章节正文
not being revealed to him. It was a very dark night. I wore
no sword, but I carried a revolver, a long knife, and a
bull's-eye lantern. We arrived outside the gate. I dismounted.
Sapt held out his hand.
"I shall wait here," he said. "If I hear a shot, I'll--"
"Stay where you are; it's the King's only chance. You mustn't
come to grief too."
"You're right, lad. Good luck!"
I pressed the little gate. It yielded, and I found myself in
a wild sort of shrubbery. There was a grass-grown path and,
turning to the right as I had been bidden, I followed it cautiously.
My lantern was closed, the revolver was in my hand. I heard
not a sound. Presently a large dark object loomed out of the
gloom ahead of me. It was the summer-house. Reaching the
steps, I mounted them and found myself confronted by a weak,
rickety wooden door, which hung upon the latch. I pushed it
open and walked in. A woman flew to me and seized my hand.
"Shut the door," she whispered.
I obeyed and turned the light of my lantern on her. She was in
evening dress, arrayed very sumptuously, and her dark striking
beauty was marvellously displayed in the glare of the bull's-eye.
The summer-house was a bare little room, furnished only with
a couple of chairs and a small iron table, such as one sees
in a tea garden or an open-air cafe.
"Don't talk," she said. "We've no time. Listen! I know you,
Mr. Rassendyll. I wrote that letter at the duke's orders."
"So I thought," said I.
"In twenty minutes three men will be here to kill you."
"Three--the three?"
"Yes. You must be gone by then. If not, tonight you'll be killed--"
"Or they will."
"Listen, listen! When you're killed, your body will be taken
to a low quarter of the town. It will be found there. Michael will
at once arrest all your friends--Colonel Sapt and Captain von
Tarlenheim first--proclaim a state of siege in Strelsau, and send
a messenger to Zenda. The other three will murder the King
in the Castle, and the duke will proclaim either himself or
the princess--himself, if he is strong enough. Anyhow, he'll marry her,
and become king in fact, and soon in name. Do you see?"
"It's a pretty plot. But why, madame, do you--?"
"Say I'm a Christian--or say I'm jealous. My God! shall I see
him marry her? Now go; but remember--this is what I have to
tell you--that never, by night or by day, are you safe.
Three men follow you as a guard. Is it not so? Well, three follow them;
Michael's three are never two hundred yards from you. Your life
is not worth a moment if ever they find you alone. Now go.
Stay, the gate will be guarded by now. Go down softly,
go past the summer-house, on for a hundred yards,
and you'll find a ladder against the wall. Get over it,
and fly for your life."
"And you?" I asked.
"I have my game to play too. If he finds out what I have done,
we shall not meet again. If not, I may yet--But never mind.
Go at once."
"But what will you tell him?"
"That you never came--that you saw through the trick."
I took her hand and kissed it.
"Madame," said I, "you have served the King well tonight.
Where is he in the Castle?"
She sank her voice to a fearfulwhisper. I listened eagerly.
"Across the drawbridge you come to a heavy door;
behind that lies--Hark! What's that?"
There were steps outside.
"They're coming! They're too soon! Heavens! they're too soon!"
and she turned pale as death.
"They seem to me," said I, "to be in the nick of time."
"Close your lantern. See, there's a chink in the door.
Can you see them?"
I put my eye to the chink. On the lowest step I saw three dim figures.
I cocked my revolver. Antoinette hastily laid her hand on mine.
"You may kill one," said she. "But what then?"
A voice came from outside--a voice that spoke perfect English.
"Mr. Rassendyll," it said.
I made no answer.
"We want to talk to you. Will you promise not to shoot
till we've done?"
"Have I the pleasure of addressing Mr. Detchard?" I said.
"Never mind names."
"Then let mine alone."
"All right, sire. I've an offer for you."
I still had my eye to the chink. The three had mounted two
steps more; three revolvers pointed full at the door.
"Will you let us in? We pledge our honour to observe the truce."
"Don't trust them," whispered Antoinette.
"We can speak through the door," said I.
"But you might open it and fire," objected Detchard;
"and though we should finish you, you might finish one of us.
Will you give your honour not to fire while we talk?"
"Don't trust them," whispered Antoinette again.
A sudden idea struck me. I considered it for a moment.
It seemed feasible.
"I give my honour not to fire before you do," said I;
"but I won't let you in. Stand outside and talk."
"That's sensible," he said.
The three mounted the last step, and stood just outside the door.
I laid my ear to the chink. I could hear no words, but Detchard's
head was close to that of the taller of his companions (De Gautet,
I guessed).
"H'm! Private communications," thought I. Then I said aloud:
"Well, gentlemen, what's the offer?"
"A safe-conduct to the frontier, and fifty thousand pounds English."
"No, no," whispered Antoinette in the lowest of whispers.
"They are treacherous."
"That seems handsome," said I, reconnoitring through the chink.
They were all close together, just outside the door now.
I had probed the hearts of the ruffians, and I did not need
Antoinette's warning. They meant to "rush" me as soon as I was
engaged in talk.
"Give me a minute to consider," said I; and I thought I heard
a laugh outside.
I turned to Antoinette.
"Stand up close to the wall, out of the line of fire from the door,"
I whispered.
"What are you going to do?" she asked in fright.
"You'll see," said I.
I took up the little iron table. It was not very heavy for a man
of my strength, and I held it by the legs. The top, protruding
in front of me, made a complete screen for my head and body.
I fastened my closed lantern to my belt and put my revolver
in a handy pocket. Suddenly I saw the door move ever so slightly--
perhaps it was the wind, perhaps it was a hand trying it outside.
I drew back as far as I could from the door, holding the table
in the position that I have described. Then I called out:
"Gentlemen, I accept your offer, relying on your honour.
If you will open the door--"
"Open it yourself," said Detchard.
"It opens outwards," said I. "Stand back a little, gentlemen,
or I shall hit you when I open it."
I went and fumbled with the latch. Then I stole back to my
place on tiptoe.
"I can't open it!" I cried. "The latch has caught."
"Tut! I'll open it!" cried Detchard. "Nonsense, Bersonin,
why not? Are you afraid of one man?"
I smiled to myself. An instant later the door was flung back.
The gleam of a lantern showed me the three close together outside,
their revolvers levelled. With a shout, I charged at my utmost pace
across the summer-house and through the doorway. Three shots rang out
and battered into my shield. Another moment, and I leapt out and the
table caught them full and square, and in a tumbling, swearing,
struggling mass, they and I and that brave table,
rolled down the steps of the summerhouse to the ground below.
Antoinette de Mauban shrieked, but I rose to my feet, laughing aloud.
De Gautet and Bersonin lay like men stunned. Detchard was under
the table, but, as I rose, he pushed it from him and fired again.
I raised my revolver and took a snap shot; I heard him curse,
and then I ran like a hare, laughing as I went, past the summer-house
and along by the wall. I heard steps behind me, and turning round
I fired again for luck. The steps ceased.
"Please God," said I, "she told me the truth about the ladder!"
for the wall was high and topped with iron spikes.
Yes, there it was. I was up and over in a minute. Doubling back,
I saw the horses; then I heard a shot. It was Sapt. He had heard us,
and was battling and raging with the locked gate, hammering it
and firing into the keyhole like a man possessed. He had quite
forgotten that he was not to take part in the fight.
Whereat I laughed again, and said, as I clapped him on the shoulder:
"Come home to bed, old chap. I've got the finest tea-table
story that ever you heard!"
He started and cried: "You're safe!" and wrung my hand.
But a moment later he added:
"And what the devil are you laughing at?"
"Four gentlemen round a tea-table," said I, laughing still,
for it had been uncommonly ludicrous to see the formidable three
altogether routed and scattered with no more deadly weapon
than an ordinary tea-table.
Moreover, you will observe that I had honourably kept my word,
and not fired till they did.
CHAPTER 10
A Great Chance for a Villain
It was the custom that the Prefect of Police should send every
afternoon a report to me on the condition of the capital and the
feeling of the people: the document included also an account of
the movements of any persons whom the police had received
instructions to watch. Since I had been in Strelsau, Sapt had
been in the habit of reading the report and telling me any items
of interest which it might contain. On the day after my adventure
in the summer-house, he came in as I was playing a hand of ecarte
with Fritz von Tarlenheim.
"The report is rather full of interest this afternoon,"
he observed, sitting down.
"Do you find," I asked, "any mention of a certain fracas?"
He shook his head with a smile.
"I find this first," he said: ""His Highness the Duke of Strelsau
left the city (so far as it appears, suddenly), accompanied by
several of his household. His destination is believed to be the
Castle of Zenda, but the party travelled by road and not by train.
MM De Gautet, Bersonin, and Detchard followed an hour later,
the last-named carrying his arm in a sling. The cause
of his wound is not known, but it is suspected that he has fought
a duel, probably incidental to a love affair.""
"That is remotely true," I observed, very well pleased to find
that I had left my mark on the fellow.
"Then we come to this," pursued Sapt: ""Madame de Mauban,
whose movements have been watched according to instructions,
left by train at midday. She took a ticket for Dresden--"
"It's an old habit of hers," said I.
""The Dresden train stops at Zenda." An acute fellow, this.
And finally listen to this: "The state of feeling in the city
is not satisfactory. The King is much criticized" (you know,
he's told to be quite frank) "for taking no steps about his marriage.
From enquiries among the entourage of the Princess Flavia, her Royal
no sword, but I carried a revolver, a long knife, and a
bull's-eye lantern. We arrived outside the gate. I dismounted.
Sapt held out his hand.
"I shall wait here," he said. "If I hear a shot, I'll--"
"Stay where you are; it's the King's only chance. You mustn't
come to grief too."
"You're right, lad. Good luck!"
I pressed the little gate. It yielded, and I found myself in
a wild sort of shrubbery. There was a grass-grown path and,
turning to the right as I had been bidden, I followed it cautiously.
My lantern was closed, the revolver was in my hand. I heard
not a sound. Presently a large dark object loomed out of the
gloom ahead of me. It was the summer-house. Reaching the
steps, I mounted them and found myself confronted by a weak,
rickety wooden door, which hung upon the latch. I pushed it
open and walked in. A woman flew to me and seized my hand.
"Shut the door," she whispered.
I obeyed and turned the light of my lantern on her. She was in
evening dress, arrayed very sumptuously, and her dark striking
beauty was marvellously displayed in the glare of the bull's-eye.
The summer-house was a bare little room, furnished only with
a couple of chairs and a small iron table, such as one sees
in a tea garden or an open-air cafe.
"Don't talk," she said. "We've no time. Listen! I know you,
Mr. Rassendyll. I wrote that letter at the duke's orders."
"So I thought," said I.
"In twenty minutes three men will be here to kill you."
"Three--the three?"
"Yes. You must be gone by then. If not, tonight you'll be killed--"
"Or they will."
"Listen, listen! When you're killed, your body will be taken
to a low quarter of the town. It will be found there. Michael will
at once arrest all your friends--Colonel Sapt and Captain von
Tarlenheim first--proclaim a state of siege in Strelsau, and send
a messenger to Zenda. The other three will murder the King
in the Castle, and the duke will proclaim either himself or
the princess--himself, if he is strong enough. Anyhow, he'll marry her,
and become king in fact, and soon in name. Do you see?"
"It's a pretty plot. But why, madame, do you--?"
"Say I'm a Christian--or say I'm jealous. My God! shall I see
him marry her? Now go; but remember--this is what I have to
tell you--that never, by night or by day, are you safe.
Three men follow you as a guard. Is it not so? Well, three follow them;
Michael's three are never two hundred yards from you. Your life
is not worth a moment if ever they find you alone. Now go.
Stay, the gate will be guarded by now. Go down softly,
go past the summer-house, on for a hundred yards,
and you'll find a ladder against the wall. Get over it,
and fly for your life."
"And you?" I asked.
"I have my game to play too. If he finds out what I have done,
we shall not meet again. If not, I may yet--But never mind.
Go at once."
"But what will you tell him?"
"That you never came--that you saw through the trick."
I took her hand and kissed it.
"Madame," said I, "you have served the King well tonight.
Where is he in the Castle?"
She sank her voice to a fearfulwhisper. I listened eagerly.
"Across the drawbridge you come to a heavy door;
behind that lies--Hark! What's that?"
There were steps outside.
"They're coming! They're too soon! Heavens! they're too soon!"
and she turned pale as death.
"They seem to me," said I, "to be in the nick of time."
"Close your lantern. See, there's a chink in the door.
Can you see them?"
I put my eye to the chink. On the lowest step I saw three dim figures.
I cocked my revolver. Antoinette hastily laid her hand on mine.
"You may kill one," said she. "But what then?"
A voice came from outside--a voice that spoke perfect English.
"Mr. Rassendyll," it said.
I made no answer.
"We want to talk to you. Will you promise not to shoot
till we've done?"
"Have I the pleasure of addressing Mr. Detchard?" I said.
"Never mind names."
"Then let mine alone."
"All right, sire. I've an offer for you."
I still had my eye to the chink. The three had mounted two
steps more; three revolvers pointed full at the door.
"Will you let us in? We pledge our honour to observe the truce."
"Don't trust them," whispered Antoinette.
"We can speak through the door," said I.
"But you might open it and fire," objected Detchard;
"and though we should finish you, you might finish one of us.
Will you give your honour not to fire while we talk?"
"Don't trust them," whispered Antoinette again.
A sudden idea struck me. I considered it for a moment.
It seemed feasible.
"I give my honour not to fire before you do," said I;
"but I won't let you in. Stand outside and talk."
"That's sensible," he said.
The three mounted the last step, and stood just outside the door.
I laid my ear to the chink. I could hear no words, but Detchard's
head was close to that of the taller of his companions (De Gautet,
I guessed).
"H'm! Private communications," thought I. Then I said aloud:
"Well, gentlemen, what's the offer?"
"A safe-conduct to the frontier, and fifty thousand pounds English."
"No, no," whispered Antoinette in the lowest of whispers.
"They are treacherous."
"That seems handsome," said I, reconnoitring through the chink.
They were all close together, just outside the door now.
I had probed the hearts of the ruffians, and I did not need
Antoinette's warning. They meant to "rush" me as soon as I was
engaged in talk.
"Give me a minute to consider," said I; and I thought I heard
a laugh outside.
I turned to Antoinette.
"Stand up close to the wall, out of the line of fire from the door,"
I whispered.
"What are you going to do?" she asked in fright.
"You'll see," said I.
I took up the little iron table. It was not very heavy for a man
of my strength, and I held it by the legs. The top, protruding
in front of me, made a complete screen for my head and body.
I fastened my closed lantern to my belt and put my revolver
in a handy pocket. Suddenly I saw the door move ever so slightly--
perhaps it was the wind, perhaps it was a hand trying it outside.
I drew back as far as I could from the door, holding the table
in the position that I have described. Then I called out:
"Gentlemen, I accept your offer, relying on your honour.
If you will open the door--"
"Open it yourself," said Detchard.
"It opens outwards," said I. "Stand back a little, gentlemen,
or I shall hit you when I open it."
I went and fumbled with the latch. Then I stole back to my
place on tiptoe.
"I can't open it!" I cried. "The latch has caught."
"Tut! I'll open it!" cried Detchard. "Nonsense, Bersonin,
why not? Are you afraid of one man?"
I smiled to myself. An instant later the door was flung back.
The gleam of a lantern showed me the three close together outside,
their revolvers levelled. With a shout, I charged at my utmost pace
across the summer-house and through the doorway. Three shots rang out
and battered into my shield. Another moment, and I leapt out and the
table caught them full and square, and in a tumbling, swearing,
struggling mass, they and I and that brave table,
rolled down the steps of the summerhouse to the ground below.
Antoinette de Mauban shrieked, but I rose to my feet, laughing aloud.
De Gautet and Bersonin lay like men stunned. Detchard was under
the table, but, as I rose, he pushed it from him and fired again.
I raised my revolver and took a snap shot; I heard him curse,
and then I ran like a hare, laughing as I went, past the summer-house
and along by the wall. I heard steps behind me, and turning round
I fired again for luck. The steps ceased.
"Please God," said I, "she told me the truth about the ladder!"
for the wall was high and topped with iron spikes.
Yes, there it was. I was up and over in a minute. Doubling back,
I saw the horses; then I heard a shot. It was Sapt. He had heard us,
and was battling and raging with the locked gate, hammering it
and firing into the keyhole like a man possessed. He had quite
forgotten that he was not to take part in the fight.
Whereat I laughed again, and said, as I clapped him on the shoulder:
"Come home to bed, old chap. I've got the finest tea-table
story that ever you heard!"
He started and cried: "You're safe!" and wrung my hand.
But a moment later he added:
"And what the devil are you laughing at?"
"Four gentlemen round a tea-table," said I, laughing still,
for it had been uncommonly ludicrous to see the formidable three
altogether routed and scattered with no more deadly weapon
than an ordinary tea-table.
Moreover, you will observe that I had honourably kept my word,
and not fired till they did.
CHAPTER 10
A Great Chance for a Villain
It was the custom that the Prefect of Police should send every
afternoon a report to me on the condition of the capital and the
feeling of the people: the document included also an account of
the movements of any persons whom the police had received
instructions to watch. Since I had been in Strelsau, Sapt had
been in the habit of reading the report and telling me any items
of interest which it might contain. On the day after my adventure
in the summer-house, he came in as I was playing a hand of ecarte
with Fritz von Tarlenheim.
"The report is rather full of interest this afternoon,"
he observed, sitting down.
"Do you find," I asked, "any mention of a certain fracas?"
He shook his head with a smile.
"I find this first," he said: ""His Highness the Duke of Strelsau
left the city (so far as it appears, suddenly), accompanied by
several of his household. His destination is believed to be the
Castle of Zenda, but the party travelled by road and not by train.
MM De Gautet, Bersonin, and Detchard followed an hour later,
the last-named carrying his arm in a sling. The cause
of his wound is not known, but it is suspected that he has fought
a duel, probably incidental to a love affair.""
"That is remotely true," I observed, very well pleased to find
that I had left my mark on the fellow.
"Then we come to this," pursued Sapt: ""Madame de Mauban,
whose movements have been watched according to instructions,
left by train at midday. She took a ticket for Dresden--"
"It's an old habit of hers," said I.
""The Dresden train stops at Zenda." An acute fellow, this.
And finally listen to this: "The state of feeling in the city
is not satisfactory. The King is much criticized" (you know,
he's told to be quite frank) "for taking no steps about his marriage.
From enquiries among the entourage of the Princess Flavia, her Royal
- presently [´prezəntli]
ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词) - wooden [´wudn] a.木制的；呆板的 (初中英语单词)
- arrest [ə´rest] vt.逮捕 n.逮捕；停止 (初中英语单词)
- messenger [´mesindʒə] n.使者；送信人 (初中英语单词)
- proclaim [prə´kleim] vt.宣布；公布；声明 (初中英语单词)
- jealous [´dʒeləs] a.妒忌的 (初中英语单词)
- fearful [´fiəfəl] a.可怕的；担心的 (初中英语单词)
- whisper [´wispə] v.耳语 n.低语；沙沙声 (初中英语单词)
- hastily [´heistili] ad.急速地；草率地 (初中英语单词)
- pointed [´pɔintid] a.尖(锐)的；中肯的 (初中英语单词)
- pledge [pledʒ] n.信物；誓约vt.使发誓 (初中英语单词)
- frontier [´frʌntiə] n.国境；边疆；边界 (初中英语单词)
- screen [skri:n] n.银幕 vt.遮蔽 (初中英语单词)
- instant [´instənt] a.立即的 n.紧迫；瞬间 (初中英语单词)
- utmost [´ʌtməust] a.最大的 n.极端 (初中英语单词)
- doorway [´dɔ:wei] n.门口 (初中英语单词)
- shield [ʃi:ld] n.盾牌；防御 v.保护 (初中英语单词)
- deadly [´dedli] a.致命的 ad.死一般地 (初中英语单词)
- account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)
- reading [´ri:diŋ] n.(阅)读；朗读；读物 (初中英语单词)
- contain [kən´tein] v.包含；容纳；抑制 (初中英语单词)
- satisfactory [,sætis´fæktəri] a.令人满意的 (初中英语单词)
- princess [,prin´ses] n.公主；王妃；亲王夫人 (初中英语单词)
- lantern [´læntən] n.灯笼；提灯 (高中英语单词)
- ladder [´lædə] n.梯子；阶梯 (高中英语单词)
- formidable [´fɔ:midəbəl] a.可怕的；艰难的 (高中英语单词)
- document [´dɔkjumənt] n.公文；文件；证件 (高中英语单词)
- highness [´hainis] n.高，高贵，高尚 (高中英语单词)
- destination [,desti´neiʃən] n.目标地 (高中英语单词)
- revolver [ri´vɔlvə] n.左轮手枪；旋转者 (英语四级单词)
- warning [´wɔ:niŋ] n.警告；前兆 a.预告的 (英语四级单词)
- trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)
- midday [´middei] n.中午 (英语四级单词)
- holding [´həuldiŋ] n.保持，固定，存储 (英语六级单词)
- incidental [,insi´dentəl] a.伴随的；易发生的 (英语六级单词)
- taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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