Похищенный - [14]

I was brought up to have a good conceit of myself; and if you were all the uncle, and all the family, I had in the world ten times over, I wouldn't buy your liking at such prices."	Меня учили уважать себя, и пусть вы мне хоть двадцать раз дядя, пусть у меня, кроме вас, ни единой родной душ, и на белом свете, такой ценой я ваше расположение покупать не собираюсь.
Uncle Ebenezer went and looked out of the window for awhile.	Дядя Эбенезер прошелся по кухне и встал лицом к окну.
I could see him all trembling and twitching, like a man with palsy.	Я видел, как его трясет и передергивает, словно паралитика.
But when he turned round, he had a smile upon his face.	Но когда он обернулся, на лице его была улыбка.
"Well, well," said he, "we must bear and forbear.	- Ну, ну, - сказал он. - Бог терпел и нам велел.
I'll no go; that's all that's to be said of it."	Я остаюсь, и дело с концом.
"Uncle Ebenezer," I said, "I can make nothing out of this.	- Дядя Эбенезер, - вырвалось у меня, - я не понимаю.
You use me like a thief; you hate to have me in this house; you let me see it, every word and every minute: it's not possible that you can like me; and as for me, I've spoken to you as I never thought to speak to any man.	Вы обращаетесь со мной, как с жуликом, мое присутствие в этом доме вам невыносимо, и вы даете мне это почувствовать каждую минуту и каждым вашим словом. Вы невзлюбили меня и не полюбите никогда, а что до меня, мне и не снилось, что я когда-нибудь буду разговаривать с человеком так, как говорю с вами.
Why do you seek to keep me, then?	Для чего же вы меня удерживаете?
Let me gang back--let me gang back to the friends I have, and that like me!"	Дайте я вернусь обратно к тем, кто мне друзья, кто меня любит!
"Na, na; na, na," he said, very earnestly.	- Нет-нет, - с большим чувством сказал он. - Нет.
"I like you fine; we'll agree fine yet; and for the honour of the house I couldnae let you leave the way ye came.	Ты мне очень по сердцу. Мы еще поладим, да и честь дома не позволяет, чтобы ты ушел ни с чем.
Bide here quiet, there's a good lad; just you bide here quiet a bittie, and ye'll find that we agree."	Повремени малость, будь умницей - погости здесь, тихохонько, спокойненько, и ты увидишь, все образуется как нельзя лучше.
"Well, sir," said I, after I had thought the matter out in silence, "I'll stay awhile.	- Что ж, сэр, - сказал я после недолгого раздумья, -побуду немного.

It's more just I should be helped by my own blood than strangers; and if we don't agree, I'll do my best it shall be through no fault of mine."	Все же правильней, чтобы мне помогли не чужие, а родичи. Ну, а если не сойдемся, постараюсь, чтобы не по моей вине.
CHAPTER IV	ГЛАВА IV
I RUN A GREAT DANGER IN THE HOUSE OF SHAWS	МНЕ УГРОЖАЕТ ВЕЛИКАЯ ОПАСНОСТЬ В ЗАМКЕ ШОС
For a day that was begun so ill, the day passed fairly well.	Остаток дня, начавшегося так неладно, прошел вполне сносно.
We had the porridge cold again at noon, and hot porridge at night; porridge and small beer was my uncle's diet.	Полдничали мы холодной овсянкой, ужинали -горячей: мой дядя никаких разносолов, кроме овсянки и легкого пива, не признавал.
He spoke but little, and that in the same way as before, shooting a question at me after a long silence; and when I sought to lead him to talk about my future, slipped out of it again.	Говорил он мало, и все на прежний манер: помолчит-помолчит, да и стрельнет в меня вопросом; а когда я попробовал завести разговор о моем будущем, он и на этот раз увильнул.
In a room next door to the kitchen, where he suffered me to go, I found a great number of books, both Latin and English, in which I took great pleasure all the afternoon.	В комнате по соседству с кухней, где мне дозволено было уединиться, я обнаружил видимо-невидимо книг, латинских и английских, и не без удовольствия просидел над ними весь день.
Indeed, the time passed so lightly in this good company, that I began to be almost reconciled to my residence at Shaws; and nothing but the sight of my uncle, and his eyes playing hide and seek with mine, revived the force of my distrust.	В этом приятном обществе время летело так незаметно, что я уже готов был примириться со своим пребыванием в замке Шос, и только при виде дядюшки Эбенезера и его глаз, упорно играющих в прятки с моими, недоверие пробуждалось во мне с новой силой.
One thing I discovered, which put me in some doubt.	Вдруг я наткнулся на нечто такое, что заронило мне в душу подозрение.

This was an entry on the fly-leaf of a chap-book (one of Patrick Walker's) plainly written by my father's hand and thus conceived: "To my brother

Ebenezer on his fifth birthday" Now, what puzzled me was this: That, as my father was of course the younger brother, he must either have made some strange error, or he must have written, before he was yet five, an excellent, clear manly hand of writing. I tried to get this out of my head; but though I took down many interesting authors, old and new, history, poetry, and story-book, this notion of my father's hand of writing stuck to me; and when at length I went back into the kitchen, and sat down once more to porridge and small beer, the first thing I said to Uncle Ebenezer was to ask him if my father had not been very quick at his book. "Alexander? No him!" was the reply. "I was far quicker mysel'; I was a clever chappie when I was young. Why, I could read as soon as he could." This puzzled me yet more; and a thought coming into my head, I asked if he and my father had been twins. He jumped upon his stool, and the horn spoon fell out of his hand upon the floor. "What gars ye ask that?" he said, and he caught me by the breast of the jacket, and looked this time straight into my eyes: his own were little and light, and bright like a bird's, blinking and winking strangely. "What do you mean?" I asked, very calmly, for I was far stronger than he, and not easily frightened. "Take your hand from my jacket. This is no way to behave." My uncle seemed to make a great effort upon himself. "Dod man, David," he said, "ye should-nae speak to me about your father. That's where the mistake is." He sat awhile and shook, blinking in his plate: "He was all the brother that ever I had," he added, but with no heart in his voice; and then he caught up his spoon and fell to supper again, but still shaking. Now this last passage, this laying of hands upon my person and sudden profession of love for my dead father, went so clean beyond my comprehension that it put me into both fear and hope. On the one hand, I began to think my uncle was perhaps insane and might be dangerous; on the other, there came up into my mind (quite unbidden by me and even discouraged) a story like some ballad I had heard folk singing, of a poor lad that was a rightful heir and a wicked kinsman that tried to keep him from his own. For why should my uncle play a part with a relative that came, almost a beggar, to his door, unless in his heart he had some cause to fear him? With this notion, all