It was seven o'clock when I awoke, and I set off at once for Phelps's room, to find him haggard and spent after a sleepless night. His first question was whether Holmes had arrived yet.

 

"He'll be here when he promised," said I (“Он будет здесь, когда обещал”, — сказал я), "and not an instant sooner or later (ни минутой раньше или позже)."

And my words were true (И мои слова оказались правдой), for shortly after eight (так как вскоре после восьми) a hansom dashed up to the door (к двери подъехал экипаж; hansom — двухколесный экипаж с местом для кучера сзади; to dash — мчаться, нестись) and our friend got out of it (и из него вылез наш друг). Standing in the window we saw that his left hand (Стоя у окна, мы увидели, что его левая рука) was swathed in a bandage (была завязана бинтом; to swathe — бинтовать; bandage — бинт, перевязочный материал) and that his face was very grim and pale (и его лицо было очень мрачным и бледным; grim — грозный, зловещий, мрачный, страшный). He entered the house (Он вошел в дом), but it was some little time before he came upstairs (но прошло некоторое время, перед тем, как он поднялся наверх).

"He looks like a beaten man (Он выглядит, как человек, потерпевший поражение)," cried Phelps (воскликнул Фелпс).

I was forced to confess that he was right (Мне пришлось признать, что он был прав; to confess — признавать). "After all," said I (“Все же” — сказал я), "the clue of the matter lies probably here in town (ключ к делу, возможно, находится здесь, в городе)."

Phelps gave a groan (Фелпс простонал; groan — стон).

"I don't know how it is," said he (“Я не знаю, как обстоят дела”, — сказал он), "but I had hoped for so much from his return (но я так надеялся на его возвращение). But surely his hand was not tied up like that yesterday (Но его рука точно не была так завязана вчера). What can be the matter (Что могло случиться)?"

 

"He'll be here when he promised," said I, "and not an instant sooner or later."

And my words were true, for shortly after eight a hansom dashed up to the door and our friend got out of it. Standing in the window we saw that his left hand was swathed in a bandage and that his face was very grim and pale. He entered the house, but it was some little time before he came upstairs.

"He looks like a beaten man," cried Phelps.

I was forced to confess that he was right. "After all," said I, "the clue of the matter lies probably here in town."

Phelps gave a groan.

"I don't know how it is," said he, "but I had hoped for so much from his return. But surely his hand was not tied up like that yesterday. What can be the matter?"

 

"You are not wounded, Holmes?" I asked (“Вы не ранены, Холмс”, — спросил я; wound — рана), as my friend entered the room (когда мой друг вошел в комнату).

"Tut, it is only a scratch through my own clumsiness (А, это просто царапина из-за моей собственной неосторожности; scratch — царапина; clumsy — неловкий, неуклюжий)," he answered, nodding his good-mornings to us (ответил он, приветствуя нас кивком; to nod — кивать). "This case of yours, Mr. Phelps (Ваше дело, мистер Фелпс), is certainly one of the darkest which I have ever investigated (несомненно, одно из самых темных, которые я расследовал; to investigate — расследовать)."

"I feared that you would find it beyond you (Я боялся, что вы посчитаете его слишком сложным: «выше» для себя; beyond — вне, выше, сверх)."

"It has been a most remarkable experience (Это был очень хороший опыт; experience — опыт, случай, событие)."

"That bandage tells of adventures," said I (“Этот бинт говорит о переделке”, — сказал я; bandage — бинт, перевязочный материал). "Won't you tell us what has happened (Вы не расскажете нам, что произошло)?"

"After breakfast, my dear Watson (После завтрака, мой дорогой Уотсон). Remember that I have breathed thirty miles of Surrey air this morning (Помните, что я тридцать миль вдыхал воздух Суррея этим утром). I suppose that there has been no answer from my cabman advertisement (Я полагаю, что не было ответа на мое объявление о кебмене)? Well, well, we cannot expect to score every time (Ну, не можем же мы все время рассчитывать на удачу; to score — выигрывать, одерживать победу)."

The table was all laid, and just as I was about to ring (Стол был накрыт и я уже собирался позвонить) Mrs. Hudson entered with the tea and coffee (как миссис Хадсон вошла с чаем и кофе). A few minutes later she brought in three covers (Через несколько минут она принесла три прибора под крышками), and we all drew up to the table (и мы все подвинулись к столу; to draw up — пододвигать, придвигать), Holmes ravenous, I curious (Холмс — изголодавшийся, я — любопытный; ravenous — очень голодный, изголодавшийся), and Phelps in the gloomiest state of depression (и Фелпс в самой тяжелой депрессии; gloom — мрачный).

 

"You are not wounded, Holmes?" I asked, as my friend entered the room.

"Tut, it is only a scratch through my own clumsiness," he answered, nodding his good-mornings to us. "This case of yours, Mr. Phelps, is certainly one of the darkest which I have ever investigated."

"I feared that you would find it beyond you."

"It has been a most remarkable experience."

"That bandage tells of adventures," said I. "Won't you tell us what has happened?"

"After breakfast, my dear Watson. Remember that I have breathed thirty miles of Surrey air this morning. I suppose that there has been no answer from my cabman advertisement? Well, well, we cannot expect to score every time."

The table was all laid, and just as I was about to ring Mrs. Hudson entered with the tea and coffee. A few minutes later she brought in three covers, and we all drew up to the table, Holmes ravenous, I curious, and Phelps in the gloomiest state of depression.

 

"Mrs. Hudson has risen to the occasion," said Holmes (“Миссис Хадсон на высоте по этому случаю”, — сказал Холмс; occasion — происшествие, случай, событие), uncovering a dish of curried chicken (снимая крышку с цыпленка, приправленного кэрри; curry — карри/кэрри (острая приправа)). "Her cuisine is a little limited (Ее кухня немного ограничена = однообразна; cuisine — кухня, поваренное искусство (из франц.)), but she has as good an idea of breakfast as a Scotch-woman (но для шотландки завтрак задуман неплохо). What have you here, Watson (Что у вас здесь, Уотсон)?"

 

"Ham and eggs," I answered (“Ветчина и яйца”, — ответил я).

 

"Good (Хорошо)! What are you going to take, Mr. Phelps (Что вы хотите взять, мистер Фелпс) — curried fowl or eggs, or will you help yourself (курицу с кэрри или яйца, или вы сами выберете; fowl — домашняя птица (обыкн. курица или петух; в США также домашняя утка или индейка))?"

 

"Thank you. I can eat nothing," said Phelps (“Спасибо. Я не могу ничего есть”, — сказал Фелпс).

 

"Oh, come (Ну, давайте)! Try the dish before you (Попробуйте блюдо перед вами)."

"Thank you, I would really rather not (Спасибо, мне не хочется)."

"Well, then (Ну, тогда)," said Holmes, with a mischievous twinkle (сказал Холмс, озорно подмигнув; mischievous — озорной, непослушный; twinkle — мигание), "I suppose that you have no objection to helping me (я полагаю, вы не откажетесь помочь мне; objection — возражение, протест)?"

Phelps raised the cover (Фелпс поднял крышку), and as he did so he uttered a scream (и после этого он вскрикнул; to utter — издавать звук; scream — крик, вопль), and sat there staring with a face as white as the plate upon which he looked (и сидел с лицом, белым, как тарелка, на которую он уставился; to stare — пристально глядеть, уставиться). Across the centre of it was lying a little cylinder of blue-gray paper (В центре нее лежал маленький цилиндр серо-голубой бумаги). He caught it up, devoured it with his eyes (Он схватил его, жадно пробежал глазами; to devour — жадно есть, поглощать), and then danced madly about the room (и затем бешено протанцевал по комнате; mad — сумасшедший, бешеный, безумный), pressing it to his bosom and shrieking out in his delight (прижимая его к груди и крича от восторга; bosom — грудь; to shriek — пронзительно кричать, орать, визжать). Then he fell back into an arm-chair so limp (Затем он упал в кресло, настолько слабый; limp — слабый, нежесткий) and exhausted with his own emotions (и обессилевший от своих собственных эмоций; exhausted — истощенный, изнуренный, измученный, обессиленный) that we had to pour brandy down his throat (так что нам пришлось дать ему бренди: «налить бренди ему в горло»; to pour — лить, наливать) to keep him from fainting (чтобы спасти его от обморока; to faint — падать в обморок).

 

"Mrs. Hudson has risen to the occasion," said Holmes, uncovering a dish of curried chicken. "Her cuisine is a little limited, but she has as good an idea of breakfast as a Scotch-woman. What have you here, Watson?"

"Ham and eggs," I answered.

"Good! What are you going to take, Mr. Phelps — curried fowl or eggs, or will you help yourself?"

"Thank you. I can eat nothing," said Phelps.

"Oh, come! Try the dish before you."

"Thank you, I would really rather not."

"Well, then," said Holmes, with a mischievous twinkle, "I suppose that you have no objection to helping me?"

Phelps raised the cover, and as he did so he uttered a scream, and sat there staring with a face as white as the plate upon which he looked. Across the centre of it was lying a little cylinder of blue-gray paper. He caught it up, devoured it with his eyes, and then danced madly about the room, pressing it to his bosom and shrieking out in his delight. Then he fell back into an arm-chair so limp and exhausted with his own emotions that we had to pour brandy down his throat to keep him from fainting.

 

"There! there!" said Holmes (“Ну! Ну!” — сказал Холмс), soothing, patting him upon the shoulder (успокаивая его и хлопая по плечу; to soothe — успокаивать; to pat — похлопывать, шлепать). "It was too bad to spring it on you like this (Не слишком хорошо было так обрушивать это на вас; to spring — неожиданно сообщить (известие и т. п.)), but Watson here will tell you that I (но Уотсон здесь скажет вам, что я) never can resist a touch of the dramatic (никогда не могу удержаться от некоторой драматизации; to resist — сопротивляться, противодействовать, противиться)."

Phelps seized his hand and kissed it (Фелпс схватил его руку и поцеловал ее; to seize — схватить, хватать). "God bless you!" he cried (“Благослови вас бог!” — воскликнул он). "You have saved my honor (Вы спасли мою честь)."

"Well, my own was at stake, you know (Ну, моя собственная была поставлена на карту, вы знаете)," said Holmes (сказал Холмс). "I assure you it is just as hateful to me to fail in a case (Уверяю вас, что мне так же неприятно не справиться с делом; to assure — уверять) as it can be to you to blunder over a commission (как и вам грубо ошибиться при выполнении поручения; to blunder — грубо ошибаться)."

Phelps thrust away the precious document (Фелпс засунул драгоценный документ; to thrust — засовывать, совать, пихать) into the innermost pocket of his coat (в самый глубокий карман пальто; innermost — находящийся в самой глубине).

"I have not the heart to interrupt your breakfast any further (Я не смею больше прерывать ваш завтрак), and yet I am dying to know (и, все же, я умираю от любопытства) how you got it and where it was (как вы достали его, и где он был)."

 

"There! there!" said Holmes, soothing, patting him upon the shoulder. "It was too bad to spring it on you like this, but Watson here will tell you that I never can resist a touch of the dramatic."

Phelps seized his hand and kissed it. "God bless you!" he cried. "You have saved my honor."

"Well, my own was at stake, you know," said Holmes. "I assure you it is just as hateful to me to fail in a case as it can be to you to blunder over a commission."