tom

2176Tom went to the door and began to softly lift the latch; then he pressed gently and the door yielded a crack; he continued pushing cautiously, and quaking every time it creaked, till he judged he might squeeze through on his knees; so he put his head through and began, warily. Том подкрался к двери и начал тихонько поднимать щеколду, потом осторожно нажал на нее, и дверь чуть-чуть приотворилась; он все толкал и толкал ее дальше, вздрагивая каждый раз, когда она скрипела, и наконец щель стала настолько широкой, что он мог проползти в комнату на четвереньках; тогда он просунул в щель голову и осторожно пополз. 2177"What makes the candle blow so?" said Aunt Polly. - Отчего это свечу задувает? - сказала тетя Полли. 2178Tom hurried up. Том пополз быстрее. 2179"Why, that door's open, I believe. - Должно быть, дверь открылась. 2180Why, of course it is. Ну да, так и есть. 2181No end of strange things now. Бог знает что у нас творится. 2182Go 'long and shut it, Sid." Поди, Сид, закрой дверь. 2183Tom disappeared under the bed just in time. Том как раз вовремя нырнул под кровать. 2184He lay and "breathed" himself for a time, and then crept to where he could almost touch his aunt's foot. Некоторое время он отлеживался, переводя дух, потом подполз совсем близко к тете Полли, так что мог бы дотронуться до ее ноги. 2185"But as I was saying," said Aunt Polly, "he warn't BAD, so to say --only mischEEvous. - Ведь я уже вам говорила, - продолжала тетя Полли, - ничего плохого в нем не было, - озорник, вот и все. 2186Only just giddy, and harum-scarum, you know. Ну, ветер в голове, рассеян немножко, знаете ли. 2187He warn't any more responsible than a colt. HE never meant any harm, and he was the best-hearted boy that ever was"--and she began to cry. С него и спрашивать-то нельзя, все равно что с жеребенка. Никому он зла не хотел, и сердце у него было золотое... - И тетя Полли заплакала. 2188"It was just so with my Joe--always full of his devilment, and up to every kind of mischief, but he was just as unselfish and kind as he could be--and laws bless me, to think I went and whipped him for taking that cream, never once recollecting that I throwed it out myself because it was sour, and I never to see him again in this world, never, never, never, poor abused boy!" - Вот и мой Джо такой же: вечно чего-нибудь натворит, и в голове одни проказы, зато добрый, ласковый; а я-то, господи прости, взяла да и выпорола его за эти сливки, а главное - из головы вон, что я сама же их выплеснула, потому что они прокисли! И никогда больше я его не увижу, бедного моего мальчика, никогда, никогда! 2189And Mrs. Harper sobbed as if her heart would break. "I hope Tom's better off where he is," said Sid, "but if he'd been better in some ways--" "SID!" Tom felt the glare of the old lady's eye, though he could not see it. "Not a word against my Tom, now that he's gone! God'll take care of HIM--never you trouble YOURself, sir! Oh, Mrs. Harper, I don't know how to give him up! I don't know how to give him up! He was such a comfort to me, although he tormented my old heart out of me, 'most." "The Lord giveth and the Lord hath taken away--Blessed be the name of the Lord! But it's so hard--Oh, it's so hard! Only last Saturday my Joe busted a firecracker right under my nose and I knocked him sprawling. Little did I know then, how soon--Oh, if it was to do over again I'd hug him and bless him for it." "Yes, yes, yes, I know just how you feel, Mrs. Harper, I know just exactly how you feel. No longer ago than yesterday noon, my Tom took and filled the cat full of Pain-killer, and I did think the cretur would tear the house down. And God forgive me, I cracked Tom's head with my thimble, poor boy, poor dead boy. But he's out of all his troubles now. And the last words I ever heard him say was to reproach--" But this memory was too much for the old lady, and she broke entirely down. Tom was snuffling, now, himself--and more in pity of himself than anybody else. He could hear Mary crying, and putting in a kindly word for him from time to time. He began to have a nobler opinion of himself than ever before. Still, he was sufficiently touched by his aunt's grief to long to rush out from under the bed and overwhelm her with joy--and the theatrical gorgeousness of the thing appealed strongly to his nature, too, but he resisted and lay still. He went on listening, and gathered by odds and ends that it was conjectured at first that the boys had got drowned while taking a swim; then the small raft had been missed; next, certain boys said the missing lads had promised that the village should "hear something" soon; the wise-heads had "put this and that together" and decided that the lads had gone off on that raft and would turn up at the next town below, presently; but toward noon the raft had been found, lodged against the Missouri shore some five or six miles below the village --and then hope perished; they must be drowned, else hunger would have driven them home by nightfall if not sooner. It was believed that the search for the bodies had been a fruitless effort merely because the drowning must have occurred in mid-channel, since the boys, being good swimmers, would otherwise have escaped to shore. This was Wednesday night. If the bodies continued missing until Sunday, all hope would be given over, and the funerals would be preached on that morning. Tom shuddered. - И миссис Гарпер зарыдала так, словно сердце у нее разрывалось. 2190Mrs. Harper gave a sobbing good-night and turned to go. Миссис Гарпер, всхлипывая, пожелала всем доброй ночи и собралась уходить. 2191Then with a mutual impulse the two bereaved women flung themselves into each other's arms and had a good, consoling cry, and then parted. Обе осиротевшие женщины, движимые одним и тем же чувством, обнялись и, наплакавшись вволю, расстались. 2192Aunt Polly was tender far beyond her wont, in her good-night to Sid and Mary. Тетя Полли была гораздо ласковее обыкновенного, прощаясь на ночь с Сидом и Мэри. 2193Sid snuffled a bit and Mary went off crying with all her heart. Сид слегка посапывал, а Мэри плакала навзрыд, от всего сердца. 2194Aunt Polly knelt down and prayed for Tom so touchingly, so appealingly, and with such measureless love in her words and her old trembling voice, that he was weltering in tears again, long before she was through. Потом тетя Полли опустилась на колени и стала молиться за Тома так трогательно, так тепло, с такой безграничной любовью в дрожащем старческом голосе и такие находила слова, что Том под кроватью обливался слезами, слушая, как она дочитывает последнюю молитву. 2195He had to keep still long after she went to bed, for she kept making broken-hearted ejaculations from time to time, tossing unrestfully, and turning over. После того как тетя Полли улеглась в постель, Тому еще долго пришлось лежать смирно, потому что она все ворочалась, время от времени что-то горестно бормоча и вздыхая, и беспокойно металась из стороны в сторону. 2196But at last she was still, only moaning a little in her sleep. Наконец она затихла и только изредка слегка стонала во сне. 2197Now the boy stole out, rose gradually by the bedside, shaded the candle-light with his hand, and stood regarding her. Тогда мальчик выбрался из-под кровати и, заслонив рукой пламя свечи, стал глядеть на спящую. 2198His heart was full of pity for her. Его сердце было полно жалости к ней. 2199He took out his sycamore scroll and placed it by the candle. Он достал из кармана сверток платановой коры и положил его рядом со свечкой. 2200But something occurred to him, and he lingered considering. Но вдруг какая-то новая мысль пришла ему в голову, и он остановился, раздумывая. 2201His face lighted with a happy solution of his thought; he put the bark hastily in his pocket. Его лицо просияло, и, как видно, что-то решив про себя, он сунул кору обратно в карман. 2202Then he bent over and kissed the faded lips, and straightway made his stealthy exit, latching the door behind him. Потом нагнулся, поцеловал сморщенные губы и, ни секунды не медля, на цыпочках вышел из комнаты, опустив за собой щеколду. 2203He threaded his way back to the ferry landing, found nobody at large there, and walked boldly on board the boat, for he knew she was tenantless except that there was a watchman, who always turned in and slept like a graven image. Он пустился в обратный путь к перевозу, где в этот час не было ни души, и смело взошел на борт пароходика, зная, что там нет никого, кроме сторожа, да и тот всегда уходит в рубку и спит как убитый. 2204He untied the skiff at the stern, slipped into it, and was soon rowing cautiously upstream. Он отвязал челнок от кормы, забрался в него и стал осторожно грести против течения. 2205When he had pulled a mile above the village, he started quartering across and bent himself stoutly to his work. Немного выше города он начал грести наискось к другому берегу, не жалея сил. Читать дальше