Chapter two — Who's Who in King's Abbot

There are only two houses of any importance in King's Abbot. One is King's
Paddock, left to Mrs Ferrars by her husband. The other, Fernly Park, is owned by1
Roger Ackroyd, an extremely successful businessman of nearly fifty years of age. He
gives generously to village activities, though he is said to be extremely mean in
personal spending. When he was just twenty-one, Ackroyd married a beautiful
widow2. Mrs Paton, who had one child, Ralph. Sadly, Mrs Ackroyd was an
alcoholic and drank herself to death3. Ralph, now twenty-five, has been a
continual source of trouble4 to Ackroyd. However, we are all very fond of5
Ralph in King's Abbot.

After her husband's death, Ackroyd and Mrs Ferrars were always seen
together, (11) and it was thought that at the end of a period of mourning6. Mrs
Ferrars would become Mrs Roger Ackroyd.

(13) The Ferrarses only came to live here just over a year ago. Before that, the
whole village had confidently expected Ackroyd to marry his housekeeper, Miss
Russell. At the same time, his widowed sister-in-law7, Mrs Cecil Ackroyd, with
her daughter, came to stay with Ackroyd - and she certainly disapproved of him
marrying his housekeeper.

(18) I went on my round8, my thoughts returning to Mrs Ferrars' death. I

had last seen her only yesterday, walking with Ralph Paton. I had been very
surprised to see him. He and his stepfather9 had argued very badly10 six
months ago and he hadn't been seen in King's Abbot since. I was still thinking of it
when I came face to face11 with Roger Ackroyd himself.

'Sheppard!' he exclaimed. 'This is a terrible business! I've got to talk to you.

Can you come back with me now?'

'No. I've got patients to visit still, and surgery.'

'Then come for dinner tonight. At 7.30. I - Damn! Here's old Miss Gannett
coming. I don't want to have to talk to her. See you tonight, Sheppard.'
 Miss Gannett was full of gossip12. Wasn't it sad about poor dear Mrs
Ferrars? People were saying she had been a drug addict13.

I went home, thoughtful, to find several patients waiting for me to begin

surgery.
1
to be owned by - належати
2
a widow – вдова
3
to drink yourself to death – напитись до смерті
4
to be a continual source of trouble – бути постійним джерелом
проблем
5
to be fond of - захоплюватись
6
a period of mourning – період трауру
7
widowed sister-in-law – вдова-невістка
8
to go on my round – йти по колу
9
a stepfather - вітчим
10
to argue very badly – дуже сильно сперечатися
11
to come face to face – зіткнутись віч-на-віч
12
to be full of gossip – повний пліток
13
a drug addict – наркоман

Перевірте чи запам’ятали Ви переклад виділених слів:

1. a drug addict
2. a period of mourning
3. a stepfather
4. a widow
5. to argue very badly
6. to be a continual source of trouble
7. to be fond of
8. to be full of gossip
9. to be owned by
10. to come face to face
11.to drink yourself to death
12. to go on my round
13. widowed sister-in-law

Поставте питання до поданих речень:

1. One is King's Paddock, left to Mrs Ferrars by her husband. (What?)
2. Mrs Ferrars would become Mrs Roger Ackroyd. (Who?) –
допоміжним дієсловом виступатиме would.
 3. Then come for dinner tonight. At 7.30. (When?)

Дайте відповіді на питання:

1. Who did go round on his/her thoughts? (See line 18)
2. When Mrs Ferrars would become Mrs Roger Ackrowd? (See line 11)
3. When did the Ferrars come to live here? (See line 13)