Английский для смелых. Истории о духах и привидениях

 The moon, by this time, had passed out of the south, and the library seemed all the darker by contrast with the moonlit chamber he had left. He could see nothing but two blue-grey rectangles formed by the windows against the sky, the furniture of the room being altogether invisible. Groping along to where the table stood, Mr Batchel felt over its surface for the matches which usually lay there; he found, however, that the table was cleared of everything. He raised his right hand, therefore, in order to feel his way to a shelf where the matches were sometimes mislaid, and at that moment, whilst his hand was in mid-air, the matchbox was gently put into it!

Such an incident could hardly fail to disturb even a phlegmatic person, and Mr Batchel cried ‘Who’s this?’ somewhat nervously. There was no answer. He struck a match, looked hastily round the room, and found it empty, as usual. There was everything, that is to say, that he was accustomed to see, but no other person than himself.

It is not quite accurate, however, to say that everything was in its usual state (однако было бы не совсем точным сказать, что все было в своем обычном состоянии). Upon the tall desk lay a quarto volume that he had certainly not placed there (на высоком столике лежал тяжелый том, который он определенно туда не клал; quarto – кварто, формат в 1/4 долю листа /примерно формата А4/). It was his quite invariable practice to replace his books upon the shelves after using them (это была его совершенно неизменная привычка ставить книги обратно на полки, попользовавшись ими; practice – практика; привычка, обычай; установленный порядок; to replace – помещать, возвращать обратно /на место/), and what we may call his library habits were precise and methodical (а то, что мы можем назвать его библиотечными привычками, отличалось аккуратностью и методичностью; precise – точный; аккуратный, педантичный). A book out of place like this, was not only an offence against good order, but a sign that his privacy had been intruded upon (книга, подобно этой, /оставленная/ не на месте, была не только нарушением порядка, но и признаком того, что его уединение нарушили; good – хороший; order – порядок; good order – полный порядок; to intrude – вторгаться, входить без разрешения или приглашения; to intrude upon smb.’s privacy – нарушать чье-либо уединение). With some surprise, therefore, he lit the candle standing ready in the sconce, and proceeded to examine the book (с некоторым удивлением поэтому он зажег свечу, стоявшую наготове в подсвечнике, и стал рассматривать книгу; to proceed – приступать, приняться), not sorry, in the disturbed condition in which he was, to have an occupation found for him (не сожалея, ввиду своего возбужденного состояния, в котором он находился, что для него обнаружилось занятие).