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"Ah, my friend, that won't do; you don't deceive me. You would tell me a falsehood, eh? You would lie in despite of that honest open face of yours, in spite of those transparent eyes? And you would lie to me, who exchanged souls with you? It cannot be so; tell me the truth!" Rudolf's face grew serious, he fell a-thinking, but presently he replied "Don't let us talk about it now." "Why not?"
Duke in Chief, 1st March, 1785, on Ludwig Rudolf's decease; died himself, 3d September same year.
He stood, looking to see how I received his plan; but amazed at the boldness of it, I could only lie back and gasp. Rudolf's excitement left him as suddenly as it had come; he was again the cool, shrewd, nonchalant Englishman, as, lighting another cigarette, he proceeded: "You see, there are two of them, Rupert and Rischenheim. Now you can't move for a day or two, that's certain.
When Sapt had first uttered the queen's name, he had drawn near and let his hand fall over the back of her chair. She put hers up to meet it, and so they remained. But I saw that Rudolf's face had gone very pale. "And we, your friends?" pursued Sapt.
P'licemen and Indian chiefs, and oh, heaps of things, and I didn't really mind 'em, either, but then I'm braver than " "Sh!" interrupted Ann, stopping and catching at Rudolf's arm. "I hear something something queer. Listen!" Rudolf listened. "I don't hear anything," he said at last. "What was it like?" "Oh, such a creepy, crawly sound, and Oh, Ruddy there is a face see it?
He listened with few signs of approval or disapproval, but I thought I saw a gleam in his eyes when I described how all the city had hailed Rudolf as its king and the queen received him as her husband before the eyes of all. Again the hope and vision, shattered by Rudolf's calm resolution, inspired me. Sapt said little, but he had the air of a man with some news in reserve.
This last announcement was greeted by a volley of shrill and joyful yowls from the younger cat pirates, but Growler, frowning, whispered in Rudolf's ear: "Don't you believe a word of that, about whacking up on the treasure! He'll never give up so much as a single shirt stud, he won't." "I would 'a' liked them pink pajamas, I would," sighed Prowler. "They'd just suit my dark complexion."
Rudolf's voice had once been so like the king's that no man could tell the difference, but in the last year or two the king's had grown weaker, and Rischenheim seemed to be struck by the vigor of the tones in which he was addressed.
Bernenstein's hand twitched, but he did not look round. There was discipline in the castle of Zenda. But as Sapt was half-way through the door and Rudolf about to follow him, the other door, that which Bernenstein guarded, was softly yet swiftly opened. Bernenstein's sword was in rest in an instant. A muttered oath from Sapt and Rudolf's quick snatch at his breath greeted the interruption.
That night James, the servant, took leave of his dead master and of us. He carried to England by word of mouth for we dared write nothing down the truth concerning the King of Ruritania and Mr. Rassendyll. It was to be told to the Earl of Burlesdon, Rudolf's brother, under a pledge of secrecy; and to this day the earl is the only man besides ourselves who knows the story.
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