"It was some time before I found out where my two gentlemen were living (прошло немало времени, прежде чем я разузнал, где жили два моих джентльмена); but I inquired and inquired until at last I dropped across them (но я разузнавал и выведывал, пока, наконец, я на них не напал; to inquire — осведомляться, справляться, спрашивать, искать; to drop across — столкнуться; to drop — капать; падать). They were at a boarding-house at Camberwell (они остановились: «были» в пансионате в Кембервелле), over on the other side of the river (на другой стороне реки). When once I found them out I knew that I had them at my mercy (стоило мне найти их, и я знал, что они у меня в руках; mercy — милосердие; жалость; at somebody’s mercy — в чьей-либо милости). I had grown my beard (я отпустил бороду; to grow), and there was no chance of their recognizing me (и они не смогли бы меня узнать: «и не было шанса, что они меня узнают»). I would dog them and follow them until I saw my opportunity (я собирался везде следовать за ними, пока не увижу свой шанс; to dog — выслеживать; преследовать; opportunity — удобный случай, благоприятная возможность). I was determined that they should not escape me again (я был полон решимости, что они больше от меня не сбегут).

"They were very near doing it for all that (и все же они чуть этого не сделали). Go where they would about London (куда бы они ни отправились в Лондоне), I was always at their heels (я всегда следовал за ними по пятам). Sometimes I followed them on my cab, and sometimes on foot (иногда я следовал за ними в кебе, иногда пешком), but the former was the best, for then they could not get away from me (но первое было лучше всего, так как они не могли от меня скрыться). It was only early in the morning or late at night that I could earn anything (я мог что-то зарабатывать только рано утром или поздно вечером), so that I began to get behind hand with my employer (так что я начал отставать с выплатами своему работодателю; to get behind — задерживать оплату, задолжать; hand — доля, участие в выполнении чего-либо). I did not mind that, however (однако мне это было все равно), as long as I could lay my hand upon the men I wanted (покуда я мог добраться до: «наложить свою руку на» тех, за кем я гонялся: «кого я хотел»).

inquire [n'kwa], beard [bd], earn [:n]

"It was some time before I found out where my two gentlemen were living; but I inquired and inquired until at last I dropped across them. They were at a boarding-house at Camberwell, over on the other side of the river. When once I found them out I knew that I had them at my mercy. I had grown my beard, and there was no chance of their recognizing me. I would dog them and follow them until I saw my opportunity. I was determined that they should not escape me again.

"They were very near doing it for all that. Go where they would about London, I was always at their heels. Sometimes I followed them on my cab, and sometimes on foot, but the former was the best, for then they could not get away from me. It was only early in the morning or late at night that I could earn anything, so that I began to get behind hand with my employer. I did not mind that, however, as long as I could lay my hand upon the men I wanted.