"And drag the moat?'I asked.

"That would be about it," grinned Sapt, "and we shouldn't



find the King's body then."

"You think it's certain he's there?"



"Very probable. Besides the fact of those three being there,

the drawbridge is kept up, and no one goes in without an order



from young Hentzau or Black Michael himself. We must tie Fritz up."

"I'll go to Zenda," said I.



"You're mad."

"Some day."



"Oh, perhaps. You'll very likely stay there though, if you do."

"That may be, my friend," said I carelessly.



"His Majesty looks sulky," observed Sapt. "How's the love affair?"

"Damn you, hold your tongue!" I said.



He looked at me for a moment, then he lit his pipe. It was

quite true that I was in a bad temper, and I went on perversely:



"Wherever I go, I'm dodged by half a dozen fellows."

"I know you are; I send 'em," he replied composedly.



"What for?"

"Well," said Sapt, puffing away, "it wouldn't be exactly



inconvenient for Black Michael if you disappeared. With you gone,

the old game that we stopped would be played--or he'd have a shot at it."



"I can take care of myself."

"De Gautet, Bersonin, and Detchard are in Strelsau; and any one of them,



lad, would cut your throat as readily--as readily as I would Black Michael's,

and a deal more treacherously. What's the letter?"



I opened it and read it aloud:

"If the King desires to know what it deeply concerns the King to know,



let him do as this letter bids him. At the end of the New Avenue there

stands a house in large grounds. The house has a portico, with a statue



of a nymph on it. A wall encloses the garden; there is a gate in the wall at

the back. At twelve o'clock tonight, if the King enters alone by that gate,



turns to the right, and walks twenty yards, he will find a summerhouse,

approached by a flight of six steps. If he mounts and enters, he will



find someone who will tell him what touches most dearly his life and

his throne. This is written by a faithful friend. He must be alone.



If he neglects the invitation his life will be in danger. Let him show

this to no one, or he will ruin a woman who loves him: Black Michael



does not pardon."

"No," observed Sapt, as I ended, "but he can dictate a very pretty letter."



I had arrived at the same conclusion, and was about to throw

the letter away, when I saw there was more writing on the other side.



"Hallo! there's some more."

"If you hesitate," the writer continued, "consult Colonel Sapt--"



"Eh," exclaimed that gentleman, genuinely astonished.

"Does she take me for a greater fool than you?"



I waved to him to be silent.

"Ask him what woman would do most to prevent the duke from



marrying his cousin,and therefore most to prevent him becoming king?

And ask if her name begins with--A? "



I sprang to my feet. Sapt laid down his pipe.

"Antoinette de Mauban, by heaven!" I cried.



"How do you know?'asked Sapt.

I told him what I knew of the lady, and how I knew it. He nodded.



"It's so far true that she's had a great row with Michael,"

said he, thoughtfully.



"If she would, she could be useful," I said.

"I believe, though, that Michael wrote that letter."



"So do I, but I mean to know for certain. I shall go, Sapt."

"No, I shall go," said he.



"You may go as far as the gate."

"I shall go to the summer-house."



"I'm hanged if you shall!"

I rose and leant my back against the mantelpiece.



"Sapt, I believe in that woman, and I shall go."

"I don't believe in any woman," said Sapt, "and you shan't go."



"I either go to the summer-house or back to England," said I.

Sapt began to know exactly how far he could lead or drive,



and when he must follow.

"We're playing against time," I added. "Every day we leave



the King where he is there is fresh risk. Every day I masquerade like

this, there is fresh risk. Sapt, we must play high; we must force the game."



"So be it," he said, with a sigh.

To cut the story short, at half-past eleven that night Sapt and I



mounted our horses. Fritz was again left on guard, our destination

• repair [ri´peə] v.&n.修理，修补 (初中英语单词)


• advanced [əd´vɑ:nst] a.先进的；高级的 (初中英语单词)


• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)


• princess [,prin´ses] n.公主；王妃；亲王夫人 (初中英语单词)


• coldly [´kəuldli] ad.冷淡地 (初中英语单词)


• conceal [kən´si:l] vt.藏；隐瞒 (初中英语单词)


• persuade [pə´sweid] v.(被)说服；使相信 (初中英语单词)


• uncertain [ʌn´sə:tn] a.不定的；不可靠的 (初中英语单词)


• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)


• magnificent [mæg´nifisənt] a.壮丽的；豪华的 (初中英语单词)


• regiment [´redʒimənt] n.团；一大群 (初中英语单词)


• description [di´skripʃən] n.描写 (初中英语单词)


• temper [´tempə] n.韧度 v.锻炼；调和 (初中英语单词)


• anxious [´æŋkʃəs] a.担忧的；渴望的 (初中英语单词)


• faithful [´feiθfəl] a.忠实的；可靠的 (初中英语单词)


• height [hait] n.高度；顶点；卓越 (初中英语单词)


• slender [´slendə] a.细长的；微薄的 (初中英语单词)


• customer [´kʌstəmə] n.顾客，买主，主顾 (初中英语单词)


• accent [´æksənt, æk´sent] n.重音；口音 vt.重读 (初中英语单词)


• farewell [feə´wel] int.再见 n.&a.告别 (初中英语单词)


• instructive [in´strʌktiv] a.有益的 (初中英语单词)


• confine [kən´fain] vt.限制 n.边界；境界 (初中英语单词)


• politics [´pɔlitiks] n.政治(学)；政治活动 (初中英语单词)


• apparent [ə´pærənt] a.显然的；表面上的 (初中英语单词)


• guilty [´gilti] a.有罪的；心虚的 (初中英语单词)


• attribute [ə´tribju:t] n.象征 vt.归因于 (初中英语单词)


• enterprise [´entəpraiz] n.企业；雄心；胆识 (初中英语单词)


• belief [bi´li:f] n.相信；信仰，信条 (初中英语单词)


• physical [´fizikəl] a.物质的；有形的 (初中英语单词)


• probable [´prɔbəbəl] a.大概的n.很可能的事 (初中英语单词)


• majesty [´mædʒisti] n.壮丽；崇高；尊严 (初中英语单词)


• throat [θrəut] n.咽喉；嗓子；出入口 (初中英语单词)


• readily [´redili] ad.乐意地；容易地 (初中英语单词)


• flight [flait] n.逃走；飞行；班机 (初中英语单词)


• invitation [,invi´teiʃən] n.邀请；请帖；吸引 (初中英语单词)


• conclusion [kən´klu:ʒən] n.结束；结论；推论 (初中英语单词)


• writing [´raitiŋ] n.书写；写作；书法 (初中英语单词)


• writer [´raitə] n.作者；作家 (初中英语单词)


• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)


• sprang [spræŋ] spring 的过去式 (初中英语单词)


• hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)


• sourly [´sauəli] ad.愠怒地；敌对地 (高中英语单词)


• resent [ri´zent] vt.不满于；怨恨；忿恨 (高中英语单词)


• compliment [´kɔmplimənt] n.敬意 vt.赞美；祝贺 (高中英语单词)


• stately [´steitli] a.庄严的，雄伟的 (高中英语单词)


• courtesy [´kə:tisi] n.礼貌；殷勤；好意 (高中英语单词)


• complexion [kəm´plekʃən] n.肤色；情况；局面 (高中英语单词)


• finely [´fainli] ad.美好地；精细地 (高中英语单词)


• crooked [´krukid] a.弯曲的；畸形的 (高中英语单词)


• loving [´lʌviŋ] a.爱的，有爱情的 (高中英语单词)


• reckless [´rekləs] a.不注意的；鲁莽的 (高中英语单词)


• underground [,ʌndə´graund] ad.&a.地下(的) (高中英语单词)


• likeness [´laiknis] n.相似；肖像；外表 (高中英语单词)


• throne [θrəun] n.宝座；王位 (高中英语单词)


• dictate [dik´teit] v.口授；指示，命令 (高中英语单词)


• colonel [´kə:nəl] n.海(陆)军上校 (高中英语单词)


• destination [,desti´neiʃən] n.目标地 (高中英语单词)


• armchair [´ɑ:mtʃeə] n.扶手椅 (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)


• belgian [´beldʒən] n.&a.比利时人(的) (英语四级单词)


• respectfully [ris´pektfuli] ad.恭敬地 (英语四级单词)


• audacity [ɔ:´dæsiti] n.大胆；卤莽；无礼 (英语四级单词)


• dearly [´diəli] ad.深深地(爱等)；昂贵 (英语四级单词)


• inwardly [´inwədli] ad.内向；独自地 (英语六级单词)


• countess [´kauntis] n.伯爵夫人；女伯爵 (英语六级单词)


• fraternal [frə´tə:nəl] a.兄弟(般)的；友爱的 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• incomparable [in´kɔmpərəbəl] a.无可比拟的 (英语六级单词)


• genuinely [´dʒenjuinli] ad.由衷地 (英语六级单词)


• masquerade [,mæskə´reid] n.化装舞会 vi.冒充 (英语六级单词)