Mrs. Harris looked at him stunned — and aged twenty years. "Gor," she croaked, "hundred and fifty quid. I couldn't raise a bob to me nyme! Ow, why didn't somebody tell me? 'Ow was I to know?"

Mme. Colbert reacted fiercely. "La, what nonsense are you talking, André? Who pays duty any more to customs? You think those titled ladies and rich Americans do? All, all is smuggle, and you too, my little Ada, shall smuggle yours…"

The little blue eyes of Mrs. Harris became filled with fear (маленькие голубые глаза миссис Харрис наполнились страхом), alarm (тревогой), suspicion (подозрением). "That would be telling a lie, wouldn't it (значит, придется лгать: «говорить ложь», не так ли)?" she said (она сказала), looking helplessly from one to the other (смотря беспомощно то на одного, то на другого). "I don't mind telling a fib or two (я не имею ничего против небылицы или двух), but I don't tell lies (но я не говорю лжи). That would be bryking the law (это будет нарушением закона; bryking = breaking). I could go to jail for that (я могу попасть в тюрьму за это)…" Then as the true and ghastly import of what M. Fauvel said (затем, когда истинный и ужасный смысл /того/, что мсье Фовель сказал) dawned upon her (дошел до нее) she quite suddenly sank down into the pile of the gray carpet (она совершенно внезапно опустилась на ворс серого ковра), covered her face with her workworn hands (закрыла свое лицо своими натруженными руками) and sent up a wail of despair (издала вопль отчаяния; to send — посылать, отправлять; издавать /звук/) that penetrated through the establishment (который распространился по всему учреждению; to penetrate — проникать) so that the Great Patron himself came running in (так что прибежал сам главный шеф). "I can't 'ave it (я не могу купить его). It ain't for such as me (оно не для таких, как я). I should 'ave known me place (мне следовало знать свое место). Tyke it away (заберите его) — give it away (отдайте его /кому-нибудь/), do anything (делайте что угодно). I'll go 'ome and forget about it (я поеду домой и забуду о нем)."

ghastly ['gQ:stlI], workworn ['wWkwLn], despair [dIs'peq]

The little blue eyes of Mrs. Harris became filled with fear, alarm, suspicion. "That would be telling a lie, wouldn't it?" she said, looking helplessly from one to the other. "I don't mind telling a fib or two, but I don't tell lies. That would be bryking the law. I could go to jail for that…" Then as the true and ghastly import of what M. Fauvel said dawned upon her she quite suddenly sank down into the pile of the gray carpet, covered her face with her workworn hands and sent up a wail of despair that penetrated through the establishment so that the Great Patron himself came running in. "I can't 'ave it. It ain't for such as me. I should 'ave known me place. Tyke it away — give it away, do anything. I'll go 'ome and forget about it."

The story of the dilemma (история этого затруднительного положения) ran like wildfire through the building (распространилась как пожар = со сверхъестественной быстротой по всему зданию; to run like wildfire — распространяться со сверхъестественной быстротой).