Crooked House / Скрюченный домишко. Книга для чтения на английском языке

Hell of a case just unfolding.’

I leaned back[22 - to lean back – откинуться] in my chair and lit a cigarette.

�Aristide Leonidews?’ I asked.

His brows came down quickly over his eyes. He shot me a quick appraising glance. His voice was polite and steely.

�Now what makes you say that, Charles?’

�I’m right then?’

�How did you know about this?’

�Information received.’

The Old Man waited.

�My information,’ I said, �came from the stable[23 - from the stable – из первых рук] itself.

�Come on, Charles, let’s have it[24 - let's have it (разг.)– говори же].’

�You mayn’t like it,’ I said. I met Sophia Leonides out in Cairo. I fell in love with her. I’m going to marry her. I met her tonight. She dined with me.’

�Dined with you? In London? I wonder just how she managed to do that! The family was asked—oh, quite politely, to stay put[25 - to stay put – никуда не отлучаться].

�Quite so. She shinned down a pipe from the bathroom window.’

The Old Man’s lips twitched for a moment into a smile.

She seems,’ he said, �to be a young lady of some resource[26 - of resource – находчивый].’

�But your police force is fully efficient,’ I said. �A nice Army type tracked her to Mario’s. I shall figure in the reports you get. Five foot eleven, brown hair, brown eyes, dark-blue pin-stripe suit[27 - pin-stripe suit – костюм в узкую полоску], etc.

The Old Man looked at me hard.

�Is this—serious?’ he asked.

�Yes,’ I said. �It’s serious, Dad.’

There was a moment’s silence.

�Do you mind?’ I asked.

�I shouldn’t have minded—a week ago. They’re a well-established family—the girl will have money—and I know you. You don’t lose your head easily. As it is—’

�Yes, Dad?’

�It may be all right, if—’

�If what?’

�If the right person did it.

It was the second time that night I had heard that phrase. I began to be interested.

�Just who is the right person?’

He threw a sharp glance at me.

�How much do you know about it all?’

�Nothing.’

�Nothing?’ He looked surprised. �Didn’t the girl tell you?’

�No. She said she’d rather I saw it all—from an outside point of view.