# ■ 1 The Rassendylls-and the Elphbergs

I wonder when you're going to do something useful， Rudolf，'my brother's wife said．She looked at me crossly over the breakfast table．

But why should I do anything，Rose？'I answered，calmly eating my egg．'I've got nearly enough money for the things I want，and my brother，Robert，is a lord-Lord Burlesdon．I'm very happy．'

You're twenty-nine，and you've done nothing except…'

Play about？It's true．We Rassendylls are a rich and famous family，and we don't need to do anything．'

This made Rose angry．'Rich and famous families usually behave worse than less important families，'she said．

When I heard this，I touched my dark red hair．I knew what she meant．

I'm so pleased that Robert's hair is black！'she cried．

Just then my brother，Robert，came in．When he looked at Rose，he could see that there was something wrong．

What's the matter，my dear？'he said．

Oh，she's angry because I never do anything useful，and because I've got red hair，'I said．

Well，I know he can't do much about his hair，or his nose…'Rose began．

No，the nose and the hair are in the family，'my brother agreed．'And Rudolf has both of them．'

In the room there were many family pictures，and one of them was of a very beautiful woman，Lady Amelia，who lived a hundred and fifty years ago．I stood up and turned to look at it．

If you took that picture away，Robert，'Rose cried，'we could forget all about it．'

Oh，but I don't want to forget about it，'I replied．'I like being an Elphberg．'

But perhaps I should stop for a moment and explain why Rose was angry about my nose and my hair and why I，a Rassendyll，said I was an Elphberg．After all，the Elphbergs are the royal family of Ruritania，and have been for hundreds of years．

The story is told in a book about the Rassendyll family history．

In the year 1733 Prince Rudolf of Ruritania came to England on a visit and he stayed for several months．Like many of the Elphberg royal family，he had blue eyes，an unusually long straight nose and a lot of dark red hair．He was also tall and very good-looking．

During his stay here，he became friendly with Lady Amelia，the beautiful wife of Lord Burlesdon．They became very good friends indeed，which，naturally，did not please Lord Burlesdon．So，one cold wet morning，the two men fought．The Prince was hurt in the fight，but got better and was hurried back to Ruritania．There he married and became King Rudolf the Third．But Lord Burlesdon fell ill，and six months later he died．Two months after that，Lady Amelia had a baby son，who became the next Lord Burlesdon and the head of the Rassendyll family．The boy grew into a man with blue eyes，a long straight nose，and dark red hair．

These things can happen in the best of families，and among the many pictures of the Rassendylls at home，you can see that five or six of them have the same blue eyes，the same nose，and the same red hair．

So，because my hair was red and I had the Elphberg nose，Rose worried about me．In the end，to please her，I promised to get a job in six months time．This gave me six free months to enjoy myself first．

And an idea came to me．I would visit Ruritania．None of my family had ever been there．They preferred to forget all about the Lady Amelia．But I saw in the newspaper that，in three weeks，the new young King，Rudolf the Fifth，would have his coronation．It would be an interesting time to visit the country．

I knew my family would not like my going，so I told them I was going walking in Austria．

■ 1 拉森狄爾家族與艾爾弗伯格家族

“我在想你究竟什麼時候才會做一些有用的事兒，魯道夫。”我的嫂嫂說。她在餐桌的那頭生氣地望著我。

“但我幹嘛要做事呢，羅絲？”我一邊回答她，一邊從容地吃著雞蛋。“我的錢夠多的，差不多想要什麼就能買什麼，再說我哥哥羅伯特又是一位貴族——伯利斯頓勳爵，我挺幸福。”

“可你都29歲了，你還什麼都沒幹，除了……”

“除了胡鬧？你說對了，我們拉森狄爾家的人又有錢又有名，而且我們什麼也不用做。”

我這麼說讓羅絲生氣了。“又有錢又有名的人家通常比那些普通人家更不規矩！”

聽了她的話，我用手摸摸我的深紅色頭髮。我懂她的意思。

“我真高興羅伯特的頭髮是黑色的！”她說道。

正在此時，我哥哥羅伯特走了進來，他一看羅絲，就看出有些不對頭。

“怎麼了，親愛的？”他問道。

“她生氣了，因為我從沒做過什麼有用的事兒，而且我還長著紅頭髮。”我說。

“當然，我知道他對他的頭髮和鼻子無能為力……”羅絲說。

“是的，這樣的鼻子和這樣的頭髮是祖傳的，”我哥哥同意她的話，“而且魯道夫兩樣都佔了。”

房間裡有很多家族成員的畫像，其中一幅畫著一位非常美麗的女人，阿米莉亞夫人，她生活在150年以前。我站了起來，轉身去看她。

“如果你把那畫像拿走，羅伯特，”羅絲說，“我們就可以把這件事忘掉。”

“哦，可是我並不想忘掉它。”我回答。“我喜歡做艾爾弗伯格家族的一員。”

也許我應該停下來一會兒，解釋一下為什麼羅絲對我的鼻子和頭髮那麼生氣，究竟又為什麼，我，一個姓拉森狄爾的，會說我自己是艾爾弗伯格家族的一員。畢竟艾爾弗伯格家族是盧裡塔尼亞的王族，而且，幾百年來一直如此。

這個故事在一本關於拉森狄爾家族史的書裡是這麼描述的：

1733年盧裡塔尼亞王子魯道夫前來英國訪問，他逗留了幾個月。像艾爾弗伯格王室的許多人一樣，他長著藍色的眼睛，一隻不尋常的又長又挺的鼻子和很多深紅色的頭髮。他個子很高，相貌英俊。

他在此地停留期間，與伯利斯頓勳爵美麗的妻子阿米莉亞夫人結識，事實上，他倆成了十分親密的好友，這當然不會讓伯利斯頓勳爵愉快。因此，在一個寒冷潮溼的早晨，兩位男士決鬥了。王子負了傷，但很快好轉並且匆匆返回盧裡塔尼亞。在那裡他結了婚，成了國王魯道夫三世。但是伯利斯頓勳爵病了，六個月以後去世。他辭世之後兩個月，阿米莉亞夫人生了一個兒子，這個男孩即成為新的伯利斯頓勳爵以及拉森狄爾家族的首領。他成人以後有著藍色的眼睛，長而挺直的鼻子和深紅色的頭髮。

這一類的事情可能在最上流的家庭發生。在拉森狄爾府上的許多畫像中，你能看見五六個人長著同樣的藍眼睛，同樣的鼻子，同樣的紅頭髮。

因此，由於我的頭髮是紅的，而且我長著艾爾弗伯格家的鼻子，羅絲為我發愁。結果，為了讓她高興，我保證六個月以內找到一份工作。這樣起碼我能在六個月的時間裡過得快快樂樂的。

我有了一個主意——我要去盧裡塔尼亞。我的家族從來沒有一個人去過那裡。他們更願意忘記跟阿米莉亞夫人有關的事情。可是我看到報紙上說，在三週之內，盧裡塔尼亞的年輕的新國王，魯道夫五世，將會舉行加冕典禮。這時候去這個國家看看一定很有意思。

我知道家裡的人一定不喜歡讓我去，所以我告訴他們我要去奧地利走走。