Дом о семи шпилях - [23]

But the love of children had never been quickened in Hepzibah's heart, and was now torpid, if not extinct; she watched the little people of the neighborhood from her chamber window, and doubted whether she could tolerate a more intimate acquaintance with them.	Но любовь к детям никогда не была очень сильна в сердце Г епзибы, теперь же притупилась больше прежнего, если не угасла навеки. Она наблюдала из окна своей комнаты за соседскими детьми и сомневалась, что смогла бы перенести близкое знакомство с ними.
Besides, in our day, the very A B C has become a science, greatly too abstruse to be any longer taught by pointing a pin from letter to letter.	Кроме того, в наше время и сама азбука сделалась такой философской наукой, что нельзя уже научить ей, просто показывая буквы.

A modern child could teach old Hepzibah more than old Hepzibah could teach the child.	Нынешний ребенок скорее бы научил мисс Г епзибу, нежели старая Г епзиба научила бы ребенка.
So-with many a cold, deep heart-quake at the idea of at last coming into sordid contact with the world, from which she had so long kept aloof, while every added day of seclusion had rolled another stone against the cavern-door of her hermitage-the poor thing bethought herself of the ancient shop-window, the rusty scales, and dusty till.	Таким образом, после многих замираний сердца, при мысли войти в неприятное столкновение со светом, от которого она так долго держалась в отдалении, бедняжка вспомнила, наконец, о старинной лавочке, о заржавевших весах и о пыльной конторке.
She might have held back a little longer; but another circumstance, not yet hinted at, had somewhat hastened her decision.	Она бы медлила еще долго, но одно обстоятельство, еще не известное читателю, ускорило ее решимость.
Her humble preparations, therefore, were duly made and the enterprise was now to be commenced. Nor was she entitled to complain of any remarkable singularity in her fate; for, in the town of her nativity, we might point to several little shops of a similar description, some of them in houses as ancient as that of the Seven Gables; and one or two, it may be, where a decayed gentlewoman stands behind the counter, as grim an image of family pride as Miss Hepzibah Pyncheon herself. It was overpoweringly ridiculous-we must honestly confess it-the deportment of the maiden lady while setting her shop in order for the public eye. She stole on tiptoe to the window, as cautiously as if she conceived some bloody-minded villain to be watching behind the elm tree, with intent to take her life. Stretching out her long, lank arm, she put a paper of pearl-buttons, a Jew's-harp, or whatever the small article might be, in its destined place, and straightway vanished back into the dusk, as if the world need never hope for another glimpse of her. It might have been fancied indeed, that she expected to minister to the wants of the community unseen, like a disembodied divinity, or enchantress, holding forth bargains to the reverential and awe-stricken purchaser, in an invisible hand. But Hepzibah had no such flattering dream. She was well aware that she must ultimately come forward, and stand revealed in her proper individuality; but, like other sensitive persons, she could not bear to be observed in the gradual process, and chose rather to flash forth on the world's astonished gaze at once.	Она сделала все приготовления и положила начало этому предприятию. В ее родном городе было несколько подобных лавочек. Некоторые из них открылись в таких же старинных домах, как и Дом с семью шпилями, и в одной или даже в двух за конторкой сидела такая же знатная и хмурая старушка, как и мисс Гепзиба Пинчон.
The inevitable moment was not much longer to be delayed.	Нельзя было больше откладывать неизбежную минуту.
The sunshine might now be seen stealing down the front of the opposite house, from the windows of which came a reflected gleam, struggling through the boughs of the elm tree, and enlightening the interior of the shop more distinctly than heretofore.	Солнце уже кралось по фронтону противоположного дома; лучи, пробиваясь сквозь ветви вяза, все ярче освещали внутренность лавочки.
The town appeared to be waking up.	Город пробуждался.

A baker's cart had already rattled through the street, chasing away the latest vestige of night's sanctity with the jingle-jangle of its dissonant bells.	Тачка пекаря уже стучала по мостовой, прогоняя последние остатки ночной тишины нестройным звяканьем своих колокольчиков.
A milkman was distributing the contents of his cans from door to door; and the harsh peal of a fisherman's conch-shell was heard far off, around the corner.	Молочник развозил от двери до двери кувшинчики, а вдали слышался пронзительный свисток рыбака.
None of these tokens escaped Hepzibah's notice.	Ни один из этих признаков пробуждения города не ускользнул от наблюдения Гепзибы.
The moment had arrived.	Роковая минута наступила.
To delay longer would be only to lengthen out her misery.	Откладывать и дальше значило бы продлить свое страдание.