There was the case (была /определенная/ ситуация), and of course there was but one way out of it (и, конечно, был лишь один выход из нее). Might I not escort her to this place (мог бы я сопроводить ее к тому месту)? And then, as a second thought (и затем, как вторая мысль = подумал я), why should she come at all (зачем ее идти вообще)? I was Isa Whitney's medical adviser (я был консультирующим врачом Айзы Уитни), and as such I had influence over him (и в этом качестве /будучи врачом/ я оказывал на него влияние). I could manage it better if I were alone (я мог бы справиться с этим /делом/ лучше, если бы был один). I promised her on my word (я дал ей честное слово) that I would send him home in a cab within two hours (что пришлю его домой в кебе в течение двух часов) if he were indeed at the address which she had given me (если он действительно находится по адресу, который она мне дала). And so in ten minutes I had left my armchair and cheery sitting-room behind me (и вот, через десять минут я оставил свое кресло и уютную: «веселую» гостиную /позади меня/), and was speeding eastward in a hansom on a strange errand (и мчался: «был мчащимся» в восточном направлении в экипаже по странному поручению = делу), as it seemed to me at the time (как мне казалось в то время), though the future only could show how strange it was to be (хотя только будущее могло показать, насколько странным оно оказалось).
escort ['eskO:t], thought [TO:t], cheery ['tSI@rI], eastward ['i:stw@d], errand ['er@nd]
There was the case, and of course there was but one way out of it. Might I not escort her to this place? And then, as a second thought, why should she come at all? I was Isa Whitney's medical adviser, and as such I had influence over him. I could manage it better if I were alone. I promised her on my word that I would send him home in a cab within two hours if he were indeed at the address which she had given me. And so in ten minutes I had left my armchair and cheery sitting-room behind me, and was speeding eastward in a hansom on a strange errand, as it seemed to me at the time, though the future only could show how strange it was to be.