“Then give me the horse!” I cried, staggering to my feet and throwing his arms off me. And the strength of my rage carried me so far as where the horse stood, and then I fell prone beside it. And Fritz knelt by me again.

“Fritz!” I said.

“Ay, friend – dear friend!” he said, tender as a woman.

“Is the King alive?”

He took his handkerchief and wiped my lips, and bent and kissed me on the forehead.

“Thanks to the most gallant gentleman that lives,” said he softly, “the King is alive!”

The little farm-girl stood by us, weeping for fright and wide-eyed for wonder; for she had seen me at Zenda; and was not I, pallid, dripping, foul, and bloody as I was – yet was not I the King?

And when I heard that the King was alive, I strove to cry “Hurrah!” But I could not speak, and I laid my head back in Fritz’s arms and closed my eyes, and I groaned; and then, lest Fritz should do me wrong in his thoughts, I opened my eyes and tried to say “Hurrah!” again. But I could not. And being very tired, and now very cold, I huddled myself close up to Fritz, to get the warmth of him, and shut my eyes again and went to sleep.

In order to a full understanding of what had occurred in the Castle of Zenda (чтобы полностью понять, что произошло в замке Зенды), it is necessary to supplement my account of what I myself saw and did on that night (необходимо дополнить мое описание /того/, что я сам видел и делал той ночью; account – доклад, сообщение; описание, рассказ) by relating briefly what I afterwards learnt from Fritz and Madame de Mauban (кратким рассказом /о том/, что я впоследствии узнал от Фрица и госпожи де Мобан; to relate – рассказывать). The story told by the latter explained clearly how it happened (история, рассказанная последней, ясно объясняла, как случилось) that the cry which I had arranged as a stratagem and a sham (что крик, который, как мы договаривались, /будет/ уловкой и притворством; to arrange – приводить в порядок; уславливаться, договариваться; sham – притворство; обман, трюк) had come, in dreadful reality, before its time (в действительности: «в страшной реальности» раздался преждевременно), and had thus, as it seemed at the moment, ruined our hopes (и таким образом, как показалось в тот момент, нарушил наши планы: «разрушил наши надежды»), while in the end it had favoured them (тогда как в итоге он способствовал им; to favour – благоволить, быть благосклонным; содействовать, помогать). The unhappy woman, fired, I believe by a genuine attachment to the Duke of Strelsau (несчастная женщина, вдохновленная, как я полагаю, истинной привязанностью к герцогу Стрелсо; to fire – зажигать, поджигать; воодушевляться, загораться /чем-л./; attachment – прикрепление, присоединение; привязанность, преданность), no less than by the dazzling prospects (не менее, чем ослепительными перспективами) which a dominion over him opened before her eyes (которые власть над ним открывала перед ее глазами), had followed him at his request from Paris to Ruritania (последовала за ним по его просьбе из Парижа в Руританию). He was a man of strong passions, but of stronger will (он был человеком с сильными страстями, но с /еще/ более сильной волей), and his cool head ruled both (а его трезвый ум управлял и тем и другим; cool – прохладный; спокойный, невозмутимый, хладнокровный; head – голова; способность, ум). He was content to take all and give nothing (он был склонен брать все и не давать ничего = ничего не отдавая взамен; content – довольный, удовлетворенный). When she arrived, she was not long in finding (когда она приехала, то не замедлила обнаружить; long – долго, долгое время) that she had a rival in the Princess Flavia (что у нее есть соперница в /лице/ принцессы Флавии); rendered desperate, she stood at nothing (отчаявшись, она не останавливалась ни перед чем; to render – отдавать, платить; приводить в какое-л. состояние) which might give, or keep for her, her power over the duke (что могло бы дать ей, или сохранить для нее, власть над герцогом). As I say, he took and gave not (как я говорю, он брал, не отдавая).

In order to a full understanding of what had occurred in the Castle of Zenda, it is necessary to supplement my account of what I myself saw and did on that night by relating briefly what I afterwards learnt from Fritz and Madame de Mauban. The story told by the latter explained clearly how it happened that the cry which I had arranged as a stratagem and a sham had come, in dreadful reality, before its time, and had thus, as it seemed at the moment, ruined our hopes, while in the end it had favoured them. The unhappy woman, fired, I believe by a genuine attachment to the Duke of Strelsau, no less than by the dazzling prospects which a dominion over him opened before her eyes, had followed him at his request from Paris to Ruritania. He was a man of strong passions, but of stronger will, and his cool head ruled both. He was content to take all and give nothing. When she arrived, she was not long in finding that she had a rival in the Princess Flavia; rendered desperate, she stood at nothing which might give, or keep for her, her power over the duke. As I say, he took and gave not.

Simultaneously, Antoinette found herself entangled in his audacious schemes (в то же время Антуанетта оказалась вовлеченной в его дерзкие замыслы; to entangle – запутывать; впутывать, вовлекать; tangle – спутанный клубок; путаница). Unwilling to abandon him, bound to him by the chains of shame and hope (не желая оставить его, прикованная к нему цепями позора и надежды), yet she would not be a decoy, nor, at his bidding, lure me to death (она, тем не менее, не хотела ни быть приманкой, ни по его просьбе заманивать меня в смертельную /ловушку/). Hence the letters of warning she had written (отсюда те письма с предупреждениями, /которые/ она написала). Whether the lines she sent to Flavia were inspired by good or bad feeling (были ли строки, /которые/ она посылала Флавии, внушены /ей/ добрыми или злыми побуждениями: «чувствами»), by jealousy or by pity, I do not know (ревностью или жалостью, я не знаю); but here also she served us well (но здесь она тоже хорошо послужила нам = но она нам здорово помогла). When the duke went to Zenda, she accompanied him (когда герцог отправился в Зенду, она поехала с ним; to accompany – сопровождать); and here for the first time she learnt the full measure of his cruelty (и тут она впервые в полной мере узнала о его жестокости), and was touched with compassion for the unfortunate King (и отнеслась с состраданием к несчастному королю; to touch – прикасаться, притрагиваться; трогать, волновать). From this time she was with us (с того времени она была на нашей стороне: «она была с нами»); yet, from what she told me, I know that she still (as women will) loved Michael (однако из /того/, что она рассказала мне, я понял, что она все еще (как это случается с женщинами) любила Михаэля; will – вспомогательный гл. для образования будущего времени; модальный гл., выражает часто повторяющееся действие), and trusted to gain his life, if not his pardon, from the King (и надеялась вымолить у короля, если не прощения для него, то его жизнь: «получить его жизнь, если не его прощение, от короля»; to trust – доверять/ся/, полагаться; надеяться, полагать; to gain – зарабатывать, добывать; получать, приобретать), as the reward for her assistance (как награду за ее помощь). His triumph she did not desire, for she loathed his crime (победы она ему не желала, потому что питала отвращение к его злодеяниям), and loathed yet more fiercely what would be the prize of it (а еще более люто ненавидела /то/, что стало бы тому наградой = а еще сильнее не желала того, к чему он в итоге стремился) – his marriage with his cousin, Princess Flavia (его брака с кузиной, принцессой Флавией).

Simultaneously, Antoinette found herself entangled in his audacious schemes. Unwilling to abandon him, bound to him by the chains of shame and hope, yet she would not be a decoy, nor, at his bidding, lure me to death. Hence the letters of warning she had written. Whether the lines she sent to Flavia were inspired by good or bad feeling, by jealousy or by pity, I do not know; but here also she served us well. When the duke went to Zenda, she accompanied him; and here for the first time she learnt the full measure of his cruelty, and was touched with compassion for the unfortunate King. From this time she was with us; yet, from what she told me, I know that she still (as women will) loved Michael, and trusted to gain his life, if not his pardon, from the King, as the reward for her assistance. His triumph she did not desire, for she loathed his crime, and loathed yet more fiercely what would be the prize of it – his marriage with his cousin, Princess Flavia.

At Zenda new forces came into play (в Зенде вступили в действие новые силы; to come into play – начать действовать) – the lust and daring of young Rupert (страсть и дерзость юного Руперта; lust – вожделение, похоть; страсть). He was caught by her beauty, perhaps (возможно, его привлекла ее красота; to catch – ловить, поймать; увлечь, привлечь /внимание и т. п./); perhaps it was enough for him that she belonged to another man, and that she hated him (возможно, ему было достаточно того, что она принадлежит другому, а его не выносит). For many days there had been quarrels and ill will between him and the duke (много дней между ним и герцогом царили вражда и неприязнь; quarrel – ссора; ill will – недоброжелательность, враждебность; ill – больной; злой, враждебный; will – воля, сила воли; твердое намерение, желание), and the scene which I had witnessed in the duke’s room (и сцена в комнате герцога, свидетелем которой я оказался) was but one of many (была лишь одной из многих). Rupert’s proposals to me, of which she had, of course, been ignorant (предложения Руперта, /сделанные/ мне, о которых она, конечно же, не знала; ignorant – невежественный; несведущий, не информированный /о чем-л./), in no way surprised her when I related them (совершенно ее не удивили, когда я о них рассказал); she had herself warned Michael against Rupert (она сама предостерегала Михаэля против Руперта), even when she was calling on me to deliver her from both of them (даже когда взывала ко мне избавить ее от них обоих; to deliver – доставлять, разносить /письма, товары/; освобождать; to call – звать, окликать; призывать). On this night, then, Rupert had determined to have his will (и вот, той ночью Руперт решил добиться своего; to have one’s will – добиться своего; will – воля, сила воли; твердое намерение, желание). When she had gone to her room (когда она удалилась в свою комнату), he, having furnished himself with a key to it, had made his entrance (он, заранее раздобыв от нее ключ, пробрался туда; to furnish with smth. – снабжать чем-л.; to make one’s entrance – выходить на сцену, сделать свой выход /театр./; entrance – вход /в здание и т. п./; выход /актера на сцену/). Her cries had brought the duke, and there in the dark room (ее крики привлекли герцога, и там в темноте комнаты), while she screamed, the men had fought (тогда как она кричала, мужчины сражались; to fight); and Rupert, having wounded his master with a mortal blow (и Руперт, смертельно ранив: «ранив смертельным ударом» своего господина), had, on the servants rushing in, escaped through the window as I have described (когда ворвались слуги, бежал через окно, как я уже /это/ описывал).

At Zenda new forces came into play – the lust and daring of young Rupert. He was caught by her beauty, perhaps; perhaps it was enough for him that she belonged to another man, and that she hated him. For many days there had been quarrels and ill will between him and the duke, and the scene which I had witnessed in the duke’s room was but one of many. Rupert’s proposals to me, of which she had, of course, been ignorant, in no way surprised her when I related them; she had herself warned Michael against Rupert, even when she was calling on me to deliver her from both of them. On this night, then, Rupert had determined to have his will. When she had gone to her room, he, having furnished himself with a key to it, had made his entrance. Her cries had brought the duke, and there in the dark room, while she screamed, the men had fought; and Rupert, having wounded his master with a mortal blow, had, on the servants rushing in, escaped through the window as I have described.