“Can you speak French?” she asked me abruptly.
“More or less,” I replied.
“I was supposed to learn it at school (считается, что я его учила в школе;
“No good keeping your mind full of scraps,” I answered (незачем держать ум полным обрывков =
But she had turned aside her sallow, long face, and did not hear what I said (но она /уже/ отвернула в сторону свое бледное, вытянутое лицо и не слышала, что я сказал). Suddenly again she looked at me (вдруг она снова посмотрела на меня). She was searching (она всматривалась /в меня/). And at the same time she smiled at me (и в то же время она улыбалась мне), and her eyes looked softly, darkly, with infinite trustful humility into mine (и ее глаза смотрели мягко, загадочно, с бесконечной доверчивой покорностью в мои;
“Would you mind reading a letter for me, in French (вы не против прочитать для меня письмо на французском)?” she said, her face immediately black and bitter-looking (спросила она, и ее лицо мгновенно потемнело и /приняло/ горькое выражение). She glanced at me, frowning (она бросила на меня взгляд, нахмурившись).
“No good keeping your mind full of scraps,” I answered.
But she had turned aside her sallow, long face, and did not hear what I said. Suddenly again she looked at me. She was searching. And at the same time she smiled at me, and her eyes looked softly, darkly, with infinite trustful humility into mine. I was being cajoled.
“Would you mind reading a letter for me, in French?” she said, her face immediately black and bitter-looking. She glanced at me, frowning.
“Not at all (вовсе нет),” I said.