“Flora was a dear little thing, but exceedingly hot-headed and devotedly attached to me. She wrote me dreadful letters when she heard that I was about to be married, and, to tell the truth, the reason why I had the marriage celebrated so quietly was that I feared lest there might be a scandal in the church. She came to Mr. Doran’s door just after we returned, and she endeavored to push her way in, uttering very abusive expressions towards my wife, and even threatening her, but I had foreseen the possibility of something of the sort, and I had two police fellows there in private clothes, who soon pushed her out again. She was quiet when she saw that there was no good in making a row.”

“Did your wife hear all this?”

“No, thank goodness, she did not (нет, слава Богу, не слышала).”

“And she was seen walking with this very woman afterwards (потом ее видели с этой самой женщиной)?”

“Yes. That is what Mr. Lestrade, of Scotland Yard (да, и этот факт мистер Лестрейд из Скотланд-Ярда), looks upon as so serious (считает очень серьезным). It is thought that Flora decoyed my wife out (он думает, что Флора выманила мою жену; to decoy — приманивать; заманивать в ловушку; decoy — приманка; манок /для птиц/) and laid some terrible trap for her (и устроила ей какую-нибудь ужасную ловушку; trap — капкан, ловушка; западня).”

“Well, it is a possible supposition (что ж, возможное предположение).”

“You think so, too (вы тоже так думаете)?”

“I did not say a probable one (я не сказал, что вероятное /предположение/). But you do not yourself look upon this as likely (но вы сами не считаете, что это вероятно)?”

“I do not think Flora would hurt a fly (не думаю, что Флора может обидеть и муху).”

decoyed [dI'kOId], supposition [,sVp@'zIS(@)n], hurt [h@:t]

“No, thank goodness, she did not.”

“And she was seen walking with this very woman afterwards?”

“Yes. That is what Mr. Lestrade, of Scotland Yard, looks upon as so serious. It is thought that Flora decoyed my wife out and laid some terrible trap for her.”

“Well, it is a possible supposition.”

“You think so, too?”

“I did not say a probable one. But you do not yourself look upon this as likely?”

“I do not think Flora would hurt a fly.”

“Still, jealousy is a strange transformer of characters (однако ревность — странный преобразователь характеров = ревность может удивительно изменить человека). Pray what is your own theory as to what took place (а сами вы как считаете, что произошло; theory — теория; предположение)?”

“Well, really, I came to seek a theory, not to propound one (на самом деле я пришел узнать какую-нибудь версию, а не предлагать свою; to seek — искать, просить, добиваться; to propound — предлагать на обсуждение; выступить с предложением). I have given you all the facts (я сообщил вам все факты). Since you ask me, however (впрочем, раз вы спрашиваете меня), I may say that it has occurred to me as possible that the excitement of this affair (я могу сказать: мне пришло в голову, что, вероятно, волнение), the consciousness that she had made so immense a social stride (осознание, что она сделала такой огромный социальный шаг = осознание огромной перемены в общественном положении), had the effect of causing some little nervous disturbance in my wife (вызвали у моей жены легкое нервное расстройство).”

“In short, that she had become suddenly deranged (короче говоря, она внезапно потеряла рассудок: «стала неуравновешенной»; deranged — приведенный в беспорядок; психически неуравновешенный, ненормальный; душевнобольной; to range — приводить в порядок; выстраивать в ряд)?”