The colonel's lady Summary (Школьные сочинения)

PART I

The story I would like to speak about is written by W. Somerset Maugham who is one of the most popular English writers. The story is entitled " The Colonel's Lady". The story takes place in the Peregrines' spacious estate and the plot runs as follows.

One day The Peregrines were having breakfast, sitting at opposite ends of the table. From the walls Mr. Peregrine's ancestors, painted by the fashionable painters looked down upon them. After a while the butler entered the kitchen to bring in the morning post. There were some letters for the colonel and a small parcel for his wife, Evie. To be frank, the colonel always found it difficult to open such parcels, but nevertheless he helped her to open it.

To the colonel's greatest surprise the parcel turned out to be full with 6 identical poetry books written by Eva Katherine Hamilton. You see, it was his wife maiden name.

esides, he didn't know his wife to be good at writing, and he couldn't help taking one copy of the book to his study, where he was going to read it.

You see, he had a lot of work to do there, and hardly had he finished his work, as he started thinking about his life. To tell the truth, it wasn't so good as anyone could imagine. It was his bad luck not to have a heir. Evie turned out to be barren, but nevertheless the colonel didn't divorce her, despite of the fact, that they had nothing much in common, naturally day by day they drifted apart but he did his best to make her happy. And it was clever of her not to bother him, not to make scenes, and the colonel seemed to take it for granted. however, he wasn't sufficiently faithful with her, as from time to time he used to go to London, where he had an affair with another woman.

Then he decided to read his wife's highbrow book at last. Hardly had he opened it when he noticed the lines not to rhyme, and he considered it to be bosh. You see, the colonel shared Edgar Allan Poe's opinion that poems should be short, and that's why the lines from the book must have been unpleasant to his eyes, he didn't like it at all, in other words.

esides, he thought it was good of Evie to have used her maiden name, because George didn't want anyone to make fun of his wife's efforts.

The next day the colonel had to set off to London and he took his mistress with whom he was in the habit of passing a few agreeable hours to dinner. When they were dining she said that his wife's book was reported to have made a sensation, moreover the next day he happened to meet his friend who said the absolutely the same, and he informed the colonel, that one of the best critics wanted him to answer some questions. Introductions were effected and the critic admitted that the book was so very modern without being obscure and hardly had the colonel answered all his questions about the book he went away. It must be mentioned, it didn't give him pleasure to be the husband of a celebrity.

THE COLONEL'S LADY

PART II

After a while the colonel returned home to read the book more attentively, as he was eager to understand why it was so popular, however the book was nowhere to be found, as Evie must have taken it away.

In a week he had to set off to Sheffield. You see, he lunched there at his club and hardly had he finished when the Duke of Haverel came in and to the colonel's greatest surprise he stopped near his table. I'd like to say, that the Duke was known to be the great local magnate, besides he had the best shooting in the country. He confessed that he was sorry the colonel's wife couldn't come to them for the week-end.

To be frank, George was taken aback. At that moment he realized immediately that they had been invited to the Duke's estate, and he considered it to be silly of his wife not to have said a word about it. When he returned home, he accused his poor wife of not being sufficiently faithful with him. It goes without saying she felt sorry about it, but she had to say that the colonel hadn't been invited at all and consequently she made him feel embarrassed The husband thought it was rude of them to ask her without asking him, but you see, it wasn't his sort of party, as there was a great number of critics and writers, who were tiresome to deal with

The next day they had been privileged to be invited to London in order to meet Evie's publishers at a cocktail party. During the party lots of introductions were effected, and in the colonel's opinion everyone there seemed to be thrilled with the book his wife had written, and indeed, the book was reported to have made a sensation. To make still worse, he noticed some young women make fun of him, they were constantly tittering when he was passing by, and he couldn't help felling ridiculous, besides he considered it to be impertinent of them.

The next day while Evie was busy with her own activities, the colonel decided to drop at bookseller's where he now and then bought various newspapers. That time he wanted to buy a copy of the book, in order not to ask his wife about what she had done with the lost one. Then he had a run into a shop-assistant, who approved of the colonel's choice and added, that the book was worth reading, as it was fresh and original, without being obscure. The colonel adopted a patronizing attitude and looked down upon him. He just wanted his book to be sold as soon as possible.

When they returned home the colonel without hesitation started reading. He read it with increasing malaise, and when he had finished he had a distinct understanding of what was going on. It was the story of a passionate love affair between an older woman and a young man, it seemed to be an absurd. Evidently, their happiness was precarious, as she couldn't deceive her husband, besides disparity of age between them was too large. The heroine thought it would be an affair of a few weeks, but miraculously it had been lasting for more than 3 years, when the young man died all of a sudden.

Without doubt, the story was inspired by a personal experience, moreover there were details that seemed familiar to the colonel, he knew all the words his wife had used in her story, at that moment he was convinced that Evie had had a lover and her lover had died.

PART III

Having read the book, the colonel broke out into a sweat and dismay appeared on his face immediately. He suspected his wife not to be sufficiently faithful with him and he determined to awake sleeping Evie in order to ask her for an explanation at last.

ut he just stopped by her door, as he turned out not to have any proofs, except the book, consequently it would be ridiculous of the colonel to accuse Evie

Next day while they were having dinner, the colonel didn't notice anything strange in his wife's behavior and expression as well, Evie was as she always was, quiet, demure, middle-aged woman who made no effort to look younger than she was, besides, to hear her idle talk was incomprehensible for the colonel.

Three days later he went to see his solicitor, Henry.

lane, who was known to be an experienced lawyer, and the colonel now and then consulted him. Henry inquired if his friend of the bossom was in trouble, and George couldn't help giving a suspicious look to him, as in the colonel's opinion the matter was evident. Then he asked if Henry had read the book already, and having received the answer, the colonel inclined to lose his temper.

You see, the lawyer was impressed by the book, to make things still worse, he was convinced that George must have been proud of his talented wife, but far from it. When he saw the colonel get exasperated, he realized immediately what was going on. It was wise of him to explain to the colonel that the story wasn't inspired by a personal experience, it was just an imagination, but his friend was impossible to convince. Henry told him, that it was no good crying over spilt milk, and taking for granted for a moment that Evie had committed adultery, it would be silly of the colonel to divorce her.

Besides, George didn't deny that there was gulf between them. Despite of the fact that they had no children, the colonel did his best to do his duties, but, to be frank, he wasn't always faithful with Evie. but nevertheless he couldn't understand what had made his wife write the book and why she had used maiden name instead of an assumed one.