The Prisoner of Zenda | Page 7

breakfasting, and told me that a sister of his who
had married a well-to-do tradesman and lived in the capital, had invited
him to occupy a room in her house. He had gladly accepted, but now
found that his duties would not permit of his absence. He begged
therefore that, if such humble (though, as he added, clean and
comfortable) lodgings would satisfy me, I would take his place. He
pledged his sister's acquiescence, and urged the inconvenience and
crowding to which I should be subject in my journeys to and from
Strelsau the next day. I accepted his offer without a moment's hesitation,
and he went off to telegraph to his sister, while I packed up and
prepared to take the next train. But I still hankered after the forest and
the hunting-lodge, and when my little maid told me that I could, by
walking ten miles or so through the forest, hit the railway at a roadside
station, I decided to send my luggage direct to the address which
Johann had given, take my walk, and follow to Strelsau myself. Johann
had gone off and was not aware of the change in my plans; but, as its
only effect was to delay my arrival at his sister's for a few hours, there
was no reason for troubling to inform him of it. Doubtless the good
lady would waste no anxiety on my account.
I took an early luncheon, and, having bidden my kind entertainers
farewell, promising to return to them on my way home, I set out to
climb the hill that led to the Castle, and thence to the forest of Zenda.
Half an hour's leisurely walking brought me to the Castle. It had been a
fortress in old days, and the ancient keep was still in good preservation
and very imposing. Behind it stood another portion of the original
castle, and behind that again, and separated from it by a deep and broad
moat, which ran all round the old buildings, was a handsome modern
chateau, erected by the last king, and now forming the country
residence of the Duke of Strelsau. The old and the new portions were
connected by a drawbridge, and this indirect mode of access formed the
only passage between the old building and the outer world; but leading
to the modern chateau there was a broad and handsome avenue. It was
an ideal residence: when "Black Michael" desired company, he could
dwell in his chateau; if a fit of misanthropy seized him, he had merely

to cross the bridge and draw it up after him (it ran on rollers), and
nothing short of a regiment and a train of artillery could fetch him out. I
went on my way, glad that poor Black Michael, though he could not
have the throne or the princess, had, at least, as fine a residence as any
prince in Europe.
Soon I entered the forest, and walked on for an hour or more in its cool
sombre shade. The great trees enlaced with one another over my head,
and the sunshine stole through in patches as bright as diamonds, and
hardly bigger. I was enchanted with the place, and, finding a felled
tree-trunk, propped my back against it, and stretching my legs out gave
myself up to undisturbed contemplation of the solemn beauty of the
woods and to the comfort of a good cigar. And when the cigar was
finished and I had (I suppose) inhaled as much beauty as I could, I went
off into the most delightful sleep, regardless of my train to Strelsau and
of the fast-waning afternoon. To remember a train in such a spot would
have been rank sacrilege. Instead of that, I fell to dreaming that I was
married to the Princess Flavia and dwelt in the Castle of Zenda, and
beguiled whole days with my love in the glades of the forest--which
made a very pleasant dream. In fact, I was just impressing a fervent kiss
on the charming lips of the princess, when I heard (and the voice
seemed at first a part of the dream) someone exclaim, in rough strident
tones.
"Why, the devil's in it! Shave him, and he'd be the King!"
The idea seemed whimsical enough for a dream: by the sacrifice of my
heavy moustache and carefully pointed imperial, I was to be
transformed into a monarch! I was about to kiss the princess again,
when I arrived (very reluctantly) at the conclusion that I was awake.
I opened my eyes, and found two men regarding me with much
curiosity. Both wore shooting costumes and carried guns. One was
rather short and very stoutly built, with a big bullet-shaped head, a
bristly grey moustache, and small pale-blue eyes, a trifle bloodshot.
The other was