Is he here?" "I read his name in the local paper as having lately arrived. Seems to me all the world and his wife are at the Solomon Hotel. A mighty fine hotel it is, too. And very tastefully decorated." Mr. Jefferson Cope was clearly enjoying himself. Dr. Gerard was a man who could display a lot of charm when he chose. Before long the two men had adjourned to the bar. After a couple of highballs Gerard said: "Tell me, is that a typical American family to whom you were talking?" Jefferson Cope sipped his drink thoughtfully. Then he said: "Why, no, I wouldn't say it was exactly typical." "No? A very devoted family, though." Cope said slowly: "You mean they all seem to revolve round the old lady? That's true enough. She's a very remarkable old lady, you know." "Indeed?" Mr. Cope needed very little encouragement. The gentle invitation was enough. |
Он тоже здесь? |
"I don't mind telling you, Dr. Gerard, I've been having that family a good deal on my mind lately. I've been thinking about them a lot. If I may say so, it would ease my mind to talk to you about the matter. |
- Должен признаться, доктор Жерар, последнее время я часто думал об этой семье. |
If it won't bore you, that is?" |
Вам не наскучит, если я расскажу вам о них? Это облегчило бы мне душу. |
Dr. Gerard disclaimed boredom. |
Доктор Жерар охотно согласился. |
Mr. Jefferson Cope went on slowly, his pleasant clean-shaven face creased with perplexity. "I'll tell you straight away that I'm just a little worried. Mrs. Boynton, you see, is an old friend of mine. |
- Скажу прямо - они меня беспокоят, - продолжал мистер Коуп, озадаченно нахмурившись. -Понимаете, миссис Бойнтон - мой близкий друг. |
That is to say, not the old Mrs. Boynton, the young one. Mrs. Lennox Boynton." |
Я имею в виду не старую миссис Бойнтон, а молодую - миссис Леннокс Бойнтон. |
"Ah, yes, that very charming dark-haired young lady." |
- Ах да, очаровательная темноволосая молодая леди. |
"That's right. That's Nadine. Nadine Boynton, Dr. |
- Верно, это Надин Бойнтон. |
Gerard, is a very lovely character. |
Она действительно очаровательное существо. |
I knew her before she was married. |
Я знал ее еще до замужества. |
She was in hospital then, working to be a trained nurse. Then she went for a vacation to stay with the Boyntons and she married Lennox." |
Она стажировалась в больнице, собираясь стать медсестрой, но потом провела отпуск с Бойнтонами и вышла замуж за Леннокса. |
"Yes?" |
- Да? |
Mr. Jefferson Cope took another sip of highball and went on. |
Мистер Джефферсон Коуп снова глотнул виски. |
"I'd like to tell you, Dr. Gerard, just a little of the Boynton family history." |
- Позвольте рассказать вам, доктор Жерар, кое-что из семейной истории Бойнтонов. |
"Yes? I should be most interested." |
- С удовольствием послушаю. |
"Well, you see, the late Elmer Boynton - he was quite a well-known man and a very charming person - was twice married. |
- Покойный Элмер Бойнтон - человек известный и очень симпатичный - был женат дважды. |
His first wife died when Carol and Raymond were tiny toddlers. |
Первая жена умерла, когда Кэрол и Реймонд были еще младенцами. |
The second Mrs. Boynton, so I've been told, was a handsome woman when he married her, though not very young. |
Вторая миссис Бойнтон, как мне говорили, была красивой женщиной, когда Элмер на ней женился, хотя уже тогда не очень молодой. |
Seems odd to think she can ever have been handsome to look at her now, but that's what I've been told on very good authority. |
Глядя на нее сейчас, не скажешь, что она прежде была хороша собой, но я слышал это от людей, в словах которых не могу сомневаться. |
Anyway, her husband thought a lot of her and adopted her judgment on almost every point. |
Муж очень любил ее и во всем полагался на ее мнение. |
He was an invalid for some years before he died, and she practically ruled the roost. |
Несколько лет перед смертью он провел в инвалидной коляске, и она практически всем управляла. |
She's a very capable woman with a fine head for business. |
Миссис Бойнтон - очень способная женщина с идеальной головой для бизнеса. |
A very conscientious woman, too. After Elmer died, she devoted herself absolutely to these children. |
К тому же она очень добросовестная и после кончины Элмера целиком и полностью посвятила себя его детям. |
There's one of her own, too - Ginevra - pretty red-haired girl but a bit delicate. |
Родная дочь у нее только одна - Джиневра, рыжеволосая девушка, хорошенькая, но, на мой взгляд, слишком хрупкая. |
Well, as I was telling you, Mrs. Boynton devoted herself entirely to her family. She just shut out the outside world entirely. |
Миссис Бойнтон полностью отгородила себя и детей от внешнего мира. |
Now, I don't know what you think, Dr. Gerard, but I don't think that's always a very sound thing." |
Не знаю, что вы об этом думаете, но мне это не кажется правильным. |
"I agree with you. |
- Согласен с вами. |
It is most harmful to developing mentalities." |
Такое крайне негативно отражается на развивающейся психике. |
"Yes, I should say that just about expresses it. |
- Вот именно. |
Mrs. Boynton shielded these children from the outside world and never let them make any outside contacts. |
Миссис Бойнтон не позволяла детям никаких контактов вне семьи. |
The result of that is that they've grown up - well, kind of nervy. |
В результате они выросли нервными и дергаными. |
They're jumpy, if you know what I mean. Can't make friends with strangers. |
Не могут ни с кем дружить. |
It's bad, that." |
Это скверно. |
"It is very bad." |
- Очень скверно. |
"I we no doubt Mrs. Boynton meant well. |
- Не сомневаюсь, что намерения у миссис Бойнтон самые лучшие. |