I still kept up. They referred to her as "George's Dark Lady" and of course

they did not know he was married to her. She had apparently made a good

thing out of George, they said, for she minced around all tarted up, never did

a stroke of work, and was always unsettling the respectable coloured girls in

their neighbourhood. According to accounts, she was a living example of the

folly of behaving as George did.

"I married Matilda in the Congo (я женился на Матильде в Конго)," George was

saying (говорил Джордж).

"It would still be bigamy," I said (это все равно остается двоеженством, —

сказала я).

He was furious (он пришел в бешенство; furious — разъяренный, взбешенный)

when I used that word bigamy (когда я произнесла: «использовала» то слово —

двоеженство). He lifted a handful of hay (он поднял горсть сена) as if he would

throw it in my face (как будто он собирался бросить его мне в лицо; to throw —

бросать), but controlling himself (но сдержался: «контролируя себя»; to control

— управлять, контролировать) meanwhile (тем временем) he fanned it at me

(он замахал им /сеном/, как веером, мне в лицо; to fan — обмахивать веером,

раздувать) playfully (шутливо; to play — играть).

"I'm not sure (я не уверен) that the Congo marriage (что брак в Конго) was valid

(имеет юридическую силу: «был действительным»)," he continued (продолжил

он). "Anyway (во всяком случае), as far as I'm concerned (насколько это

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касается меня; to concern — касаться, затрагивать), it isn't (он не

действителен)."

"You can't do a thing like that (ты не можешь так поступить: «сделать вещь,

как эта»)," I said.

"I need Kathleen (мне нужна Кэтлин). She's been decent to me (она была

порядочна по отношению ко мне). I think (я думаю) we were always meant for

each other (мы всегда были предназначены друг для друга; to mean —

иметь в виду, означать), me and Kathleen (я и Кэтлин)."

"I'll have to be going (я должна идти)," I said.

bigamy ['bIgqmI] furious ['fjV(q)rIqs] meanwhile ['mi:nwaIl] fan [fxn]

"I married Matilda in the Congo," George was saying.

"It would still be bigamy," I said.

He was furious when I used that word bigamy. He lifted a handful of hay as if he

would throw it in my face, but controlling himself meanwhile he fanned it at

me playfully.

"I'm not sure that the Congo marriage was valid," he continued. "Anyway, as

far as I'm concerned, it isn't."

"You can't do a thing like that," I said.

"I need Kathleen. She's been decent to me. I think we were always meant for

each other, me and Kathleen."

"I'll have to be going," I said.

But he put (но он прижал: «положил»; to put — класть) his knee (своим: «его»

коленом) over my ankles (/на/ мои лодыжки), so that I couldn't move (так, что

я не могла двинуться). I sat still (я сидела неподвижно) and gazed into space

(и уставилась в пространство; to gaze — пристально смотреть).

He tickled my face (он пощекотал мое лицо; to tickle — щекотать, забавлять)

with a wisp of hay (/с/ пучком сена).

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"Smile up, Needle (улыбнись, Игла; to smile — улыбаться)," he said; "let's talk

like old times (давай поболтаем, как в старые добрые времена)."

"Well (ну)?"

"No one knows (никто не знает) about my marriage to Matilda (о моем браке с

Матильдой) except you and me (кроме тебя и меня)."

"And Matilda (и Матильды)," I said.

"She'll hold her tongue (она будет держать свой язык /за зубами/) so long as

(пока: «так долго как») she gets her payments (она получает свои деньги:

«платежи»). My uncle left an annuity (мой дядя оставил ежегодную ренту) for

the purpose (для этих целей), his lawyers (его адвокаты) see to it (проследят:

«посмотрят» за этим)."

knee [ni:] ankle ['xNk(q)l] annuity [q'nju:ItI] lawyer ['lO:jq]

But he put his knee over my ankles, so that I couldn't move. I sat still and

gazed into space.

He tickled my face with a wisp of hay.

"Smile up, Needle," he said; "let's talk like old times."

"Well?"

"No one knows about my marriage to Matilda except you and me."

"And Matilda," I said.

"She'll hold her tongue so long as she gets her payments. My uncle left an

annuity for the purpose, his lawyers see to it."

"Let me go, George (пусти меня: «позволь мне уйти», Джордж)."

"You promised to keep it a secret (ты обещала сохранить это в секрете)," he said,

"you promised (ты обещала)."

"Yes, I promised (да, я обещала)."

"And now that you're going to marry Skinny (и теперь, когда ты собираешься

выйти за Скинни), we'll be properly coupled off (мы будем такими хорошими

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семейными парами: «мы будем должным образом соединены в пары») as we

should have been years ago (как мы и должны были быть давным-давно:

«годы назад»). We should have been (мы должны были) — but youth (но

молодость)! — or youth got in the way (но молодость встала на пути), didn't it

(не правда ли)?"

"Life got in the way (жизнь встала на пути)," I said (я ответила).

coupled ['kApl(q)d] youth [jV:T]

"Let me go, George."

"You promised to keep it a secret," he said, "you promised."

"Yes, I promised."

"And now that you're going to marry Skinny, we'll be properly coupled off

as we should have been years ago. We should have been — but youth! — or

youth got in the way, didn't it?"

"Life got in the way," I said.

"But everything's going to be all right now (но все будет хорошо теперь). You'll

keep my secret (ты же сохранишь мой секрет), won't you (правда)? You promised

(ты обещала)." He had released my feet (он освободил мои ноги; to release —

освобождать, отпускать). I edged a little farther from him (я чуть

отодвинулась от него; to edge — затачивать, продвигаться).

I said, "If Kathleen intends to marry you (если Кэтлин собирается выйти за тебя

замуж; to intend — намереваться, хотеть), I shall tell her (я скажу ей) that

you're already married (что ты уже женат)."

"You wouldn't do a dirty trick like that, Needle (ты же не сделаешь такую

подлость: «грязную проделку», Игла)? You're going to be happy with Skinny (ты

будешь: «собираешься быть» счастливой со Скинни), you wouldn't stand in the

way of my (ты же не встанешь на пути моей) —"

"I must (я должна), Kathleen's my best friend (Кэтлин моя лучшая

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подруга)," I said swiftly (сказала я поспешно).

released [rI'li:st] swiftly ['swIftlI]

"But everything's going to be all right now. You'll keep my secret, won't you?

You promised." He had released my feet. I edged a little farther from him.