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| Hearts & Hands - Evergreen Publication |
COMPREHENSION (UNSOLVED PASSAGES)
Passage 1
(1) Mr. Easton felt embarrassed because his old acquaintance, Miss Fairchild, saw him in handcuffs. He clasped her fingers with his left hand becuse his right hand was bound at the wrist by the shining 'bracelet' to the left of his companion.
(ii) He told Miss Fairchild that he would ask her to excuse the other hand because it was bound at the wrist by the shining 'bracelet' to the left of his companion.
(ii) The young woman noticed that Mr Easton, her old friend, was handcuffed to the man seated beside him. As Mr Easton greeted her, he raised his right hand bound at the wrist by the shining 'bracelet to the left one of his companion. When she saw this, the glad look in her eyes changed to bewildered horror.
(iv) Easton felt amused at the young woman's question about his being handcuffed and was about to speak again to explain the situation but the glumfaced man understood Easton's plight and stopped him from speaking.
(V) The glum-faced man told the young woman that Mr Easton was a marshal and that they (Easton and the glum-faced man) were headed for Leavenworth prison. His remark relieved the young woman of her embarrassment.
Passage 2
(1) The glum-faced man calls Mr Easton marshal. He does so in order to save Mr Easton from embarrassment.
(ii) When Miss Fairchild sees Mr Easton, her old friend, in handcuffs, Mr Easton feels embarrassed. In order to remove Mr Easton's embarrassment, he tells Miss Fairchild that Mr Easton is a marshal and they are headed for Leavenworth prison.
(iii) He presents himself as a convict. He does so in order to save Easton from embarrassment.
(iv) He tells Miss Fairchild that Mr Easton is taking him to Leavenworth prison in order to confirm that Mr Easton is a marshal and he is a convict.
(V) He means to say that for committing the offence of counterfeiting, he is going to undergo imprisonment for seven years. He says so only to make Miss Fairchild believe that he himself is the counterfeiter.
Passage 3
(1) When the glum-faced person tells her that Mr Easton, her old friend is a marshal and not a convict, the glow in her cheeks returns. She calls Mr Easton marshal.
(1) Mr Easton tells Miss Fairchild that his butterfly days were over in Washington. So he had to do something. In order to earn money he took up the job of a marshal. Though marshalship is not quite as high a position as that of an ambassador, yet it fetches him money. In this way he confirms that he is the marshal.
(iii) The young girl calls Mr Easton 'a dashing Western hero' because he has to do a difficult duty and face all kinds of dangers. He has to ride and shoot in dangerous situations. So he calls him 'a dashing Western hero!
(iv) Miss Fairchild calls Mr Easton 'a dashing Western hero' because as a marshal he has to confront all kinds of dangerous situations. She says that he has to ride and shoot in several challenging situations.
(V) She reacts favourably to his acceptance of a marshal's job. She is very happy. Her eyes, fascinated, went back, widening a little to rest upon the glittering handcuffs. She wishes him goodbye with a promise to see him in Washington.
Passage 4
(1) The girl felt happy to know that her friend had become a marshal. Her eyes glowed and now she was fascinated by the glittering handcuffs. So her eyes rested upon the glittering handcuffs. She was entertaining a pleasant thought of being a marshal's friend.
(ii) The other man calls Mr Easton marshal. So he comments that all marshals handcuff themselves to their prisoners to keep them from getting away. He praises Mr Easton by saying that he knows his job well. In fact, he praises Easton in handcuff because he wants to confirm that Mr Easton is a marshal.
(iil) Mr Easton says that his butterfly days are over now. He no longer goes around places so frequently because he has to work for livelihood. He says so in response to Miss Fairchild's question, "Will you see me again soon in Washington?"
(iv) She feels happy that her friend Mr Easton is a marshal and is well-placed. So she wishes to meet him in Washington. Thus she asks him if they will see him again soon in Washington.
(V) The young girl reconciles herself with Mr. Easton's handcuff because she is assured that he is a marshal and not a convict. So she reconciles herself with Mr Easton's handcuffs.
Passage 5
(1) Mr Easton feels embarrassed when Miss Fairchild, his old friend, sees him in handcuffs. So in order to save Mr Eason from embarrasment, the glum-faced man calls Mr Easton marshal. He succeeds in his plan because Miss Fairchild believes in his assertion and thinks that Mr Easton is really a marshal and not a convict.
(ii) The glum-faced man took Mr Easton to the smoker room in order to smoke as he had not smoked all day and he needed a drink. There was a smile on Mr Easton's face when they left for the smoker's room because he could be saved from the embarrassment from Miss Fairchild.
(iii) Mr Easton says that smoking a tobacco pipe is really a great friend of the unfortunate. In fact, the suggestion from the other person to go to the smoker's room is a big relief to Mr Easton.
(iv) The glum-faced man asked Mr Easton to accompany him to the smoker's room to smoke. So Mr. Easton told her that he was going to the smoker's room to smoke. He made this excuse and said goodbye to Miss Fairchild.
(V) Easton asserted in the name of duty that he must go on to Leavenworth. So, he held out his hand for a farewell.
Passage 6
(1) One of the two passengers remarks that Easton seems to be too young to be a marshal. Though Easton is bold and frank and handsome yet he hides something beneath his handsome face. This creates doubt about Easton being a marshal.
(ii) The remark of the other passenger—'did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right side' confirms the doubts of the other passenger's opinion of Easton being a marshal.
(ii) The unexpected revelation about Mr Easton surprises the readers, when the two passengers in the train remark that Mr Easton is not a marshal, but a counterfeiter. They strike an ironical note.
(iv) The true character of Mr Easton is revealed from the remarks of the two passengers. One passenger says that Mr Easton is too young to be a marshal. The other passenger says, you ever know an officer to handcuff the prisoner to his right land"? "Did
(V) The unexpected remarks of the two passengers at the end of the story add charm and subtlety to the story and make it interesting. Thus the main interest of the story lies in its irony. There is a sting in the tail.
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS
Develop the following hints into your own answers :
1. Hints
- Miss Fairchild, an elegantly dressed woman, finds two passengers seat in front of her seat in a train compartment
- she recognises one of them who is handsome
- converses with the man named Mr Easton
- discovers that the man is handcuffed
- glad look in Fairchild's face fades
- The other glum-faced man saves the situation
2. Hints
- Miss Fairchild greeted by Mr Easton in handcuffs
- she gets bewildered at Mr Easton's 'bracelet' at the wrist
- Mr Easton feels embarrassed, uncomfortable and tense she surprised to learn that
- Mr Easton has discarded life in Washington
- the rescue by the other person pretending to be himself a counterfeiter
3. Hints
- Mr Easton taken for a marshal
- the glum-faced man, actually a marshal, taken to be the criminal
- the woman named Miss Fairchild begins to believe the glum-faced person's statement
- remarks by the other two passengers create doubt
- an irony in the situation
- the so-called marshal is the real counterfeiter
