Английский язык с Грэмом Грином 10 страница

"You took her some money from Harry, didn't you (вы отнесли ей немного денег от Гарри, правда)?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't have mentioned that (да, но я бы не упоминал это). Did she tell you (/это/ она вам сказала)?"

The telephone went and Cooler drained his glass (зазвонил телефон, и Кулер осушил свой стакан). "Hullo," he said (алло, — сказал он). "Why, yes (ну да). This is Cooler (это Кулер)." Then he sat with the receiver at his ear (потом он сидел с трубкой у своего уха) and an expression of sad patience (и выражением печального терпения), while some voice a long way off drained into the room (пока какой-то голос издалека: «долгий путь прочь» просачивался в комнату). "Yes," he said once (он сказал один раз). "Yes." His eyes dwelt on Martins' face (его глаза задержались на лице Мартинса; to dwell — жить, обитать, находиться, пребывать; подробно останавливаться, задерживаться /на чем-л./), but they seemed to be looking a long way beyond him (но они, казалось, быть смотрели далеко за него = сквозь него): flat and tired and kind, they might have been gazing out over across the sea (тусклые, усталые и добрые, они могли быть смотрящими через море/за море; flat — плоский; тусклый, матовый /о цвете/). He said, "You did quite right (вы сделали совершенно правильно)," in a tone of commendation (в тоне похвалы), and then, with a touch of asperity (и затем, с налетом строгости), "Of course they will be delivered (конечно они будут доставлены). I gave my word (я дал мое слово). Goodbye (до свидания)."

He put the receiver down and passed a hand across his forehead wearily (он положил трубку и утомленно провел рукой по своему лбу). It was as though he were trying to remember something he had to do (это было, как будто он пытался вспомнить что-то, что он должен был сделать). Martins said, "Had you heard anything of this racket the police talk about (слышали вы что-либо об этой махинации, о которой говорят полицейские)?"

"I'm sorry (извините: «сожалею»). What's that (что это = о чем речь)?"

"They say Harry was mixed up in some racket (они говорят, что Гарри был замешан в каком-то мошенничестве)."

"Oh, no (о, нет)," Cooler said. "No. That's quite impossible (это совершенно невозможно). He had a great sense of duty (у него было большое чувство долга)."

"Kurtz seemed to think it was possible (Куртц, кажется, думает, что это было возможно)."

"Kurtz doesn't understand how an Anglo-Saxon feels (Куртц не понимает, как чувствует англосакс)," Cooler replied (ответил Кулер; to reply — отвечать, отзываться).

 

European ["juqrq'pi:qn], citizen ['sItIz(q)n], duty ['dju:tI], coincide ["kquIn'saId], disagree ["dIsq'gri:], difference ['dIf(q)r(q)ns], company ['kAmpqnI], confess [kqn'fes], humanity [hju:'mxnItI], touch [tAtS], asperity [xs'perItI], deliver [dI'lIvq], receiver [rI'si:vq]

 

"You'll never teach these Europeans to be good citizens. It was his duty." Cooler brooded sadly over his glass. "It's an odd thing, Mr. Martins, with accidents. You'll never get two reports that coincide. Why, even I and Mr. Kurtz disagreed about details. The thing happens so suddenly, you aren't concerned to notice things, until bang crash, and then you have to reconstruct, remember. I expect he got too tangled up trying to sort out what happened before and what after, to distinguish the four of us."

"The four?"

"I was counting Harry. What else did he see, Mr. Martins?"

"Nothing of interest—except he says Harry was dead when he was carried to the house."

"Well, he was dying—not much difference there. Have another drink, Mr. Martins?"

"No, I don't think I will."

"Well, I'd like another spot. I was very fond of your friend, Mr. Martins, and I don't like talking about it."

"Perhaps one more—to keep you company."

"Do you know Anna Schmidt?" Martins asked, while the whisky still tingled on his tongue.

"Harry's girl? I met her once, that's all. As a matter of fact, I helped Harry fix her papers. Not the sort of thing I should confess to a stranger, I suppose, but you have to break the rules sometimes. Humanity's a duty too."

"What was wrong?"

"She was Hungarian and her father had been a Nazi so they said. She was scared the Russians would pick her up."

"Why should they want to?"

"Well, her papers weren't in order."

"You took her some money from Harry, didn't you?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't have mentioned that. Did she tell you?"

The telephone went and Cooler drained his glass. "Hullo," he said. "Why, yes. This is Cooler." Then he sat with the receiver at his ear and an expression of sad patience, while some voice a long way off drained into the room. "Yes," he said once. "Yes." His eyes dwelt on Martins' face, but they seemed to be looking a long way beyond him: flat and tired and kind, they might have been gazing out over across the sea. He said, "You did quite right," in a tone of commendation, and then, with a touch of asperity, "Of course they will be delivered. I gave my word. Goodbye." He put the receiver down and passed a hand across his forehead wearily. It was as though he were trying to remember something he had to do. Martins said, "Had you heard anything of this racket the police talk about?"

"I'm sorry. What's that?"

"They say Harry was mixed up in some racket."

"Oh, no," Cooler said. "No. That's quite impossible. He had a great sense of duty."

"Kurtz seemed to think it was possible."

"Kurtz doesn't understand how an Anglo-Saxon feels," Cooler replied.

 

 

IT WAS NEARLY dark (было почти темно) when Martins made his way along the banks of the canal (когда Мартинс шел: «делал свой путь» вдоль берегов канала): across the water lay the half destroyed Diana baths (через воду лежали = на другой стороне канала находились наполовину разрушенные бани Дианы) and in the distance the great black circle of the Prater Wheel (а на расстоянии = поодаль — огромный черный круг пратерского[1] колеса), stationary above the ruined houses (неподвижного над разрушенными домами; stationary — закрепленный, неподвижный, стационарный). Over there across the grey water was the second bezirk in Russian ownership (вон там через серую воду был второй округ /нем./ в русской владении). St. Stefanskirche shot its enormous wounded spire into the sky above the Inner City (церковь Св. Стефана / нем. / вонзала свой огромный спиральный шпиль в небо над центром города: «над внутренним городом»; to shoot — стрелять, расти; to wind — виться, извиваться), and coming up the Kartnerstrasse Martins passed the lit door of the Military Police station (и, проходя по Картнерштрассе/ Мартинс прошел освещенную дверь пункта Военной полиции; to light — освещать). The four men of the International Patrol were climbing into their jeep (четыре человека из интернационального патруля забирались в свой джип); the Russian M.P. sat beside the driver (русский военный полицейский сидел рядом с водителем; M.P. — сокр. от Military Police — военная полиция) (for the Russians had that day taken over the chair for the next four weeks (поскольку русские в тот день приняли председательство на следующие четыре недели) and the Englishman, the Frenchman and the American mounted behind (а англичанин, француз и американец сели сзади; to mount — подниматься, восходить;) залезать, взбираться /на что-л./; занимать /какое-л. место/; садиться /на лошадь, велосипед, в машину/). The third stiff whisky fumed into Martins' brain (третье крепкое виски дымилось в мозгу Мартинса), and he remembered the girl in Amsterdam (и он вспомнил девушку в Амстердаме), the girl in Paris (девушку в Париже): loneliness moved along the crowded pavement at his side (одиночество двигалось вдоль многолюдного тротуара у его бока; crowd — толпа; to crowd — собираться толпой, скапливаться; толпиться, тесниться). He passed the corner of the street where Sacher's lay and went on (он прошел угол улицы, где находился Захер, и пошел дальше). Rollo was in control and moved towards the only girl he knew in Vienna (Ролло был сдержан: «был под контролем» и двигался к единственной девушке, которую он знал в Вене).

I asked him how he knew where she lived (я спросил его, как он узнал, где она жила). Oh, he said, he'd looked up the address she had given him the night before (что он посмотрел адрес, который она дала ему накануне вечером), in bed, studying a map (в кровати, изучая карту). He wanted to know his way about (он хотел знать свой путь/маршрут), and he was good with maps (и он был хорош с картами = легко умел разобраться в карте).

He could memorise turnings and street names easily because he always went one way on foot (он мог запоминать повороты и названия улиц легко, потому что он всегда шел в один конец пешком). "One way (в один конец)?"

"I mean when I'm calling on a girl—or someone (я имею в виду, когда я заглядываю к девушке — или кому-нибудь)."

He hadn't, of course, known that she would be in (он не знал, конечно, что она будет она дома), that her play was not on that night in the Josefstadt (что ее пьеса не игралась той ночью в Йозефштадте), or perhaps he had memorised that too from the posters (или, возможно, он запомнил это тоже из /ркламных/ плакатов). In at any rate she was (дома как бы то ни было: «по любой мере» она была), if you could really call it being in (если вы могли бы действительно назвать это быть дома), sitting alone in an unheated room (сидеть одной в нетопленной комнате), with the bed disguised as divan (с кроватью, замаскированной под тахту; as — как, в качестве), and the typewritten part (и /при том, что/ отпечатанная на машинке роль) lying open at the first page on the inadequate too fancy topply table (лежит, открытая на первой странице, на неподходящем, слишком вычурном, валком столике; fancy — причудливый, необычный, прихотливый, ср.: fancy dress — необычное платье; to topple — валиться, падать /головой вниз/; опрокидывать/ся/) because her thoughts were so far from being "in." (потому что ее мысли были так далеко от того, чтобы быть «внутри») He said awkwardly (он сказал неловко) (and nobody could have said, not even Rollo (и никто не мог бы сказать, даже сам Ролло), how much his awkwardness was part of his technique (насколько его неловкость была частью его техники): "I thought I'd just look in and look you up (я подумал, что я просто загляну и навещу тебя; to look up — навестить). You see, I was passing (видишь ли, я проходил мимо)..."

 

Diana [daI'xnq], canal [kq'nxl], destroy [dI'strOI], bath [bRT], stationary ['steISnqrI], wounded /завитый спиралью/ ['waundId], patrol [pq'trqul], climb ['klaIm], memorise ['mem(q)raIz], disguise [dIs'gaIz], inadequate [In'xdIkwIt], awkward ['O:kwqd]

 

IT WAS NEARLY dark when Martins made his way along the banks of the canal: across the water lay the half destroyed Diana baths and in the distance the great black circle of the Prater Wheel, stationary above the ruined houses. Over there across the grey water was the second bezirk in Russian ownership. St. Stefanskirche shot its enormous wounded spire into the sky above the Inner City, and coming up the Kartnerstrasse Martins passed the lit door of the Military Police station. The four men of the International Patrol were climbing into their jeep; the Russian M.P. sat beside the driver (for the Russians had that day taken over the chair for the next four weeks) and the Englishman, the Frenchman and the American mounted behind. The third stiff whisky fumed into Martins' brain, and he remembered the girl in Amsterdam, the girl in Paris: loneliness moved along the crowded pavement at his side. He passed the corner of the street where Sacher's lay and went on. Rollo was in control and moved towards the only girl he knew in Vienna.

I asked him how he knew where she lived. Oh, he said, he'd looked up the address she had given him the night before, in bed, studying a map. He wanted to know his way about, and he was good with maps.

He could memorise turnings and street names easily because he always went one way on foot. "One way?"

"I mean when I'm calling on a girl—or someone."

He hadn't, of course, known that she would be in, that her play was not on that night in the Josefstadt, or perhaps he had memorised that too from the posters. In at any rate she was, if you could really call it being in, sitting alone in an unheated room, with the bed disguised as divan, and the typewritten part lying open at the first page on the inadequate too fancy topply table because her thoughts were so far from being "in." He said awkwardly (and nobody could have said, not even Rollo, how much his awkwardness was part of his technique): "I thought I'd just look in and look you up. You see, I was passing..."

 

"Passing (проходил)? Where to (куда)?" It had been a good half an hour's walk from the Inner City to the rim of the English zone (это была добрая получасовая прогулка от внутреннего города = от центра города к краю английской зоны), but he always had a reply (но у него всегда был ответ /наготове/). "I had too much whisky with Cooler (я выпил слишком много виски с Кулером). I needed a walk (я нуждался в прогулке) and I just happened to find myself this way (и я просто случился оказаться: «найти меня самого» здесь = случайно оказался здесь)."

"I can't give you a drink here (я здесь не могу дать вам выпить: «напиток»). Except tea (кроме чая). There's some of that packet left (немного осталось из того пакета)."

"No, no thank you (нет, нет, спасибо)." He said, "You are busy (вы заняты)," looking at the script (поглядев на сценарий).

"I didn't get beyond the first line (я не добралась дальше первой строчки)."

He picked it up and read (он поднял его /сценарий/ и прочитал): "Enter Louise (входит Луиза). Louise: I heard a child crying (я слышала плачущего ребенка)."

"Can I stay a little (могу я остаться немного)?" he asked with a gentleness that was more Martins than Rollo (спросил он с мягкостью которая была больше Мартинс, чем Ролло).

"I wish you would (я хотела бы: «желаю», чтобы вы остались)." He slumped down on the divan (он тяжело опустился вниз на тахту; to slump — проваливаться /в болото, трясину/; шлепаться в воду; тяжело, неуклюже двигаться), and he told me a long time later (и он рассказал мне много позже) (for lovers talk and reconstruct the smallest details if they can find a listener (ибо влюбленные говорят и восстанавливают мельчайшие детали, если они могут найти слушателя) that there it was he took his second real look at her (что именно тут он посмотрел на нее второй раз: «взял свой второй настоящий взгляд на нее»). She stood there as awkward as himself (она стояла там такая же неловкая, как он сам) in a pair of old flannel trousers which had been patched badly in the seat (в паре старых фланелевых штанов, которые были заплатаны ужасно = много раз сзади; seat — седалище, зад; задняя часть, зад): she stood with her legs firmly straddled as though she were opposing someone and was determined to hold her ground (она стояла, с ногами прочно поставленными, как будто она противостояла кому-то и была полна решимости настоять на своем: «держать свою землю/территорию»; to straddle — сидеть, стоять или ходить, широко расставляя ноги)—a small rather stocky figure (маленькая, довольно приземистая фигура) with any grace she had folded and put away for use professionally (с какой-либо грацией = и какая бы ни была у нее грация, она /ее/ свернула и положила прочь для профессионального использования = без какой-либо грации, которую она, видимо…).

"One of those bad days (один из плохих = неудачных дней)?" he asked.

"It's always bad about this time (всегда /бывает/ плохо в это время)." She explained (она объяснила): "He used to look in (он часто заглядывал/заходил ко мне), and when I heard your ring, just for a moment, I thought (и когда я услышала ваш звонок, только на мгновение, я подумала)..." She sat down on a hard chair opposite him and said (она села вниз на жесткий стул напротив него и сказала), "Please talk (пожалуйста, говорите). You knew him (вы знали его). Just tell me anything (просто расскажит мне что угодно)."

And so he talked (и он говорил/рассказывал). The sky blackened outside the window while he talked (небо за окном почернело, пока он говорил). He noticed after a while that their hands had met (он заметил после недолгого времени, что их руки встретились). He said to me (он сказал мне), "I never meant to fall in love (я никогда = вовсе не собирался влюбиться: «впасть в любовь»), not with Harry's girl (не в девушку Гарри)."

"When did it happen (когда это случилось)?" I asked him (спросил я его).

"It was very cold and I got up to close the window curtains (было очень холодно, и я встал, чтобы закрыть оконные занавески; to get up — встать). I only noticed my hand was on hers when I took it away (я только тогда заметил, что моя рука была на ее руке, когда я отнял/убрал ее: «взял ее прочь»). As I stood up I looked down at her face (когда я встал, я посмотрел вниз на ее лицо; to stand up — встать) and she was looking up (а она смотрела вверх/подняла взгляд). It wasn't a beautiful face (это не было красивое лицо)—that was the trouble (вот в чем была проблема). It was a face to live with (это было лицо, с которым /можно было/ жить), day in, day out (изо дня в день: «день внутрь, день наружу»). A face for wear (лицо для нóски; to wear — носить /одежду/). I felt as though I'd come into a new country (я почувствовал так, словно я приехал в новую страну) where I couldn't speak the language (где я не мог говорить на языке /этой страны/). I had always thought it was beauty one loved in a woman (я всегда думал, что в женщине любишь/любят именно красоту). I stood there at the curtains, waiting to pull them, looking out (я стоял там у занавесок, ожидая потянуть их, смотря наружу). I couldn't see anything but my own face (я не мог видеть чего-либо, кроме моего собственного лица), looking back into the room (смотрящего назад в комнату), looking for her (ищущего ее; to look for — искать). She said, 'And what did Harry do that time (а что сделал Гарри сделать в тот раз)?' and I wanted to say (и я хотел сказать), 'Damn Harry (к черту Гарри; to damn — проклинать). He's dead (он мертв). We both loved him, but he's dead (мы оба любили его, но он мертв). The dead are made to be forgotten (мертвецы сделаны = предназначены, чтобы быть забытыми = мертвецы на то и мертвецы, чтобы их забывать; to forget — забывать).' Instead of course all I said was (вместо этого, конечно, все, что я сказал, было), What do you think (что вы думаете)? He just whistled his old tune (он просто просвистел свою старую мелодию) as if nothing was the matter (как ни в чем не бывало; matter — вещество; материя; сущность; содержание; тема, вопрос, предмет /обсуждения и т. п./; вопрос, дело),' and I whistled it to her as well as I could (и я просвистел ее ей так хорошо, как я мог). I heard her catch her breath (я услышал, как она затаила дыхание: «я услышал ее поймать дыхание»), and I looked round and before I could think (и я оглянулся, и прежде чем я мог подумать) is this the right way (правильный это путь/способ), the right card (правильная ли карта), the right gambit (правильный ли гамбит)?—I'd already said (я уже сказал), 'He's dead (он мертв). You can't go on remembering him for ever (вы не можете продолжать помнить/вспоминать его всегда/постоянно; for ever — навсегда, навечно; беспрестанно).'"

 

reply [rI'plaI], busy ['bIzI], divan [dI'vxn], detail ['di:teIl], trousers ['trauzqz], oppose [q'pquz], determin [dI'tq:mIn]

 

"Passing? Where to?" It had been a good half an hour's walk from the Inner City to the rim of the English zone, but he always had a reply. "I had too much whisky with Cooler. I needed a walk and I just happened to find myself this way."

"I can't give you a drink here. Except tea. There's some of that packet left."

"No, no thank you." He said, "You are busy," looking at the script.

"I didn't get beyond the first line."

He picked if up and read: "Enter Louise. Louise: I heard a child crying."

"Can I stay a little?" he asked with a gentleness that was more Martins than Rollo.

"I wish you would." He slumped down on the divan, and he told me a long time later (for lovers talk and reconstruct the smallest details if they can find a listener) that there it was he took his second real look at her. She stood there as awkward as himself in a pair of old flannel trousers which had been patched badly in the seat: she stood with her legs firmly straddled as though she were opposing someone and was determined to hold her ground—a small rather stocky figure with any grace she had folded and put away for use professionally.

"One of those bad days?" he asked.

"It's always bad about this time." She explained: "He used to look in, and when I heard your ring, just for a moment, I thought..." She sat down on a hard chair opposite him and said, "Please talk. You knew him. Just tell me anything."

And so he talked. The sky blackened outside the window while he talked. He noticed after a while that their hands had met. He said to me, "I never meant to fall in love, not with Harry's girl."

"When did it happen?" I asked him.

"It was very cold and I got up to close the window curtains. I only noticed my hand was on hers when I took it away. As I stood up I looked down at her face and she was looking up. It wasn't a beautiful face—that was the trouble. It was a face to live with, day in, day out. A face for wear. I felt as though I'd come into a new country where I couldn't speak the language. I had always thought it was beauty one loved in a woman. I stood there at the curtains, waiting to pull them, looking out. I couldn't see anything but my own face, looking back into the room, looking for her. She said, 'And what did Harry do that time?' and I wanted to say, 'Damn Harry. He's dead. We both loved him, but he's dead. The dead are made to be forgotten.' Instead of course all I said was, What do you think? He just whistled his old tune as if nothing was the matter,' and I whistled it to her as well as I could. I heard her catch her breath, and I looked round and before I could think is this the right way, the right card, the right gambit?—I'd already said, 'He's dead. You can't go on remembering him for ever.'"

 

She said, "I know (я знаю), but perhaps something will happen first (но, возможно, что-то случится прежде)."

"What do you mean (что вы имеете в виду)—something happen (что-то может случиться)?"

"Oh, I mean (о, я имею в виду), perhaps there'll be another way (возможно, будет другой путь), or I’ll die (или я умру), or something (или что-то /еще/)."

"You'll forget him in time (вы забудете его cо временем). You'll fall in love again (вы полюбите снова)."

"I know, but I don't want to (я знаю, но я не хочу). Don't you see I don't want to (разве вы не видите, что я не хочу)."

So Rollo Martins came back from the window (так что Ролло Мартинс отошел от окна) and sat down on the divan again (и снова сел на тахту). When he had risen half a minute before (когда он поднимался за полминуты до этого; to rise — вставать, подниматься) he had been the friend of Harry comforting Harry's girl (он был другом Гарри, утешающим девушку Гарри): now he was a man in love with Anna Schmidt (теперь он был мужчиной, влюбленным в Анну Шмидт) who had been in love with a man (которая /раньше/ была влюблена в человека) they had both once known called Harry Lime (которого они оба когда-то знали, по имени Гарри Лайм). He didn't speak again that evening about the past (он не говорил снова тем вечером о прошлом). Instead he began to tell her of the people he had seen (вместо этого он начал рассказывать ей о людях, которых он повидал = с которыми он повстречался). "I can believe anything of Winkler (я могу поверить чему угодно о Винклере)," he told her (сказал он ей), "but Cooler—I liked Cooler (но Кулер — мне понравился Кулер). He was the only one of his friends (он был единственным из его друзей) who stood up for Harry (который защищал Гарри).The trouble is (проблема в том), if Cooler's right (если Кулер прав), then Koch is wrong (тогда неправ Кох), and I really thought I had something there (а я действительно думал, что я что-то узнал там)."

"Who's Koch (кто такой Кох)?"

He explained how he had returned to Harry's flat (он объяснил, как он вернулся в квартиру Гарри) and he described his interview with Koch (и описал свою беседу с Кохом), the story of the third man (историю третьего человека).

"If it's true (если это правда)," she said, "it's very important (/то/ это очень важно)."

"It doesn't prove anything (это не доказывает чего-либо). After all (в конце концов: «после всего»), Koch backed out of the inquest (Кох вышел: «отступил назад» из расследования), so might this stranger (так мог /сделать и/ этот незнакомец)."

"That's not the point (это не есть /главный/ смысл = не в этом дело)," she said. "It means that they lied (это значит,что они лгали). Kurtz and Cooler (Куртц и Кулер)."

"They might have lied so as not to inconvenience this fellow (они могли солгать так, чтобы не причинить неудобство этому парню)—if he was a friend (если он был друг)."

"Yet another friend (еще один друг)—on the spot (немедленно: «на месте»). And where's your Cooler's honesty then (а где тогда честность твоего Кулера)?"

"What do we do (что мы собираемся делать)? He clamped down like an oyster and turned me out of his flat (он заперся, как устрица, и выставил меня из своей квартиры; clamp — зажим; to turn out — выгнать: «повернуть/вывернуть наружу»)."

"He won't turn me out (он не выгонит меня)," she said, "or his Ilse won't (или его Илзе не сделает /этого/)."

They walked up the long road to the flat together (они шли по длинной дороге к квартире вместе): the snow clogged on their shoes (снег прилип на их ботинки; to clog — затруднять движение, задерживать, препятствовать, обременять) and made them move slowly like convicts weighed down by irons (и заставил их двигаться медленно, как каторжан, отягощенных оковами; to make — делать; побуждать, заставлять). Anna Schmidt said, "Is it far (это далеко)?"

"Not very far now (не очень далеко теперь). Do you see that knot of people up the road (ты видишь эту группу: «узел» людей впереди на дороге)? It's somewhere about there (это где-то там)." The group of people up the road was like a splash of ink on the whiteness (группа людей впереди на дороге была как клякса чернил на белизне; splash — брызганье; всплеск, плеск; брызги; пятно; to splash — забрызгивать; брызгать, плескать) that flowed, changed shape, spread out (которая текла, меняла форму, расширялась; to spread out — расширяться: «простираться наружу»). When they came a little nearer Martins said (когда они подошли немного ближе, Мартинс сказал), "I think that is his block (я думаю, это его квартал; block — колода, чурбан; блок; глыба; квартал /города/; жилищный массив; многоквартирный дом). What do you suppose this is (что, как ты предполаешь, это такое = что это, по-твоему), a political demonstration (политическая демонстрация)?"

 

comfort ['kAmfqt], important [Im'pO:t(q)nt], inconvenience [Inkqn'vi:nIqns], spread [spred], suppose [sq'pquz], political [pq'lItIk(q)l]

 

She said, "I know, but perhaps something will happen first."

"What do you mean—something happen?"

"Oh, I mean, perhaps there'll be another way, or I’ll die, or something."

"You'll forget him in time. You'll fall in love again."

"I know, but I don't want to. Don't you see I don't want to."

So Rollo Martins came back from the window and sat down on the divan again. When he had risen half a minute before he had been the friend of Harry comforting Harry's girl: now he was a man in love with Anna Schmidt who had been in love with a man they had both once known called Harry Lime. He didn't speak again that evening about the past. Instead he began to tell her of the people he had seen. "I can believe anything of Winkler," he told her, "but Cooler—I liked Cooler. He was the only one of his friends who stood up for Harry. The trouble is, if Cooler's right, then Koch is wrong, and I really thought I had something there."