Chapter 3

 The Grand Duke looked dispassionately on their retreating figures; inquiringly on the Baroness¹; reprovingly on the moon, as though he rather suspected it of having treated him with injustice².

 

"Ma foi," said his Highness, at length, "I have never known such a passion for sunrises. Shortly we shall have them announced as 'Patronized by the Nobility.'"

 

The Baroness said only, with an ellipsis³, "Her own cousin, too!" [Footnote: By courtesy rather than legally; Mademoiselle Berlin was, however, undoubtedly⁴ the Elector of Badenburg's sister, though on the wrong side of the blanket; and to her (second) son by Louis Quinze his French Majesty⁵ accorded the title of Comte de Châteauroux.]

 

"Victoria," observed the Grand Duke, "has always had the highest regard for her family; but in this she is going too far—"

 

"Yes," said the Baroness; "as far as Vienna."

 

"—and I shall tell her that there are limits, Pardieu," the Grand Duke emphatically repeated, "that there are limits."

 

"Whereupon, if I am not mistaken, she will reply that there are—baronesses."

 

"I shall then appeal to her better nature—"

 

"You will find it," said the Baroness, "strangely hard of hearing."

 

"—and afterward⁶ I shall have de Châteauroux arrested."

 

"On what grounds, your Highness?"

 

"In fact," admitted the Grand Duke, "we do not want a scandal"

 

"It is no longer," the Baroness considered, "altogether a question of what we want."

 

"And, morbleu! there will be a horrible scandal—"

 

"The public gazettes will thrive on it."

 

"—and trouble with her father, if not international complications—"

 

"The armies of Noumaria and Badenburg have for years had nothing to do."

 

"—and later a divorce."

 

"The lawyers will call you blessed. In any event," the Baroness conscientiously⁷ added, "your lawyers will. I am afraid that hers—"

 

"Will scarcely be so courteous⁸?" the Grand Duke queried⁹.

 

"It is not altogether impossible," the Baroness admitted, "that in preparation of their briefs, they may light upon some other adjective."

 

"And, in short," his Highness summed it up, "there will be the deuce to pay."

 

"Oh, no! the piper," said the Baroness,—"after long years of dancing. That is what moralists will be saying, I suspect."

 

And this seemed so highly probable that the plump little Grand Duke frowned, and lapsed¹⁰ into a most un-ducal sullenness¹¹.

 

"Your Highness," murmured the Baroness, "I cannot express my feelings as to this shocking revelation—"

 

"Madame," said the Grand Duke, "no more can I. At least, not in the presence of a lady."

 

"—But I have a plan—"

 

"I," said the Grand Duke, "have an infinity¹² of plans; but de Châteauroux has a carriage, and a superfluity of Bourbon blood; and Victoria has the obstinacy¹³ of a mule¹⁴."

 

"—And my plan," said the Baroness, "is a good one."

 

"It needs to be," said the Grand Duke.

 

But thereupon the Baroness von Altenburg unfolded to his Highness her scheme for preserving coherency in the reigning¹⁵ family of Noumaria, and the Grand Duke of that principality heard and marvelled¹⁶.

 

"Amalia," he said, when she had ended, "you should be prime-minister—"

 

"Ah, your Highness," said the lady, "you flatter me, for none of my sex has ever been sufficiently¹⁷ unmanly to make a good politician."

 

"—though, indeed," the Grand Duke reflected, "what would a mere¹⁸ prime-minister do with lips like yours?"

 

"He would set you an excellent example by admiring them from a distance. Do you agree, then, to my plan?"

 

"Why, ma foi, yes!" said the Grand Duke, and he sighed. "In the gardens at dawn."

 

"At dawn," said the Baroness, "in the gardens."

1 baroness   

n.男爵夫人，女男爵

参考例句：

• I'm sure the Baroness will be able to make things fine for you.我相信男爵夫人能够把家里的事替你安排妥当的。
• The baroness,who had signed,returned the pen to the notary.男爵夫人这时已签过字，把笔交回给律师。

2 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

3 ellipsis   

n.省略符号，省略(语法结构上的)

参考例句：

• In this textbook we will tolerate a certain amount of ellipsis.在这本书中我们允许一些简化。
• There is an ellipsis of "that" in that sentence.那个句子省略了"that"。

4 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

5 majesty   

n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权

参考例句：

• The king had unspeakable majesty.国王有无法形容的威严。
• Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly!尊贵的陛下，您必须赶快做出决定！

6 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

7 conscientiously   

adv.凭良心地；认真地，负责尽职地；老老实实

参考例句：

• He kept silent,eating just as conscientiously but as though everything tasted alike. 他一声不吭，闷头吃着，仿佛桌上的饭菜都一个味儿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She discharged all the responsibilities of a minister conscientiously. 她自觉地履行部长的一切职责。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 courteous   

adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的

参考例句：

• Although she often disagreed with me,she was always courteous.尽管她常常和我意见不一，但她总是很谦恭有礼。
• He was a kind and courteous man.他为人友善，而且彬彬有礼。

9 queried   

v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问

参考例句：

• She queried what he said. 她对他说的话表示怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"What does he have to do?\" queried Chin dubiously. “他有什么心事？”琴向觉民问道，她的脸上现出疑惑不解的神情。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

10 lapsed   

adj.流失的，堕落的v.退步( lapse的过去式和过去分词 )；陷入；倒退；丧失

参考例句：

• He had lapsed into unconsciousness. 他陷入了昏迷状态。
• He soon lapsed into his previous bad habits. 他很快陷入以前的恶习中去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 sullenness   

n. 愠怒, 沉闷, 情绪消沉

参考例句：

• His bluster sank to sullenness under her look. 在她目光逼视下，他蛮横的表情稍加收敛，显出一副阴沉的样子。
• Marked by anger or sullenness. 怒气冲冲的，忿恨的。

12 infinity   

n.无限，无穷，大量

参考例句：

• It is impossible to count up to infinity.不可能数到无穷大。
• Theoretically,a line can extend into infinity.从理论上来说直线可以无限地延伸。

13 obstinacy   

n.顽固；（病痛等）难治

参考例句：

• It is a very accountable obstinacy.这是一种完全可以理解的固执态度。
• Cindy's anger usually made him stand firm to the point of obstinacy.辛迪一发怒，常常使他坚持自见，并达到执拗的地步。

14 mule   

n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人

参考例句：

• A mule is a cross between a mare and a donkey.骡子是母马和公驴的杂交后代。
• He is an old mule.他是个老顽固。

15 reigning   

adj.统治的，起支配作用的

参考例句：

• The sky was dark, stars were twinkling high above, night was reigning, and everything was sunk in silken silence. 天很黑，星很繁，夜阑人静。
• Led by Huang Chao, they brought down the reigning house after 300 years' rule. 在黄巢的带领下，他们推翻了统治了三百年的王朝。

16 marvelled   

v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I marvelled that he suddenly left college. 我对他突然离开大学感到惊奇。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I marvelled at your boldness. 我对你的大胆感到惊奇。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 sufficiently   

adv.足够地，充分地

参考例句：

• It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
• The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

18 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。