“I need you no more.”
“Nay, I’m not oppressed with fatigue,” said Rupert.
“Pray, sir, leave us,” said Michael, more impatiently. “In ten minutes the drawbridge will be drawn back, and I presume you have no wish to swim to your bed.”
Rupert’s figure disappeared. I heard the door open and shut again. Michael and Antoinette de Mauban were left together. To my chagrin, the duke laid his hand on the window and closed it. He stood talking to Antoinette for a moment or two. She shook her head, and he turned impatiently away. She left the window. The door sounded again, and Black Michael closed the shutters.
“De Gautet, De Gautet, man!” sounded from the drawbridge. “Unless you want a bath before your bed, come along!”
It was Rupert’s voice, coming from the end of the drawbridge. A moment later he and De Gautet stepped out on the bridge. Rupert’s arm was through De Gautet’s, and in the middle of the bridge he detained his companion and leant over. I dropped behind the shelter of “Jacob’s Ladder.”
Then Master Rupert had a little sport (тут господин Руперт решил немного позабавиться;
“Hardly a drop!” he cried discontentedly, and flung it in the moat (почти нет ни капли! – вскричал он с досадой и швырнул ее в ров).
It fell, as I judged from the sound and the circles on the water (она упала, как я мог судить по звуку и кругам на воде), within a yard of the pipe (в ярде от трубы). And Rupert, taking out his revolver, began to shoot at it (и Руперт, достав свой револьвер, принялся стрелять в нее). The first two shots missed the bottle, but hit the pipe (первые две пули /пролетели/ мимо бутылки, но попали в трубу;
“Ware bridge!” a voice cried, to my relief (осторожно, мост! – крикнул чей-то голос к моему облегчению).
Rupert and De Gautet cried, “A moment!” and ran across (Руперт и Де Готе крикнули: “Один момент!” и бегом пересекли /мост/). The bridge was drawn back, and all became still (мост подняли, и все стихло). The clock struck a quarter past one (часы пробили четверть второго). I rose and stretched myself and yawned (я поднялся, потянулся и зевнул).
Then Master Rupert had a little sport. He took from De Gautet a bottle which he carried, and put it to his lips.
“Hardly a drop!” he cried discontentedly, and flung it in the moat.
It fell, as I judged from the sound and the circles on the water, within a yard of the pipe. And Rupert, taking out his revolver, began to shoot at it. The first two shots missed the bottle, but hit the pipe. The third shattered the bottle. I hoped that the young ruffian would be content; but he emptied the other barrels at the pipe, and one, skimming over the pipe, whistled through my hair as I crouched on the other side.
“’Ware bridge!” a voice cried, to my relief.
Rupert and De Gautet cried, “A moment!” and ran across. The bridge was drawn back, and all became still. The clock struck a quarter past one. I rose and stretched myself and yawned.