-
Главная
-
- Книги
-
- Авторы
-
- Колин Маккалоу
-
- Поющие в терновнике
-
- Стр. 371/535
Для того чтобы воспользоваться озвучкой предложений, необходимо
Войти или зарегистрироваться
Озвучка предложений доступна при наличии PRO-доступа
Купить PRO-доступ
She
still
carried
herself
well
and
had
n't
lost
her
figure
,
only
slackened
in
the
breasts
,
thickened
very
slightly
in
the
waist
;
more
a
shaping
due
to
old
age
than
to
an
actual
weight
gain
.
Silently
she
seated
herself
in
one
of
the
big
cream
chairs
opposite
the
Cardinal
,
with
Meggie
to
one
side
,
and
the
brothers
on
stone
benches
close
by
.
"
It
's
about
Frank
,
"
he
said
.
The
name
hung
between
them
,
resounding
distantly
.
"
What
about
Frank
?
"
asked
Fee
composedly
.
Meggie
laid
her
knitting
down
,
looked
at
her
mother
,
then
at
Cardinal
Ralph
.
"
Tell
us
,
Ralph
,
"
she
said
quickly
,
unable
to
bear
her
mother
's
composure
a
moment
longer
.
"
Frank
has
served
almost
thirty
years
in
jail
,
do
you
realize
that
?
"
asked
the
Cardinal
.
"
I
know
my
people
kept
you
informed
as
we
arranged
,
but
I
had
asked
them
not
to
distress
you
unduly
.
I
honestly
could
n't
see
what
good
it
could
do
Frank
or
yourselves
to
hear
the
harrowing
details
of
his
loneliness
and
despair
,
because
there
was
nothing
any
of
us
might
have
done
.
I
think
Frank
would
have
been
released
some
years
ago
had
he
not
gained
a
reputation
for
violence
and
instability
during
his
early
years
in
Goulburn
Gaol
.
Even
as
late
as
the
war
,
when
some
other
prisoners
were
released
into
armed
service
,
poor
Frank
was
refused
.
"
Fee
glanced
up
from
her
hands
.
"
It
's
his
temper
,
"
she
said
without
emotion
.
The
Cardinal
seemed
to
be
having
some
difficulty
in
finding
the
right
words
;
while
he
sought
for
them
,
the
family
watched
him
in
mingled
dread
and
hope
,
though
it
was
n't
Frank
's
welfare
they
cared
about
.
"
It
must
be
puzzling
you
greatly
why
I
came
back
to
Australia
after
all
these
years
,
"
Cardinal
Ralph
said
finally
,
not
looking
at
Meggie
.
"
I
have
n't
always
been
mindful
of
your
lives
,
and
I
know
it
.
From
the
day
I
met
you
,
I
've
thought
of
myself
first
,
put
myself
first
.
And
when
the
Holy
Father
rewarded
my
labors
on
behalf
of
the
Church
with
a
cardinal
's
mantle
,
I
asked
myself
if
there
was
any
service
I
could
do
the
Cleary
family
which
in
some
way
would
tell
them
how
deeply
I
care
.
"
He
drew
a
breath
,
focused
his
gaze
on
Fee
,
not
on
Meggie
.
"
I
came
back
to
Australia
to
see
what
I
could
do
about
Frank
.
Do
you
remember
,
Fee
,
that
time
I
spoke
to
you
after
Paddy
and
Stu
died
?
Twenty
years
ago
,
and
I
've
never
been
able
to
forget
the
look
in
your
eyes
.
So
much
energy
and
vitality
,
crushed
.
"
