veil [veIl], agonizing ['xgqnaIzIN], limn [lIm]

Long after midnight John's body gave a nervous jerk, and he sat suddenly upright, staring into the veils of somnolence that draped the room. Through the squares of blue darkness that were his open windows, he had heard a faint far-away sound that died upon a bed of wind before identifying itself on his memory, clouded with uneasy dreams. But the sharp noise that had succeeded it was nearer, was just outside the room — the click of a turned knob, a footstep, a whisper, he could not tell; a hard lump gathered in the pit of his stomach, and his whole body ached in the moment that he strained agonizingly to hear. Then one of the veils seemed to dissolve, and he saw a vague figure standing by the door, a figure only faintly limned and blocked in upon the darkness, mingled so with the folds of the drapery as to seem distorted, like a reflection seen in a dirty pane of glass.

With a sudden movement of fright or resolution (внезапным = быстрым движением, вызванным то ли страхом, то ли решимостью) John pressed the button by his bedside (нажал кнопку у края кровати), and the next moment he was sitting in the green sunken bath of the adjoining room (и в следующий миг /уже/ сидел в опущенной = вделанной в пол зеленой ванне в прилегающей = соседней комнате), waked into alertness by the shock of the cold water which half filled it (окончательно пробудившись от неожиданного контакта с холодной водой, которая наполовину заполняла ее; alertness — бдительность; осторожность; живость, проворство, резвость).

He sprang out, and, his wet pajamas scattering a heavy trickle of water behind him (он выскочил из ванны и, /в то время как/ его мокрая пижама разбрасывала позади него тяжелые струи воды), ran for the aquamarine door which he knew led out into the ivory landing of the second floor (побежал к аквамариновой двери, которая, как он знал, вела на отделанную слоновой костью лестничную площадку второго этажа; to lead out — вести наружу, выводить). The door opened noiselessly (дверь бесшумно отворилась; noise — шум). A single crimson lamp burning in a great dome above (единственная темно-красная лампа, горевшая вверху под большим куполом) lit the magnificent sweep of the carved stairways with a poignant beauty (освещала великолепный размах/простор резных лестничных пролетов, придавая им пронзительную красоту). For a moment John hesitated (задержался), appalled by the silent splendor massed about him (потрясенный безмолвной роскошью, обступавшей его), seeming to envelop in its gigantic folds and contours the solitary drenched little figure (которая, казалось, окутывала своими гигантскими изгибами и контурами одинокую мокрую фигурку; to drench — промокать насквозь) shivering upon the ivory landing (дрожавшую /от холода/ на площадке из слоновой кости).

aquamarine ["xkwqmq'rJn], appalled [q'pLld], contour ['kOntVq]

With a sudden movement of fright or resolution John pressed the button by his bedside, and the next moment he was sitting in the green sunken bath of the adjoining room, waked into alertness by the shock of the cold water which half filled it.

He sprang out, and, his wet pajamas scattering a heavy trickle of water behind him, ran for the aquamarine door which he knew led out into the ivory landing of the second floor. The door opened noiselessly. A single crimson lamp burning in a great dome above lit the magnificent sweep of the carved stairways with a poignant beauty. For a moment John hesitated, appalled by the silent splendor massed about him, seeming to envelop in its gigantic folds and contours the solitary drenched little figure shivering upon the ivory landing.

Then simultaneously two things happened (и тут одновременно произошли две вещи). The door of his own sitting-room swung open (дверь его собственной гостиной распахнулась), precipitating three naked negroes into the hall (выбросив в холл/коридор трех голых негров; to precipitate — бросать /с силой, с большой высоты/; низвергать) — and, as John swayed in wild terror toward the stairway (а когда Джон в диком ужасе метнулся к ступеням), another door slid back in the wall on the other side of the corridor (в противоположной стене отъехала еще одна дверь), and John saw Braddock Washington standing in the lighted lift (увидел Брэддока Вашингтона, стоящего в освещенной кабине лифта), wearing a fur coat and a pair of riding boots which reached to his knees (одетого в меховое пальто/шубу и пару сапог для верховой езды, которые доходили ему до колен) and displayed, above, the glow of his rose-colored pajamas (а выше обнаруживали его пылающую ярко-розовую пижаму; glow — свет /от чего-л. раскаленного/; свечение, сияние, блеск).

On the instant the three negroes (в тот же миг три негра) — John had never seen any of them before (никогда не видел ни одного из них прежде), and it flashed through his mind that they must be the professional executioners (и в мыслях у него пронеслось, что это, должно быть, профессиональные палачи) — paused in their movement toward John (замерли в своем движении к Джону), and turned expectantly to the man in the lift (и выжидающе повернулись к мужчине в лифте), who burst out with an imperious command (который выкрикнул властную команду):

"Get in here (сюда: «забирайтесь/садитесь сюда»)! All three of you! Quick as hell (живо; as hell — "как ад", адски; употребляется для усиления)!"

simultaneously ["sImql'teInIqslI], precipitate [prI'sIpIteIt], imperious [im'pIqrIqs]

Then simultaneously two things happened. The door of his own sitting-room swung open, precipitating three naked negroes into the hall — and, as John swayed in wild terror toward the stairway, another door slid back in the wall on the other side of the corridor, and John saw Braddock Washington standing in the lighted lift, wearing a fur coat and a pair of riding boots which reached to his knees and displayed, above, the glow of his rose-colored pajamas.

On the instant the three negroes — John had never seen any of them before, and it flashed through his mind that they must be the professional executioners — paused in their movement toward John, and turned expectantly to the man in the lift, who burst out with an imperious command:

"Get in here! All three of you! Quick as hell!"

Then, within the instant, the three negroes darted into the cage (в одно мгновение негры стрелой ворвались в кабину; dart — дротик), the oblong of light was blotted out as the lift door slid shut (дверь лифта задвинулась, стерев прямоугольник света: «прямоугольник… был стерт, когда дверь…»; blot — пятно; to blot out — стирать, изглаживать), and John was again alone in the hall (опять был = остался в коридоре один). He slumped weakly down against an ivory stair (он бессильно упал на ступеньку из слоновой кости).