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"That — that story I told you yesterday was all — a story (та — та история, которую я рассказала вам вчера, была полностью — выдумкой)" she stammered (она запнулась/пробормотала, запинаясь), and looked up at him now (и посмотрела на него /вверх/ теперь) with miserable frightened eyes (жалкими, испуганными глазами).

walnut ['wO:lnAt] settee [se'ti:] brocaded [brq'keIdId]

She laid his hat on a table and sat down on a walnut settee. He sat on a brocaded oval-backed chair facing her. She looked at her fingers, working them together, and said: "Mr. Spade, I've a terrible, terrible confession to make." Spade smiled a polite smile, which she did not lift her eyes to see, and said nothing.

"That — that story I told you yesterday was all — a story," she stammered, and looked up at him now with miserable frightened eyes.

"Oh, that (о, это)," Spade said lightly (сказал Спейд беспечно). "We didn't exactly believe your story (мы не очень-то поверили вашей истории; exactly — точно, в точности)."

"Then (тогда) —?" Perplexity was added to the misery and fright in her eyes (недоумение добавилось к страданию и страху в ее глазах).

"We believed your two hundred dollars (мы поверили вашим двумстам долларам)."

"You mean (вы имеете в виду) —?" She seemed to not know what he meant (казалось, она не знала, что он имеет в виду).

"I mean that you paid us more (я имею в виду, что вы заплатили нам больше) than if you'd been telling the truth (чем если бы вы говорили нам правду)," he explained blandly (мягко объяснил он), "and enough more to make it all right (и достаточно больше, чтобы не вызывать возражений)."

perplexity [pq'pleksItI] mean [mi:n] explain [Ik'spleIn]

"Oh, that," Spade said lightly. "We didn't exactly believe your story."

"Then — ?" Perplexity was added to the misery and fright in her eyes.

"We believed your two hundred dollars."

"You mean —?" She seemed to not know what he meant.

"I mean that you paid us more than if you'd been telling the truth," he explained blandly, "and enough more to make it all right."

Her eyes suddenly lighted up (ее глаза вдруг оживились; to light up — зажигать, освещать). She lifted herself a few inches from the settee (она поднялась на несколько дюймов с диванчика), settled down again (уселась снова), smoothed her skirt (разгладила свою юбку), leaned forward (наклонилась вперед), and spoke eagerly (и сказала нетерпеливо): "And even now you'd be willing to (и даже сейчас вы захотите = будете согласны) —?"

Spade stopped her (Спейд остановил ее) with a palm-up motion of one hand (поднятием ладони одной руки; motion — движение, ход). The upper part of his face frowned (верхняя часть его лица нахмурилась). The lower part smiled (нижняя часть улыбалась). "That depends (как сказать: «это зависит»)," he said. "The hell of it is, Miss (дело в том, мисс; hell — ад) — Is your name Wonderly or Leblanc (ваше имя Уондерли или Леблан)?"

suddenly ['sAd(q)nlI] few [fju:] eagerly ['i:gqlI]

Her eyes suddenly lighted up. She lifted herself a few inches from the settee, settled down again, smoothed her skirt, leaned forward, and spoke eagerly: "And even now you'd be willing to —?"

Spade stopped her with a palm-up motion of one hand. The upper part of his face frowned. The lower part smiled. "That depends," he said. "The hell of it is, Miss — Is your name Wonderly or Leblanc?"

She blushed and murmured (она покраснела и прошептала): "It's really O'Shaughnessy — Brigid O'Shaughnessy (оно, на самом деле О’Шонесси — Бриджит О’Шонесси)."

"The hell of it is, Miss O'Shaughnessy (дело в том, мисс О’Шонесси), that a couple of murders (что пара убийств)" — she winced (она вздрогнула) — "coming together like this get everybody stirred up (произошедших вместе, как эти, всех расшевелили), make the police think they can go the limit (заставляют полицию думать, что они могут перейти все границы), make everybody hard to handle and expensive (делают всех трудно управляемыми и дорогими). It's not (это не) —" He stopped talking (он перестал говорить) because she had stopped listening (потому что она перестала слушать) and was waiting for him to finish (и ждала, пока он закончит).

couple ['kAp(q)l] murder ['mq:dq] expensive [Ik'spensIv]

She blushed and murmured: "It's really O'Shaughnessy — Brigid O'Shaughnessy."

"The hell of it is, Miss O'Shaughnessy, that a couple of murders" — she winced — "coming together like this get everybody stirred up, make the police think they can go the limit, make everybody hard to handle and expensive. It's not — " He stopped talking because she had stopped listening and was waiting for him to finish.

"Mr. Spade, tell me the truth (мистер Спейд, скажите мне правду)." Her voice quivered on time verge of hysteria (ее голос дрожал временами на грани истерики). Her face had become haggard (ее лицо стало изможденным) around desperate eyes (вокруг отчаянных глаз). "Am I to blame for (можно меня обвинить за) — for last night (за прошлую ночь)?"

Spade shook his head (он покачал головой). "Not unless there are things I don't know about (нет, если нет вещей, о которых я не знаю)," he said —. "You warned us that Thursby was dangerous (вы предупредили нас, что Терсби опасен). Of course you lied to us about your sister and all (конечно, вы солгали нам о своей сестре и /обо/ всем = и так далее), but that doesn't count (но это не считается): we didn't believe you (мы не поверили вам)." He shrugged his sloping shoulders (он пожал своими покатыми плечами). "I wouldn't say it was your fault (я бы не сказал, что это ваша вина)."

truth [tru:T] quivered ['kwIvqd] fault [fO:lt]

"Mr. Spade, tell me the truth." Her voice quivered on time verge of hysteria. Her face had become haggard around desperate eyes. "Am I to blame for — for last night?"

Spade shook his head. "Not unless there are things I don't know about," he said. "You warned us that Thursby was dangerous. Of course you lied to us about your sister and all, but that doesn't count: we didn't believe you." He shrugged his sloping shoulders. "I wouldn't say it was your fault."

She said, "Thank you (спасибо)," very softly (очень мягко), and then moved her head from side to side (потом подвигала головой из стороны в сторону). "But I'll always blame myself (но я всегда буду обвинять себя)." She put a hand to her throat (она поднесла руку к своему горлу). "Mr. Archer was so (мистер Арчер был такой) — so alive yesterday afternoon (такой живой вчера днем), so solid and hearty and (такой крепкий и сердечный, и) —"

"Stop it (перестаньте)," Spade commanded (скомандовал он). "He knew what he was doing (он знал, что делал). They're the chances we take (мы рискуем; chance— случайность, случай, возможность)."