CHAPTER VII. THE FIRST WARNING. CAPÍTULO VII. O PRIMEIRO AVISO.

For a day or two Jane Merrick seemed to improve in health. |||||||здавалося|||| Indeed, Martha Phibbs declared her mistress was better than she had been for weeks. Then, one night, the old attendant was awakened by a scream, and rushed to her mistress' side. ||||||||||||поспішив до|||| "What is it, ma'am?" she asked, tremblingly.

"My leg! I can't move my leg," gasped the mistress of Elmhurst. "Rub it, you old fool! Rub it till you drop, and see if you can bring back the life to it." Frottez-le jusqu'à ce que vous tombiez, et voyez si vous pouvez lui redonner vie." Martha rubbed, of course, but the task was useless. ||||||||марно Oscar the groom was sent on horseback for the nearest doctor, who came just as day was breaking. ||||||верхи||||||||||| Oscar, le marié, a été envoyé à cheval chercher le médecin le plus proche, qui est arrivé juste au moment où le jour se levait. He gave the old woman a brief examination and shook his head. |||||||огляд||||

"It's the first warning," said he; "but nothing to be frightened about. |||попередження|||||||| That is, for the present." "Is it paralysis?" ||параліч asked Jane Merrick.

"Yes; a slight stroke." "But I'll have another?" "Perhaps, in time." "How long?" "It may be a week—or a month—or a year. Sometimes there is never another stroke. |||||удар Don't worry, ma'am. Just lie still and be comfortable." "Huh!" grunted the old woman. прошипіла||| But she became more composed and obeyed the doctor's instructions with unwonted meekness. |||||||||||незвичайна покірність| Silas Watson arrived during the forenoon, and pressed her thin hand with real sympathy, for these two were friends despite the great difference in their temperaments.

"Shall I draw your will, Jane?" ||намалювати||| he asked.

"No!" she snapped. "I'm not going to die just yet, I assure you. I shall live to carry out my plans, Silas." She did live, and grew better as the days wore on, although she never recovered the use of the paralyzed limb. ||||||||||||||одужала|||||паралізованої|кінцівка Elle a survécu et s'est améliorée au fil des jours, bien qu'elle n'ait jamais retrouvé l'usage du membre paralysé.

Each day Phibbs drew the invalid chair to the porch and old James lifted it to the garden walk, where his mistress might enjoy the flowers he so carefully and skillfully tended. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||майстерно| They seldom spoke together, these two; yet there seemed a strange bond of sympathy between them. |||||||||||зв'язок||||

At last the first of July arrived, and Oscar was dispatched to the railway station, four miles distant, to meet Miss Elizabeth De Graf, the first of the nieces to appear in answer to Jane Merrick's invitation. |||||||||||||||||дистанції||||||||||||||||||| Beth looked very charming and fresh in her new gown, and she greeted her aunt with a calm graciousness that would have amazed the professor to behold. |||чарівно||||||сукня|||||||||||||||||побачити Beth avait l'air charmante et fraîche dans sa nouvelle robe, et elle accueillit sa tante avec un calme gracieux qui aurait étonné le professeur. She had observed carefully the grandeur and beauty of Elmhurst, as she drove through the grounds, and instantly decided the place was worth an effort to win. |||||величність|||||||||||||||||вартість||||

"So, this is Elizabeth, is it?" asked Aunt June, as the girl stood before her for inspection. demanda tante June, alors que la jeune fille se tenait devant elle pour être inspectée. "You may kiss me, child." Elizabeth advanced, striving to quell the antipathy she felt to kiss the stern featured, old woman, and touched her lips to the wrinkled forehead. |||||||||||||з виразними рисами||||||||||чоло Елізабет наблизилася, намагаючись придушити антипатію, яку відчувала до поцілунку суворої старої жінки, і торкнулася губами її зморшкуватого чола.

Jane Merrick laughed, a bit sneeringly, while Beth drew back, still composed, and looked at her relative enquiringly. ||||||||||||||||родич|

"Well, what do you think of me?" demanded Aunt Jane, as if embarrassed at the scrutiny she received. |||||сором'язливий|||пильна увага|| demanda tante Jane, comme si elle était gênée par l'examen minutieux dont elle faisait l'objet.

"Surely, it is too early to ask me that," replied Beth, gently. "I am going to try to like you, and my first sight of my new aunt leads me to hope I shall succeed." ||||||||||||||||приводить|||||| "Je vais essayer de vous aimer, et la première fois que j'ai vu ma nouvelle tante, j'ai espéré que je réussirai." "Why shouldn't you like me?" cried the old woman. "Why must you try to like your mother's sister?" Beth flushed. She had promised herself not to become angry or discomposed, whatever her aunt might say or do; but before she could control herself an indignant expression flashed across her face and Jane Merrick saw it. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||спалахнула||||||||

"There are reasons," said Beth, slowly, "why your name is seldom mentioned in my father's family. ||||||||||рідко||||| Until your letter came I scarcely knew I possessed an aunt. It was your desire we should become better acquainted, and I am here for that purpose. Vous souhaitiez que nous fassions plus ample connaissance, et je suis ici dans ce but. I hope we shall become friends, Aunt Jane, but until then, it is better we should not discuss the past." J'espère que nous deviendrons amies, tante Jane, mais en attendant, il vaut mieux que nous ne parlions pas du passé." The woman frowned. ||насупилася It was not difficult for her to read the character of the child before her, and she knew intuitively that Beth was strongly prejudiced against her, but was honestly trying not to allow that prejudice to influence her. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||упередження||| She decided to postpone further interrogations until another time. ||||додаткові||||

"Your journey has tired you," she said abruptly. |||||||різко "I'll have Misery show you to your room." ||Мізерія||||| She touched a bell beside her.

"I'm not tired, but I'll go to my room, if you please," answered Beth, who realized that she had in some way failed to make as favorable an impression as she had hoped. "Je ne suis pas fatiguée, mais je vais aller dans ma chambre, si vous voulez bien", répondit Beth, qui se rendait compte qu'elle n'avait pas réussi à faire une impression aussi favorable qu'elle l'avait espéré. "When may I see you again?" "When I send for you," snapped Aunt Jane, as the housekeeper entered. "I suppose you know I am a paralytic, and liable to die at any time?" |||||||||схильний||||| "I am very sorry," said Beth, hesitatingly. ||||||вагливо "You do not seem very ill." "I'm on my last legs. I may not live an hour. But that's none of your business, I suppose. By the way, I expect your cousin on the afternoon train." Beth gave a start of surprise.

"My cousin?" she asked.

"Yes, Louise Merrick." "Oh!" said Beth, and stopped short.

"What do you mean by that?" enquired Aunt Jane, with a smile that was rather malicious.

"I did not know I had a cousin," said the girl. "That is," correcting herself, "I did not know whether Louise Merrick was alive or not. ||виправляючи|||||||||||| "Je ne savais pas si Louise Merrick était vivante ou non. Mother has mentioned her name once or twice in my presence; but not lately." "Well, she's alive. ||жива Very much alive, I believe. And she's coming to visit me, while you are here. I expect you to be friends." "To be sure," said Beth, nevertheless discomfited at the news. ||||||засмучений||| "C'est sûr", dit Beth, néanmoins déconcertée par la nouvelle. "We dine at seven," said Aunt Jane. "I always lunch in my own room, and you may do the same," and with a wave of her thin hand she dismissed the girl, who thoughtfully followed the old housekeeper through the halls. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||замислено||||||| "Je déjeune toujours dans ma chambre, et vous pouvez faire de même", et d'un geste de sa main fine, elle renvoya la jeune fille, qui suivit pensivement la vieille gouvernante à travers les couloirs. It was not going to be an easy task to win this old woman's affection. ||||||||||||||прив'язаність Il n'allait pas être facile de gagner l'affection de cette vieille femme. Already she rebelled at the necessity of undertaking so distasteful a venture and wondered if she had not made a mistake in trying to curb her natural frankness, and to conciliate a creature whose very nature seemed antagonistic to her own. |||||||підприємство||недоцільний||пригода|||||||||||||стримувати|||відвертість||||||||||антагоністичний||| Déjà, elle se révoltait contre la nécessité d'entreprendre une démarche aussi déplaisante et se demandait si elle n'avait pas commis une erreur en essayant de réfréner sa franchise naturelle et de se concilier une créature dont la nature même semblait antagoniste à la sienne. And this new cousin, Louise Merrick, why was she coming to Elmhurst? To compete for the prize Beth had already determined to win? In that case she must consider carefully her line of action, that no rival might deprive her of this great estate. |||||||||||||суперник||||||| Dans ce cas, elle doit bien réfléchir à sa ligne de conduite, afin qu'aucune rivale ne puisse la priver de ce grand domaine. Beth felt that she could fight savagely for an object she so much desired. ||||||дико||||||| Beth a senti qu'elle pouvait se battre sauvagement pour un objet qu'elle désirait tant. Her very muscles hardened and grew tense at the thought of conflict as she walked down the corridor in the wake of old Misery the housekeeper. Ses muscles se durcissent et se tendent à l'idée d'un conflit alors qu'elle marche dans le couloir dans le sillage de la vieille Misery, la gouvernante. She had always resented the sordid life at Cloverton. |||обурювалася||потворний||| Elle a toujours détesté la vie sordide de Cloverton. She had been discontented with her lot since her earliest girlhood, and longed to escape the constant bickerings of her parents and their vain struggles to obtain enough money to "keep up appearances" and drive the wolf from the door. ||||||||||||||||||||||||боротьби||||||||зовнішність||||||| Elle était mécontente de son sort depuis sa plus tendre enfance et désirait ardemment échapper aux disputes constantes de ses parents et à leurs vaines luttes pour obtenir suffisamment d'argent pour "sauver les apparences" et chasser le loup de la porte. And here was an opportunity to win a fortune and a home beautiful enough for a royal princess. All that was necessary was to gain the esteem of a crabbed, garrulous old woman, who had doubtless but a few more weeks to live. Il suffisait de gagner l'estime d'une vieille femme grincheuse et gargouillante, qui n'avait sans doute plus que quelques semaines à vivre. It must be done, in one way or another; but how? How could she out-wit this unknown cousin, and inspire the love of Aunt Jane? ||||перехитрити|||||||||| Comment pourrait-elle surpasser cette cousine inconnue et inspirer l'amour de tante Jane ?

"If there's any stuff of the right sort in my nature," decided the girl, as she entered her pretty bedchamber and threw herself into a chair, "I'll find a way to win out. "S'il y a quelque chose de bon dans ma nature, décida la jeune fille en entrant dans sa jolie chambre à coucher et en se jetant dans un fauteuil, je trouverai le moyen de l'emporter. One thing is certain—I'll never again have another chance at so fine a fortune, and if I fail to get it I shall deserve to live in poverty forever afterward." ||||||||||||||||||||||||заслужити|||||| Suddenly she noticed the old housekeeper standing before her and regarding her with a kindly interest. ||||||||||щодо||||| In an instant she sprang up, threw her arms around Misery and kissed her furrowed cheek. ||мить||вскочила||||||Мізерія||||зморшкувата| En un instant, elle s'est levée d'un bond, a entouré Misery de ses bras et a embrassé sa joue plissée.

"Thank you for being so kind," said she. "I've never been away from home before and you must be a mother to me while I'm at Elmhurst." Old Misery smiled and stroked the girl's glossy head. |нещастя||||||глянцевий| "Bless the child!" Благослови|| she said, delightedly; "of course I'll be a mother to you. ||з задоволенням|||||||| You'll need a bit of comforting now and then, my dear, if you're going to live with Jane Merrick." "Is she cross?" ||сердита asked Beth, softly.

"At times she's a fiend," confided the old housekeeper, in almost a whisper. ||||||||||майже|| "But don't you mind her tantrums, or lay 'em to heart, and you'll get along with her all right." |||||істерики||||||||||||| "Mais ne vous préoccupez pas de ses colères, ou prenez-les à cœur, et vous vous entendrez très bien avec elle." "Thank you," said the girl. "I'll try not to mind." "J'essaierai de ne pas m'en préoccuper." "Do you need anything else, deary?" asked Misery, with a glance around the room. ||||погляд|||

"Nothing at all, thank you." The housekeeper nodded and softly withdrew. ||кивнула|||відступилася

"That was one brilliant move, at any rate," said Beth to herself, as she laid aside her hat and prepared to unstrap her small trunk. |||||||||||||||вбік|||||||||валіза "En tout cas, c'était un coup de génie", se dit Beth en mettant de côté son chapeau et en s'apprêtant à déballer sa petite malle. "I've made a friend at Elmhurst who will be of use to me; and I shall make more before long. "Je me suis fait un ami à Elmhurst qui me sera utile, et je m'en ferai d'autres d'ici peu. Come as soon as you like, Cousin Louise! Viens dès que tu veux, cousine Louise ! You'll have to be more clever than I am, if you hope to win Elmhurst."