“Good heavens!”

“Or, any rate, go near it: and I shall send a ‘semi-official’ to the papers.”

“I’ll do nothing of the sort – no more will you!” said I. “I utterly refuse to take part in making a fool of the princess.”

Sapt looked at me with his small keen eyes. A slow cunning smile passed over his face.

“All right, lad, all right,” said he. “We mustn’t press you too hard. Soothe her down a bit, if you can, you know. Now for Michael!”

“Oh, damn Michael!” said I. “He’ll do tomorrow. Here, Fritz, come for a stroll in the garden.”

Sapt at once yielded. His rough manner covered a wonderful tact – and as I came to recognize more and more, a remarkable knowledge of human nature. Why did he urge me so little about the princess? Because he knew that her beauty and my ardour would carry me further than all his arguments – and that the less I thought about the thing, the more likely was I to do it.

He must have seen the unhappiness he might bring on the princess (он, должно быть, понимал, какое несчастье может принести принцессе); but that went for nothing with him (но это ничего не значило для него; to go for nothing – ничего не стоить). Can I say, confidently, that he was wrong (могу ли я сказать с уверенностью, что он был не прав)? If the King were restored, the princess must turn to him (если король вернется, принцесса должна будет остаться с ним; to restore – восстанавливать; отдавать обратно, возвращать; to turn – поворачивать/ся/; менять направление, переходить к /чему-л., кому-л./), either knowing or not knowing the change (неважно, узнает /она/ о подмене или нет). And if the King were not restored to us (а если король не вернется к нам)? It was a subject that we had never yet spoken of (это была тема, на которую мы еще никогда не говорили). But I had an idea that, in such a case (но у меня было подозрение, что в таком случае; idea – идея, мысль; предположение, догадка), Sapt meant to seat me on the throne of Ruritania for the term of my life (Сэпт намеревался удерживать меня на троне Руритании до конца жизни; to seat – усаживать; term – период, срок). He would have set Satan himself there sooner (он скорее посадил бы туда самого сатану; to set – ставить, помещать) than that pupil of his, Black Michael (чем его ученика, Черного Михаэля).

The ball was a sumptuous affair (бал был великолепным: «великолепным событием»; affair – дело; событие). I opened it by dancing a quadrille with Flavia (я открыл его, танцуя кадриль с Флавией): then I waltzed with her (потом мы с ней танцевали вальс). Curious eyes and eager whispers attended us (любопытные взгляды и непрестанное шушуканье сопровождали нас; eager – страстно стремящийся /к чему-л./; энергичный, интенсивный; whisper – шепот).

He must have seen the unhappiness he might bring on the princess; but that went for nothing with him. Can I say, confidently, that he was wrong? If the King were restored, the princess must turn to him, either knowing or not knowing the change. And if the King were not restored to us? It was a subject that we had never yet spoken of. But I had an idea that, in such a case, Sapt meant to seat me on the throne of Ruritania for the term of my life. He would have set Satan himself there sooner than that pupil of his, Black Michael.

The ball was a sumptuous affair. I opened it by dancing a quadrille with Flavia: then I waltzed with her. Curious eyes and eager whispers attended us.

We went in to supper (мы сели за стол: «принялись за ужин»; to go in – входить; приниматься за /что-л./); and, half way through, I, half mad by then, for her glance had answered mine (и в самом разгаре /ужина/ я, к тому времени уже по уши влюбленный, потому что ее взгляд отвечал на мой; half way through – на полпути; mad – сумасшедший, безумный; страстно любящий), and her quick breathing met my stammered sentences (а мои сбивчивые речи она встречала учащенным дыханием; quick – быстрый; sentence – предложение, фраза; сентенция, высказывание) – I rose in my place before all the brilliant crowd (я поднялся со своего места перед всей этой блистательной толпой), and taking the Red Rose that I wore (и, взяв = сняв орден Красной Розы, который я носил), flung the ribbon with its jewelled badge round her neck (набросил ленту с эмблемой, украшенной драгоценными камнями, ей на шею; to fling – бросать, швырять; накидывать, набрасывать). In a tumult of applause I sat down (под гром аплодисментов я сел /на свое место/; tumult – шум и крики, суматоха; буйство): I saw Sapt smiling over his wine, and Fritz frowning (и увидел, как Сэпт улыбнулся над своим /бокалом/ с вином, а Фриц нахмурился). The rest of the meal passed in silence (остаток трапезы прошел в тишине); neither Flavia nor I could speak (ни я, ни Флавия не могли говорить). Fritz touched me on the shoulder, and I rose, gave her my arm (Фриц тронул меня за плечо, я поднялся, подал ей руку), and walked down the hall into a little room (и /мы/ пошли через зал в маленькую комнатку), where coffee was served to us (куда нам подали кофе; to serve – служить, быть слугой; подавать /на стол/). The gentlemen and ladies in attendance withdrew, and we were alone (джентльмены и дамы из свиты удалились, и мы остались наедине).

The little room had French windows opening on the gardens (двустворчатые, доходящие до пола окна комнатки выходили: «открывались» в сад). The night was fine, cool, and fragrant (ночь была ясной, прохладной и благоухающей). Flavia sat down, and I stood opposite her (Флавия села, а я встал напротив нее). I was struggling with myself (я боролся с самим собой): if she had not looked at me (если бы она не взглянула на меня), I believe that even then I should have won my fight (я думаю, даже тогда я смог бы сдержаться: «выиграть свой бой»; to win).

We went in to supper; and, half way through, I, half mad by then, for her glance had answered mine, and her quick breathing met my stammered sentences – I rose in my place before all the brilliant crowd, and taking the Red Rose that I wore, flung the ribbon with its jewelled badge round her neck. In a tumult of applause I sat down: I saw Sapt smiling over his wine, and Fritz frowning. The rest of the meal passed in silence; neither Flavia nor I could speak. Fritz touched me on the shoulder, and I rose, gave her my arm, and walked down the hall into a little room, where coffee was served to us. The gentlemen and ladies in attendance withdrew, and we were alone.