to strike – ударять, бить; поражать) – had I not swerved, it had been my heart (не отклонись я в сторону, он попал бы мне в сердце). With a cry, I staggered back (с криком я отпрянул назад).
I sprang a step towards him, clenching my hand. He did not move an inch, and his lip curled in insolent amusement.
“Go, while your skin’s whole!” I muttered. He had repaid me with interest my hit about his mother.
Then came the most audacious thing I have known in my life. My friends were some thirty yards away. Rupert called to a groom to bring him his horse, and dismissed the fellow with a crown. The horse stood near. I stood still, suspecting nothing. Rupert made as though to mount; then he suddenly turned to me: his left hand resting in his belt, his right outstretched: “Shake hands,” he said.
I bowed, and did as he had foreseen – I put my hands behind me. Quicker than thought, his left hand darted out at me, and a small dagger flashed in the air; he struck me in the left shoulder – had I not swerved, it had been my heart. With a cry, I staggered back.
Without touching the stirrup, he leapt upon his horse and was off like an arrow (не касаясь стремени, он вскочил на коня и унесся прочь во весь опор: «как стрела»), pursued by cries and revolver shots – the last as useless as the first (преследуемый криками и выстрелами из револьверов, – последние были так же бессмысленны, как и первые) – and I sank into my chair, bleeding profusely (я, истекая кровью, опустился в кресло; profusely – обильно, изрядно), as I watched the devil’s brat disappear down the long avenue (наблюдая, как это дьявольское отродье исчезает в конце длинной аллеи). My friends surrounded me, and then I fainted (мои друзья окружили меня, и тут я потерял сознание).
I suppose that I was put to bed, and there lay, unconscious, or half conscious, for many hours (думаю, меня положили в постель, и я пролежал там в бессознательном или полубессознательном /состоянии/ много часов); for it was night when I awoke to my full mind, and found Fritz beside me (потому что была ночь, когда я полностью пришел в себя и увидел Фрица, /сидящего/ рядом со мной; to awake – будить; просыпаться, очнуться от сна; mind – ум, разум; память). I was weak and weary, but he bade me be of good cheer (я был ослабевшим и уставшим, но он просил меня не расстраиваться: «быть в хорошем настроении»), saying that my wound would soon heal, and that meanwhile all had gone well (сказав, что моя рана скоро заживет, и что тем временем все шло хорошо; to heal – вылечивать, исцелять; заживать), for Johann, the keeper, had fallen into the snare we had laid for him (потому что лесничий Иоганн попал в капкан, который мы на него поставили), and was even now in the house (и как раз теперь /находится здесь/, в доме).
Without touching the stirrup, he leapt upon his horse and was off like an arrow, pursued by cries and revolver shots – the last as useless as the first – and I sank into my chair, bleeding profusely, as I watched the devil’s brat disappear down the long avenue. My friends surrounded me, and then I fainted.
I suppose that I was put to bed, and there lay, unconscious, or half conscious, for many hours; for it was night when I awoke to my full mind, and found Fritz beside me. I was weak and weary, but he bade me be of good cheer, saying that my wound would soon heal, and that meanwhile all had gone well, for Johann, the keeper, had fallen into the snare we had laid for him, and was even now in the house.
“And the queer thing is,” pursued Fritz (и странная вещь, – продолжал Фриц), “that I fancy he’s not altogether sorry to find himself here (я полагаю, что он в общем-то не жалеет, что оказался здесь). He seems to think that when Black Michael has brought off his coup (он, похоже, думает, что когда Черный Михаэль осуществит задуманное: «свой переворот»; to bring off – спасать; успешно выполнять), witnesses of how it was effected – saving, of course, the Six themselves (свидетели того, как все это происходило – за исключением, конечно, самих Шестерых) – will not be at a premium (не очень-то будут в почете; premium – награда, премия; at a premium – пользующийся большим спросом, в большом почете).”
This idea argued a shrewdness in our captive (эта мысль свидетельствовала о дальновидности нашего пленника; to argue – спорить; служить доказательством, свидетельством) which led me to build hopes on his assistance (что и давало мне основания возлагать надежды на его содействие; to lead to – склонять /к чему-л./, заставлять; to build – строить). I ordered him to be brought in at once (я тут же приказал привести его; to bring). Sapt conducted him, and set him in a chair by my bedside (Сэпт, сопровождавший его, усадил его в кресло у моей постели). He was sullen, and afraid (он был угрюм и напуган); but, to say truth, after young Rupert’s exploit, we also had our fears (но, сказать по правде, после выходки: «подвига» юного Руперта у нас тоже были свои опасения), and, if he got as far as possible from Sapt’s formidable six-shooter (и, если он держался как можно дальше от грозного шестизарядного револьвера Сэпта), Sapt kept him as far as he could from me (то Сэпт /старался/ держать его подальше: «так далеко, насколько мог» от меня). Moreover, when he came in his hands were bound (более того, когда он вошел, его руки были связаны), but that I would not suffer (но этого я не мог позволить = но я приказал развязать его; to suffer – страдать; позволять, допускать).
“And the queer thing is,” pursued Fritz, “that I fancy he’s not altogether sorry to find himself here. He seems to think that when Black Michael has brought off his coup, witnesses of how it was effected – saving, of course, the Six themselves – will not be at a premium.”
This idea argued a shrewdness in our captive which led me to build hopes on his assistance. I ordered him to be brought in at once. Sapt conducted him, and set him in a chair by my bedside. He was sullen, and afraid; but, to say truth, after young Rupert’s exploit, we also had our fears, and, if he got as far as possible from Sapt’s formidable six-shooter, Sapt kept him as far as he could from me. Moreover, when he came in his hands were bound, but that I would not suffer.
I need not stay to recount the safeguards and rewards we promised the fellow (мне нет нужды останавливаться на перечислении гарантий и наград, которые мы обещали этому парню) – all of which were honourably observed and paid (все из которых были честно соблюдены и выплачены), so that he lives now in prosperity (though where I may not mention) (так что теперь он живет в полном достатке (хотя где, я не могу = я не буду упоминать); prosperity – процветание, преуспевание); and we were the more free inasmuch as we soon learnt (и мы стали еще более щедрыми, поскольку вскоре узнали; free – свободный; щедрый) that he was rather a weak man than a wicked (что он был скорее безвольным человеком, нежели безнравственным; weak – слабый, хилый; слабовольный; wicked – злой, злобный; безнравственный), and had acted throughout this matter more from fear of the duke and of his own brother Max (и принимал участие: «действовал» в этом деле больше из страха перед герцогом и своим братом Максом) than for any love of what was done (чем из любви к тому, что происходило). But he had persuaded all of his loyalty (но он убедил всех в своей преданности); and though not in their secret counsels (и хотя /он/ не /присутствовал/ на их тайных советах), was yet, by his knowledge of their dispositions within the Castle, able (/но/, однако, зная их расположение в замке, смог) to lay bare before us the very heart of their devices (раскрыть перед нами самую суть их замыслов; to lay bare – обнажать, раскрывать; heart – сердце; суть, сущность). And here, in brief, is his story (вот вкратце его история):
Below the level of the ground in the Castle (внизу, под основанием замка: «ниже уровня земли в замке»), approached by a flight of stone steps which abutted on the end of the drawbridge (с ведущей /к ним/ каменной лестницей, которая начиналась у края подъемного моста; to approach – подходить, приближаться; flight – полет; лестничный пролет; to abut – примыкать, граничить; end – конец, окончание; край, граница), were situated two small rooms, cut out of the rock itself (располагались две маленькие комнатки, вырубленные в самой скале).
I need not stay to recount the safeguards and rewards we promised the fellow – all of which were honourably observed and paid, so that he lives now in prosperity (though where I may not mention); and we were the more free inasmuch as we soon learnt that he was rather a weak man than a wicked, and had acted throughout this matter more from fear of the duke and of his own brother Max than for any love of what was done. But he had persuaded all of his loyalty; and though not in their secret counsels, was yet, by his knowledge of their dispositions within the Castle, able to lay bare before us the very heart of their devices. And here, in brief, is his story:
Below the level of the ground in the Castle, approached by a flight of stone steps which abutted on the end of the drawbridge, were situated two small rooms, cut out of the rock itself.
The outer of the two had no windows, but was always lighted with candles (во внешней из двух окон не было, но /она/ была всегда освещена свечами); the inner had one square window, which gave upon the moat (во внутренней имелось одно квадратное окошко, выходящее в ров; to give upon – выходить /об окне, коридоре и т. п./). In the outer room there lay always, day and night, three of the Six (во внешней комнате постоянно, день и ночь, находились трое из Шестерых; to lie – лежать; находиться, быть расположенным); and the instructions of Duke Michael were, that on any attack being made on the outer room (и указания герцога Михаэля были такими, что при любом нападении на внешнюю комнату), the three were to defend the door of it so long as they could without risk to themselves (эти трое должны защищать вход в нее так долго, как только смогут без риска для себя). But, so soon as the door should be in danger of being forced (но как только появится опасность, что дверь сломают;