03-01-04-曾达的囚徒 [10]
婚。”
“不！我决不做任何伤害她的事！”我叫道。
“好的，我的孩子。”萨普特温和地微笑着。“那就只对她说些好听的话。记住，她以为你是国王。我们不想让她对国王生气，对吗？”
我当然明白，如果国王得救了，弗蕾维亚就必须跟他结婚，如果他没得救，萨普特就会请我留下来，并且娶弗蕾维亚公主。决不能让迈克尔公爵当国王。
舞会好极了。弗蕾维亚很美丽。我跟她一遍又一遍地跳舞，每个人都能感到我们的快乐。我忘了那些有钱的，打扮得多姿多彩的人们在看着我们。我的眼里只有我美丽的弗蕾维亚。
晚餐结束后，弗里茨碰了碰我的肩膀，我站了起来，拉着弗蕾维亚的手，把她带进一个小房间里，他们给我们送来了咖啡，然后门就轻轻关上了，公主和我单独呆在一起。
小房间的窗户朝花园开着，夜色明朗，屋内充满了窗外鲜花的甜香。弗蕾维亚坐了下来，我站在她的对面。我跟自己在斗争着……可是她看着我，我失败了。我忘了国王，忘了我是谁，忘了一切。我跪了下来，轻轻地搂住她，吻了她。
突然她推开了我：“这是真的吗？你真的爱我吗？”她说，“还是因为你是国王而不得不娶我？”
“不！”我静静地回答：“我爱你胜过爱我的生命！”
弗蕾维亚微笑了：“哦，为什么我现在爱你了？”她温柔地说，“以前我并不爱你，可现在我爱了。”
我多么幸福啊！她爱的并不是国王，而是我——鲁道夫·拉森狄尔！可是当我望着她可爱的脸，我知道我没法再对她撒谎。我怎么能继续装扮我是国王呢？
“有件事我必须告诉你……”我低声说。
“国王陛下，”花园里有人说道：“人们都在等着跟您告别呢。”
是萨普特，他听见我和公主说的话了。
“我们就来。”我冷冷地回答。
可是弗蕾维亚的眼里充满了对我的爱，对走进房间的萨普特伸出手去。他握着她的手，温柔而又伤感地说：“上帝拯救公主殿下。”然后他又加了一句：“可是国王高于一切，上帝拯救国王！”
当萨普特宣告说弗蕾维亚公主接受国王作为她未来的丈夫时，人们都乐得发疯了。
“你知道，萨普特，”我悲哀地说，“我可以娶了公主，并且让我的人民杀了迈克尔公爵，还有国王。”
“我知道。”萨普特静静地回答。
“所以我们必须立即去曾达，把国王弄回来！”
萨普特把手放在我的肩上：“在所有艾尔弗伯格家族的人当中，你是最好的一个。”他动情地说。
在我们离开斯特莱索之前，我见了元帅，并且请他呆在弗蕾维亚身边，照顾她并且使她免受迈克尔公爵的打扰。然后我去向她告别。起初她对我很冷淡，她不明白为什么我想离开她。但当我告诉她我去追赶迈克尔公爵时，她的怒气变成了恐惧。
“哦，鲁道夫，小心点儿！”她说，“他是个危险的家伙！请你一定要平安地回到我的身边。”
“迈克尔公爵永远也别想让我离开你。”我保证道。但在我心里，我知道另一个人却能做到。
■ 8 Back to Zenda
The next day Sapt，Fritz，and I left Strelsau to go to Tarlenheim House．This fine modern house belonged to Fritz's uncle and was near the Castle of Zenda．We had ten brave young men with us．Sapt had told them that a friend of the King's was a prisoner in the Castle of Zenda and that the King needed their help．
Michael，of course，knew of my arrival．But I was sure he did not understand why I had come．He would think that my plan was to kill him and the King-and marry the Princess myself．So，I had not been in the house an hour when he sent three of the Six to me．These were not the three men who had tried to kill me．This time he sent the three Ruritanians-Lauengram，Krafstein and young Rupert of Hentzau．
'Duke Michael is very sorry that he can't welcome you himself，'explained Rupert of Hentzau．'But，sadly，he's ill at the moment．'
'I hope that my dear brother will soon be better，'I replied with a smile．
Rupert threw back his head，shook his black hair and laughed．He was a good-looking young man．People said he had broken many hearts already．
'Oh，I'm sure he will！'he answered．
* * *
That evening，instead of having dinner at the house，Fritz and I went to the little hotel in the town of Zenda where I had stayed before．
'Ask for a room where we can dine alone，'I said to Fritz．'And ask the pretty girl to bring our food．'
I covered my face and the girl came and put the wine down on the table．When she turned to go，she looked at me and I let her see my face．
'The King！'she cried．'You were the King！Oh，I'm sorry，sir！I'm sorry！The things that we said！'
'Forget that now，' I answered．'You can help me．Bring our dinner，but tell no one that the King is here．'
She came back in a few minutes，looking very serious．
'How's your friend Johann？' I began．
She looked surprised．'Oh，we don't see him very often now，'she answered．'He's very busy at the castle．''But you could get Johann to meet you tomorrow night，couldn't you？At ten o'clock，perhaps，on the road out of Zen-da．'
'Yes，sir…Yon're not going to hurt him？'
'Not if he does what I say．Go now，and say nothing about this．'
After dinner，we left to go back to Tarlenheim House．We had almost reached it when we saw Sapt running to meet us．'Have you seen them？'he cried．
'Who？'I asked．
'Duke Michael's men．Don't go out unless you have six men or more with you！'he said．'You know Bernenstein， one of your men？'
'Of course，'I answered．'A good，strong man，about as tall as me．'
'Well，they tried to kill him．He's upstairs now with a bullet in his arm．He was walking in the woods and he saw three men．Suddenly，they started shooting at him，so he began to run．He was lucky．They were afraid to come too near the house，so he escaped．But it was you they wanted to kill！'
'Sapt，'I said，'I promise I'll do one thing for Ruritania be fore I leave it．'
'What's that？'asked Sapt．
“不！我决不做任何伤害她的事！”我叫道。
“好的，我的孩子。”萨普特温和地微笑着。“那就只对她说些好听的话。记住，她以为你是国王。我们不想让她对国王生气，对吗？”
我当然明白，如果国王得救了，弗蕾维亚就必须跟他结婚，如果他没得救，萨普特就会请我留下来，并且娶弗蕾维亚公主。决不能让迈克尔公爵当国王。
舞会好极了。弗蕾维亚很美丽。我跟她一遍又一遍地跳舞，每个人都能感到我们的快乐。我忘了那些有钱的，打扮得多姿多彩的人们在看着我们。我的眼里只有我美丽的弗蕾维亚。
晚餐结束后，弗里茨碰了碰我的肩膀，我站了起来，拉着弗蕾维亚的手，把她带进一个小房间里，他们给我们送来了咖啡，然后门就轻轻关上了，公主和我单独呆在一起。
小房间的窗户朝花园开着，夜色明朗，屋内充满了窗外鲜花的甜香。弗蕾维亚坐了下来，我站在她的对面。我跟自己在斗争着……可是她看着我，我失败了。我忘了国王，忘了我是谁，忘了一切。我跪了下来，轻轻地搂住她，吻了她。
突然她推开了我：“这是真的吗？你真的爱我吗？”她说，“还是因为你是国王而不得不娶我？”
“不！”我静静地回答：“我爱你胜过爱我的生命！”
弗蕾维亚微笑了：“哦，为什么我现在爱你了？”她温柔地说，“以前我并不爱你，可现在我爱了。”
我多么幸福啊！她爱的并不是国王，而是我——鲁道夫·拉森狄尔！可是当我望着她可爱的脸，我知道我没法再对她撒谎。我怎么能继续装扮我是国王呢？
“有件事我必须告诉你……”我低声说。
“国王陛下，”花园里有人说道：“人们都在等着跟您告别呢。”
是萨普特，他听见我和公主说的话了。
“我们就来。”我冷冷地回答。
可是弗蕾维亚的眼里充满了对我的爱，对走进房间的萨普特伸出手去。他握着她的手，温柔而又伤感地说：“上帝拯救公主殿下。”然后他又加了一句：“可是国王高于一切，上帝拯救国王！”
当萨普特宣告说弗蕾维亚公主接受国王作为她未来的丈夫时，人们都乐得发疯了。
“你知道，萨普特，”我悲哀地说，“我可以娶了公主，并且让我的人民杀了迈克尔公爵，还有国王。”
“我知道。”萨普特静静地回答。
“所以我们必须立即去曾达，把国王弄回来！”
萨普特把手放在我的肩上：“在所有艾尔弗伯格家族的人当中，你是最好的一个。”他动情地说。
在我们离开斯特莱索之前，我见了元帅，并且请他呆在弗蕾维亚身边，照顾她并且使她免受迈克尔公爵的打扰。然后我去向她告别。起初她对我很冷淡，她不明白为什么我想离开她。但当我告诉她我去追赶迈克尔公爵时，她的怒气变成了恐惧。
“哦，鲁道夫，小心点儿！”她说，“他是个危险的家伙！请你一定要平安地回到我的身边。”
“迈克尔公爵永远也别想让我离开你。”我保证道。但在我心里，我知道另一个人却能做到。
■ 8 Back to Zenda
The next day Sapt，Fritz，and I left Strelsau to go to Tarlenheim House．This fine modern house belonged to Fritz's uncle and was near the Castle of Zenda．We had ten brave young men with us．Sapt had told them that a friend of the King's was a prisoner in the Castle of Zenda and that the King needed their help．
Michael，of course，knew of my arrival．But I was sure he did not understand why I had come．He would think that my plan was to kill him and the King-and marry the Princess myself．So，I had not been in the house an hour when he sent three of the Six to me．These were not the three men who had tried to kill me．This time he sent the three Ruritanians-Lauengram，Krafstein and young Rupert of Hentzau．
'Duke Michael is very sorry that he can't welcome you himself，'explained Rupert of Hentzau．'But，sadly，he's ill at the moment．'
'I hope that my dear brother will soon be better，'I replied with a smile．
Rupert threw back his head，shook his black hair and laughed．He was a good-looking young man．People said he had broken many hearts already．
'Oh，I'm sure he will！'he answered．
* * *
That evening，instead of having dinner at the house，Fritz and I went to the little hotel in the town of Zenda where I had stayed before．
'Ask for a room where we can dine alone，'I said to Fritz．'And ask the pretty girl to bring our food．'
I covered my face and the girl came and put the wine down on the table．When she turned to go，she looked at me and I let her see my face．
'The King！'she cried．'You were the King！Oh，I'm sorry，sir！I'm sorry！The things that we said！'
'Forget that now，' I answered．'You can help me．Bring our dinner，but tell no one that the King is here．'
She came back in a few minutes，looking very serious．
'How's your friend Johann？' I began．
She looked surprised．'Oh，we don't see him very often now，'she answered．'He's very busy at the castle．''But you could get Johann to meet you tomorrow night，couldn't you？At ten o'clock，perhaps，on the road out of Zen-da．'
'Yes，sir…Yon're not going to hurt him？'
'Not if he does what I say．Go now，and say nothing about this．'
After dinner，we left to go back to Tarlenheim House．We had almost reached it when we saw Sapt running to meet us．'Have you seen them？'he cried．
'Who？'I asked．
'Duke Michael's men．Don't go out unless you have six men or more with you！'he said．'You know Bernenstein， one of your men？'
'Of course，'I answered．'A good，strong man，about as tall as me．'
'Well，they tried to kill him．He's upstairs now with a bullet in his arm．He was walking in the woods and he saw three men．Suddenly，they started shooting at him，so he began to run．He was lucky．They were afraid to come too near the house，so he escaped．But it was you they wanted to kill！'
'Sapt，'I said，'I promise I'll do one thing for Ruritania be fore I leave it．'
'What's that？'asked Sapt．