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| This undoubtedly was the "silver with blue stones"; and Father Brown undoubtedly was the little greenhorn in the train. | Это и была, конечно, "серебряная вещь с камушками", а Браун, без сомнения, был тот растяпа из поезда. |
| Now there was nothing wonderful about the fact that what Valentin had found out Flambeau had also found out; Flambeau found out everything. | То, что узнал Валантэн, прекрасно мог узнать и Фламбо - Фламбо обо всем узнавал. |
| Also there was nothing wonderful in the fact that when Flambeau heard of a sapphire cross he should try to steal it; that was the most natural thing in all natural history. | Конечно, пронюхав про крест, Фламбо захотел украсть его - это проще простого. |
| And most certainly there was nothing wonderful about the fact that Flambeau should have it all his own way with such a silly sheep as the man with the umbrella and the parcels. | И уж совсем естественно, что Фламбо легко обвел вокруг пальца священника со свертками и зонтиком. |
| He was the sort of man whom anybody could lead on a string to the North Pole; it was not surprising that an actor like Flambeau, dressed as another priest, could lead him to Hampstead Heath. | Такую овцу кто угодно мог бы затащить хоть на Северный полюс, так что Фламбо - блестящему актеру - ничего не стоило затащить его на этот Луг. |
| So far the crime seemed clear enough; and while the detective pitied the priest for his helplessness, he almost despised Flambeau for condescending to so gullible a victim. | Покуда все было ясно. Сыщик пожалел беспомощного священника и чуть не запрезирал Фламбо, опустившегося до такой доверчивой жертвы. |
| But when Valentin thought of all that had happened in between, of all that had led him to his triumph, he racked his brains for the smallest rhyme or reason in it. | Но что означали странные события, приведшие к победе его самого? Как ни думал он, как ни бился - смысла в них не было. |
| What had the stealing of a blue-and-silver cross from a priest from Essex to do with chucking soup at wall paper? | Где связь между кражей креста и пятном супа на обоях? |
| What had it to do with calling nuts oranges, or with paying for windows first and breaking them afterwards? | Перепутанными ярлычками? Платой вперед за разбитое окно? |
| He had come to the end of his chase; yet somehow he had missed the middle of it. | Он пришел к концу пути, но упустил середину. |
| When he failed (which was seldom), he had usually grasped the clue, but nevertheless missed the criminal. | Иногда, хотя и редко, Валантэн упускал преступника; но ключ находил всегда. |