KuaiLe
Member
- Joined
- May 21, 2006
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- Chinese
- Home Country
- Taiwan
- Current Location
- Taiwan
Dear all,
I'm reading The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters. At one scene, the landlady Frances and her mother were talking about their lodgers, who were a young couple. And it goes:
‘Didn’t they tell us that they’d been married for three years? Straight out of the War, I suppose. No children, though.’ Frances said.
Her mother’s tone changed slightly. ‘No.’ And after a second, the one thought plainly having led to the next, she added, ‘Such a pity that the young women today all feel they must make up.’
Frances reached for the book. ‘Isn’t it? And on a Sunday, too.’
She felt her mother’s level gaze. ‘Don’t imagine that I can’t tell when you are making fun of me, Frances.’
I can't be sure about what "make up" mean in this context. It seems it's unusual to "make up" on a Sunday. At first I thought she might be refering to "wear makeups", but then I don't understand how the thought of "no children" can lead to wear makeups. Can anybody help me understand what they were talking about here?
I'm reading The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters. At one scene, the landlady Frances and her mother were talking about their lodgers, who were a young couple. And it goes:
‘Didn’t they tell us that they’d been married for three years? Straight out of the War, I suppose. No children, though.’ Frances said.
Her mother’s tone changed slightly. ‘No.’ And after a second, the one thought plainly having led to the next, she added, ‘Such a pity that the young women today all feel they must make up.’
Frances reached for the book. ‘Isn’t it? And on a Sunday, too.’
She felt her mother’s level gaze. ‘Don’t imagine that I can’t tell when you are making fun of me, Frances.’
I can't be sure about what "make up" mean in this context. It seems it's unusual to "make up" on a Sunday. At first I thought she might be refering to "wear makeups", but then I don't understand how the thought of "no children" can lead to wear makeups. Can anybody help me understand what they were talking about here?