'It waxeth late — may it please your majesty to rise?'

Ah, that was not the answer he was expecting. The dream had snapped asunder — he was awake.

He opened his eyes — the richly clad First Lord of the Bedchamber was kneeling by his couch. The gladness of the lying dream faded away — the poor boy recognized that he was still a captive and a king. The room was filled with courtiers clothed in purple mantles — the mourning color — and with noble servants of the monarch. Tom sat up in bed and gazed out from the heavy silken curtains upon this fine company.

The weighty business of dressing began, and one courtier after another knelt and paid his court and offered to the little king his condolences upon his heavy loss, while the dressing proceeded. In the beginning, a shirt was taken up by the Chief Equerry in Waiting, who passed it to the First Lord of the Buckhounds, who passed it to the Second Gentleman of the Bedchamber, who passed it to the Head Ranger of Windsor Forest, who passed it to the Third Groom of the Stole, who passed it to the Chancellor Royal of the Duchy of Lancaster, who passed it to the Master of the Wardrobe, who passed it to Norroy King-at-Arms, who passed it to the Constable of the Tower, who passed it to the Chief Steward of the Household, who passed it to the Hereditary Grand Diaperer, who passed it to the Lord High Admiral of England, who passed it to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who passed it to the First Lord of the Bedchamber, who took what was left of it and put it on Tom. Poor little wondering chap, it reminded him of passing buckets at a fire.

Each garment in its turn had to go through this slow and solemn process (каждый предмет одежды в свою очередь должен был пройти этот медленный и торжественный процесс); consequently Tom grew very weary of the ceremony (соответственно, Тому стал очень утомленным от этой церемонии); so weary (таким утомленным) that he felt an almost gushing gratefulness (что он ощутил почти безудержную радость; gush — сильный, стремительный поток; сильная струя) when he at last saw his long silken hose (когда он наконец увидел, как его длинные шелковые чулки) begin the journey down the line (начинают путешествие вдоль линии) and knew that the end of the matter was drawing near (и понял, что конец всего этого приближался). But he exulted too soon (но он обрадовался слишком скоро). The First Lord of the Bedchamber received the hose (первый лорд опочивальни получил чулки) and was about to encase Tom's legs in them (и был готов заключить ноги Тома в них), when a sudden flush invaded his face (когда внезапный румянец вошел в его лицо) and he hurriedly hustled the things back into the hands of the Archbishop of Canterbury with an astounded look and a whispered (и он поспешно сунул их обратно в руки архиепископа Кентерберийского с пораженным видом и произнесенными шепотом /словами/), 'See, my lord (взгляните, милорд)!' — pointing to a something connected with the hose (указывая на что-то, связанное с чулками). The Archbishop paled, then flushed (архиепископ побледнел, затем покраснел), and passed the hose to the Lord High Admiral (и передал чулки адмиралу), whispering (шепча) 'See, my lord (взгляните, милорд)!' The Admiral passed the hose to the Hereditary Grand Diaperer, and had hardly breath enough in his body to ejaculate (адмирал передал чулки наследственному подвязывателю королевской салфетки, и у него едва хватило дыхания = силы произнести), 'See, my lord (взгляните, милорд)!' The hose drifted backward along the line (чулки перенеслись обратно вдоль линии), to the Chief Steward of the Household, the Constable of the Tower, Norroy King-at-Arms, the Master of the Wardrobe, the Chancellor Royal of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Third Groom of the Stole, the Head Ranger of Windsor Forest, the Second Gentleman of the Bedchamber, the First Lord of the Buckhounds (к лорду заведующему дворцовым хозяйством, коменданту Тауэра, герольдмейстеру Норройскому, хранителю королевской одежды, канцлеру герцогства Ланкастерского, третьему обер-камергеру, главному лесничему Виндзорского леса, второму лорду опочивальни, первому лорду егермейстеру) — accompanied always with that amazed and frightened 'See! see!' (сопровождаемые всегда этим изумленным и испуганным «Смотрите! Смотрите!») — till they finally reached the hands of the Chief Equerry in Waiting (пока они наконец не достигли рук обер-шталмейстера), who gazed a moment (который смотрел минуту), with a pallid face (с мертвенно-бледным лицом), upon what had caused all this dismay (на то, что вызвало весь этот переполох), then hoarsely whispered (затем хрипло прошептал).

'Body of my life (Господи помилуй: «тело моей жизни»), a tag gone from a truss point (наконечник пропал с конца шнурка)! — to the Tower with the Head Keeper of the King's Hose (в Тауэр главного хранителя королевских чулок)!' — after which he leaned upon the shoulder of the First Lord of the Buckhounds (после чего он оперся о плечо первого лорда егермейстера) to regather his vanished strength (чтобы восстановить свои иссякшие силы) while fresh hose, without any damaged strings to them, were brought (пока свежие чулки, без каких-либо поврежденных шнурков на них, были принесены; to bring — приносить).

But all things must have an end (но все вещи должны иметь конец), and so in time Tom Canty was in a condition to get out of bed (так что спустя некоторое время Том Кэнти был в состоянии вылезти из постели). The proper official (соответствующий чиновник) poured water (налил воды), the proper official engineered the washing (соответствующий чиновник осуществлял умывание), the proper official stood by with a towel (соответствующий чиновник стоял рядом с полотенцем), and by and by (и вскоре) Tom got safely through the purifying stage (Том прошел благополучно стадию очистки) and was ready for the services of the Hairdresser-Royal (и был готов к услугам королевского цирюльника). When he at length emerged from his master's hands (когда он наконец вышел из рук своего мастера), he was a gracious figure (он был прелестной фигуркой) and as pretty as a girl (и таким хорошеньким, как девочка), in his mantle and trunks of purple satin, and purple-plumed cap (в своей мантии и штанах из пурпурного атласа и в шапочке с пурпурным пером). He now moved in state (он теперь двигался торжественно) toward his breakfast-room (к своей комнате для завтраков), through the midst of the courtly assemblage (через середину = среди угодливой толпы); and as he passed (и пока он проходил), these fell back (эти = они откидывались назад; to fall — падать), leaving his way free (оставляя его путь свободным), and dropped upon their knees (и падали на колени).

pallid [`pælıd], accompany [ə`kAmpənı], proper [`prOpə]

Each garment in its turn had to go through this slow and solemn process; consequently Tom grew very weary of the ceremony; so weary that he felt an almost gushing gratefulness when he at last saw his long silken hose begin the journey down the line and knew that the end of the matter was drawing near. But he exulted too soon. The First Lord of the Bedchamber received the hose and was about to encase Tom's legs in them, when a sudden flush invaded his face and he hurriedly hustled the things back into the hands of the Archbishop of Canterbury with an astounded look and a whispered, 'See, my lord!' — pointing to a something connected with the hose. The Archbishop paled, then flushed, and passed the hose to the Lord High Admiral, whispering 'See, my lord!' The Admiral passed the hose to the Hereditary Grand Diaperer, and had hardly breath enough in his body to ejaculate, 'See, my lord!' The hose drifted backward along the line, to the Chief Steward of the Household, the Constable of the Tower, Norroy King-at-Arms, the Master of the Wardrobe, the Chancellor Royal of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Third Groom of the Stole, the Head Ranger of Windsor Forest, the Second Gentleman of the Bedchamber, the First Lord of the Buckhounds — accompanied always with that amazed and frightened 'See! see!' — till they finally reached the hands of the Chief Equerry in Waiting, who gazed a moment, with a pallid face, upon what had caused all this dismay, then hoarsely whispered 'Body of my life, a tag gone from a truss point! — to the Tower with the Head Keeper of the King's Hose!' — after which he leaned upon the shoulder of the First Lord of the Buckhounds to regather his vanished strength while fresh hose, without any damaged strings to them, were brought.