The Old Curiosity Shop / Лавка древностей

15

The sun was setting when they reached the wicket-gate[36 - wicket-gate – калитка] at which the path began. The church was old and grey, with ivy clinging to the walls, and round the porch. The old man and the child passed behind the church, and they heard voices near.

Two men were seated upon the grass. It was not difficult to divine that they were showmen exhibitors[37 - showmen exhibitors – бродячие комедианты] of the freaks of Punch[38 - Punch – Панч (персонаж английского народного театра кукол, гуляка, плут, весельчак и драчун)].

The men raised their eyes when the old man and his young companion were close upon them, and pausing in their work, returned their looks of curiosity. One of them was a little merry-faced man with a twinkling eye and a red nose. The other that was he who took the money had rather a careful and cautious look.

The merry man was the first to greet the strangers with a nod. He observed that perhaps that was the first time the old man had ever seen a Punch off the stage[39 - off the stage – вне сцены].

“Why did you come here?” said the old man, sitting down beside them, and looking at the figures with extreme delight.

“You see,” rejoined the little man, “we need to repair our puppets.”

“Good!” said the old man, touching one of the puppets, and drawing away his hand with a shrill laugh.

“That is the intention, sir,” replied the other, “and Tommy Codlin[40 - Tommy Codlin – Томми Кодлин] is calculating at this minute how much we’re going to get tonight.”

The little man accompanied these latter words with a wink.

To this Mr. Codlin, who had a surly, grumbling manner, replied: “Look here; here’s all this Judy’s[41 - Judy – Джуди (персонаж английского народного театра кукол, жена Панча)] clothes falling to pieces again.

The little man shook his head. Seeing that they were at a loss, the child said timidly: “I have a needle, sir, in my basket, and thread too. Will you let me try to mend it for you? I think I could do it neater than you could.”

Mr. Codlin had nothing to urge against this proposal.