Scene 20 · Notes

Notes　Scene 20: Her Family's Response

Next scene: 21 Questions Without Rest ›Read this scene again (from the start)

Notes on this scene

Mary admits that she cannot imagine the danger Hosmer may have faced. She says her mother became angry and ordered her never to mention the affair again. Holmes then asks whether Windibank was told about the disappearance when he returned.

Japanese in this scene

は
は marks the topic of the sentence and can also contrast it with another topic. It is written ha but normally pronounced wa.
が
が marks the grammatical subject or introduces newly focused information. It can also connect clauses with a mild contrast.
を
を marks the direct object of a verb. With a movement verb, it can instead mark the route or place being crossed.
に
に can mark a destination, target, time, recipient, purpose, or resulting state. The predicate shows its role here.

Full text: original English and Japanese translation

"But you have no notion as to what it could have been?"

「でも、それが何だったのか、見当はつかないのですか」

"None."

「まったく」

"One more question. How did your mother take the matter?"

「もう一つ、伺います。お母様は、このことをどのように受け止めましたか」

"She was angry, and said that I was never to speak of the matter again."

「怒って、二度とその話をしてはいけないと言いました」

"And your father? Did you tell him?"

「では、ウィンディバンクさんは。お話しになりましたか」

Japanese words in this scene (with English meanings; ☆ saves a word)

  • でも — As a conjunction, means but; With a noun or another expression, highlights an example: even, or something like that; With a question word, expresses unrestricted choice: any.
  • 見当（けんとう） — idea; estimate
  • つく — to occur (as an idea or guess); to be attached; to catch or be lit (of fire); to follow or accompany
  • 一つ（ひとつ） — one; for one thing; only; (not) even
  • 伺う（うかがう） — to visit (humble); to hear; to ask
  • お母様（おかあさま） — mother
  • よう — way; means of doing something
  • 受け止める（うけとめる） — to catch; to stop the blow; to react to; to take (advice, etc.)

Next scene: Questions Without Rest

Mary says that her stepfather also believed something must have happened to Hosmer. Who could profit by bringing her to the church door and abandoning her there, and why has not even one letter arrived? The more she thinks about those questions, the less she understands, until she can no longer sleep at night.

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