|
| Then she stretched out her hand and said, very prettily, | Протянув адвокату на прощание руку, Эльвира чрезвычайно изысканно заявила: |
| "Thank you so much. | - Очень вам благодарна. |
| I hope I haven't interrupted some important work you had to do," and went out. | Надеюсь, я своим приходом не нарушила ваших планов! И вышла. |
| Egerton stood looking at the door that had closed behind her. | Эгертон стоял, глядя вслед уходившей Эльвире. |
| He pursed up his lips, whistled a moment, shook his head and sat down again, picked up a pen and tapped thoughtfully on his desk. | Потом поджал губы, присвистнул, покачал головой, сел, взял ручку и задумчиво постучал ею по столу. |
| He drew some papers towards him, then thrust them back and picked up his telephone. | Придвинул к себе бумаги, затем отодвинул их и поднял телефонную трубку: |
| "Miss Cordell, get me Colonel Luscombe, will you? Try his club first. And then the Shropshire address." | - Мисс Кордел, соедините меня, пожалуйста, с полковником Ласкомом. |
| He put back the receiver. Again he drew his papers towards him and started reading them but his mind was not on what he was doing. | Он положил трубку, снова придвинул к себе бумаги, начал было читать, но мысли его были далеко. |
| Presently his buzzer went. "Colonel Luscombe is on the wire now, Mr Egerton." "Right. Put him through. | Зазвонил телефон. |
| Hello, Derek. Richard Egerton here. | - Дерек? |
| How are you? | Здравствуйте. |
| I've just been having a visit from someone you know. A visit from your ward." | А меня только что посетила ваша подопечная. |
| "From Elvira?" Derek Luscombe sounded very surprised. "Yes." | - Эльвира? |
| "But why - what on earth - what did she come to you for? | Боже мой, зачем она к вам приходила? |
| Not in any trouble?" | У нее неприятности? |
| "No, I wouldn't say so. | - Нет. Напротив. |
| On the contrary, she seemed rather - well, pleased with herself. | Она как будто вполне довольна. |
| She wanted to know all about her financial position." | Хотела выяснить свое финансовое положение. |
| "You didn't tell her, I hope?" said Colonel Luscombe, in alarm. | - Вы не сообщили ей об этом, надеюсь? -тревожно спросил полковник Ласком. |
| "Why not? | - Почему же нет? |
| What's the point of secrecy?" | К чему такая таинственность? |
| "Well, I can't help feeling it's a little unwise for a girl to know that she is going to come into such a large amount of money." | - Мне кажется, молодой девушке не следует знать, что она унаследовала такую огромную сумму денег. |
| "Somebody else will tell her that, if we don't. | - Если мы ей не скажем, скажет кто-нибудь другой. |
| She's got to be prepared, you know. |