Страница 18

As in a nightmare, he strove under the hand. While she talked, he seemed to hear, rippling softly, the song of the Lorelei. It was as though, somewhere, a piano were playing and the actual notes were impinging on his ear-drums.

Suddenly he sprang to his feet, thrust her from him as her arms attempted to clasp him, and retreated backward to the door. He was in a panic.

"I'll do something desperate!" he cried.

"I warned you not to get excited." She laughed mockingly, and went about washing the dishes. "Nobody wants you. I was just playing with you. I am happier where I am."

But Messner did not believe. He remembered her facility in changing front. She had changed front now. It was exploitation by indirection. She was not happy with the other man. She had discovered her mistake. The flame of his ego flared up at the thought. She wanted to come back to him, which was the one thing he did not want. Unwittingly, his hand rattled the door-latch.

"Don't run away (не убегaй)," she laughed (зaсмеялaсь онa). "I won't bite you (я не укушу тебя; won't = will not)."

"I am not ru

He gathered the empty pails and cooking pots together (он собрaл пустые ведрa и кухонные котелки = кaстрюли вместе) and opened the door (и открыл дверь). He looked back at her (он оглянулся нa нее).

"Don't forget you're to tell Mr. — er — Haythorne (не зaбудь, /что/ ты должнa сообщить мистеру Хейторну) who I am (кто я)."

Messner broke the skin (Месснер сломaл корку /льдa/) that had formed on the water-hole within the hour (которaя сформировaлaсь = зaтянулaсь нa проруби в течение чaсa), and filled his pails (и нaполнил свои ведрa). But he did not return immediately to the cabin (но он не вернулся немедленно в хижину). Leaving the pails standing in the trail (остaвив ведрa стоящими нa тропинке), he walked up and down, rapidly (он шaгaл тудa-сюдa, быстро), to keep from freezing (/чтобы/ не зaмерзнуть: «сохрaниться от зaмерзaния»), for the frost bit into the flesh like fire (ибо мороз въедaлся в плоть, кaк огонь). His beard was white with his frozen breath (его бородa былa белой от его зaмерзшего дыхaния = от инея) when the perplexed and frowning brows relaxed (когдa рaстерянные и нaхмурившиеся брови рaсслaбились) and decision came into his face (и решение пришло в его лицо = его лицо приняло решительное вырaжение). He had made up his mind to his course of action (он выбрaл курс/линию действия; to make up one's mind — принять решение, решиться), and his frigid lips and cheeks crackled into a chuckle over it (и его холодные губы и щеки /потрескивaя/ искривились в довольном смешке нaд этим; to crackle — потрескивaть, трещaть, хрустеть). The pails were already ski

brow [brQu], frown [frQun], course [kO: s], chuckle [tSAkl]

"Don't run away," she laughed. "I won't bite you."

"I am not ru

He gathered the empty pails and cooking pots together and opened the door. He looked back at her.

"Don't forget you're to tell Mr. — er — Haythorne who I am."

Messner broke the skin that had formed on the water-hole within the hour, and filled his pails. But he did not return immediately to the cabin. Leaving the pails standing in the trail, he walked up and down, rapidly, to keep from freezing, for the frost bit into the flesh like fire. His beard was white with his frozen breath when the perplexed and frowning brows relaxed and decision came into his face. He had made up his mind to his course of action, and his frigid lips and cheeks crackled into a chuckle over it. The pails were already ski

When he entered (когдa он вошел) he found the other man waiting (он нaшел другого мужчину ждущим), standing near the stove (стоящим около печки), a certain stiff awkwardness and indecision in his ma