had a mistress. He visited popular restaurants with her and, leaving her at a table, wandering about, chatting with whomsoever he knew. Though I was curious to see her I had no desire to meet her-but I did. I went up to New York with Tom on the train one afternoon and when we stopped he jumped to his feet and forced me outside.
“We're getting off!” he insisted. “I want you to meet my girl.”
He definitely decided to have my company. He thought that on Sunday afternoon I had nothing better to do. I followed him over a low white-washed railroad fence. I saw a garage-Repairs. GEORGE B. WILSON. Cars Bought and Sold-and I followed Tom inside.
The interior was bare; the only automobile visible was the dust-covered Ford which stood in a dim corner. The proprietor himself appeared in the door of an office, wiping his hands on a piece of waste. He was a blonde, spiritless, faintly handsome man.
«Привет, Уилсон, старик, – сказал Том, slapping его по плечу. – Как дела?»
«Н жалуюсь, – ответил Уилсон. – Когда вы собираетесь sell мне тот автомобиль?»
«На следующей week. Мой человек над ней работает».
«Он довольно slow работает, не так ли?»
«Нет, не так, – холодно сказал Том. – А если тебе так кажется, то, maybe, мне стоит sell её кому-то другому».
«Я имел в виду не это, – быстро объяснил Уилсон. – Я лишь подразумевал…»
Том impatiently оглядел гараж. Затем я услышал на лестнице footsteps и увидел женщину. Она была лет тридцати пяти, со faintly stout, но несла свою избыточную flesh так sensuously, как это могут делать лишь некоторые женщины. Она slowly улыбнулась и прошла мимо мужа, будто он был ghost, пожав руку Тому.
complain – жаловаться
faintly stout – со склонностью к полноте
flesh – плоть
footstep – шаг
ghost – призрак
impatiently – нетерпеливо
maybe – возможно
sell – продавать
sensuously – чувственно
slap – хлопать
slow – медленно
slowly – медленно
week – неделя
“Hello, Wilson, old man,” said Tom, slapping him on the shoulder. “How's business?”
“I can't complain,” answered Wilson. “When are you going to sell me that automobile?”
“Next week. My man is working on it now.”
“He is working pretty slow, right?”
“No, he isn't,” said Tom coldly. “And if you think so, maybe I'd better sell it somewhere else after all.”
“I don't mean that,” explained Wilson quickly. “I just meant…”
Tom glanced impatiently around the garage. Then I heard footsteps on a stairs and saw a woman. She was in the middle thirties, and faintly stout, but she carried her surplus flesh sensuously as some women can. She smiled slowly and walking through her husband as if he were a ghost shook hands with Tom.
Затем она заговорила со своим husband тихим, но неожиданно coarse голосом:
«Принеси chairs, чтобы людям было где sit».
«О, конечно», – hurriedly согласился Уилсон и двинулся к маленькой конторке.
«Я хочу с тобой увидеться, – intently сказал Том. – Поезжай на следующем train».
«Хорошо».
«Я встречу тебя у news-stand».
Она nodded и отошла от него. Из дверей конторки emerged Джордж Уилсон с двумя стульями.
Мы waited её на дороге, чтобы нас не было видно.
«Terrible место, не так ли?» – сказал Том.
«Awful».
«It does her good to get away».
«Разве её муж не object?»
«Уилсон? Он думает, что она ездит повидать свою sister в Нью-Йорке».
awful – кошмарный
chair – стул
coarse – грубый
emerge – показываться
hurriedly – поспешно
husband – муж
intently – властно
It does her good to get away. – Она и бывает рада проветриться
news-stand – газетный киоск
nod – кивать
object – возражать
sister – сестра
sit – сидеть
terrible – ужасный
train – поезд
wait – ждать
Then she spoke to her husband in a quiet but surprisingly coarse voice:
“Get some chairs, so somebody can sit down.”
“Oh, sure,” agreed Wilson hurriedly and went toward the little office.
“I want to see you,” said Tom intently. “Get on the next train.”
“All right.”
“I'll meet you by the news-stand.”
She nodded and moved away from him. George Wilson emerged with two chairs from his office door.
We waited for her down the road and out of sight.
“Terrible place, isn't it?” said Tom.
“Awful.”
“It does her good to get away.”
“Doesn't