Rupert of Hentzau [31]
be deeper." There was a moment's silence.
"Well, but what's to be done?" asked Colonel Sapt. "He's gone to Strelsau."
"He'll stop Rupert" mused Mr. Rassendyll. "He may or he mayn't."
"It's odds that he will."
"We must provide for both."
Sapt and Rudolf looked at one another.
"You must be here!" asked Rudolf of the constable. "Well, I'll go to Strelsau." His smile broke out. "That is, if Bernenstein'll lend me a hat."
The queen made no sound; but she came and laid her hand on his arm. He looked at her, smiling still.
"Yes, I'll go to Strelsau," said he, "and I'll find Rupert, ay, and Rischenheim too, if they're in the city."
"Take me with you," cried Bernenstein eagerly.
Rudolf glanced at Sapt. The constable shook his head. Bernenstein's face fell.
"It's not that, boy," said old Sapt, half in kindness, half in impatience. "We want you here. Suppose Rupert comes here with Rischenheim!"
The idea was new, but the event was by no means unlikely.
"But you'll be here, Constable," urged Bernenstein, "and Fritz von Tarlenheim will arrive in an hour."
"Ay, young man," said Sapt, nodding his head; "but when I fight Rupert of Hentzau, I like to have a man to spare, and he grinned broadly, being no whit afraid of what Bernenstein might think of his courage. "Now go and get him a hat," he added, and the lieutenant ran off on the errand.
But the queen cried:
"Are you sending Rudolf alone, then--alone against two?"
"Yes, madam, if I may command the campaign," said Sapt. "I take it he should be equal to the task."
He could not know the feelings of the queen's heart. She dashed her hand across her eyes, and turned in mute entreaty to Rudolf Rassendyll.
"I must go," he said softly. "We can't spare Bernenstein, and I mustn't stay here."
She said no more. Rudolf walked across to Sapt.
"Take me to the stables. Is the horse good? I daren't take the train. Ah, here's the lieutenant and the hat."
"The horse'll get you there to-night," said Sapt. "Come along. Bernenstein, stay with the queen."
At the threshold Rudolf paused, and, turning his head, glanced once at Queen Flavia, who stood still as a statue, watching him go. Then he followed the constable, who brought him where the horse was. Sapt's devices for securing freedom from observation had served well, and Rudolf mounted unmolested.
"The hat doesn't fit very well," said Rudolf.
"Like a crown better, eh?" suggested the colonel.
Rudolf laughed as he asked, "Well, what are my orders?"
"Ride round by the moat to the road at the back; then through the forest to Hofbau; you know your way after that. You mustn't reach Strelsau till it's dark. Then, if you want a shelter--"
"To Fritz von Tarlenheim's, yes! From there I shall go straight to the address."
"Ay. And--Rudolf!"
"Yes?"
"Make an end of him this time."
"Please God. But if he goes to the lodge? He will, unless Rischenheim stops him."
"I'll be there in case--but I think Rischenheim will stop him."
"If he comes here?"
"Young Bernenstein will die before he suffers him to reach the king."
"Sapt!"
"Ay?"
"Be kind to her."
"Bless the man, yes!"
"Good -by."
"And good luck."
At a swift canter Rudolf darted round the drive that led from the stables, by the moat, to the old forest road behind; five minutes brought him within the shelter of the trees, and he rode on confidently, meeting nobody, save here and there a yokel, who, seeing a man ride hard with his head averted, took no more notice of him than to wish that he himself could ride abroad instead of being bound to work. Thus Rudolf Rassendyll set out again for the walls of Strelsau, through the forest of Zenda. And ahead of him, with an hour's start, galloped the Count of Luzau-Rischenheim, again a man, and a man with resolution, resentment, and revenge in his heart.
The game was afoot now; who could tell the issue of it?
CHAPTER VII. THE MESSAGE OF SIMON THE HUNTSMAN
I RECEIVED the telegram sent to me by the Constable of Zenda at my own house in Strelsau about
"Well, but what's to be done?" asked Colonel Sapt. "He's gone to Strelsau."
"He'll stop Rupert" mused Mr. Rassendyll. "He may or he mayn't."
"It's odds that he will."
"We must provide for both."
Sapt and Rudolf looked at one another.
"You must be here!" asked Rudolf of the constable. "Well, I'll go to Strelsau." His smile broke out. "That is, if Bernenstein'll lend me a hat."
The queen made no sound; but she came and laid her hand on his arm. He looked at her, smiling still.
"Yes, I'll go to Strelsau," said he, "and I'll find Rupert, ay, and Rischenheim too, if they're in the city."
"Take me with you," cried Bernenstein eagerly.
Rudolf glanced at Sapt. The constable shook his head. Bernenstein's face fell.
"It's not that, boy," said old Sapt, half in kindness, half in impatience. "We want you here. Suppose Rupert comes here with Rischenheim!"
The idea was new, but the event was by no means unlikely.
"But you'll be here, Constable," urged Bernenstein, "and Fritz von Tarlenheim will arrive in an hour."
"Ay, young man," said Sapt, nodding his head; "but when I fight Rupert of Hentzau, I like to have a man to spare, and he grinned broadly, being no whit afraid of what Bernenstein might think of his courage. "Now go and get him a hat," he added, and the lieutenant ran off on the errand.
But the queen cried:
"Are you sending Rudolf alone, then--alone against two?"
"Yes, madam, if I may command the campaign," said Sapt. "I take it he should be equal to the task."
He could not know the feelings of the queen's heart. She dashed her hand across her eyes, and turned in mute entreaty to Rudolf Rassendyll.
"I must go," he said softly. "We can't spare Bernenstein, and I mustn't stay here."
She said no more. Rudolf walked across to Sapt.
"Take me to the stables. Is the horse good? I daren't take the train. Ah, here's the lieutenant and the hat."
"The horse'll get you there to-night," said Sapt. "Come along. Bernenstein, stay with the queen."
At the threshold Rudolf paused, and, turning his head, glanced once at Queen Flavia, who stood still as a statue, watching him go. Then he followed the constable, who brought him where the horse was. Sapt's devices for securing freedom from observation had served well, and Rudolf mounted unmolested.
"The hat doesn't fit very well," said Rudolf.
"Like a crown better, eh?" suggested the colonel.
Rudolf laughed as he asked, "Well, what are my orders?"
"Ride round by the moat to the road at the back; then through the forest to Hofbau; you know your way after that. You mustn't reach Strelsau till it's dark. Then, if you want a shelter--"
"To Fritz von Tarlenheim's, yes! From there I shall go straight to the address."
"Ay. And--Rudolf!"
"Yes?"
"Make an end of him this time."
"Please God. But if he goes to the lodge? He will, unless Rischenheim stops him."
"I'll be there in case--but I think Rischenheim will stop him."
"If he comes here?"
"Young Bernenstein will die before he suffers him to reach the king."
"Sapt!"
"Ay?"
"Be kind to her."
"Bless the man, yes!"
"Good -by."
"And good luck."
At a swift canter Rudolf darted round the drive that led from the stables, by the moat, to the old forest road behind; five minutes brought him within the shelter of the trees, and he rode on confidently, meeting nobody, save here and there a yokel, who, seeing a man ride hard with his head averted, took no more notice of him than to wish that he himself could ride abroad instead of being bound to work. Thus Rudolf Rassendyll set out again for the walls of Strelsau, through the forest of Zenda. And ahead of him, with an hour's start, galloped the Count of Luzau-Rischenheim, again a man, and a man with resolution, resentment, and revenge in his heart.
The game was afoot now; who could tell the issue of it?
CHAPTER VII. THE MESSAGE OF SIMON THE HUNTSMAN
I RECEIVED the telegram sent to me by the Constable of Zenda at my own house in Strelsau about