The Prisoner of Zenda

walk and smoke together, we talk of Sapt, and of the king, and often of young Rupert; and, as the hours grow small, at last we speak of Flavia. For every year Fritz carries with him to Dresden a little box; in it lies a red rose, and round the stalk of the rose is a slip of paper with the words written: “Rudolf⁠—Flavia⁠—always.” And the like I send back by him. That message, and the wearing of the rings, are all that now bind me and the Queen of Ruritania. For⁠—nobler, as I hold her, for the act⁠—she has followed where her duty to her country and her House led her, and is the wife of the king, uniting his subjects to him by the love they bear to her, giving peace and quiet days to thousands by her self-sacrifice. There are moments when I dare not think of it, but there are others when I rise in spirit to where she ever dwells; then I can thank God that I love the noblest lady in the world, the most gracious and beautiful, and that there was nothing in my love that made her fall short in her high duty.

Shall I see her face again⁠—the pale face and the glorious hair? Of that I know nothing; Fate has no hint, my heart no presentiment. I do not know. In this world, perhaps⁠—nay, it is likely⁠—never. And can it be that somewhere, in a manner whereof our flesh-bound minds have no apprehension, she and I will be together again, with nothing to come between us, nothing to forbid our love? That I know not, nor wiser heads than mine. But if it be never⁠—if I can never hold sweet converse again with her, or look upon her face, or know from her her love; why, then, this side the grave, I will live as becomes the man whom she loves; and, for the other side, I must pray a dreamless sleep.

Colophon

The Prisoner of Zenda
was published in 1894 by
Anthony Hope.

This ebook was produced for
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B. Timothy Keith,
and is based on a transcription produced in 2006 by
Judith Boss and David Widger
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Project Gutenberg
and on digital scans available at the
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The cover page is adapted from
View of La Crescenza,
a painting completed between 1648⁠–⁠50 by
Claude Lorrain.
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League Spartan and Sorts Mill Goudy
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