“And where do you sleep (а где ты спишь)?”
“In the entrance hall of the château, with five servants (в холле дворца, /вместе/ с пятью слугами; entrance hall – вестибюль, фойе; холл, прихожая).”
“Armed (/они/ вооружены)?”
“And that door is locked?”
“Only the four lords have keys, sir.”
I drew nearer to him.
“And have they keys of the grating?” I asked in a low whisper.
“I think, sir, only Detchard and Rupert.”
“Where does the duke lodge?”
“In the château, on the first floor. His apartments are on the right as you go towards the drawbridge.”
“And Madame de Mauban?”
“Just opposite, on the left. But her door is locked after she has entered.”
“To keep her in?”
“Doubtless, sir.”
“Perhaps for another reason?”
“It is possible.”
“And the duke, I suppose, has the key?”
“Yes. And the drawbridge is drawn back at night, and of that, too, the duke holds the key, so that it cannot be run across the moat without application to him.”
“And where do you sleep?”
“In the entrance hall of the château, with five servants.”
“Armed?”
“They have pikes, sir, but no firearms (у них есть пики, но ничего огнестрельного). The duke will not trust them with firearms (герцог не доверяет им огнестрельного оружия).”
Then at last I took the matter boldly in my hands (теперь, наконец, я смело взялся за это дело; to take in hand – взять в свои руки; приниматься, браться /за что-л./). I had failed once at “Jacob’s Ladder” (однажды у «лестницы Иакова» у меня не вышло); I should fail again there (не выйдет там снова). I must make the attack from the other side (я должен попробовать с другой стороны; to make attack – штурмовать, атаковать).
“I have promised you twenty thousand crowns (я пообещал тебе двадцать тысяч крон),” said I. “You shall have fifty thousand if you will do (ты получишь пятьдесят тысяч, если сделаешь /то/) what I ask of you tomorrow night (о чем я попрошу тебя завтра вечером). But, first, do those servants know who your prisoner is (но сперва /скажи/, те слуги знают, кто ваш пленник)?”
“No, sir. They believe him to be some private enemy of the duke’s (нет, сэр, они полагают, что он – какой-то личный враг герцога).”
“And they would not doubt that I am the King (и они не станут сомневаться, что я король)?”
“How should they?” he asked (с чего бы им? – спросил он).
“Look to this, then (тогда слушай вот что). Tomorrow, at two in the morning exactly, fling open the front door of the château (завтра ровно в два часа ночи: «утра» раскрой настежь входную дверь во дворец). Don’t fail by an instant (не ошибись ни на секунду).”
“Shall you be there, sir (вы там будете, сэр)?”
“They have pikes, sir, but no firearms. The duke will not trust them with firearms.”
Then at last I took the matter boldly in my hands. I had failed once at “Jacob’s Ladder;” I should fail again there. I must make the attack from the other side.
“I have promised you twenty thousand crowns,” said I. “You shall have fifty thousand if you will do what I ask of you tomorrow night. But, first, do those servants know who your prisoner is?”
“No, sir. They believe him to be some private enemy of the duke’s.”
“And they would not doubt that I am the King?”
“How should they?” he asked.
“Look to this, then. Tomorrow, at two in the morning exactly, fling open the front door of the château. Don’t fail by an instant.”
“Shall you be there, sir?”
“Ask no questions (не задавай вопросов). Do what I tell you (делай, что я говорю). Say the hall is close, or what you will (скажешь, что /двери/ в холл заперты, или что-то в этом роде: «или что пожелаешь»). That is all I ask of you (это все, о чем я тебя прошу).”
“And may I escape by the door, sir, when I have opened it (а можно я убегу через эту дверь, сэр, когда открою ее)?”
“Yes, as quick as your legs will carry you (да, и так быстро, как понесут тебя твои ноги). One thing more (еще одно). Carry this note to madame – oh, it’s in French, you can’t read it (отнеси эту записку госпоже – о, она на французском, ты не сможешь ее прочитать) – and charge her, for the sake of all our lives, not to fail in what it orders (и потребуй от нее, ради спасения всех нас: «ради всех наших жизней», выполнить то, что там предписано; to charge – нагружать, загружать; требовать, приказывать; to fail – терпеть неудачу).”
The man was trembling but I had to trust (парня трясло, но мне приходилось полагаться; to trust – доверять, верить; полагаться, доверяться) to what he had of courage and to what he had of honesty (на то мужество и ту честность, что у него были). I dared not wait, for I feared that the King would die (я не мог: «не смел» /больше/ ждать, так как опасался, что король умрет).
When the fellow was gone, I called Sapt and Fritz to me (когда он ушел, я позвал к себе Сэпта и Фрица), and unfolded the plan that I had formed (и открыл им свои намерения: «план, который я составил»; to unfold – развертывать; раскрывать, открывать /планы, замыслы/). Sapt shook his head over it (Сэпт покачал головой, /выслушав/ его).
“Why can’t you wait (почему вы не можете подождать)?” he asked.
“The King may die (король может умереть).”
“Michael will be forced to act before that (Михаэль будет вынужден действовать раньше).”
“Then,” said I, “the King may live (тогда, – сказал я, – король может выжить).”
“Well, and if he does (ну, и если так)?”
“For a fortnight?” I asked simply (на две недели? – просто спросил я).
And Sapt bit his moustache (и Сэпт /принялся/ покусывать свой ус).
“Ask no questions. Do what I tell you. Say the hall is close, or what you will. That is all I ask of you.”
“And may I escape by the door, sir, when I have opened it?”
“Yes, as quick as your legs will carry you. One thing more. Carry this note to madame – oh, it’s in French, you can’t read it – and charge her, for the sake of all our lives, not to fail in what it orders.”
The man was trembling but I had to trust to what he had of courage and to what he had of honesty. I dared not wait, for I feared that the King would die.
When the fellow was gone, I called Sapt and Fritz to me, and unfolded the plan that I had formed. Sapt shook his head over it.
“Why can’t you wait?” he asked.
“The King may die.”
“Michael will be forced to act before that.”
“Then,” said I, “the King may live.”
“Well, and if he does?”
“For a fortnight?” I asked simply.
And Sapt bit his moustache.
Suddenly Fritz von Tarlenheim laid his hand on my shoulder (вдруг Фриц фон Тарленхайм положил руку мне на плечо; to lay).
“Let us go and make the attempt (давайте мы пойдем и попробуем: «сделаем попытку»),” said he.
“I mean you to go – don’t be afraid (я вас и имел в виду, не переживайте: «не бойтесь»),” said I.
“Ay, but do you stay here, and take care of the princess (да, а вы оставайтесь здесь и позаботьтесь о принцессе).”
A gleam came into old Sapt’s eye (во взгляде старины Сэпта мелькнул /озорной/ огонек).
“We should have Michael one way or the other then,” he chuckled (мы бы достали Михаэля так или иначе, – усмехнулся он); “whereas if you go and are killed with the King (тогда как, если вы пойдете и вас убьют /вместе/ с королем), what will become of those of us who are left (что станет с теми из нас, кто останется)?”
“They will serve Queen Flavia,” said I, “and I would to God I could be one of them (они будут служить принцессе Флавии, – сказал я, – и, клянусь Богом, я мог бы быть одним из них).”
A pause followed (наступило молчание: «последовала пауза»). Old Sapt broke it by saying sadly (старый Сэпт нарушил его, сказав грустно), yet with an unmeant drollery that set Fritz and me laughing (однако с непроизвольным юмором, от чего мы с Фрицем рассмеялись):
“Why didn’t old Rudolf the Third marry your – great-grandmother, was it (почему старина Рудольф Третий не женился на вашей прабабушке, а)?”
“Come,” said I, “it is the King we are thinking about (да бросьте, – сказал я, – мы сейчас думаем, /как спасти/ короля).”
“It is true (это точно),” said Fritz.
Suddenly Fritz von Tarlenheim laid his hand on my shoulder.
“Let us go and make the attempt,” said he.
“I mean you to go – don’t be afraid,” said I.
“Ay, but do you stay here, and take care of the princess.”
A gleam came into old Sapt’s eye.
“We should have Michael one way or the other then,” he chuckled; “whereas if you go and are killed with the King, what will become of those of us who are left?”
“They will serve Queen Flavia,” said I, “and I would to God I could be one of them.”
A pause followed. Old Sapt broke it by saying sadly, yet with an unmeant drollery that set Fritz and me laughing:
“Why didn’t old Rudolf the Third marry your – great-grandmother, was it?”
“Come,” said I, “it is the King we are thinking about.”
“It is true,” said Fritz.
“Moreover,” I went on, “I have been an impostor for the profit of another (кроме того, – продолжал я, – я стал самозванцем ради другого; profit – выгода, польза), but I will not be one for my own (но я не стану им ради самого себя); and if the King is not alive and on his throne before the day of betrothal comes (и если король не вернется на трон живым /и здоровым/, прежде чем наступит день помолвки), I will tell the truth, come what may (я расскажу правду, /и/ будь что будет).”
“You shall go, lad (тебе стоит пойти, парень),” said Sapt.
Here is the plan I had made (вот какой план я придумал). A strong party under Sapt’s command (сильный отряд под командованием Сэпта) was to steal up to the door of the château (должен /незаметно/ подобраться ко входу в замок). If discovered prematurely, they were to kill anyone who found them – with their swords (если их преждевременно обнаружат, они убьют любого, кто им попадется – своими мечами), for I wanted no noise of firing (так как я не хотел шума от стрельбы). If all went well, they would be at the door when Johann opened it (если все пройдет хорошо, они будут у двери, когда Иоганн откроет ее). They were to rush in and secure the servants (они ворвутся внутрь и свяжут слуг; to secure – обеспечивать безопасность; связывать /кого-л./) if their mere presence and the use of the King’s name were not enough (если только не будет достаточно их присутствия и имени короля). At the same moment – and on this hinged the plan (в тот же самый момент – и от этого зависел /успех всего/ замысла; to hinge – вращаться на петлях; зависеть /от чего-л./) – a woman’s cry was to ring out loud and shrill from Antoinette de Mauban’s chamber (раздастся пронзительный женский крик из комнаты Антуанетты де Мобан; loud – громко; to shrill – пронзительно кричать). Again and again she was to cry: “Help, help! Michael, help (снова и снова она должна будет кричать: на помощь, Михаэль)!” and then to utter the name of young Rupert Hentzau (а затем произносить имя юного Руперта Хенцо).
“Moreover,” I went on, “I have been an impostor for the profit of another, but I will not be one for my own; and if the King is not alive and on his throne before the day of betrothal comes, I will tell the truth, come what may.”
“You shall go, lad,” said Sapt.
Here is the plan I had made. A strong party under Sapt’s command was to steal up to the door of the château. If discovered prematurely, they were to kill anyone who found them – with their swords, for I wanted no noise of firing. If all went well, they would be at the door when Johann opened it. They were to rush in and secure the servants if their mere presence and the use of the King’s name were not enough. At the same moment – and on this hinged the plan – a woman’s cry was to ring out loud and shrill from Antoinette de Mauban’s chamber. Again and again she was to cry: “Help, help! Michael, help!” and then to utter the name of young Rupert Hentzau.
