# ■ 6 An adventure with a teatable

One day Sapt brought me some news he had found out where the King was．Duke Michael was holding him prisoner somewhere in the Castle of Zenda．

Sapt also brought me a letter．It was in a woman's handwriting．

To know what you most wish to know，'the letter began，'meet me tonight in the garden of the big house in New Avenue．Come at midnight，and come alone．'

There was another note on the back of the letter．'Ask yourself which woman does not want Black Michael to marry the Princess．A．de M．'

Antoinette de Mauban！'I cried．'She wants to marry the Duke．'

That's true，'Sapt said．'But you won't go，of course．They'll kill you！Duke Michael made her write this letter！'

I must，'I replied．'Every day we play this game there's more danger．I could make a mistake at any time，and，if I do，we'll all die．Don't you see？I have to go tonight．We can't go on much longer．'

Then I'm coming too，'said Sapt．

So，at half-past eleven that night，Sapt and I rode out to the house in New Avenue．We left Fritz to watch my room in the palace．The night was dark，so I took a lamp．I also had my revolver and a knife．

We soon reached the house，and came to a gate in the wall．I got off my horse．

I'll wait here，'said Sapt．'If I hear anything，I'll-'

Stay where you are！'I answered quickly．'It's the King's only chance．They mustn't kill you too！'

You're right，'said Sapt．'Good luck！'

Silently，I opened the gate and went into the garden．In front of me I could see the dark shape of a summer-house and I moved towards it．Without a sound，I went up the steps，pushed open the door and went in．A woman hurried over to me and took me by the hand．I turned my lamp on her．She was beautiful．

Close the door！'she said．'We must be quick，Mr Rassendyll！Michael made me write the letter-three men are coming to kill you-three of the Six！They'll tell everyone that Sapt and Fritz von Tarlenheim murdered you．Then Michael will make himself King and marry the Princess．'Antoinette's beautiful eyes were sad as she added softly，'I can't let him marry her．I love him！'

But the king，'I said．'I know he's in the Castle of Zenda -but where？'

Go across the drawbridge and you come to a heavy door …Listen！What's that？They're coming！They're too soon！Put out your lamp！'she cried，her eyes filled with fear．'Quickly！You must go．There's a ladder at the end of the garden，against the wall！'

But it was too late．The three men were already outside．There was a small hole in the door，and I put my eye to it．My hand was on my revolver．It was no good！There were three of them．I could kill one perhaps，but then…

A voice came from outside．'Mr Rassendyll…'It was the Englishman．'We only want to talk to you．Open the door．'

We can talk through the door，'I replied．I looked through the hole again and saw that they were on the top step．When I opened the door，they would run at me．

We'll let you go if you leave the country and we'll give you fifty thousand English pounds，'continued Detchard，the Englishman．

Give me a minute to think，'I answered．

Wildly，I looked around the summer-house and saw a metal garden table and some chairs．I picked up the table and held it in front of me，by the legs．Then I went to the back of the room and waited．

All right，I agree，'I called．'Open the door！'

I heard them arguing with each other，and then Detchard said to the Belgian，'Why，Bersonin，are you afraid of one man？'

A second later the door opened．

De Gautet，the Frenchman，was with the other two，and the three men were standing there with their revolvers ready．With a shout，I ran at them as hard as I could．They tried to shoot me，but the bullets hit the table．The next second the table knocked them to the ground and we all fell on top of each other．Quickly，I picked myself up and ran for my life through the trees．I could hear them coming after me．Was Antoinette right？Was there really a ladder by the wall？I reached the end of the garden．The ladder was there！In a minute I was up it and over the wall．

Sapt was waiting with the horses and seconds later we were on our way home．And，as we rode，we laughed because I had fought Duke Michael's dangerous men-with a tea-table！

■ 6 茶桌曆險

有一天薩普特帶來了一個消息——他發現了國王在哪兒。邁克爾公爵把他關在曾達城堡裡的什麼地方。

薩普特還給我帶來了一封信，是一個女人的筆跡。

“要想知道你最想知道的事，”這封信的開頭這樣寫著，“請今晚去新馬路大房子的花園見我。半夜12點，一個人來。”

信封的背面還有一句話：“問問你自己哪個女人不想讓黑邁克爾和公主結婚。A．deM．”

“安東納特·德·莫班！”我叫了起來，“她想嫁給公爵。”

“確實如此。”薩普特說，“但是你可不能去。當然不行，他們會殺了你的！是邁克爾公爵讓她寫這封信的！”

“我得去。”我說。“我們玩這場遊戲，每過一天，危險就增加一分。我隨時可能出錯，而一出錯我們就都完了。還不明白嗎？我今晚必須去。我們沒法老這樣繼續下去。”

“那我也去。”薩普特說。

於是，那天晚上11點半，薩普特和我騎馬去新馬路的那所大房子。我們把弗裡茨留下來照應我在王宮中的屋子。夜很黑，我帶了一盞燈。我還帶了我的左輪手槍和一把刀。

很快我們來到那所大房子跟前。圍牆中間有一座大門，我下了馬。

“我在這兒等著。”薩普特說，“假如我聽見什麼動靜，我就……”

“你就在這兒呆著！”我很快地回答，“這是國王唯一的機會。他們不會連你也一塊殺的。”

“你說得對。”薩普特說，“祝你好運！”

我靜悄悄地開了門，走進花園。我眼前能看見的是一所避暑別墅的昏暗輪廓。我朝它走去。我悄悄地走上臺階，推門進去。一個女人急步走過來拉住我的手。我用燈照著她，她很美。

“關上門！”她說。“我們得快一點，拉森狄爾先生。是邁克爾讓我寫這封信的，有三個人會來殺你——那六個人中的三個。他們會告訴每個人薩普特和弗裡茨·馮·塔倫漢姆殺了你。然後邁克爾會登上王位，並且和公主結婚。”安冬納特美麗的眼睛露出悲哀，低聲說，“我不能讓他娶她，我愛他。”

“我知道國王在曾達的城堡裡，”我說，“但他在哪裡？”

“過了吊橋你能看見一座厚重的大門……聽！什麼聲兒？他們來啦！他們太快了！把燈滅了！”她說，眼睛裡滿是驚恐。“快點兒！你得走。花園盡頭有一個梯子靠在牆上！”

但是已經太晚了。那三個人已經來到屋外，門上有一個小洞，我從洞裡向外看。我的手放在左輪手槍上。這不管用！他們有三個人，我也許能打中其中的一個，但是……

外面響起一個聲音：“拉森狄爾先生……”是那個英國人。“我們只是想跟你談談，開門。”

“我們可以隔著門談。”我回答。我又從小洞往外看，見他們已經上到了最高一層的臺階。假如我開門，他們就會朝我撲過來。

“假如你離開這個國家，我們會讓你走，而且會給你五萬英鎊。”戴查德，那個英國人說。

“讓我想一想。”我回答。

慌亂中我朝房子四周掃了一眼，看見了一個金屬的花園用的桌子和一些椅子。我抓著桌腿把它擋在身體前，然後退到房子的盡頭等著。

“好吧，我同意了。”我高聲說：“開門吧！”

我聽見他們互相吵嚷，然後戴查德對那個比利時人說：“伯索寧，難道你還怕一個人嗎？”

片刻之後，門就開了。

德·高蒂特，那個法國人和另外兩個人在一起。他們三個端著上了鏜的左輪手槍站在那兒。我大叫一聲，用盡全力向他們衝去。他們向我開槍，但是子彈打在了桌子上。緊接著桌子打倒了他們。我們都倒下了，你壓著我，我壓著你。很快我爬了起來，穿過樹林飛快逃走。我聽見他們追了上來。安冬納特沒說錯吧？牆上真有一個梯子嗎？我跑到了花園的盡頭，梯子真的在那裡！一剎那間我就登上了梯子越過了圍牆。

薩普特牽著馬在等我。幾秒鐘後我們就已經在回去的路上了。我們一邊騎著馬，一邊大笑。因為我已經和邁克爾公爵的殺手鬥了一場，而且只用了一張茶桌！