Лучшие рассказы О. Генри = The Best of O. Henry

“Sargeant,” began Jerry in his old raucous, martyred, thunderous tones of complaint. “I’ve got a fare here that —”

Jerry paused. He drew a knotted, red hand across his brow. The fog set up by McGary was beginning to clear away.

“A fare, sargeant,” he continued, with a grin, “that I want to inthroduce to ye. It’s me wife that I married at ould man Walsh’s this avening. And a divil of a time we had, ’tis thrue. Shake hands wid th’ sargeant, Norah, and we’ll be off to home.

”

Before stepping into the cab Norah sighed profoundly.

“I’ve had such a nice time, Jerry,” said she.

An Unfinished Story

We no longer groan and heap ashes upon our heads when the flames of Tophet[158 - Tophet – an ancient ritual burial site in the eastern Mediterranean] are mentioned. For, even the preachers have begun to tell us that God is radium[159 - radium – a radioactive silvery white metal], or ether or some scientific compound, and that the worst we wicked ones may expect is a chemical reaction.

This is a pleasing hypothesis; but there lingers yet some of the old, goodly terror of orthodoxy.

There are but two subjects upon which one may discourse with a free imagination, and without the possibility of being controverted. You may talk of your dreams; and you may tell what you heard a parrot say. Both Morpheus and the bird are incompetent witnesses; and your listener dare not attack your recital. The baseless fabric of a vision, then, shall furnish my theme – chosen with apologies and regrets instead of the more limited field of pretty Polly’s small talk.

I had a dream that was so far removed from the higher criticism that it had to do with the ancient, respectable, and lamented bar-of-judgment theory.

Gabriel[160 - Gabriel – one of the archangels, the messenger of God; Archangel Gabriel is revered in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.] had played his trump; and those of us who could not follow suit were arraigned for examination.

I noticed at one side a gathering of professional bondsmen in solemn black and collars that buttoned behind[161 - black and collars that buttoned behind – attire of the Protestant clergymen]; but it seemed there was some trouble about their real estate titles; and they did not appear to be getting any of us out.

A fly cop – an angel policeman – flew over to me and took me by the left wing.