“Then I will tell you (тогда я вам расскажу). After throwing down your paper (после того, как вы отбросили газету), which was the action which drew my attention to you (что явилось действием, привлекшим к вам мое внимание), you sat for half a minute with a vacant expression (вы с полминуты сидели с отсутствующим выражением; vacant — незанятый, свободный; рассеянный, отрешенный). Then your eyes fixed themselves upon your newly-framed picture of General Gordon (затем ваш взгляд остановился на недавно вставленном в раму портрете генерала Гордона), and I saw by the alteration in your face (я увидел по изменению на вашем лице) that a train of thought had been started (что начался ход мыслей). But it did not lead very far (но это продолжалось недолго: «не завело очень далеко»). Your eyes turned across to the unframed portrait of Henry Ward Beecher (вы перевели взгляд на не вставленный в раму портрет Генри Уорда Бичера; Beecher, Henry Ward /1813-1887/ — Бичер, Генри Уорд, прогрессивный протестантский проповедник; выступал против распространения рабства) which stands upon the top of your books (стоящий на ваших книгах). You then glanced up at the wall (затем вы скользнули взглядом вверх по стене), and of course your meaning was obvious (и, конечно, ваш смысл был ясен = было ясно, что вы имеете в виду). You were thinking that if the portrait were framed (вы думали, что если бы портрет был вставлен в раму) it would just cover that bare space (он как раз прикрывал бы пустое пространство) and correspond with Gordon’s picture over there (и гармонировал бы с портретом Гордона, /висящим/ вон там).”

reverie ['revr], vacant ['veknt], correspond [kr'spnd]

“Do you mean to say that you read my train of thoughts from my features?”

“Your features, and especially your eyes. Perhaps you cannot yourself recall how your reverie commenced?”

“No, I cannot.”

“Then I will tell you. After throwing down your paper, which was the action which drew my attention to you, you sat for half a minute with a vacant expression. Then your eyes fixed themselves upon your newly-framed picture of General Gordon, and I saw by the alteration in your face that a train of thought had been started. But it did not lead very far. Your eyes turned across to the unframed portrait of Henry Ward Beecher which stands upon the top of your books. You then glanced up at the wall, and of course your meaning was obvious. You were thinking that if the portrait were framed it would just cover that bare space and correspond with Gordon’s picture over there.”

“You have followed me wonderfully (вы поразительно /точно/ проследили за ходом моих мыслей)!” I exclaimed (воскликнул я).