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| "Ah yes, my dear," said the count, addressing the visitor and pointing to Nicholas, "his friend Boris has become an officer, and so for friendship's sake he is leaving the university and me, his old father, and entering the military service, my dear. | - Да, ma ch?re, - сказал старый граф, обращаясь к гостье и указывая на своего Николая. - Вот его друг Борис произведен в офицеры, и он из дружбы не хочет отставать от него; бросает и университет и меня старика: идет в военную службу, ma ch?re. |
| And there was a place and everything waiting for him in the Archives Department! | А уж ему место в архиве было готово, и всё. |
| Isn't that friendship?" remarked the count in an inquiring tone. | Вот дружба-то? - сказал граф вопросительно. |
| "But they say that war has been declared," replied the visitor. | - Да ведь война, говорят, объявлена, - сказала гостья. |
| "They've been saying so a long while," said the count, "and they'll say so again and again, and that will be the end of it. | - Давно говорят, - сказал граф. - Опять поговорят, поговорят, да так и оставят. |
| My dear, there's friendship for you," he repeated. "He's joining the hussars." | Ma ch?re, вот дружба-то! - повторил он. - Он идет в гусары. |
| The visitor, not knowing what to say, shook her head. | Гостья, не зная, что сказать, покачала головой. |
| "It's not at all from friendship," declared Nicholas, flaring up and turning away as if from a shameful aspersion. "It is not from friendship at all; I simply feel that the army is my vocation." | - Совсем не из дружбы, - отвечал Николай, вспыхнув и отговариваясь как будто от постыдного на него наклепа. - Совсем не дружба, а просто чувствую призвание к военной службе. |
| He glanced at his cousin and the young lady visitor; and they were both regarding him with a smile of approbation. | Он оглянулся на кузину и на гостью-барышню: обе смотрели на него с улыбкой одобрения. |
| "Schubert, the colonel of the Pavlograd Hussars, is dining with us today. | - Нынче обедает у нас Шуберт, полковник Павлоградского гусарского полка. |
| He has been here on leave and is taking Nicholas back with him. | Он был в отпуску здесь и берет его с собой. |
| It can't be helped!" said the count, shrugging his shoulders and speaking playfully of a matter that evidently distressed him. | Что делать? - сказал граф, пожимая плечами и говоря шуточно о деле, которое, видимо, стоило ему много горя. |
| "I have already told you, Papa," said his son, "that if you don't wish to let me go, I'll stay. |
