he knew a pretty face when he saw one

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Exercise 9. Read the text.

The Valentine Card

(after Nicholas Monsarrat)

Nicholas Monsarrat (1910–1979) was a popular English novelist whose best- known work, The Cruel Sea, vividly describes life on a small ship in wartime.

Helen only smiled and said nothing when her parents asked why she didn’t go out¹. Her mother often suggested that Helen should invite some of her friends home one evening.

“I can make some cakes and you can all dance and have a party. Your father and I can go out for the evening so you won’t have to worry² about the noise you make,” she said.

Her father also tried to bring her out of her isolation³ and told her that when he was sixteen, “he knew a pretty face when he saw one⁴.”

It was all useless. Helen stayed at home in the evening and read books or played records or watched television. Parents were nice. They tried to help. But they did not understand. To be popular with boys you had to be gay and pretty. Helen looked in her bedroom mirror. She saw a small, round face that usually became red whenever⁵ a boy even said “Hallo!” to her. No boy could ever like me⁶, she said to herself.

Then, at breakfast on St Valentine’s Day⁷, the card arrived by post. Helen looked at the envelope with her name and address written in bright blue ink. Her mother went into the kitchen and her father quietly read his morning paper and ate his toast. Helen opened the envelope and took out the card. There were the words on the card in bright blue ink: “To Helen – hope we meet soon.” Who was it from? Perhaps it was a joke?

“It’s a very nice card,” said her mother. “Who is it from?” she asked. “I’ve no idea,” said Helen. “There’s no name on the valentine card.”

Who was it from, Helen asked herself as she walked to school. She tried to think of the people she knew who used bright blue ink. There was Paul, of

course. He lived in the street next to hers⁸. He always used that colour ink. But how could the card be from Paul? He was always going out and had a lot of friends. He was also the best tennis player and swimmer in the school and had lots of girl-friends.

Before going into her classroom at school, she saw Paul coming towards her. Was he smiling at her or only laughing at her? If he was the person who had sent the card, he must know that she had received it that morning. Probably he was going to tell the whole of the class about the joke.

“Hallo, Helen,” he said. “How are you?” “I am O.K.” said Helen.

If he sent me the card, thought Helen, I am not going to let him know I’ve got it.

“You’re always doing your homework. You never seem to have time to come out in the evening,” said Paul. “Why not come out tonight? It’s February

14. You know what day that is, don’t you?”

“Of course,” replied Helen. “St Valentine’s Day.” She smiled carefully at Paul. He smiled back⁹ at her.

“We can go and see a film in town and then have some coffee. You will come, won’t you?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t come. I’ve got to go out with my mother and she…” “Please come. I’ll call at your house at seven o’clock.”

The bell began to ring for the first class and he turned to go. “Don’t forget, will you? Seven o’clock.”

Helen arrived home at half past four and started to run up the stairs. “Hallo, dear,” called her mother from the kitchen. “You are in a hurry.”

Helen ran back down the stairs and into the kitchen. “Where’s my green dress, mum? Do you know? I’ve got to go out tonight¹⁰ and I must get ready before dinner.”

“But it’s only half past four. You don’t have to get ready so early, do you?” “Yes, yes, I must get ready now,” said Helen. She ran out of the kitchen

and bumped into her father who was coming into the hall.

“What’s the hurry? Is there a fire or are you going out somewhere?”

“I’m going out tonight – I’m going to see the film – with Paul from school.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” said her father. “Lucky Paul!”

“Isn’t it nice of Paul to ask Helen to the pictures¹¹ with him?” said Helen’s mother. “She’ll enjoy herself.”

Helen’s father smiled at her.

“Yes,” he said. “Must be the valentine card that did it.” Then he went into the living-room and quietly put the bottle of bright blue ink inside his desk drawer.

NOTES

1. go out

2. you won’t have to worry['wʌrɪ]

3. to bring her out of her isolation[ˌaɪsə'leɪʃn]

5. whenever[wen'evə]

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