Chapter 11
The next morning – the clock had just struck eleven – the baroness heard a carriage pull up in front of the house. She looked out of the window, and smiled to herself.
“The viscountess is already here! One can always count on her to be the first on the spot.”
News travelled fast in Mouseville. Often, too fast.
strike (struck; struck) бить, пробить; pull up подъехать и остановиться; viscountess виконтесса; count on sth полагаться, рассчитывать, делать ставку на что-либо; spot здесь: место действия
The baroness went over the dark circles under her eyes with a brush. The conversation in the garden had stirred up too many painful memories, and she had hardly slept a wink the previous night. Now she feared that the viscountess might notice something, and she was not ready to answer the barrage of questions that would inevitably follow. So, she put on her most carefree expression, and hurried downstairs to welcome the early visitor.
go over the dark circles with a brush пройтись щеточкой по темным кругам; stir up memories пробуждать воспоминания; wink миг ◊ hardly sleep a wink (slept; slept) едва сомкнуть глаза; previous предыдущий; fear бояться; barrage обстрел, огневой вал ◊ barrage of questions град вопросов; inevitably неизбежно; put on здесь: нацепить на лицо, придать лицу; carefree expression беззаботное выражение
The Viscountess Fumaison was the widow of old Viscount Fumaison, who died soon after the wedding. The young widow was still mourning her husband – out of gratitude, as far the baroness was concerned (38), for not making her suffer too long in an unequal marriage, and for leaving her all his fortune.
widow вдова; wedding свадьба; mourn sb носить траур по кому-либо; out of gratitude из благодарности; suffer страдать ◊ make suffer заставлять страдать; unequal неравный; fortune состояние
“So, where is he?” asked the viscountess, without beating about the bush. “I was told I could find here a certain Knight in Shining Armour, who travels incognito by the name of the Chevalier Valmont. Where are you hiding him, Margaret?”
She looked about the room, as if she really expected to find someone lurking in one of the dark corners.
“I see you even know his name,” remarked the baroness.
“Not only that,” answered the viscountess, her whiskers twitching playfully.
“May I ask who had told you?”
“The Baroness Dorblu, who heard it from the Baron Dorblu – who, in turn, had received this news first-hand from your husband. Which means, I know all about his misfortunes, and, I’m afraid, not I alone. On the way here we overtook the carriage of the Countess Coeur de Chevre, and may I forever remain the widow of the good Viscount Fumaison (39), if she was not on her way to pay you a visit. Her carriage stopped at the sweet shop of Monsieur Shavroux. She should be here any minute now.”
beat about the bush ходить вокруг да около, говорить обиняками; lurk прятаться, притаиться; corner угол; twitch подергиваться; in turn в свою очередь; first-hand из первых рук; misfortune несчастье, злоключение; overtake обогнать; pay sb a visit нанести визит кому-либо
At that very moment, the door of the drawing room opened, and the butler announced:
“Her Excellency Countess Coeur de Chevre to visit Your Excellency!”
The Countess Coeur de Chevre was the other best friend of the baroness, second only to the viscountess. (40) She was a petite mouse with a lively face and a nose that was a little bit too long for a mouse. Now it seemed even longer than usual.
The countess looked around the room, just the way her friend had done a few minutes ago, and her face sank. She had, obviously, expected to find the baroness in someone else’s company.
announce докладывать (о прибытии посетителей); petite маленькая и хрупкая, изящная; lively живой, подвижный, веселый; than usual чем обычно; her face sank (sink; sank; sunk) она cпала с лица, осунулась
“I’m not late, am I?” she asked.
“Don’t worry, Marietta. I haven’t had a chance yet to win over the Chevalier Valmont. We start together,” reassured her the Viscountess Fumaison. Then, turning to the hostess, she said, “Which brings us back to my first question: “Where is he?”
“The chevalier has some business in town,” answered the baroness.
“Business? In Mouseville? What business could he have in a strange town (41)?” asked the viscountess.
“You’re forgetting, Marietta, that he is looking for his sister,” the countess interrupted. “And, please, lay off Margaret. Don’t you see she is not quite herself?”
“I wonder why. Wait, don’t tell me. I think I know why. You tried your feminine charms on him, but he gave you the cold shoulder. Is that it, Margaret?”
“Of course not,” answered the baroness. “He is a hero, no doubt, but not my type of hero.”
reassure обнадежить, ободрить; win over склонить на свою сторону, расположить к себе; здесь: покорить, обаять; hostess хозяйка дома (по отношению к гостям); lay off sb отстать от кого-либо, не приставать к кому-либо, оставить в покое; not quite herself сама не своя; wonder задаваться вопросом, спрашиваться себя, гадать; I wonder why. Хотела бы я знать, почему; любопытно было бы узнать, почему; feminine женский; charms чары; give sb the cold shoulder демонстративно игнорировать, не проявлять интереса; hero герой; doubt сомнение
“I don’t believe you, Margaret. You’re hiding something from us,” insisted the viscountess.
“I’m not. Why should I?”
“So, you wouldn’t mind us hunting on your lands, then?”
“Not at all.”
“Which reminds me. Are you sure that sister of his is really his sister, and not some third cousin?”
“I suspect she is neither,” answered the baroness. “My maid told me that he carries a ring in his pocket, which seems to be very dear to him – so he said. Maribel tried it on. It is definitely not a man’s ring.”
“That doesn’t mean anything,” said the countess. “It can be an heirloom of sorts. Besides, as far as I remember, he is looking for a nun – those don’t count.”
“Thank you, Marietta, you cheered me up to no end,” said the Viscountess sarcastically.
insist настаивать; hunt охотиться; lands здесь: угодья; not at all нисколько, ничуть; remind напоминать; third cousin четвероюродная сестра; suspect подозревать; neither ни то, ни другое; try on примерить; definitely определенно; heirloom фамильная вещь, семейная реликвия; of sorts своего рода, что-то типа; to no end крайне, бесконечно
“I have brought you your favourite éclairs, Margaret,” said the countess, changing the subject. “Why don’t we have tea? All this excitement has given me quite an appetite.” (42)
“How long is your guest going to stay in Mouseville?” the viscountess asked after a while.
“I think he is going to settle down here as a painter. He wants to buy a studio.”
“Buy a studio? So, he is rich, this Chevalier Valmont?”
“I don’t know how rich he is, but he is certainly not poor. He has an unlimited credit with Tomme Corse and Sons.”
“Unlimited credit! That’s something!” the viscountess cried out. “It looks like we have dug up quite the tasty morsel. (43) Say what you will, girls, but I’m going to swallow it whole,” – and she took a large bite off the éclair she was holding in her little hand.
subject тема разговора; excitement волнение, эмоциональное возбуждение; settle down обосноваться, поселиться; unlimited неограниченный; dig up (dug; dug) откопать, отыскать; tasty morsel лакомый кусочек; say what you will что ни говори; swallow глотать; whole целиком; take a large bite откусить большой кусок