As I spoke, there came a cheer from the street (когда я говорил, с улицы донеслись приветственные возгласы). The princess ran to the window (принцесса подбежала к окну).
“It is he!” she cried (это он, – вскричала она). “It is – the Duke of Strelsau (это герцог Стрелсо)!”
“You call him Michael when you meet him?”
“Yes – by the orders of your father.”
“I see. And now by mine?”
“If those are your orders.”
“Oh, decidedly! We must all be pleasant to our dear Michael.”
“You order me to receive his friends, too, I suppose?”
“The Six?”
“You call them that, too?”
“To be in the fashion, I do. But I order you to receive no one unless you like.”
“Except yourself?”
“I pray for myself. I could not order.”
As I spoke, there came a cheer from the street. The princess ran to the window.
“It is he!” she cried. “It is – the Duke of Strelsau!”
I smiled, but said nothing (я улыбнулся, но ничего не сказал). She returned to her seat (она вернулась на свое место). For a few moments we sat in silence (несколько минут мы сидели молча: «в тишине»). The noise outside subsided (шум снаружи утих), but I heard the tread of feet in the ante-room (но я услыхал звук шагов в передней;
“Are you wise to make him angry (разве с вашей /стороны/ разумно злить его;
“What? Who? How am I making him angry (что? кого? чем же я его злю)?”
“Why, by keeping him waiting (да ведь тем, что заставляете его ждать).”
“My dear cousin, I don’t want to keep him (дорогая кузина, я не хотел заставлять его) – ”
“Well, then, is he to come in (ну, тогда пусть он войдет)?”
“Of course, if you wish it (конечно, если вы этого хотите).”
She looked at me curiously (она странно посмотрела на меня).
“How funny you are (какой вы чудной;
Here was a charming attribute of royalty (чудесная привилегия королей;
I smiled, but said nothing. She returned to her seat. For a few moments we sat in silence. The noise outside subsided, but I heard the tread of feet in the ante-room. I began to talk on general subjects. This went on for some minutes. I wondered what had become of Michael, but it did not seem to be for me to interfere. All at once, to my great surprise, Flavia, clasping her hands asked in an agitated voice:
“Are you wise to make him angry?”
“What? Who? How am I making him angry?”
“Why, by keeping him waiting.”
“My dear cousin, I don’t want to keep him – ”
“Well, then, is he to come in?”
“Of course, if you wish it.”
She looked at me curiously.
“How funny you are,” she said. “Of course no one could be announced while I was with you.”
Here was a charming attribute of royalty!
“An excellent etiquette!” I cried (/какой/ превосходный этикет! – воскликнул я). “But I had clean forgotten it (но я начисто забыл о нем); and if I were alone with someone else, couldn’t you be announced (а если бы я был наедине с кем-то еще, о вас /тоже/ не могли бы объявить)?”
“You know as well as I do (вы знаете это так же хорошо, как и я). I could be, because I am of the Blood (обо мне могли бы, потому что я /королевской/ крови)”; and she still looked puzzled (она все еще выглядела озадаченной).