IV. Choose the correct answer. 1. Why could not the writer very well address his friend the moment he saw him?
a) His friend was speaking to the young and attractive Marquise de Beauvallon and the
writer didn't want to disturb them.
b) Percy was with friends him self and the writer could only bid him good morning.
c) He didn't recognize him.
d) Percy was busy at the baccarat table and didn't see the writer.
2. Who attracted the writer's attention?
a) Marquise de Beauvallon did.
b) The ever-tactful Frangois did.
c) The Moldavian military attache did.
d) The resident Casino detective did.
3. What was a certain 'irony o f fate' with regard to what happened to the Moldavian military
attache?
a) There was no 'irony o f fate' at all.
b) A certain 'irony o f fate' was in that fact that he got to the Casino.
c) He carefully smuggled a wad o f currency out o f his country.
d) The currency so carefully smuggled out o f his country was stolen in the Casino.
4. Why were these serious incidents hushed up by the management o f the Casino?
a) The manager was afraid o f the local police.
b) The manager hadn't the slightest idea o f all these incidents.
c) The Casino's reputation might suffer when people frequenting the Casino knew that
something was amiss.
d) All the thefts were committed by the Casino's employee.
5. What was the writer's attitude towards the events happened in the Casino?
a) He was absolutely indifferent.
b) He was involved in the investigation together with the local police.
c) He began to chase the thief.
d) The hunt aroused the writer's desire to learn who that extraordinarily clever thief was.
Text 4 Later that evening I was sitting on a high stool at the bar and found my eye repeatedly
wandering to the baccarat table. The crowd there was watching intently a certain Mr. Randle, a rich
banker, who was apparently winning a lot o f money. Suddenly, before my eyes I saw Percy Jater
quietly but deftly remove Mr. Randle's pocket-book, extract some notes, and return it to its original
place - all so quickly that I wanted to rub my eyes for fear they were deceiving me.
Jater's composure was superb, and he quickly moved away from the scene o f the theft to
another part o f the table, where he followed the play in a nonchalant sort o f way. O f course, the
perpetrator o f the whole series o f Casino thefts became obvious and I had to debate what I should
80
do. Should I expose Jater and have him arrested and probably sentenced, or... well, or what? What
was the alternative? I obviously could not let it go on - and, even if I did, sooner or later the Casino
detective would probably catch him. I anticipated a lively scene when Mr. Randle would discover
his loss and I realized something had to be done, and done fairly quickly, if events were not to move
too fast for me.
Jater, I noticed, had by now vanished - doubtless to avoid being caught with the money on
him if a search o f everyone present were ordered. I left the Casino as unobtrusively as possible. I
made my way to the Pension where Percy was living, and found him standing at the bottom o f the
garden, surveying the placid waters o f the Mediterranean. I lost no tim e in letting him know my
errand.
«Percy,» I said, putting a hand gently on his shoulder, «I saw what you did tonight at the
Casino.» - «Really, Mr. Robert,» he replied uncertainly, but looking at me intently, «you saw me do
what?» - «I saw you lighten Mr. Randle's pocket.» I replied tersely.
He sighed and bent his head. «Dear, dear,» he said sadly, «I supposed it could not last for
ever. But it has been so lovely here. And now,» he added firmly, «I suppose you want me to go with
you to the police?» «Not at all,» I replied. «You will catch the Silver Eagle tomorrow morning at 11
а. m. and so get away from San Carolino at once - before the authorities get their hands on you.»