CHAPTER 12
I Receive a Visitor and Bait a Hook
About five miles from Zenda--on the opposite side from that on whichthe Castle is situated, there lies a large tract of wood. It is risingground, and in the centre of the demesne, on the top of the hill, standsa fine modern chateau, the property of a distant kinsman of Fritz's, theCount Stanislas von Tarlenheim. Count Stanislas himself was a studentand a recluse. He seldom visited the house, and had, on Fritz's request,very readily and courteously offered me its hospitality for myself andmy party. This, then, was our destination; chosen ostensibly for thesake of the boar-hunting (for the wood was carefully preserved, andboars, once common all over Ruritania, were still to be found therein considerable numbers), really because it brought us within strikingdistance of the Duke of Strelsau's more magnificent dwelling on theother side of the town. A large party of servants, with horses andluggage, started early in the morning; we followed at midday, travellingby train for thirty miles, and then mounting our horses to ride theremaining distance to the chateau.
We were a gallant party. Besides Sapt and Fritz, I was accompanied byten gentlemen: every one of them had been carefully chosen, and no lesscarefully sounded, by my two friends, and all were devotedly attached tothe person of the King. They were told a part of the truth; the attempton my life in the summer-house was revealed to them, as a spur to theirloyalty and an incitement against Michael. They were also informed thata friend of the King's was suspected to be forcibly confined within theCastle 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 effectcertain steps against his treacherous brother, as to the precise natureof which they could not at present be further enlightened. Enough thatthe King commanded their services, and would rely on their devotion whenoccasion arose to call for it. Young, well-bred, brave, and loyal, theyasked no more: they were ready to prove their dutiful obedience, andprayed for a fight as the best and most exhilarating mode of showing it.
Thus the scene was shifted from Strelsau to the chateau of Tarlenheimand Castle of Zenda, which frowned at us across the valley. I tried toshift my thoughts also, to forget my love, and to bend all my energiesto 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 aninkling of what we must do. But I was terribly hampered by the publicitywhich 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 bythe feint of the boar-hunt. He would understand very well what the realquarry was. That, however, must be risked--that and all it might mean;for Sapt, no less than myself, recognized that the present state ofthings had become unendurable. And there was one thing that I dared tocalculate on--not, as I now know, without warrant. It was this--thatBlack Michael would not believe that I meant well by the King. He couldnot appreciate--I will not say an honest man, for the thoughts of myown heart have been revealed--but a man acting honestly. He sawmy opportunity as I had seen it, as Sapt had seen it; he knew theprincess--nay (and I declare that a sneaking sort of pity for himinvaded me), in his way he loved her; he would think that Sapt and Fritzcould be bribed, so the bribe was large enough. Thinking thus, would hekill the King, my rival and my danger? Ay, verily, that he would, withas little compunction as he would kill a rat. But he would kill RudolfRassendyll first, if he could; and nothing but the certainty of beingutterly damned by the release of the King alive and his restoration tothe throne would drive him to throw away the trump card which he held inreserve 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 anhour, when an imposing Embassy arrived from him. He did not quite reachthe impudence of sending my would-be assassins, but he sent the otherthree 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 lookeda dare-devil, and could not have been more than twenty-two ortwenty-three, took the lead, and made us the neatest speech, whereinmy devoted subject and loving brother Michael of Strelsau, prayed me topardon him for not paying his addresses in person, and, further, for notputting his Castle at my disposal; the reason for both of these apparentderelictions being that he and several of his servants lay sick ofscarlet 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 lipand a toss of his thick hair--he was a handsome villain, and the gossipran that many a lady had troubled her heart for him already.
"If my brother has scarlet fever," said I, "he is nearer my complexionthan 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, DeGautet, Bersonin, and Detchard? I heard the last had suffered a hurt."
Lauengram and Krafstein looked glum and uneasy, but young Rupert's smilegrew broader.
"He hopes soon to find a medicine for it, sire," he answered.
And I burst out laughing, for I knew what medicine Detchard longedfor--it is called Revenge.
"You will dine with us, gentlemen?" I asked.
Young Rupert was profuse in apologies. They had urgent duties at theCastle.
"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 Rupertairily; and he strode past Sapt with such jeering scorn on his face thatI 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 debonairknave, and I liked Rupert Hentzau better than his long-faced, close-eyedcompanions. It makes your sin no worse, as I conceive, to do it a lamode and stylishly.
Now it was a curious thing that on this first night, instead of eatingthe excellent dinner my cooks had prepared for me, I must needs leave mygentlemen to eat it alone, under Sapt's presiding care, and ride myselfwith Fritz to the town of Zenda and a certain little inn that I knewof. There was little danger in the excursion; the evenings were long andlight, 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 prettygirl 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 listento me. We're two gentlemen of the King's household, and one of us has atoothache. 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 afellow 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 walkedin. 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) madeher appearance. Dinner and the wine were ordered. I sat down in theprivate room. A minute later Fritz came in.
"She's coming," he said.
"If she were not, I should have to doubt the Countess Helga's taste."
She came in. I gave her time to set the wine down--I didn't want itdropped. Fritz poured out a glass and gave it to me.
"Is the gentleman in great pain?" the girl asked, sympathetically.
"The gentleman is no worse than when he saw you last," said I, throwingaway my cloak.
She started, with a little shriek. Then she cried:
"It was the King, then! I told mother so the moment I saw his picture.Oh, sir,
forgive me!"
"Faith, you gave me nothing that hurt much," said I.
"But the things we said!"
"I forgive them for the thing you did."
"I must go and tell mother."
"Stop," said I, assuming a graver air. "We are not here for sporttonight. Go and bring dinner, and not a word of the King being here."
She came back in a few minutes, looking grave, yet very curious.
"Well, how is Johann?" I asked, beginning my dinner.
"Oh, that fellow, sir--my lord King, I mean!"
"'Sir' will do, please. How is he?"
"We hardly see him now, sir."
"And why not?"
"I told him he came too often, sir," said she, tossing her head.
"So he sulks and stays away?"
"Yes, sir."
"But you could bring him back?" I suggested with a smile.
"Perhaps I could," said she.
"I know your powers, you see," said I, and she blushed with pleasure.
"It's not only that, sir, that keeps him away. He's very busy at theCastle."
"But there's no shooting on now."
"No, sir; but he's in charge of the house."
"Johann turned housemaid?"
The little girl was brimming over with gossip.
"Well, there are no others," said she. "There's not a woman there--notas a servant, I mean. They do say--but perhaps it's false, sir."
"Let's have it for what it's worth," said I.
"Indeed, I'm ashamed to tell you, sir."
"Oh, see, I'm looking at the ceiling."
"They do say there is a lady there, sir; but, except for her, there'snot a woman in the place. And Johann has to wait on the gentlemen."
"Poor Johann! He must be overworked. Yet I'm sure he could find half anhour to come and see you."
"It would depend on the time, sir, perhaps."
"Do you love him?" I asked.
"Not I, sir."
"And you wish to serve the King?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then tell him to meet you at the second milestone out of Zenda tomorrowevening at ten o'clock. Say you'll be there and will walk home withhim."
"Do you mean him harm, sir?"
"Not if he will do as I bid him. But I think I've told you enough, mypretty maid. See that you do as I bid you. And, mind, no one is to knowthat the King has been here."
I spoke a little sternly, for there is seldom harm in infusing a littlefear into a woman's liking for you, and I softened the effect by givingher a handsome present. Then we dined, and, wrapping my cloak aboutmy face, with Fritz leading the way, we went downstairs to our horsesagain.
It was but half-past eight, and hardly yet dark; the streets were fullfor such a quiet little place, and I could see that gossip was all agog.With the King on one side and the duke on the other, Zenda felt itselfthe centre of all Ruritania. We jogged gently through the town, but setour horses to a sharper pace when we reached the open country.
"You want to catch this fellow Johann?" asked Fritz.
"Ay, and I fancy I've baited the hook right. Our little Delilah willbring our Samson. It is not enough, Fritz, to have no women in a house,though brother Michael shows some wisdom there. If you want safety, youmust have none within fifty miles."
"None nearer than Strelsau, for instance," said poor Fritz, with alovelorn sigh.
We reached the avenue of the chateau, and were soon at the house. As thehoofs of our horses sounded on the gravel, Sapt rushed out to meet us.
"Thank God, you're safe!" he cried. "Have you seen anything of them?"
"Of whom?" I asked, dismounting.
He drew us aside, that the grooms might not hear.
"Lad," he said to me, "you must not ride about here, unless with half adozen of us. You know among our men a tall young fellow, Bernenstein byname?"
I knew him. He was a fine strapping young man, almost of my height, andof light complexion.
"He lies in his room upstairs, with a bullet through his arm."
"The deuce he does!"
"After dinner he strolled out alone, and went a mile or so into thewood; and as he walked, he thought he saw three men among the trees;and one levelled a gun at him. He had no weapon, and he started at a runback towards the house. But one of them fired, and he was hit, and hadmuch ado to reach here before he fainted. By good luck, they feared topursue him nearer the house."
He paused and added:
"Lad, the bullet was meant for you."
"It is very likely," said I, "and it's first blood to brother Michael."
"I wonder which three it was," said Fritz.
"Well, Sapt," I said, "I went out tonight for no idle purpose, as youshall hear. But there's one thing in my mind."
"What's that?" he asked.
"Why this," I answered. "That I shall ill requite the very great honoursRuritania has done me if I depart from it leaving one of those Sixalive--neither with the help of God, will I."
And Sapt shook my hand on that.