In the hall a cupboard door stood open (в прихожей шкафа дверь стояла открытая), and

Martins saw Mr. Kurtz's overcoat, his raincoat (и Мартинс увидел мистера Куртца пальто,

плащ), a couple of soft hats (пару мягких шляп) and hanging sedately on a peg like a wrap (и

висящий спокойно на колышке как платок), Mr. Kurtz's toupee (мистера Куртца хохол). He

said (он сказал), "I'm glad to see your hair has grown (я рад видеть (что) ваши волосы

отросли)," and was astonished (и был поражен), in the mirror on the cupboard door (в зеркале

на дверце шкафа), to see the hatred flame and blush on Mr. Kurtz's face (увидеть как

ненависть полыхает и рдеет на лице мистера Куртца). When he turned Mr. Kurtz smiled at

him like a conspirator (когда он обернулся, мистер Куртц улыбнулся ему как конспиратор)

and said vaguely (и сказал туманно): "It keeps the head warm (он хранит голову теплой)."

"Whose head (чью голову)?" Martins asked (Мартинс спросил), for it had suddenly occurred

to him (ибо внезапно ему пришло в голову) how useful that toupee might have been on the

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day of the accident (как полезен этот хохол мог быть в день несчастного случая). "Never

mind (не беспокойтесь)," he went quickly on (он продолжил быстро), for his errand was not

with Mr. Kurtz (ибо его задача была не с мистером Куртцем; errand — поручение, задание,

дело). "I'm here to see Harry (я здесь чтобы увидеть Гарри)."

laissez-passer [leı`seı-pə`seı], extraordinarily [ıks`tro:dnrılı], sedately [sı`deıtlı]

SUNDAY HAD laid its false peace over Vienna: the wind had dropped and no snow had fallen

for twenty-four hours. All the morning trams had been full, going out to Grinzing where the

young wine was drunk and to the slopes of snow on the hills outside. Walking over the canal by

the makeshift military bridge, Martins was aware of the emptiness of the afternoon: the young

were out with their toboggans and their skis, and all around him was the after-dinner sleep of

age. A notice-board told him that he was entering the Russian zone, but there were no signs of

occupation. You saw more Russian soldiers in the Inner City than here.

Deliberately he had given Mr. Kurtz no warning of his visit. Better to find him out than a

reception prepared for him. He was careful to carry with him all his papers, including the laissez-

passer of the four powers that on the face of it allowed him to move freely through all the zones

of Vienna. It was extraordinarily quiet over here on the other side of the canal, and a

melodramatic journalist had painted a picture of silent terror: but the truth was simply the wide

streets, the greater shell damage, the fewer people—and Sunday afternoon. There was nothing to

fear, but all the same in this huge empty street where all the time you heard your own feet

moving, it was difficult not to look behind.

He had no difficulty in finding Mr. Kurtz's block, and when he rang the bell the door was opened

quickly, as though Mr. Kurtz expected a visitor, by Mr. Kurtz himself.

"Oh," Mr. Kurtz said, "it's you, Rollo," and made a perplexed motion with his hand to the back

of his head. Martins had been wondering why he looked so different, and now he knew. Mr.

Kurtz was not wearing the toupee, and yet his head was not bald. He had a perfectly normal head

of hair cut close. He said, "It would have been better to have telephoned to me: you nearly

missed me: I was going out." "May I come in a moment?"

"Of course."

In the hall a cupboard door stood open, and Martins saw Mr. Kurtz's overcoat, his raincoat, a

couple of soft hats and hanging sedately on a peg like a wrap, Mr. Kurtz's toupee. He said, "I'm

glad to see your hair has grown," and was astonished, in the mirror on the cupboard door, to see

the hatred flame and blush on Mr. Kurtz's face. When he turned Mr. Kurtz smiled at him like a

conspirator and said vaguely: "It keeps the head warm."

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167

"Whose head?" Martins asked, for it had suddenly occurred to him how useful that toupee might

have been on the day of the accident. "Never mind," he went quickly on, for his errand was not

with Mr. Kurtz. "I'm here to see Harry."

"Harry (Гарри)?"

"I want to talk to him (я хочу поговорить с ним)."

"Are you mad (вы сумасшедший)?"

"I'm in a hurry (я есть в спешке = спешу), so let's assume that I am (так что давайте примем

что я есть (сумасшедший)). Just make a note of my madness (просто заметьте: «сделайте

заметку о» моем безумии). If you should see Harry (если вы бы увидели Гарри)—or his

ghost (или его дух (привидение))—let him know that I want to talk to him (дайте ему знать

что я хочу поговорить с ним). A ghost isn't afraid of a man (привидение не боится человека),