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E-Books (english-e-reader), An Adventure at Brownville (2)

An Adventure at Brownville (2)

"But this is crazy," I said. "I'm sure that you're in danger. I must tell the police."

Eva woke up a little when she heard this. Her expression changed. She became cold and polite.

"This is my business, not yours," she said.

"But your sister died here-in Brownville," I said. "And she died suddenly. Now you are in danger. The people of Brownville might be in danger too. You must tell me what happened. Didn't you love your sister?"

"Yes, I loved her," said Eva. "But I love him more. Do you think that the police will believe you? You heard a secret conversation. If you talk about it, I'll say that your words are lies. No one will believe your story."

Suddenly she smiled. It was a beautiful, sweet smile. I could not believe her words. They were so hard and cold.

Eva held my hand tightly. "Come with me," she said. "We'll walk together. He will be away all night. He won't know that you've been with me. We'll walk and talk. And you'll forget what you've seen and heard. You'll forget about us."

Truly, I did not know the ways of women then. I was happy to walk in the garden with Eva Maynard. I was a little in love with this beautiful young woman. We talked about the people of Brownville. And we talked about their love of gossip. I did not want to go to my bed.

Before I said goodnight, I asked Eva to walk with me the next day.

"There's an old mill on the top of the hill. Will you walk there with me tomorrow afternoon? We can enjoy the fine views from the mill."

"If he's not here, yes. I'll walk there with you," said Eva.

I went to bed feeling happy. I smiled happily as I fell asleep. The next morning, I awoke feeling even happier.

"Today is going to be a special day," I thought.

Eva was not in the dining-room at lunchtime. Maybe I had hoped for too much. I am only a school teacher in a small town. And I am not very rich, or very handsome. But I was not disappointed. Eva came into the garden. Benning must have gone away! I was the happiest man in the world!

Eva said nothing as I followed her up the path to the old mill. She knew the way there because she had walked to the mill many times with her guardian.

Eva and I did not have a conversation, but she sang songs. She sang happy and sad songs. Her feelings changed as quickly as clouds pass across the sky. One minute-sunshine. The next minute-shadow. I was happy to be with her, whatever she felt. She walked and I followed.

When we came to the mill, she did not stop walking. She crossed an old wooden bridge and took the path up the high hill. It was the path to a place called the Eagle's Nest. This was where the path ended, on a cliff high above the forest. The view from Eagle's Nest was beautiful.

I was a little afraid. The view was fine, but I did not like to go near the edge of the cliff. The ground was more than two hundred feet below us. But Eva stood on the cliff's edge and looked up, not down.

Suddenly I heard footsteps, and Richard Benning came and stood beside us.

"I saw you walking on the path," he said carelessly, "so I came up too."

Eva turned toward us. She still stood on the edge of the cliff. Her eyes were shining and she was smiling. There was a look of love on her face.

"I'm so glad that you came," she said.

She was staring at Benning. Her loving expression showed that she was telling the truth. But then I saw something else in her expression.

Eva's mouth was smiling, but suddenly there was fear in her eyes. She looked like a frightened animal. With a smile on her lips and fear in her eyes, Eva stepped backward. She fell over the edge of the cliff to the ground below.

Benning and I ran down the path to the bottom of the cliff. He got there before me.

I did not want to look at Eva's body. Beautiful Eva was no longer beautiful. Benning looked at her carefully but he did not touch her.

"She's dead, quite dead," he said. "I'll go to the town and get a police officer. Please stay here with the body."

I did not know what to say. I was shocked.

Benning started to walk toward Brownville. Then he turned and looked at me.

You saw what happened," he said carelessly. "It was an accident. Eva killed herself. I saw her step off the edge of the cliff and you saw it too."

"You're a killer!" I said. "You're a damned killer! You didn't touch her, but I know that you killed her."

Benning turned his back toward me and walked away. As he walked through the forest, I heard him singing. He was singing a song from Verdi's opera, Rigoletto.

"La donna e mobile..."

- THE END -

An Adventure at Brownville (2) Ein Abenteuer in Brownville (2) Una aventura en Brownville (2) Une aventure à Brownville (2) ブラウンビルでの冒険(2) 브라운빌에서의 모험 (2) Приключение в Браунвилле (2)

"But this is crazy," I said. 「しかし、これはクレイジーだ」と私は言った。 "I'm sure that you're in danger. I must tell the police."

Eva woke up a little when she heard this. エヴァはこれを聞いて少し目が覚めました。 Єва трохи прокинулася, коли почула це. Her expression changed. 彼女の表情が変わった。 She became cold and polite. 彼女は冷たく礼儀正しくなりました。

"This is my business, not yours," she said. 「これは私のビジネスであり、あなたのビジネスではありません」と彼女は言いました。

"But your sister died here-in Brownville," I said. 「しかし、あなたの妹はここ、ブラウンビルで亡くなりました」と私は言った。 "And she died suddenly. Now you are in danger. The people of Brownville might be in danger too. ブラウンビルの人々も危険にさらされている可能性があります。 You must tell me what happened. 何が起こったのか教えてください。 Didn't you love your sister?" 妹が好きじゃなかったの?」

"Yes, I loved her," said Eva. "But I love him more. 「しかし、私は彼をもっと愛しています。 Do you think that the police will believe you? 警察はあなたを信じると思いますか? You heard a secret conversation. あなたは秘密の会話を聞いた。 If you talk about it, I'll say that your words are lies. あなたがそれについて話すならば、私はあなたの言葉が嘘であると言うでしょう。 No one will believe your story."

Suddenly she smiled. It was a beautiful, sweet smile. I could not believe her words. They were so hard and cold.

Eva held my hand tightly. "Come with me," she said. "We'll walk together. He will be away all night. 彼は一晩中不在になります。 He won't know that you've been with me. 彼はあなたが私と一緒にいたことを知りません。 We'll walk and talk. 歩いて話をします。 And you'll forget what you've seen and heard. You'll forget about us." Ти забудеш про нас".

Truly, I did not know the ways of women then. 本当に、当時の女性のやり方は知りませんでした。 I was happy to walk in the garden with Eva Maynard. I was a little in love with this beautiful young woman. 私はこの美しい若い女性に少し恋をしていました。 We talked about the people of Brownville. And we talked about their love of gossip. そして、私たちは彼らのゴシップへの愛について話しました。 I did not want to go to my bed. 私は自分のベッドに行きたくありませんでした。

Before I said goodnight, I asked Eva to walk with me the next day. おやすみなさいと言う前に、翌日エヴァに一緒に歩くように頼んだ。

"There's an old mill on the top of the hill. 「丘の上に古い工場があります。 Will you walk there with me tomorrow afternoon? We can enjoy the fine views from the mill."

"If he's not here, yes. 「彼がここにいないのなら、そうです。 "Якщо його тут немає, то так. I'll walk there with you," said Eva. 私はあなたと一緒にそこを歩きます」とエヴァは言いました。 Я піду туди з тобою, - сказала Єва.

I went to bed feeling happy. I smiled happily as I fell asleep. 眠りについたとき、私は幸せそうに笑った。 The next morning, I awoke feeling even happier. 翌朝、私はさらに幸せな気持ちで目が覚めました。

"Today is going to be a special day," I thought.

Eva was not in the dining-room at lunchtime. エヴァは昼食時に食堂にいませんでした。 Maybe I had hoped for too much. 多分私はあまりにも多くを望んでいました。 Можливо, я сподівався на занадто багато. I am only a school teacher in a small town. And I am not very rich, or very handsome. But I was not disappointed. Eva came into the garden. Benning must have gone away! ベニングは去ったに違いない! Беннінг, мабуть, пішов! I was the happiest man in the world!

Eva said nothing as I followed her up the path to the old mill. 私が古い工場への道をたどったとき、エヴァは何も言わなかった。 She knew the way there because she had walked to the mill many times with her guardian.

Eva and I did not have a conversation, but she sang songs. She sang happy and sad songs. 彼女は幸せで悲しい歌を歌いました。 Her feelings changed as quickly as clouds pass across the sky. 雲が空を横切るとすぐに彼女の気持ちは変わりました。 One minute-sunshine. 1分-日差し。 The next minute-shadow. 次の分-影。 I was happy to be with her, whatever she felt. 彼女が何を感じても、私は彼女と一緒にいて幸せでした。 She walked and I followed. 彼女は歩き、私は続いた。

When we came to the mill, she did not stop walking. 私たちが工場に来たとき、彼女は歩き続けました。 She crossed an old wooden bridge and took the path up the high hill. 彼女は古い木製の橋を渡り、高い丘を登りました。 It was the path to a place called the Eagle's Nest. それはイーグルズネストと呼ばれる場所への道でした。 This was where the path ended, on a cliff high above the forest. これは、森の上の高い崖の上で、小道が終わった場所でした。 The view from Eagle's Nest was beautiful.

I was a little afraid. The view was fine, but I did not like to go near the edge of the cliff. 眺めは良かったのですが、崖の端に近づくのは好きではありませんでした。 The ground was more than two hundred feet below us. 地面は私たちの200フィート以上下にありました。 But Eva stood on the cliff's edge and looked up, not down. しかし、エヴァは崖の端に立って、下ではなく上を見上げました。

Suddenly I heard footsteps, and Richard Benning came and stood beside us. 突然足音が聞こえ、リチャード・ベニングが来て私たちのそばに立った。

"I saw you walking on the path," he said carelessly, "so I came up too." 「あなたが道を歩いているのを見た。だから私もやってきた」と彼は不注意に言った。

Eva turned toward us. She still stood on the edge of the cliff. Her eyes were shining and she was smiling. 彼女の目は輝いていて、彼女は笑っていました。 There was a look of love on her face. 彼女の顔には愛の表情があった。

"I'm so glad that you came," she said.

She was staring at Benning. Her loving expression showed that she was telling the truth. But then I saw something else in her expression. しかし、それから私は彼女の表現に何か他のものを見ました。

Eva's mouth was smiling, but suddenly there was fear in her eyes. エヴァの口は微笑んでいたが、突然彼女の目に恐怖が生じた。 She looked like a frightened animal. 彼女はおびえた動物のように見えた。 With a smile on her lips and fear in her eyes, Eva stepped backward. 彼女の唇に微笑み、彼女の目に恐怖を感じて、エヴァは後ろに下がった。 She fell over the edge of the cliff to the ground below. 彼女は崖の端から下の地面に倒れました。

Benning and I ran down the path to the bottom of the cliff. He got there before me. 彼は私の前に着いた。

I did not want to look at Eva's body. 私はエヴァの死体を見たくありませんでした。 Beautiful Eva was no longer beautiful. Benning looked at her carefully but he did not touch her.

"She's dead, quite dead," he said. "I'll go to the town and get a police officer. Please stay here with the body."

I did not know what to say. I was shocked.

Benning started to walk toward Brownville. Then he turned and looked at me.

You saw what happened," he said carelessly. "It was an accident. Eva killed herself. I saw her step off the edge of the cliff and you saw it too." 彼女が崖の端から降りるのを見ました、そしてあなたもそれを見ました。」

"You're a killer!" 「あなたはキラーだ!」 I said. "You're a damned killer! 「あなたはひどい殺人者だ! You didn't touch her, but I know that you killed her." あなたは彼女に触れなかったが、あなたが彼女を殺したことを私は知っている。」

Benning turned his back toward me and walked away. ベニングは私に背を向けて立ち去った。 As he walked through the forest, I heard him singing. He was singing a song from Verdi's opera, Rigoletto.

"La donna e mobile..." "La donna e mobile..."

- THE END -