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CHAPTER VI.
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 “These men are your friends and know your secret,” whispered Posadowski to the prince, as they approached Rukacs and Posnovitch, who were standing1 boldly in the glare of an electric light by the side of the carriage.
 
He who called himself Count Szalaki was somewhat paler than usual, but his step was firm, and there was that in his bearing that caused a pang2 of regret in the mind of his companion. It takes a very hardened conspirator3 to cast youth into captivity4 without a touch of remorse5.
 
“Rukacs, Posnovitch,” said Posadowski, in a low tone, as the quartette formed by the sidewalk’s edge, “you know who this man is. What is our duty toward him.”
 
“To protect him and defend him with our life-blood, when the need shall come,” answered Rukacs and Posnovitch in concert.
 
Count Szalaki’s dark eyes glowed with the effort he was making to search the souls of the men around him.
 
“What do you wish from me?” he asked haughtily7, withdrawing himself from too close contact with his companions.
 
“We have no time to lose, your—your majesty,” whispered Posadowski, impressively. “It is growing late. If you doubt our sincerity8, a short drive will take us to my[31] rooms. We have in our possession letters and diagrams taken—to be frank with you—from certain of our countrymen living in this city. These documents will prove to you that a plan has been perfected that puts your life in peril9.”
 
“Why did you not bring the papers with you?” asked the prince suspiciously.
 
“It would have been a reckless thing to do,” answered the gigantic Posnovitch.
 
Posadowski put up his hand deprecatingly.
 
“Allow me to explain,” he said, in a firm voice. “We dare not let this evidence leave our hands. It would cost us our lives if your enemies found that we had betrayed them. And they are very keen-witted. They have placed you under surveillance at your hotel: if you examined these documents at your rooms they would know of it, and our efforts to protect you would be vain.”
 
Count Szalaki’s face wore an expression of bewilderment and uncertainty10. He was frank and unsuspicious by nature, but the atmosphere of a court had done much to destroy that confidence in his fellow-man that pertained11 to his temperament12 and his years. The men surrounding him impressed him favorably. They seemed to him to belong to that class of Rexanians—merchants and men of affairs who desired no change in the government—who had always been in Rexopolis the firmest friends of his house. But he hesitated to put himself in their power. In a strange land, surrounded by customs and conditions with which he was unfamiliar13, he began to feel that he might be in even greater peril than that which surrounded him at all times in the palace at Rexopolis.[32] It was simply a choice between two evils that confronted him, and he had about decided14 to defy the danger which, he had been told, menaced him from a general conspiracy15, rather than place himself in a closed carriage with the bewhiskered men at his side, when Posadowski, observing the prince’s indecision, said:
 
“It is not surprising, your royal highness, that you find yourself in a quandary16. We say that we are your friends. That is no proof that we tell the truth. But time is precious. We can wait no longer. I will convince you on the instant that you can trust us.”
 
The arch-conspirator drew a letter from a pocket in his coat.
 
“One moment,” he said, moving nearer to the light, with the letter in his hand. “Is there anything familiar to you in my face?”
 
The youth from whose grasp a throne was slipping glanced keenly at Posadowski’s countenance17.
 
“Truly,” he said, “I seem to have seen your face before. Your name is——?”
 
“Posadowski,” answered the Rexanian.
 
A puzzled expression crossed the prince’s face. “I thought,” he said musingly18, “that Posadowski died.”
 
“I did not die,” cried the other. “I left Rexania and came to this city. Time presses. Here is a letter to me from your father. It will prove to you that I have always been, as I am to-night, loyal to you and to your house.”
 
The prince seized the letter that Posadowski had read to Posnovitch in the elevated train.
 
[33]
 
“It is enough,” he exclaimed, smiling cordially as he returned the epistle to Posadowski. “I believe that you are my friends. If you play me false, great will be your punishment. If you are true—and I think you are—your reward shall be worthy19 of my father. Come! Let us go.”
 
With a countenance that showed intense relief and a light heart that beat with pleasure at the sight in that distant land of his father’s signature, the prince entered the carriage. He was followed by Posnovitch and Posadowski, who took the seat opposite to the crown prince. Rukacs mounted the box beside Svolak. The latter, turning his horses around, hit them a clip with the whip, and the vehicle bounded at a rapid rate up the avenue.
 
There was silence inside for a time. Finally the prince, taking out his cigar-case, offered it to the men in front of him. Posadowski refused to smoke, but Posnovitch and the prince at once began to fill the vehicle with the fumes20 of tobacco. The latter felt the need of something to quiet his overwrought nerves. He found himself in a curious state of mind. Fully21 did he realize that it was incumbent22 upon him to keep his attention fixed23 upon his companions and his surroundings, for the position in which he was placed had revived the suspicions that had beset24 him before he had read his father’s note. But, try as he might, his will refused to direct the current of his thoughts. He found himself dwelling25 with strange pleasure on the events of the evening. The face of Kate Strong, with its clear-cut features, brilliant eyes, and a golden glory of waving[34] hair, smiled at him in the darkness and made him impatient of the night. He had come to America to study politics; he found his whole heart and mind engrossed26 with a girl he had seen but once, and whom the conditions of his birth placed as far out of his reach as if he had been born an African slave. The prerogatives27 of royalty28 seemed to him at that moment to be worthless. That he must wed6 for policy, not for love, he well knew, and a spirit of rebellion against the hard fate that had made him a crown prince arose in his soul. He puffed29 his cigar nervously30 as the thought forced itself upon him that, while a duke might marry an American girl, a king could not. His romantic face grew melancholy31 as his revery became more sombre. The air was oppressive, and distant thunder added to the dismal32 influences surrounding him.
 
Suddenly the prince aroused himself. Pulling out his watch, he saw that the hour was late. The carriage at that moment was crossing a long bridge, and the youth caught the gleam of lightning as it was reflected from the water beneath them. His forebodings instantly reawakened. The carriage had left the bridge behind it, as the prince placed his hand on the knob of the door and said sternly to the silent conspirators33 before him:
 
“Stop the carriage. I wish to talk to you before we go farther.”
 
A revolver in the firm grasp of Posadowski gleamed, as the lightning flashed again, and the prince heard a harsh voice say to him:
 
“Be quiet! Make another motion, and there will be one king less in the world. Do you understand—now?”

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
2 pang OKixL     
n.剧痛,悲痛,苦闷
参考例句:
  • She experienced a sharp pang of disappointment.她经历了失望的巨大痛苦。
  • She was beginning to know the pang of disappointed love.她开始尝到了失恋的痛苦。
3 conspirator OZayz     
n.阴谋者,谋叛者
参考例句:
  • We started abusing him,one conspirator after another adding his bitter words.我们这几个预谋者一个接一个地咒骂他,恶狠狠地骂个不停。
  • A conspirator is not of the stuff to bear surprises.谋反者是经不起惊吓的。
4 captivity qrJzv     
n.囚禁;被俘;束缚
参考例句:
  • A zoo is a place where live animals are kept in captivity for the public to see.动物园是圈养动物以供公众观看的场所。
  • He was held in captivity for three years.他被囚禁叁年。
5 remorse lBrzo     
n.痛恨,悔恨,自责
参考例句:
  • She had no remorse about what she had said.她对所说的话不后悔。
  • He has shown no remorse for his actions.他对自己的行为没有任何悔恨之意。
6 wed MgFwc     
v.娶,嫁,与…结婚
参考例句:
  • The couple eventually wed after three year engagement.这对夫妇在订婚三年后终于结婚了。
  • The prince was very determined to wed one of the king's daughters.王子下定决心要娶国王的其中一位女儿。
7 haughtily haughtily     
adv. 傲慢地, 高傲地
参考例句:
  • She carries herself haughtily. 她举止傲慢。
  • Haughtily, he stalked out onto the second floor where I was standing. 他傲然跨出电梯,走到二楼,我刚好站在那儿。
8 sincerity zyZwY     
n.真诚,诚意;真实
参考例句:
  • His sincerity added much more authority to the story.他的真诚更增加了故事的说服力。
  • He tried hard to satisfy me of his sincerity.他竭力让我了解他的诚意。
9 peril l3Dz6     
n.(严重的)危险;危险的事物
参考例句:
  • The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
  • The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。
10 uncertainty NlFwK     
n.易变,靠不住,不确知,不确定的事物
参考例句:
  • Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
  • After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后,压力开始产生影响了。
11 pertained 3a58c38201126d5168f1ac24aec98c19     
关于( pertain的过去式和过去分词 ); 有关; 存在; 适用
参考例句:
  • These are the privileges that pertained only to the wealthier class. 这些是属于富有阶级独享的特权。
  • And did you feel it, in your heart, it pertained to everything? 而你是否感受到,在你心里,它如何和谐于万物?
12 temperament 7INzf     
n.气质,性格,性情
参考例句:
  • The analysis of what kind of temperament you possess is vital.分析一下你有什么样的气质是十分重要的。
  • Success often depends on temperament.成功常常取决于一个人的性格。
13 unfamiliar uk6w4     
adj.陌生的,不熟悉的
参考例句:
  • I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在这儿人地生疏。
  • The man seemed unfamiliar to me.这人很面生。
14 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
15 conspiracy NpczE     
n.阴谋,密谋,共谋
参考例句:
  • The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
  • He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。
16 quandary Rt1y2     
n.困惑,进迟两难之境
参考例句:
  • I was in a quandary about whether to go.我当时正犹豫到底去不去。
  • I was put in a great quandary.我陷于进退两难的窘境。
17 countenance iztxc     
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同
参考例句:
  • At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
  • I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地,仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。
18 musingly ddec53b7ea68b079ee6cb62ac6c95bf9     
adv.沉思地,冥想地
参考例句:
19 worthy vftwB     
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的
参考例句:
  • I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
  • There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。
20 fumes lsYz3Q     
n.(强烈而刺激的)气味,气体
参考例句:
  • The health of our children is being endangered by exhaust fumes. 我们孩子们的健康正受到排放出的废气的损害。
  • Exhaust fumes are bad for your health. 废气对健康有害。
21 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地
参考例句:
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气,然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
22 incumbent wbmzy     
adj.成为责任的,有义务的;现任的,在职的
参考例句:
  • He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
  • It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。
23 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
24 beset SWYzq     
v.镶嵌;困扰,包围
参考例句:
  • She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
  • The plan was beset with difficulties from the beginning.这项计划自开始就困难重重。
25 dwelling auzzQk     
n.住宅,住所,寓所
参考例句:
  • Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
  • He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。
26 engrossed 3t0zmb     
adj.全神贯注的
参考例句:
  • The student is engrossed in his book.这名学生正在专心致志地看书。
  • No one had ever been quite so engrossed in an evening paper.没人会对一份晚报如此全神贯注。
27 prerogatives e2f058787466d6bb48040c6f4321ae53     
n.权利( prerogative的名词复数 );特权;大主教法庭;总督委任组成的法庭
参考例句:
  • The tsar protected his personal prerogatives. 沙皇维护了自己的私人特权。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Congressmen may be reluctant to vote for legislation that infringes the traditional prerogatives of the states. 美国国会议员可能不情愿投票拥护侵犯各州传统特权的立法。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
28 royalty iX6xN     
n.皇家,皇族
参考例句:
  • She claims to be descended from royalty.她声称她是皇室后裔。
  • I waited on tables,and even catered to royalty at the Royal Albert Hall.我做过服务生, 甚至在皇家阿伯特大厅侍奉过皇室的人。
29 puffed 72b91de7f5a5b3f6bdcac0d30e24f8ca     
adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧
参考例句:
  • He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟,狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了,便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》
30 nervously tn6zFp     
adv.神情激动地,不安地
参考例句:
  • He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇,努力忍着不哭出来。
  • He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。
31 melancholy t7rz8     
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的
参考例句:
  • All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
  • He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过,他感到很郁闷。
32 dismal wtwxa     
adj.阴沉的,凄凉的,令人忧郁的,差劲的
参考例句:
  • That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。
  • My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。
33 conspirators d40593710e3e511cb9bb9ec2b74bccc3     
n.共谋者,阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The conspirators took no part in the fighting which ensued. 密谋者没有参加随后发生的战斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The French conspirators were forced to escape very hurriedly. 法国同谋者被迫匆促逃亡。 来自辞典例句


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