At last we were at the Cathedral. Its great grey front, embellished with hundreds of statues and boasting a pair of the finest oak doors in Europe, rose for the first time before me, and the sudden sense of my audacity almost overcame me. Everything was in a mist as I dismounted. I saw the Marshal and Sapt dimly, and dimly the throng of gorgeously robed priests who awaited me. And my eyes were still dim as I walked up the great nave, with the pealing of the organ in my ears. I saw nothing of the brilliant throng that filled it, I hardly distinguished the stately figure of the Cardinal as he rose from the archiepiscopal throne to greet me. Two faces only stood out side by side clearly before my eyes – the face of a girl, pale and lovely, surmounted by a crown of the glorious Elphberg hair (for in a woman it is glorious), and the face of a man, whose full-blooded red cheeks, black hair, and dark deep eyes told me that at last I was in presence of my brother, Black Michael. And when he saw me his red cheeks went pale all in a moment, and his helmet fell with a clatter on the floor. Till that moment I believe that he had not realized that the King was in very truth come to Strelsau.

Of what followed next I remember nothing (о том, что последовало дальше, я ничего не помню). I knelt before the altar and the Cardinal anointed my head (я преклонил колени перед алтарем, и кардинал помазал мне голову миром; to kneel; knee – колено; to anoint – смазывать /рану/; миропомазывать). Then I rose to my feet, and stretched out my hand (потом я встал: «поднялся на ноги», протянул руку) and took from him the crown of Ruritania and set it on my head (взял у него корону Руритании, надел ее себе на голову), and I swore the old oath of the King (и поклялся древней клятвой Короля; to swear); and (if it were a sin, may it be forgiven me) (и (если это был грех, да будет он мне прощен)) I received the Holy Sacrament there before them all (я причастился там перед всеми ними; to receive the Holy Sacrament – приобщаться Святых Тайн). Then the great organ pealed out again (потом снова загремел огромный орган), the Marshal bade the heralds proclaim me (маршал приказал герольдам восславить меня; to proclaim – провозглашать; превозносить, воздавать хвалу; to bid – предлагать цену; приказывать), and Rudolf the Fifth was crowned King (и Рудольф Пятый стал коронованным королем); of which imposing ceremony an excellent picture hangs now in my dining-room (эта впечатляющая церемония /отображена/ на превосходной картине, которая висит теперь в моей столовой). The portrait of the King is very good (король на ней вышел очень удачно: «портрет короля очень хорош»).

Then the lady with the pale face and the glorious hair (и вот, дама с бледным лицом и прекрасными волосами), her train held by two pages (со шлейфом, поддерживаемым двумя пажами; train – поезд; шлейф, трен /платья/), stepped from her place and came to where I stood (сошла со своего места и подошла туда, где я стоял). And a herald cried (а герольд выкрикнул):

“Her Royal Highness the Princess Flavia (ее королевское высочество принцесса Флавия)!”

Of what followed next I remember nothing. I knelt before the altar and the Cardinal anointed my head. Then I rose to my feet, and stretched out my hand and took from him the crown of Ruritania and set it on my head, and I swore the old oath of the King; and (if it were a sin, may it be forgiven me) I received the Holy Sacrament there before them all. Then the great organ pealed out again, the Marshal bade the heralds proclaim me, and Rudolf the Fifth was crowned King; of which imposing ceremony an excellent picture hangs now in my dining-room. The portrait of the King is very good.

Then the lady with the pale face and the glorious hair, her train held by two pages, stepped from her place and came to where I stood. And a herald cried:

“Her Royal Highness the Princess Flavia!”

She curtsied low, and put her hand under mine and raised my hand and kissed it (она низко присела, взяла мою руку подняла ее и поцеловала; to put under – поддевать, подсовывать; to put – класть, положить; under – под). And for an instant I thought what I had best do (мгновение я раздумывал, как мне лучше поступить). Then I drew her to me and kissed her twice on the cheek (затем притянул ее к себе и дважды поцеловал в щеку; to draw), and she blushed red, and (а она залилась румянцем и…) – then his Eminence the Cardinal Archbishop slipped in front of Black Michael (тут его высокопреосвященство кардинал-архиепископ встал впереди Черного Михаэля; to slip – скользить; двигаться тихо, незаметно), and kissed my hand and presented me with a letter from the Pope (поцеловал мне руку и вручил послание от папы; to present – преподносить, дарить; вручать) – the first and last which I have received from that exalted quarter (первое и последнее, которое я получил из тех возвышенных сфер; exalt – возносить, возвеличивать; quarter – четверть; место, сторона)!

And then came the Duke of Strelsau (а потом подошел герцог Стрелсо). His step trembled, I swear (его колени дрожали, /могу/ поклясться; step – шаг; походка), and he looked to the right and to the left (взгляд бегал из стороны в сторону: «он смотрел то вправо, то влево»), as a man looks who thinks on flight (как у человека, который помышляет о бегстве); and his face was patched with red and white (лицо его покрылось красными и белыми пятнами; to patch – латать, ставить заплаты; покрываться пятнами), and his hand shook so that it jumped under mine (рука его тряслась так, что она подскочила под мою), and I felt his lips dry and parched (и я почувствовал, /что/ губы его пересохли; dry – сухой; parched – сожженный, опаленный; пересохший). And I glanced at Sapt, who was smiling again into his beard (я взглянул на Сэпта, снова улыбающегося себе в бороду), and, resolutely doing my duty in that station of life (и решительно выполняя свою миссию в той жизненной ситуации; duty – долг; миссия, задача; station – место; этап) to which I had been marvellously called (к которой я был призван /таким/ удивительным /образом/; to call – звать, окликать; призывать), I took my dear Michael by both hands and kissed him on the cheek (я схватил: «взял» своего дорогого Михаэля обеими руками и поцеловал его в щеку). I think we were both glad when that was over (мне кажется, мы оба были довольны, когда это кончилось)!

She curtsied low, and put her hand under mine and raised my hand and kissed it. And for an instant I thought what I had best do. Then I drew her to me and kissed her twice on the cheek, and she blushed red, and – then his Eminence the Cardinal Archbishop slipped in front of Black Michael, and kissed my hand and presented me with a letter from the Pope – the first and last which I have received from that exalted quarter!

And then came the Duke of Strelsau. His step trembled, I swear, and he looked to the right and to the left, as a man looks who thinks on flight; and his face was patched with red and white, and his hand shook so that it jumped under mine, and I felt his lips dry and parched. And I glanced at Sapt, who was smiling again into his beard, and, resolutely doing my duty in that station of life to which I had been marvellously called, I took my dear Michael by both hands and kissed him on the cheek. I think we were both glad when that was over!