Kalon brought the lift to the girl’s landing, and saw her, through the open door, writing in her slow, sightless way the will she had promised him. He called out to her cheerily that he had the lift ready for her, and she was to come out when she was ready. Then he pressed a button and shot soundlessly up to his own floor, walked through his own office, out on to his own balcony, and was safely praying before the crowded street when the poor girl, having finished her work, ran gaily out to where lover and lift were to receive her, and stepped – ”
“Don’t!” cried Flambeau (не /продолжайте/! – воскликнул Фламбо).
“He ought to have got half a million by pressing that button (он должен был получить полмиллиона, нажав на ту кнопку),” continued the little father, in the colourless voice (продолжал маленький священник бесцветным голосом) in which he talked of such horrors (которым он всегда говорил о подобных ужасных /вещах/). “But that went smash (но все пошло не так; to go smash – потерпеть провал; smash – шум, грохот /при падении/; to smash – разбивать; крушить; ломать). It went smash because there happened to be another person (он потерпел неудачу, потому что вмешался еще один человек; to happen – случаться, происходить; оказываться /случайно/) who also wanted the money (который тоже хотел этих денег), and who also knew the secret about poor Pauline’s sight (и который также знал тайну, /связанную/ со зрением Полин). There was one thing about that will (в завещании было кое-что; thing – вещь; нечто, кое-что) that I think nobody noticed (чего, я полагаю, никто не заметил): although it was unfinished and without signature (хотя оно было не закончено и не имело подписи: «и без подписи»), the other Miss Stacey and some servant of hers had already signed it as witnesses (другая мисс Стэйси и кто-то из ее слуг: «и какой-то ее слуга» уже подписали его как свидетели).
“Don’t!” cried Flambeau.
“He ought to have got half a million by pressing that button,” continued the little father, in the colourless voice in which he talked of such horrors. “But that went smash. It went smash because there happened to be another person who also wanted the money, and who also knew the secret about poor Pauline’s sight. There was one thing about that will that I think nobody noticed: although it was unfinished and without signature, the other Miss Stacey and some servant of hers had already signed it as witnesses.
Joan had signed first (Джоан подписала первой), saying Pauline could finish it later (сказав, что Полин может закончить = дописать его позже), with a typical feminine contempt for legal forms (со свойственным женщинам пренебрежением: «презрением» к юридическим формальностям; typical – типичный; характерный; feminine – женский, присущий женщинам). Therefore, Joan wanted her sister to sign the will without real witnesses (следовательно, Джоан хотела, чтобы ее сестра подписала завещание без настоящих = сторонних свидетелей). Why (почему)? I thought of the blindness, and felt sure (я вспомнил о слепоте /Полин/ и почувствовал уверенность) she had wanted Pauline to sign in solitude (в том, что она = Джоан хотела, чтобы Полин подписала его, /находясь/ в одиночестве) because she had wanted her not to sign at all (потому что хотела, чтобы та не подписывала его вообще).
Joan had signed first, saying Pauline could finish it later, with a typical feminine contempt for legal forms. Therefore, Joan wanted her sister to sign the will without real witnesses. Why? I thought of the blindness, and felt sure she had wanted Pauline to sign in solitude because she had wanted her not to sign at all.
“People like the Staceys always use fountain pens (такие люди, как /сестры/ Стэйси, всегда пользуются наливным пером); but this was specially natural to Pauline (и особенно это было характерно: «естественно» для Полин). By habit and her strong will and memory (благодаря привычке, сильной воле и памяти) she could still write almost as well as if she saw (она могла писать почти так же хорошо, как если бы она /могла/ видеть); but she could not tell when her pen needed dipping (но она не могла знать: «сказать», когда ее перо нуждается в заправке; to dip – погружать, окунать; зачерпывать). Therefore, her fountain pens were carefully filled by her sister (поэтому сестра заботилась о том, чтобы ее наливные ручки были наполнены; carefully – заботливо) – all except this fountain pen (все, кроме этой «наливной ручки»). This was carefully not filled by her sister (сестра позаботилась, чтобы эта не была наполнена); the remains of the ink held out for a few lines (остатка чернил хватило на несколько строк; to hold out – хватать) and then failed altogether (а затем они полностью иссякли; to fail – терпеть неудачу; кончаться, иссякать).
“People like the Staceys always use fountain pens; but this was specially natural to Pauline. By habit and her strong will and memory she could still write almost as well as if she saw; but she could not tell when her pen needed dipping. Therefore, her fountain pens were carefully filled by her sister – all except this fountain pen. This was carefully not filled by her sister; the remains of the ink held out for a few lines and then failed altogether.
And the prophet lost five hundred thousand pounds (а пророк потерял пятьсот тысяч фунтов; to lose) and committed one of the most brutal and brilliant murders in human history for nothing (и напрасно совершил одно из самых жестоких и выдающихся убийств в истории человечества; for nothing – даром, зря).”
Flambeau went to the open door (Фламбо подошел к открытой двери) and heard the official police ascending the stairs (и услышал как по лестнице поднимаются «официальные» полицейские). He turned and said (он обернулся и сказал): “You must have followed everything devilish close (должно быть, вы чертовски пристально ко всему приглядывались; to follow – следовать, идти за; следить; close – близко, рядом; внимательно, тщательно) to have traced the crime to Kalon in ten minutes (ибо за десять минут установили, что следы преступления ведут к Калону; to trace – проследить).”
Father Brown gave a sort of start (отец Браун вздрогнул; to give – давать; делать какое-л. движение или жест).
And the prophet lost five hundred thousand pounds and committed one of the most brutal and brilliant murders in human history for nothing.”
Flambeau went to the open door and heard the official police ascending the stairs. He turned and said: “You must have followed everything devilish close to have traced the crime to Kalon in ten minutes.”
Father Brown gave a sort of start.
“Oh! to him,” he said (о! к нему, – сказал он). “No; I had to follow rather close (нет, мне пришлось весьма пристально приглядываться) to find out about Miss Joan and the fountain pen (чтобы разобраться с мисс Джоан и наливным пером). But I knew Kalon was the criminal before I came into the front door (но я знал, что Калон – преступник, прежде чем вошел в парадную дверь /здания/).”
“You must be joking!” cried Flambeau (вы, должно быть, шутите! – воскликнул Фламбо; to joke).
“I’m quite serious,” answered the priest (я вполне серьезно, – отвечал священник). “I tell you I knew he had done it (говорю же вам, я знал, что он сделал это), even before I knew what he had done (даже до того, как я узнал, что он сделал).”
“But why (но почему)?”
“These pagan stoics,” said Brown reflectively (эти языческие стоики, сказал отец Браун задумчиво; to reflect – отражать /свет, звук/; раздумывать, размышлять), “always fail by their strength (всегда страдают: «терпят неудачу» из-за своей силы). There came a crash and a scream down the street (внизу, на улице раздались грохот и крики), and the priest of Apollo did not start or look round (а жрец Аполлона /даже/ не вздрогнул и не осмотрелся). I did not know what it was (я не знал, что это было = что произошло). But I knew that he was expecting it (но я знал, что он этого ждет).”
“Oh! to him,” he said. “No; I had to follow rather close to find out about Miss Joan and the fountain pen. But I knew Kalon was the criminal before I came into the front door.”
“You must be joking!” cried Flambeau.
“I’m quite serious,” answered the priest. “I tell you I knew he had done it, even before I knew what he had done.”
“But why?”
“These pagan stoics,” said Brown reflectively, “always fail by their strength. There came a crash and a scream down the street, and the priest of Apollo did not start or look round. I did not know what it was. But I knew that he was expecting it.”
