Daddy - ' |
Папа... |
' Yes?' said Mor. |
- Что? |
'Need I go on that secretarial course?' said Felicity. |
- А можно мне не идти на эти курсы секретарш? |
'I wasn't sure before, but now I think I'd much rather stay at school for the present.' |
Я хочу остаться в школе. |
'You shall stay at school then,' said Mor, 'and later on perhaps you'll go to a university.' |
- Ты останешься в школе, а потом, может быть, поступишь в университет. |
Daddy,' said Felicity, 'don't be too cross with Don.' |
- Не сердись на Дона. |
' I won't be cross with him,' said Mor. |
- Я не сержусь. |
'Do you think Don could work with Tim Burke now?' said Felicity. |
- Может, Дон будет теперь работать с Тимом, как ты думаешь? |
'He'd much rather do that than chemistry, only he was always afraid to tell you. |
Ему это нравиться больше, чем химия, только он боится тебе сказать. |
He's missed his silly exam anyway.' |
Этот дурацкий экзамен все равно уже прошел. |
We'll see about that, darling,' said Mor. 'Perhaps it may be the best thing. But we'll see.' |
- Посмотрим, дочка, время покажет. |
They were nearly at the top of the hill. |
Они добрались почти до самой вершины холма. |
'Daddy,' said Felicity, 'when we go to London do you think we could have another dog?' |
- А если будем жить в Лондоне, давай купим собаку. |
Mor was very near to tears. |
Мор чувствовал, что плачет. |
Not the tears that he cried, as Rain had told him, inside his eyes, but visible tears that would stream down and wet his cheeks. |
Нет, не теми скрытными слезами, о которых говорила Рейн, а самыми обыкновенными, текущими по щекам. |
'Yes,' he said, 'I expect we might have a dog when we go to London, if you'd like that.' |
- Да, купим собаку, если хочешь. |
They had reached the top of the hill. |
И вот они уже добрались до верхушки холма. |
They mounted their bicycles and began to free-wheel down the other side towards Mor's house. |
Там они сели на свои велосипеды и начали спускаться по противоположному склону. |
The tears came to him now, coursing down his cheeks and blown away by the wind. He put one hand to his eyes. |
Слезы текли и высыхали на ветру. |
By the time he had reached his own front gate they were no longer flowing. |
Но когда они подъехали к дому, он уже взял себя в руки. |
Nan was standing at the door. |
Нэн стояла у дверей. |
Mor leaned his bicycle against the fence and came up the path, followed by Felicity. |
Мор прислонил велосипед к изгороди и пошел по дорожке, Фелисити за ним. |
He looked at Nan. |
Он посмотрел на Нэн. |
He felt that his shoulders were bowed. |
И почувствовал, что горбится. |
She looked at him. |
Она смотрела на него. |
She looked very tired and like an old woman. |
Немолодая, усталая женщина. |
Before they could exchange any words a sound was heard which Mor recognized. |
И тут послышался знакомый звук. |
It was the note of Tim Burke's Velocette. |
Мотоцикл Тима. |
They all three turned back to the road. |
Все втроем повернулись к дороге. |
Tim Burke appeared round the corner, riding very slowly now. |
Мотоцикл очень медленно выехал из-за угла. |
Donald was sitting behind him on the pillion, his arms clasped round Tim's waist. |
Сзади сидел Дональд и держался за Тима. |
The machine stopped outside the house and the two riders dismounted. |
Мотоцикл остановился у калитки и они сошли. |
Donald was still dressed in the flannels and gym shoes which he had worn on the day of the climb. |
На Дональде была та самая одежда, в которой он взбирался на башню. |
He was also wearing an old mackintosh. |
И поверх накинуто какое-то старое пальто. |
His face was pale and withdrawn. |
Лицо у него было бледное и какое-то пустое. |
Tim held him by the shoulder and turned towards the group at the gate. |
Тим взял его за плечо и повернул к тем троим, стоящим у калитки. |
He seemed as nervous about his own reception as about Donald's. He said in a defiant voice, 'The prodigal's return!' |
- Блудный сын вернулся! - произнес он как-то слишком торжественно. Наверное, его волновало, как их примут, не только Дональда, но и его самого. |
'Come inside,' said Mor. He led the way into the house. |
- Идемте в дом, - сказал Мор и вошел. |
Donald followed directly after him, pushed forward by Tim Burke. |
Дональд за ним, подталкиваемый Тимом. |
They all crowded into the hall. |
Все столпились в коридоре. |
Mor turned to Donald. |
Мор оглянулся. |
The boy looked at him, raising his eyebrows in a half humorous half desperate appeal. |
Дональд смотрел на него подняв брови, то ли насмешливо, то ли горестно. |
Mor embraced him, holding him fast for a minute in his arms. Then he said, |
Мор обнял его и сказал: |
' I expect you're dead tired.' |
- Тебе надо отдохнуть. |
Felicity was hugging him now and Nan was kissing him on the cheek. |
Фелисити обнимала его и Нэн целовала в щеку. |
' I'm exhausted,' said Donald. |
- Я устал, - произнес Дональд. |
' I'm afraid I gave Tim an awful night too. |
- И доставил Тиму много хлопот. |
We've hardly slept' |
Мы всю ночь не спали. |
' You'd better go straight to bed,' said Nan. |
- Сразу ложись в постель, - сказала Нэн. |
'Your clothes look as if they're sticking to your body. Off with you now, and I'll bring you up some hot coffee and an egg in bed.' |
- Одежда на тебе какая грязная, ужас, снимай сейчас же, а я принесу тебе кофе и яичницу. |