Герберт Уэллс: The Invisible Man

"I have some luggage," he said, "at Bramblehurst Station," and he asked her how he could have it sent. He bowed his bandaged head quite politely in acknowledgment of her explanation. "To-morrow!" he said. "There is no speedier delivery?" and seemed disappointed when she answered "No." "Was she quite sure? No man with a trap who would go over?" [18] 1.18 "Was she quite sure? No man with a trap would go over?" — вопросы оформлены кавычками как прямая речь, но прошедшее время и 3-е лицо указывает на так называемую несобственно прямую речь (переплетение прямой речи с авторским повествованием)

Mrs. Hall, nothing loath, answered his questions, and then developed a conversation. "It's a steep road by the down, sir," she said, in answer to the question about a trap; and then snatching at an opening [19] 1.19 to snatch at an opening — ухватиться за возможность; зд. начать разговор said, "It was there a carriage was upsettled, [20] 1.20 upsettled — неправильно вместо upset a year ago and more. A gentleman killed, besides his coachman. Accidents, sir, happen in a moment, don't they?"

But the visitor was not to be drawn so easily. [21] 1.21 the visitor was not to be drawn so easily — постояльца не так-то легко было заставить говорить "They do," he said, through his muffler, eyeing her quietly from behind his impenetrable glasses.

"But they take long enough to get well, sir, don't they? There was my sister's son, Tom, jest [22] 1.22 jest — искаженное just cut his arm with a scythe—tumbled on it in the 'ayfield—and bless me! he was three months tied up, sir. You'd hardly believe it. It's regular [23] 1.23 Помимо основного значения «настоящий» regular употребляется в просторечии как усилительная частица «прямо-таки» и т.п. give me a dread of a scythe, sir."

"I can quite understand that," said the visitor.

"We was afraid, one time, that he'd have to have an op'ration, he was that bad, sir."

The vistor laughed abruptly—a bark of a laugh [24] 1.24 a bark of a laugh — лающий смех. Так называемое связанное предложение, в котором основным элементом является второй — laugh; bark — приложение, определяющее его. См. a beast of a county that he seemed to bite and kill in his mouth. " Was he?" he said.

"He was, sir. And no laughing matter to them as had the doing for him [25] 1.25 to them as had the doing for him ( простореч. ) — тем, кому пришлось ухаживать за ним as I had, my sister being took up with her little ones so much. There was bandages to do, sir, and bandages to undo. So that if I may make so bold as to say it, sir—"

"Will you get me some matches?" said the visitor quite abruptly. "My pipe is out."

Mrs. Hall was pulled up suddenly. It was certainly rude of him after telling him all she had done. She gasped at him for a moment, and remembered the two sovereigns. She went for the matches.

"Thanks," he said concisely, as she put them down, and turned his shoulder upon her and stared out of the window again. Evidently he was sensitive on the topic of operations and bandages. She did not "make so bold as to say," after all. But his snubbing way had irritated her, and Millie had a hot time of it [26] 1.26 Millie had a hot time of it — Милли досталось that afternoon.

The visitor remained in the parlour until four o'clock, without giving the ghost of an excuse for an intrusion. For the most part he was quite still during that time: it would seem he sat in the growing darkness, smoking by the firelight—perhaps dozing.

Once or twice a curious listener might have heard him at the coals, [27] 1.27 might have heard him at the coals — мог слышать как он мешает уголь в камине and for the space of five minutes he was audible pacing the room. He seemed to be talking to himself. Then the armchair creaked as he sat down again.

At four o'clock, when it was fairly dark, and Mrs. Hall was screwing up her courage to go in and ask her visitor if he would take some tea, Teddy Henfrey, the clock-jobber, [1] 2.1 clock-jobber ( устар. ) — часовщик came into the bar.

"My sakes, [2] .2 My sakes! — восклицание удивления Mrs. Hall," said he, "but this is terrible weather for thin boots!" The snow outside was falling faster.

Mrs. Hall agreed, and then noticed he had his bag with him. "Now you're here, Mr. Teddy," said she, "I'd be glad if you'd give th' old clock in the parlour a bit of a look. 'Tis going, and it strikes well and hearty, but the hour hand won't do nothin' but point at six."

And leading the way, she went across to the parlour door and rapped and entered.

Her visitor, she saw, as she opened the door, was seated in the armchair before the fire, dozing, it would seem, with his bandaged head drooping on one side. The only light in the room was the red glow from the fire. Everything was ruddy, shadowy, and indistinct to her, the more so since she had just been lighting the bar lamp, and her eyes were dazzled. But for a second it seemed to her that the man she looked at had an enormous mouth wide open, a vast and incredible mouth that swallowed the whole of the lower portion of his face. It was the sensation of a moment; the white-bound head, the monstrous goggle eyes, and this huge yawn below it. Then he stirred, started up in his chair, put up his hand. She opened the door wide so that the room was lighter, and she saw him more clearly, with the muffler held to his face, just as she had seen him hold the serviette before. The shadows, she fancied, had tricked her.

"Would you mind, sir, this man a-coming to look at the clock, sir?" she said, recovering from her momentary disorder.

"Look at the clock?" he said, staring round in a drowsy manner, and speaking over his hand; and then, getting more fully awake, "Certainly."

Mrs. Hall went away to get a lamp, and he rose and stretched himself. Then came the light, and Mr. Teddy Henfrey, entering, was confronted by this bandaged person. He was, he says, "taken aback."

"Good afternoon," said the stranger, regarding him—as Mr. Henfrey says, with a vivid sense of the dark spectacles— [3] 2.3 with a vivid sense of the dark spectacles — образно передавая впечатление от чёрных очков "like a lobster."

"I hope," said Mr. Henfrey, "that it's no intrusion."

"None whatever," said the stranger. "Though I understand," he said, turning to Mrs. Hall, "that this room is really to be mine for my own private use."

"I thought, sir," said Mrs. Hall, "you'd prefer the clock—"

"Certainly," said the stranger, "certainly; but as a rule I like to be alone and undisturbed."

He turned round with his back to the fireplace, and put his hands behind his back. "And presently," he said, "when the clock-mending is over, I think I should like to have some tea. But not till the clock-mending is over."

Mrs. Hall was about to leave the room—she made no conversational advances this time, because she did not want to be snubbed in front of Mr. Henfrey—when her visitor asked her if she had made any arrangements about his boxes at Bramblehurst. She told him she had mentioned the matter to the postman, and that the carrier could bring them over on the morrow.