'Peace, my lord, thou utterest treason! Hast forgot the king's command? Remember I am party to thy crime, if I but listen.'
St. John paled, and hastened to say:
'I was in fault, I do confess it. Betray me not, grant me this grace out of thy courtesy, and I will neither think nor speak of this thing more. Deal not hardly with me, sir, else am I ruined.'
'I am content, my lord. So thou offend not again, here or in the ears of others, it shall be as though thou hadst not spoken. But thou needst not have misgivings. He is my sister's son; are not his voice, his face, his form, familiar to me from his cradle? Madness can do all the odd conflicting things thou seest in him, and more. Dost not recall how that the old Baron Marley, being mad, forgot the favor of his own countenance that he had known for sixty years, and held it was another's; nay, even claimed he was the son of Mary Magdalene, and that his head was made of Spanish glass; and sooth to say, he suffered none to touch it, lest by mischance some heedless hand might shiver it. Give thy misgivings easement, good my lord. This is the very prince, I know him well — and soon will be thy king; it may advantage thee to bear this in mind and more dwell upon it than the other.'
After some further talk, in which the Lord St. John covered up his mistake as well as he could by repeated protests that his faith was thoroughly grounded now, and could not be assailed by doubts again, the Lord Hertford relieved his fellow-keeper, and sat down to keep watch and ward alone. He was soon deep in meditation. And evidently the longer he thought, the more he was bothered. By and by he began to pace the floor and mutter.
'Tush, he must be the prince! Will any he in all the land maintain there can be two, not of one blood and birth, so marvelously twinned? And even were it so, 'twere yet a stranger miracle that chance should cast the one into the other's place. Nay, 'tis folly, folly, folly!'
Presently he said:
'Now were he impostor and called himself prince, look you that would be natural; that would be reasonable. But lived ever an impostor yet, who, being called prince by the king, prince by the court, prince by all, denied his dignity and pleaded against his exaltation? No! By the soul of St. Swithin, no! This is the true prince, gone mad!'
CHAPTER VII (Глава седьмая)
SOMEWHAT after one in the afternoon (вскоре после часа дня), Tom resignedly underwent the ordeal of being dressed for dinner (Том покорно прошел испытание одеванием к ужину). He found himself as finely clothed as before (он нашел себя столь же прекрасно одетым, как прежде), but everything different (но все другое), everything changed (все измененное), from his ruff to his stockings (от рюша до чулок). He was presently conducted with much state to a spacious and ornate apartment (его вскоре отвели с большой торжественностью в просторную и изысканно украшенную комнату), where a table was already set for one (где уже был накрыт стол на одного; to set — устанавливать). Its furniture (ее мебель = мебель в этой комнате) was all of massy gold (была вся из массивного золота), and beautified with designs (и украшена узорами) which well-nigh made it priceless (которые почти делали ее бесценной; nigh — близко, устар.), since they were the work of Benvenuto (так как они были работой Бенвенуто). The room was half filled (комната была наполовину заполнена) with noble servitors (благородными = вельможными слугами). A chaplain said grace (капеллан прочитал молитву), and Tom was about to fall to (и Том был готов приняться за дело), for hunger had long been constitutional with him (ибо голод долго был неотъемлемой частью его), but was interrupted by my lord the Earl of Berkeley (но был остановлен милордом графом Беркли; to interrupt — прерывать, мешать, вмешиваться), who fastened a napkin about his neck (который повязал салфетку вокруг его шеи); for the great post of Diaperers to the Prince of Wales (ибо высокий пост Подвязывателей салфеток Принцу Уэльскому; diaper — салфетка) was hereditary in this nobleman's family (был наследственным в семье этого дворянина). Tom's cupbearer was present (виночерпий Тома был рядом; present — присутствующий), and forestalled all his attempts to help himself to wine (и предупреждал все его попытки налить себе самому вина). The Taster (отведыватель; to taste — пробовать еду, напитки) to his Highness the Prince of Wales (Его Высочеству Принцу Уэльскому) was there also (был там тоже), prepared to taste any suspicious dish (готовый попробовать любое подозрительное блюдо) upon requirement (по требованию; to require — требовать), and run the risk of being poisoned (и рискнуть быть отравленным; to run — бежать, управлять; to poison — отравить). He was only an ornamental appendage at this time (он был только декоративным придатком в то время), and was seldom called to exercise his function (и редко призывался исполнять свои обязанности); but there had been times (но бывали времена), not many generations past (не много поколений назад), when the office of taster (когда должность отведывателя) had its perils (имела свои опасности), and was not a grandeur to be desired (и не была желательным высоким положением; to desire — желать). Why they did not use a dog or a plumber seems strange (почему они не использовали собаку или паяльщика/водопроводчика кажется странным); but all the ways of royalty (но все пути королевской власти) are strange (странны). My Lord d'Arcy, First Groom of the Chamber (милорд д’Арси, первый камердинер), was there (был там), to do goodness knows what (чтобы делать Бог знает что); but there he was (но там он был) — let that suffice (и этого достаточно). The Lord Chief Butler (главный дворецкий) was there (был там), and stood behind Tom's chair overseeing the solemnities (и стоял за стулом Тома, наблюдая за церемониалом), under command of the Lord Great Steward and the Lord Head Cook (под началом лорда главного распорядителя и лорда главного повара), who stood near (которые стояли поблизости). Tom had three hundred and eighty-four servants besides these (у Тома было 384 слуги кроме этих); but they were not all in that room, of course (но они были не все в той комнате, конечно), nor the quarter of them (и даже не четверть их); neither was Tom aware yet that they existed (и Том даже не знал еще, что они существовали).
All those that were present (все те, которые присутствовали) had been well drilled within the hour (были натренированы в течение часа) to remember that the prince was temporarily out of his head (помнить, что принц был временно не в ладах с головой: «из своей головы»), and to be careful to show no surprise at his vagaries (и постараться не выказывать никакого удивления его выходками; careful — осторожный). These 'vagaries' were soon on exhibition before them (эти выходки скоро стали им видны: «напоказ перед ними»; exhibition — выставка; проявление); but they only moved their compassion and their sorrow (но они вызвали только их сострадание и печаль; to move — двигать, побуждать, растрогать), not their mirth (не веселье). It was a heavy affliction to them (это было тяжелым горем для них) to see the beloved prince so stricken (видеть возлюбленного принца таким больным; to strike — ударять, поражать).
present [`prezənt], exhibition [egzı`bıS(ə)n], beloved [bı`lAvd]
SOMEWHAT after one in the afternoon, Tom resignedly underwent the ordeal of being dressed for dinner. He found himself as finely clothed as before, but everything different, everything changed, from his ruff to his stockings. He was presently conducted with much state to a spacious and ornate apartment, where a table was already set for one. Its furniture was all of massy gold, and beautified with designs which well-nigh made it priceless, since they were the work of Benvenuto. The room was half filled with noble servitors. A chaplain said grace, and Tom was about to fall to, for hunger had long been constitutional with him, but was interrupted by my lord the Earl of Berkeley, who fastened a napkin about his neck; for the great post of Diaperers to the Prince of Wales was hereditary in this nobleman's family. Tom's cupbearer was present, and forestalled all his attempts to help himself to wine. The Taster to his Highness the Prince of Wales was there also, prepared to taste any suspicious dish upon requirement, and run the risk of being poisoned. He was only an ornamental appendage at this time, and was seldom called to exercise his function; but there had been times, not many generations past, when the office of taster had its perils, and was not a grandeur to be desired. Why they did not use a dog or a plumber seems strange; but all the ways of royalty are strange. My Lord d'Arcy, First Groom of the Chamber, was there, to do goodness knows what; but there he was — let that suffice. The Lord Chief Butler was there, and stood behind Tom's chair overseeing the solemnities, under command of the Lord Great Steward and the Lord Head Cook, who stood near. Tom had three hundred and eighty-four servants besides these; but they were not all in that room, of course, nor the quarter of them; neither was Tom aware yet that they existed.
All those that were present had been well drilled within the hour to remember that the prince was temporarily out of his head, and to be careful to show no surprise at his vagaries. These 'vagaries' were soon on exhibition before them; but they only moved their compassion and their sorrow, not their mirth. It was a heavy affliction to them to see the beloved prince so stricken.
Poor Tom ate with his fingers mainly (бедный Том ел пальцами в основном); but no one smiled at it (но никто не улыбался этому), or even seemed to observe it (и даже не подавал вида, что замечает это). He inspected his napkin curiously and with deep interest (он рассмотрел свою салфетку любопытно и с глубоким интересом), for it was of a very dainty and beautiful fabric (потому что она была из очень тонкой и красивой ткани), then said with simplicity (затем сказал простодушно):