"Burroughs, Edgar Rice - The Mad King" - читать интересную книгу автора (Burroughs Edgar Rice)

"It is a matter of my honor," he replied. "I had my choice
of wearing a green wastebasket bonnet trimmed with red
roses for six months, or a beard for twelve. If I shave off the
beard before the fifth of November I shall be without honor
in the sight of all men or else I shall have to wear the green
bonnet. The beard is bad enough, but the bonnet--ugh!"

Emma von der Tann was now quite assured that the poor
fellow was indeed quite demented, but she had seen no in-
dications of violence as yet, though when that too might
develop there was no telling. However, he was to her Leo-
pold of Lutha, and her father's house had been loyal to
him or his ancestors for three hundred years.

If she must sacrifice her life in the attempt, nevertheless
still must she do all within her power to save her king from
recapture and to lead him in safety to the castle upon the
Tann.

"Come," she said; "we waste time here. Let us make
haste, for the way is long. At best we cannot reach Tann
by dark."

"I will do anything you wish," replied Barney, "but I
shall never forgive myself for having caused you the long
and tedious journey that lies before us. It would be per-
fectly safe to go to the nearest town and secure a rig."

Emma von der Tann had heard that it was always well to
humor maniacs and she thought of it now. She would put
the scheme to the test.

"The reason that I fear to have you go to the village," she
said, "is that I am quite sure they would catch you and
shave off your beard."

Barney started to laugh, but when he saw the deep serious-
ness of the girl's eyes he changed his mind. Then he recalled
her rather peculiar insistence that he was a king, and it
suddenly occurred to him that he had been foolish not to
have guessed the truth before.

"That is so," he agreed; "I guess we had better do as you
say," for he had determined that the best way to handle her
would be to humor her--he had always heard that that was
the proper method for handling the mentally defective.
"Where is the--er--ah--sanatorium?" he blurted out at last.

"The what?" she asked. "There is no sanatorium near here,
your majesty, unless you refer to the Castle of Blentz."