The Prisoner of Zenda Anthony Hope (read e book TXT) đ
- Author: Anthony Hope
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For an instant we stood motionless, looking at one another. Then I bared my head again and bowed respectfully. The king found his voice, and asked in bewilderment:
âColonelâ âFritzâ âwho is this gentleman?â
I was about to answer, when Colonel Sapt stepped between the king and me, and began to talk to his Majesty in a low growl. The king towered over Sapt, and, as he listened, his eyes now and again sought mine. I looked at him long and carefully. The likeness was certainly astonishing, though I saw the points of difference also. The kingâs face was slightly more fleshy than mine, the oval of its contour the least trifle more pronounced, and, as I fancied, his mouth lacking something of the firmness (or obstinacy) which was to be gathered from my close-shutting lips. But, for all that, and above all minor distinctions, the likeness rose striking, salient, wonderful.
Sapt ceased speaking, and the king still frowned. Then, gradually, the corners of his mouth began to twitch, his nose came down (as mine does when I laugh), his eyes twinkled, and, behold! he burst into the merriest fit of irrepressible laughter, which rang through the woods and proclaimed him a jovial soul.
âWell met, cousin!â he cried, stepping up to me, clapping me on the back, and laughing still. âYou must forgive me if I was taken aback. A man doesnât expect to see double at this time of day, eh, Fritz?â
âI must pray pardon, sire, for my presumption,â said I. âI trust it will not forfeit your Majestyâs favour.â
âBy Heaven! youâll always enjoy the kingâs countenance,â he laughed, âwhether I like it or not; and, sir, I shall very gladly add to it what services I can. Where are you travelling to?â
âTo Strelsau, sireâ âto the coronation.â
The king looked at his friends: he still smiled, though his expression hinted some uneasiness. But the humorous side of the matter caught him again.
âFritz, Fritz!â he cried, âa thousand crowns for a sight of brother Michaelâs face when he sees a pair of us!â and the merry laugh rang out again.
âSeriously,â observed Fritz von Tarlenheim, âI question Mr. Rassendyllâs wisdom in visiting Strelsau just now.â
The king lit a cigarette.
âWell, Sapt?â said he, questioningly.
âHe mustnât go,â growled the old fellow.
âCome, colonel, you mean that I should be in Mr. Rassendyllâs debt, ifâ ââ
âOh, aye! wrap it up in the right way,â said Sapt, hauling a great pipe out of his pocket.
âEnough, sire,â said I. âIâll leave Ruritania today.â
âNo, by thunder, you shanâtâ âand thatâs sans phrase, as Sapt likes it. For you shall dine with me tonight, happen what will afterwards. Come, man, you donât meet a new relation every day!â
âWe dine sparingly tonight,â said Fritz von Tarlenheim.
âNot weâ âwith our new cousin for a guest!â cried the king; and, as Fritz shrugged his shoulders, he added: âOh! Iâll remember our early start, Fritz.â
âSo will Iâ âtomorrow morning,â said old Sapt, pulling at his pipe.
âOh, wise old Sapt!â cried the king. âCome, Mr. Rassendyllâ âby the way, what name did they give you?â
âYour Majestyâs,â I answered, bowing.
âWell, that shows they werenât ashamed of us,â he laughed. âCome, then, cousin Rudolf; Iâve got no house of my own here, but my dear brother Michael lends us a place of his, and weâll make shift to entertain you there;â and he put his arm through mine and, signing to the others to accompany us, walked me off, westerly, through the forest.
We walked for more than half an hour, and the king smoked cigarettes and chattered incessantly. He was full of interest in my family, laughed heartily when I told him of the portraits with Elphberg hair in our galleries, and yet more heartily when he heard that my expedition to Ruritania was a secret one.
âYou have to visit your disreputable cousin on the sly, have you?â said he.
Suddenly emerging from the wood, we came on a small and rude hunting lodge. It was a one-storey building, a sort of bungalow, built entirely of wood. As we approached it, a little man in a plain livery came out to meet us. The only other person I saw about the place was a fat elderly woman, whom I afterwards discovered to be the mother of Johann, the dukeâs keeper.
âWell, is dinner ready, Josef?â asked the king.
The little servant informed us that it was, and we soon sat down to a plentiful meal. The fare was plain enough: the king ate heartily, Fritz von Tarlenheim delicately, old Sapt voraciously. I played a good knife and fork, as my custom is; the king noticed my performance with approval.
âWeâre all good trenchermen, we Elphbergs,â said he. âBut what?â âweâre eating dry! Wine, Josef! wine, man! Are we beasts, to eat without drinking? Are we cattle, Josef?â
At this reproof Josef hastened to load the table with bottles.
âRemember tomorrow!â said Fritz.
âAyeâ âtomorrow!â said old Sapt.
The king drained a bumper to his âCousin Rudolf,â as he was graciousâ âor merryâ âenough to call me; and I drank its fellow to the âElphberg Red,â whereat he laughed loudly.
Now, be the meat what it might, the wine we drank was beyond all price or praise, and we did it justice. Fritz ventured once to stay the kingâs hand.
âWhat?â cried the king. âRemember you start before I do, Master Fritzâ âyou must be more sparing by two hours than I.â
Fritz saw that I did not understand.
âThe colonel and I,â he explained, âleave here at six; we ride down to Zenda and return with the guard of honour to fetch the king at eight, and then we all ride together to the station.â
âHang that same guard!â growled Sapt.
âOh! itâs very civil of my brother to ask the honour for his regiment,â said the king. âCome, cousin, you need not start early. Another bottle, man!â
I had another bottleâ âor, rather, a part of one,
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