Английский язык с Марком Твеном. Принц и нищий / Mark Twain. The Prince and the Pauper

The hermit, grinding his teeth in impotent rage, moved swiftly out of the bedchamber, closing the door behind him; and straightway the king heard a talk, to this effect, proceeding from the 'chapel':

'Homage and greeting, reverend sir! Where is the boy — my boy?'

'What boy, friend?'

'What boy! Lie me no lies, sir priest, play me no deceptions! I am not in the humor for it. Near to this place I caught the scoundrels who I judged did steal him from me, and I made them confess; they said he was at large again, and they had tracked him to your door. They showed me his very footprints. Now palter no more; for look you, holy sir, an thou produce him not — Where is the boy?'

'Oh, good sir, peradventure you mean the ragged regal vagrant that tarried here the night. If such as you take interest in such as he, know, then, that I have sent him of an errand. He will be back anon.'

'How soon? How soon? Come, waste not the time — cannot I overtake him? How soon will he be back?'

'Thou needst not stir; he will return quickly.'

'So be it then. I will try to wait. But stop! — you sent him of an errand? — you! Verily, this is a lie — he would not go. He would pull thy old beard, an thou didst offer him such an insolence. Thou hast lied, friend; thou hast surely lied! He would not go for thee nor for any man.'

'For any man — no; haply not. But I am not a man.'

'What! Now o' God's name what art thou, then?'

'It is a secret — mark thou reveal it not. I am an archangel!'

There was a tremendous ejaculation from Miles Hendon — not altogether unprofane — followed by:

'This doth well and truly account for his complaisance! Right well I knew he would budge nor hand nor foot in the menial service of any mortal; but Lord, even a king must obey when an archangel gives the word o' command! Let me — 'sh! What noise was that?'

All this while the king had been yonder (все это время король был там), alternately quaking with terror and trembling with hope (поочередно трясясь от страха и дрожа от надежды); and all the while, too (и все это время, также), he had thrown all the strength he could (он бросил все силы, которые мог; to throw — бросать) into his anguished moanings (на свои страдальческие стоны), constantly expecting them to reach Hendon's ear (постоянно ожидая, что они достигнут уха Хендона: «ожидая их достигнуть…»), but always realizing, with bitterness (но все время осознавая с горечью), that they failed (что они потерпели неудачу), or at least made no impression (или, по крайней мере, не произвели никакого впечатления; to make — делать). So this last remark of his servant (так что это последнее замечание его слуги) came as comes a reviving breath (пришло, как приходит оживляющее дыхание; to revive — оживлять) from fresh fields to the dying (со свежих полей к умирающему); and he exerted himself once more (и он поднатужился: «напряг себя» еще раз), and with all his energy (и со всей своей энергией), just as the hermit was saying (прямо когда отшельник говорил):

'Noise (шум)? I heard only the wind (я слышал только ветер; to hear — слышать).'