Simultaneously, Antoinette found herself entangled in his audacious schemes. Unwilling to abandon him, bound to him by the chains of shame and hope, yet she would not be a decoy, nor, at his bidding, lure me to death. Hence the letters of warning she had written. Whether the lines she sent to Flavia were inspired by good or bad feeling, by jealousy or by pity, I do not know; but here also she served us well. When the duke went to Zenda, she accompanied him; and here for the first time she learnt the full measure of his cruelty, and was touched with compassion for the unfortunate King. From this time she was with us; yet, from what she told me, I know that she still (as women will) loved Michael, and trusted to gain his life, if not his pardon, from the King, as the reward for her assistance. His triumph she did not desire, for she loathed his crime, and loathed yet more fiercely what would be the prize of it – his marriage with his cousin, Princess Flavia.
At Zenda new forces came into play (в Зенде вступили в действие новые силы; to come into play – начать действовать) – the lust and daring of young Rupert (страсть и дерзость юного Руперта; lust – вожделение, похоть; страсть). He was caught by her beauty, perhaps (возможно, его привлекла ее красота; to catch – ловить, поймать; увлечь, привлечь /внимание и т. п./); perhaps it was enough for him that she belonged to another man, and that she hated him (возможно, ему было достаточно того, что она принадлежит другому, а его не выносит). For many days there had been quarrels and ill will between him and the duke (много дней между ним и герцогом царили вражда и неприязнь;
quarrel – ссора; ill will – недоброжелательность, враждебность; ill – больной; злой, враждебный; will – воля, сила воли; твердое намерение, желание), and the scene which I had witnessed in the duke’s room (и сцена в комнате герцога, свидетелем которой я оказался) was but one of many (была лишь одной из многих). Rupert’s proposals to me, of which she had, of course, been ignorant (предложения Руперта, /сделанные/ мне, о которых она, конечно же, не знала; ignorant – невежественный; несведущий, не информированный /о чем-л./), in no way surprised her when I related them (совершенно ее не удивили, когда я о них рассказал); she had herself warned Michael against Rupert (она сама предостерегала Михаэля против Руперта), even when she was calling on me to deliver her from both of them (даже когда взывала ко мне избавить ее от них обоих; to deliver – доставлять, разносить /письма, товары/; освобождать; to call – звать, окликать; призывать). On this night, then, Rupert had determined to have his will (и вот, той ночью Руперт решил добиться своего; to have one’s will – добиться своего; will – воля, сила воли; твердое намерение, желание). When she had gone to her room (когда она удалилась в свою комнату), he, having furnished himself with a key to it, had made his entrance (он, заранее раздобыв от нее ключ, пробрался туда; to furnish with smth. – снабжать чем-л.; to make one’s entrance – выходить на сцену, сделать свой выход /театр./; entrance – вход /в здание и т. п./; выход /актера на сцену/). Her cries had brought the duke, and there in the dark room (ее крики привлекли герцога, и там в темноте комнаты), while she screamed, the men had fought (тогда как она кричала, мужчины сражались; to fight); and Rupert, having wounded his master with a mortal blow (и Руперт, смертельно ранив: «ранив смертельным ударом» своего господина), had, on the servants rushing in, escaped through the window as I have described (когда ворвались слуги, бежал через окно, как я уже /это/ описывал).