I caught the Prefect’s glance (я перехватил взгляд префекта); he was regarding me with enquiry writ large on his face (он пристально смотрел на меня, и сомнение ясно отображалось: «было крупно написано» на его лице;
“Sapt,” said I, “I must speak a word to the Prefect (Сэпт, – сказал я, – я должен сказать /несколько/ слов префекту). Will you ride on a few paces with the princess (вы не проедете с принцессой немного вперед: «на несколько шагов»)?” And I added to the Prefect (и, /повернувшись/ к префекту, добавил): “Come, sir, what do you mean (итак, сэр, что вы имеете в виду)?”
He drew close to me, and I bent in the saddle (и он приблизился ко мне, а я наклонился в седле).
“What was his name?”
“Rassendyll, sire,” he answered; and I saw that the name meant nothing to him. But, glancing at Flavia, he lowered his voice, as he went on: “It is thought that he may have followed a lady here. Has your Majesty heard of a certain Madame de Mauban?”
“Why, yes,” said I, my eye involuntarily travelling towards the Castle.
“She arrived in Ruritania about the same time as this Rassendyll.”
I caught the Prefect’s glance; he was regarding me with enquiry writ large on his face.
“Sapt,” said I, “I must speak a word to the Prefect. Will you ride on a few paces with the princess?” And I added to the Prefect: “Come, sir, what do you mean?”
He drew close to me, and I bent in the saddle.
“If he were in love with the lady?” he whispered (а если он влюбился в эту даму? – прошептал он;
“Yes, the lady is there,” I said quietly (да, эта дама находится там, – сказал я спокойно). “But I don’t suppose Mr. Rassendyll – is that the name? – is (но я не предполагаю, что мистер Рассендил – так его имя? – /тоже/ находится /там/;
“The duke,” he whispered, “does not like rivals, sire (герцог, – прошептал он, – не любит соперников, сир).”
“You’re right there,” said I, with all sincerity (тут вы правы, – сказал я со всей искренностью). “But surely you hint at a very grave charge (но вы, несомненно, намекаете на очень серьезное обвинение;
He spread his hands out in apology (он развел руки, /как бы/ извиняясь;
“This is a grave matter (это серьезное дело). Go back to Strelsau (возвращайтесь в Стрелсо) – ”
“But, sire, if I have a clue here (но сир, если у меня здесь есть зацепка;
“Go back to Strelsau,” I repeated (возвращайтесь в Стрелсо, – повторил я). “Tell the Ambassador that you have a clue (скажите послу, что у вас есть зацепка), but that you must be left alone for a week or two (но что вас нужно оставить в покое на пару недель: «оставить одного на неделю или две»;
“The Ambassador is very pressing, sire (посол очень настаивает, сир;
“If he were in love with the lady?” he whispered. “Nothing has been heard of him for two months;” and this time it was the eye of the Prefect which travelled towards the Castle.
“Yes, the lady is there,” I said quietly. “But I don’t suppose Mr. Rassendyll – is that the name? – is.”
“The duke,” he whispered, “does not like rivals, sire.”
“You’re right there,” said I, with all sincerity. “But surely you hint at a very grave charge?”
He spread his hands out in apology. I whispered in his ear:
“This is a grave matter. Go back to Strelsau – ”
“But, sire, if I have a clue here?”
“Go back to Strelsau,” I repeated. “Tell the Ambassador that you have a clue, but that you must be left alone for a week or two. Meanwhile, I’ll charge myself with looking into the matter.”
“The Ambassador is very pressing, sire.”