The Mysterious Disappearance of the Chevalier Valmont

– Почему странные? Или устранять соперников и соперниц с помощью наемных убийц стало немодно?

– Чтобы устранить соперника, совсем необязательно нанимать наемного убийцу. Существует столько других способов избавиться от врага.

– Например, разбить сердце сопернице, отбив у нее любимого? Или, может быть, довести ее до самоубийства?

При последних словах баронесса побледнела, но Вальмонт, казалось, ничего не заметил.

– Вы думаете, это менее болезненно? – продолжал он. – По мне так лучше умереть от руки наемного убийцы, чем пройти через тот душевный ад, через который проходит тот, кого предала возлюбленная.

– Вы говорите так, словно сами прошли через этот ад, – сказала баронесса; голос ее дрожал.

– Может, прошел, а может, и нет, – ответил Вальмонт.

Какое-то время оба молчали. Наконец, баронесса предложила:

– Становится довольно прохладно. Нам лучше вернуться в дом.

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.