“Unless you smile, Rudolf, I cry (если ты не улыбнешься, Рудольф, я заплачу). Why are you angry (почему ты сердишься)?”

“He’s very handsome, isn’t he?” said Flavia.

Well, of course, she didn’t know him as I did; yet I was put out, for I thought his bold glances would have made her angry. But my dear Flavia was a woman, and so – she was not put out. On the contrary, she thought young Rupert very handsome – as, beyond question, the ruffian was.

“And how sad he looked at his friend’s death!” said she.

“He’ll have better reason to be sad at his own,” observed Sapt, with a grim smile.

As for me, I grew sulky; unreasonable it was perhaps, for what better business had I to look at her with love than had even Rupert’s lustful eyes? And sulky I remained till, as evening fell and we rode up to Tarlenheim, Sapt having fallen behind in case anyone should be following us, Flavia, riding close beside me, said softly, with a little half-ashamed laugh:

“Unless you smile, Rudolf, I cry. Why are you angry?”

“It was something that fellow said to me (это /из-за/ того, что тот парень сказал мне),” said I, but I was smiling as we reached the door and dismounted (ответил я, однако я /уже/ улыбался, когда мы подъехали к дому и спешились).

There a servant handed me a note: it was unaddressed (там слуга протянул мне записку: она была без адреса).

“Is it for me?” I asked (это мне? – спросил я).

“Yes, sire; a boy brought it (да, сир; какой-то мальчишка принес ее; to bring).”

I tore it open (я распечатал /конверт/; to tear – разрывать, рвать):

Johann carries this for me (Иоганн передаст это от меня). I warned you once (я однажды вас предостерегла). In the name of God, and if you are a man (во имя Господа, и если вы мужчина), rescue me from this den of murderers! – A. de M (спасите меня из этого логова убийц! – А. де М.).

I handed it to Sapt (я протянул ее Сэпту); but all that the tough old soul said in reply to this piteous appeal was (но все, что бесчувственный старикан сказал в ответ на эту жалобную просьбу, было; tough – жесткий, суровый; лишенный сентиментальности; soul – душа; человек; appeal – призыв, обращение; просьба, мольба):

“Whose fault brought her there (а по чьей вине она попала туда: «чья вина привела ее туда»)?”

Nevertheless, not being faultless myself, I took leave to pity Antoinette de Mauban (тем не менее, не будучи сам без вины, я осмелился посочувствовать Антуанетте де Мобан; to take leave to do smth. – взять на себя смелость сделать что-л.).

“It was something that fellow said to me,” said I, but I was smiling as we reached the door and dismounted.

There a servant handed me a note: it was unaddressed.

“Is it for me?” I asked.

“Yes, sire; a boy brought it.”

I tore it open:

Johann carries this for me. I warned you once. In the name of God, and if you are a man, rescue me from this den of murderers! – A. de M.

I handed it to Sapt; but all that the tough old soul said in reply to this piteous appeal was:

“Whose fault brought her there?”

Nevertheless, not being faultless myself, I took leave to pity Antoinette de Mauban.

As I had ridden publicly in Zenda, and had talked there with Rupert Hentzau (после того, как я открыто проехал по Зенде и поговорил там с Рупертом Хенцо), of course all pretence of illness was at an end (конечно же, всем притворствам насчет болезни был /положен/ конец). I marked the effect on the garrison of Zenda: they ceased to be seen abroad (я произвел сильное впечатление на гарнизон Зенды: солдат перестали видеть на улицах; abroad – за границей; повсюду); and any of my men who went near the Castle reported (и все мои люди, кто проезжал рядом с замком, сообщали) that the utmost vigilance prevailed there (что там /все/ находятся в /состоянии/ предельной бдительности; to prevail – восторжествовать; превалировать, господствовать). Touched as I was by Madame de Mauban’s appeal (весьма тронутый просьбой госпожи де Мобан), I seemed as powerless to befriend her as I had proved to help the King (я, казалось, был так же бессилен оказать ей помощь, как оказался /бессилен/ помочь королю; to befriend – относиться дружески; помогать). Michael bade me defiance; and although he too had been seen outside the walls (Михаэль совершенно не считался со мной; и хотя его тоже видели за стенами /замка/; to bid defiance to smb. – ни во что не ставить кого-л.), with more disregard for appearances than he had hitherto shown (с еще большим пренебрежением к приличиям, чем он до сих пор выказывал; appearance – внешний вид; видимость; appearances – приличия), he did not take the trouble to send any excuse for his failure to wait on the King (он не побеспокоился послать извинения за то, что не смог явиться к королю с визитом; to take the trouble – взять на себя труд /сделать что-л./; failure – неудача, провал; неспособность; to wait on – /устар./ наносить визит). Time ran on in inactivity, when every moment was pressing (время проходило в бездействии, когда была дорога каждая минута; to press – нажимать, давить; торопить, требовать немедленных действий); for not only was I faced with the new danger (не только потому, что я столкнулся с новой опасностью; to face – стоять лицом (к чему-л.), смотреть в лицо; сталкиваться /с необходимостью/, наталкиваться /на трудности и т. п./; face – лицо) which the stir about my disappearance brought on me (которую навлекла на меня суета вокруг моего исчезновения; to bring – приносить; влечь за собой; to bring on – навлекать), but great murmurs had arisen in Strelsau at my continued absence from the city (но /и потому/, что по Стрелсо поползло множество слухов из-за моего продолжающегося отсутствия в городе; to arise – возникать, появляться).

As I had ridden publicly in Zenda, and had talked there with Rupert Hentzau, of course all pretence of illness was at an end. I marked the effect on the garrison of Zenda: they ceased to be seen abroad; and any of my men who went near the Castle reported that the utmost vigilance prevailed there. Touched as I was by Madame de Mauban’s appeal, I seemed as powerless to befriend her as I had proved to help the King. Michael bade me defiance; and although he too had been seen outside the walls, with more disregard for appearances than he had hitherto shown, he did not take the trouble to send any excuse for his failure to wait on the King. Time ran on in inactivity, when every moment was pressing; for not only was I faced with the new danger which the stir about my disappearance brought on me, but great murmurs had arisen in Strelsau at my continued absence from the city.