CONCERNING THE COLOUR OF MEN’S HAIR
Rassendyll stays at Continental Hotel for a day and night. Here he meets with George Fatherly and Bertram Bertrand, a versifier (writer) of some repute and Paris correspondent t The Critic. He is in love with Antoinette Mauban as he says to Rudolf Rassendyll,
“Very well; have it your own way, I am in love — infernally in love!”
De Mauban is a rich widow who wants to achieve a high place in royal family. She loves Duke. He travels with De Mauban in the same train but during the journey they don’t talk each other. At the border of Ruritania he comes to know through newspaper that Rudolf Elphberg, the fifth was to be crowned at Strelsau in the course of next three weeks but the date of coronation has been changed. As he doesn’t have any accommodation at Strelsau, he decides to stay fifty miles away from the capital and ten miles from the frontier, in a small town, Zenda. He stays in an inn where he meets with Johann, a servant of Duke, and two daughters of the owner of the inn. The owner of the inn is an old lady who likes Black Michael, Duke of Zenda, as Duke is the owner of Zenda and old castle according to the king’s will. She says about Michael,
“We know him. He has always lied among us; every Rurutanian knows Duke. But the king is almost stranger; he has been so much abroad not one in ten knows him even by sight.”
Someone says that king has shaved now and no one can recognize him. Rassendyll decides to meet king before the coronation. Johann comes in the inn and meets with Rudolf Rassendyll. Johann gets surprise to see him, as he is very much resembled with Rudolf Elphberg while the elder girl leads Rassendyll to the rest room.
QUESTIONS
Q1. What does Rudolf Rassendyll know in Paris?
Ans. He comes to know that Bertram Bertrand, a famous poet, is in love with De Mauban, who herself wants to marry with Duke Michael.
Q2. What does he know at the frontier of the Ruritania?
Ans. He comes to know at the frontier of the Ruritania through a newspaper that the coronation date has been extended.
Q3. Where does Rassendyll go and whom does he meet?
Ans. Rassendyll goes to Zenda to join the coronation ceremony and meets De Mauban in the train.
Q4. Where does he stay in Zenda and whom does he meet?
Ans. He stays in an in of the small town of Zenda where he meets Johann, a faithful servant of Duke Michael. Who gets surprise to see him, as he seems very much resemble to the new king.
