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furiously ['fju@rI@slI], seize [si:z], escape [Is'keIp], forehead ['fOrId], ['fO:hed]

"Then I'll start the smiting," exclaimed Ferrier furiously, and would have rushed upstairs for his gun had not Lucy seized him by the arm and restrained him. Before he could escape from her, the clatter of horses' hoofs told him that they were beyond his reach.

"The young canting rascals!" he exclaimed, wiping the perspiration from his forehead; "I would sooner see you in your grave, my girl, than the wife of either of them."

"And so should I, father," she answered, with spirit; "but Jefferson will soon be here."

"Yes. It will not be long before he comes. The sooner the better, for we do not know what their next move may be."

It was, indeed, high time (и в самом деле, совсем не помешало бы; high time — давно пора, самое время) that someone capable of giving advice and help should come to the aid of the sturdy old farmer and his adopted daughter (чтобы кто-нибудь, способный дать совет и оказать помощь, пришел на выручку несгибаемому старому фермеру и его приемной дочери; sturdy — прочный, крепкий; выносливый /о предметах, материалах/; a sturdy construction — прочное сооружение; сильный, обладающий большой физической силой; выносливый; крепкий, здоровый /о человеке, животном/; не идущий на компромиссы; непреклонный, несгибаемый). In the whole history of the settlement there had never been such a case of rank disobedience to the authority of the Elders (во всей истории поселения никогда не было случая такого откровенного отказа повиноваться авторитету старейшин; disobedience — неповиновение, непослушание; rank — буйный, богатый /о растительности/; rank grass — разросшаяся трава; ужасный, вопиющий; явный, сущий; отъявленный: rank injustice — ужасная несправедливость). If minor errors were punished so sternly (и если более мелкие согрешения наказывались так сурово; error — заблуждение, оплошность; проступок, грех), what would be the fate of this arch rebel (какова будет судьба такого архибунтаря). Ferrier knew that his wealth and position would be of no avail to him (Феррьер знал, что его богатство и положение нисколько ему не помогут; to be of no avail — непригодный, бесполезный). Others as well known and as rich as himself had been spirited away before now (других столь же хорошо известных и таких же богатых уже похищали раньше; to spirit away —тайно похищать), and their goods given over to the Church (а их имущество передавали церкви). He was a brave man (он был смелым человеком), but he trembled at the vague, shadowy terrors which hung over him (но трепетал перед смутными, неосязаемыми угрозами, нависшими над ними; shadowy — неотчетливый, туманный, неясный; shadow — тень; terror — причина страха; то, что вселяет ужас). Any known danger he could face with a firm lip (любую знакомую опасность он бы встретил, не теряя мужества: «с твердой = недрогнувшей губой»), but this suspense was unnerving (но эта неопределенность нервировала; to suspend — вешать, подвешивать; приостанавливать; откладывать). He concealed his fears from his daughter, however (однако он скрывал свои страхи от дочери), and affected to make light of the whole matter (и делал вид, что не относится к этому: «ко всему делу» всерьез; to make light — относиться несерьезно, не придавать значения; light — легкий; легковесный), though she, with the keen eye of love (хотя она, с проницательностью близкого человека: «проницательным глазом любви»; keen — острый; обладающий высокой чувствительностью), saw plainly that he was ill at ease (ясно видела, что ему было не по себе).

authority [O:'TOrItI], arch [A:tS], wealth [welT], suspense [s@'spens]

It was, indeed, high time that someone capable of giving advice and help should come to the aid of the sturdy old farmer and his adopted daughter. In the whole history of the settlement there had never been such a case of rank disobedience to the authority of the Elders. If minor errors were punished so sternly, what would be the fate of this arch rebel. Ferrier knew that his wealth and position would be of no avail to him. Others as well known and as rich as himself had been spirited away before now, and their goods given over to the Church. He was a brave man, but he trembled at the vague, shadowy terrors which hung over him. Any known danger he could face with a firm lip, but this suspense was unnerving. He concealed his fears from his daughter, however, and affected to make light of the whole matter, though she, with the keen eye of love, saw plainly that he was ill at ease.

He expected that he would receive some message or remonstrance from Young as to his conduct (он ожидал, что он получит какое-то сообщение или предупреждение от Янга касательно его поведения; remonstrance — выражение протеста), and he was not mistaken, though it came in an unlooked-for manner (и он не ошибся, хотя оно пришло в такой форме, какой он не ожидал; to look for — ожидать). Upon rising next morning he found, to his surprise, a small square of paper (поднявшись на следующее утро, он, к своему удивлению, обнаружил небольшой бумажный квадратик) pinned on to the coverlet of his bed just over his chest (приколотый к одеялу на его кровати, как раз напротив его груди; coverlet — покрывало; одеяло). On it was printed, in bold straggling letters (на нем большими печатными буквами было неровно выведено; to print — печатать; писать печатными буквами; to straggle — быть беспорядочно разбросанным):—

"Twenty-nine days are given you for amendment, and then (двадцать девять дней даны на то, чтобы ты исправился, а затем; amendment — исправление)——"

The dash was more fear-inspiring than any threat could have been (многоточие после этих слов было страшнее любой угрозы: «было более вселяющим страх, чем любая угроза»; dash — тире [19] ; to inspire — внушать, вселять). How this warning came into his room puzzled John Ferrier sorely (как это предупреждение попало в комнату, немало озадачило Джона Феррьера; sorely — чрезвычайно, крайне, очень), for his servants slept in an outhouse (так как его слуги спали в надворной постройке; outhouse — надворная постройка), and the doors and windows had all been secured (а двери и окна были заперты). He crumpled the paper up and said nothing to his daughter (он скомкал бумагу и ничего не сказал своей дочери), but the incident struck a chill into his heart (но этот случай камнем лег ему на сердце; to strike — ударять; вселять; chill — холод, холодная погода; озноб; гнетущее, давящее чувство). The twenty-nine days were evidently the balance of the month which Young had promised (очевидно, двадцать девять дней были остатком месяца, обещанного Янгом). What strength or courage could avail against an enemy armed with such mysterious powers (сколько же силы и мужества надо, чтобы выстоять: «какие сила или мужество могли бы помочь» против врага, на стороне которого такие мистические способности: «вооруженного такими…»; to avail — помогать, быть полезным)? The hand which fastened that pin might have struck him to the heart (рука, которая прикрепила бумажку, могла бы пронзить ему сердце; to strike — наносить удар), and he could never have known who had slain him (а он и не узнал бы, кто его убил; to slay — убивать, лишать жизни).

square [skwe@], warn [wO:n], sorely ['sO:lI], secure [sI'kju@]

He expected that he would receive some message or remonstrance from Young as to his conduct, and he was not mistaken, though it came in an unlooked-for manner. Upon rising next morning he found, to his surprise, a small square of paper pinned on to the coverlet of his bed just over his chest. On it was printed, in bold straggling letters:—

"Twenty-nine days are given you for amendment, and then ——"

The dash was more fear-inspiring than any threat could have been. How this warning came into his room puzzled John Ferrier sorely, for his servants slept in an outhouse, and the doors and windows had all been secured. He crumpled the paper up and said nothing to his daughter, but the incident struck a chill into his heart. The twenty-nine days were evidently the balance of the month which Young had promised. What strength or courage could avail against an enemy armed with such mysterious powers? The hand which fastened that pin might have struck him to the heart, and he could never have known who had slain him.

Still more shaken was he next morning (еще больше был он потрясен на следующее утро). They had sat down to their breakfast when Lucy with a cry of surprise pointed upwards (они сели завтракать, когда Люси, удивленно вскрикнув, указала вверх). In the centre of the ceiling was scrawled (посередине потолка было коряво написано), with a burned stick apparently, the number 28 (по-видимому, концом обгорелой палки: «обгорелой палкой», число 28). To his daughter it was unintelligible (для его дочери надпись смысла не имела: «это было непонятно»), and he did not enlighten her (а он не стал объяснять ей, что она значила: «и он не просветил ее»). That night he sat up with his gun and kept watch and ward (этой ночью он просидел со своим ружьем на страже; to sit up — не ложиться спать; бодрствовать; watch — дозор, стража, караул; ward — охрана, караул; watch and ward — ночной и дневной караул; неусыпная бдительность; to keep watch and ward — бдительно охранять). He saw and he heard nothing (он ничего не видел и не слышал), and yet in the morning a great 27 had been painted upon the outside of his door (и все же наутро большое число 27 было нарисовано снаружи на его двери; to paint — рисовать, писать красками).

Thus day followed day (и так день сменял ночь); and as sure as morning came (и столь же неумолимо: «так же верно», как наступает утро) he found that his unseen enemies had kept their register (он обнаруживал, что его невидимые враги вели свой счет; register — журнал; учетная книга; to keep a register — вести журнал), and had marked up in some conspicuous position (и метили в каком-нибудь видном месте) how many days were still left to him out of the month of grace (сколько дней еще оставалось ему от месячной отсрочки; grace — отсрочка, передышка). Sometimes the fatal numbers appeared upon the walls (иногда роковые числа появлялись на стенах), sometimes upon the floors (иногда на полу), occasionally they were on small placards stuck upon the garden gate or the railings (иногда на небольших табличках, прикрепленных к садовой калитке или ограде; to stick — натыкать, насаживать). With all his vigilance John Ferrier could not discover whence these daily warnings proceeded (несмотря на всю свою бдительность, Джон Феррьер не мог обнаружить, откуда появлялись эти ежедневные предупреждения; vigilance — бдительность; to proceed — происходить; исходить). A horror which was almost superstitious came upon him at the sight of them (почти суеверный ужас обуревал его: «находил на него» при их виде). He became haggard and restless (он осунулся и потерял покой: «он стал изможденным и беспокойным»; haggard — изможденный; осунувшийся; restless — неспокойный; тревожный), and his eyes had the troubled look of some hunted creature (а его глаза стали походить на глаза: «имели беспокойное выражение какого-то» загнанного зверя). He had but one hope in life now (у него осталась только одна надежда), and that was for the arrival of the young hunter from Nevada (а именно — что вернется из Невады молодой охотник: «и это было на прибытие из …»).

centre ['sent@], ceiling ['si:lIN], ward [wO:d], creature ['kri:tS@]

Still more shaken was he next morning. They had sat down to their breakfast when Lucy with a cry of surprise pointed upwards. In the centre of the ceiling was scrawled, with a burned stick apparently, the number 28. To his daughter it was unintelligible, and he did not enlighten her. That night he sat up with his gun and kept watch and ward. He saw and he heard nothing, and yet in the morning a great 27 had been painted upon the outside of his door.

Thus day followed day; and as sure as morning came he found that his unseen enemies had kept their register, and had marked up in some conspicuous position how many days were still left to him out of the month of grace. Sometimes the fatal numbers appeared upon the walls, sometimes upon the floors, occasionally they were on small placards stuck upon the garden gate or the railings. With all his vigilance John Ferrier could not discover whence these daily warnings proceeded. A horror which was almost superstitious came upon him at the sight of them. He became haggard and restless, and his eyes had the troubled look of some hunted creature. He had but one hope in life now, and that was for the arrival of the young hunter from Nevada.