It had been a long time since Ellen asked him to share an evening cup of tea.
Уже давно она не приглашала его на вечернюю чашку чая.
He nodded gratefully.
Он кивнул.
She took the cups from the cupboard and placed them on the table. Then she sat down opposite him to wait for the water to boil.
Она вязла чашки, поставила их на стол и села напротив него, ожидая когда закипит чайник.
There was a worried expression on her face.
На лице у нее была тревога.
"Don't worry," he said, suddenly feeling sorry for her. "Jennie'll be home any minute now."
- Не волнуйся, - сказал Том, пытаясь успокоить ее.- Дженни будет дома с минуты на минуту.
She looked up, and in a rare moment of insight, saw what she was doing to him and to herself. She felt the tears coming into her eyes and placed her hand over his.
Элен посмотрела на него и почувствовала, что по щекам у нее текут слезы. Она положила свою руку на руку мужа.
"I'm sorry, Tom.
- Извини, Том.
I don't know what's the matter with me. Half the time, I imagine things that never happen."
Не знаю, что со мной, но иногда я представляю себе то, что никогда не происходит.
"I know, Ellen," he said gently. "I know."
- Я знаю, Элен, - ласково сказал он, - я знаю.
It was then that the policeman came to the door and told them that Jennie had been found in the park, raped and beaten. And from the look on Ellen's face, Tom knew that they were lost forever.
Но это произошло. К ним пришли полицейские и сказали, что Дженни нашли в парке изнасилованную и избитую.
6.
6.
The three of them came out of the church into the bright sunlight.
Они втроем вышли из церкви на яркий солнечный свет.
They felt almost immediately the curious watching eyes.
На них со всех сторон устремились любопытные взгляды.
Tom felt the sudden shrinking in his daughter and noticed the flush of shame creeping up into her face, still puffed from the beating of almost two weeks ago.
Том почувствовал, как задрожала дочь, краска залила ее лицо, все еще хранившее следы побоев.
Her eyes looked down at the steps as they began to walk down toward the sidewalk.
Она опустила глаза, и они начали спускаться по ступенькам.
"Hold your head up, Jennie Bear," he whispered. "It's their sons should bear the shame, not you."
- Выше голову, Дженни-медвежонок, - прошептал Том, - это их сыновьям должно быть стыдно, а не тебе.
Jennie lifted her head and smiled at him gratefully.
Дженни подняла голову и благодарно улыбнулась ему.
"And you, too, Ellen Denton," he added. "Stop lookin' down at the ground."
- И ты тоже, Элен Дентон, - добавил он. - Что ты уставилась в землю?
In a way, Ellen felt a sort of triumph.
В душе Элен чувствовала торжество.
Her husband had finally returned to the church.
Наконец-то ее муж вернулся в лоно церкви.
She thought of how it had been early that morning.