Поворот винта. Уровень 1 / The Turn of the Screw. Генри Джеймс

joking around, and before sunrise I had got my answer. It was simply the fact that Quint and the boy had been spending a lot of time together. In fact, she said that it was strange for them to be so close. She even talked with Miss Jessel about it. Miss Jessel told her to mind her business. And the good woman talked to little Miles then. When I asked what she had said, she told me that she wanted to see young gentlemen remember their place.

      I asked again, “Did you tell him that Quint was just a servant?”

      “That’s right! And the problem was his answer, first of all.”

      “And what else?” I waited for her to continue. “Did he tell Quint what you said?”

      “No, not that. He definitely wouldn’t!” she said. “I was sure, at least,” she added, “that he didn’t. But he denied[49] some situations.”

      “What situations?”

      “When they were together as if Quint was his teacher—a very important one—and Miss Jessel was just there for the little lady. He spent hours with him, I mean, going off together.”

      “He then lied about it? He said he didn’t?” She nodded. So I said, “I understand. He lied.”

      “Oh!” Mrs. Grose murmured[50], “You see, Miss Jessel didn’t mind. She didn’t forbid[51] him.”

      I thought about it.

      “Did he give you this as an excuse?”

      She dropped her head again. “No, he never talked about it.”

      “He never talked about her and Quint being together?”

      She understood where I was going and blushed, “No, never. He denied,” she repeated, “he denied.”

      “So you guessed that he knew what was happening between the two terrible people?”

      “I don’t know—I don’t know!” the poor woman cried.

      “You do know, my dear,” I replied; “but you’re not as brave as I am, and you hold back because you’re shy. You even hide the impression that caused you the most pain in the past when you had to get out without my help. But I’ll find out!” I continued, “There was something in the boy that made you think he was hiding their relationship.”

      Примечания

      1

      shudder – дрожь, трепет

      2

      prologue – пролог

      3

      misfortune – несчастье

      4

      successor – преемник

      5

      seduction – обольщение

      6

      passion – страсть, увлечение

      7

      condition – условие

      8

      carriage – повозка, карета

      9

      curtsey – присесть в реверансе

      10

      eager – стремящийся, страстно желающий

      11

      to wince – морщиться, вздрагивать

      12

      naughty – непослушный, шаловливый

      13

      to corrupt – развращать

      14

      to gossip – сплетничать

      15

      inn – гостиница

      16

      charge – обвинение

      17

      firm – решительный, твердый

      18

      encounter – столкновение

      19

      ledge – выступ,

      20

      to deceive – обманывать

      21

      invasion – вторжение

      22

Примечания

1

shudder – дрожь, трепет

2

prologue – пролог

3

misfortune – несчастье

4

successor – преемник

5

seduction – обольщение

6

passion – страсть, увлечение

7

condition – условие

8

carriage

49

to deny – отрицать

50

to murmur – бормотать

51

to forbid – запрещать