Михаил Сарапов - Английский для смелых. Истории о духах и привидениях / Great Ghost Stories

His next step, before his wife’s return, was logical and sound. He packed up all his mother’s possessions and took them to the station, from which he saw them despatched to town by passenger train, and in the evening he asked several friends in to supper, and told them of his mother’s departure. He did not (logically also, and in accordance with what they probably already knew) feign regret, but said that he and she had never got on well together, and that the cause of peace and quietness was furthered by her going. He told the same story to his wife on her return, identical in every detail; adding, however, that the quarrel had been a violent one, and that his mother had not even left him her address. This again was wisely thought of: it would prevent his wife from writing to her. She appeared to accept his story completely: indeed there was nothing strange or suspicious about it.

For a while he behaved with the composure and astuteness which most criminals possess up to a certain point, the lack of which, after that, is generally the cause of their detection. He did not, for instance, immediately pay off his debts, but took into his house a young man as lodger, who occupied his mother’s room, and he dismissed the assistant in his shop, and did the entire serving himself. This gave the impression of economy, and at the same time he openly spoke of the great improvement in his trade, and not till a month had passed did he cash any of the bank-notes which he had found in a locked drawer in his mother’s room. Then he changed two notes of fifty pounds and paid off his creditors.

At that point his astuteness and composure failed him(тогда то: «в этот момент» его прозорливость и хладнокровие его и подвели) . He opened a deposit account at a local bank with four more fifty-pound notes(он открыл депозит в местном банке на еще четыре пятидесятифунтовых кредитных билета; deposit account – депозит, депозитный счет; сберегательный счет ) , instead of being patient, and increasing his balance at the savings bank pound by pound(вместо того чтобы набраться терпения и увеличивать свои счета в сберегательном банке фунт за фунтом; balance – зд.: счет в банке ) , and he got uneasy about that which he had buried deep enough for security in the back garden(и он стал нервничать по поводу того, что он и так в целях безопасности достаточно глубоко зарыл на заднем дворике; uneasy – беспокойный, тревожный; security – безопасность, защищенность; чувство безопасности ) . Thinking to render himself safer in this regard(думая обезопаситься еще больше в этом отношении; to render – отдавать, платить; приводить в какое-либо состояние ) , he ordered a cartload of slag and stone fragments(он заказал телегу шлака и камней; fragment – обломок; осколок ) , and with the help of his lodger employed the summer evenings when work was over in building a sort of rockery over the spot(и с помощью своего жильца проводил летние вечера после работы: «когда работа бывала закончена», строя над этим местом нечто вроде декоративных каменных горок; to employ – использовать, занимать; rockery = rock garden – альпинарий, сад с декоративными каменными горками ) . Then came the chance circumstance which really set match to this dangerous train(затем подвернулось то случайное обстоятельство, которое и послужило запалом для этой взрывоопасной башни лжи: «которое в самом деле поднесло спичку к этой опасной последовательности событий»; train – поезд, состав; цепь, ряд, последовательность / событий /) . There was a fire in the lost luggage office at King’s Cross Station(случился пожар в камере хранения потерянного багажа на вокзале Кингз-Кросс; office – зд.: подсобное помещение ) (from which he ought to have claimed his mother’s property(откуда ему следовало бы забрать вещи его матери; to claim – требовать; заявлять о своих правах; property – имущество ) ) and one of the two boxes was partially burned(и один из двух сундуков частично сгорел) . The company was liable for compensation(компания была обязана выплатить компенсацию; liable – обязанный ) , and his mother’s name on her linen(а то, что на белье его матери было ее имя) , and a letter with the Sheffield address on it(и письмо, адресованное в Шеффилд: «с шеффилдским адресом на нем») , led to the arrival of a purely official and formal notice(привело к тому, что пришло чисто формальное извещение; arrival – прибытие; official – формальный; связанный с исполнением служебных обязанностей; formal – формальный, выполненный по установленной форме ) , stating that the company were prepared to consider claims(в котором сообщалось, что компания готова покрыть ущерб: «готова рассмотреть иски») . It was directed to Mrs Linkworth, and Charles Linkworth’s wife received and read it(оно было адресовано миссис Линкворт, и жена Чарльза Линкворта получила его и прочитала).

At that point his astuteness and composure failed him. He opened a deposit account at a local bank with four more fifty-pound notes, instead of being patient, and increasing his balance at the savings bank pound by pound, and he got uneasy about that which he had buried deep enough for security in the back garden. Thinking to render himself safer in this regard, he ordered a cartload of slag and stone fragments, and with the help of his lodger employed the summer evenings when work was over in building a sort of rockery over the spot. Then came the chance circumstance which really set match to this dangerous train. There was a fire in the lost luggage office at King’s Cross Station (from which he ought to have claimed his mother’s property) and one of the two boxes was partially burned. The company was liable for compensation, and his mother’s name on her linen, and a letter with the Sheffield address on it, led to the arrival of a purely official and formal notice, stating that the company were prepared to consider claims. It was directed to Mrs Linkworth, and Charles Linkworth’s wife received and read it.