The Life and Surprizing Adventures of Archibald Kerr, British Diplomat. Виктор Королев

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ Kerr entered his office, the Ambassador something was playing the violin. He put down his instrument and smiled good-naturedly:

      ‘Good morning, Archie. Thanks for stopping by. I have a surprise for you! Kaiser's sister Sophie invites us to a party. Previously, such invitations were ignored. But now I suggest you come with me to the crown Princess's Palace and meet the local elite. It's been ignored before, and I suggest you ride with me to the crown Princess Palace and meet the local elite. You don't mind?’

      Another would argue.

      Kerr, of course, had heard about the Princess Sophie. The granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England, the wife of the Greek crown Prince, the mother of five children, she could Eclipse the beauty of any at the court of the German Emperor. Slim, lithe, she loved social gatherings and fun picnics in nature. Sophie had just arrived from Athens, and was making up in her own home for what seemed impermissible at the court of her crowned father-in-law.

      Archibald was introduced to the Princess. He bowed his head courteously. Sophie held out her hand for a kiss, and when Kerr looked up, her laughing face was close to his.

      ‘I am very glad to see you,’ she said in German. ‘At last there are real English gentlemen in this palace!’

      The Ambassador offered some witty toast, everyone smiled, drank champagne. One of the Grand Dukes offered a toast to the health of His Majesty King Edward VII – again drank. Within half an hour, the guests had broken up into Islands, where glasses rang, individual toasts and bursts of laughter sounded.

      Kerr couldn't take his eyes off Sophie. She was the only one at the party in a tight dress. The narrowed skirt without a bustle, unlike the other ladies, the stand-up collar, the flowing kimono sleeves; the wide hips, and the serpentine waist – she looked like a mermaid in her silvery attire. Archibald stood amazed and muttered to himself: ‘I don't know what it means, that I am so sad…’

      A silver mermaid slid out of a nearby islet and swam toward the young diplomat.

      ‘I hope you are not bored here at my place. We gathered today specifically without music. We'll dance with you next time, won't we?’

      ‘I will,’ he barely managed to squeeze out one word.

      Sophie laughed, tilting her head back a little. Her gray eyes turned blue-green.

      ‘You're very nice. But you needn't be shy. We have everything in a simple way. Would you like me to show you both palaces?’

      And without waiting for an answer, she turned and walked away. Kerr quickly caught up with her. The Princess told him of the purpose of the rooms through which they passed.

      ‘At first there was one Palace, for the Crown Princes. My brother was born there. A little later, a Palace of princesses was built nearby. Now they are connected by a passage. But we're not going there. Let's sit on this couch and talk. Tell me about yourself!’

      As in an exam, Kerr started with his parents and the place where he was born. The Princess was surprised by his account of Australia. She even moved closer to him.

      ‘What, what are they called?’ she laughed. ‘Emu? What a strange name! Do they really look like a little running haystack? Grunting like pigs? It can't be, Archie!’

      She studied his face with interest. And she kept asking.

      ‘Did they call you Australopithecus at school? Is it just because you were born in Sydney? Are you really the son of a native? Anyone punished? Did you get your nose broken, too? Oh, God, Archie, I feel sorry for you. And you've never loved anyone before? Not once? How interesting I am with you…’

      She was twelve years older than Kerr, but she enjoyed the conversation quite sincerely. And then Sophie began to pour out her heart to the young man: how unhappy she was in Greece and how she loved her mother and through her grandmother and all Britain.

      An hour later they returned to their guests. The Ambassador of His Majesty King Edward VII had already left the party without his subordinate…

      In August, the third Secretary of the British Embassy, Archibald Kerr, received a personal invitation to come to the summer residence of the Kaiser family as a personal guest of Princess Sophie. On the day off, he went there.

      The Princess met him in an Amazon costume. She led him away from the castle and seated him on a bench in a small artificial grotto.

      ‘This is where we'll continue our conversation, do you mind, Archie? And then I'll introduce you to my brother, and we'll go to Breakfast.’

      They laughed a lot again, and talked about everything, interrupting each other. Then he stood before the stern eyes of the Kaiser.

      At noon the great doors were thrown open, and Wilhelm II. He was dressed in a field Marshal's uniform, which fitted him perfectly. Oddly enough, he carried a glittering iron helmet with a crest on it.

      The Emperor first greeted his sister, and then he waved them into the dining room, where he seated his guest to his right. The table was laid simply, the only delicacy being the golden bell, which the Emperor used whenever it was time for a change of dishes. There was soup, roast, and fruit dessert. There was no champagne, no liqueurs, only red Rhine wine.

      The Kaiser spoke only to the guest. He ate with surprising speed, despite his left arm, which had been paralyzed since childhood. The Emperor used a special fork, which had a serrated blade on one side, and he cut off pieces of roast meat with admirable dexterity.

      Kerr found it impolite to eat when the Emperor was talking to you, so he listened, hanging on every word, and hardly touched his breakfast.

      Taking two of the largest figs from the vase, the Kaiser swallowed them instantly, washed them down with wine, wiped his famously curled moustache with a napkin, and silently nodded goodbye. The guest and Princess Sophie were alone again.

      They also walked through a wonderful park, sat by the fountain on a bench.

      ‘Archie, close your eyes,’ Sophie said suddenly.

      He was suddenly afraid that the Princess was going to kiss him.

      ‘Don't peek! And don't blush so! Say, what smells?’

      It smelled of fresh figs and Cologne water. He hadn't lied to the Princess.

      ‘It smells like figs and Cologne.’

      Sophie laughed her silver bell.

      ‘That's right! Here is and let this smells will remain you on memory from me!’ And she stroked his face with her warm hand.

      All the way back in the coat-of-arms carriage, Kerr could smell it.

      …In September, Princess Sophie had to return to Athens: in neighboring Turkey, there was a coup, trouble could touch Greece, and her husband demanded her presence. Kerr also received an invitation to the farewell party. The Ambassador unconditionally released him and even gave him a short vacation, saying at the same time:

      ‘My dear Archie, I am truly pleased that you are making progress not only in business matters, but also in matters of the heart. I can't keep up with you.’

      Kerr probably wouldn't have been surprised if Sophie had thrown her arms around him when they met – she was so glad to see him.

      However, he, too, was very glad. Here's what he wrote СКАЧАТЬ