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Charles switched off everything but one shaded lamp, and when he sat down again
she nestled up to him. He put his arm round her waist and she rested her head on
his shoulder.
"This is heaven," she murmured.
"I've missed you terribly all these months (я ужасно скучал по тебе все эти
месяцы)."
"Did you get into mischief (ты что, попал в переделку;
"Well, I bought an Ingres drawing (ну, я приобрел: «купил» рисунок Энгра) and
paid a lot of money for it (и заплатил кучу денег за него). I must show it you
before you go (я должен показать его тебе, до того, как ты уйдешь)."
"Don't forget (не забудь). Where have you put it (где ты его повесил:
«поместил»)?"
She had wondered from the moment she got into the house (она размышляла, с
того самого момента, как она вошла в дом) whether the seduction would take
place in the study or upstairs (произойдет ли обольщение в кабинете или
наверху;
"In my bedroom (в своей спальне)," he answered (ответил он).
"That's much more comfortable really (это гораздо, гораздо удобнее, на самом-
то деле)," she reflected (подумала она).
mischief ['mIstSIf] bought [bO:t] seduction [sI'dAkS(q)n]
"I've missed you terribly all these months."
"Did you get into mischief?"
"Well, I bought an Ingres drawing and paid a lot of money for it. I must show it
you before you go."
"Don't forget. Where have you put it?"
She had wondered from the moment she got into the house whether the seduction
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would take place in the study or upstairs.
"In my bedroom," he answered.
"That's much more comfortable really," she reflected.
She laughed in her sleeve (она украдкой усмехнулась;
thought of poor old Charles devising a simple little trick like that (когда она
подумала о том, как бедняжка Чарльз выдумывает такой простой трюк
/подобный этому/;
bedroom (чтобы затащить: «завлечь» ее в свою спальную). What mugs men
were (какие простаки мужчины)! Shy, that was what was the matter with them
(застенчивые — вот что с ними такое: «это было что было проблемой с
ними»). A sudden pang shot through her heart (внезапная острая боль пронзила
ее сердце;
она подумала о Томе). Damn Tom (к черту Тома). Charles really was very sweet
(Чарльз действительно был очень мил) and she was determined to reward him at
last for his long devotion (и она была решительно настроена вознаградить его
наконец за его долгую преданность).
"You've been a wonderful friend to me, Charles (ты был удивительным другом
для меня, Чарльз)," she said in her low, rather husky voice (сказала она /своим/
тихим, достаточно хриплым голосом). She turned a little (она чуть
повернулась) so that her face was very near his (так, чтобы ее лицо было очень
близко к его), her lips, again like Lady Hamilton's, slightly open (ее губы, снова
как у Леди Гамильтон, слегка приоткрыты). "I'm afraid I haven't always been
very kind to you (/я/ боюсь, что я не всегда была очень хорошим другом
тебе)."
thought [TO:t] pang [pxN] husky ['hAskI]
She laughed in her sleeve as she thought of poor old Charles devising a simple
little trick like that to get her into his bedroom. What mugs men were! Shy, that
695
was what was the matter with them. A sudden pang shot through her heart as she
thought of Tom. Damn Tom. Charles really was very sweet and she was
determined to reward him at last for his long devotion.
"You've been a wonderful friend to me, Charles," she said in her low, rather husky
voice. She turned a little so that her face was very near his, her lips, again like
Lady Hamilton's, slightly open. "I'm afraid I haven't always been very kind to
you."
She looked so deliciously yielding (она выглядела такой восхитительно мягкой:
«податливой»), a ripe peach waiting to be picked (спелый персик, ждущий
чтобы его сорвали;
inevitable that he should kiss her (так что казалось неизбежным, что он должен
поцеловать ее). Then she would twine her soft white arms round his neck (затем
она обовьет своими мягкими белыми руками его шею). But he only smiled (но
он только улыбнулся).
"You mustn't say that (ты не должна так говорить). You've been always divine
(ты всегда была божественна)."
("He's afraid, poor lamb (он боится, бедный ягненок).") "I don't think anyone has
ever been so much in love with me as you were (/я/ не думаю, что кто-нибудь
когда-нибудь любил меня больше, чем ты)."