Level 2 - Washington Square PDF

i:: r..f i,:r-ITr:l::itllil,il"l-T-l*11"I':.F Wesnrl/gfol/ Penguin Readers are simplified texts designed in ass...

i:: r..f i,:r-ITr:l::itllil,il"l-T-l*11"I':.F Wesnrl/gfol/ Penguin Readers are simplified texts designed in association with Squ,+RE Longman, the world famous educational publisher, to provide a step-by- step approach to the joys of reading for pleasure. The series includes original stories, contemporary titles based on today's best-selling media hits, and easily accessible versions of the literary classics published by Penguin around the world. Each book has an introduction and extensive HnNny Jnuns activity material. They are published at seven levels from Easystarts (200 words) to Advanced (3000 words). Series Editors: Andy Hopkins and Jocelyn Potrer 6 Advanced (3000 words) Contemporary 5 Upper lntermediate (2300 words) Classics 4 lntermediate ( 1700 words) Originals 3 Pre-lntermediate ( 1200 words) 2 Elementary (600 words) I Beginner (300 words) British English Easystarts (200 words) American English ih Cover photograph courtesy of Paramount Pictures {*t ritil N ir.til[] J &"I 5r ISBN 0-582- 12175-6 S,,o^cMAN Published and distributed by Pearson Education Limited ,lllxilxxlllilil[lil  Pearson Education Limited Contents Edinburgh Gate, Harlow, Essex CM20 2JE, England and Associated Companies throughout the world. page ISBN 0 582 40162 3 lntroduction First published 1881 Chapter 1 An Ordinary Girl 1 Published in Penguin Popular Clasics 1995 This edition first published 1999 Chapter 2 A Man with No Profession 5 Text copyright O Penguin Books 1999 Illustrations copyright @ Bob Haney (Pennant lllustration) 1999 Chapter 3 Secrets 10 Chapter 4 For Love or Money? 17 Typeset by DigitalType, London in Set 11,/14pt Bembo Printed in Spain by Mateu Crcmo, S.A. Pinto (Madrid) Chapter 5 Mrs Penniman's Plan ' 22 Chapter 6 The LongWait 27 All righ* reserued; no part oJ thk publication may be relroduced, stored ifl a retrieaat systefr, or trarcmitted in any Jorm or by any mearc, ekclronic, qechanicaL photocopying, recordiftg or othewise, without the Chapter 7 A DifficultTime 31. - prior writtefl perffiission oJthe Publishers, Chapter 8 After the Dance 35 ?ublished by Pearson Education Lirnited in association with Penguin Books Ltd, both companies being subsidiaries ofPeuson Plc Activities 40  Chapter 1 An Ordinary Girl Many years ago in the city of New York, there lived a doctor. America likes doctors and NewYork liked Dr Sloper.At the time our story begins, in 1843, Dr Sloper was fifry years old. He was a good doctor, he was a man of the world, and he was honest. Life was good to him. At twenry-seven he married a beautiful and clever girl. She had pretty eyes, ten thousand dollars and a good place in sociery. For five years Dr Sloper was a happy man. Many of his wifet friends came to him and he did well in his proGssion. They lived in a large house in Washington Square - a quiet corner in a noisy city. Their first child, a very clever little boy, died when he was three. His mother's love and his father's profession did not help him. Two years later, Mrs Sloper had a second child, a girl. The doctor did not want a girl. But this was not the worst.Two weeks later, Mrs Sloper died. The little girl's name was Catherine. She was strong. Her father was not afraid of losing her. When the child was ten years old, Dr Sloper asked his sister, Mrs Lavinia Penniman, to come and stay with them. Mr Penniman, a churchman without a penny, died when Mrs Penniman was thirty-three. She had no children and no money. 'Stay for six months,'he said. 'I will look for a flat,'she said. She moved into her brother's house and never went away again. Mrs Penniman told everybody that the child wanted a clever woman near her. Dr Sloper did not think his sister was clever, but he was always very polite to her and never angry. They didnt speak much. He gave her his opinions about Catherine's schooling and not much more.  Catherine was very good and honest, but she was not pretfy or \-s '-\\ \ -uafZ=.>_-_---_ clever. She was quiet. She loved her father and was very afraid of him. She was happy when her father was h"ppy.The doctor wanted to be proud of her, but he wasn't. FIe was sometimes angry because his only child was ordinary. t When she was eighteen, Catherine was a quiet young woman, but she began to wear strong, noisy colours. Dr Sioper did not like her new dresses. He thought she was vulgar. One day, Catherine's other aunt, Mrs Almond, asked a lot of people to her house. Mrs Almond was the younger of Dr Sloper's two sisters. She was the wife of a rich ciry man and the mother of nine children. She was pretty, hrppy and clever, and her brother liked her. When he wanted to talk about Catherine, he went to her and not to Mrs Penniman. Catherine was close to her aunt's children. There were seven boys and two girls.The older girl married young.The younger girl, called Marian, soon decided to marry too. She found a young man called Arthur Townsend. And so the Almonds asked everybody to the house. a Mrs Penniman and Catherine arrived at the Almonds'. The doctor planned to come later. Soon after the dancing started, Marian Almond brought a tall young man over to Catherine. 'Catherine, this is Mr MorrisTownsend. He is from the same family as Arthur! FIe wants to meet you very much!' Marian Almond was a pretty woman. At seventeeri she moved easily in sociery. She left Catherine and Mr Townsend together. Catherine looked at the young man. He was very handsome. 'Catherine, this is MorrisTbwnsend,' said Marian.'He wants to meet 'What can I say to this handsome man?'thought Catherine. But you uery much!' MrTownsend began to talk to her with an easy smile. did not always understand her father's words. 'What a nice evening! What a beautiful housel 'What an 'I'm not handsome,'she said, quietly. 'You're richl' he said.'Is the evening going well?' interesting family!'What a pretty girl Marian isl' He looked into Catherine's eyes. She said nothing. He talked 'I'm rather tired,'she answered and looked away.That evening was the beginning of something important for Catherine. For the and she listened and looked at him.The dancing began again. He second time in her life and in one evening, she did not speak the asked her to dance and she gave him her arm. After the dance, her face was red and she was hot. truth. She was not tired.They drove home. Dr Sloper spoke to his 'We'll sit and talk,' said Mr Townsend. But he talked and sister, Lavinia. '-Who was the young man who spoke of his love for you?' Catherine listened. Catherine sat back. She thought he was very 'Oh,Austin,' said Mrs Penniman. She smiled.'He spoke to me clever.'This is my first visit to Mrs Almondt,' he said.'And my first visit to NewYork for many years. I lived here when I was a of Catherine.' 'Oh,Aunt Penniman,' Catherine cried out, quietly. child but I left when I was twenty. I went round the world. I 'He's very handsome. He's very clever,'said her aunt. came back to NewYork only a month ago. It is a nice ciry but I 'He's in love with our expensive Catherine, then?'the doctor don't know anybody. You see, people forget you,' he said and asked. He laughed. smiled at Catherine. Catherine thought,'1'l/ never forget you.' 'I don't know that. But he liked her dress.' They sat there for some time.They laughed together. He asked Catherine did not think,'My dress only?'She thought what a her about the people near them. He gave his opinions about warrn and rich thing to say. 'You see,' said her father.'He thinks she has eighty thousand them. She thought he was very honest. Then Marian Almond dollars.' came back and took MrTownsend away to her mother. ''We'll meet again,'he said to Catherine. Marian came back and 'In nry opinion, he doesn't think of that; he's not a vulgar man,' said Mrs Penniman. took Catherine's arm.They walked round the room togerher: 'What do you think of Morris?'she said. 'The time is here,'the doctor thought.'Lavinia is going to get For the first time in her life Catherine did not tell the truth. a loverfor Catherine. I'm sorry for the girl.' 'Oh, nothing much,'she answered. 'I'll tell him that!' cried Marian.'It will be good for him. He has a very good opinion of Morris Townsend! Arthur says that, Chapter 2 A Man with No Profession andArthur knows him.' Half an hour later, Catherine saw her Aunt Penniman near a Three or four days later, Morris Townsend, together with Arthur Townsend, visited Washington Square. window Morris Townsend stood next to her. Then Dr Sloper 'Arthur is going to marry my sister's daughter, Marian, so the arrived. He usually had a little srnile on his face, but never a big smile. He looked at his daughter's red dress. polite thing is for Arthur to visit me,'Aunt Penniman said to 'Can this handsome woman be my child?'he asked. Catherine Catherine before they came.  And here they were. Arthur sat with Catherine, Morris sat Catherine did not think this was a thing to talk about.And she with Mrs Penniman. Catherine tried to listen to Morris and her did not think that Aunt Penniman spoke the truth. aunt. Morris often looked over at Catherine and smiled. Then 0 Arthur began to talk about Morris so Catherine began to listen to him. Half an hour later, Dr Sloper came home. Mrs Penniman told 'Morris asked me to bring him. He wanted to come very him of MorrisTownsend's visit. much. He loves going out into sociery.' 'Oh, and did he ask you to marry him, Catherine?'he asked. '-We're very happy to see him,'said Catherine. 'Oh, father!'said Catherine quietly. She turned and looked at 'Most people like him - het very interesting. But some people the dark sky through the window. call him too clever.' 'He will ask you first,Austin,'said Lavinia, and smiled. 'Now he's back in NewYork, will he stay here?' 'The next time he comes, call me,'the doctor said. 'Ah,' said Arthur,'he wants to find a job.' But the next time Mr Townsend came, the doctor was out 'What? He has no profession?'said Catherine. again. Mrs Penniman left the two young people together. The 'No. He's looking tound, but he can't find anything.' visit was quite long. FIe sat there, in the biggest chair, by the fire, 'I'm very sorry,'said Catherine. for more than an hour. He looked round the room carefully, at all 'Oh, he takes life easy,' said Arthur.'The job must be right for the things in it. He looked at Catherine carefully. There was a him.' smile in his handsome eyes. His talk was light and easy. He asked 'Will his father take him into his o{fice?'she asked. Catherine many questions. Did she like this? Did she like that? 'His father is dead - he only has a sister.'He looked at Morris 'Tell me about you,' he said.'Give me a picture - I can carry it and began to laugh. ''We're talking about you.' in my head.'She said she didnt have much to tell. She didnt go Morris stood up.'I cannot say the same about you,Arthur,' he out very often. She didnt like reading much. Morris said he liked said.'But I can about Miss Sloper.' singing.'I'11 sing to you, but not today. Perhaps next time.' Catherine's face went red. She thought he spoke very well. He did not say, politely,'I will sing and you can play for me.' He 'I came to talk to you, Miss Sloper,'he said.'So now I must thought of this after he was in the street. But Catherine thought come another time.'The two young men left. only about his words'next time'.They had a warm sound.As soon 'Het very interested in you, Catherine.' as the doctor came home, she told him about Morris Townsend'.s 'Did he say that?' second visit. 'Not in those words. But he wanted me to think it. I 'And did he ask you to marry him today?'the doctor asked. understand young men.' She was afraid of this question. 'But he doesn't know me.' 'Perhaps he'll do it next time,'she said, and she gave a little 'Oh yes, he knows you. I told him all about you.' laugh. She ran out of the room. 'Oh,Aunt Penniman.-We don't know him or his family.' The doctor stood and thought. Perhaps his daughter wanted 'Catherine, you know very well that you like him.' to marry Morris Townsend. He decided to learn about this  young man, who came in and out of his house when he liked. He went to see Mrs Almond. 'Lavinia is very excited, but I know very little about him,'said MrsAlmond. 'And our young man is fromArthur's fanrily?' 'Yes, but not close family. The name is the same, but I understand there are Townsends and there are Townsends. Arthur is from the best line of that family, Lavinia's young man is not. I know his sister. She is very nice. Her name is Mrs Montgomery. Her husband is dead, she has a nice small house, and she has five children. She lives on Second Avenue.' ''What does Mrs Montgomery say about him?' 1b 'That he's clever and perhaps he'l1 be important.' /\ !t 'But he does nothing.' ;jl I -$ 'She doesn't say that.' 'She's proud,' said the doctor.'What is his profession?' 'He hasn't got a profession. He's looking for something. He was at sea.' 'Was? How old is he?' 'Thirry-something. He went to sea when he was very young. Some money came to him - somebody in his family died, I think. He went all over the world. He has no money now. FIe decided to begin his life again and so he came back to America.' 'Does he want to marry Catherine, then?' 'I)on't forget that after you die she'll have thirry thousand dollars.' 'And thatt why he thinks she's nice!' Mrs Almond went red.'Not only that!' she said.'But many ,,/- i( flq-- -rF i- RF