"I don't think he looks any more like a professor than you do a doctor," the woman broke in.
"Thank you," said Messner. Then, turning to her companion, "By the way, Doctor, what is your name, if I may ask?"
"Haythorne, if you'll take my word for it. I gave up cards with civilization."
"And Mrs. Haythorne," Messner smiled and bowed.
She flashed a look at him that was more anger than appeal.
Haythorne was about to ask the other's name. His mouth had opened to form the question when Messner cut him off.
"Come to think of it (ну же, подумайте об этом), Doctor, you may possibly be able to satisfy my curiosity (доктор, вы можете, возможно, быть способным удовлетворить мое любопытство). There was a sort of scandal in faculty circles some two or three years ago (в профессорско-преподавательских кругах был скандал: «сорт/вид скандала» около двух или трех лет назад). The wife of one of the English professors (жена одного из английских профессоров = преподавателей английского) — er, if you will pardon me, Mrs. Haythorne (э-э, если вы простите/извините меня, миссис Хейторн) — disappeared with some San Francisco doctor (исчезла/скрылась с каким-то врачом из Сан-Франциско), I understood (я понимал = слышал;
Haythorne nodded his head (Хейторн кивнул своей головой). "Made quite a stir at the time (сделала действительно переполох/суматоху в /определенное/ время = эта история наделала немало шума в свое время). His name was Womble (его фамилия была Уомбл) — Graham Womble (Грэхэм Уомбл). He had a magnificent practice (он имел великолепную/прекрасную практику). I knew him somewhat (я знал его отчасти/до некоторой степени = немного;
"Well, what I was trying to get at was what had become of them (ну так вот, что я пытался постигнуть/понять было что стало с ними = я пытался понять, что стало с ними). I was wondering if you had heard (я интересовался, если вы слышали). They left no trace, hide nor hair (они не оставили ни следа, ни волоса = исчезли бесследно;
"He covered his tracks cunningly (он скрыл свои следы хитро = он ловко замел следы)." Haythorne cleared his throat (Хейторн очистил свое горло/глотку = откашлялся). "There was rumor that they went to the South Seas (там был слух/молва =
pardon [pQ: dn], quite [kwQIt], wonder [`wAndq], schooner [`sku: nq]
"Come to think of it, Doctor, you may possibly be able to satisfy my curiosity. There was a sort of scandal in faculty circles some two or three years ago. The wife of one of the English professors — er, if you will pardon me, Mrs. Haythorne — disappeared with some San Francisco doctor, I understood, though his name does not just now come to my lips. Do you remember the incident?"
Haythorne nodded his head. "Made quite a stir at the time. His name was Womble — Graham Womble. He had a magnificent practice. I knew him somewhat."
"Well, what I was trying to get at was what had become of them. I was wondering if you had heard. They left no trace, hide nor hair."
"He covered his tracks cunningly." Haythorne cleared his throat. "There was rumor that they went to the South Seas — were lost on a trading schooner in a typhoon, or something like that."
"I never heard that (я никогда /не/ слышал этого)," Messner said. "You remember the case, Mrs. Haythorne (вы помните /этот/ случай =
"Perfectly (отлично)," she answered (ответила она), in a voice the control of which was in amazing contrast to the anger (голосом, контроль которого =
The latter was again on the verge of asking his name (последний
"This Dr. Womble (этот доктор Уомбл), I've heard he was very handsome (я слышал, /что/ он был очень красивым), and — er — quite a success, so to say, with the ladies (и — э-э — пользовался успехом, так сказать, у женщин;
"Well, if he was (ну, если он был = пользовался успехом), he finished himself off by that affair (он прикончил/разрушил себя этим делом/любовной связью = эта история его доконала)," Haythorne grumbled (проворчал Хейторн).