Дом о семи шпилях - [12]

Молодой человек был допрошен и обвинен в преступлении, но или показания не были вполне убедительны, так что в душе судей осталось тайное сомнение, или один из аргументов обвиненного - его знатность и обширные связи -имел больше веса, только смертный приговор его заменили пожизненным заключением.

This sad affair had chanced about thirty years before the action of our story commences.	Это печальное событие случилось лет за тридцать до того момента, в который начинается действие нашей истории.
Latterly, there were rumors (which few believed, and only one or two felt greatly interested in) that this long-buried man was likely, for some reason or other, to be summoned forth from his living tomb.	В последнее время носились слухи (им верили немногие), что будто бы этот заключенный по той или иной причине был вызван на свет из своей могилы.
It is essential to say a few words respecting the victim of this now almost forgotten murder.	Кстати, нужно сказать здесь несколько слов о жертве этого уже почти забытого убийства.
He was an old bachelor, and possessed of great wealth, in addition to the house and real estate which constituted what remained of the ancient Pyncheon property.	То был старый холостяк, имевший кроме дома и поместья, оставшихся от старинного имения Пинчонов, еще и большой капитал.
Being of an eccentric turn of mind, and greatly given to rummaging old records, and hearkening to old traditions, he had brought himself, it is averred, to the conclusion, that Matthew Maule, the wizard, had been foully wronged out of his homestead, if not out of his life.	Он был эксцентричным меланхоликом, любил рыться в старых рукописях и слушать старинные предания и якобы дошел до заключения, что Мэтью Моул, колдун, лишился жизни и имущества совершенно несправедливо.
Such being the case, and he, the old bachelor, in possession of the ill-gotten spoil-with the black stain of blood sunken deep into it, and still to be scented by conscientious nostrils-the question occurred, whether it were not imperative upon him, even at this late hour, to make restitution to Maule's posterity.	Когда он в этом убедился, то, как утверждали знавшие его ближе других, решил отдать Дом с семью шпилями одному из потомков Мэтью Моула, и только беспокойство его родни, вызванное догадкой о такой мысли старика, помешало ему привести в исполнение это намерение.
To a man living so much in the past, and so little in the present, as the secluded and antiquarian old bachelor, a century and a half seemed not so vast a period as to obviate the propriety of substituting right for wrong.	Он не преуспел в своем предприятии, но после его смерти осталось опасение - не сохранилось ли где-нибудь его духовное завещание, составлению которого старались помешать при его жизни.

It was the belief of those who knew him best, that he would positively have taken the very singular step of giving up the House of Seven Gables to the representative of Matthew Maule, but for the unspeakable tumult which a suspicious of the old gentleman's project awakened among his Pyncheon relatives. Their exertions had the effect of suspending his purpose; but it was feared that he would perform, after death, by the operation of his last will, what he had so hardly been prevented from doing in his proper lifetime. But there is no one thing which men so rarely do, whatever the provocation or inducement, as to bequeath patrimonial property away from their own blood. They may love other individuals far better than their relatives-they may even cherish dislike or positive hatred to the latter; but yet, in view of death, the strong prejudice of propinquity revives, and impels the testator to send down his estate in the line marked out by custom so immemorial that it looks like nature. In all the Pyncheons, this feeling had the energy of disease. It was too powerful for the conscientious scruples of the old bachelor; at whose death, accordingly, the mansion-house, together with most of his other riches, passed into the possession of his next legal representative.	Жилище покойного вместе с большей частью других богатств досталось в наследство ближайшему законному родственнику.
This was a nephew, the cousin of the miserable young man who had been convicted of the uncle's murder.	Это был племянник, кузен молодого человека, обвиненного в убийстве дяди.
The new heir, up to the period of his accession, was reckoned rather a dissipated youth but had at once reformed, and made himself an exceedingly respectable member of society.	Новый наследник до самого вступления во владение имением слыл большим повесой, но теперь исправился и стал достойным членом общества.
In fact, he showed more of the Pyncheon quality, and had won higher eminence in the world than any of his race, since the time of the original Puritan.	Действительно, он обнаружил в себе многие качества полковника Пинчона и достиг большей значимости в свете, чем кто-либо из его рода со времен старого пуританина.
Applying himself in earlier manhood to the study of the law, and having a natural tendency towards office, he had attained, many years ago, to a judicial situation in some inferior court, which gave him for life the very desirable and imposing title of judge.