The Mysterious Disappearance of the Chevalier Valmont - стр. 27

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

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

– Становится довольно прохладно. Нам лучше вернуться в дом.

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; pullup подъехать и остановиться; viscountess виконтесса; countonsth полагаться, рассчитывать, делать ставку на что-либо; spotздесь: 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 onздесь: 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