Page:The Prisoner of Zenda.djvu/54

Rh at six; we ride down to Zenda and return with the guard of honor to fetch the king at eight, and then we all ride together to the station."

"Hang that same guard!" growled Sapt.

"Oh! it's very civil of my brother to ask the honor for his regiment," said the king. "Come, cousin, you need not start early. Another bottle, man!"

I had another bottle—or, rather, a part of one, for the larger half traveled quickly down his Majesty's throat. Fritz gave up his attempts at persuasion: from persuading he fell to being persuaded, and soon we were all of us as full of wine as we had any right to be. The king began talking of what he would do in the future, old Sapt of what he had done in the past, Fritz of some beautiful girl or other, and I of the wonderful merits of the Elphberg dynasty. We all talked at once, and followed to the letter Sapt's exhortation to let the morrow take care of itself.

At last the king set down his glass and leaned back in his chair.

"I have drunk enough," said he.