"What are you two doing here, anyhow?" he demanded gruffly. "Kismine, you ought to be — to be reading or playing golf with your sister. Go read! Go play golf! Don't let me find you here when I come back!"
Then he bowed at John and went up the path.
"See?" said Kismine crossly, when he was out of hearing. "You've spoiled it all. We can never meet any more. He won't let me meet you. He'd have you poisoned if he thought we were in love."
"We're not, any more!" cried John fiercely (уже не влюблены! — с яростью воскликнул Джон;
They had both got to their feet (они оба уже стояли: «встали на ноги»), and at this remark Kismine came close and put her arm through his (и при этих словах Кисмин подошла /к нему/ вплотную и взяла его под руку: «положила =
"I'm going, too (я тоже пойду)."
"You must be crazy (ты с ума сошла;
"Of course I'm going," she interrupted impatiently (нетерпеливо прервала она).
"You most certainly are not (ни в коем случае не пойдешь). You —»
"Very well," she said quietly (ну хорошо, — сказала она спокойно), "we'll catch up with father now and talk it over with him (сейчас мы догоним папу и обсудим это с ним)."
Defeated, John mustered a sickly smile (побежденный, Джон выдавил из себя болезненную =
"Very well, dearest," he agreed, with pale and unconvincing affection, "we'll go together (хорошо, милая, — согласился он с бледной =
fiercely ['fIqslI], gnaw [nL], close /как наречие и прил./ [klqVs]
"We're not, any more!" cried John fiercely, "so he can set his mind at rest upon that. Moreover, don't fool yourself that I'm going to stay around here. Inside of six hours I'll be over those mountains, if I have to gnaw a passage through them, and on my way East."
They had both got to their feet, and at this remark Kismine came close and put her arm through his.
"I'm going, too."
"You must be crazy —"
"Of course I'm going," she interrupted impatiently.
"You most certainly are not. You —"
"Very well," she said quietly, "we'll catch up with father now and talk it over with him."
Defeated, John mustered a sickly smile.
"Very well, dearest," he agreed, with pale and unconvincing affection, "we'll go together."
His love for her returned and settled placidly on his heart (его любовь вернулась и безмятежно поселилась в его сердце). She was his — she would go with him to share his dangers (она =
Discussing the matter (обсуждая план действий;
placidly ['plxsIdlI], turquoise ['tWkwRz, — kwOIz], pound [paVnd]
His love for her returned and settled placidly on his heart. She was his — she would go with him to share his dangers. He put his arms about her and kissed her fervently. After all she loved him; she had saved him, in fact.
Discussing the matter, they walked slowly back toward the château. They decided that since Braddock Washington had seen them together they had best depart the next night. Nevertheless, John's lips were unusually dry at dinner, and he nervously emptied a great spoonful of peacock soup into his left lung. He had to be carried into the turquoise and sable card-room and pounded on the back by one of the under-butlers, which Percy considered a great joke.
IX
Long after midnight John's body gave a nervous jerk (далеко за полночь Джон нервно вздрогнул во сне: «тело Джона нервно дернулось»;
veil [veIl], agonizing ['xgqnaIzIN], limn [lIm]
Long after midnight John's body gave a nervous jerk, and he sat suddenly upright, staring into the veils of somnolence that draped the room. Through the squares of blue darkness that were his open windows, he had heard a faint far-away sound that died upon a bed of wind before identifying itself on his memory, clouded with uneasy dreams. But the sharp noise that had succeeded it was nearer, was just outside the room — the click of a turned knob, a footstep, a whisper, he could not tell; a hard lump gathered in the pit of his stomach, and his whole body ached in the moment that he strained agonizingly to hear. Then one of the veils seemed to dissolve, and he saw a vague figure standing by the door, a figure only faintly limned and blocked in upon the darkness, mingled so with the folds of the drapery as to seem distorted, like a reflection seen in a dirty pane of glass.
With a sudden movement of fright or resolution (внезапным =
He sprang out, and, his wet pajamas scattering a heavy trickle of water behind him (он выскочил из ванны и, /в то время как/ его мокрая пижама разбрасывала позади него тяжелые струи воды), ran for the aquamarine door which he knew led out into the ivory landing of the second floor (побежал к аквамариновой двери, которая, как он знал, вела на отделанную слоновой костью лестничную площадку второго этажа;
aquamarine ["xkwqmq'rJn], appalled [q'pLld], contour ['kOntVq]
With a sudden movement of fright or resolution John pressed the button by his bedside, and the next moment he was sitting in the green sunken bath of the adjoining room, waked into alertness by the shock of the cold water which half filled it.
He sprang out, and, his wet pajamas scattering a heavy trickle of water behind him, ran for the aquamarine door which he knew led out into the ivory landing of the second floor. The door opened noiselessly. A single crimson lamp burning in a great dome above lit the magnificent sweep of the carved stairways with a poignant beauty. For a moment John hesitated, appalled by the silent splendor massed about him, seeming to envelop in its gigantic folds and contours the solitary drenched little figure shivering upon the ivory landing.
Then simultaneously two things happened (и тут одновременно произошли две вещи). The door of his own sitting-room swung open (дверь его собственной гостиной распахнулась), precipitating three naked negroes into the hall (выбросив в холл/коридор трех голых негров;
On the instant the three negroes (в тот же миг три негра) — John had never seen any of them before (никогда не видел ни одного из них прежде), and it flashed through his mind that they must be the professional executioners (и в мыслях у него пронеслось, что это, должно быть, профессиональные палачи) — paused in their movement toward John (замерли в своем движении к Джону), and turned expectantly to the man in the lift (и выжидающе повернулись к мужчине в лифте), who burst out with an imperious command (который выкрикнул властную команду):
"Get in here (сюда: «забирайтесь/садитесь сюда»)! All three of you! Quick as hell (живо;
simultaneously ["sImql'teInIqslI], precipitate [prI'sIpIteIt], imperious [im'pIqrIqs]
Then simultaneously two things happened. The door of his own sitting-room swung open, precipitating three naked negroes into the hall — and, as John swayed in wild terror toward the stairway, another door slid back in the wall on the other side of the corridor, and John saw Braddock Washington standing in the lighted lift, wearing a fur coat and a pair of riding boots which reached to his knees and displayed, above, the glow of his rose-colored pajamas.
On the instant the three negroes — John had never seen any of them before, and it flashed through his mind that they must be the professional executioners — paused in their movement toward John, and turned expectantly to the man in the lift, who burst out with an imperious command:
"Get in here! All three of you! Quick as hell!"
Then, within the instant, the three negroes darted into the cage (в одно мгновение негры стрелой ворвались в кабину;
It was apparent that something portentous had occurred (было очевидно, что случилось что-то очень серьезное), something which, for the moment at least, had postponed his own petty disaster (что-то, что по крайней мере на данную минуту, отсрочило его собственную пустячную гибель;
portentous [pL'tentqs], occur [q'kW], postpone ["pqVst'pqVn], [pq'spqVn]
Then, within the instant, the three negroes darted into the cage, the oblong of light was blotted out as the lift door slid shut, and John was again alone in the hall. He slumped weakly down against an ivory stair.
It was apparent that something portentous had occurred, something which, for the moment at least, had postponed his own petty disaster. What was it? Had the negroes risen in revolt? Had the aviators forced aside the iron bars of the grating? Or had the men of Fish stumbled blindly through the hills and gazed with bleak, joyless eyes upon the gaudy valley? John did not know.
He heard a faint whir of air as the lift whizzed up again (он услышал слабый шум воздуха, когда лифт просвистел снова вверх), and then, a moment later, as it descended (и — минуту спустя, когда он спускался). It was probable that Percy was hurrying to his father's assistance (возможно, это Перси спешил на помощь отцу), and it occurred to John (и Джону вдруг пришло в голову;
The door of her sitting-room was open and the lamps were lighted (дверь ее гостиной была распахнута, /внутри/ горел свет). Kismine, in an angora kimono, stood near the window of the room in a listening attitude (Кисмин в кимоно из шерсти ангорской козы стояла у окна и к чему-то прислушивалась;
assistance [q'sIstqns], suite [swJt], attitude ['xtItjHd]
He heard a faint whir of air as the lift whizzed up again, and then, a moment later, as it descended. It was probable that Percy was hurrying to his father's assistance, and it occurred to John that this was his opportunity to join Kismine and plan an immediate escape. He waited until the lift had been silent for several minutes; shivering a little with the night cool that whipped in through his wet pajamas, he returned to his room and dressed himself quickly. Then he mounted a long flight of stairs and turned down the corridor carpeted with Russian sable which led to Kismine's suite.
The door of her sitting-room was open and the lamps were lighted. Kismine, in an angora kimono, stood near the window of the room in a listening attitude, and as John entered noiselessly, she turned toward him.
"Oh, it's you!" she whispered, crossing the room to him (а, это ты, — прошептала она, идя к нему через комнату). "Did you hear them (ты их слышал)?"
"I heard your father's slaves in my (я слышал рабов твоего отца в моей…) — "
"No," she interrupted excitedly (возбужденно прервала она его). "Aeroplanes!" "Aeroplanes? Perhaps that was the sound that woke me (возможно, это был тот звук, который разбудил меня;
"There're at least a dozen (их по меньшей мере дюжина). I saw one a few moments ago dead against the moon (я только что видела один /аэроплан/ прямо против =
"Are they here on purpose (они прилетели специально;
"Yes — it's that Italian who got away (конечно, это /все/ тот итальянец, который сбежал…) —"
rifle [raIfl], rouse [raVz], purpose ['pWpqs]
"Oh, it's you!" she whispered, crossing the room to him. "Did you hear them?"
"I heard your father's slaves in my —"
"No," she interrupted excitedly. "Aeroplanes!" "Aeroplanes? Perhaps that was the sound that woke me."
"There're at least a dozen. I saw one a few moments ago dead against the moon. The guard back by the cliff fired his rifle and that's what roused father. We're going to open on them right away."
"Are they here on purpose?"
"Yes — it's that Italian who got away —"
Simultaneously with her last word (одновременно с ее последним словом), a succession of sharp cracks tumbled in through the open window (ряд резких /орудийных/ хлопков ввалился =
"Come on!" she cried to him. "We'll go up to the roof garden, and watch it from there (поднимемся в сад на крышу, будем смотреть оттуда)!"
Drawing a cape about her (закутавшись в плащ), she took his hand, and they found their way out the door (она взяла Джона за руку, и они /ощупью/ выбрались за дверь). It was only a step to the tower lift (до башенного лифта был всего один шаг), and as she pressed the button that shot them upward (и, когда она нажала кнопку и они взлетели кверху;
succession [sqk'seSqn], blown [blqVn], romance [rq'mxns, 'rqV-]
Simultaneously with her last word, a succession of sharp cracks tumbled in through the open window. Kismine uttered a little cry, took a penny with fumbling fingers from a box on her dresser, and ran to one of the electric lights. In an instant the entire château was in darkness — she had blown out the fuse.
"Come on!" she cried to him. "We'll go up to the roof garden, and watch it from there!"