Большие надежды. Уровень 2 / Great Expectations

It was fastened over her figure behind with two loops.

Joe’s forge adjoined our house, which was a wooden house. When I ran home from the churchyard, the forge was shut up. Joe was sitting alone in the kitchen. Joe and I were fellow-sufferers[5 - fellow-sufferers – товарищи по несчастью]. I raised the latch of the door and peeped in at him.

“Mrs. Joe is looking for you, Pip. And she’s out now.”

“Is she? How long, Joe?”

“Well,” said Joe, “about five minutes, Pip.

I took the advice. My sister came in.

“Where did you go, you young monkey?” asked she.

“I went to the churchyard,” said I.

I was crying and rubbing myself.

“Churchyard!” repeated my sister. “Churchyard, indeed! You’ll drive me to the churchyard, one of these days!”

My sister set the tea-things. She cut some bread and butter for us. But, though I was hungry, I dared not eat my slice.

It was Christmas Eve. My sister told me to stir the pudding for next day, with a copper-stick, from seven to eight. I decided to steal some food afterwards and bring it to my new “friend”. Suddenly I heard shots.

“Hark!” said I; “is it a gun, Joe?”

“Ah!” said Joe. “A convict ran away.”

“What does that mean, Joe?” said I.

Mrs. Joe said, snappishly, “Escaped.”

I asked Joe, “What’s a convict?”

“A criminal. That convict ran away last night,” said Joe, aloud, “after sunset. And they fired. They are warning of him. And now it appears they’re firing again because they are warning of another.”

“Who’s firing?” said I.

“Ask no silly questions,” interposed my sister, “what a questioner he is!”

It was not very polite, I thought. But she never was polite unless there was company.

“Mrs. Joe,” said I, “please tell me, where is the firing coming from?[7 - where is the firing coming from? – откуда доносятся выстрелы?]”

“Lord bless the boy![8 - Lord bless the boy! – Наказание с этим мальчишкой!]” exclaimed my sister. “From the Hulks!”

“Oh-h!” said I, looking at Joe. “Hulks!”

“And please, what’s Hulks?” said I.