Then have been amply sufficient to start management on was now inadequate

The only thing was to find some rich man to go in with them so that a failure

Or two to begin with would not drive them from the field. It was said that you

Could always find a mug in the city to write a fat cheque for the production of

A play, but when you came down to business you discovered that the main

Condition was that the leading part should be played by some pretty lady in

Whom he was interested.

Years before (годами раньше), Michael and Julia had often joked about the rich

old woman (Майкл и Джулия частенько шутили о богатой пожилой даме) who

would fall in love with him (которая влюбится в него) and set him up in

management (и поможет ему в открытии театра; to set smb. up in business —

помочь кому-либо устроиться, открыть дело). He had long since learnt (с тех

пор он давно усвоил: «выучил») that no rich old woman was to be found (что

никакая богатая пожилая дама не найдется) to set up in management a young

actor (/чтобы/ помочь в открытии театра молодому актеру) whose wife was an

actress (жена у которого была актрисой) to whom he was perfectly faithful (и

которой он был совершенно верен). In the end (в конце концов) the money was

found by a rich woman (деньги были найдены у богатой женщины), and not an

old one either (и не старой даже), but who was interested not in him but in Julia

(но которая была заинтересована не в нем, но в Джулии).

joke [dZqVk] faithful ['feITf(q)l] either ['aIDq]

Years before, Michael and Julia had often joked about the rich old woman

Who would fall in love with him and set him up in management. He had long

Since learnt that no rich old woman was to be found to set up in management

A young actor whose wife was an actress to whom he was perfectly faithful. In

The end the money was found by a rich woman, and not an old one either, but