Rupert of Hentzau [78]
by the force of that wild idea, came back to him. He lit his pipe again and lay back in his chair, puffing freely, with a meditative look on his face.
"It's two o'clock, sir," said James. "Something should have happened before now in Strelsau."
"Ah, but what?" asked the constable.
Suddenly breaking on their ears came a loud knock at the door. Absorbed in their own thoughts, they had not noticed two men riding up to the lodge. The visitors wore the green and gold of the king's huntsmen; the one who had knocked was Simon, the chief huntsman, and brother of Herbert, who lay dead in the little room inside.
"Rather dangerous!" muttered the Constable of Zenda as he hurried to the door, James following him.
Simon was astonished when Sapt opened the door.
"Beg pardon, Constable, but I want to see Herbert. Can I go in?" And he jumped down from his horse, throwing the reins to his companion.
"What's the good of your going in?" asked Sapt. "Herbert's not here."
"Not here? Then where is he?"
"Why, he went with the king this morning."
"Oh, he went with the king, sir? Then he's in Strelsau, I suppose?"
"If you know that, Simon, you're wiser than I am."
"But the king is in Strelsau, sir."
"The deuce he is! He said nothing of going to Strelsau. He rose early and rode off with Herbert, merely saying they would be back to-night."
"He went to Strelsau, sir. I am just from Zenda, and his Majesty is known to have been in town with the queen. They were both at Count Fritz's."
"I'm much interested to hear it. But didn't the telegram say where Herbert was?"
Simon laughed.
"Herbert's not a king, you see," he said. "Well, I'll come again to-morrow morning, for I must see him soon. He'll be back by then, sir?"
"Yes, Simon, your brother will be here to-morrow morning."
"Or what's left of him after such a two-days of work," suggested Simon jocularly.
"Why, yes, precisely," said Sapt, biting his moustache and darting one swift glance at James. "Or what's left of him, as you say."
"And I'll bring a cart and carry the boar down to the castle at the same time, sir. At least, I suppose you haven't eaten it all?
Sapt laughed; Simon was gratified at the tribute, and laughed even more heartily himself.
"We haven't even cooked it yet," said Sapt, "but I won't answer for it that we sha'n't have by to-morrow."
"All right, sir; I'll be here. By the way, there's another bit of news come on the wires. They say Count Rupert of Hentzau has been seen in the city."
"Rupert of Hentzau? Oh, pooh! Nonsense, my good Simon. He daren't show his face there for his life."
"Ah, but it may be no nonsense. Perhaps that's what took the king to Strelsau."
"It's enough to take him if it's true," admitted Sapt.
"Well, good day, sir."
"Good day, Simon."
The two huntsmen rode off. James watched them for a little while.
"The king," he said then, "is known to be in Strelsau; and now Count Rupert is known to be in Strelsau. How is Count Rupert to have killed the king here in the forest of Zenda, sir?"
Sapt looked at him almost apprehensively.
"How is the king's body to come to the forest of Zenda?" asked James. "Or how is the king's body to go to the city of Strelsau?"
"Stop your damned riddles!" roared Sapt. "Man, are you bent on driving me into it?"
The servant came near to him, and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"You went into as great a thing once before, sir," said he.
"It was to save the king."
"And this is to save the queen and yourself. For if we don't do it, the truth about my master must be known."
Sapt made him no answer. They sat down again in silence.
There they sat, sometimes smoking, never speaking, while the tedious afternoon wore away, and the shadows from the trees of the forest lengthened. They did not think of eating or drinking; they did not move, save when James rose and lit a little fire of brushwood in the grate. It grew dusk and again James moved to light the lamp. It was hard on six o'clock, and still no news came from Strelsau.
Then there was
"It's two o'clock, sir," said James. "Something should have happened before now in Strelsau."
"Ah, but what?" asked the constable.
Suddenly breaking on their ears came a loud knock at the door. Absorbed in their own thoughts, they had not noticed two men riding up to the lodge. The visitors wore the green and gold of the king's huntsmen; the one who had knocked was Simon, the chief huntsman, and brother of Herbert, who lay dead in the little room inside.
"Rather dangerous!" muttered the Constable of Zenda as he hurried to the door, James following him.
Simon was astonished when Sapt opened the door.
"Beg pardon, Constable, but I want to see Herbert. Can I go in?" And he jumped down from his horse, throwing the reins to his companion.
"What's the good of your going in?" asked Sapt. "Herbert's not here."
"Not here? Then where is he?"
"Why, he went with the king this morning."
"Oh, he went with the king, sir? Then he's in Strelsau, I suppose?"
"If you know that, Simon, you're wiser than I am."
"But the king is in Strelsau, sir."
"The deuce he is! He said nothing of going to Strelsau. He rose early and rode off with Herbert, merely saying they would be back to-night."
"He went to Strelsau, sir. I am just from Zenda, and his Majesty is known to have been in town with the queen. They were both at Count Fritz's."
"I'm much interested to hear it. But didn't the telegram say where Herbert was?"
Simon laughed.
"Herbert's not a king, you see," he said. "Well, I'll come again to-morrow morning, for I must see him soon. He'll be back by then, sir?"
"Yes, Simon, your brother will be here to-morrow morning."
"Or what's left of him after such a two-days of work," suggested Simon jocularly.
"Why, yes, precisely," said Sapt, biting his moustache and darting one swift glance at James. "Or what's left of him, as you say."
"And I'll bring a cart and carry the boar down to the castle at the same time, sir. At least, I suppose you haven't eaten it all?
Sapt laughed; Simon was gratified at the tribute, and laughed even more heartily himself.
"We haven't even cooked it yet," said Sapt, "but I won't answer for it that we sha'n't have by to-morrow."
"All right, sir; I'll be here. By the way, there's another bit of news come on the wires. They say Count Rupert of Hentzau has been seen in the city."
"Rupert of Hentzau? Oh, pooh! Nonsense, my good Simon. He daren't show his face there for his life."
"Ah, but it may be no nonsense. Perhaps that's what took the king to Strelsau."
"It's enough to take him if it's true," admitted Sapt.
"Well, good day, sir."
"Good day, Simon."
The two huntsmen rode off. James watched them for a little while.
"The king," he said then, "is known to be in Strelsau; and now Count Rupert is known to be in Strelsau. How is Count Rupert to have killed the king here in the forest of Zenda, sir?"
Sapt looked at him almost apprehensively.
"How is the king's body to come to the forest of Zenda?" asked James. "Or how is the king's body to go to the city of Strelsau?"
"Stop your damned riddles!" roared Sapt. "Man, are you bent on driving me into it?"
The servant came near to him, and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"You went into as great a thing once before, sir," said he.
"It was to save the king."
"And this is to save the queen and yourself. For if we don't do it, the truth about my master must be known."
Sapt made him no answer. They sat down again in silence.
There they sat, sometimes smoking, never speaking, while the tedious afternoon wore away, and the shadows from the trees of the forest lengthened. They did not think of eating or drinking; they did not move, save when James rose and lit a little fire of brushwood in the grate. It grew dusk and again James moved to light the lamp. It was hard on six o'clock, and still no news came from Strelsau.
Then there was