×

We use cookies to help make LingQ better. By visiting the site, you agree to our cookie policy.


image

Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter, Chapter 30. Jimmy Takes The Helm

Chapter 30. Jimmy Takes The Helm

"It's Jimmy Bean. He wants ter see ye, ma'am," announced Nancy in the doorway. "Me?" rejoined Miss Polly, plainly surprised. "Are you sure he did not mean Miss Pollyanna? He may see her a few minutes to-day, if he likes." "Yes'm. I told him. But he said it was you he wanted." "Very well, I'll come down." And Miss Polly arose from her chair a little wearily.

In the sitting room she found waiting for her a round-eyed, flushed-faced boy, who began to speak at once.

"Ma'am, I s'pose it's dreadful--what I'm doin', an' what I'm sayin'; but I can't help it. It's for Pollyanna, and I'd walk over hot coals for her, or face you, or--or anythin' like that, any time. An' I think you would, too, if you thought there was a chance for her ter walk again. An' so that's why I come ter tell ye that as long as it's only pride an' et--et-somethin' that's keepin' Pollyanna from walkin', why I knew you would ask Dr. Chilton here if you understood--" "Wh-at?" interrupted Miss Polly, the look of stupefaction on her face changing to one of angry indignation.

Jimmy sighed despairingly.

"There, I didn't mean ter make ye mad. That's why I begun by tellin' ye about her walkin' again. I thought you'd listen ter that." "Jimmy, what are you talking about?" Jimmy sighed again.

"That's what I'm tryin' ter tell ye." "Well, then tell me. But begin at the beginning, and be sure I understand each thing as you go. Don't plunge into the middle of it as you did before--and mix everything all up!" Jimmy wet his lips determinedly.

"Well, ter begin with, Dr. Chilton come ter see Mr. Pendleton, an' they talked in the library. Do you understand that?" "Yes, Jimmy." Miss Polly's voice was rather faint. "Well, the window was open, and I was weedin' the flower-bed under it; an' I heard 'em talk." "Oh, Jimmy! Listening? " " 'Twa'n't about me, an' 'twa'n't sneak listenin'," bridled Jimmy. "And I'm glad I listened. You will be when I tell ye. Why, it may make Pollyanna--walk!" "Jimmy, what do you mean?" Miss Polly was leaning forward eagerly.

"There, I told ye so," nodded Jimmy, contentedly. "Well, Dr. Chilton knows some doctor somewhere that can cure Pollyanna, he thinks--make her walk, ye know; but he can't tell sure till he sees her. And he wants ter see her somethin' awful, but he told Mr. Pendleton that you wouldn't let him." Miss Polly's face turned very red. "But, Jimmy, I--I can't--I couldn't! That is, I didn't know!" Miss Polly was twisting her fingers together helplessly.

"Yes, an' that's what I come ter tell ye, so you would know," asserted Jimmy, eagerly. "They said that for some reason--I didn't rightly catch what--you wouldn't let Dr. Chilton come, an' you told Dr. Warren so; an' Dr. Chilton couldn't come himself, without you asked him, on account of pride an' professional et--et--well, et-somethin anyway. An' they was wishin' somebody could make you understand, only they didn't know who could; an' I was outside the winder, an' I says ter myself right away, 'By Jinks, I'll do it!' An' I come--an' have I made ye understand?" "Yes; but, Jimmy, about that doctor," implored Miss Polly, feverishly. "Who was he? What did he do? Are they sure he could make Pollyanna walk?" "I don't know who he was. They didn't say. Dr. Chilton knows him, an' he's just cured somebody just like her, Dr. Chilton thinks. Anyhow, they didn't seem ter be doin' no worryin' about him . 'Twas you they was worryin' about, 'cause you wouldn't let Dr. Chilton see her. An' say--you will let him come, won't you?--now you understand?" Miss Polly turned her head from side to side. Her breath was coming in little uneven, rapid gasps. Jimmy, watching her with anxious eyes, thought she was going to cry. But she did not cry. After a minute she said brokenly:

"Yes--I'll let--Dr. Chilton--see her. Now run home, Jimmy--quick! I've got to speak to Dr. Warren. He's up-stairs now. I saw him drive in a few minutes ago." A little later Dr. Warren was surprised to meet an agitated, flushed-faced Miss Polly in the hall. He was still more surprised to hear the lady say, a little breathlessly:

"Dr. Warren, you asked me once to allow Dr. Chilton to be called in consultation, and--I refused. Since then I have reconsidered. I very much desire that you should call in Dr. Chilton. Will you not ask him at once--please? Thank you."

Chapter 30. Jimmy Takes The Helm Chapitre 30. Jimmy prend la barre Глава 30. Джимми берет штурвал

"It's Jimmy Bean. He wants ter see ye, ma'am," announced Nancy in the doorway. "Me?" rejoined Miss Polly, plainly surprised. "Are you sure he did not mean Miss Pollyanna? He may see her a few minutes to-day, if he likes." Он может увидеть ее на несколько минут сегодня, если захочет". "Yes'm. I told him. But he said it was you he wanted." "Very well, I'll come down." And Miss Polly arose from her chair a little wearily. Мисс Полли поднялась с кресла, немного устало вздохнув.

In the sitting room she found waiting for her a round-eyed, flushed-faced boy, who began to speak at once. В гостиной ее ждал круглолицый, раскрасневшийся мальчик, который сразу же начал говорить.

"Ma'am, I s'pose it's dreadful--what I'm doin', an' what I'm sayin'; but I can't help it. "Мэм, я полагаю, это ужасно - то, что я делаю, и то, что я говорю; но я ничего не могу с этим поделать. It's for Pollyanna, and I'd walk over hot coals for her, or face you, or--or anythin' like that, any time. Это для Поллианны, и ради нее я готов пройтись по горячим углям, или встретиться с тобой, или... или что угодно в этом роде, в любое время. An' I think you would, too, if you thought there was a chance for her ter walk again. Думаю, вы бы тоже так сделали, если бы думали, что у нее есть шанс снова ходить. An' so that's why I come ter tell ye that as long as it's only pride an' et--et-somethin' that's keepin' Pollyanna from walkin', why I knew you would ask Dr. Chilton here if you understood--" Поэтому я и пришла сказать вам, что пока только гордость и еще что-то мешает Поллианне ходить, я знала, что вы спросите доктора Чилтона, понимаете ли вы..." "Wh-at?" interrupted Miss Polly, the look of stupefaction on her face changing to one of angry indignation. перебила мисс Полли, выражение оцепенения на ее лице сменилось выражением гневного возмущения.

Jimmy sighed despairingly. Джимми отчаянно вздохнул.

"There, I didn't mean ter make ye mad. "Вот, я не хотел тебя злить. That's why I begun by tellin' ye about her walkin' again. Вот почему я начал с того, что рассказал вам о том, что она снова ходит. I thought you'd listen ter that." Я думал, ты это выслушаешь". "Jimmy, what are you talking about?" "Джимми, о чем ты говоришь?" Jimmy sighed again.

"That's what I'm tryin' ter tell ye." "Well, then tell me. But begin at the beginning, and be sure I understand each thing as you go. Но начните с самого начала и убедитесь, что я понимаю каждую вещь по ходу дела. Don't plunge into the middle of it as you did before--and mix everything all up!" Не погружайся в это, как раньше, и не смешивай все в кучу!". Jimmy wet his lips determinedly. Джимми решительно смочил губы.

"Well, ter begin with, Dr. Chilton come ter see Mr. Pendleton, an' they talked in the library. "Ну, начнем с того, что доктор Чилтон пришел навестить мистера Пендлтона, и они поговорили в библиотеке. Do you understand that?" Вы это понимаете?" "Yes, Jimmy." Miss Polly's voice was rather faint. Голос мисс Полли был довольно слабым. "Well, the window was open, and I was weedin' the flower-bed under it; an' I heard 'em talk." "Ну, окно было открыто, и я пропалывала клумбу под ним; и я услышала их разговор". "Oh, Jimmy! Listening? " " 'Twa'n't about me, an' 'twa'n't sneak listenin'," bridled Jimmy. "Это не про меня, и не про то, что я подслушиваю", - отмахнулся Джимми. "And I'm glad I listened. You will be when I tell ye. Ты будешь, когда я скажу тебе. Why, it may make Pollyanna--walk!" Это может заставить Поллианну... ходить!" "Jimmy, what do you mean?" Miss Polly was leaning forward eagerly.

"There, I told ye so," nodded Jimmy, contentedly. "Well, Dr. Chilton knows some doctor somewhere that can cure Pollyanna, he thinks--make her walk, ye know; but he can't tell sure till he sees her. "Доктор Чилтон знает где-то доктора, который может вылечить Поллианну, он думает - заставить ее ходить, вы знаете; но он не может сказать наверняка, пока не увидит ее. And he wants ter see her somethin' awful, but he told Mr. Pendleton that you wouldn't let him." И он ужасно хочет ее увидеть, но он сказал мистеру Пендлтону, что вы ему не позволите". Miss Polly's face turned very red. "But, Jimmy, I--I can't--I couldn't! "Но, Джимми, я... я не могу... я не могла! That is, I didn't know!" Miss Polly was twisting her fingers together helplessly. Мисс Полли беспомощно сжимала пальцы.

"Yes, an' that's what I come ter tell ye, so you would know," asserted Jimmy, eagerly. "Да, и именно об этом я пришел рассказать вам, чтобы вы знали", - охотно подтвердил Джимми. "They said that for some reason--I didn't rightly catch what--you wouldn't let Dr. Chilton come, an' you told Dr. Warren so; an' Dr. Chilton couldn't come himself, without you asked him, on account of pride an' professional et--et--well, et-somethin anyway. "Они сказали, что по какой-то причине - я не совсем понял, по какой - вы не позволили доктору Чилтону приехать, и вы сказали об этом доктору Уоррену; а доктор Чилтон не мог приехать сам, без вашего приглашения, по причине гордости и профессиональной э... э... ну, э... э... э... в любом случае. An' they was wishin' somebody could make you understand, only they didn't know who could; an' I was outside the winder, an' I says ter myself right away, 'By Jinks, I'll do it!' Они хотели, чтобы кто-нибудь тебя понял, но не знали, кто это может сделать; а я был за дверью и сразу же сказал себе: "Клянусь Джинкс, я это сделаю!". An' I come--an' have I made ye understand?" Я пришел... я вас понял?" "Yes; but, Jimmy, about that doctor," implored Miss Polly, feverishly. "Who was he? "Кто он был? What did he do? Are they sure he could make Pollyanna walk?" "I don't know who he was. They didn't say. Dr. Chilton knows him, an' he's just cured somebody just like her, Dr. Chilton thinks. Anyhow, they didn't seem ter be doin' no worryin' about him . 'Twas you they was worryin' about, 'cause you wouldn't let Dr. Chilton see her. An' say--you will let him come, won't you?--now you understand?" Miss Polly turned her head from side to side. Her breath was coming in little uneven, rapid gasps. Ее дыхание было неровным, быстрым. Jimmy, watching her with anxious eyes, thought she was going to cry. Джимми, наблюдавший за ней с тревогой в глазах, думал, что она сейчас заплачет. But she did not cry. After a minute she said brokenly:

"Yes--I'll let--Dr. Chilton--see her. Now run home, Jimmy--quick! I've got to speak to Dr. Warren. He's up-stairs now. I saw him drive in a few minutes ago." A little later Dr. Warren was surprised to meet an agitated, flushed-faced Miss Polly in the hall. He was still more surprised to hear the lady say, a little breathlessly:

"Dr. Warren, you asked me once to allow Dr. Chilton to be called in consultation, and--I refused. Since then I have reconsidered. I very much desire that you should call in Dr. Chilton. Will you not ask him at once--please? Thank you."