are matched to the source by meaning; numbering follows the source text.
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01
Easy English
It always happened in the same way.
Source English
It invariably happened in the same way.
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02
Easy English
Mrs. Julius Beaufort gave a great ball every year. A ball was a grand evening dance party. On ball night she never failed to appear at the Opera first.
She chose an Opera night to show that she stood far above the cares of her house. Her servants could prepare the whole ball without her.
Source English
Mrs. Julius Beaufort, on the night of her annual ball, never failed to appear at the Opera; indeed, she always gave her ball on an Opera night in order to emphasise her complete superiority to household cares, and her possession of a staff of servants competent to organise every detail of the entertainment in her absence.
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03
Easy English
The Beauforts' house was one of the few in New York with a ball-room. It came before even Mrs. Manson Mingott's and the Headly Chiverses'.
Other families covered the drawing-room floor with rough cloth and moved the furniture upstairs. A drawing-room was a fine room for receiving guests. People now called that way fit only for small towns.
Their ball-room served no other purpose. For three hundred and sixty-four days a year it stood dark behind closed windows. Its gold chairs were piled in a corner. Its great hanging light slept in a bag. People felt this made up for whatever was regrettable in the Beaufort past.
Source English
The Beauforts' house was one of the few in New York that possessed a ball-room (it antedated even Mrs. Manson Mingott's and the Headly Chiverses'); and at a time when it was beginning to be thought "provincial" to put a "crash" over the drawing-room floor and move the furniture upstairs, the possession of a ball-room that was used for no other purpose, and left for three-hundred-and-sixty-four days of the year to shuttered darkness, with its gilt chairs stacked in a corner and its chandelier in a bag; this undoubted superiority was felt to compensate for whatever was regrettable in the Beaufort past.
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04
Easy English
Mrs. Archer loved to turn her social wisdom into short rules. She once said, "We all have our pet common people…" It was daring, but many proud hearts secretly agreed. The Beauforts were not exactly common. Some said they were even worse.
Mrs. Beaufort came from one of America's most honored families. Before her marriage she was the lovely Regina Dallas, of the South Carolina branch, a beauty without a penny.
Her cousin Medora Manson brought her into New York society. Poor Medora always did the wrong thing for the right reason.
People related to the Mansons and the Rushworths had a "droit de cité" in New York society. The French words meant a right to belong. So said Mr. Sillerton Jackson, who once spent time at the Tuileries, the French rulers' house in Paris.
Source English
Mrs. Archer, who was fond of coining her social philosophy into axioms, had once said: "We all have our pet common people--" and though the phrase was a daring one, its truth was secretly admitted in many an exclusive bosom. But the Beauforts were not exactly common; some people said they were even worse. Mrs. Beaufort belonged indeed to one of America's most honoured families; she had been the lovely Regina Dallas (of the South Carolina branch), a penniless beauty introduced to New York society by her cousin, the imprudent Medora Manson, who was always doing the wrong thing from the right motive. When one was related to the Mansons and the Rushworths one had a "droit de cité" (as Mr. Sillerton Jackson, who had frequented the Tuileries, called it) in New York society; but did one not forfeit it in marrying Julius Beaufort?
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05
Easy English
But could a woman keep that right after marrying Julius Beaufort? And who, in fact, was Beaufort?
He passed as an Englishman. He was pleasant, good-looking, quick to anger, warm to guests, and quick with a joke. He came with letters from old Mrs. Manson Mingott's English son-in-law, a banker. He soon won an important place in business.
But he lived wildly, his tongue was bitter, and no one knew his past. Then Medora Manson announced that her cousin would marry him. It seemed one more unwise act in poor Medora's long record.
Source English
The question was: who was Beaufort? He passed for an Englishman, was agreeable, handsome, ill-tempered, hospitable and witty. He had come to America with letters of recommendation from old Mrs. Manson Mingott's English son-in-law, the banker, and had speedily made himself an important position in the world of affairs; but his habits were dissipated, his tongue was bitter, his antecedents were mysterious; and when Medora Manson announced her cousin's engagement to him it was felt to be one more act of folly in poor Medora's long record of imprudences.
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06
Easy English
But unwise acts sometimes end as well as wise ones. Two years after the marriage, all agreed that young Mrs. Beaufort kept the finest house in New York. No one knew quite how the wonder was done.
She was lazy and quiet. Sharp tongues called her dull. But she dressed wonderfully, hung with pearls, costly white stones from the sea. Each year she seemed younger, fairer, more beautiful.
She sat like a queen in Beaufort's heavy house of brown stone. All the world came, and she never lifted her small ringed finger.
The knowing people said Beaufort himself did it all. He trained the servants and taught the cook new dishes. He told the gardeners which flowers to grow in the warm glass houses. He chose the guests and mixed the after-dinner drinks. He told his wife what to write in her little notes.
If so, he did it all in private. To the world he showed only a careless, welcoming rich man, walking into his own drawing-room like an invited guest.
"My wife's gloxinias are a wonder, aren't they?" he would say. "I believe she gets them out from Kew." Gloxinias were rare, costly flowers, and Kew was a famous garden near London.
Source English
But folly is as often justified of her children as wisdom, and two years after young Mrs. Beaufort's marriage it was admitted that she had the most distinguished house in New York. No one knew exactly how the miracle was accomplished. She was indolent, passive, the caustic even called her dull; but dressed like an idol, hung with pearls, growing younger and blonder and more beautiful each year, she throned in Mr. Beaufort's heavy brown-stone palace, and drew all the world there without lifting her jewelled little finger. The knowing people said it was Beaufort himself who trained the servants, taught the chef new dishes, told the gardeners what hot-house flowers to grow for the dinner-table and the drawing-rooms, selected the guests, brewed the after-dinner punch and dictated the little notes his wife wrote to her friends. If he did, these domestic activities were privately performed, and he presented to the world the appearance of a careless and hospitable millionaire strolling into his own drawing-room with the detachment of an invited guest, and saying: "My wife's gloxinias are a marvel, aren't they? I believe she gets them out from Kew."
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07
Easy English
Mr. Beaufort's secret, people agreed, was the way he carried things off. People whispered that his old English bank "helped" him leave England. He carried off that story like all the rest. New York was as strict about money as about good behavior.
He carried everything before him, and all New York into his house. For over twenty years, people said "we are going to the Beauforts'" with perfect security. It was the tone they used for Mrs. Manson Mingott's.
There was one added pleasure too. At the Beauforts' you got fine old wines and hot canvas-back ducks, a costly wild bird. At other houses you got warm Veuve Clicquot, a French wine with no year, and warmed-up food from Philadelphia.
Source English
Mr. Beaufort's secret, people were agreed, was the way he carried things off. It was all very well to whisper that he had been "helped" to leave England by the international banking-house in which he had been employed; he carried off that rumour as easily as the rest--though New York's business conscience was no less sensitive than its moral standard--he carried everything before him, and all New York into his drawing-rooms, and for over twenty years now people had said they were "going to the Beauforts'" with the same tone of security as if they had said they were going to Mrs. Manson Mingott's, and with the added satisfaction of knowing they would get hot canvas-back ducks and vintage wines, instead of tepid Veuve Clicquot without a year and warmed-up croquettes from Philadelphia.
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08
Easy English
Mrs. Beaufort, then, appeared in her box as usual, just before the Jewel Song, a song in Faust. Again as usual, she rose at the end of the third act. She drew her opera cloak, a long loose cover, around her lovely shoulders and disappeared.
All New York knew what that meant. In half an hour the ball would begin.
Source English
Mrs. Beaufort, then, had as usual appeared in her box just before the Jewel Song; and when, again as usual, she rose at the end of the third act, drew her opera cloak about her lovely shoulders, and disappeared, New York knew that meant that half an hour later the ball would begin.
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09
Easy English
New Yorkers proudly showed the house to foreign visitors, above all on ball night.
The Beauforts were among the first in New York to own a red velvet carpet. A carpet was a rich floor cloth. Their own footmen rolled it down the steps, under their own cloth roof. A footman was a male servant in fine dress.
Other families hired theirs, with the supper and the chairs. The Beauforts also began a new custom. Ladies took off their cloaks in the hall. Before that, they went up to the bedroom of the lady of the house. There they fixed their hair by the gas flame.
Beaufort, people said, explained it his own way. Surely all his wife's friends had servants to dress their hair at home.
Source English
The Beaufort house was one that New Yorkers were proud to show to foreigners, especially on the night of the annual ball. The Beauforts had been among the first people in New York to own their own red velvet carpet and have it rolled down the steps by their own footmen, under their own awning, instead of hiring it with the supper and the ball-room chairs. They had also inaugurated the custom of letting the ladies take their cloaks off in the hall, instead of shuffling up to the hostess's bedroom and recurling their hair with the aid of the gas-burner; Beaufort was understood to have said that he supposed all his wife's friends had maids who saw to it that they were properly coiffées when they left home.
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10
Easy English
The house itself was boldly planned around its ball-room. Guests did not squeeze down a narrow passage to reach it, as at the Chiverses'.
Instead, they marched, slow and serious, down a long line of open drawing-rooms. First came the sea-green room, then the deep red, then the gold-yellow. Far ahead, candle-light shone in the polished floor.
Beyond that lay a conservatory, a glass room full of growing plants. There, costly flowers and tall green plants arched over seats of black and gold bamboo. Bamboo was a strong, hollow plant.
Source English
Then the house had been boldly planned with a ball-room, so that, instead of squeezing through a narrow passage to get to it (as at the Chiverses') one marched solemnly down a vista of enfiladed drawing-rooms (the sea-green, the crimson and the bouton d'or), seeing from afar the many-candled lustres reflected in the polished parquetry, and beyond that the depths of a conservatory where camellias and tree-ferns arched their costly foliage over seats of black and gold bamboo.
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11
Easy English
Newland Archer came in a little late, as suited a young man of his position. He left his coat with the footmen, whose legs wore fine silk. The silk was one of Beaufort's few small vanities.
He waited in the library, with its Spanish leather walls and rich furniture. A few men stood there, talking and pulling on their dancing-gloves. Then he joined the guests greeting Mrs. Beaufort at the door of the deep red room.
Source English
Newland Archer, as became a young man of his position, strolled in somewhat late. He had left his overcoat with the silk-stockinged footmen (the stockings were one of Beaufort's few fatuities), had dawdled a while in the library hung with Spanish leather and furnished with Buhl and malachite, where a few men were chatting and putting on their dancing-gloves, and had finally joined the line of guests whom Mrs. Beaufort was receiving on the threshold of the crimson drawing-room.
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12
Easy English
Archer was clearly nervous. He did not go back to his club after the Opera, as fashionable young men did. The night was fine, and he walked far up Fifth Avenue before turning back toward the Beauforts'.
He was afraid the Mingotts might go too far. Granny Mingott might order them to bring the Countess Olenska to the ball.
Source English
Archer was distinctly nervous. He had not gone back to his club after the Opera (as the young bloods usually did), but, the night being fine, had walked for some distance up Fifth Avenue before turning back in the direction of the Beauforts' house. He was definitely afraid that the Mingotts might be going too far; that, in fact, they might have Granny Mingott's orders to bring the Countess Olenska to the ball.
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13
Easy English
The talk in the club box showed him how serious a mistake that would be. He was more determined than ever to "see the thing through." But after their short talk at the Opera, he felt less warm about defending his future wife's cousin.
Source English
From the tone of the club box he had perceived how grave a mistake that would be; and, though he was more than ever determined to "see the thing through," he felt less chivalrously eager to champion his betrothed's cousin than before their brief talk at the Opera.
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14
Easy English
He walked on to the gold-yellow room. The much-discussed "Love Victorious" hung there, a painting by the French painter Bouguereau. Only Beaufort was bold enough to hang this painting of a person with no clothes. Near the ball-room door, Archer found Mrs. Welland and her daughter.
Couples were already moving smoothly over the floor beyond. The light of the wax candles fell on thin, floating skirts. It fell on girls' heads with modest flowers, and on married women's tall feathers and bright stones. It shone on stiff white shirt-fronts and fresh gloves.
Source English
Wandering on to the bouton d'or drawing-room (where Beaufort had had the audacity to hang "Love Victorious," the much-discussed nude of Bouguereau) Archer found Mrs. Welland and her daughter standing near the ball-room door. Couples were already gliding over the floor beyond: the light of the wax candles fell on revolving tulle skirts, on girlish heads wreathed with modest blossoms, on the dashing aigrettes and ornaments of the young married women's coiffures, and on the glitter of highly glazed shirt-fronts and fresh glacé gloves.
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15
Easy English
May Welland stood at the door, clearly about to join the dancers. She held her lilies-of-the-valley and no other flowers. Her face was a little pale. Her eyes shone, honest and excited.
Young men and girls stood around her. There was much taking of hands, laughing, and light joking. Mrs. Welland stood a little apart, and her smile approved just enough, and no more.
It was clear that May was announcing her engagement. Her mother put on the look of gentle unwillingness thought proper for such a moment.
Source English
Miss Welland, evidently about to join the dancers, hung on the threshold, her lilies-of-the-valley in her hand (she carried no other bouquet), her face a little pale, her eyes burning with a candid excitement. A group of young men and girls were gathered about her, and there was much hand-clasping, laughing and pleasantry on which Mrs. Welland, standing slightly apart, shed the beam of a qualified approval. It was evident that Miss Welland was in the act of announcing her engagement, while her mother affected the air of parental reluctance considered suitable to the occasion.
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16
Easy English
Archer paused a moment. He himself asked May to announce it. Yet this was not how he wished his happiness known. Announcing it in the heat and noise of a crowded ball-room stole its first fine bloom. Things so near the heart should stay quiet and private.
His joy was too deep for this to touch its center. But he wished the outside could stay pure too. It pleased him that May felt the same. Her eyes flew to his, quietly begging. Their look said, "Remember, we are doing this because it is right."
Source English
Archer paused a moment. It was at his express wish that the announcement had been made, and yet it was not thus that he would have wished to have his happiness known. To proclaim it in the heat and noise of a crowded ball-room was to rob it of the fine bloom of privacy which should belong to things nearest the heart. His joy was so deep that this blurring of the surface left its essence untouched; but he would have liked to keep the surface pure too. It was something of a satisfaction to find that May Welland shared this feeling. Her eyes fled to his beseechingly, and their look said: "Remember, we're doing this because it's right."
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17
Easy English
Nothing could reach Archer's heart faster than that. But he wished for a higher reason for their haste — some fine, ideal reason, not simply poor Ellen Olenska.
The group opened to let him in, with smiles full of meaning. He took his share of the good wishes. Then he drew May to the middle of the floor and put his arm around her.
Source English
No appeal could have found a more immediate response in Archer's breast; but he wished that the necessity of their action had been represented by some ideal reason, and not simply by poor Ellen Olenska. The group about Miss Welland made way for him with significant smiles, and after taking his share of the felicitations he drew his betrothed into the middle of the ball-room floor and put his arm about her waist.
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18
Easy English
"Now we won't have to talk," he said, smiling into her honest eyes. They floated away on the soft waves of the Blue Danube, the famous dance music.
Source English
"Now we shan't have to talk," he said, smiling into her candid eyes, as they floated away on the soft waves of the Blue Danube.
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19
Easy English
She made no answer. Her lips trembled into a smile, but her eyes stayed distant and serious. They seemed fixed on some far-off sight with no name.
"Dear," Archer whispered, pressing her close. Even in a ball-room, he felt, the first hours of being engaged held something deep, almost like church. What a new life it would be, with this whiteness, this light, this goodness at his side.
Source English
She made no answer. Her lips trembled into a smile, but the eyes remained distant and serious, as if bent on some ineffable vision. "Dear," Archer whispered, pressing her to him: it was borne in on him that the first hours of being engaged, even if spent in a ball-room, had in them something grave and sacramental. What a new life it was going to be, with this whiteness, radiance, goodness at one's side!
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20
Easy English
The dance ended. As an engaged couple should, they walked slowly into the conservatory. They sat behind a tall screen of green plants and costly flowers. There Newland pressed her gloved hand to his lips.
Source English
The dance over, the two, as became an affianced couple, wandered into the conservatory; and sitting behind a tall screen of tree-ferns and camellias Newland pressed her gloved hand to his lips.
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21
Easy English
"You see, I did as you asked me to," she said.
Source English
"You see I did as you asked me to," she said.
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22
Easy English
"Yes. I couldn't wait," he answered, smiling. After a moment he added, "Only I wish it did not have to happen at a ball."
Source English
"Yes: I couldn't wait," he answered smiling. After a moment he added: "Only I wish it hadn't had to be at a ball."
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23
Easy English
"Yes, I know." She met his glance with full understanding. "But after all, even here we are alone together, aren't we?"
Source English
"Yes, I know." She met his glance comprehendingly. "But after all--even here we're alone together, aren't we?"
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24
Easy English
"Oh, dearest, always!" Archer cried.
Source English
"Oh, dearest--always!" Archer cried.
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25
Easy English
So she was always going to understand. She was always going to say the right thing. The discovery made his cup of joy run over.
He went on happily, "The worst of it is that I want to kiss you, and I can't."
As he spoke, he glanced around. No one could see them. He caught her to him and touched his lips to hers for a moment.
To balance this bold act, he led her to a bamboo sofa in a more open corner. He sat beside her and broke one lily-of-the-valley from her flowers. She sat silent, and the world lay at their feet like a valley full of sunlight.
Source English
Evidently she was always going to understand; she was always going to say the right thing. The discovery made the cup of his bliss overflow, and he went on gaily: "The worst of it is that I want to kiss you and I can't." As he spoke he took a swift glance about the conservatory, assured himself of their momentary privacy, and catching her to him laid a fugitive pressure on her lips. To counteract the audacity of this proceeding he led her to a bamboo sofa in a less secluded part of the conservatory, and sitting down beside her broke a lily-of-the-valley from her bouquet. She sat silent, and the world lay like a sunlit valley at their feet.
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26
Easy English
"Did you tell my cousin Ellen?" she asked after a while, as if she spoke through a dream.
Source English
"Did you tell my cousin Ellen?" she asked presently, as if she spoke through a dream.
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27
Easy English
He came back to himself. He had not told her. At the Opera, a strong feeling stopped the words on his lips. He could not speak of such things to the strange foreign woman.
Source English
He roused himself, and remembered that he had not done so. Some invincible repugnance to speak of such things to the strange foreign woman had checked the words on his lips.
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28
Easy English
"No. I didn't have the chance after all," he said. It was a quick, small lie.
Source English
"No--I hadn't the chance after all," he said, fibbing hastily.
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29
Easy English
"Ah." Her face fell, but she was gently set on getting her way. "Then you must, for I didn't tell her either. I wouldn't like her to think…"
Source English
"Ah." She looked disappointed, but gently resolved on gaining her point. "You must, then, for I didn't either; and I shouldn't like her to think--"
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30
Easy English
"Of course not. But aren't you, after all, the right person to do it?"
Source English
"Of course not. But aren't you, after all, the person to do it?"
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31
Easy English
She thought about it. "At the right time, yes, it was mine to do. But there was a delay. So now you must explain. Tell her that I asked you to speak to her at the Opera, before we told everyone here."
"If you don't, she may think I forgot her. You see, she is one of the family. She has been away so long that she is rather… easily hurt."
Source English
She pondered on this. "If I'd done it at the right time, yes: but now that there's been a delay I think you must explain that I'd asked you to tell her at the Opera, before our speaking about it to everybody here. Otherwise she might think I had forgotten her. You see, she's one of the family, and she's been away so long that she's rather--sensitive."
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32
Easy English
Archer looked at her with shining eyes. "You dear, great angel! Of course I'll tell her." To him she truly seemed an angel, a pure spirit from God.
He glanced, a little worried, toward the crowded ball-room. "But I haven't seen her yet. Has she come?"
Source English
Archer looked at her glowingly. "Dear and great angel! Of course I'll tell her." He glanced a trifle apprehensively toward the crowded ball-room. "But I haven't seen her yet. Has she come?"
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33
Easy English
"No. At the last minute she decided not to come."
Source English
"No; at the last minute she decided not to."
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34
Easy English
"At the last minute?" he repeated, surprised. He never imagined that she would think of coming at all.
Source English
"At the last minute?" he echoed, betraying his surprise that she should ever have considered the alternative possible.
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35
Easy English
"Yes. She loves dancing," May answered simply. "But suddenly she decided that her dress was not fine enough for a ball. We thought it lovely. But she made up her mind, and so my aunt took her home."
Source English
"Yes. She's awfully fond of dancing," the young girl answered simply. "But suddenly she made up her mind that her dress wasn't smart enough for a ball, though we thought it so lovely; and so my aunt had to take her home."
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36
Easy English
"Oh, well…" said Archer. He was happy and did not care.
Nothing about May pleased him more. She was firmly set on the great rule of their world, never to notice anything "unpleasant." Both were raised in it, and she would carry it to its farthest point.
Source English
"Oh, well--" said Archer with happy indifference. Nothing about his betrothed pleased him more than her resolute determination to carry to its utmost limit that ritual of ignoring the "unpleasant" in which they had both been brought up.
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37
Easy English
"She knows as well as I do," he thought, "the real reason why her cousin stayed away. But I will never show it by the smallest sign. She must never guess that I know of the shadow on poor Ellen Olenska's good name."
Source English
"She knows as well as I do," he reflected, "the real reason of her cousin's staying away; but I shall never let her see by the least sign that I am conscious of there being a shadow of a shade on poor Ellen Olenska's reputation."