Whilst the clamour of the crowd in the square of Buytenhof,which grew more and more menacing against the two brothers,determined John de Witt to hasten the departure of hisbrother Cornelius, a deputation of burghers had gone to theTown-hall to demand the withdrawal of Tilly's horse.

　　It was not far from the Buytenhof to Hoogstraet (HighStreet); and a stranger, who since the beginning of thisscene had watched all its incidents with intense interest,was seen to wend his way with, or rather in the wake of, theothers towards the Town-hall, to hear as soon as possiblethe current news of the hour.

　　This stranger was a very young man, of scarcely twenty-twoor three, with nothing about him that bespoke any greatenergy. He evidently had his good reasons for not makinghimself known, as he hid his face in a handkerchief of fineFrisian linen, with which he incessantly wiped his brow orhis burning lips.

　　With an eye keen as that of a bird of prey, -- with a longaquiline nose, a finely cut mouth, which he generally keptopen, or rather which was gaping like the edges of a wound,-- this man would have presented to Lavater, if Lavater hadlived at that time, a subject for physiognomicalobservations which at the first blush would not have beenvery favourable to the person in question.

　　"What difference is there between the figure of theconqueror and that of the pirate?" said the ancients. Thedifference only between the eagle and the vulture, --serenity or restlessness.

　　And indeed the sallow physiognomy, the thin and sickly body,and the prowling ways of the stranger, were the very type ofa suspecting master, or an unquiet thief; and a policeofficer would certainly have decided in favour of the lattersupposition, on account of the great care which themysterious person evidently took to hide himself.

　　He was plainly dressed, and apparently unarmed; his arm waslean but wiry, and his hands dry, but of an aristocraticwhiteness and delicacy, and he leaned on the shoulder of anofficer, who, with his hand on his sword, had watched thescenes in the Buytenhof with eager curiosity, very naturalin a military man, until his companion drew him away withhim.

　　On arriving at the square of the Hoogstraet, the man withthe sallow face pushed the other behind an open shutter,from which corner he himself began to survey the balcony ofthe Town-hall.

　　At the savage yells of the mob, the window of the Town-hallopened, and a man came forth to address the people.

　　"Who is that on the balcony?" asked the young man, glancingat the orator.

　　"It is the Deputy Bowelt," replied the officer.

　　"What sort of a man is he? Do you know anything of him?""An honest man; at least I believe so, Monseigneur."Hearing this character given of Bowelt, the young man showedsigns of such a strange disappointment and evidentdissatisfaction that the officer could not but remark it,and therefore added, --"At least people say so, Monseigneur. I cannot say anythingabout it myself, as I have no personal acquaintance withMynheer Bowelt.""An honest man," repeated he who was addressed asMonseigneur; "do you mean to say that he is an honest man(brave homme), or a brave one (homme brave)?""Ah, Monseigneur must excuse me; I would not presume to drawsuch a fine distinction in the case of a man whom, I assureyour Highness once more, I know only by sight.""If this Bowelt is an honest man," his Highness continued,"he will give to the demand of these furibund petitioners avery queer reception."The nervous quiver of his hand, which moved on the shoulderof his companion as the fingers of a player on the keys of aharpsichord, betrayed his burning impatience, so illconcealed at certain times, and particularly at that moment,under the icy and sombre expression of his face.

　　The chief of the deputation of the burghers was then heardaddressing an interpellation to Mynheer Bowelt, whom herequested to let them know where the other deputies, hiscolleagues, were.

　　"Gentlemen," Bowelt repeated for the second time, "I assureyou that in this moment I am here alone with Mynheerd'Asperen, and I cannot take any resolution on my ownresponsibility.""The order! we want the order!" cried several thousandvoices.

　　Mynheer Bowelt wished to speak, but his words were notheard, and he was only seen moving his arms in all sorts ofgestures, which plainly showed that he felt his position tobe desperate. When, at last, he saw that he could not makehimself heard, he turned round towards the open window, andcalled Mynheer d'Asperen.

　　The latter gentleman now made his appearance on the balcony,where he was saluted with shouts even more energetic thanthose with which, ten minutes before, his colleague had beenreceived.

　　This did not prevent him from undertaking the difficult taskof haranguing the mob; but the mob preferred forcing theguard of the States -- which, however, offered no resistanceto the sovereign people -- to listening to the speech ofMynheer d'Asperen.

　　"Now, then," the young man coolly remarked, whilst the crowdwas rushing into the principal gate of the Town-hall, "itseems the question will be discussed indoors, Captain. Comealong, and let us hear the debate.""Oh, Monseigneur! Monseigneur! take care!""Of what?""Among these deputies there are many who have had dealingswith you, and it would be sufficient, that one of themshould recognize your Highness.""Yes, that I might be charged with having been theinstigator of all this work, indeed, you are right," saidthe young man, blushing for a moment from regret of havingbetrayed so much eagerness. "From this place we shall seethem return with or without the order for the withdrawal ofthe dragoons, then we may judge which is greater, MynheerBowelt's honesty or his courage.""But," replied the officer, looking with astonishment at thepersonage whom he addressed as Monseigneur, "but yourHighness surely does not suppose for one instant that thedeputies will order Tilly's horse to quit their post?""Why not?" the young man quietly retorted.

　　"Because doing so would simply be signing the death warrantof Cornelius and John de Witt.""We shall see," his Highness replied, with the most perfectcoolness; "God alone knows what is going on within thehearts of men."The officer looked askance at the impassible figure of hiscompanion, and grew pale: he was an honest man as well as abrave one.

　　From the spot where they stood, his Highness and hisattendant heard the tumult and the heavy tramp of the crowdon the staircase of the Town-hall. The noise thereuponsounded through the windows of the hall, on the balcony ofwhich Mynheers Bowelt and D'Asperen had presentedthemselves. These two gentlemen had retired into thebuilding, very likely from fear of being forced over thebalustrade by the pressure of the crowd.

　　After this, fluctuating shadows in tumultuous confusion wereseen flitting to and fro across the windows: the councilhall was filling.

　　Suddenly the noise subsided, and as suddenly again it rosewith redoubled intensity, and at last reached such a pitchthat the old building shook to the very roof.

　　At length, the living stream poured back through thegalleries and stairs to the arched gateway, from which itwas seen issuing like waters from a spout.

　　At the head of the first group, man was flying rather thanrunning, his face hideously distorted with satanic glee:

　　this man was the surgeon Tyckelaer.

　　"We have it! we have it!" he cried, brandishing a paper inthe air.

　　"They have got the order!" muttered the officer inamazement.

　　"Well, then," his Highness quietly remarked, "now I knowwhat to believe with regard to Mynheer Bowelt's honesty andcourage: he has neither the one nor the other."Then, looking with a steady glance after the crowd which wasrushing along before him, he continued, --"Let us now go to the Buytenhof, Captain; I expect we shallsee a very strange sight there."The officer bowed, and, without making any reply, followedin the steps of his master.

　　There was an immense crowd in the square and about theneighbourhood of the prison. But the dragoons of Tilly stillkept it in check with the same success and with the samefirmness.

　　It was not long before the Count heard the increasing din ofthe approaching multitude, the first ranks of which rushedon with the rapidity of a cataract.

　　At the same time he observed the paper, which was wavingabove the surface of clenched fists and glittering arms.

　　"Halloa!" he said, rising in his stirrups, and touching hislieutenant with the knob of his sword; "I really believethose rascals have got the order.""Dastardly ruffians they are," cried the lieutenant.

　　It was indeed the order, which the burgher guard receivedwith a roar of triumph. They immediately sallied forth, withlowered arms and fierce shouts, to meet Count Tilly'sdragoons.

　　But the Count was not the man to allow them to approachwithin an inconvenient distance.

　　"Stop!" he cried, "stop, and keep off from my horse, or Ishall give the word of command to advance.""Here is the order!" a hundred insolent voices answered atonce.

　　He took it in amazement, cast a rapid glance on it, and saidquite aloud, --"Those who have signed this order are the real murderers ofCornelius de Witt. I would rather have my two hands cut offthan have written one single letter of this infamous order."And, pushing back with the hilt of his sword the man whowanted to take it from him, he added, --"Wait a minute, papers like this are of importance, and areto be kept."Saying this, he folded up the document, and carefully put itin the pocket of his coat.

　　Then, turning round towards his troop, he gave the word ofcommand, --"Tilly's dragoons, wheel to the right!"After this, he added, in an undertone, yet loud enough forhis words to be not altogether lost to those about him, --"And now, ye butchers, do your work!"A savage yell, in which all the keen hatred and ferocioustriumph rife in the precincts of the prison simultaneouslyburst forth, and accompanied the departure of the dragoons,as they were quietly filing off.

　　The Count tarried behind, facing to the last the infuriatedpopulace, which advanced at the same rate as the Countretired.

　　John de Witt, therefore, had by no means exaggerated thedanger, when, assisting his brother in getting up, hehurried his departure. Cornelius, leaning on the arm of theEx-Grand Pensionary, descended the stairs which led to thecourtyard. At the bottom of the staircase he found littleRosa, trembling all over.

　　"Oh, Mynheer John," she said, "what a misfortune!""What is it, my child?" asked De Witt.

　　"They say that they are gone to the Town-hall to fetch theorder for Tilly's horse to withdraw.""You do not say so!" replied John. "Indeed, my dear child,if the dragoons are off, we shall be in a very sad plight.""I have some advice to give you," Rosa said, trembling evenmore violently than before.

　　"Well, let us hear what you have to say, my child. Whyshould not God speak by your mouth?""Now, then, Mynheer John, if I were in your place, I shouldnot go out through the main street.""And why so, as the dragoons of Tilly are still at theirpost?""Yes, but their order, as long as it is not revoked, enjoinsthem to stop before the prison.""Undoubtedly.""Have you got an order for them to accompany you out of thetown?""We have not?""Well, then, in the very moment when you have passed theranks of the dragoons you will fall into the hands of thepeople.""But the burgher guard?""Alas! the burgher guard are the most enraged of all.""What are we to do, then?""If I were in your place, Mynheer John," the young girltimidly continued, "I should leave by the postern, whichleads into a deserted by-lane, whilst all the people arewaiting in the High Street to see you come out by theprincipal entrance. From there I should try to reach thegate by which you intend to leave the town.""But my brother is not able to walk," said John.

　　"I shall try," Cornelius said, with an expression of mostsublime fortitude.

　　"But have you not got your carriage?" asked the girl.

　　"The carriage is down near the great entrance.""Not so," she replied. "I considered your coachman to be afaithful man, and I told him to wait for you at thepostern."The two brothers looked first at each other, and then atRosa, with a glance full of the most tender gratitude.

　　"The question is now," said the Grand Pensionary, "whetherGryphus will open this door for us.""Indeed, he will do no such thing," said Rosa.

　　"Well, and how then?""I have foreseen his refusal, and just now whilst he wastalking from the window of the porter's lodge with adragoon, I took away the key from his bunch.""And you have got it?""Here it is, Mynheer John.""My child," said Cornelius, "I have nothing to give you inexchange for the service you are rendering us but the Biblewhich you will find in my room; it is the last gift of anhonest man; I hope it will bring you good luck.""I thank you, Master Cornelius, it shall never leave me,"replied Rosa.

　　And then, with a sigh, she said to herself, "What a pitythat I do not know how to read!""The shouts and cries are growing louder and louder," saidJohn; "there is not a moment to be lost.""Come along, gentlemen," said the girl, who now led the twobrothers through an inner lobby to the back of the prison.

　　Guided by her, they descended a staircase of about a dozensteps; traversed a small courtyard, which was surrounded bycastellated walls; and, the arched door having been openedfor them by Rosa, they emerged into a lonely street wheretheir carriage was ready to receive them.

　　"Quick, quick, my masters! do you hear them?" cried thecoachman, in a deadly fright.

　　Yet, after having made Cornelius get into the carriagefirst, the Grand Pensionary turned round towards the girl,to whom he said, --"Good-bye, my child! words could never express ourgratitude. God will reward you for having saved the lives oftwo men."Rosa took the hand which John de Witt proffered to her, andkissed it with every show of respect.

　　"Go! for Heaven's sake, go!" she said; "it seems they aregoing to force the gate."John de Witt hastily got in, sat himself down by the side ofhis brother, and, fastening the apron of the carriage,called out to the coachman, --"To the Tol-Hek!"The Tol-Hek was the iron gate leading to the harbor ofSchevening, in which a small vessel was waiting for the twobrothers.

　　The carriage drove off with the fugitives at the full speedof a pair of spirited Flemish horses. Rosa followed themwith her eyes until they turned the corner of the street,upon which, closing the door after her, she went back andthrew the key into a cell.

　　The noise which had made Rosa suppose that the people wereforcing the prison door was indeed owing to the mobbattering against it after the square had been left by themilitary.

　　Solid as the gate was, and although Gryphus, to do himjustice, stoutly enough refused to open it, yet evidently itcould not resist much longer, and the jailer, growing verypale, put to himself the question whether it would not bebetter to open the door than to allow it to be forced, whenhe felt some one gently pulling his coat.

　　He turned round and saw Rosa.

　　"Do you hear these madmen?" he said.

　　"I hear them so well, my father, that in your place ---- ""You would open the door?""No, I should allow it to be forced.""But they will kill me!""Yes, if they see you.""How shall they not see me?""Hide yourself.""Where?""In the secret dungeon.""But you, my child?""I shall get into it with you. We shall lock the door andwhen they have left the prison, we shall again come forthfrom our hiding place.""Zounds, you are right, there!" cried Gryphus; "it'ssurprising how much sense there is in such a little head!"Then, as the gate began to give way amidst the triumphantshouts of the mob, she opened a little trap-door, and said,--"Come along, come along, father.""But our prisoners?""God will watch over them, and I shall watch over you."Gryphus followed his daughter, and the trap-door closed overhis head, just as the broken gate gave admittance to thepopulace.

　　The dungeon where Rosa had induced her father to hidehimself, and where for the present we must leave the two,offered to them a perfectly safe retreat, being known onlyto those in power, who used to place there importantprisoners of state, to guard against a rescue or a revolt.

　　The people rushed into the prison, with the cry --"Death to the traitors! To the gallows with Cornelius deWitt! Death! death!"