“So far I could hardly have gone astray (до тех пор я едва ли мог сбиться с пути). But now your thoughts went back to Beecher (но затем ваши мысли вернулись к Бичеру), and you looked hard across (и вы стали пристально на него смотреть) as if you were studying the character in his features (будто изучая его характер по чертам лица). Then your eyes ceased to pucker (затем вы перестали щуриться; to pucker — морщить/ся/, собирать/ся/ в складки), but you continued to look across (но продолжали смотреть), and your face was thoughtful (и ваше лицо было задумчивым). You were recalling the incidents of Beecher’s career (вы вспоминали случаи из карьеры Бичера). I was well aware that you could not do this without thinking of the mission (я вполне понимал, что вы не можете делать этого, не думая о той миссии) which he undertook on behalf of the North (которую он взял на себя от имени Севера; to undertake — предпринимать, совершать; брать на себя ответственность) at the time of the Civil War (во времена Гражданской войны /1861-1865/), for I remember you expressing your passionate indignation at the way (поскольку я помню, что вы выразили свое горячее возмущение тем) in which he was received by the more turbulent of our people (как он был принят наиболее буйными из наших сограждан; turbulent — бурный, бушующий; буйный; беспокойный; непокорный). You felt so strongly about it that I knew you could not think of Beecher without thinking of that also (вы столь близко приняли это к сердцу, столь живо показывали свое отношение к этому событию, что я понял, что вы не можете думать о Бичере, не думая /также/ об этом инциденте).

behalf [b'h:f], recalling [r'k:l], Civil War [svl'w:], turbulent ['t:bjulnt]

“You have followed me wonderfully!” I exclaimed.

“So far I could hardly have gone astray. But now your thoughts went back to Beecher, and you looked hard across as if you were studying the character in his features. Then your eyes ceased to pucker, but you continued to look across, and your face was thoughtful. You were recalling the incidents of Beecher’s career. I was well aware that you could not do this without thinking of the mission which he undertook on behalf of the North at the time of the Civil War, for I remember you expressing your passionate indignation at the way in which he was received by the more turbulent of our people. You felt so strongly about it that I knew you could not think of Beecher without thinking of that also.