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the garden, but I must see Crawley, my agent. I've been away from
things too long. He'll be in to lunch, too, by the way, You don't mind, do
you, you will be all right?”
"Of course,” I said, "I shall be quite happy.”
Then he picked up his letters, and went put of the room, and I
remember thinking this was not how I had imagined my first morning; I
had seen us walking together, arms linked, to the sea, coming back rather
late and tired and happy to a cold lunch alone, and sitting afterwards
under that chestnut tree I could see from the library window.

***

Text 5

Read the story. Compare the two banquets. Which of the titles do you prefer?
Why?

THE CRISIS
or
A GOOD SHOW
(After A. Hailey)

Peter McDermott was an assistant manager of the hotel. A
telephone call brought him the information that, this evening, the chef de
cuisine was absent because of continued illness, and that the sous-chef,
M. Lemieux was in charge. Peter said that he was coming down to the
kitchen now.
Andre Lemieux was waiting at the door from the main dining-
room.
”Come in, monsieur! You are welcome.” Entering the noisy,
steaming kitchen, the young sous-chef shouted to Peter's ear. ”You find
us near the peak of work.”
The atmosphere now, in early evening, was hellish. With a full
shift on duty, chefs in starched whites, their assistant cooks and juniors,
were everywhere. Around them, through waves of steam of heat,
sweating kitchen helpers noisily pushed trays, pans and cauldrons, while
others thrust trolleys carelessly, all turning away from each other as well
as hurrying waiters and waitresses, with serving trays held high. On
steam tables the day's dinner menu dishes were being portioned and
served for delivery to dining-rooms. Special orders - from a la carte
menus and for room service - were being prepared by fast-moving cooks

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