| 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. |