six: we ride down to Zenda and return with the guard of honour to fetch the King at eight, and then we all ride together to the station.”
“Hang that same guard!” growled Sapt.
“Oh! it’s very civil of my brother to ask the honour for his regiment,” said the King. “Come, cousin, you need not start early. Another bottle, man!”
I had another bottle – or, rather, a part of one, for the larger half travelled quickly down his Majesty’s throat. Fritz gave up his attempts at persuasion: from persuading, he fell to being persuaded, and soon we were all of us as full of wine as we had any right to be. The King began talking of what he would do in the future, old Sapt of what he had done in the past, Fritz of some beautiful girl or other, and I of the wonderful merits of the Elphberg dynasty. We all talked at once, and followed to the letter Sapt’s exhortation to let the morrow take care of itself.
At last the King set down his glass and leant back in his chair (наконец король поставил свой стакан и откинулся в кресле; to lean).
“I have drunk enough (я выпил достаточно),” said he.
“Far be it from me to contradict the King (я вовсе не намерен возражать королю; far be it from me – я отнюдь не намерен; far – далеко, на большом расстоянии),” said I.
Indeed, his remark was most absolutely true – so far as it went (действительно, его замечание было абсолютно точным: «правдивым» – до известной степени; most – больше всего; очень, весьма /усил./; so far as it goes – до известной степени, в известной мере).
While I yet spoke, Josef came (в то время как я еще говорил, вошел Жозеф) and set before the King a marvellous old wicker-covered flagon (и поставил перед королем изумительную старинную оплетенную бутыль; wicker – прутья для плетения; to cover – покрывать, закрывать; flagon – большая плоская бутыль для вина, пива /ср. фляга/). It had lain so long in some darkened cellar (она так долго пролежала в каком-то темном погребе; to lie) that it seemed to blink in the candlelight (что, казалось, мерцала при свете свечей).
“His Highness the Duke of Strelsau bade me set this wine before the King (его высочество герцог Стрелсо приказал мне поставить это вино перед королем; to bid – предлагать цену /на аукционе, торгах/; приказывать, просить /книжн., поэт./), when the King was weary of all other wines (когда король устанет от всех других вин), and pray the King to drink, for the love that he bears his brother (и просить короля выпить за любовь, которую он питает к своему брату; to pray – молиться; умолять, упрашивать; to bear – носить, нести; питать, таить /о чувствах/).”
“Well done, Black Michael!” said the King (браво: «хорошо сделано», Черный Михаэль! – сказал король). “Out with the cork, Josef (вынимай пробку, Жозеф). Hang him! Did he think I’d flinch from his bottle (черт его побери! он думает, я откажусь от его бутылки; to flinch – вздрагивать /от боли/; уклоняться, отступать)?”
At last the King set down his glass and leant back in his chair.
“I have drunk enough,” said he.
“Far be it from me to contradict the King,” said I.
Indeed, his remark was most absolutely true – so far as it went.
While I yet spoke, Josef came and set before the King a marvellous old wicker-covered flagon. It had lain so long in some darkened cellar that it seemed to blink in the candlelight.
“His Highness the Duke of Strelsau bade me set this wine before the King, when the King was weary of all other wines, and pray the King to drink, for the love that he bears his brother.”
“Well done, Black Michael!” said the King. “Out with the cork, Josef. Hang him! Did he think I’d flinch from his bottle?”
The bottle was opened, and Josef filled the King’s glass (бутылка была открыта, и Жозеф наполнил королевский стакан). The King tasted it (король попробовал = пригубил его). Then, with a solemnity born of the hour and his own condition (потом с торжественностью, порожденной /поздним/ часом и его собственным состоянием; to bear – нести; рождать; hour – час; время), he looked round on us (он оглядел нас):
“Gentlemen, my friends – Rudolf, my cousin (’tis a scandalous story, Rudolf, on my honour!) (джентльмены, друзья мои, Рудольф, мой кузен (скандальная история, честное слово); ’tis = it is /устар., поэт./), everything is yours to the half of Ruritania (все – ваше, /вплоть/ до половины Руритании). But ask me not for a single drop of this divine bottle (но не просите у меня ни единой капли из этой божественной бутылки), which I will drink to the health of that (которую я выпью за здоровье) – that sly knave, my brother, Black Michael (этой хитрой бестии, моего брата Черного Михаэля; knave – мошенник, плут).”
And the King seized the bottle and turned it over his mouth (и король схватил бутылку и, опрокинув ее себе в горло: «рот»), and drained it and flung it from him (осушил и отшвырнул от себя; to fling), and laid his head on his arms on the table (и положил голову на руки на столе).
And we drank pleasant dreams to his Majesty (а мы выпили за приятные сны его величества) – and