"The Proposal"

Passage from "The Secret Adversary"

 

"You were just wonderful!"

Jane shook her head.

"I don't feel wonderful. At heart I'm just tired and lonesome—and longing for my own country."

"That brings me to something I wanted to say. I heard the Ambassador telling you his wife hoped you would come to them at the Embassy right away. That's good enough, but I've got another plan. Jane—I want you to marry me! Don't get scared and say no at once. You can't love me right away, of course, that's impossible. But I've loved you from the very moment I set eyes on your photo—and now I've seen you I'm simply crazy about you! If you'll only marry me, I won't worry you any—you shall take your own time. Maybe you'll never come to love me, and if that's the case I'll manage to set you free. But I want the right to look after you, and take care of you."

"That's what I want," said the girl wistfully. "Some one who'll be good to me. Oh, you don't know how lonesome I feel!"

"Sure thing I do”...

"Oh, Julius!"

"Well, I don't want to hustle you any, Jane, but there's no sense in waiting about. Don't be scared—I shan't expect you to love me all at once."

But a small hand was slipped into his.

"I love you now, Julius," said Jane Finn. "I loved you that first moment in the car when the bullet grazed your cheek...."

 

Reading Comprehension Questions

 

1)     What is the most likely setting of the scene in the above passage?

a.      a foreign country

b.      a childhood home

c.      a wedding

d.      a surprise party

 

2)     Which of the following describes what happens in the scene above?

a.      a man and a woman get married

b.      a man and a woman reunite after a long time

c.      a man asks a woman to marry him

d.      a man and a woman meet for the first time

 

3)     In the above passage, the last line is "I loved you that first moment in the car when the bullet grazed your cheek...."  This line suggests that the passage was taken from where?

a.      the start of a fairy tale

b.      the start of a horror novel

c.      the end of a detective novel

d.      the end of a children’s story

 

4)     In the above passage, which of the following best describes how the man thinks the girl feels about him?

a.      he thinks she doesn’t love him, but hopes she will someday

b.      he thinks she doesn’t love him and doesn’t care

c.      he knows she loves him, but doesn’t want her to

d.      he knows she loves him and is thankful for it

 

5)     Which of the following best describes how Jane Finn’s mood changes from the start to the end of the above passage?

a.      she goes from joyful to depressed

b.      she goes from gloomy to thrilled

c.      she goes from scared to brave

d.      she goes from enthusiastic to jaded

 

6)     Near the end of the above passage it says, a small hand was slipped into his.”  What happens at this moment?

a.      Jane pushes Julius’s hands away

b.      Julius reaches out to grab Jane

c.      Jane reaches out to hold Julius’s hand

d.      Julius and Jane shake hands in agreement

 

 

Answer Key

1)     What is the most likely setting of the scene in the above passage?

a.      a foreign country

b.      a childhood home

c.      a wedding

d.      a surprise party

 

2)     Which of the following describes what happens in the scene above?

a.      a man and a woman get married

b.      a man and a woman reunite after a long time

c.      a man asks a woman to marry him

d.      a man and a woman meet for the first time

 

3)     In the above passage, the last line is "I loved you that first moment in the car when the bullet grazed your cheek...."  This line suggests that the passage was taken from where?

a.      the start of a fairy tale

b.      the start of a horror novel

c.      the end of a detective novel

d.      the end of a children’s story

 

4)     In the above passage, which of the following best describes how the man thinks the girl feels about him?

a.      he thinks she doesn’t love him, but hopes she will someday

b.      he thinks she doesn’t love him and doesn’t care

c.      he knows she loves him, but doesn’t want her to

d.      he knows she loves him and is thankful for it

 

5)     Which of the following best describes how Jane Finn’s mood changes from the start to the end of the above passage?

a.      she goes from joyful to depressed

b.     she goes from gloomy to thrilled

c.      she goes from scared to brave

d.      she goes from enthusiastic to jaded

 

6)     Near the end of the above passage it says, a small hand was slipped into his.”  What happens at this moment?

a.      Jane pushes Julius’s hands away

b.      Julius reaches out to grab Jane

c.      Jane reaches out to hold Julius’s hand

d.      Julius and Jane shake hands in agreement