章节正文
could not resist tormenting her a little. I had never seen her
angry, and every fresh aspect of her was a delight to me.
"What right have I to be offended? True, you said last night
that every hour away from me was wasted. But a very big boar!
that's a different thing."
"Perhaps the boar will hunt me," I suggested. "Perhaps, Flavia,
he'll catch me."
She made no answer.
"You are not touched even by that danger?"
Still she said nothing; and I, stealing round, found her eyes
full of tears.
"You weep for my danger?"
Then she spoke very low:
"This is like what you used to be; but not like the King--
the King I--I have come to love!"
With a sudden great groan, I caught her to my heart.
"My darling!" I cried, forgetting everything but her,
"did you dream that I left you to go hunting?"
"What then, Rudolf? Ah! you're not going--?"
"Well, it is hunting. I go to seek Michael in his lair."
She had turned very pale.
"So, you see, sweet, I was not so poor a lover as you thought me.
I shall not be long gone."
"You will write to me, Rudolf?"
I was weak, but I could not say a word to stir suspicion in her.
"I'll send you all my heart every day," said I.
"And you'll run no danger?"
"None that I need not."
"And when will you be back? Ah, how long will it be!"
"When shall I be back?" I repeated.
"Yes, yes! Don't be long, dear, don't be long. I shan't sleep
while you're away."
"I don't know when I shall be back," said I.
"Soon, Rudolf, soon?"
"God knows, my darling. But, if never--"
"Hush, hush!" and she pressed her lips to mine.
"If never," I whispered, "you must take my place; you'll be
the only one of the House then. You must reign, and not weep
for me."
For a moment she drew herself up like a very queen.
"Yes, I will!" she said. "I will reign. I will do my part though
all my life will be empty and my heart dead; yet I'll do it!"
She paused, and sinking against me again, wailed softly.
"Come soon! come soon!"
Carried away, I cried loudly:
"As God lives, I--yes, I myself--will see you once more
before I die!"
"What do you mean?" she exclaimed, with wondering eyes;
but I had no answer for her, and she gazed at me with her
wondering eyes.
I dared not ask her to forget, she would have found it an insult.
I could not tell her then who and what I was. She was weeping,
and I had but to dry her tears.
"Shall a man not come back to the loveliest lady in all the wide world?"
said I. "A thousand Michaels should not keep me from you!"
She clung to me, a little comforted.
"You won't let Michael hurt you?"
"No, sweetheart."
"Or keep you from me?"
"No, sweetheart."
"Nor anyone else?"
And again I answered:
"No, sweetheart."
Yet there was one--not Michael--who, if he lived, must keep
me from her; and for whose life I was going forth to stake my
own. And his figure--the lithe, buoyant figure I had met in the
woods of Zenda--the dull, inert mass I had left in the cellar of
the hunting-lodge--seemed to rise, double-shaped, before me,
and to come between us, thrusting itself in even where she lay,
pale, exhausted, fainting, in my arms, and yet looking up at me
with those eyes that bore such love as I have never seen, and
haunt me now, and will till the ground closes over me--
and (who knows?) perhaps beyond.
CHAPTER 12
I Receive a Visitor and Bait a Hook
About five miles from Zenda--on the opposite side from that on
which the Castle is situated, there lies a large tract of wood.
It is rising ground, and in the centre of the demesne, on the top
of the hill, stands a fine modern chateau, the property of a
distant kinsman of Fritz's, the Count Stanislas von Tarlenheim.
Count Stanislas himself was a student and a recluse. He seldom
visited the house, and had, on Fritz's request, very readily and
courteously offered me its hospitality for myself and my party.
This, then, was our destination; chosen ostensibly for the sake
of the boar-hunting (for the wood was carefully preserved, and boars,
once common all over Ruritania, were still to be found there
in considerable numbers), really because it brought us within
striking distance of the Duke of Strelsau's more magnificent
dwelling on the other side of the town. A large party of servants,
with horses and luggage, started early in the morning;we followed at midday,
travelling by train for thirty miles, and then mounting our horses
to ride the remaining distance to the chateau.
We were a gallant party. Besides Sapt and Fritz, I was accompanied
by ten gentlemen: every one of them had been carefully chosen,
and no less carefully sounded, by my two friends, and all were
devotedly attached to the person of the King. They were told
a part of the truth; the attempt on my life in the summer-house
was revealed to them, as a spur to their loyalty and an incitement
against Michael. They were also informed that a friend of the King's
was suspected to be forcibly confined within the Castle of Zenda.
His rescue was one of the objects of the expedition; but, it was added,
the King's main desire was to carry into effect certain steps against
his treacherous brother, as to the precise nature of which they could
not at present be further enlightened. Enough that the King commanded
their services, and would rely on their devotion when occasion arose
to call for it. Young, well-bred, brave, and loyal, they asked no more:
they were ready to prove their dutiful obedience, and prayed for a fight
as the best and most exhilarating mode of showing it.
Thus the scene was shifted from Strelsau to the chateau
of Tarlenheim and Castle of Zenda, which frowned at us across
the valley. I tried to shift my thoughts also, to forget my love,
and to bend all my energies to the task before me. It was to get
the King out of the Castle alive. Force was useless: in some trick
lay the chance; and I had already an inkling of what we must do.
But I was terribly hampered by the publicity which attended my movements.
Michael must know by now of my expedition; and I knew Michael too well
to suppose that his eyes would be blinded by the feint of the boar-hunt.
He would understand very well what the real quarry was. That, however,
must be risked--that and all it might mean; for Sapt, no less than myself,
recognized that the present state of things had become unendurable.
And there was one thing that I dared to calculate on--not, as I now know,
without warrant. It was this--that Black Michael would not believe
that I meant well by the King. He could not appreciate--I will not say
an honest man, for the thoughts of my own heart have been revealed--
but a man actinghonestly. He saw my opportunity as I had seen it,
as Sapt had seen it; he knew the princess--nay (and I declare
that a sneaking sort of pity for him invaded me), in his way
he loved her; he would think that Sapt and Fritz could be bribed,
so the bribe was large enough. Thinking thus, would he kill the King,
my rival and my danger? Ay, verily, that he would, with as little
compunction as he would kill a rat. But he would kill Rudolf Rassendyll first,
if he could; and nothing but the certainty of being utterly damned by the
release of the King alive and his restoration to the throne would drive
him to throw away the trump card which he held in reserve to baulk
the supposed game of the impudent impostor Rassendyll. Musing on
all this as I rode along, I took courage.
Michael knew of my coming, sure enough. I had not been in the house
an hour, when an imposing Embassy arrived from him. He did not quite
reach the impudence of sending my would-be assassins, but he sent
the other three of his famous Six--the three Ruritanian gentlemen--
Lauengram, Krafstein, and Rupert Hentzau. A fine, strapping trio
they were, splendidly horsed and admirably equipped. Young Rupert,
who looked a dare-devil, and could not have been more than twenty-two
or twenty-three, took the lead, and made us the neatest speech,
wherein my devoted subject and loving brother Michael of Strelsau,
prayed me to pardon him for not paying his addresses in person,
and, further, for not putting his Castle at my disposal;
the reason for both of these apparent derelictions being
that he and several of his servants lay sick of scarlet fever,
and were in a very sad, and also a very infectious state.
So declared young Rupert with an insolent smile on his curling
upper lip and a toss of his thick hair--he was a handsome villain,
and the gossip ran that many a lady had troubled her heart for him already.
"If my brother has scarlet fever," said I, "he is nearer my complexion
than he is wont to be, my lord. I trust he does not suffer?"
"He is able to attend to his affairs, sire."
"I hope all beneath your roof are not sick. What of my good friends,
De Gautet, Bersonin, and Detchard? I heard the last had suffered a hurt."
Lauengram and Krafstein looked glum and uneasy, but young Rupert's smile
grew broader.
"He hopes soon to find a medicine for it, sire," he answered.
And I burst out laughing, for I knew what medicine Detchard longed for--
it is called Revenge.
"You will dine with us, gentlemen?" I asked.
Young Rupert was profuse in apologies. They had urgent duties at the Castle.
"Then," said I, with a wave of my hand, "to our next meeting, gentlemen.
May it make us better acquainted."
"We will pray your Majesty for an early opportunity," quoth Rupert airily;
and he strode past Sapt with such jeering scorn on his face that I saw
the old fellow clench his fist and scowl black as night.
For my part, if a man must needs be a knave, I would have him
a debonair knave, and I liked Rupert Hentzau better than
his long-faced, close-eyed companions. It makes your sin
no worse, as I conceive, to do it a la mode and stylishly.
Now it was a curious thing that on this first night, instead
of eating the excellent dinner my cooks had prepared for me,
I must needs leave my gentlemen to eat it alone, under Sapt's
presiding care, and ride myself with Fritz to the town of Zenda
and a certain little inn that I knew of. There was little danger
in the excursion; the evenings were long and light, and the road
this side of Zenda well frequented. So off we rode, with a groom
behind us. I muffled myself up in a big cloak.
"Fritz," said I, as we entered the town, "there's an uncommonly
pretty girl at this inn."
"How do you know?" he asked.
"Because I've been there," said I.
"Since--?" he began.
"No. Before," said I.
"But they'll recognize you?"
"Well, of course they will. Now, don't argue, my good fellow,
but listen to me. We're two gentlemen of the King's household,
and one of us has a toothache. The other will order a private
room and dinner, and, further, a bottle of the best wine for
the sufferer. And if he be as clever a fellow as I take him for,
the pretty girl and no other will wait on us."
"What if she won't?" objected Fritz.
"My dear Fritz," said I, "if she won't for you, she will for me."
We were at the inn. Nothing of me but my eyes was visible
as I walked in. The landlady received us; two minutes later,
my little friend (ever, I fear me, on the look-out for such guests
as might prove amusing) made her appearance. Dinner and the
angry, and every fresh aspect of her was a delight to me.
"What right have I to be offended? True, you said last night
that every hour away from me was wasted. But a very big boar!
that's a different thing."
"Perhaps the boar will hunt me," I suggested. "Perhaps, Flavia,
he'll catch me."
She made no answer.
"You are not touched even by that danger?"
Still she said nothing; and I, stealing round, found her eyes
full of tears.
"You weep for my danger?"
Then she spoke very low:
"This is like what you used to be; but not like the King--
the King I--I have come to love!"
With a sudden great groan, I caught her to my heart.
"My darling!" I cried, forgetting everything but her,
"did you dream that I left you to go hunting?"
"What then, Rudolf? Ah! you're not going--?"
"Well, it is hunting. I go to seek Michael in his lair."
She had turned very pale.
"So, you see, sweet, I was not so poor a lover as you thought me.
I shall not be long gone."
"You will write to me, Rudolf?"
I was weak, but I could not say a word to stir suspicion in her.
"I'll send you all my heart every day," said I.
"And you'll run no danger?"
"None that I need not."
"And when will you be back? Ah, how long will it be!"
"When shall I be back?" I repeated.
"Yes, yes! Don't be long, dear, don't be long. I shan't sleep
while you're away."
"I don't know when I shall be back," said I.
"Soon, Rudolf, soon?"
"God knows, my darling. But, if never--"
"Hush, hush!" and she pressed her lips to mine.
"If never," I whispered, "you must take my place; you'll be
the only one of the House then. You must reign, and not weep
for me."
For a moment she drew herself up like a very queen.
"Yes, I will!" she said. "I will reign. I will do my part though
all my life will be empty and my heart dead; yet I'll do it!"
She paused, and sinking against me again, wailed softly.
"Come soon! come soon!"
Carried away, I cried loudly:
"As God lives, I--yes, I myself--will see you once more
before I die!"
"What do you mean?" she exclaimed, with wondering eyes;
but I had no answer for her, and she gazed at me with her
wondering eyes.
I dared not ask her to forget, she would have found it an insult.
I could not tell her then who and what I was. She was weeping,
and I had but to dry her tears.
"Shall a man not come back to the loveliest lady in all the wide world?"
said I. "A thousand Michaels should not keep me from you!"
She clung to me, a little comforted.
"You won't let Michael hurt you?"
"No, sweetheart."
"Or keep you from me?"
"No, sweetheart."
"Nor anyone else?"
And again I answered:
"No, sweetheart."
Yet there was one--not Michael--who, if he lived, must keep
me from her; and for whose life I was going forth to stake my
own. And his figure--the lithe, buoyant figure I had met in the
woods of Zenda--the dull, inert mass I had left in the cellar of
the hunting-lodge--seemed to rise, double-shaped, before me,
and to come between us, thrusting itself in even where she lay,
pale, exhausted, fainting, in my arms, and yet looking up at me
with those eyes that bore such love as I have never seen, and
haunt me now, and will till the ground closes over me--
and (who knows?) perhaps beyond.
CHAPTER 12
I Receive a Visitor and Bait a Hook
About five miles from Zenda--on the opposite side from that on
which the Castle is situated, there lies a large tract of wood.
It is rising ground, and in the centre of the demesne, on the top
of the hill, stands a fine modern chateau, the property of a
distant kinsman of Fritz's, the Count Stanislas von Tarlenheim.
Count Stanislas himself was a student and a recluse. He seldom
visited the house, and had, on Fritz's request, very readily and
courteously offered me its hospitality for myself and my party.
This, then, was our destination; chosen ostensibly for the sake
of the boar-hunting (for the wood was carefully preserved, and boars,
once common all over Ruritania, were still to be found there
in considerable numbers), really because it brought us within
striking distance of the Duke of Strelsau's more magnificent
dwelling on the other side of the town. A large party of servants,
with horses and luggage, started early in the morning;we followed at midday,
travelling by train for thirty miles, and then mounting our horses
to ride the remaining distance to the chateau.
We were a gallant party. Besides Sapt and Fritz, I was accompanied
by ten gentlemen: every one of them had been carefully chosen,
and no less carefully sounded, by my two friends, and all were
devotedly attached to the person of the King. They were told
a part of the truth; the attempt on my life in the summer-house
was revealed to them, as a spur to their loyalty and an incitement
against Michael. They were also informed that a friend of the King's
was suspected to be forcibly confined within the Castle of Zenda.
His rescue was one of the objects of the expedition; but, it was added,
the King's main desire was to carry into effect certain steps against
his treacherous brother, as to the precise nature of which they could
not at present be further enlightened. Enough that the King commanded
their services, and would rely on their devotion when occasion arose
to call for it. Young, well-bred, brave, and loyal, they asked no more:
they were ready to prove their dutiful obedience, and prayed for a fight
as the best and most exhilarating mode of showing it.
Thus the scene was shifted from Strelsau to the chateau
of Tarlenheim and Castle of Zenda, which frowned at us across
the valley. I tried to shift my thoughts also, to forget my love,
and to bend all my energies to the task before me. It was to get
the King out of the Castle alive. Force was useless: in some trick
lay the chance; and I had already an inkling of what we must do.
But I was terribly hampered by the publicity which attended my movements.
Michael must know by now of my expedition; and I knew Michael too well
to suppose that his eyes would be blinded by the feint of the boar-hunt.
He would understand very well what the real quarry was. That, however,
must be risked--that and all it might mean; for Sapt, no less than myself,
recognized that the present state of things had become unendurable.
And there was one thing that I dared to calculate on--not, as I now know,
without warrant. It was this--that Black Michael would not believe
that I meant well by the King. He could not appreciate--I will not say
an honest man, for the thoughts of my own heart have been revealed--
but a man actinghonestly. He saw my opportunity as I had seen it,
as Sapt had seen it; he knew the princess--nay (and I declare
that a sneaking sort of pity for him invaded me), in his way
he loved her; he would think that Sapt and Fritz could be bribed,
so the bribe was large enough. Thinking thus, would he kill the King,
my rival and my danger? Ay, verily, that he would, with as little
compunction as he would kill a rat. But he would kill Rudolf Rassendyll first,
if he could; and nothing but the certainty of being utterly damned by the
release of the King alive and his restoration to the throne would drive
him to throw away the trump card which he held in reserve to baulk
the supposed game of the impudent impostor Rassendyll. Musing on
all this as I rode along, I took courage.
Michael knew of my coming, sure enough. I had not been in the house
an hour, when an imposing Embassy arrived from him. He did not quite
reach the impudence of sending my would-be assassins, but he sent
the other three of his famous Six--the three Ruritanian gentlemen--
Lauengram, Krafstein, and Rupert Hentzau. A fine, strapping trio
they were, splendidly horsed and admirably equipped. Young Rupert,
who looked a dare-devil, and could not have been more than twenty-two
or twenty-three, took the lead, and made us the neatest speech,
wherein my devoted subject and loving brother Michael of Strelsau,
prayed me to pardon him for not paying his addresses in person,
and, further, for not putting his Castle at my disposal;
the reason for both of these apparent derelictions being
that he and several of his servants lay sick of scarlet fever,
and were in a very sad, and also a very infectious state.
So declared young Rupert with an insolent smile on his curling
upper lip and a toss of his thick hair--he was a handsome villain,
and the gossip ran that many a lady had troubled her heart for him already.
"If my brother has scarlet fever," said I, "he is nearer my complexion
than he is wont to be, my lord. I trust he does not suffer?"
"He is able to attend to his affairs, sire."
"I hope all beneath your roof are not sick. What of my good friends,
De Gautet, Bersonin, and Detchard? I heard the last had suffered a hurt."
Lauengram and Krafstein looked glum and uneasy, but young Rupert's smile
grew broader.
"He hopes soon to find a medicine for it, sire," he answered.
And I burst out laughing, for I knew what medicine Detchard longed for--
it is called Revenge.
"You will dine with us, gentlemen?" I asked.
Young Rupert was profuse in apologies. They had urgent duties at the Castle.
"Then," said I, with a wave of my hand, "to our next meeting, gentlemen.
May it make us better acquainted."
"We will pray your Majesty for an early opportunity," quoth Rupert airily;
and he strode past Sapt with such jeering scorn on his face that I saw
the old fellow clench his fist and scowl black as night.
For my part, if a man must needs be a knave, I would have him
a debonair knave, and I liked Rupert Hentzau better than
his long-faced, close-eyed companions. It makes your sin
no worse, as I conceive, to do it a la mode and stylishly.
Now it was a curious thing that on this first night, instead
of eating the excellent dinner my cooks had prepared for me,
I must needs leave my gentlemen to eat it alone, under Sapt's
presiding care, and ride myself with Fritz to the town of Zenda
and a certain little inn that I knew of. There was little danger
in the excursion; the evenings were long and light, and the road
this side of Zenda well frequented. So off we rode, with a groom
behind us. I muffled myself up in a big cloak.
"Fritz," said I, as we entered the town, "there's an uncommonly
pretty girl at this inn."
"How do you know?" he asked.
"Because I've been there," said I.
"Since--?" he began.
"No. Before," said I.
"But they'll recognize you?"
"Well, of course they will. Now, don't argue, my good fellow,
but listen to me. We're two gentlemen of the King's household,
and one of us has a toothache. The other will order a private
room and dinner, and, further, a bottle of the best wine for
the sufferer. And if he be as clever a fellow as I take him for,
the pretty girl and no other will wait on us."
"What if she won't?" objected Fritz.
"My dear Fritz," said I, "if she won't for you, she will for me."
We were at the inn. Nothing of me but my eyes was visible
as I walked in. The landlady received us; two minutes later,
my little friend (ever, I fear me, on the look-out for such guests
as might prove amusing) made her appearance. Dinner and the
- resist [ri´zist]
v.抵抗；对抗；抵制 (初中英语单词) - aspect [´æspekt] n.面貌；神色；方向 (初中英语单词)
- suspicion [sə´spiʃən] n.怀(猜)疑；嫌疑 (初中英语单词)
- darling [´dɑ:liŋ] n.爱人 a.亲爱的 (初中英语单词)
- cellar [´selə] n.地窑，地下室 (初中英语单词)
- visitor [´vizitə] n.访问者；来宾；参观者 (初中英语单词)
- situated [´sitʃueitid] a.位于；处于....境地 (初中英语单词)
- readily [´redili] ad.乐意地；容易地 (初中英语单词)
- considerable [kən´sidərəbəl] a.重要的；值得重视 (初中英语单词)
- gallant [´gælənt, gə´lænt] a.英勇的；华丽的 (初中英语单词)
- rescue [´reskju:] vt.&n.救援；挽救 (初中英语单词)
- expedition [,ekspi´diʃən] n.远征；探险；迅速 (初中英语单词)
- devotion [di´vəuʃən] n.献身；忠诚；热爱 (初中英语单词)
- valley [´væli] n.谷；河谷；流域 (初中英语单词)
- useless [´ju:sləs] a.无用的，无价值的 (初中英语单词)
- terribly [´terəbli] ad.可怕地 (初中英语单词)
- acting [´æktiŋ] a.代理的 n.演戏 (初中英语单词)
- honestly [´ɔnistli] ad.诚实地，老实地 (初中英语单词)
- supposed [sə´pəuzd] a.想象的；假定的 (初中英语单词)
- pardon [´pɑ:dən] n.&vt.原谅；饶恕；赦免 (初中英语单词)
- apparent [ə´pærənt] a.显然的；表面上的 (初中英语单词)
- scarlet [´skɑ:lit] n.猩红色 a.猩红的 (初中英语单词)
- majesty [´mædʒisti] n.壮丽；崇高；尊严 (初中英语单词)
- clench [klentʃ] v.握(拳头)；捏紧 (初中英语单词)
- conceive [kən´si:v] v.设想；表达；怀孕 (初中英语单词)
- hospitality [,hɔspi´tæliti] n.好客，殷勤 (高中英语单词)
- destination [,desti´neiʃən] n.目标地 (高中英语单词)
- luggage [´lʌgidʒ] n.行李；皮箱 (高中英语单词)
- loyalty [´lɔiəlti] n.忠诚；忠心；忠实 (高中英语单词)
- treacherous [´tretʃərəs] a.虚伪的；不忠的 (高中英语单词)
- obedience [ə´bi:djəns] n.服从；顺从 (高中英语单词)
- quarry [´kwɔri] n.(采)石场；猎物 (高中英语单词)
- certainty [´sə:tənti] n.确实(性)；确信 (高中英语单词)
- damned [dæmd] a.该死的 ad.非常，极 (高中英语单词)
- restoration [,restə´reiʃən] n.恢复；复辟；重建(物) (高中英语单词)
- throne [θrəun] n.宝座；王位 (高中英语单词)
- embassy [´embəsi] n.大使馆；大使职务 (高中英语单词)
- loving [´lʌviŋ] a.爱的，有爱情的 (高中英语单词)
- infectious [in´fekʃəs] a.传染，传染(性)的 (高中英语单词)
- gossip [´gɔsip] n.&vi.说闲话；聊天 (高中英语单词)
- uneasy [ʌn´i:zi] a.不安的；不自在的 (高中英语单词)
- strode [strəud] stride的过去式 (高中英语单词)
- landlady [´lænd,leidi] n.女房东；女店主 (高中英语单词)
- buoyant [´bɔiənt] a.能漂浮的；快活的 (英语四级单词)
- chateau [´ʃætəu] n.城堡；公馆，邸宅 (英语四级单词)
- precise [pri´sais] a.精确的；清楚的 (英语四级单词)
- warrant [´wɔrənt] n.根据；委任书；权利 (英语四级单词)
- verily [´verili] ad.真实的；肯定地 (英语四级单词)
- devoted [di´vəutid] a.献身...的，忠实的 (英语四级单词)
- urgent [´ə:dʒənt] a.急迫的，紧急的 (英语四级单词)
- excursion [ik´skə:ʃən] n.短途旅行，游览；离题 (英语四级单词)
- sufferer [´sʌfərə] n.受苦的人；患者 (英语四级单词)
- hunting [´hʌntiŋ] n.打猎 (英语六级单词)
- forcibly [´fɔ:səbli] ad.强行地，强烈地 (英语六级单词)
- imposing [im´pəuziŋ] a.壮丽的，堂皇的 (英语六级单词)
- splendidly [´splendidli] ad.光彩夺目地；辉煌地 (英语六级单词)
- admirably [´ædmərəbli] ad.令人钦佩地；极妙地 (英语六级单词)
- insolent [´insələnt] a.傲慢的；无礼的 (英语六级单词)
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